Senate votes to advance Barrett; confirmation expected Mon

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly Sunday to advance Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett toward final confirmation despite Democratic objections, just over a week before the presidential election. Barrett's confirmation on Monday was hardly in doubt, with majority Republicans...

Analysis: Mississippi US Senate race draws outside attention

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Democratic challenger Mike Espy and Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith are both receiving help from out-of-state politicians as they compete for a U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi. Hyde-Smith defeated Espy in a 2018 special election runoff, and now he's trying to reverse that...

Senate advances Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in near party-line vote; confirmation Monday all but assured

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate advances Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in near party-line vote; confirmation Monday all but assured.

Tennessee death row inmate's family awaits miracle DNA test

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Carl Payne believes his son is innocent of murder. He believes that for 33 years, his son has been wrongfully imprisoned, facing the death penalty. And he believes that God has allowed it, choosing this family like the biblical Queen Esther for God’s glory to be manifested....

For transgender activists, election stokes hopes and fears

Among transgender-rights activists, there’s a powerful mix of hope and fear heading toward the Nov. 3 election. They’re yearning for President Donald Trump’s defeat but dreading the possibility that his administration might win four more years and continue targeting them with hostile...

Wisconsin GOP's voting restrictions impact Black residents

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Melody McCurtis and Danell Cross start their day early on a recent sunny Sunday going door to door in their neighborhood northwest of downtown Milwaukee. Leaders of the nonprofit Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the mother and daughter make their way slowly along the route wearing...

Appeals court halts order requiring Georgia pollbook backups

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal appeals court on Saturday temporarily halted a lower court's order that said every polling place in Georgia must have at least one updated paper backup of the electronic pollbooks that are used to check in voters. U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg last month issued the order...

Murkowski's nod gives Barrett extra boost for Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett won crucial backing Saturday when one of the last Republican holdouts against filling the seat during an election season announced support for President Donald Trump's pick ahead of a confirmation vote expected Monday. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska,...

Reid says Biden should end Senate filibuster after 3 weeks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Senate leader Harry Reid says if Democrats win the presidency and the Senate, Joe Biden should take “no more than three weeks” to test bipartisanship before ending the filibuster so Democrats can overcome what they call Republican obstruction and pass bills. The...

2 staff members to Sen. Loeffler test positive for COVID

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two staff members for Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia tested positive for the coronavirus, but a subsequent test of the senator came back negative, the senator's office said Saturday. Loeffler was tested on Friday after learning about the positive tests of two Senate staff...