Gaetz says he will seek to oust McCarthy as speaker this week. 'Bring it on,' McCarthy says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Matt Gaetz said Sunday he will try to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican, from his leadership position this week after McCarthy relied on Democratic support to pass legislation that avoided a government shutdown. “Bring it on,” McCarthy responded....

Pennsylvania governor’s voter registration change draws Trump’s ire in echo of 2020 election clashes

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump has a familiar target in his sights: Pennsylvania’s voting rules. He never stopped attacking court decisions on mail-in ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic, falsely claiming it as a reason for his 2020 loss in the crucial battleground state....

Government shutdown averted with little time to spare as Biden signs funding before midnight

WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a federal government shutdown suddenly lifted late Saturday as President Joe Biden signed a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open with little time to spare after Congress rushed to approve the bipartisan deal. The package drops aid to Ukraine,...

Biden says it's 'good news' the shutdown was averted but blames House GOP for 'manufactured crisis'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Staring down a possible government shutdown, the White House wanted to make sure any blame would fall at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue — specifically on House Republicans. After all, it was the majority party in the House that had been paralyzed until...

Rep. Jamaal Bowman triggered a fire alarm in a House office building amid voting on a funding bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman acknowledged triggering a fire alarm Saturday in one of the U.S. Capitol office buildings as lawmakers scrambled to pass a bill to fund the government before the midnight shutdown deadline. The fire alarm sounded out around noon in...

House passes bill to avert a shutdown after Republicans abandon push for steep cuts; next steps in Senate are uncertain

Iowa's two campaigns: Donald Trump's rivals search for paths to stop him as he blazes his own trail

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Having stood out in two presidential debates, Nikki Haley has booked her largest venue in Iowa since launching her campaign. She's hoping to fill a 600-person hall in a western Des Moines suburb on Saturday. That would be a huge number for most of her...

Emerging election issues in New Jersey include lawsuits over outing trans students, offshore wind

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Republicans are seizing on flashpoint issues in this year's election, aiming to energize voters over the state's lawsuits against school districts to stop them from outing transgender students to their parents as well as stoking skepticism toward offshore wind...

Trump animates California Republicans with calls to shoot people who rob stores

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — In an occasionally dark and profane speech, Donald Trump on Friday sought to win over Republicans in California by complaining that rich people in Beverly Hills smell bad because they're denied water, reiterating lies about widespread election fraud and calling on police to...

McCarthy's last-ditch plan to keep the government open collapses, making a shutdown almost certain

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's last-ditch plan to keep the federal government temporarily open collapsed in dramatic fashion Friday as a robust faction of hard-right holdouts rejected the package, making a shutdown almost certain. McCarthy’s right-flank...