Nebraska's governor says he'll call lawmakers back to address tax relief

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen threatened from the beginning of this year's legislative session that he would call lawmakers back for a special session if they failed to pass a bill to significantly ease soaring property taxes. On the last day of the 60-day session Thursday, some...

A politician running for mayor in northern Mexico is killed, the 16th hopeful slain over June vote

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A mayoral candidate in a northern Mexico border state was killed on Friday, the 16th political hopeful slain ahead of the June 2 national elections that are shaping up to be the country’s most violent on record. Noé Ramos Ferretiz was a candidate of the...

Ukraine, Israel aid advances in rare House vote as Democrats help Republicans push it forward

WASHINGTON (AP) — With rare bipartisan momentum, the House pushed ahead Friday on a foreign aid package of $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and humanitarian support as a robust coalition of lawmakers helped it clear a procedural hurdle to reach final votes this weekend. Friday’s vote...

Mississippi legislators won't smooth the path this year to restore voting rights after some felonies

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Kenneth Almons says he began a sentence in a Mississippi prison just two weeks after graduating from high school, and one of his felony convictions — for armed robbery — stripped away voting rights that he still has not regained decades later. Now 51,...

California court to weigh in on fight over transgender ballot measure proposal language

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A group backing a proposed ballot measure in California that would require school staff to notify parents if their child asks to change gender identification at schools is battling the attorney general in court Friday, arguing he released misleading information about the...

Republican Wisconsin Senate candidate says he doesn't oppose elderly people voting

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican candidate in Wisconsin's closely watched U.S. Senate race emphasized this week that he doesn't oppose elderly people voting after initially saying that “almost nobody in a nursing home" is at a point in life where they are capable of voting. ...

Indians vote in the first phase of the world's largest election as Modi seeks a third term

NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of Indians began voting on Friday in a six-week election that's a referendum on Narendra Modi, the populist prime minister who has championed an assertive brand of Hindu nationalist politics and is seeking a rare third term as the country's leader. People...

Croatia's top court rules President Milanović cannot be prime minister because of campaign

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia's Constitutional Court on Friday banned President Zoran Milanović from becoming prime minister in case his center-left party manages to garner a majority after this week's highly contested parliamentary election. The ballot on Wednesday ended...

House advances a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, teeing up final votes this weekend

Mexico's president is getting a little sloppy in the rush to finish projects before his term ends

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president is in a rush to finish the big legislative and building projects he promised before his term ends in September, and experts say officials are getting a bit sloppy amid all the haste. This week, legislators from the governing Morena party...