The far right has been feuding with McCarthy for weeks. Here's how it's spiraling into a shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — With little time left to prevent a government shutdown, the House is in a familiar position: effectively paralyzed as conservatives feud with Speaker Kevin McCarthy over matters large and small. McCarthy has pushed the Republican conference to embrace a short-term...

A new Spanish law strengthens animal rights but exempts bullfights and hunting with dogs

MADRID (AP) — A new animal welfare law that took effect Friday in Spain outlaws the use of animals for recreational activities that cause them pain and suffering but allows bullfights and hunting with dogs. Spain’s first specific animal rights legislation is intended to crack...

McCarthy rejects Senate spending bill while scrambling for a House plan that averts a shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government shutdown appeared all but inevitable as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dug in Thursday, vowing he will not take up Senate legislation designed to keep the federal government fully running despite House Republicans' struggle to unite around an alternative. ...

New California law raises minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour, among nation's highest

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A new law in California will raise the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour next year, an acknowledgment from the state's Democratic leaders that most of the often overlooked workforce are the primary earners for their low-income households. ...

Israel's High Court hears challenge to a law that makes it harder to remove Netanyahu from office

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday heard a challenge to a law that makes it harder to remove a sitting prime minister, which critics say is designed to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been working to reshape the justice system while he's on trial for alleged...

Gun control among new laws taking effect in Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Gun control laws will take effect in Maryland on Sunday. The laws were approved as part of state lawmakers' response to last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended a requirement to demonstrate a particular need for a license to carry a concealed gun in public, but they...

A government shutdown is nearing this weekend. What does it mean, who's hit and what's next?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is just days away from a shutdown that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics as Republicans in the House, fueled by hard-right demands, force a confrontation over federal spending. While some government entities will...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs law to protect doctors who mail abortion pills to other states

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Wednesday that aims to stop other states from prosecuting doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in places where the procedure is banned. California already has a law protecting doctors...

Ohio Senate passes bill that would help Boy Scouts abuse victims get more settlement money

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio victims of child sexual abuse while in the Boy Scouts of America could see more compensation for the crimes committed against them under legislation passed by the state Senate Wednesday in a unanimous vote and is expected to be approved in the House. The...

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth