Trump signs temporary government funding bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed a bill to fund the government through Dec. 11, averting the possibility of a government shutdown when the new fiscal year starts Thursday. Trump signed the bill, which was approved by sweeping bipartisan agreement Wednesday, into law early Thursday...

Check's in the mail? Trump doling out aid ahead of election

CHICAGO (AP) — It's almost as if he's writing a personal check. In recent days, President Donald Trump has promised millions of Medicare recipients that — thanks to him — they'll soon be getting an “incredible” $200 card in the mail to help them pay for prescriptions. He's...

California governor signs corporate boardroom diversity law

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of California-based corporations must have directors from racial or sexual minorities on their boards under a first-in-the-nation bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The diversity legislation is similar to a 2018 measure that required boardrooms to have at least...

California legislation bans toxic chemicals in cosmetics

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed legislation banning two dozen toxic chemicals from being used in cosmetics, making the state the first in the nation to prohibit the use of the hazardous ingredients for that purpose. “Children, communities of color and...

Pelosi and Mnuchin have 'extensive' talks on COVID relief

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held an “extensive conversation" Wednesday on a huge COVID-19 rescue package, meeting face to face for the first time in more than a month in a last-ditch effort to seal a tentative accord on an additional round of...

California to study reparations for Black Americans

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will develop a detailed plan for reparations under a new law signed on Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, making it the first state to mandate a study of how it can make amends for its role in the oppression of Black people. The law creates a nine-member task force to...

More restrictive use of whip in California taking effect

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jockeys and exercise riders in California will be working under a more restrictive rule governing the use of whips that goes into effect on Thursday. The amended Rule 1688 was designed by the California Horse Racing Board to further protect horses without compromising the safety of...

FAA chief tests changes to Boeing's grounded 737 Max

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, a former military and airline pilot, said Wednesday that he liked what he saw during a two-hour test flight of Boeing’s revamped 737 Max jetliner, a key step as the agency considers whether to let the plane return to flight after two deadly crashes....

Lawsuits challenge Virginia's sexual orientation protections

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A conservative legal group has filed lawsuits challenging a new Virginia law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The lawsuits filed this week in state and federal court by Alliance Defending Freedom argue that the new law infringes on their...

Senate sends President Trump bill to fund government through Dec. 11, averting possibility of shutdown