Trump weighs next move on border wall as shutdown looms

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is racing to avoid a partial government shutdown next Friday over President Donald Trump's border wall. But you wouldn't know it by the schedule, as lawmakers left town waiting for the White House's next move. The House is taking an extended five-day weekend, returning Wednesday...

GOP candidate says he made decision to hire ballot operative

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The GOP candidate in a disputed North Carolina congressional race said in an interview aired Friday that it was his decision to hire an operative who is now a person of interest in an investigation into how absentee ballots were handled. Republican Mark Harris confirmed in an...

Wisconsin's Walker signs sweeping lame-duck GOP bills

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed a sweeping package of Republican legislation Friday that restricts early voting and weakens the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general, brushing aside complaints that he is enabling a brazen power grab and ignoring the will of voters....

California chief justice gives up Republican Party label

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The chief justice of the California Supreme Court said Friday she gave up her Republican Party affiliation over concerns about increasing political polarization and incivility in the U.S. Tani Cantil-Sakauye said in a telephone interview that she switched her voter registration to "no...

Wisconsin, Michigan Republicans enact lame-duck limits

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan enacted last-minute limits on Democratic power Friday, with outgoing GOP governors in both Upper Midwest states signing measures protecting their priorities before leaving office in less than a month. Democrats derided the moves as desperate power...

The Latest: Dems rip Snyder for gutting wage, benefit laws

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Latest on Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's signing of minimum wage and paid sick leave laws (all times local): 4 p.m. Democrats are blasting Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder for signing Republican-backed laws to significantly scale back citizen-initiated measures to raise the minimum wage and...

Effort to put New Hampshire GOP behind Trump faces pushback

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — An effort to put the New Hampshire Republican Party in President Donald Trump's corner ahead of the state's leadoff presidential primary is facing both private and public pushback. The state party has a long tradition of not taking sides during primaries, even when a Republican is in...

CORRECTS: Michigan governor signs laws to delay, scale back citizen-initiated minimum wage and paid sick leave measures

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — CORRECTS: Michigan governor signs laws to delay, scale back citizen-initiated minimum wage and paid sick leave measures. (Corrects APNewsAlert that said measures were voter-approved)

Kentucky Republicans request teacher emails

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Republican Party of Kentucky has requested the work emails of several teachers, saying they want to see if there is widespread misuse of government resources. Some teachers, however, see it as ploy to intimidate. The GOP declined to tell the Courier Journal how many requests it...

Walz draws GOP criticism for skipping Trump meeting

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Gov.-elect Tim Walz did not attend a meeting between a bipartisan group of new governors and President Donald Trump in Washington Thursday, drawing some criticism from Republicans. The six-term Democratic congressman stayed in Minnesota this week to meet with transition...