Republican Mike Johnson reelected House speaker in dramatic floor vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Mike Johnson narrowly won reelection Friday as House speaker on a first ballot, overcoming hard-right GOP holdouts in a tense standoff and buoyed by a nod of support from President-elect Donald Trump. The uneasy scene brought an ominous start to the...

119th Congress Latest: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House speaker

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 119th Congress is convening for the first time and House Speaker Mike Johnson has narrowly been reelected to his post. The Louisiana Republican has the support of President-elect Donald Trump and House Republicans decided on Friday to reelect him to his post with just one...

Republican Mike Johnson reelected speaker of the House on first ballot, winning over GOP critics to retain the gavel

New Majority Leader Thune kicks off Senate session with pledge to preserve filibuster

WASHINGTON (AP) — New Senate Majority Leader John Thune is kicking off the new session with a promise to preserve the filibuster, saying in his first floor speech as leader that his priority will be to “ensure the Senate stays the Senate.” Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Republicans...

Republicans' trust in accuracy of US elections jumps after Trump's win, AP-NORC poll finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of Republicans say they are confident in the 2024 vote count after Donald Trump’s win, according to a new poll that finds a sharp turnaround from GOP voters’ skepticism about U.S. elections after the president-elect spent four years lying about his loss to...

Venezuela's government offers $100K reward for whereabouts of opposition's presidential candidate

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's government on Thursday announced a $100,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of Edmundo González, the opposition candidate who claims to have defeated President Nicolás Maduro in last year's election. The announcement came eight days...

Puerto Rico's new governor sworn in days after a major blackout left much of the island in the dark

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Jenniffer González Colón was sworn in Thursday as Puerto Rico’s new governor during a normally ebullient ceremony held amid widespread anger over a blackout that hit the U.S. territory days ago. González, a Republican who backs President-elect...

Nearly 200 ballots went uncounted in Wisconsin and officials want to know why

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nearly 200 absentee ballots somehow went uncounted in Wisconsin's liberal capital after the Nov. 5 election, prompting state election officials to launch an investigation Thursday into whether the city clerk broke the law. The Wisconsin Elections Commission...

Why Mike Johnson's bid to remain House speaker could be a struggle despite Trump's support

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mike Johnson is fighting for his political life, again. The Louisiana Republican's hold on the House speaker's gavel and his position as second in line to the presidency will be tested Friday when a new Congress convenes and House Republicans weigh whether to...

With a nod to her mentor Shirley Chisholm, Rep. Barbara Lee exits Congress as a renegade herself

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Barbara Lee has always stood apart, a matter-of-fact renegade with a long list of firsts. In high school, she was the first Black student to integrate her Southern California cheerleading squad. During the Democrat's more than two decades in...