New York Mayor Bill de Blasio drops 2020 presidential bid

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ended his campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on Friday after struggling to gain traction in a sprawling field of candidates. Announcing his decision in an MSNBC interview, de Blasio did not throw his support behind any candidate but...

CORRECTS: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he is ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

WASHINGTON (AP) — CORRECTS: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he is ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. (Corrects APNewsAlert to lower case 'de' and put a space before Blasio)

Kennedy mystique could factor into Massachusetts Senate race

BOSTON (AP) — When Edward M. Kennedy was running for the U.S. Senate for the first time in 1962, his Democratic primary opponent turned to him during a debate and said if his last name was Moore — Kennedy's middle name — his "candidacy would be a joke." Fortunately for Kennedy, he shared a...

Democrats shift 2020 strategies as Iowa draws closer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kamala Harris will "exponentially" increase the time she's spending in Iowa. Bernie Sanders is shaking up his operations there and in New Hampshire. And Beto O'Rourke is going broader, turning up at such places as a San Quentin prison and an Arkansas gun show. With just over four...

Officials detail drug overdose case against political donor

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gemmel Moore had moved back home with his mother in Texas two years ago and was missing Los Angeles when he texted a photo of syringe in an arm to a wealthy gay man he knew in California. Ed Buck, an influential political activist more than twice Moore's age, later replied: "Be here...

Key Senate panel approves $250 million for election security

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key Senate panel on Thursday approved $250 million to help states beef up their election systems, freeing up the money after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came under criticism from Democrats for impeding separate election security legislation. The Kentucky Republican announced...

The Latest: Activist charged in overdose appears in court

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on a federal charge against political activist Ed Buck in a drug death at his Los Angeles-area home (all times local): 5:10 p.m. Ed Buck appeared in federal court after being charged in connection with a deadly drug overdose at his Los Angeles area home, but the political...

Trump scores a victory in bicoastal battle over tax returns

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — President Donald Trump's efforts to keep his tax returns private played out on both coasts Thursday, with a California judge handing him an initial victory and his lawyers in New York City arguing that federal prosecutors there are trying "to harass" him by seeking the...

Pelosi offers Medicare negotiation plan to curb drug prices

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, trying to seize the agenda on a top consumer issue, announced an ambitious prescription drug plan Thursday that would allow Medicare to negotiate prices for seniors and younger people. The proposal would direct Medicare to bargain over as many as 250, but no...

Labor pick will seek ethics advice on brokers conflict rule

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's pick for Labor secretary sought to quell concerns among Democrats that he's too close to the corporate world, telling lawmakers Thursday that if confirmed he'll ask ethics officials if he can participate in the crafting of a conflict of interest rule for...