Senators closing in on key piece of shutdown deal

Republicans say they are close to finalizing a package of full-year funding measures for select federal agencies — a critical piece of bipartisan negotiations over the terms for ending the prolonged government shutdown. “The mini-package should be nearing completion, and that will be the vehicle” for the stopgap spending bill to reopen the government, Senate […]

Democrats gird for a longer shutdown fight after election romp

Senate Democrats ended their workday Tuesday agonizing over what to do about the record-setting government shutdown. Many of those same lawmakers woke up Wednesday morning ready to fight on. The sweeping Democratic gains in this week’s elections bolstered the faction in the party insisting that senators dig in and force Republicans to accede to their […]

Senate Dems emboldened in shutdown strategy after election sweep

Senate Democrats are riding high after a wave of victories on Election Day and view Democratic candidates’ performances as an indicator that their shutdown strategy is working. As the government shutdown officially entered record-breaking territory in its 36th day, Senate Democrats felt emboldened by the election results, and saw the blowout wins across the country […]

Key Republicans waver ahead of war powers vote

Several Republican senators are voicing uncertainty ahead of a vote to block the Trump administration from taking military action against Venezuela, setting up a potential rebuke of the president over the scope of his war powers. The White House, in an apparent push to get Republicans on board, has started sharing more information with Congress […]

GOP senators hold firm on filibuster after Trump’s hard sell

President Donald Trump took his pitch to nix the filibuster directly to Senate Republicans on Wednesday. They are once again saying, thanks, but no thanks. Trump spent several minutes during a breakfast meeting with GOP senators at the White House urging them to eliminate the 60-vote supermajority requirement for most bills and reopen the government […]

House Dem crashes Mike Johnson press event as tensions erupt over shutdown

House GOP leaders’ daily government shutdown press conference briefly descended into chaos on Wednesday when a Democratic lawmaker interrupted the event. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., a moderate Democrat, shared a heated exchange with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after crashing his remarks outside the U.S. Capitol while demanding he meet with her caucus to end the […]

Protecting kids from AI chatbots: What the GUARD Act means

A new bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., would bar minors (under 18) from interacting with certain AI chatbots. It taps into growing alarm about children using ‘AI companions’ and the risks these systems may pose. Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight […]

Fox New Voter Poll: How Spanberger won Virginia governor

Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to win the Virginia governor’s race, tallying significant leads among reliable Democratic groups while capitalizing on economic worries and the deep unpopularity of President Donald Trump in the state. Spanberger will be the first woman to hold the office in the Old Dominion State. The former Virginia congresswoman […]