Chapter 2: Ledecka wins gold again, this time on a snowboard

U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has changed a proposed overhaul of his department with a new organizational map that more closely follows state lines instead of the natural boundaries he initially proposed. . A booking photo provided by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department shows Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018.

Susan Pillsbury: Fight for foreign aid

On a warm December day in 1995, I traveled to the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham to hear then-first lady Hillary Clinton speak. After hopping on a shuttle bus, I struck up a conversation with the woman seated next to me, a smart, vibrant and young state senator.

Senator Seeking Democratic Endorsement Days after Resigning

A California Democrat plans to seek his party's endorsement for a state Senate seat at Saturday's convention just days after resigning from the same seat following a sexual misconduct investigation that found he likely harassed six women. Former Sen. Tony Mendoza told the Associated Press he maintains "overwhelming" support among voters in his Los Angeles-area district and is undeterred by what he called unfair efforts to oust him by colleagues seeking political gain.

Washington Lawmakers approve legislative records exemption

Rowland Thompson, right, executive director of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, testifies during a joint work session of the Senate and House State Government Committees, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The session was held to discuss a bill filed Wednesday by lawmakers who want to circumvent a recent court ruling finding them fully subject to the state's public disclosure laws.

Embattled company plagiarized bid for Puerto Rico hot meal contract, senators say

The company that failed to deliver nearly all of the hot meals it promised to Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria plagiarized the bid that won it the $156 million contract from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a letter penned by three senators this week. Democratic Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Gary Peters of Michigan say that Tribute Contracting LLC - which lost its contract in October after just 20 days because it had delivered only 50,000 of the 30 million meals promised - lifted paragraphs from two other companies related to logistics and delivery.

Lawmakers battle over bill to prevent breaching of dams

In this Oct. 19, 2016 file photo, a man fishes for salmon in the Snake River above the Lower Granite Dam in Washington state. Three Republican U.S. House members from Washington state are criticizing Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., for opposing their legislation that would prevent the breaching of four dams on the Snake River to help improve endangered salmon runs.

NFTA hires WSP consultants to plan Metro Rail extension, initially $5M

Rejecting advice from Rep. Brian Higgins to shrink its plans, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority board Thursday voted to hire a consultant to plan extensions of Metro Rail. The NFTA said the $5 million environmental study might take three years and then more years for final design - all if Washington, DC pays - and around 10 years from now before the Metro Rail extension would be running trains.

California lawmakers struggle with #MeToo as senator resigns Source: AP

Critics cite a state senator's dramatic resignation in highlighting the work to be done to change the culture of sexual misconduct in the California Legislature. Sen. Tony Mendoza succumbed to months of mounting tension over sexual misconduct allegations Thursday, resigning his position as he was about to face a potential vote on his expulsion.

California Democrats meet with hopes Trump can unite them

File - In this Oct. 18, 2017 file photo, State Sen. Kevin de Leon addresses supporters during an event held to formally announce his run for U.S. Senate in Los Angeles. California Democrats are gathering to chart a path for 2018 success while seeking to shore up fissures over the party's direction that were exposed during the 2016 election.

Nominations sought for hall of fame

Started by the school's Renaissance program in 1996, the Wall of Fame is a way for the school and community to come together to promote and recognize achievements of past graduates and to celebrate the mark they have made on the world. To be considered a candidate for Wall of Fame honors, nominees must have graduated at least 10 years ago, have been recognized by their peers as highly successful in their chosen career field and have received district, state, national or international commendations or awards for their contributions.

VIDEO: A Vinyl Resurgence

IAZ008-MNZ086-087-094-231215- /O.CON.KARX.WW.Y.0009.000000T0000Z-180223T1200Z/ /O.CON.KARX.WS.A.0004.180224T2100Z-180225T1200Z/ Mitchell-Dodge-Olmsted-Mower- Including the cities of Osage, Dodge Center, Rochester, and Austin 1006 PM CST Thu Feb 22 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST FRIDAY... ...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation. Additional snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches and ice accumulations of up to 1/10 of an inch are expected.

Congressional District 8 voters, ignore your ballot’s…

A set of instructions sent to voters in the special primary election to replace U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., could cause confusion. The Republic's politics teams talks Don Shooter's claims of being privately investigated, a new and controversial abortion bill, and Steve Montenegro's legal path to citizenship on Feb. 13, 2018.

Perdue to food box critics: Give the idea a chance

Perdue is defending a proposal that would cut food stamp benefits in half and replace them with a pre-ass... WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday defended a proposal that would replace a portion of food stamp benefits with pre-assembled boxes of shelf-stable goods delivered to recipients' doorsteps - an idea one lawmaker called "a cruel joke." The idea was first floated last week in the Trump administration's 2019 budget proposal, tucked inside a larger plan to slash the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by roughly $213 billion - or 30 percent- over the next 10 years.

Legislative funding bill clears first hurdle at conference committee

Minnesota legislators could vote Thursday to restore the House and Senate operating budgets, after Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed them in May. A conference committee approved a bill Wednesday night that would designate more than $64 million for both the House and Senate, allowing them to keep functioning for two years. The funding would be retroactive to July 1. Both chambers need to vote on the measure, and Dayton must sign off on it.