Federal judge: Democrats in Congress can sue Trump in emoluments case

A federal judge has ruled that 200 Democratic members of Congress have legal standing to sue President Donald Trump for allegedly violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution by doing business with foreign governments while in office. The case argues that the president has received foreign government favors, such as Chinese government trademarks for his companies, payments for hotel rooms and event-space rentals by representatives of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and proceeds from Chinese or Emirati-linked government purchases of office space in Trump Tower.

How Sen. Flake brought the Senate back from the brink in Kavanaugh probe

The tension in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room was almost unbearable in the hours and minutes before Sen. Jeff Flake announced that he wanted a limited FBI investigation of the sexual assault claims against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Republicans gave fiery speeches defending Kavanaugh.

Trump Kicks Off Rally Blitz

"President Trump on Saturday kicks off a week of rallies in five friendly places around the country, seeking to shore up support ahead of congressional elections even as the fate of his pick to fill a Supreme Court vacancy remains unclear," Reuters reports. "Trump travels first to Wheeling, West Virginia on Saturday, where Republicans are trying to unseat Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, one of a handful of senators seen as key swing votes that will determine Kavanaugh's appointment."

Trump heads on five-state rally blitz amid Supreme Court chaos

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday kicks off a week of rallies in five friendly places around the country, seeking to shore up support ahead of congressional elections even as the fate of his pick to fill a Supreme Court vacancy remains unclear. U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews from New York, in Maryland, U.S., September 27, 2018.

Abbott plays it cool in only debate against Democratic rival Valdez

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott presented himself as a successful steward of a thriving state at the only debate of the Texas gubernatorial campaign Friday night, eschewing any sharp attacks on long-shot Democratic rival Lupe Valdez. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott presented himself as a successful steward of a thriving state at the only debate of the Texas gubernatorial campaign Friday night, eschewing any sharp attacks on long-shot Democratic rival Lupe Valdez, who portrayed Abbott as unwilling to provide adequate funding for public education and too ready to appeal to racial fears with what she called the state's show-me-your-papers law.

How Sen. Flake brought the Senate back from the brink

The tension in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room was almost unbearable in the hours and minutes before Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake announced that he wanted a limited FBI investigation of the sexual assault claims against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The committee, and the Senate, seemed to be careening toward bedlam.

Judge: Democrats in Congress can sue Trump over emoluments

In this June 30, 2018, file photo, aw enforcement officers stand guard in front of the Trump Hotel in Washington. A federal district judge in Washington says a group of nearly 200 Democratic senators and representatives has legal standing to sue President Donald Trump to prove he violated the U.S. Constitution's emoluments provision.

We must treat mental and bodily health the same. It’s a matter of human rights.

Rosalynn Carter, former first lady of the United States, is an advocate for mental-health care through the Carter Center. Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. representative from 1995 to 2011, is the founder of the Kennedy Forum and author of "A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction."

Factbox: Five senators hold keys to Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court bid

President Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court will hinge on the votes of a handful of senators, including Arizona's Jeff Flake, who was at the center of complex Senate maneuvering over Kavanaugh on Friday. Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Jeff Flake speaks during a Judiciary Committee meeting to vote on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 28, 2018.

Lawsuit to compel release of Kavanaugh docs inches forward

A lawsuit filed by a Democratic senator from Oregon aiming to compel the Trump administration to release 100,000 pages of documents on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is inching forward in federal court, with an Obama nominee assigned to hear it. Sen. Jeff Merkley's lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in the nation's capital, has been overshadowed by sexual harassment accusations against the nominee, but the case remains alive, with summonses prepared for U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and others, court documents show.

Indiana elections chief reports absentee ballot problems

Indiana's chief elections official said Friday that some voters who applied for an absentee ballot through the Indiana Democratic Party are at risk of not receiving one. Republican Secretary of State Connie Lawson says that's because the party mailed out absentee applications that were missing instructions that must be included under state law unless special dispensation is granted.

Democratic mistreatment of Brett Kavanaugh has united and awakened a sleeping GOP base

But some on the Republican side, most especially Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., felt there should be a delay in order that a deeper investigation might be launched into the allegations against the nominee. Included in the support for this maneuver were Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

Chris Murphy was excited for an FBI investigation of Kavanaugh until he got his wish

It's funny because Murphy was gung-ho for an FBI investigation before Republicans moved to make it a reality. It's worth pointing out now, just in case you were wondering how unserious Democratic lawmakers are when they say they want a fair and thorough investigation of the allegations against Kavanaugh.