The facade of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

The House will vote Thursday on whether to rein in a surveillance program that collects the content of Americans' email, text messages, photos and other electronic communication without a warrant. The program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, was approved by Congress in 2008 to increase the government's ability to track and thwart foreign terrorists in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Michael Graham: Pot party coming to a theater near you

So, will U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' anti-pot jackboots soon be kicking in the doors of our local pot-friendly bars, yoga studios and massage parlors? Second answer: Yes, Massachusetts Cannabis Commission rules - now in their final draft stage - really would allow pot use at recreational venues like movie theaters and massage spas. Talk about "working your joints."

Female Democrats plan sexual harassment protest for Trump’s State of the Union

Female Democratic lawmakers are working to keep the spotlight on the issue of sexual harassment by inviting their colleagues to wear black to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address at the end of the month. Led by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., the protest seeks to call attention to abuses of power in the workplace that affect women and other vulnerable groups.

Optimism rises for curtailing FISA in House showdown

A coalition of liberals and conservatives is increasingly optimistic they'll be able to curtail the government's chief foreign intelligence snooping law in a major showdown on the House floor Thursday. GOP leaders and the intelligence community are fighting to preserve the government's flexibility to act under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which governs collection of communications from foreign targets.

L’Italien: I’d back Trump’s wall to save Dreamers

If L'Italien had this opportunity the other day, when country leaders discussed immigration, the Democrat would have emphasized her opposition to building a border wall along the Mexican border. However, stressing that Congress needs to make more deals, the Andover state senator would have tentatively agreed to a wall if it meant 800,000 young people would be protected from deportation, she told The Sun during an editorial board meeting on Wednesday.

Coal baron’s ‘action plan’ became Trump policy initiatives

In this Aug. 20, 2007 file photo, Robert "Bob" Murray, founder and chairman of Cleveland-based Murray Energy Corp., arrives at a news conference at the entrance to the Crandall Canyon Mine, in northwest of Huntington, Utah. In the early days of the Trump administration, Murray, the head of one of America's largest coal companies sent a four-page "action plan" to the White House calling for rollbacks of key environmental and mine safety regulations he claimed would help revive the struggling mining industry.

Trump chides Feinstein, urges GOP to control Russia probes

President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of being "underhanded and a disgrace" for disclosing details of a dossier of allegations about his ties to Russia during the campaign. He also again lashed out at the investigations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, urging Republicans to take control of the inquiries and repeating his claim that they are on a "witch hunt."

Andrew McCarthy: Obama Officials Politicized Unverified Document

Just before the 2016 election, officials with the Obama administration worked to politicize allegations in a dossier about then-candidate Donald Trump without first verifying its claims, former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy said Wednesday. "I think the important thing is if you look at an important moment about six weeks or so before the election, what you find between Obama administration officials and Fusion GPS, which we know was working or the Clinton campaign," McCarthy told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program.

Sen. Whitehouse: Release of Fusion GPS Transcript Refutes GOP Distortions

Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse defended his Democratic colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein for making public the closed-door congressional testimony of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson, telling MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday that it helped clarify what he told the Judiciary Committee. What Republicans "tried to do is create this sense that there's some collusion between the Russians and Christopher Steele, the guy who wrote the dossier that Glenn Simpson and Fusion GPS published," Whitehouse said.

Indiana’s Gop Us Senate field will be set over next month

The monthlong period for political candidates to enter Indiana's May primaries is opening, during which time the size of the Republican field for the party's U.S. Senate nomination will be determined. The Republican race to decide the challenger to Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly will be Indiana's top primary race.

Judge blocks Trump administration plan to roll back DACA

A federal judge in California late Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration's efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. But the ruling is limited - the administration does not need to process applications for those who have never before received DACA protections, he said.

Cordray choosing ex-Rep. Betty Sutton as running mate

Two Barack Obama alumni will form a gubernatorial ticket Wednesday as Richard Cordray chooses Betty Sutton as his running mate, a source close to the Democrat's campaign confirmed. Cordray was tabbed by Obama as the first head of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a post he left in November to run for governor.

Consultant behind dossier on Trump’s Kremlin ties also worked for Russian firm

Glenn R. Simpson, former Wall Street Journal investigative reporter and co-founder of the research firm Fusion GPS, arrives to testify at a closed U.S. House Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington on Nov. 14, 2017. Simpson hired a former British spy to gather opposition research on Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential race.

Democrats seek to avoid DACA’s isolation in budget negotiations

Democrats are facing a tightrope challenge to achieve their goal of protecting young undocumented immigrants this month: Keep attention on the issue, but don't let it get singled out. Already, both sides have begun messaging on the topic, with Republicans accusing Democrats of wanting to shut down the government over immigration and of being unreasonable, and Democrats maintaining they're fighting for a host of programs beneficial to Americans.