Minnesota governor will appoint his lieutenant, Tina F. Smith, to replace Franken in Senate

Alabama's surprising election outcome upended the expectations in both parties for next year's midterm campaigns, with Democrats emboldened by signs of a resurgent voter base and Republicans sensing new vulnerabilities. The victory Tuesday by Democrat Doug Jones to represent that heavily conservative state in the Senate was the latest example in a string of elections this year that Democratic leaders think represent a growing backlash against President Trump - and a potential building wave for 2018.

Democrats call for halt to GOP tax bill until Jones is seated in the Senate

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to delay the vote on the tax bill until newly elected Senator-elect Doug Jones can cast a vote. Democrats warned Wednesday that Republican plans to speed ahead with revamping the nation's tax code could spell more electoral trouble for President Trump and his party next year, especially with young people and suburban families.

GOP finger-pointing starts right after Moore defeat in Alabama

The Republican finger-pointing started minutes after GOP candidate Roy Moore lost to a Democrat in deep-red Alabama's Senate race, with nervous party members fearing more of the same in the 2018 election might take away their majorities in Congress. "Congratulations to the Bannon wing of the @GOP for gifting a seat to @SenateDems in one of the reddest states," Republican Representative Carlos Curbelo of Florida wrote on Twitter Wednesday, referring to Moore backer Steve Bannon, the anti-establishment ally of President Donald Trump.

Gillibrand got a fight she wants after Trump’s fiery tweet

In this July 25, 2016, file photo, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY., speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Gillibrand got a fight she wants after President Donald Trump attacked her in a provocative tweet that claimed she'd begged him for campaign contributions and would "do anything" for them.

‘An uphill fight’: What’s next for Senator-elect Doug Jones?

Democrat Doug Jones celebrates his Election Night victory on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham. (Joe Songer When Doug Jones is sworn in as Alabama's newest senator, he will arrive to Washington, D.C. as a "darling" of national Democrats.

Franken, soon-to-be-gone, but back at Senate job

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who said last week he'll step down in the coming weeks due to mounting allegations of sexual misconduct, attends a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who said last week he'll step down in the coming weeks due to mounting allegations of sexual misconduct, attends a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017.

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren gets 2nd turn as comic book hero

In this Dec. 5, 2017, file photo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., waits to speak during a meeting of the Senate Banking Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Warren was the focus last year of a 22-page comic titled "Female Force: Elizabeth Warren" and now the publisher TidalWave Comics is bringing out a sequel, "Female Force: Elizabeth Warren #2."

Female veterans experience improvement in low back pain with course of chiropractic care

A new study finds that female veterans - one of the fastest growing populations receiving treatment through the Veterans Administration health care system - experience improvement in low back pain with a course of chiropractic care, according to the American Chiropractic Association . Published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the study's authors note that musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain are the most common ailments among female veterans.

WH Denies Trump’s Tweet Against Democratic Senator Was Sexist

U.S. President Donald Trump is facing a backlash after posting an insulting tweet about a Democratic senator from New York. Kirsten Gillibrand said Tuesday that the president is trying to silence her calls for his resignation following renewed allegations by women who claim that Trump harassed them sexually in the past.

Trump, Hillary Clinton and others congratulate Doug Jones on Alabama victory

President Donald Trump along with other politicians from both sides of the aisle reacted late Tuesday after Democratic Alabama Senate candidate Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a special election . Trump congratulated Jones in a tweet on his "hard fought victory" and said Republicans will "have another shot at the seat in a very short period of time."

12/13/2017

Brian Beutler reminds us of how the Democrats and Republicans behaved when Scott Brown won his Senate seat in the midst of a historic debate about health care just 8 years ago: Republican leaders are on the brink of losing more than just the Alabama Senate seat. They are, among other things, also poised to break the promises they made to Sen. Susan Collins to secure her vote for the corporate tax cut bill.

CNNa s Acosta complains of White House threat

CNN's Jim Acosta says he was warned by the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders not to ask a question during President Donald Trump's bill signing ceremony on Tuesday, further evidence of sour relations between the network and administration. Acosta said Sanders told him that if he asked Trump a question, "she could not promise that I would be allowed into a pool spray again."