In the wake of the Orlando shooting, gun control bills sit in Senate limbo

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., left, accompanied by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., right, and other Democratic senators, calls for gun control legislation in the wake of the mass shooting in an Orlando LGBT nightclub this week, Thursday, June 16, 2016, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Murphy waged a roughly 15-hour filibuster into early Thursday, asserting as he yielded the floor that Republican leaders had committed to hold votes on expanded gun background checks and a ban on gun sales to suspected terrorists.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Cattle on the range near the…

With southeast Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy behind bars as he and his four sons await trial, the Bureau of Land Management announced Friday that it plans to resume work in the Gold Butte region for the first time since an armed standoff near Bundy's Bunkerville ranch in spring 2014. The BLM said in a news release Friday that "[w]ith the support of the local community, BLM officials have determined that the conditions are now right to resume work.

Cory Booker calls Ohio Democrats to action

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker speaks at the Ohio Democratic Party's Northeast Ohio luncheon on June 17, 2016 in the Westin Downtown Cleveland hotel. CLEVELAND, Ohio - New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker delivered a message Friday to the Ohio Democratic Party's Northeast Ohio luncheon that focused on policies "that actually produce returns on investment."

Blumenthal, Murphy, Himes, Martin to meet with Muslim, LGBT…

This undated image provided by the Orlando Police Department shows Omar Mateen, the suspect in the Sunday, June 12, 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. less FILE - This undated image provided by the Orlando Police Department shows Omar Mateen, the suspect in the Sunday, June 12, 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

Trump benefits from countries with anti-gay laws

Donald Trump is casting Hillary Clinton as an enemy of the LGBT community and women, using her family foundation's acceptance of contributions from Middle Eastern countries with widely-reported human rights abuses to hit his 2016 presidential rival on the campaign trail. In the wake of the Orlando massacre of 49 people, Trump cited Clinton Foundation's acceptance of up to $25 million in contributions from Saudi Arabia's government as a sign she is not dedicated to the cause of LGBT Americans.

Sen. Jon Tester, a Democratic holdout, endorses Hillary Clinton

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., the man in charge of Democratic efforts to retake the Senate, endorsed Hillary Clinton for president on Friday. Tester, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, frequently has to work with more conservative, red state Democrats in his home state Montana and in places across the country where there are competitive races.

Democratic congresswoman has an interesting theory about Trump’s relationship with the Clintons

You hear this theory floated jokingly by conservative #NeverTrumpers now and again, but no one really believes it. And when you do hear it, it's more of an "If Trump were trying to lose to the Clintons, what would he be doing differently right now?" rhetorical point, not a semi-serious accusation.

Caving to Post-Orlando Fear, House Betrays Civil Liberties

Late Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives blocked an amendment that would have prohibited warrantless surveillance of Americans' electronic communications and banned the government from forcing technology companies to install backdoors to encrypted devices. The amendment to the House's annual military spending bill, introduced by Reps.

Sanders vows to help Clinton fight Trump

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday vowed to work with Hillary Clinton to defeat Donald Trump, but he didn't end his presidential bid or endorse the presumptive Democratic nominee. "The major political task that we face in the next five months is to make certain that Donald Trump is defeated and defeated badly," Sanders said in a much-anticipated live-stream address.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., center, calls for gun control legislation …

President Barack Obama, followed by, from second from left, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., walks down the steps of Air Force One at Bradley Air Force Base, Conn., Monday, April 8, 2013. Obama traveled to the Hartford, Conn., to speak at the University of Hartford, near the state capitol where last week the governor signed into law some of the nation's strictest gun control laws with the Sandy Hook families standing behind him.

Post-primaries, Clinton and Sanders try to come together

That's where Clinton joined rival Barack Obama in 2008 for a splashy endorsement - the two rivals had literally split the vote in the town in the primary. But now, more than a week after Clinton clinched the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, Sanders has still not called Clinton the presumptive nominee, has not conceded the race and people close to both campaigns say a formal endorsement is not imminent.

It’s time to stand up for consumers’ right to know what’s in their food

Congress has only a few days left to pass a GMO labeling bill through the Senate and House before Vermont's mandatory labeling law takes effect July 1. And while Maine, Vermont and Connecticut have clearly spoken on the issue, there is still discussion in Washington around developing a "compromise" piece of legislation that would pre-empt existing bills in those states. Throughout households in Maine and across the country, this is a nonpartisan issue, with more than 90 percent of people polled reporting they believe they have the right to know whether their food contains GMOs.

Michigan Muslims decry Trump, Clinton’s use of phrase ‘radical Islam’

In the aftermath of the Orlando mass shooting, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have been in a war of words over how to address threats to national security. And for many Muslims living in Michigan, the words the presumptive presidential nominees of both political parties chose to use when discussing potential threats - especially the use of "radical Islam" or similar phrases - have been disappointing.