Train derailment causes fire in Oregon

A train derailment along the Oregon and Washington border sparked a raging fire that sent massive black plumes of smoke in the air on Friday afternoon. Eleven rail cars from a 96-car Union Pacific train carrying crude oil derailed, causing at least one train car to catch fire, Union Pacific representative Aaron Hunt said.

Zika highlights Puerto Rico’s fiscal woes

Puerto Rico is facing three converging crises demanding congressional attention: hundreds of cases of Zika, a $72 billion fiscal disaster and growing financial concerns about its Medicaid program. As lawmakers consider a $1.1 billion package to combat the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus that causes birth defects, the territory's long-standing problems with funding its joint federal-state health insurance program for the poor are coming to a head.

Clinton says Trump has ‘lowered the bar’ regarding protests

Hillary Clinton said Friday that Donald Trump has "lowered the bar" with regard to keeping the peace at his rallies and creating an environment that encourages dialogue. The likely Democratic nominee for president said in an interview with CNN that the presumptive Republican nominee has "set a very bad example" for not condemning the violence that is increasingly associated with his rallies, whether by his own supporters or his opponents.

Trump’s reluctant backers: Republicans falling in line

He's finally got Paul Ryan's endorsement, but many officials in Donald Trump's new wave of supporters remain reluctant backers at best. Leaders who have pledged their backing still aren't wholly satisfied with his temperament, policies or readiness for the White House.

Democrats weigh how to nudge Sanders out

Democrats in Washington have begun discussing how to encourage Sen. Bernie Sanders to end his campaign without alienating his legions of supporters, as party leaders grow eager to unite the party behind Hillary Clinton and provide a more robust defense for her candidacy. In private conversations on Capitol Hill, senior Democrats are weighing how to persuade Sanders to step aside without appearing as if they are trying to strong-arm him out of the race.

LATEST: Chicago mayor: ‘More work to do’ on transparency

The Latest on the release of videos and other materials by the Chicago agency that investigates police misconduct : Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says there's "a lot more work to do" on transparency as the city publicly released information about 100 cases of alleged police misconduct. Emanuel said in a statement that releasing the videos Friday morning was an "important next step" in the city's efforts to be more transparent with police issues.

Trump Treads on the Constitution

Hillary Clinton had a bad week. A scathing report from the State Department's inspector general on Clinton's use of a private email server for government business would have ignited more of a media firestorm than it did had Donald Trump not done what he does best: sucked up all the oxygen with his outrageous behavior.

Chicago to release videos showing police-related incidents

The Chicago agency that investigates police misconduct cases plans to release videos, audio recordings and other material Friday from about 100 incidents, the latest move in the city's effort to regain public trust in its beleaguered police force. Releasing records related to open investigations is nearly unprecedented in a city where the police department for decades had a reputation for secrecy.

Sen. Bob Casey backs gay, LGBT anti-discrimination bill

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Uber, Lyft Driver Settlements Signal Gig Economy Victories Ahead

With judges poised Thursday to consider settlements that will leave Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. drivers as independent contractors, two of the biggest names in the on-demand economy will avoid policy changes that would force them to rethink their business models. Uber and Lyft can also keep using a play borrowed from the traditional economy by requiring drivers to take disputes to private arbitration rather than court.

New super PAC to help Trump, this time organized by a friend

WASHINGTON - A close friend of Donald Trump has helped start a super PAC to support him, potentially giving the presumptive Republican presidential nominee his first big-donor help for the general election. Tom Barrack, a Los Angeles real estate investor, said in an interview with CNN on Thursday that the group has already received $32 million in financial commitments.

The Latest: NY’s Collins applauds Ryan’s Trump endorsement

The Latest on House Speaker Paul Ryan's endorsement of presumptive GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump : One of Donald Trump's top House backers is applauding Speaker Paul Ryan's decision to throw his support behind the presumptive GOP nominee. Congressman Chris Collins of New York says in a statement that Ryan's endorsement "reinforces the fact that Republicans are united in our fight to defeat Hillary Clinton."

Speaker Paul Ryan: a Ia ll be voting fora Trump

House Speaker Paul Ryan endorsed Donald Trump on Thursday, ending an extraordinary public split between the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee and the nation's highest-ranking Republican office holder. “I had friends wishing I wouldn't support him.

Coal miners PAC backs Portman over Strickland for US Senate

A coal miners' union influential in Appalachian Ohio is backing Republican Rob Portman over rival Ted Strickland in the closely watched contest for U.S. Senate. The announcement Thursday by the United Mine Workers of America's National Council of Coal Miners PAC comes as a political blow to Strickland.