Trump sends lawmakers $15B in proposed spending cuts Source: AP

President Donald Trump has sent lawmakers a plan to wipe more than $15 billion in unused spending off the government's books. The plan wouldn't have much practical impact on targeted programs such as the popular Children's Health Insurance Program but would take away leftover funding that could be used to pay for spending elsewhere in the budget.

Continue reading 3 cliches about Trump that the media must stop pushing

Will President Donald Trump fire Rod Rosenstein? Will Robert Mueller find evidence that Trump has committed crimes? Will Rudy Giuliani and Trump land on a consistent explanation about hush money? Having read and watched a lot of the Trump-scandal coverage, I don't know the answer to any of these questions. What I can tell you is that I'm getting a little sick of some of the cliches that have become regular features of that coverage.

Paws on the ground: Luke Messer and family hit Indiana campaign trail with adorable puppy

Less than 24 hours before polls opened in the Indiana Senate primary, Rep. Luke Messer pulled out the big guns. More specifically, the Indiana Republican and his family adopted a little West Highland Terrier.

Trump to lay out biofuels plan in meeting with senators: sources

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to lay out his plans for the nation's biofuel policy on Tuesday in a closed door briefing with senators, after months of hearing arguments about the hotly contested regulation, according to two sources. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an 'Unleashing American Energy' event at the Department of Energy in Washington, U.S., June 29, 2017.

United States mine disaster Republican’s anti-Chinese racism

Republican West Virginia Senate candidate Don Blankenship 's latest political ad has stirred controversy for its use of terms like " China people " and references to Sen. Mitch McConnell as "cocaine Mitch" and his "China family". Blankenship, who is vying the chance to challenge West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin in November, is already known across his state.

Primary, general election debate schedule announced

For the first time, the Utah Debate Commission is hosting three primary debates, including between U.S. Senate candidates Mitt Romney, a former GOP presidential nominee, and state Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine. The debate between the two contenders for the Republican nomination in the race to take the place of retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, will be held May 29 at 6 p.m. at the KBYU Studios on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo.

New Pot Super PAC Aims to Unseat Anti-Pot Rep. Sessions

Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, speaks with reporters as he leaves the House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. One of the most seasoned pro-marijuana activists in the political world has created a super PAC with one goal this November: to unseat notoriously anti-pot Rep. Pete Sessions .

Trump in the mix as four states hold primaries on Tuesday Source: Cox Media Group

His name may not be on the ballot, but President Donald Trump is figuring prominently in a number of primary races on Tuesday, as voters go to the polls to pick candidates for Congress in Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Indiana, kicking off primaries for the U.S. House and Senate in 30 states over the next six weeks. For Republicans, the outcome of primaries in three states of the states voting today could be an important sign as to their party's chances to keep control of the U.S. Senate in the 2018 mid-term elections, as Republicans target seats held by Democrats in three states won by the President - Sen. Joe Manchin in West Virginia, Sen. Joe Donnelly in Indiana and Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio.

Voting opens in primary that sees challenges in key races

Voting is open now in the county auditor's office, and ballots are available to be mailed out as well, for the primary in June, to determine who will be on the general election ballots in November. -Messenger photo by Joe Sutter Webster County Supervisors Merrill Leffler, left, and Keith Dencklau vote in the primary on Monday morning.

Trump opposes Senate candidate who’s ‘Trumpier than Trump’

The anti-establishment fervor unleashed by Trump's spectacular 2016 election win has proven hard to control. West Virginia Republican voters will decide Tuesday if they want an ex-con coal baron as their US senator, even though President Donald Trump himself has warned the candidate is too radical to prevail in November's mid-term elections.

Orrin Hatch calls John McCain’s decision not to invite Trump to his funeral – ridiculous’

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch called John McCain's decision not to invite President Donald Trump to his funeral "ridiculous" and urged the cancer-stricken senator to change his mind. Hatch blasted McCain's plans to invite Vice President Mike Pence instead of Trump, telling CNN, "I think that's ridiculous.

President Trump proposing billions in spending cuts to Congress

The Trump administration is finalizing a multibillion-dollar roster of proposed spending cuts but is leaving this year's $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill alone. The White House said it is sending the so-called rescissions package to lawmakers Tuesday, with Capitol Hill GOP aides saying about $7 billion would come from unused funding from the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Jeff Flake will ‘certainly’ contribute to Democrat Joe Manchin…

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said he will donate to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in the event that controversial coal baron Don Blankenship wins the GOP primary in West Virginia on Tuesday. "I hope that [Blankenship] doesn't get through the primary," Flake told reporters on Monday.

In West Virginia, we’re about to find out whether there’s …

Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events Is there such a thing in today's Republican Party as too anti-establishment? Is already being a member of Congress enough to sink your candidacy for Congress? And could a wealth of opportunity for Republicans to unseat Senate Democrats this November actually end up backfiring? Those are the key questions facing the Republicans in divisive congressional and gubernatorial primaries Tuesday in West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio and North Carolina. Democrats have their own intraparty drama that could portend what happens in November, which we'll get to.

Trump proposing billions in spending cuts to Congress

The Trump administration is unveiling a multibillion-dollar roster of proposed spending cuts but is leaving this year's $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill alone. The White House said it is sending the so-called rescissions package to lawmakers Tuesday.

McCain Regrets Picking Palin Over Lieberman As His 2008 Running Mate

Sen. John McCain is using his new book and a documentary to publicly express his regret at not choosing former Senate colleague Joseph Lieberman as his running mate in the 2008 presidential election, The New York Times reported . McCain wrote in the book, which the newspaper said it obtained independently of the Arizona Republican, that his advisers warned him against picking Lieberman, a Connecticut Democrat who turned Independent, because of his support for abortion rights.