Missouri governora s troubles could trickle down to statea s competitive Senate contest

Missouri's U.S. Senate contest could be tied to the fate of the state's Republican governor, Eric Greitens, who is facing calls to resign after a shocking report detailing an alleged nonconsensual sexual encounter with his former hairdresser. The highly competitive race, in which both parties are heavily invested in winning, could determine which side controls the upper chamber in Congress next year.

Pompeo vows to confront Russia, dodges Mueller questions

Aiming to quell concerns before what is likely to be a narrow confirmation vote, Secretary of State-designate Mike Pompeo vowed on Thursday to ramp up efforts against Russia in "each place we confront them." But he ducked and dodged when asked whether he supports President Donald Trump's pounding criticism of the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Muslim lawmakers call on senators to oppose Pompeo

Democratic Reps. Keith Ellison and Andr Carson are calling on Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders to oppose the confirmation of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, citing his "history of anti-Muslim sentiment and discrimination."

House retirements show how Trump is splitting GOP

Those leaving office without a clear next political step tend to come from places where Trump is less popular. On the flip side, Republicans are more likely to leave the House to seek higher office if Trump was more popular in their districts.

Congress grilled Zuckerberg. What’s next?

Three hours into Mark Zuckerberg's second day of hearings on Capitol Hill, a Republican lawmaker offered "a little bit of advice" to the Facebook CEO: Be careful, or we might just have to regulate you. "Congress is good at two things: doing nothing, and overreacting," Rep. Billy Long, a Republican representing Missouri, told Zuckerberg in a hearing Wednesday.

The Zuckerberg Hearings Prove Government Shouldn’t Regulate Facebook

In the year 2018, at the height of The Russia Scare, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was hauled in front of a tribunal of tech-illiterate politicians and asked to explain himself. "It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg told senators who are upset about the company's exploitation of user data-which, unbeknownst to them, was social media's entire business model.

The Latest: New Zealand wary of Trump’s Pacific trade U-turn

New Zealand remains wary of President Donald Trump's apparent U-turn on a Pacific trade deal, after Trump said the U.S. is considering rejoining an 11-nation trade pact it earlier withdrew from. New Zealand Trade Minister David Parker says it isn't clear yet "how real it is" given the differing views about the deal held within the U.S. administration.

Trump flips on trade pact, weighs rejoining Pacific Rim deal

In a striking reversal, President Donald Trump has asked trade officials to explore the possibility of the United States rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, a free trade deal he pulled out of during his first days in office as part of his "America first" agenda.

Republican takes lead in race to replace Rep. Darrell Issa, while Democrat slips

A new poll shows that Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez has taken a clear lead over 15 other candidates running to replace Rep. Darrell Issa in Congress and has overtaken Democrat Doug Applegate, the previous frontrunner. In a SurveyUSA poll by 10News and The San Diego Union-Tribune, Chavez has support of 16 percent of likely voters, putting him ahead of Applegate, a lawyer, who was favored by 12 percent of voters and is in second place.

The Latest: Oklahoma teachers’ union calls for end to strike

Public schools in Oklahoma's two largest cities will remain closed another day despite plans to end a strike by teachers seeking more classroom funding. Oklahoma City and Tulsa schools said Thursday they will remain closed on Friday, the end of the second week of a statewide walkout by teachers who marched on the state Capitol.

Thousands of Kentucky teachers rally for education funding

Thousands of Kentucky teachers hoisted signs and chanted "we love our children" on Friday as they called on legislators to reject the Republican governor's vetoes and restore increases in education spending. Classes were canceled around Kentucky as teachers descended on the Capitol, wearing red T-shirts and carrying signs that said "I love my public school."

Panel tackles lack of high-speed internet in Indian Country

Librarians, policymakers and other experts gathered Thursday in Washington, D.C., for a panel discussion on the legislation and the needs of tribal communities. Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn told the group that investing in broadband infrastructure is critical because those investments increasingly determine which cities, towns and tribal nations thrive.

Acting IRS Commissioner David Kautter said Thursday that some 79…

The acting head of the IRS says the current tax-filing season has gone well, while acknowledging the tough challenge the cash-strapped agency faces of administering the new tax law that will affect 2019 returns. Acting IRS Commissioner David Kautter told Congress Thursday that some 79 million refunds totaling about $226 billion have been issued as of April 6, averaging $2,900 - up $13 from last year.

Ex-Texas congressman convicted of fraud, conspiracy

A federal jury convicted a former Texas congressman on fraud and conspiracy charges Thursday for misusing charitable donations to pay for personal and political expenses. Steve Stockman, a Republican, was accused of conspiring with two staffers to bilk conservative foundations out of at least $775,000 that was meant for charitable purposes and voter education.

Wendy Vitter won’t say if Supreme Court was right to outlaw segregated schools

Wendy Vitter, testifying Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee with her husband, former Sen. David Vitter, R-La., at right, said 'separate but equal' public education was immoral policy, but she would not say whether the Supreme Court was right to outlaw it. President Donald Trump has nominated her to be a U.S. District Court judge in New Orleans.