An Honorable Republican: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

As Ileana Ros-Lehtinen nears the end of her 30 years of service as the first Cuban-American and the first Latina elected to Congress, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute honors her for standing up for what was right. Her stellar record, whether on foreign or domestic issues, shines because of her fundamental beliefs in human rights and in protecting families.

The Senate Tries to Figure Out Facebook

The sound of the camera shutters told the story. On Tuesday, when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg entered Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, dozens of photographers crowded the witness table, and the space filled with the sound of rain beating on a tin roof.

The Latest: Yes, Mark Zuckerberg will wear suit in Congress

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, center, arrives for a meeting with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., on Capitol Hill, Monday, April 9, 2018, in Washington. Zuckerberg will testify Tuesday before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election.

Mississippi River tributary deemed ‘most endangered’ river

An environmental organization identified on Tuesday a tributary of the Mississippi River as the nation's most endangered river of 2018 as a decades-old flood drainage plan has reincarnated. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to curb flooding in Mississippi's delta region threatens the Big Sunflower River and 200,000 acres of surrounding wetlands, American Rivers said.

Replacing Trent Franks: GOP nervous even in heavily Republican Arizona district

Voters in Arizona's solidly GOP 8th Congressional District are getting something they haven't had for a long time: a new representative. They're also getting unusual attention as Republicans across the country see their candidates falter while Democrats stand united against President Trump.

Domestic spending cuts weighed

With the federal budget deficit expanding and congressional elections seven months away, the Trump administration plans to ask Congress for cuts in domestic programs that were part of a bipartisan $1.3 trillion spending bill that President Donald Trump signed last month. The White House doesn't want to touch extra funding for the military, border security and combating the opioids crisis in a package of proposed cuts it will send to Congress in the coming weeks, according to an administration official, who asked for anonymity to outline the plan.

Cindy Hyde-Smith swearing in gives US Senate historic number of women

Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith was sworn in as the first female senator from Mississippi on Monday, bringing a record number of 23 women serving in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Roger Wicker, her GOP colleague from Mississippi, escorted her to the front of the Senate chamber so Vice President Mike Pence could swear her into office.

Trump: Sessions ‘Made a Terrible Mistake’ By Recusing…

Michael Cohen 's office , he once again ripped Jeff Sessions over his recusal from the investigations into Russia's 2016 election interference. The president went off on Monday as he called the raid "an attack on our country," tore into his various political enemies, and flirted with the possibility of firing Robert Mueller .

Analysis: Tax cuts, spending to raise deficit to $1T by 2020

The combined effect of President Donald Trump's tax cuts and last month's budget-busting spending bill is sending the federal deficit toward the $1 trillion mark next year, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO report says the nation's $21 trillion debt would spike to more than $33 trillion in 10 years, with debt held by investors spiking to levels that would come close to equaling the size of the economy, reaching levels that many economists fear could spark a debt crisis.

Community column for April 10

John James Audubon Chapter members attended the Louisiana Daughters of the American Revolution State Conference March 15-17 at the Renaissance Hotel in Baton Rouge. Shown are, from left, seated, Chapter Regent Georgia LaCour, President General Ann Dillon, State Regent Zora Olsson, State Third Vice Regent Margaret Tyler, State Treasurer Charlotte White; standing, Nola Labat, Yvonne Lewis Day, Amy Fontenot, Denise Malesic, Betty Jo Snellgrove, Stella Tanoos, Bridget May, Carole Gloger, Norma Gerace, Essie Mongeau, Shirley Newsham, Gloria Wilbert, Paula Wilbert, Sue Ann Shore, Sue Badeaux, Denise Lindsly and Glenda Carlile.

Former top U.S. intelligence officials back Trump’s CIA pick

Gina Haspel, a veteran CIA clandestine officer picked by U.S. President Donald Trump to head the Central Intelligence Agency, is shown in th WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel, has received the strong, cross-partisan backing of dozens of former top intelligence officials, according to a letter sent to the Senate Intelligence Committee. "Ms Haspel's qualifications to be CIA Director match or exceed those of most candidates put forward in the Agency's 70-year history," they said in the letter to the committee's leaders that was released on Monday.