EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s ethical challenges piling up

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is facing heat for his first-class travel, huge raises for top aides and the rental of an D.C. apartment from a lobbyist. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's ethical challenges piling up EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is facing heat for his first-class travel, huge raises for top aides and the rental of an D.C. apartment from a lobbyist.

Women file to run for Congress in record numbers

Kara Eastman, one of two Democrats vying to challenge House Republican incumbent Don Bacon in a district centered in Omaha, Neb., poses for a photo Thursday, April 5, 2018, before a "Get Out The Vote" event in Omaha. More than 300 women from the two major parties have filed candidacy papers so far to run for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, a modern-day record for female candidates.

The Latest: Debate starts on Oklahoma education bills

Debate is underway in the Oklahoma Senate over two bills designed to generate about $40 million that Republican leaders hope will placate thousands of teachers striking for more money for public schools. The Senate is considering bills Friday to tax certain internet sales and to expand tribal gambling to include games with a ball or dice, such as craps and roulette.

Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions took secret trip to Venezuela that his office says was peace mission

Questions are swirling around Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions after reports that the Republican secretly met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas this week during a previously undisclosed trip to the South American country. Sessions' office is billing the trip, first reported by the Associated Press, as a peacekeeping mission.

Women file to run for U.S. House in record numbers

The number of women running for the U.S. House of Representatives set a record Thursday, most of them Democrats motivated by angst over President Donald Trump and policies of the Republican-controlled Congress. "It's about time," said Kara Eastman of Nebraska, one of two Democrats trying to win a primary and the right to challenge a GOP incumbent in a district centered in Omaha.

Oklahoma teacher walkout stretches into 5th day

Thousands of teachers from across Kentucky gather outside the state Capitol to rally for increased funding and to protest last minute changes to their state funded pension system, Monday, April 2, 2018, in Frankfort, Ky. Thousands filled the state Capitol in Kentucky on Monday to protest teacher pension changes, and schools were closed statewide in Oklahoma as thousands more educators rallied for increased education funding.

Local officials weigh in on new regional transit authority

The Georgia Legislature passed a bill March 29 that creates a regional transit authority and provides for a new funding option for metro Atlanta's 13 counties. On the final version of the bill, Rep. Micah Gravley, R-Douglasville, who represents House District 67, was the only member of Douglas County's eight-member state delegation who voted against it.

Saturday, April 7, 2018: Health care a moral issue, abandon…

How much is a life worth? Do we believe every life is equally precious? Who decides if our life or the life a loved one has value? These are deeply moral and spiritual questions, and they lie at the heart of the debate around access to health care . Virtually all faith traditions teach that every life is sacred.

Is Vladimir Putin Trump’s top adviser on Syria?

Could the answer to Trump's abrupt announcement that, "We'll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon," -- which left even White House aides scrambling to figure out what the President had in mind -- lead us back to Russian President Vladimir Putin? Pushback from security experts has apparently irritated the President but persuaded him for now to delay the withdrawal for the time being . At least that's the most recent decision, subject to change by the mercurial President.

How to win an argument about guns

A crowd in Janesville, Wis., hometown of House Speaker Paul Ryan, shows support for students calling attention to gun violence on March 28. There are reasonable gun control measures that are constitutional. A crowd in Janesville, Wis., hometown of House Speaker Paul Ryan, shows support for students calling attention to gun violence on March 28. There are reasonable gun control measures that are constitutional.

Teacher protests: Oklahoma lawmakers planning rare Friday sessions

The latest on teachers rallying for higher pay and more education funding in several Republican-led states across the U.S. : An Oklahoma state Senate leader says Friday "will be an important day" in the faceoff between lawmakers and teachers who are demonstrating for more school funding. Oklahoma lawmakers typically don't meet on Fridays during legislative sessions.

Congressmen urge UT-Dallas, other Texas universities to cut ties with China’s Confucius Institute

Two Texas congressman urged Texas universities to cut ties with Chinese government supported academic organizations, citing concern that the Chinese government could influence American education and possibly gather intelligence through their presence at schools. Republican Michael McCaul of Austin and Democrat Henry Cuellar of Laredo said in a joint statement Thursday they strongly urge universities to end their partnerships with the Confucius Institute.

CFOs ready to spend thanks to tax changes, Deloitte says

Corporate America's love affair with the Trump administration's tax overhaul is still going strong, and it's pushing spending plans to multiyear highs. In a quarterly survey released by Deloitte LLP Wednesday, a record number of chief financial officers said that now is a good time to take greater risks, pushing up growth expectations for revenue, earnings, capital spending and hiring.