Senate GOP intent on scrapping health mandate in tax bill

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., joined with from left, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks to reporters following a closed-door strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017.

Nuke launch order can be refused, nervous US senators told

A retired Air Force general told the Senate on Tuesday that an order from President Donald Trump or any of his successors to launch nuclear weapons can be refused by the top officer at US Strategic Command if that order is determined to be illegal. During testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee, retired General Robert Kehler said the US armed forces are obliged to follow legal orders, not illegal ones.

FBI asks for Senate docs in fetal tissue probe: Report

The FBI has reportedly asked the Senate for unredacted documents obtained from abortion providers, which may signal an investigation into Planned Parenthood and other parties involved in the market for fetal tissue from abortions. The document request occurred recently and was directed to the Senate Judiciary Committee, The Hill reported.

Sessions denies lying on Russia, pleads hazy memory

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday displayed a hazy memory of the Trump campaign's discussions about and dealings with Russians in the 2016 election, denying he ever lied to Congress about those contacts but blaming the chaos of the race for fogging his recollections. During more than five hours of testimony to Congress, Sessions sought to explain away apparent contradictions in his earlier accounts by citing the exhausting nature of Donald Trump's upstart but surging bid for the White House.

Ed Rogers: Republicans better avoid ‘lock-her-up’ trap, focus on real governance

The Washington Post reported Monday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate "a host of Republican concerns." As a Republican, I hope Sessions doesn't have to do this.

Democrats add to win column in deep-red Oklahoma

Democrats added another win in the deep-red Oklahoma Legislature on Tuesday, continuing the minority party's string of success and chipping away at the Republican Party's hold on state government. The previously GOP-held House seat and two Senate seats on the ballot were all in mostly Republican districts around Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

The Latest: Police: Escaped mental patient is in California

Hawaii authorities are searching for Saito, who was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, after he escaped from Hawaii St... Pieces of pottery found in the nation of Georgia reveal the earliest known evidence for the origins of today's winemaking industry. Pieces of pottery found in the nation of Georgia reveal the earliest known evidence for the origins of today's winemaking industry.

Why nuclear deterrence can work on North Korea

The same logic that kept a nuclear war from breaking out between the United States and former Soviet Union is the best strategy to now pursue with North Korea, several scholars said Tuesday at Stanford. The panel, convened at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation , included political scientist Scott D. Sagan of CISAC; political scientist Mira Rapp-Hooper of Yale University; and political scientist Vipin Narang of MIT.

Democratic cloakroom in Washington named after Gabby Giffords, Leo Ryan

Democratic lawmakers who want to chat off the House floor will soon do so in a room named for two former members of Congress who were targeted by violence. The "Gabrielle Giffords-Leo J. Ryan Cloakroom" is named for former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, and former Rep. Leo J. Ryan, who was killed in 1978 during the Jonestown massacre.

House passes bill to renew flood insurance program

The House on Tuesday backed legislation that will increase flood insurance premiums for many property owners to help firm up a program under stress from ever-more frequent and powerful storms. The bill's passage was secured when sponsors made a variety of changes to accommodate lawmakers determined to protect constituents from even steeper rate hikes or from being booted out of the program altogether.

Republicans send Trump a message: Hands off N.J.’s big military base

WASHINGTON -- Funding for KC-46A refueling tankers at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst would speed up and President Donald Trump would be barred from beginning a new round of base closings under legislation setting defense policy for the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2018.

Tax Reform Bill Should Honor Free Speech of Churches and Charities

As Congress considers the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act this week, National Religious Broadcasters welcomed efforts to lift the free speech burden of the infamous "Johnson Amendment" off of all charitable organizations. NRB believes the Free Speech Fairness Act unshackles basic expression, a priceless bedrock principle of our nation, without allowing charities to become conduits for targeted political expenditures.

Senators from 2 states want to change opioid grant funding

U.S. senators from New Hampshire and West Virginia have introduced a bill to prioritize federal funding for states that have been hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. It would require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to take into account mortality rates and lack of access to treatment and services when allocating grants to states, rather than making determinations based on population size.

How Roy Moore and Alabama can work wonders for women

In light of sexual impropriety accusations, GOP leaders deserve credit for going against partisan interests, but not too much: Our view There is something truly remarkable about the insistence of Republican leaders that Roy Moore end his bid for a Senate seat from Alabama. Absent these entreaties, Moore, a former state Supreme Court justice accused by five women of sexual impropriety - including sexual assaulting 16-year-old Beverly Nelson and molesting 14-year-old Leigh Corfman - would likely still be the front-runner.

State Rep. from Rye latest to enter race to replace Carol Shea-Porter NEW

State Rep. Mindi Messmer of Rye on Tuesday became the sixth Democrat to officially launch a campaign for New Hampshire's First Congressional District. "I bring a proven track record of being able to get legislation passed in the State House that's helped citizens of New Hampshire," Messmer told the Monitor in an interview conducted hours before she formally kicked off her congressional bid at an event in Portsmouth.