Sen. Ron Johnson: Put healthcare reform on back burner and focus on other legislative issues

"I really do think we probably ought to turn our attention to the debt ceiling and funding the government and tax cuts until we can really get all the parties together," Johnson said. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said it is probably time for legislators to focus on areas of work like taxes and the economy while continuing to negotiate on a healthcare bill in the background.

Sessions: US prosecutors will help addiction-ravaged cities –

The Justice Department will dispatch 12 federal prosecutors to cities ravaged by addiction who will focus exclusively on investigating health care fraud and opioid scams that are fueling the nation's drug abuse epidemic, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Wednesday. He unveiled the pilot program during a speech in hard-hit Ohio, where eight people a day die of accidental overdoses.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

A week after an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he'd consider a bipartisan effort to continue payments to insurers to avert a costly rattling of health insurance markets. McConnell told reporters Saturday there is "still a chance" the Senate could revive the measure to repeal and replace "Obamacare," but he acknowledged the window for that is rapidly closing.

Cordray’s conundrum: Quit now and run for Ohio governor, or wait to be fired? Updated at

Even as Richard Cordray declines to say a word publicly on whether he will run for governor of Ohio, a number of Democrats are increasingly convinced that the head of the federal consumer bureau will compete for next year's Democratic nomination. Although Ohio Democratic hopes may be based on wishful thinking instead of direct knowledge, insiders believe that as a former state attorney general, Cordray would quickly become both the favorite to win the Democratic nomination and be a strong candidate against the eventual Republican nominee.

McConnell says he would consider continuing insurer payments

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell greets constituents at the Graves County Republican Breakfast in Mayfield, Ky., on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. McConnell told Republicans not to be disheartened by the Senate's failure to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law, telling them: "We're not through."

LETTERS: “Volunteer one to two hours per week to help with the…

As a 28-year member of the Volusia Literacy Council, I remember when I first joined, 1 in every 4 folks in Volusia County could not read or write past a fourth-grade level. Fast forward 28 years later, and as many as 1 in 4 adults still cannot read past a fourth-grade level.

McConnell Willing to ‘Take a Look’ at Bipartisan Health Care Bill

A week after an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he'd consider a bipartisan effort to continue payments to insurers to avert a costly rattling of health insurance markets. McConnell told reporters Saturday there is "still a chance" the Senate could revive the measure to repeal and replace "Obamacare," but he acknowledged the window for that is rapidly closing.

Republican shadow campaign for 2020 takes shape as Trump doubts grow

Vice President Mike Pence looks on as President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in March. Pence appears to be cementing his status as Trump's heir apparent, promoting himself as the conduit between Republican donors and the administration.

Volunteers search for invasive species across Wisconsin

The event is hosted by the River Alliance of Wisconsin, to get a closer look at invasive species. 27 News caught up with people learning what to look for at the Token Creek Conservancy in DeForest, before they headed out to identify invasive species on the water.

Congress must prove its mettle this fall; it has no choice

Republicans have little to show for their first seven months of controlling the White House and Capitol Hill. The Senate sent Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, and Congress passed bills bolstering veterans' health programs and financing the Food and Drug Administration.

Fox News host Eric Bolling suspended amid investigation

Fox News said Saturday that it has suspended Eric Bolling, the co-host of its late-afternoon news program "The Specialists," while it investigates allegations he sent a lewd photo to co-workers. News of the suspension came one day after a Huff Post report relying on anonymous sources stated Bolling had sent a lewd photo to at least three female colleagues at Fox New and Fox Business.

Strong reaction in New Hampshire to Trump’s ‘drug-infested den’ remarks

Those show the range of reactions in New Hampshire to President Donald Trump's characterization of the state as a "drug-infested den" while speaking to Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto in January. Trump's remarks came to light this week when The Washington Post published a transcript of the phone conversation between the two leaders.