Trump helps Chris Christie pay off his campaign debt

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, delivered a thank-you gift Thursday to the man who arguably risked the most to endorse him: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Trump held a fundraiser that he claimed would pay off the entirety of Christie's debt from his presidential campaign.

Controversial Oklahoma abortion bill could become long, costly legal fight

The Oklahoma legislature passed a bill Thursday making it a felony for doctors to perform abortions Gov. Fallin has 5 business days to veto or sign the bill Groups on both sides of the issue aren't very happy with it A controversial bill aimed at stopping abortions in Oklahoma could lead to a long and costly fight in the courtroom. Governor Mary Fallin now has five business days to sign or veto the bill after it was passed in the state legislature Thursday.

The Latest: Panel suggests study of nitrogen for executions

A grand jury investigating Oklahoma's execution protocols says the state should study the use of nitrogen gas to administer the death penalty. Attorney General Scott Pruitt said in a statement that the recommendation is important and that he looks forward to working with Gov. Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Legislature to consider its feasibility.

Rockies’ Jose Reyes prepares for return from suspension

Reyes was working out for the first time after being suspended under MLB domestic-v... . Colorado Rockies' Jose Reyes, right, laughs with players as they run drills during an extended spring training, Thursday, May 19, 2016, at the Rockies' facility in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Bathrooms, Polls and the Courts

It shouldn't have come as a surprise to observers that gauging public opinion on the issue of Transgender bathroom rights depends a lot on how you ask the question. But as the fallout from both the controversial North Carolina law that started this argument and the equally controversial federal directive to all public schools in the nation imposing the views of the administration on the nation starts to sort itself out, the debate is bound to change direction.

Oklahoma lawmakers pass bill criminalizing performing abortion

Oklahoma lawmakers have moved to effectively ban abortion in their state by making it a felony for doctors to perform the procedure, an effort the bill's sponsor said Thursday is aimed at ultimately overturning the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The bill , which abortion rights group Center for Reproductive Rights says is the first of its kind in the nation, also would restrict any physician who performs an abortion from obtaining or renewing a license to practice medicine in Oklahoma.

McCrory lawsuit against feds may help shift HB2 narrative

After weeks of taking a beating from critics over North Carolina's law dictating which restrooms transgender people can use, Gov. Pat McCrory adopted a strategy long favored by Southern conservative governors: He went after the federal government. The governor, trying to reshape the narrative as he fights for his political life, sued the Obama administration last week and accused officials of yet another overreach into state business.

California Senate to vote on sweeping gun-control measures

Democrats in the California Senate plan another attempt to outlaw the sale of assault weapons with easily detachable ammunition magazines known as bullet buttons as part of a wide-ranging slate of gun control bills scheduled for votes on Thursday. Nearly a dozen measures would significantly reshape California's gun laws, already among the strictest in the nation, following last year's terrorist attack in San Bernardino.

Brownback signs judicial transparency bill

Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a bill that will make the special commission that nominates Kansas Supreme Court justices subject to the state's open records and meetings laws, his office said Wednesday. SB 128 will also require Brownback to disclose the names of applicants for the Kansas Court of Appeals, something he repeatedly refused to do when making appointments to the court.

Ohio Senate race is most expensive in U.S., may be ugliest

Sen. Rob Portman, an incumbent, talks about how Republicans, amid a contentious presidential election, came out in record numbers to participate in Ohio's primary. Portman took more than 80 percent of the vote to fend of a conservative challenge.

Hurdles in Trump’s Midwest Strategy

I doubt it matters very much that Michigan's embattled Republican governor, Rick Snyder, won't be endorsing Donald Trump for president. Given Snyder's performance on the Flint water issue , who would want his endorsement? Gov. Snyder says he's going to stay focused on retaining a Republican majority in the state's House of Representatives.

Gov. Jerry Brown to consider clemency for death row inmate Kevin Cooper

Kevin Cooper, right, speaks with his attorney, Public Defender David Negus, during a preliminary hearing in November 1983 in Ontario. After 33 years in jail - 31 spent on San Quentin Prison's death row - Kevin Cooper's last hope of avoiding execution rests in the hands of Gov. Jerry Brown.

U.S. governors prepare wish lists for Trump infrastructure promise

President Donald Trump's campaign promise for a $1 trillion infrastructure program will be in focus when U.S. governors gather on Friday in Washington, D.C., with some states making wish lists of projects ranging from a bullet train to statewide broadband internet service. The winter meeting of the National Governors Association running through Monday is expected to showcase rare bipartisan agreement on the need for more federal help in upgrading roads, bridges and airports, said Scott Pattison, the group's executive director.