Trump’s plan seeks to ‘harden’ schools against shootings

President Donald Trump's plan to combat school shootings will include the creation of a new task force and an effort to "harden" schools so they're less vulnerable to attacks, the White House said Sunday. But it will not include a call on states to increase the minimum age for purchasing assault weapons, as Trump had previously advocated.

National Guardsman who threatened to kill Mike Pence sentenced

A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for threatening to kill Vice President Mike Pence. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, three witnesses said Dunbar made the statements days before the vice president, a former governor of Indiana, was set to appear as a keynote speaker at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept.

Ex-Massachusetts Gov. Patrick weighing 2020 White House bid

In this May 7, 2017 file photo, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick arrives at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston for the 2017 Profile in Courage award ceremony. The former Democratic governor said in March 2018 that a run for the White House in 2020 is on his "radar screen."

Colombia’s former guerrillas face first electoral test

FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2016 file photo, Rodrigo Londono, top leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, smiles during a roundtable with foreign journalists in Bogota, Colombia. The political party formed b... .

Justice Department Proposes Bump Stock Ban

The Trump administration said Saturday it has taken the first step in the regulatory process to ban bump stocks, likely setting the stage for long legal battles with gun manufacturers while the trigger devices remain on the market. The move was expected after President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to work toward a ban following the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school in February.

Steve Hilton: Hey Gov. Jerry Brown, why won’t you talk to me about illegal immigration?

California Governor Jerry Brown delivers his final state of the state address in Sacramento, California, U.S., January 25, 2018. Don't expect California Gov. Jerry Brown to roll out the red carpet for President Trump when the president is scheduled to visit the Golden State in the week ahead.

Veterans home workers remembered as devoted caregivers

2012 photo provided by Tom Turner shows Christine Loeber, a victim of the veterans home shooting on Friday, March 9, 2018 in Yountville, Calif, Loeber was executive director of the Pathway Home, a treatment program for ... . FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2018, file photo, Carl Lewis in his market in Rankin, Pa.

Blackburn, Bredesen have concerns about Trump’s tariffs

In Tennessee's U.S. Senate race, Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn and ex-Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen are concerned about President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. On Thursday, Bredesen compared broad tariffs to taking a big ax to a problem that needs a scalpel.

Lawmakers rethink selection process for University of Minnesota Board of Regents

State legislators are debating proposals to change how members of the University of Minnesota's governing body are picked, a system critics say has sometimes favored the politically connected over the most qualified. The process has drawn fresh attention after the surprise resignation of Regent Patricia Simmons on Wednesday.

Fmr. Gov. Bill Richardson weighs in on upcoming North Korea summit

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is making national headlines in light of President Donald Trump's planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. As a former U.N. ambassador, Richardson has negotiated with North Korea in the past and has extensive knowledge of the hermit kingdom.

Indiana governor seeks $5 million to boost school security

Indiana's governor has asked legislators to approve a $5 million boost for a state grant program aimed at helping improve school security. Gov. Eric Holcomb's office released a letter Friday seeking the money for the Indiana Secured Safety Grant Program, which was started in 2013 after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.

Golden talks congestion pricing, speed cameras

As state budget negotiations intensified in Albany ahead of an April 1 deadline, an influential Brooklyn state senator said he is in favor, at least in principle, of a proposal to institute a congestion pricing plan to get vehicles off clogged Midtown Manhattan streets and another idea that would double the number of speed cameras outside of New York City schools. But state Sen. Marty Golden , the only Republican state senator representing a Brooklyn district, said his support is contingent on getting certain provisions into both bills.

Political roundup: Can a “Marshall Plan for Talent” work if children can’t read?

Governor Rick Snyder has proposed a "Marshall Plan for Talent," which would spend $100 million for job training for hundreds of thousands of workers. Stateside's conversation with Ken Sikkema, Senior Policy Fellow with Public Sector Consultants and the former Republican majority leader in state senate, and Buzz Thomas, a principal at Thomas Group Consulting and a former Democratic leader in both the House and the Senate.

The Latest: Hong Kong ‘regrets and disapproves’ US tariffs

President Donald Trump, center, speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 8, 2018, before signing two proclamations, one on steel imports and the other on aluminum imports. Standing with Trum... .