The opioid crisis is now one of 29 active national emergencies

President Donald Trump's declaration on the opioid crisis marks the 29th concurrent active national emergency in America -- a state in which the United States has existed for nearly four decades straight. "The opioid crisis is an emergency, and I am saying, officially, right now, it is an emergency.

Trump: North Korea Threat Will Be Great For Guam’s Tourism Industry

North Korea's threat to launch nuclear missiles toward Guam will cause the U.S. territory's tourism to "go up like tenfold," President Donald Trump told Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo Friday evening. "I think - tourism, I can say this, your tourism, you're going to go up like tenfold with the expenditure of no money, so I congratulate you," Trump said during a phone call released by Calvo on his Facebook page.

Charter a new course

A hedge-fund manager who just used the most insensitive words imaginable to insult a state legislative leader, and trivialized America's history of racial terrorism to boot, should step away from his role leading the city's largest charter-school network. Every day that Daniel Loeb remains atop the board of directors of Success Academy Charter Schools, he harms its hard-earned credibility as a true ticket to equal opportunity for thousands of African-American kids.

Father: Woman killed by officer was ‘ripped from our arms’

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton talks with friend and former Philando Castile co-worker John Thompson shortly after he arrived at the memorial service for Justine Damond, Friday, Aug. 11, 2017, at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. Damond was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on July 15 after she called 911 to report a possible sexual assault near her home.

NYC billionaire suggests black NY senator is worse than KKK

In this April 27, 2015, file photo, Senate Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, speaks during a news conference in Albany, N.Y. Billionaire hedge fund executive Daniel Loeb has apologized for an online post saying Stewart-Cousins has done "more damage to people of color than anyone who has ever donned a hood."

Is Mike Pence the ‘Deep State’ that Trump fears?

"Last summer, the idea of being Donald Trump's running mate was so fraught and distasteful that Trump was forced to choose from a shortlist of Republican Party mediocrities, has-beens, and hangers-on - including ethical basket-cases like Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Among up-and-coming Republicans, Trump was still an object of derision and scorn: vulgar, ignorant, embarrassing, and destined to lose to Hillary Clinton.

Free-speech debate swirls as officials block on social media

An emerging debate about whether elected officials violate people's free speech rights by blocking them on social media is spreading across the U.S. as groups sue or warn politicians to stop the practice. The American Civil Liberties Union this week sued Maine Gov. Paul LePage and sent warning letters to Utah's congressional delegation.

Trump’s statements on racial violence vs. previous presidents

Trump's initial statement about the protests said there was hate "on many sides," which prompted critics and opponents to dismiss his statement as not being strong enough in condemning the extremist groups that initiated the protest. The statement was in contrast to several other Republican leaders such as Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Sen. Orrin Hatch , Sen. John McCain , Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio all of whom explicitly condemned the demonstrations and white supremacy saying there was no place for hatred in America.

Richardson: Tillerson ‘Tamped Down’ Trump’s Tough Talk on NKorea

President Donald Trump's "fire and fury" warnings to North Korea over its nuclear capabilities "initially was over the top," but it was effectively "tamped down" by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday, according to former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson. "The president has his own style," Richardson, also a former New Mexico governor, told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" anchor Bill Hemmer.

Poll suggests problems for Susan Collins if she runs for governor

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine returns to her office on Capitol Hill Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017, as work in the Senate begins to wind down toward August recess. An early, shadowy poll in Maine's 2018 gubernatorial race that looks aimed to ward off U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who is considering running to replace Gov. Paul LePage, says she might have trouble surviving a Republican primary.

North Korea considers missile strike on Guam after Trump’s ‘fire and fury’ warning

North Korea said on Wednesday it is considering plans for a missile strike on the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, just hours after President Donald Trump told the North that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury". The sharp increase in tensions rattled financial markets and prompted warnings from U.S. officials and analysts not to engage in rhetorical slanging matches with North Korea.

Democrats launch new group aimed at Republican strongholds

A jury is expected to be seated soon in Taylor Swift's civil trial involving a groping allegation against a former DJ. ATLANTA - Dissatisfied with Democratic fortunes in the era of President Donald Trump, a group of prominent Democrats is forming an organization outside the formal party structure with the goal of winning again in Republican-dominated middle America.

Trump holds ‘major briefing’ on opioid crisis

With the opioid crisis intensifying and dozens of Americans dying of drug overdoses each day, President Donald Trump pledged Tuesday to "beat this horrible situation" at a briefing held here during his 17-day "working vacation." "During my campaign, I promised to fight this battle because as president of the United States my greatest responsibility is to protect the American people and to ensure their safety, especially in some parts of our country, it is horrible," Trump told reporters before the event was closed to the press.

North Carolina leaders put more meat on Medicaid proposal

Gov. Roy Cooper's administration wants the state's pending Medicaid overhaul to integrate physical and mental health treatment more quickly and expand coverage to more of the working poor in North Carolina, according to its plan unveiled Tuesday. The Department of Health and Human Services released a report explaining how it wants the Medicaid program to look when a 2015 state law directing the reorganization takes effect, possibly in July 2019.