McCain is back in Arizona for Christmas, will miss tax vote

Republican Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer, is back home in Arizona after being treated for a viral infection and will miss the vote on the GOP tax bill. The 81-year-old senator was admitted last week to Walter Reed Medical Center, where he was dealing with the side effects of his treatment for cancer.

Trump’s sanctions seek regime change in Venezuela

On November 3, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro proposed a meeting with creditors, for November 13 in Caracas, to discuss a restructuring of Venezuelan public debt. On November 8, the US administration reacted by warning US bondholders that attending this meeting could put them in violation of US economic sanctions against Venezuela.

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.

Senate Republicans unveil their own tax plan

Senate Republicans released their own version of a tax plan Thursday, and it varies just enough from the House's bill to set the two chambers up for a dramatic showdown over tax policy in upcoming weeks. The Senate tax bill includes more individual tax brackets than the House bill as well as fully repeals the state and local tax deduction, which has become a must-save item for moderate Republicans in the House.

Democrat and ex-CIA: Trump needs to focus on Making America Feel Good Again or he’s out in 2020

Democrat and ex-CIA: Trump needs to focus on Making America Feel Good Again or he's out in 2020 A year ago, some 63 million Americans elected Donald Trump to serve as the nation's 45th president. Few anticipated his improbable success when he launched his campaign.

Police arrest neighbor in assault of Rand Paul in Kentucky

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is recovering after being assaulted at his Kentucky home on Friday, joining a growing list of lawmakers who have been injured or threatened with violence this year. Paul, a second-term senator, suffered a minor injury when he was assaulted at his Warren County, Kentucky, home Friday afternoon.

GOP Poll: Ed Gillespie Up 3 in Va. Governor’s Race

Republican Ed Gillespie has pulled ahead of Democrat Ralph Northam in the Virginia governor's race - leading by 3 points in a new poll released Saturday - three days before the election. Gillespie, a former aide to President George W. Bush, leads Northam, the lieutenant governor, 40.4 percent to 37.4 percent in the survey of likely voters by Optimus/Firehouse Strategies .

Tillerson to make first trip to Myanmar amid Rohingya crisis and proposed sanctions by senators

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as he delivers remarks Wednesday from the briefing room of the State Department in Washington. Tillerson will go to Myanmar next week, the State Department said, becoming the most senior U.S. official to visit since the start of the Rohingya crisis.

Drill, baby, drill in the eastern Gulf? Don’t even think about it

Sun Sentinel Editorial Board members talk about a ruling to revisit the idea of drilling for oil in the Everglades. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board members talk about a ruling to revisit the idea of drilling for oil in the Everglades.

Pro-GOP web site funded anti-Trump dossier

A conservative website with strong ties to the Republican establishment triggered the investigation into Donald Trump's past that ultimately produced the dossier that alleged a compromised relationship between the president and the Kremlin. The Washington Free Beacon on Friday confirmed it originally retained the political research firm Fusion GPS to scour then-candidate Trump's background for negative information, a common practice known as "opposition research" in politics.

Ivanka Trump Promotes Expansion of Child Tax Credit at Capitol

Ivanka Trump teamed up Wednesday with Republican legislators to try to ensure the tax overhaul package under construction on Capitol Hill includes an expansion of the child tax credit. The White House adviser and presidential daughter, appearing at a Capitol Hill news conference with GOP lawmakers, framed the tax credit as crucial for working families.

Trump meets with Puerto Rico Governor, praises recovery work post-Maria

Repeatedly praising the work of the military and federal emergency officials, President Donald Trump used a Thursday meeting at the White House with the Governor of Puerto Rico to proclaim the disaster relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Maria to be a success, pushing back against critics who say much still needs to be done to restore power and other basic services. "I would give a 10," the President said, ticking off a list of efforts made by FEMA and the military in Puerto Rico, as he sat with the Governor of the island in the Oval Office.

Most Insiders see Irma as boost to Scott

Gov. Rick Scott received generally high marks for his handling of the hurricanes hitting Florida and its sister territory, Puerto Rico, but his PR team lately has been working ferociously to push back against assorted reports raising questions about his emergency management record before and after the storms hit. Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio joined calls for a congressional investigation into the deaths of 14 Floridians in a sweltering Broward County nursing home.

Trump leaves Republicans with heavy lift on Iran deal

Republicans demanded a major say on the Iran nuclear agreement two years ago and never got it from Democrat Barack Obama. Now that President Donald Trump has directed Congress to make the international pact more stringent, the GOP is finding that having that voice won't be easy.

GOP demanded say on Iran deal, but changing it won’t be easy

Republicans demanded a major say on the Iran nuclear agreement two years ago and never got it from Democrat Barack Obama. Now that President Donald Trump has directed Congress to make the international pact more stringent, the GOP is finding it won't be easy.