In first year, Trump scores lowest averagea

President Donald Trump speaks at the Conversations with the Women of America at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. WASHINGTON - This is a record not to be coveted: Donald Trump is wrapping up a year in office with the lowest average approval rating of any elected president in his first year.

Trump Ends First Year With Lowest Average Approval Rating

This is a record not to be coveted: Donald Trump is wrapping up a year in office with the lowest average approval rating of any elected president in his first term. That's according to polling by Gallup, which shows that Trump has averaged just a 39 percent approval rating since his inauguration.

L’Italien: I’d back Trump’s wall to save Dreamers

If L'Italien had this opportunity the other day, when country leaders discussed immigration, the Democrat would have emphasized her opposition to building a border wall along the Mexican border. However, stressing that Congress needs to make more deals, the Andover state senator would have tentatively agreed to a wall if it meant 800,000 young people would be protected from deportation, she told The Sun during an editorial board meeting on Wednesday.

Democrats consider the unthinkable: forcing a shutdown

A year after losing the presidency, Democrats are facing an uncomfortable question: Are they willing to force a government shutdown to extract political victories - a hardball tactic for which they have long blasted Republicans? The dilemma comes as a Jan. 19 funding deadline approaches and bipartisan negotiations over immigration and other issues have so far failed to produce an agreement. The thorniest issue is the fate of "dreamers" - roughly 2 million young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, some of whom had gained legal status under a program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that President Trump canceled.

As New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s term nears end, his approval rating sinks to 13 percent

In the days after Superstorm Sandy ravaged New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie crisscrossed the state, assessing damage, hugging evacuees and projecting the image of a man in charge. In a famous show of bipartisanship, he welcomed President Obama to New Jersey as the state sought federal funds to help with damage.

News Analysis: Experts say Senator Hatch retirement major shift in U.S. politics

With the announcement this week that U.S. longest-serving Senate Republican Orrin Hatch will retire soon, political pundits weigh in on a major shift in the country's political landscape. Utah, a large western state with a small population, is traditionally conservative with a history of producing famous national politicians including Hatch, who has been serving in the Senate for 41 years.

Democrats Aren’t Sure Whether To Make Jeff Sessions’ Pot Crackdown An Election Issue

Leading Democrats blasted Attorney General Jeff Sessions ' Tuesday announcement that he would open the door to a federal crackdown on states that have decriminalized forms of marijuana use. Sessions' action reverses a Department of Justice policy from the Barack Obama administration that effectively shielded those states from federal prosecution.

Hatch’s retirement lets him leave at the height of his power

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said Tuesday he will not seek re-election after serving more than 40 years in the Senate, opening the door for former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to run for his seat. SALT LAKE CITY - Orrin Hatch's decision to retire from the Senate after four decades lets the Utah Republican walk away at the height of his power after helping to push through an overhaul of the tax code and persuading President Donald Trump to downsize two national monuments.

Hatch’s retirement lets him leave at the height of his power Source: AP

Orrin Hatch's decision to retire from the Senate after four decades lets the Utah Republican walk away at the height of his power after helping to push through an overhaul of the tax code and persuading President Donald Trump to downsize two national monuments. Retirement also preserves the 83-year-old's legacy by allowing him to avoid a bruising re-election battle that would have broken his promise not to seek an eighth term.

Utah’s Orrin Hatch set to retire

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said Tuesday he will not seek re-election after serving more than 40 years in the Senate, opening the door for former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to run for his seat. Hatch, 83, said he's always been a fighter, "but every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves."

Mitt Romney changes his Twitter location from Massachusetts to Utah amidst Senate run speculation

The former Republican 2012 presidential nominee, 70, changed his location from Massachusetts - where he served as governor from 2003 to 2007 - to Holladay, Utah, where he owns a home. The change in location, which may appear seemingly benign, comes as speculation swirls that Romney may be interested in filling Republican Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch's Senate seat.

Hatch to step down, Romney; could run for seat

US Republican Senator Orrin Hatch said on Tuesday he will not seek re-election in November, opening the door to a potential Senate bid by Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate and one of the party's harshest critics of US President Donald Trump. "Every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves.

The Republicans’ Fake Investigations

Russia probe grand jury looks like 'a Black Lives Matter rally,' says witness - The federal grand jury handing down indictments for special counsel Robert Mueller doesn't appear to include any supporters of President Donald Trump, according to one witness who recently testified before the panel. Roy Moore's Jewish lawyer voted for Doug Jones, raised money for his campaign - The Jewish attorney who Roy Moore's wife touted employing in an attempt to fight off claims of anti-Semitism is actually a longtime friend and supporter of Senator-elect Doug Jones, who defeated Moore last month.

Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch to retire, clearing way for Mitt Romney

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch announced Tuesday that he won't seek re-election this year, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to return to the national stage by running for his seat. He said in a social media message, "after much prayer and discussion with family and friends I've decided to retire at the end of this term."

Utah’s Hatch to retire, opening door to possible Romney run

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said today he will not seek re-election after serving more than 40 years in the Senate, opening the door for former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to run for his seat. Hatch, 83, said he's always been a fighter, "but every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves."

President Trump’s ambitious agenda: 7 things to watch in 2018

President Trump may have big policy plans for 2018, but political distractions are likely to shadow prospects of big legislative achievements. White House officials said Trump wants to rein in the threat from North Korea and list four top domestic priorities on his 2018 agenda: Repealing and replacing President Obama's 2010 health care law, welfare reform, immigration, and a new infrastructure plan.

2017 was a year of chaos, division and disruption in national politics

President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States in front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20. So did chaos, division and disruption, and a sense that the guardrails that usually had kept the capital and American politics on a normal path had collapsed under the weight of it all.