Mitch McConnell’s Big Night

Tuesday night could have theoretically gone better for Mitch McConnell, but not by much. Voters selected Republican Senate nominees in three states that were won overwhelmingly by Donald Trump in 2016, and instead of picking wacky outsiders who could torpedo the party's chances in November, the rank-and-file opted for nominees who should be able to capably carry the torch for the next six months.

The Latest: Incumbent loses GOP North Carolina House primary

Rick Colyer holds a sticker after placing his vote at the Durham County Library North Regional in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, May 8, 2018. North Carolina voters are choosing their parties' nominees Tuesday in dozens of legislative and congressional primary races congested with contestants who were spurred by strong feelings about President Donald Trump or their state's redistricting struggles.

Businessman wins bitter Republican Senate primary in Indiana

Businessman Mike Braun defeated two members of Congress on Tuesday in a bitter primary battle to capture the Republican Senate nomination in Indiana, setting up against incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly in one of November's top races. All three Republicans competed to show their allegiance to President Donald Trump in a state he won by double-digits in 2016.

For contractors late on Kaspersky cleanup, DHS considers consequences

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen told lawmakers during a Senate Appropriations committee hearing that the Department of Homeland Security is looking to extend a ban on Kaspersky Lab products to federal contractors and third-party providers and floated the possibility of punishment for noncompliant companies. Nielsen was questioned by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen , who has been one of the leading proponents of purging all traces of Kaspersky products from federal networks.

Morrisey beats Blankenship, Jenkins in West Virginia’s GOP primary

Morrisey beats Blankenship, Jenkins in West Virginia's GOP primary Morrisey's win likely boosts the GOP's chances against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in November's general election. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2It9F0x West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC on February 27, 2018.

The Latest: Blankenship concedes West Virginia Senate race

Cheryl Dolan of Alum Creek, W.Va, discusses her vote in the West Virginia Republican primary Tuesday, May 8, 2018, outside a polling place in Alum Creek. She said she appreciates the work that state Sen. Richard Ojeda of Logan County did to advance a bill through the West Virginia Legislature last year to make medical marijuana legal.

Morrisey Wins West Virginia GOP Primary, Saving Republicans From Six…

The Republican Party got some welcome news out of Tuesday's West Virginia Senate primary: the party's not as overtly xenophobic and racist as previously feared! While that might sound like faint praise for the primary winner, State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who is projected to defeat Rep. Evan Jenkins, it speaks to the potential damage that a victory by coal baron Don Blankenship threatened to inflict on the credibility of the party in November and beyond.

New Jersey Reports Show Most Guns Used in Crimes Were Purchased in Other States

More than three-quarters of the firearms used in New Jersey gun crimes this year were purchased in other states, according to a report released Tuesday by the Department of Law and Public Safety. The report, covering the first three months of 2018, found that 77 percent of the 542 traceable guns originated outside New Jersey, in many cases in states with weaker gun laws.

Congressional leaders mixed on Trump withdrawal of Iran deal

Congressional leaders are split, but not neatly along party lines, over President Donald Trump's decision Tuesday to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. Some welcomed the pullout, believing the 2015 accord was unsound, but others worried the U.S. was now in the position of reneging on an international commitment and without a backup plan.

Republican Leaders Praise Trump’s Decision to Withdraw from Iran Deal

GOP leaders applauded President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal Tuesday. House Speaker Paul Ryan said the deal was "deeply flawed" from the beginning and that "Iran's hostile actions since its signing have only reaffirmed that it remains dedicated to sowing instability in the region."

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden speaks in Portland in April 2018.

Oregon's senior U.S. Sen., Ron Wyden, took to the Senate floor today to blast the nomination of Ryan Bounds, a Portland federal prosecutor, for a spot on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Bounds, a conservative and a protege of U.S. Rep. Greg Walden failed to gain the support of either of Oregon's U.S. Senators, Wyden or Jeff Merkley.

Continue reading 3 cliches about Trump that the media must stop pushing

Will President Donald Trump fire Rod Rosenstein? Will Robert Mueller find evidence that Trump has committed crimes? Will Rudy Giuliani and Trump land on a consistent explanation about hush money? Having read and watched a lot of the Trump-scandal coverage, I don't know the answer to any of these questions. What I can tell you is that I'm getting a little sick of some of the cliches that have become regular features of that coverage.

Paws on the ground: Luke Messer and family hit Indiana campaign trail with adorable puppy

Less than 24 hours before polls opened in the Indiana Senate primary, Rep. Luke Messer pulled out the big guns. More specifically, the Indiana Republican and his family adopted a little West Highland Terrier.

Trump to lay out biofuels plan in meeting with senators: sources

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to lay out his plans for the nation's biofuel policy on Tuesday in a closed door briefing with senators, after months of hearing arguments about the hotly contested regulation, according to two sources. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an 'Unleashing American Energy' event at the Department of Energy in Washington, U.S., June 29, 2017.