Female Lieutenant Governor Poised to Take Frankena s SeatIf the…

On Thursday, Al Franken will announce that, in light of the growing number of sexual-harassment allegations against him , he has decided to resign from the Senate. Unless he announces that he's actually comfortable staying on as a pariah - or else, that he's decided to leave the Democratic caucus, and join a party that takes a more nuanced view of sexual predation.

Trump to meet senators to discuss biofuels policy

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas will lead a delegation of lawmakers in a meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday to argue for changes to the nation's biofuels policy to protect oil refining jobs. U.S. President Donald Trump announces that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will move its embassy there, during an address from the White House in Washington, U.S., December 6, 2017.

Interior announces full funding to repair Arlington Memorial Bridge

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced a $227 million project to rehabilitate Arlington Memorial Bridge, a historic and critical transportation link in the nation's capital. As awarded, the project will save American taxpayers $35 million and 1.5 years of estimated construction time.

AP Interview: On North Korea, senator says China a problem

China is more of a problem than a partner for the United States on dealing with nuclear-armed North Korea, a leading Republican senator and ally of President Donald Trump told the Associated Press during a wide-ranging interview Thursday. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said China has been "lying for 25 years" about wanting to eliminate North Korea's nuclear capability.

Announcement coming from Sen. Franken amid fresh accusations

Minnesota Democrat Al Franken, facing fresh allegations of sexual misconduct and vanishing support from fellow Democrats, appears on the brink of resigning from the Senate. Franken's office said he will make an announcement at 11:45 a.m. Thursday in a speech on the Senate floor.

Senators Seek More Information About Reassigned Mueller Aide

Two U.S. senators wrote to the Justice Department's inspector general on Wednesday requesting more information about the FBI agent who was removed from special counsel Robert Mueller's team over private text messages he allegedly sent during the election that were critical of President Donald Trump. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley asked the Justice Department's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, to answer a series of... WSJ's Gerald F. Seib explains what have we learned after Special Counsel Robert Mueller unveiled his first two big actions in his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 campaign.

Dems seek moral high ground in fight over sexual harassment

The calls for Franken's resignation came with less than a week to go until the special election to fill a Senate seat in Alabama, where Republican candidate Roy Moore has faced a string of allegations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls. John James Conyers Abortion-rights group endorses Nadler in race to replace Conyers on Judiciary Democrats turn on Al Franken Michigan state senator to run for Congress MORE Jr. , who resigned on Tuesday amid mounting pressure from colleagues.

EPA scientists free to speak, chief says

Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency will be free to publicly discuss their work from now on, Scott Pruitt, the agency's administrator, has assured lawmakers who criticized the EPA for preventing employees from presenting findings about climate change. In a letter Monday to U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Pruitt did not explain why the agency had canceled the presentations of two EPA scientists and one consultant who were scheduled to speak in Providence in October about the health of the Narragansett Bay, nor did he address whether the agency had acted improperly.

Time to shut it down

"The specter of a government shutdown is looming once again, since funding of the federal government expires on Friday, December 8. But in a recent appearance on Fox News Sunday , Sen. John Thune , the third-ranking Republican senator, stated, 'There shouldn't be any discussion about shutting down the government. We can make this thing work.'

The Note: On #metoo, a partisan split

Sen. Al Franken takes a break during the Neil Gorsuch Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing as President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 20, 2017. The coordinated push to get Sen. Al Franken to resign reflects a new, cleaner, and more internally aggressive approach by top Democrats to demonstrate accountability in their own ranks.

Democrats pressure Franken to resign

His once-promising political career in shambles, Minnesota Sen. Al Franken appeared on the verge of resigning after fellow Democrats led by female senators, including Washington's Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, abandoned him Wednesday over the mounting allegations of sexual misconduct that are roiling Capitol Hill. A majority of the Senate's Democrats called on the two-term lawmaker to get out after another woman emerged Wednesday saying he forcibly tried to kiss her in 2006.

Trump officially recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,…

Sen. Al Franken will resign, Democratic official says - A Democratic official who has spoken to Al Franken and key aides says Franken will resign his Minnesota Senate seat on Thursday, the official tells MPR News. - The official spoke to Franken and separately to Franken's staff.

Smith awaits the president’s signature for confirmation

The Atlantic resident was nominated in September to the board of directors for the Farm Credit Administration and on Tuesday, Pat Roberts, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, announced that Smith's nomination was confirmed by the Senate, and Smith ... (more)

Rep. Schiff: Trump Jr. avoided questions about talks with father

Donald Trump Jr. refused to tell lawmakers about conversations he had with his father regarding a 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer after emails detailing the meeting had become public, according to the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. Speaking to the committee behind closed doors on Wednesday as part of its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Trump Jr. said he didn't tell the president about the meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russians when it happened and he declined to elaborate on what he ultimately told him after the meeting became public.

The three things standing between Congress and a government shutdown

The government runs out of funding on Friday and as of Wednesday afternoon neither the House or the Senate had voted on a bill to keep it open. In this Nov. 18, 2016, photo, the U.S. Capitol dome is seen at sunset on Capitol Hill in Washington.