Trump wants $108M for deeper ports; Corps adds $56M boost

President Donald Trump wants $108 million to deepen harbours for two U.S. seaports, while other ports scrambling to make room for larger cargo ships will benefit from a boost of more than $56 million already approved by Congress. Ports from New England to Texas are seeking more than $4.6 billion in federal and state funding to deepen their harbours.

New Mexico lawmakers introduce bill to make paying off student loans easier

Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren to introduce the "Bank on Students Act," which would allow people to refinance student loan debt at a lower interest rate.

Why did Russia become such a big issue only after November? In part because of who won.

Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events Donald Trump arrives for his election night rally at the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan on Nov. 9, 2016. The chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee informed reporters on Tuesday afternoon that the committee would issue subpoenas to businesses associated with former national security adviser Michael Flynn, subpoenas that, unlike those issued to Flynn personally , couldn't be batted away by invoking the Fifth Amendment.

Ben Carson calls poverty ‘a state of mind’ during interview

Tracy Grant, the Eureka Garden tenant's association president, shows Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Sen. Marco Rubio her apartment during Carson's visit to Jacksonville. In an interview released Wednesday, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said that a "certain mindset" contributes to people living in poverty, pointing to habits and a "state of mind" that children take from their parents at a young age.

Trumpa s circuit court nominee advances over Democratsa attempted filibuster

Senate Republicans cleared the way Wednesday for approval of the first of President Trump 's slate of circuit court nominees, heading off Democrats' attempted filibuster of Judge Amul Thapar . Democrats had tried to block Judge Thapar from ascending to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, saying they were concerned that the conservative Federalist Society has backed him.

Lawmakers ask feds to review progress of Hanford cleanup

Members of Congress are asking the federal government to review the progress of years of cleanup work at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, in light of the partial collapse of a tunnel containing radioactive wastes earlier this month. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell , D-Wash., says lawmakers sent a letter Wednesday to the Government Accountability Office asking for the review.

Dianne Feinstein demands GOP follow ‘blue slip’ tradition for Donald Trump’s nominees

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee demanded Wednesday that Republicans follow a long-standing courtesy that allows senators to block judicial nominees from their states - and which could create an opening for Democrats to block some of President Trump 's judicial picks. Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Democrats respected the "blue slip" courtesy during then-President Barack Obama 's tenure, even when it sank some of his appeals court nominees.

Nashville courthouse to be named after former senator, actor Fred Thompson

Nashville courthouse to be named after former senator, actor Fred Thompson The federal courthouse in Nashville, Tenn., will be named after Fred Thompson, a former senator, presidential candidate and actor. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2rVsUno WASHINGTON - A bill to name the new federal courthouse in Nashville, Tenn., after former Sen. Fred Thompson has cleared its final hurdle in Congress and is awaiting President Trump's signature.

Trump is reportedly hitting the reset button in his search for a new FBI director

The White House is resetting its search to replace ousted FBI Director James Comey, a senior administration official told CNN Wednesday . Just last week, prior to embarking on his first foreign trip as president, Donald Trump said he was nearing his decision on who he would nominate to replace Comey, whom he fired earlier this month.

Portman endorses Mandel for Senate seat in tweets, video

In two Tweets posted to his political account today, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman endorsed Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2018. "I'm encouraging all Republicans to unify behind @JoshMandelOhio so we can fight 4 more jobs & restore America's leadership role in the world."

Budget office to gauge health bill effect on coverage, cost

Congressional Republicans are about to learn more about whether their drive to dismantle President Barack Obama's health care law has been worth the political pain they've been experiencing. The Congressional Budget Office planned to release its estimate Wednesday of what impact the GOP's House-passed health care overhaul would have on coverage and premiums.

Warner: Panel’s next steps on Flynn coming Tuesday

Interviewed as part of the clearance renewal process, Flynn said all of his foreign trips as a private citizen "were funded by U.S. companies", according to excerpts of a March 14, 2016, report compiled by security clearance investigators. Mark Warner , the top Democrat on the panel, told reporters they did not believe Flynn could seek Fifth Amendment protections in regard to the documents they requested, and were seeking a firm answer.

The Latest: Budget deal goes big on tax cuts, public schools

Sen. Jason Isaacson, DFL - Shoreview, speaks about how he felt the legislature was shortchanging the University of Minnesota with the funding levels in the Omnibus Higher Education Bill in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, May 21, 2017. With roughly 24 hours remaining, the Minnesota Legislature finally broke the budget logjam Sunday night, sending several budget bills to Gov. Mark Dayton as the Democratic governor and Republican leaders worked to iron out their remaining disputes that could delay a deal and send the session into overtime.

Trump’s food stamp cuts face hard sell in Congress

President Donald Trump's proposal to slash food stamps by a third will be a hard sell in Congress, even as Republicans have tried repeatedly to scale back the program's $70 billion annual cost. Democrats will oppose any changes to the program, which is designed as a temporary safety net for Americans who find themselves unable to adequately feed themselves or their families.