White House a confidenta of averting shutdown as Trump shows flexibility on wall

The White House sought Monday to calm a jittery Washington ahead of a showdown with Congress over spending, and President Donald Trump softened his demand that a deal to keep the federal government open include money to begin construction on his long-promised border wall. Despite one-party control at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, the brinkmanship that came to define spending battles in the Obama years has tumbled into the Trump era, as have the factional divisions over strategy and priorities that have gripped the GOP for a decade.

Amid Trump backlash, hundreds question US Rep. Barr

Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr has held regular "Coffee with your Congressman" events in local shops across his central Kentucky district for the few dozen people willing to hear an update from Washington. Monday night, Barr will host his 70th cup of coffee since ousting a Democratic incumbent in 2012.

Chuck Schumer Still Talks To Trump. But He Doesn’t See A Detente Coming.

As Donald Trump approaches the end of his first 100 days in office, the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate says he's been surprised by the failure of the White House to splinter the Democratic Party. In an interview with HuffPost, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer didn't close the door on bipartisan collaboration with the president.

Watch: Bernie Sanders Addresses ‘From Protest to Power’ Convention

Capping off a session that includes future progressive candidates sharing why they've decided to run for office in the Age of Trump, Sen. Bernie Sanders addressed the People's Action "Rise Up" summit on Monday afternoon. Sanders, who has been touring the country with Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez on the party's "Unity Tour," appeared before roughly 1,000 activists after 2:00pm EST.

Watchdog: EPA spending on water pollution campaign was legal

The Environmental Protection Agency's Inspector General says the agency didn't violate the law when it gave an outside group money for a campaign to fight water pollution from farming. It was dubbed "What's Upstream?" and urged people - through billboards, a website and other media - to push for new restrictions on pollution from farmers.

Attorneys general: Restore guidance to aid student borrowers

Attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia are faulting Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for rolling back Obama-era guidance they say is helping protect student loan borrowers. In a letter sent Monday, Democratic attorneys general Maura Healey of Massachusetts and Lisa Madigan of Illinois called on DeVos to restore the memos instituted by the Education Department last year under former President Barack Obama.

Obama Says He ‘Did Not Transform’ Chicago ‘In Any…

Former President Barack Obama delivered his first public address since leaving the White House at the University of Chicago Monday morning. During his opening remarks, Obama noted that for "three years," he did his "best" to reverse economic disparity in the communities he represented as the junior United States Senator from Illinois, but admitted he ultimately fell short of his goal.

Dems say Trump can avert shutdown risk if he relents on wall

In this April 5, 2017 file photo, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York takes a question during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump could avert the risk of a government shutdown next weekend by stepping back from his demand that lawmakers fund his promised border wall with Mexico in a must-pass spending bill, Congress' two top Democrats said Monday, April 24, 2017.

Bipartisan friendship is a civil solution to political dysfunction

Few jurists have managed to capture the attention and imagination of American society like Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the "odd couple" who built a lasting friendship despite their diametrically-opposed legal views. Because of their dedication to finding common ground across an ideological chasm, the two were honored earlier this month with the annual Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life .

Hash Browns Recalled Over ‘Extraneous Golf Ball Materials’

On 21 April 2017, McCain Foods, USA announced they were recalling some of their hash browns due to "extraneous golf ball materials" found in some packages. The company has issued a press release detailing the scope of the recall, which affects hash browns manufactured on 19 January 2017 that apparently harvested and packaged fragments of golf balls along with potatoes.

Russia investigations on the Hill: Where things stand

Multiple committee investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign will continue to push forward as Congress returns this week. Members of the House Intelligence Committee are hoping to get back to work after chairman Devin Nunes withdrew himself from the panel's Russia investigation amid ethics complaints.

Anger at GOP-abetting turncoat Democrats in New York spurs talk of primary challenges

At his Senate confirmation hearing, Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath that he had never had contact with the... While New York is a heavily Democratic state, the GOP has run the state Senate almost nonstop for decades. Democrats actually won a nominal 32-31 majority in 2016, but the eight-member Independent Democratic Conference continues to keep the Republican leadership in power, while a ninth Democrat, Simcha Felder, outright caucuses with the GOP.

Trump Holds Secret Meeting With Former Colombian Presidents

President Donald Trump quietly met a pair of former Colombian presidents last weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, thrusting his administration into an ugly power struggle in Latin America that threatens to undermine the country's controversial peace agreement with rebel leaders. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is expected to push Trump to support the peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia at their first meeting at the White House next month.

NM Cap Entity holds work session instead of full meeting 04182017

At the beginning of the New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity meeting on Tuesday afternoon, April 18, 2017, after members present and those on the phone had introduced themselves, it was brought to their attention that the meeting had not been properly noticed. Claudia Duerinck of Gila said the official notice of the meeting time in the Silver City Daily Press had said 9 a.m., instead of 1 p.m. "I suggest you hold a work session, since you cannot legally conduct business."

Bloomberg says he never had a chance in White House bid

The former New York City mayor of 12 years said he decided against joining the contested presidential race against candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton because of his inability to align with the Democratic or Republican parties. Bloomberg told "60 Minutes" that if even if he mounted an Independent campaign with retired Navy Admiral Michael Mullen as his running mate, and $1 billion of his own money, he would never have stood a chance.

Bernie Sanders stands by anti-abortion mayoral candidate

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday stood by his decision to back a Democratic candidate whose record on abortion has drawn fire from many in the party. Late last week, Sanders joined Omaha mayoral candidate Heath Mello for a rally supporting his bid to oust Republican incumbent Jean Stothert as leader of the largest city in Nebraska.

Bloomberg to world leaders: Ignore Trump on climate

New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg urged world leaders not to follow President Donald Trump's lead on climate change and declared his intention to help save an international agreement to reduce carbon emissions. Bloomberg, who considered a presidential bid after serving three terms as New York City's mayor, addressed his intensifying focus on climate change in an interview with The Associated Press.