Sources: House Speaker Bill Howell will announce retirement

There are sources who say Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell will announce today he will not seek re-election in November - bringing to an end after 15 years the 2nd-longest House Speaker tenure in the Commonwealth's history. The 74-year old has held his Stafford County seat for 30 years, and has been primaried a few times by further right Republican opponents.

Ap Fact Check: Trumpa s view at odds with events of the week

In the Washington week that wasn't, President Donald Trump's new administration whirred like a "fine-tuned machine," piling on big-league accomplishments at a pace never before seen. Immigration agents newly empowered by Trump's call to secure borders sent hordes of bad foreigners back home, validating a president who won the most lopsided Electoral College victory since Ronald Reagan.

Trump’s proposed big military budget no sure thing

In this Jan. 27, 2017 photo, President Donald Trump, left, listens as Defense Secretary James Mattis, right, speaks at the Pentagon in Washington. With Republicans in charge of Congress, President Donald Trump's pledge to boost the Pentagon's budget by tens of billions of dollars should be a sure bet.

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen to Visit UMES to Honor Harriett Tubman

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen is scheduled to visit the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Monday when he plans to formally announce plans to introduce federal legislation honoring Harriett Tubman. Tubman, a Dorchester County native, is widely revered for helping slaves escape bondage during the mid-19th century.

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch should not be confirmed

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch should not be confirmed for many reasons, but primarily his record suggests he will be a real threat to the legal protections for women, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, working men and women, broadly applied religious liberty and limits on money in politics. In short, his record suggests he will be the court's most conservative member - no easy feat considering the presence of Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

Atlanta, other cities eye test tracks for self-driving cars

Self-driving vehicles could begin tooling down a bustling Atlanta street full of cars, buses, bicyclists and college students, as the city vies with other communities nationwide to test the emerging technology. Atlanta would become one of the largest urban areas for testing self-driving vehicles if plans come together for a demonstration as early as September.

No honeymoon: One month in, Trump’s approval ratings are lagging

No honeymoon: One month in, Trump's approval ratings are lagging As he preps for first address to Congress, Trump's overall approval down from first day Check out this story on ldnews.com: http://usat.ly/2lnScbB Demonstrators came together in New York for a 'Not My Presidents Day' rally against President Donald Trump to send the message that he does not represent their interests. WASHINGTON - One month after his inauguration, President Trump has seen his approval ratings sag and the political divisions of his election deepen.

The Latest: Senators ask attorney general, FBI for briefing

The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee are asking the attorney general and FBI director for a briefing on the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California sent a letter late Wednesday to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey requesting a briefing the week of Feb. 27. Congress is out of session next week for the Presidents' Day holiday.

Senators want Russia-related materials preserved

The Senate Intelligence Committee is asking more than a dozen agencies, organizations and individuals to preserve communications related to the panel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The panel, led by chairman Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, and top Democrat, Mark Warner of Virginia, sent letters asking for those materials to be kept, a Senate aide said Sunday.

US senators eye new sanctions on Iran

US Republican senators plan to introduce legislation to impose further sanctions on Iran, accusing it of violating UN Security Council resolutions by testing ballistic missiles and acting to "destabilise" the Middle East, a US senator says. "I think it is now time for the Congress to take Iran on directly in terms of what they've done outside the nuclear program," Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the Munich Security Conference.

John McCain defends media after Trump’s calls them ‘the enemy’

U.S. Sen. John McCain, defending the media against the latest attack by President Donald Trump, warned that suppressing the free press was "how dictators get started." The Arizona Republican, a frequent critic of Trump, was responding to a tweet in which Trump accused the media of being "the enemy of the American people."

Chris Wallace galls ‘Fox & Friends’ with…

Fox News host Chris Wallace argued on Sunday that President Donald Trump "crossed a line" when he called the media "the enemy of the American People." Following Trump's Friday attack on the news media, Wallace reminded the hosts of Fox & Friends that the country's founders believed that a free press was a vital component to the functioning of a free and fair democracy.

Graham: Trump must punish Russia for election interference

In this Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 file photo, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., right, talks with David Friedman, center, nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Israel, accompanied by former Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman on Capitol Hill in Washington, during Friedman's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

McCain warns Trump against shutting down ‘adversarial press’

US Republican Senator John McCain has issued a stern warning to Donald Trump, saying the president's repeated attacks on the media "echo the language of dictators." In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," McCain cautioned Trump to heed the lessons of history and further added that shutting down the press was "how dictators get started."

Trump ‘unwavering’ in commitment to NATO: Pence

"I bring you this assurance: "The United States of America strongly supports NATO and will be unwavering in our commitment to our trans-Atlantic alliance", Pence declared during the Munich Security Conference, according to the AP". Pence pointed to their shared "noble ideals - freedom, democracy, justice and the rule of law".