Midterm Time Capsule: Good for Jeff Flake

People will look back on this era in our history to see what was known about Donald Trump while Americans were deciding whether to choose him as president. Here's a running chronicle from James Fallows on the evidence available to voters as they make their choice, and of how Trump has broken the norms that applied to previous major-party candidates.

GOP Senators defend Kavanaugh, but open to hearing from accuser Source: Cox Media Group

While standing behind federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, some Republican Senators said Sunday that they were open to the idea of hearing from Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during a party when they were teenagers in the 1980's. Sen. Lindsey Graham , a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he "would gladly listen" to Ford, as some Democrats called for a Thursday vote of that panel on Kavanaugh's nomination to be delayed.

Rauner’s reluctant embrace of Trump a re-election tightrope

Local news, prep sports, Chicago sports, local and regional entertainment, business, home and lifestyle, food, classified and more! News you use every day! Daily, Daily including the e-Edition or e-Edition only. Choose your news! Select the text alerts you want to receive: breaking news, prep sports scores, school closings, weather, and more.

Maloney’s Congressional Opponent Comes Out Swinging After Primary Loss

Before the final primary results were in on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney's opponent in the 18th Congressional District, offered his reaction. "We already knew that whatever tonight's results brought in, Sean Maloney made clear that the people of the 18th Congressional District were his last priority."

Kavanaugh accuser speaks out on sexual assault claim

California professor Christine Blasey says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than three decades ago, when they were high school students in suburban Maryland. Earlier this summer, Christine Blasey Ford wrote a confidential letter to a senior Democratic lawmaker alleging that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than three decades ago, when they were high school students in suburban Maryland.

GOP push to release House interviews in Russia investigation Source: AP

The House intelligence committee chairman said Sunday he plans to release the transcripts of dozens of private interviews conducted during its investigation into Russian election-meddling and would push the director of national intelligence to declassify others. "I think full transparency is in order here, so I expect to make those available from our committee to the American public here in the next few weeks," said Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., months after the GOP colleague who led the investigation said such a release could have a "chilling impact" on testimony in future inquiries.

Walters: Don’t expect vote on tax break for Kimberly-Clark before Election Day

There are several reasons why Republican Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers won't meet Kimberly-Clark's ultimatum to approve Foxconn-like tax breaks by Sept. 30. "We've requested that the vote occur by the end of September," Kimberly-Clark official Brook Smith told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week.

Leonard Lance stops by for photograph with eagle display

U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7th, stopped by the Hunterdon County Division of Parks and Recreation at the Hunterdon County Arboretum to meet with the division staff and view the American Bald Eagle displayed in division headquarters. After an eagle died of natural causes, the division's application was considered and the eagle was received by the county.

Mom of alleged MS-13 victim killed by SUV at girla s memorial

A grieving New York mother recognized by President Donald Trump at the State of the Union in his campaign against deadly MS-13 gang violence was struck by an SUV and killed at her slain daughter's memorial site Friday after a heated confrontation with the driver. Evelyn Rodriguez was hit around 4 p.m. in Brentwood, near where her 16-year-old daughter Kayla Cuevas' body was found beaten and slashed two years ago to the day, police said.

It’s urgent,’ campaigns say in emails to solicit cash

It can be difficult to get politicians to open up and reveal a bit of their true selves because staying on message is the real sport of campaigning. This time of year, each day seems to bring a deluge of panic and self-doubt from candidates concerned that their campaigns are on the verge of collapse if they fall short of yet another fundraising deadline.

Economy hums, Trump tweets, GOP worries

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Russian President Vladimir Putin won't be invited to speak at a joint meeting to Congress on a visit to the U.S., and what matters is the message Putin will get from Trump -- to stop meddling in U.S. elections and violating sovereignty.

Responding to leaks, Google denies political bias

Breitbart on Wednesday published leaked video of a town-hall-style meeting with employees shortly after the 2016 election, in which Google executives appeared dismayed at President Trump's win. Google co-founder and Alphabet President Sergey Brin described the results as "pretty upsetting," while Google Senior Vice President of Global Affairs Kent Walker described a global political environment of "tribalism."

A musical embrace of Hispanic culture

APPLE VALLEY - The Dreamers, Visionaries and Leaders Project celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month on Saturday with its fourth annual Felix Diaz Mariachi Festival. Held at the Victor Valley Museum, the free event was geared to bring the community together and embrace Hispanic culture through live music and dance performances, crafts, great food and much more.

Advocates push for continued oversight of loans to veterans, service members

Jerry Kyser's reaction to any reduction in federal oversight of companies that make high-interest loans to members of the military, their families and veterans was swift and sure. "Absolutely nothing irritates us more than those lenders preying on service people," said Kyser, chairman of the United Veterans Legislative Council of Minnesota.

Deficit hawks are dead, and few in Washington can muster any…

Their demise technically came Tuesday when the Congressional Budget Office calculated the federal deficit at $895 billion for the first 11 months of fiscal 2018 - a stunning gap that was met with a collective shrug on Capitol Hill. But the real death of the deficit hawks came late last year and early this year, as Republicans such as Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin who had railed against deficits in the first years of the Obama administration pushed through a massive tax cut despite CBO projections of a surge in federal borrowing.

Meek Mill says he’s ‘always open to talking’ to Trump about criminal justice reform

"I'm always open to talking to the president to make change. Everybody I was in prison with always encouraged me to go, take the sacrifice, even if you get crucified in the media - go, try to make change," the rapper told ABC News on Friday, after participating in a panel discussion during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference , which was held in Washington D.C. and hosted by Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

New Mexico’s US Senator Martin Heinrich Demands Full Transparency On Kavanaugh’s Record

Heinrich Delivers Floor Speech On Kavanaugh's Nomination To The Supreme Court In a speech delivered on the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich spoke out against the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme ... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich formally requested all records pertaining to Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh's tenure with the Office of the Independent Counsel as Associate Counsel, and his tenure at the White House as Associate Counsel, Assistant to the President, and Staff Secretary.

Star Power vs. Editorial Page Power vs. Trump’s Stadium ~ Willie Nelson Rally for Beto O’Rourke

Republicans just lost their minds over Willie Nelson endorsing Beto O'Rourke over Ted Cruz Title: Republicans just lost their minds over Willie Nelson endorsing Beto O'Rourke over Ted Cruz Synopsis: Ted Cruz , the craven senator who was ... Willie said this: "My wife Annie and I have met and spoken with Beto and we share his concern for the direction things are headed," Nelson said in a statement obtained by the Post. "Beto embodies what is special about Texas, an energy and an integrity that is completely genuine."