Things to know from Texas’ Tuesday primaries

The 2018 midterm election cycle kicked off with a surge in voter enthusiasm for both parties in Texas, although the gains were bigger for Democrats. It boosted a slew of women candidate and helped Republicans who had drawn direct support from President Donald Trump.

The Latest: Governor says don’t take Texas ‘for granted’

Abbott easily clinched his party's nomination Tuesday and has a campaign war chest worth around $43 million, more than any gubernatorial candidate nationwide. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is striking a cautious tone despite sailing to victory against little-known challengers in Texas' first-in-the-nation primary.

The Latest: Polls closing in Texas for 2018’s first primary

In this Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018, photo, campaign T-shirts are stacked on a table at a Republican congressional candidate forum, in New Braunfels, Texas. Texas holds the nation's first 2018 primary elections Tuesday, March 6, 2018, and the campaign is providing a vivid exhibition of the Trump effect in GOP politics.

Opioid overdoses in ERs up 30 percent as crisis worsens

The government said non-fatal overdoses visits to hospit... . From left, kindergarten teacher Terra Triggs, first grade teacher Andrea Mason, kindergarten teacher Lisa Taylor, reading specialist Shelly Sexton, Brynn Triggs, Nikki Sexton relax and talk as they wait fo... West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice says a tentative agreement has been reached to end a nine-day statewide teachers' strike by giving them the 5 percent raises he negotiated to end their walkout.

Man on ‘jihad’ admits killing 4 in cross-country binge

File - In this Jan. 20, 2016, file photo, Ali Muhammad Brown, of Seattle, is escorted into court in Newark, N.J. The prosecutor's office in Essex County, N.J., said Tuesday, March 6, 2018, that Brown... A man who prosecutors said wanted to avenge U.S. policy in the Middle East admits killing 4 in cross-country binge. . From left, kindergarten teacher Terra Triggs, first grade teacher Andrea Mason, kindergarten teacher Lisa Taylor, reading specialist Shelly Sexton, Brynn Triggs, Nikki Sexton relax and talk as they wait fo... West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice says a tentative agreement has been reached to end a nine-day statewide teachers' strike by giving them the 5 percent raises he negotiated to end their walkout.

What to look for in tonight’s Texas primary

This year's midterm elections officially kick off Tuesday with the Texas primaries, where voters will sift through jam-packed fields of Democratic candidates vying to take on vulnerable Republican members of Congress. Polls open at 7 a.m. CST and close at 7 p.m. CST.Democrats are running in all of Texas' 36 congressional districts for the first time in 25 years.Democrats have an edge in early voting, a notable, though limited, gauge of voter enthusiasm in what's been a reliably red state.Candidates must top 50% in their primary, or the top two finishers will head to a runoff election in six weeks.Incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke are likely to win their respective primaries.

The Latest: UK lawmaker suspects Russian attack in spy case

Skripal, a former Russian spy is in critical co... . Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks after signing a bill Monday, March 5, 2018, in Olympia, Wash., that makes Washington the first state to set up its own net-neutrality requirements in response to the Federal Communications Com... Setting up a likely legal fight with the Trump administration, Washington has become the first state to enact its own net-neutrality requirements.

Child marriages decline, led by big fall in South Asia

Setting up a likely legal fight with the Trump administration, Washington has become the first state to enact its own net-neutrality requirements. Rats, mold and fists: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos gives state education chiefs some "tough love" as she pushes them to innovate.

High Court: Feds have role in water fight

A lawsuit pitting Texas against New Mexico and Colorado over access to water from the Rio Grande must be sent back to an arbitrator, also known as a special master, to resolve the dispute, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday. Justice Neil Gorsuch noted the federal government has an interest in ensuring water commitments are kept involving one of North America's longest rivers, citing an international agreement with Mexico and the decades-old Rio Grande Compact.

The Latest: NKorea to stop weapons tests if it has US talks

In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, front right, meets South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong,... . In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, his sister Kim Yo Jong, and Vice Chairman of North Korea's ruling ... .

Things to know about Tuesday’s Texas primaries

Texas kicks off primary season ahead of the 2018 midterm election, with implications for Democrats and Republicans alike in an election year that could alter the direction of Congress and statehouses around the country for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Democrats remain underdogs to knock off Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, but there's been a surge among Democratic candidates and voters that reflects nationwide momentum for the left since Trump's election.

South Korea meeting thrusts North’s Kim into the limelight

In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, front right, meets South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong,... . In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, front right, shakes hands with South Korean National Security Director Chu... .

Democrats’ big Texas turnout may not translate to many wins

Texas Democrats turned out in force ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary Tuesday in what could be an early hint of a midterm election backlash against President Donald Trump, but their party remains a longshot to make much of a dent in Republican political dominance of the state. Democratic early voting across Texas' 15 most-populous counties, the only figures available, more than doubled that of the last non-presidential cycle in 2014, while the number of Republican early ballots cast increased only slightly.