Flake gets a firsthand look at rage about Kavanaugh Source: AP

Moments after pivotal Sen. Jeff Flake announced he would vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the Arizona Republican was confronted with the consequences. Two tearful women cornered Flake as he got on an elevator Friday, pleading for him to reconsider his support for the appeals court judge who's been accused of sexual assault when he was a teenager.

Trump Kicks Off Rally Blitz

"President Trump on Saturday kicks off a week of rallies in five friendly places around the country, seeking to shore up support ahead of congressional elections even as the fate of his pick to fill a Supreme Court vacancy remains unclear," Reuters reports. "Trump travels first to Wheeling, West Virginia on Saturday, where Republicans are trying to unseat Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, one of a handful of senators seen as key swing votes that will determine Kavanaugh's appointment."

Smoke causes evacuation at Clarks Summit apartments

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County Veterans Office closed next week for training

A Scranton Times-Tribune All Access subscription gets you complete access to both our print and digital publications, delivered to your home, desktop and mobile devices 7 days a week Manage your account Manage your account 24 hours a day. You can activate all access, pay your bill, update your account information, pause home delivery while you're away or ask a question.

Trump heads on five-state rally blitz amid Supreme Court chaos

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday kicks off a week of rallies in five friendly places around the country, seeking to shore up support ahead of congressional elections even as the fate of his pick to fill a Supreme Court vacancy remains unclear. U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews from New York, in Maryland, U.S., September 27, 2018.

Trump approves FBI investigation

Reversing course, President Donald Trump bowed to Democrats' demands Friday for a deeper FBI investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after Republican Sen. Jeff Flake balked at voting for confirmation without it - a sudden turn that left Senate approval newly uncertain amid allegations of sexual assault. Kavanaugh's nomination had appeared back on track earlier Friday when he cleared a key hurdle at the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Trump bows to pressure, agrees to FBI probe of Kavanaugh

Senate Republican leaders have agreed to delay a final vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to allow time for an investigation by the FBI of the sexual misconduct allegations against him. WASHINGTON - Reversing course, President Donald Trump bowed to Democrats' demands Friday for a deeper FBI investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after Republican Sen. Jeff Flake balked at voting for confirmation without it - a sudden turn that left Senate approval newly uncertain amid allegations of sexual assault.

Abbott plays it cool in only debate against Democratic rival Valdez

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott presented himself as a successful steward of a thriving state at the only debate of the Texas gubernatorial campaign Friday night, eschewing any sharp attacks on long-shot Democratic rival Lupe Valdez. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott presented himself as a successful steward of a thriving state at the only debate of the Texas gubernatorial campaign Friday night, eschewing any sharp attacks on long-shot Democratic rival Lupe Valdez, who portrayed Abbott as unwilling to provide adequate funding for public education and too ready to appeal to racial fears with what she called the state's show-me-your-papers law.

‘Truth Is Confirmed by Inspection and Delay’

The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that "truth is confirmed by inspection and delay; falsehood by haste and uncertainty." After watching Christine Blasey Ford testify about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and watching him defend himself against her sexual assault allegations, I remain unequipped to confirm the truth of what happened.

How Sen. Flake brought the Senate back from the brink

The tension in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room was almost unbearable in the hours and minutes before Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake announced that he wanted a limited FBI investigation of the sexual assault claims against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The committee, and the Senate, seemed to be careening toward bedlam.

Flake gets a firsthand look at rage about Kavanaugh

Moments after pivotal Sen. Jeff Flake announced he would vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the Arizona Republican was confronted with the consequences. Two tearful women cornered Flake as he got on an elevator Friday, pleading for him to reconsider his support for the appeals court judge who's been accused of sexual assault when he was a teenager.

Judge: Democrats in Congress can sue Trump over emoluments

In this June 30, 2018, file photo, aw enforcement officers stand guard in front of the Trump Hotel in Washington. A federal district judge in Washington says a group of nearly 200 Democratic senators and representatives has legal standing to sue President Donald Trump to prove he violated the U.S. Constitution's emoluments provision.

Trump Dossier Research Chief Declines U.S. Congress Interview Request

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., left, is joined by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., right, as the Republican-led House pushes ahead on legislation to crack down on illegal immigration, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington. The Republican chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Friday subpoenaed a U.S. research firm founder to give a deposition on his hiring of a former British spy to compile a dossier on alleged links between U.S. President Donald Trump's associates and Russia.

Here’s What Congress Was Doing While You Were Watching the Kavanaugh Circus

The passage of tax reform 2.0 blows a huge hole in the budget, and a much-touted opioid bill might just make the crisis worse. While much attention was diverted by the political circus surrounding Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday and Friday, Congress passed a massive spending bill and another round of tax cuts that will combine to blow an even bigger hole in the federal budget.

D.C. Briefs

Committee Democrats have been clamoring for the release of the Russia investigation documents for months, but it was only in recent weeks that Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., also began to opine that the transcripts should be made public - adding that it should be done before the midterm elections. That has not resolved political tensions, however, as Republicans and Democrats on the already fractured committee argued over why the panel had omitted five interview transcripts from the release.

Evidence Indicates China Set to Target US Elections

China may be taking a page of the playbook used by Russia to meddle with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, targeting U.S. political action committees and various think tanks with spear-phishing emails. The observation by FireEye, a private cybersecurity firm, still leaves key questions unanswered.

We must treat mental and bodily health the same. It’s a matter of human rights.

Rosalynn Carter, former first lady of the United States, is an advocate for mental-health care through the Carter Center. Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. representative from 1995 to 2011, is the founder of the Kennedy Forum and author of "A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction."