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... .

Republicans want Trump to back off his tariff proposal

President Donald Trump says 'we're not backing down' on his push to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum despite criticism from fellow Republicans. WASHINGTON - In a remarkably public confrontation, House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republican allies of President Donald Trump pleaded with him Monday to back away from his threatened international tariffs, which they fear could spark a dangerous trade war.

Firefighters converge on Washington to ask for cancer program

Around 800 firefighters are in Washington, D.C., this week to speak to lawmakers about multiple issues, including the development of a fund to assist firefighters diagnosed with cancer. International Association of Fire Fighters is holding its annual legislative conference in the nation's capital through Wednesday, in which firefighters will have the opportunity to discuss issues regarding safety and security.

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.

Mississippi’s Cochran to resign April 1 after four-decade congressional career

Longtime Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi said Monday he will resign because of health problems - triggering what could be a chaotic special election to fill the seat he has held for a generation. Cochran, who turned 80 in December and has been in poor health, has been a sporadic presence on Capitol Hill in recent months.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu both have big, big problems

President Donald Trump has had no bigger international backer than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump's policies, particularly where it comes to moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing that city as Israel's capital -- and also where it comes to drawing a hard line on Iran's nuclear program -- are in alignment with Netanyahu's.

Paul Ryan, Donald Trump clash over proposed steel, aluminum tariffs

President Trump vowed not to back down Monday from plans for tariffs on steel and aluminum that sent shock waves across America's political landscape, deepening a rift with Congress' Republican leaders. Republican opposition to the plan intensified, with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan saying the president risked undermining the economic gains from tax cuts.

AP NewsBreak: Miss. Sen. Thad Cochran resigning April 1

Longtime Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi said Monday he will resign because of health problems - triggering what could be a chaotic special election to fill the seat he has held for a generation. Cochran, who turned 80 in December and has been in poor health, has been a sporadic presence on Capitol Hill in recent months.

Schiff calls for Sam Nunberg to testify in House Russia investigation

Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Monday that the House panel needs to interview former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg as part of its Russia investigation. Schiff said Nunberg's assertion that President Donald Trump may have known about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting before it occurred is an area that the committee needs to explore.

GOP is clear favorite in a Mississippi special, but Democrats shouldn’t discount an upset

Sen. Thad Cochran announced Monday that he will vacate his seat on April 1, setting up a special election in Mississippi that will take place on Election Day in November. Republicans are favored to hold on to the seat in a state as red as Mississippi.

GOP lawmaker hopes for House vote on protecting immigrants

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and other young immigrants march with supporters as they arrive at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, March 5, 2018. The program that temporarily shields hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation was scheduled to end Monday by order of President Donald Trump but court orders have forced the Trump administration to keep issuing renewals.

Senate poised to ease Dodd-Frank rules for most banks

Ten years after a financial crisis rocked the nation's economy, the Senate is poised to pass legislation that would roll back some of the safeguards Congress put into place to prevent a relapse. The move to alter some key aspects of the Dodd-Frank law has overwhelming Republican support and enough Democratic backing that it's expected to gain the 60 votes necessary to clear the Senate.

Texas primaries will show ‘tremendous’ Democratic enthusiasm ahead of …

"What we're going to see on Tuesday is a tremendous amount of Democratic enthusiasm," Castro, who served as Housing and Urban Development secretary under President Barack Obama and is considering a presidential run in 2020, told ABC News' Rick Klein on the Powerhouse Politics podcast. Castro, who recently founded Opportunity First, a super PAC that supports young candidates for federal and state offices, said he will decide on a White House run by the end of 2018, but that right now his sole aim is to get Democrats elected.