By JEFF AMY and RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) – As Republicans nationwide gear up to attack Democrats with tough-on-crime platforms this fall, Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams is making guns a central focus of her race for governor, seeking to turn crime into a liability for incumbent Republican Gov . Brian Kemp’s reelection bid. … Read more
By WILL WEISSERT and ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats are going to hold onto the House after November’s midterm elections. They will pick up as many as four seats in the Senate, expanding their majority and overcoming internal dissent that has helped stifle their agenda. As the challenges confronting President Joe Biden … Read more
Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, an ex-national treasurer, was put on blacklist in 2017 on charges of undermining democracy. The United States has lifted sanctions against a relative of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, weeks after Washington said it was taking steps to encourage dialogue between Maduro’s government and the US-backed Venezuelan opposition. The US Department of … Read more
By CHRIS MEGERIAN, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden, who has recently been focused on boosting oil production to reduce rising gas costs, will turn his attention to climate change on Friday when he convenes a virtual meeting of some of the world’s biggest economies. Among the participants will be China, Germany, Saudi … Read more
By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate is expected to approve on Thursday a large expansion of health care and disability benefits for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in response to concerns about their exposure to toxic burn pits. Passage of the bill will cap years of advocacy work by veterans groups … Read more
By DAVID SHARP, Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Paul LePage, the Republican whose two terms as Maine’s governor were dominated by his offensive rhetoric and combative leadership, is seeking a political comeback. With no opposition, LePage will coast to the Republican nomination for governor on Tuesday, setting up a fierce general election campaign against … Read more
By MARINA VILLENEUVE, Associated Press ALBANY, NY (AP) – Four Republican candidates for New York governor faced off Monday in their first televised debate, trying to bruise each other – and Democrats – with two weeks to go until the state’s primary election. Some of the sharpest exchanges of the night came between US Rep. … Read more
By AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) – As a candidate for president, Joe Biden was not shy about calling out dictators and authoritarian leaders as he anchored his foreign policy in the idea that the world is in a battle between democracy and autocracy. But Biden’s governing approach as president has been far less … Read more
Algeria has suspended foreign trade in products and services with Spain amid an escalating dispute over the status of Western Sahara. Thursday’s announcement came a day after the North African nation suspended a 20-year-old friendship treaty with Spain that committed the two sides to cooperation in controlling migration flows. Algeria has also banned imports from … Read more
By CHRIS MEGERIAN and JOSH BOAK, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden plunged into this week’s Summit of Americas aiming to push for regional progress in addressing economic development, climate change and migration despite the absence of some notable counterparts from Latin America. With the US playing host to the gathering for the … Read more