6 mins read

Trump says he’ll move to suspend federal gasoline tax. He can’t do it on his own

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said Monday he will move to suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices caused by the Iran war. The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax […]

6 mins read

Supreme Court halts order for Alabama to use US House map with 2 largely Black districts

WASHINGTON | The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday set the stage for Alabama to eliminate one of two largely Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections, creating an opening for Republicans to gain an additional U.S. House seat in a partisan battle for control of the closely divided chamber. The decision follows a Supreme […]

9 mins read

Did the founders create a Christian nation? No, but religion did shape their thinking

When he talks about the role of religion in the founding of the United States, historian Gregg Frazer does not attract eager audiences. “Neither side really wants to hear what I say,” says Frazer, a professor of history and political studies at The Master’s University, a Christian school in Santa Clarita, California. The founders, Frazer […]

7 mins read

Older Americans say it’s a good time to find a job. Younger people aren’t buying it, new poll finds

For years, younger Americans have been more optimistic about the job market than older Americans, even through the depths of the Great Recession. But in an abrupt shift, a new poll released Monday finds young people’s confidence has plummeted over the past two years — while their elders remain more upbeat. The gap between young […]

3 mins read

Democrats ask the Supreme Court to halt a Virginia ruling blocking new congressional districts

WASHINGTON | Democrats on Monday filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to halt a Virginia ruling invalidating a ballot measure that would have given their party an additional four winnable U.S. House seats. The move came after the Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a constitutional amendment that voters narrowly […]

2 mins read

Man charged in White House correspondents’ dinner attack pleads not guilty

WASHINGTON | A man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner while armed with guns and knives pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he attempted to kill President Donald Trump and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who tried to stop the attack. Cole Tomas Allen was handcuffed and […]

4 mins read

Democrats vow to fight $1 billion Senate security proposal for White House ballroom

WASHINGTON | Republicans returning to Washington on Monday are facing questions about a $1 billion Senate security proposal that could help pay for President Donald Trump’s ballroom as Democrats say they will try to defeat it. Senate Republicans added the money for White House security to a spending bill that would restore funding for immigration […]

8 mins read

Voter confusion and headaches for election officials follow hasty GOP push to redraw US House seats

BATON ROUGE, La. | Thousands of Louisiana voters have already cast early ballots for congressional candidates in what soon could be the wrong districts. Alabama’s primaries are a week away, but the state could force a do-over for voting on U.S. House races. A new congressional map in Tennessee upended races that had been underway […]

8 mins read

Trump religious liberty commission wants to end separation of church and state

One member calls for a Presidential Medal of Freedom for a Colorado baker who refused to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Another calls for court interventions by the Department of Justice on behalf of Amish parents fighting New York vaccine requirements and Catholic nuns challenging that state’s requirement that they accommodate hospice […]

8 mins read

Trump religious liberty commission wants to end separation of church and state

One member calls for a Presidential Medal of Freedom for a Colorado baker who refused to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Another calls for court interventions by the Department of Justice on behalf of Amish parents fighting New York vaccine requirements and Catholic nuns challenging that state’s requirement that they accommodate hospice […]