Illinois justices overturn state’s landmark 2013 pension law
By JOHN O’CONNOR and KERRY LESTER The Illinois Supreme Court on Friday struck down a 2013 law that sought to fix the nation’s worst government-employee pension crisis, a ruling that…
State governments
Latest on police-custody death: 500 Guardsmen in Baltimore
By The Associated Press A spokesman says Monday’s riot is the first time the Maryland National Guard has been called up for a civil disturbance in the state since 1968,…
Gay marriage a difficult issue for GOP White House hopefuls
For Democratic politicians, same-sex marriage has become an easy issue: They’re for it. Many Republican VIPs — notably the presidential hopefuls — face a far more complicated landscape. By DAVID…
New Hampshire Republican voters are relishing crowded field
For New Hampshire Republicans, the early days of the 2016 presidential campaign feel like an embarrassment of riches. The state’s notoriously fickle, independent-minded voters are relishing a wide-open Republican race…
Former Nevada attorney general to run for Reid’s Senate seat
By MICHELLE RINDELS Former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced Wednesday that she will run for Harry Reid’s Senate seat, less than two weeks after the Democratic leader said…
NAACP: Investigate senator whose post tied Obama to IS group
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS A Maine branch of the NAACP wants an investigation into whether a state senator violated the Legislature’s code of ethics by sharing offensive Facebook posts, including one…
Jeb Bush jumps into retail politics of Iowa’s caucuses
By THOMAS BEAUMONT CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Since announcing on Facebook his plan to explore running for president, Jeb Bush has courted high-dollar donors in private rooms and luxury…
Selma civil rights milestone marked by first black president
By JAY REEVES and DARLENE SUPERVILLE SELMA, Ala. (AP) —Tens of thousands of people joined to commemorate the “Bloody Sunday” march of 1965 and take stock of the struggle for equality. Under…