New Congress getting sworn in with GOP in charge
By ERICA WERNER Republicans are assuming full control of Congress for the first time in eight years in a day of pomp, circumstance and raw politics beneath the Capitol Dome.…
United States Senate
President Barack Obama tests his sway against a GOP-run Congress
By JOSH LEDERMAN President Barack Obama this week will test whether he still has the sway to keep Washington focused on his own priorities, even as a new Republican-run Congress…
Edward Brooke, 1st black elected US senator, dies
By SYLVIA WINGFIELD and MARK PRATT Former U.S. Sen. Edward W. Brooke, a liberal Republican who became the first black in U.S. history to win popular election to the Senate,…
GOP focus for Congress: Cut deficit, don’t stumble
By ALAN FRAM In the first Republican-dominated Congress to confront President Barack Obama, GOP leaders will focus on bolstering the economy and cutting the budget — and oh yes, avoiding…
Beyond marriage, challenges ahead for gay rights groups
By DAVID CRARY Even as same-sex marriage edges closer to becoming legal nationwide, gay rights advocates face other challenges in 2015 that may not bring quick victories. In Congress, for…
10 things to watch in ’15 ahead of 2016 campaign
There’s a whole year of campaigning, positioning and politicking to go before the next campaign for president kicks off with the Iowa Caucus in early 2016. Here’s a look at…
President Barack Obama warns GOP he plans to use veto pen in 2015
Warning from President Barack Obama to congressional Republicans: I have a veto pen and, come January, I won’t be afraid to use it. Since taking office in 2009, Obama has…
AP poll: Police killings of blacks voted top story of 2014
By DAVID CRARY The police killings of unarmed blacks in Ferguson, Missouri, and elsewhere — and the investigations and tumultuous protests they inspired — was the top news story of…