majority
Arkansas high court orders law license reinstated to former governor’s son
In a 4-3 decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated the law license of William Asa Hutchinson III, who is facing drug and driving while intoxicated charges in Benton County. Hutchinson, the 47-year-old son of former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, was arrested Jan. 13 by a sheriff’s deputy after allegedly driving 71 mph in a […]
White House targets economic development in Central America to reduce migration
WASHINGTON — The White House Monday announced nearly $1 billion in investments to address economic causes of migration in several Central American countries, an effort being spurred by Vice President Kamala Harris. Spread over several years, 10 private companies from Target to Nestlé are pledging $950 million to create economic development in Honduras, El Salvador […]
U.S. House paralyzed following second day of GOP failure to elect a speaker
(This story was updated at 7:50 p.m. Central on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, to reflect the House’s vote to adjourn until Thursday.) WASHINGTON — The U.S. House adjourned without a speaker for the second day in a row Wednesday as Republicans’ stalemate over who should lead the chamber for the next two years dragged on, with […]
U.S. Senate opens a new session with a record set by McConnell
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed reelected and newly elected senators Tuesday afternoon to a new session of Congress, highlighting the bipartisan success of the previous two years and outlining his optimism for a continued approach. “There’s no reason why the success of the last two years needs to end today,” Schumer, […]
U.S. House conservatives tank McCarthy bid to be speaker on multiple ballots
(This story has been updated to reflect that House Republicans adjourned after three unsuccessful votes to choose a new speaker.) WASHINGTON — Republican control of the U.S. House got off to a rocky start Tuesday when the party was unable to decide who should become speaker amid a sharp disagreement within the party’s more conservative faction. […]
Arizona’s Sen. Kyrsten Sinema leaves Democratic Party, registers as independent
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday she is leaving the Democratic Party and has registered as an independent. The first-term senator wrote in an opinion piece for the Arizona Republic that she does not intend to change the way she legislates or casts votes, but plans to be “an independent voice […]
‘Worth the wait’: U.S. Senate Democrats celebrate a 51-seat majority with Georgia win
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer jubilantly announced Wednesday that the Georgia runoff election victory will next year end an evenly divided U.S. Senate, giving Democrats more subpoena power in committees and a quicker turnaround in approving federal and judicial appointments. Schumer, a New York Democrat, congratulated Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock for […]
Republicans win control of the U.S. House with 218th seat
Republicans clinched a majority in the U.S. House on Wednesday night after a Republican won reelection to a California seat that put the GOP over the top, according to Associated Press projections. Though not as decisive a victory as GOP leaders had hoped, Republican candidates flipped key seats in New York, Virginia, Oregon and Arizona […]
U.S. House GOP picks leadership team for next Congress: McCarthy, Scalise and Emmer
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans elected their slate of leaders for the 118th Congress on Tuesday, even though the party hadn’t yet secured the seats needed to take the majority come January. The new leadership team emerged from several contested races decided during an hours-long secret ballot voting session, including a three-way campaign for whip […]
Arkansas power politics at its most raw and most sublime
As an exercise of raw power, a rule change that limits Democrats to two seats on any of the Arkansas Senate’s standing committees likely won’t shake many rafters. But the move did draw reaction from state Rep. David Ray (R-Maumelle) on Twitter: This is a smart, commonsense move by the Arkansas Senate. Proportional representation on […]
Mitch McConnell-aligned super PAC pours record advertising cash into U.S. Senate races
WASHINGTON — The super PAC aligned with U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has spent a record amount advertising for GOP Senate candidates this cycle, according to AdImpact. The Senate Leadership Fund has “become the highest-spending advertiser” AdImpact, started in 2014, has ever reported on, according to data it released Thursday. The […]
U.S. Supreme Court justices cast doubt on affirmative action in college admissions
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Monday questioned the legality of race-conscious policies in college admissions, as the justices weighed two cases that could upend the admissions process many colleges use to try to boost diversity on campus. At issue are two cases that challenge the lawfulness of affirmative action at Harvard […]