MIKE LEE

Seven states are set to host primary elections Tuesday as the nation comes to terms with last week’s stunning Supreme Court ruling eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion.

Mitt Romney isn’t up for reelection this year, but his name is surfacing in Republican primaries throughout the nation.

Members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection are holding their first prime-time hearing to share what they have uncovered about then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

A former lawmaker in Oregon is aiming to shake up state politics by running as an unaffiliated candidate for governor.

Less than a day after a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas, a Wednesday Senate hearing for President Joe Biden’s pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reflected the deep political divisions over guns.

Red state officials are coming out swinging against growing Wall Street efforts to consider environmental risk in investment decisions.

The Competition and Transparency in Digital Advertising Act was introduced by key Senators on the Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, the Journal reported.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments about a Republican Party "cult" comports with other patterns.

The traditionally insular Supreme Court is about to face the full force of public pressure and abortion politics.

Election 2022 Senate Utah FILE - President Donald Trump stands with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, on Dec. 4, 2017, at the Utah State Capitol, after Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah. The trove of messages show Lee promoted legally dubious schemes to keep then-President Donald Trump in power, before he shifted course and backed away. McMullin, a former CIA officer, captured 20% of the vote in Utah when he ran for president in 2016 — including a protest vote from Lee, who was then a Trump critic. Like many other Republican politicians, including now-Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lee was critical of Trump during the celebrity businessman's first run for president in 2016. The presence of two challengers splitting the anti-Lee primary vote further heightens the chances Lee will win the GOP nomination.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee has avoided serious challenge in deeply conservative Utah in the dozen years since he came to power in a tea party wave.

Utah’s Democratic Party declined to endorse one of its own and instead is supporting independent never-Trumper Evan McMullin in his bid against Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

Orrin G.

Election 2022 Utah Convention FILE - Independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin and his running mate Mindy Finn watch results come in during a election night watch party, on Nov. 8, 2016, in Salt Lake City. Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday, April 23, 2022, of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind McMullin, an independent and former presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) (Rick Bowmer)SALT LAKE CITY — (AP) — Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind an independent, former presidential candidate Evan McMullin. Lee himself cast a protest vote for McMullin, though he later became as staunch Trump ally, and the former president has endorsed him. Republican Party Chair Carson Jorgensen took aim at the Democrats' decision, arguing it showed a weakness in the other party's platform.

Election 2022 Utah Convention Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, walks onto stage to give his candidacy speech during the GOP Convention at the Mountain America Convention Center in Sandy, Utah, on Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Adam Fondren/The Deseret News via AP) (Adam Fondren)SALT LAKE CITY — (AP) — Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind an independent, former presidential candidate Evan McMullin. Lee himself cast a protest vote for McMullin, though he later became as staunch Trump ally, and the former president has endorsed him. I trust Evan," former Congressman Ben McAdams told delegates during the contentious debate, framing McMullin as the best possible chance to unseat Lee. Republican Party Chair Carson Jorgensen took aim at the Democrats' decision, arguing it showed a weakness in the other party's platform.

Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind an independent, former presidential candidate Evan McMullin.

Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind an independent, former presidential candidate Evan McMullin. Democrats were swayed by calls from prominent members who said McMullin, a conservative who captured a significant share of the vote in Utah in 2016, was the best chance to beat Lee in the deeply conservative state that hasn't elected a Democratic U.S. senator for more than 50 years.

Mike Lee pushed for Trump slates, then thanked ‘heavens’ there were none — showing how Trump's extreme ideas get laundered by the GOP.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (Carolyn Kaster)SALT LAKE CITY — (AP) — Utah Sen. Mike Lee worked on early efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, helping push legally dubious schemes to keep then-President Donald Trump in power, before he shifted course and quickly backed away. The messages from Lee to Meadows — and messages from Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy to Meadows — were reported on and published Friday by CNN. They show Lee’s efforts to assist Trump began Nov. 7 and included early support for Powell. Later, Lee explored a plan to encourage state legislatures to alter the outcome of the 2020 election by appointing alternate electors. Her involvement in the efforts have raised concerns about her husband's potential involvement in any cases involving the election or the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee worked on early efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, helping push legally dubious schemes to keep then-President Donald Trump in power, before he shifted course and quickly backed away.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (Carolyn Kaster)SALT LAKE CITY — (AP) — Utah Sen. Mike Lee worked on early efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, helping push legally dubious schemes to keep then-President Donald Trump in power, before he shifted course and quickly backed away. The messages from Lee to Meadows — and messages from Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy to Meadows — were reported on and published Friday by CNN. They show Lee’s efforts to assist Trump began Nov. 7 and included early support for Powell. Later, Lee explored a plan to encourage state legislatures to alter the outcome of the 2020 election by appointing alternate electors. Her involvement in the efforts have raised concerns about her husband's potential involvement in any cases involving the election or the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who served as a Supreme Court clerk, worked long hours to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election and keep Donald Trump in power, according to text messages to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

The texts provide a window into how haphazard and contentious the Jan. 6 effort was — at least privately.

Newly released text messages to Mark Meadows are a reminder of how long Trump's supporters have been waiting for proof of fraud.

In a last-minute gripe, Republicans took swipes at Ketanji Brown Jackson even though they were powerless to stop her confirmation.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is endorsing former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel in the heated Republican primary for the open U.S. Senate seat in the Midwestern battleground.

Piecing together the activities of President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, is no easy task.

Some Republican senators considering Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination are still hung up on Brett Kavanaugh.

The House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol has previewed some of its findings in a federal court filing.

The Senate has sent President Joe Biden a bill averting a weekend government shutdown.

Lawmakers hope to finalize a longer-term spending bill before the new shutdown deadline on March 11.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, says he has the support of 99 of the chamber's 100 senators to pass the Amache National Historic Site Act, which would make the remote southeastern Colorado landmark a national historic site eligible for additional preservation assistance. The Amache site is less than one square mile (2.4 square kilometers), Bennett's office and the Prowers County Assessor said. He supported the Trump administration’s 2017 decision to shrink the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, two national monuments in Utah. Camp Amache is owned by the town of Granada and already listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its current designation qualifies it for preservation funds, but designating it as a National Historic Site would make available additional federal funds through the National Park Service.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee is facing backlash from Japanese Americans and conservation groups after blocking a proposal to create a national historic site at a former internment camp in rural Colorado.

On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the forced internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans at the onset of World War II, Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is getting backlash for holding up the creation of a national historic site at a former internment camp in rural Colorado. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, says he has the support of 99 of the chamber's 100 senators to pass the Amache National Historic Site Act, which would make the remote southeastern Colorado landmark a national historic site eligible for additional preservation assistance.

Investigators from the House select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol have found gaps in the White House phone records on the day of the insurrection, reports The New York Times.Investigators were unable to find the logs of calls by former President Trump during hours on that day when they know he was sometimes on the phone.There is no evidence that official logs were changed or deleted, the Times reports, and Trump often...

The legislation addresses key gripes app developers including Spotify, Epic Games, Basecamp and others have raised about Apple and Google.

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is sounding a skeptical note about the prospects of easing the Senate’s filibuster rules to advance stalled voting legislation.

Congress Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks during a news conference after the weekly Democratic policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. Despite a seemingly straightforward name, the nation's debt limit does little to curtail future debt. For months, they've used the debt limit to attack Democrats' big-spending social and environmental agenda while pledging to staunchly oppose the current effort to increase the threshold. It created a one-time, fast-track process for raising the debt limit that allowed Democrats to do so with a simple majority, bypassing the 60 vote threshold to avoid a GOP filibuster. The national debt includes $7.8 trillion heaped onto the pile during Trump's four-year presidency, an analysis of Treasury records shows.

McConnell faces frequent attacks by Trump as he performs delicate negotiations and manoeuvres to secure the GOP an advantage in the Senate.

The Senate has rejected a bid to stop a U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia.

Sen. Joe Manchin is likely to help a bill opposing a vaccine mandate for private companies pass the Senate this week, but the legislation faces an uphill battle in the House.

For months, President Joe Biden has taken it on the chin from Republicans over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Senate has passed a stopgap spending bill that avoids a short-term shutdown and funds the federal government through Feb. 18 after leaders defused a partisan standoff over federal vaccine mandates.

President Joe Biden has signed into law the stopgap spending bill that will keep the federal government running through Feb. 18.

President Joe Biden said he has spoken with Senate leaders and he played down fears of a shutdown. “There is a plan in place unless somebody decides to be totally erratic, and I don’t think that will happen," Biden said. Political backlash over the administration's vaccine mandates has been building for months. The administration has also put in place policies requiring millions of federal employees and federal contractors, including military troops, to be fully vaccinated. Separately, some health care providers are protesting the stopgap spending measure.

The House struck a deal to prevent a government shutdown, but the funding bill could face opposition in the Senate.

The federal government could be heading for a temporary shutdown.

Conservative Senate Republicans reportedly plan to force a government shutdown over vaccine rules

The report represents the latest attempt by the Republican party to highlight the risks of rising prices less than one year before the 2022 midterm elections.

Lucas Sin's innovation at Nice Day represents a generation push for reimagining Chinese-American takeout menus.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he will not again help Democrats extend the government’s borrowing authority.

The independent former Republican who gave Donald Trump a headache in Utah in 2016 will be back on the ballot against Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). And there's a compelling argument for Democrats to line up behind him.

On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump trashed Sen. Lindsey Graham. Three days later, the South Carolina lawmaker sung Trump's praises.

Lindsey Graham told Trump over the summer 'you f---ed your presidency up,' book claims. Trump hung up.

A significant majority of Americans doubt that the war in Afghanistan was worthwhile, even as they are more divided over President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and national security.

The senators who spent months stitching together a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package are now trying to sell it to the American people.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell had vowed to be “100% focused” on stopping President Joe Biden’s agenda.

The Biden administration is encouraging Senate lawmakers to finally repeal an Iraq war authorization crafted when Saddam Hussein was still alive.

The bipartisan group of senators who crafted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is preparing to take a victory lap as the Senate moves toward passing the bill in the coming days.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is looking to speed up consideration of a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan national infrastructure package.

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide a major abortion rights case next year that could allow Missouri to implement its controversial 2019 law.

A U.S. Senate panel has deadlocked on President Joe Biden’s pick to oversee vast government-owned lands in the West amid bitter opposition from Republicans.

Bill would cut funding to any military action after 20 days if Congress doesn’t sign off

The bill seeks to reclaim Congress' power over three areas: war powers, arms exports and national emergencies.

The pandemic has caused plenty of lasting changes, but it now looks like it may also undo a law that has impacted passenger transit for...

The hanging death of a 21-year-old Black man three years ago is still haunting a county in Mississippi.

"We are deeply troubled by Match Group's claims that Google may have attempted to influence another witness's testimony," they wrote.

Apple says the social networking site's updated content moderation policy is now compliant.

Apple says the social networking site's updated content moderation policy is now compliant.

Apple agreed to send a top executive to testify about its app store before a Senate panel on antitrust after leading senators urged it to make one available.

Correction: Congress-Antitrust storySen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks during a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Senate Committee on Rules and Administration joint hearing Wednesday, March 3, 2021, examining the January 6, attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP) (The Hill)WASHINGTON – In a story March 16, 2021, about antitrust legislation in Congress, The Associated Press erroneously reported the title of a book by Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The correct title is “Antitrust: Taking on Monopoly Power from the Gilded Age to the Digital Age.”Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON – The massive coronavirus relief plan making its way to President Joe Biden’s desk includes a plan to temporarily raise the child tax credit that could end up permanently changing the way the country deals with child poverty. The American Rescue Plan, expected to receive final approval this week, temporarily raises the child tax credit, now at a maximum of $2,000, to as much as $3,600 per child annually. Indeed, Biden himself told House Democrats during a private call last week that he supports legislation that would permanently increase the child tax credit to $3,000 per child. That's the case made by some Republican lawmakers in offering an alternative to the Biden proposal. Because the benefit currently expires after a year, the Biden plan essentially creates a potential fiscal cliff for child poverty.

(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON – The massive coronavirus relief plan making its way to President Joe Biden’s desk includes a plan to temporarily raise the child tax credit that could end up permanently changing the way the country deals with child poverty. The American Rescue Plan, expected to receive final approval this week, temporarily raises the child tax credit, now at a maximum of $2,000, to as much as $3,600 per child annually. Indeed, Biden himself told House Democrats during a private call last week that he supports legislation that would permanently increase the child tax credit to $3,000 per child. That's the case made by some Republican lawmakers in offering an alternative to the Biden proposal. Because the benefit currently expires after a year, the Biden plan essentially creates a potential fiscal cliff for child poverty.

Employees with the McKesson Corporation scan a box of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while filling an order at their shipping facility in Shepherdsville, Ky., Monday, March 1, 2021. AdThe push to reopen comes as COVID-19 vaccine shipments to the states are ramping up. Johnson & Johnson shipped out nearly 4 million doses of its newly authorized, one-shot COVID-19 vaccine Sunday night to be delivered to states for use starting on Tuesday. The company will deliver about 16 million more doses by the end of March and a total of 100 million by the end of June. White House vaccination coordinator Jeff Zients also acknowledged that scheduling of vaccination appointments “ remains too difficult in too many places."

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., walks on Capitol Hill after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Trump was accused of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the acquittal gives him a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. Investigations into the riot were already planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee. We needed more senators with spines.”AdMcConnell told Republican senators shortly before the vote that he would vote to acquit Trump. Beutler's statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters was ultimately entered into the trial record.

Reporters vie for a response from Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, as Senators take a dinner break while arguments continue in former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – For 90 tense minutes, members of the Senate relived the horror. The rioters were “58 steps” from senators at one point, impeachment manager Eric Swalwell told them. Senators were silent afterward, some sitting quietly and alone, as if to process it all. He walked out of the room in the middle of the presentation, as impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett detailed the threats to Pence’s life.

(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON – The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):8:20 p.m.House Democrats have wrapped up their first full day of arguments at the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The impeachment trial is set to resume at noon Thursday. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they are deeply disturbed by the evidence shown by Democrats against former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial. Prosecutors at Trump’s impeachment trial on Wednesday played security footage from inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. ___2:20 p.m.Democrats are arguing that former President Donald Trump “built” the mob that attacked the Capitol.

In this image from video, David Schoen, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, speaks during the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Though the trial now proceeds, that’s a legal issue that could resonate with Republicans eager to acquit Trump without being seen as condoning his behavior. Trump attorney David Schoen turned the trial toward starkly partisan tones, saying the Democrats were fueled by a “base hatred” of the former president. On the vote, six Republicans joined with Democrats pursue the trial, just one more than on a similar vote last week. Trump's second impeachment trial is expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated affair of a year ago.

SALT LAKE CITY – Supporters of President Donald Trump heckled Republican U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah in an airport, illustrating divisions in the Republican Party between Trump loyalists and those ready to accept the results of the presidential election. Romney has been considered Trump’s sharpest GOP critic and is among a group of senators who called for an end to an effort to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s win. Video of the airport confrontation posted online Tuesday night came as Trump backers around the U.S. traveled to Washington, D.C., for demonstrations as Congress meets to accept the Electoral College vote. It's being contested by some GOP lawmakers, but the effort is all but certain to fail. His counterpart, Sen. Mike Lee, is a staunch Trump supporter but called for civility after the video made the rounds.

Eleven Republican senators saying they will not be voting Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory include Wyoming's newly sworn in Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Cheyenne-area rancher and former congresswoman. It is unclear just what the Republican senators will do, but the process could drag into the night as the two chambers will have to consider each objection individually. And more than a dozen Republican senators have said they will not support the effort. Facing the criticism from many in his own party, Cruz has attempted to put a finer point on his challenge. The commission remains his focus, he has said, not to undo the election results, even though that would be the practical effect of a successful objection.

On Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned 15 people, including Collins. Papadopoulos was the first Trump aide to plead guilty as part of Mueller’s investigation – pleading guilty to lying to the FBI – and served a nearly two-week sentence in federal prison. The White House said Stockman had contracted coronavirus while in federal prison and has served more than two years of his 10-year sentence. Esformes’ prison sentence was commuted by the president on Tuesday, but other aspects of his sentence, including supervised release and millions in restitution, remained intact. The White House said the commutation was supported by a number of former attorneys general and said Esformes is in declining health.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – Congress passed a $900 billion pandemic relief package that would finally deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. The bill approved Monday night went to President Donald Trump for his signature, which was expected in the coming days. The relief package, unveiled Monday afternoon, sped through the House and Senate in a matter of hours. The bill combines coronavirus-fighting funds with financial relief for individuals and businesses. Democrats and Senate Republicans prevailed in a bid to use bookkeeping maneuvers to squeeze $12.5 billion more for domestic programs into the legislation.

In 2022, the center plans to inaugurate a dedicated gallery to U.S. Latino history within the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The artist is one of the few Latino artists to ever have a solo show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. No Latina had a solo show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in the period examined. Leonard Castellanos’s “RIFA, from Méchicano 1977 Calendario,” from an exhibition of Chicano graphics at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Latin American history and Latino history are inextricably connected with U.S. history.

A single Republican senator blocked bipartisan legislation Thursday to create Smithsonian museums for American Latinos and women, claiming such institutions would "further divide" the nation. The senator also suggested that Latino Americans hadn't faced the same kind of systematic exclusion as other ethnic groups that already have Smithsonian museums. The House this year passed bills to create the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum, each with more than 290 cosponsors. He argued that the stories of America's women and Latinos should instead be part of the National Museum of American History. In a separate debate, Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, pushed to approve legislation to create a Smithsonian museum for women's history.

WASHINGTON – A lone senator from Utah has singlehandedly blocked the bipartisan approval of two new national museums to honor American Latinos and women, arguing that “last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation.”Republican Sen. Mike Lee objected Thursday to the creation of the two proposed Smithsonian museums, stalling two projects that have been in the making for decades and enjoy broad bipartisan support. Senate approval would have sent the legislation approving the Latino museum to President Donald Trump for his signature. The Senate was attempting to pass the measures by voice vote, which requires every senator's consent. Lee said he sees an exception for museums dedicated to American Indians and African Americans that already sit on the National Mall. “We have been systematically excluded, not because this senator said so but because the Smithsonian itself said so,” Menendez said.

Trump did not back up his claims with any details or evidence, and state and federal officials have not reported any instances of widespread voter fraud. Counting votes is often “long” and “frustrating,” Romney said. Most in the GOP take pains to avoid directly criticizing Trump, even when they find his conduct unhelpful or offensive to their values and goals. But one of Trump’s top congressional supporters said he supports efforts to question the vote counting process and is donating money to shore up legal challenges. Chris Christie, a Trump ally who is an analyst for ABC News, said there was no basis for Trump's argument.

Barrett was confirmed to be a Supreme Court justice by the Senate earlier in the evening. It's been only a month since President Donald Trump's Rose Garden event to announce he was nominating Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the Supreme Court. Mike Lee and Thom Tillis — tested positive after attending the earlier White House celebration. Indiana Sen. Todd Young told reporters that he had told the White House he would attend, but was reconsidering. She said people need to be careful about gatherings as illnesses have been rising, but stopped short of calling the White House event a mistake.

(Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans powered past a Democratic boycott Thursday to advance Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate, keeping President Donald Trump's pick on track for confirmation before the Nov. 3 election. Never has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. Republicans have bristled at Democrats’ claim that the Obama-era health law, known as “Obamacare,” is in jeopardy if Barrett joins the court. As the Senate committee met, protesters, some shouting “Stop the confirmation!” demonstrated outside the Capitol across the street from the Supreme Court. Unable to stop the confirmation, Democrats have been trying unsuccessfully to stall the process so the winner of the White House race could name the new nominee.

– Law enforcement officers who pulled a driver over for a traffic violation in Mississippi allegedly discovered about 37 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a spare tire stashed in the vehicle. The Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the Flowood Police Department stopped a pickup truck along an interstate near Flowood early this month after spotting it driving in a “careless manner," according to the agencies. An officer conducting the stop discovered a tire in the bed of the truck, and inside it, an assisting deputy found 37.5 pounds (17 kilograms) of methamphetamine worth an estimated street value of $350,000, WLBT-TV reported, citing the authorities. The driver was charged with aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine, Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee said. The suspect was not immediately identified and it was unclear whether they were being held in custody.

(Leah Millis/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett will face senators' questions over her approach to health care, legal precedent and even the presidential election during a second day of confirmation hearings on track to lock in a conservative court majority for years to come. Americans “deserve an independent Supreme Court that interprets our Constitution and laws as they are written,” Barrett told the committee. Republicans also hope to seat Barrett quickly enough to hear any legal challenges after the election. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut was among several Democrats demanding that Barrett pledge not to take part in any election case. One after another, Democrats sought Monday to tie her nomination to the upcoming Obama-era health care case.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut was among several Democrats demanding that Barrett pledge not to take part in any election case. Barrett also praised the liberal icon, saying she was “forever grateful" for Ginsburg's trailblazing path as a woman on the court. “Health care coverage for millions of Americans is at stake with this nomination,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee’s senior Democrat. In one message, he tweeted that he’d have a “FAR BETTER” health care plan, with lower costs and protections for preexisting conditions. But he has not, as yet, discussed an actual health care plan.

Hearings before the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee will begin Monday, Oct. 12, for President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIF.Harris, Joe Biden's running mate in the presidential election, will again be in the spotlight as Democrats question a Trump nominee for the Supreme Court. Harris and other key Democrats said the hearings should not move forward without plans to test people attending, including senators, for coronavirus. In a sign of the heightened scrutiny, Vice President Mike Pence tried to get Harris to reveal whether she and Biden support expanding the Supreme Court, as many liberals advocate. In just three years on the 7th Circuit, Barrett has twice argued for approval of abortion restrictions that violated Supreme Court precedent, Hirono said.

White HouseCounselor to the president Hope Hicks : Tested positive: Tested Director of Oval Office operations Nick Luna : Tested positive on Saturday, October 3.: Tested positive on Saturday, October 3. Senior adviser Stephen Miller : Tested positive on Tuesday, October 6.: Tested positive on Tuesday, October 6. Assistant press secretary Jalen Drummond : Tested positive, CBS News reported Tuesday, October 6.: Tested positive, CBS News reported Tuesday, October 6. Vice President Mike Pence : Tested negative on Thursday, October 8.: Tested negative on Thursday, October 8. Chief of staff Mark Meadows : Tested negative on Thursday, October 8.: Tested negative on Thursday, October 8.

Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. Toni Sandys | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesRon Johnson of Wisconsin is the third Republican senator to test positive for Covid-19 after President Donald Trump announced early Friday that he and the first lady had a positive diagnosis. Both are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is the panel that will hold hearings on her nomination. It is unclear where Johnson contracted the virus, but he was exposed earlier this week to someone who has since tested positive for the virus, according to his office. "If It's too dangerous to have the Senate in session it is also too dangerous for committee hearings to continue."

White HouseCounselor to the president Hope Hicks : Tested positive: Tested Director of Oval Office operations Nick Luna : Tested positive on Saturday, October 3.: Tested positive on Saturday, October 3. Senior adviser Stephen Miller : Tested positive on Tuesday, October 6.: Tested positive on Tuesday, October 6. Vice President Mike Pence : Tested negative on Thursday, October 8.: Tested negative on Thursday, October 8. Chief of staff Mark Meadows : Tested negative on Thursday, October 8.: Tested negative on Thursday, October 8. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar : Tested negative on Friday, October 2.: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.

MIAMI Tropical Storm Arthur moved out to sea Monday after dumping heavy rain on North Carolina as forecasters warned that the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season could continue to whip dangerous surf and rip currents for another day or more along the U.S. East Coast. By late Monday, storm watches and warnings that had been in effect for parts of the North Carolina coast were canceled. The Hurricane Center said Arthur was moving northeast at 16 mph (26 kph) Monday afternoon as its center pulled away from the U.S. mainland. At 5 p.m. EDT, the storms center was located about 110 miles (175 kilometers) northeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. North Carolina Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said that over-wash or standing water had closed a highway on the Outer Banks and another on the mainland.

Sen. Mitt Romney has tested negative for coronavirus, but will remain quarantined for a 14-day period, he announced in a post on Twitter on Tuesday. "Nevertheless, guidance from my physician, consistent with the CDC guidelines, requires me to remain in quarantine as the test does not rule out the onset of symptoms during the 14-day period." Romney announced on Sunday that he had entered into self-quarantine after Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said that he had tested positive. At least two lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. and Ben McAdams, D-Utah, have tested positive for coronavirus. Romney was an early proponent of using direct cash payments to ease the economic pain caused by the unfolding public health crisis.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. government surveillance tools fiercely opposed by privacy advocates and defended by intelligence agencies will expire after legislation renewing them stalled in the Senate on Thursday, although passage is expected next week. But the measure, which renews and updates domestic surveillance rules under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), must pass the Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump to become law. Republican Senator Mike Lee spoke against FISA in the Senate on Thursday, as an effort to quickly pass the House bill fell short. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was confident the Senate would pass the bill. I hope we dont have an attack this weekend, Burr told reporters after the debate in the Senate with Lee.

The bill extends provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which sets rules for surveillance and collection of information between foreign powers or agents of foreign powers suspected of espionage or terrorism. To address privacy concerns, the bill sets new restrictions to the FISA court system, which oversees requests for surveillance warrants. Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the bill provides greater transparency and increased oversight of the system, without compromising counterterrorism efforts. He said the surveillance system had flaws, but the bills reforms were significant. Privacy advocates, including liberal Democrats and libertarian-leaning Republicans, are fiercely critical of the surveillance program.

FILE PHOTO: Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, speaks at a news conference in London, Britain June 28, 2019. Trumps special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, will lead the Tuesday briefing. Senate leaders had said they expected to vote as soon as this week on an Iran war powers resolution, but there had been no word on when that vote might take place. The resolution faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate, which has been conducting Trumps impeachment trial this week. Trump administration officials, including Pompeo, at a briefing earlier this month failed to convince Democratic U.S. lawmakers, and some Republicans, that an imminent threat had justified the killing of Qassem Soleimani.