in the open as the GOP presses forward with a third attempt to pass voting legislation....

A monthlong standoff by Texas Democrats who left the state to block a GOP voting bill inched closer

Matt Gaetz, have repeatedly swatted down efforts by McCarthy to pass both a defense spending bill and a broader short-term funding bill for the entire government, insisting their demands for steeper cuts and other measures be met before they offer their support. Congress has until Sept.... At the same time, the latest ABC News/ Washington Post poll found that just 23% of Americans approve of Biden's handling of immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border." These numbers speak for themselves.... They

the vaccine broadly available in March. The challenge is particularly acute in GOP-led states, where

Instead of a unified and celebratory return by Democrats, some members lashed out at their colleagues over what they criticized as breaking ranks.... Many of the proposed changes to Texas voting that Democrats have railed against for months remain in a bill that already passed the state Senate, and Republican Gov.... Greg Abbott could now sign the legislation in a matter of weeks, if not sooner. Only three new Democrats showed up Thursday, and the vast majority of the more than 50 Democrats wh

“ We had many heated debates in Washington as we debated our own next steps, ” said state Rep.... But I know emotions are rightfully running high everywhere, and it’s been a difficult month.” Texas is among several states where Republicans have rushed to enact new voting restrictions in response to former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.... The current bill is similar to the ones Democrats blocked last month by going to Washington....

AUSTIN, Texas— Texas Democrats again refused to return to the state Capitol on Saturday as Gov.... Greg Abbott began a third attempt at passing new election laws, prolonging a months-long standoff that ramped up in July when some Democratic state lawmakers fled the state and hunkered down in Washington.... Abbott, a Republican who is up for reelection in 2022, has threatened Democrats with arrest in an effort to compel them back to the Capitol, although state troopers have no jurisdiction beyo

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, said Democrats could be compelled to return under “ warrant of arrest if necessary.” How that process could work was still unclear, even for the Republicans who invoked it.... Refusing to attend the legislative sessions is a violation of House rules — a civil offense, not a criminal one.... Mayes Middleton said," but they got to come back to work." How soon or even whether law enforcement would round up Democrats also was not clear....

Law enforcement officers are on the case.... Now it's not only a question of when they'll return but also how far Republicans will go to end the standoff. This week, the Texas Supreme Court ruled the law allows for the most dramatic recourse: arresting Democrats and physically forcing them back.... But Republican leaders have been reluctant to go that route, even after signing civil arrest warrants a week ago....

Asa Hutchinson has confronted as he holds town halls throughout Arkansas, which leads the nation in new cases per capita but has one of the lowest vaccination rates.... Pfizer and Moderna have applied for full approval, and a Pfizer decision is expected soon. The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson Johnson vaccines were studied in tens of thousands of people to show they prevented symptomatic coronavirus infections — especially serious illness — and that they were safe.... “ Compared to other vaccines