A new report says former University of Florida president Ben Sasse spent over $1.3 million on private catering for lavish dinners, football tailgates and extravagant social functions.

Nebraskans will cast presidential primary ballots Tuesday in a reliably Republican state that could nonetheless be decisive in the race for the White House.

It’s a big year for congressional elections, and already it’s known there will be some attrition with candidates who won’t mount reelection bids in 2024.

Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts was sworn into the U.S. Senate on Monday, replacing Republican Sen. Ben Sasse as the Senate returns from several weeks of recess and begins a new session of closely-divided government.

Nebraska's outgoing U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse left office Sunday to become the University of Florida's new president and said he knows he may be remembered more for his criticisms of former President Donald Trump than for the policies he supported.

Outgoing Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is expected to be appointed to the state's U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican Ben Sasse.

Speculation is rampant that Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is the most likely person to replace U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, who appears ready to resign to become president of the University of Florida.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is the sole finalist to become president of the University of Florida, the school says, and the Republican senator has indicated he will take the job.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and visiting U.S. lawmakers have reaffirmed their commitment to working together under a longstanding alliance at a time of heightened global tensions and threats from China and North Korea.

When presidents nominate a candidate to serve on the Supreme Court, they often ask an experienced Washington hand to help shepherd that candidate through the Senate confirmation process.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson may not get any Republican votes.

Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers say the United States is delaying providing some intelligence to Ukraine in its fight against Russia as the U.S. also seeks to limit any direct confrontation with Moscow.

They are just three little words, but they have become nearly impossible for many Republicans to say: “Joe Biden won.”.

President Joe Biden is hoping to turn the page after a summer of unrelenting crises and refocus his presidency around his core economic agenda.

After a summer of unrelenting crises, President Joe Biden is hoping to turn the page and refocus his presidency this fall around his core economic agenda.

A little-known Indiana congressman is becoming an influential voice in the Republican Party.

A bipartisan Senate report released last week details security failures surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and recommends how to fix them.

The two Bureau of Prisons workers tasked with guarding Jeffrey Epstein the night he killed himself in a New York jail have admitted they falsified records, but they will skirt any time behind bars under a deal with federal prosecutors.

But the North Carolina Republican’s vote to convict former President Donald Trump should not have come as a shock. AdWith Burr retiring at the end of his term in 2022, it’s a vote that could end up defining his career. Exactly a year later, as the Russia investigation was wrapping up, Burr’s time leading the committee came to an abrupt end. He sided with most Republicans in a vote to dismiss the trial, creating an expectation he’d also vote to acquit. AdSo when Burr stood up to vote for Trump's conviction, many in the chamber wondered if there would be other surprises.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Congress will establish an independent, Sept. 11-style commission to look into the deadly insurrection that took place at the U.S. Capitol. In a letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi said the House will also put forth supplemental spending to boost security at the Capitol. After former President Donald Trump’s acquittal at his second Senate impeachment trial, bipartisan support appeared to be growing for an independent commission to examine the deadly insurrection. AdInvestigations into the riot were already planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee. An independent commission along the lines of the one that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks would probably require legislation to create.

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.

But in the end, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)NEW YORK – The Republican Party still belongs to Donald Trump. But in the end, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday. Indeed, in Trump's Republican Party, there are very few willing to cross him if they harbor future political ambitions. “The authoritarian side of the Republican Party is the dominant side,” he said.

But in the end, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)NEW YORK – The Republican Party still belongs to Donald Trump. But in the end, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday. Indeed, in Trump's Republican Party, there are very few willing to cross him if they harbor future political ambitions. “The authoritarian side of the Republican Party is the dominant side,” he said.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, arrives at the start of the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 at the Capitol in Washington. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP)(AP) – Seven Republicans voted Saturday to convict former President Donald Trump in his Senate trial, easily the largest number of lawmakers to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty at impeachment proceedings. AdAlso striking was the “guilty” vote by Cassidy, who was reelected in November from a deep-red state where GOP support is widespread. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty,” Cassidy said in a one-sentence statement issued after his vote to convict. He said he wouldn't vote against his own conscience “simply because it is politically convenient.”Romney’s “guilty” vote at Trump’s initial impeachment trial last February made him the first senator to ever vote to convict a president of the same party.

The 63-year-old auto mechanic praises Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse for condemning former President Donald Trump's actions before the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. AdSasse's criticism of Trump is angering plenty of activists in deeply Republican Nebraska. He is, in effect, betting there's a political future in trying to fight for the comeback of the establishment Republican party. Limited government.”Even in Nebraska, Sasse has some reason to think there's a market for what he's selling. Meanwhile, 7% of Republicans voted for Biden, while 3% of Republicans voted for Sasse's challenger, Democrat Chris Janicek.

Ad"They did it because Donald Trump sent them on this mission,” said House prosecutor Stacey Plaskett, the Democratic delegate representing the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ad“On Jan. 6, President Trump left everyone in this Capitol for dead,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, a prosecutor. At one dramatic moment, the video shows police shooting into the crowd through a broken window, killing a San Diego woman, Ashli Babbitt. “Greatly disturbing.”Trump is the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office and the first to be twice impeached. Trump's second impeachment trial is expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated affair of a year ago.

What to watch as the trial kicks off:FIRST, AN EFFORT TO DISMISSTuesday’s proceedings will begin with a debate to dismiss the trial before it even begins. The effort to dismiss is expected to fail, allowing arguments in the trial to begin on Wednesday. They point to an 1876 impeachment trial of a secretary of war who had resigned and note that Trump was impeached before he left office. But the managers can ask for a Senate vote on calling witnesses if they so choose. A (LESS) CAPTIVE AUDIENCEAs they were last year, at Trump’s first impeachment trial, senators are expected to listen to every word of the arguments before they cast their votes.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would not be watching the trial of his predecessor. 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.

Under COVID-19 protocols senators will distance for the trial, some even using the visitors' galleries. “This trial is one way of having that difficult national conversation about the difference between dissent and insurrection," he said. Trump's defenders are preparing to challenge both the constitutionality of the trial and any suggestion that he was to blame for the insurrection. The trial was set to break Friday evening for the Jewish Sabbath at the request of Trump's defense team, and resume Sunday. Trump's second impeachment trial is expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated affair of a year ago.

AdMany senators including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell immediately denounced the violence and pointed a finger of blame at Trump. Those partisan divisions appear to be hardening ahead of Trump’s trial, a sign of his continuing grip on the GOP. On Sunday, Wicker described Trump's impeachment trial as a “meaningless messaging partisan exercise." Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont will preside over the trial as Senate president pro tempore. Forty-four Republican senators sided with Paul and voted to oppose holding an impeachment trial at all.

What is certain for now is that the impeachment trial will be held after Trump has already left office. But it's still unclear exactly how the trial will proceed and if any Senate Republicans will vote to convict Trump. In the House, 10 Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump, including Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican. Every single House Republican voted against Trump's first impeachment in 2019. DIFFERENT CHARGES, DIFFERENT IMPEACHMENTThis impeachment trial is likely to differ from the last one in many ways.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON – For a second time, Republican senators face the choice of whether to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial. Others to watch include GOP senators up for reelection in 2022 and several Republicans who have publicly backed impeachment. “Make no mistake: There will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate,'' Schumer said. MURKOWSKI, TOOMEY DENOUNCE TRUMPAt least two GOP senators — Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania — have joined Romney in denouncing Trump. Portman pledged to do his duty as a juror in a Senate impeachment trial, but said he is “concerned about the polarization in our country'' and hopes to bring people together.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON – For a second time, Republican senators face the choice of whether to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial. Others to watch include GOP senators up for reelection in 2022 and several Republicans who have publicly backed impeachment. “Make no mistake: There will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate,'' Schumer said. MURKOWSKI, TOOMEY DENOUNCE TRUMPAt least two GOP senators — Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania — have joined Romney in denouncing Trump. Portman pledged to do his duty as a juror in a Senate impeachment trial, but said he is “concerned about the polarization in our country'' and hopes to bring people together.

What is certain for now is that the impeachment trial will be held after Trump has already left office. But it's still unclear exactly how the trial will proceed and if any Senate Republicans will vote to convict Trump. In the House, 10 Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump, including Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican. Every single House Republican voted against Trump's first impeachment in 2019. DIFFERENT CHARGES, DIFFERENT IMPEACHMENTThis impeachment trial is likely to differ from the last one in many ways.

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – As the House prepares for impeachment, President Donald Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to a draft of the articles obtained by The Associated Press. “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” the legislation said. Trump, holed up at the White House, was increasingly isolated after a mob rioted in the Capitol in support of his false claims of election fraud. On impeachment, House Democrats would likely delay for 100 days sending articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial, to allow Biden to focus on other priorities. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles accusing Trump of inciting insurrection, said Sunday that his group had 200-plus co-sponsors.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is calling for congressional action to rein in President Donald Trump after inciting last week's deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump faces a single charge -- “incitement of insurrection” — after the deadly Capitol riot in an impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating Wednesday. “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” reads the four-page impeachment bill. Their Democrats' House resolution was blocked by Republicans. But House Republicans are split and a few may vote to impeach.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Democrats' momentum for a fresh drive to quickly impeach outgoing President Donald Trump gained support Saturday, and a top Republican said the president's role in the deadly riot at the Capitol by a violent mob of Trump supporters was worthy of rebuke. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said he believed Trump had committed “impeachable offenses.” But he did not explicitly say whether he would vote to remove the president from office at the conclusion of a Senate trial if the House sent over articles of impeachment. “I do think the president committed impeachable offenses, but I don’t know what is going to land on the Senate floor, if anything," Toomey said. Late Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to her Democratic colleagues reiterating that Trump must be held accountable — but stopped short of committing to an impeachment vote. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles — or charges — accusing Trump of inciting insurrection, said his group had grown to include 185 co-sponsors.

Pelosi, addressing her hometown San Francisco constituents during an online video conference, shed no fresh light on Democrats' plans. Trump has not publicly made such threats, but officials warn of grave danger if the president is left unchecked. A person on the call said Pelosi also discussed other ways Trump might be forced to resign. ”Democratic leaders have called on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to force Trump from office. The House impeached Trump in 2019, but the Republican-led Senate acquitted him in early 2020.

There's little chance that the Republican-led Senate would hold a trial and vote on convicting Trump in less than two weeks. Still, action by the House would still make Trump the first president in history to be impeached twice. That’s what happened in 2019, when the House impeached Trump over his dealings with the president of Ukraine. “In all of this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government,” the Democratic draft reads. WHAT IMPEACHMENT WOULD MEANRepublicans, even those who have criticized Trump, say impeachment would be unhelpful.

“Supporting Josh Hawley ... was the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life,” former Missouri Sen. John Danforth told The Associated Press on Thursday. “Assault on democracy: Sen. Josh Hawley has blood on his hands in Capitol coup attempt,” read the headline of the editorial. Hawley, who defeated Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2018, was once celebrated by the Republican establishment as a rising star. David Humphreys is president and CEO of Tamko Building Products in Joplin, Missouri, who has donated millions of dollars to Hawley and other Republicans. Now Danforth wonders how Hawley will be able to work with his Senate colleagues, even Republicans, moving forward.

“Supporting Josh Hawley ... was the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life," former Missouri Sen. John Danforth told The Associated Press on Thursday. Soon Hawley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz were leading about 10 other senators in the effort — notably not winning over Sens. With Hawley sitting near, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney blasted those who objected to finalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s election. The student bar association at the University of Missouri law school, where Hawley taught, issued a statement calling for his resignation. Now Danforth wonders how Hawley will be able to work with his Senate colleagues, even Republicans, moving forward.

A mob of violent protesters made its way into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, forcing police to evacuate lawmakers and delaying the constitutional process to affirm Joe Biden’s victory in the November election. Now we’re seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo.”Here’s my statement on today’s violence at the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/jLCKo2D1Ya — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 7, 2021Former President Bill Clinton: “Today we faced an unprecedented assault on our Capitol, our Constitution, and our country. The outcome of this democratic election must be respected.”Rep. Liz Cheney, Republican from Wyoming: “We just had a violent mob assault the Capitol in an attempt to prevent those from carrying out our Constitutional duty. There is no question that the President formed the mob, the President incited the mob, the President addressed the mob.

(Samuel Corum/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Wednesday’s congressional joint session to count electoral votes could drag late into the night as some Republicans plan to challenge Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in at least six states. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.

Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The appointed "tellers" from the House and Senate, members of both parties, then read each certificate out loud and record and count the votes. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.

Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. At the end, the presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Saturday announced a coalition of 11 senators and senators-elect who have been enlisted for Trump’s effort. But their challenges, and those from House Republicans, represent the most sweeping effort to undo a presidential election outcome since the Civil War. said the Republican effort to create a federal commission “to supersede state certifications" is wrong. On the other side of the Republican divide, several senators spoke out Saturday against Cruz and Hawley's effort. McConnell had previously warned GOP senators not to participate in raising objections, saying it would be a terrible vote for colleagues.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Saturday announced a coalition of 11 senators and senators-elect who have been enlisted for Trump’s effort. But their challenges, and those from House Republicans, represent the most sweeping effort to undo a presidential election outcome since the Civil War. said the Republican effort to create a federal commission “to supersede state certifications" is wrong. On the other side of the Republican divide, several senators spoke out Saturday against Cruz and Hawley's effort. McConnell had previously warned GOP senators not to participate in raising objections, saying it would be a terrible vote for colleagues.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., walks back to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. The New York senator said “the only thing standing in the way" is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators. McConnell has shown little interest in Trump's push to bolster the $600 relief checks just approved in a sweeping year-end package, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid, for now. Nancy Pelosi regained the speaker's gavel after Democrats swept to the House majority in the midterm election. The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump in 2020 of the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Caught in the middle is Vice President Mike Pence, who faces growing pressure and a lawsuit from Trump's allies over his ceremonial role in presiding over the session Wednesday. Biden is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20 after winning the Electoral College vote 306-232. “A suit to establish that the Vice President has discretion over the count, filed against the Vice President, is a walking legal contradiction,” the department argues. The Republican leader pointedly called on Hawley to answer questions about his challenge to Biden's victory, according to two of the Republicans. When Biden was vice president, he, too, presided over the session as the Electoral College presented the 2016 vote tally to Congress to confirm Trump the winner.

“I will not be participating in a project to overturn the election,” Sasse wrote. When Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College results, any lawmaker can object to a state’s votes on any grounds. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all has been dismissed or dropped. The group of House Republicans has said it plans to challenge the election results from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.

FILE - In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo, Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York. President Trump's former campaign manager is to be arraigned on state mortgage fraud charges. Manafort, who led Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in 2016 before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine, was among the first people charged as part of Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate — whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election — he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.

Kathy Kratt of Orlando, Fla., displays her Trump flags as she and other protesters demonstrate their support for President Donald Trump at the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. Trump bemoaned the decision late Friday, tweeting: “The Supreme Court really let us down. Two days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed his suit, Trump jumped into the high court case. “If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage, the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history, and our Electoral Process will be respected again!” he tweeted Friday afternoon. Many Republican voters in several states won by Biden have demanded that their elected officials find a way to invalidate the president-elect's victories.

“After this retreat, there will still be American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We believe that there is strong bipartisan support from Congress and the administration for both Iraq and Afghanistan,” they wrote. That person, whose title is assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, currently reports to the defense secretary through the undersecretary of defense for policy. This change in the administrative chain of command for special operations was required by the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. There currently is no Senate-confirmed assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict; Ezra Cohen holds the job in an acting capacity.

While abrupt, the dismissal Tuesday of Christopher Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was not a surprise. Hours before being dismissed, Krebs tweeted out a report citing 59 election security experts saying there is no credible evidence of computer fraud in the 2020 election outcome. Biden campaign spokesman Michael Gwin noted that bipartisan election officials have dismissed Trump’s claims of widespread fraud. Some state election officials and Republicans, suspicious of federal intrusion on their turf, were opposed to the designation. But the Trump administration supported the designation, and, eventually, skeptical state officials welcomed the assistance.

In fact, election officials from both political parties have publicly stated that voting went well and international observers also confirmed that there were no serious irregularities. And the White House moved to crack down on those not deemed sufficiently loyal as Trump continued to refuse to concede the race. White House officials and Trump political appointees informed career government staffers they were not to begin acting on transition planning until GSA approved it, according to officials familiar with the matter. The White House hasn’t provided a “readout” of any call between the president and a foreign leader in weeks. He hasn’t met with members of the White House coronavirus task force in months.

In fact, election officials from both political parties have publicly stated that voting went well and international observers also confirmed that there were no serious irregularities. And the White House moved to crack down on those not deemed sufficiently loyal as Trump continued to refuse to concede the race. Trump is not expected to formally concede but is likely to grudgingly vacate the White House at the end of his term, according to several people around him. The White House hasn’t provided a “readout” of any call between the president and a foreign leader in weeks. He hasn’t met with members of the White House coronavirus task force in months.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's wild and unsupported claims of voter fraud have emerged as a high-stakes Republican loyalty test that illustrates the tug of war likely to define the future of the GOP whether he wins or loses the presidency. Larry Hogan, a second-term Republican who has not ruled out a 2024 White House bid. ... We've always been a noisy democracy.”Yet history suggests that Trump's rhetoric and actions go well beyond the normal trappings of democracy. With polls showing him lagging, Trump raised questions about the integrity of the voting system for much of the year. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, a staunch Trump ally, highlighted the obvious downside of Trump's questions about the integrity of the voting process.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s wild and unsupported claims of voter fraud have emerged as a high-stakes Republican loyalty test that illustrates the tug of war likely to define the future of the GOP whether he wins or loses the presidency. Larry Hogan, a second-term Republican who has not ruled out a 2024 White House bid. ... We've always been a noisy democracy.”Yet history suggests that Trump's rhetoric and actions go well beyond the normal trappings of democracy. With polls showing him lagging, Trump raised questions about the integrity of the voting system for much of the year. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, a staunch Trump ally, highlighted the obvious downside of Trump's questions about the integrity of the voting process.

The former astronaut defeated Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who was appointed to the seat after McCain’s death in 2018. Daines’ first election in 2014 broke a Democratic lock on the Senate seat that had lasted more than 100 years. The six-term congressman from northern New Mexico defeated Republican Mark Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, and Libertarian Bob Walsh. Reed cruised to victory over Waters, an investment consultant who mounted earlier unsuccessful campaigns for state Senate and U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. Warner defeated Republican challenger Daniel Gade in a low-key race in which the incumbent had a massive cash advantage.

In back-to-back rallies, Trump accused the left of wanting to “erase American history" and “purge American values.” He claimed, with no basis, that Democratic rival Joe Biden would put communities at risk. Trump offered the dark message as he faces headwinds not only in national polling, which shows Biden leading, but also in key battleground surveys. And while he repeatedly predicted victory, Trump seemed to grapple throughout the day with the prospect that he could indeed lose in November. Trump has an aggressive campaign schedule in the coming days, with rallies planned Sunday in Nevada, Monday in Arizona and Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Trump also has had to court voters in Iowa, which he carried by almost 10 percentage points four years ago.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Two other Nebraska Republicans, U.S. Rep. Dan Bacon and state GOP executive director Ryan Hamilton, told the Omaha World-Herald that they disagree with Sasse's characterizations of the president. “Senator Sasse is entitled to his own opinion,” U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, another Nebraska Republican, said in a statement. Sasse has positioned himself as a conservative willing to criticize Trump, and he is seen as a potential presidential candidate for 2024. “I mean, he and I have a very different foreign policy,” Sasse said.

Here are things to know for Thursday, Oct. 15:1. Hidalgo said Harris County alone beat the entire state of Georgia during the first day of early voting. She said more than 128,000 votes were recorded Tuesday, shattering the records for 2016 and the most early voting the county has ever seen on a single day. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, used the Astros as part of his questioning with Barrett, likening her work with an umpire’s. While some families never really know why this tragedy happens, there are some suggestions on ways to reduce the risk.

HOUSTON – The Houston Astros cheating scandal took center stage Wednesday at the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, used the Astros as part of his questioning with Barrett, likening her work with an umpire’s. Watch the full video in the player attached to this story, complete with Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s spicy retort in which he called the legislator’s remarks about the Astros “scurrilous lies.”Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has already responded, calling out the Senate Republicans.

Lee, who did not wear a mask at the White House event, said he had “symptoms consistent with longtime allergies." "We now have two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who have tested positive for COVID, and there may be more," tweeted Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Blackburn said she tested negative after the event. Graham was not at the White House on Saturday but sees Trump frequently. He feels healthy, hasn’t exhibited any COVID-19 symptoms, and has tested negative.

(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)President Donald Trump joined a U.S. senator and a number of coaches Monday in the push to save the college football season from a pandemic-forced shutdown. There was speculation that two of the five most powerful conferences the Big Ten and the Pac-12 might call off their seasons. The Virginia school canceled football and other fall sports less than a week after Conference USA set out a plan to play a football season. There are no guarantees that college football will be completely safe thats absolutely true; its always true, he wrote. Please dont cancel college football.___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Trump moved to continue paying a supplemental federal unemployment benefit for millions of Americans out of work during the outbreak. The previous unemployment benefit, which expired on Aug. 1, was fully funded by Washington, but Trump is asking states to now cover 25%. In addition to the extension of some unemployment benefits, Trump's orders call for a deferral of payroll tax and federal student loan payments and efforts to halt evictions. Trump said the employee portion of the payroll tax would be deferred from Aug. 1 through the end of the year. He added that Trump "does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and a small group of other House Democrats met with White House officials as Trump downplayed the allegations. One official said the administration discussed several potential responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any. Intelligence officials told the AP that the White House first became aware of alleged Russian bounties in early 2019 a year earlier than had been previously reported. Bolton declined to comment on that matter, and the White House did not respond to questions. The intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter insisted on anonymity to discuss the highly sensitive matter.

In this Nov. 4, 2016, photo, Nebraska Democratic Party chairwoman Jane Kleeb is about to introduce Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, in Omaha, Neb. The 29% of Nebraska voters registered as Democrats is the smallest in at least 50 years, and thats only one indication of the partys problems. The local Republican Party chapter in Omaha put it bluntly in a recent tweet: Nebraska Dems have a dumpster fire on their hands." Or as former Nebraska Democratic Party executive director Paul Landow noted, For a Democrat to win statewide office, something really crazy would have to happen.It wasn't always this way. Nebraska Democrats have fared somewhat better in local elections and the nonpartisan Legislature, but theyre still relegated to the minority.

But when Trump was caught bragging of sexual assault and seeking political help from Ukraine, the country was relatively comfortable. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told reporters Tuesday when asked whether Trump's use of force against peaceful protesters was the right thing to do. Even now, as they squirm about the president's suggestion of using the military to enforce the law, most Republicans aren't breaking with Trump. Defense Secretary Mike Esper, who allowed himself to be squarely at the center of Trump's photo op at St. Johns, scrambled. As of right now, Secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during her midday briefing.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday he opposes use of the Insurrection Act, which would allow President Donald Trump to use active-duty military forces for law enforcement duties in containing street protests. But interest in exerting that extraordinary federal authority appeared to be waning in the White House. Trump added, (thank you President Trump! He was also angry about the news coverage revealing he had been rushed to the White House bunker during Fridays protests. They had been in Washington to coordinate with federal law enforcement officials but were diverted to the White House to brief Trump on military preparations, the officials said.

But when Trump was caught bragging of sexual assault and seeking political help from Ukraine, the country was relatively comfortable. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told reporters Tuesday when asked whether Trump's use of force against peaceful protesters was the right thing to do. Even now, as they squirm about the president's suggestion of using the military to enforce the law, most Republicans aren't breaking with Trump. Defense Secretary Mike Esper, who allowed himself to be squarely at the center of Trump's photo op at St. Johns, scrambled. As of right now, Secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during her midday briefing.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File)WASHINGTON A handful of GOP senators spoke out Tuesday against President Donald Trump, criticizing his visit to a church after police removed peaceful demonstrators from a park near the White House. In a memorable scene captured live on television, police cleared Lafayette Park so Trump could walk to nearby St. John's Church and pose with a Bible. Republicans have frequently muted any criticism of Trump, and only GOP Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah voted in favor of Trump's impeachment in February. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he was glad Trump went to a "historic church in our capital city that was firebombed by terrorists. All of us have a First Amendment right to speak, but you dont have a right to burn a church.''