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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen, as its sign remains covered by a tarp, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Kennedy Center says it isn't required to reschedule shows after judge blocks 2-year closure

Read full article: Kennedy Center says it isn't required to reschedule shows after judge blocks 2-year closure

The Kennedy Center's management isn't committing to new shows or staff expansion, even as it considers options short of a full two-year closure that a federal judge blocked last month.

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette speaks at an election night watch party after advancing to a GOP primary runoff in the governor's race on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

Trump now says either Republican candidate would be a good pick in South Carolina's governor runoff

Read full article: Trump now says either Republican candidate would be a good pick in South Carolina's governor runoff

President Donald Trump has now endorsed both Republican candidates for governor in South Carolina.

President Donald Trump speaks after touring the newly designated Air Force One presidential aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Donald Trump unveils the new Air Force One, a converted Qatari jet

Read full article: President Donald Trump unveils the new Air Force One, a converted Qatari jet

President Donald Trump has unveiled the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet now converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft.

From l-r., former President Joe Biden, former first lady Jill Biden, former first lady Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on stage during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Judge denies Biden's bid to block release of transcripts linked to special counsel inquiry

Read full article: Judge denies Biden's bid to block release of transcripts linked to special counsel inquiry

A federal judge has rejected former President Joe Biden’s attempt to block the Trump administration from releasing to a conservative group the recordings that Biden made with a ghostwriter.

Former President Barack Obama poses for a photograph after reading to school children on opening day of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Chicago. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)

Barack and Michelle Obama surprise first visitors to newly opened presidential center

Read full article: Barack and Michelle Obama surprise first visitors to newly opened presidential center

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama surprised the first 100 visitors to walk through the doors of Obama’s new presidential center, personally greeting them.

U.S. President Donald Trump, center, takes questions during a media conference at the end of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
1 day ago

What Americans think about Trump's handling of Iran, according to a new AP-NORC poll

Read full article: What Americans think about Trump's handling of Iran, according to a new AP-NORC poll

A new AP-NORC poll finds that Trump’s approval on Iran remained low, at 34%, even as a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart negotiations materialized.

D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George speaks to the crowd after winning D.C. Mayor primary election during an election night party at the Howard Theatre Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
1 day ago

Democratic socialists surge in mayoral races across the country as anti-Trump fervor rises

Read full article: Democratic socialists surge in mayoral races across the country as anti-Trump fervor rises

Janeese Lewis George is making waves in Washington, D.C., with her progressive agenda as she aims for the mayor's office.

Melissa Hernandez, a Democratic candidate for Congress in California's 14th district, knocks on doors on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Pleasanton, Calif. (AP Photo/Annie Barker )
1 day ago

Democrats Wahab, Hernandez advance in California special election to finish Swalwell’s term

Read full article: Democrats Wahab, Hernandez advance in California special election to finish Swalwell’s term

Democratic candidates in California have secured the two slots in a special general election to serve out the remainder of former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
1 day ago

Senators seek to block Hegseth travel funds until Pentagon releases report on Iran school strike

Read full article: Senators seek to block Hegseth travel funds until Pentagon releases report on Iran school strike

Senators are seeking to block Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel funds until the Pentagon submits its investigation into a strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed more than 165 people.

President Donald Trump presents the Medal of Honor to retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. James Capers, Jr., during an East Room ceremony at the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
1 day ago

Trump presents the Medal of Honor to 3 veterans for heroism in Vietnam and Afghanistan

Read full article: Trump presents the Medal of Honor to 3 veterans for heroism in Vietnam and Afghanistan

President Donald Trump has given the Medal of Honor to three veterans, honoring acts of heroism in Vietnam and Afghanistan.

FILE - Artist renderings and diagrams for President Donald Trump's new triumphal arch released by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts that is planned to be built in Washington between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, are photographed, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, file)
1 day ago

Senator urges FAA to reject any pressure from Trump to approve triumphal arch over aviation safety

Read full article: Senator urges FAA to reject any pressure from Trump to approve triumphal arch over aviation safety

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth has urged the Federal Aviation Administration to reject pressure from President Donald Trump to approve a 250-foot triumphal arch, citing concerns over aviation safety.

FILE - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Capitol in Washington, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
1 day ago

South Dakota man whose life sentence was commuted by Noem now implicated in his niece's death

Read full article: South Dakota man whose life sentence was commuted by Noem now implicated in his niece's death

A South Dakota man whose sentence of life in prison was commuted by former Gov. Kristi Noem is now implicated in the death of his 14-year-old niece.

President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One after attending the G7 summit in France, Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
1 day ago

Trump from 'hunted' to 'hunter': New book details Trump's push to test the limits of executive power

Read full article: Trump from 'hunted' to 'hunter': New book details Trump's push to test the limits of executive power

President Donald Trump believes that winning a second term in 2024 instead of 2020 has allowed him to return to the White House even more emboldened.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., leaves the chamber, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
1 day ago

Some GOP senators and Trump allies have harsh reviews of his agreement to end Iran war

Read full article: Some GOP senators and Trump allies have harsh reviews of his agreement to end Iran war

Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are voicing strong reservations —- and some outright condemnation — of the Trump administration’s agreement to end the fighting in Iran.

Construction continues on the new White House ballroom, as seen from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
2 days ago

Democrats say money from Trump's tax cuts bill is paying for White House ballroom project

Read full article: Democrats say money from Trump's tax cuts bill is paying for White House ballroom project

More than $350 million from President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” has been quietly directed to White House security.

FILE - Tom Kean Jr., GOP candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, arrives at his election night party in Basking Ridge N.J., Nov. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)
2 days ago

NJ Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. sets June 30 return date after monthslong absence

Read full article: NJ Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. sets June 30 return date after monthslong absence

New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who’s been absent from Congress since March with an unspecified medical issue, is set to return on June 30.

FILE - Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes speaks at the Arizona State Prison, March 19, 2025, in Florence, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb, File)
1 day ago

Arizona prosecutors dismissing fake elector case but vow to seek new indictment

Read full article: Arizona prosecutors dismissing fake elector case but vow to seek new indictment

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is dismissing a criminal case that alleged President Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and others tried to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss in the state.

Vice President JD Vance points to a reporter to take a question in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
1 day ago

Vance delays trip to Switzerland to lead new US talks with Iran on its nuclear program

Read full article: Vance delays trip to Switzerland to lead new US talks with Iran on its nuclear program

The White House says Vice President JD Vance is delaying his trip to Switzerland to lead nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Sen. Ted Cruz R-Texas, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, speaks during a hearing to examine college sports, supporting student athletes, and fair competition on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
2 days ago

College sports bill clears a key Senate hurdle despite SEC, Big Ten opposition

Read full article: College sports bill clears a key Senate hurdle despite SEC, Big Ten opposition

A bipartisan bill top lawmakers and athletic leaders have described as the best chance to stabilize college sports has cleared a major hurdle in the Senate.

Rob Harris helps his daughter Isabelle Harris with her braille display on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Grand Junction, Colo. (AP Photo/Jacob Spetzler)
2 days ago

Families of kids with disabilities warn Education Department changes could break a flawed system

Read full article: Families of kids with disabilities warn Education Department changes could break a flawed system

Parents of kids with disabilities say they have waited months for the Education Department to address complaints of bullying or discrimination.

Democratic Congressional candidates, Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, and Darializa Avila gesture on stage with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a Get Out The Vote rally ahead of New York's primary election, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
1 day ago

Mamdani challenges Democratic leaders ahead of primary elections: 'The Democratic Party must change'

Read full article: Mamdani challenges Democratic leaders ahead of primary elections: 'The Democratic Party must change'

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is testing the limits of his newfound political muscle in a bid to reshape the Democratic Party, even if it means challenging his own party’s leadership.

Former President Barack Obama, right, shares a laugh with former first lady Michelle Obama, left, on stage during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
1 day ago

Obama Center opens in Chicago with a call to defend democracy and a celebrity crowd

Read full article: Obama Center opens in Chicago with a call to defend democracy and a celebrity crowd

Former President Barack Obama formally opened his presidential center in Chicago on Thursday with a call to defend democracy.

FILE - Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
2 days ago

How many Americans can afford high-quality healthcare? A new poll finds the number has fallen

Read full article: How many Americans can afford high-quality healthcare? A new poll finds the number has fallen

New data from the West Health-Gallup Affordability Index shows that only about half of U.S. adults could afford their healthcare and had access to quality care last year.

Vice President JD Vance speaks to reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
1 day ago

Vance, skeptical of foreign wars, becomes the face of Trump's Iran war deal

Read full article: Vance, skeptical of foreign wars, becomes the face of Trump's Iran war deal

Vice President JD Vance has embraced the role of being the chief defender of the agreement he and President Donald Trump signed with Iran over the weekend.

Taiwan's top diplomat in Washington, Alexander Yui Tah-ray speaks during an interview, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at the Twin Oaks Estate in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
2 days ago

Taiwan needs US weapons for self-defense as threat from China grows, diplomat tells AP

Read full article: Taiwan needs US weapons for self-defense as threat from China grows, diplomat tells AP

Taiwan's top diplomat in the U.S. says the island needs American weapons to bolster its self-defense against the growing threat from China.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks about topics including politics and artificial intelligence, Monday, June 8, 2026, at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
3 days ago

AP Exclusive: Bernie Sanders unveils plan to give the public direct ownership of AI companies

Read full article: AP Exclusive: Bernie Sanders unveils plan to give the public direct ownership of AI companies

Sen. Bernie Sanders is proposing a plan to give Americans ownership stakes in the country’s largest artificial intelligence companies.

French President Emmanuel Macron walks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Monday, June 15, 2026. (Isabel Infantes/Pool Photo via AP)
3 days ago

China Shock 2.0: Surging Chinese exports threaten Europe's economy, raising concern at G7 summit

Read full article: China Shock 2.0: Surging Chinese exports threaten Europe's economy, raising concern at G7 summit

For eight years, the United States has waged economic war on China, slapping big taxes on Chinese products before they enter America.

Cameron Hamilton sworn during a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing to examine his nomination to be Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
3 days ago

Trump's pick to lead FEMA pledges to be 'fair and reasonable' in assessing disaster aid requests

Read full article: Trump's pick to lead FEMA pledges to be 'fair and reasonable' in assessing disaster aid requests

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is pledging to senators to be “fair and reasonable” in assessing requests for disaster.

FILE - Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., reflects on her time as a young civil rights activist during the 1963 March on Washington, during an Associated Press interview in her office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Aug. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
3 days ago

DC voters face a new political era without Eleanor Holmes Norton, after her 18 terms in Congress

Read full article: DC voters face a new political era without Eleanor Holmes Norton, after her 18 terms in Congress

For the first time in a generation, Washingtonians are waking up to a general election lineup that doesn't include Eleanor Holmes Norton as delegate.

FILE - Alex Bores, democratic candidate in New York's 12th Congressional District, speaks during "NY-12 for Congress: Candidate Forum" at 92NY, April 15, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
3 days ago

A New York House primary has become an AI industry family feud with millions in corporate spending

Read full article: A New York House primary has become an AI industry family feud with millions in corporate spending

New York Democratic Assemblyman Alex Bores is running for Congress, and the tech industry is deeply involved.

FILE - Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, listens during a news conference in New York, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
3 days ago

Trump delays his own national intelligence nominee, fueling tension with fellow Republicans

Read full article: Trump delays his own national intelligence nominee, fueling tension with fellow Republicans

President Donald Trump is trying to stop the confirmation process for his own nominee to head the nation’s intelligence agencies.

People listen and cheer as lawmakers speak about redistricting during a special legislative session at the state capitol, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
2 days ago

Georgia Republican legislative leaders reject governor's call for 2028 redistricting

Read full article: Georgia Republican legislative leaders reject governor's call for 2028 redistricting

Republican lawmakers in Georgia won’t redraw congressional and state legislative districts for the 2028 elections during a special session called by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp.

FILE - In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, listens to head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami as he visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, April 9, 2025. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP, File)
2 days ago

The interim US-Iran deal leaves the fate of Tehran's nuclear program still to be negotiated

Read full article: The interim US-Iran deal leaves the fate of Tehran's nuclear program still to be negotiated

The interim deal between the U.S. and Iran is supposed to usher in a two-month period that would address Tehran’s nuclear program.