U.S. indictment accuses two Syrian officials of torture at notorious prison

U.S. prosecutors are accusing two senior Syrian officials of overseeing a notorious torture center that abused peaceful protesters, including a 26-year-old American woman who was later believed to have been executed. The indictment was released Monday, two days after a shock rebel offensive overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad. The U.S., U.N. and others accuse him

It’s the GOP’s world in Washington. The Democratic governors are getting ready

Beverly Hills, California — Democrats, who are about to be locked out of power in Washington as Republicans take control of all three branches of government in January, see the state capitals run by Democratic governors as the clearest path of resistance to President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.  The 16 governors and three governors-elect who

Pete Hegseth returns to Capitol Hill to build support

Washington — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Defense Department, returned to Capitol Hill on Monday as he tries to solidify support among Senate Republicans as he faces allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement of veterans’ charities and excessive drinking.  Hegseth met with at least two Republican senators on Monday who had

What is birthright citizenship, and can Trump end the right in the U.S.?

Washington — President-elect Donald Trump says he’ll end birthright citizenship, after years of criticizing the constitutional right.  In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, Trump said he’s “absolutely” still planning to end birthright citizenship on Day One of his presidency. “We have to end it,” Trump told host Kristen Welker. In

Supreme Court won’t hear case over Hawaii’s rules for handguns

Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a Hawaii man’s appeal of his prosecution for carrying a handgun without a license, leaving untouched a state supreme court decision that castigated its new framework for determining whether gun laws comport with the Second Amendment. Justice Clarence Thomas, in a statement joined by