TOM COTTON

At least a half-dozen GOP presidential prospects are planning Iowa visits this summer now that the state's June primary has come and gone.

About 20 potential 2024 candidates are traveling the country, huddling with donors or testing out messages — even if Trump runs.

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.

Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has won the Republican nomination for governor in Arkansas.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson is Arkansas' top Republican and is entering the final stretch of his term with strong approval ratings.

Based on the barrage of television ads and mailers leading up to Tuesday's primary election in Arkansas, it's obvious who the most influential Republicans in the state are. Tom Cotton's making the case for fellow Sen. John Boozman, talking up his conservative bona fides while the two-term senator fends off challenges from the right. Donald Trump's image appears in ads for Boozman and for Sarah Sanders, who served as the former president's White House press secretary and is now running for governor.

At retailers across the U.S., 40% of the top-selling baby formula products were out of stock as of late last month.

At retailers across the U.S., 40% of the top-selling baby formula products were out of stock as of late last month.

Two-term Republican Sen. John Boozman is known in Arkansas as a soft-spoken figure, but his reelection message seems to be taking a combative tone.

At home, two-term Republican Sen. John Boozman is known as an unassuming figure who talks almost in a whisper and is more comfortable chatting about policy or the University of Arkansas Razorbacks' football record than giving fiery speeches. “John Boozman has always stood up to the gun-grabbing liberals of Washington," a local sheriff says in one Boozman ad. Boozman promises to finish building the wall along the U.S. border with Mexico that Donald Trump promised.

Former President Donald Trump’s persistent flirtation with another White House run is doing little to discourage other potential Republican candidates from stepping up their activity in Iowa, the state that will formally launch the nomination process.

President Joe Biden has called Russia’s war on Ukraine a genocide and he's accused Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes.

A milestone Supreme Court confirmation that endured a flawed process.

With their criticisms of Ketanji Brown Jackson's professional background, Cotton and Cruz venture well into demagogue territory.

The Arkansas senator's insinuation about the Supreme Court nominee was apparently "a bridge too far," even on Fox News.

The top Democrat also called the GOP "a party built on fraud, fear, and fascism."

Republican politicians routinely claim that cities run by Democrats have been experiencing crime waves caused by failed governance, but a new study shows murder rates are actually higher in states and cities controlled by Republicans.

People walked all over the Arkansas Republican's strange take on commuting to work.

Empathy is not a quality many Republican senators want to see in the next Supreme Court justice.

After more than 30 hours of hearings, the Senate is on track to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

Republicans on the Judiciary Committee hailed their work in late 2018 to win overwhelming support for a law designed to weaken sentences on crimes, particularly on lower level drug offenses, turning away from their traditional approach. Now, with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination hearings before the committee this week, the GOP is returning to its law-and-order roots epitomized by the Willie Horton-type ads of the late 1980s.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson faced down a barrage of Republican questioning about her sentencing of criminal defendants on Wednesday, as her history-making bid to join the Supreme Court veered from lofty constitutional questions to attacks on her motivations as a judge.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson forcefully defended her record as a federal judge Tuesday, pushing back on Republican assertions that she would be soft on crime and declaring she would rule as an “independent jurist” if confirmed as the first Black woman on the high court.

Mike Pence spent more than four years standing in President Donald Trump’s shadow, refusing to criticize or allow sunlight between them.

Judge Ketanji Brown is pledging to defend the Constitution and decide cases “without fear or favor” if she is confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Ketanji Brown Jackson has held private meetings with almost half the members of the Senate.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court, is going before the Senate Judiciary Committee with the path to her historic confirmation seemingly clear.

President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee will face sharp questions from Republican lawmakers this coming week about the work she did as a public defender representing four Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Jen Psaki launched a misleading broadside against Senator Tom Cotton on Friday, arguing that he opposes sending military aid to Ukraine.

Top U.S. intelligence officials admit that they underestimated Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

Republicans versus the “enemy within,” a New Hampshire campaign that has nothing to do with the presidential primary, and a Supreme Court ruling with a cliffhanger ending.

Divisions in a rapidly changing Republican Party are evident in the divergent responses to the tensions in Ukraine.

The senator apparently forgot that dozens of his GOP colleagues voted for the First Step Act.

Two widely supported bills are encountering delays in the Senate.

Durbin said that Cotton's objection to the US attorney nominees could threaten public safety and put millions of Americans' security at risk.

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

There had been calls for a diplomatic boycott for months. Now, after the Chinese tennis player's disappearance and reappearance, some say that isn't enough.

A difficult political atmosphere for President Joe Biden may have become even more treacherous after the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse.

It began as a prize-winning magazine issue and became a cultural flashpoint, and now “The 1619 Project” is coming out as a book.

A federal lawsuit accuses the National Rifle Association of violating campaign finance laws by using shell companies to illegally funnel up to $35 million to Republican candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and others.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe has brought out the biggest names in Democratic politics as he’s tried to maintain his edge in Virginia’s hotly contested gubernatorial race.

They are two prominent historians with very different views of the past — and the present.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has defended a Justice Department memo aimed at combating threats and violence against teachers, administrators and other school officials.

Attorney General Merrick Garland is defending a memo aimed at combating threats against school officials nationwide.

President Vladimir Putin says that Russia -- one of the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters -- is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2060.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss his decision to be the first major U.S. airline to implement a vaccine mandate for all employees. Plus, he talks about giving $1,000 bonuses to all employees during the pandemic and how the airline is preparing for holiday travel.

The House is voting on a short-term fix to extend the government's ability to borrow money. Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to figure out how to potentially cut trillions of dollars from the president's proposed social spending and climate package. CBS News' director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto and CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe join "Red and Blue" anchor Elaine Quijano. Later, The Washington Post's national political reporter Eugene Scott and Business Insider's senior politics reporter Eliza Relman discuss the latest on Capitol Hill.

U. S. officials say the United States commitment to Taiwan is" rock solid" and remains aligned with Taiwan against the current threat posed by the People's Republic of China after a week of unprecedented tensions. (Oct. 12)

During a press conference on Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was "very disappointed" the Build Back Better bill won't be for the $3.5 trillion that had been proposed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reviewed powerful missiles developed to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland, as he vowed to build an “invincible” military to cope with what he called persistent U.S. hostility, state media reported Tuesday.

It’s a risky move by President Biden that could come back to haunt him — and future presidents — in the hyperpartisan world of Washington politics.

Cotton and McConnell privately worked to stop senators from joining Trump's efforts to overturn the election, a book by journalist David Drucker says.

Miami officials have decided to fire the city’s new police chief six months into his stormy tenure, after he was lambasted by city commissioners who he accused of meddling in the police department and internal affairs investigations.

Birds chirp near a river in the Ecuadorian jungle, five hours from the capital Quito, as Gregorio Mirabal expresses fear for the 500 tribes that often act as guardians of the Amazon rainforest and who face attacks, and even death, as a result.

Former President Donald Trump, who just lost reelection and is now teasing another run, is holding a large rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Saturday night.

Cotton sent a letter to Garland on Wednesday, pummeling the attorney general with questions about his widely-panned memo that has a growing list of lawmakers speaking out.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley are scheduled to appear before the House Armed Services Committee to review the war in Afghanistan.

Senior Pentagon officials say the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August could be traced to a 2020 U.S. agreement with the Taliban that promised a complete U.S. troop withdrawal.

After President Biden's address before the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, Senator Tom Cotton and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley rebuked his message, which they argue irreparably damaged America's international reputation and credibility.

President Biden insisted late Wednesday that the U.S. was committed to getting all Americans out Afghanistan.

The State Department and Department of Defense have provided contradictory information about conditions on the ground.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton told a crowd of about 4,000 Nevada Republicans that Adam Laxalt plans to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton told a crowd of about 4,000 Republicans that former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt plans to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. Sweltering sun and wildfire smoke obscuring the nearby mountains did little to blunt the energy of conservative activists at Laxalt’s 6th annual Basque Fry, an event modeled after cookouts hosted by the former Nevada Attorney General's grandfather, U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt — the son of a Basque immigrant sheepherder.

The Senate passed an amendment preventing critical race theory in school curricula from being funded by federal dollars.

Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) on Tuesday pressed a Coca-Cola representative on the company's decision to act as a sponsor to the 2022 Beijing Olympics despite China’s human rights abuses against the Uyghurs.

Cotton was talking about the crime spike occurring in some cities in the US, where more people are incarcerated per capita than anywhere else.

Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo and Kristi Noem appear at a conservative Christian summit in Des Moines on Friday. They are just a few of the potential 2024 Republican candidates courting Iowa voters.

Former President Donald Trump is insisting he's “not into coups” after a new book revealed the country’s top military leader feared Trump might try to stage one after losing the 2020 election.

Former NFL player Jake Bequette says he's challenging Arkansas Sen. John Boozman in next year's Republican primary.

Eighty-seven-year-old Chuck Grassley is trying to show Iowans that he’s not just physically ready for an eighth term, but that's he thriving.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson leads a state that went heavily for Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Republicans eyeing a 2024 White House run are wasting no time in jockeying for a strong position in what could be an extremely crowded field of contenders.

After being characterized as a conspiracy theory, the possibility that COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan laboratory is getting renewed attention.

Arkansas lawmaker critical of ‘woke ideology’ in armed forces

Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio, and Marsha Blackburn are calling for Anthony Fauci’s resignation, claiming that he has “lost the confidence of the American people.”

The head of the Senate Republican political arm says he expects former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt to challenge Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada next year.

It has been a tough three years for Republicans, and the future of their party is in doubt. Conservatives lost the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives in a span of just 24 months. They caused a constitutional crisis by objecting to certify the results of a free and fair election. Conspiracy theorists and extremists have been elected to influential positions on the party ticket. And they demoted one of their most important leaders, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, for bucking former Pre

Tom Cotton sent a letter Thursday to Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet, demanding details about Lockheed’s diversity and inclusion training.

Multiple people who have spoken with Donald Trump and his team in recent weeks say they sense a shift, with the former president increasingly acting and talking as though he plans to mount another White House bid.

States are banning some conversations on race and racism. Critics say the GOP effort is whitewashing history.

"You can't work for Huawei and then work for the Director of National Intelligence," said Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska.

Actor John Cena has apologized to fans in China after he called Taiwan a country in a promotional interview for his upcoming film and became the latest celebrity to face the fury of Chinese nationalists.

The "Fog of War": The concept is traced to Clausewitz and neatly captures the tactical, and moral, uncertainty of decision-making in the heat of battle. American politics between June 2015 and January 2021 was shrouded in what you might call the Fog of Trump. It’s lifting. You can tell by what policymakers are arguing about: Is inflation transitory or a longer-term threat? What counts as infrastructure spending? Should we start worrying again about the national debt? We are arguing, in other words, about public policy. Normal things. Not ridiculous notions like a Muslim travel ban, the barbarous forced separation of children from their parents, or what to do when the president runs a privately held company that does business just blocks from the White House as well as in foreign capitals. In a subtler way, the Fog of Trump is also lifting from the increasingly intriguing story about the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. As New York’s Jonathan Chait notes, the liberal media should never have declared the question settled or the lab-leak theory "debunked." Trump himself, who lied profusely throughout his final year in office and trafficked in all sorts of anti-Asian tropes and China-bashing, is no innocent. But his behavior doesn’t absolve the media. Chait: "Trump is not the right standard for journalists. And those who chose to follow the ethos of moral clarity, at the expensive of objectivity, misled their audiences." Rightwingers, of course, have pounced on the media as the lab-leak theory has gained plausibility. Only Trump Derangement Syndrome could explain this gradual about-face, they say. But journalists were not Trump-deranged; it’s fairer to say they were Trump-fogged. As in war, the business of covering the historically venal and dishonest Trump administration sometimes led to bad decisions: running breathless stories that had not been properly vetted; lionizing reprobates like Michael Avenatti; and, yes, smearing the likes of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for broaching the lab-leak theory. The fog is lifting, however. And that is a good thing — for policymakers and journalists alike. More stories from theweek.comBiden says he underestimated Trump's ability to spread 'the big lie'Biden needs some braggadocioArizona's Secretary of State 'stripped' of duties after criticizing election audit

Haley and Scott will be asked about what the Republican Party should stand for and what issues all members can agree on.

Surges in violence and scenes of civilian suffering are testing President Joe Biden’s resolve to wrench America’s foreign policy focus and troops away from the hotspots of the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Republicans trying to drive a wedge between Democrats and chip away at President Joe Biden’s support are zeroing in on the violence in the Middle East.

Republican ridicules reporters for ‘whiny’ coverage following ‘wholly appropriate’ airstrike on offices by Israel, as US admit it has not seen evidence of terrorist infrastructure in the blown-up building

The Biden administration wants federal employees to drop use of the word “alien” to refer to noncitizens and migrants in official communications.

Former President Donald Trump is staking his claim to the Republican Party in a closed-door speech to donors Saturday night, casting his populist policies and attack-dog politics as the key to future Republican success.

The Republican Party is bringing hundreds of donors and several presidential prospects to the former president’s doorstep in south Florida this weekend.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Ambitious Republicans are starting to make moves in Iowa, long a proving ground for future presidents. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the first since the election to gauge Iowans' interest in person this week. As he's expected to in Iowa, Pompeo subtly distinguished himself, without alienating Republicans still loyal to Trump and hoping for a 2024 comeback. But most in her southeast corner of Iowa want to see Trump run again. “At some point he's going to figure out how to get more attention than he's getting now, or he's going to fade into the sunset," Goeas said.

(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – After years of Democratic accusations that former President Donald Trump was too soft on Russia, the Biden administration is facing Republican criticism of its approach to Moscow. The Biden administration rejects the criticism, saying it has been clear about penalties for companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and that its goal is to bolster European energy security. Like the Trump administration before it, the Biden administration believes the pipeline will harm European energy security, particularly for countries in Eastern and Central Europe like Ukraine and Poland, which the pipeline bypasses. U.S. officials have long said they fear Russia will use the pipeline as a political tool against its neighbors. The Biden administration suggests more sanctions may be coming.

FILE - This April 19, 2019 file photo shows a sign for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – The Biden administration's nominee for top Pentagon policy adviser was met with sharp criticism from Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, including accusations that he has been too partisan. And a number of GOP senators said they were troubled by partisan tweets Kohl put out during Donald Trump's presidency and they would oppose his nomination. And he told the panel, “This is not a political job, it’s a policy job ... Others, including the panel chairman, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., sought commitments on improving Pentagon policies and relations with other countries that soured during Trump's tenure.

And for beleaguered Republicans coming off a disastrous election, it was their first step back to political power. Senate Republicans are expected to oppose a similar measure in the coming weeks, arguing that the bill is not focused enough on the pandemic. Polling suggests that an overwhelming majority of voters — including a significant number of Republicans — supports the Democrats' pandemic relief plan. AdWhether the minimum wage provision is included or not, Senate Republicans are expected to oppose the final package. 3 House Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

FILE - This June 22, 2019, file photo shows the exterior of the New York Times building in New York. In a report to its employees in February 2021, The New York Times says it needs a culture change to become a better place to work, particularly for people of color. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)NEW YORK – The New York Times says it needs a culture change to become a better place to work, particularly for people of color. A survey of employees didn't just uncover bad news; 95% of Times employees said they felt pride in working at the paper, and most have had positive experiences. “We also believe it will make The Times a better place to work, for all of us.”

Trump himself is headlining the three-day session in a Sunday speech that will be his first public appearance since leaving the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has been keeping a relatively low profile since he moved from the White House to Palm Beach a month ago. “I think the broader point will be: Here's where the Republican Party and conservative movement and the America First movement goes from here," said senior Trump adviser Jason Miller. Here we’ll see the president address the fact that the only divide in the Republican Party is between the elites and the conservative grassroots in the party." “In opposition, when you don’t have the White House, there are many more voices that lead the party,” Cotton said in an interview.

The proposal unveiled by the two senators Wednesday would gradually increase the minimum wage from its present $7.25 an hour to $10 an hour by 2025. At least 22 states have a minimum wage set at $7.25 or do not have a minimum wage. The provision in the House bill would gradually increase the minimum wage starting at $11 this year to $15 by 2025. Two Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have voiced opposition to including a minimum wage increase in the relief package. The last time the federal minimum wage was increased was in 2009, as part of an amendment that gradually raised the minimum wage from 2007.

The proposal unveiled by the two senators Wednesday would gradually increase the minimum wage from its present $7.25 an hour to $10 an hour by 2025. At least 22 states have a minimum wage set at $7.25 or do not have a minimum wage. The provision in the House bill would gradually increase the minimum wage starting at $11 this year to $15 by 2025. Two Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have voiced opposition to including a minimum wage increase in the relief package. The last time the federal minimum wage was increased was in 2009, as part of an amendment that gradually raised the minimum wage from 2007.

“To meet this moment, we need strong federal leadership," Becerra said at the first of two hearings on his nomination. AdAppearing before the Senate health committee, Becerra seconded President Joe Biden’s goals of 100 million vaccine shots in his first 100 days, increased coronavirus testing, ramped-up DNA mapping of the virus to track worrisome mutations and reopening schools and businesses. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the health committee, left no doubt that Becerra faces tough scrutiny. California took pride in viewing itself as the resistance to Trump, and Becerra embodied that ethos. AdLack of medical experience doesn't disqualify a nominee for HHS secretary, though it can be a plus.

The Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines to be Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday evening, making her the first of President Biden's Cabinet nominees to be confirmed. The Senate adjourned for the night after confirming Haines, and will reconvene at 12 p.m. on Thursday. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that it was "appropriate" that Haines would be the first nominee confirmed by the Senate. Senate committees began Tuesday to hold confirmation hearings for five of Mr. Biden's picks just before his inauguration: Janet Yellen, nominee for Treasury secretary, Haines, nominee for director of national intelligence, Lloyd Austin, nominee for Defense secretary, Tony Blinken, nominee for secretary of state, and Alejandro Mayorkas, nominee for Homeland Security secretary. Denis McDonough, the nominee for secretary of Veterans Affairs, will receive a hearing next week.