On May 7, 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna, Austria. On its 200th anniversary, much was made about this seminal achievement of a composer routinely touted as the greatest master who ever lived.

In an essay for The New York Times, conductor Daniel Barenboim wrote that Beethoven was “the master of ...Read more

State supreme court races have become pivotal in current legal battles over issues including abortion, elections, education, the environment and LGBTQ rights. With more than 80 state supreme court seats up for election this year in 33 states, voters have the potential to shape the future of their states for years to come.

That is, if ...Read more

President Joe Biden doesn’t have the power to shut down the border. Except when he decides that he does.

Earlier this year, Biden vowed to “shut down” the border if only Congress would give him the legislative high sign.

“Just give me the power. I’ve asked from the very day I got into office,” he said in January. “Give me the ...Read more

When Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas walked up to the lectern at her victory party in a ballroom at the Sheraton Overland Park Convention Center on election night two years ago, her speech was defiant.

In a year where prognosticators had claimed President Joe Biden’s unpopularity would help steer Republicans into office, in a newly drawn ...Read more

Donald Trump raised more money last month than Joe Biden for the first time in this election cycle, but the president’s campaign still holds a wide financial edge over his Republican rival.

Biden and the Democratic Party raised $51 million in April, compared to the $76 million Trump and the Republican National Committee amassed, according to ...Read more

NEW YORK — Manhattan prosecutors rested their case against Donald Trump on Monday — more than five years after they began investigating him and a month after the hush money trial began — during a dramatic day that saw both jurors and journalists booted from the courtroom amid a tense exchange between the judge and a witness for the ex-...Read more

NEW YORK — An aide to Mayor Adams whose home was raided amid an FBI probe into his 2021 campaign is cooperating with federal authorities, a source with knowledge of the matter said Monday.

The aide, Rana Abbasova, is one of several people whose residence was raided as the feds probe allegations that the Turkish government funneled illegal ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden urged the Republican leaders of the House and Senate in calls on Monday to revive a bipartisan immigration measure that failed after Donald Trump proclaimed his opposition.

In his conversations with Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Biden “reiterated that congressional Republicans ...Read more

BOSTON — President Joe Biden’s visit to Boston is expected to be felt around the city through Tuesday, with Boston Police warning of major traffic delays along his route and a pro-Palestine rally against his visit planned downtown.

Biden is scheduled to fly into Boston and attend two campaign receptions in the city, following a stop to ...Read more

WATERTOWN, Conn. – Gearing up for the year’s biggest rematch, former state Sen. George Logan won the Republican Party’s nomination unanimously Monday night to face his bitter rival, U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes.

After Logan lost to Hayes by less than 1 percentage point in 2022 in the state’s closest Congressional race, the rematch started ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former President Donald Trump plans to attend the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, a high-ranking campaign official confirmed to McClatchy on Monday afternoon.

The confirmation came after The Charlotte Business Journal posted on social media that Charlotte Motor Speedway General Manager Greg Walter said he was hearing that Trump was...Read more

ATLANTA — Georgia Republicans believe they have an answer to a former Democratic lawmaker’s attempt to turn his quest for a Georgia Supreme Court race into a referendum on abortion rights.

They are stepping up their support for incumbent Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson, who is facing a stiff challenge from former U.S. Rep. John Barrow ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The coalition behind efforts to put abortion protections on the ballot in November announced they submitted more than 200,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, a coalition of groups heading the initiative to enshrine abortion protections in the Nevada Constitution, filed the signatures with ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden was not shouted down by pro-Palestinian protesters Sunday at Atlanta’s Morehouse College, but he used a commencement speech to address the anger that has fired up many other campuses and sent a key signal about his Middle East policy.

The speech at the private, all-male historically Black college was billed ...Read more

NEW YORK — More than five years after they began investigating Donald Trump and a month after the hush money trial began, Manhattan prosecutors rested their case against the former president Monday afternoon, moments after former fixer Michael Cohen wrapped up his testimony after four days on the stand.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger ended ...Read more

BURLINGAME, Calif. — In a stark pivot, former President Donald Trump is embracing vote-by-mail and third-party ballot handoffs known as “ballot harvesting.”

“It turned out to be not such a bad idea,” Trump said in a video message to California Republican delegates Sunday, on the final morning of their spring convention. “We may not ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., the Supreme Court's most predictable conservative of late, is again battling complaints that some of his actions demand that he recuse himself from pending cases.

Alito has responded that he is a victim of unjust criticism.

Here's a look at some of the recent controversies.

What is the upside-down ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Voters will pick a replacement for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California, nominees for open seats in Georgia and Oregon and settle intraparty battles in Idaho and Kentucky as five states hold elections on Tuesday.

Races include possible GOP meddling in a Democratic primary, retaliation by a pro-Israel group against a ...Read more

NEW YORK — Michael Cohen testified that he stole from the Trump Organization when he returned to the witness stand for the end of his cross-examination Monday at Donald Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan, as defense lawyers continued to attack the former fixer’s credibility.

Prosecutors begin redirect questioning

Starting redirect ...Read more

NEW YORK — Michael Cohen testified that he stole from the Trump Organization when he returned to the witness stand for the end of his cross-examination Monday at Donald Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan, as defense lawyers continued to attack the former fixer’s credibility.

Trump lawyer challenges Cohen on retainer

Defense lawyer ...Read more