Federal judges block Texas from using its new US House map in the 2026 midterms
Texas cannot use a new congressional map drawn by Republicans in hopes of securing the party additional U.S. House seats, a panel of three federal judges ruled Tuesday.
John Hanna, The Associated Press
While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from John Hanna, The Associated Press.
Kansas legislators won't have a special session to join the US redistricting battle
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The Kansas House's top Republican on Tuesday dropped efforts to force a redraw of U.S. House districts that would have thrust the state into a widening national battle for partisan advantage in the 2026 elections.
Kansas Republicans drop push to enter nation's widening redistricting battle
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas' Republican House leader on Tuesday dropped efforts to force a redraw of U.S. House districts that would have thrust the state into a widening national battle for partisan advantage in the 2026 elections.
The CEO of the Alamo's historic site has resigned after a top Texas Republican criticized her
The CEO of the nonprofit managing the Alamo resigned after a powerful Republican state official criticized her publicly, suggesting that her views aren't compatible with the history of the Texas shrine.
A key court test begins for Texas' redrawn US House map that boosts the GOP
A panel of federal judges began considering Wednesday whether Texas can use a redrawn congressional map that boosts Republicans and launched an expanding redistricting battle ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Texas' redrawn US House map that boosts GOP begins a key court test
A panel of federal judges will begin Wednesday to consider whether Texas can use a redrawn congressional map that boosts Republicans and has launched a widening redistricting battle ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
What to know as a Texas lawmaker protests police escorts and California takes up redistricting
A Democratic lawmaker is staying in the Texas Capitol rather than accept an around-the-clock police escort that Republicans imposed to keep she and her colleagues from leaving the state again and further delaying the GOP's redrawing of congressional districts as President Donald Trump wants.
What to know as Texas Democrats return to state and California starts work on redistricting fight
Republicans can move ahead with redrawing Texas' congressional districts now that Democratic lawmakers have returned to the state. Efforts to thwart President Donald Trump's push to tilt the political map for next year's midterm elections in his favor shifted to California.
A look at Texas' redistricting walkout and California's response, by the numbers
A walkout by Democratic legislators in Texas has ended and Republicans arranged to push a plan for redrawing the state's congressional districts through the GOP-controlled Legislature and give President Donald Trump a better political landscape.
What to know about redistricting fights as Texas Democrats return and California starts work
Republicans can move ahead with redrawing Texas' congressional districts now that Democratic lawmakers have returned to the state. Efforts to thwart President Donald Trump's push to tilt the political map for next year's midterm elections in his favor shifted to California.
Clarification: Planned Parenthood-Midwest story
In a story published May. 23, 2025, The Associated Press reported about Planned Parenthood closing clinics in Iowa and Minnesota. The story should have made clear that despite the closures, the organization will still offer medication abortions in Des Moines and medication and medical abortion services in Iowa City.
A Planned Parenthood affiliate plans to close 4 clinics in Iowa and another 4 in Minnesota
Four of the six Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa and four in Minnesota will shut down in a year, the Midwestern affiliate operating them said Friday, blaming a freeze in federal funds, budget cuts proposed in Congress and state restrictions on abortion.
Kansas group fights campaign donor law it sees as a response to its success defending abortion
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A group that successfully defeated an anti-abortion ballot measure in Kansas has filed a federal lawsuit against a new state law aimed at curbing foreign influence in elections, saying it violates free speech rights and would keep the group from waging future campaigns.
Missouri governor says he'll bring lawmakers back to get a plan for keeping the Chiefs and Royals
Missouri's governor said Friday that he will call the Legislature into a special session to consider incentives aimed at keeping the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals from moving to Kansas after lawmakers failed to pass a plan during their regular, annual session.
Campgrounds and visitor centers at federal lakes are closing amid Trump's budget cuts
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Campgrounds, boat ramps and other facilities in at least 30 locations at federal lakes and reservoirs in six states will be closed or have their hours curtailed as of mid-May as the Trump administration tries to rapidly shrink the U.S. government.
Satanist leader's attempt to hold Black Mass in Kansas Statehouse sparks chaos and 4 arrests
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The leader of a small group of self-described satanists and three other people were arrested Friday following a scuffle inside the Kansas Statehouse arising from an effort by the group's leader to start a Black Mass in the rotunda.
Satanist leader's attempt to hold 'Black Mass' inside Kansas Statehouse sparks chaos and arrests
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The leader of a small group of self-described satanists and at least one other person were arrested Friday following a scuffle inside the Kansas Statehouse arising from an effort by the group's leader to start a "Black Mass" in the rotunda.
Kansas has among the shortest windows for voting by mail in the US. It will get shorter next year
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Republican legislators in Kansas on Tuesday shrunk what already was among the nation's shortest windows for voting by mail, arguing that problems with the U.S. Postal Service's handling of ballots required the move. Critics called it voter suppression.
The release of a 1961 plan to break up the CIA revives an old conspiracy theory about who killed JFK
A key adviser warned President John F. Kennedy after the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961 that the agency behind it, the CIA, had grown too powerful. He proposed giving the State Department control of "all clandestine activities" and breaking up the CIA.
Backlash leads Republican attorneys general to declare support for a landmark disability rights law
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Republican state attorneys general are declaring their continued support for a landmark federal law protecting disabled people's rights, after parents expressed fears of losing services for their disabled children because of a GOP lawsuit opposing transgender rights.
Kansas bans gender-affirming care for minors after GOP lawmakers reverse the governor's veto
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas became the latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors Tuesday after the Republican-controlled Legislature overrode the Democratic governor's veto of the measure.
George has his day, and so does Abe. But states honor US presidents in lots of ways
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Is Presidents Day the most confusing holiday in the U.S.?
Kansas' top elections official is running for governor after pushing back on conspiracy theories
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas' top elections official launched a campaign for governor Wednesday after building his public profile by pushing back against unfounded election conspiracy theories and breaking with fellow Republicans on voting rights issues.
Kansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn't work out so well
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas.
A key Trump ally on immigration explains how mass deportations could work
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A Kansas official who is an informal adviser to President-elect Donald Trump's transition team on immigration issues doesn't expect mass deportations to prompt arrests of migrants at sensitive locations such as schools and churches.
South Dakota has rejected an abortion rights measure and voted down recreational marijuana
Voters in South Dakota have rejected a proposal to add protections for abortion rights to the state constitution, preserving a near-total ban there.
South Dakota has rejected an abortion rights measure but a vote on marijuana is too early to call
Voters in South Dakota have rejected a proposal to add protections for abortion rights to the state constitution, preserving a near-total ban there.
South Dakota decides on abortion rights and marijuana, rejects election, tax proposals
South Dakota will decide Tuesday whether to add protections for abortion rights to the state constitution and potentially overturn the state's abortion ban.
Ex-Kansas AG Schmidt wins an open House seat for the GOP. Democratic Rep. Davids is reelected
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A former Kansas attorney general's successful political comeback in Tuesday's election kept an open U.S. House seat in Republican hands while the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation won reelection.
Ex-Kansas AG Schmidt captures an open House seat for the GOP
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A former Kansas attorney general's successful political comeback in Tuesday's election kept an open U.S. House seat in Republican hands while the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation was trying to fend off a GOP challenger.
South Dakota is deciding whether to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana
South Dakota will decide Tuesday whether to add protections for abortion rights to the state constitution and potentially overturn the state's abortion ban.
The GOP expects to keep Kansas' open House seat. Democratic Rep. Davids looks tough to beat
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Republicans expected a former Kansas attorney general's political comeback in Tuesday's election to keep an open U.S. House seat in GOP hands while the party faced a tougher challenge in trying to oust the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation.
A Minnesota woman is accused of turning in a ballot for her dead mother. A routine check caught it
A northern Minnesota woman accused of trying to submit a mail ballot for her recently deceased mother has been charged with three felonies, showing how routine election safeguards thwart rare instances of attempted voter fraud.
Conservatives could win control of Kansas and Nebraska state school boards
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Conservatives could capture majorities on the Kansas and Nebraska state school boards in this year's elections, making it easier for them to shape what's taught in classrooms.
Postal Service reassures on mail ballots, says all centers operating in regions hit by hurricanes
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The U.S. Postal Service has reopened all of its mail processing centers in areas of Florida and North Carolina hit by recent hurricanes, a top official said Wednesday in a briefing meant to reassure voters and election officials that the agency is ready to handle mail ballots.
US lawmakers' concerns about mail ballots are fueled by other issues with mail service
Lawmakers said during a contentious congressional hearing Thursday they are uneasy about the U.S. Postal Service's readiness for a crush of mail ballots for the November election because some of them feel burned by other Postal Service actions.
GOP governor halts push to prevent Trump from losing one of Nebraska's electoral votes
An effort to prevent Donald Trump from losing a potentially crucial electoral vote from Nebraska appeared dead Tuesday after the state's Republican governor said he's not planning to push for the necessary change in state law ahead of the November presidential election.
Postal Service chief frustrated at criticism, but promises 'heroic' effort to deliver mail ballots
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The head of the U.S. Postal Service expressed frustration Thursday with ongoing criticism by election officials of how it handles mail ballots while also seeking to reassure voters that it's ready to handle an expected crush of those ballots this fall.
Nebraska AG alleges thousands of invalid signatures on pot ballot petitions, with 1 man charged
Nebraska's Republican attorney general said Friday that supporters of two measures to legalize medical marijuana could have submitted at least "several thousand" invalid signatures to get them on the ballot, suggesting that the issue ultimately could keep the proposals from becoming law.
The GOP and Kansas' Democratic governor ousted targeted lawmakers in the state's primary
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Gov. Laura Kelly and her allies have unseated a fellow Democrat who consistently voted against her in the Kansas Legislature, while GOP voters ousted a lawmaker many Republicans blamed for Kelly's narrow reelection two years ago.
Former US Rep. Nancy Boyda has won the Democratic nomination for eastern Kansas' seat in Congress
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The last Democrat to represent an eastern Kansas district in Congress won the party's nomination for the now-open seat, keeping her bid for a political comeback alive.
Kansas Republicans nominate a doctor to challenge Kansas City area's Democratic incumbent
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Republicans in the Kansas City area nominated a doctor to challenge the only Democrat in the Kansas delegation in Congress.
Kansas' former attorney general wins the Republican nomination for an open congressional seat
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A former Kansas attorney general and failed candidate for governor has found at least initial success in his political comeback attempt, winning Tuesday's Republican primary for an open U.S. House seat.
Kansas sees 2 political comeback bids in primary for open congressional seat
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- An open congressional seat in eastern Kansas inspired two political comeback attempts in the state's primary Tuesday, one from the last Democrat to hold it and the other from a former Republican attorney general who lost the 2022 governor's race.
Embracing election conspiracies could sink a Kansas sheriff who once looked invulnerable
DE SOTO, Kan. (AP) -- The sheriff in Kansas' most populous county faced no opposition to his reelection four years ago, extending a decades-long Republican lock on the office despite big gains locally by Democrats during the Trump era. Then he took on election fraud as a cause.
Kansas stops enforcing a law against impersonating election officials
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas is no longer enforcing a 3-year-old law making it a felony to impersonate election officials as it faces a legal challenge from critics who argue that the law has hindered efforts to register new voters.
Federal judge refuses to block Biden administration rule on gun sales in Kansas, 19 other states
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A federal judge in Kansas has refused to block the nationwide enforcement of a Biden administration rule requiring firearms dealers to do background checks of buyers at gun shows, leaving Texas as the only state so far where a legal challenge has succeeded.