One Hearing Plus Two Witnesses Equals Many Takeaways

By MARJORIE MILLER and JOCELYN NOVECK ,  Associated Press It was one hearing with just two witnesses but, in an era of deep political polarization and yawning cultural divisions, Americans came away Thursday having heard very different things. Millions of men and women listened to nervous-but-composed college professor Christine Blasey Ford tell the Senate Judiciary Committee…

High Drama As Kavanaugh-Ford Hearings Happen

By LISA MASCARO, ALAN FRAM and LAURIE KELLMAN ,  Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — With high drama in the making, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh emphatically fended off new accusations of sexual misconduct ahead of a charged public Senate hearing that could determine whether Republicans can salvage his nomination and enshrine a high court conservative majority.…

Win or Lose, Kavanaugh Confirmation Fight Defines Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats don’t have the votes to block Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But their rowdy, leave-nothing-on-the-table fight during four days of Senate confirmation hearings marked a new stage in the party’s resistance to President Donald Trump. The bedlam is unlikely to change any votes in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 51-49…

Kavanaugh’s Views on Presidential Powers Could be Flashpoint

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s past writings that a president should not be distracted by lawsuits and investigations could become a flashpoint in what’s already shaping up to be a contentious confirmation battle. With special counsel Robert Mueller investigating whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice, questions about whether a chief executive can…

Emotions High As Kavanaugh Begins Fight For Confirmation

By LISA MASCARO , AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh plunged into his confirmation battle Tuesday, meeting face-to-face with Senate leaders in what promises to be an intense debate over abortion rights, presidential power and other legal disputes that could reshape the court and roil this fall’s elections. Kavanaugh…