Washington, Dec 29 (AP/UNB) — The Supreme Court began its term with the tumultuous confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, followed by a studied avoidance of drama on the high court bench — especially anything that would divide the five conservatives and four liberals.

Washington, Dec 29 (AP/UNB)  — The Trump administration on Friday targeted an Obama-era regulation credited with helping dramatically reduce toxic mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants, saying the benefits to human health and the environment may not be worth the cost of the regulation.

Washington, Dec 29 (AP/UNB) — The partial government shutdown will almost certainly be handed off to a divided government to solve in the new year, as President Donald Trump sought to raise the stakes Friday and both parties traded blame in the weeklong impasse.

Seoul,  Dec 29 (AP/UNB) — To judge by the stream of extraordinary images on the Korean Peninsula, you might think 2018 marked the beginning of an elusive peace in one of the world's last vestiges of the Cold War.

Washington, Dec 28 (AP/UNB) — President Donald Trump is threatening to close the U.S. border with Mexico if Democrats in Congress don't agree to fund the construction of a border wall.

Baghdad, Dec 28 (AP/UNB) — President Donald Trump's surprise trip to Iraq may have quieted criticism at home that he had yet to visit troops in a combat zone, but it has infuriated Iraqi politicians who on Thursday demanded the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Las Vegas, Dec 28 (AP/UNB) — Documents made public Thursday recounted anew how police officers took cover next to patrol vehicles on the Las Vegas Strip while a gunman rained bullets from a high-rise hotel into an outdoor music festival during the deadliest mass shooting in the nation's modern history almost 15 months ago.

Houston, Dec 27 (AP/UNB) — The deaths of two migrant children in just over two weeks raised strong new doubts Wednesday about the ability of U.S. border authorities to care for the thousands of minors arriving as part of a surge of families trying to enter the country.

Iraq, Dec 27 (AP/UNB) — In an unannounced trip to Iraq on Wednesday, President Donald Trump staunchly defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from neighboring Syria despite a drumbeat of criticism from military officials and allies who don't think the job fighting Islamic State militants there is over.

Washington, Dec 26 (AP/UNB) — Christmas has come and gone but the partial government shutdown is just getting started.