Lisa Murkowski

— There are many reasons why Chicago billionaire Penny Pritzker seems bound for the top job at the Commerce Department, after dodging potential conflict during a Senate confirmation hearing Thursday. Pritzker, 54, a Democratic mega-donor who...

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators last week introduced a bill that would prohibit rental-car companies from renting or selling vehicles with an open manufacturer's recall. The legislation, the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2013,...

Alaska's senior U.S. senator has been picked to lead the National Republican Senatorial Committee's "Native American Program." Sen. Lisa Murkowski, in a release, said she was proud to take on leadership of the new initiative. It is aimed at improving...

WASHINGTON — Early last month, state lawyers and election officials around the country dialed into a conference call to talk about how to deal with the flood of secret money that played an unprecedented role in the 2012 election. The discussion,...

SEATTLE — Sarah Palin’s last elective position in Alaska ended early when in 2009 she abandoned the governorship midway through her first term. But tea party activists appear eager for a comeback, urging supporters to contribute money toward...

Feliz Día Internacional de la Danza! Welcome to your post-weekend trends report for April 29, 2013. As the international Twitter scene lights up with colorful pictures of people dancing all over the world, the East Coast is more focused on the release...

WASHINGTON — A single conversation on the Senate floor Monday illustrated the challenges senators face in pushing a bipartisan measure to extend background checks to most gun sales. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), the chief author of the proposal,...

WASHINGTON — After four months of debate and maneuvering, the Senate headed for a showdown over gun control — a series of back-to-back votes on rival plans Wednesday afternoon that could end in the collapse of the entire effort. The...

WASHINGTON -- The lead author of a compromise plan to expand background checks, seen as the centerpiece of larger gun legislation before the Senate, all but conceded Wednesday that there won't be the votes needed to adopt it. During an appearance on...

WASHINGTON -- A Senate plan to expand the background-check requirement for gun purchases faced a narrowing path to success Tuesday, as advocates for stricter laws sought to scrape together the last few votes they need from among a dwindling number of...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved President Obama’s pick to lead the Interior Department, REI Chief Executive Sally Jewell, sending the nomination to the full Senate for consideration. At a time when...

The Senate's habit of filibustering judicial nominees must end. Both Republicans and Democrats are to blame. Nearly two and a half years after she was first nominated, a candidate for a seat on a federal appeals court in Washington has been denied an...