Orion Donovan Smith

Sen. Maria Cantwell’s first term in the Senate didn’t come easy, as she defeated incumbent Republican Slade Gorton by a margin of less than 0.1% in 2000. Since then, the Democrat has cruised to re-election three times as Washington has become an ever-bluer state.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that mifepristone, a medication used in the majority of abortions in the United States, can remain available, rejecting a challenge by antiabortion groups that sought to undo the Food and Drug Administration’s longstanding approval of the medication.

Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in a New York City court prompted a flood of speculation about what the outcome means for the former president’s bid to return to the White House in the November election. But Thursday’s verdict seems likely to have ripple effects in races farther down Washington state’s ballot.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In less than two years since Congress passed a landmark bill to expand benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxins in the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs said last week that it passed a milestone of 1 million claims approved under the new law, including more than 22,500 in Washington state and nearly 6,500 in Idaho.

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Wednesday considered whether Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion violates a federal law that guarantees necessary treatment in medical emergencies, as the court’s conservative majority deals with the fallout from its 2022 decision that overturned a nationwide right to terminate a pregnancy.

WASHINGTON – The Senate on Tuesday passed a sweeping $95 billion national security bill that includes long-delayed aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, along with humanitarian aid for Palestinians, sanctions on Iran and measures that could lead to a U.S. ban of TikTok if its Chinese parent company doesn’t sell the popular app.

WASHINGTON – Since the dawn of the internet age, tech companies have developed increasingly sophisticated ways to collect and use vast swaths of Americans' personal data, while Congress has repeatedly failed to regulate the practice. Now, two Washington state lawmakers have a bipartisan plan to break that impasse and set a national standard for data privacy.

WASHINGTON – The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion spending package early Saturday morning to fund the government through September, narrowly averting a government shutdown, after the legislation cleared the House on Friday.