Democrats pulled out all the stops Wednesday to delay the vote on a short-term spending bill to reopen the government, the 12th time the Senate has considered the measure since the government entered a shutdown Oct. 1. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., embarked on a nearly 24-hour speech at 6:23 p.m. Tuesday, concluding his remarks at 5 p.m. the next day. Merkley, 68, warned viewers of the authoritarianism he...

Maine Democrat Graham Platner, a first-time Senate candidate backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., says he has covered up a tattoo widely recognized as a Nazi symbol after critics unearthed old social media posts and demanded he quit the race. Platner’s campaign is facing intense scrutiny after it was revealed he once had a skull-and-crossbones tattoo resembling the Totenkopf used by Hitler’s SS paramilitary forces.  Platner said he...

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said Wednesday she would “strongly consider” a run for the U.S. Senate, telling SiriusXM’s “The Lurie Daniel Favors Show” that recent polling suggests she would be a top contender in the Texas Democratic primary. During the interview, Favors asked Crockett about her district redrawn by the Texas legislature and whether she planned to continue running to represent her new district. Crockett said she had...