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Conservative Rep. Raul Labrador launched a long-shot challenge on Friday to replace the recently defeated Rep. Eric Cantor as House majority leader. Labrador was elected in the 2010 tea party wave that gave the GOP control of the House. His candidacy seems likely to be a symbolic waving of the flag for the chamber’s restive conservatives because Rep. Kevin McCarthy, appears to have all but nailed down the job. The election for the No. 2 House GOP leadership post will…

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Under a new law, abortions will be illegal in Florida at any point in a woman’s pregnancy if her doctor determines that the fetus could survive outside the womb. Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill Friday that redefines that state’s current third trimester abortion ban. Current law prohibits abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy unless the mother’s life is at risk. The new law will require women to have a doctor determine whether a fetus is viable before having an…

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Linking a lack of drug treatment to crime, a new government study released Thursday found that more than half of adult males arrested for crimes in five metropolitan areas tested positive for at least one illegal drug last year. At the same time, fewer than three out of 10 of those arrested had ever received any form of alcohol or drug treatment. The data from the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy argues for expanded treatment programs and…

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His frequent burger runs aside, President Barack Obama is in excellent health, the White House said Thursday in its first update on his well-being in nearly three years. Obama eats a healthy diet, exercises daily and remains tobacco free, according to a two-page memo from his doctor after a physical exam last month. Obama is a former smoker who is often seen chewing nicotine gum. But with age, there often are aches and pains. Obama, who turns 53 in August,…

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House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was defeated Tuesday by a little-known economics professor in Virginia’s Republican primary, a stunning upset and major victory for the tea party. Cantor is the second-most powerful member of the U.S. House and was seen by some as a possible successor to the House speaker. His loss to Dave Brat, a political novice with little money marks a huge victory for the Tea Party movement, which supported Cantor just a few years ago. Brat had…

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Like an eager date, Leo Smith showed up at Mount Zion First Baptist Church with a bouquet of flowers in hand. He wasn’t seeking romance. He was seeking voters. As the minority engagement director for the Georgia Republican Party, Smith is helping to lead an effort to recruit African-American voters in pivotal states, a priority for a heavily white party staring with uncertainty at a country that is fast becoming more brown. Smith and other black Republicans who are recruiting…

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The San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat expect more comfortable conditions, and better overall play, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs won 110-95 in the opener, a game that will be best remembered for an air conditioning failure that made temperatures soar to nearly 90 degrees in the second half. LeBron James cramped up in the heat and left with about 4 minutes remaining. The teams spent their two off days practicing at the Spurs’ training facility…

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