by Darlene Superville, Seung Min Kim and Joey Cappelletti WASHINGTON  — The White House has issued a warning to Democrats over their planned probes into the Trump administration, going as far as claiming that such investigations — a standard oversight function of Congress — may amount to “blatant criminality.” White House counsel Will Scharf issued the warning in a letter dated Monday to Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Garcia most likely would chair the powerful panel in the new Democratic-controlled Congress that is seated in January. Garcia warned Trump officials to “lawyer up” as…

by Mary Clare Jalonick WASHINGTON  — Senators from both parties returned to Washington on Monday with questions about the future of their leadership after last week’s election decisively gave Democrats a significant new majority. Republicans who are losing around a quarter of their conference to election losses and retirements are debating whether to immediately reelect South Dakota Sen. John Thune as leader in votes scheduled for Tuesday. Across the aisle, Democrats who could hold as many as 56 seats next year are having private discussions about whether New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is still the right person to lead them,…

by Geoff  Mulvihill Democrats have taken control of the state House in Georgia after also gaining the governor’s office in last week’s midterm election, giving the party control of each for the first time in more than 20 years. The flip gives Democrats control of at least 12 new legislative chambers across the U.S. after their major gains at all levels. It’s the biggest gain for either party in a single election since the Republicans took the majority in 20 chambers in 2010 amid the Great Recession and the rise of the conservative tea party movement. After officials are sworn…

by Gerald Imray CAPE TOWN, South Africa  — The African National Congress once rose above politics in South Africa as a movement dedicated to freeing the country from the oppression of apartheid with the lofty principles of democracy, equality and a better life for all. It was widely revered as a force for good when it became South Africa’s ruling party in 1994 under Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years by the apartheid regime for his opposition to the system of racial segregation. But three decades after the ANC transformed from a liberation movement to a political party…

by Jay Cohen CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams found a wide-open Colston Loveland for a 38-yard catch to set up Cairo Santos’ 38-yard field goal as time expired, and the Chicago Bears picked up a sloppy 27-24 victory over Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. Chicago (7-2) committed five turnovers, including a career-high four interceptions by Williams. But he delivered after Mayfield rallied the Buccaneers in the final minutes. Loveland was pushed out of bounds at the Tampa Bay 16 with 40 seconds left. After two kneel-downs by Williams, Santos delighted the crowd of 60,470 by…

by Gerald Imray CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa’s African National Congress party was handed its worst election results ever Sunday in a new low point on its gradual decline in popularity as voters rebuked it for a failure to deliver basic services like water and electricity in towns and cities. The once-dominant ANC — the party of Nelson Mandela — received 31% of the vote in Wednesday’s local government elections, according to official results Sunday. The ANC remained the largest party by total share in an election involving hundreds of parties, but the Democratic Alliance that is its…

by Mike Catalini President Donald Trump and his Department of Justice are taking a combative stance toward Democrats after their election victories in the midterms, signaling intense conflict to come as lawmakers prepare aggressive investigations into the executive branch next year. Trump set the tone, declaring on social media that investigative requests already made by Democrats are “extortion at the highest level, and they should be held accountable.” Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed the Republican president and said criminal investigations of Democrats are possible. “They are not allowed to just go around threatening existing members of the administration, to go…

by Bill Barrow and Sophie Bates JACKSON, Miss.  — Democrat Scott Colom hasn’t won Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race, but the local prosecutor was welcomed as a historic figure Friday as he strolled through the Farish Street business district where civil rights leaders once organized. “It’s so wonderful! It’s so wonderful to have Scott Colom as our representative,” said Maati Jone Primm, who owns Marshall’s Music & Bookstore in Jackson. The state is still tallying ballots that could make Colom the first Black senator from this Deep South state since post-Civil War Reconstruction. The possibility of Colom defeating Republican Sen. Cindy…

by Jay Cohen CHICAGO  — It all began with a phone call. Dr. Tom Gormely reached out to Caddix last year. The sports performance coach told the startup company he had a quarterback who wanted to try its cleats. “We said, ‘Who?’” Caddix CEO Jack Rasmussen recalled. “And he said, ‘I’ll tell you later.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, this is a fun conversation.’” It turns out the fun was just beginning. Gormely’s client was Chicago Bears star Caleb Williams, and the call marked a watershed moment for Caddix — even if no one knew exactly how it was going…

by Kevin Freking WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders are placing an early emphasis on healthcare as they discuss their immediate priorities upon the swearing-in of the new Congress on Jan. 3. Early votes in the House next year are expected to focus on boosting Medicaid and restoring an enhanced tax subsidy that is designed to lower the cost of Affordable Care Act health plans for millions of enrollees. Democrats are also promising swift action on legislation to stop the war with Iran and to reverse some of President Donald Trump’strade tariffs. “We’re going to get out of the gate fast,”…