A long-anticipated visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to the United Kingdom has been set for July 13. It will be a “working visit,” however, and not a more formal state occasion during which the president would have met Queen Elizabeth.

The announcement was made Thursday, separately by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and 10 Downing Street, the office of British Prime Minister Theresa May.

“It’s been a tortuous and very difficult process” to arrange a Trump trip to Britain, according to Andrew Marshall, the Atlantic Council’s vice president of communications. “This visit was born under a bad sign,” amid unhappiness over comments made by the president on social media, including criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

A planned visit to Britain by Trump was canceled earlier this year, during which he was to open the new U.S. embassy in London, a $1 billion cube-shaped building surrounded by sunken trenches and raised terraces that the president criticized as too expensive.

U.K. conservative groups, which support Trump, previously urged the president to avoid going to London because of a risk of “major protests, crime and disorder.” The organizations, in a letter, suggested instead that Trump visit his “ancestral home” of Scotland and if there were to be an official state visit, he should meet the queen at her castle in Balmoral.

The president’s mother was born in the Outer Hebrides archipelago on the Isle of Lewis. Trump, as a private businessman, visited Scotland frequently.

No location for the visit has yet been announced and speculation is widespread that it will occur outside London, perhaps at the prime minister’s country estate at Chequers, 65 kilometers from the capital.

Trade will be a major topic on the working visit’s agenda, with the British prime minister eager to move toward a new economic pact with the United States, one of its main trading partners.

It’s politically and economically important for May “in terms of what she’s staked her future on, which is a good, safe and prosperous future for the U.K. outside the European Union,” Marshall told VOA.

The U.S.-U.K. alliance is usually among the closest between any two nations, and U.S. leaders traditionally make visits to England early in their presidencies.

Officials on both sides of the Atlantic will be looking to resolidify that relationship with the Trump visit.

“At the moment, the U.K. is maybe standing a little aside from that role. We’ve just seen President [Emmanuel] Macron of France come here and absolutely wow Washington. Many noses will be out of joint in Downing Street and elsewhere about that. There’s a friendly rivalry with the French,” Marshall, a former foreign editor of The Independent newspaper in London, told VOA.

So far, though, with Trump and May “that chemistry is not there,” according to Marshall, who contrasts the president’s “forthright, direct and outspoken” personality with the prime minister — “a contained figure who looks sometimes like she’s walked out of a Jane Austen novel.”
…

President Donald Trump often likes to point out how different he is from his White House predecessors in terms of style and substance. But it is unlikely any past president would envy the legal challenges facing Trump, from the Russia investigation to Stormy Daniels to the scrutiny law enforcement is giving his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

On Tuesday it was a night of pomp and glamor at the White House as President Donald Trump and Mrs. Trump welcomed French President Macron and his wife for a state dinner.

The two presidents got along famously during their White House meetings.

The only damper on the day came when both men were in the Oval Office and a reporter asked Trump about the legal difficulties facing his longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

“Mr. President, what about Michael Cohen? Are you considering a pardon for Michael Cohen?” asked ABC correspondent Jonathan Karl.

After a pause, the president responded. “Stupid question,” he said dismissively.

Presidential frustration

Cohen is under scrutiny for a payment to an adult film star. Stormy Daniels says it was hush money to keep her quiet about a brief affair she had with Trump in 2006, a claim the president has denied.

Trump has frequently complained about the recent FBI raids on Cohen’s home and office and the ongoing Russia probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Earlier this month Trump spoke up during a meeting with military officials at the White House.

“Here we are talking about Syria, we are talking about a lot of serious things with the greatest fighting force ever, and I have this witch hunt constantly going on for over 12 months now.”

Cohen’s secrets

Several legal analysts have said the increased scrutiny of Trump’s long relationship with Cohen could become a serious problem for the president.

“There has been no suggestions that Cohen has nothing that he could say, which suggests that they know that Cohen actually does possess information that could be damaging to Trump or the Trump organization more generally as a legal matter,” said George Washington University Law Professor Paul Schiff Berman.

Cohen likely faces great pressure to cooperate with prosecutors, noted defense attorney Alan Dershowitz. “This is an epic battle for the soul and the cooperation of Michael Cohen, and prosecutors have enormous weapons at their disposal,” Dershowitz told ABC’s This Week.

But White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders insists the president is not worried. “The president has been clear that he has not done anything wrong. I think we have stated that about a thousand times.”

A federal judge in New York is considering who will have the job of reviewing the materials seized from Cohen. Judge Kimba Wood is expected to announce next month whether a special team of Justice Department lawyers will look at the material or whether a so-called special master should be appointed to carry out the task, as Cohen’s attorneys have requested.

Mueller’s fate

Members of Congress seem more concerned with protecting the Russia probe and continue to warn the president against firing special counsel Mueller.

“There is nothing more important right now than protecting our democracy and protecting the rule of law, which is what America stands for,” said Tennessee House Democrat Steve Cohen.

Huckabee Sanders said the fear is misplaced. “As we have said many times before, we have no intention of firing the special counsel. We have been beyond cooperative with them. We are continuing to cooperate with them.”

The Mueller probe has already led to several indictments and guilty pleas from two Trump associates for lying to federal investigators about their contacts with Russia. The investigation could go on for another year, according to Paul Schiff Berman.

“So the question of whether the president can literally be indicted or not, I think, is less important than the fundamental question of whether our institutions of government and our law enforcement authorities are allowed to do their business without fear and without influence from the president,” he said.

The president recently added former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to his legal team, hoping to add fresh star power after some high profile departures.
…

President Donald Trump often likes to point out how different he is from his White House predecessors in terms of style and substance. But it is unlikely any past president would envy the legal challenges facing Trump, from the Russia investigation to Stormy Daniels to the scrutiny law enforcement is giving his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

On Tuesday it was a night of pomp and glamor at the White House as President Donald Trump and Mrs. Trump welcomed French President Macron and his wife for a state dinner.

The two presidents got along famously during their White House meetings.

The only damper on the day came when both men were in the Oval Office and a reporter asked Trump about the legal difficulties facing his longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

“Mr. President, what about Michael Cohen? Are you considering a pardon for Michael Cohen?” asked ABC correspondent Jonathan Karl.

After a pause, the president responded. “Stupid question,” he said dismissively.

Presidential frustration

Cohen is under scrutiny for a payment to an adult film star. Stormy Daniels says it was hush money to keep her quiet about a brief affair she had with Trump in 2006, a claim the president has denied.

Trump has frequently complained about the recent FBI raids on Cohen’s home and office and the ongoing Russia probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Earlier this month Trump spoke up during a meeting with military officials at the White House.

“Here we are talking about Syria, we are talking about a lot of serious things with the greatest fighting force ever, and I have this witch hunt constantly going on for over 12 months now.”

Cohen’s secrets

Several legal analysts have said the increased scrutiny of Trump’s long relationship with Cohen could become a serious problem for the president.

“There has been no suggestions that Cohen has nothing that he could say, which suggests that they know that Cohen actually does possess information that could be damaging to Trump or the Trump organization more generally as a legal matter,” said George Washington University Law Professor Paul Schiff Berman.

Cohen likely faces great pressure to cooperate with prosecutors, noted defense attorney Alan Dershowitz. “This is an epic battle for the soul and the cooperation of Michael Cohen, and prosecutors have enormous weapons at their disposal,” Dershowitz told ABC’s This Week.

But White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders insists the president is not worried. “The president has been clear that he has not done anything wrong. I think we have stated that about a thousand times.”

A federal judge in New York is considering who will have the job of reviewing the materials seized from Cohen. Judge Kimba Wood is expected to announce next month whether a special team of Justice Department lawyers will look at the material or whether a so-called special master should be appointed to carry out the task, as Cohen’s attorneys have requested.

Mueller’s fate

Members of Congress seem more concerned with protecting the Russia probe and continue to warn the president against firing special counsel Mueller.

“There is nothing more important right now than protecting our democracy and protecting the rule of law, which is what America stands for,” said Tennessee House Democrat Steve Cohen.

Huckabee Sanders said the fear is misplaced. “As we have said many times before, we have no intention of firing the special counsel. We have been beyond cooperative with them. We are continuing to cooperate with them.”

The Mueller probe has already led to several indictments and guilty pleas from two Trump associates for lying to federal investigators about their contacts with Russia. The investigation could go on for another year, according to Paul Schiff Berman.

“So the question of whether the president can literally be indicted or not, I think, is less important than the fundamental question of whether our institutions of government and our law enforcement authorities are allowed to do their business without fear and without influence from the president,” he said.

The president recently added former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to his legal team, hoping to add fresh star power after some high profile departures.
…

The White House physician, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, dropped his bid Thursday to head the country’s Veterans Affairs agency as lawmakers probed allegations of professional misconduct and excessive drinking.

As he withdrew, Jackson described the attacks on him as “false allegations,” but said they had “become a distraction” to President Donald Trump’s effort to improve health care for U.S. veterans.

Trump, in an interview on his favorite news talk show, “Fox & Friends,” continued to defend Jackson, his personal physician, saying, “He runs a fantastic operation.”

Trump blamed Senator Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, for the demise of Jackson’s nomination to the Cabinet position to oversee a department that serves 13  million U.S. veterans and has 377,000 employees. Tester said Wednesday that 20 current and former members of the military familiar with Jackson’s office had told lawmakers that he drank on the job, oversaw a toxic work environment and handed out drug prescriptions with little consideration of a patient’s medical background.

“They’re trying to destroy a man,” Trump said. “There’s no proof of this.” He said Tester “has to have a high price to pay” politically for his comments on Jackson.

The U.S. leader said he now has “somebody with a political background” in mind to name as a replacement for Jackson to head the Veterans Affairs agency.

Jackson said if the allegations “had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years. Going into this process, I expected tough questions about how to best care for our veterans, but I did not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity.”

He concluded, “While I will forever be grateful for the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me by giving me this opportunity, I am regretfully withdrawing my nomination to be Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Trump said in the Fox interview he had told Jackson “a day or two ago I saw where this was going,” with him dropping his effort to win Senate confirmation, but had left it up to Jackson to decide whether to do so.

Jackson was fast losing support in Congress.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers indefinitely postponed Jackson’s scheduled Wednesday confirmation hearing as they investigated the allegations.

Several news outlets reported that Jackson was known as the “candy man” for over-prescribing drug prescriptions, while CNN said that in one 2015 incident Jackson drunkenly banged on the hotel room door of a female employee in the middle of the night on an overseas trip. The U.S. Secret Service intervened to stop Jackson, according to the report, so then-President Barack Obama, sleeping in another hotel room, would not be awakened.

Jackson gained a degree of fame unusual for White House physicians earlier this year when he took questions from the White House press corps on national television, gushing at length about Trump’s health after conducting the president’s physical exam.

Trump, the oldest first-term president in American history, was plagued at the time by questions about his physical health, weight and mental stability. But Jackson gave the president a top rating. “The president’s overall health is excellent,” Jackson declared at the time.

Trump unexpectedly picked Jackson to replace a holdover from the administration of former President Obama, David Shulkin, whom Trump fired. Several lawmakers have complained that the White House did not properly vet Jackson’s background before Trump announced Jackson’s appointment.

 
…

The White House physician, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, dropped his bid Thursday to head the country’s Veterans Affairs agency as lawmakers probed allegations of professional misconduct and excessive drinking.

As he withdrew, Jackson described the attacks on him as “false allegations,” but said they had “become a distraction” to President Donald Trump’s effort to improve health care for U.S. veterans.

Trump, in an interview on his favorite news talk show, “Fox & Friends,” continued to defend Jackson, his personal physician, saying, “He runs a fantastic operation.”

Trump blamed Senator Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, for the demise of Jackson’s nomination to the Cabinet position to oversee a department that serves 13  million U.S. veterans and has 377,000 employees. Tester said Wednesday that 20 current and former members of the military familiar with Jackson’s office had told lawmakers that he drank on the job, oversaw a toxic work environment and handed out drug prescriptions with little consideration of a patient’s medical background.

“They’re trying to destroy a man,” Trump said. “There’s no proof of this.” He said Tester “has to have a high price to pay” politically for his comments on Jackson.

The U.S. leader said he now has “somebody with a political background” in mind to name as a replacement for Jackson to head the Veterans Affairs agency.

Jackson said if the allegations “had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years. Going into this process, I expected tough questions about how to best care for our veterans, but I did not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity.”

He concluded, “While I will forever be grateful for the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me by giving me this opportunity, I am regretfully withdrawing my nomination to be Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Trump said in the Fox interview he had told Jackson “a day or two ago I saw where this was going,” with him dropping his effort to win Senate confirmation, but had left it up to Jackson to decide whether to do so.

Jackson was fast losing support in Congress.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers indefinitely postponed Jackson’s scheduled Wednesday confirmation hearing as they investigated the allegations.

Several news outlets reported that Jackson was known as the “candy man” for over-prescribing drug prescriptions, while CNN said that in one 2015 incident Jackson drunkenly banged on the hotel room door of a female employee in the middle of the night on an overseas trip. The U.S. Secret Service intervened to stop Jackson, according to the report, so then-President Barack Obama, sleeping in another hotel room, would not be awakened.

Jackson gained a degree of fame unusual for White House physicians earlier this year when he took questions from the White House press corps on national television, gushing at length about Trump’s health after conducting the president’s physical exam.

Trump, the oldest first-term president in American history, was plagued at the time by questions about his physical health, weight and mental stability. But Jackson gave the president a top rating. “The president’s overall health is excellent,” Jackson declared at the time.

Trump unexpectedly picked Jackson to replace a holdover from the administration of former President Obama, David Shulkin, whom Trump fired. Several lawmakers have complained that the White House did not properly vet Jackson’s background before Trump announced Jackson’s appointment.

 
…

President Donald Trump often likes to boast about how different he is from his predecessors in terms of style and substance.  But it is unlikely any past president would envy the legal challenges facing Trump, from the Russia investigation to Stormy Daniels to the scrutiny law enforcement is giving his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.  VOA national correspondent Jim Malone has more on the array of legal difficulties confronting the president from Washington.
…

President Donald Trump often likes to boast about how different he is from his predecessors in terms of style and substance.  But it is unlikely any past president would envy the legal challenges facing Trump, from the Russia investigation to Stormy Daniels to the scrutiny law enforcement is giving his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.  VOA national correspondent Jim Malone has more on the array of legal difficulties confronting the president from Washington.
…

The White House physician, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, has decided to continue his fight to win Senate confirmation to take over the country’s huge Veterans Affairs agency, even as lawmakers investigate allegations of professional misconduct and excessive drinking.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was leaving it up to Jackson to decide whether to walk away from his nomination to the Cabinet position, while appearing to nudge him toward withdrawing. But Jackson later met with Trump and told him he was not ending his bid to head the department that oversees health care for 13 million U.S. veterans and has 377,000 employees.

The White House pushed for his confirmation Wednesday, with Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling Jackson a “very highly qualified, highly respected person in the military and the medical community.” She said Jackson had discussed the allegations with Trump.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers indefinitely postponed Jackson’s scheduled Wednesday confirmation hearing as they investigate so-far unsubstantiated charges he has overseen a toxic work environment at his White House office and drank on the job.

Several news outlets reported that Jackson was known as the “candy man” for over-prescribing drug prescriptions, while CNN said in one 2015 incident, during President Barack Obama’s presidency, Jackson drunkenly banged on the hotel room door of a female employee in the middle of the night on an overseas trip. The U.S. Secret Service intervened to stop Jackson, according to the report, so then-President Obama would not be awakened.

Senator Jon Tester, the lead Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee considering Jackson’s nomination, told National Public Radio the lawmakers have heard complaints about Jackson from more than 20 current and former military members.

“We were told stories where he was repeatedly drunk while on duty, where his main job was to take care of the most powerful man in the world,” Tester said. “That’s not acceptable.”

Jackson has declined to publicly comment on the accusations, but has rejected some of the claims to senior aides and says he is being unfairly attacked.

Trump said at a Tuesday news conference he continues to support Jackson’s nomination, but he had asked Jackson, “What do you need it for?”

“The fact is I wouldn’t do it,” Trump said. “What does he need it for? To be abused by a bunch of politicians that aren’t thinking nicely about our country, I really don’t think personally he should do it, but it’s totally his decision.”

“I don’t want to put a man through — who’s not a political person — I don’t want to put a man through a process that’s too ugly and too disgusting,” Trump said.

Jackson, who currently serves as Trump’s physician, already was facing scrutiny over his lack of experience managing an agency as large as the VA, the government’s second biggest.

Trump scoffed at that concern, saying, “You could run the biggest hospital system in the world and it’s small time compared to the Veterans Administration. So nobody has the experience.”

Jackson gained a degree of fame unusual for White House physicians earlier this year when he took questions from the White House press corps on national television, gushing at length about Trump’s health after conducting the president’s physical exam.

Trump, the oldest first-term president in American history, was plagued at the time by questions about his physical health, weight and mental stability. But Jackson gave the president a top rating. “The president’s overall health is excellent,” Jackson declared at the time.

Trump unexpectedly picked Jackson to replace a holdover from the administration of former President Obama, David Shulkin, whom Trump fired. Several lawmakers have complained that the White House did not properly vet Jackson’s background before Trump announced Jackson’s appointment.
…

The White House physician, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, has decided to continue his fight to win Senate confirmation to take over the country’s huge Veterans Affairs agency, even as lawmakers investigate allegations of professional misconduct and excessive drinking.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was leaving it up to Jackson to decide whether to walk away from his nomination to the Cabinet position, while appearing to nudge him toward withdrawing. But Jackson later met with Trump and told him he was not ending his bid to head the department that oversees health care for 13 million U.S. veterans and has 377,000 employees.

The White House pushed for his confirmation Wednesday, with Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling Jackson a “very highly qualified, highly respected person in the military and the medical community.” She said Jackson had discussed the allegations with Trump.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers indefinitely postponed Jackson’s scheduled Wednesday confirmation hearing as they investigate so-far unsubstantiated charges he has overseen a toxic work environment at his White House office and drank on the job.

Several news outlets reported that Jackson was known as the “candy man” for over-prescribing drug prescriptions, while CNN said in one 2015 incident, during President Barack Obama’s presidency, Jackson drunkenly banged on the hotel room door of a female employee in the middle of the night on an overseas trip. The U.S. Secret Service intervened to stop Jackson, according to the report, so then-President Obama would not be awakened.

Senator Jon Tester, the lead Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee considering Jackson’s nomination, told National Public Radio the lawmakers have heard complaints about Jackson from more than 20 current and former military members.

“We were told stories where he was repeatedly drunk while on duty, where his main job was to take care of the most powerful man in the world,” Tester said. “That’s not acceptable.”

Jackson has declined to publicly comment on the accusations, but has rejected some of the claims to senior aides and says he is being unfairly attacked.

Trump said at a Tuesday news conference he continues to support Jackson’s nomination, but he had asked Jackson, “What do you need it for?”

“The fact is I wouldn’t do it,” Trump said. “What does he need it for? To be abused by a bunch of politicians that aren’t thinking nicely about our country, I really don’t think personally he should do it, but it’s totally his decision.”

“I don’t want to put a man through — who’s not a political person — I don’t want to put a man through a process that’s too ugly and too disgusting,” Trump said.

Jackson, who currently serves as Trump’s physician, already was facing scrutiny over his lack of experience managing an agency as large as the VA, the government’s second biggest.

Trump scoffed at that concern, saying, “You could run the biggest hospital system in the world and it’s small time compared to the Veterans Administration. So nobody has the experience.”

Jackson gained a degree of fame unusual for White House physicians earlier this year when he took questions from the White House press corps on national television, gushing at length about Trump’s health after conducting the president’s physical exam.

Trump, the oldest first-term president in American history, was plagued at the time by questions about his physical health, weight and mental stability. But Jackson gave the president a top rating. “The president’s overall health is excellent,” Jackson declared at the time.

Trump unexpectedly picked Jackson to replace a holdover from the administration of former President Obama, David Shulkin, whom Trump fired. Several lawmakers have complained that the White House did not properly vet Jackson’s background before Trump announced Jackson’s appointment.
…

Republican Debbie Lesko has won the special election in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, keeping the U.S. House seat in GOP control. 

The former state senator on Tuesday defeated Hiral Tipirneni, a former emergency room physician. Tipernini had hoped to replicate surprising Democratic wins in Pennsylvania, Alabama and other states in a year where opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies have boosted the party’s chances in Republican strongholds. 

Lesko replaces former Rep. Trent Franks, a Republican who resigned in December amid sexual misconduct allegations. 

The district sprawls across western Phoenix suburbs, covering some of the most conservative areas of the red state, including the retirement community of Sun City. 

National Republican groups spent big to back Lesko, pouring in more than $500,000 in the suburban Phoenix district for television and mail ads and phone calls to voters. National Democratic groups hadn’t committed money to the race, a sign they didn’t believe the seat was in play. Still, the influential Cook Political Report moved the race from solid Republican to likely Republican the week before the election. 

In the Feb. 27 primary, two out of every three ballots were cast for a Republican. 

The seat became open when Franks stepped down after acknowledging that he had discussed surrogacy with two female staffers. A former aide told The Associated Press that he pressed her to carry his child as a surrogate and offered her $5 million. 

Tipirneni was seen as a fresh Democratic face with relatively moderate views that could get support in the district. Making a push for older voters, she had said Lesko would vote to go after entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicaid to pay for tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy. She’s pushed a plan to allow some people to buy into Medicare. 

Lesko slammed Tipirneni as being out of touch with voters who oppose government-run health care. She called the Democrat too liberal for the area, and pointed to Tipirneni’s opposition to a wall on the Mexican border. 

Several Republican voters who spoke with AP said they backed Lesko primarily because she supported President Donald Trump’s border security plans. 

David Hunt, a 64-year-old retired construction and warehouse worker from Glendale, said he cast his vote Tuesday for Lesko because he believed that immigrants in the country illegally are creating unfair competition for jobs for recent high school students in Arizona. 

“She’s the best candidate to deal with the porous border,” Hunt said. 

His views were echoed by Larry Bettis, a retiree from Glendale. 

“Immigration – the fence,” Bettis said. “That’s all I really care about.” 

Democrats said they wanted to send a message to Trump and supported Democratic health care plans. 

“I don’t like the president and felt it was time to take a stand,” said Nikole Allen, a 45-year-old medical assistant from New York now living in Glendale. “It’s time for us to vote the Republicans out.” 

Lance Ostrander, a registered Democrat who works for Maricopa County and lives in Peoria, said he’d be happy if Tipirneni wins. 

“We’d really like a change,” he said. “Trump had a lot of good ideas at first but a lot of people feel like they were hoodwinked.”
…

Republican Debbie Lesko has won the special election in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, keeping the U.S. House seat in GOP control. 

The former state senator on Tuesday defeated Hiral Tipirneni, a former emergency room physician. Tipernini had hoped to replicate surprising Democratic wins in Pennsylvania, Alabama and other states in a year where opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies have boosted the party’s chances in Republican strongholds. 

Lesko replaces former Rep. Trent Franks, a Republican who resigned in December amid sexual misconduct allegations. 

The district sprawls across western Phoenix suburbs, covering some of the most conservative areas of the red state, including the retirement community of Sun City. 

National Republican groups spent big to back Lesko, pouring in more than $500,000 in the suburban Phoenix district for television and mail ads and phone calls to voters. National Democratic groups hadn’t committed money to the race, a sign they didn’t believe the seat was in play. Still, the influential Cook Political Report moved the race from solid Republican to likely Republican the week before the election. 

In the Feb. 27 primary, two out of every three ballots were cast for a Republican. 

The seat became open when Franks stepped down after acknowledging that he had discussed surrogacy with two female staffers. A former aide told The Associated Press that he pressed her to carry his child as a surrogate and offered her $5 million. 

Tipirneni was seen as a fresh Democratic face with relatively moderate views that could get support in the district. Making a push for older voters, she had said Lesko would vote to go after entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicaid to pay for tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy. She’s pushed a plan to allow some people to buy into Medicare. 

Lesko slammed Tipirneni as being out of touch with voters who oppose government-run health care. She called the Democrat too liberal for the area, and pointed to Tipirneni’s opposition to a wall on the Mexican border. 

Several Republican voters who spoke with AP said they backed Lesko primarily because she supported President Donald Trump’s border security plans. 

David Hunt, a 64-year-old retired construction and warehouse worker from Glendale, said he cast his vote Tuesday for Lesko because he believed that immigrants in the country illegally are creating unfair competition for jobs for recent high school students in Arizona. 

“She’s the best candidate to deal with the porous border,” Hunt said. 

His views were echoed by Larry Bettis, a retiree from Glendale. 

“Immigration – the fence,” Bettis said. “That’s all I really care about.” 

Democrats said they wanted to send a message to Trump and supported Democratic health care plans. 

“I don’t like the president and felt it was time to take a stand,” said Nikole Allen, a 45-year-old medical assistant from New York now living in Glendale. “It’s time for us to vote the Republicans out.” 

Lance Ostrander, a registered Democrat who works for Maricopa County and lives in Peoria, said he’d be happy if Tipirneni wins. 

“We’d really like a change,” he said. “Trump had a lot of good ideas at first but a lot of people feel like they were hoodwinked.”
…

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to keep in place deportation protection for 700,000 young undocumented immigrants known as “dreamers.”

In a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, District Judge John Bates also ordered the Department of Homeland Security to accept new applicants to the program.

The 2012 policy enacted under former President Barack Obama allowed undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as minors, were enrolled in or completed high school and did not have a serious criminal record to live and work in the country for two-year renewable periods without the fear of deportation.

DHS rescinded the program in 2017, arguing the prior administration lacked the legal authority to create it. 

Trump gave lawmakers a March deadline for coming up with a permanent fix for DACA recipients, but the Republican-led Congress has not acted. Several federal courts have also ruled existing DACA protections must remain in place while the overall legal challenges continue.

Judge Bates wrote in the Tuesday decision that the DHS decision to rescind DACA was “arbitrary and capricious because the department failed to adequately explain its conclusion that the program is unlawful.”

He put his ruling on hold for 90 days to give the department a chance to “better explain its rescission decision.”

There was no immediate response from the Trump administration.
…

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to keep in place deportation protection for 700,000 young undocumented immigrants known as “dreamers.”

In a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, District Judge John Bates also ordered the Department of Homeland Security to accept new applicants to the program.

The 2012 policy enacted under former President Barack Obama allowed undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as minors, were enrolled in or completed high school and did not have a serious criminal record to live and work in the country for two-year renewable periods without the fear of deportation.

DHS rescinded the program in 2017, arguing the prior administration lacked the legal authority to create it. 

Trump gave lawmakers a March deadline for coming up with a permanent fix for DACA recipients, but the Republican-led Congress has not acted. Several federal courts have also ruled existing DACA protections must remain in place while the overall legal challenges continue.

Judge Bates wrote in the Tuesday decision that the DHS decision to rescind DACA was “arbitrary and capricious because the department failed to adequately explain its conclusion that the program is unlawful.”

He put his ruling on hold for 90 days to give the department a chance to “better explain its rescission decision.”

There was no immediate response from the Trump administration.
…