WASHINGTON (AP) – Controversial U.S. Senate hopefuls Ken Paxton, a Republican from Texas, and Graham Platner, a Democrat from Maine, visited the nation’s capital Tuesday to shore up support within their respective parties, with Paxton’s itinerary including a White House huddle with President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Monday that he is standing by Graham Platner in the wake of media reports that the Maine Senate candidate previously exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women while he was married.

TYRE, Lebanon (AP) – Iran on Saturday said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz because of Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon and warned that while negotiators were going to Switzerland for talks with the United States on their interim agreement, not much likely will happen if the fighting doesn’t stop.

OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) – U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Sunday there was an opportunity to “turn over a new leaf” with Iran as the sides held talks aimed at building out the interim deal to end the war in Iran reached by the two sides last week.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Graham Platner’s wife publicly responded over the weekend to reports that she had informed his U.S. Senate campaign that the candidate had previously exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women.

President Donald Trump’s administration is suing four states over their refusal to issue undercover license plates to federal agents, the latest front in the wider struggle between the White House and Democratic-led states over the Republican president’s immigration crackdown.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – A Maine initiative intended to limit transgender students’ ability to participate in sports has been removed from the ballot because of invalid signatures, the secretary of state ruled Tuesday.

Utah has spent the past year fighting measles outbreaks – a grim milestone that could affect whether the United States can keep its measles-free designation.