Democrats are hoping to increase liberal control of the state Supreme Court in battleground Wisconsin in an election that has focused largely on abortion rights as cases affecting congressional redistricting, union rights and other hot button issues also await. Tuesday’s election in the swing state stands in stark contrast to the previous two, where national spending records were set in battles over majority control. The race features Democratic-backed Chris Taylor and Republican-supported Maria Lazar. Both Taylor and Lazar are state appeals court judges. Liberals won control of the court in 2023, ending 15 years under a conservative majority. They held onto control in last year's vote.

Moms for Liberty made a name for itself at the local level, fighting to win control of school boards as it battled “woke indoctrination” in the classroom. Now it's being embraced by the Trump administration and gaining new influence in national decisions. Co-founder and CEO Tina Descovich said she has a voice in discussions around transgender sports bans, artificial intelligence and more. Experts say her group is filling an advisory role typically given to establishment groups that have shied away from the Trump administration. Critics say Moms for Liberty has extreme views that don't represent most Americans.

After Pam Bondi became U.S. attorney general last year, conservative influencers, online sleuths and others who wanted the government to disclose all it knew about Jeffrey Epstein thought they might have a champion in the Department of Justice. So did some of the legions of women who have said they were sexually assaulted by the late financier and convicted sex offender with a roster of powerful friends in business, politics and beyond. But Bondi's handling of the “Epstein files” became a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general. Bondi rejected criticism of her handling of the issue, and Trump on Thursday praised her as “a Great American Patriot.”

President Donald Trump said Pam Bondi is out as his attorney general. Trump in a social media post on Thursday named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting attorney general, though three people familiar with the matter have said he has privately discussed Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, as a permanent pick. It marks the end of a contentious tenure of a loyalist who upended the Justice Department’s culture of independence from the White House, oversaw large-scale firings of career employees and moved aggressively to investigate the Republican president’s perceived enemies.

Chile’s new president is a devout Catholic in a country that has grown increasingly secular but retains conservative traits in various areas. José Antonio Kast's faith resonates with some supporters, even as analysts say it may shape — but not immediately change — policy on issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Kast — who took office on March 11 — won 58% of the vote after pledging to crack down on crime and deport immigrants without legal status. Kast has opposed emergency contraception, same-sex marriage, and abortion for years. He belongs to Schoenstatt, a Catholic movement devoted to the Virgin Mary.

There will be no Charlie Kirk highway in his home state of Arizona. And elected officials are pointing to politics as the reason. Republican lawmakers in Arizona had passed a bill to name a highway loop around Phoenix after the conservative activist who was assassinated last year. But Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the legislation. Hobbs suggested Republicans had injected politics into a naming decision that should have been left to a state board. Republican state Senate President Warren Petersen says Hobbs practiced politics by refusing to recognize the impact that Kirk had on society. More than 20 states are considering bills honoring Kirk.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has positioned himself as the grassroots favorite in the runoff election to determine the party's Senate nominee. The election is May 26 and Paxton is trying to unseat John Cornyn. Paxton is drawing praise from right-wing activists who are attending the Conservative Political Action Conference near Dallas. Cornyn skipped the event, but Paxton headlined the Ronald Reagan dinner Friday night and had a private reception on Saturday. Cornyn has more fundraising and support from the party establishment, but Paxton is leaning into his “Make America Great Again” loyalty.

President Donald Trump did not attend one of the biggest yearly meetings of conservatives for the first time in nearly a decade. But even in his absence, the Conservative Political Action Conference revolved around him. There were disagreements over his war with Iran, pride over his immigration crackdown and lots of encouragement to avoid infighting as the Republican Party faces a difficult midterm election. It was a contrast with last year’s gathering, when conservatives were riding high after Trump’s return to office and Elon Musk waved a chain saw to symbolize his new role leading the Department of Government Efficiency.

A sharp generational split over the Iran war is opening up at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference. Younger attendees tell The Associated Press they feel disappointed and even betrayed by President Donald Trump’s launch of strikes against Iran. They say his actions clash with his America-first promises. Older conservatives defend Trump and call the war a pragmatic response to threats. Some younger voters say their support has slipped, and they worry about troops deploying. Prominent conservatives in the media are also divided on the conflict. CPAC leaders are pushing for unity with tough midterms ahead.