In a rare bipartisan effort for a deeply divided Congress, the Senate has passed a broad bill to make U.S. housing more accessible and affordable. The bill passed on Thursday would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors and expand how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals. It now heads back to the House, which passed a separate version earlier this year. It is unclear whether President Donald Trump would sign it after declaring last weekend that he won't sign any new measures unless Congress passes legislation that would require voters to show proof of citizenship.

From former presidents to an NBA Hall of Famer to prominent church pastors, stories of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.'s influence on politics, corporate boardrooms and picket lines loomed large at a celebration honoring the late civil rights leader. Thousands of people gathered Friday at a church on Chicago's South Side to pay a final public tribute to Jackson. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden were in attendance. The ceremony honors Jackson, a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate. It follows memorial services that drew large crowds in Chicago and South Carolina, where Jackson was born.

A racist post on President Donald Trump's social media account depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle has been taken down. The White House initially defended the Republican president's Thursday night post. But the post was deleted Friday after widespread backlash for its treatment of the nation's first Black president and first lady, who are Democrats. Black and white Republicans joined civil rights advocates in criticizing the post as racist. An Obama spokeswoman says the former president has no response.

Former President Barack Obama has expressed support for California Governor Gavin Newsom's approach to redistricting. Obama spoke at a fundraiser on Martha's Vineyard, emphasizing the need for Democrats to respond effectively to Republican-led redistricting efforts, particularly in Texas. He praised Newsom's plan as responsible and temporary, contingent on Republican states' actions. The event raised $2 million for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Texas lawmakers have been debating a new congressional map that could create five new GOP seats. Democratic governors are considering similar strategies to strengthen their party's position in Congress.

Hot mics have a knack for revealing unguarded moments in politics. On Monday, one captured President Donald Trump and eight European leaders chatting at a White House news conference about Ukraine. Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to make a deal with him. Hot mics have historically caught leaders off guard, revealing their true thoughts. From President Ronald Reagan's joke about Russia to President Joe Biden's comment on the Affordable Care Act, these moments often reveal more than scripted speeches. Leaders are reminded that in public, privacy is a luxury.

 Just 1 in 4 U.S. adults say President Donald Trump's policies have helped them. That's according to a new AP-NORC poll that finds underwhelming marks for the Republican president on key issues, including the economy, immigration, government spending and health care. Overall, Trump fails to earn majority approval on any of the issues included in the poll. A majority of Americans see Trump as at least somewhat capable of getting things done following the passage of his sprawling budget bill. The mixed reviews come six months into Trump's term as he struggles to follow through on some campaign promises, including lowering costs for working-class Americans, preserving programs like Medicaid and lowering government spending.