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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Constitution spells it out clearly in Article II, Section 3: The president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
But the modern State of the Union address — the pageantry, the televised address and the agenda-setting message — is a far more recent tradition that began in the late 18th century.

WASHINGTON — Acting Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler described himself as a champion of deregulation and the environment at his confirmation hearing Wednesday, even as a leading Democrat called him “just as extreme” as predecessor Scott Pruitt.

DETROIT — Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees will seek to oust interim President John Engler if he doesn’t resign amid criticism of comments he has made about victims of imprisoned ex-sports medicine doctor Larry Nassar, a trustee said Wednesday.
Brian Mosallam told The Associated Press that the “the votes are there” to force Engler out at a special board meeting scheduled Thursday at the East Lansing school.

PORTLAND — A 66-year-old woman reported missing after not arriving at work in Corvallis last week was found dead Tuesday in the Willamette River about a mile downstream from where authorities recovered her submerged pickup.
Suzanne Durheim of Brownsville was reported missing Jan. 7. That same day relatives looking for her spotted evidence that a pickup that looked like Durheim’s went off the road at U.S. 20 near milepost 1 north of Corvallis and into the river, according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.