Article snippet: Tactics used in a special election for a US Senate seat from Alabama last year might have violated state campaign laws, the state’s attorney general said. House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka are already among the highest-paid legislative leaders in the country. Political Notebook The pay raise Trump authorized this year amounted to 2.6 percent, not 10 percent. Republican leaders gave up hope Thursday of reopening the government before the new year, leaving the border wall impasse to House Democrats. NAMES Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday reached back into the early 2000s musical archives. House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka are already among the highest-paid legislative leaders in the country. House Republicans said no votes are expected for the rest of the week, making it likely the government shutdown will continue. Political Notebook The pay raise Trump authorized this year amounted to 2.6 percent, not 10 percent. NAMES Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday reached back into the early 2000s musical archives. <?EM-dummyText [This is dummy text for the story. This is dummy text for the story. This is dummy text for the story. This is dummy text for the story. This is dummy text for the story. This is dummy text for the story. This is dummy text for the story. This is dummy text for the story.]> © 2018 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC Link to the full article to read more