Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Ballots due today; officials urge voters to use drop boxes or hand-cancel mailed ballots
EPHRATA — Today is the final day for residents to return their ballots for the 2026 General Election, and election…
EU countries expel Russian diplomats in tit-for-tat
BERLIN (AP) — Germany, Poland and Sweden on Monday each declared a Russian diplomat in their country “persona non grata,” retaliating in kind to last week’s decision by Moscow to expel diplomats from the three Euro…
Trump lawyers blast impeachment trial as 'political theater'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday blasted the impeachment case against him as an act of “political theater” and accused House Democrats on the eve of the former president's trial of exploiting th…
Trump impeachment to open with debate on constitutionality
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial will launch this week with a debate and a vote on whether it's even constitutional to prosecute the former president over the deadly Capitol siege …
Austria warns against travel to Tyrol, eases virus curbs
VIENNA (AP) — Austria on Monday issued a warning against travel to its Tyrol province amid concerns over cases of a coronavirus variant first discovered in South Africa, even as the country eased its third lockdown…
AP-NORC poll: Few in US say democracy is working very well
WASHINGTON (AP) — Only a fragment of Americans believe democracy is thriving in the U.S., even as broad majorities agree that representative government is one of the country's bedrock principles, according to a new…
US plans to reengage with UN rights council, reversing Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States announced plans Monday to reengage with the much-maligned U.N. Human Rights Council that former President Donald Trump withdrew from almost three years ago, as the Biden administ…
S Africa seeks new vaccine plan after halting AstraZeneca
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa is considering giving a COVID-19 vaccine that is still in the testing phase to health workers, after suspending the rollout of another shot that preliminary data indicated may be on…
Pope seeks 'Copernican revolution' for post-COVID economy
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis urged governments on Monday to use the coronavirus crisis as a revolutionary opportunity to create a world that is more economically and environmentally just — and where basic health care i…
Justices: California can't enforce indoor church service ban
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is telling California that it can't bar indoor church services because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it can keep for now a
Judge won’t dismiss lawsuit over man killed by Kent police
SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge has refused to dismiss a civil-rights lawsuit filed against the city of Kent and a police officer involved in the shooting of Giovanni Joseph-McDade.
Senate Republicans back Trump as impeachment trial nears
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s defenders in the Senate on Sunday rallied around the former president before his
Cheney says she won't quit the House after Wyoming censure
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Liz Cheney, the third-ranking House GOP leader, said Sunday she was undeterred by a
As Trump prosecutor, delegate gets her say on impeachment
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stacey Plaskett couldn't cast a vote last month when the House impeached former President Donald Trump. But she can help prosecute him.
A test for Trumpism: Virginia Republicans seek new playbook
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The national Republican Party in Washington is at war with itself, struggling to reconcile a bitter divide between former President Donald Trump's fierce loyalists and those who want Trumpism p…
AP PHOTOS: Harsh weather hits Europe, but also brings fun
LONDON (AP) — Severe weather in Europe, ranging from floods in France to heavy snow in Germany, has caused disruption and damage — but also magnificent backdrops to behold or play in.