Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Auditor candidates discuss election integrity, public confidence
EPHRATA — Three Republican candidates are running for the position of Grant County Auditor: incumbent Shannon Fals…
The Latest: Taliban block hundreds from leaving Afghanistan
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan — An Afghan employee of an American organization in Afghanistan says the Taliban are blocking her and hundreds of other people from boarding charter evacuation flights out of Afghanistan.
The Latest: Students return to classes in Spain fully masked
MADRID — Over 8 million schoolchildren and teenagers in Spain are returning to classes this week with masks and efforts to keep social distancing, while authorities try to boost the vaccination rates among students.
UK leader gambles on tax hike to pay for elder care
LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday he plans to keep an election promise to grapple with the rocketing cost of the long-term care needed by Britain’s growing older population. To do it…
Americans warier of US government surveillance: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks approaches, Americans increasingly balk at intrusive government surveillance in the name of national security, and only about a thi…
The Latest: Taliban disperse Kabul rally, arrest journalists
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban have fired gunshots to disperse a rally on Tuesday in Kabul and arrested several Afghan journalists who were covering the demonstration, witnesses and Afghan media outlets said.
The Latest: Seoul: Taliban gov't must respect basic rights
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s Foreign Ministry says Seoul is willing to work with a new Afghanistan government led by the Taliban if it follows “international convention, respects basic human rights and refuse…
The Latest: Blinken says US working with Taliban on flights
DOHA, Qatar — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the State Department is working with the Taliban to facilitate additional charter flights from Kabul for people seeking to leave Afghanistan after the Ameri…
The Latest: Merkel says vaccinated aren't 'guinea pigs'
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has publicly rebuked a top rival politician’s comments describing people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as “guinea pigs.”
US: Afghan evacuees who fail initial screening Kosovo-bound
An ardent U.S. ally, Kosovo, has agreed to take in Afghanistan evacuees who fail to clear initial rounds of screening and host them for up to a year, a U.S. official said Saturday, in an intended fix to one of the …
Jill Biden heads back to classroom as a working first lady
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden has gone back to her whiteboard.
Portland to vote on Texas trade ban over abortion law
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The City Council in Portland, Oregon will vote Wednesday on an emergency resolution that would ban the purchase of goods and services from Texas in response to a new law there prohibiting most…
Tens of thousands protest for gay marriage in Switzerland
BERLIN (AP) — Tens of thousands protested in Switzerland on Saturday for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Alpine country.
The Latest: Iran president calls for election in Afghanistan
TEHRAN — Iran’s president is calling for elections in Afghanistan to determine the future of the country, where he hopes peace will return after Western troops have left and the Taliban have seized control.
Ethnic tensions flare up in Montenegro over church ceremony
PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Protesters clashed with hundreds of riot police in the old capital of Montenegro on Saturday, setting up blockades of tires and large rocks ahead of the inauguration of the new head of …
The Latest: More U.S. first responders are dying of COVID-19
UNDATED -- The resurgence of COVID-19 this summer and the national debate over vaccine requirements have created a fraught situation for the United States' first responders, who are dying in larger numbers but push…