Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
3 council members renew oaths of office in Ephrata
EPHRATA — Three Ephrata City Council Members were sworn in Wednesday evening after winning their respective races.…
South Dakota AG gets fines, no jail time in pedestrian death
FORT PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg pleaded no contest Thursday to a pair of misdemeanor traffic charges over a crash last year that killed a pedestrian, avoiding jail time despit…
COVID-19 forces Idaho hospitals past capacity, toward crisis
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Hospital facilities and public health agencies are scrambling to add capacity as the number of coronavirus cases continue to rise statewide. But many Idaho residents don't seem to feel the same …
RFK assassin Sirhan seeks parole; DA won't challenge release
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Sirhan Sirhan faces his 16th parole hearing Friday for fatally shooting U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, and for the first time no prosecutor will be there to argue he should be kept behind bar…
US closing troubled NYC jail where Epstein killed himself
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. government said Thursday it is shutting down a federal jail in New York City after a slew of problems that came to light following disgraced financier
Israeli leader meets with Biden as Mideast tensions grow
WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's meeting with President Joe Biden comes in the midst of heightened tensions with its regional archenemy, Iran, and as Israel grapples with a gradual resurge…
California looking to pay drug addicts to stay sober
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Frustrated by out-of-control increases in drug overdose deaths, California's leaders are trying something radical: They want the state to be the first to pay people to stay sober.
100,000 more COVID deaths seen unless US changes its ways
The U.S. is projected to see nearly 100,000 more COVID-19 deaths between now and Dec. 1, according to the nation's most closely watched forecasting model. But health experts say that toll could be cut in half if ne…
Israeli PM and Biden postpone meeting because of Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett have postponed their White House meeting as Biden focused his attention on dealing with the aftermath of deadly explosions near the K…
Masks ordered for most Florida students, defying DeSantis
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Just over half of Florida’s 2.8 million public school students now face mandates to wear masks in classrooms as a courtroom battle continues over efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis to leave su…
Washington state orders the killing of up to 2 wolves
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The state of Washington on Thursday ordered the killing of one or two wolves from the Togo pack in Ferry County in response to repeated attacks on cattle.
US soldier loses 1 Afghan translator; fights to save another
BREMEN, Germany (AP) — The two men risked their lives together nearly a decade ago trying to eliminate the Taliban, dodging bullets and forever bonding in a way that can only be forged in war.
US says 1,500 Americans may still await Kabul evacuation
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that as many as 1,500 Americans may be awaiting evacuation from Afghanistan, a figure that suggests the U.S. may accomplish its highest priority fo…
Possible 'Havana Syndrome' incidents probed in Harris delay
HANOI (AP) — U.S. officials are continuing to investigate two possible cases of so-called Havana Syndrome health incidents that delayed Vice President Kamala Harris' trip from Singapore to Vietnam.
Pandemic windfall for US schools has few strings attached
As the federal government releases historic sums of pandemic aid to the nation’s schools, it’s urging them to dream big, to invest in seismic changes that will benefit students for generations to come. But many dis…
Supreme Court allows evictions to resume during pandemic
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because o…