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.…
Pentagon: US troops must get their COVID-19 vaccines ASAP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Military troops must immediately begin to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo Wednesday, ordering service leaders to “impose ambitious timelines for implementat…
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.
US probes possible health incidents that delayed Harris trip
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.
2 US lawmakers' Kabul trip prompts Biden administration fury
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two members of Congress flew unannounced into Kabul airport in the middle of the chaotic evacuation stunning State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide sec…
Harris urges Vietnam to join US in opposing China 'bullying'
HANOI (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris called on Vietnam to join the U.S. in challenging China’s “bullying” in the South China Sea, continuing her sharp rhetoric against Beijing as she met with Vietnamese leader…
Herschel Walker begins Georgia GOP Senate bid amid unknowns
ATLANTA (AP) — Herschel Walker said he "can't sit on the sidelines anymore” as he joined the Republican U.S. Senate race in Georgia. He's running with some definite advantages — including his football fame and the …
Japan further expands virus emergency areas as cases surge
TOKYO (AP) — Japan expanded its coronavirus state of emergency on Wednesday for a second week in a row, adding eight more prefectures as a surge in infections fueled by the delta variant strains the country’s healt…
Biden to tackle cybersecurity with tech, finance leaders
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is meeting Wednesday with top executives from some of the country's leading technology companies and financial institutions as the White House urges the private sector to help …
Duterte confirms he'll run for Philippines VP next year
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Tough-talking Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed rumblings that he will run next year for vice president, in what critics say is an attempt at an end-run around constituti…
US VP Harris: Focus must stay on Afghan evacuation
SINGAPORE (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris asserted Monday that the U.S. must maintain its focus on evacuating Americans and vulnerable Afghans and shouldn’t get distracted by questions over what went wrong in t…
House passes $3.5T Biden blueprint after deal with moderates
WASHINGTON (AP) — Striking a deal with moderates, House Democratic leaders have muscled President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle, ending a risky standoff and putting the party’s…
US examining Boeing's treatment of safety-related employees
A small group of Boeing engineers who perform key safety tasks are raising concerns about their ability to work free of pressure from supervisors, and their comments are prompting federal regulators to take a broad…
US boarding school review prompts calls for trauma support
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Some members of Congress want to ensure that protections are put in place to address ongoing trauma as more information comes to light about the troubled history of Indigenous boarding scho…
Harris rebukes China in speech on Indo-Pacific vision
HANOI (AP) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a sharp rebuke to China for its incursions in the South China Sea, warning its actions there amount to “coercion” and “intimidation” and affirming that the U…
Commissioner calls for federal firefighter vaccine mandate
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The leader of Washington state’s wildfire response is calling on federal agencies to take the additional step of requiring COVID-19 vaccinations among their wildland firefighting forces to sec…