Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Soap Lake looking to seat salary commission
SOAP LAKE — The City of Soap Lake is seeking residents to serve on its newly reactivated Salary Commission, a citi…
Merkel, Putin spar over Navalny but vow to maintain dialogue
MOSCOW (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their sharply different views of Russia's treatment of imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, democratic values and o…
How AI-powered tech landed man in jail with scant evidence
CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Williams’ wife pleaded with him to remember their fishing trips with the grandchildren, how he used to braid her hair, anything to jar him back to his world outside the concrete walls of Cook…
US keeps ban on nonessential border crossings to slow COVID
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government on Friday extended a ban on nonessential travel along the borders with Canada and Mexico to slow the spread of COVID-19 despite increasing pressure to lift the restriction.
US struggles to speed Kabul airlift despite Taliban, chaos
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States struggled Thursday to pick up the pace of American and Afghan evacuations at Kabul airport, constrained by obstacles ranging from armed Taliban checkpoints to paperwork problems.…
Officials knew mayor's phone setting caused texts to vanish
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office said this spring that 10 months of her missing text messages could be attributed to an “unknown technology issue.”
Booming Colo. town asks, ‘Where will water come from?’
GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — "Go West, young man,'' Horace Greeley famously urged.
Harris' Asia trip carries new urgency after Afghan collapse
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has given new urgency to Vice President Kamala Harris' tour of Southeast Asia, where she will attempt to reassure allies of American resolve following the chaot…
Scottish Greens agree to back pro-independence government
LONDON (AP) — The Scottish National Party and the Scottish Greens agreed Friday on a power-sharing deal that falls short of a coalition government but could pave the way to another referendum on Scotland's independ…
Biden to require COVID vaccines for nursing home staff
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced that his administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving fed…
Biden backs end to wolf protections but hunting worries grow
FARIBAULT, Minn. (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration is sticking by the decision under former President Donald Trump to lift protections for gray wolves across most of the U.S. But a top federal wildlife of…
Federal courts impose new COVID-19 restrictions amid surge
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — When Sigal Chattah goes to federal court to challenge a school mask mandate issued by the governor of Nevada, she'll likely be required to wear the very thing she's arguing against: a mask.
Sheriff contracts COVID-19, still plans to fight mandates
GOLDENDALE, Wash. (AP) — A Southwest Washington state sheriff who has been especially vocal in his opposition to pandemic restrictions recently contracted COVID-19, was hospitalized and is relying on oxygen.
Allies embraced Biden. Did Kabul lay bare "great illusion"?
BRUSSELS (AP) — Well before U.S. President Joe Biden took office early this year, the European Union's foreign policy chief sang his praises and hailed a new era in cooperation. So did almost all of Washington's We…
Justice Dept. bolsters monitoring of federal inmate accounts
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is directing the federal prison system to revamp how it monitors government-run prison deposit accounts that have at times been used by inmates to shield themselves from pay…
US to erase student debt for those with severe disabilities
The Biden administration announced Thursday it will automatically erase student loan debt for more than 300,000 Americans with severe disabilities that leave them unable to earn significant incomes.