Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Thompson leads 13th District race, plans focus on costs, access
EPHRATA — Joshua Thompson led Deanna Martinez by 3,278 votes for the 13th Legislative District’s state representat…
Australia open to taking gunman back from New Zealand
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s prime minister said Friday he was open to allowing an Australian white supremacist who slaughtered 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques to serve his life sentence in his …
Nebraska state banking director set to retire next month
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's top banking and finance regulator is set to retire next month after five and a half years of service, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Thursday.
Wolf, Republicans at odds over Pennsylvania election law
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican state lawmakers remained at odds Thursday over how to update Pennsylvania's voting laws to handle an expected avalanche of mail-in ballots in November's president…
The Latest: Virus test purchases may feature in Trump speech
WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says the Trump administration has purchased 150 million new COVID-19 test kits to be distributed across the country.
State Senate meets without 10 GOP senators amid virus tests
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — All but one of the Republicans in the California Senate were barred from the state Capitol on Thursday after they were exposed to the coronavirus, prompting unprecedented changes that will…
Judge orders ex-CIA officer detained in China spy case
HONOLULU (AP) — A former CIA officer and contract linguist for the FBI accused of selling U.S. secrets to China must remain locked up because he's a “serious flight risk” in a case involving “espionage over many, m…
Polis signs order to diversify Colorado state government
DENVER (AP) — Amid the backdrop of the nation's reckoning over racial inequities, Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday signed an executive order he says is designed to diversify state government and create policies to prom…
Michigan officials decry robocall that dissuades mail voting
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's attorney general and secretary of state on Thursday were investigating what they called a racist robocall that falsely warns residents in majority-Black Detroit who vote by mail tha…
Pelosi, Meadows talk $2.2T virus aid, but no deal in sight
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows resumed talks Thursday over a stalled
Ashford won't run for Senate despite Democratic endorsement
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford reversed course Thursday and announced that he won't run as a write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate, just days after
California Senate meets as GOP senators tested for virus
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Nearly all of the Republicans in the California Senate were barred from entering the state Capitol on Thursday after they were exposed to the coronavirus, prompting unprecedented changes t…
Biden, Harris criticize Trump response to unrest, pandemic
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden and Kamala Harris stepped up their criticism of President Donald Trump on Thursday, saying he’s rooting for violence amid unrest in Wisconsin and blasting him for a lack of leadership on…
Watchdog groups say convention appearances broke Hatch Act
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two White House officials violated the Hatch Act by participating in choreographed events that were aired during this week's Republican National Convention, according to two separate ethics compla…
What virus? At GOP's convention, pandemic is largely ignored
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was a stunning scene in a country where parents and children have been laid to rest without their loved ones present, schools have gone to online-only learning and businesses have shut their do…
Longtime Nebraska state budget administrator to retire
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state budget official who championed Nebraska's cautious, “pay-as-you-go” approach to state spending will retire next month after 44 years of public service under both Democratic and Republic…