Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Grant County primary turnout slips from 2022 levels as officials look ahead to November election
EPHRATA — Grant County's voter turnout in the 2026 primary election finished at nearly 34%, a figure county electi…
New Mexico prepares strategies for helping the unemployed
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Six times as many people in New Mexico filed for unemployment insurance in July compared with the peak period of job losses during the Great Recession in 2009.
Sheldon Silver begins prison sentence in corruption case
NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, once one of the most powerful politicians in the state, started his prison sentence Wednesday after years of fending off going behind bars.
Rhode Island launches 211 voter information hotline
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island residents with questions about voting during the coronavirus pandemic now have a one-stop resource to get the answers, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea said Wednesday.
EU weighs options to pull Greece and Turkey back from brink
BERLIN (AP) — European Union foreign ministers plan to tackle one of the bloc's most urgent and complex challenges Thursday as they try to persuade member nation Greece and its neighbor Turkey to pull back from the…
Sheldon Silver begins prison term in corruption case that ended his stint as 1 of New York’s most powerful politicians
OTISVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Sheldon Silver begins prison term in corruption case that ended his stint as 1 of New York’s most powerful politicians.
Boot-hatted satirist Vermin Supreme launches mock Senate bid
BOSTON (AP) — Vermin Supreme, the perennial presidential candidate who wears a boot on his head and promises every American a free pony, is mounting a write-in campaign for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts.
Harris will be Democrats' main counter to Trump on Thursday
Democratic vice presidential nominee
Belarus' Nobel Prize-winning author questioned amid protests
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Belarus' Nobel Prize-winning author was summoned for questioning Wednesday and police detained dozens of demonstrators in a continuing crackdown on protests challenging the re-election of the …
Judge boots challenge to mass mailing of ballot applications
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan judge on Wednesday dismissed lawsuits challenging the secretary of state's mailing of absentee ballot applications to millions of voters who did not request one, ruling that Jocelyn…
Polish president swears in new foreign, health ministers
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's president on Wednesday swore in two new ministers to key posts in the conservative government: a foreign minister at a time of crisis in neighboring Belarus and a health minister as C…
New unemployment payments to begin in Alaska within 2 months
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Additional unemployment benefits approved by the federal government are expected to reach Alaska residents in six to eight weeks, officials said.
Montenegro president: Independence at stake in upcoming vote
PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegro’s president says a weekend parliamentary election will be crucial to the preservation of the small Balkan state’s independence in the face of renewed attempts by Serbia and R…
Pressure mounts on Russia to investigate Navalny's illness
MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin said Wednesday it doesn’t want the condition of sickened opposition leader Alexei Navalny to affect Russia's relations with the West as international pressure mounted on Moscow to investig…
German governing parties seek reform of electoral system
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's governing parties have proposed a reform to the country's electoral system to prevent its parliament, already one of the world's biggest, from expanding further. Opposition parties dismissed…
Heal the country? Disease specialists running for Congress
BOSTON (AP) — A background in science — specifically, infectious disease and epidemiology — may not spring to mind as a key selling point for candidates hoping to land a seat in Congress.