Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Kriete, Gregg weigh continuity vs. change in final Q&A
EPHRATA — After four rounds of questions on leadership, public safety, accountability and the future of the Grant …
Biden to address chaotic Kabul evacuation, flights resume
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a torrent of criticism, President Joe Biden planned to speak Friday about the chaotic evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan as the U.S. struggles with obstacles ranging from a…
Malaysian king picks ex-deputy PM as nation's new leader
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s longest-governing political party reclaimed the premiership it lost in a shock 2018 election defeat, after the king on Friday named its candidate, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as th…
Mullah's rise charts Taliban's long road back to power
The Taliban's top political leader, who made a triumphal return to Afghanistan this week, battled the U.S. and its allies for decades but then signed a landmark peace agreement with the Trump administration.
At 60, Peace Corps plots return to world after virus hiatus
DEDZA, Malawi (AP) — More than a year after COVID-19 began sweeping the world, abruptly cutting short her Peace Corps stint, Cameron Beach is once again living in rural Malawi — this time on her own dime.
Afghans plead for faster US evacuation from Taliban rule
WASHINGTON (AP) — Educated young women, former U.S. military translators and other Afghans most at-risk from the Taliban appealed to the Biden administration to get them on evacuation flights as the United States s…
Chief in charge of intel before Capitol riot returns to post
WASHINGTON (AP) — Yogananda Pittman, the Capitol Police official who led intelligence operations for the agency when thousands of Donald Trump loyalists descended on the building last January, is back in charge of …
Washington requires COVID-19 vaccination for teachers, staff
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Amid a spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, Washington state is expanding its COVID-19 vaccine mandate to include all public, charter and private school teachers and staff — plus t…
Transportation Sec. Buttigieg says he, husband are parents
WASHINGTON (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has announced that he and husband Chasten have become parents.
Wild horse roundups ramping up as drought grips the US West
TOOELE, Utah (AP) — The sound of the helicopter propeller thundered across the horizon as it dipped down toward mustangs dotting the golden brown plain. The horses burst into a gallop at the machine's approach, the…
Was Biden handcuffed by Trump's Taliban deal in Doha?
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump’s administration signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2020, he optimistically proclaimed that “we think we’ll be successful in the end.” His secretary of stat…
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…
Misread warnings helped lead to chaotic Afghan evacuation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The warnings were clear: The Afghan government would likely fall once U.S. troops pulled out. But intelligence agencies and ultimately President Joe Biden missed how quickly it would happen, losin…
'Do not give up': Americans help Afghans in new homeland
DALLAS (AP) — Pleas for help from Afghans have been filling up Caroline Clarin’s phone for days as she works from her rural Minnesota home and tries to provide hope to those who ping heart-wrenching messages of des…
US health officials call for booster shots against COVID-19
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines' effecti…
Biden: Troops will stay in Afghanistan to evacuate Americans
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he is committed to keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan until every American is evacuated, even if that means maintaining a military presence there beyond his…