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…
UK's Johnson names brother and Brexiteers to House of Lords
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson named 36 new members to Parliament’s unelected House of Lords on Friday, including his brother, several prominent Brexit supporters and a Russian-born newspaper ow…
Omaha-area health director declines call for mandatory masks
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Douglas County’s health director said Friday that she won't issue an order requiring people in the county and Omaha to wear masks to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, despite a unanimous v…
Nevada Legislature begins 2nd special session of summer
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Gov. Steve Sisolak convened the Nevada Legislature on Friday for a special session to address policy issues related to the coronavirus pandemic as well as Black Lives Matter protests that h…
Restricted alcohol sales imminent as COVID-19 cases rise
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was expected Friday to issue an executive order limiting alcohol sales in bars and restaurants to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Utah mask order addresses concerns; exemption request nixed
PROVO, Utah (AP) — The Utah County Commission will no longer consider a letter requesting that the county health department ask the governor to grant the county exemptions to the statewide public K-12 school mask m…
Pennsylvania to cover cost of stamps for ballots in election
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania will foot the cost of postage for voters to mail in ballots in November's general election, officials said Friday, a move that Gov. Tom Wolf has made a priority as the coronaviru…
Wisconsin Republicans 'stand ready' to kill mask requirement
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Senate Republicans “stand ready” to strike down the statewide mask mandate that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced on Thursday, the GOP Senate leader said Friday.
Supreme Court weighs New Mexico restrictions on restaurants
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The administration of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is defending before the state Supreme Court its decision to ban indoor restaurant service as a reasonable precaution against the co…
Democrats' primary focus: 6th Congressional District
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona voters go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in primary races for nine seats in the U.S. House, but much of the attention will be on the Democratic primary in 6th Congressional Dist…
Conservatives take up death of Black man who supported Trump
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The shooting death in broad daylight of a Black man affectionately known in his Milwaukee neighborhood as “The Ras” appears to have mystified police while spurring prominent conservatives in Wi…
Groups seek mail-in voting applications translated in Khmer
BOSTON (AP) — Cambodian and civil rights groups are calling on Massachusetts to issue mail-in voting applications translated into the Khmer language.
Michigan high court won't hear absentee ballot deadline case
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A split Michigan Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear a case that sought to extend the state's deadline to receive absentee ballots — a decision that left one dissenting justice “baffled a…
With time extension stalled, Census speeds up count schedule
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Census Bureau sped up the timetable for crunching 2020 census numbers on Friday after an earlier request for an extension stalled in the Senate and as pressure mounts to turn in data u…
2 suits target Ohio voting procedures ahead of 2020 election
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Voting rights groups and Democrats filed separate lawsuits in Ohio on Friday that the parties said were aimed at making voting easier in the battleground state this November amid the coronavir…
AP FACT CHECK: Trump distorts Biden's position on fracking
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump is routinely distorting Democratic rival Joe Biden's policy on fracking as he tries to transform it into a full-scale “disaster” for election battlegrounds.