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…
Nearly 1 in 4 VA employees report sex harassment, audit says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 1 in 4 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs say they have been subjected to unwanted sexual comments and other harassment — one of the highest levels in federal government — and …
DC mayor orders mandatory masks as infections rise again
WASHINGTON (AP) — With coronavirus cases rising, Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an executive order Wednesday making face masks mandatory outside homes — an unprecedented step in the nation's capital.
Rare open congressional seat attracts 16 GOP hopefuls
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A rare opening for a U.S. House seat in northeastern Tennessee has attracted a wide swath of Republican candidates hoping to secure a district and region known for long-tenured representativ…
AP EXPLAINS: A look at $60M bribery probe unfolding in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The arrest Tuesday of powerful Republican House Speaker Larry Householder and four associates
US wildlife agency rejects protections for rare fish species
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. wildlife officials on Wednesday rejected special protections for a rare, freshwater fish related to salmon that's been at the center of a long-running legal dispute, citing conservation …
Mississippi politico, civil rights figure Charles Evers dies
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Charles Evers, who led an eclectic life as a civil rights leader, onetime purveyor of illegal liquor in Chicago, history-making Black mayor in deeply segregated Mississippi and contrarian with…
Largest US public university system requires ethnic studies
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Ethnic and social justice studies will join English and science courses as graduation requirements at California State University, after the Board of Trustees at the nation’s largest four-…
Proposal to raise malpractice caps qualifies for 2022 ballot
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California patients could get more money from medical malpractice lawsuits under a ballot initiative that is now eligible for the 2022 November election.
Official: Arizona schools need virus data to reopen campuses
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona's school districts should be empowered to reopen campuses for the new school year based on public health data instead of committing now to specific reopening dates, the state's top education …
Nebraska Senate hopeful who sent vulgar texts declines exit
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Nebraska doubled down Wednesday on his promise to stay in the race, despite growing pressure to drop out after he sent
Incarcerated people look to Senate to cap prison phone rates
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Incarcerated people and their families said they are closely watching congressional debates about the next COVID-19 relief bill for proposed legislation that would drastically push down the cost …
Congress passes sprawling plan to boost conservation, parks
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan bill that would spend nearly $3 billion on conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands is on its way to the president's desk aft…
Property tax measure hits new roadblock in Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Attempts to lower Nebraska's property taxes appeared to stumble yet again Wednesday after some state lawmakers argued that the newest package could hurt local K-12 schools by restricting their …
Michigan lawmakers start approving plan for $2B budget gap
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan lawmakers began approving a plan Wednesday to address a $2.2 billion state budget hole caused by the coronavirus pandemic, relying on a mix of federal funding, the state's cash reserv…
AP-NORC poll: Very few Americans back full school reopening
BOSTON (AP) — Virtual instruction. Mandated masks. Physical distancing. The start of school will look very different this year because of the