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…
Suit seeks to block N.C. mail-in ballot witness mandate
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's witness requirement for people casting mail-in absentee ballots is unconstitutional during the COVID-19 pandemic, voters said Friday while suing to have it suspended during the…
Alabama elections chief: Masks can't be required at polls.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama’s elections chief said Friday that he is telling local officials that they cannot require voters to wear masks at polling places during Tuesday's election.
Judge tosses Trump rule on billing for abortion coverage
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Baltimore on Friday struck down a Trump administration rule that abortion rights advocates called a maneuver to restrict access but officials defended as merely following the la…
Walz formally calls special session to convene Monday
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz on Friday formally called a special legislative session to convene on Monday, and he urged lawmakers to work together to pass the police accountability and public works bills th…
Maryland AG criticizes governor's plan to conduct election
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s attorney general warned Friday of “devastating consequences” if all eligible voters are not directly sent ballots to mail in for November's election due to safety concerns about the…
Gov. Beshear: mask mandate in effect, despite judge's order
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A new requirement for Kentuckians to wear face masks in public has taken effect, despite a county court's restraining order related to pandemic restrictions, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.
'Cowboys for Trump' ordered to pay fines, register as group
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico group, Cowboys for Trump, must register as a political committee in the state, and pay $7,600 in fines for not filing expenditure reports, an arbitrator ruled Friday.
Ex-Trump fixer Cohen returned to prison where sentence began
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, was transferred to the same federal lockup in Otisville where he was serving time for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign fin…
N.C. senator says he tested positive for COVID-19
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina state senator said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, marking the first known public case for a General Assembly member.
Mississippi seeing big virus outbreak in state legislature
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Packed elevators and crowded committee rooms. Legislators sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the House and Senate floor. People standing close to each other and talking, sometimes leaning in to w…
West Virginia governor delays action as virus spikes
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice delayed action Friday on whether to strengthen coronavirus restrictions as the state reports spikes in cases, hospitalizations and transmission rates.
Kentucky Attorney General challenges governor's mask mandate
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has asked a county judge to rule on the legality of the governor's recent executive order requiring masks in public.
Utah hospitals call on statewide mask mandate as beds fill
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah healthcare company executives called on state leaders Friday to require masks as intensive care unit bed space dwindles amid a sustained surge in coronavirus cases.
Georgia expands hospital beds with virus cases at daily high
ATLANTA (AP) — Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday that Georgia would increase hospital bed capacity as hospitalizations from COVID-19 surge and the state set a new single-day record for confirmed coronavirus infectio…
N.C. Republicans try again to dislodge voter ID from courts
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican legislative leaders are trying to reinstate the implementation of a voter photo identification requirement.