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…
Wyoming officials to meet Monday on possible $1B land bid
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Gov. Mark Gordon and other top Wyoming officials plan to meet Monday to discuss whether to bid on Occidental Petroleum’s land holdings in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.
'Truly alarming': Officials order shutdown over virus spike
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — With a spike in coronavirus cases expected to continue growing, Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh and 1.2 million residents, imposed a one-week shutdown of bars and restaurants and all gat…
Watchdog says govt blocking report on Trump-hurricane flap
WASHINGTON (AP) — A government watchdog says the Commerce Department is trying to block the findings of an investigation into the agency’s role in rebuking forecasters who contradicted President Donald Trump’s inac…
Montana gov. stops short of issuing mask order as cases rise
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Gov. Steve Bullock on Thursday said he wouldn't issue an order requiring people to wear masks in public, leaving county and tribal officials and businesses to consider their own measures as the…
Congress passes bill rebuking China over Hong Kong crackdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has approved a bill rebuking China over its crackdown in Hong Kong amid protests against a strict “national security” law that outlaws so-called subversive or terrorist acts, as well as c…
Mississippi tightens its belt for new state budget year
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi government is on track to spend less during the new budget year than it did during the one that just ended, as questions remain about the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandem…
Buttigieg, South Carolina mayor teaming up on COVID effort
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former South Bend, Indiana, mayor and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has teamed up with the mayor of South Carolina's capital city to help municipalities stem the spread of the coronavi…
Indiana changes course, will release nursing home virus data
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana heath officials plan to collect and release to the public statistics on coronavirus infections and deaths at individual nursing homes after
Democrat Dortch leaves Mississippi House to lead state ACLU
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Democratic member of the Mississippi House has stepped down and will become the new state director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
How California went from success story to virus hot spot
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Heading into Memorial Day weekend, California's mood was celebratory. The state had avoided dire predictions of a coronavirus surge, hospitalizations were starting to decline and restauran…
Democrats say US needs to address protective gear shortage
A congressional committee criticized President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday for a series of problems in distributing personal protective and testing equipment during the coronavirus pandemic and called…
Supreme Court agrees to hear Nazi art case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear a case involving the descendants of a group of Jewish art dealers from Germany who say their ancestors were forced to sell a collection of religious art t…
Groups call for meetings as US lab preps for weapons work
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Several groups are asking state and federal officials to hold semi-annual public meetings as Los Alamos National Laboratory prepares to resume and ramp up production of key components for t…
Minnesota officials back mask mandate amid spikes elsewhere
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Health experts are urging Gov. Tim Walz to require people to wear masks in public statewide amid concerns that a spike in reported coronavirus cases elsewhere could happen in Minnesota.
Montana reports 67 COVID cases, setting new daily record
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana health officials on Thursday reported 67 confirmed cases of COVID-19, setting a record high for reported cases in a day in the state.