Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Grant County Republican Party to stage debate in Ephrata
EPHRATA — Grant County voters will have an opportunity this evening to hear directly from candidates seeking two o…
New unemployment claims down, 4 new COVID cases in Montana
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Applications for temporary unemployment assistance declined for the seventh straight week last week while Montana reported four more positive COVID-19 cases from more than 1,100 tests run on We…
SC reopening group finishes work; jobless claims remain high
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The committee assigned by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to plan to reopen the state after the initial spread of
UK will extend HK visa rights if China pursues security law
LONDON (AP) — The British government said Thursday that it will grant hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents greater visa rights if China doesn’t scrap a planned new security law for the semi-autonomous terri…
Absence of pandemic on Florida Cabinet agenda is hot topic
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Florida, upbraided Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday for keeping the state Cabinet “in the dark” b…
Bill overturning bar closures by Cooper clears N.C. Senate
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina legislators are wading into Gov. Roy Cooper's business reopening decisions, as the state Senate voted Thursday to let bars serve customers again despite his recent executive orde…
New Mexico's courts system to resume starting jury trials
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's state court system plans in mid-June to resume starting jury trials that had been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sen. Kaine tests positive for coronoavirus antibody test
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia says he and his wife have tested positive after taking coronavirus antibody tests.
Chinese grad students may be next hit by US-China tensions
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration may soon expel thousands of Chinese graduate students enrolled at U.S. universities and impose other sanctions against Chinese officials in the latest signs of tensions be…
Flood of mail-in ballots spurs fight to change deadlines
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Some county and state officials are warning that a flood of mailed-in ballots in Pennsylvania -- fueled by fears of in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic -- will create problems in…
Moscow updates coronavirus statistics to show more deaths
MOSCOW (AP) — Health officials in Moscow updated their figures on coronavirus deaths Thursday, seeking to dispel doubts about Russia's comparatively low COVID-19 death toll.
Medical marijuana expansion nears final passage in Louisiana
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers are one step from removing most restrictions on which medical conditions are eligible for medical marijuana, allowing doctors to recommend the treatment for any patient t…
Democrats pull surveillance bill after Trump veto threat
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on Thursday pulled legislation from the House floor to extend FBI surveillance authorities after President Donald Trump and Republicans turned against the measure and ensured its defeat.…
Doctors sue to block FDA abortion pill rule during pandemic
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Requiring patients to visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to get an abortion pill is needlessly risking their health during the
California Senate plan would reject most of governor's cuts
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democrats in the California Senate on Thursday rejected most of Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed budget cuts to public education and health care programs, instead endorsing a plan that would c…
Michigan: Over 1,200 nursing home residents dead from virus
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — At least 1,216 residents of nursing homes in Michigan have died from the new coronavirus, accounting for nearly a quarter of all COVID-19 deaths, the state health department said.