Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
4th District candidates talk affordability, ag and healthcare
RICHLAND — Rising costs, agricultural challenges and concerns about the future of rural healthcare dominated discu…
Free money for all? Mayors hope local tests bring big change
By triggering $1,400 stimulus checks for millions of people and expanding the child tax credit for many families, the pandemic offered a clear takeaway for some officials: That putting tax dollars in people’s pocke…
Biden stumps for McAuliffe in early test of political clout
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — President Joe Biden led the kind of campaign rally that was impossible last year because of the pandemic, speaking before nearly 3,000 people in support of a fellow moderate Democrat whose rac…
The Latest: Indian government dismisses excess deaths study
DELHI, India — India's government has dismissed a recent study which estimated that the country's excess deaths during the pandemic could be 10 times the official COVID-19 toll, calling it “misleading” and “fallaci…
AP-NORC poll: Parties split on some infrastructure proposals
WASHINGTON (AP) — The overwhelming majority of Americans -- about 8 in 10 -- favor plans to increase funding for roads, bridges and ports and for pipes that supply drinking water. But that's about as far as Democra…
DOJ says no probe into state-run nursing homes in New York
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The Justice Department has decided not to open a civil rights investigation into government-run nursing homes in New York over their COVID-19 response, according to a letter sent Friday to sever…
Europe's summer tourism outlook dimmed by variants, rules
LONDON (AP) — Chaos and confusion over travel rules and measures to contain new virus outbreaks are contributing to another cruel summer for Europe’s battered tourism industry.
French protesters reject bill requiring vaccine passes
PARIS (AP) — Tens of thousands of people, including far-right activists and members of France's yellow vest movement, protested Saturday across the country against a bill requiring everyone to have a special virus …
Biden says getting COVID-19 vaccine 'gigantically important'
CINCINNATI (AP) — President Joe Biden expressed pointed frustration over the slowing COVID-19 vaccination rate in the U.S. and pleaded that it's "gigantically important” for Americans to step up and get inoculated …
Ruling leaves immigrants who newly applied for DACA in limbo
NEW YORK (AP) — When the text message popped up on his phone, Samuel Alfaro didn't want to believe it.
AP FACT CHECK: Trump is relentless in election fabrications
PHOENIX (AP) — In mid-May, partisan investigators hired by Arizona state lawmakers
Democrats back Biden US lands pick assailed by Republicans
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A bitterly divided U.S. Senate panel deadlocked Thursday on President Joe Biden’s pick to oversee vast government-owned lands in the West, as Democrats united behind a nominee whose credibili…
50-year war on drugs imprisoned millions of Black Americans
Landscaping was hardly his lifelong dream.
Trump inaugural committee chair to be released on $250M bail
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The chair of former President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee was ordered freed Friday on $250 million bail to face charges he secretly worked as an agent for the the United Arab Emirates to i…
For South Sudan mothers, COVID-19 shook a fragile foundation
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Paska Itwari Beda knows hunger all too well. The young mother of five children — all of them under age 10 — sometimes survives on one bowl of porridge a day, and her entire family is lucky …
New technology propels efforts to fight Western wildfires
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As drought- and wind-driven wildfires have become more dangerous across the American West in recent years, firefighters have tried to become smarter in how they prepare.