Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Washington’s gas tax is going up, but state transportation revenue is falling short
Washington state’s gas tax, already among the highest in the nation, is going up next week. The state’s per-gal…
The Latest: Italy welcomes tourists from US, Canada, Japan
ROME — Italy’s leader is pitching for tourists to start coming from the United States, Canada and Japan to give a vitally needed boost to Italian hotel and restaurant businesses.
Biden anti-crime effort takes on law-breaking gun dealers
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is announcing new efforts Wednesday to stem a rising national tide of violent crime but questions persist about how effective the federal efforts will be in calming what could …
Blinken brings Biden Europe charm offensive to Germany
BERLIN (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Germany as the Biden administration presses ahead with a diplomatic charm offensive designed to woo back wary Western European allies after four years of t…
5 years after Brexit vote, divided UK still feels shockwaves
LONDON (AP) — Five years ago Wednesday, Britons voted in a referendum that was meant to bring certainty to the U.K.’s unsettled relationship with its European neighbors.
Hungary's immunity cards allow packed stands, raise concerns
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Tens of thousands of soccer fans packed the Puskas Arena in Budapest last week to attend Euro 2020 matches. It was the first full-house international soccer event in Europe in more than a y…
VA moves to offer gender confirmation surgery to vets
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs is moving to offer transgender veterans gender confirmation surgery, Secretary Denis McDonough announced at a Pride Month event in Orlando Saturday.
Catalan separatists eye freedom after Spain's Cabinet pardon
MADRID (AP) — Nine Catalan separatist leaders jailed for sedition were eyeing freedom, after Spain’s Cabinet pardoned them Tuesday in the hope of starting what Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a much-needed reco…
The Latest: Guam launching COVID-19 vaccine tourism program
HAGATNA, Guam — Guam is launching a vaccine tourism program to encourage citizens of neighboring countries and Americans living in East Asia to come get inoculated against COVID-19.
Far right falters as conservatives lead French regional vote
PARIS (AP) — Marine Le Pen’s far-right party stumbled, French President Emmanuel Macron's centrists crashed and incumbent conservatives surged ahead in the first round of regional elections Sunday that were dominat…
How Big Tech created a data 'treasure trove' for police
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — When U.S. law enforcement officials need to cast a wide net for information, they’re increasingly turning to the vast digital ponds of personal data created by Big Tech companies via the dev…
Background checks blocked a record high 300,000 gun sales
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The number of people stopped from buying guns through the U.S. background check system hit an all-time high of more than 300,000 last year amid a surge of firearm sales, according to new recor…
Ethiopia votes in test for PM Abiy amid reports of abuses
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopians voted Monday in a major test for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose rise to power initially seemed to signal a break with decades of authoritarian rule but who has since waged …
US to review Native American boarding schools' dark history
The federal government will investigate its past oversight of Native American boarding schools and work to “uncover the truth about the loss of human life and the lasting consequences” of policies that over the dec…
Iran's election unsettles Biden's hope for a nuclear deal
WASHINGTON (AP) — Biden administration officials are insisting that
Swedish PM loses confidence vote, sparking uncertainty
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Stefan Lofven, Sweden’s Social Democratic prime minister since 2014, lost a confidence vote in parliament on Monday, making him the first Swedish leader ever to lose such a motion.