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…
Dems walk, stop Texas GOP's sweeping voting restrictions
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Democrats pulled off a dramatic, last-ditch walkout in the state House of Representatives on Sunday night to block passage of one of the most restrictive voting bills in the U.S., leaving…
Lufthansa gets green light to resume flights to Russia
BERLIN (AP) — German airline Lufthansa said late Wednesday that it has received the green light from Russia to resume flights there, after being briefly denied permission, which resulted in a reciprocal blocking of…
Free beer, other new incentives for Biden's 'vaccine sprint'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dangling everything from sports tickets to a free beer, President Joe Biden is looking for that extra something — anything — that will get people to roll up their sleeves for COVID-19 shots when t…
Oregon Legislature makes cocktails to-go permanent
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers have passed a bill allowing the sale of cocktails to-go to continue after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas push to close shelters for migrant kids alarms groups
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A move by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to shutter more than 50 shelters housing about 4,000 migrant children could seriously disrupt a national program that already faces strained capacity to properl…
Europe sees progress in latest rounds of Iran nuclear talks
VIENNA (AP) — European diplomats say the latest round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program has made progress, expressing hope that agreement could soon be reached for Tehran to comply with a 2015 deal aimed at curb…
Bill Gates company to build reactor at Wyoming coal plant
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A next-generation, small nuclear plant will be built at a soon-to-be retired coal-fired power plant in Wyoming in the next several years, business and government officials said Wednesday.
Russian opposition activist sent to jail amid crackdown
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Wednesday sent a prominent opposition activist to jail pending a probe, as authorities continue to crack down on dissent ahead of September's parliamentary election.
Lebanese leaders exchange barbs as country sinks into crisis
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s president and prime minister-designate traded barbs Wednesday, accusing one another of obstruction, negligence and insolence in a war or words that has for months obstructed the formation of…
AP Interview: Kremlin cracking down on dissent before vote
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities are cracking down on dissent before a crucial parliamentary election in September, in what a leading Kremlin critic on Tuesday described as an attempt to sideline opponents.
Biden suspends oil leases in Alaska's Arctic refuge
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday suspended oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, reversing a drilling program approved by the Trump administration and reviving a polit…
Drought ravages California's reservoirs ahead of hot summer
OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Each year Lake Oroville helps water a quarter of the nation’s crops, sustain endangered salmon beneath its massive earthen dam and anchor the tourism economy of a Northern California county …
Biden decries 'horrific' Tulsa massacre in emotional speech
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — An emotional President Joe Biden marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre that destroyed a thriving Black community in Tulsa, declaring Tuesday that he had “come to fill the silence” about o…
Texas GOP to revive voting bill, Democrats plot next move
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans pressed ahead with their push for tougher election laws Tuesday, vowing to ensure Democrats' weekend victory over one of the most restrictive voting measures in the country wo…
Arizona GOP election audit draws more Republican politicians
PHOENIX (AP) — Three Pennsylvania lawmakers were in Arizona on Wednesday to check out the state Senate GOP’s