Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
3 council members renew oaths of office in Ephrata
EPHRATA — Three Ephrata City Council Members were sworn in Wednesday evening after winning their respective races.…
GOP poised to block bipartisan probe of Jan. 6 insurrection
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are poised to block the creation of a special commission to study the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, dashing hopes for a bipartisan panel amid a GOP push to put the violen…
Idaho governor nixes lieutenant governor's mask-mandate ban
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Friday issued an executive order repealing a 24-hour-old mask-mandate prohibition put in place while he was out of the state by the lieutenant governor, describing her …
House allows college athletes to sign endorsements
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation to allow college athletes to make money on product endorsements.
The Latest: Two-thirds of NY adults have at least one shot
ALBANY, N.Y. — The latest federal data shows that two-thirds of adults in New York state have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
More states ease lingering virus rules as vaccine rates rise
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, more U.S. cities and states are shrugging off lingering COVID-19 restrictions as vaccination rates rise and the number of infections falls.
Texas GOP puts final touches on sweeping voting restrictions
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans dug in Saturday for a final weekend vote on some of the most restrictive new voting laws in the U.S., putting the last touches on a sweeping bill that would eliminate drive-th…
The Latest: Paris concert tests letting 5K dance in arena
PARIS — Thousands of people packed inside a Paris arena for a concert Saturday as part of a public health experiment to prepare France to host big events again.
The Latest: Scientists in Vietnam identify new virus variant
HANOI — Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant that’s a hybrid of strains first found in India and the U.K., the Vietnamese health minister said.
Defense for some Capitol rioters: election misinformation
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Falsehoods about the election helped bring insurrectionists to the Capitol on Jan. 6, and now some who are facing criminal charges for their actions during the riot hope their gullibility mi…
The Latest: Duchess of Cambridge 'hugely grateful' for shot
LONDON — The Duchess of Cambridge has received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as Britain extends its inoculation program to younger residents.
Advocates in US push new efforts to bring back deportees
MIAMI (AP) — Jesus Lopez says he feels like a stranger in the place he was born.
State GOP lawmakers try to limit teaching about race, racism
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Teachers and professors in Idaho will be prevented from “indoctrinating” students on race. Oklahoma teachers will be prohibited from saying certain people are inherently racist or oppressive, w…
Rioters blame their actions on 2020 election misinformation
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Falsehoods about the election helped bring insurrectionists to the Capitol on Jan. 6, and now some who are facing criminal charges for their actions during the riot hope their gullibility mi…
The Latest: Europeans plan summer vacations as cases plummet
ROME — Coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths are plummeting across the continent, after Europe led the world in new cases last fall and winter in waves that cost hundreds of thousands of lives, forced…
The Latest: Philippines ends ban on workers' travel to Saudi
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has lifted a ban on the deployment of workers to Saudi Arabia, which it imposed after receiving reports that workers were being asked to shoulder COVID-19 test and quarantine c…