Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Adams County election filing open until Friday
RITZVILLE — Adams County opened its 2026 candidate filing period Monday, giving residents five days to declare the…
Legislature: Elected officials must OK tear gas use by cops
SEATTLE (AP) — Mayors, county executives or even the governor would have to give their approval before police could use tear gas to quell riots under a compromise reached Thursday in the Washington Legislature.
FDA: N95 masks, now plentiful, should no longer be reused
The Biden administration has taken the first step toward ending an emergency exception that allowed hospitals to ration and reuse N95 medical masks, the first line of defense between frontline workers and the deadl…
Montana transgender bill advances, other measures vetoed
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Legislature voted Thursday to advance a bill that would ban transgender athletes from participating in school and university sports according to the gender with which they identify.
US drop in vaccine demand has some places turning down doses
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Louisiana has stopped asking the federal government for its full allotment of COVID-19 vaccine. About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down new shipments of the vaccine at least o…
Floyd killing has prompted state reforms, but not everywhere
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — George Floyd's killing last year and the protests that followed led to a wave of police reforms in dozens of states, from changes in use-of-force policies to greater accountability for officers…
Sen. Johnson on others getting shots: 'What do you care?'
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, questioned the need for widespread COVID-19 vaccinations, saying in a radio interview “what do you care if your neighbor has one or not?”
UK lawmakers pass motion saying China committing genocide
LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers on Thursday approved a parliamentary motion declaring that China's policies against its Uyghur minority population in the far western Xinjiang region amounted to genocide and crimes …
LGBT activists not excited by Jenner's campaign for governor
Though Caitlyn Jenner is one of the most famous transgender people in America, the announcement of her
Chocolate chip diplomacy: Biden courts Congress with gusto
WASHINGTON (AP) — The pictures always make it look so presidential: Joe Biden sitting in a tall-back chair, surrounded by the arrayed members of Congress invited for a meeting at the White House.
Grim list of deaths at police hands grows even after verdict
Just as the guilty verdict was about to be read in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, police in Ohio shot and killed a Black teenager in broad daylight during a confrontation.
Relics seized from smugglers are returning to Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — Precious relics of Afghanistan’s ancient past are returning home as the nation confronts deepening uncertainty about its future.
High court moves away from leniency for minors who murder
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court made it easier Thursday to sentence minors convicted of murder to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a ruling that reflects a change in course driven by a more con…
Police chiefs hail Chauvin verdict as a key step to healing
Not long after
Pelosi floats new proposal for bipartisan Jan. 6 commission
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is renewing her push for a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, floating a new proposal to Republicans that would evenly split the panel…
Washington Legislature gives final OK to police reform bills
SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington Legislature has approved two more key police accountability bills — one imposing restrictions on tactics and equipment, and another establishing a statewide standard on use of force.