Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Sheriff candidates debate at Ephrata forum
EPHRATA — Incumbent Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete and challenger Darrick Gregg highlighted differences in leade…
Warnock: GOP voting restrictions resurrect ‘Jim Crow era’
Sen. Raphael Warnock, whose election as Georgia’s first Black senator gave control of the chamber to Democrats, used his first floor speech on Capitol Hill to blast a wave of Republican-backed measures that would m…
House OKs Dems' immigration bills for Dreamers, farm workers
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Thursday to unlatch a gateway to citizenship for young Dreamers, migrant farm workers and immigrants who’ve fled war or natural disasters, giving Democrats wins in the year’s first…
US, China spar in first face-to-face meeting under Biden
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Top U.S. and Chinese officials offered sharply different views of each other and the world on Thursday as the two sides met face-to-face for the first time since President Joe Biden took of…
Jan. 6 commission stalls, for now, amid partisan dissension
WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation creating an independent, bipartisan panel to investigate
EXPLAINER: Is the US border with Mexico in crisis?
SAN DIEGO (AP) — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Monday during a visit to El Paso, Texas, that, “It's more than a crisis. This is human heartbreak.” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesd…
Biden recommits to Good Friday accord on St. Patrick's Day
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden marked St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday by recommitting the U.S. to
Washington lawmakers get good news on state revenues
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington's economy continues to improve, with the latest state revenue forecast showing that lawmakers will have more than $3 billion more to work with as they prepare to unveil budget plans…
Ohio governor sets dates to fill vacant congressional seat
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Elections will be held in August and November to fill a vacant Ohio congressional seat following the appointment of U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge to head the Department of Housing and Urban Developme…
US: Putin approved operations to help Trump against Biden
WASHINGTON (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized influence operations to help Donald Trump in last November's presidential election, according to a declassified intelligence assessment that found broad…
Emergency sites for migrant children raising safety concerns
McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The U.S. government has stopped taking immigrant teenagers to a converted camp for oil field workers in West Texas as it faces questions about the safety of emergency sites it is quickly setti…
Who deserves credit? Biden leans into pandemic politics
WASHINGTON (AP) — In President Joe Biden's war against
Judge OKs $4-an-hour pay boost for Seattle grocery workers
SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed an industry lawsuit that sought to block a $4-an-hour pay boost for Seattle grocery workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Treasury: $242 billion in new relief payments already sent
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department says it has sent out 90 million economic impact payments totaling $242 billion since President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan last week.
Treasury says state tax cuts OK if separated from virus aid
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Responding to concerns from state officials, the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday that states can cut taxes without penalty under a new federal pandemic relief law — so long as the…
Medicaid incentive so far not enough to sway holdout states
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Democrats' nearly $2 trillion coronavirus relief package includes a big financial incentive for the states that have opted against expanding Medicaid to provide health coverage for more low-in…