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…
Utah campaign against porn marches on with phone filter plan
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Conservative lawmakers in Utah have fired another salvo in their longtime campaign against online porn with a new requirement that all cellphones and tablets sold in the state automatically bl…
Voter outreach led to big drop in rejected mail ballots
ATLANTA (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic triggered an unprecedented surge in mailed ballots last year, raising concerns that a flood of first-time absentee voters would lead to another record: more ballots tossed ou…
Advocates, some AGs wary of Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan
Some state attorneys general and opioid addiction activists pushed back Tuesday against a settlement offer from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, saying it didn't include enough money and goes too far in protecting th…
EU regulator 'convinced' AstraZeneca benefit outweighs risk
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s drug regulator insisted Tuesday that there is “no indication” the AstraZeneca vaccine causes blood clots as governments around the world faced the grimmest of dilemmas: push on …
Battling bigness: Congress eyes action against monopolies
WASHINGTON (AP) — The battle against bigness is building. Whether it’s beer, banks or book publishing, lawmakers are targeting major industries they say have become so concentrated that they’re hurting competition,…
In Pennsylvania, Biden to highlight aid to small businesses
WASHINGTON (AP) — After opening his presidency by playing down expectations for combating the pandemic, President Joe Biden and his top messengers are touring the country to raise hopes over his $1.9 trillion relie…
Once tortured in Iranian jail, ex-Marine fights spy claims
WASHINGTON (AP) — After
Homeland Security chief defends US handling of border surge
WASHINGTON (AP) — Faced with
N Korea warns US not to 'cause a stink' before Seoul meeting
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In North Korea’s first comments directed at the Biden administration, Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister on Tuesday warned the United States to “refrain from causing a stink” if it wants to “sl…
Wildfire reduction bill moves to Senate
House Bill 1168 would require the state Department of Natural Resources to create a mapping tool to pinpoint the location of small forest landowners who may be…
EXPLAINER: Why countries are halting the AstraZeneca shot
LONDON (AP) — At least a dozen countries including Germany, France, Italy and Spain have now temporarily suspended their use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine after reports last week that some people in Denmark …
Watching the watchers: Who's at helm of EU's border agency?
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s border and coast guard agency Frontex, the pride of the 27-nation bloc’s vast effort to keep watch over its frontiers and anyone who might try to enter without authorization, is…
Immigrant victims of crime hope Congress eases visa hurdles
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — In a bid to become a legal permanent resident of the United States, she says she lives in fear, afraid both of being deported and of retribution after she testified against men who were convi…
Governments delay access to public records during pandemic
As states prepared to reopen their economies following coronavirus shutdowns last spring, The Associated Press asked governors across the U.S. for records that could shed light on how businesses and health official…
OxyContin maker Purdue proposes $10B plan to exit bankruptcy
Purdue Pharma, which helped revolutionize the prescription painkiller business with its drug OxyContin, is proposing a $10 billion plan to emerge from bankruptcy that calls for it to be transformed into a different…