Politics Election category, Page 159
Federal bank records emerge as focus of GOP’s Biden probes
WASHINGTON — Facing growing pressure to show progress in their investigations, House Republicans on Wednesday detailed what they say are concerning new findings about President Joe Biden’s family and their finances. The smoking gun, according to the GOP, is recently obtained financial records connected to the president’s son Hunter Biden,...
Trump digs in on election lies, insults accuser during CNN town hall event
During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming. Trump, returning to...
Harlan Crow rebuffs Senate demand to list all gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas
WASHINGTON — Harlan Crow, the Dallas real estate mogul in the middle of a Supreme Court ethics controversy, has declined a Senate request for a full accounting of gifts, payments and vacations he’s provided to Justice Clarence Thomas and his family. In a letter to the Senate Finance Committee obtained...
Sen. Dianne Feinstein returning to Washington after extended absence
Sen. Dianne Feinstein is flying back to Washington, her spokesman said Tuesday, after her extended absence because of the shingles virus threatened to derail Senate Democrats’ agenda. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Feinstein, who had been convalescing in the Bay Area since mid-February, boarded a charter private plane on...
Far-right faction pushes to oust ‘traitors’ from Georgia GOP
ATLANTA — A far-right faction that has gained clout in the Georgia GOP wants to give the state party new powers to block candidates from qualifying to run as Republicans if they’re deemed to be insufficiently conservative or a “traitor” to the party. The rule change is being championed by...
Biden: Debt meeting ‘productive,’ default ‘not an option’
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and congressional leaders confronted each other on the debt limit impasse Tuesday, ending their meeting with no breakthrough but agreeing to meet again this week to try to avert the looming risk of an unprecedented government default. Speaking at the White House, Biden described the...
Texas lawmaker resigns ahead of misconduct expulsion vote
AUSTIN — A Republican Texas state lawmaker resigned Monday ahead of an expected vote to expel him after an investigation found he had inappropriate sexual conduct with a 19-year-old intern. Rep. Bryan Slaton, 45, had faced mounting calls from the state Republican party and conservative groups to resign after the...
‘My career of 280 years’: Biden jokes off 2024 age concerns
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden served in the Senate for 270 years. He used to be three years older than his sister Valerie, but now has 20 years on her. And the fourth U.S. president — whom Biden affectionally calls “Jimmy” Madison — is a good friend. All kidding aside, the...
Black voters backing Biden, but not with 2020 enthusiasm
COLUMBIA, S.C. — LaJoia Broughton, a 41-year-old small-business owner, considers herself a fan of President Joe Biden. He’s provided opportunities for Black-owned business while bringing integrity to the White House, she said. Her decision for 2024 is not in doubt. “Biden has proven himself in the last few years, and...
Biden hopes strong job market means soft landing for economy
WASHINGTON — For President Joe Biden, the past few days have raised hopes that the U.S. economy can stick a soft landing—possibly avoiding a recession as the 2024 election nears. Most U.S. adults have downbeat feelings about Biden’s economic leadership, as high inflation has overshadowed a strong jobs market. It’s...
Biden said to pick Air Force general as Joint Chiefs chair
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is expected to nominate a history-making Air Force fighter pilot with years of experience in shaping U.S. defenses to meet China’s rise to serve as the nation’s next top military officer, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the decision. If confirmed by the Senate,...
Justice Clarence Thomas let GOP megadonor pay child’s tuitionVideo
WASHINGTON — A Republican megadonor paid two years of private school tuition for a child raised by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who did not disclose the payments, a lawyer who has represented Thomas and his wife acknowledged Thursday. The revelation of tuition payments made by Dallas billionaire Harlan Crow...
Party affiliation can be misleading in some local Pa. elections
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — When Devon Taliaferro first ran for school board in Pittsburgh Public Schools, she filed as a Democrat. She’s a...
DeSantis stacks conservative agenda; presidential run looms
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — From the death penalty to gender identity to abortion, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has cemented himself as a conservative standard bearer as he prepares to launch a presidential campaign sometime after the legislative session ends this week. With the help of GOP supermajorities in the statehouse, the...
Philadelphia mayoral race hones in on crime policies
In Philadelphia’s first mayoral race since crime spiked during the coronavirus pandemic, the crowded Democratic field is trying to make public safety a campaign cornerstone, advocating approaches that range from mental health interventions and cleaner streets to echoes of “tough-on-crime” Republican rhetoric. Six Democrats are considered serious contenders to succeed...
Florida Republicans pass school bills on pronouns, diversity
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don’t correspond to someone’s sex, building on top priorities of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The two proposals were given final passage by the Republican...
GOP subpoenas FBI for Biden records; White House denounces ‘innuendo’
WASHINGTON — A House Republican subpoenaed FBI Director Chris Wray on Wednesday for what he claimed are bureau records related to President Joe Biden and his family, basing the demand on newly surfaced allegations he said an unnamed whistleblower made to Congress. The White House said it was the latest...
Pa. House committee approves bill tightening railroad regulations after East Palestine derailment
A bill that would expand Pennsylvania’s role in railroad safety enforcement passed a House committee vote with broad bipartisan support Wednesday, three months after East Palestine, Ohio rail disaster near the state border. The House Consumer Protection, Technology, and Utilities Committee approved House Bill 1028 Wednesday on a 19-2 vote....
Bernie Sanders endorses Sara Innamorato in race for Allegheny County executive
The country’s most prominent progressive politician is endorsing state Rep. Sara Innamorato in the race for Allegheny County’s highest elected office. The endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., came Tuesday as a poll in the race for county executive showed Innamorato surging into the lead among Democratic candidates. Sanders,...
Voters oust Michigan clerk who doubts election results
ADAMS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Voters in one of Michigan’s most conservative counties have ousted a small-town clerk accused of improperly handling voting equipment after casting doubt on President Joe Biden’s election victory. Stephanie Scott lost Tuesday’s recall election in Hillsdale County’s Adams Township to Suzy Roberts, who got 406 votes...
Judge rejects Zooey Zephyr bid to return to Montana House
HELENA, Mont. — Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the transgender Montana lawmaker silenced after telling Republicans they would have blood on their hands for opposing gender-affirming health care for kids, cannot return to the statehouse House floor and participate in debate, a judge ruled Tuesday. District Court Judge Mike Menahan said it...
Bill to broaden LGBTQ+ protections passes Pennsylvania House
HARRISBURG — A bill to broaden protections for LGBTQ+ people passed the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives on Tuesday — the first to advance this far after yearslong efforts by Democrats — though it faces strong headwinds in the Republican-controlled Senate. The bill passed 102-98 in the House where Democrats...
Debt deadline: White House meeting set, but no solution yet
WASHINGTON — Facing the risk of a an unprecedented U.S. government default by month’s end, President Joe Biden has invited the top four congressional leaders to face-to-face talks at the White House next week. It’s the first concrete step toward negotiations on averting a potential economic catastrophe, but there’s a...
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee votes against resolution honoring U.S.-Israel relationship
The U.S. House passed a resolution last week honoring America’s relationship with Israel on the 75th anniversary of its independence, but U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, was part of a small group of representatives to vote against the bill. House Resolution 311 passed with bipartisan support on a 401-19 vote....
Trump PAC complaint against DeSantis rejected in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida ethics board has dismissed a complaint that allies of former President Donald Trump filed against Republican rival Gov. Ron DeSantis, finding no legal basis for allegations that the governor violated campaign finance laws with a “shadow” run for the White House. The Florida Commission on...
