Politics Election category, Page 234
Colorado GOP lawmaker who used racist term is reprimandedVideo
DENVER — A Republican lawmaker in Colorado was reprimanded Thursday after calling a colleague “Buckwheat” during debate on legislation — a racist term that provoked outcry from Democrats at a time when America is confronting its history of discrimination. It wasn’t clear who state Rep. Richard Holtorf was directing the...
House panel: Separation-of-powers concerns no longer apply in Trump financial records case
WASHINGTON — The House Oversight and Reform Committee told a federal judge late Wednesday that it should be easier to obtain former President Donald Trump’s financial records from an accounting firm now that he is just that — the former president. The committee has returned to the U.S. District Court...
Ohio latest state to see GOP-backed voting law rewrite
COLUMBUS — Ohio became the latest state Thursday where Republicans are proposing a significant rewrite of state election laws, an effort that comes despite sweeping GOP victories in the state last year and a smooth election. Legislation introduced in the Ohio House calls for prohibiting placement of ballot drop boxes...
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg promotes $2.3 trillion infrastructure package in PittsburghVideo
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spent Thursday morning on a two-hour ferry ride along the Ohio River, getting an up-close look at the dilapidated bridges and aging lock-and-dam systems the region depends on. “Beautiful structures,” Buttigieg said of the McKees Rocks and West End bridges. “But you could see nets...
Pittsburgh terrorism expert concerned about U.S. troop withdrawal from AfghanistanVideo
Last month, President Biden announced a complete withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, ending the longest war in American history. It’s a decision that’s raised concerns for terrorism experts like Colin P. Clarke, director of Policy and Research for the Soufan Group, a global intelligence and...
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs GOP voting law critics call ‘un-American’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a major rewrite of Florida’s elections law on Thursday, tightening rules around drop boxes and mail-in voting in the presidential battleground. Critics say the changes will make it harder for voters, particularly the elderly and people of color, to cast ballots. It’s the...
Knives out: GOP leaders turn on Liz CheneyVideo
WASHINGTON — Key Republicans continue to signal their support for dumping House GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney from her leadership spot, with momentum building as Cheney has held former President Donald Trump to account for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and stood firm that the...
Sen. Toomey pledges in Pittsburgh to find out why U.S. Steel nixed $1B Mon Valley projectVideo
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey said Wednesday that he wants to get to the bottom of why U.S. Steel nixed its planned $1.2 billion Mon Valley Works project last week, even as indicators point to the pandemic-battered economy “roaring back” and bipartisan support builds for a nationwide infrastructure infusion. “Steel prices...
Texas Senate advances bill allowing handguns without license
AUSTIN — Texas would allow people to carry a handgun without a license, and the background check and training that go with it, under a measure approved by the state Senate on Wednesday. Texas already has some of the loosest gun laws in the country and has more than 1.6...
South Carolina House adds firing squad to execution methods
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina House voted Wednesday to add a firing squad to the state’s execution methods amid a lack of lethal-injection drugs — a measure meant to jump-start executions in a state that once had one of the busiest death chambers in the nation. The bill, approved...
U.S. to back waiver of vaccine intellectual property protections at WTO
WASHINGTON — The U.S. will support a proposal to waive intellectual property protections for covid-19 vaccines, joining an effort to increase global supply and access to the life-saving shots as the gap between rich and poor nations widens. “We are for the waiver at the WTO, we are for what...
In visit to Mexican restaurant, Biden touts $28.6B covid-relief grants for eateriesVideo
WASHINGTON — Setting foot in a restaurant for his first time as president, Joe Biden made a Cinco de Mayo taco and enchilada run to highlight his administration’s $28.6 billion program to help eateries that lost business because of the coronavirus pandemic. The president went to Taqueria Las Gemelas in...
No. 2 House Republican backs Cheney ouster over Trump barbs
WASHINGTON — The No. 2 House Republican publicly called Wednesday for the removal of Rep. Liz Cheney from the party’s leadership, adding momentum to the drive to topple her after she clashed repeatedly with former President Donald Trump. Rep. Steve Scalise, the House GOP whip, is backing New York GOP...
Tennessee GOP lawmaker: Three-Fifths Compromise was to end slaveryVideo
NASHVILLE — A Tennessee Republican falsely declared Tuesday that an 18th century policy designating a slave as three-fifths of a person was adopted for “the purpose of ending slavery,” commenting amid a debate over whether educators should be restricted while teaching about systematic racism in America. During lengthy debate on...
Rick Santorum’s comments on Native Americans don’t quiet criticsVideo
NEW YORK — CNN analyst Rick Santorum’s claim that he misspoke during a recent speech where he said there was “nothing here” when the United States was founded did little to diminish anger against him. The National Congress of American Indians on Tuesday renewed calls for CNN to fire the...
Judge orders Justice Department to release Trump obstruction memo
WASHINGTON — A federal judge has ordered the release of a legal memorandum the Trump-era Justice Department prepared for then-Attorney General William Barr before he announced his conclusion that President Donald Trump had not obstructed justice during the Russia investigation. The Justice Department had refused to give the March 24,...
House GOP leader amps up pressure on Liz Cheney over Trump barbsVideo
WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stepped up pressure on No. 3 House Republican Liz Cheney on Tuesday, claiming rank-and-file concerns about “her ability to carry out her job” as she trades insults with former President Donald Trump. McCarthy’s comments on the Fox News Channel underscored the continued, if...
One ritzy fundraiser shows how tough selling lobbying reform in Pa. will be
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan 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 — For the first time, the Pennsylvania legislature’s top leaders are expected to throw their weight behind reining in the...
Ex-consumer watchdog Richard Cordray tapped to manage federal student aid
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former federal consumer watchdog and Democratic nominee for Ohio governor has landed his next job. The Department of Education announced Monday that Richard Cordray has been selected as its chief operating officer of federal student aid. Cordray, 62, previously served as Ohio treasurer and attorney general...
Liz Cheney re-ignites fight with Trump over false election claimsVideo
WASHINGTON — Representative Liz Cheney, the No. 3 Republican in the House, accused Donald Trump of “poisoning” U.S. democracy with his false election claims, escalating the GOP’s internal conflict over the former president’s role in the party. She tweeted a response on Monday to a statement from Trump saying that...
Mitch McConnell says GOP open to $600 billion for infrastructureVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Monday that Republicans are willing to spend up to $600 billion on infrastructure, far less than President Joe Biden is seeking, even as he ruled out supporting a higher corporate tax rate to pay for it. Instead McConnell is endorsing...
Biden lifts Trump refugee cap after delay backlashVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday formally raised the nation’s cap on refugee admissions to 62,500 this year, weeks after facing bipartisan blowback for his delay in replacing the record-low ceiling set by former President Donald Trump. Refugee resettlement agencies have waited for Biden to quadruple the number of...
Pa. Supreme Court picks former Pitt chancellor to chair powerful redistricting commission
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — A former University of Pittsburgh chancellor will chair the committee...
EPA rule to phase out greenhouse gases used in refrigerators, coolants
WASHINGTON — In the first Biden administration rule aimed at combating climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to phase down production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners. The proposed rule follows through on a law Congress passed in December...
Are Pa.’s state House and Senate maps gerrymandered? Depends on how you measure them
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — When Amanda Holt was preparing to vote in 2010, she...
