Politics Election category, Page 277
Trump to preside over historic Arab-Israel recognition deals
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is set to preside over the signing of historic diplomatic deals between Israel and two Gulf Arab nations that could herald a dramatic shift in Middle East power dynamics and give him a boost ahead of the November U.S. election. In a White House ceremony...
Trump defies virus rules as ‘peaceful protest’ rallies grow
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is running as the “law and order” candidate. But that hasn’t stopped him and his campaign from openly defying state emergency orders and flouting his own administration’s coronavirus guidelines as he holds ever-growing rallies in battleground states. Democratic governors and local leaders have urged the...
Democrats to probe whether political appointees meddled with coronavirus data
WASHINGTON — A House subcommittee is launching an investigation into whether political appointees have meddled with routine government scientific data to better align with President Donald Trump’s public statements about the coronavirus pandemic, following a report that one such appointee claimed scientists were trying to undermine Trump. The Democrat-led subcommittee...
Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects Green Party bid for ballot access
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Green Party presidential candidate’s request to be added to the state ballot, ruling that it came too late for any relief “that would not cause confusion and undue damage” just seven weeks before the election. The 4-3 ruling blocks...
Top Pa. GOP lawmaker taps politically connected lobbyist to be chief of staff
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 weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman has tapped a top lobbyist with a politically connected Harrisburg firm to...
Trump, Biden facing off on wildfires, climate change
WILMINGTON, Del. — President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden are focusing the presidential campaign on the wildfire-scorched West Coast, with Trump meeting fire officials in California on Monday while Biden declares the fires underscore an urgent need to address climate change. The dueling events just seven weeks before Election...
In defiance of Nevada governor, Trump holds indoor rally
LAS VEGAS — In open defiance of state regulations and his own administration’s pandemic health guidelines, President Donald Trump on Sunday hosted his first indoor rally since June, telling a packed, nearly mask-less Nevada crowd that the nation was “making the last turn” in defeating the virus. Eager to project...
Bloomberg to spend at least $100M to help Biden in Florida
WASHINGTON — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is committing at least $100 million to help Joe Biden’s presidential campaign in the crucial battleground state of Florida. Bloomberg’s late-stage infusion of cash reflects Democrats’ concerns about the tight race in a state that is a priority for President Donald...
Trump’s virus debate: Project strength or level with public
WASHINGTON — “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt. “Men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour’” — British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. “One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear” — President Donald Trump. ——— In times of crisis...
Expect U.S. election to have consequences for troops overseas
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden both say they want to pull U.S. forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan. But their approaches differ, and the outcome of the Nov. 3 election will have long-term consequences not only for U.S. troops, but for the wider region. During...
Despite barbs, Trump family and Chicago mayor can be nice
CHICAGO — The barbs that have flown between President Donald Trump and his family and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot haven’t prevented either side from engaging in occasional niceties. Lightfoot in May called Eric Trump to express her support, according to text messages obtained by the Chicago Tribune through a Freedom...
Challenger to QAnon supporter bows out of race in Georgia
ATLANTA — The Democratic candidate for a U.S. House seat in Georgia dropped out of the race Friday, clearing a near-certain path to victory for a QAnon-supporting Republican contender who has been criticized for her incendiary comments. Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal bowed out of the race for “personal and family...
Michael Cohen launches podcast; Rosie O’Donnell is 1st guest
For nearly a decade, Michael Cohen was at odds with Rosie O’Donnell in part because his boss — President Donald Trump — was engaged in a long feud with the comedian and talk-show host. On Monday, Cohen is launching a podcast, titled “Mea Culpa,” with O’Donnell as his first guest....
Trump revels in packed Michigan crowd amid Woodward book falloutVideo
FREELAND, Mich. — Reeling from another crisis of his own making, President Donald Trump tried to refocus attention on his Democratic rival Thursday at a rally in battleground Michigan as he pushed to move past revelations that he purposefully played down the danger of the coronavirus last winter. But the...
Report: Trump administration has secretly withheld millions from FDNY 9/11 health program
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has secretly siphoned nearly $4 million away from a program that tracks and treats FDNY firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11-related illnesses, the New York Daily News has learned. The Treasury Department started withholding parts of payments — nearly four years ago — meant to...
Pentagon rescinding order to shutter Stars and Stripes newspaperVideo
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is rescinding its order to shut down the military’s independent newspaper, Stars and Stripes, in the wake of a tweet late last week by President Donald Trump vowing to continue funding the paper. In an email to Stripes’ publisher Max Lederer, Army Col. Paul Haverstick...
Russian hackers target U.S. campaigns, parties, Microsoft says
BOSTON — The same Russian military intelligence outfit that hacked the Democrats in 2016 has attempted similar intrusions into the computer systems of more than 200 organizations including political parties and consultants, Microsoft said Thursday. Those efforts appear to be part of a broader increase in targeting of U.S. political...
Republican coronavirus relief bill blocked in SenateVideo
WASHINGTON — The Senate rejected Republicans’ latest coronavirus relief proposal Thursday, though Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may have strengthened their hand in bipartisan negotiations with a display of GOP unity. The vote to end debate on the roughly $650 billion package was 52-47, falling short of the necessary 60 votes....
Justice Department push into Trump defamation lawsuit could prompt dismissalVideo
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday defended the Justice Department’s move to intervene in a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump, even as experts were skeptical of the federal government’s effort to protect the president in a seemingly private dispute. The Justice Department’s action is “a normal application...
VP Mike Pence: ‘The road to victory goes straight through Pennsylvania’Video
Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday afternoon he chose to visit a Beaver County natural gas well for one reason: “Pennsylvania and America need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House.” “I’m here to roll up my sleeves because the road to victory goes straight through...
Democrats: Mail-order prescription drugs facing significant delays
WASHINGTON — Delivery of mail-order prescription drugs was delayed significantly this summer after the new postmaster general ordered major changes in U.S. Postal Service operations, according to a report released Wednesday by Senate Democrats. The report contradicts public claims by Louis DeJoy that the recent moves he imposed “should not...
VP Mike Pence stops in Westmoreland, rallies pro-life voters at Murrysville church
Anti-abortion activists from across the region gathered Wednesday at Cornerstone Ministries in Murrysville as Vice President Mike Pence addressed the kick-off of the Susan B. Anthony List’s campaign to engage pro-life voters in Pennsylvania. The visit to the large, nondenominational church marked Pence’s third appearance with the group. Long a...
Trump releases list of 20 new possible Supreme Court picksVideo
WASHINGTON — Hoping to replicate a strategy that has long been seen as key to his appeal among conservative voters, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he is adding 20 names to a list of Supreme Court candidates that he’s pledged to choose from if he has future vacancies to...
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge: Election Day could be election month without reform
Pennsylvania is one of seven states that don’t allow mail-in ballots to be processed and counted until Election Day. County and state officials say that could be disastrous in a year when the commonwealth is grappling with a pandemic and millions of people are expected to vote by mail. Former...
Bob Woodward book: Trump said of coronavirus, ‘I wanted to always play it down’Video
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump talked privately about the severity of the coronavirus threat even as he was telling the nation that the virus was no worse than the seasonal flu and insisting that the U.S. government had it totally under control, according to a new book by journalist Bob...
