Politics Election category, Page 14
Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, criticizes Bondi and opines on Trump in Vanity FairVideo
WASHINGTON — Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s understated but influential chief of staff, criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and offered an unvarnished take on her boss and those in his orbit in interviews published Tuesday in Vanity Fair that sent the West Wing into...
Sen. Cruz wants restrictions on military flights approved soon to prevent another midair collision
WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz says he wants restrictions on military flights approved before government funding runs out at the end of next month to prevent another midair collision like the one over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people in January. Cruz and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell held a...
Hens-Greco stepping down as leader of Allegheny County Democratic Committee
Sam Hens-Greco is stepping down as chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee early next month, clearing the way for new party leadership as Democrats head into the pivotal midterm elections. “I strongly believe in developing and making space for new leadership,” Hens-Greco, 69, of Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze, said in...
Trump levels political attack on Rob Reiner in inflammatory post after his killing
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Rob Reiner’s outspoken opposition to the president for the actor-director’s killing, delivering the unsubstantiated claim in a shocking post that seemed intent on decrying his opponents even in the face of a tragedy. The statement, even for Trump, was a shocking comment...
Redistricting could lead to political tension, violence, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says
Kentucky’s U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said more congressional redistricting could lead to political violence across the country. The process of redrawing district boundaries to determine how many representatives there are in Congress — and who puts them there mid-decade per a push from President Donald Trump and his opponents —...
Kevin Hassett says Federal Reserve can reject Trump’s views if he is chair
WASHINGTON — A leading candidate to be President Donald Trump’s choice for Federal Reserve chair said that he would present the president’s views to Fed officials for their consideration but they could reject them if they chose when making decisions on interest rates. Kevin Hassett, in an interview Sunday on...
Speaker Johnson unveils health care plan as divided Republicans scramble for alternative
WASHINGTON — The Senate failed to get anywhere on the health care issue this week. Now it’s the House’s turn to show what it can do. Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a Republican alternative late Friday, a last-minute sprint as his party refuses to extend the enhanced tax subsidies for those...
GOP chairman threatens Clintons with contempt of Congress in Epstein inquiry
WASHINGTON — The Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee threatened Friday to begin contempt of Congress proceedings against former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton if they refuse to appear for depositions as part of the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said in...
House Democrats release photos of Trump, Clinton and Andrew from Epstein’s estate
WASHINGTON — House Democrats released a selection of photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, including some of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the former Prince Andrew. The 19 photos released by Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee were a small part of more than 95,000 they...
Trump plans to push for cannabis rescheduling as less dangerous
President Donald Trump is expected to direct his administration to move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could represent one of the biggest shifts in U.S. policy toward cannabis in decades. Trump has discussed the idea with marijuana...
Trump signs executive order to block state AI regulations
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at blocking states from crafting their own regulations for artificial intelligence, saying the burgeoning industry is at risk of being stifled by a patchwork of onerous rules while in a battle with Chinese competitors for supremacy. Members of Congress from both...
House votes to nullify Trump order and restore bargaining rights for federal workers
WASHINGTON — Nearly two dozen House Republicans joined Democrats Thursday to pass a bill that would restore collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, an attempt to overturn an executive order that President Donald Trump issued earlier this year. The measure passed 231-195 after reaching the floor...
Democratic senators demand details on Trump’s drugmaker deals
WASHINGTON — Democratic senators are demanding more details on the drug pricing deals that Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly & Co. and others have struck with the Trump administration in an effort to understand whether they’re actually saving the government any money. In letters sent to chief executives of Pfizer, Lilly,...
Indiana Republicans block Trump’s redistricting push in rare break with the president
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s Republican-led senate voted against a redrawn congressional map Thursday that would have favored their party in the 2026 elections, despite months of pressure by President Donald Trump for a rare mid-cycle redistricting. Twenty-one senators from the Republican supermajority and all 10 of the chamber’s Democrats voted down...
Shapiro admin subpoenaed for records detailing use of public funds to upgrade governor’s private home
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania Senate panel has taken the rare and dramatic step of subpoenaing the Shapiro administration for...
Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detentionVideo
GREENBELT, Md. — Kilmar Abrego Garcia must be freed from immigration detention while he fights to stay in the U.S., a judge ruled Thursday, handing a major victory to the immigrant whose wrongful deportation to a notorious prison in El Salvador made him a flashpoint of the Trump administration’s immigration...
MyPillow founder and Trump supporter Mike Lindell says he’s running for Minnesota governor in 2026
SHAKOPEE, Minn. — Mike Lindell, the fervent supporter of President Donald Trump known to TV viewers as the “MyPillow Guy,” officially entered the race for Minnesota governor Thursday in hopes of winning the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in 2026. Lindell made the announcement at a news...
Tariffs have cost U.S. households $1,200 each since Trump returned to the White House, Democrats say
WASHINGTON — Sweeping taxes on imports have cost the average American household nearly $1,200 since Donald Trump returned to the White House this year, according to calculations by Democrats on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. Using Treasury Department numbers on revenue from tariffs and Goldman Sachs estimates of who ends up...
Lawmakers hold hope for health care even with partisan Senate votes
WASHINGTON — As the Senate tees up a pair of partisan votes on health care Thursday, senators from both sides of the aisle said debate isn’t over regarding enhanced premium tax credits that millions of people rely on. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Wednesday that he wasn’t ruling...
What a Democrat’s victory in the Miami mayoral election may mean for TrumpVideo
MIAMI — Democrat Eileen Higgins’ victory in the Miami mayoral race marks a setback for Republican President Donald Trump, who endorsed her rival and has touted his 2024 win in the area as a testament to his appeal in Florida and particularly among Hispanic voters. Higgins, who will become the...
Shapiro joins Utah governor in condemning political violence, extreme rhetoric
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro quickly shifted gears Tuesday night inside the Washington National Cathedral as another shouting protester tried to interrupt him during an event on political violence and civility. “By the way, I’ll just thank the cathedral for the amazing acoustics. I can’t hear a word of what these...
2 Democrats, 2 strategies: Texas Senate race shows party split on Trump-focus in midterm elections
WASHINGTON — A Dallas congresswoman opened her Senate campaign by telling voters that she “has gone toe to toe with Donald Trump.” Her Democratic primary opponent insisted that Americans are tired of “politics as a blood sport.” The divergent approach highlights how U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James...
Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years
MIAMI (AP) — Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayor’s race on Tuesday, defeating a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump to end her party’s nearly three-decade losing streak and give Democrats a boost in one of the last electoral battles ahead of the 2026 midterms. Higgins, 61, will be...
Trump once denied using this slur about Haiti and African nations. Now he boasts about it
President Donald Trump admitted Tuesday that he used the slur “shithole countries” to disparage Haiti and African nations during a 2018 meeting with lawmakers, bragging about a comment that sparked global outrage during his first term. Back then, Trump had denied making the contemptuous statement during a closed-door meeting, but...
Trump’s speech in Pa. on combating inflation turns to grievances about immigrants from ‘filthy’ countries
MOUNT POCONO — On the road in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, President Donald Trump tried to emphasize his focus on combating inflation, yet the issue that has damaged his popularity couldn’t quite command his full attention. The president told the crowd gathered at a casino and resort in Mount Pocono that...
