Politics Election category, Page 224
Steve Bannon indicted on contempt charges for defying 1/6 subpoena
Steve Bannon, a longtime ally to former President Donald Trump, was indicted Friday on two counts of contempt of Congress after he defied a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The Justice Department said Bannon, 67, was indicted on one count for refusing...
New limits would curtail lobbyist perks for Pa. lawmakers, but one leader could stand in the way
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 — Pennsylvania lawmakers and other elected officials have for years been able to pocket almost anything sent their way by...
Big Bird backlash: Vax lands even Muppet in political flap
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Smokey Bear taught kids the importance of preventing wildfires. McGruff the Crime Dog warned them not to talk to strangers. And in 1972, Big Bird lined up on “Sesame Street” to receive a measles vaccine as part of a campaign to get more youngsters inoculated against the...
TV’s Dr. Oz considers jumping into Pennsylvania’s crowded U.S. Senate race: reports
Dr. Mehmet Oz, a surgeon and TV personality who became famous 20 years ago after being deemed “America’s doctor” by Oprah Winfrey, is looking into joining Pennsylvania politics, according to reports. People magazine quotes a spokesperson from ” The Dr. Oz Show ” (which focuses on health and wellness) as...
Gerrymandering surges as states redraw maps for House seats
North Carolina Republicans are well positioned to pick up at least two House seats in next year’s election — but it’s not because the state is getting redder. The state remains a perennial battleground, closely split between Democrats and Republicans in elections. In the last presidential race, Republican Donald Trump...
White House rushes with infrastructure fixes for economy
BALTIMORE — The Biden administration is relying on infrastructure dollars to help fix the clogged ports and blanket the nation with internet access — but a series of initiatives rolled out on Tuesday show that the urgent pace might not be fast enough to address the immediate needs of an...
GOP Rep. Fred Upton receives death threats after backing public works billVideo
WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Fred Upton said he has received well over 1,000 calls including multiple “nasty” death threats since the Michigan congressman voted for a bipartisan infrastructure bill that he helped write with GOP and Democratic colleagues earlier this year. More than 90% of the calls are coming...
Top Pa. House Republican wants to greatly expand lawmakers’ power over governor, executive branch
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 — The top Republican in the state House wants to give the legislature the ability to block regulations or administrative...
GOP Rep. Paul Gosar under fire for anime attacking Alexandria Ocasio-CortezVideo
PHOENIX — Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar was facing criticism after he tweeted a video that included altered animation showing him striking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a sword. In a tweet Monday night, Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., referred to Gosar as “a creepy member I work with” and said he “shared a fantasy...
Senator is at war against vaccine mandates. His weapon of choice? Natural immunity
WASHINGTON — Roger Marshall, physician turned U.S. senator, is waging a battle in Congress against vaccine mandates. Last week, he signed onto an effort to overturn the new rule issued by President Joe Biden’s administration requiring most private employers to have their workers vaccinated or tested weekly by Jan. 4....
Big Bird announced he got his covid-19 vaccine. Ted Cruz called it ‘government propaganda.’
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz appears to think Big Bird is a government plant. The “Sesame Street” staple announced Saturday that he had gotten his covid-19 vaccine, just days after the FDA approved the Pfizer shot for children ages 5-11. “My wing is feeling a little sore, but it’ll give...
Democrats facing tough slog in 2022 governor’s races
WASHINGTON — Republicans are increasingly optimistic about flipping governor’s offices in key battleground states next year, buoyed by President Joe Biden’s sagging approval ratings, Democratic infighting in Congress and better-than-expected results in elections in Virginia and New Jersey. Democrats were already steeled for tough races, but the upset loss in...
Biden’s big bill on brink of House votes, but fights remainVideo
WASHINGTON — Democrats in the House appear on the verge of advancing President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion-and-growing domestic policy package alongside a companion $1 trillion infrastructure bill in what would be a dramatic political accomplishment — if they can push it to passage. The House scrapped votes late Thursday but...
Biden administration sues Texas over new voting restrictions
AUSTIN — The Biden administration on Thursday sued Texas over new voting laws that outlasted a summer of dramatic protests by Democrats, who face fading hopes of overhauling the nation’s elections in response to a wave of restrictive new rules in Republican-led states. The lawsuit does not challenge the entirety...
Analysis: After tough election, Biden dismisses danger signs
WASHINGTON — The hazard lights are blinking for President Joe Biden after Democratic setbacks in this week’s elections, but the president professes to see no reason for panic. Just one year after he rode to the White House with a record 81 million votes, Biden saw Democratic stalwart Terry McAuliffe...
Senate Democrats push new voting bill, again hit GOP wallVideo
WASHINGTON — If at first you don’t succeed, make Republicans vote again. That’s the strategy Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer appears to be pursuing as the New York Democrat forced another test vote Wednesday on legislation to overhaul the nation’s election laws. For the fourth time since June, Republicans blocked...
Republican Kevin Brobson wins seat on Pennsylvania Supreme Court as GOP appears poised to sweep appellate races
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 — Republican Kevin Brobson edged out Democrat Maria McLaughlin to win a spot on Pennsylvania’s highest court, ending a contentious...
5 takeaways from Election Day in Western Pa.
Tuesday’s election didn’t produce any of the drama or tumult that we saw in 2020, but it turned out to be historically significant in other ways. Republicans shined in countywide races in Westmoreland County and races for the state’s appellate courts, while Black and women candidates came up big in...
Democrats reach drug price deal, Biden upbeat on Manchin
WASHINGTON — Democrats reached agreement on a plan to lower prescription drug costs for most older people, capping out-of-pocket Medicare costs at $2,000 and reducing the price of insulin, salvaging a campaign promise as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion domestic policy proposal. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on...
Youngkin’s Virginia win jolts Democrats, tight race in N.J.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia governor’s race early Wednesday, tapping into culture war fights over schools and race to unite former President Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters with enough suburban voters to become the first Republican to win statewide office in a dozen years. The 54-year-old...
Brad Raffensperger book details Trump’s pressure to alter Georgia electionVideo
ATLANTA — Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, was sitting at his kitchen table with his wife when President Donald Trump called with an urgent demand: Change the election results. Details of that famous call in January are the centerpiece of Raffensperger’s book published Tuesday, “Integrity Counts.” Raffensperger refused Trump...
Democrats announce deal for lower drug prices in Biden billVideo
WASHINGTON — Democrats reached agreement Tuesday on a deal to lower prescription drug costs for older people, capping out-of-pocket Medicare costs at $2,000 and reducing the price of insulin, salvaging a campaign promise as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion domestic policy proposal. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced...
Estranged wife of GOP U.S. Senate candidate Sean Parnell testifies he abused her and children
The estranged wife of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sean Parnell testified during a child custody hearing Monday that his fits of rage toward her began within the first few months of their relationship, and the rage later turned into abuse. But she said under oath that it wasn’t until early...
W.Va. Sen. Joe Manchin wavers on Biden’s plan, rebuffs progressivesVideo
WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin wavered Monday on his support for President Joe Biden’s sweeping $1.75 trillion domestic policy proposal, saying instead it’s “time to vote” on a slimmer $1 trillion infrastructure package that has stalled amid talks. The West Virginia Democrat’s announcement comes as Democrats want a signal from...
Alabama judge booted for racist, inappropriate behavior
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A judge who oversees elections in an Alabama county was removed from office after being accused of racist, sexually inappropriate behavior that included demeaning comments about women and saying George Floyd “got what he deserved” when an officer in Minnesota murdered him. Talladega County Probate Judge Randy...
