Politics Election category, Page 281
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...
Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Norwegian lawmaker
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East. Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the far-right Progress Party, said Trump should be considered because of his work...
5 questions that will help decide the presidential race in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA — When a major Democratic political group presented a chart last week projecting each party’s path to victory in the presidential race, Pennsylvania sat dead center: the state most likely to decide the winner, and one of the most competitive. It’s so closely balanced it’s impossible to name just...
Federal judge rejects lawsuit seeking Texas voting changes during pandemic
AUSTIN — A federal judge in San Antonio dismissed a lawsuit seeking greater accommodations for voter safety during the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit, filed by civil rights groups and two voters, sought a court order requiring face masks at polls and other changes to alleviate crowding, including more polling locations,...
McConnell sets up vote on Republican relief plan Pelosi rejectsVideo
WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders hardened their battle lines on additional fiscal stimulus on Tuesday, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labeling Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposal for a slimmed-down package “fraudulent.” The Republican bill, featuring some of the aspects of a $1 trillion proposal they put forth a month...
Justice Department seeks to provide Trump defense in lawsuit by columnist who claims he raped her
The Justice Department is seeking to take over the defense of President Donald Trump in a defamation suit brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who claims Trump raped her two decades ago. In a court filing Tuesday, the Justice Department said Trump was acting “within the scope” of his...
House to investigate Louis DeJoy for possible campaign law violationsVideo
WASHINGTON — House Democrats said Tuesday they will investigate whether Postmaster General Louis DeJoy encouraged employees at his former business to contribute to Republican candidates and then reimbursed them in the guise of bonuses, a violation of campaign finance laws. Five people who worked for DeJoy’s former company, New Breed...
Southwest Pennsylvania again takes center stage in presidential campaigns this week
Pennsylvania’s importance in the Nov. 3 election is apparent again this week in a series of stops planned in the Pittsburgh region by the Trump and Biden campaigns. Former Vice President Joe Biden stopped in Harrisburg on Monday for Labor Day. The week will ramp up Wednesday with Vice President...
