Politics Election category, Page 319
Ukraine opens probe of possible surveillance of ambassador
KYIV, Ukraine — Police in Ukraine are investigating whether the U.S. ambassador came under illegal surveillance by an unknown party before the Trump administration recalled her from Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said Thursday. The announcement came two days after Democratic lawmakers in the United States released documents and text messages that...
AP sources: FBI to keep states in loop on election breaches
WASHINGTON — The FBI, in a change of policy, is committing to inform state officials if local election systems have been breached, federal officials told The Associated Press. In the past, the FBI would alert local governments about attacks on their electoral systems without automatically sharing that information with the...
Chief justice, senators sworn in for Trump impeachmentVideo
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in Thursday to preside over President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, then immediately administered the oath to the full Senate to ensure “impartial justice” as jurors for only the third such proceeding in American. history. Roberts made the short trip across the street...
Watchdog: White House violated law in freezing Ukraine aid
WASHINGTON — The White House violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine, an action at the center of President Donald Trump’s impeachment, a federal watchdog agency said Thursday. The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law in holding...
Senate expected to give Trump back-to-back trade victories
WASHINGTON — One day after signing a new trade deal with China, President Donald Trump is expected to get more good news on his trade agenda as the Senate considers a new North American pact. The House has already overwhelmingly approved the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The Senate is expected to...
Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas says Trump had knowledge of Ukraine pressureVideo
WASHINGTON — A close associate of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer says he delivered an ultimatum in May to the incoming president of Ukraine that no senior U.S. officials would attend his inauguration and all American aid to the war-torn country would be withheld if an investigation into Joe Biden...
Dave Chappelle endorses Andrew Yang, will perform 2 shows to benefit campaign
Comedian Dave Chappelle announced Tuesday his endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. According to CNN, Yang expressed excitement for Chappelle’s endorsement and explained that they share similar views. “Dave is one of the most important voices in our country today and I’m thrilled he has thrown his support behind...
House leaders march Trump impeachment articles to the SenateVideo
WASHINGTON — In a dramatic procession across the U.S. Capitol, Democratic House leaders marched the formal articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate late Wednesday, setting the stage for only the third trial to remove a president in American history. Trump complained anew it was all a...
Key takeaways from Democratic presidential debate in Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa — Some key takeaways from Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines, the final forum before the Iowa caucuses: Civility and substance over fighting and friction After the United States’ killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Democrats were bracing for fights over foreign policy. Instead, a whole...
Democrats to investigate ‘profoundly alarming’ Ukraine texts
WASHINGTON — A House committee chairman said his panel will investigate what he says are “profoundly alarming” text messages that have raised questions about the possible surveillance of former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch before she was ousted by the Trump administration last spring. House Democrats on Tuesday night released...
Pelosi names Schiff, Nadler as prosecutors for Trump trial
WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday named two House chairmen who led President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry as prosecutors for Trump’s Senate trial. Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who led the probe, and Judiciary Chair Rep. Jerrold Nadler, whose committee approved the impeachment articles, as among the managers of...
Can a woman win the presidency? Clash exposes deeper issue
WASHINGTON — The smoldering political flareup between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders has rekindled debate over a question that has been gnawing at Democratic primary voters for more than three years: Can a woman beat President Donald Trump? Many voters openly support the idea of the first female president but...
Key takeaways from Democratic presidential debate in Iowa
DES MOINES — Some key takeaways from Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines, the final forum before the Iowa caucuses: CIVILITY AND SUBSTANCE OVER FIGHTING AND FRICTION After the United States’ killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Democrats were bracing for fights over foreign policy. Instead, a whole lot...
Ex-Trump aide Michael Flynn seeks to withdraw guilty plea
WASHINGTON —Former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn filed court papers Tuesday to withdraw his guilty plea, saying federal prosecutors had acted in “bad faith” and breached their deal with him. The request comes one week after the Justice Department changed its position on Flynn’s punishment by recommending that...
High court skeptical of New Jersey ‘Bridgegate’ convictions
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed broadly skeptical Tuesday of the convictions of two people involved in New Jersey’s “Bridgegate” scandal where officials created a massive traffic jam to punish a mayor who refused to endorse then-governor Chris Christie’s reelection. The justices suggested during arguments that the government had overreached...
Nancy Pelosi sets Wednesday votes to send impeachment to Senate
WASHINGTON — The House is set to vote Wednesday to send the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate, and pressure was mounting Tuesday on senators to call fresh witnesses for the historic trial. Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the next steps after meeting privately with House Democrats...
Trump use of doctored Pelosi-Schumer photo draws Muslim ire
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump circulated a fake image on Monday depicting congressional Democrats’ top-ranked leaders in traditional Muslim attire in front of the Iranian flag, drawing criticism that he was promoting Islamophobic tropes. The manipulated photo retweeted by Trump showed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader...
Wisconsin judge orders up to 209K voter names be deleted
PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge on Monday found the state’s election commission to be in contempt and ordered the bipartisan panel to immediately begin removing up to 209,000 names from the state’s voter rolls or face hundreds of dollars in fines for each day they don’t. Judge Paul...
Trump, Pelosi square off ahead of impeachment trialVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi squared off Sunday ahead of his impeachment trial, as she said senators will “pay a price” for blocking new witnesses and he quickly retorted that she and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff should both testify. The House plans to vote...
Majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran situation, ABC News/Ipsos poll showsVideo
A majority of respondents in a recent poll say they disapprove of the way President Trump is handling Iran amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and feel less safe because of it. The poll, conducted by ABC News/Ipsos shows that 56 percent of respondents said they disapproved of Trump’s...
How a debunked Ukraine theory endures against all evidence
The theory took root in vague form well before Donald Trump laid claim to the White House in 2016. The candidate’s close confidant tweeted about it. His campaign chairman apparently spoke about it with people close to him. What if, the idea went, it was actually Ukraine — and not...
Texas governor says no to refugees in coming year
AUSTIN, Texas — In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday the state will not allow refugees to resettle in Texas. Under President Donald Trump’s Sept. 26 executive order, cities and states must provide their written consent to allow refugees to resettle within...
Pelosi to send impeachment articles for Senate trial ‘soon’Video
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she will “soon” transmit the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, signaling a potential thaw in the standoff with Senate Republicans as she warned against rushing to an acquittal without a fair trial. Pelosi, D-Calif., faces mounting pressure from Republicans and some...
U.S. courts rule for border walls both public and privateVideo
WASHINGTON — Crews could start building a private border wall in South Texas within the coming days following a federal judge’s ruling Thursday that lifted a restraining order against the project. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane’s order was the second federal ruling in two days in favor of border barriers....
House approves measure to restrain Trump’s actions on IranVideo
WASHINGTON — Reigniting a debate over who has the power to declare war, the Democratic-controlled House on Thursday approved a resolution asserting that President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. The war powers resolution is not binding on the president and...
