Politics Election category, Page 328
Prosecutors: Roger Stone lied because ‘truth looked bad’ for TrumpVideo
WASHINGTON — Prosecutors in the trial of Roger Stone told jurors Wednesday that the longtime Donald Trump confidant repeatedly lied to Congress “because the truth looked bad” for the president. The opening arguments in the case against Stone, a longtime Republican operative and provocateur, made clear that the president will...
Juli Briskman, woman who flipped off Trump’s motorcade, wins Virginia electionVideo
NEW YORK — Juli Briskman, who went viral in October 2017 when she was photographed flipping off the president as she rode past on her bicycle, defeated the incumbent Republican on Tuesday and won a seat on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in Virginia. Briskman, a first-time politician, will...
Matt Bevin seeks vote recanvass while Andy Beshear starts transition for Kentucky governorshipVideo
LOUISVILLE — Republican Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin asked Wednesday for a recanvass of vote totals, as election results showed him trailing by several thousand votes, but Democrat Andy Beshear turned his own focus toward transitioning into the governor’s office. Beshear, the state’s attorney general, said he’s confident in the election...
Diplomat William Taylor had ‘clear understanding’ of Ukraine quid pro quoVideo
WASHINGTON — A State Department envoy told lawmakers it was his “clear understanding” the U.S. government intended to withhold military aid from Ukraine until the country committed to investigations sought by President Donald Trump, including into a political rival, according to a transcript of the closed-door interview released Wednesday. William...
Trump attacks whistleblower anonymity, but won’t utter nameVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is blasting the media for not reporting the name of a person who has been identified in conservative circles as the whistleblower who spurred the impeachment inquiry. Yet Trump has carefully avoided using the name himself. Exposing whistleblowers can be dicey, even for a president....
House Dems announce public impeachment hearings next week
WASHINGTON — House Democrats will launch a major new phase of their impeachment inquiry next week with public hearings that will feature three State Department officials who have testified about their concerns about President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who is leading the impeachment...
Voters in U.S. states decide on sanctuary city, Airbnb rentals
Voters in the West took a dim view of taxes, while New Yorkers backed a new way to elect some of their leaders and a New Jersey city cracked down on Airbnb. Tucson voters seemed uninterested in becoming a sanctuary city, and those in Washington weighed whether to roll back...
Beshear claims victory in Kentucky governor race; Bevin refuses to concedeVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky’s bitter race for governor went into overtime as Democrat Andy Beshear declared victory while Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, a close ally of President Donald Trump, refused to concede with results showing he trailed by a few thousand votes. Kentucky has some sorting out to do before...
Democrats promise swift action after win in VirginiaVideo
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Democrats promised swift action on a host of liberal policy proposals now that they’ve won full control of state government for the first time in more than two decades. Democratic leaders said Virginians should expect a higher minimum wage, new gun restrictions and greater abortion rights...
In return visit to Pittsburgh, longtime ambassador in Mideast laments U.S. policy
Former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein spent over four decades traveling around the world. His nine overseas postings included three tours of duty in Pakistan, as well as assignments in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, Israel and Tunisia. But when Feierstein addressed an audience of 100 people at a World...
Most Republicans on impeachment committees aren’t showing up, transcripts revealVideo
WASHINGTON — Republicans have for weeks blasted the closed-door impeachment process, but transcripts released this week of private depositions show most GOP lawmakers on the three panels at the center of the probe have simply not shown up. The low attendance for most committee Republicans paints a very different picture...
Impeachment reversal: Ambassador Gordon Sondland now acknowledges quid pro quoVideo
WASHINGTON — In a striking reversal, a top diplomat revised his testimony in the House impeachment inquiry to acknowledge that U.S. military aid to Ukraine was being withheld until the foreign ally promised to investigate corruption as President Donald Trump wanted. The three-page update from U.S. Ambassador Gordon Sondland, tucked...
Trump plugs son’s book while accusing Bidens of self-dealing
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has accused former Vice President Joe Biden of major ethical lapses and railed against Biden’s son for allegedly profiting off his father’s office. But on Monday, Trump used his Twitter feed to publicize a new book by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., telling his...
Trump boosts Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, attacks political foesVideo
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Pushing to help a Republican governor hold onto his office, President Donald Trump barnstormed for Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky on Monday, delivering a raucous election eve rally in which he delivered a series of stinging attacks on Democrats and the impeachment inquiry that is imperiling his...
DOJ sends letter to publisher of book by ‘Anonymous’
NEW YORK — The Justice Department has sent a letter to the publisher and literary agency of the anonymous government official whose book is scheduled to come out later this month. The letter raises questions over whether any confidentiality agreement has been violated and asked for information that could help...
Former U.S. envoy Marie Yovanovitch says she was warned she was being targetedVideo
WASHINGTON — Laying out the anatomy of a chilling smear campaign, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told House investigators in a transcript released Monday that Ukrainian officials had warned her in advance that Rudy Giuliani and other allies of President Donald Trump were planning to “do things, including...
Progressive group to spend $70 million targeting Trump online
WASHINGTON — A progressive organization announced Monday that it plans to spend over $70 million targeting Donald Trump online, a move that comes amid worries that Democrats aren’t doing enough to counter the president’s massive ad spending on Facebook and Google. The group ACRONYM will run ads on social media...
From toast of town to toxic: Facebook CEO on outs with DemsVideo
WASHINGTON — Mark Zuckerberg’s social network in Washington is shrinking. Bipartisan hostility against Facebook has been building for months, fueled by a series of privacy scandals, the site’s role in Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign and accusations that Facebook crushes competitors. Now, with the 2020 elections approaching, Democrats...
Lawyer: Whistleblower willing to take written GOP questionsVideo
WASHINGTON — A lawyer for the whistleblower who raised alarms about President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine said Sunday his client is willing to answer written questions submitted by House Republicans. The surprise offer, made to Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, would allow Republicans...
1 Year Out: A divided nation lurches toward 2020 election
WASHINGTON — One year from Sunday, voters will decide whether to grant President Donald Trump a second term in office, an election that will be a referendum on Trump’s vision for America’s culture and role in the world. Much is unknown about how the United States and its politics will...
U.S. judge blocks Trump’s health insurance rule for immigrants
PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal judge in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday put on hold a Trump administration rule requiring immigrants prove they will have health insurance or can pay for medical care before they can get visas. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon granted a temporary restraining order that prevents the...
Trump says Chad Wolf to be next acting DHS secretary
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Chad Wolf, a longtime Homeland Security official, would be the new acting head of the department, the fifth person in the job for this administration. But Trump’s casual announcement, made Friday in response to a reporter’s question outside the White House, temporarily created more...
Pelosi sets a high bar for impeachment inquiry: ‘ironclad’ proof
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, offering her most expansive view of the impeachment probe to date, said she decided to advance the inquiry into President Donald Trump after his phone call with Ukraine’s leader provided her with the “clarity” that prior allegations against Trump lacked. Pelosi said the partial...
Smugglers using $100 saws to get through Trump’s new border wallVideo
Smugglers in Mexico are sawing through new sections of U.S. border fence using tools commonly available at The Home Depot. Smuggling gangs along the southern U.S. border are repeatedly cutting through the steel-and-concrete posts of President Trump’s new fence using off-the-shelf power tools, reports The Washington Post. Government agents and...
Beto O’Rourke announces he’s dropping 2020 presidential bid
Democrat Beto O’Rourke has announced he’s dropping his 2020 presidential bid. O’Rourke tweeted Friday that his campaign “has always been about seeing clearly, speaking honestly, and acting decisively.” He writes, “In that spirit: I am announcing that my service to the country will not be as a candidate or as...
