Politics Election category, Page 42
Trump posts deepfake video of Jeffries, Schumer with racist tropes as shutdown loomsVideo
President Donald Trump posted an expletive-laden, deepfake video with racist tropes about immigrants after talks with Democrats did not end in agreement to keep the federal government open. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met with Trump and Republican leaders on Sept. 29, just over...
Services at national parks, support for Medicare and Medicaid would likely be reduced under federal shutdown
National Park Service officials are dusting off the contingency plan from the 2018 federal government shutdown, in anticipation of another closure starting Wednesday. In southwestern Pennsylvania, the two most-visible areas that could be affected are national parks such as the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County and Fort Necessity...
Hegseth called for ‘no more beardos.’ What does that mean?
In a rare address to military commanders on Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stressed the importance of grooming standards, even using the sometimes derogatory term “beardos.” “The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos,” Hegseth told the audience, which sat in silence, according to Reuters. What does...
Pa. Senate Republicans look to forgive interest on state loans to help counties, Head Starts
Republican leaders in the state Senate said Tuesday they plan to introduce legislation to forgive the interest payments on Treasury loans designed to help county governments and Head Start providers weather Pennsylvania’s budget impasse. “They should not be penalized because of what is happening here in Harrisburg,” state Senate President...
What would it take to avoid a U.S. government shutdown?
WASHINGTON — The Congress and President Donald Trump have little time and few options remaining to reach a funding deal to avoid triggering disruptions in a range of U.S. government services and the furlough of hundreds of thousands of civil servants beginning on Wednesday. What could stave off a government shutdown?...
Older, disabled Pennsylvanians bear brunt of home care staffing crisis
Lisa Sprague does what she can on her own, but nerve damage caused by multiple sclerosis means she needs help getting out of bed, bathing and completing other daily tasks. The state pays for 13 hours of care every day at her Harmar home, a bungalow retrofitted with a wheelchair...
As Pa. budget impasse drags on, proposals aim to prevent future ones
The failure of Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass a budget for the fiscal year that began nearly three months ago is inspiring several pieces of legislation aimed at preventing such impasses in the future. In the House, a bill from state Rep. Jill Cooper, R-Murrysville, would suspend paychecks for the governor,...
Hungary’s Orban says Ukraine is ‘not sovereign’ as drone row deepens
Hungary’s Viktor Orban said on Monday that Ukraine was not a sovereign country, as he hit back at accusations that Hungarian reconnaissance drones violated its airspace — the latest salvo in an increasingly bitter row between Kyiv and Budapest. “Ukraine is not at war with Hungary; it is at war...
Trump administration begins detailing shutdown plans as deadline nearsVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration started detailing its plans on Monday for which services it will pause if the federal government shuts down this week, with the U.S. health department slated to furlough 41% of its workforce. The impending shutdown will be different from past government closures because the...
What to know about charges against former FBI Director James Comey
WASHINGTON — James Comey will be arraigned Oct. 9 in a criminal case that President Donald Trump encouraged, but the former FBI director has proclaimed his innocence and invited a trial. Comey’s indictment Sept. 25 came after Trump publicly urged the Justice Department to pursue the charges against his longtime...
As U.S. military leaders prepare for Virginia meeting, agenda comes into focus
WASHINGTON — U.S. military leaders deployed around the world have started to prepare to travel to Virginia for a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth next week, which some officials on Friday billed as a gathering focused on the “warrior ethos.” Hegseth has summoned U.S. generals and admirals from around...
Democrats release Epstein records mentioning Musk, Bannon, Thiel, Prince Andrew
A breakfast appointment with MAGA leader Steve Bannon. A planned lunch with billionaire Peter Thiel. A mention of billionaire Elon Musk potentially coming to the “island,” with the notation “is this still happening?” Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released documents Friday from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that mention a number...
White House threatens sharp cuts in workforce in shutdown standoffVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration has raised the stakes in a showdown with Senate Democrats over a looming partial government shutdown, threatening to permanently remove workers from some federal agencies if funding runs out on Tuesday. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget — which has played a...
Feds sue Pa. over failure to release voter information
The Department of Justice on Thursday sued Pennsylvania and five other states accusing them of failing to turn over voter information. The complaint, filed in federal court in Pittsburgh, alleges Attorney General Pam Bondi has requested voter information unsuccessfully from Pennsylvania three times since June. “Clean voter rolls are the...
O’Connor far outpaces Moreno in fundraising ahead of Pittsburgh mayoral election
With Pittsburgh’s mayoral race less than six weeks out, new reports show Democratic candidate Corey O’Connor holding a tremendous fundraising advantage over Republican nominee Tony Moreno. O’Connor has about $270,000 to spend ahead of the November 4 election — more than 60 times what Moreno has. Campaign finance reports filed...
Trump signs order declaring TikTok sale ready and values it at $14 billion
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday declaring that his plan to sell Chinese-owned TikTok’s U.S. operations to U.S. and global investors will address the national security requirements in a 2024 law. The new U.S. company will be valued at around $14 billion, Vice President JD...
White House budget office tells agencies to draft mass firing plans ahead of potential shutdown
WASHINGTON — The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the government shuts down next week. In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next...
Trump is hosting Turkey’s Erdogan at the White House as the U.S. considers lifting ban on F-35 sales
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday as the Republican leader has indicated that the U.S. government’s hold on sales of advanced fighter jets to Ankara may soon be lifted. During Trump’s first term, the United States...
Pa. budget impasse nears 3 months as schools, counties and others feel the pain
Pennsylvania is one of just three states that has yet to adopt a complete budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to an analysis by the National Association of School Budget Officers. In North Carolina, lawmakers passed a stopgap “mini budget” over the summer to keep the government running while...
Statue of Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein removed from National Mall
First, it was the giant poop emoji statue. Now, it’s a statue of President Donald Trump holding hands with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019. The new 12-foot-tall, spray-painted bronze statue was titled “Best Friends Forever,” and it appeared on the National Mall in front...
Trump’s Rose Garden Club is a lavish new hangout for political allies and business elites
WASHINGTON — Washington’s hottest new club has everything — Cabinet secretaries, a new stone patio, food from the White House kitchen and even a playlist curated by President Donald Trump. But good luck getting a spot on the guest list. So far, only some of the president’s political allies, business...
Iran’s president says U.S., Israeli attacks inflicted ‘grievous blow’ on international trust
UNITED NATIONS — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took the stage at the U.N. on Wednesday to blast Israeli and U.S. attacks in June as inflicting “a grievous blow upon international trust and the very prospect of peace in the region.” His comments at the General Assembly are the first time...
The economy was a strength for Trump in his 1st term. Not anymore, according to recent polling
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s second-term strengths look different from his first, according to new polling. Once strengthened by economic issues, Trump’s approval is now relatively low on the economy — and he’s leaning on his stronger issues of crime, border security and immigration. Concerns about the economy and immigration...
Trump slams ABC for bringing Kimmel back, suggesting another lawsuit
President Donald Trump suggested he would go after ABC as late-night host Jimmy Kimmel resumed his show Tuesday on the network after nearly a week off the air. “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The White House was told...
Democrat Adelita Grijalva wins special election for southern Arizona congressional seat
PHOENIX — Southern Arizona voters on Tuesday chose Adelita Grijalva to succeed her father, the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a progressive Democrat who represented the state for more than two decades in Congress. She defeated Republican candidate Daniel Butierez to represent a district that stretches from Yuma to Tucson...
