Draft suggests campaign caps to replace those struck down

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A draft opinion prepared by Alaska Public Offices Commission staff proposes imposing campaign contribution limits in the place of some of the caps that were struck down by a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court

Defund the police candidates stumble in liberal Seattle

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle's downtown business community celebrated Wednesday after the moderate candidates it backed took commanding leads in the races for mayor, city attorney and a key council race over liberals who had called to defund the police.

Portland, Oregon, mayor proposes increasing police budget

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A year after Portland’s police department underwent significant budget cuts amid demands to defund the police, Mayor Ted Wheeler announced Wednesday he is seeking more than $5 million this fall for police investments, including hi...

Senate confirms new US ambassador to Israel

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Thomas R. Nides of Minnesota to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Six more deaths and 40 active COVID-19 outbreaks reported in B.C. facilities

VICTORIA — British Columbia reported 430 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and six more deaths. There were 4,373 active cases and just over 200,000 people who tested positive for the virus were considered to have recovered.  The six deaths brought the...

Alberta’s Kenney denies scapegoating chief medical officer for COVID-19 failures

EDMONTON — Premier Jason Kenney is rejecting accusations that he is blaming the province's chief medical officer of health for Alberta’s failures in the handling of the fourth wave of COVID-19. "The buck does stop with me," Kenney told the house

AP FACT CHECK: Biden distorts Virginia’s electoral history

WASHINGTON (AP) — Downplaying his party’s loss in Virginia, President Joe Biden suggested that Democrat Terry McAuliffe couldn’t have won the governor’s election based on the state’s history of rejecting candidates in that race when their party occupie...

Daughter of US House hopeful pleads guilty to COVID-19 fraud

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The daughter of a South Florida county commissioner who is running for Congress pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing $300,000 in COVID-19 relief funds.

Activists keep police reform push despite Minneapolis loss

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Activists vowed Wednesday to keep fighting for substantial changes to the Minneapolis Police Department, despite the defeat of a ballot initiative that would have replaced it with a reimagined public safety unit in the city where Geo...

Florida governor calls for election police force

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Citing unspecified examples of election fraud, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday pledged to create a law enforcement agency to investigate election crimes as part of a new package of voting laws.