Politics

29

Jul

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Candidate’s dispute with Richmond’s elections office exposes error in city’s training video

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – A Richmond electoral board member apologized and made a motion to change the ballot order for a City Council race after a candidate shared paperwork issues she had with the city’s elections office. But it didn’t get a vote at the board’s July 23 meeting as no other member seconded the motion, a decision that came after General Registrar Keith Balmer told them to expect a lawsuit from the other candidate in the race if they did. A review of emails from 9th District City Council candidate Stephanie Starling by 8News found Balmer’s office shared the…

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26

Jul

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Blinken to celebrate Biden legacy, reassure allies in Asia after president drops out of 2024 race

VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make the case for the Biden administration’s expanded commitment to Asia and the Indo-Pacific region more broadly as he visits Laos, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia this week and next. The trip comes as the 2024 U.S. presidential election campaign heats up after a series of bombshell developments upended the race. Blinken, who has already modified his travel schedule twice since the trip was announced just hours after President Joe Biden made his decision not to seek re-election, arrives in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday for the annual…

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26

Jul

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Joe Manchin, one of the few threats to Kamala Harris, says he won’t take her on

Sen. Joe Manchin of Virginia, who briefly sparked fears among Democrats that he could re-register as a Democrat and challenge Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination, has ruled out running. Appearing on CBS Mornings on Monday, Manchin, who left the Democratic Party and filed as an Independent in May, said: "I am not going to be a candidate for president." He added: "I am a candidate for basically speaking for the middle of this country." Manchin later explained his reasoning for not challenging Harris, saying: "I don't need that." Although he won't oppose Harris, who already has substantial…

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25

Jul

By Courtney

Politics

6 frequently asked questions about the presidential ballot in Virginia

In light of President Joe Biden’s recently announced withdrawal from the presidential race, here are some frequently asked questions — and answers about the Virginia ballot. 1. Is it too late for Kamala Harris to make the ballot in Virginia? No. The deadline for presidential candidates to qualify for the ballot in Virginia is Aug. 23. As far as Virginia law is concerned, Vice President Harris isn’t replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee because Biden hadn’t been formally nominated yet, so officially, there’s no one to replace. Democrats had been planning a virtual roll call next week to…

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28

Apr

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Misinformation has created an alternative world for some Americans

There’s a tendency in this heated political climate to simply reject people who are saying false things and to write off conspiracy theorists writ large. But as the US approaches the third straight election in which misinformation — and the fight against it — is expected to play a role, it’s important to understand what’s driving people who don’t believe in US elections. CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan and his team have an hourlong documentary, “MisinfoNation: The Trump Faithful,” airing on “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper” on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. I talked to O’Sullivan about the documentary, in which…

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26

Apr

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Two Trump courtroom dramas could help shape the tone of a future presidency

A wild day of often outlandish legal arguments and tabloid tales could not obscure the stakes for the country. Only Donald Trump could conjure a two-city legal spectacle that gave equal billing to the deepest thoughts of George Washington and a former National Enquirer publisher known for lurid celebrity scandals and dubious UFO sightings. The former president was the epicenter of attention Thursday during key testimony from media magnate David Pecker at his first criminal trial in New York and, in absentia, at a US Supreme Court hearing devoted to his audacious claims that the president should have total, king-like…

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26

Apr

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Takeaways from the Trump hush money trial: Ex-publisher details tabloid tactics

Former American Media Inc. chairman David Pecker took jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money case inside how he paid for Karen McDougal’s story to keep her quiet about her alleged affair with Trump – and how his decision not to pay for Stormy Daniels’ story led to Michael Cohen ultimately paying for it. Prosecutors on Thursday wrapped up their direct testimony with Pecker, who was on the stand for three days describing in detail how he worked with Trump and Cohen to buy up damaging stories about Trump throughout the 2016 campaign. His testimony laid the foundation for the rest of the Manhattan district…

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25

Apr

By Dorothy Brand

Opinions, Politics

CNN Poll: Few think Trump is being treated the same as other defendants

As the first criminal prosecution of a former American president began just 13% nationwide feel Donald Trump is being treated the same as other criminal defendants, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds. Most of the country was divided over whether he is being treated more harshly (34%) or more leniently (34%) than other defendants. The poll, which began fielding a few days after the trial’s jury selection phase kicked off April 15, finds only 44% of Americans express confidence that the jury chosen for the case will be able to reach a fair verdict, while 56% more skeptical that a fair…

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17

Apr

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Fact check: Donald Trump attacks Jimmy Kimmel for something Al Pacino did

On Tuesday, late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel delivered another monologue making fun of former President Donald Trump. On Wednesday morning, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee fired back on social media — in part by attacking Kimmel for something Kimmel didn’t do. Trump, calling Kimmel “stupid,” blasted the comedian for his general performance as host of the Academy Awards in March and specifically for having read aloud, from the stage, Trump’s mid-show social media post criticizing how he was doing. Then Trump claimed that Kimmel had read out the post “right before he stumbled through announcing the biggest award of all,…

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17

Apr

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

A jury that will decide Trump’s fate begins to take shape as first criminal trial powers ahead

There are two Donald Trump criminal trials now taking place. There’s the one in a Manhattan courtroom, where a judge, attorneys for both sides and prospective jurors are making strenuous efforts to lay the foundation of the fair trial to which the ex-president and every other citizen is entitled. And there’s the imaginary trial that exists in Trump’s rhetoric, led by “heartless thugs” and a “very conflicted judge” who is “rushing the trial” that the presumptive GOP nominee claims is a “Biden inspired witch-hunt.” In court on Tuesday, Trump made eye contact with potential jurors and was admonished by Judge…

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