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<p>SPRINGDALE, Ark. — A former city councilor won the Republican nomination for an Arkansas state senate seat in a special primary election, beating out candidates that included “19 Kids and Counting” father Jim Bob Duggar.</p><p>The poll results from Tuesday’s election show that candidate Colby Fulfer, who is chief of staff for the city of Springdale, won over 46% of the vote. Duggar drew roughly 15% of the vote.</p>

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — A three-judge panel overseeing a recount in a close Virginia Beach state House race upheld the Republican candidate’s victory on Friday, a decision that also reaffirms the GOP’s takeover of the chamber and completes the party’s sweep of last month’s elections. Republicans also claimed the statewide offices of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general in the Nov. 2 balloting. Those wins were a dramatic turnaround in a state where the GOP had not won a statewide race since 2009. Democrats still hold a 21-19 majority in the Senate — where elections won’t be held until...

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The federal government said Thursday that it’s beginning the process of repealing a Trump-era rule that permitted road-building and logging harvesting in an enormous southeast Alaska rainforest that provides habitat for wolves, bears and salmon. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that a proposed measure to repeal last year’s rule will be published for public comment next week, beginning a 60-day process. The previous rule exempted more than 9 million acres (36,421 square kilometers) in the Tongass National Forest from a 2001 rule that banned road construction, reconstruction and timber harvesting in roadless areas, with some...

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration took action Thursday to restore federal protections for hundreds of thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, undoing a Trump-era rule that was considered one of that administration’s hallmark environmental rollbacks. At issue is a regulation sometimes referred to as “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, that defines the types of waterways qualifying for federal protection under the Clean Water Act. The regulation has long been a point of contention among environmental groups, farmers, homebuilders, lawmakers and the courts. The announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army reinstates a rule in...

A red wave washed over Long Island on Tuesday as suburban voters embraced Republican candidates in a number of key posts in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. A reflection of the GOP’s strong showing across the country, Republicans flipped district attorney posts on the island from blue to red after beating the drum over criminal justice reforms approved by Democrats in Albany. In Nassau, Republican Anne Donnelly beat out Democratic state Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who conceded early Wednesday morning, 60% to 40%, following a bruising battle over bail.... ...In the Nassau County Executive race, Republican Bruce Blakeman declared victory over...

As we watch the results come in we can use a point spread comparison to last year's Presidential Election. In Virginia Joe Biden at 54.1 percent and Donald Trump at 44 percent last November. (10.1 advantage Biden-Democrats) In New Jersey Biden at 57.3 percent and Trump at 41.4 percent last November (15.9 advantage Biden-Democrats). The Repoublican and Democrat numbers in these governor's race lets see how they match up to those numbers last year for President.... The vote in the heavily Democrat City of Richmond still held back at this point. The vote also lagging in heavily Democrat Fairfax County...

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CHICAGO (AP) — Federal immigration agents will end mass workplace arrests of immigrant employees suspected of living in the U.S. without legal permission, according to a memo issued Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Instead, the focus will shift to pursuing “unscrupulous employers who exploit the vulnerability of undocumented workers” and emphasize fighting worker abuse including paying substandard wages, unsafe working conditions and human trafficking. The three-page memo directs the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and Citizenship and Immigration Services to draw up a plan within two months to increase employer penalties, encourage workers...

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will restore two sprawling national monuments in Utah that have been at the center of a long-running public lands dispute, and a separate marine conservation area in New England that recently has been used for commercial fishing. Environmental protections at all three monuments had been stripped by former President Donald Trump. The White House announced the changes Thursday night ahead of a ceremony expected Friday. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, expressed disappointment in Biden’s decision to restore Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments, which the Trump administration downsized significantly in 2017. The monuments...

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the latest reversal of a Trump-era environmental rollback, President Joe Biden is restoring federal regulations guiding environmental reviews of major infrastructure projects such as highways and pipelines. The reviews were scaled back by the Trump administration in a bid to fast-track the projects. The White House Council on Environmental Quality said Wednesday it will restore key provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, a bedrock environmental law designed to ensure community safeguards during environmental reviews for a wide range of federal projects and decisions. Last year, President Donald Trump overhauled the rules in a bid to...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection has subpoenaed 11 officials who were involved in planning rallies in support of former President Donald Trump ahead of the violent attack, including one the day of the siege at which the president told his supporters to “fight like hell.” The announcement follows a first round of subpoenas last week that targeted former White House and administration officials who were in contact with Trump before and during the insurrection. The committee said in a release Wednesday that the subpoenas are part of the panel’s efforts to collect information...

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief is urging the Taliban to immediately halt their offensive in Afghanistan and negotiate “in good faith” to avert a prolonged civil war. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his first appeal directly to the Islamic militant group, which now controls two-thirds of the country, that he is “deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.” “Afghanistan is spinning out of control,” he said. “It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls...

President Joe Biden is launching an “unprecedented” attempt to encourage more immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship, a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official said.CNN first reported Friday morning on what it dubbed an “unprecedented effort” regarding the new initiative. “USCIS remains committed to empowering immigrants to pursue citizenship along with the rights and opportunities that come with it,” USCIS Acting Director Tracy Renaud told CNN in a statement.“There is no greater testament to the strength of America than our willingness to encourage others to join us as U.S. citizens as we work together to build a more perfect union,”...

As President Joe Biden makes his presidential debut on the world stage, meeting with close allies at the G-7 summit Friday, his greatest task is accomplished by the simple fact that he is not Donald Trump. Following four years of Trump’s "America First" approach to foreign policy that unmoored the United States’ long-held position as the world leader on global initiatives, Biden’s trip, as much as anything else, is about a return to normal. "At every point along the way, we're going to make it clear that the United States is back," he said Wednesday, in his first remarks after...

CARBIS BAY, England (AP) — Jill Biden is sending a sartorial message of “love” as she accompanies her husband President Joe Biden overseas. The first lady wore a black jacket with the word “love” outlined on the back in silver beading as she and the president met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Thursday. She wore the same jacket more than two years ago to kick off Biden’s presidential campaign. “We’re bringing love from America,” she told reporters, explaining her fashion choice. “This is a global conference and we are trying to bring unity across the globe...

Last Wednesday, inventor Jovan Hunter Pulitzer proved during a hearing in Georgia how easy it was to hack into Dominion’s voting machines. He was also given permission by the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee to run a test in Fulton County that he says will easily separate legitimate ballots from fraudulent ballots. This weekend, somebody shot up the home of one of his team members.#WARNING our team members who live in Atlanta are being attached. One team members home took 5 shots through the windows in a drive by. Right through his daughters bedroom window. The #BiasAndHateMustStop pic.twitter.com/RbcIilAAyq— JovanHuttonPulitzer ™ #JovanHuttonPulitzer...