WASHINGTON (AP) — Months into Russia’s war in Ukraine, the United States had intelligence pointing to “highly sensitive, credible conversations inside the Kremlin” that President Vladimir Putin was seriously considering using nuclear weapons to avoid major battlefield losses, journalist Bob Woodward reported in his new book, “War.” The U.S. intelligence pointed to a 50% chance
Continue ReadingBOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Electoral authorities in Colombia have ruled in favor of investigating financial misconduct allegations against the 2022 campaign that got President Gustavo Petro elected. The investigation approved Tuesday by the National Electoral Council will focus on whether the campaign exceeded financing limits and whether it accepted funds from prohibited sources. The electoral
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Three voting rights groups are asking a federal judge to order the state of Georgia to reopen voter registration for November’s elections. The groups argue in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Atlanta that damage and disruptions from Hurricane Helene unfairly deprived people of the opportunity to register
Continue ReadingAssociated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Several disputes over Ohio voter rights were unresolved as the state began accepting early ballots Tuesday. Voter advocacy groups have asked Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose to restore voter registrations removed in several counties as a result of third-party challenges powered by a national movement aligned with former
Continue ReadingAssociated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Bills aimed to reduce West Virginians’ income tax burden are headed to the desk of Gov. Jim Justice. One would reduce the state personal income tax by 2%. Another would provide a tax credit to help families pay for child care. Cuts to the state personal income tax have
Continue ReadingAssociated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee appeals court has ruled that a state law giving the appointed state attorney general authority to argue certain death penalty cases and removing that power from the hands of locally elected district attorneys is constitutional. Tennessee’s Court of Criminal Appeals issued a decision Friday striking down a
Continue ReadingAP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News’ Scott Pelley said the Trump campaign offered “shifting explanations” for why it backed out of a planned interview the show aired on Monday. Pelley said the campaign objected to “60 Minutes” fact-checking Trump, even though “we fact-check every story.” He also said the campaign sought an
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The hunt for gasoline is among the many stresses for Floridians preparing for Hurricane Milton, regardless of whether they plan to ride it out or evacuate. Motorists waited in long lines Tuesday, and some said gas stations had no fuel. Despite that, Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a news
Continue ReadingWASHINGTON (AP) — Americans will cast roughly 160 million ballots by the time Election Day comes to a close — in several different ways, including many cast a few weeks before polls even open. They will choose a president, members of Congress and thousands of state lawmakers, city council members, attorneys generals, secretaries of state
Continue ReadingTHOMSON, Ga. (AP) — The mayor of a small Georgia town has been suspended after he was indicted for allegedly trying to furnish a bottle of gin to prisoners. Thomson Mayor Benjamin “Benji” Cary Cranford was suspended Friday by Gov. Brian Kemp after a review panel concluded that the charges against him hurt his ability
Continue ReadingAP Sports Writer Major League Baseball announced Tuesday it will produce and distribute local broadcasts for the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins next year. All three teams had contracts with Diamond Sports Group that expired at the end of the regular season. The Texas Rangers, whose deal also expired last month, also announced
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Election night won’t be all nail-biters. Chances are some winners will be declared before a single vote has been tallied just as the polls close in those states. Race calls at the time polls close have been a routine part of election nights for decades, even though competitive races that
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Elections are a foundation of democracy, but they’re also human exercises. Despite all the laws and rules governing how they should run, elections can sometimes appear to be messy. The U.S. election system is highly decentralized, carried out by thousands of municipal and county voting jurisdictions. Despite its imperfections, it
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Roughly 50 years ago, about 95% of voters cast their ballots in person on Election Day. That number has fallen gradually as states have provided Americans with more options on how and when to cast their ballots. For most of that time, advance voting was a nonpartisan feature of elections.
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. general election on Nov. 5 is far from a nationally administered contest. The 50 states and the District of Columbia run their own elections, and each does things a little differently. For example, Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral votes by congressional district. Alaska and Maine used ranked choice
Continue ReadingAP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Television morning show interviews often don’t stray beyond celebrities and food segments. But questions about the tone of a “CBS Mornings” interview by host Tony Dokoupil with author Ta-Nehisi Coates about Israel and Palestinians is lingering a week after it was conducted. CBS News management took the unusual
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene “spared” the Tampa Bay region a direct hit and yet storm surge still caused catastrophic damage, flooding homes, drowning people who decided to stay near the coast and leaving massive piles of debris that still sit along roadsides. Now that Hurricane Milton, a more
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to understanding elections, it’s not just about who won and lost. To explain what really happened, it’s important to understand who voted and how, what they cared about and how they felt about important issues facing the country. At The Associated Press, AP VoteCast is an important
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Voting machines have been at the center of a web of conspiracy theories that erupted after the 2020 election, with false claims that they were manipulated to steal the presidency from Donald Trump. There was no evidence of widespread fraud or rigged voting machines in that election, and multiple reviews
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Small Business Administration could run out of money to fund disaster loans in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation. As is typical after a disaster, the government is offering aid to small businesses that were in Helene’s path. The SBA is offering disaster loans for small businesses
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