Author

Ariana covers the nation's capital for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.
Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Man arrested after poking rifle onto Trump golf course charged with federal gun crimes
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 17, 2024
WASHINGTON — Ryan Wesley Routh appeared in federal court Monday on two firearm charges after being apprehended by local law enforcement Sunday in what the FBI is investigating as a possible assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. Authorities found a rifle in an area Routh was seen fleeing on Sunday, but acting Secret Service […]
Pocketbook issues rank high for Latino voters in 2024 election, survey finds
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 5, 2024
WASHINGTON — Latino voters are concerned with the high cost of living, the minimum wage and rising housing costs heading into the November elections, according to a comprehensive survey released Wednesday by UnidosUS, the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy center in the nation. “Laying out a coherent economic policy agenda that will resonate with […]
Trump promises mass deportations of undocumented people. How would that work?
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 26, 2024
WASHINGTON — “Mass deportation now!” is a catchphrase for the Trump presidential campaign, as the Republican nominee proposes a crackdown on immigration that would oust thousands of undocumented people. Often citing a deportation operation enacted by former President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s, former President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed in campaign rallies that he […]
‘Let’s fight for it’: Harris vows to chart a new way forward, defeat Trump
By: Ariana Figueroa and Jacob Fischler - August 23, 2024
CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination for president Thursday evening, pitching her candidacy as an opportunity for the nation to move forward, rather than accept a dark future she said would follow a second election of her Republican opponent. Harris on the last night of the Democratic National Convention took advantage […]
Harris campaign launches bilingual WhatsApp channel to draw Latino voters in swing states
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 22, 2024
CHICAGO — Latino lawmakers and organizers Wednesday stressed their voting bloc as key to delivering battleground states to Democrats in November, as the Harris campaign launched a bilingual WhatsApp channel to target Latino voters. “The Latino vote will be the deciding factor in this election,” actress and Democratic surrogate Eva Longoria said during a Hispanic […]
Black women quickly mobilize to boost Kamala Harris presidential bid
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 20, 2024
WASHINGTON — As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention Thursday, making her the first Black and South Asian woman to lead a major party ticket, her nomination has energized a strong and loyal voting bloc in the Democratic Party — Black women. Since President Joe Biden […]
‘Never, ever give up’: Hillary Clinton urges Democrats to fight for Harris win
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 20, 2024
CHICAGO — Hillary Clinton, the first woman to clinch a major political party’s presidential nomination, on the first night of the Democratic National Convention praised Vice President Kamala Harris — the second woman in U.S. history to be nominated — for her bright vision for the nation and her ability to lead the country forward. […]
The big moment arrives for Harris: Democratic convention kicks off Monday in Chicago
By: Ariana Figueroa and Jacob Fischler - August 19, 2024
WASHINGTON — Just a little over a month after she became a candidate for president in the biggest shakeup in generations of presidential politics, Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday will deliver a widely anticipated speech accepting the Democratic nomination at the party’s convention in Chicago. Harris’ ascent to the top of the ticket after […]
Mark your calendar: VP candidates Walz and Vance to debate Oct. 1
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 15, 2024
WASHINGTON — Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance Thursday agreed to an Oct. 1 vice presidential debate against Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz on CBS News. Walz agreed to the October debate invitation from CBS on Wednesday. It will take place in New York City. Vance also argued for more debates against Walz, including one on […]
Walz agrees to Oct. 1 vice presidential debate on CBS
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 14, 2024
WASHINGTON — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has agreed to a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 hosted by CBS News. In a statement, CBS News said it reached out to both presidential campaigns, but it’s unclear if the Republican vice presidential candidate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, will participate in the debate in New York City. […]
Trump insults Harris, makes false claims, quarrels with Black journalists at conference
By: Ariana Figueroa and William J. Ford - July 31, 2024
CHICAGO — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Wednesday underwent questioning from a National Association of Black Journalists panel in a turbulent session during which he falsely claimed Vice President Kamala Harris “happened to turn Black” during her political career. Through the roughly 35-minute combative event, the former president rarely answered questions, lied and exaggerated, attacked […]
U.S. Secret Service director resigns amid fury over agency failures in protecting Trump
By: Ariana Figueroa - July 24, 2024
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday, following widespread outrage that her agency failed to prevent the assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump during a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Cheatle’s resignation follows an intense congressional hearing where Democrats and Republicans demanded she step down after they grew dissatisfied with […]