DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Some of Pennsylvania’s largest counties are working to help voters fix mail-in ballots that have fatal flaws such as incorrect dates or lack of signatures on the envelopes used to send them in.

The family of an American citizen arrested in Saudi Arabia says he was tortured and sentenced to 16 years in prison over tweets he sent while in the United States.

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day.

Fifteen candidates have been disqualified from the Aug. 2 primary election ballot.

The United States has taken control of Afghanistan's embassy in Washington and the country's consulates in New York and California.

The Michigan Secretary of State says it has lifted suspensions on more than 150,000 driver’s licenses as part of a new law that took effect last month.

The state of Michigan is now offering a non-binary option for state identification cards and driver’s licenses.

The state of Michigan is now offering a non-binary option for state identification cards and driver’s licenses.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced on Tuesday that the state would begin offering a non-binary option for state identification cards and driver’s licenses.

U.S. officials are looking into reports that in the frantic evacuation of desperate Afghans from Kabul, older men were admitted together with young girls they claimed as “brides” or otherwise sexually abused.

The U.S. Department of State is urging residents to reconsider travel to Canada due to spread of the coronavirus.

The U.S. Department of State is urging residents to reconsider travel to Canada due to spread of the coronavirus.

A former State Department aide in President Donald Trumps administration has been charged with participating in the deadly siege at the Capitol. Authorities say Klein pushed his way toward the doors, where he physically and verbally engaged with officers trying to keep the mob back. AdKlein became a staff assistant in the State Department shortly after Trump's inauguration in 2017, according to a financial disclosure report. One of Klein's State Department coworkers helped authorities identify him, officials said. The Department of State official identified Klein in photos and video shown by the FBI, officials said.

The cables were an extraordinary protest against a sitting U.S. president by American diplomats, who have long complained that the Trump administration has ignored and diminished their role and expertise. The cables also reflect anger at the response to the riot by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a loyal Trump ally. Trump himself has railed about what he sees as disloyalty at the State Department. It was not immediately clear how many diplomats signed the cables, both of which were viewed by The Associated Press. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of State announced Wednesday it will be providing resources to educate Michiganders facing homelessness about their voting rights. The outreach includes an online toolkit curated to provide accurate information about homelessness and voting, a webinar hosted in partnership with the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness and voter registration drives at shelters. "Our work to provide resources and information to voters in this community will help ensure they can vote with confidence that their ballot will count.”A new toolkit will dispel misconceptions and provide accurate voting information and guidance for homeless individuals. The department joined with the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness to promote voter education and registration. As part of this partnership, MDOS will join the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness and Communities First, Inc. to host a webinar aimed at educating homelessness advocacy organizations in how to assist their clients with voter registration, early voting and getting to the polls on Election Day.

Michigan drivers would no longer need a hard copy of a vehicles registration or an annual sticker on license plates under pending legislation. The bill's sponsor testified in a state House Transportation Committee this past week that the change would shorten lines at secretary of state branches and save the state money. The Department of State estimates in the bills analysis that the state could save $500,000 by eliminating the physical requirements of registration. Michigan State Police legislative liaison Sgt. Department of State spokesman Matt Levin said the department opposes allowing financial institutions to provide secretary of state services.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson held a news conference Thursday to discuss the Department of State’s progress in addressing customer service challenges. Benson said the focus has been on getting more people to use the Secretary of State’s online services so they don’t have to go to a branch office. She also said the goal is to have anyone who makes an appointment at a branch wait in line no longer than 30 minutes. Benson is working to build the branch office of the future, which involves bringing pieces of the branch to the people. At the kiosks, users can handle vehicle transactions, and registration renewals for cars, boats and motorcycles.

WASHINGTON, DC Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tries to shrug off the impeachment inquiry that has ensnared the State Department and raised questions about his leadership. Pompeo portrays the inquiry, which centers on President Donald Trump's attempt to link U.S. military aid to Ukraine to a corruption probe of a political rival, as unworthy of his attention. But behind the scenes, officials say morale is plummeting at the State Department over the whole affair. Steven Pifer, a retired career diplomat and former ambassador to Ukraine who now teaches at Stanford University, shared the frustration of his former colleagues. Pompeo has said the impeachment process is unfair to State employees because they are not allowed to have department lawyers with them when they testify.