Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Dennis Hastert rose from an Illinois high school wrestling coach to become the longest-serving Republican speaker of the U.S. House, wielding enormous power in Washington and helping advance President George W. Bush’s agenda. He ultimately became the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to serve a prison sentence. Hastert died at 84 …

The Supreme Court opens its new term Monday with a docket that could reshape the law on immigration, gun rights, religious freedom and climate liability, while setting the stage for additional fights over President Donald Trump’s agenda and the November midterm elections. The justices will consider challenges to state bans …

Late Friday night, just before 11 p.m., President Donald Trump took to Truth Social with a promise for America’s seniors: “My Administration will, immediately, begin sending ‘Checks’ of nearly $100 to over 20 MILLION wonderful Seniors to help pay for their Medicare Part B premiums.” The actual amount: $90. One …

Senators Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are introducing legislation to sharply restrict the use of Flock Safety’s AI-powered license-plate-reader cameras, adding new momentum to a bipartisan congressional backlash over the growing surveillance network. The Ban Flock Act would prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate …

U.S. employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, far below expectations, as hiring slowed sharply and unemployment edged higher in a report that underscores growing caution among businesses. Economists surveyed by FactSet had expected the economy to add about 90,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2% from 4.1% in …

The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration Thursday over changes to a federal voting form for Americans living overseas, alleging the Pentagon used an emergency process to make it harder for some U.S. citizens to register and cast absentee ballots. The lawsuit targets changes to the Federal Post Card …

U.S. senators departed Capitol Hill on Wednesday night for their campaign break, leaving numerous policy disputes unresolved. The chamber won’t return until Nov. 9 for the five-week lame-duck session, when party leaders will have to decide which bills they want to negotiate during what could be the final days of …

The family of Renee Good filed a pair of lawsuits against the federal government and top Trump administration officials Thursday morning, seeking compensation and a trial to determine the liability of several federal officials in Good’s killing. Good was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross …

The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as secretary of labor Wednesday, formally installing President Donald Trump’s nominee after Sonderling had led the department in an acting capacity for months. The Senate voted 47-41 along party lines to confirm Sonderling, who has held several positions at the Department of Labor and Equal …

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would decide “very soon” whether to negotiate with Iran or “blow them up,” as Tehran said it had received Washington’s formal response to its proposal to end the seven-month war. “We have to make that decision: We blow them up or make a deal,” …

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday directing the federal government to stop referring to artificial intelligence as “AI” and instead use the term “super intelligence,” part of his broader effort to promote rapid development of the technology while resisting calls for stricter regulation. The order says “super intelligence” …

Former special counsel Jack Smith told senators Tuesday that he would not be intimidated into silence by threats of prosecution as Republicans pressed him over his investigations of President Donald Trump. Smith appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as the Trump administration pursues investigations and disciplinary actions involving federal officials …

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted, for now, the Trump administration’s request to continue rapid third-country deportation of immigrants to countries not their own.  The decision will allow the Trump administration to carry out its aggressive deportation method of quickly removing immigrants to one of the countries — some with …

U.S.-Canada trade tensions escalated Tuesday as the Trump administration’s ban on nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles, took effect. The ban represents a small fraction of the roughly $880 billion in annual two-way trade between the neighboring countries, but it marks another …

The Trump administration on Monday formally rescinded Biden-era Title IX regulations that extended federal protections against sex discrimination to LGBTQ students, while also reversing broader changes governing how schools respond to allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the new rule brings the regulations in line …