Poli Alert Political & Civics

Eric Neugeboren, The Texas Tribune Aug. 18, 2022 In 2010, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert warned the nation from the floor of the House of Representatives about a looming threat: terrorist babies. He described — without providing evidence — a diabolical and far-fetched scheme in which foreign enemies were sending pregnant …

Jon King, Michigan Advance An Oakland County judge has ruled that an injunction on Michigan’s abortion ban will remain in effect, preventing local prosecutors from enforcing a 1931 law which prohibits doctors in the state from performing any abortions except to save the life of the “pregnant woman.” Circuit Court …

Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Stop WOKE Act suffered a two-punch blow Thursday as a federal judge blocked parts of the controversial law and a coalition of civil liberties groups filed a lawsuit against what they are calling “racially motivated censorship.” U.S. District Judge …

Jennifer Shutt, Virginia Mercury Federal public health officials said Thursday they are working with state and local health departments to boost messaging and vaccinations for those most likely to contract monkeypox, including people at large-scale events. But Biden administration officials at a press briefing also struggled to explain differing statements …

Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg on Thursday pleaded guilty to 15 felonies related to tax fraud in New York state court and is set to serve only five months in jail on Rikers Island if he testifies during the trial of the ex-president’s family business. “Today Allen …

Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix A Florida appellate court has refused to allow a 16-year-old pregnant girl who was 10 weeks pregnant to obtain an abortion without the permission of her parents or guardian. The 3-1 ruling affirms a decision by Escambia County Circuit Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz, who decided that the …

With only two weeks before a pandemic-related pause on federal student loan payments expires, progressive lawmakers and organizations on Wednesday reiterated demands for U.S. President Joe Biden to finally take sweeping debt cancellation action. While Biden only campaigned on forgiving $10,000 per borrower and has reportedly considered setting an income …

Jennifer Shutt, Daily Montanan Attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia filed a brief in federal court on Tuesday, challenging Texas’ assertion that states shouldn’t have to comply with a federal law that protects doctors who end a pregnancy to save the patient’s life. The brief argues …

A 28-count indictment was unsealed Tuesday in the Eastern District of California, charging former California Democratic U.S. House of Representative TJ Cox with multiple fraud schemes and campaign contribution fraud. Cox, 59, of Fresno, is charged with 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of …

LGBTQ+ rights advocates on Tuesday celebrated Tuesday after a federal court became the first in the U.S. to rule that transgender people who suffer from gender dysphoria must be protected from discrimination under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Rewire News Group called the ruling in Williams v. Kincaid “a win …

The Department of Education announced Tuesday it would discharge $3.9 billion in federal student loans that borrowers received to attend ITT Technical Institute (ITT). The Education Department’s latest round of automatic student debt forgiveness applies to federal loans used to attend ITT between Jan. 1, 2005 and its closure in September …

Jennifer Shutt, Virginia Mercury President Joe Biden signed his party’s signature climate, health care and tax package into law Tuesday, capping off more than a year of tumultuous negotiations that saw his original proposal to Congress slimmed down considerably. Flanked by a handful of Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday issued a final rule to improve access to hearing aids which may, in turn, lower costs for millions of Americans. This action establishes a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, enabling consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment to purchase hearing aids directly …

Orion Rummler The story originally appeared in The 19th. Can monkeypox spread on the subway? Can it kill like COVID-19? Is it transmitted through sex? Misconceptions, myths and a lack of public knowledge on the monkeypox virus are widespread. Despite 57 percent of adults recently polled by Morning Consult feeling …

Stephen Fowler, GPB News A federal judge ruled Monday that South Carolina U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must answer questions in front of a special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. The 22-page order from Judge Leigh Martin May rejected Graham’s claims that testimony regarding alleged …