Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver, who made history as the first Black woman to lead the state Assembly, has died, her family announced Tuesday. Oliver, 71, has been hospitalized since at least Monday. Her family did not disclose her cause of death or …

David Montgomery, Stateline A lawsuit in Texas asserting that the state’s abortion ban imperils women by dissuading doctors from ending dangerous pregnancies could provide a template for similar challenges across the country. Texas is one of 14 states that banned abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. …

Housing justice advocates on Monday praised U.S. Rep. Cori Bush for reintroducing the Unhoused Bill of Rights, a resolution that outlines how the federal government can permanently end the nation’s homelessness crisis by 2027. “Being able to afford a safe place to live is a human right that has been …

Ariana Figueroa, Ohio Capital Journal U.S. House Republicans on a panel for limited federal government on Thursday argued that parents should not be allowed to let their transgender children have access to gender-affirming care. “A parent has no right to sexually transition a young child,” the chair of the House …

Jon King, Michigan Advance On Friday, U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) joined a growing chorus of Black Republican lawmakers to call out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his state’s new Black history education standards. DeSantis, who is seeking the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, slammed both Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) …

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has reaffirmed her commitment to announce charging decisions by September 1st in her investigation into attempts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Willis stated that the work has been completed after two and a …

The Biden administration is introducing a beta website for its new income-driven student loan repayment plan, called the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. This initiative aims to improve the federal student loan system, providing relief to borrowers as federal student loan payments are set to resume in October. …

 Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune The last time there was an open seat in Texas Senate District 15, it was 1982. The last time there was an open seat in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, it was 1989. Now, the heavily Democratic districts in Houston could be vacant again. It all …

While conservative Justice Samuel Alito’s new Wall Street Journal interview covered various topics, one that provoked intense ire on Friday was his suggestion that federal lawmakers don’t have the power to regulate the U.S. Supreme Court. For a series of Journal opinion pieces—the first was published in April—Alito spent four …

Ashley Murray, Washington State Standard Despite warnings from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that vacant top military positions affect readiness, Congress is heading into August recess with hundreds of defense nominees on hold as Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville continues his protest against the Defense Department’s abortion leave policy. As of Thursday, 301 military nominees …

Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch Vice President Kamala Harris stopped in Des Moines on Friday to call on Iowans to fight back against what she called a “full-on attack against hard-won freedoms.” During an hour-long stop at Des Moines’ Drake University, Harris focused on the Iowa Legislature’s recent passage of …

Robin Opsahl, Florida Phoenix U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, campaigning in Iowa, said if elected president, he would take on the “weaponization” of the Department of Justice. Scott focused on law enforcement Thursday after a federal grand jury added three new felony charges against former President Donald Trump. At a campaign event in …

The Senate has passed its annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in a bipartisan 86-11 vote, totaling $886 billion. The bill’s approval comes after two weeks of debate, during which the Senate avoided many of the culture war issues that the House included in its version of the NDAA. Now, …

Jacob Fischler, Alaska Beacon With many parts of the country gripped by extreme heat, President Joe Biden said Thursday his administration would target states that don’t offer workers heat protections and would direct millions of dollars to water projects and improved weather forecasting. In a live address, with the mayors …

Donald Trump on Thursday was hit with additional federal charges in connection with his alleged mishandling of classified documents, while a third person—a worker at the former president and 2024 Republican candidate’s Mar-a-Lago resort—was newly indicted in the case. Already facing 37 federal charges for his alleged unlawful possession and …