Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor Using sexual images to extort victims could soon become a crime in New Jersey after lawmakers in the Senate unanimously passed legislation Thursday to criminalize “sextortion.” Sextortion can involve someone hacking into a person’s computer or phone to steal sexual material and threaten to distribute it, …
Read More »Congressional Black Caucus Meets With Biden To Push For Police Accountability
Ariana Figueroa, Iowa Capital Dispatch The Congressional Black Caucus met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday evening to urge the administration to use its executive power for law enforcement reform, following criminal charges for police officers in the killing of a Black man in Memphis, Tennessee. …
Read More »House GOP Votes To Oust Rep. Omar From Foreign Affairs Committee
Jennifer Shutt, Minnesota Reformer The U.S. House voted along party lines Thursday to remove Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee for past antisemitic statements. The removal, the first for a Democrat during this session of Congress, followed Democrats’ vote to strip two Republicans of all their …
Read More »House Judiciary’s Debut Hearing On The Border Centers On Fentanyl
Ariana Figueroa, South Dakota Searchlight House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee blamed the Biden administration for fentanyl drug smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico border during a Wednesday hearing. Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio also blamed U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the number of migrants at the border, …
Read More »At Least 31 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Introduced This Session In Mississippi
Molly Minta, Mississippi Today Lawmakers have introduced 31 bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ Mississippians in education and health care as the first deadline to pass bills out of committee approaches. It is likely the highest number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in any state legislature so far this year, say …
Read More »Ted Cruz, Who’s Running For A Third Term, Again Files Bill To Limit U.S. Senators To Two Terms
Julia Forrest, The Texas Tribune Sen. Ted Cruz reintroduced a bill last week to limit senators from serving more than two six-year terms, even as he stands by plans to run for his third. The bill is a constitutional amendment that would prevent U.S. senators from serving more than 12 …
Read More »Biden, McCarthy Hold ‘productive’ and ‘frank’ Debt Limit Talks As Fiscal Cliffs Loom
Jennifer Shutt, Wisconsin Examiner President Joe Biden and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy huddled behind closed doors at the White House on Wednesday in the first of what will likely be several conversations as the country approaches two fiscal cliffs this year amid divided government. The top issue at the …
Read More »Poll: Nearly 80% of Voters in George Santos’ NY District Say He Should Resign
Close to 80% of voters in GOP Rep. George Santos’ New York congressional district want him to resign—including 71% of Republicans—according to a poll published Tuesday, the same day the serial liar temporarily stepped down from his House committee assignments. According to the Newsday/Siena College poll, Santos’ overall approval rating …
Read More »DeSantis Proposes End To Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives at Florida Universities
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he will completely defund diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Florida universities during a press conference Tuesday morning. DeSantis addressed what he called “DEI bureaucracies,” or departments within universities that promote diversity, equality and inclusion, which he said impose a liberal agenda on university students and …
Read More »Gov. Walz Signs Bill Codifying Abortion Rights In Minnesota Law
Max Nesterak, Minnesota Reformer With Gov. Tim Walz’s signature on Tuesday, state Democrats codified the right to abortion and reproductive health care for all residents in Minnesota law. Full stop. No exceptions. “The message that we’re sending Minnesota today is very clear. Your rights are protected in the state. You …
Read More »Of More Than 7,500 Threats Against Members Of Congress In 2022, Just 22 Prosecuted
Jennifer Shutt Members of Congress receive thousands of threats a year, though just a fraction of the people who call, mail or email will ever be prosecuted — a situation that’s of great concern to the police who guard members. Just 22 of the 7,501 threats lobbed at members during …
Read More »Citizens Deserve Access To Police Video Even When People Don’t Die
Commentary Deborah Fisher, Tennessee Lookout If the video footage from the Tyre Nichols beating in Memphis tells us anything, it’s that we need to keep protecting the tools that allow public accountability for corruption. Two bills in the Legislature last year sought to reduce a citizen’s ability to view body …
Read More »Biden Administration Proposes New Rules to Expand Access to Birth Control Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the Departments of Labor and the Treasury (Departments) proposed a rule to strengthen access to birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under the ACA, most plans are required to offer coverage of birth control with …
Read More »House Oversight Chair’s Agenda: Hunter Biden, COVID Origins, Classified Documents
Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer on Monday previewed his priorities for this Congress, which he says will include a heavy focus on the handling of classified documents, the origins of the COVID-19 virus, and what he described as possible “influence peddling” by Hunter …
Read More »President Biden To End COVID-19 Public Health Emergency In May
The two national emergency declarations dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic will end in May, President Joe Biden said Monday. The Biden administration will end both the COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency on May 11, the White House informed Congress on Monday night. Doing so will have many effects, …
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