Poli Alert Political & Civics

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, Arizona Mirror A federal judge in Phoenix denied a bid to shut down efforts by a group that has been surveilling drop boxes in Maricopa County, saying that it would violate the First Amendment rights of the watchers. Two separate lawsuits have been filed aiming to stop extremist …

Two years of sustained disinformation campaigns and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election are causing disruptions and instability as early voting for the midterm election continues in most states. In Arizona, people who believe the lies of former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was …

Jennifer Shutt, Florida Phoenix Republicans are eyeing the debt limit and government funding deadlines as a way to force Democrats to the negotiating table for spending cuts, should the GOP regain control of Congress following the midterm elections. Republicans unhappy about government spending could move to shut down the government, …

Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been “violently assaulted” in their home in San Francisco, her office has said. A spokesman for the Speaker said the attack occurred on Friday morning, and the assailant is in custody, adding that Paul Pelosi is receiving “excellent” medical care. …

The Tennessee man who dragged former DC Police Officer Michael Fanone into the mob on Jan. 6 was sentenced Thursday to more than seven years in prison for initiating one of the most violent assaults on law enforcement that day. Albuquerque Cosper Head, a construction worker from Johnson City, Tennessee, pleaded …

GOP Rep Mike Johnson of Louisiana has introduced a bill that critics are calling a federal “don’t say gay” bill that prohibits federal funding for any “sexually-oriented” event or material for children under the age of 10. The bill, dubbed the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act of 2022” was co-sponsored …

Jon King, Michigan Advance Three suspects charged with supporting a plot that sought to kidnap and assassinate Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have been convicted on all charges. A Jackson County jury rendered the verdicts Wednesday morning against Joe Morrison, 28, Pete Musico, 44, and Paul Bellar, 24, finding them guilty …

Another woman has come forward with claims that Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker – who has expressed anti-abortion positions – pressured her to have an abortion nearly three decades ago. The woman, who was not identified or shown on camera, shared her story Wednesday afternoon at a press conference …

President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced that the federal consumer watchdog is cracking down on overdraft and depositor fees that often surprise Americans, deeming them unfair and likely violations of consumer protection laws. The move could save consumers more than $1 billion per year, Biden said. Some examples of these …

Marley Parish, Pennsylvania Capital-Star After facing questions about his health since suffering a stroke in May, John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, addressed what he called “the elephant in the room” just minutes into a debate against Mehmet Oz, his Republican opponent, on Tuesday. “I had a stroke, …

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, Arizona Mirror A federal lawsuit by the League of Women Voters of Arizona is aiming to stop extremist groups from surveilling dropboxes in Maricopa and Yavapai and counties. The nonprofit Protect Democracy Project is representing the League of Women Voters of Arizona in the case. It seeks to …

President Joe Biden received his updated COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday while calling on more Americans to do so ahead of the winter and holiday season. Biden was joined by leaders of major U.S. pharmacy chains Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and Albertsons, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier …

Jennifer Shutt, Missouri Independent Roughly 9.4 million Americans have already voted in the midterm elections, casting a combination of in-person early votes and mail-in ballots, according to data compiled by the United States Elections Project. Florida as well as Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania are among the top states in terms of …

The House Congressional Progressive Caucus formally withdrew a letter Tuesday that had been sent the day before requesting President Joe Biden seek direct negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine. The letter, which 30 House Democrats signed, urged Biden “to pair the military and economic support the United States …

Matthew Watkins, The Texas Tribune A Russian court on Tuesday upheld U.S basketball star Brittney Griner’s 9-year sentence to a Russian penal colony, following a legal proceeding that a White House official called a “sham.” Griner was arrested in a Moscow airport in February after airport officials discovered vape canisters …