Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Jimmy Williams When Rudy Giuliani appears in federal court this Monday, it’s not to debate his liability for defaming two Georgia election workers during the 2020 election. That’s already settled. Now, the focus is on how severely he will be sanctioned for his role in spreading false claims about the …

Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix Gov. Ron DeSantis was blunt following a GOP presidential primary debate on Nov. 8: Abortion-rights referenda are becoming a problem for leaders like himself who want to come as close as possible to outlawing the procedure. “Pro-lifers in particular have a big problem on these referenda,” …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder Members of Congress left the Capitol on Thursday without a deal on sought-after changes to immigration policy that’s tied to aid for Ukraine and Israel — leaving them just one week to resolve the dispute before lawmakers depart for a three-week holiday break. Negotiations among a …

Patrick Svitek and Maia Pandey, The Texas Tribune State Sen. John Whitmire has defeated U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in a landslide victory to serve as the next mayor of Houston — the largest city in Texas and the fourth most populous in the country. The Associated Press called the …

Jacob Fischler, Georgia Recorder Former members of Congress are deeply concerned about political violence ahead of the 2024 presidential election, former Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama and former Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia said at a Thursday joint appearance sponsored by the liberal Center for American Progress and the nonpartisan …

Jimmy Williams In a contentious move, the United States vetoed a United Nations (UN) resolution on Friday, backed by a majority of Security Council members, urging an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza conflict. The vote was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining, highlighting a growing divide between Washington …

Jeniffer Solis, Nevada Current On a campaign stop in Las Vegas Friday, President Joe Biden reclaimed “Bidenomics,” announcing billions of dollars in new infrastructure spending on high-speed rail in Nevada and nationwide. The president kept jabs toward his predecessor Donald Trump relatively light, instead highlighting his own administration’s economic accomplishments, …

By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the state Supreme Court to intervene and stop a Dallas woman from having an abortion. Paxton’s office petitioned the high court just before midnight Thursday, after a Travis County district judge granted a temporary restraining order allowing …

Jimmy Williams Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has been indicted on nine tax charges in California, adding to the legal challenges he faces. The charges, including three felonies and six misdemeanors, are part of a broader investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Special counsel David Weiss, leading the …

Samantha Dietel, Florida Phoenix The U.S. House voted Thursday to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York. The House voted 214-191 along party lines on a resolution to censure Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building on Sept. 30 while the House considered legislation to prevent a government …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder The U.S. Senate failed to move forward Wednesday with a $111 billion spending package that would have bolstered aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the Southern border amid deep disagreement about immigration policy. The 49-51 procedural vote, which needed at least 60 senators to advance the …

Samantha Dietel, Iowa Capital Dispatch Democratic leaders on Wednesday called on Congress to pass President Joe Biden’s $16 billion supplemental child-care funding request. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts gathered with child-care activists and other House Democrats at a press conference outside …

Jimmy Williams, Polialert In a move to provide further relief to borrowers, the Department of Education announced on Wednesday the approval of nearly $5 billion in federal student loan cancellations. This brings the total student debt relief granted under the Biden administration to an impressive $132 billion, benefiting more than …

Former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Wednesday joined the growing list of Congress members heading for the U.S. Capitol exits. McCarthy’s planned departure by year’s end, following the expulsion of disgraced New York Republican Congressman George Santos, will leave the House GOP with a razor-thin majority in 2024. The California …

Ariana Figueroa, Arkansas Advocate The success of the U.S. Senate in passing a $106 billion global security supplemental aid package hinges on a bipartisan agreement about U.S. border security, but any deal was at an impasse Tuesday. “There will not be a national security bill unless and until there is …