Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Abby Livingston and Pooja Salhotra, The Texas Tribune Retired U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson has died, her family said Sunday on social media. She was 88. A towering Dallas political figure — once a nurse, state legislator and congresswoman — Johnson was the dean of the Texas Congressional delegation before …

Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams A U.S. federal judge on Friday blocked key parts of what critics called a “sweeping Iowa law that seeks to silence LGBTQ+ students, erase any recognition of LGBTQ+ people from public schools, and bans books with sexual or LGBTQ+ content.” Judge Stephen Locher determined that none …

Jimmy Williams A federal appeals court has given the green light for a lawsuit filed by a group of U.S. Capitol Police officers against former President Donald Trump to move forward. The lawsuit centers on Trump’s alleged actions during the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. The three-judge …

Jimmy Williams In a move bypassing the usual congressional approval, the Biden administration has greenlit a second emergency weapons sale to Israel. This decision comes as Israel faces criticism for its actions in the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. The State Department revealed on Friday that Secretary of State …

Quentin Young, Michigan Advance The Colorado Republican Party has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Colorado Supreme Court ruling that blocks former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 presidential ballot. The party, which filed its appeal Wednesday in Anderson v. Griswold, argues that a majority on the …

Joshua Fechter, The Texas Tribune The U.S. Department of Justice has threatened to sue to stop a new Texas law that allows state police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the border — unless Gov. Greg Abbott backs off of enforcing the law. The new law, known as Senate …

Sarah Kallis, Georgia Recorder U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones approved Georgia’s new congressional and legislative voting districts drawn by the state legislature. Jones found Thursday that all three maps added majority-Black opportunity districts in the areas he identified in October, when he found that the maps drawn by the …

Evan Popp, Maine Morning Star Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on Thursday disqualified Donald Trump from the state’s primary in a closely-watched decision that makes Maine the second state where the former president has been kicked off the ballot. Bellows’ decision comes after Trump lawyers on Wednesday argued that the …

Quentin Young, Colorado Newsline U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Silt Republican in her second term representing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, announced Wednesday she plans to run for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District seat next year. A MAGA provocateur who is vulnerable after almost losing her seat to a Democratic challenger in …

JImmy Williams 2024 GOP candidate Nikki Haley, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina governor, stirred controversy during a town hall event in Berlin, New Hampshire on Wednesday. When asked about the cause of the Civil War, Haley avoided mentioning slavery, a primary factor in the war. Instead, she attributed the …

Jon King, Michigan Advance Former President Donald Trump will remain on the ballot for Michigan’s presidential primary following an order by the Michigan Supreme Court. The unsigned decision released Wednesday morning did not rule on the merits of the case itself, saying that they were “not persuaded that the questions …

Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch The Iowa Departments of Education and Health and Human Services notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture that Iowa will not participate in a program that provides additional food assistance for children during the summer, the state announced Friday. The two Iowa departments, alongside Iowa Gov. …

Olivia Rosane, Common Dreams As 2024 approaches and with it the next U.S. presidential election, experts and advocates are warning about the impact that the spread of artificial intelligence technology will have on the amount and sophistication of misinformation directed at voters. While falsehoods and conspiracy theories have circulated ahead …

Mark A. Graber, University of Maryland In 2024, former President Donald Trump will face some of his greatest challenges: criminal court cases, primary opponents and constitutional challenges to his eligibility to hold the office of president again. The Colorado Supreme Court has pushed that latter piece to the forefront, ruling …

Jimmy Williams United States Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco revealed a concerning surge in threats against public officials during a recent interview. She emphasized the “unprecedented rise” in these threats, which are occurring on a weekly, if not more frequent, basis. Monaco disclosed cases of threats against FBI agents, a …