Poli Alert Politics & Civics

The Biden administration has introduced a new initiative to address student loan debt after the Supreme Court blocked a plan to eliminate $10,000 to $20,000 in debt for borrowers. The Department of Education will implement a revised income-driven repayment (IDR) plan called “Saving on A Valuable Education” (SAVE), which aims …

Orion Rummler Originally published by The 19th More than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been signed into law this year, but they are increasingly unable to hold up in court. In just the last two months, federal judges — including two appointed by former President Donald Trump — and one county circuit …

Kenny Stancil, Common Dreams A nonpartisan coalition on Wednesday submitted more than 700,000 signatures from Ohio residents across all 88 counties in a bid to qualify a referendum on whether to enshrine reproductive rights and abortion access in the state constitution. Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, which is backed by …

A recent lab test has confirmed that the white substance discovered at the White House on Sunday is cocaine, according to an official familiar with the investigation. The substance, found in a small zippered bag in a frequently visited area of the West Wing, prompted a brief evacuation and was …

President Joe Biden has once again called for stricter gun restrictions in the wake of recent deadly shootings as the country observed Independence Day. “Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives,” Biden said in a statement. “We pray for the day when our communities will …

Jason Hancock, Missouri Independent A federal judge on Tuesday prohibited Biden administration officials from communicating with social media platforms about “protected speech,” a ruling emerging from litigation originally filed by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. The ruling, by Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the …

Former Vice President Mike Pence has expressed his support for the Supreme Court’s decision to reduce affirmative action programs in colleges and universities nationwide. He believes that there is no longer racial inequality in America’s education system and that affirmative action is no longer necessary. “I really don’t believe there …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams A federal judge on Monday blocked a provision of a recently enacted Florida law that the ACLU characterized as a “clear and brazen attack on civic participation in our democracy.” S.B. 7050, which Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in May, would have imposed $50,000 …

In the wake of last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling ending race-based affirmative action in college admissions, a coalition of civil rights groups on Monday filed a lawsuit challenging Harvard University’s preferential treatment of applicants related to alumni and donors—a policy the litigants say “severely damages and harms” prospective students …

The Supreme Court ruling in the case of 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, which involved a Christian website designer who didn’t want to create wedding websites for same-sex couples, has raised legal questions regarding businesses’ ability to refuse service to LGBTQ individuals or same-sex couples. Legal experts have varied opinions …

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday warned of an “authoritarian expansion of power” by the Supreme Court and demanded that lawmakers on Capitol Hill use all of their oversight authority to probe and stop the corruption inside the Supreme Court. “The courts, if they were to proceed without any check …

Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator As promised, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has vetoed three anti-LGBTQ+ bills the state’s Republican-majority legislature approved. In his veto messages, Edwards called out the bills as harmful for youth, discriminatory and extremist. “The effects of this bill may be to simply give legislative …

Candice Norwood Originally published by The 19th In her first year sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson ensured her voice was heard. She has spoken during oral arguments more than any other justice, written several solo dissents and pushed for historical context that is often dismissed …

According to federal authorities, a Trump supporter, Taylor Taranto, who participated in storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was arrested near former President Barack Obama’s home. When he was arrested, he had two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van, which he appeared to be living in. …

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that a Christian web designer has a First Amendment right to refuse to create websites for same-sex weddings. The decision, made by a 6-3 vote, dilutes legal protections for LGBTQ people and allows for potential discrimination in businesses. Lorie Smith, the evangelical Christian web …