Poli Alert Political & Civics

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on Tuesday narrowly voted to endorse Merck’s COVID-19 pill in a 13-10 vote. If the drug is authorized, this will be the first treatment for the virus Americans can use at home. The panel’s recommendation is not binding, and the Food and Drug …

A federal judge in Louisiana on Tuesday issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers, The New York Times reports. Judge Terry A. Doughty in the US District Court Western District of Louisiana ruled in favor of a request from Republican Louisiana …

Originally published by The 19th The sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and alleged accomplice of wealthy investor and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, begins in New York on Monday. Maxwell, 59, faces six charges related to her involvement helping Epstein “recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims” for …

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its COVID-19 vaccine booster recommendations on Monday to include all adults, regardless of health status or occupation, as uncertainty surrounding the newly detected omicron variant swells. “The recent emergence of the omicron variant (B.1.1.529) further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters …

President Joe Biden urged Americans to get vaccinated and to receive a booster shot amid worries about the coronavirus omicron variant — saying the new strain is a “cause for concern, not a cause for panic.” President Biden on omicron: "This new variant is a cause for concern. Not a …

Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi announced Monday at a virtual press conference that he is officially running for governor of New York in 2022. The former mayor of Glen Cove and Nassau County executive now describes himself as a “common sense Democrat” representing parts of Queens and Long Island in Congress. …

The Department of Defense announced a UFO task force to investigate unidentified flying objects in restricted air space and determine whether or not they pose a threat. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) last week. “The AOIMSG will synchronize efforts across the …

Carrie Meek, the first Black person to represent Florida in Congress since Reconstruction and a fierce advocate for Black communities in the state, died Sunday, her family said. She was 95. Meek died at her home in Miami after a long illness, family spokesperson Adam Sharon said in a statement. …

Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) have led the reintroduction of the ‘Access to Birth Control Act‘ in the Senate. The legislation—which has been endorsed by 50 national and local advocacy organizations—would guarantee patients’ timely access to birth control at the pharmacy—including by addressing pharmacies’ …

Wisconsin’s two senators, Senators Ron Johnson (R) and Tammy Baldwin (D), teamed up Saturday to urge groups or individuals trying to exploit the Waukesha tragedy to “cease and desist” and let local law enforcement agencies do their job. Coming from different sides of the aisle, the Democrat Baldwin and Republican Johnson, …

Originally published by The 19th Amber Joiner was just a few years into a political career as a lawmaker in Nevada when she announced she would not seek reelection. Joiner, a Democrat, simply could not afford to serve in the legislature. Her take-home pay while she was in office between …

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $20 million in inaugural grants from its Eviction Protection Grant Program, the first of its kind for the Department. These grants will be awarded to legal service providers to assist in providing legal assistance to low-income tenants …

The White House said Friday the U.S. will impose travel restrictions from South Africa and seven other countries in the region beginning Monday due to a new COVID-19 variant. A World Health Organization panel named the variant “omicron” and classified it as a highly transmissible virus of concern, the same …

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims fell to 199,000 last week for the lowest rate in more than 50 years, the Labor Department reported on Wednesday. “In the week ending November 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 199,000, a decrease of 71,000 from the …

A jury in Charlottesville, Virginia ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in the trial of the “Unite The Right” rally organizers, awarding more than $25 million in damages. The jury found that Richard Spencer, Christopher Cantwell, and Jason Kessler were responsible for damages for conspiracy to commit violence, assault and battery, …