Poli Alert Political & Civics

For some people, Memorial Day means the start of summer, a long weekend to kick back, relax and enjoy the lake or a steak. For others, it is a time to remember veterans who gave their lives for the country. Each service member, living and dead, means something to their …

Rep. Pramila Jayapal said Sunday that the Biden White House should be concerned about securing the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ support for the newly announced debt ceiling agreement, given that the deal includes work requirements for aid programs and other provisions sure to infuriate the Democratic Party’s left flank. Jayapal (D-Wash.), …

Zach Despart and James Barragán, The Texas Tribune Defying a last-minute appeal by former President Donald Trump, the Texas House voted overwhelmingly Saturday to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, temporarily removing him from office over allegations of misconduct that included bribery and abuse of office. The vote to adopt the …

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced a deal in principle Saturday night that would stave off a first-ever default on the nation’s debt as long as it can clear both chambers of Congress before June 5. The agreement would address the nation’s debt limit and include a “historic” reduction in spending, …

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday warned Congress that the United States government will run out of money to pay its bills on June 5 if lawmakers don’t reach an agreement to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. “Based on the most recent available data, we now estimate that Treasury …

Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune For nearly a decade, Texas Republicans largely looked the other way as Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legal problems piled up. That abruptly changed this week. In revealing it had been secretly investigating Paxton since March — and then recommending his impeachment on Thursday — a …

Three reproductive rights groups celebrated a victory in South Carolina just one day after filing a lawsuit against the state over its six-week abortion ban, which went into effect earlier this week immediately after Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed it. Judge Clifton Newman temporarily halted S. 474 at the request …

Ariana Figueroa, Florida Phoenix The U.S. House on Wednesday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is currently on hold awaiting a Supreme Court decision expected within weeks. Before the 218-203 vote on the resolution, the White House said President Joe Biden would veto it, arguing …

James Barragán, Robert Downen and Zach Despart, The Texas Tribune In an unprecedented move, a Texas House committee voted Thursday to recommend that Attorney General Ken Paxton be impeached and removed from office, citing a yearslong pattern of alleged misconduct and lawbreaking that investigators detailed one day earlier. During a …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder U.S. House members walked down the steps of the Capitol building Thursday morning to head back to their districts for a Memorial Day recess that began exactly one week before the country could default on the debt. House Democrats took to the floor after the final …

Robert Downen, The Texas Tribune Oath Keepers militia founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in federal prison for seditious conspiracy after playing a leading role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol in an effort to keep Donald Trump in office. Rhodes and other …

Casey Quinlan, Arkansas Advocate Across much of the country, the jobs market is as strong as it’s ever been, and Black women, young people and people with disabilities are among the workers benefiting, recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. Twenty states reported an unemployment rate under 3% in …

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis launched his presidential campaign for 2024 on Wednesday. However, his announcement on Twitter faced technical issues and failed to counter criticism that he may not be prepared to challenge former President Donald Trump. DeSantis expressed confidence in his campaign, but the decision to announce it through …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder Republicans and Democrats in Congress together brokered dozens of debt limit agreements, including several during the past decade, marked by a desire in both political parties to increase federal spending. But U.S. House Republicans now are pushing for the federal government to spend less next year …

Former President Donald Trump appeared virtually in a New York criminal court on Tuesday for the first time since pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. During the hearing, Judge Juan Merchan outlined the terms of a protective order, preventing Trump from publicly disclosing evidence related …