Poli Alert Political & Civics

Texas’ new law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy took effect. Here’s what you need to know now. Orion Rummler Originally published by The 19th Texas’ law effectively banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy took effect at midnight September 1. Lawsuits are pending, but for now, clinics must …

On Tuesday, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees released an annual report that details the program’s long-term funding shortfall and how benefits will have to be cut by 2034 unless Congress acts. The report attributes the program’s issues to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession. Data from the Census …

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is warning states not to attempt to weaken voting power among minority communities ahead of redistricting. The guidance comes as states begin to draw congressional and state legislative districts. “Discriminatory redistricting schemes or election practices threaten that fundamental right and are illegal,” Attorney General Merrick …

President Joe Biden has strong words for Texas’ six-week abortion ban that went into effect on Wednesday. The President says that the law is “extreme” and unconstitutional. “Today, Texas law SB8 went into effect. This extreme Texas law blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade and upheld …

Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-MI), alongside 158 cosponsors, introduced bipartisan legislation to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 U.S. military servicemembers who were killed in Afghanistan last week. The legislation will award the Congressional Gold Medal to Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole …

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday granted posthumous pardons to seven Black men who were executed in 1951 for the alleged rape of a White woman. He said he granted the pardons because the men were tried by an all-White jury, without due process and executed because they were Black, …

The State Bar of Texas is investigating Attorney General Ken Paxton for professional misconduct. Gershon Gary Ratner, the co-founder of Lawyers Defending American Democracy, filed a 31-page complaint against the Attorney General in late July. Ratner is asking for Paxton to be suspended or banned from practicing law in Texas. …

The Florida Department of Education is withholding school board members’ salaries in Alachua and Broward counties for defying Governor Ron DeSantis‘ ban on mask mandates. The Director of Communications for Florida’s Department of Education, Jared Ochs, wrote an email to NBC News confirming that the School Board members will have …

President Joe Biden on Tuesday defended his decision to withdraw United States soldiers from Afghanistan after being there for twenty years. The President said that the United States “no longer had a clear purpose in an open-ended mission in Afghanistan.” “My fellow Americans, the war in Afghanistan is now over,” …

A controversial GOP-backed voting restrictions bill has cleared its last hurdle in the Texas Legislature and is now headed to Republican Governor Greg Abbott‘s desk for a final signature. Senate Bill 1 passed along party lines Tuesday in both the Texas House and Senate after a conference committee released the …

On Monday, the United States Department of Education announced that five states are under investigation by their civil rights enforcement arm to determine whether policies banning mask mandates in schools are discriminatory against students with disabilities. The bureau wants to ensure that students with disabilities are provided with equal educational opportunities. …

Chairman Bennie Thompson announced that the House Select Committee is demanding records from 15 social media companies related to the January 6 violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. In letters to the companies, Chairman Thompson seeks information, including records related to the spread of misinformation, efforts to overturn the 2020 …

Advocates and providers for abortions asked the Supreme Court on Monday to block Texas’ abortion ban. The ban prohibits people from terminating pregnancies after six weeks. The law will take effect on Wednesday. The controversial ban allows individuals to file lawsuits against anyone who is providing or seeking abortion services. …

The US military has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan to end a 20-year war, America’s longest. It started in 2001 with the Taliban in power and ending in 2021 the same way, despite billions of dollars spent trying to prop up and rebuild the country’s military and government. The withdrawal …

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY), and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) introduced a bill last week to create a stamp commemorating civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, coinciding with the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington and the anniversary of Rustin’s death. “Bayard Rustin, whose leadership deserves …