Poli Alert Politics & Civics

By: GPB News Staff Early voting ahead of the U.S. Senate runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker began in several Georgia counties over the weekend with a patchwork of start dates and times​​​​​. Statewide early voting for all 159 counties begins today and ends Friday, Dec. 2 …

Jacob Fischler, Iowa Capital Dispatch Among the items on Congress’ lengthy to-do list by the end of the year is U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s proposal to speed up the federal government’s permitting process that certifies energy projects do not harm the environment. But the bill, which was a condition of …

Jennifer Shutt, Indiana Capital Chronicle The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is processing claims at the fastest rate in its history, hoping to avoid a significant backlog as hundreds of thousands of veterans apply for health care and benefits under the landmark toxic exposure law Congress passed earlier this year. …

Dylan Baddour, Inside Climate News The Biden administration has approved plans to build the nation’s largest oil export terminal off the Gulf Coast of Texas, which would add 2 million barrels per day to the U.S. oil export capacity. The approval by the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration was filed …

By Robert B. Talisse The results from the U.S. midterm elections came as a shock to many. The sitting president’s party typically suffers significant losses in House, Senate and gubernatorial races in the first midterm election of a president’s term. Several projections leading up to Election Day speculated that a …

Ross Williams, Georgia Recorder Democratic-leaning groups are urging Georgians to cast their ballots in person if they can for the Dec. 6 runoff election. “As you know, the mail is slow,” reads a recent email from the Gwinnett County Democratic Party. “If you want the Gwinnett County Elections office to …

Alex McCourt, Johns Hopkins University The killing of five patrons in a Colorado LGBTQ bar on Nov. 19, 2022, is the latest mass shooting to garner headlines in the U.S. Police have said they have yet to determine a motive. But one thing that has emerged is that the suspect …

Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Herschel Walker is the beneficiary of a tax break meant for permanent Texas residents—a possible violation of both Texas law and residency rules for voting and political candidacy in Georgia, CNN reported Wednesday. Records reviewed by the network show Walker benefited from Texas’ homestead tax exemption, …

Candice Norwood Originally published by The 19th Democratic Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola, who just two months ago became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, won the general election and will keep her seat in the state’s only U.S. House district for a full two-year term. Peltola’s bipartisan appeal, ability …

Julia Conley, Common Dreams Economic justice advocates in Georgia are mobilizing ahead of next month’s runoff U.S. Senate election in the state, working to convince low-income residents who lack access to healthcare and living wages to back Democratic Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock. The Georgia Poor People’s Campaign announced late Wednesday …

A gunman opened fire inside a Chesapeake, Virginia Walmart late Tuesday, killing at least six people and wounding others in the latest mass shooting in the United States, which has seen more than 600 this year alone. Reuters reported that local police “have so far not provided any details about …

Ross Williams, Georgia Recorder Most abortions are once again illegal in Georgia pending a state Supreme Court decision. A one-page ruling from the court Wednesday forced abortion providers to send patients home without treatment. The legal question hinges on the state’s ability to pass laws that are invalid at the …

Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury Following the second mass shooting in Virginia in as many weeks that left 7 dead as of midday Wednesday, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said his administration plans to propose legislation to the General Assembly this winter to bolster mental health resources. While offering few details to …

Riley Bunch, GPB News On the campaign trail in Stacey Abrams’ rematch against Kemp, there was one question that she couldn’t escape: Would she concede to Kemp if the numbers weren’t playing out in her favor? The high-profile voting rights organizer has faced unrelenting criticism for refusing to plainly concede …

Allison R. Donahue, Michigan Advance Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Tuesday afternoon that state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden (D-Southfield) will be joining the state Supreme Court upon current Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack’s retirement. Bolden will be the first Black woman to serve on the high court and …