Poli Alert Political & Civics

Unemployment claims in the United States have reached a new low in the COVID-19 era, the Labor Department showed in its weekly report Thursday. The report said 547,000 U.S. workers filed new jobless claims last week — the lowest figure since March 14, 2020, and a weekly decline of almost …

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday that the Justice Department is launching a “pattern or practice” investigation into the Minneapolis police department. “Today, I am announcing that the Justice Department has opened a civil investigation to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional …

President Joe Biden wants employees to receive paid leave for getting vaccinated. “I’m calling on every employer, large and small, in every state to give employees the time off they need with pay to recover if they’re feeling under the weather after the shot,” President Biden said. “No working American should …

Vanita Gupta has been confirmed in a 51-49 vote as the associate attorney general for the Department of Justice. Gupta is the first woman of color and civil rights attorney to serve as associate attorney general. Gupta joins Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco as the No. …

The US Department of Agriculture has announced that it is extending Universal Free Lunch through the 2021-2022 school year. “This is an effort to help more than 12 million school students who are going through food insecurity. States and districts wanted waivers extended to plan for safe reopening in the fall. …

North Carolina will not pass a controversial bill that limits medical treatments for transgender youth. The state’s Republican Senate leader Phil Berger said the chamber wouldn’t advance a bill proposed by three GOP members that sought to limit medical treatments for transgender people under 21. “We do not see a pathway …

45% of Republicans say that they do not plan on getting the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll. “Republicans are more skeptical of government; when the government comes out and says, we think you ought to take the vaccine, some people’s natural reaction is, ‘let me think about …

A judge in Colorado’s largest judicial district will resign after using a racial slur, employing derogatory language to speak about another judge, espousing opinions about racial justice from the bench and directing court employees to work on her personal business. The Colorado Supreme Court on Friday censured 18th Judicial District …

Church leaders are calling for a boycott of Georgia-based Home Depot for its silence towards the new voting laws in Georgia. “We just don’t think we ought to let their indifference stand,” Reginald Jackson, Bishop at African Methodist Episcopal, said. Jackson says the home improvement store has remained “silent and …

The House dismissed a resolution to censure Representative Maxine Waters for her comments about Derek Chauvin’s murder trial. Republicans believe that Representative Waters incited violence for saying telling a crowd of protestors in Minneapolis to “stay on the street” and “get more confrontational.” Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy introduced the resolution …

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder and manslaughter in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd. Bystander video viewed around the world, and multiple police body cameras, captured Chauvin kneeling on Floyd for nine minutes and 29 seconds in the street outside a …

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene will not launch her ‘America First’ caucus after receiving backlash from other Republicans. “The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal, and nothing was agreed to or approved,” Nick Dyer, Greene’s spokesperson, told CNN in an …

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed an “anti-riot” bill into law, increasing penalties for people who participate in unruly protests. The measure, which goes into effect immediately, increases the charge for protesters who destroy historical structures such as flags and memorials, raises the charge for battery on a police …

Washington D.C.’s Chief Medical Examiner, Francisco Diaz, says that US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick suffered strokes and died from natural causes a day after he confronted rioters at the Jan. 6 insurrection. Officer Sicknick was sprayed with bear spray during the deadly insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6. “The …

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill criticized Representative Maxine Waters for comments she made over the weekend while visiting Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. “I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and …