Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Jon King, Michigan Advance After four terms as a U.S. senator, Michigan’s Debbie Stabenow said Thursday morning that she will not seek reelection in 2024. Stabenow, who serves as the No. 3 Democrat in Senate leadership, made the announcement in a statement Thursday morning that had immediate political implications for …

Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams Arguing that “the death penalty is cruel, racist, and fundamentally unjust,” U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley on Tuesday led over two dozen congressional Democrats in calling on the Biden administration to continue its 18-month pause on federal executions. In a letter to U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland spearheaded …

Liam Niemeyer, Kentucky Lantern President Joe Biden, joined by senators and governors from both sides of the political aisle and the Ohio River, came to Kentucky Wednesday to celebrate the bipartisanship that’s bringing a long-awaited upgrade of the Brent Spence Bridge and other critical infrastructure around the country. “A bridge …

Jennifer Shutt, Virginia Mercury U.S. House Republicans’ stalemate over who should lead the chamber for the next two years dragged on Wednesday, with Kevin McCarthy failing to get the votes needed to become speaker on three more ballots. The chamber then adjourned until 8 p.m. Eastern to give the House …

Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took his oath of office for a second time on Tuesday and delivered a pugnacious speech painting him as a champion of “freedom” and constitutional principles and vowing to vanquish a “woke” federal government, education unions, and “technocratic elites.” Coming off a …

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state was sworn in to serve as President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Murray, 72, is the first woman to serve in this role and is now third in line to the presidency. “As the first woman to serve as President …

Ariana Figueroa, Pennsylvania Capital-Star U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed reelected and newly elected senators Tuesday afternoon to a new session of Congress, highlighting the bipartisan success of the previous two years and outlining his optimism for a continued approach. “There’s no reason why the success of the last …

In a signal of what the U.S. House of Representatives could look for like the next two years, the chamber adjourned Tuesday evening after GOP Congressman Kevin McCarthy repeatedly failed to secure the 218 votes needed to become the next speaker due to a revolt by several far-right Republicans. During …

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy failed Tuesday to get enough support in the first three votes as his bid for Speaker of the House struggles to cross the finish line. The vote leaves the race for speaker up for grabs, and Republicans divided with more rounds of votes expected. U.S. Rep. …

Matthew Choi, The Texas Tribune As Republicans prepare to take control of the U.S. House on Tuesday, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, is emerging as a central figure in the right-wing fight against business as usual within his own party. Roy, first elected in 2018, has a history of rebuffing the …

Karli Winfrey, Verite, Louisiana Illuminator The New Orleans City Council, following the footsteps of other local governments in Cook County, Illinois, and Toledo, Ohio, passed a last-minute line item in early December to the city’s 2023 budget: a $1.3 million expenditure that is earmarked to be used to erase more …

Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams Government watchdog groups on Monday blasted plans by U.S. House Republicans to gut an independent, nonpartisan ethics office that was established 15 years ago to review allegations of misconduct against members of the chamber and their staffers. The GOP is set to have a narrow House …

The Marine Corps has a Black woman commanding in its ranks as a two-star general for the first time in history. President Joe Biden nominated Brig. Gen. Lorna Mahlock for the promotion to major general earlier in December and the Senate later confirmed her nomination by voice vote. Mahlock, 54, …

Andrew Roth, Michigan Advance Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer outlined her vision for her second term during her inaugural address Sunday, kicking off complete Democratic control of the state for the first time in four decades. Whitmer promised additional details in her upcoming State of the State address and budget proposal, …

President Joe Biden granted full pardons to six individuals, the White House announced Friday. The individuals receiving pardons were mostly convicted of drug- and alcohol-related crimes as well as a woman convicted of murder for killing her abusive partner. “Today, President Biden is granting six full pardons for individuals who …