Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Jacob Fischler, Arizona Mirror The U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol voted unanimously on Thursday to subpoena Donald Trump, saying the former president must be held accountable as the “central cause” of a violent attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The panel’s …

A jury in Connecticut has ruled that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones should pay $965 million to people who suffered from his lies about the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre. The verdict is the second significant judgment against the Infowars host over his relentless promotion of the lie that the 2012 …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is facing backlash over his newly announced plan to hike postcard and stamp prices as part of his proposed 10-year overhaul of mail operations, a strategy that critics warn will further damage the Postal Service. Late last week, the USPS notified the …

Jacob Fischler, Louisiana Illuminator The U.S. House committee investigating a pro-Trump mob’s attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is back. It will hold its first hearing in nearly three months Thursday — and potentially its last. In a break from most of the panel’s previous eight hearings in …

Jennifer Shutt, Arkansas Advocate The federal government on Wednesday recommended an updated COVID-19 booster for kids between 5 and 11, expanding use of the new bivalent shots beyond people 12 and older. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first authorized the updated vaccines use in the morning before the Centers …

Jerry Mitchell, Mississippi Center For Investigative Reporting, Mississippi Today Eddie Lee Howard Jr. and Sherwood Brown each spent 26 years on Mississippi’s death row for murders they did not commit — only to walk free last year. They are far from alone. They are two of 23 Black Mississippians who …

Jennifer Shutt, Florida Phoenix Biden administration announced Tuesday that an additional 11 states will receive up to $1 billion to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. Funding for the programs will come from the State Small Business Credit Initiative that Democrats reauthorized and expanded in their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, …

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez, who is facing a torrent of criticism and calls for her resignation over racially charged remarks she made in a recorded conversation last year, announced Tuesday she is taking a “leave of absence” from the council. “This has been one of the most difficult …

The millions of workers whose labor is central to the success of large companies like Uber and Lyft will have more protections and rights under a new rule proposed Tuesday by the Biden administration, which takes aim at corporations that misclassify workers as independent contractors. U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh …

Mitchell Zimmerman, Common Dreams  Seven out of ten Republicans—like seven of ten Democrats—believe that American democracy is in danger of collapse. Both sides correctly fear the end of our democracy. But they see the danger very differently. Trump and his GOP supporters prefer overthrowing American constitutional democracy to allowing voters to decide …

Riley Bunch, GPB News Georgia Republicans have feverishly eyed the opportunity to win back a U.S. Senate seat in 2022 after voters sent two Democrats to represent them in the chamber last election. All hope pointed to Herschel Walker, a football legend who has the vocal backing of former President …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Gov. Ron DeSantis and his office are now being sued by a government accountability group for failing to produce specific documents related to the state flying nearly 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., last month. It’s the latest court action that has resulted since the state …

Jeniffer Solis, Nevada Current During a visit to rural Nevada on Saturday, former President Donald Trump painted a picture of Las Vegas and other American cities as “drenched in the blood of innocent victims,” and boasted that “the largest crowd I’ve ever seen” was January 6. With less than five …

Russian forces launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine Monday, bombarding at least ten cities—including the nation’s capital, Kyiv—in an assault seen as retaliation for an explosion over the weekend that damaged a key bridge linking Russia with Crimea. In a video released Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the deadly …

Shefali Luthra This story was originally published by The 19th.  A six-week abortion ban in Ohio has forced people with cancer to travel out of state for abortions that are necessary to continue with life-saving treatment, according to affidavits submitted by abortion providers in the state. In at least two …