Poli Alert Political & Civics

by Jennifer Shutt, Virginia Mercury May 5, 2022 WASHINGTON — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders took Amazon to task Thursday at a congressional hearing, bashing the online giant’s leadership for fighting union drives and questioning whether the federal government should continue contracting with the multibillion-dollar company. Amazon executives didn’t attend the …

The U.S. economy added 428,000 jobs and the jobless rate held even at 3.6 percent, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. It was the 16th straight month of job growth and the 12th straight month that more than 400,000 jobs were added. Average hourly earnings for workers …

A Georgia judge on Friday ruled that GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene can stay on the ballot for the state’s 14th Congressional District following a challenge to her reelection candidacy. A group of Georgia voters had argued that Greene was not eligible to run for reelection under the “disqualification clause” …

Originally published by The 19th Kate Sosin, Orion Rummler The Supreme Court’s draft opinion leak has James Esseks worried, and not just about abortion access. Esseks, the director of the LGBTQ & HIV Project at the ACLU, ticks off the civil rights laws he fears could be on the chopping …

by Danielle J. Brown, Florida Phoenix May 4, 2022 Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz took to Twitter to discredit women who rallied Tuesday in support of abortion rights as “over-educated” and “under-loved.” At 6:20 AM Wednesday, he tweeted: “How many of the women rallying against overturning Roe are over-educated, under-loved …

Linda C. McClain, Boston University Abortion rights advocates are looking for alternative ways to protect a woman’s right to the procedure following the publication of a leaked draft opinion from Justice Samuel Alito indicating that the Supreme Court intends to overturn Roe v. Wade. “Congress must pass legislation that codifies …

An Iowa man pleaded guilty Thursday to taking part in the savage attack on DC Police Officer Michael Fanone during the 2021 Capitol riot. Kyle James Young, 37, of Redfield, Iowa, appeared virtually before U.S. District Judge Amy B. Jackson to enter his plea of guilty to one felony count …

by Jacob Fischler, Iowa Capital Dispatch U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will force a vote next week on a bill to codify abortion protections, following the disclosure that the Supreme Court could be ready to overturn a landmark abortion rights ruling, he and other Senate Democrats announced Thursday. The …

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that Karine Jean-Pierre had been promoted to be Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary. Jean-Pierre will step into the Press Secretary role replacing Jen Psaki, who will depart from the White House on May 13. Jean-Pierre will be the first Black …

by Justin Elliott, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. Millions of Americans will receive money from Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, as part of a $141 million settlement between the Silicon Valley company and all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The company will send up to …

New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (described as “excess mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). “These sobering data not only point …

Barbara Rodriguez Originally published by The 19th This year, 36 states are scheduled to hold elections for governor around the country and at least a dozen will include major bids from women, women of color and LGBTQ+ people. As of May 2022, eight incumbent women governors are seeking reelection; 23 …

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday — the biggest increase to short-term borrowing costs in more than two decades — and alerted consumers that more hikes of this size are yet to come, marking the U.S. central bank’s most aggressive moves yet to …

by Jennifer Shutt, Iowa Capital Dispatch May 3, 2022 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats on Tuesday pledged a new vote codifying the right to an abortion after publication of a draft court ruling that showed the Supreme Court on track to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision. Democrats, …

Vice President Kamala Harris blasted a leaked draft that indicated that the Supreme Court had voted to overturn the landmark abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade, declaring that “women’s rights in America are under attack.” Harris went on to encourage those in attendance to vote for pro-abortion rights Democrats to Congress …