Poli Alert Political & Civics

Uriel J. García, The Texas Tribune The number of encounters between U.S. agents and migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has dropped by half compared with the days leading up to the expiration of Title 42, the emergency public health order used to quickly expel people from the country, a top …

Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal It’s been just over three months since a Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine, Ohio. Federal legislation meant to improve rail safety and reduce similar incidents is advancing in the U.S. Senate. The Railway Safety Act of 2023 is a bipartisan effort led by …

Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wooed Iowa Republicans on Saturday by drawing parallels between the two states, especially in regard to newly passed legislation that restricts what can be taught in schools and that prohibits gender-affirming surgeries for minors. “The survival of our American experiment requires …

As Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Pramila Jayapal prepare to reintroduce legislation to establish a national health program expanding Medicare to all Americans, the two lawmakers announced on Friday their plans to hold a town hall at the U.S. Capitol on May 16 regarding the need for Medicare for All. …

Lynn Bonner, NC Newsline A crowd cheered Gov. Roy Cooper as he vetoed a Republican-authored abortion ban in an unusual rally that capped off a week of attempts to pressure a small group of GOP legislators into letting the veto stand. Some bills are signed in public ceremonies, but bill …

Ashley Murray, Arkansas Advocate U.S. House Republicans have requested more than $10 billion in earmarks to be included in next year’s appropriations bills, despite demanding massive spending cuts as a contingent for raising the nation’s debt ceiling. All but a handful of House Republicans barely pushed through a bill that …

Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune A bill that would ban race-based hair discrimination in Texas workplaces, schools and housing policies is headed to the governor after the Senate approved the bill Friday. Texas would become the latest state to enact the law in a movement that was inspired by the …

Shefali Luthra Originally published by The 19th With abortion bans becoming increasingly unpopular, Republican-led statehouses are walking a delicate line: Trying to advance bills that would restrict access to the procedure without drawing attention, circumventing normal processes to cram new policies through as legislative sessions come to a close. Last …

Jake Johnson Former President Donald Trump predictably used the megaphone CNN handed him Wednesday night to spew falsehoods about the 2020 election, the January 6 attack, abortion, and E. Jean Carroll, turning the hour-long primetime town hall into what one of the corporate media network’s own reporters characterized as a …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder After more than three years and 1.1 million deaths, the United States on Thursday ended the public health emergency for COVID-19 — and Congress is attempting to better prepare for a possible resurgence of that virus or another. The expiration of the designation, originally put in place …

Ariana Figueroa, Louisiana Illuminator U.S. House Republicans on Thursday pushed through a border security package that mirrors Trump-era immigration policies, aiming criticism at the Biden administration for ending a pandemic-era public health measure used to expel millions of migrants from the country. The House passed the measure in a 219-213 …

Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Thursday that Daniel Penny, who last week fatally choked Jordan Neely on the subway in New York City, is set to be charged Friday and could face up to 15 years behind bars. “Daniel Penny will be …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Gov. Ron DeSantis signed what both he and his critics agree is the strongest anti-illegal immigration bill passed by any state legislature in the country on Wednesday. Speaking in Jacksonville behind a podium with a sign reading, “Biden’s Border Crisis,” the governor blasted the president for …

New York Republican Rep. George Santos has been indicted on 13 federal charges in New York that include wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and false statements to the House of Representatives. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace announced the charges Wednesday and released an unsealed grand jury indictment from …

Jennifer Shutt, New Jersey Monitor President Joe Biden and top congressional leaders were unable to reach a bipartisan debt limit agreement during a closed-door meeting Tuesday, leaving the dispute unresolved as the country moves closer to a default predicted as soon as early June. White House staff and aides to …