Poli Alert Political & Civics

A U.S. federal appellate court on Friday ruled that a Jim Crow-era Mississippi law permanently disenfranchising people with certain felony convictions is unconstitutional. In a decision that can be appealed to the full U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, a three-judge panel of the tribunal ruled 2-1 that Section 241 …

Dozens of House Democrats on Thursday urged the policy-setting body of the federal judiciary to authorize live broadcasts of former President Donald Trump’s upcoming court proceedings as he faces charges stemming from his effort to overturn the 2020 election. Cameras are usually barred from federal courtrooms, but 38 House Democrats …

Tennessee Representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, who along with state Rep. Gloria Johnson were dubbed the “Tennessee Three,” regained their seats in the state legislature after being expelled for participating in a gun control protest on the House floor. They were previously reinstated on an interim basis by local …

Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams The Republican-controlled Florida Board of Education on Thursday effectively banned Advanced Placement Psychology by notifying school district superintendents that teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity—key subjects in college-level psychology curricula—is prohibited under the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. That means class schedules …

In a courtroom in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to charges related to his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election and incitement of the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump, who is the frontrunner in the Republican primary …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder Members of Congress and Republicans competing against Donald Trump in the presidential primary quickly reacted Tuesday to the latest indictment against the former president, falling largely along party lines. This one, by a federal grand jury, stems from Trump’s alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election …

Jacob Fischler, Washington State Standard The federal indictment accusing Donald Trump of trying to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election includes detailed accusations of Trump and his alleged co-conspirators’ pressure on individual state officials. The central plot to overturn the election, as described in the indictment a federal grand …

Ariana Figueroa, Kentucky Lantern U.S. Capitol police officers on Wednesday found no evidence of an active shooter after several U.S. Senate office buildings were evacuated and Hill staffers were told to shelter in place amid warnings of a security threat. The Metropolitan Police Department first received a call at 2:30 …

More than 3 million kids across the United States could lose childcare and nearly 7 million patients could lose access to primary care if Congress doesn’t approve funding by September 30. But lawmakers in both the House and Senate left town for August recess late last week after making little …

Jennifer Shutt, Pennsylvania Capital-Star The Biden administration announced on Monday it will headquarter U.S. Space Command in Colorado, a decision that rejects efforts made during the last administration to move the U.S. military facility to Alabama. The decision comes as Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville continues to block senior military …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Vice President Kamala Harris returned to Florida on Tuesday, where she continued to hit Gov. Ron DeSantis over the recent controversy about the state’s new African American history standards for K-12 public schools. A day before, DeSantis challenged her to visit him in Tallahassee and have …

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday was indicted by a federal grand jury in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump—now the leading candidate for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination—faces four charges: conspiracy …

Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver, who made history as the first Black woman to lead the state Assembly, has died, her family announced Tuesday. Oliver, 71, has been hospitalized since at least Monday. Her family did not disclose her cause of death or …

David Montgomery, Stateline A lawsuit in Texas asserting that the state’s abortion ban imperils women by dissuading doctors from ending dangerous pregnancies could provide a template for similar challenges across the country. Texas is one of 14 states that banned abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. …

Housing justice advocates on Monday praised U.S. Rep. Cori Bush for reintroducing the Unhoused Bill of Rights, a resolution that outlines how the federal government can permanently end the nation’s homelessness crisis by 2027. “Being able to afford a safe place to live is a human right that has been …