Poli Alert Political & Civics

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it has begun the process of banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. “Banning menthol — the last allowable flavor — in cigarettes and banning all flavors in cigars will help save lives, particularly among those disproportionately affected by these deadly products. With these …

by Jacob Fischler, Idaho Capital Sun April 26, 2022 The U.S. House cleared a bill Tuesday that would expand the Kansas site honoring the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning school segregation, adding National Park Service sites in other states to commemorate their roles in the decision as well. The bill …

Lincoln Mitchell, Columbia University On Nov. 27, 1978, Dianne Feinstein – then the 45-year-old president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and two-time failed mayoral candidate – effectively announced her retirement from politics. It was a foggy morning, and Feinstein greeted reporters at City Hall by telling them she …

President Joe Biden reportedly said he’s considering canceling some student loan debt in a private meeting with House Democrats. Two sources told NBC News that the president received requests from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus members to extend the pause on student loan payments and cancel at least $10,000 in student loan …

U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, of North Carolina, was caught with a loaded gun at an airport last week, according to police. The incident was reported after TSA agents at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport alerted police that a firearm had been found in a bag at one of their security screening …

by John L. Micek, Pennsylvania Capital-Star April 26, 2022 A central Pennsylvania congressman played a “key” role in efforts to topple the 2020 election results, and pushed to get the country’s top intelligence official to investigate baseless conspiracy theories, according to a newly published report. The lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Scott …

By Uriel J. García, The Texas Tribune April 26, 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday morning on whether the Biden administration can scrap a Trump-era policy that forces asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico as their cases make their way through U.S. immigration courts. During two hours of arguments, …

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday establishing a new, first-of-its-kind election police task force to investigate voter fraud allegations as well as other election violations or irregularities. The bill, Senate Bill 524, creates the Office of Election Crimes and Security under the direction of the Department of State. …

President Joe Biden on Tuesday issued the first three pardons of his presidency — including one to a Secret Service agent who guarded President John F. Kennedy — and commuted the sentences of 75 others, the White House announced. “Today, I am pardoning three people who have demonstrated their commitment …

Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday on both rapid and PCR tests, according to a statement from her press secretary. She “has exhibited no symptoms, will isolate and continue to work from the Vice President’s residence,” according to the statement. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden …

by Jacob Fischler, Louisiana Illuminator April 25, 2022 A federal judge in Louisiana said Monday he will block the Biden administration from lifting a public health order that keeps immigrants seeking asylum out of the United States. U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays told Republican state attorneys general and the …

by Jennifer Shutt, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 24, 2022 WASHINGTON — Abortion access throughout the country could soon depend on a patchwork of state laws if a U.S. Supreme Court dominated by conservatives overturns the constitutional right it established nearly 50 years ago. The court’s decision on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion …

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Monday that it created a fast-track to disability compensation for veterans who developed one of nine rare respiratory cancers because of their exposure to toxic burn pits during overseas deployments. The cancers were added to the department’s presumptive list, which lowers the amount …

After hearing arguments on Monday, Judge Arthur Engoron of the New York County State Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald Trump is in contempt of court for failing to comply with his previous orders to provide documents to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and imposed a $10,000 fine on Trump for …

by Ross Williams, Florida Phoenix April 24, 2022 Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene took the stand Friday in an at-times raucous court hearing that incorporated a history lesson on the Whiskey rebellion and a stirring speech from a president fighting off an extraterrestrial invasion. Greene was in the hot seat because …