Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Jimmy Williams President-elect Donald Trump’s allies are urging Senate GOP leadership to relax the confirmation process by allowing recess appointments for top positions, a strategy that would enable Trump to bypass traditional Senate oversight and appoint officials without immediate approval. The proposal marks a significant departure from the Senate’s established …

Jimmy Williams More than a week after Election Day 2024, control of the House of Representatives remains undecided as several crucial races are still too close to call. While Republicans secured the presidency with Donald Trump’s win over Kamala Harris and gained a projected 52-seat Senate majority, their House majority …

Jimmy Williams President-elect Donald Trump has announced a series of high-profile appointments for his second term, nominating former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel, and his close associate Steven Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle …

Greg LaRose, Louisiana Illuminator A Louisiana law that will require schools to place displays of the Ten Commandments in every classroom is “coercive” and “unconstitutional,” according to the federal judge who issued an order Tuesday that stops the law taking effect Jan. 1. Nine families have sued the state, arguing …

Caitlin Sievers, Arizona Mirror U.S. Congressman Ruben Gallego will be Arizona’s newest senator, according to the Associated Press, which called the race for Gallego Monday night. Almost a week after Election Day, with more than 93% of votes in the state counted, Marine veteran and Democrat Gallego was 2.2 percentage …

Jordan Cash, Michigan State University The 2024 election has finally ended. What happens now? There’s a 2½-month period between Election Day and Inauguration Day. It’s commonly known as the “lame-duck” period, when the outgoing president still holds official power but their successor has been chosen and is waiting to take …

Jimmy Williams President-elect Donald Trump has announced key picks for his incoming Cabinet and White House staff, tapping loyal supporters and influential allies who backed him during his 2024 campaign. These selections prioritize figures with close ties to Trump and significant conservative credentials, including officials from his first administration and …

Jennifer Shutt President-elect Donald Trump is making demands of the next Senate Republican leader ahead of a closed-door election this week, writing on social media that whoever is chosen should recess the chamber early next year so he can appoint whoever he wants without having to go through the confirmation …

Jimmy Williams President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, opting for a loyal ally with limited foreign policy experience to represent the nation at the global body. Trump announced the selection on Monday, calling Stefanik a “strong, tough, and smart …

Jimmy Williams President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Tom Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as his administration’s “border czar,” granting him sweeping authority over immigration enforcement, including potential mass deportations and border security. Trump announced Homan’s appointment late Sunday on Truth Social, calling him a …

Jennifer Shutt President-elect Donald Trump has several choices to make in the coming months about whether his second administration will keep access to contraception and abortion as it is now or implement changes. While Trump cannot on his own enact nationwide laws or abortion bans without Congress, he and the …

Jimmy Williams President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that one of his first priorities upon taking office in January will be to implement stricter border security measures and begin mass deportations, citing a “mandate to bring common sense” to immigration policies. Trump’s promises to secure the border were central to his …

Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois A federal judge in East St. Louis on Friday struck down Illinois’ assault weapons ban on the grounds that it violates the Second and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and issued an order barring the state from enforcing it. That order, however, was stayed …

Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer Gov. Tim Walz made his first official appearance in Minnesota since he lost his bid for vice president on Tuesday, and in a pep-rally-like speech, said he’s going to try to keep an open mind to people who disagree with him politically — a nod to …

Jimmy Williams Racist text messages invoking slavery have sparked alarm across the nation this week after anonymous messages were sent to Black students and residents in multiple states, including New York, Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The threatening messages, some mentioning the incoming presidential administration, prompted an immediate response …