Poli Alert Politics & Civics

Converting a Qatari-owned Boeing 747 jetliner into a new Air Force One for President Donald Trump would cost over $1 billion and take years to complete — possibly beyond the end of Trump’s current term in January 2029 — according to three aviation experts who spoke to NBC News. Despite …

Members of Congress from both political parties are calling on the Trump administration to unfreeze funding for a grant program that helps local communities better prepare for natural disasters. The letter from more than 80 lawmakers urges the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin spending money already approved by Congress …

A controversial new set of academic standards in Oklahoma requires high school students to study alleged “discrepancies” in the 2020 presidential election, a move that education experts and voting rights advocates say reinforces debunked claims and undermines trust in U.S. democracy. Quietly pushed through in February and officially enacted last …

A sweeping new tax bill crafted by House Republicans and filled with Trump-era tax priorities would add $3.7 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade, according to a new estimate released Tuesday by the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT). The cost, while steep, still fits within the $4.5 …

In a major political upset, Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing Jr. (D) has defeated three-term incumbent Mayor Jean Stothert (R) to become Omaha’s first Black mayor, according to projections by Decision Desk HQ. The nonpartisan race, widely seen through a partisan lens, caps a string of local victories for Democrats …

In a major foreign policy shift, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will lift sanctions on Syria, signaling the beginning of normalized relations with the war-torn nation following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. “I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to …

A federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled Tuesday that former President Donald Trump can use the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) — a rarely invoked 18th-century wartime law — to deport undocumented Venezuelan citizens who are proven members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which the administration labeled a foreign terrorist organization. …

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Tuesday he is placing a hold on all political nominees to the Department of Justice, demanding answers on what he called a “deeply unethical” plan for the Trump administration to accept a luxury jet from Qatar as a replacement Air Force One. Schumer’s …

A report that former President Donald Trump is considering accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar — with potential use as Air Force One — prompted awkward laughter, sidesteps, and tongue-in-cheek comments from Republicans on Capitol Hill Monday night. The ABC News exclusive, which revealed that Trump may accept …

The Trump administration spent over $21 million transporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay on military aircraft in the early months of 2025, despite the facility holding only a fraction of the promised detainees, according to figures recently provided to Congress. From January 20 to April 8, the U.S. military conducted 46 …

House Republicans on Monday released a sweeping $4.9 trillion tax proposal, dubbed “THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,” advancing former President Donald Trump’s 2025 economic agenda and setting off a fierce political battle over tax policy, spending, and the federal deficit. The package, unveiled by the House Ways and Means Committee, …

Hamas announced Sunday that it will release Edan Alexander, the last known U.S. citizen held hostage in Gaza, as part of ongoing ceasefire mediation efforts involving the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. Alexander, a 20-year-old Israeli-American, has been held by Hamas for 583 days following his abduction on October 7, …

President Donald Trump on Monday signed a bold executive order aimed at slashing U.S. prescription drug prices, setting a 30-day deadline for pharmaceutical companies to lower prices or face new restrictions on what the federal government will pay for medications. The order directs the Department of Health and Human Services, …

The United States and China announced Monday a 90-day suspension of major tariffs, marking a dramatic de-escalation in a trade war that had rattled global markets and strained relations between the world’s two largest economies. Under the deal, U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports will drop from 145% to 30%, while …

In an unprecedented diplomatic gesture, the Qatar royal family is gifting the United States a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft for use by President Donald Trump as a temporary Air Force One — and ultimately, a centerpiece of his presidential library foundation, ABC News has learned. The lavishly outfitted …