© WikiMedia (Phil Roeder)

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced on Tuesday that going forward any Virginian convicted of a felony will automatically have their civil rights restored upon release from incarceration. Northam’s announcement restored the right to vote, serve on a jury, run for office, and become a notary public. Effective immediately, these rights will be restored upon completion [...]

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday lifting all COVID-19 restrictions in the state, including mask mandates and occupancy limits. The order rescinds previous executive orders and supersedes any inconsistent local orders. Businesses may still require face coverings and additional hygiene measures for employees and customers. The announcement comes as new variants of [...]

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Emma Coronel Aispuro, wife of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, was arrested in the US on Monday and charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana for importation to the US. She is a dual citizen of the US and Mexico and was arrested upon arrival at Dulles International airport outside of Washington, [...]

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The US Senate on Tuesday voted 56-44 to proceed with the impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump, finding jurisdiction under the US Constitution. Lead impeachment manager Representative Jamie Raskin opened the day with a video depicting events from the January 6 storming of the US Capitol. The video began with Trump speaking at a rally [...]

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New York State Senator Samra Brouk on Monday introduced legislation that would ban police use of “any chemical agent … against any minor in any circumstance.” The bill is in response to the local police’s use of pepper spray against a nine-year-old girl last Friday. The police arrived on the scene following a family distress call and [...]

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The US House Judiciary Committee released a report Tuesday detailing the case for impeachment of President Donald Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors relating to the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. The report links Trump’s “prolonged effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and maintain his grip on power” to [...]

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US President Donald Trump granted Tuesday full pardons to 15 individuals and commuted part or entire sentences of another five individuals. Among those pardoned are George Papadopoulos and Alex van der Zwaan, both convicted of making false statements to the FBI as part of the Mueller investigation. The White House emphasized that these were “process-related crimes” and [...]

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The US Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions for religious gatherings in New Jersey and Colorado until district courts can hear the cases. In both cases, petitioners challenge restrictions imposing stricter limitations on religious gatherings as violations of the First Amendment. The petitioners argue that the restrictions on religious institutions are harsher [...]

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The US Supreme Court denied injunctive relief Tuesday to Pennsylvania Republicans seeking to block certification of the state’s election results on the ground that the expansion of mail-in ballots violated the state constitution. The petition was filed by Republican Representative Mike Kelly of northwestern Pennsylvania and state electors. Kelly claimed that Act 77, enacted on [...]

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