By Megan Cerullo, HBCU News
Business owners said that a Supreme Court ruling on Friday striking down sweeping U.S. tariffs could spell relief by lowering their costs and potentially leading to refunds.
The high court ruled that President Trump does not have the authority to impose levies on imports under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. Mr. Trump last year invoked the 1977 law to impose tariffs on dozens of U.S. trade partners, claiming that trade deficits and the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the U.S. constitute national emergencies.Beth Benike, co-founder of Busy Baby, which makes mealtime accessories for babies, said that uncertainty about the legal status of the IEEPA tariffs had forced her to halt all imports from China, where the Minnesota-based company’s products are made. She also has inventory in China that her manufacturer is holding for her overseas.
“I should have had it shipped last month, but I was waiting for the Supreme Court decision, because it was the difference between paying an extra $48,000 [in tariffs] or not,” she told CBS News before the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision on Friday.
Not all businesses opposed the emergency tariffs. Before the high court’s ruling, Drew Greenblatt, owner of Maryland manufacturer Marlin Steel told CBS News on Friday that he supported higher levies on U.S. trade partners because they provided a “level playing field” that allowed Marlin Steel to better compete with overseas steelmakers.
The average U.S. tariff rate on all imports is around 17%, including levies Mr. Trump imposed under IEEPA, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. Scrapping the IEEPA duties will drop the average tariff rate to the 7% range, according to Michael Gregory, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets Economics.
A recent analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that U.S. businesses and consumers bore the brunt of Mr. Trump’s tariffs in 2025, paying for nearly 90% of the levies. The Trump administration disputes the analysis.
Billions in potential refunds
Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, said the Supreme Court ruling against Mr. Trump’s tariffs nullifies “the biggest and baddest of Trump’s 2025 tariffs.”
“The court’s decision is welcome news for American importers, the United States economy, and the rule of law, but there’s much more work to be done,” he said in an email after Friday’s ruling. “Most immediately, the federal government must refund the tens of billions of dollars in customs duties that it illegally collected from American companies pursuant to an ‘IEEPA tariff authority’ it never actually had.”
The Treasury Department collected $287 billion in tariffs in 2025, up 192% from the previous year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. As of mid‑December, roughly $130 billion had been collected in IEEPA tariffs, although total refunds for businesses could approach $150 billion, according to economists with PNC Financial Services Group.
“I am expecting a full refund, but if for some reason we don’t get them, I would have to raise my prices, which will be tough for consumers,” Benike said. “People buying baby products are already buying new stuff they didn’t have to buy before they had the baby, so they are already squeezed.”
Rachel Rozner, owner of Elden Street Tea Shop in Reston, Virginia, said ahead of the decision that a Supreme Court ruling striking down the IEEPA tariffs could make an “astronomical” difference for her business. Most of the tea and other products she sells come from China, India, Japan and Nepal.
“If I can just order and get the product, and I know the price is good, that will take away a lot of stress,” she told CBS News.
Meanwhile, some experts think the issue of tariff refunds could end up in court.
“[W]e think it’s reasonable to assume a few months would pass before refunds begin, and even longer if the distribution faces significant legal challenges,” Morgan Stanley analysts said in a report.
Although Rozner’s business could be eligible for a tariff refund following the ruling, she expressed concern that she might never see the money.
“What if they run out of money before you’re able to get your refund?” Rozner said. “I’m worried that some people might get refunds and others will not, and that people will take advantage of the system.”
We Pay the Tariffs, an advocacy group of 800 small businesses that opposes the Trump administration’s tariffs, said the IEEPA levies had damaged small businesses by forcing them to take out loans and freeze hiring.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a tremendous victory for America’s small businesses, who have been bearing the crushing weight of these tariffs,” the group’s executive director, Dan Anthony, said in a statement to CBS News.
The group also urged the White House to issue “full, fast and automatic refunds” to employers that had paid the tariffs.
Trump announces new tariffs
The Trump administration has previously said it can deploy other import duties to replace the IEEPA tariffs. To that end, after the high court’s ruling, Mr. Trump promptly announced he would impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, and then announced the next day he’s raising it to 15%.
The president also indicated that his administration would expand other existing tariffs, such as levies imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
Section 301 allows the U.S. president to apply country-based tariffs if the U.S. Trade Representative determines that another nation is engaging in unfair trade practices. Section 232 authorizes the president to impose duties on trade partners to protect national security, based on an investigation from the Department of Commerce.
Still, those tariffs are more restrictive than the IEEPA levies, however. Section 122 tariffs are capped at 15% and may remain in force only for 150 days, according to Capital Economics. The tariff rate also must be the same for all trade partners, limiting Mr. Trump’s ability to negotiate different deals with different countries.
Section 301 tariffs also can’t be applied to all foreign imports, according to trade experts. And replacing IEEPA tariffs with substitute levies could also take many months, according to Morgan Stanley.
If businesses could get a boost from the removal of IEEPA tariffs, consumers may not see a dip in prices, with companies such as Walmart recently saying that they are hiking their prices because of the import duties.
“Any consumer looking for relief from tariff-driven price hikes did not find it at the Supreme Court today,” Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collective, a progressive think tank focused on economic issues, said in a statement on Friday.
He added that refunds for businesses could take years to process and that, even if they are eventually administered, “there is little reason to believe companies will pass those savings on to consumers.”
Category: World News
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Newswire : Supreme Court ruling against Trump tariffs will offer relief, some business owners say
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Newswire : Rep. Sewell honors the life and legacy of JoAnne Bland on the House Floor
Joanne Bland and Congresswoman Terri Sewell
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• Washington D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) spoke on the House Floor to honor the life and legacy of civil rights icon, Ms. JoAnne Bland, who passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at the age of 72. A public viewing will be held on Friday, February 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Aubrey Larkin’s Lewis Brothers Funeral Home in Selma, Alabama.
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• Rep. Sewell: Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Foot Soldier, freedom fighter, and civil rights icon, Ms. JoAnne Bland, who passed away on February 19, 2026, at the age of 72.
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• As a proud daughter of Selma, Alabama, JoAnne dedicated her life to the struggle for civil rights and voting rights. As an active member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, she joined the movement at a remarkably young age, and at just 11 years old, she was one of the youngest participants in the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery.
• But her courage did not end on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. By her early teens, JoAnne had been arrested at least 13 times for her participation in civil rights demonstrations. She was also among the courageous students who integrated A.G. Parrish High School, where she opened doors of opportunity for countless children to follow in her footsteps.
• As an adult, JoAnne worked to educate others on Selma’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, ensuring that our legacy would continue to inspire future generations. She founded numerous organizations, including Foot Soldiers Park, Journeys for the Soul, and the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. Her tours of Selma, Alabama were celebrated for being both informative and inspiring.
• On a personal note, I am forever grateful for the sacrifices made by JoAnne Bland in the name of equality and justice. I know that I get to walk the halls of Congress as Alabama’s first Black congresswoman because of her courage, resilience, and determination.
• I am honored to have brought her as my special guest at President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address, and will miss her wisdom and friendship.
• On behalf of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary life and legacy of civil rights icon, Selma’s own Ms. JoAnne Bland.
• May she rest in power and in peace. -
Newswire : AFL-CIO remembers legendary Civil Rights Leader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson
Rev. Jesse Jackson at march for jobs and justice
by AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond
America’s unions mourn the passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering moral force whose lifelong commitment to justice reshaped both the labor and civil rights movements and left a lasting mark on the nation.
Jackson was a full-time organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference before being appointed national director of Operation Breadbasket by his mentor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In this role, Jackson led boycotts and campaigns that secured thousands of new jobs for Black workers.
His two presidential campaigns would break barriers and expand the political imagination of our country. Through Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition—later united as Rainbow PUSH Coalition—he brought communities together with a simple, powerful truth: economic justice and civil rights are inseparable.
Throughout his life, Rev. Jackson fought tirelessly for workers, both at home and around the world. He upheld the labor movement’s highest ideals—walking picket lines, supporting workers at the bargaining table, and insisting that women and people of color be fully included in union protections. He stood with the AFL-CIO at major mobilizations and worker rallies, from the coalfields to campaigns for janitors and public-sector workers. In 2002, he joined the AFL-CIO and local unions in organizing laid-off Enron workers to secure fair severance pay. On the international stage, he to defend the dignity and rights of workers across supply chains. He confronted global corporations at every turn, he reminded us that the fight for good jobs, living wages, and union rights is inseparable from the fight for justice and equality.
As we honor the Rev. Jackson’s memory, we reaffirm his belief that “the American worker is not asking for welfare, he’s asking for a fair share—not for charity but for parity.”
Our hearts are with the Jackson family, his loved ones and all those who are mourning this immeasurable loss. May he rest in power -
Newswire : Should Alabama provide no-cost school breakfast? Alabama Arise says yes
By Alex Jobin, Alabama Political Reporters
On Tuesday, members and supporters of Alabama Arise will gather at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery for their 2026 Legislative Day—an opportunity for the organization to speak with lawmakers and advocate for their policy priorities amid the ongoing legislative session. This year, Arise is approaching their Legislative Day with one goal in mind: winning free school breakfast for every child in Alabama’s public schools.
As Arise hunger policy advocate LaTrell Clifford Wood told APR, the organization’s efforts this year will specifically focus on expanding upon a $7.3 million supplemental appropriation for no-cost breakfast options which state lawmakers passed last year.
“The legislature appropriated a $7.3 million supplemental appropriation last legislative session for no-cost breakfast options,” Wood said during a recent phone interview. “That was the first time that type of appropriation has ever been made to support no-cost school meals, and with that we’ve seen about 2.8 million more school breakfasts served this year than last year. And we know that across the state since 2019, meals access, particularly no cost meals access, has nearly doubled.”
“So what we’re going to be advocating for [this year] is a $14 million appropriation toward the Department of Education’s budget within the Education Trust Fund budget to ensure that this investment continues,” Wood added. “Not only does it continue, but that it’s available across the state to all Alabama public school children.Wood explained that currently, access to no-cost school meals in Alabama is often determined by where a student lives, with some counties electing to allocate local funding toward free school breakfast while others do not.
“Our counties are not necessarily equal in terms of how much revenue they can acquire to support [no-cost school meals],” Wood noted. “For example, Baldwin County recently elected to serve no-cost meals options through a federal provision, and they were able to do that in-part because of local funding that was appropriated. And this past year, they were also able to support that with the $7.3 million appropriation that came from the state level.”
“And so I think part of it is whether or not the local authorities are comfortable with the sustainability of electing that federal provision,” she continued. “And as we’re seeing some of the cuts to food access in general at the federal level, it’s really important that at the state level we’re making investments, particularly in our most vulnerable populations.”As Wood noted, Arise is now looking to push lawmakers to increase their investment in no-cost school meals through a $14 million appropriation in the Education Trust Fund budget—an investment which the organization says would allow every public school in the state to provide students with free school breakfast.
“Yes, so that $14 million appropriation would allow every Alabama school that participates in the National School Lunch Program to allocate that funding,” Wood explained. “So that would be every public school across the state.”
Wood also emphasized that no-cost school meals are not only beneficial for ensuring that students receive adequate nutrition, but that such programs have also been closely tied to improving education outcomes in Alabama. Arise is hopeful that this reality will attract greater support from lawmakers for their proposal.
“I think one of the things that has been interesting is seeing the governor’s focus on a ‘strong start, strong finish’ and this focus on the fact that Alabama has shown more growth in 4th grade math than any other state since 2019, and we’re seeing higher reading and math scores among both students who are experiencing poverty and those who are not experiencing poverty,”
Wood told APR. “I’ve come across a lot of lawmakers that—when they hear that—I think there’s a realization that a lot of the investments that we’ve made in education have not happened outside of the variable of allowing no-cost meals access…Between 2019 and 2024, in the same timeline that we’ve seen those increases in scores, we’ve also seen increased meals access, and removing that variable right now, I think is not necessarily something that many of our lawmakers are looking to do.”
“I know that we’ve seen wide bipartisan support in terms of folks going and speaking to [Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee] Chairman [Danny] Garrett about including this funding in the budget,” Wood added. “And my hope is that we continue to see that, and we see that appropriation made prior to the budget moving to the Senate.”
While Arise remains hopeful that their proposal will materialize into substantial policy change, Wood did note that they have received some pushback.
“I will say that we do hear a little bit of pushback from time to time about the need to address waste or get back to scratch cooking and those sort of things,” Wood told APR. “The reality is that in order for child nutrition staff to be adequately equipped to address waste and prepare less processed foods for our kids, they have to be adequately resourced. That’s a really important portion of things.”“We also hear like, ‘why are we feeding rich kids? Why can’t their parents feed them?’ and just to re-emphasize that learning outcomes have improved for all of our children, regardless of income, is really important,” she continued. “Because part of it is when children are eating, right? If you have children that are spending over an hour or two on the bus route and then sitting and waiting for class to start, they may not see the same benefits that come with school breakfast, because most research shows that you see the same improvements no matter household income because of the time that children are eating.”
Wood went on to encourage any individuals who may be interested in supporting Arise’s advocacy to become members of the organization, where they can also vote on future legislative priorities. The organization also sends out routine “action alerts,” which inform members of when and how they can take action around specific policies throughout the legislative process—including by participating in Arise’s annual Legislative Day.•
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Newswire : Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Dies At 84
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jackson taught a generation the importance of building collective power and hope in the face of adversity.
By Anoa Changa-Peck, NewsOne
Rev. Jesse Jackson has been called home. The civil rights leader, two-time presidential candidate, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, passed away on Tuesday, his family said. He was 84 years old.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family statement read. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
As NewsOne previously reported, Jackson, who had been under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative condition with no known cure, was hospitalized last November and released later the same month. In 2017, Jackson publicly shared that he was living with Parkinson’s disease. He received the updated diagnosis of PSP in April of 2025.
The Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration explained that PSP, which can resemble symptoms found in Parkinson’s disease, is associated with a decline in motor functioning and can impact coordination and movement of the mouth, tongue, and throat.
After his 2017 diagnosis, Jackson shared that he and his family were adjusting to their new normal and that he was undergoing various lifestyle changes, including physical therapy, in an effort to slow the disease’s progression. At the time, he said symptoms were present for about three years, but he ignored the signs until he couldn’t ignore them anymore. Jackson’s father had also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Jackson has been a political fixture for over 60 years, organizing at the forefront of racial and economic justice. As previously reported by NewsOne, Jackson got his start as a student organizer at North Carolina A&T. Following in the footsteps of the Greensboro four who led a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter, Jackson led a sit-in during the summer of 1960 to desegregate the Greenville County Public Library in South Carolina, where he grew up. He also organized “wade-ins” at all white pools and “watch-ins” at segregated movie theaters.
His experience with student organizing launched his civil rights career, putting him in the orbit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jackson evolved into a national figure at the side of the legendary leader. Six years after leading the Greenville sit-in, Jackson was named the first Chicago director of Operation Bread Basket, a program of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led by King. Jackson became the national director a year later.
Jackson’s work with Operation Breadbasket served as the foundation for Operation PUSH, a Black-led economic and political empowerment organization founded in 1971. In the wake of his first presidential bid in 1984, Jackson formed the National Rainbow Coalition. He moved to unite progressives across race and class in a “coalition of conscience.” The two organizations merged in 1996 to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
In addition to his civil rights work, Jackson is remembered for his bold presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988. He taught a generation the importance of hope in the face of adversity and building collective power. -
The Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee Begins in Three Weeks!
Dozens of Events Scheduled to Commemorate and Celebrate the 61st Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, The Selma to Montgomery March, & the Voting Rights Act
SELMA, AL—The Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee begins on Thursday, March 5, and culminates on Sunday, March 8, with the Martin & Coretta King Unity Breakfast, church services, the Bloody Sunday March from Brown Chapel AME Church to the Bridge, events at the Bridge and the March across the Bridge, where Foot Soldiers were beaten bloody and unconscious 61 years ago in the effort to march from Selma to Montgomery to meet with Gov. George Wallace after the brutal murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson.
Leaders from the Jubilee and the Selma to Montgomery Foundation held a news conference at 10:00 a.m. today at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge to discuss upcoming events. The Jubilee starts on Thursday, March 5, with the Voting Rights History Bowl for middle and high school students, the “Freedom Overture” with the Original SNCC Freedom Singers, and other events. The day concludes with the Annual Mass Meeting at 7:00 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church, led by American Federation of Government Employees National President Rev. Dr. Everett Kelly. Tabernacle Church was the site of the courageous first mass meeting of the Selma Voting Rights Movement on May 14, 1963.
The Foundation’s 2026 Martin & Coretta King Unity Breakfast begins at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, at Hangar 251 at Craig Field Airport & Industrial Authority in Selma. This year’s Unity Breakfast Award Recipients are Attorney Fred Gray, Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Attorney Gray is the Martin & Coretta King National Lifetime Freedom & Justice Award recipient; Rev. Dr. Lafayette is the Martin & Coretta King International Lifetime Peace & Justice Award recipient; and Attorney General Ellison is the Martin & Coretta King National Unity Award recipient.
Speakers at the breakfast include governors and other national leaders who are considered 2028 presidential contenders. We are in the process of working out the final details with these leaders, some of whose names will be announced next week. Attorney General Ellison will also be speaking as will New York Attorney General Letitia James. They are coming to the Jubilee with other Attorney Generals from across the nation.
The official Bridge Crossing Jubilee has dozens of events, almost all of which are free to the public. At the Jubilee, there is something for everyone—from the very young to the very senior! It is a pilgrimage that many make every year from across the country and around the world.
Contact: Hank Sanders, (334) 782-1651/hank23sanders@gmail.com & Faya Rose Toure at (334) 349-4494
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UA Aims to Double Nursing Enrollment to Address Statewide Shortage
Expansion Plan Will Place UA Among Largest Nursing Programs in the Nation
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama faces one of the most severe nursing shortages in the nation. According to the Alabama Board of Nursing, approximately 39,000 nurses indicated retirement plans by 2027, leaving a projected statewide shortage of 14,000 nurses.
To combat the urgent and growing need, The University of Alabama has unveiled a transformative plan to double the enrollment of the Capstone College of Nursing and graduate more than 550 new nurses every year through its on-campus bachelor’s program. The expansion, developed in close partnership with The University of Alabama System and the UAB Health System, mobilizes the combined strength of these institutions and statewide leaders to address the state’s most pressing health care workforce challenge. When complete, this strategic growth initiative will position UA as one of the nation’s largest nursing programs.
“This announcement reflects The University of Alabama’s commitment to all 67 counties of Alabama,” UA President Peter J. Mohler said. “Every community in our state — rural and urban — depends on a strong, stable nursing workforce. This expansion is possible because of our deep partnerships with our public leaders across Alabama who share our vision for improving health outcomes and strengthening the future of our state.”A College on the Rise
Since 2023, Capstone College of Nursing has seen a 55% increase in enrollment across graduate programs and a 25% increase across bachelor’s programs. The College currently enrolls 1,704 students in undergraduate and graduate clinical courses.
Under the new expansion plan, Capstone College of Nursing will grow to a total enrollment of 3,436 by 2030, effectively doubling the number of practice ready nurses graduating from UA.
“We’re proud of our graduates and the exemplary programs that prepare them to make a difference in health care,” said Dr. Julie Sanford, dean of the Capstone College of Nursing. “This bold vision for enrollment growth is essential to addressing Alabama’s pressing workforce shortage and will transform health care in our state.”Commitment to Statewide Success
According to the Alabama Board of Nursing, the Capstone College of Nursing boasts a 99.6% National Council Licensure Examination pass rate among its 2025 graduates, far exceeding national averages. To support growth while maintaining student success, UA will add new faculty positions, expand simulation and clinical training facilities, and increase clinical partnerships across the state. In-state recruitment for the College will also expand.
The UA System Board of Trustees recently approved plans for a physical expansion of the College to aid in student and faculty growth. The expansion will renovate more than 31,000 square feet of existing space and add 50,100 more. It includes research space, classrooms, state-of-the-science simulation labs, offices and other support services to develop future nurses.
Current plans also include a pedestrian bridge over University Boulevard connecting the College with DCH Regional Medical Center where many students earn valuable clinical experiences.UA will also work with UAB Health System to increase the number of clinical placement opportunities for UA students.
“This initiative reflects the strength of The University of Alabama System and our commitment to improving the lives of Alabamians,” UA System Chancellor Sid Trant said. “This partnership between UA’s Capstone College of Nursing and UAB Medicine, home to one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, expands opportunities for students and addresses a critical workforce shortage with a unified and strategic approach that will benefit the entire state.”UAB Health System Chief Nursing Executive Terri Poe says this model for clinical placements is already proven.
“We have seen for many years how the clinical placements of UAB School of Nursing students and graduates benefit UAB Medicine, the students and our patients, as well as communities across the state,” Poe said. “With the nursing shortage we are facing, bringing in more students to work and learn alongside some of the best healthcare professionals in the state will increase those mutually beneficial outcomes.”
While Alabama is in the midst of a roughly 20% nurse vacancy in hospitals across the state, according to the Alabama Hospital Association, Capstone College of Nursing plans to lead the charge in supplying highly qualified and compassionate nurses to the state’s workforce.
More information on UA’s Capstone College of Nursing is available at nursing.ua.edu.
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Michael E. Gaines seeks County Commission seat District #1
My name is Michael E. Gaines, and I am honored to run for County Commissioner for District #1. As a lifelong member of this community and a proud graduate of Eutaw High School, Greene County is not just where I live it is home.
For 37 years, I have been blessed to share my life with my wife, Caroline Gaines. Together, we have built a strong family rooted in faith, hard work, and service. I am a proud husband, father, and grandfather, and an active member of First Baptist Church, where I have faithfully served as a deacon. Service has always been at the heart of who I am.
After retiring from my career, I felt a renewed calling to give back to the community that has given so much to me. District #1 including Knoxville, Jena, Mantua, Snoddy, Union, and our neighborhoods in Eutaw deserves leadership that listens, cares, and works diligently for the people.
I am committed to strengthening our neighborhoods, improving opportunities for our families, and making sure every citizen’s voice is heard. Together, we can build a future rooted in unity, opportunity, and progress.
I humbly ask for your support and your vote for County Commissioner, District #1.
Vote Michael E. Gaines
Let’s Rise and Succeed Together.
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Newswire : House passes SAVE Act, raising alarms over voter access ahead of midterms
By Black Information Network (BIN)
House Republicans narrowly passed the SAVE America Act on Wednesday (February 11), approving sweeping changes to federal election rules in a 218–213 vote. All Republicans supported the bill, while Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar was the only Democrat to vote in favor.
The legislation would require Americans to provide documentary proof of citizenship — such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate — when registering to vote in federal elections. It would also mandate photo ID nationwide for in-person voting and tighten rules around mail-in ballots.
Federal law already requires voters to attest to their citizenship under penalty of perjury, and election experts have consistently found that noncitizen voting is extremely rare.
Democrats argue the measure could disenfranchise eligible voters, noting that millions of Americans do not have ready access to citizenship documents and that nearly half of Americans do not hold a valid passport. The bill would also require states to share voter registration data with the Department of Homeland Security to verify citizenship — a provision that has raised privacy concerns among election officials.
“Let me be clear what this is about: It’s about Republicans trying to rig the next election,” Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, said during a hearing ahead of the floor vote, per the AP. “Republicans are pushing the Save America Act because they want fewer Americans to vote. It’s that simple.”
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces significant hurdles. It would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and several Republican senators — including Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — have expressed opposition, citing concerns about federal overreach into state-run elections.
President Donald Trump has publicly backed the legislation, continuing to push claims about election integrity despite no widespread evidence of fraud.
Its future in the Senate remains uncertain.
The legislation lands amid President Trump’s continued calls to “nationalize” elections — a move many legal scholars say would conflict with the Constitution’s delegation of election oversight to the states. If the bill were to clear the Senate, it could significantly alter voter registration processes just months before voters head to the polls. -
Newswire : Grand jury fails to indict 6 Congressional Democrats,for video on rejecting illegal orders, rebuking DOJ
By Sarah Davis, The Hill
A grand jury on Tuesday, February 10, refused to indict a coalition of Democratic lawmakers over their participation in a controversial “illegal orders” video last fall.
The failed federal indictment was pursued by the office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, as first reported by The New York Times.The lawmakers urged military service members and intelligence community personnel to defy illegal orders in a joint video statement released in November. The video followed the Trump administration’s decision to carry out deadly boat strikes in the Caribbean.
“We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now, Americans trust their military, but that trust is at risk. This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens like us. You all swore an oath to protect and defend this constitution,” the lawmakers said in the video.
President Trump called the video “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” in a post on Truth Social. He later suggested the lawmakers should be prosecuted, removed from office, imprisoned and even killed.
The video featured Democratic legislators with military and intelligence backgrounds, including Sens. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and Reps. Jason Crow (Colo.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), Chris Deluzio (Penn.) and Maggie Goodlander (N.H.).
The FBI had previously requested interviews with all six members of Congress, and the lawmakers said in January that they were under investigation by the Justice Department. The Times reported that federal prosecutors were seeking to indict lawmakers for breaching a law forbidding interfering with the U.S. military’s loyalty, morale or discipline.
he Hill has reached out to the U.S. attorney’s office for comment.
Several lawmakers responded to the news on the social platform X late Tuesday night. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, confirmed she was named in the federal indictment.
“Today, it was a grand jury of anonymous American citizens who upheld the rule of law and determined this case should not proceed,” Slotkin said. “Hopefully, this ends this politicized investigation for good.“But today wasn’t just an embarrassing day for the Administration,” she continued. “It was another sad day for our country. Because whether or not Pirro succeeded is not the point. It’s that President Trump continues to weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies.”
Deluzio similarly condemned the Trump administration’s attempts to charge him and his fellow lawmakers. “I will not be intimidated for a single second by the Trump Administration or Justice Department lawyers who tried and failed to indict me today,” he said. “American citizens on a grand jury refused to go along with this attempt to charge me with a crime for stating the law in a way Trump and his enablers didn’t like. They may want Americans to be afraid to speak out or to disagree—but patriotism demands courage in this moment. DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!”
Kelly called the indictment “an outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackies.” “It wasn’t enough for Pete Hegseth to censure me and threaten to demote me, now it appears they tried to have me charged with a crime — all because of something I said that they didn’t like,” he wrote. “That’s not the way things work in America. Donald Trump wants every American to be too scared to speak out against him. The most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down.”
Crow on Wednesday night also confirmed the indictment. “Donald Trump’s DOJ just tried—and failed—to indict me in front of a grand jury, he said in a statement. “Americans should be furious that Trump and his goons tried to weaponize our justice system again against his political opponents. His attempts to intimidate and silence us will always fail.”
“We will continue to fight back against their rising tyranny, along with all Americans of good conscience. Courage is contagious,” he added.