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courtney-cohn.bsky.social
Staff Writer @democracydocket.com, previously MoCo360 | UMD alum šŸ¢ https://www.democracydocket.com/author/courtney-cohn/
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BREAKING: The Senate voted this afternoon to confirm election denier Kash Patel to be the director of the FBI. During a confirmation hearing, Patel repeatedly refused to say that President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. @democracydocket.com www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

NEW: 14 states sued Musk, DOGE and Trump to stop the agencyā€™s alleged unconstitutional abuse of power. They argue Musk, who bypassed the appointment process, exceeds the authority of an unconfirmed official, violating the U.S. Constitution.

NEW: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) sues the Trump administration to unfreeze over $3 billion in federal funding for his state. Shapiro says that despite two judges' orders to release the funds, the federal government has withheld the money.

NEW: Dozens of USAID employees sue Elon Musk and his faux-agency, DOGE, for an unconstitutional "government takeover." They allege DOGEā€™s actions violate the Appointment Clause and the separation of powers principles of the U.S. Constitution.

Wisconsin voters have an influential spring election on the horizon ā€” with national implications. The April 1 election includes a pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court race and a strict voter ID amendment. @democracydocket.com www.democracydocket.com/analysis/wis...

NEW: The Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Meagan Wolfe can remain the stateā€™s top election official, despite efforts by state Senate Republicans to oust her following Trumpā€™s 2020 loss.

BREAKING: The federal government agreed not to release the names of FBI agents who worked on Trump-related cases, like Jan. 6 and classified documents investigations, for now. @democracydocket.com www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

BREAKING: FBI agents and employees sue to stop Justice Department officials from creating and sharing a list of staff involved in the Jan. 6 and Mar-a-Lago Trump investigations, arguing it could lead to retaliation and threaten their jobs.

NEW: DOJ argues court order blocking Trumpā€™s federal funding freeze Friday doesnā€™t stop the administrationā€™s efforts to halt spending, raising concerns over separation of powers as litigation continues.

BREAKING: Ken Martin, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and head of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, won the election to become the new chair of the DNC. @democracydocket.com www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

UPDATE: Amid confusion over White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittā€™s statements on the status of a federal fund freeze, a federal judge in Rhode Island suggests he would temporarily block any freeze from Trump on federal grants and loans.

NEW: Illinois Republicans file lawsuit challenging the state House map, arguing that it is gerrymandered to favor Democrats. Currently, Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.

NEW: On his first day in office, President Trump revoked an executive order from President Biden that directed federal agencies to expand access to voter registration. Biden's order earned a barrage of lawsuits from officials in Texas, Missouri and more who alleged federal overreach.

Republicans are pouring resources into legal action to challenge the outcome of a race for the Supreme Court of North Carolina. If they already have a majority on the court, why are they so invested in it? Read my story on @democracydocket.com to find out. www.democracydocket.com/analysis/gop...

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering which cases to hear during its next session beginning in October. Four of the cases that the Court may hear could have significant impacts on voting rights and elections. Read here to learn more @democracydocket.com www.democracydocket.com/analysis/4-v...

BREAKING: The ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit today on behalf of a couple of voters against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for failing to call special elections for two vacant seats in the state legislature. @democracydocket.com www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

NEW: From politicians to activists to lawyers, our guest authors brought unique perspectives to the biggest debates surrounding democracy. Here are the voices we featured in 2024: https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/democracy-docket-opinion-writers-covered-crucial-voting-rights-issues-in-2024/

NEW: A Georgia appeals court disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting the 2020 election subversion case against President-elect Donald Trump. But the court rejected a request to dismiss the indictment fully.

Though the 2024 election has passed, many redistricting cases could still have significant impacts on voting rights in a number of states. The ones involving congressional districts could affect the outcome of the 2026 midterms. @democracydocket.com www.democracydocket.com/analysis/red...

The U.S. House passed a bill on Thursday to add more federal judgeships to alleviate overburdened district court judges, but the White House said President Joe Biden will veto it. Read more at @democracydocket.com. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Every year is an election year. Here are the state and local races to watch in 2025.

North Carolina Supreme Court GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin asked for a recount after challenging over 60,000 ballots in his race against Democratic opponent Allison Riggs, who declared victory.

President-elect Donald Trump called on congressional Republicans to agree to recess appointments in the Senate if they seek a leadership position. Here's why this is dangerous for democracy.

NEW: Pennsylvania ended its U.S. Senate recount after Sen. Bob Casey (D) conceded to David McCormick (R). A handful of lawsuits regarding ballot rejections in the race remain open as of Friday morning, but may be withdrawn following Casey's concession.