Here’s your weekly quick look at a few developing stories in the political arena:
- Eric Holder, the first black American to serve as Attorney General, announced on Thursday that he would be resigning after 6 years heading the Justice Department. Holder, speaking at the White House, said “I will continue to serve and try to find ways to make our nation even more true to its founding ideals.” Holder has agreed to stay on until President Obama names a successor that is confirmed by the Senate. Speaker of the House John Boehner, a critic of Holder’s, called this resignation “long overdue.” Holder said he never intended to stay through all of the President’s second term and pointed out that protecting voters’ rights and gay rights, easing federal drug sentencing rules that he argues disproportionately burden minorities, and defending the use of criminal courts to try terrorist suspects are critical issues we still face. The attorney general is one of only three remaining members of Obama’s original Cabinet.