The North State Journal: “Marijuana would be legalized for medical use in North Carolina with a physician’s prescription and purchased through dozens of tightly regulated dispensaries in a measure receiving initial approval Thursday in the Senate. The legislation, which received strong bipartisan support, could help people facing more than a dozen different “debilitating medical conditions”…
“Birmingham Starbucks first in Alabama to vote for union”
AL Political Reporter: “Workers at the Midtown Starbucks in Birmingham voted Thursday to formally organize, becoming the first Starbucks in Alabama to vote in favor of forming a union. According to voting tallies counted by the National Labor Review Board, out of 33 eligible voters, 27 voted in favor of forming a union, with one…
“Wade Perry exiting as [AL Dem Party] director”
AL Political Reporter: “The Alabama Democratic Party is looking for a new executive director. Wade Perry, who took over the position in 2020, following a tumultuous shakeup in party leadership, announced Tuesday that he is stepping down. Perry said he informed party leadership of his decision some time ago and that his last day will…
“The quest to keep carbon in North Carolina’s wetlands”
WaPo: “Up and down the coast of North Carolina, as well in other parts of the Southeast, environmental advocates and wildlife officials have spent years working across tens of thousands of acres to reverse the toll caused by the network of ditches and roads that long ago altered a landscape critical to plants and animals,…
“Stacey Abrams Hits Brian Kemp on Guns and Abortion”
Political Wire: “A new 30-second ad from Stacey Abrams (D) pans Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s (D) support for “criminal carry” gun legislation and an income tax cut, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. More significantly, it’s the first TV ad this cycle from Abrams that targets the governor’s anti-abortion stance.”
“Dems sweat GOP surge in South Texas special election”
Politico: “Democrats already had a South Texas problem — and it’s on the verge of getting worse. Republicans are well-positioned to flip former Rep. Filemon Vela’s (D-Texas) seat in a special election this summer, a victory that will further reduce Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s already miniscule majority and send a jolt of momentum through the GOP’s…
“The Police Are Now Telling a Very Different Story About What Happened in Uvalde”
Slate: “The most chilling takeaway from Friday’s briefing was that there was a more than 40-minute gap between when officers likely should have gone into the classroom to try to “neutralize” the shooter and when they actually went in, according to McCraw’s description. It’s still entirely unclear whether any injured children who might have been…
“How Raffensperger went from Trump outcast to MAGA vanquisher”
Politico: “As former President Donald Trump was trying to end Brad Raffensperger’s political career, connecting him to conspiracy theories befitting an outlandish spy thriller, the Georgia secretary of state took heart in a different type of film: “Dumb and Dumber.” “A year ago, people said that we only had 10 percent support,” Raffensperger said in…
“In Georgia Rematch, Stacey Abrams Fights Headwinds From Washington”
NY Times: “Ms. Abrams and Mr. Kemp are technically in a rematch, but their race is unfolding in a vastly different political climate compared with 2018, when Ms. Abrams electrified Democrats as she vied to become the country’s first Black female governor. Ms. Abrams cemented her status as a national star even in narrow defeat, while…
“Why is the right ignoring the Southern Baptist abuse scandal?”
WaPo: “There are few things that members of the American right emphasize more often about themselves than their deep commitment to protecting children — particularly when it comes to the threat of sexual abuse. In recent months, they’ve shown how intense that commitment is by labeling just about anyone who supports equality for LGBTQ people…