AP: “Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana Wednesday, as lawmakers voted to approve Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed changes to a bill that will allow adults to possess and cultivate small amounts of the drug starting in July. Northam sent the bill back to lawmakers substantially changed from the version that squeaked out of the General Assembly…

WaPo: “In 2020, Harris County became a national model for how to run safe, secure and convenient elections. We tripled early voting locations, extended voting hours to 10 p.m. on three early-voting days and had a day of 24-hour voting. We implemented drive-through voting. The result: Record voter turnout, as 68 percent of registered voters went to the polls…

Bearing Drift: “Then there was the jaw dropping segment of the debate: Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s response to a question about the death of George Floyd. Fairfax put himself in the frame, saying that “African American men are presumed to be guilty, are treated inhumanely, are given no due process and have their lives impacted ? in some cases,…

ABC News: “Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a partial ban on no-knock warrants Friday after months of demonstrations set off by the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in her home during a botched police raid last year. The law signed by the Democratic governor is not the total ban many protesters and some Democratic lawmakers…

CNN: “Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West falsely suggested that Texas could secede from the United States and become an independent country, a CNN KFile review of his comments in recent months shows.In radio interviews after the 2020 presidential election, West suggested Texas could vote to again become a republic, as it was before joining…

MS Today: “After years of partisan fear and loathing and failed attempts in the Legislature, health care and racial justice advocates want Mississippi voters to force the issue and expand Medicaid at the ballot box. A nonprofit incorporated by the president of the Mississippi Hospital Association and others has filed preliminary paperwork to start ballot…

Triad City Beat: “Under current North Carolina law, the DMV is required to revoke or suspend a driver’s license for failure to pay a traffic fine, penalty or court costs and the driving privilege remains suspended until the driver resolves their failure to comply, or FTC status. The law also includes a provision that allows…

Yahoo!News: “A coalition of faith leaders and activists on Monday demanded the elimination of the Senate filibuster, wading into a crucial debate in Washington with a 50-50 Senate and President Joe Biden eyeing ambitious legislation on expanding voting rights, stemming gun violence and other proposals that face opposition from Republicans. Led by prominent progressive pastor…

Fox News: “Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush revealed in an interview with “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade that he is “taking a very serious look” at running for state attorney general and said he should be making his final decision “fairly soon.” “I’ve been privileged to serve as land commissioner for the last six years, but we need new leadership in this high…

The Hill: “The Arkansas State Legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s (R) veto on legislation that bans gender reassignment surgeries and other treatments for transgender youth. The majority-Republican state House voted 72 to 25 to approve the controversial bill before sending the legislation back to the state Senate, which rejected the governor’s veto of the bill in…