Slate | April 10, 2026 “In the past several years, Republicans in North Carolina have attempted — with varying degrees of success — power grab after power grab over the state’s government and legal systems. Now they’re trying one of their most audacious endeavors yet — an effort to give politicians control of the body…
$76 Million in Dark Money Is Fueling Virginia’s Redistricting Referendum — Vote Is April 21
Cardinal News | April 14, 2026 “Tens of millions of dollars have flowed into Virginia’s pro- and anti-redistricting campaigns from organizations across the country in short order ahead of the April 21 referendum. Most of that money on either side has come from 501(c)(4) organizations — tax-exempt nonprofits that are not required by the IRS…
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Killed His Wife and Himself
Associated Press | April 16, 2026 “Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a rising star in the Democratic Party until sexual assault allegations ruined his political fortunes, killed his estranged wife and then himself weeks before a judge’s deadline to move out of their family home, according to police and court records. Justin Fairfax fatally…
ICE Detains 85-Year-Old French Widow Who Married Her G.I. Sweetheart
New York Times | April 16, 2026 “A few years ago, Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé reconnected with a man named Bill Ross, whom she had met when she was a young secretary and he was stationed in France for the U.S. military. Both widowed and in their 80s, the two fell in love, and last year she…
Swalwell and Gonzales Both Quit Congress Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Tennessee Lookout / States Newsroom: “California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales both announced Monday evening that they would resign from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell’s announcement came just one day after he suspended his campaign for governor over allegations of sexual assault. ‘I am aware of efforts to bring…
Arkansas: Sanders-Appointed Board Member May Be Serving Illegally
Arkansas Times: “State Corrections Board Member Lee Watson said Monday that fellow board member Nathan Lee could not serve on the panel because he also works as deputy secretary of state. Watson said the Article 19, Section 6 of the Constitution and various statutes and case law all say that Lee’s holding of two state…
Louisiana Exonerated Man Wins Elected Office — Then GOP Strips His Job
Louisiana Voice: “Calvin Duncan was convicted in January 1985 of first-degree murder. The only thing was, he was innocent. Then Assistant District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro suppressed exculpatory evidence. It wasn’t until January 2011, after spending nearly 30 years in prison for a crime he never committed, he was allowed to plead guilty to a reduced…
Texas House Democrats Fined $422,000 for Quorum Break
Off the Kuff / TPR: “A committee of the Texas House of Representatives voted late Friday afternoon to impose financial penalties totaling nearly $422,000 on Democratic House members who broke quorum last August to try to prevent the Republican-led Legislature from passing a controversial mid-decade congressional redistricting plan. The GOP-led Committee on House Administration imposed…
UNITE HERE Is Shaking Up North Carolina Politics
Facing South: “This past March, three Democrats in the North Carolina General Assembly who had sided with Republicans on key votes lost their primary elections to progressive challengers. The defeated incumbents included Rep. Carla Cunningham, a Charlotte-area legislator who voted with the Republican majority 84% of the time and helped the GOP overturn 15 vetoes…
Georgia Lawmakers Left a Time Bomb in Their Own Election Law
Georgia Public Broadcasting: “Existing voting machines print ballots with a QR code that scanners use to tally votes. A 2024 law requires removal of those QR codes by July 2026. But the Legislature has failed to pass any bills to fund an alternative for QR codes on ballots or to push back the July 1…