NEW: Republicans tried to get Missourians to effectively kill direct democracy and ballot initiatives. Last night, Missourians literally laughed in their face — rejecting the measure by a massive 80% to 20%. Here’s what to know:

Missourians Reject Measure That Threatened to Kill Citizen-Led Ballot Initiatives - Bolts

Missourians on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted against a measure to restrict direct democracy, while state officials are trying to block even more citizen-led reforms from the November ballot.

boltsmag.org

I find the need to produce content about the horror of wildfires that inhibits the actual fighting of fires to be one of the most nihilistic things I can imagine. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

Drones force grounding of firefighting aircraft in Spokane

On Sunday, there were 26 reported drone incursions in the restricted Spokane fire area, and four drones were "directly in the path of firefighting apparatus."

seattletimes.com

"as much as possible, I’d like to see the hardware stay clearly within the legal lines. The Olto, by contrast, is designed to push right against them and, whenever the boost button is hit, cross them" The absolute silence from NHTSA on blatantly illegal devices is deafening

SUGATA AI@sugataai.bsky.social · 7h ago

If your new "bike" requires you to hop and balance like a scooter, you aren't cycling; you're just pushing a motorized footstool. #InfiniteMachine https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/08/pushing-the-limits-infinite-machines-olto-is-barely-a-bicycle/

NEW: DHS wants to hire bounty hunters to find immigrants who already left the US in an ostensible attempt to make them pay fines DHS imposed on people in the US without documentation. @dell.bsky.social and @regret.bsky.social report: www.wired.com/story/dhs-is...

DHS Is Hiring Bounty Hunters to Find and Photograph Deported People’s Homes Abroad

Homeland Security told immigrants that leaving the US would wipe out fines it claims they owe. Now it wants private investigators to find them in their home countries and collect.

wired.com

From @usa.streetsblog.org: A deceptive and widespread marketing tactic has tricked families into purchasing dangerous e-motos and fooled lawmakers into pushing laws that would make streets even less safe. usa.streetsblog.org/2026/08/05/s...

State Lawmakers Aim At Illegal E-Motos, But Hit E-Bikes Instead — Streetsblog USA

A deceptive and widespread marketing tactic has tricked families into purchasing dangerous e-motos and fooled lawmakers into pushing laws that would make streets even less safe.

usa.streetsblog.org

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin this weekend implored states and cities to cooperate with federal immigration officials, which he said would lead to safer and lower-profile arrests and deportations. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/08/05/r...

Trump official urges governors to help with immigration arrests of ‘worst of the worst’ • Ohio Capital Journal

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin this weekend implored states and cities to cooperate with federal immigration officials, which he said would lead to safer and lower-profile arrests…

ohiocapitaljournal.com

Here is a link to the WSJ @nicktimiraos.bsky.social story that our Treasury secretary doesn’t want you to read. (It should be a free link, but it doesn’t always work) www.wsj.com/economy/cent...

Why Bessent Is Leaning on the Fed to Help Prop Up Japan’s Currency

The Treasury secretary wants the central bank to help by raising its $60 billion borrowing limit on an obscure lending program.

wsj.com

Michael Derby@michaelsderby.bsky.social · 5h ago

As evidence for Warsh’s rough start as Fed chair, the Treasury secretary is now going after reporters for their coverage of the central bank.

“ICE detained Rodriguez Caglianone at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as she attempted to travel to North Carolina to watch the FIFA World Cup on July 19 w/friends.” “They handcuffed me like a criminal,” she said. She has no record and formerly held #TPS 👇🏽 #AbuseofPowerWatch

Abuse of Power Watch@abuseofpowerwatch.bsky.social · 5h ago

📍 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐀: Ex-ICE detainee says elderly, pregnant and sick individuals were treated like “animals in a zoo” while in immigration custody. “There were people that had cancer. They did their first chemo before they were in, and they were not allowed to get their second chemo.” #AbuseofPowerWatch

President Donald Trump’s administration has detained more than 50 spouses and parents of U.S. troops as it rolls back immigration protections for military families, an AP investigation has found.

AP Exclusive: Trump's immigration crackdown has detained more than 50 military spouses and parents

An Associated Press investigation reveals that President Donald Trump’s administration has detained dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. troops.

bit.ly

Pretty bike machine. Trent Reznor, Lolla‘91 📸ground control

Big tax results out of Missouri tonight: Voters statewide rejected by an huge margin a GOP ballot measure to phase out the income tax. They also renewed a sales tax to keep state parks free. And Kansas City approved a package of $1.7 billion of bonds for infrastracture.

Kansas voters reject constitutional amendment on judicial selection by wide margin www.newsfromthestates.com/article/kans...

Kansas voters reject constitutional amendment on judicial selection by wide margin

TOPEKA — Kansas voters Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to rewrite the state constitution and elect Kansas Supreme Court justices, spiking a plan long coveted by Republicans who want more co...

newsfromthestates.com

Former challenger Mallory McMorrow: “Congratulations to Abdul El-Sayed for winning the Democratic primary to become our nominee to be Michigan’s next US Senator. I’m proud to give Abdul my full endorsement and support as we head to November together as a unified party”

Our CVS in DC has basically given up being anything more than a cooler in front of a pharmacy. The rest is just there for show of what a drug store *could* look like, hypothetically.

Abu Aardvark@abuaardvark.bsky.social · 10h ago

Tried to pick something up in a DC CVS and good lord they really have made it impossible to shop there. Everything locked up, police strolling around the aisles, very few staff. It’s hard to fathom such an aggressively anti-customer retail outlet. Amazing.

In its brief, the U.S. Attorney's Office admits that it began having conversations with Main Justice regarding this case on Sept. 27. The U.S. Attorney admits that he received the Oct. 9 grand jury transcript on Oct. 14, but "has no recollection of reviewing the transcript at that time."

Jason Meisner@jmetr22b.bsky.social · 19h ago

JUST IN: Chicago's U.S. Attorney's Office says a special counsel need not be appointed to look into wrongdoing in the "Broadview Six" case, and that a hearing on sanctions isn’t warranted. background: www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/02/b...

Trump’s National Guard deployment in D.C. set to cost additional $1.4 billion wapo.st/4qhi0a5

Trump’s National Guard deployment in D.C. set to cost additional $1.4 billion

The estimate, provided to Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, covers the period from Oct. 1, 2026, through the end of the president’s term.

wapo.st

State supreme courts are on the ballot this week. Today, Washington voters are narrowing the field for four seats on their high court and Kansans will decide on a measure that may upend their judiciary. On Thursday, a Tennessee justice is up for retention.

110 Elections to Watch This August - Bolts

A string of high-profile Senate and governor primaries will headline August and set the stage for November. They include the rushed special primary to replace the late Lindsey Graham in... Read More

boltsmag.org

🤔

Carl Quintanilla@carlquintanilla.bsky.social · yesterday

> @curbed.com #NYC www.curbed.com/article/ken-...

Todd Blanche and his ATF announced dozens of federal gun “regulations.” They’re total rollbacks. The proposed rules would be some of the biggest blows to gun safety efforts in history.

Tereza Lee, a pianist who has played at Carnegie Hall and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, inspired Sen. Dick Durbin to introduce the Dream Act. Her teacher asked Lee where she was going to college. But Lee knew she lacked legal status, so she said she “was not going to college.”

Illinois Lawmakers Decry Prison’s ‘Gut-Wrenching,’ ‘Heartbreaking’ Conditions via @themarshallproject.org www.themarshallproject.org/2026/08/04/i...

Illinois Lawmakers Decry Prison’s ‘Gut-Wrenching,’ ‘Heartbreaking’ Conditions

After The Marshall Project found scores of fires set by men at a Joliet prison, legislators want improved fire safety and mental health treatment.

themarshallproject.org

Stop torturing mentally ill prisoners

Update on this: Census Bureau announces delay in release of ACS to “later this year” due to Commerce Dept order. ACS data typically released in mid September.

Edwin Park@edwincpark.bsky.social · 6d ago

This has not received enough attention but a Commerce Dept order from June threatens the availability of Census data including the American Community Survey. So it may become a lot harder to understand health coverage trends. My colleague Aubrianna Osorio explains: ccf.georgetown.edu/2026/07/30/c...

There Is No Place For Us @brian-goldstone.bsky.social The cause of homeless is a lack of housing There are 34 affordable available units for every 100 households that need them Some people make poor choices but as a nation we take no responsibility to fix systemic issues #BookSky #Homeless

In court filings Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice argued it retains the "unconditional right to intervene" in a federal lawsuit against Evanston's reparations program, leaving it up to federal Judge John Kness to rule on the DOJ's motion to intervene

Justice Dept. argues to join reparations case - Evanston Now

Now up to judge to join the case challenging Evanston's program.

evanstonnow.com

The US host cities for the 2026 men's World Cup claim that they were *verbally* promised $1 million each by Gianni Infantino and that FIFA hasn't paid up. Truly incredible stuff. www.nytimes.com/athletic/749...

BREAKING: The Eleventh Circuit, en banc, upholds Florida's anti-drag law, holding that it is neither unconstitutionally vague nor unconstitutionally overbroad. More to come at Law Dork: www.lawdork.com

NEW: Elon Musk clearly hates talking about Tesla's stagnant car biz these days so @russellbrandom.bsky.social and I mapped out just how much it's taken a back seat on the company's earnings calls. Musk now spends half or more of his time talking about AI & robotics: techcrunch.com/2026/08/04/e...

Finally: this may become the largest immigration prison in the Midwest, and it will be located in the very right-leaning Eighth Circuit. I am certain that the administration knows this.

Minnesota law prohibits all state and local units of government from contracting with private prison companies. This, however, is an existing prison and there is no state or local actor involved in the contract.

Project Salt Box@projectsaltbox.com · yesterday

🚨ICE has awarded CoreCivic $536.2 million to operate the Prairie Correction Facility in Appleton, Minnesota as an immigration jail. The period of performance begins August 11.