The U.S. Senate is about to advance the nomination of a man who has helped Trump unconstitutionally evade releasing the Epstein files, and tried to use federal funds to pay insurrectionists. If the purpose of the U.S. Senate is to defend against tyranny, it has failed in its purpose.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2d ago

Whitehouse: "Today I think is a sad and embarrassing day for this committee as it looks like on a party-line vote we are going to advance out of this committee probably the most discreditable person ever to seek the office of attorney general. Let's start with the Epstein files ... "

Looks like a 10-15 point polling miss in Michigan regardless of who wins. And people have been writing a lot of electability takes using this data. It’s dangerous out there folks be safe

Tonight we find out whether Michigan voters are bluesky posters or bluesky replyers

No matter who wins tonight's primaries in Michigan, the state Democratic party is launching a rally for all of the top nominees on Friday in Detroit. Pete Buttigieg will join the event - seeking to unify, after a blistering fight between Abdul El-Sayed & Rep. Haley Stevens

Good. Everyone should rally around the winner.

Scott MacFarlane@macfarlanenews.bsky.social · yesterday

No matter who wins tonight's primaries in Michigan, the state Democratic party is launching a rally for all of the top nominees on Friday in Detroit. Pete Buttigieg will join the event - seeking to unify, after a blistering fight between Abdul El-Sayed & Rep. Haley Stevens

DOJ loses for the 19th time in efforts to obtain state voter rolls, this time in Colorado, courtsey of Judge Philip Brimmer, a George W. Bush appointee: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Two more GOP amendments go down to crushing defeats, both in MO. #4 would have made future ballot initiatives impossible to pass by requiring winning a majority statewide *and* in each congressional district. #5 would have eliminated the state income tax.

Holy shit. www.wired.com/story/a-civi...

"Those of us who spend a lot of time observing right-wingers have been predicting an outbreak of internecine conflict. And lo, behold an outbreak of intra-Nicene conflict."

GOP Sheep to the Midterm Slaughter

Todd Blanche’s confirmation will be bad for the country—and a gift to Senate Democrats.

lnk.thebulwark.com

Can't think of a thing that will radicalize a generation faster than "you've gotta let that old man in the corner over there see what's inside those pants before you play Kindergarten volleyball."

Gillian Branstetter@gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 3d ago

An initiative on the ballot in Washington state in November would require all athletes seeking to play girl's sports from kindergarten to high school to undergo "genetic screening, a testosterone-levels test, or an examination of their reproductive anatomy" before they can play

I’ve spoken with Jason Watson. He knew exactly what this would cost him. He gave up his military career to take a brave stand for democracy. Patriotism that only works with obedience isn’t patriotism.

Bullied Meta into unbanning InfoWars on Threads. Thank you all for being annoying as hell.

Our whole city is cheering for the Knicks tonight. So it’s only right that we bring the Knicks to the whole city. Tonight, Game 5 will be streaming on 130 LinkNYC kiosks. Let’s go Knicks.

almost exactly seven years ago, still one of my favorite tiktoks

The absolute bottom of the journalistic barrel is people in the media chiding Scott Pelley for having the gall to confront Bilton. If you want a job licking boots, become a bootlicker. You’re not a journalist.

Actually people love datacenters and it’s Chinese bots that are complaining about them online is the kind of ridiculous take you could only get from Trump and billionaires.

New Glenn just went boom "but if you tax me then how am I going to create ecological disasters on Earth while practicing to create ecological disasters in Low Earth Orbit?"

Martina McBride just pulled out of Trump's partisan America 250 event. 5 of 9 artists have now pulled out.

DEVELOPING: Rob Lowe’s band from St. Elmo’s Fire has withdrawn from President Trump’s America 250 celebration.

This is perhaps the most significant Supreme Court race-related decision in modern history. While people will focus on Congress, this decision will dismantle thousands of districts electing representatives of minority communities at the state and local levels

This:is 💯 correct. The vast majority of Section 2 litigation (and settlements made under the threat of litigation) have been at the local level. Callais will gut minority representation in city councils, county supervisors, and school boards across the county.

Michael McDonald@electproject.bsky.social · 3mo ago

This is perhaps the most significant Supreme Court race-related decision in modern history. While people will focus on Congress, this decision will dismantle thousands of districts electing representatives of minority communities at the state and local levels

The Voting Rights Act is essentially dead and it’s quite possible that we will, like when a similar SCOTUS gutted civil rights at the fall of Reconstruction, see a disappearance of much of the Black congressional representation, especially in the most heavily Black states, which are in the South.

Justice Kagan: "I dissent. The Voting Rights Act is—or, now more accurately, was—'one of the most consequential, efficacious, and amply justified exercises of federal legislative power in our Nation's history.'

"I dissent because Congress elected otherwise. I dissent because the Court betrays its duty to faithfully implement the great statute Congress wrote. I dissent because the Court’s decision will set back the foundational right Congress granted of racial equality in electoral opportunity. I dissent."

Steve Vladeck@stevevladeck.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Second (and last) #SCOTUS ruling is the big one, Louisiana v. Callais. For a 6-3 majority (Rs v. Ds), Justice Alito purports to narrow the ability of states to draw majority-minority districts as a remedy for race-based vote dilution, but, per Kagan's dissent, comes pretty close to gutting the VRA:

My quick read of Callais decision is that the majority says if a racial community votes consistently with a party, then it is okay to deny them representation because that's just partisan gerrymandering

it’s simple. Dems need to 1. prepare retaliatory gerrymanders in every blue state now that the VRA has been overturned 2. pack the court (and prosecute Thomas/alito) in 2029 I will only even *consider* primary candidates who support both of the above going forward

awright well I don’t think it’s possible to believe the Swalwell victim is lying or misrepresenting, guess we’re rooting for *checks notes* Tom Steyer?