Will Vandenberg 🇺🇦

Justice Anita Earls leads GOP challenger Sarah Stevens in fundraising for 2026 NC Supreme Court race • NC Newsline Justice Anita Earls has raised more than $580,000 for her 2026 reelection campaign, far outpacing Republican challenger Sarah Stevens.

The 2026 election will decide one of seven seats on the state’s highest court, which currently has a 5–2 conservative majority. Earlsis the court’s most senior Democrat and a frequent dissenter in rulings involving redistricting, voting rights, and public education. #ncpol #ncga

All major Las Vegas Strip casinos are now unionized in historic labor victory The Culinary Workers Union representing 60,000 hospitality workers in Nevada has achieved a historic victory on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Culinary Workers Union representing 60,000 hospitality workers in Nevada has achieved a historic victory on the Las Vegas Strip. For the first time in its 90-year history, all major casinos on the Strip are unionized.

Alaska lawmakers override governor’s veto of public school funding, restoring services and teachers | Alaska Beacon The override eliminates a 5.6% year-over-year cut to public school funding, leaving districts with a small funding increase.

Alaska lawmakers override governor’s veto of public school funding, restoring services and teachers — @alaska.bsky.social and @corinne-smith.bsky.social have extensively revised this article for @alaskabeacon.com: alaskabeacon.com/2025/08/02/a... #akleg

Demonstrators rally in show of support for Legislative veto override, more funds for Alaska schools | Alaska Beacon Demonstrators rallied Saturday and urged a “yes” vote to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of funding for Alaska’s K-12 schools.

Demonstrators rally in show of support for Legislative veto override, more funds for Alaska schools, reports Corinne Smith, @corinne-smith.bsky.social, of @alaskabeacon.com: alaskabeacon.com/2025/08/02/d... #akleg

Opinion | Bad Bunny Just Wants to Stay Home. So Do I.

Beautifully written. The pull of home, often when we may feel pushed away from it, can be both uplifting & haunting. My own hometown is not in Puerto Rico, but I love this writing from @yarimarita.bsky.social, love Bad Bunny, & love their beautiful & complicated home. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/o...

hell yeah

Nice to see a win

Medicaid cuts will have far-reaching impacts on all Mainers, advocates warn • Maine Morning Star Democratic leaders warned this week that sweeping Medicaid cuts in the new federal budget law will have far-reaching consequences for all Maine residents — not just those currently receiving benefits…

Democratic leaders are warning that sweeping Medicaid cuts in the new federal budget law will have far-reaching consequences for all Maine residents — not just those currently receiving benefits through the program. mainemorningstar.com/2025/07/31/m...

Doctors left Idaho after abortion ban, study confirms • Idaho Capital Sun Idaho lost more than a third of its practicing obstetrician doctors after the state’s near-total abortion ban took effect, a new study finds.

Idaho lost more than a third of its practicing obstetrician doctors after the state’s near-total abortion ban took effect, a new study published in a peer-reviewed academic journal confirms. #idleg #idpol

New Housing Slows Rent Growth Most for Older, More Affordable Units The nationwide housing shortage has driven rents up more in low-income neighborhoods than in the U.S. overall, but in areas that have recently added large amounts of housing, rents have fallen the mos...

Building *slows* gentrification; and *not* building makes it much worse: "The findings suggest that not allowing more homes to be built—even for high-income residents—pushes up all rents, making it harder for low-income tenants to remain in their neighborhoods." -- www.pew.org/en/research-...

‘Exhausting and demoralizing’: How public media in rural Alaska is responding to federal cuts | Alaska Beacon Northern Journal correspondent Max Graham sent some questions to two longtime public media employees in rural Alaska.

‘Exhausting and demoralizing’: How public media in rural Alaska is responding to federal cuts — Max Graham of Northern Journal wrote a Q&A with two longtime Alaska public radio employees, via @alaskabeacon.com: alaskabeacon.com/2025/07/30/e...

Trump administration requested voter data. Secretary Bellows says, ‘Go jump in the Gulf of Maine’ • Maine Morning Star The U.S. Department of Justice asked Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to provide access to the state’s voter registration list and other sweeping election data. Bellows told Maine Morning Star…

“We don’t know why they’re doing this, whether it is to change the subject away from topics like the Epstein files, or whether it is to undermine voter confidence in our strong election systems,” said Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. mainemorningstar.com/2025/07/29/t...

Statehouse Democrats want to use Trump’s big bill to drag down Republicans • Stateline After disappointing results in November, Kansas state House Democrats are touring the Republican-leaning state, trying to improve relationships and set the stage for a comeback.

As national Democrats prepare to target Republicans over Trump mega-bill, state-level Democrats also see an opening to link their GOP counterparts to the cuts in the sweeping federal law

Reporting from Pittsburg, Kansas >

Kevin Hardy & me for @stateline.org
stateline.org/2025/07/29/s...

Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford is jumping into the Nevada governor’s race, seeking to unseat incumbent Republican Joe Lombardo over concerns about Trump and the economy.

Read about it here: thenevadaindependent.com/article/aaro...

Over-zealous, quota-driven harassment & policing of immigrant workers is bad for humanity & the economy. Thank you for pro-worker activism from @maineimmigrants.bsky.social @aclumaine.bsky.social, Black Travel Maine, & business leaders standing up for justice in my beautiful home state of Maine.

Jersey City is much more interesting, multilayered, and diverse, but welcome to Jersey nonetheless!

New poll: 18-29 year olds now disapprove of Trump by a 72-28 margin. This is a 54 point negative swing since February. 54 points! On the economy, climate, immigration, Epstein, and everything else, this Trump Administration has failed Americans and it’ll only get worse.

Trump tax law runs up deficit by $3.4T, throws 10 million off health insurance, CBO says • NC Newsline Republicans’ “big, beautiful” law will add $3.394 trillion to deficits and lead 10 million people to lose access to health insurance

NEW: Republicans’ “big, beautiful” law will add $3.4 trillion to deficits during the next decade and lead 10 million people to lose access to health insurance, according to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. ncnewsline.com/2025/07/22/r... #NC #ncpol

Murkowski knows that Trump is not to be trusted. And even if he was on the level, it was an unconscionable vote for someone like Murkowski who knows better.

What public media funding cuts mean for stations in small Missouri and Kansas towns Public media organizations in small towns and rural areas relied more heavily on funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting than their urban counterparts. Now that funding is rescinded, here's how two in Kansas and Missouri are planning for the future.

Public media organizations in small towns and rural areas relied more heavily on funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting than their urban counterparts. Now that funding is rescinded, here's how two in Kansas and Missouri are planning for the future. https://loom.ly/xGTJfPc

On budget vote, Murkowski says she was ‘hung out to dry’ and stuck between two bad options | Alaska Beacon Murkowski, Alaska's senior U.S. senator, said the state fared better under the budget plan because of her efforts to soften the blow.

On budget vote, Murkowski says she was ‘hung out to dry’ and stuck between two bad options, reports James Brooks, @alaska.bsky.social, of @alaskabeacon.com: alaskabeacon.com/2025/07/21/o...

Bozeman sidesteps new state law, adopts Pride flag After more than five hours of debate, the city commission voted 4-1 to designate the flag as an official flag of Bozeman.

After more than five hours of debate, the city commission voted 4-1 to designate the flag as an official flag of Bozeman.

Alaska Rep. Nick Begich again votes to strip funding from public broadcasters | Alaska Beacon Begich has said that he doesn't see public broadcasting as important because cellphones and satellite communications are available.

Alaska Rep. Nick Begich again votes to strip funding from public broadcasters, reports James Brooks, @alaska.bsky.social, of @alaskabeacon.com: alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alask...

Opinion | Why Scientists Need Your Tax Dollars Logan G. Havard writes about how federal funding cuts affect scientific research that could otherwise benefit people at the local and national levels.

OPINION: Amid federal budget cuts, "Mississippi has lost millions in science funding so far and is poised to lose tens of millions more for biomedical research from NIH alone," Logan Havard writes.

America has a tradition of breaking promises and displacing people. Migrants are the newest target. • Kansas Reflector Two hundred years ago next month, a trio of white commissioners met with a group of Osage leaders beneath the tallest oak in a mile-wide grove here and, for $800, purchased safe passage and free use o...

Opinion from @maxmccoy.com: America has a tradition of breaking promises and displacing people. Migrants are the newest target. #ksleg

Trump’s deportation agenda will destroy millions of jobs: Both immigrants and U.S.-born workers would suffer job losses, particularly in construction and child care Deportations will eliminate millions of jobs held by immigrant and U.S.-born workers according to research on increased immigration enforcement.

🚨🚨 Trump's deportations could destroy millions of jobs for immigrants and US-born workers 🚨🚨

New report from me @epi.org

Missouri's governor just signed a law repealing the paid sick leave passed by voters last year Business groups lobbied heavily to overturn Proposition A, passed by 58% of Missouri voters in November 2024, arguing it would cost jobs. The bill also repeals annual inflation adjustments for the min...

Last year, Missouri voters approved paid sick leave and a higher minimum wage by 58%. Republicans just enacted legislation eliminating sick leave and automatic updates to the minimum wage that had been in place since 2006. www.kcur.org/politics-ele...

Omaha Tribe of Nebraska legalizes, regulates medical and recreational marijuana • Nebraska Examiner The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska became the first government in Nebraska to fully legalize and seek to regulate both medicinal and adult recreational-use cannabis.

MED AND RECREATIONAL CANNABIS: The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska became the first government in Nebraska on Tuesday to fully legalize and seek to regulate both medicinal and adult recreational-use cannabis.

From Zach Wendling:

buff.ly/T68igZL

US Senate Republicans advance bill stripping funds from NPR, PBS, foreign aid • Wisconsin Examiner The U.S. Senate advanced a plan to cancel $9 billion in previously approved funding for several foreign aid programs and public broadcasting

U.S. Senate advances bill stripping $9B in allocated funding from NPR, PBS, foreign aid via @jennifershutt.bsky.social wisconsinexaminer.com/2025/07/15/r...

Alaska legislators urge US senators to protect funding for public broadcasting, as bill advances | Alaska Beacon A group of Alaska legislators sent a letter to U.S. Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan urging them to oppose cuts to public broadcasting.

Alaska legislators urge US senators to protect funding for public broadcasting, as bill advances, reports Corinne Smith, @corinne-smith.bsky.social, of @alaskabeacon.com: alaskabeacon.com/2025/07/15/a...