Qwite

EXCLUSIVE: Andry Hernández Romero Tells His Story Venezuelan asylum seeker Andry Hernández joins Tim Miller to share his harrowing journey through U.S.

The entire interview @timmiller.bsky.social does with Andry Hernandez Romero about his time in CECOT is worth your time. Tim handles it with grace and care.
www.thebulwark.com/p/exclusive-...

Over in Washington, both #SD05 and #SD26 are up in special elections this November. There are only two candidates on the ballot, so Tuesday's election was a bit of a practice run for what November could look like. Despite the GOP throwing tons of money in both...

SD-05: D+9
SD-26: D+2

kinda love imagining a movement analogous to the national housing abundance stuff in which "every state university and community college should have capacity for 15% more students" leads to a substantial boom in education attainment, affordability, more teachers, construction of facilities and dorms

Stop saying "the clean energy revolution is inevitable" A little rant on a pet peeve in the climate space.

Long ago, a Big Green colleague said "Once clean energy is cheaper than fossil fuels, Republicans will HAVE to support it!" I said "No, Republicans will just ban clean energy." His jaw dropped - he'd never considered the possibility.

Here's @emorwee.bsky.social still doing that work, 17 years later

YouTube video by The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart On Gaza and Humanity featuring Mosab Abu Toha | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

youtu.be/XmVot3SwqBE?... this is why I support Stewart for
President. Any contender for the president who has started their own podcast should have people like Mosab on or they are wasting their effort and is unserious. You should be doing the same for USAID cuts people affected not just the workers

Democrats elsewhere could also begin the process of amending their state constitutions to give them wider latitude over redistricting. Such discussions are furthest along in California, which, as the largest state in the union, is also the biggest prize. And amending its constitution is easier than it is in many other states—though not easy. To do so, two-thirds of the legislature would have to refer an amendment to voters, who would then need to approve it with a simple majority. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who's aggressively advocated for a robust response to Texas Republicans, has suggested that he could call a special session and ask lawmakers to refer a proposal to voters this fall. (Democrats hold wide supermajorities in both chambers.) Such a measure, he says, would not undo the state's commission but instead ask voters to approve a temporary map that would be used for the rest of the decade, starting next year. According to a report from KCRA, the proposal would retain "California's original congressional district maps if Texas or other states also retain their original district maps."

That leaves New Jersey (with nine Democrats and three Republicans) and New York (where Democrats have a 19-7 advantage). New Jersey allows lawmakers to put amendments before voters in one of two ways: by passing them with a simple majority in two separate sessions of the legislature, or with a three-fifths supermajority once. Democrats have the numbers to take the latter route, but with all 80 members of the Assembly up for reelection this year, they may not be inclined to do so. And even if they were to take up the mantle, the deadline to put a measure on the ballot this November just passed, so the soonest they could have voters weigh in would be next year. New York is harder still. There, amendments only require a majority vote, but they must be approved in two legislative sessions, separated by an intervening election. As a result, the earliest any proposal could appear on the ballot would be 2027. At a Monday press conference, Gov. Kathy Hochul promised to consider "every option to redraw our state congressional lines as soon as possible," adding she would "also look at litigation strategies." Such a strategy could involve filing a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the state's congressional map, which she herself signed into law last year.

States fall into four buckets:

• Ds are already maxed out (7)
• Commissions impose restraints but could be amended (5)
• Ds are free to act now (3)
• Ds could win back power soon and make changes (4)

We devote the most ink to group #2, which includes some of the biggest targets, like CA, NJ & NY

Great news for China

WTI Crude is at $63.94 at 3:01 PM on August 6, 2025. That is down 1.22 percent.

$WTI Crude Oil Line go DOWN!

Trump doing a repeat of his influence in Canada in New York

How can they delay if if there is no required attendance

This is type of district which will be test how much Federal fallout there will be in Virginia

It is traditionally GOP seat in Western Loudoun

But lots of jobs tied to Federal government and military contractors

Will be interesting to see how much of a shift there might be

Important to note that this trend has been seen in Virginia

Unemployment rate here was 3% in January and rose to 3.5% in June

Still below national average, but clearly something is happening

Economy will continue to be major issue on campaign trail

Don’t try to counter any of those claims just push on her policies being bad it can be part of whatever racist conspiracy theory they’re on which would be near impossible to change their mind on but giving them the same positions Trump is pushing leaves the foot for pushing her against Trump

The Federal job cuts have been the most difficult issue for Virginia GOP this year

Haven’t really been able to give a clear answer

Can’t fully embrace it, but can’t disown it

Allows Dems to have clearer message on the issue

Hawaii Democrats have been reluctant to eject their incumbents, but there's one big exception. Last year the powerful House speaker lost his primary in what governor called "somewhat of a shock to the system at the Legislature." We'll see if there's a lot more voltage in 2026.

Former Democratic state House leader announces bid to be Georgia's attorney general • Georgia Recorder Former House Minority Leader Bob Trammell announced Wednesday that he will run for attorney general in Georgia next year, making him the first Democrat to enter the race for what will be an open seat....

Former House Minority Leader Bob Trammell is the first Democrat to enter race for Georgia attorney general, which Republican Chris Carr is giving up to run for governor. GOP has held this post since 2010 red wave election, but Peach State Democrats think the time is right to get it back.

State Representative Nabeela Syed has officially entered the race for #SD26 here in Illinois!

Amazing recruit for the Dems, she’s been a strong candidate in both of her State House runs and is now in the driver’s seat to flip this Harris+9 district

Davis endorses La Shawn Ford, announces retirement   - Austin Weekly News State Rep. La Shawn Ford shared with Austin Weekly News what Cong. Danny Davis’ endorsement means to him and his priorities if elected

Democratic Rep. Danny Davis is retiring from Illinois' 7th District, a safely blue Chicago seat he first won in 1996, and endorsing state Rep. La Shawn Ford to succeed him. Several other Democrats are already running here, and the field could grow now that this seat is finally open.

NC Gov Cooper is up by 1 point in the NC Senate race in this new poll — with an R+8 party ID breakdown. For context it was probably like R+6 in 2024 (someone with the voter file can check that for me), and the turnout environment will favor Ds next year. So…. irp.cdn-website.com/07e08705/fil...

SF YIMBYs keep winning, so where's the housing? Legislators and voters have approved novel ideas to generate funding, but a lack of political will has scuttled them.

One of the ideas here are affordable #housing bonds, which many municipalities are looking at. I think #ArlingtonVA Affordable Housing Ordinance Working Group (chaired by @colebiscuit.bsky.social) is even looking into it? Any #urbanism folks here on Bsky have experience with them?

Because Bluesky is built on a protocol, an outside group can build end-to-end encrypted messaging long before the core Bluesky team likely would have gotten around to it. Very cool ➡️

Germ DM x ATProto is Now in Beta Germ DM is now a Bluesky messenger.

It’s here! Germ DM is now an #ATProto messenger. Read our full announcement now.

Rep. Ro Khanna backs Gen Z progressive Kat Abughazaleh in Illinois congressional race Rep. Ro Khanna of California endorsed 26-year-old influencer Kat Abughazaleh in the race for retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky's seat.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California endorsed progressive congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh Monday, calling the 26-year-old influencer "the absolute best that the Democratic party has to offer."

I never expected the front page of the New York Times to look like this

Is there some sort of copyright or something that prohibits them from making the same 538 methodology for poll trackers to another organization

The rail work is a big part of this. Whatever else can be said about Youngkin, he has embraced or at least facilitated Northam's rail policy. Spanberger must to go even further.
1. Electrification
2. Service improvements to Hampton Roads
3. Expanding Richmond Main Street capacity & track geometry.

Few are more attentive to how power is built at the downballot level than we are, but the answer to this question is ... zero. Jaime Harrison ran for #SCSen in 2020. The Michigan state Senate is *only* up in midterm years. And Dems won it back two years later anyway! www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

Scoop: Cooper plans to enter North Carolina Senate race next week Cooper is the Democratic Party's top recruit in 2026.

Roy Cooper, the two-term Dem governor who was term-limited last year, is about to announce a Senate run in North Carolina, Axios reports:

www.axios.com/2025/07/23/r...

The Virginia Governor’s Race Has Republicans Reeling The party is debating how much it can afford to spend on a losing proposition.

Normally these panic pieces are about Dems

But we see it about GOP in Virginia

Common theme is doubts about Gov race and hope AG race can be salvaged

GOP putting hopes in incumbent AG Miyares

But since 2009 AG has typically only run ahead of top of ticket by ~2%

www.politico.com/news/magazin...

They didn’t poll LG race ?