Jonathan Shorman

1999 release, so you know, an obviously perfect movie

(In seriousness, someone should do a survey of the actual clunkers of ‘99, the apparent golden year of cinema)

I’m watching Magnolia right now for probably the first time in a decade.

Maybe it’s just a side effect of One Battle After Another, but it seems like more of the Paul Thomas Anderson back catalog has been on the streamers recently. This is a good thing.

Nevadans gear up to protect election from federal interference • Nevada Current The Trump administration’s threat to take control of elections in several states and its refusal to rule out immigration agents at polling stations not only threatens the integrity of this year’s elections, but also amounts to voter suppression and intimidation, election advocates say. Silver State Voices, the ACLU of Nevada, All Voting is Local, and […]

In Nevada, local voting rights advocates expanding an election observer program amid concerns about the potential for ICE deployments at polling sites:

Missouri House passes bill to give secretary of state election fraud investigation powers The Missouri secretary of state may be given additional subpoena power to investigate complaints of election fraud under a bill that now heads to the state Senate.

The Missouri secretary of state may be given additional subpoena power to investigate complaints of election fraud under a bill that now heads to the state Senate. (@kbianews.bsky.social)

Order on Motion for Preliminary Injunction – #63 in United States v. State of California (C.D. Cal., 2:25-cv-10999) – CourtListener.com (IN CHAMBERS)-PLAINTIFF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'S MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION (Dkt. 11, filed on November 25, 2025) by Judge Christina A. Snyder: In accordance with the foregoing, the Court...

But the takeaway is that, despite many academic commentators saying that mask bans are destined to lose, the federal district court found that they are actually constitutional so long as they apply to all levels of government and do not discriminate against the federal government. 3/

Faced with more lawsuits, Utah lawmakers move to change their new ‘constitutional court’ • Utah News Dispatch Facing lawsuits, Utah lawmakers are moving to change the law they just passed creating a judicial panel to hear constitutional cases.

Utah lawmakers are running into legal challenges as they try to sidestep the normal court system that has struck down some of their high-profile laws, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Alaska officials stonewall state legislators on justification for handing voter data to feds The head of the Alaska Division of Elections will not share legal advice that led to the state’s decision to send an extended voter list to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Interesting story out of Alaska...

State officials not turning over legal advice to lawmakers that preceded decision to turn over sensitive state voter data to DOJ

www.newsfromthestates.com/article/alas...

Don't miss health care reporter @nhassanein.bsky.social of @stateline.org on a Reporters' Roundtable segment of “Conversations on Health Care” with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

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US House also rejects restraint on Trump’s war power in Iran WASHINGTON — House Republicans and a handful of Democrats followed the Senate in blocking a measure Thursday to stop President Donald Trump from furthering the war in Iran without authorization from C...

BREAKING from @ashleymurray.bsky.social

House Republicans and a handful of Democrats followed the Senate in blocking a measure Thursday to stop President Donald Trump from furthering the war in Iran without authorization from Congress.

www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-h...

Kristi Noem out as DHS secretary; Trump to nominate Oklahoma Sen. Mullin WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump Thursday said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will be leaving the post for a job as a special envoy, following an appearance before a U.S. Senate panel this...

Kristi Noem out as DHS secretary; Trump to nominate Oklahoma Sen. Mullin. Updated @statesnewsroom.com story by @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social

The Trump administration has indicated DOJ is sharing voter data with DHS. Oklahoma has been sued by DOJ for not turning over its full voter data.

Homeland Security under Noem refashioned the SAVE program into a citizenship verification tool and have been urging states to feed their voter rolls into it. What Mullin has to say about that (if anything) is something I'll be watching.

If Mullin became DHS Secretary shortly, the (Republican) governor would appoint his (Republican) successor.

Mullin would also presumably drop his reelection campaign this year; the filing deadline is next month.

There it is: Noem out, Mullin in

Paxton floats exiting Senate runoff if GOP passes voter ID President Donald Trump, who was neutral in the first round, said he would endorse “soon” in the runoff between Paxton and GOP incumbent John Cornyn and would expect the candidate he did not endorse to...

New: Attorney General Ken Paxton said Thursday he would consider dropping out of the U.S. Senate race if Senate GOP leaders agreed to abolish the filibuster and pass a bill that require people to provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote.

Breaking:

WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 20 states sue over new global tariffs Trump imposed after Supreme Court loss.

Federal law already prohibits armed federal personnel at polling places. Some Democratic state lawmakers, citing Trump's calls to "nationalize" elections and rhetoric by his allies, don't want to take any chances and are pushing state-level bans on immigration enforcement near the polls

Blue states push to ban ICE at the polls amid federal voter intimidation fears • Stateline Several Democratic states are moving to bar federal immigration agents from being near polling places and other election sites, amid persistent worries that President Donald Trump will use federal law enforcement or the military to disrupt the midterm elections. Measures to restrict federal agents from operating at or near election-related locations have been offered in […]

Several Democratic states are moving to bar federal immigration agents from being near polling places and other election sites, Jonathan Shorman reports.

https://stateline.org/2026/03/05/blue-states-push-to-ban-ice-at-the-polls-amid-federal-voter-intimidation-fears/

Federal funding for people in poverty heading to anti-abortion centers instead • Stateline The bulk of the money Missouri gives to its crisis pregnancy centers comes from federal funds meant to assist families experiencing poverty with basic necessities and child care, Republican Rep. Jason...

States are diverting federal TANF dollars meant for families in need to crisis pregnancy centers that discourage abortion care. Federal funding for housing and sex ed is heading to the centers, too, States Newsroom found:

stateline.org/2026/03/04/r...

Blue states push to ban ICE at the polls amid federal voter intimidation fears • Stateline Several Democratic states are moving to bar federal immigration agents from being near polling places and other election sites, amid persistent worries that President Donald Trump will use federal law...

NEW - Amid fears Trump could try to interfere in the midterms, several Democratic states are advancing bans on immigration enforcement near polling places

Federal law already prohibits armed federal personnel at the polls, but lawmakers want state-level limits, too

stateline.org/2026/03/05/b...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans vote down legislation to halt war against Iran in early show of support for Trump’s campaign.

Colorado officials urge Polis not to reduce sentence for former clerk Tina Peters | Colorado Newsline Officials in Colorado decried the prospect of Gov. Jared Polis granting clemency for imprisoned former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.

Officials in Colorado decried the prospect of clemency for imprisoned former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters after Gov. Jared Polis suggested there was an unfair disparity between her sentence and that of a former state senator who was recently sentenced to probation.
By @lindseytoomer.bsky.social

NEW: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) says Gov Jared Polis (D) offering clemency to Tina Peters "would be a grave miscarriage of justice and dangerous for free and fair elections."

Trump Has Been Sued 198 Times for Withholding Funding. It Hasn’t Stopped Him. (Gift Article) Immigration demands for highway dollars, D.E.I. rules for homeless grants: how Trump has tried to wield spending to get his way.

We've been tracking nearly 200 lawsuits against the Trump administration over its attempts to leverage federal funding to impose the president's agenda.

The most startling pattern: The administration seems entirely undeterred when it loses in court.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

This is a key point... Each additional day the Supreme Court waits to release a decision anticipated to gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act likely further blunts the impact to the 2026 cycle. But it would set up high-stakes fights over redistricting during 2027 legislative sessions ahead of 2028.

Crisis Pregnancy Centers Series | News From The States Billion Dollar Baby Bump: A States Newsroom 50-state investigation examining the tax records of more than 1,600 crisis pregnancy center organizations nationwide and state and federal budgets found the...

States Newsroom conducted a 50-state investigation examining state and federal budgets, and the tax records of crisis pregnancy centers nationwide, finding that while the magnitude of public funding for them is growing, oversight is not.

NEW SERIES: www.newsfromthestates.com/tags/crisis-...

Proud to be part of this reporting series. The amount of taxpayer dollars being funneled to these centers is astounding. And many of them do good work within their scope. But this public largesse hasn’t been accompanied by robust oversight. Read more:

Roy Cooper (D) and Michael Whatley (R) win their primaries in the North Carolina Senate race, @nbcnews.com projects. This long-anticipated contest for the fall is official. Critical race for Democrats if they are to have any shot at the majority.