jess banks

The 75 Elections to Watch This March - Bolts The 2026 midterms really are starting. Five states hold all of their primaries for federal and state offices in March, and voters there face high-profile choices. They’ll decide which Democrat... Read...

Polls close at 7:30pm ET in North Carolina.

In Arkansas, at 7:30pm local time. (So 8:30pm ET.)

In Texas, at 7pm local time. (So 8pm or 9pm in ET.)

In New Mexico, also at 7pm local time. (So 9pm ET.)

All I'm watching in these states, on one page—and bookmark it as we'll add results!

Losing an embassy is only a political disaster if it comes from the Benghazi region of Libya. Otherwise it’s just sparkling property renovations.

“The Intern in Charge”: Meet the 22-Year-Old Trump’s Team Picked to Lead Terrorism Prevention One year out of college and with no apparent national security expertise, Thomas Fugate is the Department of Homeland Security official tasked with overseeing the government’s main hub for combating v...

The Republicans seem to be prepping an argument that any domestic terror attacks in the aftermath of their Iran attacks will be the fault of Democrats for shutting down DHS funding, so I'd like to remind everyone of this appointment:

What Iranians Think About the U.S.-Israel War on Iran I asked five Iranian-American thought leaders what corporate media isn't telling us about this war—here's what they told me

I asked 5 Iranian-American thought leaders what corporate media isn't telling us about this war.

I encourage you to read their responses & support their advocacy.

If there is one unifying thread uniting these voices, it is: war is not liberation, propaganda is not truth, and bombs are not policy.

We really do need to hammer home reducing police budgets and using them to bolster teacher salaries immediately. The fact we have these massive goon squads playing candy crush all day at their jobs meanwhile teachers are having to get second incomes is frankly embarrassing as a rich country.

"Target's plan to win you back: selling affordable, trendy fashion and furnishings."

NOPE. How about "We're extremely sorry we caved on all of our DEI initiatives, proving they were empty of any real values, but we will be restoring them all immediately"? For starters.

abolish ICE is *literally* the moderate position

A pre-colonial Māori wooden carving of a kurī, a breed of dog. The wooden figure is a pale white-brown, and depicts the upwardly-curved tail characteristic of this species of dog.

Another one from the “humanity throughout history has always been making little guys” archives! This comes from Aotearoa New Zealand, and is a kurī, or dog, made from kānuka wood. The only known pre-colonial Māori carving of a dog, they were found within Moncks Cave at Christchurch in 1889

Diversity of tactics is one thing. But you'll pardon me if I'm highly skeptical the second non-profit complex groups start issuing statements using a barrage of social justice jargon to deter clearly successful tactics. I've seen this play out before, and often it's just part of repression.

One of the purposes of non-profit complex orgs is to gatekeep, deter and co-opt organizing, especially when it's militant and working.

So if you suddenly see polished posts by "otg" groups using social justice jargon to demand people abandon wildly successful tactics, it's worth being skeptical.

🚨 EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ELECTION UPDATE 🚨

🚨 YOU MUST VOTE AT YOUR ASSIGNED PRECINCT 🚨

We are hearing that NEARLY 1/3RD of Dallas County voters are being turned away from polling locations because they are NOT at their assigned voting locations. #VOTE

Haunting but important thread.

This thread is an incredible catalog and history of moral panics in the early 20th century.

The dumbasses of the day were terrified about *checks notes* kids reading books at bed time.

And it just gets more wacky from there.

Imagine writing a law to specifically fuck with 380 people who are minding their own business

How credit cards activate the reward center of our brains and drive spending | MIT Sloan As credit cards have become a popular form of payment method, researchers have noticed an interesting trend. People tend to spend more when using credit cards than cash. Not only are they more likely ...

Turns out it's not that using cash hurts more. It's that "credit cards motivate (more) spending by exploiting reward networks in the brain."

mitsloan.mit.edu/experts/how-...

no

The following words appear on a colorful Afro-futurist background with a picture of CeCe McDonald: “CeCe McDonald. CeCe McDonald uses her experience with incarceration to bring attention to the prison industrial complex, abolition, and the acute challenges trans women of color face both inside and outside of prison. She has spoken at colleges and universities and has given interviews with major news outlets. McDonald’s work sets the stage for a future free from carceral responses to violence that benefit trans and cis people alike. Photo credit: Chartwell Speakers”

The following words appear on a colorful Afro-futurist background with a picture of Patricio Manuel: “Patricio “Pat” Manuel (also known as “Cacahuate”). Patricio Manuel is a professional boxer whose career includes several barrier-breaking achievements, including being the first out transgender boxer, the most decorated amateur boxer to change gender divisions within USA Boxing, and being the first transgender man to beat a cisgender man in the amateur male division. In September 2018, he made history again when he became the first transgender boxer to compete in a professional boxing match in the U.S. and win. During a time when sports are a battleground for trans rights and dignity, Manuel is breaking barriers and paving the way for future Black trans athletes to be recognized, to be respected, and to win.”

The following words appear on a colorful Afro-futurist background with a picture of La Saia Wade: “LaSaia Wade. Wade has founded several organizations that have distributed funds to trans people, organized culturally competent social services for trans people, and led direct actions that have called attention to the violence experienced by trans women in Chicago. Wade’s work is a guide to reaching the future we all desire. It has always been us and will be us who care for, lift up, and support each other.”

The following words appear on a colorful Afro-futurist background with a picture of Kylar Broadus: “Kylar Broadus. Broadus is an attorney who focuses on LGBTQ+ law and transgender rights and is the founder of two organizations that support trans people of color through legal action. Broadus’ legal work does more than change policy; it affirms the rights and dignity of trans people, challenging discrimination and helping shift perceptions of trans people.”

Black trans futures are already here. Right now, Black trans leaders are building the foundation for a more liberated future by challenging transphobia and anti-Blackness through legislation, organizing, art, technology, and community.

#BlackTransFuturesMonth #BlackHistoryMonth #trans

Nice one!

We've got way more need than donors today and eviction notices are starting to arrive. Can you sign a form to pay a rent directly or can you venmo us so our team of volunteers can pay more rents?!🌻

U.S. State Department notice for Americans to leave 13 Middle Eastern countries

Image of current flights in the air over the Middle East

The U.S. State Department issued a notice yesterday for Americans to evacuate more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries "via commercial means due to serious safety risks."

The catch?

Air space is closed. There are no flights leaving 10 of the 13 countries.

Text: "Have you ever wanted to learn about consent, masturbation, sexual anatomy, periods, healthy relationships, crushes, intimacy, and more? Check out Quickies! Our new series of short, fast, sex ed summaries. Read now on Scarleteen," beside two people looking up pensively.

The Quickies Series was born of our commitment to our tagline "Queer Sex Ed for All" and because we understand that in-depth and lengthy explanations may not be accessible or even preferred for all our users.🧵

Good Writing by Neal Allen, Anne Lamott: 9798217046959 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books 36 ways to improve your writing Two writers show you how to turn a worthy sentence into a memorable one. Starting where The Elements of Style leaves off, Good Writing can improve your book, your essa...

Of course Anne Lamott's iconic Bird by Bird is always in the back of my mind when I write, and now we have another miracle of writing guidance by @annelamott.bsky.social and @nealallen.bsky.social. This should be on every writer's books-about-writing shelf! Pre-order below.

people have been lied to about this. the GOP, the NYT, and sundry centrists have spread this bullshit story where kids are being bum rushed into surgery by a shadowy conspiracy of endocrinologists and gender ideologues

Ken Paxton is a monster

Another open-book test of spine and moral backbone that will be failed en masse by the people who are supposed to be watchdogs of democracy.

You turn down invites from Nazis, kids. It’s the easiest call to make. Imagine if Trump walked into a room empty aside from ten Fox News clowns.

The phrase “every conservative influencer in the business” tells you everything you need to know.

The entire modern conservative movement descends from snake oil salesmen and prosperity gospel revival tent preachers.

It’s nothing more than a con, and that’s all it will ever be.

OH GOOD. MOON BACK.

Yeah, my phone camera is abysmally bad at every effort to capture the moon, no matter what it’s doing.

WHERE MOON GO