Courtney Cohn

Thousands attend ‘No Kings’ protests around MoCo ‘I've been watching the Constitution get chipped away,’ protester in Rockville says

Thousands attended “No Kings” protests throughout Montgomery County today, including one on Rockville Pike and another one in downtown Bethesda, pushing back against the Trump administration.

bethesdamagazine.com/2025/06/14/t...

Trial underway for driver accused of intentionally striking MoCo police officer Sgt. Patrick Kepp lost his legs after the 2023 incident on I-270. Raphael Mayorga is being accused of intentionally striking Kepp.

Raphael Mayorga, 21, of Frederick, is on trial this week for allegedly intentionally striking Montgomery County Police Sgt. Patrick Kepp with his car in 2023, resulting in him losing his legs.

Read more on Bethesda Today.
bethesdamagazine.com/2025/04/08/t...

Kosher pantry to distribute 16 tons of Passover food to MoCo families ‘A lot of people would not eat’ without the offerings from the Capital Kosher Pantry in Silver Spring, director says.

The Capital Kosher Pantry in Silver Spring, MD, will provide 16 tons of kosher-for-Passover food to patrons ahead of the Jewish holiday, which starts on April 12.

Learn more in a new story for Bethesda Today.

bethesdamagazine.com/2025/04/02/k...

A helping hand: Montgomery College job fair connects displaced federal scientists, bioscience firms The Germantown campus job fair event drew former federal scientists seeking employment opportunities and more than a dozen companies.

Earlier this week, Montgomery College's biotechnology program in Germantown, MD held a career fair for recently displaced government scientists impacted by the Trump administration's layoffs and firings.

bethesdamagazine.com/2025/04/01/j...

Kenwood community prepares for cherry blossom visitors with humor, patience The Kenwood neighborhood in Bethesda is preparing for thousands of visitors as the iconic cherry blossom blooms are expected to peak.

The Kenwood neighborhood in Bethesda, one of the local prime viewing spots for cherry blossoms, is preparing for thousands of visitors as the iconic blooms are expected to be at their peak this weekend. 

Read more in my new story for Bethesda Today.

bethesdamagazine.com/2025/03/28/k...

Breads Unlimited and Pizza to bring its homemade fare to Kensington this summer Breads Unlimited & Pizza, a Jewish bakery and pizza eatery, is set to open a location in Kensington this summer.

Montgomery County, MD dining news: Breads Unlimited & Pizza, a Jewish bakery and pizza eatery, is set to open a location in Kensington this summer.

Check out my new freelance story for Bethesda Today to learn more.

bethesdamagazine.com/2025/03/17/b...

Senate Confirms Election Denier Kash Patel to be FBI Director Read more here.

BREAKING: The Senate voted this afternoon to confirm election denier Kash Patel to be the director of the FBI.

During a confirmation hearing, Patel repeatedly refused to say that President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.
@democracydocket.com

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

14 States Sue to Block Elon Musk’s DOGE Actions, Claim Unconstitutional Abuse of Power Read more here.

NEW: 14 states sued Musk, DOGE and Trump to stop the agency’s alleged unconstitutional abuse of power. They argue Musk, who bypassed the appointment process, exceeds the authority of an unconfirmed official, violating the U.S. Constitution.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Sues Trump Administration To Release Over $3 Billion in Federal Funds Read more here.

NEW: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) sues the Trump administration to unfreeze over $3 billion in federal funding for his state. Shapiro says that despite two judges' orders to release the funds, the federal government has withheld the money.

USAID Workers Sue Elon Musk’s DOGE For Unconstitutional ‘Government Takeover’ Read more here.

NEW: Dozens of USAID employees sue Elon Musk and his faux-agency, DOGE, for an unconstitutional "government takeover." They allege DOGE’s actions violate the Appointment Clause and the separation of powers principles of the U.S. Constitution.

Wisconsin Voters Head to the Polls Again for Crucial Election Read more here.

Wisconsin voters have an influential spring election on the horizon — with national implications.

The April 1 election includes a pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court race and a strict voter ID amendment. @democracydocket.com

www.democracydocket.com/analysis/wis...

Wisconsin Supreme Court Allows Top Election Official to Keep Role Amid GOP Effort to Oust Her Read more here.

NEW: The Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Meagan Wolfe can remain the state’s top election official, despite efforts by state Senate Republicans to oust her following Trump’s 2020 loss.

Federal Government Agrees Not to Release List of FBI Agents Involved in Trump Cases Read more here.

BREAKING: The federal government agreed not to release the names of FBI agents who worked on Trump-related cases, like Jan. 6 and classified documents investigations, for now. @democracydocket.com

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

FBI Agents Sue to Stop DOJ from Creating List of Staff Involved in Trump Cases Read more here.

BREAKING: FBI agents and employees sue to stop Justice Department officials from creating and sharing a list of staff involved in the Jan. 6 and Mar-a-Lago Trump investigations, arguing it could lead to retaliation and threaten their jobs.

DOJ Says Trump Administration Doesn’t Have to Follow Court Order Halting Funding Freeze Read more here.

NEW: DOJ argues court order blocking Trump’s federal funding freeze Friday doesn’t stop the administration’s efforts to halt spending, raising concerns over separation of powers as litigation continues.

Ken Martin Wins Election to Lead National Democratic Party Read more here.

BREAKING: Ken Martin, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and head of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, won the election to become the new chair of the DNC. @democracydocket.com

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Judge Poised to Block Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze Read more here.

UPDATE: Amid confusion over White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s statements on the status of a federal fund freeze, a federal judge in Rhode Island suggests he would temporarily block any freeze from Trump on federal grants and loans.

Illinois Republicans Sue Over Legislative Map, Claiming it Favors Democrats Read more here.

NEW: Illinois Republicans file lawsuit challenging the state House map, arguing that it is gerrymandered to favor Democrats. Currently, Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.

Trump Revokes Biden’s 2021 Executive Order Expanding Voting Access Read more here.

NEW: On his first day in office, President Trump revoked an executive order from President Biden that directed federal agencies to expand access to voter registration. Biden's order earned a barrage of lawsuits from officials in Texas, Missouri and more who alleged federal overreach.

GOP Already Controls the North Carolina Supreme Court – Why Are They Obsessed With Overturning That Race? Read more here.

Republicans are pouring resources into legal action to challenge the outcome of a race for the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

If they already have a majority on the court, why are they so invested in it? Read my story on @democracydocket.com to find out.

www.democracydocket.com/analysis/gop...

4 Voting Rights Cases SCOTUS May Hear That Could Reshape Elections Read more here.

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering which cases to hear during its next session beginning in October. Four of the cases that the Court may hear could have significant impacts on voting rights and elections.

Read here to learn more @democracydocket.com

www.democracydocket.com/analysis/4-v...

Florida Voters Sue Gov. DeSantis For Failing to Call Special Elections Read more here.

BREAKING: The ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit today on behalf of a couple of voters against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for failing to call special elections for two vacant seats in the state legislature. @democracydocket.com

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

NEW: From politicians to activists to lawyers, our guest authors brought unique perspectives to the biggest debates surrounding democracy.

Here are the voices we featured in 2024: https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/democracy-docket-opinion-writers-covered-crucial-voting-rights-issues-in-2024/

Georgia Court of Appeals Disqualifies Fani Willis from 2020 Election Subversion Case Read more here.

NEW: A Georgia appeals court disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting the 2020 election subversion case against President-elect Donald Trump. But the court rejected a request to dismiss the indictment fully.

Redistricting Cases that Could Impact the 2026 Midterms Read more here.

Though the 2024 election has passed, many redistricting cases could still have significant impacts on voting rights in a number of states.

The ones involving congressional districts could affect the outcome of the 2026 midterms.
@democracydocket.com

www.democracydocket.com/analysis/red...

Congress Passes Bill to Add More Federal Judgeships, Biden Plans to Veto It Read more here.

The U.S. House passed a bill on Thursday to add more federal judgeships to alleviate overburdened district court judges, but the White House said President Joe Biden will veto it. Read more at @democracydocket.com.

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Consequential State Elections to Watch In 2025 Off-year state races are often a bellwether for the next federal election cycle.

Every year is an election year.

Here are the state and local races to watch in 2025.

North Carolina Supreme Court GOP Candidate Asks for Hand Recount as Party Pushes Controversial Bill Read more here.

North Carolina Supreme Court GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin asked for a recount after challenging over 60,000 ballots in his race against Democratic opponent Allison Riggs, who declared victory.

What are Recess Appointments? How Could Trump Use Them to Undermine Democracy? Read more here.

President-elect Donald Trump called on congressional Republicans to agree to recess appointments in the Senate if they seek a leadership position.

Here's why this is dangerous for democracy.

Casey Concedes to McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate Race Amid Lawsuits Read more here.

NEW: Pennsylvania ended its U.S. Senate recount after Sen. Bob Casey (D) conceded to David McCormick (R). A handful of lawsuits regarding ballot rejections in the race remain open as of Friday morning, but may be withdrawn following Casey's concession.