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May 1, 2026
Louisiana sued for suspending active election, nullifying votes to draft GOP gerrymander
(Democracy Docket) A new lawsuit is challenging Louisiana’s extraordinary decision to suspend congressional primaries already underway — arguing the state is illegally nullifying votes and plunging an active election into chaos following the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act. Just one day after the Court struck down the state’s congressional map, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) declared an “emergency” and halted U.S. House primaries — even though absentee ballots had already been cast and early voting was set to begin within days.
Go to discussionLeader Jeffries: After VRA decision, Dems are prepared to redraw congressional maps in NY, Ill., Md., and CO.
(Politico) “All options are on the table as we get through the 2026 election and look to the future,” Jeffries told POLITICO by phone Thursday. “As many governors have already indicated, we will be prepared to respond in states like New York, Illinois and Maryland, as well as in Colorado, in advance of the 2028 election. Republicans have concluded that they need to cheat to win, and the Supreme Court conservatives have decided to aid and abet their scheme. Democrats are going to fight back with every tool available,” Jeffries said.
Go to discussionThe nation is back to accomodating the white majority, enabling the disadvantaging of all other race groups
Wendell Phillips, an 1800's abolitionist, observed that, “Governments exist to protect the rights of minorities. The loved and the rich need no protection: they have many friends and few enemies.” With the backdrop of tyranny expressed in this decision by Justice Roberts - the conservative justice effectively establishing a "colorblind" principle prohibiting any solutions that include any legislative advantaging of black Americans even when addressing proven racial discrimination in voting - we're, once again, left with a system of government and elections which only accommodates white Americans.
Go to discussionCongressional Progressive Caucus unveils midterm agenda
(The Hill) The Congressional Progressive Caucus on Wednesday unveiled their new agenda ahead of the midterm elections to demonstrate a path for how the Democratic Party can tackle cost of living issues facing millions of Americans. The caucus dubbed their plan the “New Affordability Agenda,” a legislative package that would focus on making costs behind common kitchen table issues more affordable. The bills “would also ban companies from using personal data and AI to set prices, guarantee every full time worker paid vacation time, increase overtime pay, and abolish Super PACs,” the lawmaking bloc said in a statement.
Go to discussionRFK Jr threatens to withhold millions in funding for hospitals that serve Jell-O
(The Independent) Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is leading a charge to stop hospitals from serving sugary drinks and foods, including Jell-O. The Department of Health and Human Services sent a memo to hospitals on March 30 urging them to align with the Department of Agriculture’s new 2025-2030 dietary guidelines, which emphasize limiting sugary, ultra-processed foods.
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Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Italy and Spain
(The Guardian) Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain a day after saying he was looking at reducing the number deployed in Germany. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has spoken out against the US-Israeli war on Iran from the start, and Rome had played a balancing act until late March, when it refused the use of an airbase in Sicily to US planes carrying weapons for Iran.
Go to discussionCigna to exit Affordable Care Act market, adding to tumult
(Wall Street Journal) Cigna Group will exit the Affordable Care Act market next year, the latest sign of turmoil in a business that has been hit hard by the loss of federal subsidies. Cigna will be the second major health insurer to leave the rapidly shrinking ACA market, after CVS Health’s Aetna stopped offering plans at the start of this year.
Go to discussionUS debt exceeds 100 percent of GDP
(The Hill) The U.S. national debt crossed 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of March, with signs that it might cross the record of 106 percent of GDP reached immediately after World War II. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released data on the national debt reaching 100.2 percent of GDP on Thursday, noting that debt held by the public on March 31 was $31.27 trillion.
Go to discussionCNN Legal Analyst Thinks Trump Just Handed Comey An Acquittal
(Huff Post) CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig believes President Donald Trump might have just tanked his Department of Justice’s criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey after the president vacillated on Wednesday about whether Comey had really threatened his life in a seashell message. Comey was indicted earlier this week after sharing a now-deleted image on social media of seashells arranged on a beach to read “86 47.” (Trump is the 47th U.S. president.)
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