Five reasons extreme weather is bigger in Texas
The American West is experiencing its driest period in human history, a megadrought that threatens health, agriculture and entire ways of life. DRIED UP is examining the dire effects of the drought on the states most affected — as well as the solutions Americans are embracing. The threat that extremes of drought and flood pose to Texas’s long-term water supply a
Read MoreGOP looks for Senate campaign reset heading toward November
Republicans are looking to hit the reset button on their Senate midterm election playbook after weeks of poor polls and stories about Democratic momentum. Senate GOP candidates emerged from primaries battered, bruised and struggling to gain traction in their general election matchups. Even GOP leaders in the upper chamber began expressing reservations about “candidate quality” and the party’s ability to win a majority. But they now appear to be recalibrating — moving around funds, shifting messaging and sounding notes of optimism about their chances of picking up seats n
Read MoreProgressives aim to prove they can win in Congress — and at the ballot box
When John Fetterman this week urged President Biden to decriminalize marijuana, he received cheers from all corners of the Democratic electorate. For years, Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor and the party’s Senate nominee, has supported the reform he believes will create a fairer criminal justice system. While Biden didn’t address his request directly, Fetterman’s push is the latest way liberals are angling for more influence ahead of the midterms. In November, they just might get it. Progressives may have had an overall disappointing primary season, bu
Read MoreFederal judge rules New York can restrict gun carrying
A federal judge on Wednesday ruled New York state can restrict citizens from concealing and carrying guns in public through a new law that was challenged by national firearm organizations. Judge Glenn Suddaby for the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York dismissed a motion for an injunction blocking the law from taking effect on Thursday, arguing the plaintiffs, the Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), did not have standing to represent their members in court. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who defended the new law
Read MoreFederal court blocks ruling limiting voting accessibility for people with disabilities
A Wisconsin federal court on Wednesday blocked a state elections rule that would have forced voters with disabilities to cast their own ballots. U.S. District Judge James Peterson with the Western District of Wisconsin ruled that state officials violated the Voting Rights Act (VRA) because a 2021 ruling effectively prevented Wisconsinites with physical disabilities from casting a ballot in the upcoming midterm elections. "Voters shouldn’t have to choose between exercising their federal rights and complying with state law. But that is the position that plaintiffs find the
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