Meanwhile, state officials warn that it might take weeks to know the actual outcome. „I would call on all Californians to be patient,“ Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a June 2 news release. At nearly $316 million, it‘s already the most expensive governor‘s race on record and the fifth-most expensive non-presidential race on record for ad spending, according to AdImpact, a media-tracking firm.
Archiv: Bundesländer / Bundesstaaten / Regionen / federal states / regions / local
Court blocks Alabama congressional map, saying state intentionally discriminated by race
The panel of three judges instead ordered Alabama to continue using a court-selected map that includes two majority-Black districts. Those congressional district lines were used in the 2024 elections.
In their decision, the judges found that the redistricting plan adopted by Alabama‘s GOP-led legislature in 2023, which state officials sought to reimplement for this year‘s House contests, intentionally discriminated on the basis of race, in violation of the Constitution‘s 14th Amendment.
Trump-backed redistricting plan is rejected in the South Carolina Legislature
Trump had been pushing state Republicans to redraw voting lines so they could flip a seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn. It would have made all the state‘s seven congressional districts lean Republican and it would have extended the GOP lead in the national redistricting race, already netting them around nine more seats in the U.S. House.
Vor Zwischenwahlen in den USA: Doppel-Niederlage für Trump im Streit um Wahlkreiszuschnitte
US-Präsident Trump hat im Streit um Wahlkreiszuschnitte, die seine Republikaner begünstigen, Niederlagen erlitten. In South Carolina blockierten demokratische und republikanische Senatoren eine neue Wahlkreisaufteilung. In Alabama stoppte ein Gericht eine Neuordnung.
Türkei: Justizputsch in Ankara
Der 38. Parteitag der noch auf Staatsgründer Mustafa Kemal Atatürk zurückgehenden Republikanischen Volkspartei (CHP), auf dem 2023 der jetzige Parteichef Özgür Özel den langjährigen Vorsitzenden Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu abgelöst hatte, wurde wegen angeblicher Delegiertenbeeinflussung für »vollständig nichtig« erklärt.
Das Gericht beschloss, dass Kılıçdaroğlu vorerst die Parteigeschäfte führen soll. Er hatte seine Bereitschaft dazu bereits am Tag vor dem Urteil signalisiert.
Graphic: Track U.S., state and county gas prices
Gas prices in the United States, up by 50% since the U.S. and Israel launched the war, have soared as the global oil supply constricts.
Now at a national average of more than $4.50 per gallon, according to data from motor club AAA, this price increase is straining already-stretched budgets in households across the country.
Starmer under pressure, as Labour suffers heavy elections losses
The results in England, Scotland and Wales have piled pressure on Sir Keir, with some Labour MPs calling for him to set a timetable for his departure, although his cabinet allies have backed him for now.
Labour has lost power in Wales, ending its 27 year-long rule, while the SNP appears likely to remain the largest party in Scotland.
Reform UK has been the big winner in England, picking up more than 1,400 seats and taking control of councils in areas where Labour and the Conservatives have been historically dominant.
2026 election results: latest from local, Scottish and Welsh votes
From devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales to councils and mayoralties in England, find out what happened in your area
Independent candidates Supported by Your Party
Your Party is proud to support the community and independent candidates across the country in the upcoming elections. Electing these members of your community is the first step in building a real alternative, a politics rooted in and accountable to our communities, not billionaires and the professional political class. Together, we will campaign against cuts, stand up for public services and council housing and advocate for full divestment from Israeli apartheid.
These local elections are a huge opportunity to elect socialist councillors, build our bases and make change happen – please support and vote for them on May 7th!
Gov. Kemp signs 60-day Georgia gas tax suspension, bringing some relief at the pump
Relief is on the way for Georgia drivers who have been feeling the pain at the gas pump. Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a bill that temporarily suspends the state‘s gas tax for 60 days.
On Thursday, the Senate passed House Bill 1199 with a 51-0 vote, sending the bill to Kemp‘s desk for his signature. Officials are hoping that putting it on pause will help lower fuel prices.
The states where higher gas prices could shape the midterms
Gasoline prices are up in every state since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran at the end of February, according to AAA’s average fuel prices. Those with particularly competitive races like Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan have seen price jumps of at least $1 per gallon.
Stephen Miller and the cultural politics of fascist subjectivity
(March 11, 2026)
Miller’s very being evokes the cold mechanization of a machine, a body turned against itself, moving without rhythm, empathy, or grace. His presence feels engineered: cold, scarred, and hollowed out, the body made into an instrument of command. It is as if a war within himself has long since been lost, a war against vulnerability, imagination, and the capacity to feel. What remains is a man armored against life itself.
The Wrath of Stephen Miller
(January 7, 2026)
Trump has described Miller as sitting “at the top of the totem pole” inside the White House.
“He oversees every policy the administration touches,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told us. “I can’t tell you the number of times a policy matter is discussed in the Oval and Trump will say, ‘Where’s Stephen? Tell him to get that done.’”
To critics, Miller is the smirking embodiment of everything they view as dangerous and authoritarian about the Trump administration. He has been called a Nazi, a neo-Nazi, a white supremacist, a kapo, and Lord Voldemort. Posters of Miller—pursed lips, furrowed brow—have been plastered around the nation’s capital, stamped with CREEP and FASCISM AIN’T PRETTY. His own uncle has denounced him, writing at one point that if Miller’s immigration policies had been implemented a century ago, their family—which fled anti-Jewish pogroms in Europe—“would have been wiped out.”
‚Trump‘s psyche‘: The aide driving president‘s most controversial policies
(February 9, 2026)
„By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland?“ Miller asked. „Nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.“
He went on to assert that there are „iron laws of the world“.
„We live in a world, in the real world… that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,“ he said.
It was heady stuff coming on the heels of America‘s surgically precise use of military force in Venezuela. And, for a president who a few days later would tell the New York Times that the only limit on his global powers are „my own morality“ and „my own mind“, it may have been warmly received.
America, Alone
Operation Epic Fury is accurate branding for the war, Peter Baker writes. By the president’s own description, everything he does is epic — the most, the biggest, the best. And Trump is certainly driven by fury. Anger is at the heart of much of his work. He chose the name himself.
Here’s one (epic) paragraph of Peter’s analysis:
Anger defines Mr. Trump’s decade on the political stage. Anger at foreigners who come to this country and change its nature. Anger at allies who take advantage of America. Anger at Democrats who cross him. Anger at Republicans who cross him. Anger at appointees he deems insufficiently loyal. Anger at prosecutors, F.B.I. agents, judges, journalists, law firms, elite universities, cultural figures, corporate leaders, pollsters, central bankers and the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Wahl in Baden-Württemberg live: So fällt die Prognose aus
Laut Prognose liegen Grüne und CDU bei der Wahl in Baden-Württemberg fast gleichauf. Die AfD erzielt 18 Prozent. Die SPD ist im Landtag, FDP und Linke nicht. Die Wahl im Liveblog.
FDP, Linke und womöglich auch SPD müssen um Wiedereinzug bangen
In Baden-Württemberg dürfte sich im neuen Landtag einiges verändern. Laut der ersten infratest dimap ARD-Prognose nach Schließung der Wahllokale kämen FDP und Linkspartei jeweils auf 4,5 Prozent der Stimmen. Die SPD könnte demnach 5,5 Prozent erreichen. Die AfD käme auf 17,5 Prozent. Die CDU auf 29 Prozent und die Grünen auf 32 Prozent.
US-Heimatschutzministerin entlassen: Umstrittener Werbefilm war offenbar ein Fehler zu viel
Das politische Genick brach Noem eine Anhörung vorgestern im Senat. Es ging um eine TV-Werbekampagne für die Arbeit ihres Ministeriums, bei der vor allem Noem zu sehen war, auf einem Pferd, zu Füßen des Mount Rushmore. Kostenpunkt der Werbung: 220 Millionen Dollar.
Trump fires Homeland Security Secretary Noem after mounting criticism over her leadership
Noem has faced waves of criticism as she’s overseen Trump’s immigration crackdown, especially since the shooting deaths of the two protesters in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration enforcement officers. In the immediate aftermath of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Noem portrayed both of them as aggressors, contradicting widely viewed videos and descriptions of their deaths from bystanders. She declined to apologize for her description over two days of Congressional testimony.
The former South Dakota governor was also criticized over the way her department has spent billions of dollars allocated to it by Congress.
Top Goon Kristi Noem is the face of Trump’s police state. Corey Lewandowski is the muscle. Who really runs DHS?
(September 22, 2025)
On paper, Noem sits at the top of this empire. In practice, power over immigration policy is fractured, shaped by competing factions, starting with deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who has vowed in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination to destroy nameless forces that have conspired against the right — the long arm of law enforcement, he warned them, “will be used to find you, will be used to take away your money, take away your power, and, if you’ve broken the law, to take away your freedom.” Noem will be among those at the forefront of any such effort, surrounded by a tight inner circle that can be difficult to penetrate and often impossible to work with. “The culture over there is terrible,” the administration official told me. “People are scared shitless of Corey.”
Umfragen Sachsen-Anhalt (#ltwst, #ltwlsa)
Wenn am nächsten Sonntag Landtagswahl wäre …
New Green MP says ‚we can win anywhere‘ after by-election victory as Starmer vows to ‚keep fighting‘
New Green MP Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber, says „we can win anywhere“ – read her profile here
Labour hasn‘t lost in this area since 1931, and the Greens significantly outperformed expectations – read polling expert John Curtice‘s analysis on how this leaves British politics more uncertain than ever
Report ranks states’ efforts to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
(May 8, 2025)
Alabama, Arkansas, California, New Jersey, Vermont and Virginia received the highest scores for CO safety. These states generally mandate CO detectors, run year-round public awareness efforts and coordinate among agencies to ensure compliance, according to the report. Many have emergency protocols in place to address higher CO risk during power outages, the report noted.
The report cited 13 states – Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia – as having limited or no statewide CO regulations and minimal public education.
Watch Live: Bondi testifies at House hearing amid scrutiny over Epstein files
What to know about the Bondi hearing today:
– Attorney General Pam Bondi is testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as the Justice Department continues to face questions about its handling of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
– The department has published millions of pages of documents related to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019. But extensive redactions and the delayed nature of the release have fueled allegations that the department has failed to fulfill its obligations under the new law requiring the disclosures.
– The hearing also comes after the Justice Department tried and failed to indict six Democratic members of Congress over a video they filmed in November telling members of the military and intelligence community that they must disobey illegal orders. A grand jury declined to sign off on charges against the lawmakers on Tuesday, multiple sources told CBS News.
– Bondi is likely to face questions about investigations by the Justice Department and FBI into the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal immigration officers in Minnesota last month.
– The hearing can be live-streamed in the video player at the top of this page. Follow live updates below.
We Were Top Homeland Security Lawyers. You Can’t Wish Away the Fourth Amendment.
(February 2, 2026)
A warrant signed by a judge who is independent of the executive branch is a constitutional safeguard that separates legitimate law enforcement from arbitrary government power. This bedrock principle applies with equal — if not greater — force when the government is merely enforcing a civil immigration order.
Today the Department of Homeland Security seeks to justify forcible home entries on the basis of administrative warrants — warrants issued by the executive, not the judicial branch.
DHS defends ICE actions after San Antonio home arrest attempt sparks backlash
(February 8, 2026)
The agency did not specify what type of warrant officers were carrying. Judicial warrants are approved by judges, while administrative warrants are issued by immigration authorities; civil rights advocates note that administrative warrants generally do not permit officers to enter a home without consent or emergency conditions.
Rep. Thompson kicks off Homeland Security hearing by saying federal officers acted like „goons“
In his opening statement at the House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson heavily criticized the Department of Homeland Security for “running roughshod over Americans’ rights.”
Thompson, who focused on the killings of two US citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota last month, accused DHS of “threatening our very democracy,” adding that the federal government’s refusal to investigate Good’s shooting was akin to an admission of guilt.
Watch Live: ICE chief, immigration officials testify at House hearing
What to know about the ICE hearing today:
– The leaders of three major immigration agencies are testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday for the first time since the administration‘s recent crackdown in Minneapolis.
– The witnesses at the hearing are Todd Lyons, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Rodney Scott, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection; and Joseph Edlow, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Democrats unify behind a hardball strategy on DHS funding
And even with a DHS shutdown on the horizon — or what’s supposed to be a shutdown, anyway — Democrats are holding the line.
“Our position has been clear: Dramatic changes are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before a DHS funding bill moves forward,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Monday when asked if he’d support a short-term funding patch for DHS. “Period. Full stop.”
Three-day General Strike Planned Over Crime in Arab Society
(February 7, 2026)
The Higher Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel announced on Thursday, February 5, that it has begun preparations for a comprehensive, three-day general strike affecting all workers and institutions in Arab towns and communities in Israel.
According to Al-Ittihad and Zo Haderekh, this move is part of an escalating response to the rampant spread of crime and violence and a protest against the far-right government’s policies toward Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel. The decision was made during a meeting of the Committee’s Secretariat held at the Kafr Qara municipality hall and the committee clarified that the strike would last for three consecutive days, during which all economic activities will be halted, while ensuring communication with unions and social organizations to guarantee the success of the move and protect strikers from the risk of dismissal.
The Follow-up Committee also approved organizing a “Disruption March”, tomorrow morning (Sunday), where convoys of cars will set off from various regions in the Galilee and merge with groups from Highways 2 and 1 towards Jerusalem, followed by a demonstration and a press conference at the Prime Minister Office to highlight the issue internationally and locally.
Arab-Israeli Protest Convoy Over Police Inaction Ends With Rally Outside Netanyahu‘s Office
The so-called Disruption Convoy was delayed by police en route to Jerusalem, and some participants said they were issued traffic tickets. Protest leaders planned to give Netanyahu a letter describing the toll gun violence and crime has taken on the Arab community in Israel, but were turned away by his office
What the Joint List’s revival signifies for Palestinian politics in Israel
(January 28, 2026)
This is a historic event in a volatile political moment. Even before the publication of polls gauging the Joint List’s electoral strength — predicting that it could secure 15-16 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, making it the third largest force in Israeli politics — the popular demand for unity suggests the possibility for unprecedented voter turnout in Arab society.
Israeli news outlets described the renewal of the Joint List as “drama in the political system,” and rightly so. Such a scenario would alter the balance between opposing blocs and force Zionist parties across the spectrum — from Yair Golan’s center-left Democrats to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud — to recalibrate their strategies.
Ending GOP Authoritarianism Will Require Overcoming the Democratic Leadership
(January 20, 2026)
A key reason is a reality that Sen. Bernie Sanders described soon after Trump’s 2016 win: “Certainly there are some people in the Democratic Party who want to maintain the status quo. They would rather go down with the Titanic so long as they have first-class seats.”
Democratic Party leaders should be removed from seats of party power or bypassed as relics of bygone eras. Their ongoing refusals to distance from corporate power, rich elites, and militarism have alienated much of the party’s base.
As I wrote in my free new book The Blue Road to Trump Hell, “The Democratic Party enabled Donald Trump to become president twice because of repetition compulsions that still plague the top echelons of the party.” To eject Republicans from power – and to advance a strong progressive agenda – true leadership must come from grassroots mobilization.