Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Follow Us:
Top Stories

5 election stories you may have missed

Pennsylvania voters

Pennsylvania voters cast their ballots during Tuesday's local election.

Pete Bannan/Getty Images

While some states are still dealing with the aftermath of the 2020 election, others are focused on high-stakes local contests this year.

Here are five stories to help you catch up on the latest election news.


Arizona secretary of state may not let Maricopa County reuse voting machines after audit (Arizona Republic)

Experts say Pa.'s 2021 primary was typical, but GOP lawmakers are seizing on issues (Spotlight PA)

Appeal offers hope for Texas woman facing five years for voting illegally (The Guardian)

Florida elections law hit with another lawsuit saying it's unconstitutional (Orlando Sentinel)

Ranked-choice voting faces high-stakes test in New York City mayoral race (CBS News)


Read More

Avoiding Top 2 Primary Lockouts, Promoting Our Vote, Timely Links
A pole with a sign that says polling station
Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash

Avoiding Top 2 Primary Lockouts, Promoting Our Vote, Timely Links

Welcome to the latest edition of The Expand Democracy 3, written this week by Rob Richie with the support of Eveline Dowling and Nivea Krishnan. Every two weeks, we highlight promising pro-democracy ideas and local, national, and global news.

#1. Deep Dive - How California Democrats Could Avoid Top Two Primary Lockouts

The last 5 California governor polls show 2 Republicans ahead. Source: NY Times

Keep ReadingShow less
Trust in Elections Starts at the County Office
person holding white and blue round plastic container
Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash

Trust in Elections Starts at the County Office

Two people have been killed in Minneapolis during a confrontation tied to federal immigration enforcement. The state government is resisting the federal government. Citizens are in the streets. Friends of mine who grew up in countries that experienced civil conflict have started texting me, pointing out patterns they recognize.

I don't know how Minnesota will resolve. But I know what it represents: a growing number of Americans do not trust that our disputes can be settled through legitimate institutions. When that trust disappears, force fills the vacuum. This is the context in which we must think about the 2026 elections.

Keep ReadingShow less
A confrontation between ICE agents and Minneapolis residents.

A child of Holocaust survivors draws parallels between Nazi Germany and modern U.S. immigration enforcement, examining ICE tactics, civil rights, and moral leadership.

Getty Images, Stephen Maturen

The Inhumanity of Trump and Its Impact on America

I am a child of holocaust survivors, my parents having fled Germany at the last minute in 1939 before the war started, and so I am well-versed in what life was like for Jews in Germany in the 30s under the Nazi regime. My father and other relatives were hunted by the Gestapo (secret police) and many relatives died in concentration camps.

When I have watched videos and seen photos of the way in which ICE agents treat the people that they accost—whether they are undocumented (illegal) immigrants, immigrants who are here lawfully, or even U.S. citizens—I was reminded of the images of Nazi S.A. men (a quasi-military force that was part of the Nazi party) beating and demeaning Jews in public in the years after Hitler came to power.

Keep ReadingShow less
William H Foege standing next to a bust of Hygeia.

Former Centers for Disease Control (CDC) director William H Foege standing next to a bust of Hygeia, the Greek goddess of health, 1985. Image courtesy Centers for Disease Control.

Getty Images, Smith Collection/Gado

Bill Foege: One of Humanity’s Heroes

At a time when public health is under attack in America, and people without medical expertise are making decisions that are having negative consequences globally, we would do well to remember those who helped achieve what had been remarkable progress in world health. One such person was Dr. William “Bill” Foege, a giant in the public health sector who died recently at the age of 89.

Among his many achievements is the role he played in eradicating smallpox, a disease that had been the scourge of humanity, killing as many as 500 million people. Like many contagious diseases, smallpox remained intractable in parts of the world that lacked effective healthcare systems.

Keep ReadingShow less