Major Stories
Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell announces he’s running for attorney general
Inside California Forever’s high-pressure push to fast-track a shipyard
Residents and industry leaders at odds over transmission lines at legislative hearing
Trump administration advances plan to open national forests to development
DSA Goes for Florida
Arizona S. Ct.: Concern About "Job Offers" Being "Withdrawn" Because of "Pending Civil Litigation" …
Today in Supreme Court History: August 19, 1937
A surrogate’s fight for parental rights in Dallas could discourage surrogacy use in Texas, lawyers say
Open Thread
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Sen. Darline Graham Says She’s “Not That Informed on National Security”
Fake LA Mayor Race Poll Raises Alarm Over Election Manipulation
Democratic Socialist Angie Nixon’s Primary Victory Shakes Up Senate Race in FL
Surprise Wins in Florida Primaries Will Test the Future of State’s Black Political Power
Fourth Circuit Concludes South Carolina Cannot Limit "No-Excuse" Absentee Ballots to Those Over 65
Prof. Rick Hasen on Too Many Dan Sullivans
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Mississippi’s 5th Squad awarded $200,000 grant to expand services to military veterans
PSC to contest Holly Springs decision, order lays out receiver’s powers and duties
West Jackson residents say water outage has lasted over a month after landlord’s failure to pay bill
GOP Begs AI Firms to Fix Data Centers’ “Toxic Brand” to Help Midterm Chances
What DeFlock? A Week of Action Confronts the AI Surveillance State
As US Continues Military Operations on Guam, Residents’ Health Suffers
After Years of Denial, Israel Finally Admits to Role in Killing of Hind Rajab
US Army Corps Pushes Michigan Pipeline Project Ahead Over Indigenous Opposition
Whistleblower Says Politics Drove Trump Admin “Antisemitism” Inquiries
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Why every endangered species needs a champion: a conversation with conservationist Bill Konstant
Egypt’s deserts show why ecological knowledge matters in conservation (commentary)
New Zealand opens marine reserves with groundbreaking Māori co-management model
Philippine Supreme Court rules monitoring commercial fishing vessels is unconstitutional
Cougars cut deadly vehicle-deer collisions in the U.S. by up to 76%, study shows
New leadership initiative carries on legacy of late Indonesian environmental activist
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Texas Parks and Wildlife commissioners inundated with border wall concerns during annual meeting
ICE Handed Over Specific Iranians at the Islamic Republic's Request
Border Agents Searched His Phone 5 Times Without a Warrant. He's Asking the Supreme Court To Put a Stop to It.
ICE Admits It Investigated a Critic Based on Constitutionally Protected Speech
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The Center Square5d
Hearing scheduled in Seattle mayor recall effort as poll shows disapproval
(The Center Square) - A hearing on the merits of a recall petition filed against Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is scheduled for Aug. 31 in King County Superior Court as a new poll showed a majority of vo
The Center Square5d
Colorado utilities commission approves electric rate increase
(The Center Square) - Another rate increase for electricity is headed to Colorado, with a similar proposal for gas utilities under consideration.
The Center Square5d
California panel approves efficiency standards for tires
(The Center Square) - The California Energy Commission has approved first-in-the-nation efficiency standards for replacement tires on passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks.
NPR5d
California passes toughest wildfire rules in the U.S. for home landscaping
California has adopted the toughest new rules in the country that require homeowners to manage the plants around their houses. Fire experts say it helps protect houses from burning, but public pushbac
Common Dreams5d
Reproductive Freedom for All Slams Trump Tapping Heidi Overton as FDA Commissioner Nominee
Today, news outlets reported that Donald Trump plans to nominate White House Domestic Policy Deputy Director Dr. Heidi Overton — an anti-abortion extremist who celebrated the Supreme Court overturning
Common Dreams5d
The Sears Home Reimagined: A Plan to Deliver 500,000 Affordable, Move-In Ready Starter Homes to Working Families
More than a century ago, American families could flip through a Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog, pick out a house, and have nearly everything they needed to build it delivered to them at an affordable
Global Voices5d
Amid political and economic pressure, Brazil sees a rise in land conflicts and the murders of Indigenous people
In 2025, 258 Indigenous people were killed in the country, according to Cimi (Missionary Indigenist Council)
Democracy Now!5d
Activist Tree-Sit in Ancient Cottonwood Continues Against Border Wall Construction in Arizona
A protest camp in the small border town of Lochiel, Arizona, is seeking to stop federal contractors from building another portion of President Trump’s border barrier with Mexico. At the center o
Reason Magazine5d
"The Cascade of Dysfunction That Helped Doom Jason Arday"
An excellent piece today by Jesse Singal in The Dispatch; the whole thing is worth reading, but here are some excerpts (by the way, I much enjoy Singal's and Katie Herzog's work on Blocked and Reporte
Reason Magazine5d
Does Gun Control Make Us Safer?
Statistician Aaron Brown and gun policy scholar Robert Spitzer debate the resolution, "Until there is convincing evidence that government-imposed gun control brings a net reduction in harm, all legal
Reason Magazine5d
Seventh Circuit Strikes Down Restriction on Informing Indiana Minors About Out-of-State Abortion Providers
Some excerpts from yesterday's long decision in Planned Parenthood Great Nw. v. Comm'r, decided by Judge David Hamilton, joined by Judge Ilana Rovner:
Reason Magazine5d
Azerbaijan Suing CNN for Libel: Can They Do That?
From yesterday's Complaint in Republic of Azerbaijan v. CNN, Inc. (D. Del.):
Inside Climate News5d
Recent Rain Slowed Southwestern Montana Wildfires. Now the Heat Is Returning.
Firefighters are gaining ground on three large wildfires that have burned more than 47,000 acres across southwestern Montana, but unhelpful warmer temperatures, lower humidity and breezy conditions ar
The Conversation5d
Nearly 1 in 4 students are chronically absent from school – kids who feel happy and safe are less likely to miss class
Chronic absenteeism – referring to students who miss 10% or more days of the school year – has become one of the most urgent problems across American schools since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic i
The Conversation5d
Personal bankruptcy filings are soaring in 2026, signaling growing economic distress
The number of Americans who file for bankruptcy is growing. More than 500,000 people took this step in 2025, nearly 50% more than in 2022. And the numbers have kept on climbing, with a 12% jump in Jun
The Conversation5d
The CDC has a new director – now comes the hard part
The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Erica Schwartz, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 5, 2026, is only the second CDC director to face Senate confirmation. Congress
Mongabay5d
Sloth bears help shape India’s dry forests as unlikely seed dispersers
Sloth bears play a critical role in structuring India’s dry deciduous forests by dispersing viable seeds and influencing plant regeneration, reports contributor Sneha Mahale for Mongabay India. “
Mongabay5d
Dolphin mother and calf observed using shells to catch fish in Australia
A small population of dolphins in Shark Bay in Western Australia have a documented history of using an unusual tool to help them catch fish: Large, empty snail shells. For the first time, scientists h
Mongabay5d
Orangutan Day: Here’s where the three critically endangered species stand
Aug. 19 is World Orangutan Day, a day to honor the three species of Southeast Asian great apes, all of which are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, the global conservation authority. Ora
Investigate Midwest5d
USDA wants to revive the cotton industry. Experts aren’t sure that’s possible.
A denim-clad rancher poses on horseback, crimson-red shirt against a hazy blue sky. A farmer in a T-shirt stands surrounded by his crop, leaves bending toward weathered hands. “Real Americans wear cot
Federal Reserve5d
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, July 28–29, 2026
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, July 28–29, 2026
Investigate Midwest5d
Report: Big Food companies regularly sue to stop or slow down public health policies
Companies such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Mars have regularly sued governments around the world in an effort to prevent public health proposals from being implemented, according to new reporting by Lig
The Real News Network5d
There’s no such thing as ‘unskilled work’: Barbara Ehrenreich’s ‘Nickel and Dimed’ 25 years later
In her 2001 masterwork Nickel and Dimed, the late Barbara Ehrenreich went undercover to report on the daily realities working people in America face trying to get by on minimum-wage. After working as
Outlier Media5d
Get trained to document local government meetings and get involved in Detroit
Learn to document public meetings next Wednesday, and apply to work or volunteer at the Detroit Public Theatre.
Chalkbeat5d
How much do students trust higher ed leaders?
Higher education has had a public perception problem for years. Annual surveys show that despite a recent rebound, the sector suffers from a general lack of trust.
Chalkbeat5d
Detroit school board appoints 25-year-old youth advocate as its newest member
Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy.
Chalkbeat5d
NYC paraprofessionals’ $10,000 pay bump becomes law as City Hall vows a legal challenge
Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox.
Reason Magazine5d
Unionized Delivery Drivers Vs. Deliveries
One would think that delivery drivers would be natural supporters of delivery services. Not if you're the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Reason Magazine5d
"Trendy Eateries May Keep a Secret Menu; the United States Code Does Not"
Some excerpts from the long opinion in R.J. Reynolds Tobacco v. FDA, written by Judge Don Willett and joined in relevant part by Judges Leslie Southwick and James Ho:
Reason Magazine5d
Breakthrough Personalized mRNA Vaccines Are Highly Effective Against Melanoma Skin Cancers
Pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck announced today the highly promising results of their anti-cancer mRNA vaccine Phase 3 clinical trial targeting later-stage melanoma skin cancers.
Reason Magazine5d
Islamic Center's Allegation of Religious Targeting by Texas Funeral Services Commission Can Go Forward
From the longish opinion by Judge David Alan Ezra in East Plano Islamic Center v. Texas Funeral Servs. Comm'n, decided June 24 but just posted on Westlaw a few days ago:
Reason Magazine5d
Routledge Handbook of Classical Liberalism Available for Free on Amazon Kindle
The Routledge Handbook of Classical Liberalism is now available - for free! - on Amazon Kindle. I don't know how long this generous offer will last, so interested readers should act fast. The volume i