April 27, 2026

2026 Elections

The US has a long history of changing voting districts for political reasons. Is it legal?– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser April 27, 2026 0

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EXCERPT:

The gerrymandering of House districts is becoming more rampant across the U.S.

The word “gerrymander” was coined in America more than 200 years ago as an unflattering way to describe the political manipulation of boundaries for legislative voting districts by those in charge of drawing them.

The word has stood the test of time, in part because American politics remain fiercely competitive. And with time and technology, politicians have become even more adept at drafting voting districts that benefit their political party.

Kansas GOP Is Letting Dems Destroy Ballot Integrity Safeguards– thefederalist.com

pgnewser April 27, 2026 0

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Democrats’ uniform opposition to the SAVE America Act demonstrates their unremitting antagonism toward any reform that increases the integrity of the election process. The same can be said of a meritless lawsuit in Kansas (League of Women Voters v. Schwab) that seeks to eliminate the most basic safeguard in mail voting: verifying that the signature on a returned ballot matches that of the voter.

In the suit, the plaintiffs, represented in part by the law firm of Marc Elias — the Democrat election lawyer who has made a career out of seeking to tear down every election integrity safeguard he can find — claim that signature verification violates the Kansas Constitution’s equal protection and due process provisions. In essence, they contend, human beings are incapable of conducting a signature analysis.

This legal challenge is frivolous. Kansas has elaborate procedures to ensure signature verification is applied in a uniform and consistent manner. It also provides a robust “cure” process, giving voters ample opportunity to resolve any perceived mismatch.

Carter, Collins throw elbows in Georgia Senate GOP debate– thehill.com

pgnewser April 27, 2026 0

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EXCERPT:

Reps. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and Mike Collins (R-Ga.) traded barbs while former college football coach Derek Dooley largely stayed above the fray during Sunday’s Georgia Senate GOP primary debate — one day before early voting begins. Carter, Collins and Dooley alongside former Senate candidate John Coyne and retired Brig. Gen. Jonathan McColumn are vying for the Republican nomination to take on Sen. Jon Ossoff…

Speaker Johnson Backs DeSantis on Florida’s Redistricting Plan– slaynews.com

pgnewser April 24, 2026 0

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is urging Florida Republicans to move forward with a new congressional map, signaling a counteroffensive after Democrats narrowly pushed through a controversial redistricting referendum in Virginia.

The Virginia measure, approved Tuesday by a razor-thin margin, is expected to dramatically reshape the state’s congressional delegation in Democrats’ favor ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Viriginia Says Yes to Progressive Gerrymandering

pgnewser April 23, 2026 0

The Progressives won a major battle in the ongoing gerrymandering wars, this time scoring a narrow victory in Virginia. The ballot measure allows the progressives to change U.S. House Districts to effectively take 4 Republican seats away. The now-passed ballot measure faces legal challenges.

Dems Win In Virginia, Could Lose In Court– thefederalist.com
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Democrats and their well-heeled funders have won their rigged referendum to rig Virginia’s congressional maps, but the political boundary battle isn’t over yet.

Now come the court challenges, and that’s where the redistricting revisionists could lose their big win thanks to their unabashed manipulation of Virginia law.

“It’s illegal actually for a number of reasons,” Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, told me last week, a few days before Tuesday’s election, on The Dan O’Donnell Show in Milwaukee.

Snead asserts that Virginia Democrats, who hold the commonwealth’s political trifecta, have steamrolled the process while abandoning their plastic principles. His election watchdog organization is involved in one of several lawsuits challenging the maps and the referendum that gave Democrats the shaky imprimatur to implement them.

GOP’s Outside-Money Edge Is Being Built by Billionaires, Oil, and Crypto– readsludge.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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The two giant super PACs closely tied to Republican leaders in the House and Senate are relying on billionaire donors, the fossil fuel industry, cryptocurrency firms, and Big Tobacco to bankroll their defense of Congress.

Around half of the combined haul of the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) and the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) has come from billionaires—at least $133.5 million—according to a Sludge analysis of Federal Election Commission data from the start of 2025 through March 2026. The billionaires include reclusive President Trump megadonor Timothy Mellon, casino mogul Steve Wynn, Republican megadonors Christopher and Jude Reyes, poultry magnate Ronald Cameron, and cryptocurrency tycoons the Winklevoss twins. It’s possible that more billionaires have donated to the SLF and CLF through their “dark money” affiliates, which hide the names of donors from the public.

The SLF and CLF were the top-spending outside groups nationwide in the 2022 midterms—though this time around, many more super PACs are loaded up with record amounts of cash to spend. The groups, aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), spend heavily on attack ads against Democrats and independent expenditures supporting Republicans each cycle.

GOP Knows Only Way They Could Keep House ‘Was If They Cheated’– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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On Tuesday’s broadcast of MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) argued that Republicans “understood that the only way they could possibly maintain a majority in the House of Representatives” “was if they cheated, if they went seeking seats in places like Texas, which is why the president began this effort.”

Host Lawrence O’Donnell asked, “You’ve just come from the House of Representatives, to the governorship, in this last election. In your view, what would it mean if the Republicans were able to conspire with Donald Trump to increase the number of Republicans in the House of Representatives so that they could cling to control of the House of Representatives for two more years?”

Spanberger answered, “Well, I think they very much understood that the only way they could possibly maintain a majority in the House of Representatives — of course, they have a slim, slim majority at the moment — was if they cheated, if they went seeking seats in places like Texas, which is why the president began this effort. Because he knew that, at the midterms, much like, back in 2018, when I was first elected to Congress, that his poor leadership, the chaos that he is creating, the war he’s begun with Iran, skyrocketing gas prices, failed promise after failed promise, would be enough to propel yet another blue wave in a midterm, in the 2026 midterm election.”

Trump Just Cost Republicans The House As Virginia Voters Pass New Map Boosting Democrats– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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EXCERPT:

Trump’s scheme to steal the midterm election by getting red states to gerrymander more Republican House seats was a poorly thought-out effort with great potential to backfire from the moment it was launched.

The president assumed that Democrats would not fight back. Trump also assumed that red states would line up around the country to carry out his wishes.

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Democrats did fight back by playing by the same rules that Trump established. In California, Democrats romped to a new map that could net them five House seats. While in red states like Kansas and Indiana, Republicans refused to redraw their maps. Ohio Republicans rejected a full-scale gerrymander and went with a fairer map after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries threatened them with a ballot referendum.

‘The GOP should’ve done more’: Virginia Republicans point fingers after gerrymandering loss– www.politico.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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After a narrow loss in Virginia, Republicans are pointing fingers as President Donald Trump’s national gerrymandering fight slips into a stalemate.

Multiple Republicans say the party should’ve spent much more, much earlier to have a better shot at blocking Democrats’ Virginia map, which could give the party as many as four more House seats. And pressure is now growing on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to make up for Democrats’ gains with a GOP-led redistricting effort in his state, as soon as next week.

“You’d be hard pressed to find a single Republican tonight who doesn’t think the GOP should’ve done more in Virginia. It actually hurts more that it was so close,” said a GOP operative, granted anonymity to speak candidly, like others in this article.

There are mounting signs that Trump and the GOP have used valuable time and political capital on an arduous tit-for-tat that is so far looking like it will be close to a draw. Even if Republicans squeeze out gains in a new Florida map, their total gains are likely to be modest at best.

It’s Not Over — the Courts Could (And Should) Neuter Virginia’s Anti-Democratic Gerrymandering Gambit – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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For the moment, the Democrats have won. Their Machiavellian gerrymandering scheme passed by a slim margin Tuesday night, slicing and dicing Virginia’s congressional districts into a ridiculous jigsaw puzzle that most closely resembles Illinois’ comical maps — meaning they have no logic, other than to rig the result and disenfranchise millions of voters.

 

DUKE: Virginia Approves Heinous ‘Lobster District’ Map That Rips Power From Rural Voters– dailycaller.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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Virginians voted Tuesday to approve a redistricting map introduced by Democrats that allows wealthy, Democratic residents in northern Virginia to outvote rural residents in the state. 

The new gerrymandered map changes the balance of power from 6-5 to 10-1 in Democrats’ favor, even though the state went just under six points to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Democrats claim it is a “temporary measure” — existing through the 2030 Census — to combat President Donald Trump.

Former President Barack Obama was one of the chief spokespeople for the new map, alongside Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who ran in the 2025 election as a moderate Democrat. 

The map itself is truly something to behold. The so-called “lobster district” — Virginia’s new 7th congressional district proposed by the map — starts up north with a sliver of blue Fairfax County and then splits into two arms just north of Charlottesville, where the University of Virginia is located. The proposed 8th district similarly starts in Fairfax and then snakes down to the area east of Richmond. 

Dems brace for a close finish on Virginia redistricting effort– www.politico.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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Democrats hope gerrymandering Virginia will give them the edge they need to win back the House. But Tuesday’s special election is proving more competitive than they’d like.

Tight polling and concerns over voter turnout in an atypical April election have many Democratic party strategists and officials preparing for a close finish.

“I always thought this campaign would be close [and] 24 hours out, I believe that to be the case,” Democratic strategist Jared Leopold said on Monday, before the final day of voting.

“Anytime you’re on the ‘yes’ side of a referendum, you’ve got the burden of proof,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what the referendum is, but anytime you’re arguing for ‘yes,’ the other side is going to be arguing for the status quo.”

National Popular Vote Empowers States With Lax Election Security– thefederalist.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill making Virginia the latest participant in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact last week, as the compact draws perilously close to upending our constitutional order. Every American who cherishes our republic should take notice.

For years, left-leaning pundits and politicians have campaigned to scrap the Electoral College, the method the founders gave us for choosing presidents. Their vehicle is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. With Virginia’s recent entry, the compact now includes 19 jurisdictions (18 states plus the District of Columbia) controlling 222 electoral votes. That falls short of the 270 needed to trigger the scheme, but the trajectory is clear and troubling.

Virginia’s action carries special irony. This is the state of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution. Yet in April 2026 Virginia has joined an effort that effectively rewrites a core feature of the document Madison helped design.

Bellwether Digest – April 20, 2026

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

 

By STAFF

This digest covers political, world, cultural, market, and sci-tech news from April 18-20, 2026.

This digest contains the Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, and People Advance Digests.

TOP NEWS TAGS

  1. Iran War
  2. 2026 Elections
  3. Trump Deportations
  4. Ukraine War
  5. Trump Pope

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

  1. TRANSGENDER CARE FOR KIDS, SAYS DISTRICT JUDGE – United States District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai has ruled that the HHS’s declaration that gender-affirming care for children is unsafe and ineffective is unconstitutional. The judge sided with the 22 progressive-led states, which argued the federal government did not have the legal authority to make such a determination.
  2. META’S DOWNSIZING CONTINUEs – The parent company of Facebook, Meta, has announced plans to lay off nearly 10% of its total workforce, 8,000 positions, starting in early May 2026. These layoffs may not be the only layoffs, as more might be announced after May of this year.
  3. TRUMP DOWN BIGLY – President Trump’s approval ratings have fallen to 37% according to an NBC News poll. This is the lowest rating the poll has recorded during the President’s second term. His disapproval rating has hit 62%, with 50% now strongly disapproving.

HEADLINES MISSED

  1. FISA COURT QUASHES SPY TOOL, TRUMP DISSENTS – The Trump administration is fighting a FISA court ruling that prevents the government from specifically searching for individuals online who have merely contacted a foreigner. The administration is challenging the FISA court as the court’s existence comes up for renewal this April 30. The GOP-led House extended the program by unanimous consent vote during a late-night session.
  2. AI IS BECOMING A UTILITY – More and more Americans have begun making AI subscription services a part of their essential household budget. Since 2024, paid AI subscriptions have increased by 38%. The paid AI subscription service market is expected to exponentially expand over the next two years.
  3. RIOT BOTS AND THE CCP – China hopes to soon deploy robots to control future rioters. The People’s Armed Police Force (PAP) is already testing the possibility in preparation for a potential mass riot event.

PEOPLE ADVANCE

  1. CHARLIE KIRK HONORED WITH 1A PROTECTING LAWS – Kansas joins a growing list of states which passed laws honoring the late assassinated American activist Charlie Kirk. The laws have one thing in common, they both protect rights enumerated in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. These rights are the right to religious liberty and the right to freedom of speech.
  2. WOKE HEALTH PANEL NO MORE – RFK Jr. is vowing to replace the “woke” panel currently in charge of choosing what preventative care gets covered by Obamacare. Kennedy plans on replacing the current allegedly “woke” members of the U.S. Preventative Service Task Force, saying “We’re now bringing new members on who have a clear mission.”
  3. DIRT-POWERED BATTERIES – Researchers from Northwestern University have invented a fuel cell that is powered by microbes found in soil. Northwestern alumnus Bill Yen, who led the work, said of their proof-of-concept, “We need to find alternatives that can provide low amounts of energy to power a decentralized network of devices… we looked to soil microbial fuel cells, which use special microbes to break down soil and use that low amount of energy to power sensors. As long as there is organic carbon in the soil for the microbes to break down, the fuel cell can potentially last forever.”

STORIES WE’RE WATCHING

  1. Donald Trump ‘planning shock nuclear retreat’ to end conflict with Iran– www.mirror.co.uk
  2. Republicans stare down a growing, neverending FISA crisis– www.politico.com
  3. Liberal Supreme Court Judges Delayed Dobbs Decision as Conservatives Faced Death Threats– www.lifenews.com
  4. WATCH: Massive Crowd Tries To Storm Wisconsin Research Facility, Police Respond– wltreport.com
  5. Trump’s Christian Advisers Tell Him ‘He Is God’– www.newsbusters.org
  6. Anchor babies account for nearly 10% of US births: report | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
  7. United States proposes record-high $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, marking largest increase since World War II – Defence Industry Europe
  8. Starmer orders inquiry into any security concerns over Mandelson’s tenure in US | Keir Starmer– www.theguardian.com
  9. Vance ‘grateful’ to Pope Leo for downplaying Trump rift, says media ‘gins up conflict’ | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
  10. 8 children killed in mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, police say – CBS News

 

ON OUR RADAR

California Governor Frontrunner Releases Radical Plan To Throw Federal Immigration Officers In Prison– wltreport.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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A billionaire running for governor of California just released a plan so radical it makes Gavin Newsom look like a moderate.

Tom Steyer, the hedge fund billionaire and failed 2020 presidential candidate who now leads the Democrat primary field for California governor, published a five-point immigration platform this week that calls for abolishing ICE, jailing federal immigration agents, and using state funds to bring deported illegal aliens back to California.

You read that right. He wants to arrest the people enforcing federal law and roll out the red carpet for those who broke it.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin laid out the details:

A new, telling sign emerges about GOP’s midterm fears– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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It’s been about a week since now-former Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress after the Texas Republican admitted to having an unethical sexual relationship with at least one former aide, who later died by suicide.

Yet the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has yet to set a special election to fill Gonzales’ seat—and that silence is telling.

President Donald Trump carried Gonzales’ seat by just over 15 percentage points in 2024, according to data from The Downballot. In a normal year, that would make this seat a GOP lock.

However, this election cycle has been anything but normal.

Last year, Trump pulled New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to serve as ambassador to the United Nations because he worried her seat would be competitive in a special election. And Trump carried Stefanik’s seat by nearly 21 points—making her Upstate New York district even stronger Republican territory.