A Virginia trial court judge held that the proposed constitutional amendment—which would allow the General Assembly to respond to Republican gerrymandering efforts—was unconstitutionally passed. (Link below.)

The court relies on pretty weak arguments. I briefly discuss them here. 🧵

If this pattern holds in #TN07, this means Republicans who are in supposedly secure districts like Anna Paulina Luna in #FL13 or Nick LaLota in #NY01 or even Eli Crane in #AZ01 are in big trouble!

Just imagining how much better it would be if ALL news stories about vaccine-preventable illnesses were illustrated with pictures of people with the disease, not pictures of needle injections. If you must show something that people will find scary & unpleasant, make it the disease, not the cure.

TODAY IS THE DAY!

GET OUT AND VOTE. Polls are open 7 AM - 7 PM

WE GOT THIS!!!!!!

This is not biggest surprise of night

But still a historic moment

Abigail Spanberger will become the first woman Governor in Virginia history

She is likely going to get a bigger win than 9% that Dems got in 2017 last time Trump was in White House

Democrats Poised to Win All Statewide Virginia Elections in 2025, New SoCal Strategies Poll Finds Abigail Spanberger holds a 53–41 lead over Winsome Earle-Sears in a Virginia Project/SoCal Strategies survey of the race.

New Virginia poll from SoCal

Gov

Spanberger (D) 53%
Earle-Sears (R) 41%

Lt. Gov

Hashmi (D) 46%
Reid (R) 41%

AG

Jones (D) 46%
Miyares (R) 41%

House of Delegates

Dem 50%
GOP 40%

Trump Approval

Disapprove 54%
Approve 38%

Less rosy for GOP than other recent polls

substack.com/inbox/post/1...

Medicaid at 60: A Legacy of Protecting Children, Now Under Threat It has been 60 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation amending the Social Security Act, creating Medicaid (alongside Medicare). With

Medicaid at 60: A Legacy of Protecting Children, Now Under Threat | Abuko Estrada - First Focus on Children firstfocus.org/update/medic...

Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared. ProPublica’s first-of-its-kind analysis is the most detailed look yet into a rise in life-threatening complications for women experiencing pregnancy loss under Texas’ abortion ban.

Dozens more pregnant and postpartum women have died in Texas hospitals since the state banned abortion, our analysis shows.

As the maternal mortality rate dropped nationally, it rose in Texas by 33%.

#Wisconsin!

‘Ted Lasso’ has been renewed for Season 4. Here's why that's bad news for Democrats.

Did you know that 72 MILLION Americans rely on Medicaid for healthcare? The Trump Administration and MAGA Republicans in Congress want to take it away to give tax breaks to billionaires.

Don't let them take away our healthcare. Let them know you didn’t vote for this shit.

a cartoon character says it 's a trap in front of a starry sky ALT: a cartoon character says it 's a trap in front of a starry sky

Trump’s “Buyout” Offer for Federal Workers Is Already Backfiring newrepublic.com/post/190844/... via @newrepublic.com

How Does the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Impact Health and Health Care? | KFF This policy watch provides a short overview of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), describing its history, budget, organizational structure and its major programs and responsibilities.

Ahead of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Senate confirmation hearings to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, learn more about the department’s responsibilities and impact on Americans’ health insurance, public health, safety, and well-being.

Our explainer provides an overview:

Rep. Bobby Scott hasn’t ruled out run for Virginia governor U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott says he has not ruled out running for Virginia governor, even though a recent poll places him slightly behind Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

Any potential primary would be a little over 5 months away on June 17

While the filing deadline is not until April, signatures have to be start collected

Also early voting starts May 2 so decision will have to be made soon if it’s going to happen

www.pilotonline.com/2025/01/13/b...

POLITICO Pro: ‘Ridiculously high’: Experts slam Republicans’ questionable math on Medicaid cuts Cutting $2.3 trillion would amount to eliminating nearly a third of the program’s budget for the next decade.

NEW: Experts across the political spectrum tell me the GOP's estimates of how much their Medicaid cuts would save are "ridiculously high" & use bad math to reach the $2.3T total. That could mean even deeper cuts to hit that target. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

#ACA Open Enrollment: 49 states +DC still have time for Feb. coverage! Here's 15 important things to remember: The 2025 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP) officially begins on November 1st. This is the best OEP ever for the ACA for several reasons: The expanded/enhanced premium subsidies first introduced in 2021...

🚨 REMINDER: Residents of every state except ID still have until WEDNESDAY NIGHT to enroll for coverage starting Feb. 1st!

This may be the last chance you have to take advantage of the improved IRA subsidies, so get 'em while you can!

Here's some things to remember:

acasignups.net/25/01/01/aca...

BREAKING — Joe Biden has pulled off the impossible: positive job growth EVERY SINGLE MONTH of his presidency.

The last negative month was the last full month of Trump’s first term, December 2020.

Trump Dealt Major Blow as Judge Cannon’s Ruling Struck Down Judge Aileen Cannon’s reign of error on Jack Smith continues to be thwarted.

An appeals court has denied an emergency motion from two of Donald Trump’s co-defendants to stop the release of a report on the president-elect’s felony classified documents case.

newrepublic.com/post/190082/...

American Folklore The internet was supposed to spread information and elevate our understanding of the world. Instead it turned us into a primitive people, reliant on folk stories.

"In this sea of opinion/bullshit, people today are much less likely to hit upon genuine information than they were 30 years ago. This bedrock fact means that they’ve become acclimated to relying on opinion/bullshit."

Did Trump Drain Democrats’ Energy? These Races Will Be the First Test. (Gift Article) As Democrats try to fire up their fatigued base, two contests for the Virginia legislature will serve as the first measure of partisan enthusiasm since Donald J. Trump’s victory.

NYT Coverage of the Virginia special elections on Jan 7

Early voting starts on Wed.

We’ll see if “high propensity voters” break for Dems like in specials before Trump won

p.s. disappointed they didn’t do “At this Sterling Cracker Barrel” style interviews though

www.nytimes.com/2024/12/08/u...

Chip in! Show your support with a contribution.

#Virginia Democrats are gonna need your help next year! Donate today:

secure.actblue.com/donate/vablu...

Trump’s former FDA commissioner on RFK Jr and vaccines today.

“If he follows through on his intentions … it will cost lives,” said @scottgottliebmd.bsky.social.

Gottlieb laid out several scenarios linked to the effect of falling vaccination rates, such as a rise in child measles deaths.