Politics
January 6, 2016 -
By the time President Obama announced a series of executive actions to restrict firearms this week, 147 Americans had already lost their lives to gun violence in the new year, with the first fatal shooting taking place in Florida just 15 minutes into 2016. But the ongoing carnage didn't stop the gun lobby and politicians it backs from threatening to block the plan.
December 18, 2015 -
The past year saw big steps taken toward building a better, stronger and more just South, from wage gains for workers to aid for refugees to grassroots organizing for a more environmentally sustainable future.
December 18, 2015 -
Super PACs, "social welfare" nonprofits, and other outside groups are spending record amounts on ads in the 2016 presidential race, more than triple the total at this point compared to four years ago. But are the ads effective? We consider lessons from North Carolina, a key swing state that in recent elections has attracted record amounts of outside money.
December 16, 2015 -
After issuing two formal warnings about the problem, an alliance of voting rights advocates and affected individuals have sued North Carolina officials for failing to comply with federal laws that require state agencies to help people register to vote.
December 10, 2015 -
Twenty-two out of the South's 26 U.S. senators voted against two gun-safety measures the day after last week's massacre in San Bernardino, California. All but one Southern senator voting "nay" received direct campaign donations from the National Rifle Association, benefited from outside political spending by the NRA, or both.
December 9, 2015 -
In a Texas case titled Evenwel v. Abbott, the plaintiffs are seeking to count eligible voters rather than the total population when drawing political districts — a move that could significantly shift political representation to older, whiter communities in the South and elsewhere across the country.
December 8, 2015 -
While much attention has been paid to the fight for immigration reform at the federal level, far less attention has been paid to efforts to create welcoming and inclusive communities for immigrants at the state and local level.
