Category Archives: Politics

Repression in Iran

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Authorities in Iran continue to crack down on the widespread protests that arose in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s death while she was in the custody of the morals police. We finally have an in-depth review of how the government has reacted to the protests, in the form of a well researched article on the evidence that the government’s response has been harsh and terrible. (WashPost gift link should get you past the paywall for a while). Tactics of repression: How Iran is trying to stop Mahsa Amini protests A visual forensics analysis shows authorities using indiscriminate force, making violent … Continue reading →

Abortion rights matter in this election

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The big wave of voter registration we’ve seen from women since the Dobbs decision continues. Tom Bonier talks about it with Teen Vogue. Women Are Registering to Vote in Huge Numbers in Response to the Roe Decision In battleground states like Georgia, Wisconsin, and Arizona, there’s been a surge of women registering to vote. …Tom Bonier, the CEO of TargetSmart, says he was surprised by the data. “You tend not to see significant movement in voter registration,” Bonier tells Teen Vogue. …what he found was like nothing he’s ever seen in his 28 years of analyzing elections. “Women are registering … Continue reading →

Checking on those critical Senate seats

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I’m still cautiously optimistic about Democrats holding the Senate. Here are updated predictions from establishment groups who assess elections. Three are listed in the table below: the Cook Political Report (C), Larry Sabato of UVA (S), and Inside Elections (IE). As we’ve noted before, these organizations tend to be conservative in their predictions, relying on known data such as voter registration numbers, continuing polls, and structural effects such as traditional gains or losses for the various parties. It is much harder to predict how enthusiasm among the voters, or anger among the voters, will affect the election. It is hard … Continue reading →

The Ukrainian advances around Kharkiv

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Over the past few days Ukrainian forces have moved swiftly, regaining several towns and a lot of land near Kharkiv. It is possible that this will be decisive in turning this war around at last. At the very least, Russian forces are looking very weak. From what you’ll read below, it is clear that Ukraine itself has no intention of stopping while Russians still occupy their land, but how Putin might react to these events is still uncertain. Faster and Furiouser: Ukraine’s Forces Take Back Kharkiv Oblast and More …the narrative in Ukraine has changed in huge way over the … Continue reading →

Election details

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Here’s another source of detailed information for both national and local elections. Daniel Nichanian of Bolts Magazine always has some of the best real-time information right through election day. Here’s an example focused on this very week. What to Watch in the Primaries from September 6 to September 13 …Here are 29 races that Bolts is watching on Sept. 6 (in Massachusetts), and Sept. 13 (in Delaware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island), as prepared by Bolts editor Daniel Nichanian. More may be added to our cheat sheet through Election Day. Check back on Election Night as we fill in each … Continue reading →

Fired up

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This matches what I see/feel around the mid-terms this year (gift link, will get you through the paywall for a while). Women Are So Fired Up to Vote, I’ve Never Seen Anything Like It …once the actual Dobbs decision came down, everything changed. For many Americans, confronting the loss of abortion rights was different from anticipating it. In my 28 years analyzing elections, I’ve never seen anything like what’s happened in the past two months in American politics: Women are registering to vote in numbers I’ve never witnessed. I’ve run out of superlatives to describe how different this moment is, … Continue reading →

The 2022 midterms are now

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The mid-terms are coming up fast and the political situation in this country is in flux. I want to focus on the key races that will help us hold, or perhaps even expand, our Senate majority. That’s looking very possible right now, even though the more traditional election forecasters still rate most of these races as toss-ups at best. I don’t have to tell you how important this election is. I honestly believe the future of our nation depends on holding the line this year and in 2024. I’m focusing here on Senate races that need to be top priorities … Continue reading →

Climate heroes

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Including Rosemary Mosco herself. A lot of online climate change talk focuses on villains, and it can be so isolating. But there are many, many amazing people who are taking action. Here are 16 of them. pic.twitter.com/vEivvja20M — Rosemary Mosco (Bird And Moon Comics) (@RosemaryMosco) August 16, 2022

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What patriarchy looks like in everyday life

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Beaten for no reason, dragged off the street for violations of modesty laws, subject to torture in those detention centers, refused school and work choices—this report shows exactly how women in Afghanistan are treated by the Taliban. Women who dare to protest, and some women do dare to, are treated even more harshly.   In the New York Times (gift link, no paywall) another report shows the same brutal situation. Taliban Rewind the Clock: ‘A Woman Is a Helpless and Powerless Creature’ Girls are barred from secondary schools and women from traveling any significant distance without a male relative. Men … Continue reading →