Amber Philips has a good explainer at the Washington Post, here, on the independent state legislature doctrine.

Washington Post: A federal judge said late Monday that the Justice Department cannot charge Jan. 6 defendants with obstructing Congress’s certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory unless the defendants tampered with official documents or records in the attack… Continue reading

From the Albany Times Union: Dozens of Rensselaer County workers and others have been served with federal grand jury subpoenas as part of an intensifying FBI investigation that’s examining the filing of absentee ballots in elections over the past two… Continue reading

That’s 10,000 votes that were fumbled. From the Texas Tribune: With counting holdups and missed ballots marring what amounted to a low-turnout election,Harris County’s election administrator has announced she is resigning amid pressure from local leaders of both political… Continue reading

At the Washington Post: The United States right now has four political parties stuffed into a two-party system — and that’s increasingly a big problem for the country….There is nothing new or inherently bad about America having a two-party system… Continue reading

Politico: Democrats’ most at-risk senators want to transform the artist formerly known as “Build Back Better” into an inflation-buster, just in time for the midterms. It’s a gambit that could jump-start President Joe Biden’s stalled domestic agenda by helping… Continue reading

More support for my view that small donors — particularly those from outside a candidate’s jurisdiction — are fueling extremism: Midway through a white nationalist’s conference in Orlando last month, one speaker drew applause calling for gruesome violence against “traitors”… Continue reading

NYT: Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, has been charged with conspiring with other top lieutenants of the far-right nationalist group to attack the Capitol last year, according to an indictment set to be released on… Continue reading

From the Seattle Times: The nonpartisan chair of Washington’s redistricting commission resigned Monday, lashing out at Democratic leaders for refusing to defend legislative maps drawn by the commission from a legal challenge. Sarah Augustine announced her resignation at the end … Continue reading

The Topeka Capital-Journal makes an appearance: Lawmakers are considering changes to a six-decade-old system of selecting judges to the Kansas Supreme Court, at a time when the high court is on the cusp of hearing a landmark challenge to a… Continue reading

In a 6-3 decision, the Court declined to issue a stay of the NC state supreme court decision that had overturned legislatively drawn redistricting maps for Congress (without comment, the Court also declined to act in a similar case from… Continue reading

From Harry Enten for CNN: The Democratic Party’s early 2000s dream of an emerging majority based on a diversifying electorate has run into reality. Democrats lost the 2016 presidential election, and they barely won in 2020. Part of their… Continue reading

NYT: The day President Donald J. Trump urged his supporters to “be there, will be wild!” at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Alex Jones spread the message to millions.“This is the most important call to action on domestic soil… Continue reading

Dallas Morning News: Sen. Ted Cruz placed a big bet on a former top aide hoping to topple Rep. Henry Cuellar in South Texas, spending $137,000 out of his own campaign fund to pitch Cassy Garcia in the GOP… Continue reading