The US and the Philippines are the only two countries in the world that use the bail bonds system to ensure defendants show up for trial. Nearly 70% of the US jail population is made up of pretrial...

In June the Texas Education Agency (TEA) took over the Houston Independent School District (ISD), replacing elected school board members with state appointed managers. Those managers hold immense...

Easing His Way Into More Authority

In June 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the re-establishment of the Florida State Guard, which he touted as an emergency-focused civilian volunteer force....

I saw a meme online that said, “If you've never had a Supreme Court case decide if you have the same rights as others, you have privilege.” I started thinking about the hundreds of...

Last week I wrote about two US Supreme Court decisions that validated fair elections and human rights. They struck down the theory of the independent state legislature, which would allow states to...

Against Authoritarian Elections

After a congressional map was struck down at the state level for being too skewed towards Republicans, the North Carolina GOP brought the case to the US Supreme...

I have conflicting emotions about Juneteenth as a US national holiday. I’m happy for people to have the day off and for more people to learn what Juneteenth is and why it’s important....

Whether it's banning trans existence or outlawing a woman's right to choose, people who support scapegoating one segment of society say they are doing it to protect some vulnerable community like...

Illinois has become the first state in the US to pass a bill banning book bans for institutions that receive state funding. The State House and Senate have both passed HB 2789, and democratic Gov....

I spent this weekend in community with folks I’ve only known on Zoom for the last 2 years. You’ve probably heard me mention Alternate ROOTS, an arts service organization based in the...

Users have been watching the slow-motion dismantling and downfall of Twitter since Elon Musk took over in October 2022. Almost immediately other social media sites started promoting themselves as...

Having meaningful conversations with people who disagree with you is a skill. Knowing how to hold space for change, manage your emotions around triggering topics, present the right facts, and how...