“Democrat Chedrick Greene is projected to win the special state Senate race in Michigan, according to Decision Desk HQ, preserving his party’s narrow majority in the chamber. With Greene’s projected victory in the 35th District, Democrats’ advantage expands from 19-18 to 20-18, easing their path to advance legislation. Democrats won a governing trifecta in 2022, taking control of the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature. But the party lost the state House in 2024 and has held a one-seat majority in the Senate since.” (05/05/26)
“Trump’s famous claim that he could ‘shoot somebody’ on Fifth Avenue and not lose any voters, may have been hyperbole. But it’s not crazy to think he wouldn’t lose as many voters as he should. In the film [A Face in the Crowd, Lonesome Rhodes implodes when Americans encounter his off-air persona. The key to Trump’s success is that he ran as his off-air persona. Why people love that persona is a complicated question. Among the many complementary explanations is that he comes across as authentic, and some people value authenticity more than they value good character, honesty or competence. This is not just a problem for Republicans.” (05/05/26)
“In the United States, constitutional amendments are notoriously difficult to adopt. They require two-thirds in both houses of Congress, and then ratification by three-quarters of the states. The process was last used successfully more than 50 years ago. That’s why formal amendments are often dismissed as unrealistic. … There are several worthwhile amendments which could plausibly secure broad consensus if shorn of overtly partisan goals. We also should not fall into a failure of imagination that assumes the current party system and political divisions will be entrenched in perpetuity.” (05/05/26)
“Spain has granted permission for a luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and anchored off the coast of Cape Verde to sail to the Canary Islands. Spain’s Ministry of Health said in a statement late on Tuesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) had explained that Cape Verde in West Africa was unable to receive the 147 crew and passengers of the MV Hondius. ‘The Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities,’ it said. ‘Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens.’ … A Dutch couple and a German national have died of the rare disease, which is usually spread from infected rodents through urine, droppings and saliva, on board the ship in early April. A British national, who was evacuated from the ship, is in intensive care in South Africa, officials said.” (05/06/26)
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by John Coleman
“Recent reports suggest the Trump administration is now considering new oversight for advanced AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Few details have been finalized, but officials are reportedly discussing an executive order to create a government–industry working group. Another idea under consideration is a process for reviewing models before or around their release. As these talks move forward, they risk setting a troubling precedent for free expression.” (05/05/26)
“Donald Trump announced he is pausing ‘Project Freedom,’ the US effort to guide stranded vessels out of the strait of Hormuz, so he can finalise a deal with Iran, but added that his blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place. Trump’s abrupt change of plan was declared in a social media post, saying he was pausing the effort for ‘a short period’ to give space for US efforts to finalise a settlement with Iran to end the war. … Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, signalled Iran has yet to fully respond to the US attempt to reopen the waterway. … Hapag-Lloyd AG, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, said in a statement that its risk assessment ‘remains unchanged’ and that transits through the strait ‘are for the moment not possible for our ships.'” (05/06/26)
