Courts & Law

LGBTQIA+

State Laws Are ‘Leveraging Criminalization as a Tactic Against Trans People’

Kae Petrin / Prism May 13, 2026 At least 10 states have imposed new misdemeanor or felony penalties since 2022 — a stark increase in the use of criminal law to target trans people and their support networks. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Media

Overturning Citizens United Is Just the Start

Dean Baker / Beat the Press May 13, 2026 Even if we restrict the money rich people can spend on politics — directly or through super PACs — they can still take control of the media. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Activism

The Fight to Overturn Illinois’ Anti-BDS Law

Michael Arria / Mondoweiss May 12, 2026 Activists and lawmakers are pushing to repeal the nation's first anti-BDS law, which became the model for dozens of other states. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Environment

A Massive AI Data Center Transforms Rural Utah Into a National Flash Point

Devin B. Martinez / Peoples Dispatch May 12, 2026 A growing movement in Utah is challenging the Stratos Project, a city-sized AI data center backed by TV personality Kevin O’Leary. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Women

Now You See Them … Now You Don’t

Karen J. Greenberg / TomDispatch May 11, 2026 What's the best way to keep your job under the Trump administration? Simple. Be a man. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Courts & Law

So Far, Trump Is Failing in His Quest to Control Midterms

Jonathan Shorman / States Newsroom May 11, 2026 Six months before the November midterms, the administration has not had much success in efforts to impose sweeping restrictions on voters. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Environment

America’s Mining Future Echoes Its Colonial Past

Johanna Hansel, Carla Samon Ros, Wyatt Myskow / Inside Climate News May 8, 2026 Companies have staked claims for more than 100 lithium mine projects. Tribes are among the most affected. Dig deeper ( 22 Min. Read )

Courts & Law

‘Killing Our Vote’: After Louisiana v. Callais

Jonathan Shorman / States Newsroom May 7, 2026 In the wake of the Supreme Court decision, Southern statehouses are acting at lightning speed to nullify votes by suspending ongoing elections. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Health & Wellness

Almost 20% of Americans Are Drinking Nitrate-Contaminated Water

Seth Millstein / Sentient May 6, 2026 A new analysis suggests the EPA’s limits are too high to prevent nitrate-related cancer, thyroid disease and birth defects. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Courts & Law

Prosecutors Had a Drugs-for-Votes Scheme ‘Locked Up.’ Then the Trump DOJ Stepped In.

Raquel Rutledge / ProPublica May 5, 2026 Before the 2024 election, federal prosecutors were "full steam ahead" looking into how a prison gang in Puerto Rico gave drugs to inmates if they voted for a GOP gubernatorial candidate. After Trump’s election, the investigation evaporated. Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

Environment

Supreme Court to Decide if Roundup Labels Should Warn About Cancer Risk

Ayurella Horn-Muller / Grist May 5, 2026 The ruling could reshape pesticide regulation and test President Trump's base from within. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Health & Wellness

Delays in Visa Program Threaten Placement of Doctors in Underserved Areas

Arielle Zionts / KFF Health News May 4, 2026 The program allows noncitizen physicians to remain in the country in exchange for working in understaffed facilities in rural and low-income urban communities. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )