This piece looks at California’s unusual top-two primary system and argues that Trump may have unintentionally undermined the GOP’s only realistic path to winning the governor’s race.
It also explores how California’s political realignment developed from the 1990s onward.
I’m trying to find information about candidates in the LAUSD School Board election, and it’s surprisingly difficult, especially on niche but important issues like Special Education.
Does anyone know of good sources (forums, guides, interviews, local orgs, etc.) that break down what candidates actually plan to do for students with disabilities and IEP services?
One candidate, Ankur Patel, did directly answer six Special Ed questions (IEP services, staffing, charter enrollment, CAC independence, etc.):
https://medium.com/educreation/in-the-candidates-words-ankur-patel-on-special-education-45f6016285b5?sk=c290d0024784ad9fb443cf0a86d7a8a1
I’d like to find similar info for the other candidates. How do you all research these lower-profile races?
Mid-cycle redistricting was pitched as a clever way to blunt the usual midterm losses presidents face. But the strategy didn’t account for how quickly it would escalate into a tit-for-tat arms race, with blue states countering red-state maps.
In the end, Republicans may only gain a small number of potential seats—while energizing Democratic turnout and creating new vulnerabilities if voter coalitions shift.
I also think some of the most aggressive gerrymanders (especially in Texas and Florida) could become “dummymanders” if the electorate swings even modestly.
Full article here:
https://medium.com/discourse/trumps-strategic-misfires-a-redistricting-plan-unravels-0583d43d3071?sk=10e8583e2e04cec13db4088e8d5301e9
This is a memoir-style personal essay about growing up in New York, chasing dreams in Los Angeles, and eventually landing in Washington—while realizing that “home” isn’t always a fixed place.
It opens with a childhood Little League moment (literally getting lost in the weeds), then follows the long road of adulthood: ambition, marriage, divorce, parenting, and the strange feeling of returning to where you started and realizing it may not feel like home anymore.
This is Part 2 of my “Trump’s Strategic Misfires” series.
In this installment, I look at how Trump went from the candidate who claimed he was the only one who could bring peace to the world to a president whose policies helped escalate conflict, raising the risk of economic shockwaves far beyond the battlefield.
Mid-cycle redistricting was pitched as a clever way to prevent a president’s party from losing House seats in the midterms. What that strategy didn’t anticipate was how quickly it could escalate into a tit-for-tat arms race - energizing the opposing base while producing only marginal gains.
This piece looks at how aggressive gerrymanders in places like Texas and Florida could become “dummymanders” if voter coalitions shift in a dissatisfied electorate.
If the political winds change, could the entire redistricting push end up costing Republicans seats instead of saving them?
When I was in high school, the gym was turned into a giant testing room for finals. During one exam, a student started making short, guttural sounds that echoed across the room. Teachers began searching for the “disruption” and eventually surrounded him before another teacher could stop them.
Later, I learned those sounds were involuntary tics from Tourette’s syndrome.
That memory came back to me recently after reading about an advocate with Tourette’s who was publicly shamed for involuntary vocalizations at a televised awards ceremony. It reminded me how quickly people treat neurological symptoms as intentional behavior, especially when those symptoms are uncomfortable, disruptive, or misunderstood.
I’m also the parent of a daughter diagnosed with Tourette’s and severe autism, and we’ve experienced the stares, shushing, and quiet hostility. It is the price for existing in public while audibly disabled.
n 1983, I saw Journey live on the Frontiers tour, and the crowd reaction was absolute hysteria. Every time Steve Perry appeared on the video screens, the entire arena erupted.
It was one of those concerts where the band’s popularity felt enormous, the audience was competing with the PA, and you could feel the energy pulsing through the whole building.
What’s the most intense crowd you’ve ever experienced at a live show — not necessarily the best performance, but something approaching Beatlemania?
In high school, the gym was turned into a massive testing room for finals week. During one exam, guttural sounds began echoing throughout the space. Teachers started scanning the room, trying to find the source of the “disruption.”
As a group of teachers closed in on one student, another teacher stepped in to intervene. Later, I learned the sounds were involuntary tics caused by Tourette’s syndrome.
Now that I’m the parent of a daughter diagnosed with Tourette’s and severe autism, that memory has taken on new meaning for me. It’s made me realize how easily systems can set up people with neurological disabilities to be humiliated in public.
I wrote a longer personal essay about disability stigma, public spaces, and refusing to hide:
https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/shaming-the-uncontrollable-4ed9b6f91d73?sk=58506febe20ce0a5a3ee96165d0c93c5
Last year, my family moved from Los Angeles to Washington State, and this is my first spring here. I didn’t expect the seasonal shift to affect me as much as it has.
Back in LA, weather changes were subtle. Here, spring feels like it shows up in layers - warmer air, longer daylight, sudden bursts of color, and that first stretch of days where you feel comfortable shedding a few layers of clothing.
It’s been pulling me outdoors more often, even if it’s just to sit on my front porch for a few quiet moments and take it all in.
I wrote a short reflective piece about noticing the season change and finding that “outside” feeling again.
If anyone’s interested:
https://medium.com/@difrntdrmr/finding-wonder-again-in-the-changing-weather-da3f20da5ffe?sk=b2acb74e670a2e31ad5487d457f3e0fb