Kate Riga

some Ohio Republicans - Sen Husted, Gov DeWine, SOS LaRose - said they wouldn't have run the Amy Acton mom ad. But none said they'd pull their Ramaswamy endorsement. Other endorsers - Sen Moreno, former Sen Rob Portman- didn't respond to my request for comment. And some, like Vance, embrace the spot

talkingpointsmemo.comSome Ohio Republicans Embrace, Some Scurry Away from Appalling Ramaswamy AdThe Ramaswamy campaign’s new ad featuring Democrat Amy Acton’s mother, in which...

Meanwhile, the MAGA mediaverse is mostly gung ho. Megyn Kelly eagerly speculates that the ad might be as effective as Willie Horton talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ohio-re...

Per a filing for Louisiana's attempt to restrict mifepristone, FDA gives us an idea of when the (deliberately post-midterms) crackdown will begin. Agency estimates that its "safety review" of mifepristone will be done by March 2027, and that its likely adding back of restrictions will follow

The in-person dispensing requirement will almost certainly be put back into force, as the anti-abortion movement is incensed by the success with which patients even in red states are getting mifepristone prescribed by doctors in blue ones and sent through the mail

hehehe

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/supreme...

talkingpointsmemo.comSCOTUS Finally Puts an End to Missouri Republicans’ Map Scheme With Slap on Wrist for Lower JudgesFor the third time in just over two weeks, the Supreme Court...

17 Sept

If 8th Circuit rules as anticipated, People Not Politicians will file emergency appeal to SCOTUS to maintain block on 7-1 gerrymander. The map seemed off the table after SCOTUS' last intervention, but a hostile 8th circuit panel (2 Trump judges, 1 H W Bush) seems likely to rule for MO Republicans

15 Sept

shot at kavanaugh here

talkingpointsmemo.comSupreme Court Rejects Trump’s Effort to Break Vote By Mail Before MidtermsThe Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s bid to take unprecedented control...

14 Sept

Huge talkingpointsmemo.com/news/supreme...

14 Sept

In his concurrence, Kavanaugh wrote that he would have supported the executive order’s legality but for the compressed timeline, which violated the APA “because state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections.”

Getting ahead of his 2 pm (local) return to Missouri Supreme Court, Secretary of State Hoskins says he's directing local election authorities to use the '22 map (6R-2D, though keep half an eye on MO-02, an R+8 district, which could get swept up if a big enough blue wave manifests)

Chief Justice Powell says that Hoskins ~was~ in contempt of court, but has "since corrected his contemptuous conduct" by telling election officials to use the '22 maps

Chuck Hatfield, counsel for People Not Politicians, tells Missouri Supreme Court that SOS Hoskins told him he understands that he's under an injunction from the state Supreme Court, and that he currently intends to proceed to the general election under the 2022 map (a 6R-2D gerrymander)

Hatfield is mad now, given Missouri officials' squishiness - recommends Court to tell local election officials today that they are to follow Court's order and implement '22 map

Chief to Missouri/Hoskins lawyer as he gavels hearing out: I would tell your client "not to venture far from Jefferson City until this contempt motion is resolved"

Multiple Supreme Court judges pissed that Hoskins went with the federal court order rather than just doing nothing until SCOTUS weighed in

Judges working in tandem to pin AG's office down on next steps — Gooch asks if SOS now intends to implement '22 map (lawyer says yes absent further federal court action), Fischer asks if Hoskins intends to email election admins w the new guidance after this hearing (lawyer wriggles out of second q)

Chief: "We’re in a precarious situation." Urges them all to "get on the same page" and "find a way to save some of these elections so they are valid and we can sit the congressional delegation that our state is entitled to"

Judge Wilson says he's dissatisfied with Missouri's reply that they're considering next steps. "I don't want to wake up tomorrow and read that the secretary says he can do nothing because the 9/8 deadline has passed" (9/8 was deadline to finalize ballots in the state)

Missouri's lawyer: Secretary of State Hoskins "acknowledges that this court's injunction back in full force and effect" and is "evaluating next steps"

Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice W. Brent Powell getting stern with AG's office — makes him repeat back that HB1 (the new 7-1 gerrymander) never legally went into effect

Breaking: Supreme Court stays federal judge's order that Hoskins can only use new 7-1 gerrymander. As of right now, Missouri Supreme Court order blocking that map from being used rules the day. This is all happening at lightning speed

talkingpointsmemo.comSupreme Court Pauses Federal Court Order, Dealing Blow to Missouri Republicans in Gerrymander BattleThe Supreme Court stayed a Missouri federal court order Thursday, blocking a...

Big loss for Republicans: talkingpointsmemo.com/news/supreme...

Overnight: Judge Clark denies Hoskins' extraordinary request to stop the Missouri Supreme Court from holding him in contempt: "Numerous considerations counsel this Court against enjoining a state court of last resort, particularly before it even conducts a hearing" Contempt hearing 10 am local time

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/federal...

talkingpointsmemo.comFederal Judge Denies ‘Extraordinary Measure’ of Enjoining Missouri Supreme Court Ahead of Hoskins’ Contempt HearingU.S. District Judge Stephen Clark denied Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’...

New: 8th Circuit panel (two Trump judges and one W Bush) deny People Not Politicians' request to stay lower court order that Hoskins not use any map -but- the new 7-1 gerrymander (that the Missouri Supreme Court enjoined). We'll be back at SCOTUS, possibly within hours

And we're back at SCOTUS - People Not Politicians seeking emergency stay.

*H W Bush

Tomorrow at 11 am ET, Missouri Sec of State Denny Hoskins will show up (in person) to explain to the MO Supreme Court why he decided to follow the order of a Trump-appointed federal judge (saying he can use no other map but the new gerrymander) and ignore the Sup Court (says he can't use that map)

Man, this case is so bizarre. Hoskins now going back to the federal judge to ask him to block the Missouri Supreme Court from holding him in contempt! He says that while this kind of injunction is usually barred, there's an exception to effectuate a federal court's judgment

Today at the 5th Circuit, Louisiana trying to roll back access to mifepristone, the abortion drug (incl bringing back the in-person dispensing requirement). So far Judges Higginson (Obama), Richman (W Bush) & Douglas (Biden) skeptical that you can sue FDA for mifepristone being mailed into LA

Richman says she sees TV ads every day saying that drugs can cause side effects of stroke, death etc — and those still got approved. "I'm not sure why this drug would be any different," she said of mifepristone

talkingpointsmemo.comAppeals Court Skeptical That Louisiana Can Sue FDA Over Mifepristone Being Mailed into the StateLouisiana was met with a chilly reception Wednesday, as it pushed to...

Catch up on Louisiana's effort to run back 2024's failed attempt to restrict mifepristone, this time in a different outfit: talkingpointsmemo.com/news/fifth-c...

Breaking: SCOTUS will not greenlight Missouri Republicans' attempt to jam through new gerrymander that would change the current 6-2 map to 7-1 for the midterms. That new gerrymander will instead go to a statewide vote before it can be implemented

People Not Politicians et al asking Judge Clark (Trump judge) to stay his order: "This lawsuit is in every material respect an appeal of the Missouri Supreme Court’s judgment disguised as an original federal action."

!! people not politicians now asking Missouri Supreme Court to hold Secretary of State and AG in contempt for saying they intend to follow the Trump judge‘s order instead of the state Supreme Court‘s

Hatfield: "An individual federal district judge does not have the authority to overrule a decision of the state Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court certainly does, absolutely."

Trump judge order has already been appealed to the 8th circuit

Well, hang on a minute. A federal judge (appointed by Trump) just handed down a temporary restraining order mandating that Hoskins use the new 7-1 gerrymander for the midterms. Missouri now under contradictory orders — appeal of this latest coming

Chuck Hatfield, counsel for People Not Politicians: "We have a very clear MO Supreme Court decision & the state today says that decision is valid/in effect — Judge Clark has not overruled that decision, in fact idk that he can; he doesnt have the authority to overturn the MO Supreme Court decision"

talkingpointsmemo.comSupreme Court Won’t Help Missouri Republicans Snatch Extra House Seat in MidtermsThe Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Missouri Republicans’ attempt to jam through...

Big, big win for People Not Politicians, the group that spent months in court fighting Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' attempt to dodge Missouri's citizen referendum process talkingpointsmemo.com/news/supreme...

31 Aug

New: Talwani denies Trump attempt to lift order blocking his EO. "the late timing of the changes to State elex practices the federal agency seeks to impose by Final Rule are contrary to the public’s need for “clear & settled” “rules of the road” for Nov 3, 2026 midterm elex, now only 2 months away."

28 Aug

New: Trump mail-in executive order officially blocked again. SCOTUS will be final word here, but, as expected, Judge Talwani granted temporary restraining order for now

28 Aug

New: Trump et al appeal to the 1st circuit

New: Talwani is unblocking Trump's mail-in executive order. This is likely to be very short-lived, and the injunction may be reimposed as soon as today. She said plaintiffs have to amend their complaint to include that USPS has issued a final rule (to satisfy SCOTUS' ripeness concerns) and refile

Aaaaand just like that, plaintiffs (led by League of Women Voters) have just filed amended complaint

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/judge-u...

talkingpointsmemo.comJudge Unblocks Trump’s Executive Order to Tamper in Midterms — But Don’t PanicU.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on Wednesday lifted an injunction that was...