That’s $2 billion with a B www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/u...

Spelling Bee killing me again

Happy fundraising deadline tonight anything you can give would help get our campaign over the top my opponent has deep pockets just a few dollars would help our people-powered movement to all who celebrate

Learning about new country names from international sports (also picked up Chechia from Winter Olympics) theconversation.com/why-does-tur...

My department @uwpolisci.bsky.social is hiring an assistant professor with expertise in environmental politics jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assista...

Affordability is a hoax. I love inflation. Refuse bipartisan housing cost bill over SAVE Act. 2026 Trump is providing an amazing test of theory that his 2016 appeal was economic not cultural.

What were the most consequential democracy-related court decisions of the past year? Join us on July 8 for "Year in Review: Democracy Litigation in SCOTUS and the States," featuring leading experts on election law and democracy. Register here: go.wisc.edu/62qgi8

Just took yet another survey that seemed to be commissioned by one of the Dem gov candidates. Interesting test to determine who likely voters are: pick the correct date of the Wisconsin primary from a list.

I keep getting this social media ad that always looks to me like Tiffany is backing a 400 year tax hike

Featured in a recent @nytimes.com story, ERC Director @bcburden.bsky.social discusses how slow vote counting can affect public perceptions of elections: “The more elongated the process is, the more the public gets to see every twist and turn.” Read the full story: nytimes.com/2026/06/17/u...

Vance must spend most of his days doing interviews www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/o...

Loudness of volume in my TV: Prime > Netflix/Hulu > Apple

I have never seen an unpublished working paper get this level of complete media saturation

Pratt was in third the moment polls closed, not only once that number of votes was tallied. We just didn’t know it yet. And pretending that he “lost” his position as points (votes) were scored (counted) implies that votes were arriving after the fact, which they weren’t. 3/4

My department is hiring an assistant professor in political theory with a focus on American political thought and/or American constitutionalism jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assista...

It is far from the most important problem in politics today, but the slow CA count does need to be sped up. Just be careful not to compare to other countries that lack signature verified and have short ballots.

2028 winnowing begins with Whitmer (and shoutout to local media for breaking — Roop Raj of Fox 2 Detroit)

Cornyn is only getting about half of the total votes cast for him in the initial primary

I am bad enough at Spelling Bee without it rejecting real words

Our university is so much better for the stunning generosity of the Morgridges

Just coming back from vacation and assume nothing alarming happened in our politics while I was away

The report is amateur & incomplete, but notable it’s all about resources, not at all about messaging/platform.

Spring 2026 grades submitted despite #Canvaspocolypse

Canvas, the Strait of Hormuz for American education

A relevant story, esp. as Congress debates a ban on stock trading while in office. But why the focus on Wisconsin? And noteworthy 2 of the 10 have negative net worth.

Trump still electorally potent (1) in GOP primaries (2) in a red state (3) against incumbents www.politico.com/news/2026/05...

I had no idea Spirit had been in biz for 34 years

Alito thinks legislative maps are made by a computer and which districts white and minority voters are placed in is essentially random

This week in the USA * FBI investigated a reporter due to story on director’s corruption that bothered the agency * Navy secretary fired in middle of war & naval blockade with no explanation * President argues 2020 election should be “wiped from the books”

Delightful quirks of the Palmer House: Sometimes the up escalator is on the left side One elevator indicates it’s always on floor 14 Some guest rooms have more restrooms than people staying in them I don’t want #MPSA to ever move

Dems might win the Senate this year but have entirely new leadership in 2027. When has that happened before?

The US is off the regressions line: an extremely high income country where residents think politics need big changes www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

This week in the USA * The President attacked the Pope and posted an image of himself as Jesus, part of scattered overnight social media posting * The Secretary of Defense hosted another Christian prayer service in the Pentagon, complete with preacher, scripture, and hymns

Your tax returns only need to be postmarked—not received by the IRS—by April 15. That is also the rule for ballots in many states, unless the RNC case at SCOTUS changes things www.dispatch.com/story/news/2...

I know the business in Iran is serious but I see this with every mention of a minesweeper

This week in the USA * VP visited home country of autocrat and gave campaign speech for him * President Trump threatened to commit war crimes and wipe out a civilization of 90 million people * President Trump posted a video of a person murdering another person with a hammer

Special character on The Pitt tonight

Replacing the previous figure, which mistakenly omitted 2020 & underestimated 2016 when the prez primary drove up turnout (and Kloppenburg was again a candidate)

Voter turnout in the WI Supreme Court election fell from last year’s record high, but still one the highest since the 2011 nail-biter between Kloppenburg & Prosser

Madison friends: register now for this event taking place on campus next week.

Taylor’s romp is not merely the result of high D turnout in Madison & Milwaukee. Liberals gained the most in red, rural counties.

Wisconsin continues to be the state with the largest share of women on the top court. (The only man on the court won his seat by only half a percentage point.)

Need final results to be sure, but driftless region again looks a bit swingier than SE Wisconsin

Having let the court majority slip through their fingers, WI GOP will fight hard to win back the governorship & not lose the state legislature in a midterm year tilted in favor of Dems

Jefferson County is most complete in the state (>95% in) also has Taylor 5 points better than Crawford

Early results in city of Delafield (Waukesha County) show Taylor running five points ahead of Crawford’s 2025 showing

Voter 1,022 in my combined wards. The 2 school board races are in different columns with one hanging out by itself—easily overlooked by voters.

It’s definitely “subdued,” “quiet,” & “tame” compared to the last 2 record-setting races—but it’s nonetheless likely to outpace spending & maybe even turnout in races from the before times

This week in the USA * Revealed Def Sec looked to invest in defense corps. in run up to Iran invasion * Pres tried to intimidate justices by attending oral argument * in midst of war, Pres spent time defending a pro golfer DUi, fussing over a ballroom, & belittling a rock star

True today as it was during the fall shutdown. Reconciliation means Republicans don’t actually need Dem votes to pass budgets.