The push to privatize the student loan portfolio fits a broader vision of governmental retreat. This model abandons public support for education, creating a system where wealth dictates opportunity and debt becomes a permanent, privately-managed burden. + bit.ly/47DWXXp

Prison gerrymandering dilutes the political power of nearly all Georgians by inflating the population counts of districts w/prisons. It disproportionately harms Black communities, cementing the racial inequities of mass incarceration into electoral maps. bit.ly/3JB5Rfa

The GA GOP isn't planning new maps. Yet. "Redrawing district lines in Georgia could make some Republican seats in the closely divided state competitive. And any changes could be preempted by a pending [SCOTUS] decision on the Voting Rights Act." [+] bit.ly/4oEvWsm

Two conservative groups are challenging the statistical methods used for the 2020 census, four years later. The lawsuit targets the population figures that determine congressional apportionment, continuing the broader attack on the count's legitimacy. [+] bit.ly/4npY6Xi

"The next U.S. census isn't scheduled to be taken until 2030, but the federal government says help is wanted well before then in six states for the national head count's major field test." The 2026 Census Test includes parts of AL, AZ, CO, NC, SC and TX. bit.ly/48eu6tr

GA – The VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE is TODAY, Mon, OCT 6 for the Nov 4th municipal and statewide PSC election. Register or update your registration ➡️ mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/

BREAKING: The Census Bureau’s website says applications are now open for temporary “2026 Census Test” jobs in six states as some of the national head count’s advocates warn about delays in preparing for next year’s major field test of the #2030Census

Georgia Supreme Court sides with Gullah Geechee in Sapelo Island dispute

Despite overstepping their authority in the past, the GA State Election Board continues to push for control. In addition to squabbles over its chair's authority, the Board wants to ending no-excuse absentee voting and eliminate touchscreens. More: www.ajc.com/politics/202...

2. Here's a backup link to the Commerce Department's latest "Plan for Orderly Shutdown Due to Lapse of Congressional Appropriations" www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

NEW: In case of a federal government shutdown, the Census Bureau will stop work on economic indicators, the American Community Survey, disaster assistance & recovery data & most #2030Census planning. "2026 Census Test" work would continue until funds are "exhausted" www.commerce.gov/sites/defaul...

BREAKING: Office of Management and Budget extends deadline for federal surveys & forms to comply with revised government standards on racial & ethnic data approved during Biden admin, including new “Middle Eastern or North African” & "Hispanic or Latino” checkboxes spd15revision.gov/content/spd1...

Historically, "…the [DOJ] has been at the forefront of efforts to use Section 2 of the VRA to protect minority voting rights, most frequently in the redistricting process." Now it seeks to "make [the Voting Rights Act] all but useless in stopping racially motivated gerrymanders." [+] bit.ly/3W9kWXK

NEW: Justice Department argues in friend-of-the-court brief to US Supreme Court that Voting Rights Act's Section 2 protections against racial discrimination in redistricting are no longer constitutional as high court prepares to hear oral arguments again in Louisiana congressional redistricting case

After 50+ years of steady growth, the U.S. immigrant population is now declining. While hitting a record 53.3M in Jan 2025, by June, more have left or been deported than arrived, shrinking the US labor force by over a million people. More: bit.ly/3I1hYRO

NEW: The newly formed Independent Census Scientific Advisory Committee calls for the Census Bureau to develop a communication plan for providing regular public updates about privacy protections for #2030Census data, among other recommendations static1.squarespace.com/static/6890d...

A recent report from Louisiana shows us what we already know: noncitizens voting is not a problem. Election safeguards work.

Let's partner for power! 🗳️ Ahead of the Nov. 4 GA Public Service Commission (PSC) election, join GIPL, @faircount.bsky.social, @splcenter.org, & @ncnwhq.bsky.social on Sept. 30 (6–7 p.m.) for a virtual voter empowerment session. Register: gipl.org/events/partn... #GOTV #YouVoteMatters

Register to vote now at WhenWeAllVote.org, because Election Day is in less than 50 days. From the economy and jobs to healthcare and fighting racism, let’s use our power to make sure NOTHING is decided about us without us. #NationalBlackVoterDay #BETWeVote 🗳✊🏾

The unemployment rate for Black Americans hit 7.5% in August, "more than double the rate seen for white workers." This is the worst level it's been since the pandemic, some economists seeing this as a sign of worse things to come for the US economy. [+] yhoo.it/4n6vhQ2

BREAKING: The South Carolina Supreme Court has denied a request to strike down the state's congressional district map that was approved by its GOP-controlled state legislature, finding that claims of partisan gerrymandering are not reviewable by South Carolina courts www.sccourts.org/media/opinio...

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Why does it matter who’s counted in the Census? How would making changes to it influence the life of every person living in the US? The count is a battle over visibility, resources, and power — the stakes are higher than you might think. Listen 🎧: n.pr/4lthiT2

Join me along with the a power packed panel of my expert colleagues online this Thursday!: www.brennancenter.org/events/next-...

NEW: Judge rejects bid by Georgia’s Houston County to throw out claim that electing county commissioners as at-large representatives of one voting district dilutes Black voters' collective power. Two Black voters stepped in to carry on this voting rights case after DOJ under Trump admin stepped away

Citing an "excessive" registration rate, Georgia's conservative lawmakers plan to target the state's highly successful automatic voter registration system. Their priorities also include banning no-excuse absentee voting and shortening early voting. [+] bit.ly/4g6Q2Zo

After watching data sets be altered or disappear from US government websites "an army of outside statisticians, demographers and computer scientists have joined forces to capture, preserve and share data sets, sometimes clandestinely." Fighting for data: apnews.com/article/cens...

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners, failed to approve GOP nominations to the board, despite a court ruling. The Board has cited concerns about the nominees "qualifications and past actions" which include refusal to certify and voter challenges. [+] bit.ly/3UzNGID

A district judge ruled that "Mississippi’s state Supreme Court districts dilute Black voting rights and that the state cannot use the same maps in future elections." The three districts in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act are to be redrawn. mississippitoday.org/2025/08/19/m...

NEW: A 2020 survey on census privacy and confidentiality concerns found that most participants wanted the Census Bureau to collect information directly from the public instead of relying on data from the records of other government agencies

SCOOP: After President Trump’s call for a “new” census, his cabinet official overseeing the national head count — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — acknowledged to Census Bureau employees that Congress, not Trump, has final say over the tally, @npr.org has learned

Today is a call to action. It’s a call to ensure safe, secure, accurate & accessible elections. When we step up, we ensure there will be no shortage of poll workers. Together we safeguard democracy. Sign up at our secure website ➡️ ➡️ ➡️ www.powerthepolls.org/lwv @lwvus.bsky.social @lwvva.bsky.social

GA — "The Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Election Procedures has become a public venue for conservative activists to demand major changes to Georgia elections" that curb voter access. The committee meets four more times before issuing its recommendations. www.ajc.com/politics/202...

NEW: Rep. Tracey Mann of Kansas is the 63rd House Republican to support a bill calling for excluding people living in the states without U.S. citizenship, such as green card holders, from #2030Census results that the 14th Amendment says must include the “whole number of persons in each state”

60 years ago today, the Voting Rights Act became a landmark law against racial discrimination in elections. My latest @npr.org story is about the new threats facing the law’s remaining protections for minority voters

We’re excited to welcome 5 organizations to our Build portfolio: ▪️ DAWI ▪️ Fair Count ▪️ Interfaith America ▪️ The Workers Lab ▪️ Village of Wisdom Each will receive $1.5M in unrestricted funding and 4 years of strategic advisory support. Read the full announcement: newprofit.org/impact-story...

UPDATE: Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has paused for now a lower court ruling that struck down a key tool for protecting minority voters under the federal Voting Rights Act in seven states. But this case is far from over — and could end up further weakening the landmark law across the U.S.

At the request of the White House, the Senate voted 51 to 48 to claw back about $9 billion in federal funding approved for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Here's how every Senator voted.

Leaders in the public broadcasting community have warned that losing Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding would hurt small stations, especially in rural areas underserved by commercial media, and weaken the entire public media network, @deirdrekwalsh.bsky.social and Scott Neuman report

BREAKING: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has paused a lower court ruling that struck down a key tool for protecting minority voters under the federal Voting Rights Act in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

President Trump's tariffs are almost "tailor-made" to hit the goods that lower income households prefer to purchase, says economist Ernie Tedeschi of Yale's nonpartisan Budget Lab.

Thanks for including us! We're incredibly grateful for your partnership as well! 🤗

💡 A new Pathways to Power resource is here! Built with Analyst Institute & support from @waytowinus.bsky.social, this toolkit helps organizers design & use metrics that reflect the real work of their #BaseBuilding & leadership development. 🔗 Explore the toolkit: movementcooperative.short.gy/kD36l4

GEORGIA⚡️POWER YOUR FUTURE! ⚡️TODAY – TUESDAY, 7/15 | PSC Primary Runoff Election 🕖 Polls are open NOW until 7pm local time 📬 Voting absentee? Your completed ballot must be received before 7pm local time TODAY – Tue, 7/15 📍Voting locations: mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/

3. UPDATE: A GOP-controlled House Appropriations subcommittee voted 9-6 to advance a funding bill for the Census Bureau that calls for excluding people living in the states without legal status from #2030Census results that the 14th Amendment says must include “whole number of persons in each state”

2. This funding bill by House Appropropriations Committee Republicans would also ban the enforcement of the mandatory response requirement for certain Census Bureau surveys and take away the bureau's ability to "inquire" more than twice to get a response appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

NEW: In a funding bill for the Census Bureau, House Appropriations Committee Republicans call for excluding people living in the states without legal status from #2030Census results that 14th Amendment says must include “whole number of persons in each state” appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

UPDATE: A GOP-controlled House Appropriations subcommittee voted 9-6 along party lines to advance a funding bill that calls for excluding people living in the states without legal status from #2030Census results that the 14th Amendment says must include the “whole number of persons in each state”

GEORGIA: ⚡️POWER UP YOUR FUTURE! ⚡️OPEN NOW | Early voting for the PSC Primary Runoff thru Friday, 7/11 📬 Voting absentee? Your completed ballot must be received before 7pm local time on Tue, 7/15 📍 Voting locations + hours: mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/

FEMA now has a (probable) end date, which could easily result in a highly uneven landscape of disaster safety. States would need a major infusion of cash to bolster any FEMA-replacing infrastructure to make this transition safely. More: bit.ly/4mXAREM