(Original Caption) 3/04/1968-Des Moines, Iowa: Mary Beth Tinker and her brother, John, display two black armbands, the objects of the US Supreme Court’s agreement March 4th to hear arguments on how far public schools may go in limiting the wearing of political symbols. 

(Photy by Getty Images)

If the goal of the movement is to engage people as broadly as possible, as well as to demonstrate power, then the armbands can offer additional options and bring the day of protests into more places.

Paul Rogat Loeb

Apr 12, 2026 Common Dreams

Major unions like the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and citizen groups like Indivisible and Public Citizen, are calling for a national May Day strike. It’s a powerful idea, building off of a Minnesota day this past January where people didn’t go to work or school, didn’t shop, and didn’t otherwise participate in ordinary activities. The Minnesota day was spearheaded by major unions, 700 local businesses closed in solidarity, and 75,000-100,000 people marched in the streets.

For the national day, I’d suggest adding one more element: incorporating armbands, like black armbands, so people who are participating can make clear their sympathies. And those who can’t take off from work or school, or who are retired, so have no jobs to leave, can show support as well.

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The armband idea comes from the October 15, 1969 Vietnam Moratorium. They didn’t call it a strike, but it was a similar day of marches, walkouts, teach-ins, and other activities that gave as many ways as possible to participate. Two million participated in the day’s marches, but far more in other activities. New York City’s Council endorsed it. Milwaukee held a funeral procession. Small towns rang church bells to commemorate the dead. The Moratorium took place while President Richard Nixon was threatening North Vietnam with nuclear weapons, and although Nixon said at the time the protests made no difference to him, he later revealed that the breadth of support led him to back off from the threat.

I was in high school in Los Angeles. I wore my black armband to school and my after-school job at a drugstore. My manager told me to take it off. I resisted as politely as I could. As I recall, he finally backed down. Another friend wore his armband at his high school in a mill town north of Seattle. In both cases, the armbands got people talking and thinking. They gave an additional way to participate for those who couldn’t join the walkouts. They reinforced anti-war solidarity. US soldiers in Vietnam even wore armbands as a way of joining the protests, following a full-page New York Times ad signed by 1,366 active service members.

So why not include a call for armbands as part of the May Day strike? It’s true that some people might use them as a substitute for visibly leaving jobs or schools. But if the goal of the movement is to engage people as broadly as possible, as well as to demonstrate power, then the armbands can offer additional options and bring the day of protests into more places. They’re an alternative for retired people who don’t have jobs to walk out of. They’re one more antidote to powerlessness, allowing people to participate step by step. It seems important to add them as part of the day’s organizing.

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• DIY Option: A piece of black cloth, ribbon, or fabric securely pinned to the sleeve is a common, traditional method. Common Dreams +2

Paul Rogat Loeb

Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of “Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times” (2010) and “The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear”, named the #3 political book of 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association. See www.paulloeb.org

Full Bio >

Rebecca Solnit

The daily news can’t adequately convey the administration’s sabotaging of our government, economy, alliances and environment

Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House on 9 December in Washington DC, where the East Wing once stood. Photograph: Pablo Martínez Monsiváis/AP

Sun 12 Apr 2026 (TheGuardian.com)

The United States is being murdered, and it’s an inside job. Every department, every branch, every bureau and function of the federal government is being fatally corrupted or altogether dismantled or disabled. All this is common knowledge, but because it dribbles out in news stories about this specific incident or department, the reports never adequately describe an administration sabotaging the functioning of the federal government and also trashing the global economy, international alliances and relationships, and the national and global environment in ways that will have downstream consequences for decades and perhaps, especially when it comes to climate, centuries.

Across the branches of government, the services that are supposed to protect us – nuclear stockpile monitoring, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism – are being undermined, understaffed or trashed. A different kind of protection that consists of public health, vaccination programs, food safety, clean air and water, social services, civil rights and the rule of law is also under attack. The federal government that serves us is being starved while the federal government that serves the Trump agenda and the oligarchy is glutting itself on taxpayer money, including the grotesque sums dumped on the Department of Homeland Security and the US military now being warped into Pete Hegseth’s twisted vision of a ruthless mercenary force. Hegseth has reportedly stood in the way of promotions for more than a dozen Black and female officers.

It is striking that the Trump team’s constant refrain is that we cannot afford to protect the vulnerable or provide for the people, which is why the richest person in the world, Elon Musk, atop Doge, destroyed USAID last year, which has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths from starvation and preventable disease. The Iran war is creating a fertilizer crisis in Europe, Africa and Asia that may also result in widespread famine. Meanwhile, the former head of homeland security Kristi Noem spent more than $200m on an ad campaign starring herself before she was fired.

Although there are far worse things about the utterly gratuitous and literally unjustified war on Iran, the fact that it burns through billions a day is striking, given that huge cuts are being made to environmental protection and national parks, and the forest service is being effectively sabotaged, while public lands are being offered up to fossil fuel companies and mining interests. The forest service headquarters are being moved across the country, which will probably cause many resignations, like the similar move of the Bureau of Land Management in Trump’s first term. More than 50 forest service research stations are being cut, meaning more loss of irreplaceable ongoing research, data, facilities and staff.

Trump said in his droning dullard speech last week: “We can’t take care of daycare. We’re a big country … We’re fighting wars … It’s not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things.” Your money, our money, our public lands, our kids. Trump even bribed the builders of offshore windfarms almost a billion dollars to stop, just because he has a personal vendetta against the clean energy systems. The US used to lead the world in scientific research, including medical research, which had led to important breakthroughs in disease treatment and health, but all that has been slashed to the bone and beyond. This is murder.

The old aphorism about how long it takes an aircraft carrier to turn around might be why the nation seems relatively stable, and why reactions have been inadequate; the full impact is yet to come. At some point if the ship doesn’t turn around, maybe it will start taking on water or listing badly or hit an iceberg, or perhaps the iceberg has been there all along and is named Donald Trump. He has started a war for no particular reason – the word fun was deployed – that is further undermining the global economy he already badly damaged with his ever-fluctuating tariffs. Enterprises need to be able to plan, and tariffs that triple and melt away and pop up again like his moods undermine the ability to do so. In much the same way, threats that aren’t carried out, talks that never took place, administration actions that the courts reverse become forms of political whiplash, jerking everyone and everything around, a show of force that is also a show of incoherence and inconsistency.

We need to talk about the reconstruction a ravaged and corrupted country has to go through to return to functionality

But the offensiveness may be a distraction from the destructiveness. A whole sector of mainstream media now functions as spirit mediums attempting to interpret Trump’s actions to try to fit them into the context of competent leadership and coherent and consistent agendas. If there was a coherent agenda, it would be a destructive one, a malevolent one. The newly popular slogan “the purpose of a system is what it does” is useful here, because what this system does is weaken, damage, corrupt and harm. The idea that there’s a coherent agenda driven by Vladimir Putin works in the sense that most of what Trump has done is good for the ageing Russian dictator while also bad for the US.

It’s also evident that Trump wanted to come back into office in part to revenge himself on a country that in 2020 had rejected him, the way an ex-partner sometimes becomes a murderous stalker of the woman who dared to escape him, and specifically revenge himself on the individuals and institutions that had prosecuted him for crimes or otherwise thwarted him. Trump at some level knows he’s failing politically, cognitively and physically and wants to take it all down with him, the way that ancient rulers were buried with their slaughtered horses and servants. He’s also, as mortality breathes down his neck, trying to grab some immortality by sticking his name on buildings and park passes and currency.

But trying to understand motives is something of a hobby when the focus needs to be on consequences. We do not need to understand these criminals in order to try to contain and ultimately remove them. They will not last for ever, and we need to think about what happens when they’re gone – to talk about the kind of reconstruction the US will face for the first time since the civil war, the reconstruction a ravaged and corrupted country has to go through to return to functionality. But not to return to the way things were.

It’s the antidemocratic weaknesses in our system that created the vulnerabilities that let this happen – the electoral college and voter suppression that gave Trump a minority victory in 2016, the gerrymandering that has given a minority party majority power in Congress and statehouses, a grotesquely corrupted and unaccountable supreme court and the corrosive influence of the ultra-wealthy in a system that gives them power on a scale that is a direct assault on democracy. We need to imagine a more democratic, more egalitarian, more generous country, one that operates in recognition of an abundance of wealth that should serve all of us – and nature and future generations too – rather than is driven by the moral poverty of billionaires.

• Rebecca Solnit is a Guardian US columnist. Her newest book is The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change

By Christian Leonard,Staff WriterUpdated April 12, 2026 9:05 a.m.

Gift Article

Candidates and their supporters have aired political ads more than 1.3 million times since the start of 2025, according to data from advertising researcher AdImpact.Benjamin Fanjoy/For the S.F. Chronicle

Tom Steyer and Matt Mahan are running on housing and education. Eric Swalwell and Antonio Villaraigosa are running against Donald Trump.

The candidates for California governor are spending millions of dollars on ads to define themselves against these issues — and more.

Candidates and their supporters have aired political ads more than 1.3 million times since the start of 2025, according to data from advertising researcher AdImpact. The Chronicle analyzed data from those ads to determine how much money each campaign has spent on blanketing airwaves and streaming services, and which topics come up most often.

Billionaire and former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer has poured by far the most money, most of it from his own pocket, into advertisements. As of April 9, he’d spent roughly $89 million on more than 1 million ad airings, becoming a regular feature in Californians’ commercial breaks and social media feeds. The ads had drawn about 2.9 billion views among people ages 35 and above, according to AdImpact’s estimate.

Steyer’s campaign has been so expansive that he’s spent more than $1 million on ads that, by AdImpact’s measure, reached zero people. Almost all of those ads aired around midnight.

Other candidates’ ad spending similarly matched the size of their campaign funds. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and a few third-party groups backing his campaign, spent about $12 million on airings, while Rep. Eric Swalwell — whose campaign is now in doubt among allegations of sexual assault — spent more than $5 million.

Candidates for the 2026 CA governor election, by money spent on ads

Among ads run from 2025 onward, with views among people 35+. Data includes ads run by the candidate and groups supporting them

Tom Steyer spent by far the most money, at nearly $90 million and getting 2.9 billion viewers. He was followed by Matt Mahan, who spent $12 million and received about 290,000 viewers.

*Viewer estimates were not available for Katie Porter or Steve Hilton.

Table: Christian Leonard / S.F. ChronicleSource: AdImpact

Some candidates, including former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and former state Controller Betty Yee, have spent much less money on advertising, though the data doesn’t include the videos they’ve posted to their own social media accounts. Conservative commentator Steve Hilton spent less than $500 on a series of social media videos, according to the data. Fellow Republican and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco recorded no ads.

Because Steyer has run by far the most advertisements, the issues he brings up — including housing and utility costs — dominate the candidates’ overall screen time. But pro-Mahan ads also often center on housing. In fact, 43% of all candidates’ ads that aired between the start of 2025 and April 9, 2026, mentioned the topic.

Issues in the 2026 CA governor election, by how often ads mention them

For every time an ad was run from 2025 onward. Data omits ads run by candidates who have dropped

Housing is by far the most-often-mentioned issue in the race, with 43% of ads referencing it. It’s followed by education and energy at 38% and 27% respectively.

AdImpact’s data only includes up to three issues mentioned in an ad, meaning some topics may go uncounted if the ad references more issues than that.

Still, there are some general patterns in the issues some candidates return to. Yee and Porter, for example, have been more likely than other candidates to criticize lobbying and special interest influence. Swalwell, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra have put opposition to Trump at the forefront of many of their videos.

Issues in the 2026 CA governor election, by how often ads mention them

Mentions across all ads run by each candidate and their supporters from 2025 onward

Table showing how often campaign ads for candidates in the 2026 California governor’s race mention key issues, based on ads run since 2025. Mentions vary widely by candidate: Antonio Villaraigosa frequently references immigration (73%) and Donald Trump (72%), while Eric Swalwell and Xavier Becerra mention Trump and immigration in nearly all ads; Steve Hilton focuses almost entirely on the economy (100%), and Betty Yee’s ads emphasize Trump and special interests (both 100%) with little mention of other issues.

AdImpact’s data lists up to three issues referenced by an ad, so some issues are undercounted.

Table: Christian Leonard / S.F. ChronicleSource: AdImpact

What’s not included in the table above are the ads run by “California is Not for Sale,” one of the few committees so far that have organized entirely in opposition to a candidate. The group, which is mostly funded by the California Association of Realtors, has spent roughly $1.8 million on attack ads against Steyer.

Some of the candidates have thrown a few punches, too. Steyer has spent roughly $1.5 million on airings of an ad attacking Swalwell, while Villaraigosa has spent a much smaller sum — about $17,000 — on Spanish-language ads criticizing Becerra.

April 12, 2026|Updated April 12, 2026 9:05 a.m.

Christian Leonard

Data Reporter

Christian Leonard is a data reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in 2022 as a Hearst Developer Fellow. He previously worked as a senior staff writer at the Outlook News Group, a collection of community newspapers in Los Angeles County. He is a graduate of Biola University, from which he received a bachelor’s degree in journalism and integrated media, and interned at NBC Los Angeles.

Jubilant Hungarians wave flags to celebrate the resounding Tisza win in parliamentary elections on April 12, 2026 in Budapest. 

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

“Europe has always chosen Hungary,” said the head of the European Union. “Together, we are stronger.”

Brett Wilkins

Apr 12, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)

Far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday conceded defeat to conservative European lawmaker Peter Magyar in parliamentary elections that ended 16 years of increasingly authoritarian Christian nationalist rule amid overt interference from the Trump administration and alleged covert meddling by Russia.

“The election result is not final yet, but it is understandable and clear,” Orbán said. “The election result is painful for us, but clear. The responsibility and possibility of governing was not given to us. I have congratulated the winner.”

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“We will serve our country and the Hungarian nation from the opposition,” he added.

Magyar, who leads the socially conservative but democratic Tisza Party, said on social media that “just now, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has congratulated me on our victory in a phone call.”

Tisza is projected to win 135 seats in the 199-seat Országgyűlés, or Parliament, with nearly half of all votes counted, according to the national election office. Orbán’s Fidesz party is projected to control 57 seats, based on results as of Sunday evening.

Magyar had promised that “step by step, brick by brick, we are taking back our homeland and building a new country, a sovereign, modern, European Hungary.”

Domestic and international critics have long accused Orbán of systematically eroding Hungary’s democratic institutions, tightening his grip over the country’s political system, and consolidating control over much of the media to strengthen Fidesz’s rule.

After serving a single term as prime minister from 1998-2002, Orbán was elected again in 2010 and served four consecutive terms, thanks to passage by Fidesz-led lawmakers of the so-called “Fundamental Law” and other illiberal measures.

Human rights deteriorated markedly during Orbán’s tenure, especially for LGBTQ+ people, migrants, women, and Roma. The European Union has withheld billions of dollars in funding in response.

EU leaders have condemned Orbán’s rule, calling his government a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy.” Orbán describes it as “illiberal democracy,” while touting its universal appeal to international conservatives, including US President Donald Trump.

European leaders also bristled at Orban’s warm personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, although the Hungarian leader did condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and voted along with the rest of the 27-nation EU to impose economic sanctions on Moscow.

Russia is accused of trying to influence the outcome of the election in favor of Fidesz via a coordinated online disinformation campaign. At a massive election eve rally and concert in Budapest, thousands of attendees chanted in unison, “Russians go home!”

https://embed.bsky.app/embed/did:plc:nb6uhiglzowsdcbgwv2itwa7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj6rzlvk322q?id=5891540640476465&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.commondreams.org%252Fnews%252F2026-hungarian-election&colorMode=system

Trump and senior members of his administration had openly backed Orbán, with the president promising “to use the full economic might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s economy” if the prime minister was reelected.

US Vice President JD Vance traveled to Budapest last week to campaign for Orbán. While decrying what he called “disgraceful” interference by the EU—of which Hungary is a member—Vance added that he wanted to “help as much as I can possibly help” to secure Orbán’s reelection.

https://embed.bsky.app/embed/did:plc:t6ubj2wlhc34awzcymh3qpur/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjd5e5doks2e?id=06703014301326238&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.commondreams.org%252Fnews%252F2026-hungarian-election&colorMode=system

Orbán has also accused Ukraine of election interference, although he has provided no evidence supporting his claim.

Responding to alleged foreign meddling, Magyar said on social media that “this is our country.”

“Hungarian history is not written in Washington, Moscow, or Brussels—it is written in Hungary’s streets and squares,” he insisted.

Numerous world leaders congratulated Magyar.

“Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media. “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together, we are stronger. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “The Hungarian people have decided. My heartfelt congratulations on your electoral success. I am looking forward to working with you. Let’s join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe.”

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that “France welcomes what has been a victory in terms of people taking part in the democratic process, and a victory which shows the attachment of the Hungarian people to the values of the European Union and for Hungary’s role in Europe.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson cheered “Tisza’s historic victory in the Hungarian election!”

“I look forward to working closely with you—as allies and EU Members,” Kristersson added. “This marks a new chapter in the history of Hungary.”

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.

Brett Wilkins

Brett Wilkins is a staff writer for Common Dreams.

Full Bio >

Updated 18 hours ago –Politics & Policy (Axios.com)

• Andrew Solender

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced Sunday he is suspending his campaign for governor amid allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual misconduct, which he denies.

Why it matters: Swalwell was one of the Democratic frontrunners in the race. His exit is a colossal shakeup of what has already been one of the most volatile gubernatorial races in recent memory.

What they’re saying: “I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” Swalwell wrote in a post on X.

• “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”

Between the lines: Swalwell offered no indication he plans to give up his House seat, amid calls from colleagues in both parties for him to resign.

• “Good first step. Now resign from Congress or face expulsion,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) wrote in response to Swalwell’s post.
• Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has said she plans to force a vote to expel Swalwell when the House returns to session this week, though that would require a two-thirds majority to pass.

Zoom in: Swalwell lost nearly all of his endorsements in the 24 hours after four women accused him of sexual misconduct on Friday.

• All 21 of the House and Senate Democrats who had been supporting his campaign rescinded their support, with several Democratic Party leaders calling on him to exit the race.
• Powerful unions and state lawmakers who had been supporting him similarly distanced themselves shortly after the allegations surfaced.

Zoom out: Swalwell leaves behind a crowded field of contenders for the California governorship.

• Among the other leading Democratic candidates in the June 2 free-for-all primary are billionaire Tom Steyer and former Rep. Katie Porter.
• Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former state Controller Betty Yee and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are also running as Democrats.
• Republican political commentator Steve Hilton — President Trump’s pick for the role — and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are running as Republicans.

Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

NYC Mayor’s Office Streamed live 5 hours ago Mayor Mamdani Delivers 100 Days Address Knockdown Center 52-19 Flushing Ave Maspeth April 12, 2026

Associated Press Apr 12, 2026 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat on Sunday after what he called a ″painful″ election result, ending 16 years in power for a powerful figure in the far-right movement allied with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/Associ

CBC News Apr 12, 2026 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat to opposition leader Péter Magyar on Sunday after what he called a ‘painful’ election result, ending his 16-year reign. The powerful figure in the far-right movement was allied with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

DW News Apr 12, 2026 Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar is set to form the next government in Budapest after incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat in an historic election. Early official results showed his Tisza party leading across the country. Orban described the result as “painful” and confirmed he had congratulated his rival. The outcome could reshape Hungary’s relationship with the European Union and NATO, and has major implications for Ukraine, where Orban had repeatedly blocked EU support. His defeat also sends shockwaves through right-wing political movements globally, including allies of US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Magyar campaigned on tackling corruption and restoring democratic institutions, while promising to repair ties with European partners. Our correspondents report from both campaign headquarters as Hungary enters a new political era. 00:00 Orban concedes defeat 00:24 Magyar’s campaign on corruption, the Ukraine war, and EU ties 00:42 What we know so far 01:11 Orban camp reaction with DW Correspondent Ferenc Gaal 05:30 DW Correspondant Fanny Facsar from celebrations in the center of Budapest. For more news go to: http://www.dw.com/en/

US Senate candidate from Maine Graham Platner speaks at a town hall at the Leavitt Theater on October 22, 2025 in Ogunquit, Maine.

 (Photo by Sophie Park/Getty Images)

“We need to elect people to the Senate who want to wield power like that,” the Maine Democratic candidate said.

Stephen Prager

Apr 08, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)

US Senate hopeful Graham Platner wants Democrats to “deal with” the Supreme Court if they retake power in November and launch oversight and possible impeachments to remove justices from office.

Amid President Donald Trump’s historic unpopularity, Democrats are heavily favored to retake the House of Representatives and have gained momentum in the Senate, where Platner’s bid to unseat five-term incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) could prove decisive.

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But the Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority has the potential to effectively veto any significant actions a future Democratic Congress or president may seek to take, despite increasing doubts among the American public about its legitimacy and impartiality.

Its image as an independent arbiter of justice has come under further scrutiny as multiple justices have been embroiled in corruption scandals. This is where Platner believes Democrats could have options.

“There is structural power in the Senate to deal with the Supreme Court,” the 41-year-old Marine-turned-oyster farmer told a crowd of supporters during an event this weekend.

He said that if Democrats get a majority, “at that point, I very much think that we need to be exercising ethics oversight over the court.”

Unlike lower court judges, who must comply with a binding ethics code by avoiding partisan campaigning, disclosing conflicts of interest, and recusing themselves in cases where impartiality may be called into question, Supreme Court justices do not have to adhere to these rules.

Although the Supreme Court did adopt an ethics code for the first time in 2023, it is voluntary, and legal groups like the New York City Bar have described it as unenforceable and far short of what is necessary.

Platner said that “if we held Supreme Court justices to the same standards that we held federal judges, there is a compelling case for the impeachment and removal of at least two.”

While he did not specify which two justices he believed could be impeached, it is highly likely that he was referring to Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, two of the furthest right justices, whom he has said have helped transform the court into a “political action wing… of conservatism.”

In 2023, ProPublica published an investigation exposing that Thomas had, for years, accepted gifts from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, including trips on his private jet and superyacht, as well as $6,000-per-month tuition for his grandnephew. None of these were reported on the justice’s ethics disclosures.

It was also revealed that his wife, Ginni Thomas, was heavily involved with right-wing activist groups with business before the Supreme Court, including those that pushed discredited voter fraud claims to overturn Trump’s loss in the 2020 election.

Alito, meanwhile, was revealed to have taken a luxury fishing trip to Alaska with the billionaire hedge fund tycoon Paul Singer, who was directly involved or had financial ties to several entities with business before the court, including a right-wing pro-business group that was pushing to have the court block then-President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness policy.

The justice has also been accused of expressing support for Christian nationalism after a flag was seen flying outside his residence that appeared to express solidarity with the movement and with those who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. A documentarian has also published recordings of the justice speaking about how America must be returned to a “place of Godliness.”

Some Democrats have also raised the possibility of impeaching Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused of lying during his confirmation hearings in 2018 when he was faced with allegations of sexual assault from a former classmate.

Right-wing control of the Supreme Court over the past decade has fundamentally altered the American political landscape by rolling back advancements to reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights, gutting the Voting Rights Act, and hindering environmental regulation.

And as Trump has expressed open contempt for constitutional limits on his power, the court has often indulged him, siding with his administration more than 80% of the time in emergency docket rulings during his second term while granting him broad “immunity” from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.

In addition to impeaching justices, Platner has called for Congress to expand the Supreme Court’s size the next time a Democrat is in the White House, which can be done with a simple majority vote provided the filibuster is suspended.

“But to make that happen,” Platner said, “we need to elect people to the Senate who want to wield power like that, who understand that power matters, that it’s real and you can use it.”

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.

Stephen Prager

Stephen Prager is a staff writer for Common Dreams.

Full Bio >

Hungary’s legislative elections on Sunday are being closely watched in Moscow. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long been Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally within the European Union, and a victory for the opposition Tisza party led by Peter Magyar could undermine the Kremlin’s influence in the bloc.

Issued on: 11/04/2026 – Modified: 11/04/2026 – France24.com

By: Sébastian SEIBT

After 16 years in power doing Russia’s bidding in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party is at risk of losing power in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, with challenger Peter Magyar significantly ahead in polls.

The Kremlin appears to have pulled out all the stops to boost its man in Budapest. An internal intelligence report for Russia’s SVR intelligence service revealed in March outlined a strategy dubbed “the Gamechanger”, which included staging an assassination attempt against Orban to “fundamentally alter the entire paradigm of the election campaign”.

The Hungarian campaign has seen a major escalation in interference, including “documented influence operations, disinformation campaigns and reports of intelligence-linked activities”, says Edit Zgut-Przybylska, a research affiliate at the Democracy Institute of the Central European University in Budapest and a specialist on democratic backsliding.

Moscow has also been accused of dispatching a team of election “specialists” – linked to the GRU, Russian military intelligence – to Budapest to closely monitor these interference operations.

At this point, “what we are seeing is not interference but the collusion between the Hungarian government and Russia”, says Anton Shekhovtsov, director of the Center for Democratic Integrity in Austria and an expert on the links between Moscow and Europe’s far-right parties.

Shekhovtsov noted that US Vice President JD Vance’s joint appearance with Orban in Budapest earlier this week was another attempt by “foreign interests” to influence the vote. Rightwing US President Donald Trump has even promised to boost Hungary’s economy if Orban wins re-election.

Read more’Ready to govern’ Hungary: Former ally Magyar challenges Orban with Europe gun

Putin’s translator and Moscow’s ‘Trojan Horse’

The appointment of Daria Boyarskaya, a former interpreter for Russian President Vladimir Putin, to the observer team overseeing the vote for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has come under fire from Hungarian rights groups as well as European lawmakers. An open letter signed by 56 members of the European Parliament last week called for Boyarskaya to be removed from the role, citing her ties to Moscow.

“Russia has a clear interest in keeping Orban in power, because Hungary has consistently acted as a Trojan Horse of the Kremlin who worked against EU decisions on Ukraine and sanctions against Russia,” says Zgut-Przybylska. 

Putin would lose his “most loyal and reliable” partner within the European Union, she says – a position only underscored by the leak last week of a conversation in which Orban said he was ready to help Putin in any way he can.

“I am at your service,” he told the Russian president.

Russia has also tried to help Orban leverage the war in neighbouring Ukraine to “reframe the election as an existential choice between ‘Peace and stability’ under Fidesz and ‘Chaos and war’ under Tisza”, Zgut-Przybylska says.

But Moscow’s attempts to sow fear do not appear to have convinced an electorate of disgruntled voters who want the government to do more to help them in their daily lives, including in areas like public education and health care. Opposition challenger Magyar, a former member of Orban’s Fidesz who advocates a more pro-European policy, is leading by some 10 points in the polls.

Read moreWhy Hungary’s Viktor Orban is vilifying Ukraine before crucial elections

Incremental change

Even a win for Tisza would not guarantee that it is able to successfully govern Hungary, observes Shekhovtsov, noting that after 16 years in power, Orban’s party and his allies have made deep inroads into Hungarian political institutions. The current prime minister has done everything he can to ensure his allies, political institutions and friendly media outlets outlive him.

But a Magyar win could mean that Hungary “would begin distancing itself from Russia, though Russian influence would not disappear overnight”, Zgut-Przybylska says. Moscow’s influence could even ramp up, as the Kremlin might actively “work to weaken” a new Hungarian government that was looking to normalise relations with the EU.

“Of course there will be huge attempts by the Russians to undermine Magyar,” Shekhovtsov agrees, adding that Moscow can also expect continued support from Orban from within Hungary.  

And Russia still has allies in Europe beyond Hungary – notably in rightwing Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Slovakia – that could continue to undermine pro-Ukraine and pro-European Union policies.

Slovakia would, however, be a weaker replacement as a Russian partner since it is more integrated into the European system and thus has less room for manoeuvre. “Slovakia is part of the eurozone, [so] Fico has more constraints within the EU decision-making system and is less isolated than Hungary,” Zgut-Przybylska says. 

‘Vladimir Putin absolutely nervous’ about Hungary’s election, expert says

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Russia might still be able to rely on Hungarian help even if Magyar wins. While he has promised a more Russo-sceptical approach, he is unlikely to make a complete break with Moscow.

“It’s not good for Russia, but it’s not a complete catastrophe for them either,” says Michael Toomey, a specialist in populism in Central Europe at the University of Glasgow, of a possible Magyar win.

Slovakia and Hungary have insisted on retaining access to cheap Russian oil and gas, arguing against or even blocking sanctions on Moscow.

Magyar reportedly also wants to ensure access to Russian energy resources. 

“There are a lot of structural reasons for Hungary to want to continue to push for access to Russian oil and gas,” Toomey notes. So while Magyar is more likely than Orban to be supportive of Ukraine – and will be “less of a thorn in the side for the EU” – that does not necessarily mean he will always fall into line.

While the EU has called for all member states to end their reliance on Russian energy by 2027, Magyar has already made clear that Hungary would not be able to do this before 2035. 

Read moreHow Orban benefits from Hungary’s tailor-made election system

No one expects Budapest to cut ties with Moscow, says Shekhovtsov. What is expected, he says, is for Hungary “to be a responsible member of the European Union and follow the line of the European Union on Russia”.

And any real break from Russia can only happen if Tisza secures a comfortable majority in Sunday’s vote, which would allow it to avoid making significant ideological compromises just to form a government.

If Magyar wins but doesn’t secure such a majority, Shekhovtsov says, “he will have a huge uphill battle to fight”. 

This article has been translated from the original in French.

by: Alex Baker

Posted: Apr 10, 2026 / (KRON4.com)

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is calling on Rep. Eric Swalwell to drop out of the California governor’s race following bombshell sexual assault allegations. Reports Friday from CNN and in the San Francisco Chronicle detail a pattern of sexual misconduct from Swalwell, who has consistently polled as one of the leading Democrats in the governor’s race.

Pelosi has joined a growing chorus of voices demanding Swalwell exit the race.

“The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard,” said Pelosi in a statement. “This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability.”Former Swalwell staffer claims gubernatorial candidate sexually assaulted her: report

“As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign,” Pelosi added.

Pelosi joins other leading Democrats including Sen. Adam Schiff in demanding that Swalwell exit the race.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has also weighed in, calling the allegations “deeply troubling,” and saying they “must be taken seriously.”

California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis has joined the conversation, issuing the statement: “Californians deserve leaders who meet the highest standards of integrity. The allegations against Congressman Eric Swalwell are deeply troubling, and I commend the women who have come forward for their courage. For the good of the state, I believe he should withdraw from the race for California governor.”

Swalwell, who is married with two children, has vehemently denied all allegations.

“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor,” he told KRON4. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women.”

“I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action,” he continued. “My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”

KRON4 has not independently confirmed any of the allegations.