Articles by Cara Brown McCormick

Trump and cannabis
Will Trump Reclassify Cannabis This Week?
A massive fistfight broke out on the floor of the Mexican Senate on August 27 as lawmakers clashed over whether the United States should step in to confront Mexico’s drug cartels. The chaos in Mexico comes just as President Donald Trump is preparing to make news of his own. With a single announcement, he could deal a financial blow to the cartels without firing a shot....
29 Aug, 2025
-
4 min read
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Republicans currently hold a narrow 219 to 212 edge over Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with four vacancies: three from Democratic members who have died and one from a Republican who has resigned. This is the smallest House majority held by either party in nearly a century. The razor-thin margin means the stakes in the 2026 midterms could not be higher. With so few competitive seats left nationwide, both parties are turning to mid-decade redistricting as a way to secure advantages....
27 Aug, 2025
-
10 min read
Who is running for governor in 2026
Who’s Running for Governor of California in 2026?
California voters are lucky. In 2026, when they choose their next governor, they will do so under a system that ensures no spoilers, no wasted votes, and a guaranteed majority winner. Thanks to the state’s nonpartisan top two primary, every candidate appears on the same ballot, and the top two finishers advance to November. No matter how crowded the field, Californians always end up with a winner who has earned a majority of the votes....
26 Aug, 2025
-
10 min read
Hand in ballot that says independent on it.
Why 1.2 Million California Independents Are The Biggest Wild Card in American Politics Today
The fate of Proposition 50, California’s proposed redistricting measure, may come down to voters who have declined to join one of the two major political parties....
22 Aug, 2025
-
5 min read
Person installing solar panels on roof.
How Californians Without Solar Got Stuck Paying for Those Who Do
Californians pay the ...
19 Aug, 2025
-
9 min read
Two symbols of the major parties squaring off in a boxing ring that says Texas on it.
Once More Unto the Breach: TX Gov Calls for Second Attempt to Deliver GOP-Friendly Maps
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wasted no time in escalating the state’s redistricting battle. Within two hours of the previous special session ending on August 15, Abbott called lawmakers back to Austin with instructions to deliver a new map....
15 Aug, 2025
-
7 min read
Gavin Newsom frowning
Gavin Newsom Has a Big Problem
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Governor Gavin Newsom is finding out the hard way that Californians, especially...
14 Aug, 2025
-
3 min read
Elon Musk America Party
How Is Elon Musk’s Third Party Planning Going?
The America Party was announced in the middle of a public breakup between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. The two parted ways at the end of May. Musk criticized Trump’s signature tax cut and his “Big Beautiful Bill,” which tied immigration crackdowns to massive new spending. ...
13 Aug, 2025
-
4 min read
Cannabis plants
Schedule 1 v. Schedule 3 : Does Trump Know Why the Illicit Market Doesn’t Want Cannabis Legalization?
The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported August 8 that President Donald Trump said privately at a fundraiser that he was open to reclassifying cannabis under federal law, a move that could have far-reaching implications for the legal industry, the illicit market, national drug policy, and electoral politics in the 2026 cycle. ...
12 Aug, 2025
-
6 min read