Contra Costa says official ballots for the June 2 primary have been mailed. Oakley voters have City Hall drop‑off and early‑voting hours at the recreation center.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton visited a Dolton food pantry as federal SNAP work‑requirement changes took effect, cutting benefits for roughly 150,000 Illinoisans.

Georgia’s state Senate has subpoenaed Stacey Abrams and former New Georgia Project leaders to appear Friday as part of a probe tied to the group’s 2018 activity. The action follows a $300,000 ethics consent order earlier this year.

President Trump announced he will elevate two judges he first appointed in 2019 — Daniel Traynor and Daniel Domenico — to the federal appeals bench after high‑profile trial‑court rulings. The moves were posted on Truth Social and will head to the Senate for confirmation.

Protesters gathered outside the Sentinel Hotel in Portland after unconfirmed reports that FBI Director Kash Patel was in town for a funeral; demonstrators said they used flight‑tracking data.

City Hall is poised to renew Securus’s Rikers phone and tablet contract even as reporting shows the company trained AI on jail calls and DOI documented improper recordings.

A bipartisan Ohio Senate bill would expand the civil time window for many sexual‑assault claims from one year to five, with sponsors saying survivors need more time to seek redress. The measure is awaiting committee action.

Reynolds teachers delivered a petition to Gov. Tina Kotek asking to tap the state’s Education Stability Fund as the district faces a $20M shortfall and 158 staff cuts.

The Interior Department finalized the rollback of the Biden‑era Public Lands Rule, removing a path for conservation leases and clearing the way for more drilling, logging and grazing. Conservation groups vow legal fights while industry praises the move.

A school-board vote tonight could restore police on a Seattle campus, reviving a bitter debate over safety, equity and who responds to campus incidents.

Rep. Andy Biggs dropped two TV spots attacking Gov. Katie Hobbs. Our fact‑check finds real complaints and important missing context on gas, housing and a Mexico City trip.

Maj. Terrence Benn will serve as acting police chief starting June 1 as Howard County grapples with fallout from recent deadly incidents and calls for reform.

House Oversight Chair James Comer has asked OpenAI’s Sam Altman for audit‑committee files and conflict‑of‑interest policies after new disclosures raised questions about private investments.