Taniel
@taniel.bsky.social
Daniel Nichanian. Editor in chief of @boltsmag.org (follow us!). Elections, (local) politics, voting rights, criminal justice, and drag race.
Reposted by Taniel
in case you missed it:
beginning thursday, chicago police will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on the cta—the latest in an escalating series of attacks on unhoused people under mayor brandon johnson’s administration.
beginning thursday, chicago police will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on the cta—the latest in an escalating series of attacks on unhoused people under mayor brandon johnson’s administration.
‘An impossible situation’ - Chicago Reader
Beginning January 1, the City of Chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public transit.
chicagoreader.com
December 29, 2025 at 4:13 PM
in case you missed it:
beginning thursday, chicago police will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on the cta—the latest in an escalating series of attacks on unhoused people under mayor brandon johnson’s administration.
beginning thursday, chicago police will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on the cta—the latest in an escalating series of attacks on unhoused people under mayor brandon johnson’s administration.
Reposted by Taniel
South Tucson Mayor Roxy Valenzuela rejects calls to increase policing as a response to rising homelessness.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
Facing Arizona’s Crackdown on Homelessness, Two Cities Offer Different Responses
State intervention has led Tucson to ramp up sweeps and pass harsh new policies. Officials in the small town of South Tucson have emphasized support and services, even as they face blowback.
boltsmag.org
December 30, 2025 at 1:00 AM
South Tucson Mayor Roxy Valenzuela rejects calls to increase policing as a response to rising homelessness.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
Reposted by Taniel
This is how Christopher Caldwell begins his essay on Zohran Mamdani for the Claremont Review of Books.
Why are these people such freaks?
Why are these people such freaks?
December 29, 2025 at 6:30 PM
This is how Christopher Caldwell begins his essay on Zohran Mamdani for the Claremont Review of Books.
Why are these people such freaks?
Why are these people such freaks?
2025 was just as busy as 2024, so we’ll forgive you if you missed some of our articles at @boltsmag.org!
Our team chose just 10 of our favorite pieces of the year. It was very hard to choose—but these are articles I'd love for you to not miss.
(And: thank you for reading us!) 🧵
Our team chose just 10 of our favorite pieces of the year. It was very hard to choose—but these are articles I'd love for you to not miss.
(And: thank you for reading us!) 🧵
December 29, 2025 at 11:49 PM
2025 was just as busy as 2024, so we’ll forgive you if you missed some of our articles at @boltsmag.org!
Our team chose just 10 of our favorite pieces of the year. It was very hard to choose—but these are articles I'd love for you to not miss.
(And: thank you for reading us!) 🧵
Our team chose just 10 of our favorite pieces of the year. It was very hard to choose—but these are articles I'd love for you to not miss.
(And: thank you for reading us!) 🧵
two headlines to remember what sort of person and governor youngkin has been: a brief 🧵
youngkin ending his term as virginia’s worst governor of the 21st century thus far, with a political career that has gone down the toilet
Politico Gives Youngkin “The Milk Carton Award for Missing Politicians”; Says His “star faded as he hemmed and hawed about running for president last year” – and Badly Lost the 2025 Elections bluevirginia.us/2025/12/poli...
December 29, 2025 at 1:15 PM
two headlines to remember what sort of person and governor youngkin has been: a brief 🧵
Reposted by Taniel
Members of the Massey Commission say that their newly-released recommendations for police reform are an important start, but they need lawmakers to implement their ideas. “It’s going to take us holding the decision makers’ feet to the fire.”
A Police Killing Drew National Protests. At Home, a Commission Struggles with How to Make a Difference.
More than a year after Sonya Massey was killed by police in Illinois, a namesake commission has wrestled over changes that would prevent future tragedies.
boltsmag.org
December 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Members of the Massey Commission say that their newly-released recommendations for police reform are an important start, but they need lawmakers to implement their ideas. “It’s going to take us holding the decision makers’ feet to the fire.”
Thanks to all those who’ve helped Bolts over the last few days! I just checked, and we’re now at roughly 93% of the goal we set… with 3 days of year-end push to go. We’re excited to enter 2026 with such a strong bedrock!
At boltsmag.org, we’re now in final week of our winter fundraiser — we’ve reached more than 85% of the goal we’d set on November 1.
We’re gonna push hard till then to create a lot of room for reporting trips, artwork, freelancing, & all the stuff that
makes you value our journalism. Join us!
We’re gonna push hard till then to create a lot of room for reporting trips, artwork, freelancing, & all the stuff that
makes you value our journalism. Join us!
Support Bolts
We are a nonprofit publication that covers the nuts and bolts of political change, from the local up, and we need reader support to build our journalism.
boltsmag.org
December 29, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Thanks to all those who’ve helped Bolts over the last few days! I just checked, and we’re now at roughly 93% of the goal we set… with 3 days of year-end push to go. We’re excited to enter 2026 with such a strong bedrock!
When I wrote this in mid-December, there were still a handful of legislative races to go thru to close out 2025. All but one have been resolved and nothing has changed: Dems have still flipped 25 (21% of GOP-held seats in play), and GOP has flipped none. Final remaining is Tuesday.
NEW, from me: One startling stat captures just how badly the year went for the GOP.
Democrats flipped 21% of all GOP-held legislative seats at play.
That's thanks to gains they made in six states this year, and I break it all down in my latest:
Democrats flipped 21% of all GOP-held legislative seats at play.
That's thanks to gains they made in six states this year, and I break it all down in my latest:
In 2025, Democrats Flipped 21 Percent of GOP-Held Legislative Seats - Bolts
At the start of Donald Trump’s first presidency, in 2017, large Democratic victories in New Jersey and Virginia, paired with overperformances in special elections, foreshadowed the blue wave of the......
boltsmag.org
December 29, 2025 at 1:30 AM
When I wrote this in mid-December, there were still a handful of legislative races to go thru to close out 2025. All but one have been resolved and nothing has changed: Dems have still flipped 25 (21% of GOP-held seats in play), and GOP has flipped none. Final remaining is Tuesday.
This is about people who are being held pretrial, without a conviction, and yet are blocked from accessing ballots… until Colorado required polling places in jails.
Sheriffs nationwide have enormous control over jail voting access, with many restricting mail and voter guides, making it nearly impossible for incarcerated people to vote. A law in Colorado removed that discretion—and turnout has soared.
Jail Voting Soars in Colorado After State Mandates Polling Places in County Lockups
Local officials had claimed they were already giving detained people ballot access, but the first-in-the-nation mandate forced their hands and increased turnout across the state.
boltsmag.org
December 28, 2025 at 11:56 PM
This is about people who are being held pretrial, without a conviction, and yet are blocked from accessing ballots… until Colorado required polling places in jails.
Reposted by Taniel
Excellent journalism. 👍👏😁
Listicle time: We put together 10 of our favorite @boltsmag.org stories of 2025!
Check out what you may have missed — some extraordinary journalism from my colleagues here, from voting rights & prison conditions to local elections.
Check out what you may have missed — some extraordinary journalism from my colleagues here, from voting rights & prison conditions to local elections.
10 can’t-miss Bolts stories from 2025
Threats to the VRA, volunteer ICE patrols, and more
us20.campaign-archive.com
December 28, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Excellent journalism. 👍👏😁
Reposted by Taniel
Sheriffs nationwide have enormous control over jail voting access, with many restricting mail and voter guides, making it nearly impossible for incarcerated people to vote. A law in Colorado removed that discretion—and turnout has soared.
Jail Voting Soars in Colorado After State Mandates Polling Places in County Lockups
Local officials had claimed they were already giving detained people ballot access, but the first-in-the-nation mandate forced their hands and increased turnout across the state.
boltsmag.org
December 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Sheriffs nationwide have enormous control over jail voting access, with many restricting mail and voter guides, making it nearly impossible for incarcerated people to vote. A law in Colorado removed that discretion—and turnout has soared.
Mark Warner's reelection path is shaping up to be an easy one.
State Senator Bryce Reeves drops out of the 2026 Virginia Senate race
Reeves was the biggest name who announced so far
But any Republican would face an uphill climb in Virginia during Trump midterm
Doesn’t seem like GOP will invest in the race
Reeves was the biggest name who announced so far
But any Republican would face an uphill climb in Virginia during Trump midterm
Doesn’t seem like GOP will invest in the race
December 28, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Mark Warner's reelection path is shaping up to be an easy one.
Listicle time: We put together 10 of our favorite @boltsmag.org stories of 2025!
Check out what you may have missed — some extraordinary journalism from my colleagues here, from voting rights & prison conditions to local elections.
Check out what you may have missed — some extraordinary journalism from my colleagues here, from voting rights & prison conditions to local elections.
10 can’t-miss Bolts stories from 2025
Threats to the VRA, volunteer ICE patrols, and more
us20.campaign-archive.com
December 28, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Listicle time: We put together 10 of our favorite @boltsmag.org stories of 2025!
Check out what you may have missed — some extraordinary journalism from my colleagues here, from voting rights & prison conditions to local elections.
Check out what you may have missed — some extraordinary journalism from my colleagues here, from voting rights & prison conditions to local elections.
Reposted by Taniel
fun fact: conviction registries weren’t supposed to be public.
initially, they were only for law enforcement. but then lawmakers realized they could just keep bashing people with sex offense convictions to score easy political points.
boltsmag.org/illinois-hou...
initially, they were only for law enforcement. but then lawmakers realized they could just keep bashing people with sex offense convictions to score easy political points.
boltsmag.org/illinois-hou...
December 27, 2025 at 7:03 PM
fun fact: conviction registries weren’t supposed to be public.
initially, they were only for law enforcement. but then lawmakers realized they could just keep bashing people with sex offense convictions to score easy political points.
boltsmag.org/illinois-hou...
initially, they were only for law enforcement. but then lawmakers realized they could just keep bashing people with sex offense convictions to score easy political points.
boltsmag.org/illinois-hou...
Tuesday’s special election:
Who's up early? My preview of the Dec. 30 special election in Iowa Senate district 16 is online:
-explaining the odd timing
-political landscape
-background on the candidates, key issues
-campaign spending & GOTV
-early vote totals so far
#ialegis #Iowa
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/12/28/i...
-explaining the odd timing
-political landscape
-background on the candidates, key issues
-campaign spending & GOTV
-early vote totals so far
#ialegis #Iowa
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/12/28/i...
Iowa Senate district 16 preview: Renee Hardman vs. Lucas Loftin
Laura Belin digs into the odd election timing, the Senate district 16 landscape, both candidates' top issues, and early votes banked.
www.bleedingheartland.com
December 28, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Tuesday’s special election:
“Thwaites holds back the vast icy plateau that scientists call the West Antarctic ice sheet. The greater peril would be if Thwaites collapsed and caused the broader ice sheet to melt away, adding another 10 to 15 feet to sea-level rise.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/c...
Bound for Antarctica: A Voyage to Earth’s End Is Underway
www.nytimes.com
December 28, 2025 at 2:00 AM
“Thwaites holds back the vast icy plateau that scientists call the West Antarctic ice sheet. The greater peril would be if Thwaites collapsed and caused the broader ice sheet to melt away, adding another 10 to 15 feet to sea-level rise.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/c...
I posted yesterday that we had crossed 85% of our year-end fundraising goal; we’ve since passed 89% with a few more. days of push to go!
Come on board at any level:
boltsmag.org/donate
Come on board at any level:
boltsmag.org/donate
Looking for a new year's resolution? How about supporting independent news outlets like Bolts! Reader donations help us deliver our essential deep-dive reporting on criminal justice and democracy, from the local up.
Support Bolts
We are a nonprofit publication that covers the nuts and bolts of political change, from the local up, and we need reader support to build our journalism.
boltsmag.org
December 28, 2025 at 1:58 AM
I posted yesterday that we had crossed 85% of our year-end fundraising goal; we’ve since passed 89% with a few more. days of push to go!
Come on board at any level:
boltsmag.org/donate
Come on board at any level:
boltsmag.org/donate
Reposted by Taniel
Massive comms challenge for people who care about voting rights and 2026: make sure people understand these new voter suppression laws re: the timing of mail in voting so that their votes won't be lost — esp. difficult because the laws vary across states, creating ambiguity that can be exploited.
Until Trump began conspiracies about mail voting, Republicans were fully on board with GRACE PERIODS for ballots to arrive as long as postmarked by Election Day. They passed it overwhelmingly in KS, OH, & elsewhere.
But now Trump hates it.
So 4 red states—KS, OH, ND, UT—all banned it this year.
But now Trump hates it.
So 4 red states—KS, OH, ND, UT—all banned it this year.
Ohio Bans Grace Periods for Mail Ballots, Fulfilling Trump’s Wishes - Bolts
Ohio is the fourth GOP-run state this year to ban ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive after. A Supreme Court case could force that policy nationwide next year.
boltsmag.org
December 27, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Massive comms challenge for people who care about voting rights and 2026: make sure people understand these new voter suppression laws re: the timing of mail in voting so that their votes won't be lost — esp. difficult because the laws vary across states, creating ambiguity that can be exploited.
Reposted by Taniel
After President Trump signed a tax cuts package in July, Oregon estimated it would lose $888 million in state tax revenue. A novel workforce development program for incarcerated Oregonians is now set to lose its funding.
Budget Cuts Threaten Oregon Program for Helping People Get Jobs After Prison
The state had recently expanded the novel program for providing one-on-one career coaching, job fairs behind bars, and support for people after release.
boltsmag.org
December 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM
After President Trump signed a tax cuts package in July, Oregon estimated it would lose $888 million in state tax revenue. A novel workforce development program for incarcerated Oregonians is now set to lose its funding.
Reposted by Taniel
A short text explaining what is going on with ICE as a resource for kids (like … teens?) to read or for parents to read and had to talk to kids.
Hi Doug, Thanks for the feedback. Here a revised version:
theimmigrationlab.org/blog/f/under...
theimmigrationlab.org/blog/f/under...
Understanding Deportation for Children
By Ernesto Castañeda, PhD
theimmigrationlab.org
December 27, 2025 at 11:09 PM
A short text explaining what is going on with ICE as a resource for kids (like … teens?) to read or for parents to read and had to talk to kids.
Reposted by Taniel
Two-thirds of voters at Indiana University Bloomington’s sole on-campus polling site used their university ID to vote in the fall of 2024.
Indiana banned students from using these IDs for voting this spring.
Indiana banned students from using these IDs for voting this spring.
Indiana Republicans Are Banning Student IDs for Voting
The new restriction, paired with Indiana’s stringent voter ID rules, is poised to make it much harder for many young people to vote in a state that already ranks near-last in turnout.
boltsmag.org
December 27, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Two-thirds of voters at Indiana University Bloomington’s sole on-campus polling site used their university ID to vote in the fall of 2024.
Indiana banned students from using these IDs for voting this spring.
Indiana banned students from using these IDs for voting this spring.
Reposted by Taniel
Signal boosting
This vehicle in journalism, is actually practicing genuine journalism. That matters
This vehicle in journalism, is actually practicing genuine journalism. That matters
At boltsmag.org, we’re now in final week of our winter fundraiser — we’ve reached more than 85% of the goal we’d set on November 1.
We’re gonna push hard till then to create a lot of room for reporting trips, artwork, freelancing, & all the stuff that
makes you value our journalism. Join us!
We’re gonna push hard till then to create a lot of room for reporting trips, artwork, freelancing, & all the stuff that
makes you value our journalism. Join us!
Support Bolts
We are a nonprofit publication that covers the nuts and bolts of political change, from the local up, and we need reader support to build our journalism.
boltsmag.org
December 26, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Signal boosting
This vehicle in journalism, is actually practicing genuine journalism. That matters
This vehicle in journalism, is actually practicing genuine journalism. That matters
Reposted by Taniel
Christine Woods, a Black resident of Tennessee's Fayette County, sued her county over how it drew local political maps. She says, “Maybe in their mind, the people they were elected to serve—maybe the people they think of don’t look like me.”
Black Residents in West Tennessee Just Won Fairer Districts. Now Comes SCOTUS.
The Supreme Court may further erode the Voting Rights Act in an upcoming decision. Beyond affecting Congress, that would reverberate across local governments nationwide.
boltsmag.org
December 27, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Christine Woods, a Black resident of Tennessee's Fayette County, sued her county over how it drew local political maps. She says, “Maybe in their mind, the people they were elected to serve—maybe the people they think of don’t look like me.”
Until Trump began conspiracies about mail voting, Republicans were fully on board with GRACE PERIODS for ballots to arrive as long as postmarked by Election Day. They passed it overwhelmingly in KS, OH, & elsewhere.
But now Trump hates it.
So 4 red states—KS, OH, ND, UT—all banned it this year.
But now Trump hates it.
So 4 red states—KS, OH, ND, UT—all banned it this year.
Ohio Bans Grace Periods for Mail Ballots, Fulfilling Trump’s Wishes - Bolts
Ohio is the fourth GOP-run state this year to ban ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive after. A Supreme Court case could force that policy nationwide next year.
boltsmag.org
December 27, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Until Trump began conspiracies about mail voting, Republicans were fully on board with GRACE PERIODS for ballots to arrive as long as postmarked by Election Day. They passed it overwhelmingly in KS, OH, & elsewhere.
But now Trump hates it.
So 4 red states—KS, OH, ND, UT—all banned it this year.
But now Trump hates it.
So 4 red states—KS, OH, ND, UT—all banned it this year.
Reposted by Taniel
In Charlotte, hundreds of outraged and concerned community members crowded the pews of Dilworth United Methodist Church to learn how to use whistles to alert their immigrant neighbors of the unwelcome presence of mass deportation agents👇🏽 open.substack.com/pub/americas...
Americans Stood Up and Stood Strong for Their Immigrant Neighbors In 2025
Americans refused to give in to the Trump administration’s hate and stepped up to defend immigrant community members. Let’s carry that energy into the new year.
open.substack.com
December 27, 2025 at 2:47 PM
In Charlotte, hundreds of outraged and concerned community members crowded the pews of Dilworth United Methodist Church to learn how to use whistles to alert their immigrant neighbors of the unwelcome presence of mass deportation agents👇🏽 open.substack.com/pub/americas...