The Big Story

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014, is facing impeachment efforts in Congress. A judicial investigation found Judge Ross engaged in sexual activity in chambers, attended a political campaign event, and initially denied the misconduct before later admitting it. Ross received a private reprimand, but two Republican lawmakers have since introduced articles of impeachment.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• The investigation is over, the misconduct was confirmed, and the judiciary already handed down a punishment.
• The discipline should be allowed to stand unless new information emerges.

From the Right

• The findings go beyond poor judgment and include false statements during the investigation.
• The discipline does not go far enough, and Congress should consider impeachment.

What This Means for Us

Federal judges serve for life so they can make decisions based on the law without worrying about politics or elections.

If Judge Ross were ultimately removed, her cases would be reassigned and the president would nominate a replacement, who would then need Senate confirmation.

This case highlights how our legal system balances protecting judges from political pressure while also holding them accountable for misconduct.

How They Make Money

Bloomberg L.P.

• Founded in 1981, Bloomberg L.P. owns Bloomberg Law, a subscription service used by legal professionals across the country.
• Bloomberg generates an estimated $13 billion to $14 billion in annual revenue, largely from subscriptions to its financial data, news, and research platforms. Bloomberg Law helped identify Eleanor Ross after the Judicial Council report did not publicly name the judge.

Takeaway

Some of the biggest stories start with someone reading a document most of us never see.

The Number That Stuck With Me

15

Only 15 federal judges have been impeached in U.S. history, and just 8 have been removed from office.

Our phones know where we are. What most of us don’t realize is that some phone companies were making money by allowing access to our location data to random third-parties.

This practice made headlines in 2018. Nearly eight years later, the issue reached the Supreme Court.

What started all of this?

AT&T and Verizon shared customer location data with companies called location aggregators.

Think of these as middlemen between the phone company and businesses that wanted location information. Some uses were legitimate, like roadside assistance.

But the data didn’t always stop there.

In 2018, reports revealed serious problems with how that data was being accessed and shared. According to the Court’s opinion, one investigation found that location information could be obtained using improper documentation.

That raised a bigger question: If your phone company knows where you are, who else can find out?

Why were the companies fined?

The FCC investigated and said AT&T and Verizon failed to adequately protect customer location data. The agency issued penalties of roughly $57 million against AT&T and $47 million against Verizon.

The FCC’s argument was simple: customers trusted phone companies with highly sensitive information, and the companies failed to put strong enough safeguards the information.

Why did the telecom companies go to court?

The companies were not asking the Supreme Court to decide whether they mishandled customer data.

Instead, they challenged the FCC’s process. Their argument was that if the government wants to impose tens of millions of dollars in penalties, companies should get a jury trial before those penalties are issued.

What did the Supreme Court decide?

The Supreme Court ruled 8–1 in favor of the FCC.

The Court said the FCC can issue a forfeiture order without a jury because that order does not automatically force the company to pay. If a company refuses to pay, the government has to bring a civil lawsuit. At that point, the company still gets a jury trial.

So the ruling does not mean the FCC can collect money however it wants. dIt means the FCC can start the enforcement process and issue penalties, but the courts still matter if payment is challenged.

Why does this matter to us?

This case is really about privacy. Your phone’s location reveals where you live, work, go, and spend your time.

The Supreme Court’s decision keeps one of the FCC’s main privacy enforcement tools in place when it believes companies have failed to protect that information.

The Big Story

Early results show Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton leading. Under California’s election system, the top two vote-getters move to the November general election, where California’s voters will choose the state’s next governor.

California is home to nearly 40 million people, the largest state economy in America, and about 1 in 5 immigrants living in the United States.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• California should continue using government programs to address housing, healthcare, and homelessness.
• Focus on building more affordable housing, expanding healthcare access, and funding programs to reduce homelessness.

From the Right

• California should focus on whether government has become too costly and ineffective at solving major problems.
• Focus on lowering costs, increasing accountability, and reducing regulations that make daily life more expensive.

What This Means for Us

California is the most populous state. Its economy is worth about $4 trillion a year, which accounts for $1 out of every $7 generated in the U.S. economy.

Because so many companies operate there, decisions made in California affect the products we buy, the prices we pay, and the jobs companies create.

How They Make Money

Walmart

• Walmart employs more than 300,000 people in California, making it the state’s largest private employer.
• About 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart, giving the company enormous reach when labor, healthcare, or workplace laws change.

Takeaway

A company with 300,000 California employees pays close attention to who wins the governor’s office.

The Number That Stuck With Me

22%

California is home to about 22% of all immigrants in the United States.

The Big Story

Democrats and Republicans disagree on one big question: how much of a role should government play in helping solve our country’s problems?

The political debates and headlines we see in taxes, healthcare, education, business, and tech come back to that question.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Government should create opportunities through healthcare, education, and other public services.
• Public investment and support helps more people get access to those opportunities.

From the Right

• People should have more control over the decisions that affect their lives.
• Individuals, businesses, and local communities can solve public problems without federal involvement.
  

What This Means for Us

Democrats ask, “How can government help?”

Republicans ask, “How can people solve this themselves?”

Democrats believe more government involvement solves problems. Republicans believe people, businesses, and local communities know best.

The real debate is where the balance should be.

How They Make Money

Fairshake

• Fairshake is a Super PAC, or political action committee, that raises money from cryptocurrency companies and investors who want to influence elections and public policy.
• It uses the donations to fund political ads and support candidates whose policies might affect the future of the crypto industry.

Takeaway

Politics is really a conversation about who should have more control over resources: the government, businesses, individuals, or some combination of all three.

The Number That Stuck With Me

535

More than 340 million Americans are affected by decisions made by just 535 members of Congress.

Some prefer permanent Daylight Saving Time for later sunsets. Others prefer permanent Standard Time for brighter winter mornings.

That disagreement has stalled multiple proposals, including the Sunshine Protection Act.

Why Longer Days Matter

One of the main reasons to favor Daylight Savings Time is that when daylight lingers, people spend more time outside after work.

Restaurants, golf courses, parks, and outdoor venues all see more customers during longer daylight hours, which means daylight after work leads to more consumer spending.

What Health Experts See

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says our bodies respond better to natural morning sunlight and more consistent sleep schedules.

They have also found that the spring clock change may be linked to:

• increases in traffic accidents after we lose an hour of sleep
• higher workplace injury rates in the days after the time shift
• sleep disruption that takes several days for the body to adjust to

The Bigger Debate

Another reason Daylight Saving Time gets complicated is geography. If permanent Daylight Saving Time became law, some northern states would stay dark much later during winter mornings.

For example, parts of Minnesota would see sunrise close to 8:00 AM, while parts of Michigan and Indiana would push closer to 8:30 AM. That means dark mornings for millions of people during winter months.

The Real Question Behind Daylight Saving Time

While the time change seems like a small annoyance, the bigger conversation is really about how we want to live our daily lives.

Do we value brighter mornings to start the day or more daylight after work to spend time outside, shop, travel, or be with family?

The Big Story

The Department of Justice (DOJ) says the proposed Anti-Weaponization Fund is not new territory.

Officials pointed to the Keepseagle case, a $760 million settlement created after Native American farmers said they faced years of unfair treatment in federal farm loan programs.

Now the debate is shifting to what happens when the settlement funds still have millions left over after claims are paid.

The Two Spins

Weaponization Fund

• This new fund is meant to help people or organizations the DOJ says were financially harmed by unfair government actions, regardless of political affiliation.
• Any unused money left in the fund returns to the federal government.

Keepseagle Case

• This fund was created to compensate Native American farmers and ranchers who were denied fair access to federal farm loans.
• More than $300 million remained unused and was later redirected to Native American nonprofit organizations.

What This Means for Us

Headlines like this shape how we view fairness, accountability, and how much trust we place in our government.

When large funds are created to fix claims of unfair treatment, we all start paying attention to who qualifies, who decides, and whether the process feels fair, even if we are not directly involved ourselves.

How They Make Money

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

• The nonprofit has been involved in major constitutional rights cases connected to school segregation, free speech, and government treatment of citizens, including Brown v. Board of Education and Korematsu v. United States.
• It helps fund lawsuits involving civil rights and government accountability through donations, memberships, grants, and legal advocacy programs.

Takeaway

Big settlements do more than compensate people, they shape future rules, oversight, and our protections.

The Number That Stuck With Me

3,600

More than 3,600 Native American farmers and ranchers reportedly received payments through the Keepseagle settlement.

The Big Story

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a new Anti-Weaponization Fund on Monday.

The fund was created over concerns that federal investigations or government power may have been used unfairly for political reasons.

It’s also adding to a larger debate about whether federal agencies and investigations are applied fairly across political lines.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Creating the fund could increase public distrust in federal institutions.
• Focus should be on protecting independent investigations and improving transparency inside federal agencies.

From the Right

• Recognizes concerns that federal power has been applied unevenly in recent years.
• Oversight is needed when investigations affect businesses, finances, or reputations.

What This Means for Us

Most of us will never deal directly with the Justice Department. But trust in our country’s systems affects us more than we realize.

When we stop believing rules are applied fairly, it changes how we view courts, elections, banks, police, businesses, and even the news. And once trust starts breaking down, we all become less confident in the systems we live, work, and play freely in.

How They Make Money

American Bar Association

• The nonprofit helps shape legal ethics standards used by lawyers, courts, and businesses, and has weighed in on issues like civil rights, free speech, and voting laws.
• They represents more than 400,000 members and bring in millions through memberships, legal training, certifications, publishing, and attorney conferences.

Takeaway

Entire industries exist to ensure laws, standards, and public systems stay trusted and consistent.

The Number That Stuck With Me

$1.7 billion

The new DOJ Anti-Weaponization Fund is expected to receive about $1.776 billion in federal settlement funding.

The Big Story

Mississippi’s governor canceled a special session after the Fifth Circuit paused a judge’s order requiring the state to redraw some Supreme Court voting districts.

The judge said the current maps weaken Black voting power, so lawmakers were preparing changes before the 2026 elections. Now the existing maps stay in place while the legal fight continues.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• District lines should better reflect Mississippi’s population, so minority communities have meaningful influence in elections.
• District maps affect whether communities have enough voting power to influence elections and representation.

From the Right

• District lines should prioritize geographic consistency and local boundaries instead of focusing heavily on racial demographics.
• Map changes close to elections create confusion for voters, candidates, and local election officials.

What This Means for Us

District lines help decide who gets elected to make decisions about schools, roads, healthcare, taxes, and local growth.

That affects where money gets spent, which projects move forward, and which communities get the most political attention over time.

How They Make Money

BakerHostetler

• Founded in Cleveland in 1916, BakerHostetler now has an Election and Political Law team handling voting, recount, and redistricting cases nationwide.
• The firm worked on legal matters tied to the 2000 Bush vs. Gore presidential recount, showing how election disputes can become major long-term legal business.

Takeaway

In America, shifting political power often starts with lawyers, courtrooms, and lines on a map long before Election Day.

The Number That Stuck With Me

1987

Mississippi’s Supreme Court voting districts have mostly stayed unchanged since 1987, that’s nearly 40 years ago.

The Big Story

The DOJ, also called the Justice Department, is issuing subpoenas tied to investigations into journalists and government leaks involving national security.

Officials say some of the leaks involve intelligence operations, military plans, and private government conversations. The subpoenas are igniting the old debate over how much the public should know.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Believe press freedom allows journalists to report on information the public may not otherwise see.
• Subpoenaing reporters or sources discourages investigative reporting tied to government activity.

From the Right

• Believe protecting classified information is necessary for national security and government operations.
• Leaks involving intelligence or military information create risks once details become public.

What This Means for Us

In our digital world, chatter moves fast now.

A single leak spreads online within minutes and affects military operations, cybersecurity, financial markets, or relationships between countries. But journalists still play a major role in reporting information to us that we would not normally see.

How They Make Money

The New York Times Company

• The company now makes most of its money from digital subscriptions, not printed newspapers, compared to the early 2000s.
• It also owns Wordle, The Athletic, and NYT Cooking, turning one news company into multiple daily-use apps.

Takeaway

Big national stories now drive both public attention and digital media revenue.

The Number That Stuck With Me

18

The U.S. intelligence system includes 18 different agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and NSA, all handling different parts of national security and classified information.

The Big Story

Voters across Ohio voted Tuesday in primary elections for governor, Congress, and the U.S. Senate.

This election decides which Republican and Democratic candidates move on to November, where voters choose who will represent Ohio in Washington and who will lead the state for the next several years.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Focused on Ohio elections because they influence abortion access, healthcare programs, and public-school funding nationally.
• Views Ohio as an important test of how competitive statewide races remain after Republicans performed strongly there in recent elections.

From the Right

• Focused on Ohio elections because they influence immigration enforcement, energy production, taxes, and control of Congress.
• Views Ohio as important because the state shapes which party holds influence in Congress next year.

What This Means for Us

These elections affect more than just Ohio.

Governors decide how states handle things like new factories, power plants, data centers, schools, business incentives, voting laws, and abortion rules. There is a pattern that when large states move in one direction, others often follow or respond to those policies too.

How They Make Money

Meta Platforms

• Owns Facebook and Instagram, where political campaigns spend heavily on ads because the platforms can target voters by age, location, interests, and online behavior in real time.
• Meta made more than $160 billion in advertising revenue in 2025, and election years often bring even more spending from campaigns, PACs, and political groups trying to reach voters online.

Takeaway

Elections now compete for attention the same way brands do through algorithms, targeted ads, and the apps we use every day.

The Number That Stuck With Me

15

Ohio has 15 seats in the U.S. House and one Senate seat on the ballot this cycle, helping shape control of Congress.