Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set with a gun a crew member had assured the actor was safe, a tragic mistake that came hours and days after some workers walked off the job to protest safety conditions and other production issues.
State legislative special elections provide an interesting index of partisan sentiment these days. That wasn’t so in the late 20th century, when clever candidates and local notables often got voters to cross party lines. But in this century of increasing partisan polarization and straight-ticket voting, local special elections are a proxy for opinions on national issues.
When President Biden took office in January, his administration ordered an immediate halt on the construction of a 30-foot high border fence, leaving a gaping hole at one of the most vulnerable stretches of the US-Mexican border.