Paul Blest
Reporter
I'm a reporter based in the South covering labor, politics, and breaking news. I was previously a news editor at Splinter and a reporter at INDY Week, and I cofounded the newsletter Discourse Blog. I've also written for The Nation, The New Republic, In These Times, and more.
‘Farce of Democracy’: Tennessee Republicans Just Expelled 2 Black Democrats for a Peaceful Protest
Republicans voted to kick Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson out of the legislature, while a vote to oust Rep. Gloria Johnson failed by one vote.
North Carolina Lawmaker Switches Parties, Gives Republicans Unlimited Power
Rep. Tricia Cotham was once a leading opponent of Republican abortion restrictions in North Carolina. As of Tuesday, she’s a Republican.
Republicans Are Trying to Kick Dems Out of Office for Protesting Gun Violence
Three Tennessee lawmakers joined a student protest days after a mass shooting at a Nashville school. One Republican compared the protest to Jan. 6.
‘60 Minutes’ Let Marjorie Taylor Greene Spout a Bunch of Transphobic BS on National TV
“60 Minutes” described the far-right congresswoman as having a “sharp tongue,” and possessing a “brazen gutsiness.”
Hoax Shooting Threats Shut Down New York Schools Days After Nashville Tragedy
“You hope it’s never going to be your school, but no school is safe in America, unfortunately,” one parent told VICE News.
Matt Gaetz Hired a Real-Life War Criminal to Work In His Congressional Office
Derrick Miller served eight years in a military prison for killing an Afghan civilian. Now he works for Matt Gaetz.
Multiple Schools Shut Down by ‘Swatting’ Calls Days After Nashville School Shooting
Pennsylvania state troopers said that calls to several local schools were “believed to be computer-generated swatting calls.”
Florida School Bans Movie About School Segregation After One Complaint from a Parent
The parent reportedly thought the Disney movie based on a true civil rights story would “teach white children to hate Black children.”
Principal Forced to Quit After Parents Complained ‘David’ Statue Shown in Art Class Was Porn
“Parents choose this school because they want a certain kind of education,” the chair of the school board said. “The rights of parents, that trumps the rights of kids.”
DeSantis Wants ‘Don’t Say Gay’ to Apply to High Schools Now
“It was never, ever, ever, ever about kindergarten thru 3rd grade,” former Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith said Wednesday.
Video Shows Cops, Medical Workers Piled on Top of Irvo Otieno Before He Died
“My son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog,” Otieno’s mother said. “I saw it with my own eyes in the video.”
DeSantis Tries to Shut Down Drag Show His Own Morality Police Said Was Fine
The DeSantis administration is going after multiple venues that recently hosted drag events.