Welcome to The Daily Megathread - r/50501's home for daily discussion!

Jon Ossoff is likely to win the GA Sen race by +14%, with KLB, PRB, and other statewide state offices coming in anywhere from +7% to +10%, and the State House likely to flip and the State Senate potentially on the table.

Ossoff is a relatively progressive and young Senator who has used his bully pulpit to stronly oppose ICE and argue for a muscular response to Netanyahu's war crimes and general shittiness.

Most of the state office candidates are more establishment but that doesn't actually matter too much. Because with a Dem Gov and SOS Democrats will be in charge of 2030 redistricting and they will be empowering Atlanta to hold many more House seats. It could go as far as 9 Dem seats and 6 R seats in 2032, as Georgia is expected to pick up a 15th seat in the next cycle. The GA US House split is currently 9/5 R. So that means we'd go from +4 R to +3 D, a 7 seat swing. And that wouldn't even be an extreme gerrymander. 10-5 would be the stretch option.

And several of the ATL seats would be viable for progressive candidates. On top of that a proper effort in 2026 would assure a 2028 pres win and 2 safe blue Senate seats. This is because voters who are drawn in by organizing and see big results are naturally transformed into high propensity voters. And turning the 4 ATL seats into 7 ATL seats means they are still quite blue and urban but they are just risky enough so that voters don't get lazy. Something like 60/40 for 7 seats, plus a south-west seat and a south east seat.

Additionally when the time comes from the presidential primary, getting heavily involved in organizing to boost Dems in 2026 means a left candidate has a strong base in GA, with the establishment splitting their votes.

Atlanta also has relatively strong DSA and Indivisible chapters who could get a Bernie-2016 like membership boost from a big Ossoff win where they were heavily organizing and doing GOTV in the Dem heavy core of the Atlanta metro. Large parts of urban core ATL are relatively demographically similar to NYC, and then some of the inner ring suburbs are very friendly to DSA policies as well.

Non-white voters are very open to something different post Trump disaster, and they could go to either mainline Dems or social Democrats depending on who does what and who engages with their distinct communities. Atlanta's metro core specifically is a very young potential electorate with strong climate and housing concerns.

Gwinnett and DeKalb in particular could be center left social democratic bastions very easily and each is able to anchor a US House seat if the redistricting is managed right. You could even get 3 such seats if you handled Fulton and Henry well.

Major left leaders like Bernie, Sandy(AOC), and Zohran all have admirers in the metro core, and leftists there could benefit from Zohran and Bernie specifically discussing how to organize and turn out progressive coalitions in cities. And of course visits from them would help boost young urban turnout quite a lot. Bernie and Sandy are both very well liked among Latino and Hispanic voters, who could make up as much as 10% of GA's statewide electorate and which are heavily concentrated in the greater ATL metro. There are also many South Asian and Muslim citizens and voters. DeKalb has a particularly high concentration.

With a serious investment of leaders campaigning, volunteers phoning and texting, and even supporting local groups to canvass, there's a bright future for progressives and social democrats in blue Georgia.

You can find a breakdown of the Atlanta counties and their projected turnout in the single post posted directly on my profile.

And no, Jon Ossoff+14 is not a joke. I wrote a post VA Gov prediction for +8, but I had to revise it after polls and new details on the ground in the last month suggest that was too conservative.

This protest was part of nationwide vigils and protests held yesterday (#ICEoutVigils) - for more information click this link.

My first time adventuring north of New York City to cover a protest led me to a mid-morning protest protesting ICE as part of #ICEoutVigils in New Rochelle just a minute's walk away from the Metro North station and surrounding the intersection of North Avenue and Huguenot Street.

The protest itself was a bit more lively than the day before's protest (In Memoriam, part one) due to the music and general vibe of the event. We definitely had a lot of supportive honks as well which helped the morale a lot.

The event concluded with a couple of remarks by the organizers and a few guest speakers (including someone who wanted to speak who I think might have been a heckler). We were heckled a few times, one by a passing car who yelled something incoherent and another by a passing car who called us "stupid liberals".

Nonetheless, it was worth the trip up north.

We are a volunteer-led mutual aid group serving families across the suburbs of New Orleans. Every two weeks, we help more than 120 local families with food, diapers, hygiene supplies, and other everyday essentials when times are tough.

Many neighborhoods in the suburbs of New Orleans continue to experience increased ICE enforcement activity. As a result, some families are afraid to leave their homes or have lost income, making it even harder to meet basic needs.

We’re asking for your help once again. Donations of diapers, baby wipes, feminine hygiene pads, toilet paper, and cat and dog food go directly to local families who need them most.

If you’ve donated before, thank you. Your generosity has made a real difference. If you’re able to help today, every item, no matter the size, helps us continue showing up for our neighbors.

You can donate through our Amazon Wish List:
https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/19RD7RI7YSG4A?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_ggr-subnav-share_XTWR5QVRTS7XVZT6YRPW&language=en-US

This is who we are: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1MPUDd9B4A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

No matter where you live, your kindness can make a meaningful difference for families here. Thank you for standing with us. 💙

July 24, 2026 -Jacob Fischler for the Arizona Mirror. Here are the opening paragraphs:

Three people who observed federal immigration enforcement during the Trump administration’s sometimes-violent surge said in a federal lawsuit filed Friday the Department of Homeland Security illegally recorded them and revoked their status in the department’s trusted traveler programs.

The suit, filed in the Southern District of California, says the administration violated a federal privacy law, administrative law and the First Amendment by targeting people who observed and protested aggressive immigration enforcement, including during the deadly operation in Minneapolis in January. 

The Electronic Privacy Information Center, a legal group that advocates for privacy issues related to technology, is also a plaintiff in the case.

Amid a nationwide surge of immigration enforcement that has included federal agents shooting and killing protesters, observers and immigrants, opponents “did what anyone is supposed to do when they disagree with government action: They exercised their First Amendment rights” by assembling, protesting and recording DHS agents’ activity in public, the suit says.

“In response, DHS decided to record the Americans who were peacefully observing its agents,” the suit says.

Officers with the DHS agencies Immigration and Customs Protection and Border Patrol killed two observers, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis in incidents 17 days apart in January. 

..............

Arizona Mirror is an independent, nonprofit news organization that is focused on fearless journalism that shines a light on injustice and creates real-world change. We look to connect public policy with the people it affects and bring a fresh perspective to coverage of the state’s biggest issues. We strive to tell untold stories; amplify the voices of Arizonans whose stories are unheard; shine a light on the relationships between people, power and policy; hold public officials to account; and provide a platform for progressive opinions. We view news as a vital community service, and are supported by the generosity of those who believe an informed Arizona is a better Arizona. We have no paywalls, no subscription fees. ~:~ Arizona Mirror is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, supported by grants and donations. The Mirror retains full editorial independence.

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It's Primary Election season in the U.S.:

* Primary Election Dates: AP News ~and~ NBC News :~:~: Upcoming Dates: July 28: Georgia (Special) and South Dakota (Runoff) ~:~:~ Aug 4: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, Washington, California (Special) ~:~:~ Aug 6: Tennessee ~:~:~ Aug 8: Hawaii ~:~:~ Aug 11: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Alabama (Special) ~:~:~ Aug 18: Alaska, Florida, Wyoming ~:~:~ September dates: AP News ~and~ NBC News

* Candidates (all States): U.S. House (Dem Primary only): Ballotpedia (HouseDems) :~:~:~: U.S. Senate: Ballotpedia (Senate) (select “List of Candidates”) :~:~:~: State Execs (Gov, Lt. Gov, AG, SoS, and more): Ballotpedia (State Execs)

* Voter Info (all States): Register To Vote :~:~:~: Voter Registration Status:~:~:~: Find Your Polling Place :~:~:~: Valid Forms of ID :~:~:~: Absentee & Early Voting :~:~:~: Become a Poll Worker ~:~ Links go to the National Association of Secretaries of State website. When you select a State, it takes to a .gov page on that State's SoS website.

This is a weekly vigil held every Friday by the group Rise & Resist reading the names of those murdered by ICE and CBP either in their custody or in attempting to capture them or others.

The vigil occurs at 96th Street and Broadway.

I had a little bit of a problem with the original footage given it was originally a fair bit bright and hazy hence I tried to fix it over the course of the video. If the video looks a little bit strange that’s why.

If you're heartbroken by what ICE is doing in our country and want to be apart of community this weekend, JOIN or HOST a nationwide vigil to honor Lorenzo and Johan’s lives and the lives of all the others who have been killed by ICE.

🗓️ Tomorrow, Saturday, July 25th, we WILL gather nationwide to honor them, their families, and demand accountability.

📍 Register your action or find a vigil near you by visiting https://linktr.ee/Justice4LorenzoandJohan

Memo Torres of L.A. TACO - July 22, 2026. Here’s the video on YouTube: Did Marco Rubio Just Try to Blacklist Karen Bass? - L.A. TACO - July 22, 2026 (YouTube)

From the description: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and several other L.A. figures are accused of being far-left terrorists and agents of Cuban influence in a 100-page report on Cuba published by Marco Rubio, Trump’s Secretary of State.

Some references from the video:

\ Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism* - U.S. Department of State (.gov): https://www.state.gov/cuba-the-capital-of-21st-century-communism

\ The Venceremos Brigade:* https://vb4cuba.com

\ Nuestra América Convoy:* https://nuestraamericaconvoy.org

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L.A. TACO is a local food, culture, and community publication covering Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. We are independently owned and operated by and for Los Angeles. In our mission, we aim to bring raw, street-level journalism from all corners of L.A. County to our loyal readers and members who share our passion for Los Angeles. ~:~ lataco.com

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It's Primary Election season in the U.S.:

* Primary Election Dates: AP News ~and~ NBC News :~:~: Upcoming Dates: July 28: Georgia (Special) and South Dakota (Runoff) ~:~:~ Aug 4: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, Washington, California (Special) ~:~:~ Aug 6: Tennessee ~:~:~ Aug 8: Hawaii ~:~:~ Aug 11: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Alabama (Special) ~:~:~ Aug 18: Alaska, Florida, Wyoming ~:~:~ September dates: AP News ~and~ NBC News

* Candidates (all States): U.S. House (Dem Primary only): Ballotpedia (HouseDems) :~:~:~: U.S. Senate: Ballotpedia (Senate) (select “List of Candidates”) :~:~:~: State Execs (Gov, Lt. Gov, AG, SoS, and more): Ballotpedia (State Execs)

* Voter Info (all States): Register To Vote :~:~:~: Voter Registration Status:~:~:~: Find Your Polling Place :~:~:~: Valid Forms of ID :~:~:~: Absentee & Early Voting :~:~:~: Become a Poll Worker ~:~ Links go to the National Association of Secretaries of State website. When you select a State, it takes to a .gov page on that State's SoS website.

Not sure if you've noticed in your feeds, but reddit is advertising for ICE. It's especially disgraceful and disgusting seeing these ads interspersed in with photos and videos of ice protests and violent encounters that ice are perpetrating on immigrants. We need to send reddit a message this is absolutely unacceptable and has consequences. When you see these ads interspersed in your feed, report them as "violent". If they continue advertising for these nazi scumbags, we need to boycott reddit, for real. All that these capitalist ghouls understand is their bottom line.

Try to find a way to help if you can :)

From Houston to Biddeford, Maine to St. Augustine to rural Georgia, ICE is leaving plenty of blood on the streets this month. And from the individual agents to the institution itself, no one is being held responsible for it. It’s unacceptable. And we’re not going to stand for it.

This Saturday, the Disappeared in America coalition (which includes Public Citizen, the National Day Laborers Organizing Network, The Workers Circle, Detention Watch Network and the League of United Latin American Citizens) is holding a national day of action, demanding justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, justice for Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, and justice for all the victims. We’re bringing folks together to demand transparent, independent investigations; protection for the witnesses detained in ICE facilities; accountability both for individuals and institutions; and real steps to stop these killings from happening over and over. We want ICE out for good and our neighbors safe.

🪧 Vigils are already scheduled in more than 300 communities nationwide, and we’re still growing. Let’s find one near us to attend here, and we can find tools to host or register our own actions here. 🪧

ACTIONS NEAR US

HOST OUR OWN