NEW: Judge Merchan says he doesn't think we're at the point where MISTRIAL is warranted.

Merchan concedes 'there were some things that should have been left unsaid'

But Merchan says he was surprised there were not more objections and that he, sua sponte, once stepped in

Milwaukee is replacing it's top election official just 6 months before the election. New from Alice Herman and Sam Levine theguardian.com/us-news/articl…

Very excited to be joining this cohort of impressive women later this month

Gateway Pundit employees were were worried contributors were not credible and expressed concerns about plagiarism, a court filing in a defamation suit against the far-right outlet last month revealed. New reporting from Sam Levine theguardian.com/us-news/2024/m…

Great piece via George Chidi on the inflammatory Mark Robinson and the NC governor's race theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

How Peter Bernegger, a Wisconsin 'election integrity' activist, has drained election offices of already-limited resources and stoked mistrust in the electoral process in his years-long quest to uncover election fraud theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

I spent some of Pennsylvania's primary day on Tuesday in the election office in Luzerne county, which has had enormous turnover and high profile errors since 2020. Officials there saw it as a high-stakes test to get things right: theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

The pro-Trump Arizona fake electors scheme: what’s in the charging document? theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

Arizona grand jury indicts Trump allies including Giuliani over 2020 fake elector scheme theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

Since the ruling came down, the Arizona for Abortion Access measure has seen volunteers grow from 3,000 to more than 5,000. More than 5,300 small-dollar donors gave money for the first time since the ruling. via Rachel Leingang theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

Pennsylvania race previews Democrats’ plan to focus campaign on democracy washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/…

It's the end of the road for Kari Lake and Mark Finchem for AZ Senate's lawsuit to stop the use of tabulation machines to count ballots in Arizona. The US Supreme Court declined to hear the case, upholding the trial court's 2022 ruling that they lack standing. azcentral.com/story/news/pol…

'I have a spoiler alert: there’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election, it’s called democracy.'

- Trump attorney Todd Blanche during opening statements in the former president's first criminal trial theguardian.com/us-news/live/2…

Key summary of the DA's case and why they are prosecuting Trump from Matthew Colangelo's opening arguments via Victoria Bekiempis.

'No politician wants bad press, but the evidence at trial will show that this wasn’t spin or communication strategy.'

theguardian.com/us-news/live/2…

Tomorrow is primary day in Pennsylvania, and Rep Summer Lee once again faces a challenger. Pro-Israel groups have opted out of her race this time, but one super PAC (largely funded by a GOP megadonor) has gotten involved. My report from Pittsburgh: theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

A CO elections director hid her pregnancy because she worried how her child would be used in attacks by harassers.

Don't miss Rachel Leingang on how women make up the majority of elections officials - and are disproportionately subject to harassment theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

Exclusive: A Fulton County, Georgia commissioner runs a secret election-conspiracy Telegram channel that propagated debunked claims about the 2020 election and spread accusations of crimes by county elections employees theguardian.com/us-news/2024/a…

Great reporting from George Chidi

The Guardian is hiring a breaking news reporter (my current role)! Apply! Happy to answer any questions folks have.

workforus.theguardian.com/jobs/348/