Eight of the 20 states most affected by the federal government shutdown are in the South, according to an analysis that looked at federal jobs, contracts, and other indicators. (WalletHub) Southern states are also among those most dependent on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments, which are threatened in many states due to the government shutdown. (U.S. Department of Agriculture) After 7 million turned out for No Kings protests across the South and country in October, the movement considers its next steps — including the possibility of boycotts and strikes. (The Guardian) 150 years of overseas voting in the U.S. are being putting at risk due to Trump's false narratives of voter fraud, with bills restricting overseas voting emerging in North Carolina, Tennessee, and the U.S. Congress. (Voting Rights Labs) A sprawling ProPublica investigation looked at the extremist politics of North Carolina's chief justice, Paul Newby — and was met with threats from the state GOP that Trump would retaliate if it was published. (ProPublica) Seven elected leaders in Tennessee have sued Republican Gov. Bill Lee over his deployment of the state's National Guard, at the request of President Trump, in Memphis. (Democracy Forward) At Dollar Store and other workplaces in the South, labor groups like Step Up Louisiana are experimenting with "premajority unionism" to organize workers in a hostile climate. (Capital & Main) A trio of New York Times opinion writers from the South explored the roots of MAGA and Trump in the history of Southern politics. (The New York Times) Unnamed and Unbound, a podcast launched by Atlanta-based Black Voters Matter after the 2024 elections, explores the power of resilience, community, and direct action in the current political moment. (The Guardian) | 
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