Friday, July 31: Barnes out of governor’s race, no ICE enforcement at the polls, bipartisan push for childcare overhaul, public health cuts exacerbate infectious disease
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We’re incredibly proud of all the things that we’ve accomplished and all the resources that we have raised to spread our message, but it’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.”
– Mandela Barnes, in a video his campaign released Thursday announcing that he is suspending his campaign for governor
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has suspended his 2026 gubernatorial campaign. (Photo courtesy Mandela Barnes for Wisconsin campaign)
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes announced he is suspending his primary campaign for governor Thursday in a video posted to social media, narrowing the Democratic field to four as state Rep. Francesca Hong has expanded her lead in polls. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Barnes’ decision comes amid reporting by the outlet on allegations that Barnes took advantage of his role in the party to have sexual encounters with young adult women. Baylor Spears has the story.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not planning an aggressive campaign at voting sites during the upcoming midterm elections, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday in response to a States Newsroom inquiry about a letter from U.S. Senate Democrats voicing concerns about armed federal agents at polling places. Amelia Twyman reports.
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is calling for an overhaul of the nation’s childcare system, which they say is failing children, parents and providers, Kevin Hardy of Stateline reports. The group of 13 Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who have spent the last year studying childcare access and affordability problems, offered an array of policy recommendations during the National Conference of State Legislatures annual summit in Chicago this week.
Less than two years into RFK Jr.’s tenure at the helm of the department responsible for the health of millions of Americans, a string of outbreaks has repeatedly made headlines. Public health experts interviewed by States Newsroom said the upswing is the result of several factors, but that Kennedy’s decision to cut back the country’s safety net while spreading misinformation about vaccines has aggravated the problem. Jennifer Shutt reports from Washington.
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ICYMI
Voters fill out their ballots at a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, polling place during the South Dakota primary election on June 2, 2026. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
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