RandySF
RandySF's JournalNew Hulk Hogan documentary works hard to defend a racist
One of the most-watched shows on Netflix currently is Hulk Hogan: Real American, a four-part documentary series that sets out with the premise it’s going to unpack the complicated, messy nature of Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan), using it as a lens by which we can see all heroes as the flawed individuals they really are. Sadly, it once again fails in its primary task, following in the footsteps of 2024’s Mr. McMahon to turn out another WWE-sanctioned, selective version of history, which gently dips its toe into the promise of being genuine, before recoiling once more to present a sanitized version of history.
Across its nearly five hours of run time we’re presented with a version of Hogan which routinely positions the man as a victim. Whether it’s the era he grew up in, his upbringing, the pressures of being a star, or coping with time passing him by — it always stops just short of Hogan ever accepting that he was a trash human being for almost the entirety of his life, who caused damage both personally and professionally that can’t be erased simply because he says he was “saved” in 2023.
- Hogan did steroids because everyone was doing them.
- Hogan was a racist because that’s just the time he grew up in.
- Hogan destroyed the careers of other wrestlers because he knew what was best for business.
- Hogan lied in court, but it was only to protect a friend.
- Hogan suggested to a Rolling Stone writer that he might murder his ex-wife Linda, and her new boyfriend like O.J. Simpson — but it was only because he was drinking a beer and thought the reporter was his friend.
Time, and time, and time again Hogan is let off the hook by the documentary. It sets up reprehensible story after reprehensible story, tantalizingly getting close to the truth — only to have Hogan hand-wave away with a fleeting excuse, never to be expounded again. It continually gives its subject the last word, rarely bringing in anyone else to counter his points or debate them. There’s also the incredible sins of omission, parts of Hogan’s entire life or career that aren’t even mentioned to ensure the best possible version of the wrestler remains.
https://www.sbnation.com/wrestling/1112956/new-hulk-hogan-documentary-works-hard-to-defend-a-racist?utm_campaign=dhtwitter&utm_content=%3Cmedia_url%3E&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
GA-13: David Scott's daughter to run to fill his Georgia House seat
The daughter of the late U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) said she will run in the special election to succeed her father.
The Georgia lawmaker died this month, after more than two decades in Congress.
Marcye Scott told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week that she was considering launching a political bid this cycle before her father’s death. She told the outlet she now sees the special election as a way to carry on his legacy.
“I would love to be able to fill in the gaps for him,” she told the AJC. “I’ve got the experience — I can tell you that I know everything about the 13th District, just like him.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5857395-david-scott-daughter-house-special-election/
Next Week's Majority-Deciding Michigan Special Election Will Set the Tone for Midterms
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON — Democrats are gearing up for the last major special election of the year next week on May 5th in Michigan’s competitive 35th Senate District. With a one-seat Democratic majority in the Michigan Senate, next week’s special election is a crucial majority-deciding election in a toss-up in a district that Kamala Harris won by less than one percent in 2024.
Chedrick Greene is a Marine Corps Reserve veteran and local fire captain who’s hitting the pavement and reaching every voter across the district as we head into next week. This race is among the most competitive DLCC Target Races of the year, and we announced a $250k investment in the Michigan Senate ahead of this special. This district will be up again in November as the DLCC competes for the Michigan Senate and to flip the state House, alongside our ambitious target map to remake the landscape of state legislative power this November.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“In the battleground of all battlegrounds, the special election for Michigan’s 35th Senate District will be the last major special election of 2026 ahead of the midterms. Democrats have been sweeping elections every chance we get, with 30 districts flipping from red to blue since Trump was elected. Not only is the majority on the line in this Michigan special, but this race is a crucial opportunity for Democrats to shore up our momentum as we move full steam ahead to the midterms. The DLCC has been supporting Chedrick Greene from the start, and victory next week will lay the groundwork to restore a Democratic trifecta in Michigan this November.”
https://www.dlcc.org/news/press/special-election-watch-next-weeks-majority-deciding-michigan-special-election-will-set-the-tone-for-midterms/
Idaho amends voter ID affidavit process, enacts 14 other election bills in 2026
The Idaho Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on April 2 after enacting 15 election-related bills, all of which were signed by Gov. Brad Little (R).
Among those bills was S 1322, which amends the state’s option for voters to fill out an affidavit instead of providing a photo ID when voting.
The new law requires voters to provide either their date of birth or Idaho driver’s license or ID card number on the affidavit, in addition to their name and address. Previously, voters were only required to provide their name and address. The information is then verified by election officials before the voter is issued a ballot.
The bill passed both the Idaho House of Representatives and the Idaho Senate unanimously before Little signed it into law on March 31.
https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/04/29/idaho-amends-voter-id-affidavit-process-enacts-14-other-election-bills-in-2026/
Campaign to make permanent additional income tax to fund public education in California submits signatures
A campaign sponsored by the California Teachers Association (CTA) submitted more than 1.6 million signatures on April 28 for a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would make permanent the additional income tax enacted with the approval of Proposition 30 in 2012, which funds education and early childhood programs. The additional income tax is set to expire in 2031.
The required number of signatures in California for an initiated constitutional amendment is 874,641, which equals 8% of the vote cast in the prior gubernatorial election. The petition will now undergo a random-sample check to verify that it contains enough valid signatures.
The initiative would continue the higher marginal income tax rates on income above $361,000 for single filers and $721,000 for joint filers. The additional tax rate was adopted in 2012 for incomes above $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 for joint filers, and was extended by voters in 2016 with the approval of Proposition 55. Propositions 30 and 55 did not contain mechanisms to adjust the bracket threshold in response to inflation increases. The proposed initiative increases the threshold and ties it to inflation. Proposition 30 (2012) was approved with 63% of the vote, and Proposition 55 (2016) was approved with 55% of the vote.
In California, the income tax bracket applies to a filer's portion of income within that bracket. The chart below shows the current rates through 2030 and the tax rates if it is approved or rejected.
https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/04/29/campaign-to-make-permanent-additional-income-tax-to-fund-public-education-in-california-submits-signatures/
TX-33: Crockett backing Allred in Texas runoff
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) on Wednesday said she’s backing former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) in the runoff election against former Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson (Texas).
“Colin has the record, the grit, and the heart to stand up for working families and communities under attack by this administration. He will fight to abolish ICE and go toe to toe with Donald Trump to stop his extreme agenda,” Crockett said in a Wednesday statement.
“I’ve seen Colin’s fight firsthand. We worked together to bring hundreds of millions in federal investments to North Texas for affordable housing, health care, and transportation,” she added.
Allred dropped out of the Democratic Senate primary for the state earlier this year to back Crockett, who unsuccessfully ran for the party nomination against Texas State Rep. James Talarico (D).
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5855741-crockett-endorses-allred-texas/
Following Supreme Court decision, La. Republicans weigh canceling US House primary elections
Louisiana’s elected Republican leaders are debating whether to call off the May 16 primary elections for the state’s six seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, even though absentee ballots have been mailed out and early voting in the elections is scheduled to start Saturday.
The GOP leaders had indicated the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in a redistricting case would not alter their plans for the 2026 midterm elections. But after justices handed down a decision in their favor Wednesday, they are now looking at contingency plans to cancel or delay the party primary election until a new map can be drawn and used this year.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s existing congressional map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander in a ruling that might have national implications. The case in question, Callais v. Louisiana, challenged the legality of a second majority-Black congressional district the Louisiana Legislature, with a Republican majority, drew in 2024.
The Callais plaintiffs have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rush the release of a certified judgment, citing the need to redraw the map for the 2026 election cycle. According to their filing, Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry, the state’s top election official, does not oppose their request.
https://lailluminator.com/2026/04/29/following-supreme-court-decision-la-republicans-weigh-canceling-us-house-primary-elections/
Today is one of those days.
I knew SCOTUS would use this case to beat the Voting Rights Act to within an inch of its life but I did not anticipate the disgust I feel about the decision. It's right up there with the 2024 election and for that reason I don't even want to follow anymore political news today.
Wake Democrat Terence Everitt resigns from the NC Senate
Terence Everitt (D-Wake) resigned from the state Senate, he announced Tuesday on Facebook.
Everitt has been leading an organization called the North Carolina Voter Protection Alliance since January. He said on Facebook he wanted to devote his attention to that work.
“Since returning to the legislative session, it has become clear that defending democracy requires my focus and dedication,” he wrote.
Everitt was running for a second Senate term in the competitive district that includes northern Wake and Granville County. He said he will withdraw from the race. Democratic leaders in Wake and Granville must nominate someone to fill Everitt’s seat and find someone to replace him on the November ballot.
https://ncnewsline.com/2026/04/29/wake-democrat-terence-everitt-resigns-from-the-nc-senate/
Byrum calls for paper ballots, primary after Michigan Dems acknowledge a delegate voted at home
At present, none of the losing candidates who sought top offices during the Michigan Democratic Party Endorsement Convention have said they would contest the results after learning that at least one delegate voted by phone from home and not on the convention floor, as prescribed by party rules.
But at least one of those candidates, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, who was seeking the secretary of state nomination but lost to Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, has called on the party to tighten up its processes, switch to paper ballots and not use phone voting.
More significantly, Byrum has also called on the nomination process to be freed from control by party leaders in favor of a primary for voters statewide to decide. However, that would require the state to move up its primary from August to much earlier in the cycle, a measure that is already making its way through the Michigan Legislature.
“As an election administrator, as a Democrat, as you know, as my mother’s daughter, I value voter participation,” Byrum told Michigan Advance. “Although the Democrats saw a large turnout, over 7,000 individuals that came to the convention to vote, those individuals still had to be able to afford to if they couldn’t get on a bus that was provided by a campaign. In the Republican Party, they charged voters $50 in order to exercise their right to vote.”
https://michiganadvance.com/2026/04/29/byrum-calls-for-paper-ballots-primary-after-michigan-dems-acknowledge-a-delegate-voted-at-home/
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