Poll Workers May Mark Your Ballot. Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Worry

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Poll Workers May Mark Your Ballot. Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Worry. (Maria)

The author writes, “As the 2026 midterm elections draw near, an online rumor is circulating: If a poll worker marks a ballot in any way  — ‘a letter, a checkmark, a star, an R or a D,’ etc. — the ballot could be disqualified. … This is not true. Many election officials have clarified that a mark made by a poll worker does not disqualify a ballot. No evidence of a US state disqualifying marked ballots was found, unless the marks rendered the voter’s choices unreadable.” 

Trump Just Fooled Around With Susie Wiles Over Katie Zacharia. And He Found Out (Reader Jim)

From The Independent: “According to insiders who spoke to The Independent, Trump offered Zacharia the job without telling chief of staff Susie Wiles, who had been working for weeks on getting Scott Jennings, the CNN commentator who has spent two years defending Trump on a network that does not like him, to give up his lucrative TV contract and be Karoline Leavitt’s polished successor.” 

Cops Not Happy When Man Creates Flock-Style Camera That Only Collects Police Plates (Sean)

The author writes, “When police showed up to Anthony Sistilli’s front door in September, it wasn’t to accuse him of a crime or take a witness statement, but to ask how he could have the nerve to turn AI-integrated surveillance cameras on the cops themselves.” 

How the Courts Became a Safe Haven for Corporations (Dana)

From The American Prospect: “Though the story of the corporate capture of America’s political institutions has lately fixated on the White House and Congress, cases … where the federal courts have shielded corporations from accountability have been reshaping the country for some time now. A decades-old legal movement shaped by conservative advocacy groups and corporations has made a concerted effort to turn the federal courts into a safe haven from regulators, lawmakers, and advocates.”

Dying Patients Are Inundated by Misinformation. My Dad Was One of Them. (Russ)

The author writes, “Patients today are inundated with misinformation spread by alternative-medicine practitioners, social media influencers and public figures. They are willing to experiment with unproven therapies, often at great physical or financial risk, in part because they want more personalized and empathetic care — an antidote to the famously harsh aspects of traditional medicine.” 

The Open Houses at the Edge of Disaster (Bethany)

The author writes, “What are buyers being told about climate risk in Miami? I posed as one to find out.”

This California Tortoise Rode BART To San Francisco and Has 10,000+ TikTok Followers (Reader Steve)

From The Sacramento Bee: “Many celebrities have come from the Modesto, California, region — and the newest star might be one of the biggest, or at least he will be. Weighing around 55 pounds and just 11 years old, Sherman the sulcata tortoise is drawing delight and fame everywhere he goes. Adopted last year by Wilson Tsai, the tortoise has gained fans and followers throughout Northern California through outings around the region, all documented on his social media platforms.”