menu_open Columnists
Russell Payne

Russell Payne

Salon

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Gerrymandering can’t fix the GOP’s voter problem

Legal wins won’t matter if Republicans can’t get people to vote for them

latest 0

Salon

Russell Payne

Trump’s $1.5 trillion military budget may be a solution in search of a problem

Trump's proposed military spending surge could come at the cost of future healthcare funding

08.05.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Surprise, “Democrats for Rob Coalition” chaired by GOP elected

A frontline GOP representative is courting Democrats for PA Rep. Rob Bresnahan

06.05.2026 6

Salon

Russell Payne

Trump is bleeding his 2024 voters, but not fast enough for the midterms

Once confined to commentary, dissatisfaction with Trump is breaking containment among GOP voters

04.05.2026 9

Salon

Russell Payne

Trump’s ballroom ploy might work, security experts say

The incident at the WHCD might help Trump get his ballroom built, but it’s not the quick security fix he’s selling

01.05.2026 9

Salon

Russell Payne

Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act in “Jim Crow 2.0” ruling

Justices kept the law on the books but drained it of the power to actually protect voters

30.04.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Centrism is losing popularity, new data shows. Will Democrats listen?

Across the Sun Belt, an economic populist message is outpolling conventional centrism

29.04.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

The Iran war is about to hit small businesses — and your wallet

As diesel and fertilizer costs soar, farms and truckers warn consumers will soon feel the pain

24.04.2026 20

Salon

Russell Payne

What AOC really told RFK Jr.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was pictured Tuesday, grilling the secretary on increased Medicare Advantage spending

23.04.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Why is Trump wooing psychedelics? It’s really about Iran

Critics say that the order will only shave a few months off of FDA approval, but it made Joe Rogan happy

22.04.2026 9

Salon

Russell Payne

Trump’s looming downballot disaster

Trump's unpopularity is putting Republican dominance in state legislatures at risk

21.04.2026 8

Salon

Russell Payne

DeSantis’ national security power grab

Florida Republicans bet Sharia law fearmongering can distract from constitutional violations

17.04.2026 6

Salon

Russell Payne

Tax refunds are up. Americans still paid higher taxes

Even though tax refunds are up this year, Americans paid higher prices due to tariffs all year, and that money isn’

15.04.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

ICE is recruiting cops to track down kids

New documents reveal ICE is paying local law enforcement to supply information on unaccompanied minors

10.04.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

AI is raising the stakes in the government surveillance debate

Up for renewal on April 20, FISA Section 702 has long been criticized as a backdoor for spying on Americans

06.04.2026 9

Salon

Russell Payne

“We love Pam”: Trump fires Attorney General Pam Bondi

Bondi’s controversial tenure included overseeing the Epstein files release and deadly immigration crackdowns

02.04.2026 9

Salon

Russell Payne

Not just ICE: Do we need DHS?

In it’s 24 year history DHS has failed to make Americans safer and has become increasingly politicized

02.04.2026 7

Salon

Russell Payne

Supreme Court could create a whole new class of noncitizens

An enormous administrative problem — and a mountain of paperwork for everyone — is only the tip of the iceberg

01.04.2026 8

Salon

Russell Payne

Trump’s war may hasten the end of oil and gas dependence

The conflict is already disrupting transit through the Strait of Hormuz, driving price spikes and volatility

26.03.2026 6

Salon

Russell Payne

Why AI chatbots are getting more political

Has Anthropic become the "liberal" chatbot, while OpenAI and Palantir go full MAGA? It's not that simple

23.03.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

The conservative woman cracking down on conservative women

Cleta Mitchell’s election integrity crusade behind the SAVE America Act could overly affect Republican women

19.03.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Trump allies might get their preferred Democratic Senate candidate from Illinois

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has raised much more cash than Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and other primary challengers

17.03.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

The ancient prophecy behind the Iran war is a modern invention

Religious leaders warn that apocalyptic beliefs might outweigh the nuclear taboo

15.03.2026 30

Salon

Russell Payne

Labor Department chaos hides an anti-worker agenda

Dysfunction at the NLRB has grown to the point that it’s even beginning to hurt employers

13.03.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

How the DOJ is using civil rights law to attack school desegregation

In conservative push to redefine the 14th Amendment, Los Angeles schools are on the front line

10.03.2026 30

Salon

Russell Payne

Kristi Noem is out: Chaotic reign at DHS ends amid personal scandal

Trump fires colorful symbol of his immigration crackdown after high-profile killings and alleged affair

05.03.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Both parties at odds with own voters over Middle East policy

Republicans and Democrats have both carved out unpopular positions on America’s role in the Middle East

05.03.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Why Congress tried to dodge a vote on war with Iran

Iran hawks are maneuvering to have their war without their fingerprints on it

03.03.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

How the Texas primary could rewrite the Democrat’s campaign playbook

Both Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico have a theory of politics to test

03.03.2026 20

Salon

Russell Payne

Facing midterm wipeout, Arizona Republicans revive sharia law panic

The return of a decades-old scare offers clues to 2026 campaign tactics

07.02.2026 100

Salon

Russell Payne

Trump’s cannabis rescheduling order was just smoke

Even with an order to expedite the process, federal cannabis reform faces long delays and legal hurdle

06.02.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Democrats’ ICE demands play into Trump’s hands

DHS and Democrats are both demanding a closer relationship between local officials and ICE

05.02.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

In NJ special election, it’s not the left that’s divided

The Feb. 5 special election upends familiar assumptions about which factions struggle to unify

04.02.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

ICE’s “less lethal” crowd-control weapons can still be deadly

Crowd-control tactics tied to eye injuries, serious wounds and fatalities are drawing renewed scrutiny

29.01.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Could the military further militarize Minneapolis?

Critics argue the move is more about signaling power than improving safety

24.01.2026 20

Salon

Russell Payne

Most Americans say ICE has gone “too far,” poll finds

Most Americans say Trump's war on immigration is backfiring and want Congress to restrict ICE

21.01.2026 30

Salon

Russell Payne

Conservatives are flipping civil rights principles on their head

For decades, conservatives have worked to rollback the civil and voting rights that Martin Luther King Jr. upheld

19.01.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Democratic leaders resist call of voters to abolish ICE

As support for abolishing ICE grows among Democratic voters, party leadership continues to argue for reform instead

16.01.2026 40

Salon

Russell Payne

“It’s going to happen again”: Residents say ICE is treating Minneapolis as a “war zone”

The killing of Renee Good has left a chill across the Twin Cities

14.01.2026 50

Salon

Russell Payne

Nicotine’s comeback is the latest wellness scam

Tucker Carlson and influencers peddle wild nicotine claims, from curing rabies to purging nanotech

09.01.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

“Propaganda machine”: Trump and DHS embrace conspiracy theories tied to ICE killing

Many in MAGA world are spinning the shooting of Renee Good as “self-defense”

08.01.2026 10

Salon

Russell Payne

“The only thing she practices is grift”: Meet Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General

Casey Means’ promotion of supplements and pseudoscience worry medical professionals

07.01.2026 20

Salon

Russell Payne

We learned nothing from Jan. 6

Evidence Trump tried to overturn the election 5 years ago is “overwhelming.” There haven't been any consequences

06.01.2026 40

Salon

Russell Payne

The double-edged sword of AI data centers

The data center buildout is papering over the economy most Americans are living with

01.01.2026 50

Salon

Russell Payne

Christianity grapples with the rise of an AI Jesus

How AI and podcasts are reviving “ancient heresies” and colliding with American Christianity online

27.12.2025 20

Salon

Russell Payne

Congress may be about to create the “bad internet”

Online privacy protections could be demolished, advocates warn

22.12.2025 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Epstein files won’t be released by deadline, Department of Justice says

Members of Congress have warned that officials could face legal repercussions for the delay

19.12.2025 10

Salon

Russell Payne

Can a Democrat take Mitch McConnell’s seat?

Rep. Charles Booker and racehorse trainer Dale Romans aim to test Democrat's electability in Kentucky

19.12.2025 20

Salon

Russell Payne

Progressive bid tests Democratic unity in Colorado’s First District

Melat Kiros is taking on Rep. Diana DeGette over health care and generational politics

15.12.2025 20

Salon

Russell Payne

Progressive long-shot takes on Democratic establishment in New Hampshire Senate race

Kashima Manzur is fighting an uphill battle against Rep. Chris Pappas

14.12.2025 10

Salon

Russell Payne