With elections coming, some predict 17 House races have changed in favor of Democrats. Plus, is Bill de Blasio progressive enough?

With 100 days until the midterms, can the Democrats tip the scales?

There’s 100 days to go …

… until the midterm elections! From Sunday, anyway, so get set for more bombardment from Republicans, Democrats and CNN pollsters. It’s not doom and gloom, though: Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball – the misleadingly titled University of Virginia political predictions website (there is no crystal ball) – reckons the House now “tilts toward the Democrats”. The crystal ball says that 17 House races have just changed in favor of Democrats.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Does the future hold victories for the Democrats? Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA

Indivisible, the network of more than 6,000 progressive groups across the country, is marking the 100 days with a #100DaysOut “weekend of action” to try to make that ball prediction come true.

“We’ll begin to #DoTheWork – canvasses, phonebanks, and Get Out the Vote trainings – to undo Republicans’ congressional majority,” Indivisible says. People can find their local event on Indivisible’s map tool. For those more inclined to stay indoors, the group has set up an online phonebanking effort. Bonne chance!

Is Bill de Blasio not living up to his progressive promise?

The big New York City mayor swept into office pledging to “commit to a new progressive direction in New York”. But five years on, De Blasio hasn’t really been very progressive at all, some on the left have been telling the New York Times.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bill de Blasio strikes a pose. Photograph: Charlie Neibergall/AP

De Blasio hasn’t lived up to expectations on housing and schools, while, according to the NYT:

De Blasio also has found himself repeatedly outflanked on the left by upstart political figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the democratic socialist who upset Representative Joseph Crowley last month in the New York Democratic congressional primary, and the actress Cynthia Nixon, a Democratic candidate for governor. Nixon, for example, backs marijuana legalization; De Blasio refuses to go that far, although he has taken steps to end the practice of arresting most people caught smoking marijuana in public.

Campaign to reopen investigation into Michael Brown shooting

It’s been almost four years since the teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown’s death prompted protests that lasted for months, but Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot Brown six times in the front of his body, was not indicted by a grand jury and was eventually cleared by the justice department.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A memorial to Michael Brown in Ferguson, seen in November 2014. Photograph: David Goldman/AP

This week Lezley McSpadden, Brown’s mother, started a petition to reopen the local investigation into the fatal shooting. McSpadden is aiming to deliver the petition to Bob McCulloch, the prosecuting attorney for St Louis county. She writes:

“Please consider signing this petition to re-open the local investigation of my son’s case. If you were a parent of a child who went through what Michael went through, you would never stop fighting for his justice. And you would do everything within your reach to ensure that our citizens experience fair legal practices, compliance and consistent adherence to policy.”

Immigration news in one place

Documented, a news site devoted solely to covering immigration issues, has launched a thrice-weekly newsletter rounding up national immigration news. It’s called Early Arrival, and people can sign up here.

They thought this was Trump country. Hell no Read more

What we’re reading

“The Democratic establishment is still winning. Progressives are trying to turn the tide”, is the rather ominous title of this Huffington Post piece by Kevin Robillard. Just 22% of progressive candidates have won their primaries so far, Robillard says, and while the progressive movement “has succeeded in pushing some of its policy goals [...] so far, Democratic voters have mostly stuck with the establishment”. The good news, Robillard says, is that people like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are wading in to races, offering some hope for progressives.

Sign up for weekly updates about protests and activism in the US