The Dictatorship
I’ve seen firsthand what’s been happening across the South. Republicans saw it Tuesday.
Tuesday night’s election results told a powerful story: The Deep South, to quote the great Andre 3000, has “something to say.” The region — typically defined as Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi — has long been the punchline of jokes. As a result, campaigns and the people they seek to serve have long been underfunded, overlooked and discounted; but we refuse to be written out of democracy. Across the region, our voters soundly rejected the Republicans’ authoritarian playbook and chose progress instead.
In Mississippi, Democrats won four high-profile legislative races, and flipped a pair of Republican-held state Senate seats to break the Republican supermajority.
In Georgia, Democrats won critical statewide elections that flipped two seats on the state’s Public Service Commission. A couple of states over, in Mississippi, Democrats won four high-profile legislative races, and in so doing, flipped a pair of Republican-held state Senate seats to break the Republican supermajority. That’s a consequential shift that opens the door for accountability and balance in a state long written off by national pundits.
I grew up in Mississippi and came of age in Georgia. As a Gen X kid, I knew that conservative Democrats largely controlled politics in the South, and usually not to the benefit of my family or those like us. Working class families faced low wages, Black families faced entrenched racism from a society that refused to let Jim Crow go and immigrants were relegated to the margins. Over time, the bulk of those Democratic politicians became Republicans. Like dominoes, state legislatures, judicial enclaves and executive leadership became their dominion and a testing ground for the authoritarian tactics we see on display at the national level.
But over the past decade, a critical shift has occurred. Part of it has been driven by demographics, including the reverse migration that has led to Southern states being home to 56% of all Black Americans. The South also saw the rapid expansion of Latino and AAPI populations. However, race is only one marker. As education access increased, political fealty shifted. Economic deprivation and meager services also started to take their toll.
By 2017, we saw the first real glimmers of change with the election of Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate from Alabama, followed soon thereafter by the rise of John Bel Edwards as the two-term Democratic governor of Louisiana. Even my own unsuccessful race in 2018 for governor of Georgia yielded a massive transformation: nearly 800,000 additional Democratic voters cast ballots in a gubernatorial campaign, which served to flip 15 legislative seats and elect a new member of the U.S. House. U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won historic and closely-watched victories in 2021. And in 2023, Democrat Brandon Pressley ran for governor of Mississippi against a Republican incumbent, falling short by fewer than 27,000 votes—the closest margin in a Mississippi gubernatorial race in nearly 25 years.
The Deep South’s story is one of persistence against unaccountable power.
These victories and close fights are connected to how we not only win elections but to what I’ve been highlighting as the 10 Steps to saving democracy. They build on one another, community by community, state by state. The same networks, tactics and lessons that fueled Georgia’s organizing power helped shape turnout operations and messaging in Mississippi, just as they had in Alabama and Louisiana. Learned from civil rights leaders and labor organizers and justice warriors, the strategy is simple: engage and demand. Our transformation is being led by young people, women, people of color, and everyday Southerners who believe democracy should deliver. We don’t shy away from questions of identity—we can’t escape them. So we lean in and have tough conversations, forging cross-sectional alliances because we all deserve better.
The Deep South’s story is one of persistence against unaccountable power. It’s the story of voters who wait hours in line to cast a ballot, of local leaders who engage between elections by demanding better education, Medicaid expansion and lower utility bills, and of coalitions that unite across race, faith and geography to demand relief. Rivals in sports, we are united in our fealty to fairness, and in this time, in our repudiation of autocrats, wherever they rise.

But we see what’s coming, too. Republicans at every level of government are already working to rig the 2026 midterms before a single vote is cast. They have been practicing on us for years, carving up maps, suppressing voters and dismantling the systems that protect our rights.
This term, the Supreme Court will decide a Louisiana case that could gut the Voting Rights Act and let Republicans expand their practice of blatant racial gerrymandering.This is what I count as Step 10 in the authoritarian playbook: to disrupt election systems and restrict who can vote so no meaningful opposition ever wins again.
However, Tuesday was a warning—we won’t let them get away with it. Because the Deep South is not just fighting for itself. It’s fighting for the soul of America. Every victory here—whether it’s flipping a seat or holding the line on voting rights—tells the story of defending democracy in the place that once fought to tear our nation apart.
The power we’ve built in the South is here to stay, and it’s growing. And as long as we keep organizing, keep talking, and keep building, we will win.
Stacey Abrams
Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and political leader. She served as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, and she was the first Black woman to become gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history.
The Dictatorship
French company Capgemini to sell subsidiary working with ICE
PARIS (AP) — French company Capgemini announced Sunday it is selling off its subsidiary that provides technology services to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during global scrutiny of ICE agents’ tactics in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
France’s government had pressured the company to be more transparent about its dealings with ICE, whose actions in Minneapolis in recent weeks have raised concern in France and other countries. The government’s campaign against immigrants in Minnesota’s capital has led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal immigration officers.
Capgemini said in a statement Sunday that it will immediately start the process of selling off its subsidiary Capgemini Government Solutions. It said the rules for working with U.S. federal government agencies ″did now allow the group to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of the operations of this subsidiary to ensure alignment with the group’s objectives.″
It didn’t give further explanation for the decision, but noted that the subsidiary represents only 0.4% of the company’s estimated 2025 revenue.
Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat said he was only recently made aware of the subsidiary’s contract with ICE. In a LinkedIn post, he said, “The nature and scope of this work has raised questions compared to what we typically do as a business and technology firm.’’
The company selloff announcement came after French Finance Minister Roland Lescure, speaking to parliament last week, urged Capgemini ″to shed light, in an extremely transparent manner, on its activities … and to question the nature of these activities.″ Lescure’s office did not comment on the company’s decision.
Non-governmental organization Multinationals Observatory reported that Capgemini Government Solutions provided ICE technical tools to locate targets for the immigration crackdown. CapgemiSni did not immediately respond to a query about the tools.
Capgemini is a consulting and technology company that employs more than 340,000 people in more than 50 countries.
The Dictatorship
‘Melania’ opens with strong ticket sales for a documentary
NEW YORK (AP) — Promoted by President Donald Trump as “a must watch,” the Melania Trump documentary “Melania” debuted with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The release of “Melania” was unlike any seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for the rights, plus some $35 million to market it, making it the most expensive documentary ever. Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been exiled from Hollywood since 2017, the film about the first lady debuted in 1,778 theaters in the midst of Trump’s turbulent second term.
While the result would be a flop for most films with such high costs, “Melania” was a success by documentary standards. It’s the best opening weekend for a documentary, outside of concert films, in 14 years. Going into the weekend, estimates ranged from $3 million to $5 million.
But there was little to compare “Melania” to, given that presidential families typically eschew in-office memoir or documentary releases to avoid the appearance of capitalizing on the White House. The film chronicles Melania Trump over 20 days last January, leading up to Trump’s second inauguration.

Marc Beckman, left, shake hands with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer as they arrive for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Marc Beckman, left, shake hands with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer as they arrive for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
On Thursday, Trump hosted a premiere of the film at the Kennedy Centerwith attendees including Cabinet members and members of Congress. There, Ratner downplayed its box-office potential, noting: “You can’t expect a documentary to play in theaters.”
The No. 1 movie of the weekend was Sam Raimi’s “Send Help,” a critically acclaimed survival thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The Walt Disney Co. release debuted with $20 million. The film, with a $40 million budget, was an in-between kind of release for Raimi, whose hits have typically ranged from low-budget cult (“Army of Darkness”) to big-budget blockbuster (2002’s “Spider-Man”).
The microbudget sci-fi horror film “Iron Lung,” directed by YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier, came in second with $17.9 million, far exceeding expectations. The Jason Statham action thriller “Shelter” debuted with $5.5 million.
But most of the curiosity was on how “Melania” would perform. A week earlier, the White House hosted a black-tie preview attended by Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, Apple chief executive Tim Cook and former boxer Mike Tyson.

The audience waits in a movie theater for the start of the screening of a documentary about Melania Trump in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
The audience waits in a movie theater for the start of the screening of a documentary about Melania Trump in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
The film arrived in a week dominated by coverage of federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
“Melania” didn’t screen in advance for critics, but reviews that rolled out Friday, once the film was in theaters, weren’t good. Xan Brooks of The Guardian compared the film to a “medieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne.” Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a “cheese ball informercial of staggering inertia.” Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “To say that ‘Melania’ is a hagiography would be an insult to hagiographies.”
But among those who bought tickets over the weekend, the response was far more positive. “Melania” landed an “A” CinemaScore. Audiences were overwhelmingly 55 and older (72% of ticket buyers), female (72%) and white (75%). As expected, the movie played best in the South, with top states including Florida and Texas.
David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe called it “an excellent opening for a political documentary.”
“For any other film, with $75 million in costs and limited foreign potential, it would be a problem,” said Gross. “But this is a political investment, not a for-profit movie venture, and if it helps Amazon with a regulatory, taxation, tariff or other government issue, then it will pay back. $75 million is insignificant to Amazon.”
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the premiere of her movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the premiere of her movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“Melania” is Ratner’s first film since he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. Multiple women, including the actor Olivia Munn, accused Ratner of sexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations. Last fall, after Trump’s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures said it would distribute his “Rush Hour 4.”
“Melania,” which will stream on Prime Video following its theatrical run, was released globally. Shortly before its debut, South African distributor Filmfinity said it would no longer release it. The company said it changed course “based on recent developments.”
International ticket sales for “Melania” were expected to be minuscule.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Send Help,” $20 million.
2. “Iron Lung,” $17.9 million.
3. “Melania,” $7 million.
4. “Zootopia 2,” $5.8 million.
5. “Shelter,” $5.5 million.
6. “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” $5.5 million.
7. “Mercy,” $4.7 million.
8. “The Housemaid,” $3.5 million.
9. “Marty Supreme,” $2.9 million.
10. “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” $1.5 million.
The Dictatorship
‘ICE out’: Bad Bunny uses Grammy speech to speak out
As awards season progresses, celebrities continue to speak out against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — especially in Minneapolis. Though some stars have opted for a slight nod of resistance with pins that say “ICE out,” others have been more vocal in their stances.
Upon accepting the Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album on Sunday night, Bad Bunny got straight to the point.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” the Puerto Rican performer said as soon as he approached the podium with award in hand.
After a standing ovation and cheers from the crowd, he continued.
“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
This is not the first time the artist has spoken out against the Trump administration’s rhetoric against immigrants in the United States. Last year, he announced he would no longer tour in the U.S., which drew criticism from some right-wing commentators.
Despite that pushback, Bad Bunny scored the headlining spot at this year’s Super Bowl and said he decided to “do just one date in the United States.”
The album Bad Bunny accepted the award for, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” also won Album of the Year, becoming the first primarily Spanish-language album to win the distinction in the ceremony’s 68-year history.
Kathleen Creedon is a platforms editor for MS NOW. She previously worked as a web producer for Vanity Fair.
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