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☆ These redistricting fights could determine which party controls the House
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Before the court action, Alabama – which is 27% Black – had only one Black-majority congressional district out of seven seats. The case is expected to land before the all-Republican state Supreme Court, where DeSantis appointees hold most seats. A separate federal case in Georgia challenges the congressional map on constitutional grounds and is slated to go to trial next month. UtahThe state Supreme Court, in a case it heard in July, is considering whether it even has the authority to weigh in on map-drawing decisions by the GOP-controlled state legislature. Advocacy groups and a handful of voters are challenging a congressional map that further carved up Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County between four decidedly Republican districts.

Persons: “, ”, David Wasserman, Amy Walter, Wasserman, Adam Kincaid, Kincaid, it’s, Nick Seabrook, –, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Ron DeSantis, Al Lawson, Steve Jones, Jones preliminarily, Andy Barr, Amy McGrath, Barr, Kareem Crayton, Brennan, Gabe Vasquez –, Chris Cooper, Jeff Jackson, Wiley Nickel, Kathy Manning, Don Davis, Valerie Foushee –, Davis, Roy Cooper, Nancy Mace, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Republicans, The, Republican, Black, National Republican Redistricting Trust, University of North, House, US, Gov, Black Democrat, Georgia Republicans, – Democratic, Congressional, Republican –, GOP, Louisiana Republicans, Appeals, Brennan Center for Justice . New, Brennan Center for Justice . New Mexico Republicans, New, New York Republicans, North Carolina, Democrats, Western Carolina University, Foushee, North, Democratic Gov, Supreme, Republican Rep, House GOP Locations: North Carolina, New York , Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, New York, University of North Florida, America, Louisiana, Florida, Black, North Florida, Atlanta, Peach, . Kentucky, Kentucky, Frankfort, Democratic, Brennan Center for Justice . New Mexico, New Mexico, Mexico, Empire, “, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, state’s, Carolina, Charleston, Utah, Salt Lake County, Salt, Texas, Tennessee

☆ Black Voters Fuel Democratic Hopes in Deep-Red Mississippi
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Nick Corasaniti | More About Nick Corasaniti | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Taylor and the local N.A.A.C.P. have begun a new program to reach out to Black voters. Calling themselves the Front Porch Focus Group, the canvassers — run by Working America, a labor organization, in collaboration with the national and local N.A.A.C.P. Yet the canvassers’ resulting study found that Black voters “did not identify voting as a mechanism to solve those issues.”“Among the people with whom we spoke, 60 percent shared a version of, ‘Voting does not make a difference,’” the study says. The state’s law barring those convicted of certain felonies from voting also disproportionately affected Black voters, disenfranchising one in every six Black adults, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Persons: Taylor, —, “, ’, ‘, Mr, disenfranchising, Brennan Organizations: America, Brennan Center for Justice Locations: Jackson, Mississippi, State House

☆ Opinion: Julia Ormond is speaking for a generation of women who won’t be silenced
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Opinion Sara Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Ormond’s claim alleges that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 1995 after a business dinner and that Ormond told her agents about it, and that they advised her against speaking out about it. “Harvey Weinstein categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself,” a representative for Weinstein told CNN in a statement. It includes awful, if unsurprising, details from the lawsuit about what happened when she told her agents at the time. In addition, after the incident and her disclosure of it to her agents, Ormond says CAA lost interest in representing her and her career was damaged dramatically anyway. I once wrote an awards-season story about an actor/director accused of sexual harassment by multiple women on his team.

Persons: Sara Stewart, CNN —, Sara Stewart Todd Thompson, Julia Ormond, Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein, Ormond, Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, “ Harvey Weinstein, ”, Ormond’s, Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Sabrina ”, Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear, wouldn’t, Annabella Sciorra, Darryl Hannah, Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino, Rosanna Arquette, Heather Graham, Claire Forlani, Rae Dawn Chong, Salma Hayek, Uma Thurman, I’ve, I’m, Amber Heard, Russell Brand, who’ve Organizations: CNN, Variety, Creative Rights Agency, CAA, Walt Disney Company, Miramax, Mr, ” CNN, Women, Brennan Center, Justice Locations: Pennsylvania, “, Rolling, Hollywood

The decision on Tuesday sets the stage for a new map with greater representation for Black voters to be put in place for the 2024 elections. The ruling marks a victory for Black voters in the state who had challenged the existing districts as racially discriminatory. WHAT HAPPENEDJustices denied Alabama's emergency request to keep Republican-drawn congressional lines in place and stop a three-judge panel from drawing new lines as the state appeals. WHAT IS THE REACTIONThe decision was a victory years in the making for Black voters and advocacy groups that had filed lawsuits challenging the Alabama districts. A WINDING PATHThe winding legal saga in Alabama began when groups of Black voters challenged Alabama’s congressional map as racially discriminatory.

Persons: —, Steve Marshall, Barry Moore, Deuel Ross, Alabama's, Plaintiffs, George Wallace's, “, Black, Marshall, ” Marshall, Ross, Kareem Crayton, ” Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Black, Republican, Alabama, Republican Rep, GOP, NAACP Legal, Fund, Gov, Brennan Center for Justice Locations: MONTGOMERY, Ala, Alabama, Black, Louisiana , Georgia, Florida, Louisiana

The state Democratic Party has given liberal Justice Jill Karofsky's campaign more than $1.3 million. In Wisconsin, there is no requirement that justices step down from hearing cases involving campaign donors. Those threats were denounced by Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler as “political extortion." She also cited Democratic Party campaign donations and the campaign comments. The Democratic Party did not bring either of the pending redistricting cases, even though Democrats would benefit from new maps being drawn.

Persons: she's, Ann Walsh Bradley —, Brian Hagedorn, Rebecca Bradley, Jill Karofsky's, ”, Jay Heck, “, Heck, Brennan, Janet Protasiewicz, Dan Kelly, Joe Biden, Tony Evers, Protasiewicz, Robin Vos, Protasiewicz doesn't, Vos, Ben Wikler, Annette Ziegler, Ziegler, Michael Gableman, recusing, Bradley, ” Protasiewicz Organizations: —, — Wisconsin Republicans, Democratic Party, Wisconsin Democracy, Republican Party, Wisconsin Supreme, Brennan Center for Justice, Wisconsin Democratic Party, Republican, Republicans, Gov, Democratic, GOP, Wisconsin Judicial Commission, Wisconsin Democratic, Wisconsin Manufacturers, Commerce, Conservative, United, Constitution Locations: MADISON, Wis, — Wisconsin, Wisconsin, In Wisconsin

☆ A North Carolina gerrymandering effort could oust a Democratic lawmaker who wrote a bill to make it illegal for lawmakers to gerrymander
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, predicted he would be targeted by gerrymandering Republicans. Jackson earlier filed a bill to curtail gerrymandering when he was a North Carolina state lawmaker. First-term US Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat from North Carolina, issued a warning to his constituents in a video last week, saying the redistricting process would be "brutal." In 2015, when he was a member of the state's senate, Jackson filed a bill to establish an independent redistricting commission in North Carolina to draw voting districts instead of the state's lawmakers. Reached for comment via email, the leader of the North Carolina General Assembly's Republican caucus, Rep. Jason Saine, only said that Jackson should "elaborate" on his claims.

Persons: Jeff Jackson, Jackson, he'd, hasn't, Jason Saine Organizations: Republicans, GOP, Service, Democrats, Brennan Center for Justice, Michigan —, Black, North, North Carolina General, Republican Locations: North Carolina, Wall, Silicon, Arizona, California , Colorado, Michigan, Alabama

☆ After Years of Spreading Lies, Election Deniers Face Consequences
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Nick Corasaniti | More About Nick Corasaniti | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“Some accountability,” she added, would “make people think twice before pushing the envelope and trying to break the law.”Despite the flood of criminal charges, election denialism persists in American politics. Many of the 147 Republicans in Congress who voted to overturn the election were re-elected, and Mr. Trump has made false election claims central to his campaign to take back the White House. (Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani, among others, have said they did nothing wrong and have cast the charges as politically motivated.) It is still far from clear whether Mr. Trump and his allies who face charges will ultimately be convicted. In addition to the criminal charges, several lawyers who pushed baseless election claims in court are facing disbarment.

Persons: ”, Wendy Weiser, denialism, Trump, Giuliani Organizations: Brennan Center for Justice, Republicans, Trump, Fox News, Dominion Voting Systems, Department Locations: Georgia

☆ Virginia becomes eighth US state to exit voter data-sharing pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Josephine Walker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Member states of the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, partnership share voter registration and identification data to avoid having people registered to vote in multiple states. There are now only seven Republican-led states among the 25 remaining in the compact. Many Republican-led states have also tightened voting rules in recent years in what they describe as an effort to prevent fraud. "It really exposes the hypocrisy of states that are talking the most about voter fraud," Clapman said. "They're inflating concerns about voter fraud and are also pulling out of and damaging the best tool that states have to detect voter fraud."

Persons: Tom Brenner, ERIC, Donald Trump's, Trump, Susan Beals, Beals, Glenn Youngkin, Shane Hamlin, Hamlin, Alice Clapman, University's, Clapman, Josephine Walker, Scott Malone, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Arlington County School Board, REUTERS, Republican, Member, of Columbia, Former U.S, Reuters, Republican Virginia, Center for Justice, Thomson Locations: Arlington, Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Virginia, . Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Florida , Missouri, West Virginia , Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, New

☆ Redistricting battles could determine control of US House in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But a series of legal challenges, including a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling, have cast many of those district lines into doubt. Legal experts said the ruling bolsters similar challenges in Georgia and Louisiana, where voting rights groups have argued that Republican-drawn maps marginalized Black voters. In Ohio, the state Supreme Court appears set to alter course after previously finding Republican maps violated the state constitution’s prohibition on gerrymandering. In Wisconsin, the most expensive state Supreme Court election in U.S. history resulted in a new liberal majority. OTHER BATTLESLast month, the Utah Supreme Court heard arguments over the state’s Republican-drawn congressional map, which carved Democratic Salt Lake County into four separate districts.

Persons: reconvenes, Leah Millis, –, ”, Michael Li, University’s, “, Kathy Hochul, Janet Protasiewicz Organizations: YORK, House, U.S . Capitol, Republican, REUTERS, Republicans, Census, Supreme, Center for Justice, U.S, Democrat, REPUBLICAN, STATE, Democratic, Ohio’s Republican, DEMOCRATIC, Utah Supreme Locations: New York, Utah, U.S, Washington , U.S, New, Black, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, In Wisconsin, Democratic Salt Lake County, New Mexico

July 20 (Reuters) - Alabama's Republican-controlled legislature on Friday passed a new congressional map that increased the number of Black voters in one of the state's districts, but Democrats said the plan defied a U.S. Supreme Court ruling intended to protect minority voters' rights. More than one-quarter of Alabama's residents are Black, but under a Republican-drawn map approved in 2021, only one of the state's seven congressional districts, the 7th, is majority Black. Senator Bobby Singleton, a Black Democrat, accused fellow lawmakers of playing a "game" with Black voters. But Republicans said they were confident the 2nd district's new lines provided a meaningful opportunity for Black voters. Last week, a New York state appeals court ordered lawmakers to redraw the state's congressional map.

Persons: Scott Douglas, Terri Sewell, Bobby Singleton, Singleton, Michael Li, New York University's, Josephine Walker, Joseph Ax, Scott Malone, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Republican, U.S, Supreme, Greater Birmingham Ministries, Democratic U.S, Republicans, U.S . House, Representatives, Black, New York, Center for Justice, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Alabama, Black, U.S, New, New York, Washington

☆ Alabama lawmakers clash over Black voters as redistricting deadline looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case have already vowed to challenge either map in court, saying both would still violate the law. In 2022, a three-judge panel in a federal district court invalidated the current map as unlawful. Black Democratic lawmakers have called the maps a slap in the face to Black voters - and to the courts. "It is an embarrassment," said Juandalynn Givan, a Jefferson County legislator, adding that the Republican plan amounted to dropping "an F-bomb on the United States Supreme Court." "There certainly are places in the country where a 42% Black district would elect a Black-preferred candidate," Li said.

Persons: Scott Douglas, Terri Sewell, Juandalynn Givan, Michael Li, New York University's, Li, Joseph Ax, Josephine Walker, Scott Malone, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Republican, U.S, Supreme, Republicans, U.S . House, Senate, Greater Birmingham Ministries, Democratic U.S ., Lawmakers, Black Democratic, United States Supreme, New York, Center for Justice, Black, Democratic, Thomson Locations: U.S, Alabama's, Alabama, Black, Jefferson County, New, New York

Dustin VolzDustin Volz is a Washington-based cybersecurity and intelligence reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Before joining the Journal in 2018, Dustin worked at Reuters and National Journal. In addition to Washington, Dustin has reported from London, Berlin and the Dominican Republic. He is a graduate of Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Prior to starting his journalism career, Dustin spent a year living in Indonesia as a Fulbright teaching assistant.

Persons: Dustin Volz Dustin Volz, Dustin, Gerald Loeb, Robert F, Arizona State University's Walter Organizations: Wall Street, Reuters, National Journal, White, Correspondents ' Association, Society of Publishers, Kennedy Center for Justice, Human, Arizona State, Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Communication Locations: Washington, Asia, London, Berlin, Dominican Republic, Indonesia

☆ US House rebuffs bid by Republican hardliners to end some sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday turned back a bid by hardline conservatives to end five presidential emergency declarations that allow for sanctions against America's enemies in the Middle East and Africa. Trump, a hero to Republican hardliners, did use a 2019 national emergency declaration to fund construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border over the opposition of congressional Democrats. "Trump was probably the first president to use the National Emergency Act and national emergency declarations for the express purpose of getting around Congress on a question of long term policy," Goitein said. Both Republicans and Democrats said they agreed with the objective of improving the national emergency system. "While I understand my colleagues' desire to reform the national emergency process, empowering terrorists, corrupt officials and war criminals is not the answer.

Persons: Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Eli Crane, Republican George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump's, Biden, Hardliner, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, somebody's, Gosar, Elizabeth Goitein, Trump, Goitein, Mike Lawler, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Lincoln Organizations: Republican, House, Four Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Democrats, Washington, Colorado firebrand, Hardliner Republicans, Freedom Caucus, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University, Trump, Emergency, Thomson Locations: East, Africa, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Colorado, Iran, U.S, Mexico

☆ US officials worry about ‘chilling effect’ on combating election disinformation after order limiting Biden administration contact with social platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Brian Fung Sean Lyngaas | Brian Fung | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The resulting uncertainty, they say, risks slowing the government and social media companies’ ability to respond to election-related disinformation that appears on tech platforms. Last week, the State Department canceled a routine meeting on election security with Facebook, according to a person familiar with the matter. On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray defended the close contacts between the US government and the social media companies. The injunction does contain some exceptions allowing more limited contact between affected agencies and social media companies. “Well, the government doesn’t necessarily have those capabilities to do that back-end work that the social media companies do.

Persons: Biden, ”, Chris Krebs, Krebs, Katie Harbath, Donald Trump, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Trump, Harbath, Yoel Roth, Twitter’s, Gowri Ramachandran, “, ” Ramachandran, they’re, Ramachandran, Russia’s, ” Harbath, you’re, ’, Evelyn Douek, Jocelyn Benson, ” Benson, Adam Mosseri, Meta, ’ ”, Nick Clegg, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: Washington CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, CNN, State Department, Facebook, Justice Department, FBI, of Homeland Security, Health, Human Services, Twitter, “, Senate Intelligence, Department of Homeland Security, National Intelligence, Big Tech, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University, Stanford Law School, Meta, YouTube, Meta Global Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, State, Michigan

☆ Little more than 1/4 of Republican voters have high confidence votes will be counted accurately in 2024: poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Only 22% of Republican voters have high confidence that votes will be counted accurately in 2024. In comparison, 71% of Democrats have high confidence. An AP/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found just barely over 1 out of 4 Republican voters (22%) have high confidence that votes in the 2024 election will be counted accurately. In comparison, 32% of Republicans were highly confident votes would be counted accurately ahead of the 2016 election. The poll further found that less than half of Americans (44%) have "a great deal" or "quite a bit" of confidence that votes will be counted accurately in 2024.

Persons: Trump, Donald Trump Organizations: Republican, Service, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Associated Press, Brennan Center for Justice Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Trump lacked power to declassify secret nuclear arms document, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks following his arraignment on classified document charges, at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File PhotoWASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - Even when he was president, Donald Trump lacked the legal authority to declassify a U.S. nuclear weapons-related document that he is charged with illegally possessing, security experts said, contrary to the former U.S. president’s claim. The special status of nuclear-related information further erodes what many legal experts say is a weak defense centered around declassification. “The president is the executive branch and so he can declassify anything that is nuclear information,” he said. And it takes forever,” said Thomas Blanton, director of the National Security Archive.

Persons: Donald Trump, Amr Alfiky, Trump, ”, Steven Aftergood, David Jonas, Elizabeth Goitein, it’s, Thomas Blanton, Jonathan Landay, Don Durfee, Amy Stevens, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S, Trump National Golf Club, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Atomic Energy, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Federation of Atomic Scientists, Prosecutors, Trump, Republican, Atomic Energy Act, DOE, Pentagon, AEA, U.S . National Nuclear Security Administration, Brennan Center for Justice, Constitution, DOD, National Security, Thomson Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, U.S, declassify, declassification, United States, Florida

National security law experts were struck by the breadth of evidence in the indictment which includes documents, photos, text messages, audio and witness statements. They said this made a strong case for prosecutors’ allegation that Trump illegally took the documents and then tried to cover it up. Trump's greatest peril could lie in the conspiracy to obstruct justice charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Legal experts said Trump's alleged years-long effort to conceal documents was likely a major factor in Special Counsel Jack Smith's decision to indict him. Legal experts disagree over whether Trump could pardon himself if he wins.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Elizabeth Goitein, Clark Neily, Mark MacDougall, Trump's, Jack Smith's, Wilkie D, Ferguson Jr, Walt Nauta, Chris Kise, Todd Blanche, Jane, Read, Brennan Center's Goitein, Cato's Neily, “, Todd Huntley, TRUMP, Jack Queen, Sarah N, Lynch, Amy Stevens, Cynthia Osterman, Howard Goller Organizations: White House, FBI, Brennan Center for Justice, DOJ, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cato Institute, U.S, United, REUTERS, Prosecutors, Georgetown University, Trump, Washington , D.C, Thomson Locations: Florida, Miami , Florida, U.S, New York, Washington ,

National security law experts were struck by the breadth of evidence in the indictment which includes documents, photos, text messages, audio and witness statements. They said this made a strong case for prosecutors’ allegation that Trump illegally took the documents and then tried to cover it up. Trump's greatest peril could lie in the conspiracy to obstruct justice charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Cato's Neily said that based on his reading of the indictment, prosecutors likely have many witnesses who have given them similar accounts of Trump's efforts. Legal experts disagree over whether Trump could pardon himself if he wins.

Persons: Trump, Wilkie D, Ferguson Jr, Walt Nauta, Chris Kise, Todd Blanche, Jane, Read, Donald Trump, ”, Elizabeth Goitein, Clark Neily, Mark MacDougall, Trump's, Jack Smith's, Brennan Center's Goitein, Cato's Neily, “, Todd Huntley, TRUMP, Jack Queen, Sarah N, Lynch, Amy Stevens, Cynthia Osterman, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, United, REUTERS, White House, FBI, Brennan Center for Justice, DOJ, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cato Institute, Prosecutors, Georgetown University, Trump, Washington , D.C, Thomson Locations: Miami , Florida, U.S, Florida, New York, Washington ,

National security law experts were struck by the breadth of evidence in the indictment which includes documents, photos, text messages, audio and witness statements. They said this made a strong case for prosecutors’ allegation that Trump illegally took the documents and then tried to cover it up. Trump has proclaimed his innocence and called the case a “witch hunt” orchestrated by political enemies. Cato's Neily said that based on his reading of the indictment, prosecutors likely have many witnesses who have given them similar accounts of Trump's efforts. Legal experts disagree over whether Trump could pardon himself if he wins.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Elizabeth Goitein, Clark Neily, Mark MacDougall, Trump's, Jack Smith's, Brennan Center's Goitein, Cato's Neily, “, Todd Huntley, TRUMP, Jack Queen, Sarah N, Lynch, Amy Stevens, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: White House, FBI, Brennan Center for Justice, DOJ, Cato Institute, Prosecutors, Georgetown University, Trump, Washington , D.C, Thomson Locations: Florida, New York, Washington ,

☆ Voting Rights Act survives at US Supreme Court but more challenges loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Election law expert Ned Foley of Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law called the ruling "a hugely important development for both the Voting Rights Act and the Supreme Court more broadly." The decision requires Alabama to draw a second U.S. House of Representatives district where Black voters comprise a majority or close to it. The Voting Rights Act was passed at a time when Southern states including Alabama enforced policies blocking Black people from casting ballots. Nearly six decades later, the Supreme Court continues to hear cases involving Black voters suing over electoral maps they argue diminish their influence. Thursday's ruling centered upon Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a provision aimed at countering measures that result in racial bias in voting even absent racist intent.

Persons: John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Ned Foley, Roberts, Kavanaugh, Foley, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Terri Sewell, Marc Elias, Elias, Brennan, Alabama, Deuel Ross, Ross, Gotell Faulks, Faulks, John Kruzel, Moira Warburton, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Conservative, Republican, Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, Alabama, U.S . House, Representatives, Black House Democrat, Democratic, Black voters, Black, Brennan Center for Justice, New York, American Civil Liberties, Thomson Locations: Alabama, U.S, Black, Louisiana, Constitution's, Montgomery, Jackson, Baton Rouge

☆ Opinion | New York Lawmakers Try to Sabotage Campaign Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For generations, deep-pocketed donors have called the shots in New York State politics, leaving ordinary voters with less power and less of a voice in their government. The changes proposed by lawmakers would protect incumbents and discourage challengers — the opposite of the program’s goal. The 2024 elections will be the first under this new campaign finance system, in which state leaders agreed to match small contributions with public funds to amplify the power of small donors. The law works like this: If an individual gives $5 to $250 to a candidate for a statewide office like governor, that donation is matched with public funds six to one. The match ratios are even higher for state legislative candidates.

Persons: Brennan, New York City’s, Kathy Hochul Organizations: Brennan Center for Justice, Democratic, Gov Locations: New York State, New York

☆ F.B.I. Violated Surveillance Program Rules After George Floyd Protests and Jan. 6 Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The total number of queries for Americans — and the frequency of compliance incidents — appears to have dropped as a result. Among other things, an intelligence community report last month said that the F.B.I. While Congress did so in 2012 and 2018, the program faces stronger headwinds this cycle, as Republicans who have adopted former President Donald J. Trump’s hostility toward the F.B.I. and surveillance have joined with civil libertarians who have long been critical of the law. Against that backdrop, privacy advocates have revived a proposal to require the government to obtain a warrant from the surveillance court before it may query the Section 702 repository using an American’s identifiers.

The Supreme Court ruled to uphold FDA approval of the abortion pill on Friday. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito publicly dissented, with Alito writing an opinion. The ruling did not specify how most of the justices voted, or even how many justices voted in favor. For part of his reasoning, Alito focused on the "shadow docket" itself. I thought you were against using the shadow docket and changing things in these ways,'" Lemieux said.

April 4 (Reuters) - Wisconsin voters on Tuesday elected liberal Janet Protasiewicz to the state Supreme Court, flipping control to a liberal majority ahead of rulings on an abortion ban and other matters that could play a role in the 2024 presidential election. But it was abortion that dominated the campaign, with the court expected in the coming months to decide whether to uphold the state's 1849 abortion ban. Protasiewicz put abortion at the center of her campaign, saying in one advertisement that she supports "a woman's freedom to make her own decision on abortion." [1/9] Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz celebrates after the race was called for her during her election night watch party in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., April 4, 2023. In addition, the court may revisit the state's congressional and legislative maps, which Republicans have drawn to maximize their political advantage.

April 4 (Reuters) - Wisconsin voters on Tuesday elected liberal Janet Protasiewicz to the state Supreme Court, flipping control to a liberal majority ahead of rulings on an abortion ban and other matters that could play a role in the 2024 presidential election. But it was abortion that dominated the campaign, with the court expected in the coming months to decide whether to uphold the state's 1849 abortion ban. That law took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year to eliminate a nationwide right to abortion. [1/7] Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz celebrates after the race was called for her during her election night watch party in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., April 4, 2023. Republicans portrayed Protasiewicz as soft on crime and said she would use the court to advance a liberal agenda, regardless of the law.

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