Top Items:
Richard L. Hasen / Slate:
The Supreme Court's Conservatives Just Issued the Worst Ruling in a Century — This evisceration of the Voting Rights Act requires us to take SCOTUS reform more seriously. — Wednesday's 6-3 party-line decision in Louisiana v. Callais will go down in history as one of the most pernicious …
Discussion:
Law Dork, Democracy Docket and Election Law Blog
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Politico:
Supreme Court limits Voting Rights Act … Liberal groups had feared the court would fully gut the law, allowing red states to redraw maps nationwide and effectively lock in GOP control of Congress. Republicans, meanwhile, believe that considering race in drawing congressional districts is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Mark Sherman / Associated Press:
Supreme Court voids majority Black congressional district in Louisiana, boosting Republican chances — The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down Louisiana's second majority Black congressional district in a decision that could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black …
Discussion:
Reuters, KHOU-TV, LA Public Press, Mississippi Free Press, The Guardian, WTTG-TV, Bloomberg, Florida Politics, Newsweek, Raw Story, Capital B News, WVEC and Los Angeles Times
Rick Hasen / Election Law Blog:
Breaking: On 6-3 Party Line Vote, Supreme Court Drastically Weakens Voting Rights Act in Callais Case to Make It Much Harder for Minority Plaintiffs to Get Fair Representation in Redistricting — On a 6-3 vote, with all Republican appointees in favor and all Democratic appointees opposed …
Discussion:
Esquire, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, The Hill, Bolts, Politico, Washington Post, Associated Press, Democracy Docket, Truthout, Zeteo, Florida Politics, Raw Story and Votebeat
The Downballot:
With the VRA gutted, the GOP could target over a dozen Black and Latino House districts — The assault would be devastating for minority voting rights—and for Democrats — On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Louisiana v. Callais.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo and Axios
Kate Riga / Talking Points Memo:
Alito Pens Decision That ‘Eviscerates’ The Voting Rights Act — The Roberts Court finally achieved its years-long goal of killing the Voting Rights Act Wednesday, publishing a ruling that, the liberal justices say, will make proving racial discrimination in redistricting virtually impossible.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Moderate Voice, NextDraft, The Mahablog, The Contrarian and Lawyers, Guns & Money
New York Times:
Live Updates: Supreme Court Deals Blow to Voting Rights Act
Discussion:
Associated Press, CNBC, ABC News, Washington Post, The Hill, New York Post, Civil Discourse …, The Atlantic, CBS News, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, Roll Call, Al Jazeera, IJR, Townhall, The Preamble, Adam Kinzinger, The Gateway Pundit and Washington Examiner, more at Mediagazer »
The Hill:
Supreme Court rules on Voting Rights Act, striking down Louisiana map
Supreme Court rules on Voting Rights Act, striking down Louisiana map
Discussion:
CBS News, Bloomberg, The Contrarian, New York Post, NewsMax.com and NOTUS
Amy Howe / SCOTUSblog:
In major Voting Rights Act case, Supreme Court strikes down redistricting map challenged as racially discriminatory
In major Voting Rights Act case, Supreme Court strikes down redistricting map challenged as racially discriminatory
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Reuters, PJ Media, NBC News, The Daily Caller, PBS NewsHour, CalMatters, New Republic, CBS News, NewsMax.com, One America News Network, PoliticusUSA, Fox News, Christian Science Monitor, Townhall, New York Sun, Axios, Alpha News MN, AMAC, Straight Arrow News, Raw Story, MeidasTouch, Houston Public Media, RedState, Scripps News, MS NOW, Washington Times, The Post Millennial, Talking Feds Substack, Deseret News, ABC News, The Daily Wire, Inside Elections, The New Neo, Advocate, The Daily Signal and The Independent
Tristan Wood / NPR:
Florida lawmakers pass a voting map that could help Republicans flip 4 House seats
Florida lawmakers pass a voting map that could help Republicans flip 4 House seats
Ronald Brownstein / Bloomberg:
The Supreme Court Is Re-Creating America's Worst Racial Injustices
The Supreme Court Is Re-Creating America's Worst Racial Injustices
Discussion:
Democracy Docket
Politico:
Republicans push to redraw maps after Supreme Court deals blow to VRA
Republicans push to redraw maps after Supreme Court deals blow to VRA
Discussion:
The Hill, NBC News, Roll Call, Daily Kos, Atlanta News First, 1819 News, Axios, Washington Examiner, NewsMax.com and The Daily Wire
Nicholas Riccardi / Associated Press:
Supreme Court ruling will reshape American politics. The only question is when
Supreme Court ruling will reshape American politics. The only question is when
Discussion:
Sabato's Crystal Ball, Democracy Docket, NewsMax.com, Washington Post and Advocate
Abbie VanSickle / New York Times:
Supreme Court Deals Further Blow to Voting Rights Act
Supreme Court Deals Further Blow to Voting Rights Act
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Robert Reich, New York Magazine, The Hill, USA Today, Politico, The Nation, The Contrarian, Bloomberg, Axios, Fox News, New York Sun, LGBTQ Nation, Newsbusters, NewsMax.com, ABC7, Reuters, The National Pulse, Democracy Docket, The Daily Wire, Newsweek, Votebeat, New York Post and WVEC
Daniel Flatley / Bloomberg:
Bessent Says Powell Staying On Is ‘Violation’ of All Fed Norms — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Jerome Powell for his decision to stay on the Federal Reserve Board after he steps down as the US central bank's chair, saying it amounts to a break with Fed tradition.
Discussion:
New York Sun and Scripps News
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Mabinty Quarshie / Washington Examiner:
Trump says James Comey ‘probably’ endangered his life with ‘8647’ post — President Donald Trump criticized former FBI Director James Comey for putting his life in danger by posting a photo of seashells in the sand that spelled out “86 47,” a phrase that detractors claimed was a call to kill the commander in chief.
Discussion:
CNBC, Detroit Free Press, NBC News, Associated Press, TMZ.com, USA Today, Mediaite, Law Dork, The Post Millennial, twitchy.com, Raw Story, Al Jazeera, Metro.co.uk and MS NOW
RELATED:
NBC News:
James Comey indicted over seashell photo that officials say threatened Trump
Discussion:
The Status Kuo, MS NOW, The Dispatch, The Free Press, The Independent, WJBK-TV, KFMB, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, New York Sun, Techdirt, Digby's Hullabaloo, Truthout and CBS News
Barak Ravid / Axios:
Exclusive: Trump rejects Iran's offer, says blockade stays until nuclear deal — President Trump told Axios he's going to keep Iran under a naval blockade until the regime agrees to a deal that addresses U.S. concerns about its nuclear program. … - After the strikes …
Discussion:
New York Post, Straight Arrow News, Breitbart, Reuters, CNBC, PressTV, The Guardian, HotAir, New Republic, Media Matters for America, NewsMax.com, Bloomberg and NOTUS
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Iranians Feel the Pain as Their Economy Descends Into a Death Spiral
Discussion:
Associated Press, BBC, RedState, Bloomberg, Modern Diplomacy, Al Jazeera and HotAir
Mallory Wilson / The Hill:
Trump says Iran has to ‘cry uncle’ to end Strait of Hormuz standoff
Trump says Iran has to ‘cry uncle’ to end Strait of Hormuz standoff
Discussion:
New York Post
Yunior Rivas / Democracy Docket:
Exclusive: New records show paper trail of DOGE voter data pact with election deniers — Newly obtained documents show a clear paper trail of Trump administration officials planning to share sensitive voter data with an outside political group trying to overturn elections, as part of a secret agreement.
Discussion:
Raw Story
The Atlantic:
The YOLO Presidency — This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. — Had President Trump, we wondered, possibly been reading or at least thumbing through—just maybe—the works of ... Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel?
Discussion:
The Parnas Perspective, The Independent and Raw Story
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Ron Lieber / New York Times:
Fidelity Won't Let Fund Holders Donate to Southern Poverty Law Center — Fidelity cited the Justice Department's recent lawsuit against the civil rights organization in emails to holders of its charitable-giving funds explaining its decision. — The country's largest sponsor of donor-advised funds …
Discussion:
The Daily Signal
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Trump Threatens to Pull Troops From Germany as He Lashes Out at Merz — The comments came after the German chancellor said that Iran has “humiliated” the United States. — President Trump declared on Wednesday evening that he is “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Fox News, Reuters, Washington Examiner and Newsweek
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Elie Mystal / The Nation:
Trump's Latest Ballroom Push Is His Nero Moment — The president's decision to commandeer the DOJ to argue that his ballroom is a security necessity is the ultimate sign that this country is in decline. — Pocket — Donald Trump's White House ballroom is the thing that proves America is in its decline.
Discussion:
The Independent
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Karl Plume / Reuters:
Trump administration rejects women picked for soybean board, appoints men instead — The Trump administration rejected all four women farmers chosen by their peers to represent them in an industry group called the United Soybean Board earlier this year, a rare intervention by the U.S. Department …
Washington Post:
Video shows moment Secret Service officer fired at correspondents' dinner suspect … Surveillance footage reviewed by The Washington Post shows that Cole Tomas Allen appeared to raise his shotgun in the direction of a Secret Service officer who then fired at him at least four times …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Reuters, NewsMax.com, New York Times, The Daily Wire and The Guardian
Nikki McCann Ramirez / Rolling Stone:
Ted Cruz Bashes Trump Administration for Going After Jimmy Kimmel — The Texas senator jumped to the defense of the late-night host as the FCC threatens ABC and Disney's broadcast licenses … The MAGA Republican, who famously clashed with the president during the 2016 primaries before supporting him …
Discussion:
Deadline, Punchbowl News, The Hollywood Reporter, MS NOW, Variety, The Wrap, Business Insider, The Independent and Ars Technica
Oliver Darcy / Status:
CBS' Ratings Calamity … Indeed, according to Nielsen data obtained by Status, Dokoupil's most recent week, beginning April 20, marked the lowest-rated stretch in total viewers since he took over the broadcast. The program averaged just 3.7 million viewers—slipping below the once-unthinkable 4 million threshold.
Washington Post:
Johnson quells House GOP revolt to pass controversial surveillance bill — For more than two hours on the chamber's floor, the speaker and fellow Republican leaders cajoled holdouts on that bill and others on DHS funding and farm policy.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
Jacob Mchangama / The UnPopulist:
Hungary's Opposition Used Social Media to Topple the Authoritarian-in-Chief — Politically neutral platforms are a better way than censorship to fight propaganda and disinformation — Three days after securing a landslide victory in Hungary's parliamentary election, incoming prime minister …
Laura J. Nelson / Wall Street Journal:
Sergey Brin-Backed California Measures Have Signatures to Reach Ballot, Backers Say — Two ballot initiatives funded in part by the Google co-founder that take aim at portions of a proposed wealth tax are on track to qualify — Two California ballot initiatives funded in part …
Matt Viser / The Atlantic:
The King's Admirer in Chief — Cannons fired. Fifes and drums played “Yankee Doodle.” A quartet of F-35s flew overhead, and dozens of military service members held American and British flags. It was about as much pomp as the United States can muster. This 250th anniversary of America, for the Brits, can be ... a bit awkward.
Devlin Barrett / New York Times:
Trump Administration Announces Moves to Sharply Curtail Gun Regulations — The changes are in keeping with the administration's pledge to cut back on gun restrictions. — The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a sweeping rollback of gun regulations, prompting criticism …
Discussion:
Associated Press, NewsMax.com and The Independent
Adrian Carrasquillo / The Bulwark:
ICE Deports Colombian Torture Victim—to Africa — ICE FINALLY STUCK IT to one of their detainees. Except this person is no criminal, no murderer, no monster. She is a torture victim from Colombia, one who—as we wrote last year—was repeatedly beaten and raped by the police buddies of her ex-boyfriend.
Washington Post:
Supreme Court says antiabortion center can fight subpoena for donors' names — Advocacy groups across the political spectrum aligned with the faith-based center in its battle with New Jersey's attorney general over disclosing its donors. — Summary — The Supreme Court held unanimously …
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
G.O.P. Congress Struggles to Do the Basics Amid Party Infighting — House Republicans toiled to pass major measures as lawmakers scrambled to fund homeland security, extend spy powers and deliver a farm bill. — Representative Tom Cole, the Oklahoma Republican who leads the Appropriations Committee …

