Supreme Court Weighs Future Of Voting Rights Act
Race is front and center at the U.S. Supreme Court today and so is Shelby County, Alabama. The county is suing the U.S. Justice Department, challenging a requirement that it get prior approval from the federal government to change voting laws or maps. Civil rights pioneer and Democratic Representative John Lewis of Georgia says the case is one of the most important in a generation. He says the so-called “pre-clearance provision” prevents the disenfranchisement of minority voters. He cites the case of a black city councilman in Calera, AL, who risked losing his seat because of redistricting.
But Shelby County’s long-time attorney, Frank “Butch” Ellis, tells NPR’s Nina Totenberg that “the South has changed.” He notes that in a county that is 90 percent white, there have been multiple elections in which black candidates defeated white candidates.
“In any race, you show where you had a minority candidate happen to lose, I can show you two where they won with a 90 percent white population.”
Listen to Totenberg’s full report here and hear longtime Alabama resident and NPR reporter Debbie Elliot’s story on the issue here.
Regular WBHM contributor, Birmingham News political reporter Kyle Whitmire, also has a story on the legal case here, including a comment from former Rep. Artur Davis, who says the Voting Rights Act has had the unintended consequence of quarantining African-Americans into gerrymandered voting districts.
UPDATE (12:42 pm CT) – The New York Times is reporting that the conservative justices on the Supreme Court voiced skepticism of the Voting Rights Act during oral arguments this morning. Read more in the Times’ coverage.
2 Israeli Embassy staff are killed in a shooting in Washington, D.C., officials say
As attendees departed an event held by a Jewish advocacy organization in D.C. on Wednesday night, a shooter opened fire, killing two. Later, he chanted "free Palestine," D.C. police officials said.
Trump tried to shutter Radio Free Europe. The EU threw it a lifeline
EU officials say the broadcaster for years has played an important role providing news to areas where the press can't operate freely
Here’s what’s in the GOP megabill that’s headed for a vote in the House
At the center of the sweeping bill is trillions in tax cuts, which Republicans aim to partially offset through changes to safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
Alabama Power threatened with lawsuit for contaminating groundwater with coal ash
Nine years after the Gadsden Steam Plant stopped burning coal, its unlined coal ash pond is still polluting Alabama groundwater, records show.
Southwest Airlines will require passengers to keep chargers visible due to fire risk
This year, there have been at least 22 incidents involving lithium batteries in air travel, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Trump administration officially accepts jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One
The plane is a gift that Trump said he would be "stupid" to turn down. Experts say the plane would take years to rework to meet the current standards for Air Force One.
