The Supreme Court’s conservative majority cleared the way today for South Carolina to keep using a congressional map that a lower court had deemed an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. All three liberal justices dissented.
The ruling handed a victory to the state’s Republicans by allowing them to maintain a stronghold on a district in Charleston County. A panel of federal judges had previously found that district to be illegal because redistricting had removed 62 percent of its Black voters. The immediate effect will be limited: This year’s elections were already set to take place under the contested map.
But today’s decision could have a broader impact in the years to come. Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion, said that courts should generally presume that lawmakers are telling the truth when they say their goal in redistricting is partisan, which is permissible, rather than based on race, which is not. That distinction can be difficult because Black voters overwhelmingly favor Democrats.
Alito’s position could make it “easier for Republican states to engage in redistricting to help white Republicans maximize their political power,” said Richard Hasen, an election law expert. In dissent, the liberal justices argued that it could become all but impossible to challenge voting maps as racial gerrymanders.
The U.S. called for the breakup of Ticketmaster’s owner
The Justice Department today sued Live Nation — the concert giant that owns Ticketmaster — arguing that it illegally maintains a monopoly in the live entertainment industry and asking a court to break it up. The lawsuit was joined by 29 states and the District of Columbia.
According to the Justice Department, Live Nation controls around 60 percent of concert promotions at major U.S. venues and roughly 80 percent of primary ticketing at major concert venues.
Louisiana voted to make abortion pills controlled substances
The Louisiana State Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill today to make the state the first in the nation to designate abortion pills as dangerous controlled substances. The legislation now goes to Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican who is widely expected to sign it.
If the bill becomes law, possession of abortion pills without a prescription would be a crime punishable by jail time and fines. Many doctors in the state opposed the legislation in part because the drugs, which the F.D.A. has found to be safe, can be prescribed for other uses.
Israeli forces pushed deeper into Rafah
Israel said today that its troops were fighting in neighborhoods near the center of the southern city of Rafah, in Gaza. The Israeli military said that its forces had dismantled several tunnels and killed fighters in “close-quarters encounters.” Around 815,000 people have left Rafah as a result of the fighting.
In related news, the U.S. has struggled to deliver humanitarian aid to Gazans via a floating pier. Many of the trucks carrying aid from the pier have been looted.
‘Hit Man’ is a hit
Glen Powell stars as a nerdy professor who pretends to be a hired gun to aid the police in “Hit Man,” Richard Linklater’s new Netflix film, which opens in theaters tomorrow. Powell’s character starts to enjoy dressing up as different faux hit men for each client, until he meets Madison (Adria Arjona) and everything changes. It’s a rom-com, but it’s also surprisingly deep — and our critic said it was a blast to watch.
“If I see a movie more delightful than ‘Hit Man’ this year, I’ll be surprised,” Alissa Wilkinson wrote. “If you can see it in a theater, it’s worth it.”
A forgotten slave narrative resurfaced after 169 years
In 1855, John Jacobs published a 20,000-word account of his birth into and escape from slavery, his years on a whaling ship and his departure from the U.S. Appearing in an Australian newspaper, it was a blistering condemnation of 19th-century America, but it was eventually forgotten and nearly lost to history.
Jacobs’s narrative was rediscovered only a few years ago by Jonathan D.S. Schroeder, a scholar who wrote a biography of Jacobs to be published alongside his story in a new book. We talked to Schroeder about what he learned from Jacobs.
Gardening is good for the body and the soul
My colleague Dana Smith loves the feeling of gardening. To her, it’s a workout, a meditation and an opportunity to socialize with neighbors all wrapped into one. So, as a health reporter, she reached out to experts and read up on the research to see if others agreed.
As it turned out, scientific studies suggest there are real benefits. Gardeners tend to report higher levels of physical activity and self-esteem, and lower levels of anxiety and depression. It can also provide a sense of meaning and purpose. “When you’re working with plants, you’re the nurturer,” one horticulturist said.
Have a fulfilling evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
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