WASHINGTON —The Supreme Court has delayed resolving a South Carolina redistricting case for so long that a lower court has has been forced to step in, saying on Thursday that a congressional district it previously ruled was racially gerrymandered can be used in this year’s election.
Last year, a federal court ruled that the Charleston-area district held by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., was unlawfully drawn by removing thousands of Black voters.
But on Thursday, the same court said in an order that the map could be used for this year’s congressional election.
The three-judge panel wrote that “with the primary election procedures rapidly approaching, the appeal before the Supreme Court still pending, and no remedial plan in place, the ideal must bend to the practical.”
The decision constitutes a setback for Democrats, who might have gained a more favorable map if it was redrawn.
The Supreme Court has spent months considering the merits of whether map-drawers unlawfully considered race when drafting the map but has yet to issue a ruling despite both sides saying it needed to be resolved well before the election.
The justices have also failed to act on an emergency application brought by Republican state officials asking for the existing map to remain in place, at least for now.
In a nine-month term running from October to June dominated by cases involving former President Donald Trump, the justices have issued only 11 rulings in argued cases.
Oral arguments in the South Carolina case were held on Oct. 11, giving the justices ample time to rule.
State officials had argued their sole goal was to increase the Republican tilt in the district in drawing the map. But in January 2023, the lower court ruled race was of predominant concern when one of the state’s seven districts was drawn. Republicans led by South Carolina Senate President Thomas Alexander appealed the decision.
The three-judge panel had said the state did not have to take any action to draw a new map until after the Supreme Court resolved the appeal — on the understanding that the justices would act more quickly.
Republicans redrew the boundaries after the 2020 census to strengthen GOP control of what had become a competitive district. Democrat Joe Cunningham won the seat in 2018 and narrowly lost to Mace in 2020. Two years later, with a new map in place, Mace won by a wider margin.
The roughly 30,000 Black voters who were moved out of the district were placed into the district held by Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, who is Black. It is the only one of the seven congressional districts held by Democrats.
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and other civil rights groups alleged not only that Republicans unlawfully considered race when they drew the maps, but also that they also diluted the power of Black voters in doing so.
The claims were brought under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which requires that the law applies equally to everyone. The case arose under a different legal theory than was at issue in the major ruling this year in which civil rights advocates successfully challenged Republican-drawn maps in Alabama under the Voting Rights Act.
Four men suspected of carrying out a deadly attack at a Moscow concert hall have appeared in court, the Kevin McCarthy-Matt Gaetz feud heats up months after the former speaker’s ouster. And Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots are now at a combined $1.9 billion.
Here’s what to know today.
Moscow mass shooting suspects appear injured in court
The four men accused of killing more than 130 people at a concert hall in Moscow appeared in court yesterday, some sporting significant injuries.
The men, all from the former Soviet state of Tajikistan, were charged with committing terrorist acts, according to court information.
Two men, including one described as an alleged shooter and accused of setting fire to the Crocus City Hall building, admitted guilt during the closed-door hearings, the court said. All four were ordered held through at least May 22, according to the court.
Several of the men appeared to be badly injured, with one appearing with a bandage over his ear, while another was wheeled into court in a wheelchair.
The terror group ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, though experts have warned it could be used to bolster Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Read more:
A Russian long-range cruise missile heading for western Ukraine briefly entered Polish territory, prompting the country’s armed forces to launch “all necessary procedures.”
Kevin McCarthy-Matt Gaetz feud heats up months after the former speaker’s ouster
Kevin McCarthy and Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz.Getty Images
Kevin McCarthy, while speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” referenced a motion filed last week by Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene aimed at removing House Speaker Mike Johnson. McCarthy, who was voted out of the speakership last fall after Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a similar motion, gave advice to the Republican conference — and dinged Gaetz.
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“The one advice I would give to the conference and to the speaker is: Do not be fearful of a motion to vacate,” McCarthy said. “I do not think they could do it again. That was surely based on Matt Gaetz trying to stop an ethics complaint.” Pressed about his reference to Gaetz, McCarthy elaborated, saying, “It was purely Matt coming to me trying, trying [to get] me to do something illegal to stop the Ethics Committee from moving forward in an investigation that was started long before I became a speaker.”
The House Ethics Committee opened a probe into Gaetz in 2021 to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against him and former New York Rep. Tom Reed, who resigned from Congress in 2022. Gaetz has not been charged with any crime, and he has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. The feud between Gaetz and McCarthy came to the forefront when Gaetz triggered the vote that led to McCarthy’s ouster. McCarthy maintained that Gaetz filed a motion to vacate because he refused to intervene in the ethics probe.
Princess Kate’s cancer treatment news sparks remorse from people who spread conspiracies online
Samir Hussein / WireImage file
Hundreds of people online spread conspiracy theories, posted memes and cracked jokes in an attempt to answer one question: Where is Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales?
But many people who had partaken in the online frenzy found themselves expressing regret after the princess broke her silence on Friday, announcing she had been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Actor Blake Lively was among the first to make a statement online apologizing for her now-deleted Instagram post, a Photoshop joke inspired by the manipulated Mother’s Day photo released by Kensington Palace.
The questions around Kate’s whereabouts — and subsequent online remorse — underscore a pattern in which lack of information provides a perfect mix for people online to chase relevance on social media platforms, experts say. “Everybody’s trying to jump in to get a piece of the viral pie, so to speak,” said Jessica Maddox, an assistant professor of digital media technology at the University of Alabama.
The Kate news has also highlighted the strain between the public’s desire to know every detail about the royal family and the royals’ desire to keep their life private.
Shohei Ohtani set to address media for first time since his interpreter was fired
Keith Birmingham / MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images
Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani plans to speak to the media Monday for the first time since the illegal gambling and theft allegations involving him and his interpreter, Ippei Mizhuara, emerged during the team’s trip to South Korea. Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers when the team opened the season with two games against the San Diego Padres in Seoul.
Mizuhara was let go following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and claims from Ohtani’s attorneys that the Japanese star had been the victim of a “massive theft.”
Read more on the alleged betting scandal:
TheMLB launched an investigation into the gambling allegations surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter.
Who is Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara? Here’s what to know.
Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots at a combined $1.9 billion
Grab your tickets! The Powerball and Mega Millions Powerball jackpots are now at a combined $1.9 billion.
The lottery prizes swelled after no tickets matched all six numbers in drawings on Friday and Saturday night. The Mega Millions jackpot grew to $1.1 billion and the Powerball jackpot rose to $800 million; the prizes were $977 million and $750 million respectively on Wednesday night. The next Powerball drawing will be today — and if there’s a winner, it would be the sixth-largest prize in the game’s history, according to the company. There have been 35 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner since Jan. 1.
Politics in Brief
Congress: New Jersey’s first lady Tammy Murphy announced that she is withdrawing from the Democratic Senate primary. The first lady’s campaign drew some criticism, with many frustrated by the optics of her husband, Gov. Phil Murphy, pushing his wife’s candidacy.
Meet the Press: Former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel saidthat she disagrees with former President Donald Trump’s planto free those charged and convicted of crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Supreme Court: Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said it’s “possible” the Supreme Court could one day overrule its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which itself overruled Roe v. Wade.
Pharmaceuticals: Vaccines, birth control pills, hormone therapies and fertility drugs would be subject to new litigationif the Supreme Court endorses a challenge to abortion pill mifepristone, according to pharmaceutical industry experts.
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Staff Pick: How a satirical headline sparked real coverage of a fake feud
=Nathan Congleton / NBC via Getty Images file
Today, it’s more important than ever to check your sources: That’s the message Reba McEntire posted to Instagram in response to a bogus headline claiming she was beefing with Taylor Swift. Many news outlets reported on McEntire’s post as fact, suggesting she and Swift had squashed the imaginary beef. In reality, the headline McEntire shared was from a satire Facebook account run by Christopher Blair, a self-proclaimed professional troll.
— Kalhan Rosenblatt, internet culture reporter
In Case You Missed It
More than 20 million people from the West Coast to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were under winter weather alerts over the weekend, with steady snow showers continuing through Monday.
Ruby Franke, a former YouTube family vlogger who was sentenced last month on child abuse charges, detailed months of abuse in journal entries released by prosecutors.
Airports laud the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding as a “game changer” for modernizing terminals but say it lags behind needs for upgrades.
Passengers of the Alaska Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing when a door plug blew out midair got a letter from the FBI identifying themas victims of a possible crime.
Linda L. Bean, a granddaughter of outdoor retailer L.L. Bean. who became an entrepreneur, philanthropist and conservative activist died at age 82.
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
A good quality phone case can only do so much to help you avoid a broken screen, but that’s where a screen protector comes in. Here’s what to look for in one and the best options to choose from.
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At least two buildings have been destroyed and residents of others have been evacuated in Juneau after flooding caused by water coming from a glacier-dammed lake, officials said Sunday.
The Mendenhall River flooded Saturday because of a major release from Suicide Basin above Alaska’s capital city, a news release from the City and Borough of Juneau said.
A drone view shows a house before it collapses into a river due to glacial floods in Juneau, Alaska, on August 5, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a video on social media.
INSTAGRAM @TWOWILDHEARTS via Reuters
Video posted on social media showed towering trees behind a home falling into the rushing river as the water ate away at the bank. Eventually, the home, teetering at the edge, also collapsed into the river.
River levels were falling Sunday but the city said the banks of the river remain highly unstable. Some roadways have been blocked by silt and debris from the flooding, it said.
View of flooding following a glacial dam outburst, in Juneau, Alaska, in image released on August 5, 2023 and obtained from social media.
National Weather Service Juneau via Reuters
Such floods, known as glacial outburst floods, happen when glaciers melt and pour massive amounts of water into nearby lakes. A study released earlier this year found such floods pose a risk to 15 million people around the globe, more than half of them in India, Pakistan, Peru and China.
The National Weather Service explains that the Suicide Basin is a side basin of the Mendenhall Glacier above Juneau.
Suicide Basin, near Juneau, Alaska
National Weather Service
“Since 2011,” the service says, “Suicide Basin has released glacier lake outburst floods that cause inundation along Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall River.”
Mendenhall Lake gauge crested at 11:15 p.m. Saturday at a maximum level of 4.97 feet, the service pointed out, “well above the previous record stage of 11.99 feet set in July 2016.”
The lake level was 7.22 feet at 5:15 p.m. Sunday and waters continued to recede, the service noted.
Significant flooding was reported with water in areas that had never been flooded before, the service said. “Significant bank erosion has been reported as well with a few structures lost to the river. Tree-fall and debris are in the river,” it said.
The Suicide Basin area at Juneau, Alaska
National Weather Service
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The discovery of an invasive fruit fly prompted a rare quarantine of produce of a neighborhood in Los Angeles County, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced last week.
This is “the first Tau fruit fly quarantine ever in the Western Hemisphere,” according to the CDFA.
More than 20 Tau fruit flies were found in Stevenson Ranch, an unincorporated area near the city of Santa Clarita. The Tau fruit fly is native to Asia and described by the CDFA as a “serious pest for agriculture and natural resources.”
Tau fruit flies are about the same size as a housefly. The adult females lay eggs in produce, and the larvae “tunnel through” and feed on it, deeming it unfit for consumption, according to the CDFA.
A quarantine was imposed that encompassed 79 square miles, from Castaic Junction to the north, Oat Mountain to the south, the Del Valle unincorporated community to the west and Honby Avenue to the east.
It’s believed the invasive species came to California via travelers who brought over un-inspected produce.
“To prevent the spread of this invasive species, residents living in the quarantine area are urged not to move any fruits and vegetables from their property,” the CDFA said. “They may be consumed or processed (i.e. juiced, frozen, cooked, or ground in the garbage disposal) at the property where they were picked. Otherwise, they should be disposed-of by double-bagging in plastic and placing the bags in a bin specifically for garbage.”
The CDFA is working with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner to eliminate the species and prevent it from spreading to new areas by inspecting produce within 200 meters of the fruit fly detections and treating them with “a naturally derived organic-approved material known as Spinosad.”
“Finally, fly traps that incorporate a pheromone lure and a minute amount of pesticide will be used in a wider part of the treatment area,” the CDFA said.
