Sign in Subscribe

politics + society

Supreme Court ruling: The latest in history of diminishing minority voting rights

Supreme Court ruling: The latest in history of diminishing minority voting rights

(KNOXVILLE, TN) Divided along ideological lines, the U.S. Supreme Court on April 29, 2026, issued a ruling that severely weakens a provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. That provision, known as Section 2, prohibited any discriminatory voting practice or election rule that results in less opportunity

Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana gerrymandering case redefines Voting Rights Act, making it harder to protect minority voting power and altering the landscape of future elections

Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana gerrymandering case redefines Voting Rights Act, making it harder to protect minority voting power and altering the landscape of future elections

In a major ruling that would permit weakening the voting power of minorities in the United States, the Supreme Court on April 29, 2026, struck down a Black-majority district in Louisiana’s congressional map as “an unconstitutional gerrymander” and altered the court’s interpretation of the Voting Rights Act.

Can the nearly $1 trillion-a-year US military really be depleting key weapons in Iran?

Can the nearly $1 trillion-a-year US military really be depleting key weapons in Iran?

(BOISE, IDAHO) The fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire announced on April 7, 2026, after 40 days of war came at an opportune time for the United States. Several reports indicate it is running out of weapons amid the conflict. As a scholar focused on U.S. military deployments, these reports

Older Americans who vote live longer than those who don’t – new research

Older Americans who vote live longer than those who don’t – new research

Most people know the basics of healthy living that become more important as you grow older: Eat plenty of vegetables, exercise regularly, sleep well, have a social life, limit your alcohol consumption and don’t smoke. As an economist and social psychologist who study altruism and health, we wondered whether

Latest attack threatening President Trump reflects rising political violence in US

Latest attack threatening President Trump reflects rising political violence in US

(STATE COLLEGE, PENN.) For the third time in three years, Donald Trump has come under threat by an attacker. Many facts remain unclear after a gunman stormed the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026, during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. As the investigation into the shooting continues, Alfonso Serrano,

Justice Department’s effort to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans could face widespread judicial pushback

Justice Department’s effort to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans could face widespread judicial pushback

The Justice Department has identified 384 foreign-born Americans whose citizenship it wants to revoke as “the first wave” of such measures, according to recent reporting by The New York Times. These cases are being assigned to prosecutors in 39 U.S. attorney’s offices across the country. The administration

Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’ brings hasty decisions with long-lasting implications, outside of its usual careful deliberation

Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’ brings hasty decisions with long-lasting implications, outside of its usual careful deliberation

The recent publication of confidential Supreme Court memoranda by The New York Times has brought to light a pivotal moment in the court’s history. “The birth of the Supreme Court’s shadow docket has long been a mystery,” wrote reporters Jodi Kantor and Adam Liptak. “Until now.” Originally coined