Friday, June 9

Politics

Supreme Court rules against Alabama in high-stakes Voting Rights Act case
Politics

Supreme Court rules against Alabama in high-stakes Voting Rights Act case

Washington — The Supreme Court on Thursday invalidated a congressional map drawn by state lawmakers in Alabama after the 2020 Census, finding the state's redistricting plan for its seven House seats likely violated a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.In an opinion authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the high court declined to accept far-reaching arguments from Republican officials in Alabama that would have made it more difficult to challenge congressional and state legislative maps that dilute the power of minority voters under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined Roberts in the majority, while Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett dissented. ...
Political notes: Trone stumps in Prince George’s, 6th District news, candidates for House vacancies, and more
Politics

Political notes: Trone stumps in Prince George’s, 6th District news, candidates for House vacancies, and more

Rep. David Trone (D-6th), right, chats with former state Sen. Victor Ramirez on June 6 at Riviera Tapas Bar. Prince George’s County Councilmember Edward Burroughs is in the rear. Photo by William J. Ford. In his continued push for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, Rep. David Trone (D-6th) sought to encourage a growing demographic bloc in the state to back him. And he did it on the home turf of one of his leading opponents. Trone served as guest speaker Tuesday evening at a meeting of the Latino Democrats of Prince George’s County at the Riviera Tapas Bar in Riverdale. Trone summarized his platform, highlighting his support for women’s rights, improving mental health and providing jobs for returning citizens. He noted that his company, t...
Chris Christie announces 2024 presidential campaign
Politics

Chris Christie announces 2024 presidential campaign

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is launching his second presidential campaign Tuesday in New Hampshire.A few hours before his announcement, Christie filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission formalizing his candidacy.The former governor, who ran for president in 2016, views himself as someone who can stand up to and present a contrast with former President Donald Trump, the early front-runner in the polls. Christie, who was once a Trump ally, may be the only candidate in the race so far who is willing to openly criticize former President Donald Trump on a regular basis.  File: Former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, NV, on November 19, 2022. ...
Mike Pence officially enters 2024 US presidential race, pitting himself against former boss Donald Trump – as it happened | US politics
Politics

Mike Pence officially enters 2024 US presidential race, pitting himself against former boss Donald Trump – as it happened | US politics

Pence makes presidential bid officialFormer vice-president Mike Pence has officially entered the 2024 presidential race, pitting him against his former boss Donald Trump and a host of other candidates including Florida governor Ron DeSantis for the Republican party’s nomination.The Federal Election Commission’s website shows Pence and his campaign committee, Mike Pence for President located in Carmel, Indiana, officially registering today. The former vice-president will publicly announce the bid on Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa.Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureClosing summaryMike Pence filed the paperwork necessary to run for president, though he will wait till Wednesday to make his campaign official with a speech in Iowa. Meanwhile in Washington, ...
Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin condemns threats to default on U.S. gov’t debt
Politics

Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin condemns threats to default on U.S. gov’t debt

Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, author of the new book "The Yellow Pad," and, perhaps most important, veteran of the debt ceiling wars, offers a commentary about this past week's debt ceiling showdown in Washington:In 1995, I was the Secretary of the Treasury when members of Congress threatened not to raise the debt limit until the president agreed to their policy demands. Thirty years later, we just went through another debt-ceiling crisis. Penguin Press This is a pattern we can, and must, break. I'm proud to have served in an administration that balanced the budget. And I've been concerned about rising debt and deficit...
Trump is a ‘grifter’ and engages in ‘political sociopathic behavior,’ says Anthony Scaramucci
Politics

Trump is a ‘grifter’ and engages in ‘political sociopathic behavior,’ says Anthony Scaramucci

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.UP NEXTThe Race to Mars27:00To win the race to Mars, NASA is prepared to go nuclear11:39Full panel: ‘Within 200 years, it's easy to imagine … millions of people living in space’10:25The power of A.I.: Cancer detection, digital twins and an 'A.I. god'27:02How to live forever: Hollywood A.I.'s 'digital twins' bring dead actors back from the grave10:47‘Life and death decisions are being made’ by artificial intelligence10:22Anti-drag movement27:48‘The agenda is to just exist’: New Tennessee law pulls drag queens into politics13:57‘Growing visibility’ of drag has led to new GOP ‘backlash’08:51War Games: The Battle for Taiwan26:34Christian Nationalism on the rise27:04American oligarchs: Money in politics27:04Secu...
Biden addresses nation on debt ceiling deal to avoid default: “This is vital”
Politics

Biden addresses nation on debt ceiling deal to avoid default: “This is vital”

Washington — President Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Friday night after both chambers of Congress passed an agreement to suspend the debt ceiling and limit federal spending. The president was expected to sign the bill, known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, on Saturday. The president spoke less than 24 hours after the Senate approved the agreement, 63-36. All 11 of the amendments the Senate voted on ahead of final passage failed. A majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats in the House voted in favor of the bill on Wednesday night. "This is vital," Mr. Biden said of the bill in his address. "Because it's essential to the progress we made over the last few years, is keeping full faith and credit of the United States of America in passing a bud...
Politics

Jordan’s royal wedding: Joy, politics, and an eye on kingdom’s future

Jordan’s royal wedding today was about more than the who’s who of VIP guests and days of street parties, music, and joy. It was an introduction to the next king.The wedding of Crown Prince Hussein to Rajwa Alseif, a Saudi architect and cousin of the Saudi ruling family, was a break from tradition in Jordan. Unlike in the United Kingdom, royal weddings here have long been low-key affairs. Why We Wrote This A story focused on Royal weddings often highlight tradition and history. In Jordan, celebrations around its crown prince’s nuptials are all about the future. These were the largest celebrations the country has seen in two decades, and they bring together a match of political expediency. There is hope among some officials and Jordanians that marital ties between the future king a...
NASA group studying UFOs stresses need for better data in first public meeting
Politics

NASA group studying UFOs stresses need for better data in first public meeting

An independent group of scientists and experts convened by NASA to study unidentified anomalous phenomena, known as UAPs or UFOs, said Wednesday there is "absolutely no convincing evidence" of extraterrestrial activity in any sightings to date.That doesn't mean the panel has ruled out aliens, military adversaries or any other explanation — just that of the 800 or so sightings of strange flying objects or other phenomena that defy easy explanation, the data are simply not sufficient to draw any definitive conclusions. Yet. The 16-member panel stressed the need for better data about the encounters in its first and only public meeting Wednesday. The group was formed last October to "lay the groundwork for future study on the nature of UAPs for NASA ...
Read The Slatest for May 30.
Politics

Read The Slatest for May 30.

It’s more fun via email (promise). This article first appeared in our Slatest evening newsletter, which seeks to surface the best pieces published across Slate’s digital and audio journalism. We publish it there to help you cut to the chase at the end of each day. To get it in your inbox, along with more of the best work we published that day, sign up below. The best of Slate, delivered late Did you know car dealers are not only one of the richest demographics in the U.S., they are also one of the most politically organized? And that their lobbying (of Republicans, mainly) has resulted in tons of bizarre, rewritten laws that favor them across the country—including one that says if you buy a Tesla in Texas, it must be shipped out of state and then...