Supreme Court backs GOP plan in SC that critics say discriminated against Black voters

                                                   

 WASHINGTON – A divided Supreme Court on Thursday signed off on a South Carolina congressional map that critics − including a lower court − said discriminated against Black voters to make Rep. Nancy Mace's district friendlier to Republicans.

The 6-3 majority said the challengers provided no direct evidence that the lines were drawn to minimize the voting power of Black residents.

“When partisanship and race correlate, it naturally follows that a map that has been gerrymandered to achieve a partisan end can look very similar to a racially gerrymandered map,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority.

Writing for the minority, Justice Elena Kagan said the challengers introduced more than enough evidence to show race was improperly a factor.          

 

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As Trump campaigns, he's spreading QAnon posts anew. Some call that 'playing with fire'

 As Trump campaigns, he's spreading QAnon posts anew. Some call that 'ying with fire'

As Donald Trump heads toward a November rematch election against President Joe Biden, his online posts are reinvigorating a key element of his support from years past: the conspiracy theory known as QAnon.

While QAnon largely faded from the spotlight after Trump left office, he has newly amplified the ideas on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Since the site launched two years ago, Trump has reposted or promoted QAnon-affiliated accounts more than 800 times, ensuring their messages will be widely seen, according to a new study from liberal watchdog group Media Matters shared exclusively with USA TODAY.

Experts say the support amounts to a tacit endorsement of a dangerous movement that has been linked to criminal acts ranging from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to isolated cases of violence and even murder.

The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment about QAnon. While he was president, Trump spoke favorably of the movement and today he encourages QAnon chants and plays a song associated with QAnon at rallies.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Read More                                                                                                                                                 

No more free COVID-19 vaccines? Feds announce change to program.

No more free COVID-19 vaccines? Feds announce change to program.

When COVID-19 vaccines entered the commercial market last fall, the federal government introduced a program to make shots accessible to people with limited coverage or no insurance. That program – which provided millions of free shots to low-income people – is now coming to a halt, U.S. health officials said.

The Bridge Access Program is set to end in August, months earlier than local health departments and health centers expected because when pandemic-era funding from Congress is expiring. Biden administration officials are seeking permanent funding so that routine vaccinations can remain free for adults, through a program akin to the long-standing Vaccines for Children program, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said via email.

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