Police to open criminal investigation into Lauren Smith-Fields’ death

After initially ruling the death of 23-year-old Lauren Smith-Fields, a Black woman, as an accident, officials announced Tuesday they had opened a criminal investigation. The case has made headlines …

Voting Rights Roundup: Top North Carolina court halts filing, a sign it could block GOP gerrymanders

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● North Carolina: In a major sign that it is likely to eventually block Republicans’ newly enacted congressional and legislative gerrymanders in a pair of pending cases, North …

Voting Rights Roundup: Conspiracy-driven Wisconsin GOP looks to take over election administration

Programming Note: The Voting Rights Roundup will be taking a break the week of Nov. 27 for the Thanksgiving holiday but will return the following week.

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● Wisconsin: In a chilling new …

Viral video: Navy sailor assaulted at pizza parlor by Karen who calls him ‘disgusting’

Social media is at it again: Calls to arrest a woman who chose violence are trending after a video of a woman assaulting a U.S. Navy sailor went viral. Police officials looked to social media to …

Workers shut down luxury butcher shop after investor demands removal of BLM and Pride signs

We’ve all heard reports of restaurant and service industries struggling to find workers who are willing to come in amid a global pandemic. We’ve covered stories of workers taking a stand and quitting, …

Voting Rights Roundup: Supreme Court guts the last critical protections of the Voting Rights Act

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● Supreme Court: On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservatives ruled 6-3 along ideological lines to strike a historic blow against the Voting Rights Act in overturning a 9th Circuit …

Voting Rights Roundup: In major about face, Manchin lays out path for compromise on election reforms

Programming Note: The Voting Rights Roundup will be taking a break the week of June 25 but will return the following week.

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● Congress: In a major development for the fate of congressional …

Voting Rights Roundup: Texas Dems stop GOP voting restrictions with walkout, but the bill may return

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● Texas: In a dramatic turn of events, Texas Republicans finalized the details of a far-reaching voting restriction bill and tried to pass it in the middle of the night over the Memorial …

Voting Rights Roundup: Arizona GOP's bill strips Dem election chief's power only until her term ends

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● Arizona: Republicans have passed a bill in committees in the state Senate and House that would strip Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs of the power to defend the state in …

Voting Rights Roundup: Mississippi's Supreme Court kills off ballot initiatives for an absurd reason

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● Mississippi: On Friday, Mississippi’s conservative-dominated state Supreme Court obliterated the state’s entire ballot initiative process by striking it down on the most …