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Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn
By Jeff Amy and Kate Brumback On October 26, 2023 ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge ruled Thursday that some of Georgia’s congressional, state Senate and state House districts were drawn in a racially discriminatory manner, ordering the state to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, in a 516-page order, also…
Read MoreSupreme Court Declines to Review 5th Circuit’s Dismissal of Lawsuit Challenging Texas Voter Suppression Law
By Rachel Selzer On October 2, 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, Oct. 2, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a petition seeking review of a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to dismiss a federal lawsuit — which challenged Texas voter suppression law Senate Bill 1111 — for lack of standing. Texas State League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Voto Latino’s…
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GOP bill targets personal pronouns at Florida government workplaces
By Jim Saunders On November 21, 2023 TALLAHASSEE — In what could fuel a new round of legislative battles about gender identity, a House Republican on Tuesday filed a bill that would place restrictions on government workplace use of personal pronouns. The bill (HB 599), filed by Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, for the 2024 legislative…
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Florida drag shows win temporary victory in Supreme Court
By Nina Totenberg and Annie Gersh On November 16, 2023 The U.S. Supreme Court refused Thursday to reinstate a Florida law that punishes businesses for allowing children into drag shows. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law the “Protection of Children Act” in May to ban “children” from any “adult live performances” that feature sexual…
Read MoreTexas school reverses decision that banned transgender student from role in musical
On November 14, 2023 SHERMAN, Texas (AP) — A Texas school district has apologized and reversed a decision that ousted a transgender student from a part in the musical “Oklahoma!” The school board in Sherman voted unanimously Monday to reinstate the original show and cast after a meeting in which dozens criticized them and spoke…
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ACLU and families of trans teens ask Supreme Court to block Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care
By Kimberlee Kruesi On November 1, 2023 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Attorneys representing Tennessee transgender teens and their families asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to block a ban on gender-affirming care for minors that a lower court allowed to go into effect. Should the nation’s highest court agree to take the case, it…
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1 in 3 U.S. Asians and Pacific Islanders faced racial abuse this year, says AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll
By Terry Tang On November 16, 2023 Despite ongoing advocacy and legislation to combat anti-Asian racism that arose after the pandemic, about a third of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders say they have experienced an act of abuse based on their race or ethnicity in the last year, including being on the receiving end of verbal harassment, slurs, physical…
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EPA promised to address environmental racism. Flint is still waiting
By Yvette Cabrera, Jamie Smith, and Grey Moran On November 2, 2023 FLINT — Civil rights law offers a tool for communities of color trying to stop unequal exposure to pollution. Over and over, Flint residents have tried to make it work. From 1992 to 2015, residents and community groups filed a series of federal complaints…
Read MoreUSCIS Establishes Family Reunification Parole Process for Ecuador
On November 15, 2023 Process will allow family members to reunite in the United States while they wait for immigrant visas to become available WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced a Federal Register notice implementing a new family reunification parole (FRP) process for Ecuador, advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s successful combination of expanded lawful pathways and strengthened…
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