DeSantis Map Sued in Florida. Tennessee Targets Black District. FBI Raids Louise Lucas

Florida Democrats and a voter rights organization are challenging Governor DeSantis's new congressional map, which is projected to increase Republican congressional seats from 20 to 24, reducing Democratic seats from 8 to 4. The lawsuit argues the map violates Florida's Fair Districts Amendments, which prohibit diluting racial voting strength and partisan gerrymandering.

The new congressional map, driven by Governor DeSantis and passed by the legislature, is projected to result in 24 Republican and 4 Democratic congressional seats, down from 8 Democratic seats. This clearly violates Florida's Fair District Amendments of 2010, which prevent diluting political strength based on race and drawing maps for partisan benefit.

Tennessee Republicans are proposing to split Shelby County (Memphis) into three congressional districts and Nashville into five, aiming to dilute the state's only majority-Black congressional seat. This move is considered a "white power rally" by some lawmakers and is seen as a blatant attempt to rig maps and suppress Black votes.

The proposed map splits the state's ninth congressional district, dividing Tennessee's only majority-Black congressional seat in Memphis into three districts, with two extending 200 miles away. Nashville is divided into five districts, up from three. State Representative Gloria Johnson called it a 'white power rally' and Senator London Lamar described it as 'one of the most racist actions in modern legislative history.'

The FBI executed search warrants on the offices and business of Virginia Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas, a Democratic leader who played a key role in redistricting. Critics, including Virginia Speaker of the House Don Scott and Congressman Bobby Scott, view this as a politically motivated attack by the Trump administration, especially given Fox News's presence at the raid.

The FBI raided Senator Louise Lucas's offices and cannabis dispensary. Virginia Speaker Don Scott expressed deep concern about the 'politicization of this administration' and questioned how Fox News was 'first on the scene.' Congressman Bobby Scott noted the raid occurred 'just two weeks after Senator Lucas helped lead the successful effort by Virginia voters to reject President Trump's attempt to rig the midterm elections.'

A report by the Texas Defender Service highlights that Tarrant County, Texas, disproportionately pursues death sentences against racial and ethnic minorities. Since 2012, 92% of death sentences sought by prosecutors were against minorities, despite white individuals comprising 40% of the county's population.

The report, 'An Extreme Outlier: Race and the Death Penalty in Tarrant County,' found that 92% of death sentences sought by prosecutors since 2012 were against racial and ethnic minorities. Black defendants were twice as likely as white ones to walk away with no jail time, but when capital murder cases went to trial for robbery, all defendants were Black, despite a third of those charged being white.

The Supreme Court denied the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's motion to recall judgment in a Louisiana redistricting case, which the LDF argues was transmitted prematurely, preventing them from requesting a rehearing. This decision is seen as complicit in the "hostile takeover of our democracy."

Jana Nelson of the NAACP LDF tweeted that SCOTUS denied their motion to recall judgment in Louisiana v. Robinson, which was transmitted prematurely, contravening procedural rules that typically allow 25 days for a rehearing request. She stated the court 'has already shown itself to be as complicit in this hostile takeover of our democracy as every other institution.'