Justice Barrett has joined the bandwagon complaining that folks only describe as “big” cases those that divide #SCOTUS ideologically. That’s not only belied by tons of actual evidence, but it obscures the extent to which it’s often the holdings the Court *chooses* to adopt that provoke such splits:

Bonus 226: What Makes a Case "...

Bonus 226: What Makes a Case "Big"?

Some thoughts on the (silly) efforts to push back against the voluminous evidence that, in most of its "big" rulings, the Supreme Court divides ideologically.

^{Steve Vladeck (One First)}

The administration calls it a "little detour." One hundred seventy-four civilians dead. Twenty-five billion dollars. Zero congressional votes. When the past RNC chair calls it war crimes, you're not reading partisan screed—you're reading a smoke alarm. The land is keeping score. It always has.

twp.ai/4hr1bc

#Politics #War #Accountability #QueerHistory #ClimateJustice #Resistance #VotingRights #ClimateScience #SCOTUS #Democracy #TransRights #Trans #Queer #LGBTQIA+

What Survives the Morning: The Burning, Laughing, Rotting Corpse

Support the National Audubon Society and receive award-winning conservation stories delivered quarterly. Protect birds and their habitats while building a sanctuary for wildlife.

^{Wendy Weber (Wendy The Druid)}

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Loving v. Virginia struck down bans on interracial marriage and affirmed the constitutional right to marry.

The filings reveal the real-world consequences of those laws, including criminal penalties, forced separation, and loss of legal protections tied to marriage.

Those filings are now available in #SCOTUS records & briefs on the Internet Archive through a gift from the Wolf Law Library at William & Mary Law School.

Lean more ⤵️
blog.archive.org/2026/04/20/u-…

#Tennessee #Republicans on Wednesday proposed a congressional map aimed at diluting the state’s lone majority #Black district, a swift response to last week’s #SCOTUS ruling that weakened a landmark #VotingRights #law.

The new map slices #Memphis, a majority-Black city, & #ShelbyCounty into 3 districts & likely will give Republicans the ability to flip Tennessee’s lone remaining Democratic seat.

#ElectionLaw #redistricting #gerrymandering #RacialGerrymandering #RepresentationMatters #USpol

#Democratic lawmakers, whose opposition means little under a #Republican supermajority in the state’s General Assembly, & #Black leaders across #Tennessee have compared the effort to carve up the Ninth Congressional District to #JimCrow era voter suppression tactics. They have accused conservatives of a power grab that undermines Black voters in #Memphis, who have long favored #Democrats.

#law #ElectionLaw #SCOTUS #VotingRights #redistricting #RacialGerrymandering #RepresentationMatters

When the current #SCOTUS first ate away at the #VotingRightsAct a few years ago, the logic they expressed was essentially, "Racism is over, we don't need this anymore."

talkingpointsmemo.com/live-blo… proves that we very much do need it: systemic #racism is and always has been an essential feature of the #USA, and #Trump and the #GOP's mission has been to codify it as much as possible.

Never, ever vote #Republican.

States Rush to Gerrymander Away Black Electoral Power Following Supreme Court Decision

In states across the old Confederacy and beyond, Republican lawmakers are scrambling to carve up districts once drawn to give Black voters a chance to choose…

^{Kate Riga (TPM - Talking Points Memo)}

"John Roberts decries heated criticism of the Supreme Court"

Broken clock decries being called a broken clock.

politico.com/news/2026/05/06/s…

#USNews #USPol #SCOTUS #JohnRoberts

#Republicans Unveil Map Carving Up #Tennessee’s Majority #Black #House District

The General Assembly is expected to quickly approve the map, which slices up Memphis, a majority-Black city that makes up most of the state’s lone #Democratic district.

#law #ElectionLaw #SCOTUS #VotingRights #redistricting #gerrymandering #RacialGerrymandering #RepresentationMatters #TNpol #USpol
nytimes.com/2026/05/06/us/gop-…

The Supreme Court wants us back to Jim Crow where only white men of property can vote. 🗳️

“Gerrymandering is invisible which is why it feels like our democracy is deeply divided when in reality the Republicans have an unfair advantage in most aspects of our political system that makes it feel like there are more of them.”

rootschangemedia.com/gerrymand…
#elections #uspol #scotus #jimcrow #votersuppression

Gerrymandering a GOP Victory in 2022

Why You Can’t Out Organize Gerrymandering

^{Sam Chavez (she/they/he) (the roots of change agency)}

"Two companies that make the abortion drug mifepristone asked the Supreme Court on Saturday to hit pause on Friday’s lower court ruling that cut off telemedicine access to the pills nationwide, including in states where abortion is legal."

politico.com/news/2026/05/02/a…

#healthcare #ReproHealth #ReproJustice #pregnancy #courts #SCOTUS

Two different technical, procedural moves from #SCOTUS yesterday have one thing in common: The Court is behaving differently in otherwise similar cases based upon the ideological/partisan valence of the dispute. Via "One First," me on why, results aside, that's a serious indictment of the Court:

226. Two More Data Points for ...

226. Two More Data Points for the Inconsistent Court

Two procedural moves by the justices on Monday reinforce criticisms that the Court behaves differently in otherwise similar cases based solely on the ideological/partisan valence of the dispute.

^{Steve Vladeck (One First)}

Your phone could put you in a police search — even if you did nothing wrong.

The #SCOTUS Chatrie v. United States asks whether police can collect data from every cellphone in a place and time, a case that could reshape your digital privacy rights.

Here’s the latest:
theconversation.com/supreme-co…

Supreme Court considers whether police can use Big Tech data to capture info from all cellphone users in a place and time

Geofencing warrants round up the location data of everyone in a specific place and time, whether or not they had any connection to a crime – a test of the Fourth Amendment in the digital age.

^{The Conversation}

#SCOTUS restores #access to #abortion pill #mifepristone through telehealth, mail & pharmacies

#law #health #medicine #AbortionIsHealthcare #WomensRights #ReproductiveRights #Republicans #ViolenceAgainstWomen
apnews.com/article/abortion-pi…

RE: journa.host/@samlitzinger/1165…

There's been zero news of any democratic state governor matching this ploy to rig the election. NOT. A. SINGLE. ONE.

#Gerrymandering #SCOTUS #USPOL #Elections

Sam Litzinger

2026-05-02 23:15:34

“Alabama seeks to draw new congressional map ahead of midterms
Gov. Kay Ivey called a special session to begin the redistricting process after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act.”

Kay is like a dear old granny who welcomes all the kiddies into her home with fresh-baked brownies - laced with rat poison.

politico.com/news/2026/05/01/a…

Sadly, this keeps coming up in case after case on this topic: NO the courts didn't ban mailing of abortion pills, and the banning of abortion pills is not what's going up to the Supreme Court.

What happened was that the FDA seems to admit that it acted in violation of law, and courts are grappling with how to respond to likely illegal agency actions as the legal process moves forward.

All of this other stuff surrounding RvW and abortion access are secondary to the core case about an agency acting illegally.

And that's acting illegal in the context of drug regulation at that. It's probably kind of imporant! but getting lost in the drama and sensational political rhetoric.

assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2…

#USPolitics #SCOTUS #abortionmedicine

A manufacturer of the #AbortionMedication #mifepristone asked #SCOTUS Saturday to immediately restore full access to the medication, putting the contentious issue of #abortion back before the justices in an #election year.

#law #PartisanCourt #ActivistCourt #health #medicine #AbortionIsHealthcare #WomensRights #ReproductiveRights #Republicans #ViolenceAgainstWomen
nytimes.com/2026/05/02/us/poli…

Critically, the situation in #Louisiana was already chaos as different courts said that the electoral map was both required AND forbidden.

The Supreme Court ruling brought some order to that chaos, but state officials are still trying to clean up the chaos that existed before the SCOTUS ruling.

This kind of thing has been a longstanding result of the VRA and its interpreters.

#USPolitics #VRA #SCOTUS

A new lawsuit is challenging Louisiana’s extraordinary decision to suspend congressional primaries already underway — arguing the state is illegally nullifying votes and plunging an active election into chaos following the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act.

democracydocket.com/news-alert…

#voting #democracy #uspol #scotus #vra

Louisiana sued for suspending active election, nullifying votes to draft GOP gerrymander - Democracy Docket

A new lawsuit is challenging Louisiana’s extraordinary decision to suspend congressional primaries already underway — arguing the state is illegally nullifying votes and plunging an active election into chaos following the Supreme Court’s gutting of …

^{Democracy Docket}

#GiftArticle

#SCOTUS kills #VotingRights

The Supreme Court’s decision to upend a key provision of the #VotingRightsAct [#VRA] has plunged the nation into a dizzying new era of partisan conflict, most likely ushering in a forever #redistricting war that could produce fewer competitive seats in #Congress & further #polarize #US politics.

#law #ElectionLaw #CivilRights #democracy #RepresentationMatters #authoritarianism #illiberalism #PartisanCourt #ActivistCourt
nytimes.com/2026/04/30/us/poli…

In America, that would have to include 3/4 of the Supreme Court, 3/4 of Congress, and all of the Republican party, or it would return, with more money and power than ever before. We have no checks and balances. The 21st century's curtain fell. The masks are off. We are ruled over by an oligarchy. A fascist nation to our core. Anything else was forced upon the fascists, who cannot lose the long game here, for they control money. Democrats are a weakling opposition party.

Our leaders are immoral. Our opposition is inept. Our people are awash in digitized lies. Truth is drowning.

Money, child rape, and power. The New American Century, as crafted by the big money from the old American century.

newsie.social/@servelan/116497…

#America #US #Hitler #Trump #Congress #SCOTUS #fascism #Epstein #EpsteinFiles #pedophilia #slavery #truth

For almost 200 years, #racists used the "racial equality" excuse to suppress African American representation in Congress (33% of the population can't win an election w/o white votes, guaranteeing FAR less than 33% representation in Congress.)

It's a scam promoted by #racist, calling for "color blind" laws that the 1965 #VotingRightsAct was written to fix.

And Tuesday's #SCotUS ruling fell for the trap, ruling for "race neutral" redistricting that delivers exactly what the racists want.

It's like Kagan hasn't read Section 2 of the VRA, and that echos the oral arguments where others on both sides of the issue seemed to try to correct her misunderstandings of the statute.

Kagan is wrong on what the law says. People have been citing specific language of the law to try to inform her, but she doesn't seem to care.

It's as if she's just playing the role of a politician unconcerned with reality as she attempts to score political points.

#USPolitics #SCOTUS #VRA

“Today’s decision strikes a blow at the fragile infrastructure of our democracy. It casts aside the precious and noble actions undertaken by countless generations of activists, lawyers, and legislators, who worked to bring this country closer to becoming a true multi-racial democracy.”

#VRA #VotingRights #democracy #civilrigjts #scotus #SherrilynIfill

sherrilyn.substack.com/p/scotu…

SCOTUS Drops The Other Shoe on the Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court's Decision in Louisiana v. Callais Completes the Decimation of the Voting Rights Act

^{Sherrilyn Ifill (Sherrilyn’s Newsletter)}

It begins…

#Louisiana governor prepares to suspend #House primaries after #SCOTUS ruling

Gov. Jeff Landry (R) told #Republican House candidates he plans to suspend the May 16 primary #elections so lawmakers can redraw the congressional map.

#law #ElectionLaw #VotingRights #Section2 #redistricting #RepresentationMatters #PartisanCourt #ActivistCourt #Trump #coup
washingtonpost.com/politics/20…

This is for all the folks in the back of the room who still think we can vote our way out of this.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t vote. We absolutely should. I’m saying voting alone has never and will not help us survive this fascist regime.

slate.com/news-and-politics/20…

#SCOTUS #VotingRights #VotingRightsAct #LouisianaVCallais #Resist #Antifascism

The Supreme Court’s Conservatives Just Issued the Worst Ruling in a Century

This evisceration of the Voting Rights Act requires us to take SCOTUS reform more seriously.

^{Richard L. Hasen (Slate)}

I should think not

Federal appeals court won’t rehear Trump’s appeal of E. Jean Carroll’s $83 million jury award

A split federal appeals court said its full bench of judges would not rehear Trump’s appeal of the $83 million jury award for defaming magazine columnist #EJeanCarroll.

The decision paves the way for #Trump to ask #SCOTUS to hear his BS arguments involving presidential #immunity following the high court’s landmark 2024 decision.

#law #rape #RapistInChief
cnn.com/2026/04/29/politics/e-…

#SCOTUS tosses #Louisiana's congressional map with second majority Black district amid national #redistricting fight

The Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s second majority Black congressional district in a decision that could open the door for #Republican-led states to eliminate #Black & #Latino electoral districts that tend to favor #Democrats & affect the balance of #power in #Congress.

#law #gerrymandering #VotingRights #RepresentationMatters
apnews.com/live/supreme-court-…

It needs to be emphasized that the Monsanto case is about federal vs state regulation.

It's not really about a "multibillion-dollar wave of lawsuits over Roundup cancer claims." Those are just the triggering elements.

It would be like saying the trial of a guy accused of murder during a robbery is about the money he stole. No, the money just set the ball in motion.

One reason this distinction is important is because if we don't like it we need to demand that our legislators change the federal or state regulations. This is about democracy, not about Monsanto.

#USPolitics #SCOTUS #Monsanto

#SCOTUS #Roundup

From AP News.com: Supreme Court grapples with multibillion-dollar wave of lawsuits over Roundup cancer claims

apnews.com/article/supreme-cou…

Wow, Robert Reich is writing for The Guardian now? It's as if folks in the US have finally gotten tired of his shtick.

It's funny that he starts off personalizing SCOTUS decisions itself effective condemnation (or at least ignorance) of the entire philosophy of the US government.

Anyway, if you check out the actual transcript of the speech you'll see that, as is his way, Reich mischaracterizes what it actually said, as hinted by his disjointed, out of context quotations--always a red flag.

Reich went down that path long ago. He's no longer a serious commentator.

civitasoutlook.com/research/ju…

#USPolitics #Thomas #SCOTUS

Justice Clarence Thomas, "Remarks on the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence" | Justice Clarence Thomas

The primacy of our rights in relation to our government is crucial in reconciling the immortal words of the Declaration with our Constitution and our history.

^{www.civitasoutlook.com}

Robert Reich:

"I thought Alito was history’s worst supreme court justice. But Thomas has outdone him. "

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

> The supreme court justice recently condemned an entire philosophy of government. How can we believe in his impartiality?

#SCOTUS #Thomas #Project2025 #TrumpVirus #corruption #justice #democracy #history #oligarchy

I thought Alito was history’s worst supreme court justice. But Thomas has outdone him

^{Robert Reich (The Guardian)}

Although #SCOTUS has the raw power to issue the novel "summary reversal" we saw on Monday in the Texas redistricting case, "if nothing else, it ought to drive home the tendentiousness—if not the mendaciousness—of the 'interim docket' label once and for all." Me, in an extra issue of "One First":

223. The Revealing Summary Rev...

223. The Revealing Summary Reversal in LULAC

Monday's one-paragraph order in the Texas redistricting case is both a procedural anomaly and a sharp rejoinder to those who still use the "interim" label to refer to the emergency docket.

^{Steve Vladeck (One First)}