This week, Lisa and David talk about Louisiana exoneree elected, then denied office; Kyle Rittenhouse hospitalized after brown recluse spider bite; Flock camera controversies; racialized voter suppression; blatantly discriminatory tactics; DHS shuts down immigration detention watchdog while deaths and concerns about conditions rise; Hantavirus status update; federal judge restores NEH grants targeted by DOGE; Todd Blanche says “there are a lot of individuals who are citizens who shouldn’t be” in expanded denaturalization efforts; Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ visa approved for 1 person so far; Republicans want $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom; Disney expands into 55+ senior living; amazing results of 152nd Kentucky Derby; and more.

Added Context for the Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court Ruling

The core issue in Louisiana v. Callais is that the Court treated a race-conscious remedial map as unconstitutional if the state could frame its line-drawing as political rather than racial, which many critics say gives states a way to disguise racial dilution as partisanship. That is why the ruling is widely described as racist or at least as enabling racist outcomes: in the South, race and party are often tightly correlated, so “partisan” redistricting can function as a proxy for racial exclusion.

Why it looks like “supporting rights”

On its face, the case sounds like it is limiting racial sorting in district maps, which fits the constitutional ideal of treating voters as individuals rather than racial blocs. But the practical effect is different because Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act had been one of the main tools for forcing states to create districts where Black voters could actually elect candidates of choice. Once that tool is narrowed, states with enough political control can often defend maps by saying, in effect, “we were motivated by politics, not race”.

Why the ruling is seen as racist

The racist concern is not that the opinion uses racial slurs or announces discriminatory intent; it is that it makes discriminatory outcomes easier to launder through political rhetoric. In the South, where Black voters tend to vote overwhelmingly Democratic, a map that “targets Democrats” often hits Black communities hardest, so the line between partisanship and racial dilution can be very thin. That is why critics say the decision invites states to do indirectly what they may have a harder time doing directly.

What it means for gerrymandering

Long term, the ruling strengthens the incentive to use partisan gerrymandering as a shield against voting-rights challenges. That matters because partisan gerrymandering already tends to reduce competition and responsiveness, and research shows the national bias from many maps can partly cancel out even while individual states still entrench power locally. In practice, though, the cancellation argument does not protect voters in any one state; it just means the harm is distributed unevenly.

Can blue states use it prospectively?

Blue states can try to use the ruling to justify their own maps, especially where they can argue they are acting on partisan rather than racial grounds. But there are two important limits: many blue states have their own constitutional bans or independent redistricting commissions, so state-law constraints can still block aggressive maps. Also, if blue states go too far, they risk becoming part of the same escalation spiral that makes both parties more comfortable with durable, less competitive districts.

Likely political outcome

The most likely near-term result is asymmetric: Republican-controlled southern states appear better positioned to move first and use the ruling most aggressively, while blue states face more internal legal and institutional obstacles. Over time, though, if blue states respond by suspending anti-gerrymandering rules or redrawing their own maps, the result could be a broader redistricting arms race rather than a clean advantage for either side. So the ruling may not “solve” partisan gerrymandering so much as shift the battle from federal voting-rights law into a more nakedly partisan map-making contest.

Added Context for DOGE Grant Cuts & Ruling

A federal judge in New York ruled on May 7, 2026, that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s cancellation of over $100 million in National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants was unconstitutional, unlawful, and exceeded their authority. The ruling permanently bars the administration from terminating these grants, which were targeted using AI for DEI-related terms.

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This Week in Outrage Substack (outrageoverload.net/twio)

The Creepy Reality Behind the License Plate Cameras in Your Town (PC Mag)

Independent agency overseeing misconduct in immigration detention facilities shut down (ABC News)

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