50% of Black voters in the United States live in the South.
50%
Roughly 25 million people.
And, this decision, by the Worst Court Since Taney, would leave them, possibly, without any Representation in Congress.
Mother Jones
@MotherJones
“We could see the largest drop in Black representation since the end of Reconstruction. We could lose a third of the Congressional Black Caucus.”
https://x.com/MotherJones/status/2050606264258879555?s=20Mike Young
@micyoung75
A third of the Congressional Black Caucus.That is Ari Berman’s projection of the potential cost of the Callais ruling – and Berman has covered VRA litigation longer than most people in this conversation. His expectation: every southern state redraws its districts. The Alito ruling makes the legal path to do it without triggering a Section 2 challenge dramatically clearer.
The historical parallel Pema Levy draws is specific. From 1865 to 1965, redistricting was one of the primary tools used to eliminate Black political power without mentioning race explicitly. Section 2 was the federal answer to that century of race-neutral disenfranchisement. Callais reopened the toolbox.
The CBC currently has 58 members. A third is roughly 19 seats. Those are real people, real districts, real constituents who elected them. If Berman’s projection holds, Black voters in the South will have less congressional representation after the 2026 midterms than they had before the maps ordered under earlier VRA enforcement were drawn.
That is what this ruling costs. Attach a number to it.
https://x.com/micyoung75/status/2051021726541050363?s=20
This is why this decision can’t be anything but personal to Black people in the South.
Candidly Tiff
@tify330
We’re in full-blown fascism. The DOJ’s targeting of Senator Lucas is a distraction and an attempt to intimidate her. They’ve done the same to Tish James, Jim Comey, and others.
https://x.com/tify330/status/2052085716130185413?s=20
From the head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund:
Janai Nelson
@JNelsonLDF
BREAKING: SCOTUS just denied our motion to recall the judgment in Louisiana v. Callais, which the Court transmitted prematurely and in contravention of the procedural rules that typically affords litigants 25 days to request a rehearing of a case that was wrongly decided. 1/5
Janai Nelson
@JNelsonLDF
There are numerous reasons SCOTUS should have reheard the case—not the least of which is the fact that its Louisiana v. Callais decision reaches a case—Robinson v. Landry—that was not before it and also factual and legal matters that were not in the record. 2/5
12:28 PM · May 6, 2026
Janai Nelson
@JNelsonLDF
Just as galling, in bending its rule only the third time in 25 years to accommodate the Callais plaintiffs’ request for a hasty transmission of the decision, SCOTUS said “the Robinson appellants … have not expressed any intent to ask this Court to reconsider its judgment.” 3/5
Janai Nelson
@JNelsonLDF
Yet, In the second sentence of our opposition papers to the Court we clearly stated: “This Court should afford Appellants the opportunity to consider seeking rehearing in the ordinary course. See
Supreme Court Rule 44.1 (allowing 25 days for a party to seek rehearing.”)
4/ 5
Janai Nelson
@JNelsonLDF
So while we lost the motion, we just won the case for SCOTUS reform. 5/5
12:42 PM · May 6, 2026
https://x.com/JNelsonLDF/status/2052081604453941749?s=20
Catholic Sat
@CatholicSat
Pope Leo XIV treated to some Neil Diamond as the band of the Pontifical Swiss Guard play Sweet Caroline.
https://x.com/CatholicSat/status/2052057275838190031?s=20
Author Myron J. Clifton
@deardean22.bsky.social
The most important issue in the nation is the federal government’s attack on Black women in power. Today the FBI raided Virginia Sen president pro-tem Louise Lucas, continuing the political genocide against Black political power.
All large platforms dems should be covering this.
https://bsky.app/profile/deardean22.bsky.social/post/3ml7dhwtwek26
DonkConnects ♻️™
@donkoclock
WATCH 👀- The room was so dead you could hear JD Vance clapping straight into the microphone.
Des Moines, Iowa was NOT feeling it!
Zero Buzz. Zero excitement. Total embarrassment 📽️🔥
https://x.com/donkoclock/status/2051796932176101825?s=20
Christopher Hale
@christopherjhale.bsky.social
Follow
Responding to Trump’s false claim that he wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon, Pope Leo XIV said:
“If anyone wants to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, they should do so with truth.”
The first U.S.-born pope said he wasn’t afraid of Trump, and he’s proving it each and every day.
https://bsky.app/profile/christopherjhale.bsky.social/post/3ml777pn2gk24
MM
@adgirlMM
Dear rural Republican voters, farmers, and all Americans struggling with costs right now,
When you vote in November, remember this.
It was Trump’s tariffs that killed the soybean market for American farmers, to the benefit of China. Farm bankruptcies are up 46% since Trump took office. Grocery prices are up 2.7%.
It was Trump’s unnecessary war that drove gas prices up to the same peak high under Biden in 2022.
It was Congressional Republicans who voted to cut $1 trillion in healthcare for Americans, 15 million who will lose their coverage, or whose local rural hospital has already shut down.
And it is Congressional Republicans who proposed today to spend $1 billion of YOUR tax dollars on a ballroom that was promised to be funded by billionaire donors.
This isn’t the Golden Age, it’s a golden grift. Remember that.
November is coming. 🇺🇸
6:01 PM · May 5, 2026
https://x.com/adgirlMM/status/2051799541054386386?s=20
Zachary Donnini
@ZacharyDonnini
If only Black voters cast ballots in the 2026 midterms, Democratic would win control of every seat in the U.S. House, a 435-0 margin.
https://x.com/ZacharyDonnini/status/2051727331794772148?s=20
Rebecca Marques
@_RebeccaMarques
Whew! I’m so glad we don’t have a wave of over overpaid consultants and shitty election twitter people disrespecting Black voters or anything like that!
Would be so crazy right!
https://x.com/_RebeccaMarques/status/2051977972903547155?s=20
nonbinaryjellyfish✡️centrist democrat
@nonbinaryjelly
I mean it would be wild if extremists were shoving the Black and Jewish base of the Democratic Party into the garbage right when they need us the most.
7:05 AM · May 6, 2026
SCOTUS Wire
@scotus_wire
🚨 Alabama officials ask a three-judge federal court to stay its order striking down the state’s congressional map under the Voting Rights Act.
A ruling is requested by 3:00 pm tomorrow.
https://x.com/scotus_wire/status/2051788143582486793?s=20
Marc²
@M5squared
SCOTUS actually didn’t touch Allen v. Milligan (Alabama), so it’s still the law. Callais just makes it harder to prove those cases going forward. This court can’t just ignore Allen. It has to go back through the courts the right way, and proof has to abide by new Callais Gingles standard.
https://x.com/M5squared/status/2051795585083301893?s=20
Patrick Heizer
@PatrickHeizer
Every Democrat since Carter has decreased the federal deficit.
Every Republican since Eisenhower has increased the federal deficit.
Jaime Harrison
@jaimeharrison.bsky.social
🧵 Folks, I’m tired… and I know a whole lot of us are tired.
Our party isn’t perfect. Our leaders aren’t perfect. But there are people right now putting everything they have into standing up in this moment. Constructive criticism matters. Accountability matters.
11:54 AM · May 6, 2026
Jaime Harrison
@jaimeharrison.bsky.social
But if all you do is attack the Democratic Party while Black leaders are being targeted, Black voting rights are being dismantled, Black political power is under assault, and HBCUs are under attack, then don’t expect me to treat you any differently than I treat Trump and his MAGA acolytes.
11:54 AM · May 6, 2026
Jaime Harrison
@jaimeharrison.bsky.social
You are coming after one of the last major institutions capable of protecting my community. At that point, you are not an ally. You are the opposition, and you’ll be treated as such.
11:54 AM · May 6, 2026
https://bsky.app/profile/jaimeharrison.bsky.social/post/3ml764idork2v
MatrixMysteries
@MatrixMysteries
Mark Zuckerberg built a MASSIVE data center in Georgia
Just hundreds of yards from people’s homes.
Water pressure collapsed. Sinks don’t run. Toilets won’t refill. Homes shake nonstop. Power outages are common
A billionaire gets his servers — working families get steamrolled.
https://x.com/MatrixMysteries/status/2051715799446958328?s=20
Wall Street Apes
@WallStreetApes
Former software engineer at Apple is whistleblowing
She says whenever Apple launches a new phone, they would push an update to older iPhones with malware to slow them down. This pushes people to upgrade
“I used to be a software engineer at Apple, and with every new phone that was released, malware was installed on the older phones to make you have to update, so your phone’s not just glitching. It’s doing that on purpose. Share before it’s deleted”
She’s telling the truth, this was proven in court
The 2017 “Batterygate” scandal, where Apple was caught deliberately slowing down older iPhones through software updates
Apple was caught red handed doing this they even admitted it in court
Apple released iOS updates that intentionally throttled and reduced CPU performance. This caused phones to feel slower, glitchy and laggy
Apple’s stated reason: To prevent unexpected shutdowns caused by aging lithium-ion batteries
https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2052015524549398589?s=20
The Tennessee Holler
@thetnholler.bsky.social
Preliminary numbers we are hearing has ~5 of the new Tennessee seats down near single digits in terms of Republican partisanship numbers. Meaning a huge blue wave could flip a number of seats. 👀
If you’re thinking of getting involved, now’s the time.
https://bsky.app/profile/thetnholler.bsky.social/post/3ml72j65fzs2b
ProPublica
@propublica.org
In all, at least 75 career federal officials who’d played important roles in elections have left, been fired or been reassigned.
In their place are roughly two dozen people Trump has installed in positions that could affect elections.
https://bsky.app/profile/propublica.org/post/3ml5mzg57mq2v
UH HUH
UH HUH
Phil Williams
@PhilNvestigates
This appears to be the look for the new congressional map being pushed by Tennessee Republicans. It not only splits Davidson and Shelby counties, it also splits Maury and Williamson in what appears to be an effort to give scandal-plagued Andy Ogles a safer district.
https://x.com/PhilNvestigates/status/2052034244805808594?s=20
ESSENCE
@Essence
Kwanza Jones To Become MLB’s First Black Woman Majority Owner With $3.9 Billion Padres Deal
https://x.com/Essence/status/2052028185328366076?s=20
@GregTSargent
Trump’s corrupt prosecutions of enemies, especially the absurd Comey indictment, show that major Justice Department reform will have to be a high priority for Congressional Dems in the post-Trump era.
Some have already started thinking about specifics:
https://newrepublic.com/article/209962/trump-todd-blanche-comey-case-imploding
https://x.com/GregTSargent/status/2052021725613662692?s=20
Blank Slate
@blankslate2017
Alito seems to be in a hurry to give the GOP an advantage in this election cycle. He is a manifestly corrupt Justice. In a functional Republic, he would’ve been removed from the Court long ago.
https://x.com/blankslate2017/status/2051748399566016965?s=20
MS NOW Exclusive:
The FBI has launched a criminal leak investigation focusing on Atlantic magazine journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, who wrote that deeply unflattering account of Kash Patel’s work habits.
There is deep concern about this approach among some of the FBI agents.[image or embed]— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) May 6, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Alex Rikleen for Senate
@rikleen.bsky.social
Follow
Blatant authoritarian retribution.
Lucas led the Virginia redistricting effort.
Now, Trump’s FBI – led by Patel, who has frequently said the FBI should be used to target Trump’s opponents – is targeting Lucas.
We are deep into the authoritarian crisis.
https://bsky.app/profile/rikleen.bsky.social/post/3ml6zenbja22m
Dan Shapiro
@DanielBShapiro
What’s behind the move to wrap up the war this week on these terms, which fall well short of the original war goals? China. Or, more specifically, Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing on May 14-15. If the war is ongoing or even escalating, it puts Trump in a constrained position with Xi Jinping.
The war has already required a reduced US military posture in the Indo-Pacific (no aircraft carrier sailing in the Pacific in over two months), and there are long-term effects (reduced munitions stockpile, long-term maintenance needs of the US Navy) on our ability to deter China and defend Taiwan and other nations.
Trump would arrive in Beijing bearing responsibility to solve the Strait of Hormuz crisis. He would even be in the position of asking for Xi’s help to get Iran to accept US terms, and possibly to send ships to the Gulf. In the background, China would press its global campaign to portray the United States as the cause of instability and itself as the responsible adult.
Trump has already been trying to tamp down tensions with China heading into the summit. He has shown deference in delaying approval of a Taiwan arms sale, not backing up the Japanese prime minister in a verbal spat with China, and with a limited response to renewed Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
Trump wants to stabilize the economic relationship after last year’s dust-up over tariffs and critical minerals. He has his eye on major Chinese purchase of soybeans and airplanes, and possibly the establishment of a board or other mechanism to manage trade and investment issues.
Xi, for his part, will try to extract a signal from Trump on Taiwan, pushing for him to adjust the US position on Taiwanese independence from “not support” to “oppose”, a subtle but important change. So far, Trump has refused.
Overall, Trump’s position and leverage at the summit is considerably weaker if he goes to Beijing with the war still unsettled, or even with renewed escalation. And the Iranians know that. So they are whittling down the terms to end the war to something much more modest than what Trump originally envisioned.
https://x.com/DanielBShapiro/status/2052026196917993535?s=20
BWA HA HA HA HA HA H HA HA HA HA HA HA
Pope Leo XIV got hung up on by a customer service agent while trying to change the address his bank had on file after he ascended to the papacy. The leader of one billion Catholics was two months into his stint as the head of the church when he called up his bank in Chicago to inform them he had moved and needed to change his phone number and address, his friend Rev. Tom McCarthy said.
McCarthy told a congregation in Naperville, Illinois, that the Chicago-born man of the cloth said, “‘Yes ma’am, I’m Robert Prevost, I’d like to change please,” before successfully answering his security questions. The woman nonetheless told him he would have to visit the bank in person to change the information on file. “He said, ‘Well, I’m not going to be able to do that,’” McCarthy said.
He then tried something else. “Would it matter to you if I told you I’m Pope Leo?” he asked, according to McCarthy. The customer service operative terminated the call. It was only after a threat to move banks was made that Leo’s phone number was finally changed, McCarthy said.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/pope-leo-gets-hung-up-on-by-banks-customer-service/
Aaron Rupar
@atrupar.com
Buttiigieg: “Look, when you are this deep into your second year, if your reflex is to still be trying to blame the previous administration, it really shows that you are out of ideas, out of solutions, and unwilling to take ownership of your own choices.”
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3ml5kia66dq2r
YEAH, THAT’S THE WAY TO VICTORY
Aaron Rupar
@atrupar.com
NEWSMAX: Many think Republicans are not focused on issues top of mind to voters when they want lower costs. 61% think this country is headed in the wrong direction. What do you tell people in your district?
REP. GREG STEUBE: I think we just keep talking about the tax cuts
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3ml4qv27wrn2v
CLAP CLAP CLAP
The Associated Press
@apnews.com
Follow
Democrat Chedrick Greene won a special election in Michigan, securing the party’s control of the state Senate through the remainder of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s term.
https://bsky.app/profile/apnews.com/post/3ml5pi2v6xw2u
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE
Headquarters
@HQNewsNow
Marco Rubio says the goal of the war in Iran is now to restore it “back to the way it was” before Trump started the war in Iran
https://x.com/HQNewsNow/status/2051752576127750324?s=20
Aaron Rupar
@atrupar
Obama: “What I’m more interested in for Democrats is, do you know how to just talk to regular people like we’re not in a college seminar? Can you talk in plain English to folks? And not have a bunch of gobbledygook around it. Just talk like normal people talk. ‘The rent is too high.'”
https://x.com/atrupar/status/2052008079550472542?s=20
Aaron Rupar
@atrupar
COLBERT: How dumb do you think it is for people to say that I should run for president?
OBAMA: Well, you know, the bar has changed. I think you would perform significantly better than some folks we’ve seen.
COLBERT: Is that an endorsement?
OBAMA: It was not
https://x.com/atrupar/status/2052002995747889260?s=20
Keith Boykin
@keithboykin.bsky.social
Follow
Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, has died at 87.
https://bsky.app/profile/keithboykin.bsky.social/post/3ml6vu7ckuk2p
OMG
ProPublica
@propublica.org
NEW: Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth
The vitamin K shot, a lifesaving injection given to newborns to prevent uncontrollable bleeding of the brain and intestines, has become collateral damage of the anti-vaccine movement.
https://bsky.app/profile/propublica.org/post/3ml6nvjdi6a22
MeidasTouch
@meidastouch.com
BREAKING: The FBI is raiding the office of Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas in Portsmouth, Virginia, according to Fox News, who was conveniently on the scene. 1/4
https://bsky.app/profile/meidastouch.com/post/3ml6yjaurlk2t
Good Morning, Everyone😊😊😊