SCOTUS Clears The Way for Gerrymandering
What A Day
What A Day
4.6 • 12.6K Ratings
🗓️ 30 April 2026
⏱️ 22 minutes
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Summary
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down a 2024 Louisiana district map that created a second majority-Black voting district for use in future elections. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that the Voting Rights Act did not authorize states the ability to create majority-minority voting districts. The ruling didn't overturn Section Two of the Voting Rights Act, but in the dissent, Justice Elena Kagan argued that it had done so in all but deed. Leah Litman, host of Crooked Media's legal podcast Strict Scrutiny, joins the show to tell us what this means for the future of Black voters, redistricting, the midterms, and America.
And in headlines, the House Armed Services Committee grills Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over his handling of the war with Iran, Jerome Powell isn’t backing down in his feud with Trump, and a Japanese airport tries out baggage handling humanoid robots.
Show Notes:
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's Thursday, April 30th. I'm Jane Koston, and this is what a day. The show watching |
| 0:08.6 | Arizona Republican Representative Abraham Hamaday gives Secretary of War Pete Hegsef a remarkably |
| 0:14.5 | bad idea. I would love for President Trump's truth social post to be leaf-lited all over Iran, |
| 0:19.8 | to be honest with you. I think that would encourage them to actually take to the streets. |
| 0:23.6 | I have to assume he doesn't mean the, a whole civilization will die tonight, post. |
| 0:34.1 | On today's show, Hegg Seth gets grilled over how poorly his war with Iran is going. |
| 0:38.9 | And Jerome Powell stands up to the Trump administration. |
| 0:41.6 | Again! |
| 0:42.5 | Well, let's start with the Supreme Court of the United States, which is rarely a good sign. |
| 0:47.9 | On Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down a 2024 Louisiana map that created a second-majority black voting district. The map was drawn after |
| 0:56.2 | black voters challenged the state's existing districts, which only included one majority |
| 1:01.0 | black voting district, despite the fact that black Louisianaans make up one third of the state. |
| 1:06.5 | But in a six to three decision, the court found that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act did not give states the ability to create voting districts specifically based on race. |
| 1:16.5 | In effect, turning past understanding of Section 2 on its head. |
| 1:20.8 | So it comes as no surprise that President Donald Trump was locked in on the historic ruling when asked about it in the Oval Office on Wednesday. |
| 1:28.7 | Locked in. |
| 1:30.3 | Mr. President, in light of today's Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act, do you want |
| 1:35.5 | Republican states in the South to look at redrawing congressional districts before? |
| 1:40.8 | I don't know you have to tell me. When did the ruling come out? I've been with the astronauts. I've been with contractors because we're trying to get the ballroom built ahead of schedule. |
| 1:51.0 | It's right on schedule. |
| 1:52.0 | It's ahead of schedule now. |
| 1:53.0 | I want to keep it that right. |
... |
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