Supreme court to hear Voting Rights Act challenge that could affect control of Congress – US politics live | US news
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US federal employees panic as they scramble to find out if they’ve been fired
Michael Sainato
Federal workers are trying to figure out whether they still have jobs after the Trump administration launched a new wave of layoffs during the federal government shutdown, sparking widespread confusion and panic.
A hearing is scheduled for today after labor unions sued to block the latest round of layoffs, setting the stage for a new legal fight against Donald Trump’s efforts to massively reduce the federal workforce.
The administration said Friday that nearly 4,200 federal employees at seven agencies were laid off, but 700 layoffs at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were quickly reversed over the weekend.
It remains unclear whether Trump, who told reporters that “a large number” of government employees would be fired, plans to go further. The federal workforce has already laid off hundreds of thousands of personnel under his watch this year.
While unions are trying to determine the scope of the latest layoffs, Department of Education employees said they did not have access to work email accounts during the closure, so they could not check whether they had received “reduction in force” (RIF) notices.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened trade penalties, including tariffs, against Spain, saying he was unhappy with its refusal to increase defense spending to 5 percent and calling the move disrespectful of NATO.
“I’m very unhappy with Spain. They’re the only country that hasn’t raised their rates to 5%… so I’m not happy with Spain,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“I’ve been thinking about giving them trade penalties through tariffs for what they’ve done, and I think I can do that,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly pushed NATO members to spend more on their own defense, casting doubt on Washington’s willingness to help members who don’t spend enough, Reuters reported.
In a meeting with the Finnish president last week, he said NATO should consider kicking Spain out of the alliance because of its refusal to accept the new commitment.
When asked about Trump’s comments, Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Wednesday that Spain is a reliable member of the alliance and currently has 3,000 troops deployed within NATO.
“There is no doubt about Spain’s determination and contribution” [transatlantic] security, he told reporters during a visit to China’s Hangzhou.
Supreme Court considers GOP challenge to Voting Rights Act that could affect control of Congress
Hello, welcome to the live blog of US politics. I’m Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you the latest news over the next few hours.
We start with this news US Supreme Court will hear an extremely important case Wednesday will decide the future of the Voting Rights ActLandmark civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination in voting.
Case, Louisiana – CallaisIt involves a dispute over Louisiana’s sixth congressional district, which stretches from Shreveport in the state’s northwest to Baton Rouge in the center. Louisiana Republicans pull district after successful lawsuit filed by Black voters Article 2 of the Voting Rights ActProhibiting election procedures and practices that discriminate on the basis of race.
The justices are set to hear arguments for the second time in a case over the congressional map of Louisiana, which has two majority-black districts.
A decision for the state could open the door for legislatures to redraw congressional maps across the South, potentially boosting Republicans’ electoral prospects by eliminating Black and Latino-majority seats that have tilted in favor of Democrats.
A battle over congressional redistricting is already underway across the country after President Donald Trump called on Texas and other Republican-controlled states to redraw their boundaries to make it easier for the GOP to retain its narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A ruling holding Section 2 unconstitutional would dramatically overturn American election law and deprive minority voters of the tools to fight discrimination. For decades, voting rights lawyers have turned to Section 2 to challenge district boundaries (from congressional districts to school boards) that diminish the influence of minority voters.
In other developments:
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Donald Trump Presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom Charlie KirkDistraught, tearful widow, Erika Kirk.
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Kirk’s widow praised her late husband and said he probably would have run for president one day had he not been killed before his 32nd birthday.
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Trump’s state department announced it was revoking the visas of six foreign nationals who posted critical comments about Kirk on social media following the conservative activist’s murder.
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Trump said the list of ‘Democrat programs’ that the White House plans to cut will be announced on Friday.
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Trump warned that Hamas must be disarmed ‘or we will disarm them’.
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Trump announced Tuesday that the United States crashed into another small boat that it accused of transporting drugs in waters off Venezuela, killing all six people on board.
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The US government shutdown is in its 14th day and there is no end in sight.
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Katie PorterThe former congressman, who is running for governor of California, said: report In two video clips that went viral last week, he said he regretted losing his temper but claimed the state needed a “tough” leader.
