Politics
August 12, 2020 -
A federal appeals court recently overturned a lower court ruling that required a new majority-Black judicial election district in Terrebonne Parish. Only one Black judge has served there, but a white judge was re-elected after donning blackface and a prison jumpsuit for Halloween. The case is part of a broader struggle for judicial elections that are fair to Black voters.
August 6, 2020 -
After North Carolina businessman and major GOP donor Louis DeJoy was appointed postmaster general in May, he announced an "operational pivot" to control costs that's caused delivery delays. Critics worry that DeJoy — who grew wealthy on USPS contracts and remains invested in USPS competitors — is a political partisan who's operationalizing President Trump's hostility to mail-in voting.
August 5, 2020 -
As the U.S. marks the 55th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there's a political fight underway in the U.S. Senate to restore the law after its 2013 gutting by the U.S. Supreme Court.
July 28, 2020 -
A federal appeals court is allowing Florida to enforce a law that requires payment of court fines and fees before people with felony convictions can vote again. The court is still deciding if it's an illegal poll tax, and Democratic senators say two of the judges are violating ethics rules by remaining on the case.
July 28, 2020 -
As the civil rights icon lies in state this week at the U.S. Capitol, lawmakers continue to press to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the landmark civil rights legislation that Lewis nearly died fighting for.
July 23, 2020 -
A group formed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) to strategize reopening the state's economy is chaired by a scion of the billionaire Walton family who sits on Walmart's board of directors, and it is staffed by employees of his holding company, according to documents obtained by Facing South.
July 16, 2020 -
As COVID-19 cases spike across the South, even some of the region's most conservative governors have instituted statewide face-covering mandates. Then there's Georgia's Brian Kemp.
