Live from MPR News, I'm Giles Snyder, US Supreme Court has weakened a portion...
voting rights act that protected minority congressional districts, St. Louis Public Radio's
“Jason Rosenbaum reports on how the decision could have huge implications, especially”
in the South.
The Court ruled 63 that a congressional map that gave Louisiana's second black majority
district was unconstitutional. Eddie Grime is a Kansas city-based attorney who successfully argued that case to the high court. He says the decision lays the groundwork to either legally challenged minority majority districts, or for state legislatures to get rid of them.
"If you're drawing districts because you want to help Republicans or want to help Democrats, and not because you just don't want to black or a Hispanic or a white person elected, then you're going to be okay." The Supreme Court's decision could make it easier for Southern states to convert democratic leaning congressional districts with majority black populations into wider, more Republican
leaning seats. For MPR News, I'm Jason Rosenbaum in St. Louis.
“"Justice Department is accusing 10 former and current Mexican officials, including a”
sitting governor of conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic drugs into the United States." Nina Krovensky of Membersation KJZ, Z reports from Hermesiel Sonora. "Sinaloa Governor, who banned Rocha Moia and nine others, were charged with drug trafficking and weapons crimes, the carry-apossable penalty of life in prison in the United States.
U.S. prosecutors accused the current and former officials and law enforcement leaders in the state of Sinaloa of collectively accepting millions of dollars in bribes to protect cartel members from arrests, investigation, and prosecution. And opposed on social media, Rocha says he categorically rejects the accusations against him.
Mexico's foreign ministry said in a statement, "It's received extradition requests from the U.S., but that they lack sufficient evidence and were now under review by Mexico's Attorney General's Office. For NPR News, I'm Nina Krovensky, an animal seal, Mexico."
“"The Federal Reserve has voted to hold interest rate study as a war with Iran continues”
to put upward pressure on energy prices. NPR Scott Horsley reports that this was likely the last rate-setting meeting run by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell." Powell's term as Fed Chairman expires in mid-May this morning the Senate Banking Committee OKAY'd President Trump's BIC to replace Powell, Kevin Worsh.
That sets the stage for a confirmation vote by the full Senate. Trump has insisted the central bank should be cutting interest rates, but Powell and most of his Fed colleagues have instead held rates unchanged since December. Inflation climbed to its highest level in 22 months in March, that's thanks in part to soring gasoline prices, after the war in Iran stalled tanker traffic in the straight
formus. Gasoline prices have continued to climb in April, with the average price of regular gas, jumping a nickel-agallin overnight. Scott Horsley and PR News, Washington. "And you're listening to NPR News."
To Capitol Hill, the House has approved a budget resolution, Republicans planned to use to fund the Homeland Security Department, with no Democratic vote supporting it. The House voted to 115 to 211 Wednesday evening, to approve a three-year budget plan that unlocks a reconciliation process, allowing Republicans to get around democratic demands that immigration enforcement operations be reigned in.
A new survey finds that a majority of workers expect layoffs in the near future due to artificial intelligence taking over jobs, and PR's reach to Chatterty reports a majority said they feel more comfortable with an AI chat bond for mental health concerns, and their HR department. The survey was conducted by Modern Health, a workplace mental health company, respondents reported
growing stresses affecting employee mental health, with only one-third saying that their
well-being is valued by their employer, more than 70% said their employer pushes productivity at the cost of employee wellness. Despite a majority reporting adequate mental health coverage, half of the respondents said they don't use employer-provided mental health days for fear of being judged. More than two-thirds say that the country's political environment is affecting their
emotional well-being at work, and that political anxiety increases workplace burnout, free to touchy and PR news. "I'm at doubts about the reopening of the Strait of Four Moos, oil prices rising, the price of Brent Crew, the international standard, now around $122 a barrel, and with the Iran war now and its ninth week shares an Asia we're down.
I'm Giles Snyder, in PR news."
This year, for the first time in NPR's history, public media is operating without federal
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