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Sens. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville (left) and Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia (right) speak next to a lithograph of the first Black members of Congress during Reconstruction on May 8, 2026 in the Alabama Senate. The Alabama Legislature Friday approved two bills that would allow the state to set new primary dates should federal courts allow Alabama to use congressional and legislative maps previously declared discriminatory by federal courts. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Republicans who are excited about how Alabama’s redistricting fight is playing out might want to hold that thought. Their party’s swift maneuvers to gain more power might feel like they’re yielding a tasty victory. But there’s rot at its core that’s going to make us all sick. While representative democracy can be aggravating, healthy opposition is an essential ingredient. Don’t believe me? Remember this: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Elected officials have to work much harder to represent their constituents when the...

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that telehealth access to abortion medication can continue according to current rules from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) The U.S. Supreme Court decided Thursday to preserve telehealth access to the abortion drug mifepristone until after the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the merits of the high-stakes federal lawsuit Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration . Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas issued dissenting opinions. In his dissent, Thomas said the rule violates the Comstock Act , a long unenforced 1873 law that bans the mailing of “obscene” material. During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald Trump said he didn’t support using the Comstock Act to stop mail delivery of abortion pills, saying he thought the federal government should have nothing to do with the issue. Mifepristone’s manufacturer “makes a passing reference to the possibility of lost sales,”...

Shipping cranes stand above container ships loaded with shipping containers at the Port of Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif. The fiscal leaders of several states are demanding transparency and consumer fairness as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to refund billions in international tariffs. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) The fiscal leaders of several states are demanding transparency and consumer fairness as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to refund billions in international tariffs following a recent Supreme Court loss.  In a February decision , the high court dealt a blow to the president’s trade agenda, ruling by a 6-3 margin that the tariffs he issued under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act were illegal. Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection began accepting applications from importers and brokers who are owed an estimated $166 billion in import tax refunds. While companies are receiving those refunds, it app...

Telephones inside a Missouri state women’s prison where incarcerated people pay per-minute rates to call loved ones. More than 330,000 incarcerated people nationwide now have access to free prison or jail communication services, according to estimates from Worth Rises. (Photo by Amanda Watford/Stateline) A growing number of incarcerated people across the country now have access to free phone calls and other communication services, a shift some advocates say is strengthening family connections, improving prison conditions and easing reentry after release. A new report from Worth Rises, a nonprofit that advocates in opposition to the prison industry,  found that an estimated 330,000 incarcerated people nationwide now have access to free prison or jail communication services, including phone calls, video calls and electronic messaging in some jurisdictions. For decades, incarcerated people and their families often paid steep rates for phone calls and other communication services throug...

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE officer's badge and weapon are seen in Washington, D.C., on August 30, 2025. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)  WASHINGTON — Long-time federal immigration official David Venturella will lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency spearheading President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. Venturella will replace outgoing ICE acting Director Todd Lyons, who last month announced he would leave his position by May 31, the DHS official told States Newsroom on Wednesday. Venturella will also take on the role on an acting basis. ICE has been without a permanent, Senate-confirmed director since Trump first took office in 2017. Venturella will oversee an agency that has come under intense congressional and public scrutiny after federal immigration agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January.  The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti led to...

Rep. Chris England, D-Tucsaloosa, speaks during a special session on redistricting on Friday, July 21, 2023 in Montgomery, Alabama. Alabama officials have scheduled primary elections for August in four congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the state to use map that the courts previously ruled was discriminatory against Black voters. (Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector) The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the state of Alabama to use 2023 a congressional map that had previously been ruled racially discriminatory against Black voters. The move, which is still being litigated in courts, led state officials to call new primary elections in a handful of congressional districts.  Here’s a quick explainer on what’s going on.  Q: Is the May 19 primary election still happening? A: Yes. Secretary of State Wes Allen said Tuesday the scheduled election will “proceed as normal.”  Q: So what has changed? A: Using the earlier map, as state Republican officials...