Racial gerrymandering's 'irresistible lure'

Plus: Trump in China; the Cherokee bible ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

US Edition - Today's top story: Racial gerrymandering may be here to stay View in browser   US Edition | 12 May 2026 Top headlines Fed nominee’s Wall Street baggage may have a silver lining Plant scientists’ secret to making World Cup grass pitch perfect Feeling upset? How to reset your emotional response Lead story It’s been gerrymandering everything everywhere all at once in the news over the last couple of weeks. There was Virginia Democrats’ political gerrymandering being struck down by the commonwealth’s Supreme Court – they’ve appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court – and a rush in Florida to gerrymander to elect more GOP candidates to Congress. Gerrymanders are in different stages in a host of other red states in the South. The biggest news was the U.S. Supreme Court’s April 29 decision to bar “racial gerrymandering,” the crafting of congressional districts that enhance the power of minority voters. That long-standing practice had roots in the civil and voting rights legislation of the 1960s. And while Republicans hailed the decision, many others saw the death of those reforms in the ruling, which left intact the process of political gerrymanders, where a legislative district is crafted to ensure partisan control. But two political scientists at the College of Charleston say the rush in Southern states to enact purely political gerrymanders may not produce the results the GOP wants. “Based on our recently published research,” write Claire Wofford and Jordan Ragusa, “it may, in fact, be just the opposite.” And that’s because of a startling fact the two uncovered: “Race, we found, is – at least in the South – a more reliable predictor of how someone will vote than their party identification. And that makes race, we believe, a potentially irresistible lure for those designing congressional districts.” [ Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with expert perspectives from around the world. ] Naomi Schalit Politics and Legal Affairs Editor A recent Supreme Court decision is sparking a major push for partisan redistricting. Douglas Rissing, iStock/Getty Images Plus Racial gerrymandering may be here to stay Claire B. Wofford, College of Charleston; Jordan Ragusa, College of Charleston The Supreme Court has barred considering race when crafting legislative districts. But race could remain embedded in political gerrymandering, despite vehement claims to the contrary. International Trump-Xi summit will be no ‘Nixon in China’ moment – that they are talking is enough for now Rana Mitter, Harvard Kennedy School Taiwan, trade and AI regulation are on the agenda. But will there be progress on any of these issues during Beijing sit-down? Economy + Business Why Kevin Warsh might still prove to be an independent Federal Reserve chair Cristina Bodea, Michigan State University; Andrew Kerner, Michigan State University Kevin Warsh has come under scrutiny for his ties to finance, but that background may also bolster his independence once he’s confirmed as Federal Reserve chairman. How America’s independence from England revolutionized US philanthropy Amanda Moniz, Smithsonian Institution US charitable institutions rapidly changed in the 1780s as Americans established groups to support people in need and to reform society. Science + Technology You can change your emotions – but it’s a 2-step process that takes some effort Christian Waugh, Wake Forest University When you’re upset, finding a new way to think about a negative situation can help you feel better. But researchers find the process takes some effort to really work. 💬 Comments open Button-pushing explorers: How to grasp that AI agents can do amazing things while knowing nothing Ji Y. Son, California State University, Los Angeles; Alice Xu, University of California, Los Angeles Today’s AI systems are powerful, and it’s natural to see them as having humanlike intelligence. Shaking that illusion is important – and difficult to do. Genome sequencing is rewriting the history of disease outbreaks – but without social context, it can tell only part of the story Marc Zimmer, Connecticut College From the Black Death to the COVID-19 pandemic, combining the genetic data of a pathogen with historical records, archaeological artifacts and epidemiological studies can uncover its origins. Ethics + Religion The Cherokee Bible, one of the language’s first books, is a window between worldviews Margaret Bender, Wake Forest University; Tom Belt, Western Carolina University Cherokees across the US are working to revitalize their language. Environment + Energy A deep-ocean climate plan wins rare EPA approval, but is sinking plants in the sea the answer? Wil Burns, American University School of International Service Ocean carbon removal is picking up, just as Microsoft pulls out as a major funder of carbon removal projects. We designed the turf for soccer’s biggest World Cup ever – here’s how we created the same playing experience across 3 countries John N. Trey Rogers, Michigan State University; Jackie Lyn A. Guevara, Michigan State University; John Sorochan, University of Tennessee; Ryan Bearss, Michigan State University The new playing fields are rolling out in stadiums from Mexico to Canada. Creating the perfect pitch in very different climates requires the right grasses and some creative tricks. Arts + Culture Sramcbled wrods: the real reason you can still read jumbled text Karen Stollznow, Griffith University; University of Colorado Boulder ‘Typoglycemia’ is often shared online as a quirky insight into how our brains work. But this viral claim is only part of the story. Trending on site Health authorities work to contain cruise ship hantavirus outbreak Why did Tyrannosaurus rex have such short arms? AI chatbots can prioritize flattery over facts – and that carries serious risks Today's graphic 📈 From the story, Canada is kicking its US booze habit as trade tensions persist More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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