Latest news with #NAACP
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Court restricts who can bring voting rights challenges in a case involving voters with disabilities
A federal appeals court panel on Monday ruled that private individuals and organizations cannot bring voting rights cases under a section of the law that allows others to assist voters who are blind, disabled, or unable to read. It's the latest ruling from the St. Louis-based 8th Circuit Court of Appeals saying only the government can bring lawsuits alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act. The findings upend decades of precedent and will likely head to the US Supreme Court. The case centered on whether an Arkansas state law that limits how many voters can be assisted by one person conflicts with Section 208 of the landmark federal law. The opinion from the three-judge panel followed the reasoning of another 8th Circuit panel in a previous case from 2023. That opinion held that the Arkansas State Conference NAACP and the Arkansas Public Policy Conference could not bring cases under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. 'Like the provision at issue in Arkansas State Conference, we conclude the text and structure of (Section) 208 do not create a private right of action,' said the decision written by Judge L. Steven Grasz, a nominee of President Donald Trump. 'Likewise, we conclude no private right of action is created by the Supremacy Clause.' In the previous case, the district court judge said he could not reach an opinion on the merits because the plaintiffs did not have standing under Section 2 and gave the Justice Department five days to join the case. The circuit court panel agreed with his reasoning in a 2-1 decision. The 8th Circuit, which covers Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, has issued three rulings holding that individuals and private entities don't have standing to bring challenges against voting laws. The other came in May in a lawsuit over North Dakota redistricting. In that case, the Spirit Lake Tribe and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians with reservations 60 miles apart argued that the state's 2021 legislative map violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting their voting strength and ability to elect their own candidates. The appeals court ruled in a 2-1 decision that only the US Department of Justice could bring such lawsuits and the full circuit declined to take up the case. The US Supreme Court blocked the ruling last week while it decides whether to hear the case. The Justice Department declined to comment on whether it would be intervening in the Arkansas case. It earlier declined to comment on the case involving the two North Dakota tribes. The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, which is representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit revolving around voters with disabilities, declined to comment on Monday's ruling. Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the Voting Rights Project for the ACLU, said she wasn't surprised by the ruling given the decisions in the earlier cases. 'I think it's important to keep focus on the fact that the 8th Circuit's decisions are radical and completely at odds with decades of precedent, including from the Supreme Court itself, as well as the text, history, and purpose of the Voting Rights Act,' said Lakin, who was one of the attorneys in the initial Arkansas State Conference case. 'Private litigants have been the engine of enforcement of the Voting Rights Act for sixty years.' Section 2 is considered one of the more consequential parts of the Voting Rights Act that remains intact after a 2013 Supreme Court decision removed Section 5. That section required that all or parts of 15 states with a history of discrimination in voting get approval from the federal government before changing their voting and election laws.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Court restricts who can bring voting rights challenges in a case involving voters with disabilities
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court panel on Monday ruled that private individuals and organizations cannot bring voting rights cases under a section of the law that allows others to assist voters who are blind, disabled or unable to read. It's the latest ruling from the St. Louis-based 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, saying only the government can bring lawsuits alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act. The findings upend decades of precedent and will likely be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case centered on whether an Arkansas state law that limits how many voters can be assisted by one person conflicts with Section 208 of the landmark federal law. The opinion from the three-judge panel followed the reasoning of another 8th Circuit panel in a previous case from 2023. That opinion held that the Arkansas State Conference NAACP and the Arkansas Public Policy Conference could not bring cases under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. 'Like the provision at issue in Arkansas State Conference, we conclude the text and structure of (Section) 208 do not create a private right of action,' said the decision written by Judge L. Steven Grasz, a nominee of President Donald Trump. 'Likewise, we conclude no private right of action is created by the Supremacy Clause.' In the previous case, the district court judge said he could not reach an opinion on the merits because the plaintiffs did not have standing under Section 2 and gave the Justice Department five days to join the case. The circuit court panel agreed with his reasoning in a 2-1 decision. The 8th Circuit, which covers Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, has issued three rulings holding that individuals and private entities don't have standing to bring challenges against voting laws. The other came in May in a lawsuit over North Dakota redistricting. In that case, the Spirit Lake Tribe and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, with reservations 60 miles apart, argued that the state's 2021 legislative map violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting their voting strength and ability to elect their own candidates. The appeals court ruled in a 2-1 decision that only the U.S. Department of Justice could bring such lawsuits, and the full circuit declined to take up the case. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the ruling last week while it decides whether to hear the case. The Justice Department declined to comment on whether it would be intervening in the Arkansas case. It earlier declined to comment on the case involving the two North Dakota tribes. The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, which is representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit revolving around voters with disabilities, declined to comment on Monday's ruling. Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the Voting Rights Project for the ACLU, said she wasn't surprised by the ruling given the decisions in the earlier cases. 'I think it's important to keep focus on the fact that the 8th Circuit's decisions are radical and completely at odds with decades of precedent, including from the Supreme Court itself, as well as the text, history and purpose of the Voting Rights Act,' said Lakin, who was one of the attorneys in the initial Arkansas State Conference case. 'Private litigants have been the engine of enforcement of the Voting Rights Act for sixty years.' Section 2 is considered one of the more consequential parts of the Voting Rights Act that remains intact, after a 2013 Supreme Court decision removed Section 5. That section required that all or parts of 15 states with a history of discrimination in voting get approval from the federal government before changing their voting and election laws. ___
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Last Surviving Cast Member of Popular TV Show Dies at 89
One of the most popular sitcoms of all time has brought laughs to several generations of fans, but those fans are now mourning the loss of the show's final surviving cast member. Kenneth Washington, who played Sergeant Richard Baker on the final season of "Hogan's Heroes," died on July 18 at the age of 89. Washington joined the show in its sixth and final season, replacing Ivan Dixon in the role of Sgt. Baker in 1970. The show would end the following year, but his role in the popular series was a gateway for Washington to appear in other popular shows. In addition to his role on "Hogan's Heroes," Washington also appeared in the original "Star Trek" series with George Takei and William Shatner. He was seen in multiple episodes of "Adam-12" in the 1960s with actors like Martin Milner. "Hogan's Heroes" aired on CBS for six seasons in the 1960s and 70s. The show was set in a Nazi Germany POW camp and followed a group of Allied soldiers who used the camp as a base to plan operations. Bob Crane starred as the titular Col. Robert E. Hogan, the main protagonist of the show. The show aired over 160 episodes during its original run, and has entertained fans for years through both local and national syndication. The show was nominated for several awards during its run, including 12 nominations in the Emmys. It won twice, with Werner Klemperer taking the outstanding supporting actor honor in both 1968 and 1969. "Hogan's Heroes" was also included in the first-ever NAACP Image Awards as an example of positive representation from Black actors on screen in 1967. Washington also appeared in the original film adaptation of "Westworld," alongside western legend Yul Brynner. His film career spanned several decades, beginning in the mid-1950's. In one of the final roles of his career, he was a guest star on an episode of "A Different World," the Cosby spin-off set at a fictional historically Black college. Rest in peace to Kenneth Washington, and we send condolences to his fans, friends, family and loved ones during this difficult time. Last Surviving Cast Member of Popular TV Show Dies at 89 first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 23, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Supreme Court pauses ruling that weakened 1965 Voting Rights Act
A lower court severely limited who can bring discrimination challenges under the landmark 1965 law. WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court paused a lower court's ruling limiting who can sue under the under the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, a move backed by civil rights groups and other advocates. Over the objections of three conservative justices, the high court on July 24 put a ruling by the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on hold while two Native American tribes appeal it. If allowed to stand, the appeals court's decision would severely undermine enforcement of the law. It said only the U.S. attorney general is authorized to sue under a key section of the law, meaning voters, Native American tribes and groups like the NAACP would be barred from doing so. In this case, the tribes and three voters challenged a state legislative map in North Dakota they said dilutes the voting power of Native Americans. A federal district judge agreed, but the appeals court said vote dilution claims cannot be enforced through lawsuits brought by individual voters or groups. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe called that decision a 'knee-cap' to the nation's 'most important civil rights statute.' Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act bars voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color or other characteristics. In a brief supporting the tribes, the NAACP said the history of that section 'has been written largely through private enforcement.' But North Dakota's attorney general argues Congress did not clearly intend a private enforcement right when the act became law decades ago. The state also said the Supreme Court should keep the appeals court's decision in effect for now to allow the 2026 elections to be conducted under the map challenged by the tribes. That map eliminated two of the three legislative districts in which Native American voters could elect their preferred candidates. Three justices − Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch − said they would have kept the decision in place while the Supreme Court considers whether to hear the tribes' appeal. The appeals court's decision affects voting rights litigation in seven states: Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Republican attorneys general in most of those states and a few others filed a brief backing the appeals court's decision. More: Supreme Court defers decision on challenge to Louisiana congressional map The Supreme Court is still deciding how to resolve a dispute over Louisiana's congressional districts that involves an interplay between the Voting Rights Act and a racial gerrymandering challenge. Instead of issuing a decision, the court announced in June that it will hear new arguments in its next term.
Express Tribune
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Cosby Show' star Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies aged 54
Warner was on vacation in Costa Rica with his family at the time of the incident. Photo: File American actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Bill Cosby's son Theo on the 1980s groundbreaking television hit The Cosby Show, died at age 54 on Monday by drowning, a law enforcement source confirmed to Reuters. Warner was vacationing in Costa Rica with his family, media reported. The Central American nation's judicial investigation department (OIJ) confirmed that a US citizen with the last name Warner had drowned after being pulled out to sea by a rip current. He was declared lifeless at the scene by Red Cross lifeguards, the department said. Representatives for Warner did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The NAACP posted a photo of the late actor on Instagram along with a caption. "#RestinPower, to NAACP Image Award winning actor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Your talent and spirit touched many lives, and your legacy will continue to inspire," the caption said. Warner won the outstanding actor in a comedy series award from the NAACP for the series Reed Between the Lines in 2012. Fox Entertainment also issued a statement on Monday about Warner's passing. "Everyone at Fox is heartbroken by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, the extraordinary Malcolm-Jamal Warner. While his iconic roles – from comedic to dramatic – are unforgettable and timeless," the statement said. Warner played Dr AJ Austin on the Fox medical drama series The Resident. The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992, was one of the earliest portrayals of a successful, stable and wholesome Black American family on television, which challenged negative stereotypes. Cosby portrayed a doctor, and Warner played his only son. Warner, who was born on August 18, 1970, grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his mother, Pamela, who eventually became his acting manager. He was named after civil rights leader Malcolm X and jazz musician Ahmad Jamal. At an early age, Warner found he was interested in acting, which launched his career as a child performer and set him on the path to attend The Professional Children's School in New York. While he had some small television roles early in his career, playing Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show served as Warner's breakout role. The actor received an Emmy nomination in 1986 for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his role on the NBC series. Warner won a Grammy award in 2015 for best traditional R&B performance for the song Jesus Children. The 54-year-old actor also had roles in The Cosby Show spin-off series A Different World, Jeremiah, Sons of Anarchy, Suits and hosted Saturday Night Live in 1986. He has a wife and daughter but never publicly disclosed their names.
