#1791 Jim Crow 2.0 — SCOTUS Kills the Voting Rights Act and Unleashes the Gerrymandering War

#1791 Jim Crow 2.0 — SCOTUS Kills the Voting Rights Act and Unleashes the Gerrymandering War

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics May 13, 2026 Duration: 3:10:27

Air Date: 5/12/2026

Today we examine the redistricting scramble unleashed by the Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act. We'll hear how Southern states moved within days to crack majority-Black districts, how Tennessee banned public input to rush through new maps, and why every governor's race, state legislative seat, and secretary of state contest in 2026 is now a redistricting fight.

Full Show Notes

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TOP TAKES

KP 1: Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on Redrawing Congressional Maps and Testing Trump's Power - PBS Newshour - Air Date 5-4-26

KP 2: Louisiana Is Ground Zero for Voting Rights, Abortion Pill Access Part 1 - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 5-7-26

KP 3: Elie Mystal Supreme Court Gutting Voting Rights Act Is About Again Making US an Apartheid State Part 1 - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 5-1-26

KP 4: Did Trump's Supreme Court Rig the Midterms Part 1 - Pod Save America - Air Date 5-1-26

KP 5: What Stacey Abrams Thinks About a Recent SCOTUS Decision and the Voting Rights Amendment Part 1 - Soundside - Air Date 5-5-26

KP 6: 'Foolish' Lone Tennessee Dem Rep. Speaks Out Against GOP's Redistricting Push - Ana Cabrera Reports - Air Date 5-6-26

KP 7: Backtalker Kimberlé Crenshaw on New Memoir, Voting Rights, Critical Race Theory & Clarence Thomas - Democracy Now - Air Date 5-6-26

KP 8: What Stacey Abrams Thinks About a Recent SCOTUS Decision and the Voting Rights Amendment Part 2 - Soundside - Air Date 5-526


(00:53:57) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

How One Senate Rule Is Destroying Voting Rights


DEEPER DIVES

(01:05:18) SECTION A: THE RULING & THE LAW

A1: SCOTUS 86s Voting Rights Part 1 - #SistersInLaw - Air Date 5-2-26

A2: The Death Of The Voting Rights Act EXPLAINED Part 1 - Why, America? with Leeja Miller - Air Date 4-30-26

A3: SCOTUS 86s Voting Rights Part 2 - #SistersInLaw - Air Date 5-2-26


(01:24:35) SECTION B: HOW WE GOT HERE

B1: John Lewis and the Struggle for Voting Rights - Equal Justice Initiative - Air Date 3-9-26

B2: Tennessee GOP Just Embraced Jim Crow 2.0 to Silence Black Voters Just as Trump Demanded - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 5-7-26

B3: Louisiana Is Ground Zero for Voting Rights, Abortion Pill Access Part 2 - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 5-7-26

B4: What Is the Supreme Court Actually Trying to Do - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 5-2-26


(02:02:53) SECTION C: THE STATES SCRAMBLE

C1: 'If You Can Keep It' The Supreme Court And The Voting Rights Act Part 1 - 1A - Air Date 5-4-26

C2: Did Trump's Supreme Court Rig the Midterms Part 2 - Pod Save America - Air Date 5-1-26

C3: 'But Do You Trust Them' Hayes Questions Timing of FBI Raid in Virginia - All In W/ Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-6-26

C4: Trump Pushes to Take Over Elections, Punish His Enemies Pulitzer Prize-Winning Reporter Ned Parker - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-8-26

C5: BREAKING Virginia Supreme Court Strikes Down Voter-approved House Map - Ana Cabrera Reports - Air Date 5-8-26

C6: 'If You Can Keep It' The Supreme Court And The Voting Rights Act Part 2 - 1A - Air Date 5-4-26


(02:43:06) SECTION D: WHAT COMES NEXT

D1: Fighting for Our Voting Rights! - Practivist Pod - Air Date 4-30-26

D2: The Death Of The Voting Rights Act EXPLAINED Part 2 - Why, America? with Leeja Miller - Air Date 4-30-26

D3: Louisiana Is Ground Zero for Voting Rights, Abortion Pill Access Part 3 - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 5-7-26

D4: Elie Mystal Supreme Court Gutting Voting Rights Act Is About Again Making US an Apartheid State Part 2 - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 5-1-26


 

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For over fifteen years, Best of the Left-Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy has served as a vital, human-curated digest of voices from across the progressive spectrum. Instead of presenting a single opinion, each episode is built around a specific theme-from economic inequality to climate policy to cultural shifts-and weaves together insightful commentary from a diverse array of journalists, activists, and thinkers. This approach allows you to efficiently grasp the nuances of complex issues by hearing multiple expert angles in one sitting, all while discovering new commentators and sources you might not have encountered otherwise. The result is a richly layered analysis that algorithms simply cannot replicate, offering depth and context often missing from the daily news cycle. Since 2006, this award-winning podcast has cut through the noise, drawing from hundreds of independent and established sources to provide a coherent, thoughtful examination of the forces shaping our society and governments. Tuning in means joining a long-running conversation dedicated to understanding and advancing democratic principles, social justice, and a more equitable economy, all through the focused lens of leftist thought.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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