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On Sept. 26, the Supreme Court denied another attempt by Alabama’s Republican-controlled legislature to avoid creating a second majority-Black congressional district. Earlier this year, the legislature made national news when it refused a lower court order to do so. But the Court has now seemingly rejected their last attempt to avoid having a map imposed upon them. The battle highlights the way that apportionment, districting, and mapmaking, while arcane, have always been crucially important tools for controlling politics and diluting the Black vote. [Read More]

The Hamas massacre that took place over the weekend was not the result of decades of “occupation.” Israel left Gaza in 2005, uprooting families and wrenching the country into an impassioned debate along the way. Not a settler, nor single IDF soldier, nor any type of Israeli personnel has remained in the Gaza Strip. No, this massacre was a function of hate—the kind of toxic intolerance in its purest form. It was years in the making, and just as it took sophisticated military and logistical planning, it also took years of ideological planting—sowing seeds of antisemitism. [Read More]

Al Fenn//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images Reproduction is getting so complicated. In the old days, you had only two biological parents — Mom and Dad. But now, up to two women (three if you count a surrogate carrier) can be the biological mothers of one baby. As far as biological fathers go, though, it’s always been one per child, except in very rare genetic conditions — until recently, that is. A mouse with two dads could change that — although the technique used to produce this mouse is a very long way from being practical or ethical in humans. [Read More]

Like many people of her generation, Shelbi Orme, 27, is an ardent environmentalist. On her YouTube channel, where she calls herself “Shelbizleee” (rhymes with Twizzle), she shares tips with her 200,000-plus subscribers about how to live more sustainably, like catching shower water in a bucket as it is heating up and using it to water plants. But when it came to creating less trash, Orme hit obstacles. She strove to show her followers how to be zero waste, by making sure nothing she consumed ended up in a landfill, but found it all but impossible. [Read More]

With its ostentatious display of wealth, its conflict-addicted cast members, and its petty yet over-the-top storylines, Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise embodies the flashy melodrama that dominates the contemporary reality TV landscape. And no moment has shaped the Housewives universe more definitively than when Teresa Giudice flipped a fully loaded dinner table in a fit of rage in the 2009 season 1 finale of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Although the table-flip moment has become an indelible part of the blueprint followed by many aspiring reality stars who lean into belligerence as a way to get attention—one previously popularized by the women of Bad Girls Club and confrontational daytime talk shows like Jerry Springer—it came as a truly shocking twist during the season finale of a franchise extension that viewers were still unsure about. [Read More]

Hulu’s three-part documentary series Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons looks at the rise and fall of the legendary lingerie brand and its former billionaire CEO, Leslie Wexner. The sprawling docuseries, streaming now, delves in particular into Wexner’s relationship with wealthy financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While Epstein’s ties to former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, as well as Prince Andrew and Bill Gates, have been well publicized, his connection with Wexner flew under the radar until Epstein’s 2019 arrest on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. [Read More]

It’s a good year to be a tick—and a bad year to be near one. Experts say the tick population is growing in record numbers, which means a potential explosion in tick-borne illnesses. You can blame the acorns for the recent tick boom. Two years ago, acorn-producing trees went haywire and multiplied in number, making a bounty of acorns. That extra food led to a boom in mice the following year. [Read More]

August 26, 2016 1:46 AM EDT Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo left Thursday’s preseason game against the Seahawks with an apparent back injury after being sacked. Romo left the game clutching his back after being sacked by Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril on his third play from scrimmage. Romo scrambled outside the pocket to his left and was chased down, landing awkwardly and hunching forward as he fell. He walked off under his own power and was examined at length by training staff. [Read More]

We live in the Golden Age of the luxury crossover SUV. Automakers have been launching them at a furious pace, to capture customers who have abandoned sedans and wagons in droves. The major players are Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Lexus. But don't forget about Acura, which has been selling a pair of superb SUVs, the MDX and the RDX, for some time. And don't overlook Cadillac, which in the past few years has added a total of three crossovers to its lineup. [Read More]

Menu June 12 Explore June 12 Calendar Major Events 1830 Beginning of the French colonization of Algeria: 34,000 French soldiers land 27 kilometers west of Algiers, at Sidi Ferruch 1864 Battle of Trevilian Station, the bloodiest and largest all-cavalry battle of the American Civil War, ends with a Confederate tactical victory and Union successful retreat in Louisa County, Virginia 1931 Al Capone is indicted on 5,000 counts of prohibition and perjury Jun 12 in Film & TV Jun 12 in Music Jun 12 in Sport 1880 Worcester Ruby Legs pitcher Lee Richmond throws first perfect game in MLB history in 1-0 win over Cleveland Blues at the Agricultural County Fair Grounds, Worcester Fun Fact About June 12 Zimbabwe discards its own currency, offering an exchange of $1 for 35 quadrillion Zimbabwean dollars [Read More]