A note from...
Naomi Schalit
Senior Editor, Politics + Society
Partisan gerrymandering happens when – with the help of computers and some complex calculations – state lawmakers who hold the legislative majority design Congressional voting districts that favor their party and disadvantage the other. In Ohio, for example, that meant Republicans won just 52% of the votes in the 2018 election, but picked up 11 of 16 of the Congressional seats.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court responded to lawsuits claiming partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional. The majority ruling said gerrymandering was a political problem, not a constitutional one. Scholar John Rennie Short of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, explains what it means for the 2020 election and beyond.
John Rennie Short, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The Supreme Court has issued what's likely to be its final word on partisan gerrymandering, saying it's a political issue, not a legal one. That means reform lies in the hands of voters.
The problems facing America are unrestrained capitalism and corruption, said the Democratic presidential candidates over two nights of debates. Or was that really Teddy Roosevelt speaking?
A 15-year-old fleeing violence in El Salvador came to the US in 1985. Her immigration case sparked a Supreme Court decision that would affect how authorities treat children in detention.
Tom Diacovo, University of Pittsburgh; Gerard Vockley, University of Pittsburgh
What happens when babies are born critically ill and the doctors have no idea what is wrong? Some argue that a controversial tool called whole genome sequencing may help find the cause.
Women might find themselves reaching for sweets and potato chips in the two weeks before their period, even if they don't have a diagnosis of PMS. An OBGYN explains these cyclical food cravings.
Jacob Zuma’s religious utterances present a conundrum for scholars, as many poor South African Christians support his moral claims and celebrated his ill-gotten riches.
Sylvanus Kwaku Afesorgbor, University of Guelph; Brendan McDougall, University of Guelph; Jiahao Zhu, University of Guelph
Canadian beef and pork exporters have become increasingly reliant on China. That's why the latest salvo in the Canada-China diplomatic dispute is so ominous for the agri-food sector.
