The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote Tuesday, struck down a core provision of the Voting Rights Act that singles out part of the country for special treatment.
The outlawed provision, Section 4, identifies all or parts of 16 states, mainly in the South. A separate provision, Section 5, not struck down by the Supreme Court, forces them to get permission -- or "preclearance" -- from the U.S. Justice Department or a three-judge federal panel in Washington to make any changes in how people vote in their jurisdictions, no matter how innocuous.
But without the identifying the parts of the country affected, the "preclearance" requirement is meaningless.
The landmark ruling frees up many parts of the country that have a history of discriminating against minorities from federal supervision.
Federal prosecutors in New York on Monday withdrew a subpoena related to Port Authority of New...
George Zimmerman was shaking hands, smiling and signing autographs at a central Florida gun show Saturday.
Zimmerman...
It's an hour before suppertime, and the line outside Lone Oak First Baptist Church in Paducah,...
A very strong earthquake rattled the Northern California coast and was widely felt across the region,...
