The Supreme Court’s Callais ruling has created an electoral and racist mess. Representative Shomari Figures from Alabama’s 2nd District and I looked at what’s at stake in his home state, where a racially gerrymandered map is back under consideration. Alabama is also confusing voters through a series of last-minute special sessions, primary date changes, and attempts to throw out already cast primary votes. All of this aims to strip Black people of their voting power and revoke fair representation for all.

April Ryan got the chance to sit down with Alabama’s Representative in the 7th district, Terri Sewell [20:15], to look back on the legacy of the civil rights movement, and how we revitalize it. Racists in power have been waiting for this moment to send America back to the Jim Crow era. But, that doesn’t mean we have to let them.

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The Supreme Court’s Callais ruling has created an electoral and racist mess. Representative Shomari Figures from Alabama’s 2nd District and I looked at what’s at stake in his home state, where a racially gerrymandered map is back under consideration. Alabama is also confusing voters through a series of last-minute special sessions, primary date changes, and attempts to throw out already cast primary votes. All of this aims to strip Black people of their voting power and revoke fair representation for all.

April Ryan got the chance to sit down with Alabama’s Representative in the 7th district, Terri Sewell [20:15], to look back on the legacy of the civil rights movement, and how we revitalize it. Racists in power have been waiting for this moment to send America back to the Jim Crow era. But, that doesn’t mean we have to let them.

The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack.

This Saturday, people from all over the country will gather in Montgomery, Alabama to protest the Supreme Court’s decision in Callais v. Louisiana and the continued dismantling of the Voting Rights Act.

LaTosha Brown is the Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter, and she spoke with Jen Rubin about how organizers and activists have come together to fight back in this historic moment, and why this decision is bigger than just redistricting in the 2026 Midterms.

And, voting rights and election law expert Rick Hasen [20:25] looked at the fallout in elections in Louisiana and Virginia, and why the Supreme Court’s conflicting rulings on voting rights cases have created an electoral kerfuffle.

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Not even two weeks have passed since the Supreme Court’s decision in Callais v. Louisiana, and we are already seeing massive fallout.

The Virginia Supreme Court threw out results of an election where 3 million people voted. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry suspended a primary election, already in progress. Tennessee and Florida have already passed new congressional maps that eliminate Black and Brown majority districts, and other states, like South Carolina and Alabama, are fighting to join them.

Ari Berman is the national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, and joined Contrarian editor Tim Dickinson to discuss how SCOTUS has gutted the Voting Rights Act and what to expect.

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Hi, this is April Ryan, contributor at The Contrarian. Jen Rubin is out today, but we still have another edition of the Contrarian Podcast!

On the Tea with April Ryan, April sat down with Maya Wiley. She’s President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

They talked about the Supreme Court’s awful decision in Callais v. Louisiana and the racist, discriminatory gerrymandering we’re already seeing in states like Tennessee.

The Tea with April Ryan is every Thursday at 5pm eastern at ContrarianNews.org

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Contrarian Editor Tim Dickinson got the chance this week to speak with two candidates running in the Democratic Primary for Montana’s 1st Congressional District, Sam Forstag and Ryan Busse.

Sam Forstag is a former smokejumper and union leader. Tim and Sam talked about his belief that housing, healthcare, and other necessities should be accessible for all working people. He also talked about how the wealthy are able to take advantage when we aren’t able to rally around common political ground.

And, Ryan Busse [16:20] is a former gun executive turned whistleblower, as well as a former Democratic candidate for governor. He spoke about his advocacy for universal health care and the importance of Democrats busting Fox News stereotypes.

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Jared Bernstein, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, is here for his Let’s do Lunch series to answer all of your questions about the economy.

This week, he’s joined by Heather Long. She’s Chief Economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union. They discussed why the stock market continues to rise despite increasing inflation and anemic job growth, and why high gas prices will ripple through the economy for a long time.

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Last Tuesday, Kevin Warsh, the nominee for Federal Reserve Chair, testified in front of the Senate Banking Committee. His responses to basic questions facts such as “did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?” left many worried about how he would manage the independence of the Fed if appointed.

Justin Wolfers, Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan, joins Jen to give his take on the importance of Fed independence and removing conflicts of interest. Additionally, Wolfers recognizes how uncertain Trump has made investors and consumers as a result of his many wars waged across the globe.

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The Supreme Court essentially nullified the last remaining provision of the Voting Rights Act in a 6-3 decision. The ruling in the case of Louisiana v. Callais opens the door to racially-motivated gerrymandering at Jim Crow levels, and overturns one of the biggest landmark civil rights laws in U.S. history.

Leah Litman is a professor of law at the University of Michigan, she’s also cohost of the Strict Scrutiny podcast. She spoke with Contrarian contributor Katie Phang about the ramifications of the Callais decision and why this was a gigantic step back for fair voting rights.

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On Coffee with Contrarians this week, Jen and Norm sat down with Randi Weingarten, president of AFT.

The discussed the weekend’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, why the White House is more concerned with building a ballroom than protecting schoolchildren and improving Americans’ lives, and ahead of May Day Strong this Friday, why unions are paramount to preserving democracy and reducing income inequality.

The Contrarian is owned by nobody. Your paid subscription helps us bring you the brightest voices in politics & culture and fight every day against the Trump chaos machine. Join us on Substack.