KELI From Inkwell, this is the Independent News Drop. It's Saturday, May twenty-third. The time is four p.m. central. I'm Keli, with Hast.
HAST Good afternoon. We're opening on voting rights and what's happening in the states right now.
KELI The Voting Rights Act has been under pressure for years, but here's what you'll hear in a lot of coverage today: the loss of federal oversight is primarily a racial-justice issue. That's true in outcome, but the structural story is broader. What's actually happened is that without pre-clearance requirements, states have more freedom to redraw districts and change election rules without advance federal approval. The mechanism isn't conspiracy—it's that the legal friction is gone. So watch in the next six to eight weeks for what happens in states moving toward 2026 redistricting and for any federal court challenges to new rules in states that previously needed clearance. That'll tell you how much room states think they actually have.
HAST Staying with the courts, but Texas now. Attorney General Ken Paxton campaigned on cracking down on forum shopping—that's when lawyers strategically pick courts they think will rule their way. ProPublica reports his own office is now being accused of doing exactly that, seeking out favorable judges for cases he's bringing as A.G. Lawyers say it's the same practice Paxton criticized, just on the other side.
KELI Different scale, but still about access. Food assistance numbers are falling in Texas and nationally. Nearly five hundred thousand fewer Texans are on SNAP, the federal food stamp program. Advocates point to new federal work requirements and immigration enforcement as the reason. The state says enrollment fluctuates normally. What matters here is how fast those numbers continue to move—the next jobs report will give some indication of whether work requirements are doing what proponents say they will.
HAST Overseas now. Heat in Mecca is reaching dangerous levels as pilgrims prepare for the Hajj. More than one and a half million people are gathering there, and temperatures are climbing into the triple digits. Officials are setting up cooling centers and increasing medical staff on the ground.
KELI The Trump administration says a deal with Iran is largely negotiated and could include opening the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran is also signaling progress on talks, though they're saying nuclear weapons aren't part of the initial framework being discussed right now. That gap between what each side is claiming is in the deal and what's actually being worked on is something to track in the coming days.
HAST Back stateside. A chemical tank failure in Garden Grove, California has forced about forty thousand people to evacuate. A storage tank began leaking a chemical used in plastic manufacturing. Schools have closed, and officials are monitoring air quality in the area while repairs are underway.
KELI Before we close, a history note. On this day in 1991, Aeroflot Flight 8556 crashed at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg, killing thirteen people aboard.
HAST That's the Independent News Drop. We'll be back this evening. From Inkwell.