The Hound | May 8

Southern states racing to redraw maps, Florida in talks to close Alligator Alcatraz, and Senate Dems pressure Carr to drop ABC case.

May 08, 2026

Hi there,

It’s Friday. Florida is in secret talks with the White House to close “Alligator Alcatraz” because the prison has become a money pit for the state. How the abortion rights movement is ready for the attacks on Mifepristone. And after the Supreme Court’s Callais decision, Southern states have been racing to redraw congressional maps before the 2026 midterm elections.

Across Southern states, new redistricting maps are once again dividing and weakening communities of color through racial gerrymandering. By carving apart neighborhoods, diluting voting power, and reshaping districts to favor partisan outcomes, these maps do more than alter elections—they fracture communities that have fought for representation and political voice for generations. When districts are redrawn to split Black and minority communities apart, the consequence is not theoretical: communities lose representation, local concerns are diluted, and voters are stripped of collective political power. Framing this as technical redistricting obscures the real democratic harm.

The public deserves reporting that explains how political power is manipulated long before Election Day arrives.

Read about this, and more, with today’s stories:

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

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