The Supreme Court grappled Monday with a years-old, messy legal battle over Louisiana’s congressional districts during an oral argument in which several of the court’s conservatives questioned whether the state had violated the Constitution because of its focus on race.

The outcome will also determine if Democrats or Republicans have the advantage in the disputed district in the 2026 midterm elections, which will decide control of the closely divided House.Start the day smarter.

Several conservative justices were skeptical that the Voting Rights Act’s attempts to redress past discrimination can coexist with the Equal Protection Clause.

The US Justice Department is fast-tracking fights over President Donald Trump’s efforts to push the bounds of executive power, teeing up key issues for the US Supreme Court in the coming weeks or even days.

The federal government, on the other hand, said the sweeping order requiring the employees to be rehired goes beyond the judge's legal authority. The plaintiffs never had legal st