SCOTUS Says North Carolina Voting Laws Are Still Racist

Beating Back Hate in Charlottesville: Richard Spencer, the self-proclaimed white-supremacist and originator of the term "alt-right," led a group of equally racist shitheads in a protest on Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia. The group had their undies in a bunch over the proposed removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The next night, the Charlottesville community came together and said, "Not in our back yard." The removal of the statue was approved by local government but will be tied up in litigation for some time.

Say what now? The new Miss USA, Kara McCollough, has beauty and brains, but her recent comments on healthcare are not a good look. During the competition, the judges asked McCullough her thoughts on universal healthcare, which she said was a privilege, not a right. What really makes such a statement come as a surprise is that McCollugh is a black woman, a demographic that arguably has the most to gain from a universal healthcare system. Many were disappointed in her response because, despite the GOP's attempts to overturn the ACA, most Americans agree that everyone deserves healthcare. If only Steve Harvey was there to read the wrong cards.

Legal tug-of-war: A heated custody battle in Tennessee between a lesbian couple has now become a civil rights issue that will ripple through the LGBTQ community. The state passed a law that has the potential to hurt non-traditional families by denying gay parents custody of their children following a divorce. According to the new law, if you're a same-sex couple and you're not the birth parent you're not entitled to any parental rights. It's a blatant example of discrimination and LGBTQ advocates are fighting tooth and nail to gain back their protections.

Progress or slowing the inevitable? With more and more jobs lost to automation, the robot revolution apocalypse looms closer and closer to becoming a reality. In all seriousness though, technological advances have made many manufacturing jobs close to obsolete, but Apple hasn't given up hope that the industry can make a rebound. On May 3, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, announced that the company was investing $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing jobs. According to Apple, the company says that it has created 2 million jobs in the U.S.—1.53 million are from app developers. One thing is for sure the future of work continues to evolve and technology will play a huge part.

Campaign finance screw up: California democrats have been slammed with a fine for illegally taking money from oil companies and putting it in Gov. Jerry Brown's re-election campaign. Facepalm. The news comes as a surprise since California has been one of the most progressive states in divesting from fossil fuels. The party's willingness to sign a deal with the devil to ensure the position of an elected official is messed up, to say the least.

Flipped, turned upside down: President Trump shook things up for Silicon Valley industries when he dropped a bombshell on the H-1B visa program in April. This program allows thousands of tech-related workers into the U.S.—around 85,000 people in total with nearly a quarter of that number being grad students. Trump says that the companies are abusing these visas to employ workers at minimal wages and keep jobs from Americans. Although it will now be even harder for overseas talent to make it into the U.S., it's already making a difference for Americans. The IT company Infosys is adding 10,000 new jobs to the U.S. workforce over the next two years.

SCOTUS for the win: In 2013, North Carolina passed the most discriminatory voting bill since the Jim Crow-era. It required voters to present a photo ID at polls, shortened early voting periods, and ended same-day voter registration. Each measure seemed like a racist slight towards people of color. Rightfully, the citizens of the state fought back declaring the law unconstitutional, and a 4th circuit judge ruled in their favor. Former NC Governor, Pat McCrory, petitioned the high court to reopen the case in 2016, but they were at a 4-4 stalemate after the death Justice Scalia. However, on Monday the Supreme Court said they're upholding the lower court's ruling, meaning that voting rights in the state will be protected.

Primary Day in Pennsylvania: Residents of the Keystone state be sure to vote in today's primary elections! A number of contested races are up for grabs so don't sit this one out. Check out this voter guide here.

Black votes matter: The political climate of Trump's America has galvanized young black Democrats to take on more leadership roles within their communities and state legislatures. The best part is that it's not a localized phenomenon either, black leaders from Florida to Massachusetts are stepping up to the plate to swing at the institutions that have suppressed minority rights for so long.