The GOP-led South Carolina Senate on Tuesday voted against a plan to advance a new congressional map, which, at least temporarily, ends the redistricting effort. The legislative chamber voted 26-18 against the map. Breaking news: Redistricting is officially dead in South Carolina. The South Carolina State Senate votes against redistricting in 26-18 vote 6R-1D congressional map stays in place https://t.co/SVJ5QXdPVu pic.twitter.com/H6QPoHlKdj — Politics & Poll Tracker (@PollTracker2024) May 26, 2026 Some Republican lawmakers said it’s simply too late to change the state’s congressional map before the midterm elections. “I can no longer support the passage of this bill for one simple reason: South Carolina citizens are going to the polls today,” Republican state Sen. Richard Cash said, according to The Hill. “Neither my conscience nor common sense will allow me to stop an election that has already begun,” he added. Watch below: JUST IN — IT'S OFFICIAL: South Carolina Senate RINOs have ENDED the 2026 redistricting map, where Republicans would've gained a 7R-0D map Vote: 18-26 PRIMARY every Republican, just like Indiana, who betrayed the movement and just helped Democrats. They ALL MUST GO! https://t.co/w0OektiyBK pic.twitter.com/fprMG8WOp8 — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 26, 2026 The Hill shared further: A motion to end debate on the topic failed in the state’s upper chamber, scrambling a push that could have given Republicans total control of the seven-member congressional delegation. The vote is a blow to President Trump and other national Republicans who have called on red states across the country to consider redistricting as the party seeks to minimize its losses and notch new pickup opportunities ahead of November’s elections. Republicans in the South Carolina state House voted earlier this month to approve new congressional lines after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that weakened a section of the Voting Rights Act and prompted more states to consider map changes. South Carolina’s primary elections are set for early June. The state’s Democratic Party chair earlier this month had called the renewed talk of redistricting “reckless” amid reports that thousands of absentee ballots had already been sent out to voters. According to NBC News, advisers close to the White House were caught off guard by the failed vote in South Carolina. One adviser called it a “betrayal.” “We knew it was bumpy all along, never a guarantee,” one adviser told the outlet. “But the votes were there on the last vote and nothing changed,” the adviser added. NBC News: Advisers close to the White House said they were caught off guard by the failed redistricting vote in the South Carolina state Senate, with one calling it a “betrayal.” “We knew it was bumpy all along, never a guarantee,” one adviser told NBC News. “But the votes were… — Politics & Poll Tracker (@PollTracker2024) May 26, 2026 NBC News has more: The adviser also said that the White House was not given a heads up about the vote from South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, which they would have expected if votes were changing. The person said they were alerted by Attorney General Alan Wilson and “a couple” of state senators. NBC News reached out to McMaster’s office for comment. South Carolina isn’t the first Republican-controlled state to rebel against Trump’s redistricting agenda. In December, the Indiana Senate rejected a redrawn congressional map in a dramatic floor vote despite heavy White House pressure. Trump enacted revenge earlier this month, successfully backing five primary challengers to the Republican lawmakers who bucked him. In South Carolina, all members of the state Senate are up for re-election in 2028. “These next two years are going to bring h*** from the MAGA grassroots wing of the party already skeptical of many of these old guard GOP senators,” said one longtime South Carolina Republican operative. Republicans in the South Carolina Senate had signaled their resistance to redrawing the state’s congressional map earlier this month, refusing to take up a new proposal as part of its regularly scheduled session. But amid pressure from the White House and national Republicans, McMaster quickly called lawmakers back for a special session to tackle the issue.

Philip Sarnecki, a Republican candidate in the Kansas gubernatorial election, announced a 5-year AI data center moratorium plan. “This plan will stop massive AI data centers from entering a county without approval from its residents. The first job of Governor is to protect the people of Kansas,” Sarnecki said. “If the residents in a county don’t want an AI data center, then a company shouldn’t be able to build a data center in that county,” he continued. According to Sarnecki’s plan, in order to build a data center, a company must guarantee: The development will not increase energy costs for residents in the county. The development will not place an undue burden on local water resources. Eminent domain will be prohibited for the purpose of the development. “If a company guarantees all these requirements, then a vote among residents in the county must pass with a majority to approve the construction of the data center,” the announcement read. Today I’m announcing my plan to pass a 5-year moratorium for AI data centers in Kansas. This plan will stop massive AI data centers from entering a county without approval from its residents. The first job of Governor is to protect the people of Kansas. If the residents in a… pic.twitter.com/AP7Iq071Dw — R. Philip Sarnecki (@Philip_Sarnecki) May 26, 2026 Read the full announcement below: Sarnecki is part of a crowded GOP primary field in the Kansas gubernatorial election. On Sunday, President Trump endorsed Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson. “It is my Great Honor to endorse Ty Masterson, a fantastic Candidate running to be the next Governor of the Great State of Kansas, a place I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024! Ty will run on the Republican ‘ticket’ with my friend, the Great U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, who, along with many America First Patriots in Kansas, strongly believe in him,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Just in: President Trump has officially endorsed Ty Masterson (@TyMastersonKS) in the Kansas Republican Primary for Governor pic.twitter.com/g4uFPP4yk7 — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) May 24, 2026 “I’m the proven conservative fighter in this race for Governor. President Trump said it best, I will work tirelessly to champion Kansas values! Join me, it’s time to Take Back Kansas from Laura Kelly and the radical Democrats!” Masterson said. I’m the proven conservative fighter in this race for Governor. President Trump said it best, I will work tirelessly to champion Kansas values! Join me, it’s time to Take Back Kansas from Laura Kelly and the radical Democrats! pic.twitter.com/6knHzt7x3f — Ty Masterson (@TyMastersonKS) May 25, 2026 KMBC noted: Masterson is one of several candidates in the field that includes current Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer. “Proud to have President Trump’s endorsement. Kansas needs a conservative who will fight and win — and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Masterson said on social media. Trump’s endorsement record in Republican primaries includes a history of success, most recently last week when current U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie lost in Kentucky. “Philip Sarnecki is a Kansas businessman, job creator, husband, and father who rose from humble beginnings as the son of a janitor and a secretary. He built one of the nation’s largest financial services companies and has led businesses that today employ nearly 1,000 people across multiple industries. Guided by his faith in God, Philip is committed to conservative values—faith, family, hard work, and accountability—not career politics,” Sarnecki’s campaign website read. “Deeply involved in his community, Philip was the former chair of the Board of Trustees for Athletes in Action, served on the Board of Directors for Finseca, and spent nearly a decade coaching youth baseball. He and his wife, Heidi, live in Bucyrus, Kansas, where they raised their three children, and they enjoy time together on their Franklin County farm,” it continued. “I’m tired of Republicans losing in Kansas. Today I’m officially announcing my candidacy for Governor. Like President Trump, I’ve never run for office before. I’ve been a business owner, builder and leader for over 3 decades. Trump won Kansas in a landslide three times, but career politicians continue to lose to liberal democrats,” Sarnecki said last September. “After building one of the largest financial services firms in the United States, I sold the business. I’m all in. It’s time to win and it’s time to turn this state around. Join me,” he continued. Watch below: I’m tired of Republicans losing in Kansas.  Today I’m officially announcing my candidacy for Governor.  Like President Trump, I’ve never run for office before. I’ve been a business owner, builder and leader for over 3 decades. Trump won Kansas in a landslide three times,… pic.twitter.com/SaABWBHcK9 — R. Philip Sarnecki (@Philip_Sarnecki) September 2, 2025 The full list of GOP gubernatorial candidates includes: Charlotte O’Hara Doug Billings Stacy Rogers Joy Eakins Philip Sarnecki Jeff Colyer Ty Masterson Vicki Schmidt Scott Schwab The primary elections will take place on August 4.

If you’re over 55, you’ve earned every dollar in your account through decades of hard work, smart decisions, and refusing to let anyone take advantage of you. But there’s a quiet way the big credit card companies have been siphoning money from responsible people just like you – and most cardholders never even question it. Here’s what they don’t advertise: the average American household pays over $1,000 a year in credit card interest alone. That’s money going straight into the pockets of financial institutions instead of staying where it belongs – in yours. One small business owner in her early 60s said she felt “foolish” when she realized how much she’d been paying in interest on a card she’d been loyal to for over 15 years. She’s not foolish; she was just never shown a better option, because her bank had no incentive to show her one. That’s why many Americans have already switched to cards with 0% interest on balance transfers – and there is one in particular that financial experts consistently rate 5 out of 5 stars. It was practically designed for people who refuse to leave money on the table. Here’s the headline benefit: you pay 0% interest on balance transfers for a full 18 months. That means if you’re carrying a balance on another card right now, you could transfer it and stop paying interest entirely – potentially saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But it doesn’t stop there – you also earn 2% cash back on every single purchase with no complicated categories to track and no spending caps. For someone running a household or a business, that straightforward structure means real money back in your pocket month after month. And unlike cards that lure you in and then hit you with an annual fee, these cards charge exactly $0 per year – not now, not ever. That’s the kind of honest, no-nonsense deal that’s becoming harder and harder to find. On top of all that, new cardholders earn a cash back bonus after spending a manageable amount in the first six months – spending you’d likely do anyway on groceries, gas, and everyday expenses. It’s essentially free money for doing what you already do. Now, these cards aren’t for everyone – it requires good to excellent credit to qualify. If you’ve been financially responsible – and if you’re reading this, chances are you have – you’re exactly who this card was made for. The business owner who switched? She transferred her $8,000 balance, saved over $1,400 in interest in the first year alone, and earned cash back on her everyday purchases at the same time. Her only regret was not doing it sooner. The 0% intro APR offer on balance transfers won’t be around forever, and once it changes, you’ll have missed your window to lock it in. Every month you wait is another month of interest payments you didn’t have to make. You can apply in about two minutes on the secure website here – no branch visit required, no long phone calls. If you’ve spent a lifetime making smart financial decisions, this might be one of the smartest small moves you make this year. (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message in this article and ordering through the included links, which benefits WLTReport. We appreciate your support and I truly hope this can help make your life better!  MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!) This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

A three-judge federal panel just dealt Alabama Republicans a major blow, blocking the state from using its 2023 GOP-backed congressional map for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Conservative election watchers immediately called for Alabama to take the fight back to the Supreme Court: NOW: A federal court has just INVALIDATED Alabama’s new 6R-1D 2026 redistricting map, likely sending it up to the SUPREME COURT Appeal and OVERTURN, NOW! Alabama had just gotten rid of a blue seat due to racial gerrymandering, but this map should EVEN be 7R-0D GO FOR GOLD… pic.twitter.com/yvxqE48RQx — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 26, 2026 The ruling means Alabama must continue using the court-approved remedial map that includes two majority-Black congressional districts, a configuration that effectively hands Democrats a second competitive seat in the deep-red state. Alabama officials have already signaled they will appeal directly to the Supreme Court. The backstory here is important. After the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Allen v. Milligan, which found Alabama’s original map likely violated the Voting Rights Act, the Alabama Legislature drew a new plan. That replacement map created a 6R-1D configuration that critics said still fell short of the court’s mandate to create a second district where Black voters had an opportunity to elect their preferred candidate. A federal court rejected the Legislature’s replacement map and imposed its own remedial plan with two majority-Black districts. Alabama has been operating under that court-drawn map ever since. As Alabama Political Reporter noted, the three-judge panel’s Monday decision keeps the court-ordered map in place for the 2026 cycle: Alabama had argued that the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais changed the legal landscape enough to justify revisiting the map. The three-judge panel disagreed. As Trending Politics reported, the ruling represents a significant setback for Republican efforts to reclaim a congressional seat in one of the reddest states in the country. The practical effect is straightforward. Under the current remedial map, Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District was redrawn to create a second majority-Black district. That seat flipped to Democrats in 2024, and Republicans have been trying to undo the map ever since. Now the fight moves to the Supreme Court, where Alabama will ask the justices to intervene before the 2026 election cycle locks into place. The timing matters enormously. With midterm primaries approaching and candidate filing deadlines on the horizon, any delay works in favor of the status quo. If the Supreme Court does not act quickly, the court-drawn map will almost certainly be used again in 2026. This is part of a broader redistricting war playing out across multiple states ahead of the midterms. President Trump and Republican allies have pushed for maps that better reflect the partisan makeup of red states, while Democrats and voting-rights groups have used the courts to preserve or expand minority-majority districts. Alabama is arguably the highest-profile battleground in that fight, because the outcome directly determines whether Republicans hold six seats or seven in a state Trump carried by more than 25 points. The Supreme Court appeal could produce a landmark ruling on whether the Voting Rights Act requires race-conscious redistricting to the degree lower courts have enforced it. That question has divided legal conservatives for years. For now, the court-drawn two-majority-Black-district map remains the law of the land in Alabama. The next move belongs to the justices in Washington. Trending Politics framed the breaking redistricting fight this way: A federal court blocked Alabama Republicans from reviving a GOP-friendly congressional map. The ruling keeps in place a court-ordered plan with two majority-Black districts ahead of the midterm elections. The blocked plan was Alabama’s 2023 map, which had already been tied up in voting-rights litigation. GOP leaders argued the Supreme Court’s recent Callais decision opened the door to switch maps again. Under the 2023 plan, Republicans were aiming to erase a Democratic-leaning, Black-majority district in southeastern Alabama. That shift could have given Republicans a chance to add one more House seat. The three-judge panel rejected Alabama’s move and said the state must keep using the map that preserves two districts where Democrats have major advantages. Alabama Republicans are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Rep. Shomari Figures praised the ruling but warned that the fight is not over. The setback comes as President Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw maps and maximize GOP seats. Alabama Political Reporter laid out the local court and election mechanics: A three-judge federal panel issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday morning. The injunction stopped Alabama’s plan to hold new elections under congressional districts Republicans believed could help them gain a seat. The Supreme Court had cleared a path for Alabama to try using the 2023 map again. That was despite the same three-judge panel previously finding that the map failed to remedy a Section 2 Voting Rights Act violation and intentionally discriminated against Black voters. The panel said it could not allow Alabama to move forward with a plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination. The judges said keeping the court’s race-blind map would not disrupt Alabama’s elections because candidates had been running under that map until fifteen days earlier. Voters also remained districted under the court-approved map in state election computer systems. The court rejected Alabama’s attempt to finish what it called an intentional decision to dilute minority votes with a veneer of legislative regularity. Voter reassignment work had been set to begin Wednesday. That work will not proceed while the injunction remains in effect. The Associated Press added the appeal and national map-war context: Federal judges blocked Alabama’s plan to use a congressional map that could have given Republicans an advantage in a key U.S. House race. The three-judge panel said the Republican-backed plan intentionally discriminated based on race by including only one Black-majority district. Alabama must continue using a court-ordered map from 2024. That map includes two districts where Black residents compose a majority or close to it. The ruling is a setback for Republicans who want to reclaim the seat now held by Democrat Shomari Figures. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the state will immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Marshall described the blocked plan as a blandly unobjectionable congressional map. Figures said the ruling was a significant step in the right direction. He also said there is still a long way to go before the fight is settled. The dispute lands inside a broader Republican redistricting push encouraged by President Trump as the GOP tries to protect its slim House majority. Democracy Docket summarized the legal reasoning around Callais and the 2023 plan: The court blocked Alabama from using its 2023 congressional map in the 2026 midterms. The ruling will almost certainly be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court described the map as tainted by intentional race-based discrimination. Alabama lawmakers moved to reinstate the 2023 map after the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision. That decision narrowed the legal path for vote-dilution claims under the Voting Rights Act. Black voters argued that Callais still did not allow Alabama to use a map already found intentionally discriminatory under the Fourteenth Amendment. The federal court agreed. The 2023 map contains one Black-majority congressional district. The court-approved map contains two districts where Black voters have a meaningful opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. Alabama held its May 19 primary, but four congressional races were postponed for an August 11 special election. That leaves election administrators, candidates, and voters waiting on a final answer while the fight heads back toward Washington. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking volunteers from its workforce to help conduct Ebola screenings at domestic airports, Bloomberg Law reports. *CDC ASKING WORKFORCE TO VOLUNTEER FOR AIRPORT EBOLA SCREENING — zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 26, 2026 The news follows the CDC’s announcement that it would implement enhanced Ebola screening measures at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. “Effective May 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), CDC initiated public health entry screening for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Uganda. Effective May 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT, operations have expanded to include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). CDC’s Port Health Protection system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to support these and other public health response activities at U.S. ports of entry,” the CDC stated. “Public health entry screening serves as an important part of CDC’s layered prevention approach. In combination with existing public health measures already in place to identify symptomatic travelers, these efforts help slow and reduce the potential spread of disease into the United States,” it continued. “Travelers who have been in the DRC, South Sudan, or Uganda within 21 days prior to arriving in the United States will be escorted to a designated airport screening area. There, travelers will answer public health screening questions and may undergo additional assessment as needed,” it added. Effective May 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), CDC initiated public health entry screening for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Uganda. Effective May 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT, operations have expanded to include… pic.twitter.com/aC2BcCePiN — CDC (@CDCgov) May 23, 2026 Bloomberg Law noted: The public health agency wants to expand its screening capabilities for international travelers and has prioritized so-called CDCReady Responders for screenings, according to an internal email sent Tuesday by Jay Bhattacharya and viewed by Bloomberg News. Bhattacharya is overseeing the agency, which doesn’t have a permanent director, while also serving as the director of the National Institutes of Health. Previously, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directed all flights carrying U.S. citizens who recently visited the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan to arrive at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. American Citizens Flying Into United States Who Have Recently Visited Countries Impacted By Ebola Outbreak Must Undergo Enhanced Screening, State Department Announces “As of May 21, 2026, all U.S.-bound American citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who have been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of arrival in the United States must only enter through Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for enhanced screening,” the State Department said. “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply enhanced public health screening at IAD in response to the Ebola outbreak. The Dulles requirement applies to all passengers, including U.S. citizens and LPRs, who were present in those countries,” it added. As of May 21, 2026, all U.S.-bound American citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who have been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of arrival in the United States must only enter through Washington Dulles International… pic.twitter.com/8H2Fqeoq0J — TravelGov (@TravelGov) May 21, 2026 More from PEOPLE: As of May 23, the CDC reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported 83 confirmed Ebola infections and nine confirmed deaths. However, the scope of the outbreak may actually be much larger, with 746 suspected cases and 176 suspected deaths. Meanwhile, neighboring Uganda has reported five confirmed cases and one confirmed death. While speaking to the media during a live-streamed press conference on May 22, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the risk level is considered “very high” at the national level in the area, “high” at the regional level, and “low” at the global level. Scientists and medical workers are currently attempting to contain a species of Ebola called the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no vaccine, according to the CDC. Symptoms of the virus include fever, generalized body pain, weakness, vomiting and, in some cases, bleeding, per the agency. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease an international public health emergency on May 17.