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NASCAR legend Kyle Busch had reportedly been battling bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” before his death … and his condition allegedly spiraled fatally in just 24 hours once sepsis set in. According to his death certificate, obtained by Us…

Universal Citywalk is losing another staple retailer. Comic store Things From Another World is set to close in September. Publishing company Dark Horse, which operates the store, is closing all three of its retail locations.

The US president says he believes Iran wants to reach a deal but there is still no agreement on its terms.

Alabama is back at the Supreme Court seeking emergency relief to let the state use a congressional map in the midterm elections that a lower court panel with two Trump appointees deemed intentionally discriminatory against Black voters.

The state wants the justices to immediately halt this week’s panel ruling that said Alabama’s desired redistricting plan is still illegal even after the high court’s 6-3 ruling last month in Louisiana v. Callais, which made it more difficult to bring claims under the Voting Rights Act.

Before the Callais ruling, the Alabama panel had found not only a Voting Rights Act violation but also a direct violation of the Constitution, via intentional discrimination against Black voters. After Callais, the high court split 6-3 along those same partisan lines in ordering the Alabama panel to reconsider its decision in light of Callais. The majority’s order came over dissent from the high court’s Democratic appointees, who argued there was “no reason” for further review, due to the panel’s separate intentional discrimination finding that stood even after Callais.

On that further review, the panel reaffirmed its prior conclusion against the state. Explaining why in an opinion on Tuesday, the three judges on the panel said that they “cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination.”

The panel rejected the state’s argument that Callais upended its finding of intentional discrimination. In any event, the panel said, the Black voters in the case would likely separately satisfy the Supreme Court’s new Voting Rights Act test from Callais. The three judges on the panel are Stanley Marcus, an appellate judge who was appointed to a district court by Ronald Reagan and then to the appellate court by Bill Clinton, as well as two district judges appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, Anna Manasco and Terry Moorer.

“We emphasize that because of the exceptional public importance of this matter, we carefully reviewed the extensive evidentiary record in these cases with fresh eyes in light of Callais,” the panel said.

The state said Tuesday that it would appeal the panel ruling and made that official on Wednesday. Officials argue to the justices that the panel’s ruling runs afoul of Callais, and they asked the high court to halt it by Monday morning.

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The post Alabama seeks Supreme Court’s permission to use map deemed discriminatory appeared first on MS NOW.

people can support border security. People can support immigration enforcement. But cruelty should never become policy.

We want you to be a part of TMZ, so every weekday, between 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM PT, we take you inside our newsroom via live stream. You never know what you’re gonna get … a big story that breaks, an argument erupts in the room, or someone’s…

Gervonta Davis is in the crosshairs of authorities in Maryland who want the star boxer in handcuffs after allegedly violating his probation during an altercation at a Miami strip club last year. A Baltimore judge signed off on an arrest warrant on…

SPOILER ALERT: The following reveals major plot points from Hulu’s The Testaments Season 1 finale. The first season of Hulu’s The Testaments has officially concluded, and series star Mattea Conforti has a lot to say about how things ended for her character, Becka. But first, let’s discuss what went down. The last two episodes of […]

AI is becoming a dominant political issue, with many on the right and the left coalescing around concerns about the rapid growth of the industry.

This is an excerpt from the May 27, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

KEN PAXTON, PUBLIC SERVANT: A TIMELINE

Every Democrat in America woke up feeling lucky. 

Texas Republicans may have just cost the GOP tens of millions of dollars — money Republicans could have spent on competitive races in Maine, Iowa, Ohio, Alaska. 

Democrats haven’t won a statewide election in Texas since 1994. But they also haven’t had a guy like this to run against — and they capitalized quickly.

As MS NOW’s Steve Benen writes:

For his part, the incumbent president, who’s long competed with Paxton for the title of the most corrupt politician in America, vowed on Wednesday morning to “do some nice, big, beautiful rallies” for the GOP nominee. Watch this space.

CATCH UP ON MORNING JOE

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May 27, 2026 / 10:24

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Joe SLAMS Ken Paxton as a ‘unicorn’ of ‘sheer awfulness’

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Rev. Al reveals why Trump’s redistricting map push failed in South Carolina

May 27, 2026 / 06:10

The post Ken Paxton, public servant: A timeline appeared first on MS NOW.

An increasing number of American households have struggled to afford enough food since 2020 due to rising economic strains, according to a new analysis released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Wednesday morning.  “We find a remarkable increase in food insecurity, particularly among lower-educated and lower-income households and households with young children,”…

(Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images) By Shelby Stewart ·Updated May 27, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

In a decisive primary runoff victory Tuesday night, Christian Menefee secured the Democratic nomination for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, defeating longtime incumbent Al Green and cementing a rapid political rise that has reshaped one of Houston’s most historically significant districts.

With early and mail-in votes counted, Menefee led the race with 68.6 percent of the vote to Green’s 31.4 percent, according to results released Tuesday evening.

The runoff marked the culmination of an unusual and politically turbulent election cycle in TX-18, where voters were repeatedly sent back to the polls over the course of seven months amid legal disputes, delayed election timelines and ongoing criticism over Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas.

Menefee, who was sworn into Congress on Feb. 2 after winning a special election to >Barbara Jordan and later by Sheila Jackson Lee, has historically carried national influence on issues ranging from civil rights to voting access.

Green, who has represented the district for nearly two decades, became nationally known for his outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump and repeated calls for impeachment during Trump’s first term in office. Throughout his tenure, Green cultivated a reputation as one of Congress’ most vocal progressive lawmakers, particularly on issues affecting marginalized communities.

In remarks following his victory, Menefee praised Green’s legacy while signaling continuity between their political priorities.

“Congressman Al Green is an icon,” Menefee said. “For decades, Congressman Green has done what so few in public life are willing to do: he has spoken truth to power, directly to their faces, without flinching.”

Menefee continued: “The causes he has championed are the same causes I carry into this work every single day.”

Before his election to Congress, Menefee served as Harris County attorney, becoming the first Black man and youngest person elected to the position in county history. During his tenure, he frequently challenged Republican-led state policies through litigation, including disputes over voting access, environmental regulations and local governance authority.

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 02: U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) (L) swears in Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX) (R) while his wife Kaitlyn Menefee holds the bible at the U.S. Capitol on February 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. Menefee’s election victory puts House Democrats at 214 seats to Republicans’ 218, narrowing the margin of the Republicans’ majority. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Since arriving in Washington earlier this year, Menefee has moved quickly to establish his congressional profile. According to his office, he has introduced three bills, including the SET Act, legislation aimed at preventing prolonged congressional vacancies like the one TX-18 experienced following the death of Jackson Lee in 2024. He has also co-sponsored dozens of additional measures focused on lowering costs for working families and expanding economic opportunities.

Menefee has additionally taken a visible role on the House floor and now serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, a key assignment for a Houston-area lawmaker given the city’s deep ties to the nation’s aerospace industry through NASA and the Johnson Space Center.

Throughout the campaign, Menefee sharply criticized Republican lawmakers over what he described as deliberate efforts to supress voter participation through redistricting and election delays.

“Republicans have made this hard on purpose,” Menefee said. “They delayed this election. They drew maps designed to dilute our power. They made you come back to the polls over and over again because they were hoping you would get tired and give up. You didn’t.”

Texas’ congressional maps have faced repeated legal scrutiny in recent years, with civil rights groups and Democratic officials arguing that Republican-led redistricting efforts disproportionately weaken the voting power of Black and Latino communities. Republicans, meanwhile, have defended the maps as legally compliant and reflective of population growth across the state.

Menefee now heads into the general election as the heavy favorite in the deeply blue district, where Democratic candidates have historically won by large margins. His victory also positions him as one of the emerging younger voices within Texas Democratic politics at a time when the party is attempting to rebuild statewide momentum ahead of the November elections.

The post Christian Menefee Unseats Al Green In Historic TX-18 Runoff Victory appeared first on Essence.