"US Appeals Court Upholds North Carolina GOP's Election Map Despite Challenges"

A federal appellate court rejected an emergency challenge to North Carolina’s Republican-drawn legislative map, ensuring elections will proceed under contested lines drawn in 2023. The new maps are expected to help Republicans retain a supermajority in the state legislature and gain at least three more seats in Congress. The court ruled that the maps did not create extraordinary circumstances for a preliminary injunction, despite claims that they weaken Black representation. The decision has drawn criticism from voting rights advocates and dissent from a judge who warned of further weakening voting rights protections.