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Protests in the South spotlight ongoing battles over voting rights and redistricting. Georgia voters face an important election on May 19, underscoring the power of voter turnout. Economic pressures and presidential priorities raise concerns about whether everyday burdens are being addressed. Sybil Wilkes' latest "What We Need to Know" delivered a concise but weighty roundup of national developments touching voting rights, political representation, economic strain and Black history. The segment connected activism in the South and Midwest with concerns over redistricting, reminded Georgia residents of the May 19 Election Day, highlighted President Trump's latest comments on the cost of living and foreign policy, and marked the anniversary of one of the most damaging Supreme Court rulings in American history. Together, the stories underscored how policy decisions continue to shape Black communities across the country. Southern Protests Spotlight Voting Rights Battle In he South, where activists gathered in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, while others rallied in Savannah, Georgia, as part of the "All Roads Lead to the South" day of action. The protests were aimed at recent rollbacks tied to the Voting Rights Act and came ahead of a June 17 special session in Georgia, where lawmakers are set to formally redraw the state's congressional maps. The demonstrations reflected a long-standing concern in Black communities that redistricting can weaken voting strength and reduce fair representation. "The demonstration comes ahead of a June 17 special session," Wilkes said, linking the protests directly to upcoming political decisions with lasting consequences. RELATED STORY: Supreme Court Paves Way For Alabama To Use Racially Gerrymandered Map Urgency for Georgia Voters Ahead of May 19 Election Day For Georgia voters, Election Day is Tuesday, May 19. Though brief, the note carried urgency. In a political climate shaped by court fights, legislative changes and organizing on the ground, voter turnout remains one of the clearest tools communities have to protect their interests. For many Black voters, especially in Southern states with a deep civil rights history, showing up at the polls remains both a civic act and a continuation of a larger struggle. Love Black America Web? Get more! Join the Black America Web Newsletter Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Subscribe We care about your data. See our privacy policy. Sybil Wilkes' 'What We Need to Know' Spotlights Voting Rights, Rising Costs and a Painful Civil Rights AnniversarySybil Wilkes Breaks Down What We Need to Know: May 15, 2026Sybil Wilkes Breaks Down What We Need to Know: May 14, 2026 Missouri's Fight for Fair Representation In Missouri, activists gathered at Mill Creek Park in Kansas City to protest a newly upheld congressional map that alters local districts. The rally was also part of the "All Roads Lead to the South" action, signaling that concerns about redistricting extend beyond one region. Wilkes noted that volunteers collected more than 300,000 signatures in an effort to block the map. Even so, organizers warned the new district lines could systematically threaten minority representation. Their message was clear: large-scale public action has taken place, but the fight over political power and fair maps is far from over. Economic Strain and Presidential Priorities President Trump said he does not factor in the American cost of living while negotiating with Iran, insisting that preventing nuclear weapons remains his top priority. His remarks came as the conflict's effects have helped drive the national average price of gas to $4.52 per gallon, according to the segment. For working families already managing high food, housing and transportation costs, the statement is likely to deepen frustration over whether everyday economic burdens are being fully considered at the highest levels of government. Plessy v. Ferguson: Remembering a Defining Civil Rights Setback "Black America 250" reflection on May 18, the anniversary of the Supreme Court's 1896 ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. Wilkes described the 7-1 decision as a devastating turning point that rejected Homer Plessy's constitutional challenge and established the "separate but equal" doctrine. That ruling helped clear the path for Jim Crow laws and weakened Reconstruction-era protections for Black Americans for decades. By ending there, Wilkes tied the day's headlines to a longer truth: battles over rights, dignity and representation are not new, and neither is the determination to confront them. As Sybil Wilkes reminds us every day: be informed, be empowered. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE. STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! HEAD TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

NEW YORK (AP) -- A gun and notebook that prosecutors say link Luigi Mangione to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson can be used as evidence at his murder trial, a judge ruled Monday, rejecting a defense argument that they were seized illegally, before a search warrant was obtained. Judge Gregory Carro's decision, five months after he held a hearing to examine how police came upon the items, is a major win for prosecutors, enabling them to show the jury a possible murder weapon and evidence they say points to motive. That mirrors an earlier ruling in Mangione's federal case. The judge said evidence found during an initial search of Mangione's backpack during his arrest at a McDonald's restaurant must be suppressed, including a gun ammunition magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet and computer chip. Mangione's state murder trial is set to begin on Sept. 8. Jury selection for his federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is scheduled to start on Oct. 13, with opening statements and testimony beginning on Nov. 4. The state trial is expected to take four to six weeks. Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both cases. He faces the possibility of life in prison if he is convicted in either one. Police found the gun, notebook and other items in Mangione's backpack after he was spotted eating breakfast at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, 2024, five days after Thompson was killed outside a Manhattan hotel. Altoona is about 230 miles (370 kilometers) west of Manhattan. The gun, a 3D-printed pistol, matches the one used to kill Thompson, prosecutors said. The notebook, which prosecutors have termed as a "manifesto," describes wanting to "wack" a health insurance executive and rebelling against "the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel." Mangione's lawyers argued that the search was illegal and that the items should be excluded from his trial because police officers looked through the backpack before obtaining a warrant. Prosecutors maintain the search was legal because it was conducted in conjunction with an arrest and officers were following Altoona police protocols that require them to check for dangerous items that could be harmful to them or the public. Police eventually obtained a warrant, prosecutors said. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind on Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked his company's annual investor conference at the New York Hilton Midtown. Police say "delay," "deny" and "depose" were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims. At a three-week hearing in December, Altoona police officers described how they conducted Mangione's arrest and searched his backpack. Prosecutors also played body-worn camera video of Mangione's arrest in court for the first time, and some clips were made public. Carro had said he planned to study the body-camera video before issuing a decision. According to the testimony and video, officers began searching the bag at the McDonald's but stopped after finding a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear. That discovery appeared to confirm their suspicions that Mangione was the man wanted for Thompson's killing. "It's him, dude. It's him, 100%," Officer Stephen Fox said on video, punctuating the remark with expletives as the officer searching the bag, Christy Wasser, held up the magazine. Officers continued searching the bag at a police station and found the gun and silencer. They performed what's known as an inventory search and found the notebook and other notes, including what appeared to be to-do lists and possible getaway plans, according to testimony. That search, which involves cataloging every piece of a suspect's seized property, is also required under Altoona police policy, prosecutors said. The judicial warrant was obtained hours later. Laws concerning how police obtain search warrants are complex and often disputed in criminal cases. Prosecutors have quoted extensively from Mangione's handwritten diary in court filings including his praise for Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.