Judges: The congressional maps stand.

Good morning, Lookout readers.

Our top story of the day comes from Senior Reporter Anita Wadhwani with the latest on the legal fight over a recent congressional redistricting plan.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel shot down a lawsuit filed by a coalition of plaintiffs, including a Memphis congressional candidate, a state lawmaker and the Tennessee Chapter of the NAACP.

Three other suits challenging the recent redistricting remain active but one suffered a blow as well on Tuesday, with a federal judge denying a request by the ACLU to temporarily block implementation of the new districts.

This happens as the South Carolina Legislature, which is, like Tennessee, a Republican supermajority, killed a bill that would have redrawn the state’s congressional maps. The action came 12 days into a special legislative session; contrast that with Tennessee’s recent session to redraw maps, which lasted a mere three days.

In other news, Knox County Schools will return copies of “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” to the shelves of school libraries two weeks after the Board of Education voted to remove it over concerns it violates a state law restricting materials from school libraries that may be perceived as excessively violent or sexual.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning book, which was named an official state book in 2024, is about slavery and it goes without saying that’s a story that can’t be told without reflecting on the violence.

Angela Dennis reports on the Tuesday move to walk back the decision.