As states nationwide begin their redistricting processes, it’s important to remember that every state has a process for receiving input from the public on what they want to see in new voting district maps — and concerned citizens can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. Voters’ comments really do make a difference in these hearings, but it’s hard to know how to make sure your voice is heard. Our new explainer features six tips for making sure your contribution is as effective as possible. From being prepared for reduced speaking times to providing specific instructions for map drawers, learn how you can help fight for fair maps.

On Tuesday, the House passed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA), which restores many crucial protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Until a 2013 Supreme Court decision, the landmark civil rights law required jurisdictions with histories of discrimination to get federal approval for changes to voting rules. A new Brennan Center analysis brings the effects of that court ruling into stark relief: between 2012 and 2020, the white-Black voter turnout gap in states previously covered by the law grew by as much as 21 percentage points.

Time is of the essence as redistricting begins and state legislators across the country push voter suppression bills. The VRAA would help to protect against new voting maps that are racially discriminatory. It would also block bills like the one now under consideration in Texas that make it harder to vote based on claims of nonexistent voter fraud. Next up, it’s the Senate’s turn to vote.

Preventing another 9/11 has dominated America’s approach to national security, allowing other challenges to worsen. Today, the greatest dangers to Americans’ well-being are likelier to come from climate change, political division, and epidemics. Investing a fraction of the money spent on preventing terrorism in areas like the health, education, and welfare of the American people is the best way to build a society that is both stronger and more secure.

Our national security infrastructure is also suffering from an overreliance on secrecy, which contributed to 9/11 when agencies concealed information from each other. Former DHS official Suzanne Spaulding argues that to keep our adversaries at bay, we must embrace transparency.

With prosecutors’ decisions fueling mass incarceration — from abusing the plea bargain process to racial disparities in charging — they have a central role to play in solutions. Former assistant U.S. attorney Paul Butler discusses his experience as a prosecutor and what he learned from trying to create change from the inside.

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