Supreme Court contenders include Black women from the South

The president has pledged to nominate the first Black woman to the highest court in the land to replace retiring liberal Justice Stephen Breyer. A few of the potential justices are judges or judicial nominees from Southern states, including two with extensive experience as voting rights lawyers. (2/9/2022)

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GOP aims to further restrict medication abortions in Southern states

In December, the Food and Drug Administration permanently allowed the drugs for medication abortions to be delivered to patients by mail — but most Southern states require such abortions be done in the presence of a doctor. And now Republican state lawmakers in Georgia and South Carolina are considering bills that target that safe form of abortion care and would give patients disinformation about it. (2/11/2022)

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Delta donates to sponsors of Georgia voting bill after calling it 'unacceptable'

New disclosures reveal PAC donations from the Atlanta-based airline do not align with its public statements, Sludge reports. (2/10/2022)

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Despite public support, Southern unions still face barriers to growth

Public support for labor unions in the U.S. is at an all-time high, but the latest federal data on union membership shows the share of workers belonging to unions declined in 2021. The downturn, which was especially dramatic in the South, appears to be driven by several factors.

Looking for summer interns!

The Institute for Southern Studies, publisher of Facing South, is now accepting applications for paid summer internships. An Institute internship is a great way to gain hands-on writing and research experience on issues related to democracy, justice, and sustainability in the South. Internships are paid and typically last 6-8 weeks. For summer 2022, the Institute will be accepting applications for both remote and in-person internships at the Institute’s offices in Durham, North Carolina. Application deadline is 5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 4. For more information, visit here.

A chance to revive the poverty-busting expanded child tax credit?

The expanded child tax credit lifted millions of children out of poverty but expired because the closely divided U.S. Senate failed to renew it as part of the Build Back Better Act, which was opposed by Republicans and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia. As talks continue, Manchin has signaled he might be open to renewing the expanded credit with more limited eligibility and a work requirement, but anti-poverty advocates oppose those conditions.