It could now be more difficult to challenge local election rules under the Voting Rights Act, following a 6-to-3 Supreme Court decision upholding voting provisions that Democrats and civil-rights groups argue disproportionately hurt voters of color. SCOTUSBlog and Vox analyze the ruling. The Biden administration is pausing federal executions. The Wall Street Journal explains how this reverses the previous administration’s policy. With restaurants opening back up, the Atlantic looks at how the pandemic changed the way we tip and whether the new habits are here to stay. A massive research project has recorded more than 1 million hours of rainforest sounds. National Geographic details how these recordings help researchers better understand nature and fight poaching.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.