The Daily Populous

Florida judge says DeSantis' redistricting map is unconstitutional

A Florida judge on Wednesday struck down a portion of a redistricting map drawn by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and his staff.

Driving the news: "I am finding that the enacted map is unconstitutional under the Fair District amendment ... because it diminishes African Americans' ability to elect the representatives of their choice," Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith said.

Smith is expected to issue a formal order on Thursday or Friday to ensure that the maps are not in effect during November's election, AP reports.

Why it matters: DeSantis' plan dismantles the North Florida seat now held by a Black Democrat.

The new maps DeSantis called "race-neutral" make it harder for North Florida voters to elect a Black member of Congress in the 5th Congressional District, where nearly half its residents are Black.

Flashback: A Democratic-aligned redistricting group joined voting rights and civil rights organizations to file a suit against Florida’s new congressional map the same day DeSantis signed it into law late last month.

Editor's note: This is a developing story and has been updated throughout. »

Ransomware has gone down because sanctions against Russia are making life harder for attackers

Authored by zdnet.com

The number of ransomware attacks has gone down in recent months because sanctions against Russia are making it harder for cyber criminals to organise attacks and receive ransom payments, Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency (NSA), has revealed.

Ransomware attacks have long been a major cybersecurity issue for organisations around the world, affecting computer networks running critical infrastructure, hospitals, businesses and more.

There are steps that organisations can take to improve cybersecurity and bolster their defences against ransomware and other attacks. »

Fed official says he doesn’t buy the ‘Great Resignation’ — suggests employers play up labor shortage to avoid paying higher wages

Authored by marketwatch.com

“There’s a churn away … from the toughest jobs to more attractive jobs,” Kashkari said.

Earlier in the talk, Kashkari also said that businesses “always say” there’s a worker shortage, “because they don’t want to have to pay up higher wages.”

(To be sure, the tight labor market has forced higher wages, though inflation is eating into those gains.). »

Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina Escaped Moscow Dressed as a Food Courier

Authored by rollingstone.com

Under the continued threat of imprisonment by Vladimir Putin’s regime for anti-government activism, Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina successfully escaped Russia last month, only able to safely flee Moscow by disguising herself as a food courier.

The food courier disguise was born out of a result of Alyokhina’s movements being tracked by Moscow police, the paper reported.

Alyokhina, along with other Pussy Riot members, will embark upon a brief tour in support of Ukraine beginning May 12 in Berlin. »

Elden Ring sales exceed 13.4 million, reports Bandai Namco

Authored by pcgamesn.com

Open-world juggernaut Elden Ring continues to go from strength to strength, with publisher Bandai Namco confirming in its latest sales report that Elden Ring sales have exceeded 13.4 million worldwide as of March 31.

The acclaimed open-world co-op game still has a way to go to reach the combined Dark Souls series sales, which Bandai Namco reported had reached 27 million in 2020.

With such high sales figures, it’s likely you’ve already played Elden Ring yourself – but have you played Elden Ring using a Fisher-Price gaming pad? »