News Wrap: Federal court rejects Alabama’s 2nd try at congressional map

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• Amna Nawaz:

  A panel of three federal judges struck down Alabama's second try at a congressional map. That's after Republican lawmakers refused to create a second majority-Black district, despite a Supreme Court mandate.

  Now a special master will be designated to draw up districts. Ultimately, the case is expected to wind up back before the Supreme Court.

  Prosecutors in Atlanta unveiled and charged 61 people with racketeering today after two years of protests against a police and fire training facility. Activists call it Cop City and say it would militarize the police. Prosecutors call them militant anarchists who burned equipment and threatened officials.

  Republican Attorney General Chris Carr said it amounted to a criminal enterprise.

  Christopher Carr (R), Georgia Attorney General: Violence is not political speech, and I will never understand how we got to where we are today. It's important to remember these acts of violence are in response to the fact that the residents of Atlanta have rightly chosen to build a state-of-the-art public safety training center.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Activists accused the attorney general of using the case to build a campaign for governor.

  First lady Jill Biden remained at the family's Delaware beach home today with mild symptoms of COVID-19. She tested positive late Monday. Meantime, President Biden was back at the White House today after testing negative twice. Aides said he's being closely monitored. He's slated to travel Thursday to the G20 summit in India.

  In Afghanistan, the U.N. food agency has announced it's cutting off aid to another two million people in Afghanistan amid a major funding shortfall. That's on top of eight million Afghans who lost food assistance in April and May. Speaking in Kabul, the World Food Program's director for Afghanistan said the results could be catastrophic.

• Hsiao-Wei Lee, Afghanistan Country Director, World Food Program:

  WFP has to cut 10 million people from emergency food assistance, from 13 million to three, leaving us only able to support one out of five people who go to bed hungry every night. This is not sustainable.

• Amna Nawaz:

  The U.N. agency estimates Afghanistan needs $1 billion in food aid for the next six months, but foreign donors have pulled back since the Taliban takeover two years ago.

  Russia is refusing to comment on reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir Putin. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked today if he could confirm that Kim is coming. He said — quote — "No, I can't. There's nothing to say.":

  But U.S. officials said plans for the meeting are in the works. They said Moscow wants ammunition for the war in Ukraine, while North Korea wants weapons, food, and energy supplies.

  Spain's Soccer Federation fired Jorge Vilda today from his job as coach of the women's World Cup champions. He had applauded Luis Rubiales, the Spanish Soccer Federation president, who refused to resign after kissing a player without her consent. Vilda later criticized Rubiales, but today's firing brought general approval.

• Laura Menguado, Madrid Resident (through interpreter):

  The dismissal is not in time at all. It should have been done earlier, when there were initial complaints. I think more could have been done because there is still a lot of change to be made in the federation.

• Luis Alejandro Garcia, Madrid Resident (through interpreter):

  It's late and it's what had to be done, especially if the girls are unhappy with him, despite achieving a maximum level of success as a coach.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Rubiales was suspended last month and is under investigation by the Spanish government.

  China's largest property developer narrowly staved off default today. Country Garden told creditors it made an interest payment of $22 million just before a grace period ends. A real estate crisis in China in recent years has already swept dozens of other homebuilders into default.

  Back in this country, President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to Retired Army Captain Larry Taylor. In 1968, the helicopter pilot braved heavy fire in Vietnam to rescue a four-man reconnaissance team. today's ceremony came after the men waged a long campaign to award Taylor the nation's highest military honor. He is now 81 and lives in Signal Mountain, Tennessee.

  And on Wall Street, stocks were sluggish after the long holiday weekend. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 195 points to close below 34642. The Nasdaq fell about 11 points. And the S&P 500 slipped 19.

  Still to come on the "NewsHour": suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton faces an impeachment trial on corruption charges; a new book gives an inside view on Biden's presidency; and tennis legend Billie Jean King reflects on 50 years of equal pay at the U.S. Open.