The huge, untapped potential of planting rooftop gardens in cities

Source: Grist
by Matt Simon

“The city has long been a beacon of opportunity, where folks flock to make it big. But metropolises the world over are wasting a major opportunity — many, many square feet of it: Flat rooftops are painted white, when really they should be green. Not, mind you, shades of mint green, forest green, or lime green, but with the lushness of actual plants. Adding vegetation to roofs — even if it’s just a coating of grass, moss, and succulents — bestows many overlapping, reinforcing benefits not only on a building’s occupants and owner, but on the surrounding community. Like parks on the ground, gardens in the sky reduce local temperatures and help prevent flooding, all while improving urban biodiversity and feeding pollinators like bees.” (04/27/26)

https://grist.org/cities/the-huge-untapped-potential-of-planting-rooftop-gardens-in-cities/

Thomas L. Knapp

SCOTUS Formally Reinstates Texas Gerrymander

Source: US News & World Report

“The U.S. ⁠Supreme ⁠Court formally reinstated on Monday ⁠a redrawn Texas electoral map that was designed to add ​more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives, as President Donald Trump’s party seeks ‌to keep control of Congress ‌in the November congressional elections. The move by the court, which has a ⁠6-3 conservative ⁠majority, formalizes an interim decision it made in December to revive ​the map of U.S. House districts in Texas. … The Supreme Court in February allowed California to use a new electoral map ⁠designed to give Democrats five more congressional seats after that Democratic-led state redrew its House districts in response to the action by Republicans in Texas.” (04/27/26)

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2026-04-27/us-supreme-court-formally-reinstates-pro-republican-texas-voting-map

Thomas L. Knapp

Virginia Democrats’ map scheme faces judgment at the high court

Source: Fox News
by Jonathan Turley

“As Virginia heads to the state Supreme Court, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) will have to up his game a bit. For starters, he will have to actually defend the redistricting resolution as constitutional when prompted. In a recent interview with CNN, even the host of the friendly network expressed frustration that Jones could not seem to get himself to actually defend the dubious language of the ballot measure. Many of us have expressed skepticism over the process and language of the resolution that passed this week, effectively wiping out all but one GOP district in the purple state. Virginia was considered the gold standard among states rejecting gerrymandering with fairly divided districts in a state that is divided right down the middle.” (04/26/26)

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jonathan-turley-virginia-democrats-map-scheme-faces-judgment-high-court

Steve Trinward

IL: Robbery suspect charged with murder, attempted murder of Chicago police officers at a hospital

Source: SFGate

“A robbery suspect now faces murder and attempted murder charges along with a long list of other felony counts in the shooting death of a Chicago police officer and the wounding of another at a hospital where they took him for treatment. Alphanso Talley, 26, was scheduled to make his first appearance Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, the state’s attorney’s office said. Officer John Bartholomew, 38, a 10-year veteran of the force, was pronounced dead just before 1 p.m. Saturday after being shot at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. A second officer was critically wounded in the Saturday morning shooting, police said. His name was not immediately released..” (04/27/26)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/robbery-suspect-charged-with-murder-attempted-22228152.php

Steve Trinward