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A panel of judges has struck down a Republican-approved 2023 state law that would cut the Democratic-leaning Nashville’s Metro Council in half. The decision Monday marks another court defeat for state laws passed last year that would reduce Nashville’s autonomy, extending to its international airport and pro sports facilities. The wave of restrictions followed a 2022 decision by local Nashville leaders to spike a proposal to bring the 2024 Republican National Convention to Music City. Monday's 2-1 ruling says state lawmakers designed a 20-member limit for metro governments to affect only Nashville, which has 40 council members. The law had previously been temporarily blocked in court for the August 2023 council elections.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling says outside police agencies that’ll help secure the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month won’t be posted in city neighborhoods. The renewed attention on out-of-town police comes after Ohio officers in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention earlier this month fatally shot a man wielding knives at a park not far from the downtown convention site. Roughly 500 officers, mostly from Illinois agencies, will travel to Chicago to help with DNC security. They’ll be directing traffic and working at the numerous security checkpoints around the convention sites of the United Center and McCormick Place.

The shocking news of President Joe Biden abandoning his race for re-election led news outlets to scramble on a summer Sunday afternoon. It had been an intensely visual week of news in politics, from the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump to the four-day television show of the Republican national convention. This it was an old-fashioned way of making news. Biden announced his decision through a printed statement. It was dropped into his social media accounts before 2 p.m. Eastern time. It led to talk about a campaign by Vice President Kamala Harris before she even announced she was running.

Usha Chilukuri Vance has entered the spotlight this week as the wife of JD Vance, former President Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election. Her rise comes at a time when there are prominent figures of South Asian descent in politics, including Vice President Kamala Harris, and GOP presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley. Usha Vance spoke at the Republican National Convention this week about growing up in San Diego with Indian immigrant parents and her relationship with her husband. Some advocates say they’re glad there’s more representation. Others say most in the Indian community reject policies that are anti-immigrant, racist and homophobic.