WJI's Daily Reads for Feb. 8, 2022

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Fannie Mae settles discrimination lawsuit brought by Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council and others.

Among the 330 properties in Milwaukee which were analyzed as part of the investigation:

• Roughly 60% of REO (Fannie Mae owned) properties in communities of color had five or more maintenance deficiencies or problems, compared to one-third of the REO properties located in predominantly white neighborhoods.
• More than a quarter (26.9%) of REO properties in communities of color were littered with visible trash compared to 6.6% of the REO properties in predominantly white neighborhoods.
• Nearly half (47.2%) of REO properties in communities of color had broken or boarded windows compared to only 19.9% of the REO properties in predominantly white neighborhoods.
• Nearly one in three (31.6%) REO properties in communities of color had damaged siding compared to 15.4% of REO properties in predominantly white neighborhoods.

Reuters: U.S. Supreme Court allows Alabama to use maps that lower court found biased against Black voters.

In a written opinion, conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the lower court blocked Alabama's map too close to the 2022 election, contravening Supreme Court precedent. . . .

Liberal Justice Elena Kagan called the decision "badly wrong" and, referring to the Voting Rights Act, said the high court's action "forces Black Alabamians to suffer what under that law is clear vote dilution." Her dissent was joined by fellow liberal Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. . . .

In his dissent, (Chief Justice John) Roberts wrote that the lower court "properly applied existing law in an extensive opinion with no apparent errors for our correction."

National Catholic Reporter: Study shows that even after Trump presidency immigrants fear use of public benefits.

"Yes, I'm aware the public charge act has been rescinded by the Biden administration, but people still think it is not safe," said one immigrant who participated in the study. 
"People will tell you, 'Yes, but you never know when [the rule could] come back.' They say they don't want to jeopardize their chances of bringing their children, so they want to focus on the bigger picture as opposed to some money."
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The Detroit News: Second member in plot to kidnap Michigan's governor to plead guilty.

Marijuana Moment: Pennsylvania legislative committee discusses legalizing recreational marijuana use.