The Justice Department has joined a lawsuit seeking to block new congressional district boundaries approved by California voters.

The stage is set for a high-stakes legal and political fight between the Republican administration and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender.

Race cannot be used as a proxy to advance political interests, but that is precisely what the California General Assembly did with Proposition 50,” the Justice Department said in the filing.

Proposition 50, the Democratic-backed ballot measure to temporarily redraw the state’s congressional maps, has scrambled California’s congressional playing field in more ways than you might think. Yes,

A light, 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck in Central California on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 9:54 a.m. Pacific time about 8 miles southwest of Paso Robles, Calif., data from the agency shows. U.S.G.S. data earlier reported that the magnitude was 4.4.

The Justice Department is joining California Republicans in a lawsuit that argues California’s Prop 50 congressional maps are an illegal gerrymander because they’re based on race.