In Washington, the Supreme Court announced Monday it would determine whether the Texas state legislature illegally redrew the state’s Congressional district barriers two years ago. The redrawn map resulted in the Republicans gaining an extra four seats in Congress. Critics say the redistricting diluted the voting strength of Latinos and African-Americans in Texas in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Justice Department lawyers initially recommended rejecting Texas’s redistricting plan but were overruled by senior Justice officials.