Republican state legislators have undertaken a rare mid-decade redistricting at the behest of president Donald Trump<\/a>, who is seeking to improve his party\u2019s odds of preserving its narrow US House of Representatives majority despite political headwinds.<\/p>\n The gambit has triggered a national redistricting war, with governors of both parties threatening to initiate similar efforts in other states, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n Democratic California governor Gavin Newsom is advancing an effort to neutralize Texas\u2019 move by redrawing his state\u2019s map to flip five Republican seats, pitting the nation\u2019s most populous Democratic state against Texas, its most populous Republican one. The Texas map aims to flip five Democratic seats.<\/p>\n Other Republican states including Ohio, Florida, Indiana and Missouri are moving forward with or considering their own redistricting efforts, as are Democratic states such as Maryland and Illinois.<\/p>\n Redistricting typically occurs every 10 years after the US Census to account for population changes, and mid-decade redistricting has historically been unusual. In many states, lawmakers manipulate the lines to favor their party over the opposition, a practice known as gerrymandering.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n When it comes to California\u2019s rapid plan to counteract Texas\u2019s GOP-drawn map \u2013 Republican congressman Kevin Kiley<\/strong> has called on House speaker Mike Johnson to take up his bill to end mid-decade redistricting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Kiley\u2019s California seat would be vulnerable if new maps are passed in a special election in November.<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Speaker, these are nice words but we need action,\u201d Kiley wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cYou can stop Newsom\u2019s Redistricting Sham and save our taxpayers $250 million by bringing my mid-decade redistricting bill to the Floor.\u201d<\/p>\n But Kiley\u2019s efforts are in vain, given that Texas\u2019 push to redraw the state\u2019s congressional map was at the behest of Donald Trump<\/strong>. The president has also set his sights on other red states \u2013\u00a0like Indiana, Ohio and Missouri \u2013\u00a0to pressure Republican leaders to drum up new maps that could retain a GOP House majority.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Kamala Harris<\/strong> called Texas state representative Nicole Collier<\/strong> who have been protesting the latest surveillance protocols set by Texas Republicans<\/a>, \u201cheroes of the moment\u201d.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the former vice president<\/strong> and Democratic presidential nominee called Collier <\/a>as she camped out on the House floor and refused to be escorted home by a state trooper \u2013\u00a0one of the conditions set by the Texas GOP to ensure that Democratic lawmakers would return to the Capitol after their two-week quorum break.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know you are among those who history will reveal to have been heroes of this moment,\u201d Harris said on the phone call.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.07 EDT<\/p>\n Bondi says 550 arrested in DC since surge of federal law enforcement<\/p>\n Attorney general Pam Bondi has said<\/a> that federal law enforcement has made 550 arrests<\/strong> since the surge in officers and agents in DC, which began almost two weeks ago. She added that \u201c76 illegal firearms\u201d<\/strong> have also been seized.<\/p>\n We\u2019re waiting for the White House\u2019s for the updated number of arrests made on Tuesday 19 August.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Also, when it comes to the day\u2019s schedule, and things we\u2019re watching. The Texas house vote on the GOP-drawn congressional map will take place today. The lower chamber will kick off the day\u2019s legislative business at 10am CT\/11am ET,<\/strong> so we\u2019ll be watching closely.<\/p>\n The map, which saw Texas Democrats break quorum for two weeks, and has inspired a redistricting arms race across the country, is set to pass. It\u2019ll then head to the state Senate.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The president\u2019s schedule is pretty quiet today for official business, per the White House. The only listed event is a swearing in-ceremony for the US ambassador to the EU at 4pm ET.<\/strong> That\u2019s closed press for now, but I\u2019ll let you know if that changes throughout the day and the president opens it up.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> More than 2.8 million people now identify as transgender in the US, including an estimated 724,000 youth, according to a new data analysis that is the largest of its kind to date.<\/strong><\/p>\n Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Williams Institute used federal surveys and data from state health agencies to identify the size and demographics of the trans population in each state.<\/p>\n The analysis, shared with the Guardian and released on Wednesday<\/a>, documented thousands of trans youth living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The findings counter Donald Trump\u2019s aggressive efforts to deny the existence<\/a> of trans minors<\/a>, as his administration removes<\/a> references to trans people across federal agencies and widely erodes protections and programs for LGBTQ+ communities.<\/p>\n The report builds on federal data collection efforts that the White House is now eliminating. The authors warn their study could be the last comprehensive portrait of the nation\u2019s trans population for a decade or more as trans people are erased from vital US surveys, including health reports<\/a> and crime data analyses<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Lucy Campbell<\/p>\n Boston\u2019s mayor Michelle Wu has hit back sharply at the Trump administration<\/a>\u2019s legal threats over sanctuary city immigration policies, declaring that \u201cBoston<\/a> will not back down\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n Wu told a news conference outside Boston\u2019s city hall on Tuesday: \u201cThe US attorney general asked for a response by today, so here it is: stop attacking our cities to hide your administration\u2019s failures. Unlike the Trump administration<\/a>, Boston follows the law. And Boston will not back down from who we are and what we stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n Last week, the US Department of Justice sent letters<\/a> to 13 states, from California to Rhode Island, and 22 local governments, from Boston to Seattle, that it has deemed \u201csanctuary jurisdictions<\/a>\u201d, threatening their leaders with prosecution for allegedly \u201cundermining\u201d and \u201cobstructing\u201d federal immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n The letters warned that they could lose federal funds or face legal action if they do not assist with Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s sweeping, aggressive and highly controversial<\/a> immigration enforcement and mass deportation efforts.<\/p>\n Attorney general Pam Bondi<\/a> has warned that she intends to prosecute political leaders who are not \u2013 in her view – sufficiently supportive of immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Bondi\u2019s letter asked recipients to provide a response by 19 August that \u201cconfirms your commitment with complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Uganda has not agreed with US to take illegal immigrants, foreign affairs official says<\/p>\n Uganda has not reached any agreement with the United States to take in illegal immigrants because it lacks necessary infrastructure to do so, a senior foreign affairs ministry official said on Wednesday.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cTo the best of my knowledge we have not reached such an agreement. We do not have the facilities and infrastructure to accommodate such illegal immigrants in Uganda. So, we cannot take in such illegal immigrants,\u201d\u009d Okello Oryem, state minister for foreign affairs, told Reuters in a text message.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, CBS News, citing internal documents, reported that Washington had reached deportation deals with Honduras and Uganda as part of its effort to strike more agreements with countries that would accept migrants deported from the US who were not their citizens.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, as Donald Trump<\/a> continues to permit the Chinese-owned platform to operate in the US despite a law requiring its sale.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAmerica we are BACK! What\u2019s up TikTok<\/a>?\u201d read a caption on the account\u2019s first post, a 27-second clip, on the popular video-sharing app.<\/p>\n The account had about 4,500 followers an hour after posting the video. Trump\u2019s personal account on TikTok meanwhile has 15.1 million followers, though his last post was on 5 November 2024 \u2013 election day.<\/p>\n Trump has a soft spot for the popular app, crediting it with helping him gain support among young voters when he defeated Kamala Harris<\/a>, his Democratic opponent, in the November 2024 presidential election.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Trump administration<\/a> is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible,\u201d Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said as the account went live.<\/p>\n A federal law requiring TikTok\u2019s sale or a ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump\u2019s inauguration on 20 January.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Dharna Noor<\/p>\n Household electricity bills have increased by 10% since Donald Trump<\/a> re-entered the White House, a new report has found, with its authors highlighting the impact of the president\u2019s datacenter boosterism and cuts to clean energy projects as part of the cause.<\/strong><\/p>\n The analysis comes as the US energy secretary, Chris Wright, said he knows rising energy prices could be a political challenge for the GOP ahead of next year\u2019s midterm elections, but claimed Democrats were to blame for the cost increases.<\/p>\n \u201cThe momentum of the Obama-Biden policies, for sure that destruction is going to continue in the coming years,\u201d he told Politico in an interview published on Tuesday<\/a>. \u201cThat momentum is pushing prices up right now. And who\u2019s going to get blamed for it? We\u2019re going to get blamed because we\u2019re in office.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump has repeatedly promised to lower utility bills<\/a>. And in his Politico interview, Wright insisted that the Trump administration\u2019s war on renewable energy is not inflating electricity costs.<\/p>\n But studies have found that Trump\u2019s pro-fossil fuel, anti-renewable energy policies will raise prices. A July report<\/a> from climate thinktank Energy Innovation, for instance, found that the Republicans\u2019 spending megabill that the president signed last month could increase wholesale electricity prices by as much as 74%, largely due to its repeal of many Biden-era green energy incentives<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Texas Republicans set to approve Trump-backed new congressional map after lengthy fight<\/p>\n Texas Republicans on Wednesday will take up a new state congressional map intended to flip five Democratic-held U.S. House seats in next year\u2019s midterm elections, after dozens of Democratic lawmakers ended a two-week walkout that had temporarily blocked its passage.<\/strong><\/p>\n Republican state legislators have undertaken a rare mid-decade redistricting at the behest of president Donald Trump<\/a>, who is seeking to improve his party\u2019s odds of preserving its narrow US House of Representatives majority despite political headwinds.<\/p>\n The gambit has triggered a national redistricting war, with governors of both parties threatening to initiate similar efforts in other states, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n Democratic California governor Gavin Newsom is advancing an effort to neutralize Texas\u2019 move by redrawing his state\u2019s map to flip five Republican seats, pitting the nation\u2019s most populous Democratic state against Texas, its most populous Republican one. The Texas map aims to flip five Democratic seats.<\/p>\n Other Republican states including Ohio, Florida, Indiana and Missouri are moving forward with or considering their own redistricting efforts, as are Democratic states such as Maryland and Illinois.<\/p>\n Redistricting typically occurs every 10 years after the US Census to account for population changes, and mid-decade redistricting has historically been unusual. In many states, lawmakers manipulate the lines to favor their party over the opposition, a practice known as gerrymandering.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> A southern California<\/a> community is calling for the release of a high school student whom US immigration<\/a> agents arrested earlier this month while he was walking his dog.<\/strong><\/p>\n Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero-Cruz <\/strong>was supposed to be starting his senior year of high school at Reseda charter high school this month. But just days after his 18th birthday, masked Ice agents detained him as he walking his dog in the Los Angeles<\/a> neighborhood of Van Nuys in what his family described as a kidnapping.<\/p>\n The agents allowed his dog to run loose, and treated Guerrero-Cruz like a criminal and joked while arresting him, his family said in a GoFundMe<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is more than just a student \u2013 he is a devoted son, a caring brother, a loyal friend, and a valued member of our community,\u201d the family wrote, adding that he helps care for his younger brothers. \u201cHe is a good student, with a kind heart, who has always stepped up for his family.\u201d<\/p>\n Educators and advocates held a rally to bring attention to Guerrero-Cruz\u2019s detention, demand his release, and call for answers from local officials, such as the Los Angeles<\/a> unified school district superintendent, about the unmarked vehicle and plainclothes, masked men who took him on the morning of 8 August.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Joseph Gedeon<\/p>\n Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into allegations that Washington DC<\/a> police systematically manipulated crime<\/a> statistics to make the city appear safer than it actually is.<\/strong><\/p>\n The probe, anonymous sources tell the Washington Post<\/a>, NBC News<\/a> and Fox News<\/a>, being conducted by the US attorney\u2019s office for the District of Columbia under Jeanine Pirro, is the latest escalation between the Trump administration<\/a> and DC officials over federal control of local policing<\/a>.<\/p>\n The justice department did not respond to a request for comment on the investigation.<\/p>\n Trump somewhat confirmed the investigation on Monday, writing on social media that DC provided \u201cfake crime numbers\u201d to create a \u201cfalse illusion of safety\u201d and officials were \u201cunder serious investigation\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump again attacks Fed chair, says Powell ‘hurting’ the housing industry<\/p>\n Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Federal Reserve <\/strong>chair Jerome Powell is \u201churting\u201d the housing industry \u201cvery badly\u201d and repeated his call for a big cut to US interest rates.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cCould somebody please inform Jerome \u2018Too Late\u2019 Powell that he is hurting the Housing Industry, very badly? People can\u2019t get a Mortgage because of him. There is no Inflation, and every sign is pointing to a major Rate Cut,\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social.<\/p>\n Inflation is well off the highs seen during the pandemic, but some recent data has given a mixed picture and inflation continues to track above the Fed\u2019s 2% target range.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s latest salvo against Powell comes ahead of the Fed chair\u2019s Friday speech at the annual Jackson Hole central banking symposium, where investors will cleave to his every word for hints on his economic outlook and the likelihood of a coming reduction to short-term borrowing costs.<\/p>\n The Fed\u2019s next policy meeting will be held on 16-17 September.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.22 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday he will pressure the Smithsonian Institution \u2013 a premier museum, education and research complex for US history and culture \u2013 to accept his demands, just like he did with colleges and universities by threatening to cut federal funding, Reuters reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n In a social media post, Trump complained about what he called excessive focus on \u201chow bad Slavery was\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made,\u201d Trump said on Truth Social.<\/p>\n The Smithsonian, which was established in 1846 and includes 21 museums and galleries and the National Zoo, had no immediate comment. Most of its museums are in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n The White House said last week it will lead an internal review of some Smithsonian museums after Trump earlier this year accused it of spreading \u201canti-American ideology\u201d and raised alarm among civil rights advocates.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.18 EDT<\/p>\n Musk quietly puts brakes on plans for new political party, WSJ says<\/p>\n Billionaire Elon Musk is quietly putting the brakes on plans to start his new political party, telling allies he wants to focus on his companies, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the plans.<\/strong><\/p>\n Musk, without commenting further on the report, said in an X post: \u201cNothing @WSJ says should ever be thought of as true\u201d.<\/p>\n Musk, the world\u2019s richest man, unveiled the \u2018America Party\u2019 in July after a public dispute with Donald Trump<\/a> on the tax cut and spending bill.<\/p>\n He has recently been focused in part on maintaining ties with vice-president JD Vance, the paper said, and has acknowledged to associates that forming a political party would damage his relationship with Vance.<\/p>\n Musk, the world\u2019s richest man, and his associates have told people close to Vance that the billionaire is considering using some of his financial resources to back Vance if he decides to run for president in 2028, the paper said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.16 EDT<\/p>\n Norwegian and Swedish-Danish postal groups Posten Bring and PostNord are pausing parcel shipments to the United States ahead of the scrapping of a US customs tax loophole that allows duty-free entry for low-value packages, they said on Wednesday.<\/strong><\/p>\n Donald Trump\u2019s administration said last month it would suspend the global \u201cde minimis\u201d exemption, which also allows minimal paperwork, for international shipments under $800 from 29 August.<\/p>\n \u201cDue to the short time-frame to adapt to the new requirements, PostNord is temporarily halting shipments,\u201d the company owned by the Swedish and Danish governments said in a statement.<\/p>\n Under the executive order suspending the \u201cde minimis\u201d exemption, low-value packages sent to the US will face \u201call applicable duties\u201d, according to the White House.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.15 EDT<\/p>\n Gabbard strips security clearance from dozens of intelligence officials<\/p>\n Good morning and welcome to the US politics<\/a> live blog. I\u2019m Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you all the latest news lines over the next few hours.<\/p>\n We start with news that national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard said on Tuesday that she had stripped security clearances from 37 current and former national security officials<\/strong>, including some who worked on the intelligence community\u2019s assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.<\/p>\n In a memo posted on X<\/a>, Gabbard accused the targeted individuals of having engaged in \u201cpoliticizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and\/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards\u201d.<\/p>\n This move is the latest in a series of retributions by the Trump administration<\/a> against national security officials and political opponents he views as adversaries.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are unlawful and unconstitutional decisions that deviate from well-settled, decades-old laws and policies that sought to protect against just this type of action,\u201d Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer whose own clearance was revoked by the Trump administration, said in a statement.<\/p>\n He called it hypocritical for the administration to \u201cclaim these individuals politicized or weaponized intelligence\u201d.<\/p>\n In March, Donald Trump revoked security clearances for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris<\/a>, and several other Democrats and critics. The order also stripped access from former secretary of state Antony Blinken, former representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, New York attorney general Letitia James \u2013 who prosecuted Trump for fraud \u2013 and Biden\u2019s entire family.<\/p>\n In other developments:<\/p>\n The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will open a new migrant detention facility in Nebraska as part of President Trump\u2019s ongoing efforts to bolster Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s (Ice) detention network. <\/strong>The facility, located in the southwest part of the state, has been called \u201cCornhusker Clink\u201d by the department and will hold undocumented migrants arrested by Ice. The project is a partnership between the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and Ice, adding up to 280 new detention beds.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n National guard members from West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana began arriving in Washington <\/strong>on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports, to help with Trump\u2019s federal crackdown on crime and homelessness. The Joint Task Force District of Columbia, the military unit overseeing the guard, told the news wire that those troops will perform similar duties to local guard members already on the streets. These tasks include protecting landmarks and crowd control.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The White House launched an official TikTok account<\/strong>, joining the social platform with more than 150 million US users. Reuters first reported the move. The first video posted by the White House on TikTok shows a video montage with a Trump voiceover saying: \u201cEvery day I wake up determined to deliver a better life for the people all across this nation. I am your voice.\u201d More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Texas Democrats are tearing up the \u201cpermission slips\u201d they signed in order to leave the chamber, joining state representative Nicole Collier <\/strong>ahead of Wednesday\u2019s vote on the controversial Texas congressional redistricting maps. The slips are part of new surveillance protocols set by Texas Republicans in the House chamber, stating that Democrats would \u201cbe granted written permission to leave only after agreeing to be released into the custody of a designated [Texas department of public safety] officer\u201d who would ensure their return to the chamber.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into allegations that Washington DC police systematically manipulated crime statistics <\/strong>to make the city appear safer than it actually is. The probe, anonymous sources tell the Washington Post, NBC News and Fox News, being conducted by the US attorney\u2019s office for the District of Columbia under Jeanine Pirro, is the latest escalation between the Trump administration and DC officials over federal control of local policing. More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The Trump administration said on Tuesday that it will look for \u201canti-American\u201d views, including on social media, when assessing the applications of people wanting to live in the United States.<\/strong> In an announcement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which handles requests to stay in the United States or become a citizen, said it would expand vetting of the social media postings of applicants and that \u201creviews for anti-American activity will be added to that vetting\u201d. More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755696435_988_Sam_Levin.png\")
Sam Levin<\/p>\n![\"Dani](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dani_Anguiano.png\")
Dani Anguiano<\/p>\n\n