Texas house passes partisan Republican congressional map after weeks of protest
The Texas state house – which has a significant Republican majority – has approved a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts, passing a new map on Wednesday that fulfills Donald Trump’s desire to tilt the US House map in his favor before the 2026 midterm elections.
The vote was 88 in favor and 52 against.
The map could give Republicans five new House seats in 2026 and took more than two weeks to pass, after Democratic state lawmakers staged a walkout over what they describe as “a power grab”. Several legislators fled to states run by Democrats, and the protest ultimately set the stage for a redistricting battle now playing out across the country.
California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has advanced an effort to offset the gerrymandering in Texas by redrawing his state’s map to flip five Republican seats, pitting the nation’s most populous Democratic state its most populous Republican one.
The new Texas map will have to be reconciled with the state senate’s version, which advanced on Sunday. Republicans hold nearly twice as many seats in the Texas state senate as Democrats.
Key events
Donald Trump has bought at least $100m of bonds since he returned to office in January, according to a CNBC analysis of new filings from the president with the US Office of Government Ethics.
The broadcaster notes that Trump has invested in debt issued by local authorities, gas districts and major US corporations as president.
The new ethics office filings, which are required by law, show 690 transactions since Trump’s second inaugural The documents were made public on Tuesday.
According to the CNBC calculations, the purchases had a total value of at least $100m, assuming the lower value end listed for each disclosed transaction.
CDC lays off violence prevention staffers two weeks after attack on its campus
At least 600 employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are receiving permanent termination notices in the wake of a recent court decision that protected some CDC employees from layoffs but not others, the Associated Press reports.
The notices went out this week although many people have not yet received them, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 2,000 dues-paying members at CDC.
The US department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday did not offer details on the layoffs and referred an AP reporter to a March statement that said restructuring and downsizing were intended to make health agencies more responsive and efficient.
AFGE officials said they are aware of at least 600 CDC employees being cut.
But “due to a staggering lack of transparency from HHS,” the union hasn’t received formal notices of who is being laid off, the federation said in a statement on Wednesday.
The permanent cuts include about 100 people who worked in violence prevention. Some employees noted those cuts come less than two weeks after a man fired at least 180 bullets into the CDC’s campus and killed a police officer.
“The irony is devastating: The very experts trained to understand, interrupt and prevent this kind of violence were among those whose jobs were eliminated,” some of the affected employees wrote in a blog post last week.
Texas house passes partisan Republican congressional map after weeks of protest
The Texas state house – which has a significant Republican majority – has approved a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts, passing a new map on Wednesday that fulfills Donald Trump’s desire to tilt the US House map in his favor before the 2026 midterm elections.
The vote was 88 in favor and 52 against.
The map could give Republicans five new House seats in 2026 and took more than two weeks to pass, after Democratic state lawmakers staged a walkout over what they describe as “a power grab”. Several legislators fled to states run by Democrats, and the protest ultimately set the stage for a redistricting battle now playing out across the country.
California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has advanced an effort to offset the gerrymandering in Texas by redrawing his state’s map to flip five Republican seats, pitting the nation’s most populous Democratic state its most populous Republican one.
The new Texas map will have to be reconciled with the state senate’s version, which advanced on Sunday. Republicans hold nearly twice as many seats in the Texas state senate as Democrats.
‘I have no intention of being bullied to step down’, Federal Reserve governor attacked by Trump says
Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve governor Donald Trump has called on to immediately resign over an accusation that she falsely declared a property she obtained a mortgage on was her primary residence, responded on Wednesday that she has “no intention of being bullied to step down”.
Cook, the first Black woman to sit on central bank’s board, who was appointed by Joe Biden, said in a statement to reporters: “I learned from the media that FHFA Director William Pulte posted on social media that he was making a criminal referral based on a mortgage application from four years ago, before I joined the Federal Reserve. I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet. I do intend to take any questions about my financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve and so I am gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts.”
Pentagon press aides falsely accuse Washington Post of endangering Hegseth
The Pentagon’s press office falsely accused Washington Post reporters of endangering the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, by reporting on Wednesday that his “unusually large personal security requirements are straining the Army agency tasked with protecting him”.
The pushback, using vitriolic language, came after the Post reported that agents from the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, or CID, the agency that provides security for Pentagon officials, have been pulled from criminal investigations to safeguard Hegseth family residences in Minnesota, Tennessee and Washington DC, and residences belonging to the Hegseths’ former spouses.
The social media campaign to attack the Post reporters began with a response to a post on X by Dan Lamothe, one of the reporters who conducted the investigation.
“When left-wing blogs like the Washington Post continue to dox cabinet secretaries’ security protocols and movements, it puts lives at risk,” Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson replied to Lamothe’s post.
“It is flatly false that The Washington Post doxxed anyone,” Lamothe replied.
Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon press secretary who was appointed despite having repeatedly spread an antisemitic conspiracy theory, then falsely accused the Post of “publishing details about Secretary Hegseth’s security protocols” and “actively putting him and his family in danger for clicks.”
“These ‘reporters’ are disgusting,” Wilson added.
Wilson then boosted posts from three more Pentagon press aides who all echoed the false claim that the reporters had endangered Hegseth and his family and used increasingly extreme language. One, Jacob Bliss, referred to the reporters as “scum”; a second, Riley Podleski, asked “How do these reporters sleep at night?”; a third, Joel Valdez, wrote “there should be severe punishment” for what the three reporters had done, by reporting on concerns from inside the Pentagon that Hegseth’s security demands were excessive.
“There looks to be a coordinated reaction to The Post’s reporting today that falsely accuses the paper of publishing specific security vulnerabilities,” Lamothe responded on X. “Reaction like this comes after a string of undisputed WaPo scoops that have detailed dysfunction on Secretary Hegseth’s team.”
Joseph Gedeon
Amid the Donald Trump administration’s heavy-handed review of Smithsonian museums, the Guardian has seen a document compiled by the White House that argues the widely visited cultural institutions have overly negative portrayals of US history, from a Benjamin Franklin exhibit that links his scientific achievements to his ownership of enslaved people and a film about George Floyd’s murder that it says mischaracterizes the police.
The document, based on public submissions shared with the administration, shows that seven museums have so far been flagged for review: the National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Latino, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African Art, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Museum of Asian Art.
“President Trump will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable,” a White House official said. “Until we get info from the Smithsonian in response to our letter, we can’t verify the numbers of artifacts that have been removed because the Smithsonian has removed them on their own.”
Trump announced the initiative on Truth Social earlier this week, writing: “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been.”
The administration argues exhibits at these museums focus excessively on oppression rather than American achievements. At the National Museum of American History, the document flagged the ¡Presente! Latino history exhibition for allegedly promoting an “anti-American agenda” by examining colonization effects and depicting the US as stealing territory from Mexico in 1848.
Examples from the document also shames the museum’s Benjamin Franklin exhibit for linking his scientific achievements to his ownership of enslaved people, and the Star-Spangled Banner display for focusing on American historical failures and controversies rather than celebrating national achievements.
The National Portrait Gallery is being singled out for focusing on how the Chinese Exclusion Act and other racist immigration laws contradicted the Statue of Liberty’s welcoming message. The African art museum is targeted over the George Floyd film. And the Asian art museum is flagged for exhibitions for claiming to impose western gender ideology on traditional cultures.
Here’s a recap of where things stand so far
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The Texas house is getting down to legislative business today. The Republican majority is poised to pass the new congressional map that would give the GOP five more US House seats in 2026. As I write this, members have spent the last several hours handling and voting down a number of amendments to the bill, filed by Democrats. My colleague, George Chidi, has been covering the action in and around the house chamber today.
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A reminder that Texas Democrats broke quorum for two weeks in protest of the gerrymandered map set to pass today. Their walkout set the stage for a wider redistricting battle that’s now playing out across the country. In fact, Axios reports (citing an internal memo from Gavin Newsom’s longtime pollster) that the California governor’s bid to offset Texas’ gains and redraw his state’s congressional seats to create more Democratic-friendly districts – has a 22-point advantage in support among Californian voters.
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When it comes to the federal takeover of DC police, and the deployment of national guard troops, vice-president JD Vance, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, and the White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller met with soldiers at Union Station in the nation’s capital. The visit involved a photo op at Shake Shack, with Vance asserting “we brought some law and order back” as he handed out burgers to the troops. As the trio left the station they were heckled and booed by a crowd.
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Meanwhile, the administration said federal law enforcement has made 550 arrests since the surge in officers and agents in DC, which began almost two weeks ago. In recent days, six Republican-led states have also pledged to send more than 1,200 national guard troops to DC.
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And when it comes to the Epstein saga that continues to plague the Trump administration, a federal judge today denied the justice department’s bid to unseal records from the grand jury that indicted Jeffrey Epstein on sex trafficking charges. US district judge Richard Berman said the transcripts pale in comparison to the documents the government already has on Epstein and that disclosing them could harm victims.
Just a quick update from our earlier reporting where attorney general Pam Bondi said there were 61 arrests by federal law enforcement in DC on Tuesday. A White House official says there were actually 91 arrests. The official added that agents arrested 25 undocumented immigrants.
The official didn’t elaborate on the discrepancy between the White House’s numbers and the attorney general’s.
George Chidi
Nicole Collier, a Texas Democratic state representative, Democrat who has refused to permit state capitol police to shadow her while the legislature debates the redistricting bill, abruptly abandoned a livestream from the women’s bathroom at the capitol minutes ago, saying she was threatened with a felony for being there.
“Sorry, I was asked to leave. They said it’s a felony for me to do this,” she said on the Zoom call with the DNC chair Ken Martin, the California governor Gavin Newsom and the Democratic senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.
“Apparently, I can’t be on the floor or in the bathroom.” Collier spoke hurriedly with someone off camera, saying “Well, you told me I was only allowed to be here in the bathroom. No? Hang on.” She turned to the camera, and said “Bye, everybody. I’ve got to go,” dashing away.
The four of them had been discussing the redistricting, and broader efforts by Democratic lawmakers and leaders to resist authoritarian actions taken by the Trump administration. Booker was taken aback by Collier’s exit.
“Hey, that’s … that is outrageous,” Booker said. “First of all, let me tell you something, representative Collier in the bathroom has more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office … what they’re trying to do, right there, is silence an American leader, silence a Black woman. And that is outrageous. And I hope everybody took note of that. The fact that she can’t even let her voice be heard is freaking outrageous, yes, and this is what we’re fighting for here.”
Marina Dunbar
More than 750 current and former federal health employees on Wednesday accused health and human services (HHS) secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, of fueling harassment and violence directed at government healthcare staff.
In a letter sent to Kennedy and members of Congress, the group accuses RFK Jr of contributing to “the harassment and violence experienced by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff”, citing decisions such as removing members from a CDC vaccine advisory panel, questioning the safety of the measles vaccine, and firing key CDC staff as actions that sow distrust in federal medical professionals.
The group says Kennedy’s rhetoric played a role in the 8 August attack at the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta, where a Georgia man opened fire on four CDC buildings, firing dozens of shots and killing a police officer. Law enforcement officials said the gunman blamed a Covid-19 vaccine for making him feel depressed and suicidal.
After the attack, Kennedy refused to confirm the motive of the shooter in an interview. He described political violence as “wrong” but neither he nor Donald Trump have spoken publicly about the motive, despite law enforcement officials making clear the shooter targeted the CDC over the vaccine.
The health workers are now asking Kennedy to “cease and publicly disavow the ongoing dissemination of false and misleading claims about vaccines, infectious disease transmission, and America’s public health institutions”.
Obama calls California redistricting effort ‘responsible’
Speaking at a National Democratic Redistricting Committee event on Tuesday, former president Barack Obama called California governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to counter the new Texas congressional map, by launching an effort to redraw his own state’s map and create more Democrat-friendly districts, “a responsible approach”.
He went on to say:
I want to see as a long-term goal that we do not have political gerrymandering in America. That would be my preference…but we cannot unilaterally allow one of the two major parties to rig the game.
Obama also called Newsom’s strategy “measured”, as it only temporarily grants the California legislature with the ability to redraw maps mid-decade. “The fact that California voters will have a chance to weigh in on this makes this act consistent with our democratic ideals, rather than in opposition to our democratic ideals,” the former president said.
As we reported earlier, there are protests outside the Texas house chamber in the capitol rotunda. Congressman Greg Casar spoke a short while ago, leading the crowd in a chant of “we’re not going back”, as demonstrators held “put Texans first” signs behind him.
He added:
Let’s have a government where people get to elect and unelect their leaders. No president, no politician, gets to make this decision for you. That is the fight we’re all in.”
The new GOP-drawn map would put Casar’s Austin-area seat at risk, by essentially merging with congressman Lloyd Doggett’s constituency, another Democrat, and leading to a possible primary battle.
Jeffrey Epstein grand jury records to remain sealed, judge rules
A federal judge has denied the justice department’s bid to unseal records from the grand jury that indicted Jeffrey Epstein on sex trafficking charges.
Manhattan-based US district judge Richard Berman’s decision came as Donald Trump tries to quell discontent from his conservative base of supporters over his administration’s handling of the case.
Trump had promised to make public Epstein-related files if reelected and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But in July, the justice department declined to release any more material from its investigation of the case and said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Trump’s supporters.
Evidence seen and heard by grand juries, which operate behind closed doors to prevent interference in criminal investigations, cannot be released without a judge’s approval. Trump in July instructed attorney general Pam Bondi to seek court approval for the release of grand jury material from Epstein’s case.
The grand jury that indicted Epstein heard from just one witness, an agent with the FBI, the justice department said in a court filing in July.
On 11 August a different Manhattan-based judge, Paul Engelmayer, denied a similar request by the justice department to unseal grand jury testimony and exhibits from the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime girlfriend and accomplice. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence following her 2021 conviction for recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse.
Engelmayer wrote that the public would not learn anything new from the release of materials from Maxwell’s grand jury because much of the evidence was made public at her month-long trial four years ago. The grand jury testimony contained no evidence of others besides Epstein and Maxwell who had sexual contact with minors, Engelmayer wrote.
The trio’s visit to national guard troops at Union Station involved a photo opp at Shake Shack, with the vice-president asserting “we brought some law and order back” as he handed out burgers to the troops. “We appreciate everything you’re doing,” he told them.
Per the Associated Press, citing the protesters whose shouts echoed through the station, Vance said: “They appear to hate the idea that Americans can enjoy their communities.”
JD Vance, Pete Hegseth and Stephen Miller booed at DC’s Union station
As vice-president JD Vance, defense secretary Pete Hegseth and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller left Washington DC’s Union Station a short while ago, they were heckled and boo’d by a crowd inside the station.
Here’s an example from social media via a HuffPost reporter:
