How Texas’ mid-decade redistricting could affect voters in one Houston community
The congressional seat in Texas’ 18th District, a hub of Black political power, has been vacant for months. Redistricting could further disrupt representation for its voters.
Lawsuit settled in 2022 shooting death of a migrant in West Texas, but no criminal charges filed yet
The victims sued the employer of the alleged shooter, the former warden of a migrant detention center. Three different prosecutors have so far opted not to file criminal charges.
TribCast: The Texas Democrats return. What happens next?
The gang looks at what’s next in the extra-special session, as Republicans prepare to finally pass a new congressional map.
Nicole Collier, Texas lawmaker who slept at statehouse, files lawsuit challenging police escorts
The Fort Worth Democrat was confined in the Capitol overnight after refusing to be shadowed by state police, a requirement for lawmakers who had left the state over the GOP redistricting plan.
Texas prison agency names senior official as its next chief
Bobby Lumpkin, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s COO, will take over the the top role on Sept. 1, following Bryan Collier’s retirement.
DHS plans ‘Cornhusker Clink’ detention center as Trump expands immigration enforcement
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expanding detention centers with a new facility in southwest Nebraska and nicknaming it the “Cornhusker Clink.” As part of President Donald Trump’s push to add thousands of new beds nationwide for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), just like “Alligator Alcatraz” and “Speedway Slammer,” the facility increases ICE detention space for illegal aliens awaiting deportation or in deportation proceedings in the region. At the same time, Cornhusker Clink’s name recognizes the region’s heritage and is located around 200 miles from the state capital, Lincoln. ICE DEPORTATION EFFORTS COULD BE DERAILED IF CONGRESS DOESN’T ACT SOON With ICE arrests down and data showing removals are up, the new venue combines 200 beds with the 280 already in place at the Work Ethic Camp in McCook, which opened in 2001 as a prison. Acknowledging the facility as part of an agreement between Nebraska and the federal government, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warned that illegal aliens in the region could find themselves at Cornhusker Clink. “To help remove the worst of the worst out of our country, if you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Nebraska’s Cornhusker Clink,” she said. “Avoid arrest and self-deport now using the CBP Home App.” TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS ACLU FOR COMPARING ICE CENTER TO JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMP: ‘DERANGED AND LAZY’ Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” provided funding for 80,000 new beds for ICE to use, which has contributed to an increase in facilities across the country. “Alligator Alcatraz,” one of the better-known facilities, was opened in the Florida Everglades and can house up to 3,000 migrants, while the East Montana Detention Center at Fort Bliss outside El Paso, which opened on Sunday, will be able to hold up to 5,000. FLORIDA BUILDING ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ WHERE ICE DETAINEES FACE NATURE’S OWN SECURITY SYSTEM “Speedway Slammer” in Indiana will also hold up to 1,000 migrants. Back in Nebraska, the National Guard is also helping ICE officials enforce immigration laws, involving 20 or so soldiers. In a statement supporting Trump’s immigration crackdown, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said he was “pleased that our facility and team in McCook can be tasked with helping our federal partners protect our homeland by housing criminal illegal aliens roaming our country’s communities today.”
Joint Chiefs, NATO counterparts to discuss Ukraine security guarantees after Trump suggests US air support
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine is hosting his military counterparts from Germany, the U.K., France, Finland and Italy in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday evening, to discuss potential security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent Russian aggression, U.S. officials confirm to Fox News. The high-level talks come on the eve of a NATO Chiefs of Defense meeting, where all 32 allied military leaders are invited to convene virtually on Wednesday to coordinate next steps. The session will be hosted in Brussels by the chair of NATO’s Military Committee, officials said. The urgent discussions follow President Donald Trump’s comments on “Fox & Friends” earlier Tuesday, in which he suggested the U.S. could provide air support to Ukraine as part of a security guarantee, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders visited the White House to push for peace talks to end the Russian war in Ukraine. According to a U.S. defense official, Caine is leading Tuesday night’s session in Washington with senior defense leaders from those five key NATO allies. EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), will also attend virtually from Washington, a U.S. military official said. The defense official added that the current agenda is limited to Tuesday night’s talks and the NATO Chiefs of Defense meeting on Wednesday but stressed the situation is “rapidly evolving,” leaving open the possibility of additional sessions if conditions change. Wednesday’s NATO meeting will include U.S. participation virtually, with Caine joining alongside his counterparts, while the Military Committee chair leads from Brussels. The broader alliance discussions are expected to build on Tuesday’s smaller Washington gathering among core European allies. TRUMP WHISPERS ‘CRAZY’ PUTIN DEAL THEORY TO MACRON IN HOT MIC MOMENT Wednesday’s NATO session will be chaired from Brussels by the head of NATO’s Military Committee, who will lead discussions on collective security commitments for Ukraine. The back-to-back meetings mark a critical moment for the alliance as NATO weighs how far to go in offering Kyiv credible security guarantees while seeking to avoid direct escalation with Russia. The Chiefs of Defense meeting is expected to help shape how NATO responds both to developments on the battlefield and to Trump’s public statements on future U.S. support. WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES PUTIN AGREED TO BILATERAL MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY Allies are expected to consider both battlefield realities and the impact of Trump’s remarks as they debate how best to demonstrate unity on Ukraine. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
‘Tired of Democracy dying’: Newsom redistricting push faces GOP backlash over voter rights
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom’s redistricting effort is receiving pushback from Republicans in the state assembly who are accusing the Democrats of keeping them in the dark and of “disenfranchising Californians.” GOP Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo, vice chair of the California State Assembly Committee on Elections, slammed Democrats for giving her “barely 24 hours” to examine the redistricting bill before a Tuesday hearing – while Democrats, she claimed, had advance notice. Macedo vowed to defeat the redistricting push, saying, “We are in the super-minority, but we are effective, and we will defeat this.” She added that by the time she received the bill’s language as vice chair of the elections committee, several Democratic co-authors signed on. That, she argued, meant Democrats had a first look, while she had “barely 24 hours before committee tomorrow to prepare.“ CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS SUE TO STOP NEWSOM, DEMOCRATS FROM PUSHING REDISTRICTING PLAN Macedo warned that witnesses appearing at Tuesday’s hearing could face legal consequences if they refused to answer her questions. “Let me warn anybody who will be testifying tomorrow. If you don’t answer my questions tomorrow, attorneys will be making sure you answer them in a courtroom,” she said, adding, “You can run, but you cannot hide.” Despite Democrats dominating California politics, Macedo pledged, “We are not backing down from this fight.” “You are disenfranchising Californians, and we are tired of democracy dying here,” she said. “We will fight back.” She added that if Republicans are not able to stop the redistricting plans in the assembly, then their victory will be “in a courtroom or it will be at the ballot box.” NEWSOM-BACKED HIGH-SPEED RAIL ‘BOONDOGGLE’ HIT WITH NEW HOUSE INVESTIGATION Four GOP state lawmakers have filed a lawsuit in California’s Supreme Court to stop the Democrat-controlled legislature from holding a vote by the end of this week to advance the redistricting push. Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, one of the four Republicans behind the suit, told Fox News Digital that she joined the lawsuit because “Californians have already spoken clearly at the ballot box.” “In 2008, voters approved Proposition 11 to take redistricting power away from politicians and give it to an independent citizens’ commission,” she said. “Two years later, with Proposition 20, voters doubled down and expanded that power to include congressional districts, passing it by a decisive 61% to 39%. Governor Newsom’s plan is a direct attempt to undo that mandate and put politicians back in control. I’m standing up because this isn’t about partisan advantage; it’s about respecting the will of the voters who demanded fairness and transparency.” Newsom announced he would advance a redistricting map in California to counter the Texas redistricting bill being pushed by President Donald Trump. On Friday, California Democrats and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released a new district map that would likely eliminate five GOP congressional seats, theoretically nullifying the five additional seats Republicans would gain if Texas’ redistricting push is successful. HERE ARE THE 5 GOP HOUSE SEATS THAT COULD BE WIPED OUT WITH NEWSOM’S CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING PLAN The California legislature introduced a constitutional amendment on Monday to be brought to a referendum vote in November. If passed by California voters, the amendment would allow the legislature to temporarily suspend its nonpartisan districting commission and move forward with its redistricting plans as laid out by the DCCC. Newsom’s office declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment, with a spokesperson saying he would “point you to the Legislature given this is about the legislative process.” Fox News Digital also reached out to the office of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Democrat, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Kristi Noem reveals striking new layer in Trump’s border wall strategy
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Tuesday that the entire southern border wall will be painted black as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to increase the effectiveness of the wall as a deterrent. Speaking in front of a portion of the southern border wall in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, Noem explained that the wall would be painted entirely black for the dual purposes of making it heat up more and thus harder to climb, as well as increasing the lifespan of the metal. Noem said the new paintwork comes at the request of President Donald Trump. “If you look at the structure that’s behind me, it’s tall, which makes it very, very difficult to climb, almost impossible. It also goes deep into the ground, which would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to dig under. And today we are also going to be painting it black,” said Noem. FIRST ON FOX: BORDER PATROL UNION ENDORSES EX-TRUMP DOJ OFFICIAL FOR STATE AG “That is specifically at the request of the president, who understands that in the hot temperatures down here, when something is painted black, it gets even warmer, and it will make it even harder for people to climb,” she added. “So, we are going to be painting the entire southern border wall black to make sure that we encourage individuals to not come into our country illegally, to not break our federal laws, but that they will abide and come to our country the right way so that they can stay and have the opportunity to become United States citizens and pursue the American dream.” Noem credited the ‘one big, beautiful bill’ that was passed by Congress in July for allocating “an incredible amount of resources” that she said is “going to allow us to continue construction” of the wall. The secretary said that construction on the wall is advancing at a pace of close to half a mile per day. Besides additional wall and the new paint job, Noem said the administration is also investing in technology, cameras, sensors and waterborne infrastructure that she said will ensure the border “will be secure far into the future and that will be efficient as well.” BORDER OFFICIAL FIRES BACK AT GAVIN NEWSOM’S POLITICAL ‘TANTRUM’ OVER IMMIGRATION RAIDS IN LOS ANGELES She also mentioned that the administration is not just focused on the southern border but also the northern as well, saying, “We’re doing due diligence in securing every single inch of our border.” “Remember that a nation without borders is no nation at all,” she said. “We’re so thankful that we have a president that understands that and understands that a secure border is important to our country’s future.” Noem was joined by several Border Patrol agents and officials, including Interim Chief Patrol Agent for the El Paso Sector Walter Slosar. He shared that agents in the sector are now apprehending an average of 41 people per day, compared to 2,300 a day under the Biden administration in 2023. Slosar said the seven-day average for gotaways in the sector is currently nine. He said the majority of those apprehended are single adults from Mexico, Guatemala and Ecuador. While agents were left simply “observing” migrants passing through under Biden, Slosar said illegals are now “running from us.” BIDEN TEAM LEFT THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT KIDS WITH LARGELY UNVETTED SPONSORS, RECORDS REVEAL “We’re apprehending those individuals. Our gotaways are the lowest they’ve ever been. And we’re putting we’re working with the Department of Justice … we’re putting criminal charges on those individuals applying consequences and our partners in ICE ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] are removing those individuals from the United States.” Slosar said that the morale among Border Patrol agents in the El Paso sector “is better than it’s ever been because we are doing our national security job, and we are keeping this area safe.” “Words and messages matter. It is not okay to enter the country illegally, and somebody is finally saying that, that’s our leadership here in the U.S government,” he said.
Trump calls Smithsonian ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ and orders sweeping review of all museums and programming
President Donald Trump escalated his battle for American culture with the Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday, ordering a broad review of the nation’s leading museums after blasting them on Truth Social as “the last remaining segment of WOKE.” The move was also formalized in a White House letter released in a letter Aug. 12 to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch. Trump’s post accused the Smithsonian as well as other museums nationwide of pushing narratives that disparage the U.S. rather than celebrate its achievements. “The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,’” Trump wrote. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL … Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.” He added: “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.” AMERICAN HISTORY WON’T BE DISPLAYED ‘IN A WOKE MANNER’ AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS The letter instructs Smithsonian leaders to provide exhibition plans, internal guidelines, and America 250 programming materials for review. “As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation’s founding, it is more important than ever that our national museums reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story,” the letter stated. “This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” According to administration officials, the review will focus on public-facing content, curatorial processes, exhibition planning, collection use, and overall narrative standards. The initial phase will target the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CALLS OUT SMITHSONIAN FOR PUSHING ‘ONE-SIDED, DIVISIVE POLITICAL NARRATIVES’ Tuesday’s announcement follows earlier White House criticism of specific Smithsonian exhibitions. On July 5, Fox News Digital reported that officials had singled out the Entertainment Nation exhibit at the National Museum of American History for review. At the time, White House special assistant Lindsey Halligan said to Fox News Digital, “American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives. The Smithsonian Institution should present history in a way that is accurate, balanced, and consistent with the values that make the United States of America exceptional.” Among the panels singled out by the White House was a 1920s circus poster described as reflecting “the colonial impulse to claim dominion over the world.” Another display reinterpreted the Lone Ranger, comparing the character’s relationship with Tonto to U.S. global dominance. A third panel suggested that Mickey Mouse’s original design in Steamboat Willie drew on traditions of blackface minstrelsy. WHITE HOUSE REVIEWING ALL SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM, EXHIBIT CONTENT BEFORE AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION IN 2026 Despite the sharp rhetoric, the letter said the White House sees the review as a constructive process. “Our goal is not to interfere with the day-to-day operations of curators or staff, but rather to support a broader vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage,” officials wrote. The timeline requires museums to submit requested materials within 30 days, schedule staff interviews within 75 days, and begin implementing content corrections within 120 days. The corrections, the letter said, should replace “divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP White House officials closed the letter by presenting the initiative as a collaborative effort with Smithsonian staff. “We view this process as a collaborative and forward-looking opportunity, one that empowers museum staff to embrace a revitalized curatorial vision rooted in the strength, breadth, and achievements of the American story,” the letter stated. “By focusing on Americanism — the people, principles, and progress that define our nation — we can work together to renew the Smithsonian’s role as the world’s leading museum institution.” The White House and the Smithsonian did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.