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Trump hails Texas redistricting approval that could add five GOP congressional seats nationwide

Trump hails Texas redistricting approval that could add five GOP congressional seats nationwide

President Donald Trump is calling Texas lawmakers’ approval of a sweeping redistricting plan to add up to five new GOP-leaning congressional seats a “Big WIN” for Republicans. Trump fired off a post via Truth Social hailing the state for “never letting us down,” saying the victory was more than a state win but a national turning point. He went on to urge other Republican-led states to follow the Lone Star State’s lead. “Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself. Texas never lets us down. Florida, Indiana, and others are looking to do the same thing. More seats equals less Crime, a great Economy, and a STRONG SECOND AMENDMENT. It means Happiness and Peace,” he said. TEXAS GOP LAWMAKERS POISED TO FINALIZE TRUMP-BACKED MAP AFTER DEM REDISTRICTING WALKOUT ENDS Trump also suggested that a move in that direction could secure as many as 100 additional seats for the GOP nationwide if they followed suit. “But Republicans, there is one thing even better – STOP MAIL-IN VOTING, a total fraud that has no bounds. Also, go to PAPER BALLOTS before it is too late – At one tenth the cost, faster, and more reliable. If we do these TWO things, we will pick up 100 more seats, and the CROOKED game of politics is over. God Bless America!!!,” the post went on. Texas Republicans pushed the new congressional map through the state House Wednesday in an 88–52 party-line vote, brushing aside Democratic objections in a bid to strengthen the GOP’s hold on Congress heading into 2026. WITH TEXAS DEMS BACK, TRUMP URGES LEGISLATURE: ‘PASS THIS MAP, ASAP’ While Trump celebrated the redistricting as a major Republican win, Democrats framed it as only the beginning of a much larger legal battle. “This part of the fight is over, but it is merely the first chapter… Our best shot is in the courts. This is not over. We will continue fighting,” said Rep. Gene Wu of Houston. Texas House Democrats also accused the GOP of trying to dilute minority voting power, saying the map was illegal and racially discriminatory. “Members, it breaks my heart to see how this illegal and rigged, mid-decade redistricting scheme is dividing our state and our country,” Rep. Chris Turner, a Democrat, said. “This is Texas, it’s not Washington D.C. The impulses of outside politicians and their billionaire backers shouldn’t dictate what we do in this chamber, in this House.” “This process was a total sham from the very beginning… This is a racist power grab that especially goes after our African American and Latino representatives,” said Rep. Jon Rosenthal Republicans defended the map as necessary to reflect population growth and safeguard voter representation. “Different from everyone else, I’m telling you, I’m not beating around the bush,” Rep. Todd Hunter, said about the map’s goal. “We have five new districts, and these five new districts are based on political performance.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Democrats unveiled their new map last week in an effort to nullify the map Texas Republicans were creating. If that bill is passed, it would create five new Democratic-leaning congressional districts that would counteract Texas. The dueling maps highlight the high-stakes fight for control of the House, with both parties using redistricting to try to lock in their advantage before 2026.

DeSantis posthumously awards Governor’s Medal of Freedom to Jimmy Buffett, politicians: ‘Great Floridians’

DeSantis posthumously awards Governor’s Medal of Freedom to Jimmy Buffett, politicians: ‘Great Floridians’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has posthumously awarded five Floridians, including singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and former Republican and Democratic politicians, with the Governor’s Medal of Freedom. “I’m proud to recognize the legacies of these great Floridians,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Our state is better for their contributions, and we’re proud they called Florida home,” he continued. “They have each earned the honor of being awarded the Governor’s Medal of Freedom.” The governor awarded one of the state’s highest honors to Buffett, former GOP U.S. Rep. and state legislator Lincoln Diaz-Balart, former Democratic governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, former Democratic governor and U.S. Rep. Buddy MacKay, and former Republican Florida House Speaker John Thrasher. MIKE CASTLE, DELAWARE’S LAST REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND CONGRESSMAN, DEAD AT 86 Buffett, who died in 2023 at the age of 76, was a legendary music icon who rose to fame in the 1970s and was best known for hits like “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” On top of his musical pursuits, Buffett was involved in business as well, launching restaurants, resorts and merchandise under the “Margaritaville” brand, including opening his first Margaritaville store in Key West in 1985 and opening a Margaritaville Café nearby just two years later. “His legacy continues to influence music and culture in Florida’s coastal communities,” a release from the governor’s office said. SEN. RICK SCOTT ENDORSES TRUMP-BACKED FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE Diaz-Balart, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 70, was a Cuban American who was exiled from his home country following the communist revolution. He was a strong advocate against communism and oppression, and pushed hard for a free Cuba during his time in office, which included working in Florida’s House and Senate before serving in the U.S. House. Graham, who died last year at the age of 87, served in both chambers of the Florida legislature before serving as governor and U.S. senator. “A Democrat, Graham was widely respected for his work on education, environmental conservation, and national security,” the release from the governor’s office said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP MacKay, who was the state’s last Democratic governor, died last year at the age of 91. His public service also included serving in both chambers of the state legislature and the U.S. House, as well as being the Sunshine State’s lieutenant governor and later the U.S. special envoy for the Americas under the Clinton administration. Thrasher died earlier this year at the age of 81 after serving as Florida State University’s president, chair of the Republican Party of Florida and in both chambers of the state legislature. He also served in the Army during the Vietnam War. Fox News Digital reached out to the governor’s office for additional comment.

‘Moral imperative’: Hundreds of UK business leaders demand action on Israel

‘Moral imperative’: Hundreds of UK business leaders demand action on Israel

London, United Kingdom – Hundreds of business leaders in the United Kingdom – including a former adviser to the king and a sustainability consultant descended from Holocaust survivors – are calling on the government to take action against Israel as the crisis in Gaza worsens. As of Thursday morning, 762 people had signed a statement calling on Britain to cease all arms trade with Israel, sanction those accused of violating international law – ostensibly including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he is wanted for arrest by International Criminal Court, invest in screening to stop the UK financing “complicit” companies, and enforce the United Nations’ principles on business and human rights across the UK’s economic systems. “We see this not only as a moral imperative, but as a matter of professional responsibility – consistent with our duty to act in the best interests of long-term societal and economic resilience,” the letter reads. “The UK must ensure that no business – whether through products, services, or supply chains – is contributing to these atrocities, directly or indirectly.” Among the signatories are the former royal adviser Jonathon Porritt CBE; sustainability consultant Adam Garfunkel; Frieda Gormley, the founder of the luxury interior design brand House of Hackney; the prominent philanthropist who once led Unilever, Paul Polman; and Geetie Singh-Watson MBE, an organic food entrepreneur – as well as other professionals who have been honoured with the Member of the British Empire (MBE) award. Advertisement They have pledged to support the UK government with an “ongoing process of reflection and action – reviewing our operations, supply chains, financial flows, and influence to help foster peace, uphold human rights, and strengthen respect for international law”. “Business cannot succeed in societies that are falling apart,” said Polman. “It is time for business leaders to show courage, speak out, and use our influence to uphold international law.” The number of professionals signing the letter is growing as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face their darkest days. Israel is beginning a feared invasion into Gaza City while thousands endure hunger and famine due to the blockade of the Strip. [Courtesy of Adam Garfunkel] “We need as businesses to justify our existence and to recognise that all people everywhere deserve to be treated fairly,” Garfunkel told Al Jazeera. “My family was caught up in the Holocaust. My father was lucky enough to escape with his brother and his parents to the UK. My great grandparents were taken to the woods and shot and buried in a mass grave, and what I’ve taken from that is a strong belief that everyone matters, that everyone has human rights, that persecution on the basis of ethnic identity is always wrong, wherever it happens.” Israel’s latest war on Gaza, termed a genocide by leading rights groups, has killed more than 60,000 people in the 22 months since October 7, 2023, when Hamas led an incursion into southern Israel, during which about 1,200 were killed and 250 taken captive – “grave crimes under international law”, according to the letter. “However, the Israeli government’s ongoing military campaign amounts to an unrelenting and indefensible assault on civilians, breaching both moral boundaries and the core principles of the Geneva Conventions,” it added. Porritt, who counselled King Charles on environmental issues for 30 years when the monarch held the Prince of Wales title and has chaired a sustainable development commission set up by former Prime Minister Tony Blair, said the letter reflects the role of businesses in society at a critical time. “It’s just become so much clearer over the course of the last few months that this situation now is completely intolerable. And it constitutes very specifically a genocide against the people of Palestine, of Gaza,” he told Al Jazeera. Businesses are obliged to be supportive in “achieving and maintaining” human rights in the countries in which they’re trading, he said. “That provides a very strong steer as to why individual business leaders need to get involved at this stage.” Porritt has recently made headlines in the British media for his support of Palestine Action, a protest group that was proscribed by the UK government weeks ago as a terrorist organisation. Advertisement He was among the more than 500 citizens arrested during an August 9 rally in London, where he raised a banner reading, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” His bail hearing is set for late October. Adblock test (Why?)

Europe must shoulder ‘lion’s share’ of Ukraine’s security, Vance says

Europe must shoulder ‘lion’s share’ of Ukraine’s security, Vance says

US vice president says Europe will be expected to play the ‘leading role’ in guaranteeing Kyiv’s post-war security. European countries will have to shoulder the “lion’s share” of guaranteeing Ukraine’s security in the event of a deal to end Russia’s war in the country, United States Vice President JD Vance has said. In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Vance said the US should not have to “carry the burden” of underpinning Kyiv’s post-war security. “I think that we should be helpful if it’s necessary to stop the war and to stop the killing. But I think that we should expect, and the president certainly expects, Europe to play the leading role here,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “What he said very clearly is: Look, the United States is open to have the conversation, but we’re not going to make commitments until we figure out what is going to be necessary to stop the war in the first place.” Vance’s comments came a day after US President Donald Trump ruled out the possibility of US troops in Ukraine, while suggesting that Washington could provide support “by air”. The issue of post-war security guarantees for Ukraine has been a major question mark over Trump’s push to end the three-and-a-half-year-long conflict. After hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders at the White House for talks on the war on Monday, Trump said that European countries would be the “first line of defence”, but that Washington would provide “a lot of help”. While Trump has ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte have raised the possibility of offering Kyiv a security guarantee resembling the 32-member alliance’s collective defence mandate. Advertisement Under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, an armed attack against one NATO member nation is considered an attack on all members of the alliance. While Trump has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to European peacekeepers being stationed in Ukraine, Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the possibility of troops from NATO countries along its border. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that his country would need to be included in negotiations on security guarantees, warning that excluding Moscow would be a “road to nowhere”. “We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work,” Lavrov said. Despite the sticking points between the sides, Vance said on Wednesday that the Trump administration had made “great progress” in its efforts to end the war. “You can never say with certainty what the outcome in this situation is going to be,” Vance said. “But we now have the Russians talking to the Ukrainians; they’re talking details about what would be necessary on each side to stop the fighting, to stop the killing.” Adblock test (Why?)

Brazil’s ex-President Bolsonaro planned asylum in Argentina, police say

Brazil’s ex-President Bolsonaro planned asylum in Argentina, police say

Police claim Brazil’s ex-President Jair Bolsonaro wrote letter seeking asylum in Argentina as coup investigation ramped up in 2024. Brazil’s federal police said that messages found on the mobile phone of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro showed he once wanted to flee to Argentina and request political asylum from Argentinian President Javier Milei. The police said in a report released on Wednesday that the letter seeking asylum was saved on Bolsonaro’s mobile phone in February 2024, just days after the former president’s passport was seized amid an investigation of his involvement in an alleged coup plot. It was unclear whether the asylum request was sent, and the Argentinian president’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The asylum request document revealed on Wednesday was part of the final police report that formally accused Bolsonaro and his United States-based son, Eduardo, of working to interfere in the ongoing legal process related to the ex-president’s forthcoming trial for allegedly plotting a coup. Bolsonaro’s trial is expected to start on September 2, in which he faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of plotting to overthrow his democratically elected successor as president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in 2022. Police have now recommended that the ex-president and his son be charged with “coercion in the judicial process” and “abolition of the democratic law” related to interference in the coup case. The combined sentence for the two offences could reach up to 12 years in prison. Brazilian news outlet O Dia said on Wednesday that recordings were also found on a device seized during the police investigation of Bolsonaro, which indicated “attempts to intimidate authorities and impede the progress of the investigations related to the inquiry into the attack on democracy, including attempts to use external influence”. Advertisement Bolsonaro – who has been under house arrest since early August – has maintained his innocence in the coup trial, which US President Donald Trump, an ally, has called a “witch-hunt”. Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo, stepped down from his position as a Brazilian congressman in March and moved to the US, where he is campaigning for the Trump administration to intercede on his father’s behalf. Those lobbying efforts have been successful, with the Trump administration taking punitive action against Brazil over the case, including sanctions against court officials. Trump has also imposed a massive 50 percent tariff on many Brazilian exports to the US, citing Bolsonaro’s trial. Adblock test (Why?)