Denying quorum has been a Texas political strategy since 1870
While the Democrats could technically derail the GOP’s redistricting map, such efforts have been largely symbolic and had limited success blocking past legislation, experts say.
Gov. Greg Abbott threatens Texas House Democrats with removal from office for fleeing state
The governor also alleged absconding Democrats may have committed felonies by fundraising to cover the $500-a-day fines they will face under House rules.
Trump says he now ‘loves’ Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad after learning she’s a registered Republican
President Trump on Sunday reacted positively upon learning actress Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, adding that he now finds her viral American Eagle ad campaign to be “fantastic.” “She’s a registered Republican?” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question about his thoughts on her political affiliation. “Oh, now I love her ad.” SYDNEY SWEENEY’S IMAGE IS ‘FORTIFIED BUNKER’ DESPITE AMERICAN EAGLE AD, MAGA-STYLE HAT UPROAR: EXPERT The President added, “You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans. That’s what I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.” The “Euphoria” actress’ voter registration has surfaced as she faces backlash for her controversial American Eagle jeans campaign. Since June 2024, she has been registered with the Republican Party of Florida in Monroe County, the New York Post reported, citing public voter records. Earlier this week, American Eagle released their latest campaign with the actress, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” Following the launch, there was a mix of reactions on social media. Some critics said the billboard’s play on “genes” versus “jeans” echoed eugenics-era slogans, though supporters argued it was a lighthearted marketing gimmick. AMERICAN EAGLE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS AFTER SYDNEY SWEENEY CAMPAIGN SPARKS ONLINE BACKLASH Some dubbed the campaign as “tone-deaf” due to the alleged racial undertones, while others have praised the actress for killing “woke” advertising. In a promo video posted to the brand’s Instagram, the 27-year-old walked toward an AE billboard featuring her and the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes.” Sweeney crossed out “Genes” and replaced it with “Jeans” before walking away. JD VANCE SOUNDS OFF ON SYDNEY SWEENEY AD UPROAR, MOCKS LEFT’S ‘NAZI’ STRATEGY On Friday, Vice President JD Vance had some fun at the expense of the left over its wild response to the American Eagle ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. “My political advice to the Democrats is continue to tell everybody who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive is a Nazi. That appears to be their actual strategy,” Vance joked during Friday’s appearance on the “Ruthless” podcast. Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Texas Democrats flee state to block Trump-backed redistricting vote in dramatic legislative move
Dozens of Texas Democrats are fleeing the state to block a redistricting vote that could benefit Republicans, marking a dramatic effort to derail an upcoming legislative process. The lawmakers flew to Chicago where they plan to hold a press conference with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker later on Sunday, according to local Austin station KVUE. At least 100 members of the 150-member Texas House must be present to conduct business. Josh Rush Nisenson, the spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus, told The Associated Press that at least 51 Democratic members are leaving the state. Republicans currently hold 25 of the state’s 38 seats. They are being supported in their efforts to redistrict by President Donald Trump. TEXAS MAP FIGHT ESCALATES AS JEFFRIES VOWS ‘ALL OPTIONS’ TO STOP GOP PLAN The redistricting proposal, which was introduced by Texas House Republicans last week, would likely net five new Republican U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Gene Wu, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, defended the Democrats’ last-ditch effort in a statement on Sunday. “This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity,” Wu said. But leaving the state could expose the Democrats to penalties, including fines, and Attorney General Ken Paxton previously threatened to arrest them over the civil violation. “[T]hey should be found and arrested no matter where they go,” the attorney general said. TRUMP, REPUBLICANS RACE TO REDRAW TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL MAP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN LEGAL WAR Although the proposal could still change, its current design would tilt traditionally Democratic cities like Dallas and Houston in favor of Republicans. A previous Fox News Digital report found that the new gerrymandered map would move Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett out of her own district. DNC Chair Ken Martin showed support for Texas Democrats on Sunday, writing that “[f]or too long, Donald Trump and Republicans have tried to get away with rigging the system, breaking the rules, and scheming to hold onto power.” “The DNC is proud to support these legislators in standing up and showing real leadership,” he said. “We will fight alongside them to stop this anti-democratic assault. And, after this fight is done, we’re coming full force for the Republicans’ House majority.” Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dustin Burrows issued a warning to Democrats on Sunday. “The Texas House will be convening at 3:00pm tomorrow,” he wrote on X. “If a quorum is not present then, to borrow the recent talking points from some of my Democrat colleagues, all options will be on the table. . .” Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias, Maggie Kerkman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senate drives off for recess, leaving Trump’s 150+ stalled confirmations in its wake
As lawmakers depart Washington for a month-long recess, more than 150 of President Donald Trump’s nominees remain in limbo, awaiting Senate confirmation or further action amid stalled proceedings and deepening partisan gridlock. Key positions across Trump’s administration remain unfilled, with the judiciary and diplomatic posts bearing the brunt of the backlog. THUNE VOWS TO ‘GRIND DOWN’ DEMOCRATS AS TRUMP’S NOMINEES FACE ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ SENATE OBSTRUCTION Former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is still awaiting Senate confirmation for his nomination as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Likewise, Andrew Puzder has yet to be confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, an especially significant post given that the EU is one of America’s largest trading partners. At the Department of Justice, Stanley Woodward is nominated to serve as associate attorney general, while Patrick Davis awaits confirmation as assistant attorney general for legislative affairs. Nominations for several lawyers at U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Pennsylvania and South Dakota remain pending confirmation. DEMS DIG IN, TRUMP DEMANDS ALL: NOMINEE FIGHT BOILS OVER IN SENATE Congress left town on Saturday after confirming only a few nominees, with no bipartisan deal in place to advance the bulk of Trump’s pending appointments. Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host and New York judge and prosecutor, was among the seven of Trump’s nominees swiftly confirmed on Saturday. PIRRO CONFIRMED AS D.C. U.S. ATTORNEY AMID PARTISAN CLASH AS DEM NOMINEE BLOCKADE CONTINUES Pirro’s confirmation as U.S. Attorney for D.C. comes as dozens of interim prosecutors aligned with Trump’s judicial agenda approach the end of their 120-day term limit. After that, appointment to these key roles shifts to the courts if no Senate-confirmed successor is in place. Following the collapse of bipartisan talks on Saturday, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the confirmation process as “broken,” emphasizing that Senate rules governing nominations are “desperately in need of change.” Meanwhile, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said a rules change would be a “huge mistake” in speeding up the pace of confirmations. He also added that lawmakers have “never seen nominees as flawed, as compromised, as unqualified as we have right now.”
Dr. Oz touts investment in Medicaid: ‘I’m trying to save this beautiful program’
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz says the Trump administration plans to invest more than $200 billion “more dollars” into Medicaid following the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” “I’m trying to save this beautiful program, this noble effort, to help folks, giving them a hand up,” Oz told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “And as you probably gather, if Medicaid isn’t able to take care of the people for whom it was designed, the young children, the dawn of their life, those who are twilight of their lives, the seniors, and those who were disabled living in the shadows, as Hubert Humphrey said, then we’re not satisfying the fundamental obligation of a moral government,” he continued. Oz, the 17th administrator for CMS, said the government wants “an appropriate return” on the Medicaid investment. He addressed the difference in drug costs between the U.S. and Europe, adding that work is being done by the administration in an attempt to bring drug prices down. TRUMP TO UNVEIL NEW MAHA INITIATIVES AT ‘MAKE HEALTH TECH GREAT AGAIN’ WHITE HOUSE EVENT Last week, the Trump administration announced it is launching a new program that will allow Americans to share personal health data and medical records across health systems and apps run by private tech companies, promising that this will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. CMS will be in charge of maintaining the system, and officials have said patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. TOP TRUMP HEALTH OFFICIAL SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR ‘MISLEADING’ CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAID REFORM Those officials said patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. “We’re going to have remarkable advances in how consumers can use their own records,” Oz said during the White House event. CMS already has troves of information on more than 140 million Americans who enroll in Medicare and Medicaid. Earlier this month, the federal agency agreed to hand over its massive database, including home addresses, to deportation officials. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Texas GOP’s new map would move Rep. Crockett’s home out of her district, slash Dem seats
A gerrymandered map proposed by the Texas GOP would kick firebrand Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett out of her own district and likely add more House seats to the Lone Star’s Republican delegation. Last week, Texas House Republicans introduced a redistricting proposal that could net five new GOP seats. The draft congressional map, which is likely to change before approval by both state legislative chambers, aims to redraw district lines to include more Republican-leaning areas in Democratic strongholds like Dallas and Houston. TEXAS DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO FLEE STATE AND BREAK QUORUM OVER REDISTRICTING PLAN Crockett, who serves Texas’ 30th Congressional District, which represents a large part of Dallas, has called the redistricting effort “a power grab to silence voters.” She has claimed that before Republicans unveiled the map, she was asked to verify her address alongside other incumbent Democratic members of Congress. TEXAS MAP FIGHT ESCALATES AS JEFFRIES VOWS ‘ALL OPTIONS’ TO STOP GOP PLAN The rare mid-decade redistricting effort may also force some Democratic lawmakers into primary battles against fellow incumbents as seats become more limited. For example, if the map were adopted, Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who currently represents Texas’ 37th Congressional District in the Austin area, would be placed in the same district as Rep. Greg Casar, who serves the neighboring 35th District, also anchored in Austin. Last week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called fighting the proposed map an “all-hands-on-deck moment.” “We will fight them politically. We will fight them governmentally. We will fight them in court. We will fight them in terms of winning the hearts and minds of the people of Texas and beyond,” Jeffries said last week during a press conference in Austin. Jeffries said that while corporations and universities fall in line with Trump, “Texas Democrats will not bend the knee.” COURT SIDETRACKS REDISTRICTING FIGHT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE Standing alongside Jeffries, Texas Democratic Rep. Lizzie Fletcher warned that redistricting efforts like those in the Lone Star State could spread nationwide as part of a broader push to bolster Republican power. “People across the country are watching what we are doing in Texas,” Fletcher said.
Week in Pictures: From Russian missile attacks on Kyiv to floods in China
[unable to retrieve full-text content] A roundup of major events last week.
China and Russia begin joint military drills in Sea of Japan
Joint Sea-2025 exercises begin in waters near Russian port of Vladivostok and will last for three days, China’s Defence Ministry says. China and Russia have begun joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan as they seek to reinforce their partnership and counterbalance what they see as a United States-led global order. The Chinese and Russian governments have deepened their ties in recent years, with China providing an economic lifeline to Russia in the face of Western sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Joint Sea-2025 exercises began in waters near the Russian port of Vladivostok and will last for three days, China’s Ministry of National Defence said in a statement on Sunday. The two sides will hold “submarine rescue, joint anti-submarine, air defence and anti-missile operations, and maritime combat”. Four Chinese vessels, including guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, are participating in the exercises, alongside Russian ships, the ministry said. After the drills, the two countries will conduct naval patrols in “relevant waters of the Pacific”. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping [File: Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Handout via Getty Images] China and Russia have carried out annual drills for several years, with the “Joint Sea” exercises beginning in 2012. Last year’s drills were held along China’s southern coast. With this year’s drills in the Sea of Japan, in its annual report last month, Japan’s Ministry of Defence warned that China’s growing military cooperation with Russia poses serious security concerns. “The exercise is defensive in nature and is not directed against other countries,” the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet said earlier this week, according to a report by the US Naval Institute’s online news and analysis portal. Advertisement On Friday, the Chinese Defence Ministry said this year’s exercises were aimed at “further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership” of the two countries. China has never denounced Russia’s more than three-year war nor called for it to withdraw its troops, and many of Ukraine’s allies, including the US, believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow. European leaders asked China last month to use its influence to pressure Russia to end the war, now in its fourth year, but there was no sign that Beijing would do so. China, however, insists it is a neutral party, regularly calling for an end to the fighting while also accusing Western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine. Adblock test (Why?)
Ukraine claims drone strike on oil refinery in Russia
NewsFeed Video shows a massive explosion at a Russian oil facility in Novokuybyshevsk, 1,000km from the Ukrainian border. Ukraine’s military says it used drones to target several sites inside Russia, including refineries, an airfield, and an electronics plant. Published On 3 Aug 20253 Aug 2025 Adblock test (Why?)