LA Times Today: Take it from California's election czar, the SAVE Act is a sham
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber wrote an opinion piece for the L.A. Times calling the bill 'Jim Crow 2.0.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
An order arrest Texas Democrats
Good morning!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Team Diet Coke or Team Coke Zero? Texas governor promises arrest of lawmakers who fled Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered Texas law enforcement to arrest Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block a vote on redistricting that could give Republicans several more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. More than 50 state Democratic lawmakers fled Aug. 3 in the political power struggle. Many went to the Chicago area, where Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker greeted them. Others went to Boston, Massachusetts, and Albany, New York. An in-flight mayday isn't as scary as it sounds It means the system is working. When a United Airlines flight issued a mayday call shortly after departure, passengers onboard were doubtlessly scared. One of the Boeing 787's engines had failed, and the plane was forced to return to Washington Dulles International Airport, rather than continuing over the Atlantic to Munich, where it was bound. The plane landed safely, and no injuries were reported — a testament to effective pilot training and the overall safety of air travel. If you're headed to the airport today, take a breath and don't be too concerned. As the adage goes, you're much more likely to get injured on your drive to the airport than you are in the sky. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. Canadian wildfires prompt air quality warnings for Midwest, Northeast "Milky gray" skies could remain for days as weak winds leave wildfire smoke to linger over the northern U.S. Stronger winds aren't expected to blow the smoke until Aug. 6 or 7 for the Midwest, forecasters told USA TODAY, and conditions in the Northeast will likely improve by the end of the week. The blazes have catapulted major American and Canadian cities into the most polluted places in the world, with Detroit, Minneapolis, and Toronto among the top 11 most polluted cities in the world as of Monday evening. Know the side effects of inhaling wildfire smoke. When does your body really start aging? A new study suggests aging may begin sooner than you think. By looking at tissues taken from organs throughout the body, including the heart, liver, pancreas, spleen, lung, skin and muscles, researchers in a new study determined that aging starts to accelerate from 45 to 55. The study's findings could have a lot of implications in future research into treatments for chronic conditions related to aging that would not only add decades to patients' lifespan, but also their health span, which is the period of a person's life spent in good health, authors said. The study also shows the small window older adults have to change their aging trajectory. Today's talkers Texas is at the front of college football for the first time Texas will open at No. 1 for the first time in the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Longhorns, projected among the early favorites in the crowded SEC, were voted first by 28 of the 67 panelists in this year's poll. They'll get an immediate challenge to that lofty perch, however, as their Week 1 opponent, defending champion Ohio State, will start off at No. 2. This season opener is unprecedented in the poll, and the hype leading up to the clash in Columbus will be, too. Photo of the day: Trump relishes paved-over Rose Garden President Trump claims he's hearing "great reviews" about his controversial overhaul of the White House Rose Garden — which has turned the garden's famous lawn into a stone patio. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
I'm a Democrat who left Texas. New GOP maps will silence Latino voters.
I joined my fellow Texas Democrats in leaving the state to deny Republicans the required quorum they need to pass manipulated congressional maps. This summer, Texas tragically lost more than 135 of our neighbors, many of them children, to the devastating July 4 floods. In the wake of that heartbreak, Texans deserved leadership, compassion and action. Instead, Texas Republicans are exploiting the tragedy to launch a blatant and calculated power grab. They've hijacked what should be a special legislative session focused on helping grieving survivors to instead do the bidding of President Donald Trump and push through new congressional maps − a process normally conducted every 10 years after the Census. This isn't just political opportunism. It's an insult to the people who lost their lives and the communities still suffering. This is also a test. In 2024, Democrats nationwide took the Latino vote for granted and paid for it. We can't afford to make that mistake again. We must be clear about what's really happening in Texas now. Republicans are using Latino voters as political pawns. Latino voices, electoral power and ability to fully participate in our democracy are under threat. Democrats must stand up and show that we will not allow them to be silenced without a fight. Texas and national Republicans know the math. They understand that Latinos are now the largest population in our state, and that Texas elections have national consequences for the balance of power in Washington. A redistricting primer: Texas Democrats face their Alamo with new GOP congressional map Rather than work to earn more Latino votes, Republicans, at the direction of President Donald Trump, are instead tactfully carving them out of districts, dividing up their communities and working to silence their influence. Let's be clear:These proposed maps are designed to entrench Republican power, pad the party's slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and rig future elections. They are not a reflection of the will of the people, nor based on any new census data. Republicans' hidden agenda isn't so hidden In Austin, for example, we're seeing the impact firsthand. The maps would eliminate the Latino opportunity district, robbing a diverse, civically engaged city of fair representation at a time when our population has soared. Austin would be forced into a newly drawn Republican district stretching hundreds of miles to east Texas. Similar scenarios would play out across south Texas, Houston and Dallas, where millions of Latinos live. These new Republican maps send a message to Latino voters − and voters in general − that their voices don't matter. As Democrats, we can't wait for an election cycle to speak out and act with conviction. It's not enough to oppose these maps. We must fight for a Texas, and a country, where every voter, in every neighborhood, has an equal voice. After all, a hallmark of a thriving American democracy is that voters choose their elected leaders − not the other way around. Opinion: Texas Democrats know they're fighting a losing cause. At least they're fighting. As chair of the Progressive Caucus' redistricting effort, I've led these fights before, and I'm prepared to do it again. As a Latina and proud daughter of the Rio Grande Valley, I refuse to sit back while Republican leaders silence our communities, try to erase Latino political power and rig our democracy behind closed doors. That's why I joined my fellow Texas Democrats, as I did in 2021, in leaving the state, denying Republicans the required quorum they need to pass these manipulated maps. They've left us no choice. I must do everything in my power to stand up for my constituents and all Texans. That includes not letting these maps get a vote on the floor to begin with. If it can happen in Texas, it can happen elsewhere I believe we have the power − and the people − on our side to stop this shameful scheme. Texans must be willing to show up at hearings, share their stories, and demand transparency and fairness in this process. We need Democrats nationwide to see this moment as a front-line voting rights battle. It's not just another local fight. Because if Republicans make Texas their blueprint, what's to stop them from doing this in other states? Latino voters have seen this play out before. Politicians come around every few years talking a big game about representation, then disappear until the next election cycle. It has to end. The way we fight now with these maps will determine whether we earn the right to ask for Latinos to vote for us later. This moment is how Democrats can start to regain trust with Latino voters, and all communities of color. That means the stakes are high, but so is the opportunity. This is not just a fight about maps. It's a fight about who counts, and who has power in our democracy. History has its eyes on us, and it will remember who met this moment with resolve to win. And who stayed silent. Democratic Rep. Gina Hinojosa chairs the Texas House Progressive Caucus' redistricting effort.
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
The DOJ's Push to Collect Your Data Is a Fishing Expedition
With his approval rating sinking lower and lower, and facing the prospect of losing control of the House to Democrats, President Donald Trump is engaged in an unprecedented attempt to manipulate the midterm elections. Not only has he demanded that Texas redraw its congressional districts, he's now got Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice embarking on another insidious strategy: Building a dossier of private information on every voter that Trump can use for political advantage. Over the past several weeks, the DOJ Civil Rights Division has sent letters to more than a dozen states demanding they hand over their voter lists, including sensitive private information — such as driver's license and Social Security numbers linked to names, home addresses and, in many cases, dates of birth.
