Blue state Dems lash out at ICE with 'sit-in': Noem hits back
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
a minute ago
- Newsweek
Largest Texas Newspaper Rebukes Greg Abbott Over Redistricting 'Power Grab'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Houston Chronicle, Texas' largest newspaper, is criticizing Governor Greg Abbott in an opinion piece for what it calls his "Republican power grab" regarding his state legislature's push to vote and approve GOP-backed redistricting maps that could have drastic effects on and in the aftermath of the 2026 midterm election. Newsweek has reached out to Abbott's office via email for comment on Monday. Why It Matters Abbott had called a special session to address the flooding that killed 135 people last month in Texas Hill Country and the redistricting plan. Tensions have escalated between the governor, Republicans and Texas Democrats as 51 Democratic lawmakers in the Legislature fled the state to Illinois on Sunday to prevent Republicans from moving forward with a vote due to lacking a quorum. Two-thirds of members within the 150-member chamber must be present to pass legislation. In a letter, Abbott referred to the fleeing members as "derelict Democrats" and threatened to remove them from the Legislature altogether if they didn't return by 3 p.m. Monday, August 4. "Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that's exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business," he wrote in part. Republicans have a slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and a slightly larger one in the U.S. Senate. Democrats hope to take back the House in next year's midterms, which traditionally have seen the party that is not in power in the White House gain a number of seats. During President Donald Trump's first term, Democrats picked up 41 seats in the midterms. Trump, meanwhile, has backed Abbott's move to redraw the state map. What To Know The Chronicle's editorial board published an op-ed piece on Monday, comparing Abbott's efforts during the recent deadly Texas floods to his political efforts to swiftly redraw and enact new districts across the Lone Star State. "The governor has followed his orders from Washington and put a Republican power grab before communities devastated by Central Texas floods," the editorial reads. "With a stroke of his pen, Abbott could have moved hundreds of millions of dollars by executive fiat. He could have called a session with the sole objective of addressing the still-unfolding crisis in the Hill Country." The editorial board continued: "But the lives of Texans come second to the desires of President Trump and his loyalists. When Trump utters the words 'very simple redrawing,' Abbott asks, how many seats do you want? And we end up with a Congressional map that puts Democrats on the endangered species list." Democrats have argued that if Republicans succeed in redrawing districts in Texas, Trump will push other states to do the same. The editorial also notes that both political parties, be it Republicans in Texas or Democrats in Illinois, have engaged in gerrymandering while in power to boost future prospects. The difference now, according to the Chronicle, is that Texas' bluest cities are being carved up and would hypothetically lead to a Republican majority on par with the nation's reddest state, Wyoming. Texas Democrats would safely hold about 21 percent of the state's congressional districts even though 46 percent of voters in last year's presidential election voted for Democratic nominee then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Abbott is also chastised for his threats of removal, with the editorial calling such an outcome "an attack on democracy itself." "None of this was necessary," the editorial concludes. "Abbott could've just made the special session all about flooding. Heck, lawmakers probably could've gotten a recovery package passed with plenty of time left over to sift through Lieutenant. Governor Dan Patrick's buffet of red-meat priorities. Instead, the well-being of Texans has once again come second to flagrant backroom partisan power-plays." George Strait, Greg Abbott, and Tom Cusick speak onstage for George Strait and Vaqueros del Mar's "Strait To The Heart": A benefit for Hill Country Flood Victims at Estancia at Thunder Valley on July 27... George Strait, Greg Abbott, and Tom Cusick speak onstage for George Strait and Vaqueros del Mar's "Strait To The Heart": A benefit for Hill Country Flood Victims at Estancia at Thunder Valley on July 27 in Boerne, Texas. More What People Are Saying Sergio Sanchez, a former Republican chairman and longtime radio host in Texas, told Newsweek: "This Texas GOP strategy is based on political reality. Almost the entire southern Texas border has shifted red. Red represents the traditional values, work ethic, economic opportunities, immigration controls and police protections no longer espoused by modern Democrats." He added: "The Democrats are again showing they have no values and solutions for Texas and the nation. Their cowardly response is laughable and sad. Democrats are clueless and lost." Former Democratic Texas Representative Colin Allred, also a past U.S. Senate candidate against Senator Ted Cruz, in a statement on Sunday: "This fight isn't just about maps—it's about power. When Republicans silence Black and Latino voters, they're not just rigging elections. They're rigging who gets health care, clean water, and a fair shot. "Let's be clear: they don't just want to rig the vote. They want to use that power to rig the economy — to keep helping the wealthy and well-connected while working families get left behind. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on X on Sunday: "I support the immediate arrest of these rogue lawmakers who've fled their duties. These radical Democrats are spitting in the face of every Texan they swore to represent. This is cowardice and dereliction of duty, and they should face the full force of the law without apology." Texas state Representative Gene Wu, the Texas House Democratic Caucus leader, said during a press conference in Chicago: "We will do whatever it takes. What that looks like, we don't know." What Happens Next? Republican State House Speaker Dustin Burrows said the chamber would still meet as planned at 3 p.m. on Monday. "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...." he wrote on X. The lack of a quorum would also delay votes on flood relief and new warning systems in the wake of last month's catastrophic floods in Texas.
Boston Globe
2 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
August recess can't hide tensions ahead for Congress on spending and Trump nominations
Lawmakers will use much of September to work on spending bills for the coming budget year, which begins Oct. 1. They likely will need to pass a short-term spending measure to keep the government funded for a few weeks while they work on a longer-term measure that covers the full year. It's not unusual for leaders from both parties to blame the other party for a potential shutdown, but the rhetoric began extra early this year, signaling the threat of a stoppage is more serious than usual. Advertisement On Monday, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries sent their Republican counterparts a sharply-worded letter calling for a meeting to discuss 'the government funding deadline and the health care crisis you have visited upon the American people.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up They said it will take bipartisanship to avert a 'painful, unnecessary shutdown.' 'Yet it is clear that the Trump Administration and many in your party are preparing to go it alone and continue to legislate on a solely Republican basis,' said the letter sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Republicans have taken note of the warnings and are portraying the Democrats as itching for a shutdown they hope to blame on the GOP. Advertisement 'It was disturbing to hear the Democrat leader threaten to shut down the government in his July 8 Dear Colleague letter,' Thune said on Saturday. '... I really hope that Democrats will not embrace that position but will continue to work with Republicans to fund the government.' Different approaches from the House and Senate So far, the House has approved two of the 12 annual spending bills, mostly along party lines. The Senate has passed three on a strongly bipartisan basis. The House is pursuing steep, non-defense spending cuts. The Senate is rejecting many of those cuts. One side will have to give. And any final bill will need some Democratic support to generate the 60 votes necessary to get a spending measure to the finish line. Some Democratic senators are also wanting assurances from Republicans that there won't be more efforts in the coming weeks to claw back or cancel funding already approved by Congress. 'If Republicans want to make a deal, then let's make a deal, but only if Republicans include an agreement they won't take back that deal a few weeks later,' said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., a veteran member of the House Appropriations committee, said the Democratic minority in both chambers has suffered so many legislative losses this year, 'that they are stuck between a rock and their voting base.' Democrats may want to demonstrate more resistance to Trump, but they would rue a shutdown, he warned. 'The reality would be, if the government were shut down, the administration, Donald Trump, would have the ability to decide where to spend and not spend,' Fleischmann said. 'Schumer knows that, Jeffries knows that. We know that. I think it would be much more productive if we start talking about a short-term (continuing resolution.)' Advertisement Republican angry about pace of nominations Republicans are considering changes to Senate rules to get more of Trump's nominees confirmed. Thune said last week that during the same point in Joe Biden's presidency, 49 of his 121 civilians nominees had been confirmed on an expedited basis through a voice vote or a unanimous consent request. Trump has had none of his civilian nominees confirmed on an expedited basis. Democrats have insisted on roll call votes for all of them, a lengthy process than can take days. 'I think they're desperately in need of change,' Thune said of Senate rules for considering nominees. 'I think that the last six months have demonstrated that this process, nominations is broken. And so I expect there will be some good robust conversations about that.' Schumer said a rules change would be a 'huge mistake,' especially as Senate Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass spending bills and other legislation moving forward. The Senate held a rare weekend session as Republicans worked to get more of Trump's nominees confirmed. Negotiations focused on advancing dozens of additional Trump nominees in exchange for some concessions on releasing some already approved spending. At times, lawmakers spoke of progress on a potential deal. But it was clear that there would be no agreement when Trump attacked Schumer on social media Saturday evening and told Republicans to pack it up and go home. 'Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!' Trump posted on Truth Social. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report. Advertisement
New York Post
2 minutes ago
- New York Post
Elizabeth Warren joins with Zohran Mamdani, calls him ‘future of the Democratic Party'
It's a steel. Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren heaped praise Monday on socialist mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani's 'steely' focus on affordability — casting it as a winning path out of the political wilderness for Democrats. Warren, who appeared alongside Mamdani at the DC37 union building to support his universal childcare proposal, said he kick-started that conversation in the right place. Advertisement 'For me, New York City is the place to start the conversation for Democrats on how affordability is the central issue, the central reason to be a Democrat, and that delivering on it in meaningful, tangible ways that will touch working families is why we're here,' Warren said. Sen. Elizabeth Warren offered praise for NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Monday. Matthew McDermott 'That is the Democratic message… Zohran is on the front lines in that fight out there, fighting for families.' Advertisement The Massachusetts senator's blessing came as Mamdani continues to struggle to gain actual endorsements from other high-profile Dems, notably his fellow New Yorkers Chuck Schumer, the Senate's minority leader and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Both Schumer and Jeffries avoided outright endorsing Mamdani after the Queens state Assemblyman trounced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June's Democratic mayoral primary — an upset that prompted a wave of soul-searching among more moderate Dems wary of a socialist being the party's standard-bearer. Warren, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, also recently attacked Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who are both running as independents in November, for allegedly cozying up to billionaires. Mamdani speaks to reporters after Warren calls him 'future' of the Democratic Party. Matthew McDermott Advertisement 'Cuomo and Adams are tripping over themselves to haul in millions of campaign dollars from billionaire donors,' she wrote in Rolling Stone. 'Mamdani has charged ahead with plans to make New York more affordable, and he's showing how to pay for it by taxing the ultra-rich and giant corporations. That may not make him popular with the richest New Yorkers, but he's willing to let Adams and Cuomo suck up to those guys.' This breaking a story. Please check back for updates.
