Hochul vows to explore ‘every option' to redraw NY House maps
'There's a phrase, 'You have to fight fire with fire.' That is a true statement of how we're feeling right now,' Hochul told reporters alongside New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D) and several Texas Democrats.
'And as I've said, another overused but applicable phrase, 'All's fair in love and war.' That's why I'm exploring with our leaders every option to redraw our state congressional lines as soon as possible,' she continued, noting state legislative leaders were 'on board.'
'We're already working on a legislative process, reviewing our legal strategies, and we'll do everything in our power to stop this brazen assault,' she added.
Texas state House Democrats fled their state Sunday to deny Republicans a quorum — the minimum number of lawmakers needed in order to conduct business — blocking the House from passing a map that would offer the GOP five additional pickup opportunities. The current maps in Texas already given Republicans a strong partisan advantage.
A Texas House panel had advanced the maps last week, teeing up a vote on the House floor.
Texas Democrats traveled to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, all of which are Democratic-led states. Speaking to reporters Sunday night, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said the state would protect Texas Democrats who are facing arrest — in addition to incurring a daily $500 fine — over breaking quorum.
New York, where House maps were struck down by a court in 2022 for giving a partisan advantage to Democrats, faces a conundrum over middecade redistricting.
For one, the Empire State uses a redistricting commission to draw its maps, though they are subject to the state Legislature's approval. A second issue is that any amendment to the state constitution requires it to be passed in two consecutive sessions before going before voters, meaning New York Democrats wouldn't be able to change their maps in time for the 2026 cycle.
Hochul acknowledged those constraints, saying, 'it is not the timeline that I would have preferred.'
'We're going to also look at litigation strategies,' Hochul said. 'We're in close conversations about options there, and so I would say this — we're considering all options right now.'
Hochul notably agreed with the idea that the redistricting commission approved by voters in 2014 should be disbanded or changed.
'I'm tired of fighting this fight with my hand tied behind my back,' she said.
New York is not the only Democratic-led state to explore options over midcycle redistricting in response to Texas's move — California is also weighing several avenues over how to ultimately change its House map. Florida is doing so, too, on the GOP side.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
2 minutes ago
- CNN
Judge blocks four districts from enforcing Arkansas law requiring Ten Commandments in classroom
FacebookTweetLink A new Arkansas law requiring public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments cannot be enforced in a handful of the state's largest school districts where parents brought challenges on the grounds that it violates the separation of church and state, a federal judge ruled Monday. But the ruling by US District Judge Timothy L. Brooks, an appointee of former President Obama, only narrowly applied to four of the state's 237 districts. That left the impact of the decision limited as thousands of Arkansas students prepared to return to class this month. The injunction is the latest legal turn in a widening push in Republican-led states to give religion a bigger presence in public schools. Texas and Louisiana have passed similar laws requiring classrooms to display the Ten Commandments and the issue is expected to eventually reach the US Supreme Court. 'Why would Arkansas pass an obviously unconstitutional law?' Brooks wrote in his 35-page ruling. 'Most likely because the state is part of a coordinated strategy among several states to inject Christian religious doctrine into public-school classrooms.' The Arkansas law, signed earlier this year by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, takes effect Tuesday and requires the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed in public school classrooms and libraries. The suit was filed on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. 'The court saw through this attempt to impose religious doctrine in public schools and upheld every student's right to learn free from government-imposed faith,' John L. Williams, legal director of ACLU of Arkansas said in a statement. 'We're proud to stand with our clients — families of many different backgrounds — who simply want their kids to get an education.' Attorney General Tim Griffin, whose office defended the law, said he was reviewing the decision and assessing legal options. The lawsuit says the requirement violates the families' constitutional rights and pressures students into observing a religion favored by the state. It was not immediately clear if the groups would seek an broader block of the law beyond the four districts. ACLU of Arkansas Executive Director Holly Bailey said through a spokesperson that 'it is clear from this order and long established law that all should refrain from posting' the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Similar requirements enacted in Texas and Louisiana are also being challenged in court. A group of families and faith leaders filed a lawsuit seeking to block Texas' requirements days after it was signed into law. Last month in Louisiana — the first state that mandated the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms — a panel of three appellate judges ruled that the law was unconstitutional. The ruling marked a major win for civil liberties groups who say the law violates the separation of church and state. But the legal battle is likely far from over. Many, including Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, expect the case to eventually reach the US Supreme Court. Most recently, Murrill filed a petition seeking the full US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit's review in the matter.
CNN
2 minutes ago
- CNN
India's Modi is caught between Putin's cheap Russian oil and Trump's latest tariff threats
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been performing a tricky balancing act – maintaining close partnerships with US President Donald Trump and Russia's leader Vladimir Putin while insisting his country is a neutral party in the Russia-Ukraine war, to the dismay of Western nations who have sanctioned Moscow. But now, it seems, Trump has lost his patience – demanding that Modi finally pick a side, and using India's continued purchases of cheap Russian oil as leverage in his trade war. The conundrum pits Trump and Modi, two nationalist leaders who have often described their friendship in warm terms, increasingly against each other. On Monday, Trump vowed in an interview with CNBC to 'substantially' raise tariffs on India 'over the next 24 hours' because it's still buying Russian oil. It's not clear what the new tariff rate would be – or why he is now taking issue with something India has done for years. But the fresh threat comes after he had already announced a minimum 25% tariff on goods coming from India last week. 'Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!' Trump wrote on Truth Social last week. But for Modi, it's not so simple. While many other countries have scrambled to strike trade deals with the Trump administration, India – the world's fourth largest economy – has pushed back defiantly, saying it is being unfairly targeted and calling the measure 'unjustified.' The US and Europe, it pointed out, still trade with Russia on other products such as fertilizers and chemicals. Here's what you need to know about why India is reluctant to stop buying Russian oil. India has long been reliant on Russia for crude oil to support its booming economy and growing population, now at more than 1.4 billion people. The world's most populous nation is already the third biggest consumer of oil globally, and with India's consumption rate still growing rapidly, it is expected to surpass China by 2030, according to Reuters. India's transformation into an economic superpower has uplifted millions of households – which in turn have bought more cars and motorcycles, driving up the demand for gasoline. Russian crude oil accounts for 36% of India's overall imports, making Moscow the country's top supplier, according to Muyu Xu, a senior oil analyst at trade intelligence firm Kpler, who cited figures for the first six months of this year. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, European nations largely stopped buying Russian oil. It now flows primarily into Asia – with China, India and Turkey among Russia's big clients and is a vital revenue stream for Moscow. Delhi is buying Russian oil at a heavy discount, 'which otherwise would not have been given by the traditional oil and gas suppliers,' said Amitabh Singh, associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies. He added that India's continuing purchases were 'a purely economic or commercial decision' – something Indian authorities have also argued, but which has been met with derision and anger from Ukraine and its supporters. While India has diversified its oil sources over the years, cutting out Russian oil entirely would leave a gaping hole that's hard to replace. India imports 80% of its oil needs, and its domestic oil production isn't enough to make up the difference. OPEC, the coalition of the world's top oil producers, may have 'some spare capacity, but it's difficult to ask them to pump 3.4 million barrels overnight,' said Xu when she spoke to CNN in July, referring to Russia's daily seaborne exports. Its choices have also been limited by other US actions – India was forced to stop buying oil from Iran and Venezuela after Trump imposed sanctions and threatened tariffs against countries that bought from those places. Before it halted its purchases, India had been one of Iran's biggest clients, buying up to 480,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters. 'We have our hands tied at the back,' said Singh. 'There is very limited space in which the Indian oil economy or market can operate.' For now, he added, it's unlikely Delhi will bow to Trump's demands. Modi's administration will continue navigating trade talks with the US and explore the 'traditional route' of Middle Eastern oil while it works to wean itself off Russian crude – but this it 'cannot do overnight,' said Singh. Russia's oil also feeds India's economy, which plays a key role in the global oil trade. India argues that its purchases from Russia have kept global oil prices lower, as it's not competing with Western nations for Middle Eastern oil. When the Ukraine-Russia war kicked off during the Biden administration, 'everyone knew that India is buying oil from Russia,' said Singh – but added that Western nations had tolerated it 'because they knew that if India is not buying oil from Russia, then inflation will go up.' If India switches to importing oil from somewhere else at a higher cost, American consumers will likely feel the hit, too. Some of the Russian crude oil sent to India is then refined and exported back out to other countries – because sanctions on Moscow don't include products refined outside Russia. It's a loophole that has benefited both India's economy and other recipient nations. In 2023, India exported $86.28 billion in refined oil products, making it the world's second-biggest exporter of petroleum products, according to the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR). Some of the biggest buyers of these refined products, made from Russian crude oil, include Europe, the US, and the UK, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The independent organization has urged G7 nations to close this loophole, arguing it would disincentivize third countries – like India – to import Russian crude. India and Russia's partnership goes beyond just oil and stretches back decades – another reason it's not so easy to dismantle. India was officially nonaligned during the Cold War between the US and the USSR. However, India began to lean towards the Soviet Union in the 1970s when the US began providing military and financial assistance to India's neighbor and longtime rival Pakistan. This was when Russia started providing arms to India. In recent years, India has drawn closer to Washington, and ramped up arms purchases from America and its allies, including France and Israel. Still, India remains the top recipient of Russian arms, according to SIPRI. And Modi remains friendly with Putin – even paying a controversial visit to Moscow last year, with the Russian president greeting his counterpart with a hug and personally driving him around. Trump and Modi, too, have previously hailed their friendship, with Trump declaring at a 2019 rally that India had 'never had a better friend as President than President Donald Trump.' Singh, the professor, said it was expected the friendship 'would continue' when Trump arrived at the White House for his second term. But things have soured this time around; India isn't happy with Trump claiming credit for a ceasefire in the latest India-Pakistan conflict, or with his accusations that their oil purchases are helping 'prop up a Russian war machine,' he said. Trump has lashed out too, increasingly frustrated at his inability to end the Ukraine-Russia war – something he'd promised to do on his first day in office. 'I don't care what India does with Russia,' Trump wrote in an irate post on Truth Social last week. 'They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.'
CBS News
2 minutes ago
- CBS News
Grand Prairie council censures Mike Del Bosque following assault allegation
After hearing from 60-year-old Austin real estate broker David Collantes, Grand Prairie council members voted Tuesday night to censure councilman Mike Del Bosque. "I think it was the right vote," David Collantes said. "Someone with that kind of temper should not be running for public office." Last April, Collantes reported he was attacked by Del Bosque while he was looking at a property the councilman owns. He says the building was being turned over to another owner after a default judgment, but Del Bosque didn't want him showing the property. "I just was fighting for my life, literally," he said. Surveillance video obtained exclusively by CBS News Texas shows the councilman taking Collantes to the ground, smashing his cell phone, and trying to grab his wallet. The encounter led to his arrest for misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief. After Tuesday's vote, he had this to say: "I'm man enough to do what needs to be done and I took accountability, and I did apologize, but again, we're not going to get in the depth of this because this case is still in litigation," Del Bosque said. "He's doing it to save his own skin," Collantes said. "If he really was truly remorseful, he would've contacted me four months ago. I expected a little bit more, maybe some of the City Council members saying this behavior should not have been tolerated." Del Bosque's attorney has said this video doesn't tell the full story. "David Collantes entered our client's private property," Phillip Linder said. "The back door was in a private office. The female staff felt threatened and when asked to leave he used expletives." But Collantes says that's not true and believes this video speaks for itself. "I never entered his business in the back door," he said. "I plan to continue to follow this and I'm not going to give it up. I will continue to press forward and make sure that justice is served." The Dallas County District Attorney's office says the case will be prosecuted like any other.
