There are gray areas in the matter of shoplifting and policy making
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We should not be so quick to conclude that easing criminal charges against kids who pocket a box of candy or adults who make off with a box of tampons has somehow led to the level of theft being carried out by organized gangs, or that
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Holly Wenninger
Malden
What do Wu or Democrats have to do with locked-up toothpaste?
In the lede of her column, Carine Hajjar writes, 'Under Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, there was a 55 percent increase in shoplifting between the first half of 2019 and the same period in 2024.'
Not only is Wu not the Suffolk district attorney (as the mayor herself notes, in a quote Hajjar properly includes later in the piece), but also, while it is true that
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I don't appreciate CVS locking up toothpaste either, but my first instinct is not to blame the mayor or Democrats in general.
Ari Ofsevit
Cambridge
I lean progressive, and I'm not in favor of going easy on low-level crimes
Carine Hajjar paints all progressives as soft on crime and not wanting to prosecute low-level crimes, such as shoplifting. She uses some form of the word 'progressive' seven times.
Yes, political figures who push for those policies are fair game for criticism. But it is a disservice to readers to assume that all progressives support those policies. I lean progressive on most issues, and I do not support them.
John Bowe
Belmont
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The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
GOP eyes redistricting in Ohio and Texas as it looks to bolster slim majority
Republicans are eyeing potential redistricting opportunities in Ohio and Texas as they seek extra cushion to protect their thin majority in the House next year. In Ohio, redistricting laws mandate a redraw ahead of 2026 because the last map passed without bipartisan support. And in Texas, redistricting could be added to an upcoming special session agenda as the White House reportedly pushes the Lone Star State to consider redrawing to protect the party's numbers. Defending a narrow 220-212 majority, Republicans are bracing for a competitive election cycle as they look to defy traditional headwinds typically associated with the president's party in midterm years. 'I think the Speaker and party leadership look at even a handful of districts as really important, particularly if the natural trend — given the president's popularity at this point and given historic midterm conditions — means that the Republican Party starts out assuming they're going to lose a couple districts right off the bat,' said Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University who founded the database 'All About Redistricting.' 'Ohio is going to have to redraw, one way or the other. Texas is mulling whether to redraw. And there are a lot of competing pressures.' Each state redraws its maps once a decade, after the U.S. Census. But in Ohio, the lines used for the last four years are up for a redraw under a wonky state law that effectively sped up the expiration date because they didn't earn bipartisan support. Should Republicans decide to make the maps more competitive, Ohio Democratic Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Emilia Sykes, who represent Ohio's 9th and 13th Congressional Districts respectively, would likely be impacted. President Trump won Kaptur's district, which includes Toledo, by close to 7 points, while Sykes's seat, which includes Akron, was essentially tied by Trump and former Vice President Harris in 2024, according to The Downballot. Both are already competitive for Democrats, though both Kaptur and Sykes have been strong candidates despite the political terrain. 'It's no surprise that special interests in Washington and Columbus want to ignore the voters and rig the game,' Sykes campaign spokesman Justin Barasky said in a statement. Kaptur campaign political director David Zavac projected confidence over the congresswoman's election next year, while also pointing out that the state will have seen three different maps this decade alone. 'The Congresswoman looks forward to a spirited campaign next year,' Zavac said in a statement, 'but will let the GOP focus on what will surely be another messy primary ahead once they finish their illegal gerrymandering process to try and rig the maps further in their favor.' The Ohio Constitution lays out detailed rules for drawing House districts , meaning that only certain counties and cities can be divided, some of that based on population stipulations. Ahead of the required 2025 redistricting, Democrats had sought to pass an amendment to the state Constitution last year that would have reformed the redistricting process in the state, giving the party a better chance of making seats more competitive between the parties. But voters rejected the ballot measure amid confusion over the amendment language; the Ohio Ballot Board approved language that said the amendment would 'repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering' when its supporters said the initiative stated it would do the opposite. While the redistricting process offers Republicans a unique opportunity to reconfigure better maps for its House members, it's not without its own perils. 'I do think the best pressure that could force them to do some things that are more reasonable would be Republicans in nearby districts saying, 'Don't carve up our districts, we like our [districts], we don't want them to change,'' said former state Democratic Party Chair David Pepper. In Texas, where there are no specific timing rules for re-making maps, state lawmakers are reportedly under pressure from the White House and national Republicans to consider making mid-decade changes that could help shore up GOP numbers. The state legislature just gaveled out their latest regular session, with the next not slated until 2027. But amid the chatter about redistricting, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called a special session to kick off July 21. Though redistricting isn't among the governor's official 'initial agenda' items, there's still time for the matter to be added to the docket or included in a future special session. 'The Republicans in Congress are looking at a very, very narrow majority, and they're looking for every opportunity around the country to increase that majority with things like redistricting [and] the election. They're gonna use every tool at their disposal to do that,' said Texas Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser. 'Texas is a very red state, so if they can pick up two seats or three seats, then they might give it a try. And even if it makes a seat in a very deep red state a little more competitive, so be it. I think that's some of the thinking,' he said. One Republican strategist who requested anonymity to speak candidly told The Hill that the party will be on 'offense' regardless of how either state's map shakes out ahead of 2026. A second GOP strategist pointed out that there's more Democrats – 13 – that won in Trump districts, while there's only three Republicans hailing from districts won by former Vice President Harris in 2024 overall. 'The numbers are in our favor,' the GOP strategist said. 'It's a game of inches right now.' If Republicans do decide to redraw lines in Texas, it could blunt challenges to the maps that Texas drew after the 2020 census, including an ongoing trial in El Paso in which voter advocates allege that the maps discriminate against some Black and Latino voters. The 2021 maps were already seen as shoring up Republican power in the Lone Star State, but proponents of redistricting reportedly think the GOP's 25-12 congressional edge could expand by several seats. The situation has given some lawmakers a sense of deja vu. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) was among the more than 50 state lawmakers who fled Texas for Oklahoma to deny Republicans a quorum in 2003 as the GOP revisited drawing the state's congressional lines. Texas Republicans, however, were ultimately successful at redrawing favorable lines for their party. 'It's just a total partisan power grab that's gonna completely mess with representation in Texas,' Castro, who was a freshman during the 2003 walkout, told The Hill last month. 'And I hope that cooler minds will prevail, and they'll do redistricting when they're supposed to, which is after the end of the decade.' Another layer of uncertainty is how the courts could weigh in on potential redistricting challenges. Both Texas and Ohio have conservative majorities on the state Supreme Courts, but legal challenges over redistricting from other states have been brought up to the U.S. Supreme Court. While the high court, too, has a conservative majority, it notably struck down Alabama's maps in 2023, saying they likely violated the Voting Rights Act. But while shifting voters from solidly red districts to bluer ones could make Democratic-held seats more competitive, it could similarly blunt the edge of some now-safe GOP seats. The House Democrats' campaign suggested in a statement that the predicament is a lose-lose situation for Republicans. 'House Republicans are running scared because they know they will lose the House majority next November, and their only solutions are corrupt attempts to suppress battleground voters' voices,' Madison Andrus, a spokeswoman for the House Democrats' campaign arm, said in a statement. 'Any changes they try to make to existing maps may endanger existing Republican-held seats,' she continued, 'and in an environment where the public is wildly unhappy with the Republican agenda of broken promises, they should be careful what they wish for.' Ahead of the midterms, though, that might be a risk some are willing to take to put more districts in play for Republicans. 'Republican redistricting was key to flipping the House in 2022, preserving the majority in 2024, and can help defend it again in 2026,' said Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust.
The Hill
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Sunday shows preview: Trump signs ‘big, beautiful bill' into law; ‘No progress' made on Russia-Ukraine ceasefire
President Trump scored a significant legislative win this week by signing the 'big, beautiful bill,' a massive reconciliation package that will extend the 2017 tax cuts and features cuts to Medicaid, which will likely be the focus of this week's Sunday shows. The president signed the bill at the White House on the Fourth of July, right in time to meet the deadline Trump and his aides imposed months ago. 'We made promises, and it's really promises made, promises kept, and we've kept them. This is a triumph of democracy on the birthday of democracy. And I have to say, the people are happy,' Trump said on Friday. The legislation is loaded with the president's promises from the campaign trail, including getting rid of some taxes on some tips and Social Security. The bill also ups the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap. The package is allocating $150 billion to fund immigration enforcement, deportations and the border wall. The bill will also expand the production of coal, natural gas and oil, while slashing green energy incentives. The debt ceiling will go up by $5 billion. The measure also contains $150 billion for spending on the 'Golden Dome' missile defense project and building ships. Democrats have criticized the package, with the bill featuring a reduction for nutrition programs and leading to substantial cuts to Medicaid. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Thursday that by passing the 'big, beautiful bill, we are gonna make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before, and every American is going to benefit from that.' Johnson is scheduled to be on 'Fox News Sunday' where he will likely discuss the process behind passing the legislation through the House and the next priority for the lower chamber. The United States added 147,000 jobs in June, beating economic expectations. The unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent. Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, saying he made 'no progress' in brokering a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. The president later on Thursday told reporters that he was 'very disappointed' with his call with the Russian leader, adding that he does not think that Putin is 'there. I'm just saying, I don't think he's looking to stop, and that's too bad.' The Pentagon paused some shipments of air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is slated to be on 'Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' where he will likely talk about the weapons halt. Here is the full list of Sunday shows below: NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday': Ret. 4-star Navy Adm. William McRaven; Princeton University legal professor Robert P. George; the executive director of No One Left Behind Andrew Sullivan and the vice president of civic education at the National Constitution Center Julie Silverbrook. ABC's 'This Week': Dr. Rich Besser; former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and the Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers Stephen Miran. CNN's 'State of the Union': Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D). NBC's 'Meet The Press': Actor Olivia Munn; sports broadcaster Bob Costas; the founder of Khan Academy Sal Khan and poet Amanda Gorman. CBS' 'Face the Nation': Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett. 'Fox News Sunday': House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.); Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.); Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Bessent. 'Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures': House Ways and Means Commitee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.); U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.).
The Hill
2 hours ago
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Beshear on potential White House bid: ‘I'll think about it after next year'
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) said he'll consider a 2028 White House bid in an article published Friday while seething over the 'big, beautiful bill' backed by Republicans in Congress. 'Two years ago, I wouldn't have considered [running for president]. But if I'm somebody who could maybe heal and bring the country back together, I'll think about it after next year,' Beshear told Vanity Fair. The Kentucky governor's term ends in 2027 and he's pledged to complete his tenure in office before launching another political bid for a higher office. Fellow party members Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) have also been listed as potential contenders for the presidency as Democrats look to claw back the executive branch after their November loss. Political pundits have suggested the GOP-authored spending package will have a significant impact on midterm elections and cycles that follow as Americans grapple with the possibility of losing their healthcare coverage, a top issue for Beshear. 'What the Republican majority is getting wrong is that the American people don't view health care in a partisan way. They want to be able to see their doctor when they need to, and they want their neighbor to be able to see their doctor,' Beshear, Kentucky's former attorney general, said in the interview. 'No state will be able to compensate for the level of devastation that this bill would cause. What they're doing is immoral, and it's certainly not Christian,' he added. The legislation is set to remove millions from Medicaid and introduce stricter work requirements for food stamp benefits and other social services. However, Beshear said in order to break through on the cuts, Democrats will need to help voters conceptualize the ongoing impact of the bill. 'If Democrats say this bill is going to increase food insecurity, their point's not going to get through. If they say people are going to go hungry, it will,' he said. 'And we have to explain not just what we disagree with in this bill, but why. And my why is my faith. The parable of the fishes and the loaves is in every book of the gospel. My faith teaches me that in a country that grows enough food for everyone that no one should starve.'
