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House votes to repeal D.C. laws on noncitizen voting, police discipline

House votes to repeal D.C. laws on noncitizen voting, police discipline

Washington Post10-06-2025
House lawmakers voted Tuesday to repeal a pair of D.C. laws that have been friction points for years between the deep-blue city and Republicans in Congress: a law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections and another that prohibits the D.C. police union from bargaining on officer discipline. The two efforts would still have to pass in the Senate.
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What is redistricting? What to know in Tennessee amid Trump-led effort in Texas
What is redistricting? What to know in Tennessee amid Trump-led effort in Texas

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What is redistricting? What to know in Tennessee amid Trump-led effort in Texas

Texas's redistricting battle has spilled across state lines, drawing national attention and involving lawmakers from beyond its borders. In an effort to block a vote on a proposed congressional map that could give Republicans five additional seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, dozens of Democratic lawmakers fled the state. In response, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered their arrest, though it's unclear how Texas law enforcement might coordinate with authorities in other states to carry out the order. As of Aug. 5, more than 50 of Texas' 67 Democratic legislators had fled the state, USA TODAY reported. The following day, on Aug. 6, former President Barack Obama weighed in, calling the Republican-led redistricting effort 'a power grab that undermines our democracy.' Here's what to know about the redistricting fight in Texas and how the process works in Tennessee. More: Texas Democrats fled the state to oppose GOP redistricting. Why this one stayed behind. What is redistricting? Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts, such as those for Congress and state legislatures, in each state. The process normally happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census to ensure each district has roughly the same number of people, so every vote carries equal weight. It affects congressional, state legislative districts and sometimes local districts. However, in a break from tradition, President Donald Trump encouraged Texas Republicans to begin redistricting mid-decade. During an Aug. 5 appearance on CNBC, he argued that Republicans 'are entitled to five more seats' in Texas due to his 2024 election win in the state. Each state is responsible for redrawing its district boundaries to reflect population changes and maintain equal representation across its allotted number of congressional seats. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, redistricting has been "highly contentious" throughout American history. In the U.S., redistricting is mostly handled by state legislatures, making it a highly political process. Unlike many other countries that use independent, non-partisan commissions, the U.S. approach often leads to public distrust and partisan conflict. Because redistricting can shape which party holds power and how communities — especially minority groups — are represented, it's a major source of tension and debate. How Trump-led redistricting push in Texas is extending beyond state lines In July, Trump proposed a Texas redistricting plan that would yield five new Republican seats. The move was met with sharp criticism from Texas Democrats in Congress who labeled the move a "threat to democracy." If Trump's proposal moves forward, Republicans could gain additional U.S. House seats in Texas, potentially helping them preserve their narrow majority in the 2026 midterm elections. The plan would give the GOP a chance to flip key districts and strengthen their hold on Congress. On Aug. 4, several Democratic lawmakers fled Texas to prevent Republicans from reaching the quorum needed to vote on redrawing the state's 38 congressional districts. The Republican State Leadership Committee criticized the move, accusing the absent legislators of 'neglecting their responsibility,' reported USA TODAY. Many of the lawmakers traveled to the Chicago area, while others went to Boston, Massachusetts, and Albany, New York. Although Abbott ordered state law enforcement to arrest the Democrats who left, it remains unclear how Texas authorities could coordinate with out-of-state law enforcement to carry out the arrests. Abbott said the order is meant to enforce civil arrest warrants issued earlier that day by Republican lawmakers in an 85–6 vote. These warrants, however, only apply within Texas state lines. Democratic governors including Gavin Newsom of California, Kathy Hochul of New York and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois have signaled pursuing their own redistricting efforts, moves that could strengthen Democratic representation and escalate partisan tensions. How does redistricting work in Tennessee? In Tennessee, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. Following the 2020 census, Tennessee retained its nine seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the same number it held after the 2010 census, according to Ballotpedia. On Feb,. 6, 2022, Gov. Bill Lee signed new congressional maps into law, approving a proposal passed by both chambers of the Tennessee legislature. The new map split Davidson County into three separate congressional districts, a move that diluted the county's Democratic and minority voting power, as previously reported by The Tennessean. Former U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, called the redistricting a 'crisis' for the city. 'Gerrymandering is an extinction event for the political life of Nashville,' he said. A group of Tennessee voters, including former state Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville, later sued over the maps, alleging the redistricting effort intentionally discriminated against Black voters by diluting the voting power of communities of color. The lawsuit was dismissed in August 2024 by a three judge panel, the Nashville Banner reported. Contributing: USA TODAY Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@ or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Texas redistricting battle: What to know about practice in Tennessee Solve the daily Crossword

"America, You Are In Grave Danger": The Internet Is VERY Worried About Donald Trump's Disturbing Latest Move
"America, You Are In Grave Danger": The Internet Is VERY Worried About Donald Trump's Disturbing Latest Move

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"America, You Are In Grave Danger": The Internet Is VERY Worried About Donald Trump's Disturbing Latest Move

The American public has grown increasingly concerned about President Donald Trump's moves toward authoritarianism and autocracy as he positions himself as being above the law and frequently mentions not leaving office at the end of his Constitutionally-granted second and final term. During a press conference on Monday morning, Trump announced a sweeping plan by his administration to increase its control over law enforcement in the United States capital city of Washington, DC. Washington, DC, is the capital city and the federal district of the US, but is not an incorporated state or part of one. Jurisdiction over DC belongs to Congress. He started the press conference with a comment on how crowded the room is, saying they need a ballroom instead. Attorney General Pam Bondi grinned along. Trump launches into the topic of the press conference. "And we're here for a very serious purpose. Very serious purpose. Something is out of control, but we're gonna put it in control very quickly, like we did on the southern border," he said. "I'm announcing a historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor. And worse." Related: "This is Liberation Day in DC, and we're gonna take our capital back," Trump said. "We're taking it back." He announced his plan: "Under the authorities vested in me as the president of the United States, I'm officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act — you know what that is — and placing the DC Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control." "In addition, I'm deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order, and public safety in Washington, DC and they're gonna be allowed to do their job properly," Trump continued. He then directly addressed the journalists in the room about the supposed crime hotbed of DC, saying, "You people are victims of it, too." President Trump then said that "The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogota, Colombia, Mexico City, some of the places that you hear about as being the worst places on Earth," as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth nodded along. "The number of car thefts has doubled over the past five years, and the number of carjackings has more than tripled," Trump said. "Murders in 2023 reached the highest rate probably ever." "Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs, and homeless people. And we're not gonna let it happen anymore. We're not gonna take it," Trump told the crowd. He then repeated that the problem would be treated like the southern border, which he said "nobody comes to" anymore. For clarity, the Justice Department reported early this year that violent crime in Washington, DC, is down 35% from 2023. According to the DC Metropolitan Police Department, the very agency that Trump is seeking to federalize, violent crime is currently down 26% year-over-year. "We are not experiencing a spike in crime," DC mayor Muriel Bowser told MSNBC on Sunday. "In fact, we're watching our crime numbers go down." Related: Richard Stengel, author and former government official under President Barack Obama, said that, "Throughout history, autocrats use a false pretext to impose government control over local law enforcement as a prelude to a more national takeover." People quickly hopped on Reddit's r/politics to discuss the CNBC article about Trump's announcement (you can watch the full press conference here). This is what some of the over 3,000 commenters had to say: 1."Federalizing the DC Police under fake numbers... Literally watching fascism unfold before our eyes, people. It's past time to get pissed." —thedrizztman 2."I thought he said he couldn't deploy the National Guard on January 6? So now we know he could have, but didn't because it was his people." —swiftfoot_hiker 3."This is the big red flashing sign of fascism for anyone still wondering." —ImperatorUniversum1 Related: 4."Every word out of this MF'er's mouth is a LIE. EVERY WORD. Taking over DC is to keep protestors out because this administration's next actions will be brutal." —mhouse2001 5."Martial law in motion. MF didn't even bother to stage a Reichstag fire." —alloutofchewingum 6."Here we fucking go. And sweet Jesus, it's only August of year one..." —KingMario05 7."This is the death of the republic we're watching. Temporary takeovers have a very long history of becoming permanent. We're so fucked." —Violent_Mud_Butt 8."So, he could have done this to put down the insurrection at the Capitol?" —aeppelcyning 9."This is a pretext for something. His excuse is the homeless — what I really think he's preparing for are protests or maybe even riots. Maybe connected to the upcoming 'peace talks' with Russia, or the Epstein scandal." —rainghost 10."So that's it. No more freedom or rule of law in the US. And all the flag-waving Trump supporters don't care. Not a peep from them." —Large-Phase9732 11."So I assume DC residents won't be able to vote ever again." —V_T_H Related: 12."Full fucking stop. Yes, this is a distraction attempt from Epstein, among other things, but this is a pilot program for doing this in other major cities around America. This is the next step in a full fascist takeover of this country. But hey, eggs are... I mean, gas is... I mean, Kamala's laugh." —spqr2001 13."We are going to find out if the military is going to uphold their oath to defend us from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Trump is the biggest domestic terrorist I've seen in this country in my lifetime." —Ol_Turd_Fergy 14."That's it folks. Democracy in the US is now over. What a shameful country." —boringfantasy 15."Authoritarianism it is then, I guess." —Jonny_Segment 16."Correct me if I'm wrong, but I could have sworn that Trump had no authority to do this. I mean, that's what he said for January 6. He said that the Speaker of the House needs to make this call. Could he have been lying?" —dydski 17."Is this about homeless people? What is this about? Those National Guard are gonna be real sad when they realize a ton of the homeless individuals they are arresting are vets." —Resident_Standard437 finally, "America, you are in grave danger. An authoritarian is seizing power over the police, based on a made-up emergency. This is a precursor to stealing the elections. It's the only thing left between them and ruling forever. They are stealing our democracy and do not plan to give it back. And all of you are silent. The republic is dying, rapidly and right before our eyes, and nothing is being done to stop it." —kevendo So, what do you think? Let us know in the comments. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:

Trump rebukes Goldman's Solomon and bank's economics research on tariff impact
Trump rebukes Goldman's Solomon and bank's economics research on tariff impact

Yahoo

time9 minutes ago

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Trump rebukes Goldman's Solomon and bank's economics research on tariff impact

(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday consumers are not paying the costs of tariffs, countering a recent Goldman Sachs' research division estimate that they had absorbed 22% of the costs through June. "It has been shown that for the most part, consumers aren't even paying these tariffs, it is mostly companies and governments, many of them foreign picking up the tabs," Trump wrote in a post on social media platform Truth Social. "But David Solomon and Goldman Sachs refuse to give credit where credit is due." Trump did not specifically mention which Goldman report he was referring to. The Wall Street investment bank declined to comment on the matter. U.S. consumers had absorbed 22% of tariff costs through June and their share will rise to 67% if the recent tariffs follow the same pattern as the earliest ones, Goldman Sachs Economics Research said in a note published on August 10. "This implies that U.S. businesses have absorbed more than half of the tariff costs so far but that their share will fall to less than 10%," analysts led by Jan Hatzius said. Hatzius did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Since February 1, when Trump kicked off trade wars by slapping levies on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, at least 333 companies worldwide have reacted to the tariffs in some manner, as of August 12, according to a Reuters tracker. Tariffs are taxes levied on imported goods to typically protect domestic industries or influence trade policies. Its financial impact can be distributed among manufacturers, retailers and consumers, depending on market conditions and supply-chain dynamics. Economists continue to study how much of the tariff cost is ultimately passed on to consumers through higher prices. Meanwhile, Trump has also been vocal about his complaints concerning corporate policies and operations since he took office in January. He met Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan on Monday, days after seeking his resignation. Sign in to access your portfolio

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