The US sends third-country deportees to the small African kingdom of Eswatini
The U.S. has already deported eight men to another African nation, South Sudan, after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on sending people to countries where they have no ties.
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Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
DeSantis says a census redo could be in works amid state redistricting wars
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis, maintaining that the last U.S. Census was 'flawed,' said Wednesday that the Trump administration was considering whether to approve a new census before the end of the decade — a move that that the Republican governor predicted could help Florida gain extra congressional seats. DeSantis said he is already 'seriously' looking at asking the Florida Legislature to redraw the state's existing congressional map. Republicans already hold a 20-8 edge over Democrats. Florida, like other states, normally redraws its congressional and legislative maps once a decade following the decennial U.S. Census. But with the House narrowly under GOP control, a plethora of both red and blue states are considering redrawing seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, the nation's second largest state, is already embarking on a mid-decade redistricting that could result in Republicans picking up five additional seats. Florida picked up an extra congressional seat after the last U.S. Census. DeSantis, however, has maintained that the census — which was largely conducted during the first Trump term with the results announced by President Joe Biden's administration — under-counted Florida, which he contends cost the state an additional House seat. During remarks made at a Tampa roundtable on education, the governor said he was he 'told at the tail end of the [first] Trump administration that we were going to get at least two seats and so we were shocked when it came out.' DeSantis said he considered suing but ultimately decided against it. He said, however, he has had discussions with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and 'they agree that Florida did not get the population that it should have gotten.' In his remarks he said 'I know they've considered doing another census,' and that if it's done that it would not include anyone who had entered the country illegally. The first Trump administration tried multiple times to find ways to exclude some immigrants from the 2020 apportionment count, but ultimately abandoned the idea after a U.S. Supreme Court loss and pandemic-related delays pushed the data release until after his term ended. 'I hope that they do redo the census, I think Florida would benefit if they redid the census. But even short of that I do think we are going to be looking at the pathways to be able do the redistricting here in Florida,' DeSantis said. A completely new U.S. Census would be unprecedented and legally and logistically questionable; the Constitution mandates a census every ten years and non-citizens have never been excluded. But a theoretical mid-decade rerun of the census would likely benefit Florida, as the state has seen rapid growth since the Covid-19 pandemic, with people relocating from other states including New York, Illinois and even California. The last census began in 2020 under Trump and the next is scheduled for 2030. The White House and the Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to questions about DeSantis' comments. DeSantis acknowledged that he has yet to personally discuss redistricting ideas with leaders of the Florida Legislature. He once had tremendous sway over lawmakers, but after his failed run for president has repeatedly clashed with top legislators, especially those in the Florida House. Legislative leaders have so far been reticent to comment on DeSantis' suggestions to mount a redistricting effort. During the last go-round, DeSantis muscled through a map that helped Republicans pick up four seats that year. That map was challenged in both federal and state courts with the Florida Supreme Court — which is dominated by DeSantis appointees — earlier just this month upholding the map. That ruling concluded that legislators could sidestep protections for minority voters first adopted by voters in 2010 as part of the 'Fair Districts' constitutional amendment. DeSantis asserted on Wednesday that those protections were unconstitutional under federal law and likely 'unenforceable.' Last week the governor suggested that ruling could be used to reexamine other districts, including some in South Florida. Democrats in Florida, however, have said they will fight back against any efforts to 'rig the system.' The state's Fair Districts amendment also prohibits drawing districts in a way that protects incumbents for partisan gain. 'Any mid-cycle redistricting would still need to comply with the rest of Fair Districts and would open us up to all new rounds of expensive state and federal litigation,' predicted state Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the House Democratic leader from Tampa. Solve the daily Crossword
Miami Herald
3 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Poacher accused of ‘ravaging the ocean' off Canada gets prison time, records show
A Canadian man accused of 'ravaging the ocean and flouting the law' for more than a decade and poaching more than CA$1 million worth of sea cucumbers has been sentenced to six years in prison, court records show. Scott Steer, of Gabriola Island, faced eight charges including fishing in a closed area without a license, selling illegally harvested sea cucumbers and breaching an order prohibiting him from possessing fishing vessels, according to July 25 sentencing records from British Columbia Supreme Court Justice David Crerar. According to court records, Steer has the 'longest record of Fisheries Act violations in Canadian history,' with 34 convictions dating back to 2008 — but authorities say his non-compliance began even earlier. 'Steer considers himself unbound by laws,' Crerar said, adding that he fully recognized 'and even exulted in the criminality of his actions.' Steer's attorney Kevin Westell told McClatchy News in an email July 30 that Steer is 'incredibly disappointed with the result' of the sentencing. 'We are currently in the process of reviewing the trial and sentencing decisions from the perspective of a potential appeal. We have 30 days from the date of the sentencing decision to file a notice of appeal and plan to use the time constructively,' Westell said. Through a 'sham' corporation, Steer received more than CA$1 million through his illegal sea cucumber sales — an amount that is based on known payments from just one entity, officials said. 'Other revenues, from other buyers, are unknown,' Crerar said. 'The trial evidence indicated that revenues were likely significantly more.' In 2019, between October and December alone, Steer harvested 97,722 pounds of sea cucumbers under illegally-obtained licenses and 'harvested thousands of pounds of additional sea cucumbers' without any license at all, court records show. Steer's previous violations include poaching other marine life, including catching over 1,000 pounds of crab 'under cover of darkness' in Vancouver Harbor, which is permanently closed for crab harvesting, court records show. 'The only way to stop Mr Steer from ravaging the ocean and flouting the law and court orders is to move him far from the sea for a long period of time,' Crerar said in sentencing records. In many cultures, sea cucumbers are considered a delicacy and are often used in traditional medicine.
Vox
4 minutes ago
- Vox
Why Trump is picking a fight with Brazil
This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration is imposing new tariffs on Brazil and sanctioning a Brazilian supreme court justice in an extraordinary attempt to interfere in Brazil's domestic politics on behalf of a far-right ally. What's the big picture? President Donald Trump is intensely interested in the criminal case against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of planning a military coup attempt. Trump and his administration have repeatedly accused Brazilian officials of a political 'witch hunt' against Bolsonaro and demanded they drop their case. Bolsonaro, a far-right leader whose supporters stormed government buildings in 2023 following his 2022 electoral defeat, allegedly planned to assassinate Brazilian President Luiz Inácio 'Lula' da Silva and multiple others as part of his attempt to remain in power. How is Trump pressuring Brazil? The Trump administration took two new steps on Wednesday. First, the Treasury Department sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes under the Global Magnitsky Act, a law intended to target foreigners accused of serious human rights violations. (The department alleges violations by de Moraes, including regarding Bolsonaro's prosecution, but nothing like what the law is normally used for.) Second, Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on Brazil, effective immediately rather than on August 1. Brazil has a long-running trade deficit with the US, something Trump claims to want, which makes the tariffs an especially remarkable step. How is Brazil responding? So far, with defiance. Earlier this month, Lula declared that 'No gringo is going to give orders to this president,' and Bolsonaro's trial continues. Brazilians appear to be on his side: Lula's support has risen in recent polls following Trump's threats. The Logoff The email you need to stay informed about Trump — without letting the news take over your life. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Why does this matter? Trump is attempting to use the US's economic power to interfere in a foreign justice system in an effort to save an ally accused of serious crimes. If he's successful, it's a disturbing go-ahead for other would-be autocrats hoping to cling to power — and even if he's not, it's a shocking use of power on behalf of a perceived personal interest, rather than the interests of the US. And with that, it's time to log off… It's that time again — I, your faithful newsletter author, am back to recommend another episode of Vox's consistently excellent Unexplainable podcast. This time, my colleague Byrd Pinkerton talks with two evolutionary biologists about a decades-long experiment with 12 E. coli colonies. It's a great piece that explores big questions about why evolution on Earth played out the way it did, and whether it would do so again if it were re-run. I hope you give it a listen, and we'll see you back here tomorrow!
