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Albanese's Australian Balancing Act Faces Greatest Test Yet

Albanese's Australian Balancing Act Faces Greatest Test Yet

Bloomberg30-05-2025
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During Australia's recent election campaign, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on his way to a historic win, was asked whether he trusted US President Donald Trump.
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California lawmakers approve Newsom's redistricting plan to counter Texas Republicans
California lawmakers approve Newsom's redistricting plan to counter Texas Republicans

USA Today

time8 minutes ago

  • USA Today

California lawmakers approve Newsom's redistricting plan to counter Texas Republicans

California lawmakers approved Democratic-led redistricting maps for voters to decide in a special election, a day after Texas House Republicans passed new redistricting plans. The California Legislature on Aug. 21 approved Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposal on a ballot measure to suspend the state's current congressional districts, drawn by an independent commission, and replace them with maps that could give Democrats five U.S. House seats. The redistricting effort in California is in response to Texas, where Republican lawmakers are pushing new redistricting maps at President Donald Trump's request. The Texas Senate could pass its new redistricting plans on Aug. 21, which Republicans hope will give the state GOP an additional five U.S. House seats. But Newsom said Texas "fired the first shot," and that California is "neutralizing" what happened and giving American voters "a fair chance." "We got here because the President of the United States is struggling, we got here because the President of the United States is one of the most unpopular presidents in US history, we got here because he recognizes that he will lose the election," Newsom said before signing his redistricting plan into law. "He's trying to rig the elections. He's trying to set up the conditions where he can claim that the elections were not won fair and square. Open your eyes to what is going on in the United States of America in 2025." Meanwhile, California Republican Party chairwoman Corrin Rankin called Newsom's actions gerrymandering, adding that her party will fight the "corruption" in court and at the ballot box. "Governor Newsom has signed into law a blatant power grab, rushed through in secret by Democrats in the very kind of backroom process Californians voted to abolish when they created the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission," Rankin said in a statement. "Voters established the Commission to guarantee fairness and transparency, and Democrats just shredded it to protect their own power." California wants to thwart Trump, Texas' efforts California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said after the vote that Trump doesn't believe in the nation's democratic system. "And it's clear that he will do whatever it takes to hold on to power," Rivas said. "Donald Trump and Republicans don't want to be held accountable by voters. Not in California, not anywhere, actually, in this country." California's proposed redistricting would be temporary as the ballot measure going before voters during a special election on Nov. 4 requires the state to return to nonpartisan map-drawing following the 2030 U.S. Census. But while the Texas redistricting map will take effect once Gov. Greg Abbott signs the bill into law, the proposed California maps could still be rejected by voters. "This special election will waste hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on a rushed special election at a time when Californians are struggling with the cost of living, crime, and homelessness," Rankin, the California GOP chair, said. "It's an abuse of taxpayer money and a direct attack on democracy in our state." But Newsom is confident that California voters can help level the playing field. Currently, California Democrats hold 43 of the state's 52 congressional seats. The Newsom-backed maps would convert five Republican seats into districts that would heavily favor Democrats. "When all things are equal and we're all playing by the same set of rules, there's no question that the Republican party will be the minority party in the House of Representatives next year," Newsom said. "I couldn't be more proud of the extraordinary leaders who are standing up for the rule of law by standing up for the principles and the enduring values of the Founding Fathers."

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