EXCLUSIVE We witnessed teammates be sidelined by transgender athletes. Why we're now one step closer to restoring integrity in women's sports
With the US Supreme Court 's decision this week to review lower court rulings favoring transgender athletes in and West , the women and their attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom will have a chance this fall to impact gender policies across several states, if not the entire country.
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The Independent
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- The Independent
Speaker Johnson vows to stop California's redistricting push — but ignores Texas doing the same
House Speaker Mike Johnson says he plans to derail California's proposed congressional map after Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a proposal to redraw the state's electoral boundaries. Newsom and California Democrats proposed new congressional lines on Friday in an attempt to eliminate potential gains in Texas, where Republicans backed by Donald Trump launched a nationwide redistricting battle with nakedly partisan ambitions ahead of midterm elections in 2026. Johnson accused Democrats of an 'illegal power grab.' 'Gavin Newsom should spend less time trampling his state's laws for a blatant power grab, and more time working to change the disastrous, far-left policies that are destroying California,' Johnson wrote Monday. 'Newsom obviously wants to launch a presidential campaign on the backs of disenfranchised California voters, but it will not work.' But unlike California, Texas lawmakers in the state legislature only need to vote on the maps before they are signed into law by Governor Gregg Abbott. Newsom, meanwhile, must hold a special election this fall so voters can decide whether to suspend the state's independent redistricting commission until the end of the decade to advance the new map. Johnson's statement followed the return of a group of Texas Democrats who left the state to break quorum in the state House, leaving Republicans without enough members present to vote on legislation during a special 30-day legislative session that was requested by Abbott. Dozens of Texas Democrats declared victory on Monday after staying out of the state for more than two weeks, blocking Republicans' Trump-led gerrymandering campaign. In a statement on Monday, the Texas House Democratic Caucus said that members returned 'to launch the next phase in their fight against the racist gerrymander that provoked a weeks-long standoff with Governor [Greg] Abbott and President Trump.' GOP lawmakers were explicit that the new map was designed to improve 'political performance,' an act of political or partisan gerrymandering — in which a controlling party carves out maps to 'pack' likely opponents into a few districts, or 'cracks' them across multiple districts, thereby diluting their voting power. Critics accused Republicans of gerrymandering a map on racial lines, effectively letting Republicans choose their voters rather than the other way around. While out of the state, Abbott and state Attorney General Ken Paxton and GOP members of Congress put pressure on law enforcement to haul absent lawmakers back to the state capital in Austin. 'We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance and intimidation, and rallied Democrats nationwide to join this existential fight for fair representation — reshaping the entire 2026 landscape,' said Texas House of Representatives Minority Leader Gene Wu. California and Texas, the nation's two most populous states, remain at the forefront of the brewing redistricting war, as Trump pushes Republicans to redraw electoral lines for control of the House of Representatives to avoid a repeat of 2018 midterm elections — when Democrats regained control of Congress and impeached him twice. Democrats — who accused Republicans of illegally diluting the voting strength of Black and Latino voters — are planning to retaliate, triggering a race to reshape the electoral map by the time Americans cast their ballots in 2026. Newsom has stressed that bypassing the state's redistricting commission would be temporary, and that the state would only redraw its congressional boundaries if Texas shot first. At a rally in Los Angeles last week, Newsom said Trump is 'trying to rig the system' and, 'as a consequence, we need to disabuse ourselves of the way things have been done.' 'We have got to recognize the cards that have been dealt,' Newsom said. 'And we have got to meet fire with fire.' Johnson called Newsom's plans a 'slap in the face to Californians who overwhelmingly support' the state's redistricting commission. 'Unlike other states, California must shred its own Constitution to succeed in its desperate gambit to 'end the Trump presidency.' Voters in California and across the nation see through this partisan stunt,' he said. Johnson said his office and the National Republican Congressional Committee will 'use every measure and resource possible' to take on California. The Republicans' congressional campaign arm criticized Newsom's move, accusing the governor of 'shredding California's Constitution and disenfranchising voters to prop up his Presidential ambitions.' 'The NRCC is prepared to fight this illegal power grab in the courts and at the ballot box to stop Newsom in his tracks,' chairman Richard Hudson said last week.
The Independent
a minute ago
- The Independent
Zelensky gifts Trump letter from his wife to give to Melania
Volodymyr Zelensky has given Donald Trump a letter to pass on to Melania Trump from his wife. The Ukrainian president arrived in Washington, DC for talks on ending the ongoing war with the US president on Monday (18 August) , with other world leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, also in attendance. After thanking Mr Trump for the invitation, Mr Zelensky handed him a letter from his wife Olena Zelenska, Ukraine's first lady. "It's not to you, it's to your wife," he told Mr Trump, with the pair both laughing. At a summit in Alaska on Friday (15 August), Mr Trump delivered a letter to Vladimir Putin on behalf of Melania, who wrote about the plight of children affected by the conflict.
The Independent
a minute ago
- The Independent
Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner live: Score and updates from blockbuster Cincinnati Open final
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner meet again in another final, this time at the Cincinnati Open, as both players continue to build up to this month's US Open. Alcaraz and Sinner have contested the last two grand slam finals, with Alcaraz winning a five-set classic at the French Open final and Sinner getting his revenge in the Wimbledon final. World No 1 Sinner is on a run of 26 consecutive wins on hard-court surfaces and snapped his losing run against Alcaraz by winning the Wimbledon final in four sets last month. Alcaraz, who is looking to overtake Sinner in the rankings, still enjoys a 8-5 winning record against the Italian and will have his eye on a statement win ahead of Flushing Meadows where his young rival is the defending champion. Cincinnati Open final start time and how to watch When is Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner? The Cincinnati Open men's final will be played on Monday 18 August at 3pm local time (8pm UK time). How can I watch it? The Cincinnati Open is being shown on Sky Sports Tennis in the UK. Viewers can also stream the match live on Now TV or Sky Go. Jamie Braidwood18 August 2025 18:31 Welcome along Good evening. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner meet again in another final, this time at the Cincinnati Open, as both players continue to build up to this month's US Open. Alcaraz and Sinner have contested the last two grand slam finals, with Alcaraz winning a five-set classic at the French Open final and Sinner getting his revenge in the Wimbledon final. World No 1 Sinner is on a run of 26 consecutive wins on hard-court surfaces and snapped his losing run against Alcaraz by winning the Wimbledon final in four sets last month. World No 2 Alcaraz still enjoys a 8-5 winning record against Sinner, and the Spaniard will have his eye on a statement win ahead of Flushing Meadows where the Italian is the defending champion. Jamie Braidwood18 August 2025 18:30
