Bill creating office in NMDOJ to oversee CYFD headed to governor's desk
Bill could make 'magic mushrooms' a legal treatment option in New Mexico
Last week, the Senate passed the bill and now it heads to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's desk for final action.
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Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Nationwide 'Fight the Trump Takeover' Protests on Saturday: What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Protesters plan to gather in cities across the United States on Saturday in a coordinated national day of action opposing the Trump administration's push for redistricting in Texas and other states. More than 200 "Fight the Trump Takeover" events are scheduled across dozens of states on August 16, including in Austin, Texas—the center of a redistricting battle between Democrats and Republicans, with the latter seeking to push through a bill that could give them five extra seats in the House of Representatives. Newsweek has contacted Fight the Trump Takeover, the White House, the Democratic National Committee and Texas Governor Greg Abbott for comment outside regular working hours. Why It Matters Texas has been the center of a standoff in recent weeks, with House Democrats fleeing to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts in a bid to block the passage of a Republican redistricting bill. On August 5, President Donald Trump told CNBC's Squawk Box that Republicans were "entitled to five more seats" in the Lone Star State. But the row over the redrawing of congressional maps before the 2026 midterm elections has not been restricted to Texas, with more than a dozen states considering similar moves. The Democratic governors of California, New York and Illinois, among others, have promised to redraw their states' already-small Republican districts if Texas goes ahead with its plans. Individuals protest in the Texas State Capitol rotunda as part of a "Fight the Trump Takeover" redistricting rally in Austin on August 1. Individuals protest in the Texas State Capitol rotunda as part of a "Fight the Trump Takeover" redistricting rally in Austin on August 1. Cal Sport Media via AP Image What To Know One of the main Fight the Trump Takeover rallies is scheduled to take place in Austin outside the Texas State Capitol. Other protests are set to take place across the country—including in Anchorage, Alaska, and Indianola, Iowa—according to the Fight the Trump Takeover website. The action is backed by a wide range of partners, such as Planned Parenthood, the Texas AFL-CIO and the Democratic National Committee. Organizers shared their goals on the coalition's website, writing: "Trump is trying to steal the 2026 election by rigging the system and changing electoral maps. He started in Texas, but he won't stop there. We are fighting back." Since Trump returned to office in January, there have been regular nationwide demonstrations, including the "No Kings" protests in June and "Rage Against the Regime" rallies earlier this month. Many of the protests have been organized by 50501 (50 protests, 50 states, one movement), a grassroots organization that began to challenge the actions and policies of the Trump administration. What People Are Saying Rick Levy, the president of the Texas AFL-CIO, told The Hill: "From Texas to California to Illinois, the labor movement is united in resisting the Trump takeover. This is a defining battle for the future of our democracy, and working people across the country understand the urgent need to act." He added: "As this fight continues to spread nationwide, we will stand strong this Saturday—to defend our votes, protect our rights, and stop this redistricting scheme." Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said in an emailed statement to Axios: "How much are these 'protesters' being paid?" Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement to NBC News: "Trump knows the only way he can hold the majority after his budget betrayal is by changing the rules in the middle of the game to avoid accountability for ripping health care and food away from millions of Americans." What Happens Next Hundreds of events are scheduled for Saturday, according to the Fight the Trump Takeover website.
Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Is House size the solution to the gerrymandering problem?
Plymouth Advertisement To be truly representative, why not expand House to 10,000 members? Jeff Jacoby's suggestion to enlarge the House of Representatives as a way to end the gerrymandering wars was a good idea but did not go far enough. Today's data and data processing capabilities would still make gerrymandering possible, even if the United States tripled the number of members of the House, and districts would still be too large. Large districts enable the wealthy and special interests to make our representatives beholden to them, and enable outside money to influence what our country's Founders meant to be local elections. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Technology is distorting our electoral processes. Why not use technology to support the democracy the Founders envisioned? Why not expand the House to 10,000 members, with each member representing approximately 34,000 constituents? That's close to the same number when the country was founded, 30,000. We should also end the requirement that all members be physically present and use more video conferencing and other technology to support the actions needed for the House to govern. This would make the 'people's chamber' once again the people's chamber, reduce the cost of elections, make representatives more accessible, and truly eliminate gerrymandering. Advertisement Richard Amster Cambridge Gerrymandering isn't the only problem with the House I stand in complete agreement with both Jeff Jacoby's analysis of the gerrymandering problem and his fitting solution. Our Framers intended Article 1 of the US Constitution, which establishes Congress, to be the most significant. They wanted House members to be close to the average citizen. They anticipated this body increasing in size with our nation's increasing population, to accurately reflect the views and needs of the people. Capping the number of representatives at 435 in 1929 was wrong — and so is the historic practice of gerrymandering, famously done in Massachusetts in 1812 and repeated often since then in virtually every state. But our nation's lawmaking body is also undermined by two related factors — the use of seniority in committee assignments and the lack of term limits. Partly as a result, representatives spend too much time on political pandering, fund-raising, and trying to manage age-related infirmities. Instead of giving committee assignments to the longest serving members, who have been waiting in the wings and feel entitled to the role, grant them to members with practical experience in the work of that committee. And while we're in the mood for change, let's allow representatives only four terms. This should be sufficient time for each to make substantive contributions, especially in smaller districts more 'in touch' with their constituents. Advertisement Peter Vangsness Medway Small districts aren't enough: We need good government initiatives Jeff Jacoby proposes enlarging the House of Representatives as a solution to political gerrymandering. But it's important to note that the term 'gerrymander' goes back to Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry, who signed a state redistricting plan into law in 1812. Wags referred to one tortuous, lizard-shaped, North Shore district as a 'Gerry-mander.' The congressional districts at the time had about 35,000 constituents each, and digital computers were still more than a century from their birth. So you do not need large congressional districts, or computers, to engage in gerrymandering. To point out something that should be obvious, running an honest government requires bipartisan support for fair districting practices, honest ethics oversight, and effective protection against foreign government interference. Donald Segretti, Lee Atwater, Roger Ailes, and others have for decades used dirty tricks to win elections — and many of these dirty tricksters have been Republicans. At the same time, the purging of voter rolls has often disproportionately affected Democratic voters. This contrasts with a decades-long effort by Democrats to improve voting access and integrity, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the post-Watergate campaign-finance reforms. The disparity is stark between the Republicans, who are backing away from bipartisanship and good government initiatives, and the Democrats, who remain committed to them. Stuart Gallant Belmont
Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Newsweek
Barack Obama Sends Message to Texas Democrats Over Redistricting Battle
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former President Barack Obama has said he is "so proud" of Texas House Democrats who have fled the Lone Star State to break quorum, preventing the passage of a redistricting bill that would likely give the Republicans another five seats in the national House of Representatives. On Thursday, Obama spoke to rebel lawmakers by video call, a photograph of which was shared on X by the official Texas House Democrats account. This was shared in turn by Obama who added: "I am so proud of the Texas House Democrats and the work that they've done. "Their willingness to put themselves on the line to highlight the current assault on our democracy has set an example for what all of us have to do." Former U.S. President Barack Obama participating in a book talk with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel at The Anthem on December 02, 2024 in Washington, DC. Former U.S. President Barack Obama participating in a book talk with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel at The Anthem on December 02, 2024 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch/GETTY This is a developing story and is being updated.
