Pre-2026 redistricting race
A pre-2026 redistricting arms race is heating up
Democrats across the country are searching for ways to block or counter a Trump-led effort by Republicans to redraw Texas' congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections
This is a rare mid-decade redistricting in Texas. The president and Republicans hope that shifting boundaries in Texas could help the GOP pick up as many as five seats in the 2026 race for control of the U.S. House.
A wave of relief
The earthquake that hit a Russian island was among the most powerful ever recorded, and forecasters immediately feared it could spur cataclysmic walls of water thousands of miles away in Hawaii, California and Alaska. But hours later, evacuation warnings were lifted for nearly all of the U.S. Damage was determined to be minimal — at least in the U.S. so far, with Honolulu's dangerous traffic gridlock the main impact.
More news to know now
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Drastic changes are coming to homeless services
President Donald Trump has long criticized how the U.S. manages homelessness, and argues public streets aren't safe for either the homeless or residents. Now, the president has declared that organizations for the homeless receiving federal funding mustfocus first on locking up people with drug or mental health challenges. Longtime social workers, medical experts and mental health service providers say a law and order approach will likely worsen homelessness across the country, particularly because Trump's order contains no new funding for mental health or drug treatment. Additionally, they say the president appears to misunderstand the fundamental driver of homelessness: People can't afford housing.
The Fed didn't cut interest rates this week. But here's when they might
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday between 4.25% and 4.5% — exactly as interest-rate traders' bets had predicted after the policy-making body's meeting in June. Traders now see the Fed's Oct. 29 meeting as the most likely chance for an interest rate cut. That means short-term interest rates — which are heavily influenced by the Fed's decisions — could remain elevated for several more weeks.
Today's talkers
A major deadline for MLB today
There are still several difference-makers on the market so baseball fans can expect a flurry of activity as the 2-25 Major League Baseball trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET approaches. Perhaps today is the day we see starting pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Merrill Kelly or Zac Gallen make shifts? Here are some of the top players who could be on the move ahead of Thursday's deadline.
Photo of the day: Goodbye, Ozzy
Fans, friends and family bid farewell to Ozzy Osbourne at his funeral procession Wednesday through his home city of Birmingham, England. The Black Sabbath frontman died July 22 at the age of 76, a little over two weeks after his final live performance with his Black Sabbath bandmates. Scroll through for photos of the rock legend's funeral proceedings.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.
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Newsom is ready to redraw California's maps. Here's an overview of where we stand
In less than three months, California voters may be tasked with determining whether the state moves forward with a mid-decade redistricting, a move proponents say is combating Texas Republican lawmakers' efforts to secure more party seats in the 2026 midterms as the nation teeters on a gerrymander war. Gov. Gavin Newsom reiterated his plans in a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday, Aug. 11, in which he requested that the president call on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the leaders of other red states to cease their efforts. 'If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states,' Newsom said. 'But if the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same.' The letter comes the same week state Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said he anticipated the proposed maps would be released after lawmakers were pressed about when the public would see them. 'Once these maps are released, voters will have the opportunity to digest these maps, review them for weeks and months leading to this election,' Rivas said during a press conference on Aug. 8. For weeks, Newsom and California Democratic lawmakers have been floating plans for a mid-decade redistricting. It's in response to Trump and White House officials who've urged Texas Republican leaders to redraw voting maps to gain five new Republican-friendly seats to the U.S. House of Representatives, USA TODAY reported. In California, congressional district maps are drawn by the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission — not legislators — which was created when voters passed the Voters First Act in 2008. Here's the latest on redistricting efforts in California, based on Newsom and other lawmakers' recent public comments, and what to know moving forward. What is Newsom proposing? Here's what you should know Newsom and California lawmakers plan to call for a special election in the first week of November, in which voters will determine whether California will move forward with redistricting — a move that would pick up five Democratic seats. Lawmakers have until Aug. 22 to get this measure on the ballot, Newsom said during a press conference on Aug. 8. The assembly and state senate have adjourned until Aug. 18. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat whose district includes San Benito County and parts of other central coast counties, said that leaders found that they could create a map for California that 'eliminated five Republican districts' yet 'was true to the Voting Rights Act' following Texas's efforts during the Aug. 8 press conference. The California governor has previously described the proposal being advanced with the legislature as having a 'trigger.' If Texas moves forward with its mid-decade redistricting, then California would act. Recently, many Democratic Texas representatives have left the state to stall redistricting efforts. 'We tried to play by a higher set of standards and rules with our independent redistricting, and we believe in that, and we are not talking about eliminating that commission,' Newsom said on Aug. 8. 'We are talking about emergency measures to respond to what's happening in Texas and we will nullify what happens in Texas. We will pick up five seats with the consent of the people.' Newsom has described the mid-decade redistricting as occurring 'just for congressional maps in '26, '28 and '30.' California has 52 congressional districts, nine of which are currently represented by Republican congressmen: Doug LaMalfa, 1st Congressional District of California Kevin Kiley, 3rd Congressional District of California Tom McClintock, 5th Congressional District of California Vince Fong, 20th Congressional District of California David Valadao, 22nd Congressional District of California Jay Obernolte, 23rd Congressional District of California Young Kim, 40th Congressional District of California Ken Calvert, 41st Congressional District of California Darrell Issa, 48th Congressional District of California These lawmakers said in a joint statement in late July that they'd 'fight any attempt to disenfranchise California voters by whatever means necessary to ensure the will of the people continues to be reflected in redistricting and in our elections.' 'The Commission received feedback from tens of thousands of Californians as to their communities of interest, which shaped the current set of congressional districts,' they said. 'Districts that represent the local communities that they live in, rather than the whims of one political party. A partisan political gerrymander is NOT what the voters of California want, as they clearly stated when they passed the VOTERS FIRST Act and participated in the Citizens Redistricting Commission process.' Who does redistricting in California? The California Citizens Redistricting Commission, comprised of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four people not affiliated with either party, redraws the boundaries of the state's congressional, state senate, state assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts. The redrawing of districts comes after every decennial U.S. Census so that the districts 'correctly reflect the state's population,' according to the commission. With the commission created through the Voters First Act, redistricting was removed from legislators' hands. When asked to comment on lawmakers' plans to redistrict and whether they'd pursue any efforts to defend the current congressional maps, the commission said in an email to the Desert Sun that it 'has no response at this time.' Sara Sadhwani, an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College and a California Citizens Redistricting Commission commissioner, told the Desert Sun that among what sets the commission apart is 'the extreme transparency that we use.' Sadhwani described the ways in which maps could be drawn, whether it be a single person behind the scenes or writing code for a computer to draw lines based on a set of criteria. 'We collected nearly 40,000 pieces of public testimony from across the state in which people called in to share with us where their community lies, what ties their communities together and the rationale for why their community ought to be in a district together,' Sadhwani said, explaining that is the basis of their line drawing. But whether a successful mid-decade redistricting sets up a future in which the commission could be weakened by lawmakers— or even more drastically, dismantled — Sadhwani said: 'I think that would come down to how the ballot measure is written. My understanding is what Gov. Newsom has been proposing is that this would be a one-time immediate action and would keep the commission process for 2031.' Sadhwani added, 'If we can take the governor at his word, then it would not diminish the power of the commission in general; it would just be a one-time stepping out of the process.' When would we vote on redistricting in California? Special election may be called Newsom said on Aug. 4 that the goal is to get this proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot, which coincides with other municipal elections. 'Counties have 30 days after Election Day to certify their election results,' the California Secretary of State's Office press team said in an email to the Desert Sun. 'The Secretary of State will certify the official Statement of Vote 38 days after the election.' By the end of this year, Californians will generally know whether the 2026 midterms will be shaped by new maps or not. But in the weeks leading up to a possible special election, county officials will be obtaining places for voting to occur, as well as to count the votes, said Jim Patrick, spokesperson for the California Secretary of State, in an email. 'They'll hire and train staff to work before, during, and after the election,' Patrick said. 'And they'll make sure they have the materials (primarily envelopes and ballots) they need to run an election.' Shaun Bowler, a professor of political science at UC Riverside, said in an email to the Desert Sun that 'pretty much any map of seats' is subject to legal challenge. 'This will be no different,' he said. This effort is unusual because it's a response to events happening in other states, Bowler said. Rather than it being a step to counter GOP efforts in California, it's an attempt to offset what lawmakers are trying in Texas, the UC Riverside professor said. He shared what he thought were wider implications for Congress. Should redistricting in Texas ultimately help keep Republican control of Congress, then anything they pass is 'going to be suspect and open to criticism and complaint' because it wouldn't reflect the will of voters, Bowler said. When asked whether leaders have a backup plan should people vote against this effort, Newsom said voters will approve it. 'I think the voters understand what's at stake,' he said. Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@ This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California redistricting: Here's Newsom's plan and what happens next Solve the daily Crossword
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‘Severe consequences': Trump warns Putin ahead of Alaska summit
President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that Russia would face 'very severe consequences' if he determines during Friday's summit with Vladimir Putin that the Russian leader is still not serious about ending the war with Ukraine. Trump, who did not specify what those consequences might be, has been reluctant to increase economic sanctions or tariffs on Russia despite his mounting frustration with Putin's intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities, civilians and indifference to peace talks. Lowering expectations that the sit-down with Putin in Alaska would yield a breakthrough, Trump said that he's hopeful this initial meeting could lead to another that includes Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and, potentially, Trump. 'First, I'll find out where we are,' Trump said. 'If the first [meeting] goes okay, we'll have a quick second one. I would like to do it almost immediately.' But, the president cautioned, he won't pursue a trilateral meeting if he doesn't think Putin is acting in good faith. 'There may be no second meeting because if I feel that it's not appropriate to have it because I didn't get the answers that we have to have, then we are not going to have a second meeting,' Trump said. Trump's comments came during an appearance at the Kennedy Center and shortly after an hour-long call with European leaders, including Zelenskyy, in preparation for Friday's summit. Trump described the call as 'very good,' and several European leaders were quick to issue statements about the call Wednesday morning to underscore their alignment. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Trump 'largely shares' Europe's position on peace talks, and French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Trump is indeed pushing for a ceasefire, a top priority for Zelenskyy and NATO. Putin's stubborn refusal to entertain Trump's diplomatic entreaties so far has pushed the president into closer alignment with NATO allies and even Zelenskyy, who he dressed down in the Oval Office less than six months ago. Friday's sit-down with Putin, who many analysts believe is likely to try to repair his personal relationship with Trump in a private meeting while convincing him that Ukraine shares the blame for the prolonged conflict, will put the president's shifting convictions to a serious test. Even as he sought to put the onus on Putin to demonstrate new seriousness about ending the war, Trump downplayed expectations about his own ability to persuade the Russian president to do so. When asked whether he could convince Putin to 'stop targeting civilians in Ukraine,' he demurred. 'I guess the answer to that is probably no,' Trump said.
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White House Demands Thorough Review of Smithsonian Museums so All Exhibits Match Trump's Interpretation of U.S. History
The Trump administration has ordered eight Smithsonian museums to make its exhibits more "unifying" before the nation celebrates its 250th birthday in Washington next yearNEED TO KNOW Donald Trump's White House sent a letter to the Smithsonian this week, directing the institution to ensure its museums align with the president's vision, according to The Wall Street Journal Eight Smithsonian museums have been directed to thoroughly review and update their exhibitions, internal communications, featured artists and more The directive comes with a deadline, as the Trump administration readies its plans for America's 250th anniversary next yearThe White House continued its cultural crackdown on the Smithsonian this week, pressuring the institution to review its exhibits and operations and align them with President Donald Trump's view of American history. On Tuesday, Aug. 12, The Wall Street Journal reported on a letter that was sent by three top White House officials to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch. According to the outlet, the letter followed up on the directive laid out in Trump's March 27 executive order, titled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," which targeted the Smithsonian museums by name. The executive order read, in part, "Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology. This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive." The new White House letter offers specifics on how the Smithsonian can achieve "alignment" with the president's vision. Following a thorough review of exhibitions, internal communications, visitor surveys, featured artists, outside partners and more, the museums are then instructed to make updates that replace "divisive or ideologically driven" language with "unifying, historically accurate" content. The directive comes with a deadline, as the Trump administration readies its plans for America's 250th anniversary celebration in Washington next year. The Smithsonian is expected to submit extensive documentation of its review within 30 days before starting to make the expected changes. 'This is about preserving trust in one of our most cherished institutions,' said White House senior associate Lindsay Halligan, one of the officials who signed the letter, in a statement. 'The Smithsonian museums and exhibits should be accurate, patriotic, and enlightening—ensuring they remain places of learning, wonder, and national pride for generations to come.' The Smithsonian was diplomatic in its reply to the White House letter, saying, 'The Smithsonian's work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history. We are reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind and will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents.' However, The Wall Street Journal spoke with historians who fear that the president's vendetta against so-called "diversity, equity and inclusion" initiatives may have a negative impact on the Smithsonian's ability to give a comprehensive look at U.S. history. 'The Smithsonian museums have never reflected one person's view, or even one administration's view,' Harvard history professor Tiya Miles told the outlet. 'They have reflected the composite research, analysis, discussion, findings of many different people, scholars and researchers.' Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association, agreed, telling WSJ, 'If those things are taken out of the hands of historians, the public stands to lose a great deal in having reliable and engaging content that tells a whole and complex story of the American past." Following his March executive order, Trump's White House has already been accused of trying to rewrite history at the Smithsonian. On July 31, The Washington Post reported on a recent change to an exhibit at the National Museum of American History titled "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden." A section of the display is dedicated to U.S. presidents who have faced impeachment, and includes information about Andrew Jackson, Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon. (While Jackson and Clinton were successfully impeached, Nixon resigned the presidency before getting to that point.) Since September 2021, the exhibit had featured a temporary label about Trump's historic two impeachments, along with a notice for visitors that read: 'Case under redesign (history happens).' However, the Post reported that the label was removed in July "as part of a content review that the Smithsonian agreed to undertake following pressure from the White House to remove an art museum director." Without no mention of Trump, the exhibit has now reverted back to suggesting that 'only three presidents have seriously faced removal,' despite that Trump has more experience with impeachment than any other president. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A Smithsonian spokesperson told the Post at the time that the Trump label was merely intended to be "a short-term addition to address current events." 'In reviewing our legacy content recently, it became clear that the 'Limits of Presidential Power' section in 'The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden' exhibition needed to be addressed,' the spokesperson said in a statement. The section of this exhibition covers Congress, The Supreme Court, Impeachment, and Public Opinion. Because the other topics in this section had not been updated since 2008, the decision was made to restore the Impeachment case back to its 2008 appearance.' Read the original article on People
