Linda McMahon: The Public Face of Trump's Fight Against ‘Woke' Education
Sporting a red 'Make Education Great Again' baseball cap, McMahon this week cracked jokes with staff at the department's Washington headquarters and spoke about their work to 'return education to the states.' Just moments later, she turned the meeting over to her deputies, who proudly ticked off the ways the department is wielding unprecedented federal authority to pressure Democratic-led states to change their education policies.
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Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers approve redistricting map favouring Republicans
Texas legislators have approved new congressional maps designed to give Republicans an edge in next year's elections for the US House of Representatives. After a two-week standoff, where Democrats fled the state to stall the vote and rally supporters against the redistricting plans, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives passed the new voting lines in an 88-52 vote. The maps will now go to the Texas Senate, where they are expected to be swiftly approved. They create five new Republican-leaning seats that would shore up the party's US House majority in Washington DC. Democratic-led states are pushing to redraw their own maps to offset the Texas ones. President Donald Trump backed redrawing the maps to safeguard a Republican majority in the US House. Republicans hold a slim majority in the upper chamber of Congress, which Democrats aim to win back in the 2026 midterm elections. Wednesday's vote in Texas followed a dramatic showdown as Democrats fled across state lines to deny Republicans the quorum necessary in the state legislative body to take a vote. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, ordered their absent Democrats' arrest, and some of them said law enforcement had monitored their homes while they were gone. The lawmakers returned this week, saying they had achieved their objective of drawing national attention to the matter. In an effort to ensure Democrats would not attempt to halt the vote again, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered the statehouse chamber doors to be locked on Monday. He also said Democrats would be "released into the custody" of a designated police officer to ensure they returned to the statehouse on Wednesday for the redistricting vote. Several Democrats instead ripped up the written agreements that they were required to sign for the police escort. One lawmaker, Nicole Collier, decided to sleep in the chamber rather than be escorted by an officer. In the time since Texas started planning these new voting maps, other states controlled by both political parties - including Florida, New York, Ohio and Missouri - have been weighing similar changes. California lawmakers are currently debating new maps that would give new advantages to Democrats in five districts, which would cancel out changes made in Texas. A key provision in California says the maps would only go into effect if Texas or other states went ahead with changes favouring Republicans. After the vote on Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X: "It's on, Texas." The new maps in Texas sparked uproar over gerrymandering - the redrawing of electoral boundaries to favour a political party - which is practised by both main parties and is legal unless ruled to be racially motivated. Like other states, Texas typically redraws congressional districts once a decade when new population data is released by the US Census. Texas Democrats claimed that redrawing the maps before the next population count in 2030 was being done along racial lines - an argument that has been rejected by Republicans. Voting maps that were approved in 2021 after the last population count are still being litigated over claims of racial discrimination. During one of the many heated exchanges during debate in the Texas statehouse, Republican legislator Todd Hunter, who introduced the redistricting bill, was applauded as he scolded Democrats. "Don't come into this body and say we didn't include you," he said. "You left us for 18 days, and that's wrong." Democrats in the chamber questioned the legality of the maps and accused Republicans of trying to "steal" an election. "Let's talk about cowardice and cheats," Democratic legislator Ann Johnson said. "The root of all of this is around racism and power," she added. "A pure power grab." Democrats and civil rights groups have said the new maps will dilute voting power from minorities, which would violate federal law, and have threatened to sue. Texas Democrats return home after redistricting row California governor unveils voting lines plan to counter Texas Republicans Texas redistricting feud escalates as Democrats face bomb and FBI threats
Geek Wire
a minute ago
- Geek Wire
18 arrested at Microsoft headquarters in latest protest over Israel tech contracts
Police take protesters into custody on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, following a demonstration at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash. (GeekWire Photo / Maddie Stoll) REDMOND, Wash. — Eighteen people were arrested on the Microsoft campus Wednesday afternoon, including some current and former employees, as protesters continued to escalate their campaign against the company over its role in providing technology to Israel. It was the second straight day of protests by members of the group No Azure for Apartheid. The group is calling on Microsoft to cut all ties to the Israeli military and government, alleging that the company's technology is being used in the surveillance, starvation and killing of Palestinians in Gaza. Redmond police said they were dispatched around 12:15 p.m. to the plaza of Microsoft's East Campus. Protesters poured red paint on the large Microsoft sign, symbolizing blood. They also used tables and chairs to form a barrier on a nearby pedestrian bridge, according to police. In contrast with a protest Tuesday, when the group dismantled their encampment after police warned them of imminent arrest, members of the group refused to leave, resisted and 'became aggressive,' police said in a statement. There was a large law enforcement presence, as Redmond police were joined by Washington State Patrol, Bellevue Police, and Kirkland Police. The arrests were for charges including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest and obstruction. Police said no injuries were reported. One of those arrested was Hossam Nasr, a leader of the group who was fired from Microsoft last year after an earlier protest on the Redmond campus, for what the company described as violations of its policies designed to prevent workplace disruption. Red paint covers the Microsoft sign at the company's headquarters. Protesters from the group No Azure for Apartheid also placed shrouds in the plaza intending to symbolize martyrs of Gaza. (GeekWire Photo / Todd Bishop) Abdo Mohamed, an organizer of the group who was also fired by Microsoft last year, said after the protest Wednesday that the 'escalations will continue' as long as Microsoft is 'embedded in the Israeli economy of genocide and apartheid' against Palestinians in Gaza. He said Microsoft seemed to be showing more outrage over red paint and relocated chairs than over its technology's alleged role in the killing and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. In a statement, Microsoft said the group 'engaged in vandalism and property damage' after returning to campus for a second day. The company accused protesters of disrupting and harassing local small businesses at a lunchtime farmer's market for employees, and taking their tables and tents. 'Microsoft will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others,' the company said. The company reiterated its commitment to its human rights standards and noted it is 'pursuing a thorough and independent review of new allegations' regarding the use of its Azure platform in the surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza. Microsoft announced Aug. 15 that it had hired the law firm Covington & Burling LLP to lead the review after reports in The Guardian and other outlets alleged Israeli forces used Microsoft servers as part of the mass surveillance of Palestinians. The company said the report contained 'additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review,' and noted that it would publicly release the findings. In past statements, Microsoft has said it complies with its human rights commitments, and that its contracts with Israel's Ministry of Defense are standard commercial agreements, governed by its terms of service and AI Code of Conduct. Earlier this year, Microsoft said internal and external reviews found no violations. However, the company at the time also acknowledged its limited visibility into how its technology is deployed on private or on-premises systems.
NBC News
3 minutes ago
- NBC News
Texas House passes new congressional maps
The Texas House has approved new GOP-drawn maps that could give Republicans up to five more seats in Congress, despite Democrats' efforts to block the plan.
