An order arrest Texas Democrats
Texas governor promises arrest of lawmakers who fled
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered Texas law enforcement to arrest Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block a vote on redistricting that could give Republicans several more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
More than 50 state Democratic lawmakers fled Aug. 3 in the political power struggle. Many went to the Chicago area, where Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker greeted them. Others went to Boston, Massachusetts, and Albany, New York.
An in-flight mayday isn't as scary as it sounds
It means the system is working. When a United Airlines flight issued a mayday call shortly after departure, passengers onboard were doubtlessly scared. One of the Boeing 787's engines had failed, and the plane was forced to return to Washington Dulles International Airport, rather than continuing over the Atlantic to Munich, where it was bound. The plane landed safely, and no injuries were reported — a testament to effective pilot training and the overall safety of air travel. If you're headed to the airport today, take a breath and don't be too concerned. As the adage goes, you're much more likely to get injured on your drive to the airport than you are in the sky.
More news to know now
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Canadian wildfires prompt air quality warnings for Midwest, Northeast
"Milky gray" skies could remain for days as weak winds leave wildfire smoke to linger over the northern U.S. Stronger winds aren't expected to blow the smoke until Aug. 6 or 7 for the Midwest, forecasters told USA TODAY, and conditions in the Northeast will likely improve by the end of the week. The blazes have catapulted major American and Canadian cities into the most polluted places in the world, with Detroit, Minneapolis, and Toronto among the top 11 most polluted cities in the world as of Monday evening. Know the side effects of inhaling wildfire smoke.
When does your body really start aging?
A new study suggests aging may begin sooner than you think. By looking at tissues taken from organs throughout the body, including the heart, liver, pancreas, spleen, lung, skin and muscles, researchers in a new study determined that aging starts to accelerate from 45 to 55. The study's findings could have a lot of implications in future research into treatments for chronic conditions related to aging that would not only add decades to patients' lifespan, but also their health span, which is the period of a person's life spent in good health, authors said. The study also shows the small window older adults have to change their aging trajectory.
Today's talkers
Texas is at the front of college football for the first time
Texas will open at No. 1 for the first time in the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Longhorns, projected among the early favorites in the crowded SEC, were voted first by 28 of the 67 panelists in this year's poll. They'll get an immediate challenge to that lofty perch, however, as their Week 1 opponent, defending champion Ohio State, will start off at No. 2. This season opener is unprecedented in the poll, and the hype leading up to the clash in Columbus will be, too.
Photo of the day: Trump relishes paved-over Rose Garden
President Trump claims he's hearing "great reviews" about his controversial overhaul of the White House Rose Garden — which has turned the garden's famous lawn into a stone patio.
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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Read More: The Trump Era of Flattery Diplomacy is Here In the same interview, Trump threatened the European Union with 35% tariffs if it failed to live up to a pledge to invest some $600 billion in the U.S., and also threatened India with higher tariffs, citing their buying of Russian oil. India, he says, has 'not been a good trading partner.' Trump had criticized India's buying of Russian oil on Truth Social on Monday, claiming he would 'substantially' raise tariffs as a result. 'They're fueling the war machine. And if they're going to do that, then I'm not going to be happy,' Trump said of India in the CNBC interview Tuesday. Jobs report was 'rigged' Last week, Trump directed his Administration to fire Erika McEntarfer, head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following a report that showed that the U.S. added fewer jobs in July than many economists had expected, which indicated to economists that job growth stalled in the aftermath of several of Trump's controversial economic policies, including his volatile tariff policies. 'It's a highly political situation. It's totally rigged. Smart people know it. People with common sense know it,' Trump told CNBC, though host Kernan pushed back, telling Trump that this was a 'big leap' to call the report 'rigged.' 'Critics are going to say, 'Hey, he's picking a guy or a gal that's going to give him the numbers that he wants.' So it undermines confidence in the system to some extent,' Kernan told the President. Still, Trump defended his move. 'She's a very nice woman, but when they say that nobody was involved, that it wasn't political, give me a break.'
