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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why all eyes are on KC — not St. Louis — as Trump pushes to gerrymander Missouri
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@ Have the latest Reality Checks delivered to your inbox with our free newsletter. When U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison received a phone call from someone on President Donald Trump's political team late last month, the conversation centered on adding another GOP congressional seat in Missouri. For Burlison, a Missouri Republican, the likely move would involve splitting up U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's 5th Congressional District, which covers nearly all of Kansas City and some of its suburbs in Jackson and Clay counties. 'I mean, it's just — it's obvious,' Burlison said in an interview with The Star. All eyes appear to be on Kansas City — as opposed to the state's other blue-leaning hub in St. Louis — as Trump pressures Missouri lawmakers to gerrymander the state's U.S. House map so Republicans can pick up another congressional seat. There is constellation of reasons why, ranging from political maneuvering to civil rights and legal concerns. Republicans currently control six districts and Democrats hold the 5th District in Kansas City and the 1st District in St. Louis, under maps lawmakers approved just three years ago. Congressional districts are typically only redrawn once every decade based on population changes released from the U.S. Census Bureau. Better odds in KC? While Kansas City appears to be the main target, any type of gerrymandering attempt in Missouri is likely to face fierce backlash and lawsuits. Cleaver said last week that the effort would spark a strong legal challenge. Cleaver's district, which is more diverse and politically progressive than most of the rest of the state, has long been a target for Missouri Republicans. The longtime congressman, and Kansas City's first Black mayor, has held the office since 2005. While the district has swarms of Democratic voters, Republicans feel that it's more competitive than the 1st District in St. Louis. 'It is easier to get to a red district by carving up Cleaver's district than it is the St. Louis district,' said Gregg Keller, a longtime Missouri GOP consultant. Splitting up the staunchly Democratic voters in St. Louis could end up hurting nearby Republican districts in eastern Missouri, he said. Cleaver won his two most recent elections in 2024 and 2022 with 60.2% and 61% of the vote, respectively. Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Democratic U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell received nearly 76% of the vote in his most recent election last year. Republicans supportive of the gerrymandering attempt hope that breaking up the voters of Kansas City, which has slimmer margins than St. Louis, would give Republicans a better chance to maintain control of the state's other congressional districts. Risk of racial discrimination Legal and racial issues at play also make Kansas City a more likely option for gerrymandering. The 1st District in St. Louis is most likely protected from 'discriminatory' changes by the federal Voting Rights Act because it is a majority-minority district in which a racial minority group constitutes a majority of the voting-age population. The landmark Civil Rights law prohibits 'voting practices that result in citizens being denied equal access to the political process on account of race.' According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Black voters make up the majority of voters who identify as one race in the 1st District, which could make it difficult for a gerrymandering attempt to withstand a legal challenge. Meanwhile, white voters make up a majority of one-race voters in the 5th District. That signifier makes it unlikely Republicans would be able to split up or 'crack' the voters in St. Louis, said Chuck Hatfield, a Jefferson City-based attorney who has been involved in a wide range of Missouri state government issues. Hatfield was referring to the practice of cracking, a type of gerrymandering that splits up groups of people to weaken their voting power. Sen. Mike Cierpiot, a Lee's Summit Republican, echoed those concerns, saying that Republicans were likely focused on Kansas City over St. Louis due to the Voting Rights Act. St. Louis is 'something we can't mess with, as far as cutting it up,' Cierpiot said. Inside Missouri's push The focus on Kansas City comes as speculation ramps up that Missouri could soon enter a national redistricting frenzy on the heels of a similar Trump-led effort in Texas. The plan being floated would involve state lawmakers redrawing a map that could give Republicans seven of the state's eight congressional districts. The attempt would be remarkable and serve as an overt example of partisan gerrymandering in Missouri — not based on population changes but to strengthen the GOP's slim majority in Congress. Opponents view the move as a brazen and undemocratic abuse of power. 'President Trump sees the writing on the wall and wants to rig the rules before voters have their say,' Rep. Michael Johnson, a Kansas City Democrat, said in a statement on behalf of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus. 'Lawmakers in Missouri shouldn't be complicit in that.' 'Redrawing the 5th District now is a blatant attempt to hold onto power,' Johnson added. While already highly unusual, the move could also violate the Missouri Constitution. Hatfield said he believes that the language of the state Constitution as well as a Missouri Supreme Court decision from 2012 prevent state lawmakers from redrawing the state's congressional maps mid-cycle — or before the release of new Census population data. While the mid-cycle push is rare, it isn't the first time Missouri Republicans have tried to gerrymander Kansas City. During the 2022 redistricting cycle, some Republican lawmakers fought for a so-called 7-1 map that would have eliminated Cleaver's district. However, that effort failed after lawmakers reached a compromise that maintained the current 6-2 makeup. At that time, some Republicans feared that splitting Cleaver's Kansas City district could backfire under what's called a 'dummymander' and lead to Democrats winning other competitive districts. Missouri lawmakers are not currently in their annual legislative session, so Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican who has expressed interest in the idea, would have to call lawmakers back to Jefferson City in a special session if he wants them to redraw the map. As lawmakers of both parties await a decision from the Republican governor, Kansas City voters are poised to serve as key players — and potential victims — in a national fight over gerrymandering, voting rights and democracy. 'You have to manage the Cleaver district as job one,' said Keller, the GOP consultant. 'And once you've accomplished that, then that gives you the guidance you need to deal with the other congressional districts.' Solve the daily Crossword
Sky News AU
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize over Israel-Iran cease-fire
President Trump was formally nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday for his efforts in securing the Israel-Iran cease-fire. In a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) recommended Trump for the prestigious prize 'in recognition of his extraordinary and historic role in brokering an end to the armed conflict between Israel and Iran and preventing the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet.' 'President Trump's influence was instrumental in forging a swift agreement that many believed to be impossible,' added Carter, who has represented the Peach State's Savannah-based 1st District since 2015. 'His leadership at this moment exemplifies the very ideals that the Nobel Peace Prize seeks to recognize: the pursuit of peace, the prevention of war, and the advancement of international harmony. 'In a region plagued by historical animosity and political volatility, such a breakthrough demands both courage and clarity. President Trump demonstrated both, offering the world a rare glimpse of hope.' Trump, 79, on Monday evening announced a cease-fire between Iran and Israel — and proposed naming the conflict the '12 Day War' — just two days after ordering an unprecedented US attack on three Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli strikes. Members of national parliaments, university professors, and others can submit nominations for the award, though Trump has made clear he doesn't expect to win it. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do,' Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social after his administration helped broker a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo.' In remarks to reporters, Trump noted the Abraham Accords of 2020, in which his administration brokered diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab nations. 'I should have gotten it four or five times… They won't give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals,' he said. Three sitting presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize, including Republican Teddy Roosevelt in 1906 for brokering a peace deal between Russia and Japan. The other two commanders-in-chief to win the prize were Democrats Woodrow Wilson (1919) and Barack Obama (2009), with the latter receiving the award fewer than nine months after he took office. 'Among the reasons it gave, the Nobel Committee lauded Obama for his 'extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples'. Emphasis was also given to his support — in word and deed — for the vision of a world free from nuclear weapons,' the peace prize's website says of the award. Obama's award drew criticism — including from Trump and fellow Republicans — as he presided over expansive US drone warfare, provided arms for bloody extremist-led rebellions in Libya and Syria and supported a $1 trillion plan to rebuild the US nuclear arsenal. Former President Jimmy Carter was honored in 2002 for 'decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts,' and former Vice President Al Gore scooped the prize in 2007 for popularizing public concern about climate change. Originally published as Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize over Israel-Iran cease-fire
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jake Day v. Andy Harris? What we know now about possible 1st District showdown
Could a big showdown be on the horizon in Maryland's 1st District? Here's what we know now about the possibility of Jake Day, current Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development, running against longtime GOP incumbent Rep. Andy Harris in the 2026 election. Maryland Matters has reported that Day, who previously served as Salisbury mayor and as president of its City Council, "is beginning to raise money for a possible challenge to U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st.)" Reached for a statement May 8, Day confirmed the Maryland Matters reporting that he has set up an exploratory campaign committee under the Federal Election Commission's 'testing the waters' guidelines for candidate, and is soliciting donations to pay for a poll to gauge his strength in a hypothetical general election against Harris. "I'm flattered by the number of people who have been reaching out asking me about this and to consider it,," Day told Delmarva Now on May 8. "However, I'm focused on my day job helping address Maryland's housing crisis and growing our economy." Stay tuned for all developments on this big race as they develop, and here's more on Jake Day and Andy Harris. PRIDE CROSSWALK HOT TOPIC: 'It's about unity': Salisbury PFLAG responds to mayor's call to repaint rainbow crosswalks Before joining the cabinet of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Day served as president of the Salisbury City Council from 2013-2015 and as the city's mayor from 2015-2023. He was confirmed as Maryland's Secretary of Housing and Community Development on March 2, 2023. Andy Harris has represented Maryland's Eastern Shore for eight terms now, first elected to the U.S. House in 2011. Before that, Harris, the only Republican in Maryland's current congressional delegation, served in the state Senate from 1999-2011. NEW BUSINESSES ALL AROUND: Museum of Ocean City is now open, plus new garden center in Hebron | What's Going There This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Will Jake Day enter 1st District race v. Andy Harris? What we know.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pingree told Mainers she's pushing back against Trump. Mainers told her it's not enough.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree addresses more than 700 people who showed up for a town hall at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star) Mainers told U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree Monday night that she and other Democrats are not doing enough. A litany of questions at a town hall at Westbrook Performing Arts Center delivered a post-mortem of the 2024 election: Democrats have a messaging problem. Democrats lost young voters. Democrats don't say things plainly. Constituents also delivered sharp criticism of what they view as insufficient action from Democrats to stop President Donald Trump from dismantling the separation of powers and disregarding the rule of law. Pingree agreed. 'I take it all as valid criticism,' she said. The 1st District representative also told the crowd of more than 700 that she's working on it. 'I am in the fight every single day,' she vowed. Her constituents commended her for hosting the forum, noting the rest of Maine's congressional delegation has not afforded such opportunities. Pingree also hosted a town hall in Camden on Sunday but before that, the last in-person town hall she did was in 2017, when Republicans tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act during Trump's first term. Pingree also hosted a virtual town hall with state Attorney General Aaron Frey last month about the importance of state-level challenges to counter Trump. But attendees ultimately told Pingree she needs to take more of a stand. 'Why are Democrats not doing more to resist the Trump administration and putting on a united front?' asked Alex Wu, senior at Scarborough High School and founding member of the youth advocacy team of Democracy Maine, which focuses on making government more accessible. 'I've seen you wear pink,' Wu said, referring to disjointed messaging with some Democratic congresswomen sporting the color during a speech last month to call attention to Trump's actions negatively impacting women. 'I want to see disruption.' Wu and others also shared their desire for Pingree and other Democrats to deploy the strategies Republicans have used for decades, such as interrupting normal procedure. 'What is the vision? What's the mission? Where's our Project 2027 or 2029?' another attendee asked, referring to Project 2025, the blueprint written by the conservative Heritage Foundation for reshaping the federal government, some of which has now been executed by the Trump administration. Mainers requested Pingree take a page out of Trump's playbook, so-to-speak. Stop acting like politicians, they reiterated. Pingree did not go so far as to call Trump a Nazi who was sending people to concentration camps, as one attendee continuously requested before being escorted out by police for interrupting. However, Pingree did reiterate a statement she made earlier Monday on social media demanding the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant who was in the U.S. legally that the Trump administration sent to, as Pingree put it, a 'Salvadoran gulag.' The Democratic caucus spends a lot of time trying to get messaging right, Pingree said, and in turn ends up making things complicated, though she vowed to try to make things as clear as possible. At the request of another attendee, she also said she'd pitch to her colleagues having short, to the point 'COVID-19-pandemic era style' press conferences to outline the implications of Trump's policies for all Americans. Ultimately, however, Pingree said she's never going to 'win' as just one member of Congress, nor can the 215 Democrats in the House. 'We've talked a lot about Democrats today and I'll take it all on my shoulders,' Pingree said. 'I will try to do everything better and I will do everything I can to get my colleagues to do it better. But in the long run, [Republicans] control the House. They control the Senate. We only need three of them to change their minds.' Not all attendees wanted Pingree to provide a better backstop against the Trump administration. One attendee from Portland questioned whether she'll always act reflexively against whatever Trump does. Pingree countered that she wouldn't always but so far she hasn't supported the president's actions. 'If Donald Trump does things that I'm in favor of — if there are tariffs that I think makes sense — I would be wholeheartedly behind them,' Pingree said. 'If there are things that [Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] does to remove toxins from our food or get rid of dyes and colors or support regenerative agriculture, I will wholeheartedly be in favor of it.' While much of the night focused on federal policies, some attendees asked Pingree to weigh in on related state-level issues and had some local Democratic members of the state Legislature in attendance to listen in: Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jill Duson, Sen. Tim Nangle and Reps. Drew Gattine, Suzanne Salisbury and Morgan Rielly. One constituent raised concern about the dismantling of the federal Department of Education having implications for the state, which is separately facing a budget deficit. Anna Kellar, executive director of the League of Women Voters, asked Pingree if she would oppose the referendum to require identification at the polls. Pingree did not provide a direct answer, but Kellar raised this question in relation to the representative's recent vote against the SAVE Act that would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, which Pingree criticized as a sort of 'poll tax,' given the cost of passports and argued would disenfranchise married women, given that many change their name. Kellar told Maine Morning Star after the town hall that they weren't surprised Pingree did not weigh in on the state issue, adding that the League hasn't made a formal request to her office for a stance yet. However, Kellar appreciated Pingree's focus on some of the lesser known consequences of the SAVE Act, such as the implications for married women, and said the League is hoping to similarly highlight impacts of the state referendum that Kellar and others argue would make voting harder. 'I think [Pingree] can help us connect those dots,' Kellar said. 'I do think that there is a really important role that she could play here.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SC congresswoman says she too was targeted by man accused of threatening to kill Trump
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace talked to reporters at the Greenville County GOP convention at the Greenville Convention Center on Monday April 14, 2025. (Mark Susko/Special to the SC Daily Gazette) GREENVILLE — U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace told Republicans at a county convention Monday that she was among the targets of a Pennsylvania man charged last week with threatening to kill President Donald Trump and other officials. The 1st District congresswoman said U.S. Capitol Police called her while she was on her way to Greenville to inform her that Shawn Monper threatened to kill her too in an online post in January. 'He wanted to put a bullet in my head. No way!' she told about 1,000 people gathered for the Greenville County GOP convention. Monper, 32, of Butler, Pennsylvania, was arrested last Wednesday and accused of threatening to kill Trump, Elon Musk, immigration agents, and others, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. According to the release, threats from a self-identified 'Mr. Satan' were posted on YouTube between Jan. 15 and April 5. They included a Feb. 17 threat to kill Trump, Musk, all of Trump's appointed directors and 'anyone who stands in the way.' Mace told the crowd she was the only known member of Congress named in the threats. Fox News was first to report Mace being a target. Mace told reporters from the Gazette and other outlets at the convention before taking the stage to address the convention as a guest speaker. 'I will not back down to the threats,' Mace told reporters. 'I will not back down to the intimidation. I will not back down to anyone who is threatening to put a bullet in my head.' U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night about Mace's claims. And a Mace spokeswoman did not respond when asked if authorities were pursuing additional charges related to threats against her. According to the Department of Justice, the FBI was alerted to the threats on April 8, and the internet activity of 'Mr. Satan' came from Monper's home. The statements included claims of stocking up on guns and ammunition to 'do a mass shooting.' Trump survived a pair of assassination attempts, the first at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July, when the gunman's bullets killed one attendee, seriously injured two others, and injured Trump's ear before Secret Service agents killed him. Mace, who is considering a 2026 bid for governor, told reporters she's close to a decision. She said she's spoken to Trump about running to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster and knows the president's endorsement isn't guaranteed. 'I don't manage what he does or how he does it or who he endorses,' she said. 'But if I do run, I'll be working very hard to get his support.' Mace, first elected to represent the coastal 1st District in 2020, cast herself to the GOP faithful in South Carolina's largest county as someone who will bring Trump's 'America first' agenda to South Carolina 'from the state all the way down to the local level.' She repeatedly said she will not back down despite the threats. 'I will stand up for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance every day of the week. I don't care,' she told the crowd. 'I will never stop fighting for Donald J. Trump,' she said to conclude her speech, calling to voters' mind the moment of defiance when Trump mouthed 'fight' and pumped his fist after getting shot in Pennsylvania. She left the stage to a standing ovation. Next to take the stage as guest speaker was state Treasurer Curtis Loftis. The headliner was longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon, who spent four months in federal prison last for defying a congressional subpoena. Attendees told the Gazette they believe Mace definitely has a chance of becoming the next governor, citing her loyalty to Trump and name recognition. A Winthrop Poll in February found that South Carolinians were more familiar with Mace than any other potential Republican candidate for governor they were asked about. Mace has been criticized recently for not holding an in-person town hall to answer her constituents' questions. She has repeatedly cited safety concerns as the reason why. She held a surprise virtual town hall last week, though she didn't promote it or give advance notice. 'We will do in-person town halls as soon as it's safe to do so,' she told reporters at the convention. 'But I've had multiple bomb threats. I've had people threaten to blow up my office multiple times.' If she runs, Mace is expected to be part of a crowded field that will potentially include Lt. Gov Pam Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, and state Sens. Sean Bennett of Summerville and Josh Kimbrell of Spartanburg County.
