California meeting advances first a part of Newsom’s redistricting plan, heads to state senate
The California state meeting superior the primary in a sequence of three payments to quickly droop the state’s congressional boundaries, drawn by a voter-approved unbiased fee, and change them with a map that creates 5 new Democratic seats.
The decrease home, which has a Democratic supermajority, authorized the measure 57-20 alongside social gathering strains.
It now awaits a vote within the Senate the place it’s more likely to move, after which shall be put earlier than voters in a particular election on 4 November.
California’s purpose – spearheaded by governor Gavin Newsom – is to offset Texas’s beneficial properties, after Republican lawmakers handed a gerrymandered map that nets 5 new GOP-house seats in 2026. An effort that got here at Donald Trump’s behest, and has now escalated right into a nationwide redistricting battle.
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Up to date at 16.20 EDT
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Here is a recap of the day to date
The California state meeting simply superior a constitutional modification to quickly droop the state’s congressional boundaries, drawn by a voter-approved unbiased fee, and change them with a map that creates 5 new Democratic Home seats. It’s now heading to the Senate the place it’s certain to move. It’s the first of three payments that make up redistricting plan – spearheaded by California governor Gavin Newsom.
A reminder that it is a response to Texas Republicans lawmakers passing a gerrymandered map that nets 5 new GOP-house seats in 2026. We will count on that to obtain Senate approval later at this time, earlier than heading to governor Greg Abbott’s desk.
A New York state appeals court docket has thrown out a half-billion-dollar penalty that Donald Trump had been ordered to pay after a decide discovered the president fraudulently overstated the worth of his properties and different belongings to bolster his household enterprise.
And regardless of the president falsely claiming the ruling to be a “complete victory”, the five-judge panel was deeply divided. Finally they decrease court docket’s fraud verdict stand, which can pave the way in which for New York legal professional normal Letitia James to attraction the choice to the state’s highest court docket.
The Trump administration is ratcheting up strain on the Federal Reserve to take away governor Lisa Prepare dinner, after the economist declared she had “no intention of being bullied” into stepping down. The justice division plans to research Prepare dinner, with a high official informing Fed chair Jerome Powell of the probe and inspiring him to take away her from the board, in accordance with a report by Bloomberg.
With regards to DC, the president mentioned that he’ll be a part of federal legislation enforcement and Nationwide Guard troops at this time within the nation’s capital. In a radio interview he confirmed his plans to patrol, however didn’t present any extra particulars on the size or particular location.
ShareLauren Gambino
As a reminder, the California plan is designed to flip as many as 5 Republican-held seats in California – the precise variety of extra GOP seats Trump has mentioned he’s “entitled to” in Texas.
“This can be a new Democratic social gathering, it is a new day, that is new power on the market all throughout this nation,” Newsom mentioned on a name with reporters on Wednesday. “And we’re going to battle fireplace with fireplace.”
The redistricting tit-for-tat is a unprecedented deviation from the norm. Historically, states redraw congressional maps as soon as a decade primarily based on census knowledge, with each the Texas and California maps initially supposed to final by means of 2030.
Previous to Thursday’s vote, California Republicans pleaded with their Democratic colleagues to oppose what they derisively known as a “Gavinmander”.
“The issue once you battle fireplace with fireplace is you burn all of it down,” James Gallagher, the state meeting Republican chief, mentioned at a information convention.
ShareLauren Gambino
The California meeting on Thursday authorized the primary in a sequence of three payments designed to redraw congressional boundaries and create 5 potential new Democratic US Home seats.
The hassle in California is a solution to the Republican redistricting push in Texas, sought by Donald Trump and geared toward tilting the map in his social gathering’s favor earlier than subsequent 12 months’s midterm elections.
The California meeting handed the measure in a 57-to-20 vote, sending it subsequent to the state senate. Democrats hope to move all three associated payments by early afternoon. The state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who has led the redistricting push, intends to signal the invoice as quickly because it arrives on his desk.
“We is not going to let our political system be hijacked by authoritarianism. And at this time, we give each Californian the ability to say no,” mentioned the Democratic meeting speaker Robert Rivas, in ground remarks earlier than the vote. “To say no to Donald Trump’s energy seize and sure to our individuals, to our state and to our democracy.”
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California meeting advances first a part of Newsom’s redistricting plan, heads to state senate
The California state meeting superior the primary in a sequence of three payments to quickly droop the state’s congressional boundaries, drawn by a voter-approved unbiased fee, and change them with a map that creates 5 new Democratic seats.
The decrease home, which has a Democratic supermajority, authorized the measure 57-20 alongside social gathering strains.
It now awaits a vote within the Senate the place it’s more likely to move, after which shall be put earlier than voters in a particular election on 4 November.
California’s purpose – spearheaded by governor Gavin Newsom – is to offset Texas’s beneficial properties, after Republican lawmakers handed a gerrymandered map that nets 5 new GOP-house seats in 2026. An effort that got here at Donald Trump’s behest, and has now escalated right into a nationwide redistricting battle.
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Up to date at 16.20 EDT
George Chidi
JD Vance took the stage in Peachtree Metropolis, speaking about tax cuts and tariffs.
“In the event you’re constructing it right here, for those who’re making it right here … we’re going to present you an enormous fats tax reduce and that’s an excellent factor,” the vice chairman mentioned. “However for those who do it abroad and do it with a international then you definitely’re going to pay an enormous fats tariff earlier than you convey that again to the USA of America.”
Staff will see a take house pay enhance of $10,000 over a interval of years due to the “Large Stunning Invoice,” Vance argued, claiming that it created the “largest tax reduce for working households in historical past.”
President Donald Trump promised that the “solely people who find themselves going to lose entry to well being care are unlawful aliens who shouldn’t be on this nation to start with,” Vance mentioned. “I occur to consider that Medicaid belongs to working individuals.”
ShareCallum Jones
The Trump administration is ratcheting up strain on the Federal Reserve to take away governor Lisa Prepare dinner, after the economist declared she had “no intention of being bullied” into stepping down.
Prepare dinner, who was appointed to the US central financial institution’s highly effective board of governors by Joe Biden, has been accused by Donald Trump’s officers of committing mortgage fraud. The allegations are unconfirmed.
The US president has waged a unprecedented battle on the Fed’s independence, breaking with precedent to demand rate of interest cuts and urge its chair, Jerome Powell, to resign. Trump promptly known as on Prepare dinner to give up on Wednesday.
The Division of Justice is reported to have indicated it’s investigating the allegations, with a high Trump official telling Powell the case “requires additional examination” – and calling on him to take away Prepare dinner from the Fed’s board.
“Presently, I encourage you to take away Ms Prepare dinner out of your Board,” Ed Martin, the official, wrote in a letter, in accordance with Bloomberg Information. “Do it at this time earlier than it’s too late! In any case, no American thinks it’s acceptable that she serve throughout this time with a cloud hanging over her.”
Regardless of Martin’s demand, the Fed chair has no authority underneath the Federal Reserve Act to take away one other member of the board of governors. On Wednesday, the Wall Road Journal reported that Trump had mentioned the way to fireplace Prepare dinner for trigger, citing an unnamed administration official.
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Because the president prepares to hitch federal legislation enforcement and Nationwide Guard troops for a night patrol at this time, Maryland governor Wes Moore has invited Donald Trump to hitch the Baltimore mayor and native legislation enforcement for “a public security stroll” subsequent month.
“Whereas we’re not executed delivering outcomes for the individuals in our neighborhoods, I’m deeply inspired by our progress,” Moore wrote in a letter to the president. “We’re at the moment on observe to have the bottom variety of homicides in Baltimore Metropolis since we started formally maintaining crime statistics.”
Trump has routinely criticised the Democratic governor’s dealing with of crime in Baltimore, regardless of a lower in violent crime. Homicides within the metropolis, for instance, dropped by 23% in accordance with native police knowledge.
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My colleague, George Chidi, is in Peachtree Metropolis, Georgia and flags that vice chairman JD Vance has taken the stage.
JD Vance takes the stage in Peachtree Metropolis, Georgia. {Photograph}: George Chidi/The GuardianShare
Up to date at 14.15 EDT
Trump to patrol DC with federal legislation enforcement
Donald Trump mentioned that he’ll be a part of federal legislation enforcement and Nationwide Guard troops in Washington DC on Thursday.
In an interview on the Todd Starnes Present, the president confirmed his plan to hitch patrol efforts:
I’m going out tonight, I’m going to maintain it a secret. You’re the one one which is aware of. You and your a lot of listeners…I’m going to be going out tonight I believe with the police and with the army in fact.
He didn’t present any extra particulars on the size of the patrol, or particular areas the place he’d be a part of the police and Nationwide Guard.
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New York legal professional normal says she is going to attraction Trump fraud ruling
New York legal professional normal Letitia James introduced that her workplace will attraction at this time’s choice to throw out the almost half-billion-dollar penalty within the state’s civil fraud case in opposition to Donald Trump.
James wrote:
It shouldn’t be misplaced to historical past: one more court docket has dominated that the president violated the legislation, and our case has benefit. We are going to search attraction to the Courtroom of Appeals and proceed to guard the rights and pursuits of New Yorkers.”
The court docket’s deeply-divided opinion finally let the decrease court docket’s fraud verdict stand – offering James the power to attraction at this time’s ruling to New York’s highest court docket.
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Up to date at 13.42 EDT
George Chidi
Crowds have gathered for remarks this afternoon by vice chairman JD Vance at a manufacturing unit in Peachtree Metropolis, Georgia.
So have the state’s political hopefuls.
Derek Dooley, former Tennessee coach turned US senate candidate, is mingling with the Republican trustworthy, as are major contestants Republican congressmen Mike Collins and Buddy Carter of Georgia. Agriculture commissioner Tyler Harper and GOP consultant Wealthy McCormick are additionally working the group.
Vance is predicted to spotlight the finances and tax cuts at ALTA Refrigeration Inc., a family-owned industrial refrigeration agency.
Enterprise is strong, mentioned Zane Piper, operations supervisor for the agency. ATLA makes fridges for supermarkets and different companies. Virtually all of its shoppers are home, and tariffs have had a restricted impact on its materials sourcing to date. “Now we have not seen a dramatic enhance in worth but, however we’re seeing suppliers of our difficulty particular assessments.”
Derek Dooley speaks at ATLA Refrigeration Inc in Peachtree Metropolis, GA. {Photograph}: George Chidi/The GuardianMike Collins greets attendees forward of vice chairman JD Vance’s remarks in Peachtree Metropolis, Georgia. {Photograph}: George Chidi/The GuardianShare
Up to date at 13.35 EDT
Richard Luscombe
Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis despatched a piece crew at midnight to color over a rainbow crosswalk outdoors an Orlando nightclub the place 49 largely LGBTQ+ victims misplaced their lives in a 2016 mass capturing, outraged Democrats mentioned Thursday.
The transfer, branded a “merciless political act” by Orlando’s mayor Buddy Collins, reported by WESH Information, adopted a directive from the Trump administration in July to take away what it noticed as political banners on US roadways.
Ron DeSantis. {Photograph}: Joe Burbank/AP
“Taxpayers count on their {dollars} to fund protected streets, not rainbow crosswalks,” transportation secretary Sean Duffy mentioned in a 1 July tweet giving states 60 days to conform.
DeSantis, who has pursued a vigorous anti-LGBTQ+ agenda in his six and a half years as governor, moved to eradicate the memorial outdoors the previous Pulse nightclub “with none supporting security knowledge or dialogue,” Dyer mentioned in an announcement Thursday.
Democratic state senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, who’s brazenly homosexual, mentioned in a submit to TikTok that DeSantis had “vandalized” his metropolis:
“This rainbow crosswalk was positioned right here by our neighborhood with approval from the state not solely to recollect these 49 largely LGBTQ individuals of shade who had been murdered right here at this web site, but additionally it was supposed to maintain pedestrians protected, so many guests who’ve come to pay their respects to those that had been taken,” he mentioned.
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State division press officer fired after questioning speaking factors on Israel and Gaza
The state division has fired a press officer liable for drafting Trump administration speaking factors about coverage towards Israel and Gaza after complaints from the US embassy in Jerusalem, the Related Press studies.
Officers mentioned Shahed Ghoreishi, a contractor working for the Bureau of Close to East Affairs, was terminated over the weekend following two incidents final week wherein his loyalty to Trump administration insurance policies was known as into query.
Ghoreishi was additionally focused yesterday following his dismissal by far-right activist and Trump loyalist Laura Loomer, who accused him of not being totally supportive of the administration’s insurance policies within the Center East.
In keeping with Ghoreishi and two present US officers, Ghoreishi drew the ire of a senior official on the embassy in Jerusalem after which high aides to secretary of state Marco Rubio for drafting a response to a question from AP final week. The query associated to discussions between Israel and South Sudan concerning the potential relocation of Palestinian individuals from Gaza to South Sudan.
The draft response included a line that mentioned the US doesn’t assist the compelled relocation of Gazans, one thing that Donald Trump and his particular envoy Steve Witkoff have mentioned repeatedly.
Nonetheless, in accordance with Ghoreishi and the officers, that line was rejected by the embassy in Jerusalem, resulting in questions on coverage again in Washington.
Ghoreishi additionally mentioned he questioned an announcement from the embassy that referred to the (occupied) West Financial institution as “Judea and Samaria”, the biblical time period for the Palestinian territory that some far-right Israeli officers favor. Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, additionally has repeatedly backed referring to the West Financial institution by Judea and Samaria.
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Up to date at 12.39 EDT
Trump falsely claims ‘complete victory’ in New York case after positive thrown out, slams decide
Donald Trump has hailed an appeals court docket’s choice to throw out the almost half-billion-dollar judgment in opposition to him in his New York civil fraud case as a “complete victory” and known as for the decide who imposed the positive to be “admonished for abuse”.
In a prolonged submit on Reality Social, the president known as the case a “political witch hunt” and claimed “all the pieces I did was completely CORRECT and, even, PERFECT”.
Per my earlier submit on this, it was removed from a “complete victory” for the president. The appeals court docket was splintered, with two judges discovering that Trump was correctly held liable, and the case “vindicated a public curiosity”, however discovered that the penalty was an extreme positive that violated the US structure.
Two different judges additionally discovered there was authority to sue, however a brand new trial was crucial as a result of the trial decide shouldn’t have held Trump accountable for fraud on the outset. Solely the fifth decide mentioned the case in opposition to Trump ought to have been dismissed.
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Up to date at 12.49 EDT
DOJ to probe Federal Reserve governor Lisa Prepare dinner, urging elimination – report
The justice division plans to research Federal Reserve governor Lisa Prepare dinner, with a high official informing Fed chair Jerome Powell of the probe and inspiring him to take away her from the board, Bloomberg Information is reporting.
A letter to Powell from Ed Martin, a DOJ official who has led related investigations into senator Adam Schiff of California and New York legal professional normal Letitia James, mentioned Prepare dinner’s case “requires additional examination,” in accordance with Bloomberg’s report.
“Presently, I encourage you to take away Ms. Prepare dinner out of your Board,” Martin wrote. “Do it at this time earlier than it’s too late! In any case, no American thinks it’s acceptable that she serve throughout this time with a cloud hanging over her.”
Requested concerning the report, a Fed spokesperson referred Reuters to Prepare dinner’s assertion yesterday, when she mentioned she had no intention of resigning after Donald Trump known as for her to step down on the idea of allegations made by a member of his administration about mortgages she holds in Michigan and Georgia, intensifying Trump’s effort to realize affect over the US central financial institution.
The Federal Reserve Act offers no authority for a Fed chair to take away one other member of the board of governors.
The president has repeatedly damaged with precedent in current months to demand the Fed reduce charges and urge Powell to give up after disregarding such calls.
Prepare dinner, whose present time period on the Fed’s board extends till 2038, beforehand served on the council of financial advisers underneath Barack Obama. When she took workplace in Could 2022, she grew to become the primary black girl to sit down on the central financial institution’s board.
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Up to date at 12.15 EDT
Trump’s big civil fraud penalty thrown out by New York appeals court docket
A New York state appeals court docket has thrown out an roughly half-billion-dollar penalty that Donald Trump had been ordered to pay after a decide discovered the president fraudulently overstated the worth of his properties and different belongings to bolster his household enterprise.
The choice by a five-judge panel of the appellate division in Manhattan represented a defeat for New York legal professional normal Letitia James, whose workplace introduced the civil fraud lawsuit in opposition to Trump in 2022.
James’ case had been amongst Trump’s largest authorized losses in a slew of lawsuits in opposition to him in recent times.
Attorneys for Trump didn’t instantly reply to Reuters’ requests for remark. James’ workplace didn’t instantly reply to related requests.
The appeals court docket was splintered. Two judges discovered Trump was correctly held liable, and James “vindicated a public curiosity” by pursuing her fraud case, however the penalty was an extreme positive that violated the US structure.
Two different judges additionally discovered James had authority to sue, however a brand new trial was crucial as a result of the trial decide shouldn’t have held Trump accountable for fraud on the outset. The fifth decide mentioned the case in opposition to Trump ought to have been dismissed.
Trump was interesting a judgment entered by Justice Arthur Engoron in a state court docket in Manhattan, following a three-month nonjury trial.
Engoron discovered Trump had inflated his wealth over a number of years earlier than first changing into president in 2017, to dupe lenders and insurers into offering higher phrases to the Trump Group.
Trump has denied wrongdoing. His legal professionals argued that the penalty was too excessive and that James had overreached.
In February 2024, the decide ordered Trump to pay $454.2m in penalties plus curiosity, which has continued to accrue.
Trump was personally accountable for almost 98% of the judgment, along with his eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, and former Trump Group chief monetary officer Allen Weisselberg liable for the rest.
Referring to Trump and different Trump Group figures, Engoron mentioned their “full lack of contrition and regret borders on pathological”.
Engoron additionally banned Trump and the Trump Group from making use of for loans from banks registered within the state for 3 years, and successfully barred Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump from working the enterprise for 2 years.
The appeals court docket put these restrictions on maintain through the appeals course of, whereas letting a court-appointed monitor for the Trump Group proceed her work.
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Members of the press travelling with vice chairman report that Vance, the second girl and EPA administrator Zeldin have landed in Georgia.
The vice chairman is heading to a Republican Nationwide Committee assembly first that won’t be open to the press.
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Trump once more requires launch of ex-clerk in jail for position in breaching Colorado election data
Rachel Leingang
Donald Trump once more known as for the discharge of a former election clerk in Colorado who was convicted for her position in breaching election knowledge in a quest to seek out fraud, threatening he would take “harsh measures” if she wasn’t set free of jail.
“FREE TINA PETERS, a courageous and harmless Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians, together with the large Mail-In Poll supporting the governor of the State,” Trump mentioned on Reality Social. “Let Tina Peters out of jail, RIGHT NOW. She did nothing incorrect, besides catching the Democrats cheat within the Election. She is an outdated girl, and really sick. If she just isn’t launched, I’m going to take harsh measures!!!”
Peters didn’t discover proof of Democrats dishonest within the election.
She was charged for permitting entry to county voting gear by an outdoor election activist, who was given safety credentials underneath a distinct title. Supplies and passwords had been then revealed on-line on Telegram and on the rightwing outlet the Gateway Pundit.
Peters was discovered responsible by a jury in Mesa county in 2024 of seven counts associated to misconduct, conspiracy and impersonation, 4 of which had been felony expenses. She was sentenced later that 12 months to 9 years in jail. Her attorneys had argued for probation as a substitute of jail time.
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Additionally, earlier at this time, the president took to Reality Social to say that Ukraine’s technique has been purely targeted on defence.
“It is vitally arduous, if not inconceivable, to win a battle with out attacking an invaders nation,” Trump wrote. “It’s like an awesome workforce in sports activities that has a incredible protection, however just isn’t allowed to play offense. There is no such thing as a probability of profitable! It’s like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden wouldn’t let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, solely DEFEND.”
This comes after the president’s assembly on Monday with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a number of other European leaders, the place Trump mentioned that the America would assist to coordinate safety ensures for Ukraine. The White Home later confirmed that no US troops can be on the bottom in Ukraine, however hinted that some type of air assist may very well be potential.
A reminder that my colleague, Jakub Krupa, is following the newest developments in Europe.
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