Florida on Tuesday put to death a man convicted of abducting a woman from an insurance office and fatally stabbing her.Kayle Bates, 67, was pronounced dead at 6:17 p.m. after a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. His death sentence was handed down after his conviction on first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery charges in the June 14, 1982, killing of Janet White in Florida's Panhandle.White's husband, Randy White, witnessed Tuesday's execution.FLORIDA SCHEDULES EXECUTION FOR MAN WHO KILLED ESTRANGED WIFE'S FAMILY, SET HOUSE ON FIREAs Bates was strapped to a gurney, he replied "no" when asked if he had any last words.At a news briefing following the execution, Randy White thanked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing off on the execution.I am truly humbled by the outpouring of love and support from so many who didnt know either one of us. I thank you from my heart. It means more than you will ever know," he said.Bates abducted Janet White from the insurance office where she worked and took her into a wooded area behind the building, where prosecutors said he attempted to rape her.He fatally stabbed her and tore a diamond ring from one of her fingers, authorities said.FLORIDA BREAKS 50-YEAR EXECUTION RECORD WITH NINTH DEATH SENTENCE CARRIED OUT THIS YEARBates' lawyers appealed his conviction and filed a lawsuit claiming DeSantis process for signing death warrants was discriminatory. The lawsuit was recently dismissed by a judge.Bates' claim that organic brain damage had not been properly considered during his second penalty phase was also denied by the Florida Supreme Court.Tuesday's execution was the state's 10th this year, a record. Across the United States, 29 men have died by court-ordered execution as of Tuesday.At least nine other people were scheduled to be put to death in seven states for the remainder of 2025.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday halted New Mexicos seven-day waiting period for gun purchases, ruling that it likely infringes on citizens Second Amendment rights.The 2-1 ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals leaves the law on hold pending a legal challenge and returns the case to a lower court.The waiting period went into effect in May of last year and included violators being subject to a misdemeanor, but it does have an exception for concealed permit holders. Democrats had enacted the measure in an effort to allow for more time for federal background checks on gun buyers to be completed."Cooling-off periods do not fit into any historically grounded exceptions to the right to keep and bear arms, and burden conduct within the Second Amendments scope," Judge Timothy Tymkovich wrote for the majority. "We conclude that New Mexico's Waiting Period Act is likely an unconstitutional burden on the Second Amendment rights of its citizens."NRA AND CONSERVATIVE LEGAL GROUP SUE DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR OVER 7-DAY WAITING PERIOD TO BUY GUNSThe Mountain States Legal Foundation and National Rifle Association filed the lawsuit on behalf of two New Mexico residents, arguing that the law was unconstitutional and delayed access to firearms for victims of domestic violence and other citizens.The lawsuit referenced the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2022 decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen in which a new standard to determine whether a gun restriction is unconstitutional was established. To meet that standard, the government must show there is a "historical tradition of firearm regulation" that supports the law.Michael McCoy, director of the Mountain States Legal Foundations Center to Keep and Bear Arms, celebrated the ruling."The court found that there was no analogous law from that era that would support the modern day law thats at issue," McCoy said. "For now, it means New Mexicans can go buy their firearms without an arbitrary delay imposed."FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES CALIFORNIA AMMUNITION BACKGROUND CHECKS UNCONSTITUTIONALJohn Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Associations Institute for Legislative Action, also praised the court's decision, saying it "serves as a key piece in dismantling similar gun control laws across the country."In a dissent, Judge Scott Matheson argued that New Mexico's waiting period "establishes a condition or qualification on the commercial sale of arms that does not serve abusive ends."Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said she was disappointed with the ruling and claimed it would likely cost lives."New Mexicos waiting period law was carefully crafted to minimize gun violence while respecting Second Amendment rights," Lujan Grisham said in a statement, pointing to other exceptions for gun purchases by law enforcement officers and transactions between immediate family members."Waiting periods prevent impulsive acts of violence and suicide, giving people time to step back and reassess their emotions during moments of crisis," she added.Since she was sworn in as governor in 2019, Lujan Grisham has signed several gun control measures, including a "red flag" law allowing a court to temporarily remove guns from people suspected of being at risk of hurting themselves or others and restrictions on firearms near polling places.In 2023, the governor suspended the right to carry guns in public parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque in response to shootings across the state that killed children.Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque earlier this year, saying that a significant uptick in crime warranted the help of the state's National Guard. She also declared a state of emergency last week over violent crime and drug trafficking across parts of northern New Mexico.Legal experts have said the ruling could have wider consequences because other states, including California, Hawaii and Illinois, have imposed similar restrictions on gun purchases. In New Mexico, the waiting period applies to all licensed dealer firearm sales for handguns and long guns. The only exception applies to concealed carry permit holders, law enforcement and immediate family transfers. Those in support of the waiting period laws argue that research links the law to reduced suicides and crimes of passion limiting impulsive behavior. Officials in New Mexico have not said if they will seek review from the full 10th Circuit or appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

"Pod Save America" host Jon Lovett, who served as a speechwriter for former President Barack Obama, said Monday that voters don't know what the Democratic Party stands for a problem he argued is preventing them from capitalizing on Donald Trumps vulnerabilities.Speaking with MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace on her podcast "The Best People," Lovett argued that the biggest challenge facing Democrats is defining what they stand for, and suggested that the primaries will not only shape the partys direction but also show voters what the party actually represents."The debates that happen in the upcoming primaries will be, not just the way we figure out where we want to go, but the debate itself will be instructive to people watching it about what the Democratic Party stands for," Lovett said. "How do we figure out what we stand for."EX-OBAMA AIDE ADMITS HE HELD BACK ON CRITICIZING BIDEN'S DECLINE BECAUSE HE 'WANTED HIM TO F------ WIN'Lovett acknowledged former President Joe Bidens age and declining communication skills made matters worse, saying, "I didn't appreciate how much we paid for having the bully pulpit basically open and unmanaged because he was a poor communicator and getting worse all the time.""But it's not just Joe Biden. The American people have were saying through this election, beyond it, that, yes, Joe Biden is too old. They worry he's not up for the job, but they have deeper questions about what the Democratic Party stands for. They just don't know," Lovett said.He noted that voters know that Democrats oppose Trump, but don't know what they support. He also blamed Trump for sucking up a lot of oxygen, which makes it difficult for Democrats to get their message out.The "Pod Save America" host also discussed Trump's strong connection with his base, but "Democrats just don't have that."He noted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani do have an authentic connection with their base, but the party still needs to articulate their values clearly so they "don't lose people."EX-OBAMA POD SAVE AMERICA AIDES GIVE SARCASTIC RESPONSE TO HUNTER BIDEN TIRADELovett and his "Pod Save America" co-hosts recently called out Hunter Biden for blaming Obama White House officials and other Democratic leaders for pushing his father out of the 2024 presidential race one year ago.The former president's son took aim at the "Pod Save America" hosts specifically, calling them "junior f---ing speechwriters" who have been cashing in on their association with former President Obama.The hosts responded during a July episode of their podcast and insisted Biden had no right to criticize.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURECLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"You know, it must be just so hard for Hunter Biden to watch all these people dining out on somebody's name," Lovett said sarcastically."Mostly it is three hours of Hunter playing the victim," co-host Tommy Vietor said of the interview. "And he rages at us, and he rages at [David] Axelrod and [George] Clooney, but the problem was the voters, and they never addressed that. The voters thought Joe Biden was too old."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expanding detention centers with a new facility in southwest Nebraska and nicknaming it the "Cornhusker Clink."As part of President Donald Trumps push to add thousands of new beds nationwide for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), just like "Alligator Alcatraz" and "Speedway Slammer," the facility increases ICE detention space for illegal aliens awaiting deportation or in deportation proceedings in the region.At the same time, Cornhusker Clinks name recognizes the regions heritage and is located around 200 miles from the state capital, Lincoln.ICE DEPORTATION EFFORTS COULD BE DERAILED IF CONGRESS DOESN'T ACT SOONWith ICE arrests down and data showing removals are up, the new venue combines 200 beds with the 280 already in place at the Work Ethic Camp in McCook, which opened in 2001 as a prison.Acknowledging the facility as part of an agreement between Nebraska and the federal government, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warned that illegal aliens in the region could find themselves at Cornhusker Clink."To help remove the worst of the worst out of our country, if you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Nebraskas Cornhusker Clink," she said. "Avoid arrest and self-deport now using the CBP Home App."TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS ACLU FOR COMPARING ICE CENTER TO JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMP: 'DERANGED AND LAZY'Trumps "One Big Beautiful Bill" provided funding for 80,000 new beds for ICE to use, which has contributed to an increase in facilities across the country."Alligator Alcatraz," one of the better-known facilities, was opened in the Florida Everglades and can house up to 3,000 migrants, while the East Montana Detention Center at Fort Bliss outside El Paso, which opened on Sunday, will be able to hold up to 5,000.FLORIDA BUILDING 'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ' WHERE ICE DETAINEES FACE NATURE'S OWN SECURITY SYSTEM"Speedway Slammer" in Indiana will also hold up to 1,000 migrants.Back in Nebraska, the National Guard is also helping ICE officials enforce immigration laws, involving 20 or so soldiers.In a statement supporting Trumps immigration crackdown, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said he was "pleased that our facility and team in McCook can be tasked with helping our federal partners protect our homeland by housing criminal illegal aliens roaming our countrys communities today."

Russia launched its largest attack of the month against Ukraine while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders at the White House.The attack also comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with Trump in Alaska last Friday, during which Putin refused an immediate ceasefire and demanded that Ukraine give up its eastern Donetsk region in exchange for an end to the conflict that began with a February 2022 invasion by Moscow. Trump later said he had spoken on the phone with Putin about arrangements for a meeting between the Russian president and Zelenskyy.Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles into Ukraine on Monday night and into Tuesday, but that 230 drones and six missiles were intercepted or suppressed. The air force reported that 40 drones and four missiles struck across 16 locations, and debris was said to have fallen on three sites.TRUMP'S PUSH FOR PUTIN-ZELENSKYY TALKS HINGES ON KREMLIN'S CONDITIONS"While hard work to advance peace was underway in Washington, D.C. ... Moscow continued to do the opposite of peace: more strikes and destruction," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. "This once again demonstrates how critical it is to end the killing, achieve a lasting peace, and ensure robust security guarantees."Energy infrastructure in the central Poltava region was a target of the strikes, according to Ukraine's Energy Ministry. The casualty figures were not immediately released by officials.WHITE HOUSE REJECTS 'BLANK CHECKS' FOR UKRAINE, PRESSES NATO TO SHOULDER COSTS"As a result of the attack, large-scale fires broke out," the ministry said in a statement.Oil refining and gas facilities were attacked, the ministry added, saying the strikes were the latest "systematic terrorist attacks against Ukraines energy infrastructure, which is a direct violation of international humanitarian law."The attack was the largest since Russia launched 309 drones and eight missiles into Ukraine on July 31, according to the air force.Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 23 Ukrainian drones on Monday night and into Tuesday morning.Both sides have been targeting infrastructure, including oil facilities.Zelenskyy had criticized Moscow for earlier strikes on Monday ahead of his meeting at the White House in which at least 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured."The Russian war machine continues to destroy lives despite everything. Putin will commit demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to humiliate diplomatic efforts. That is precisely why we are seeking assistance to put an end to the killings," he wroteMonday morning on X.Reuters contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is delaying the after-action report on the Palisades fire until the ongoing federal investigation into the cause has been completed.According to Bass, the delay is a result of the U.S. Attorney's Office requesting that the L.A. city leaders temporarily postpone its release as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives continues its investigation.Some community groups have criticized the delay, arguing that residents deserve answers about the citys response even as the federal probe continues.Under California law, local governments are required to provide an after-action report following all declared disasters. The US Attorneys Office is investigating to pinpoint what caused the historic blaze in January.BASS, NEWSOM MORE INTERESTED IN SHELTERING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAN REBUILDING FROM FIRES: STEPHEN MILLERThe Emergency Services Act says that the Office of Emergency Services will work with state and local agencies to report within 180 days of each declared disaster.City officials anticipate lawsuits tied to the response, alluding to the contents of the report carrying legal and financial consequences for Los Angeles.Sources close to the mayor have told Fox News Digital the report will contain in-part information about the citys resources and how they were used following the start of the fire.LOS ANGELES MAYOR BASS SAYS 'HELL YEAH' SHE REGRETS GHANA TRIP AFTER WILDFIRES RAVAGED CITYThey have also said the mayor is seemingly eager to comply with the request to delay the release.A statement released by Bass on Tuesday noted that the delay was to avoid interfering with the federal investigation and that it will be released as soon as the DOJ has completed their investigation."According to state regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 19, 2450), the City of Los Angeles is required to complete an after action report regarding the Palisades Fire. Late last week, the United States Attorneys Office for the Central District of California requested the report be held to avoid interference with the ongoing federal investigation. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the after action report will be released in coordination with the United States Department of Justice," Bass' office said.The Palisades fires broke out in January, quickly spreading to more than 23,000 acres, destroying more than 6,800 structures, claiming 12 lives and leading to the evacuation of more than 100,000 residents. In all, there was an estimated $28 billion to nearly $54 billion in damage, making the Palisades Fire the third-most destructive wildfire in California history.Fox News' Matt Finn contributed to this report.

President Trump told Brian Glenn of the conservative Real Americas Voice that he didnt want to answer his question because it was "off-topic" as he stood there with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.Then he proceeded to answer it at great length.The idea, it turns out, began with Vladimir Putin, who has a bit of experience at keeping himself in power, which isnt all that hard if youre a dictator.My source? Donald Trump.ZELENSKYY AGREES TO TRUMP-PUTIN MEETING WITHOUT CEASE-FIRE, BUT WILL KREMLIN DICTATOR GO ALONG?He said Putin told him that "it's impossible to have mail-in voting and have honest elections," in an interview with Foxs Sean Hannity. He said Putin told him he won the 2020 election "by so much," as Trump has long claimed, "and you lost it because of mail-in voting. It was a rigged election."Music to the presidents ears.So Trump was ready when a friendly reporter asked the question."Mail-in ballots are corrupt," he declared. "Mail-in ballots, you can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots, and we as a Republican Party are going to do everything possible that we get rid of mail-in ballots. We're going to start with an executive order that's being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail-in ballots because they're corrupt."He was just warming up.And, you know, that we're the only country in the world, I believe I may be wrong, but just about the only country in the world that uses [mail-in ballots] because of what's happened, massive fraud all over the place. The other thing we want, change of the machines. For all of the money they spend, it's approximately 10 times more expensive than paper ballots. And paper ballots are very sophisticated with the watermark paper and everything else, we would get secure elections. We get much faster results, the machines, I mean, they say we're going to have the results in two weeks with paper ballots. You have the results that night. Most people almost have, but most people in many countries use paper ballots. It's the most secure form."A little fact-checking is in order.As Axios points out, many countries around the world have some form of mail-in voting. And millions of Americans who live overseas, such as military families, are eligible for mailing in their ballots.Trump actually doesnt have the power to do this. While he says the states are an "agent" of the feds, the Constitution says the mechanics of holding elections "shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof." But Congress can change those requirements. Could the president get this through the narrow majorities in both chambers?"Its a fraud," Trump said, adding: "It's time that the Republicans get tough and stop it because the Democrats want it, it's the only way they can get elected."DONALD TRUMP AS STRONGMAN, RILING UP HIS BASE AND INVESTIGATING HIS ENEMIESTrump even invoked Jimmy Carter. In 2004, a commission set up by the former president and ex-Reagan aide James Baker III concluded that "absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud."In 2020, Trump went all-out in favor of mail-in ballots, arguing that they would help Republicans. Of course, he may just have been trying to make the best of the tools already in place. No party believes in unilateral disarmament.But his enthusiasm for mail-in ballots in that election stands in stark contrast to his current stance that they are corrupt and should be banned.Trump wound up telling Brian Glenn, who is dating Marjorie Taylor Greene, "Im glad you asked that question."The president doesnt let himself be tied down by the rules of consistency that most conventional politicians have to obey. Until last Friday, he was insisting on a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine as a precondition for any peace agreement. After the Alaska summit, he dropped the cease-fire idea that Zelensky had been demanding, given that his country is being bombarded every day, with significant civilian casualties, and adopted the Putin stance of allowing the war to continue to further freeze his military gains in the crucial Donbas region.SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE'S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY'S HOTTEST STORIESBut that flexibility what critics call flip-flopping has put the president in the position where he has a shot at hammering out a peace agreement, though major obstacles remain.So I expect well hear a lot more about how mail-in ballots are horrible and evil in the coming months, though whether he can get his Hill allies to go along is very much an open question.

A Nicaraguan man in the United States illegally is facing "enhanced" charges due to his immigration status in Florida for a drunken hit-and-run over the weekend, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.Sheriff Grady Judd said deputies arrested Roberto Sandobal-Lopez, 34, on Saturday after he crashed his white Honda into someone's fence in Winter Haven at around 7 p.m. and walked off.Deputies were alerted to the crash after witnesses called the sheriff's office to report the incident.UBER DRIVER ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING YOUNG WOMAN NOW FACES ICE ARREST DETAINER AFTER OVERSTAYING VISASandobal-Lopez was found by law enforcement walking in the nearby area shortly after the crash and deputies determined he was intoxicated. His eyes were described as "watery" and "bloodshot," and deputies said they could smell alcohol.When he was asked if he had been drinking, Sandobal-Lopez allegedly said he drank six bottles of Modelo a few hours earlier at around 5 p.m. Two samples during a breath test revealed BAC levels of 0.13 and 0.124, according to the PCSO.Field sobriety tests also showed "several signs of impairment," the sheriff's office said.ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER ACCUSED IN DEADLY FLORIDA CRASH GOT BIDEN WORK PERMIT AFTER TRUMP DENIAL: DHSSandobal-Lopez was taken to the Polk County Jail and charged with DUI with property damage, driving under the influence, leaving the scene of the crash with property damage and not having a driver's license.His charges have been upgraded by one degree because he is in the U.S. illegally, which makes his "DUI with property damage" charge a third-degree felony. The remaining charges are all first-degree misdemeanors.Sheriff Grady Judd said in a Facebook post that Sandobal-Lopez will remain in jail until he is picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Judd said it's fortunate that only a fence was damaged during the drunken drive and called Sandobal-Lopez a coward for walking away from "the scene and responsibility."The sheriff also reiterated that being in the U.S. illegally is a crime and, in Florida, immigration status will impact the severity of criminal charges."In Florida, if youre committing the crime of being here illegally, your other criminal charges are enhanced one degree; he's now facing a serious felony because he caused damage to property while driving under the influence," Judd said.

MSNBC is going away. But dont shed a tear (not that you would, anyway), its turning into MS NOW. Or, as the New York Times put it, "Goodbye, MSNBC. Hello, MS NOW." The far-left network lost its tie to the newsy term "NBC" and looks more like some feminist retread site.Or, as MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler put it, "While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not." So, maybe my viewership assessment is correct. Its like rebranding the Titanic. Sure, the ship might have made a career of hitting icebergs, but its got a new name.The fallout from the change was swift. The Times even took a swipe with the follow-up headline: "MSNBCs Rebrand Invites Bemusement and Ridicule." MSNBC TO CHANGE NAME TO 'MS NOW' IN COMCAST SPINOFF DEALThe name switch reflects marketing nonsense as part of the corporate split. It also eliminates the long-standing comparison to MSDNC. The rationalization for the new name is: "My Source for News, Opinion, and the World." CNBC is going to keep its name, according to the Wall Street Journal, but the initials mean something else "Consumer News and Business Channel," another marketing nuance.The new company will include, "NBCUniversals cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel" along with a few other properties, including the formerly useful Rotten Tomatoes movie site. Just no NBC peacocks.IT OUGHT TO BE A CRIME FOR MEDIA TO COVER DC TAKEOVER THIS POORLYBut heres what all that means. Nobody sane wants MSNBC/MS NOW connected in any way to NBC. Its been a corporate embarrassment for years. Theyre OK with it looking like the rational folks at CNBC are still connected, but the lunacy of MSNBC gets rebranded. It removes the stain for NBC. For MSNBC, that's impossible.The more things change, the more they remain the same.This is the same network where they repeatedly compare President Donald Trump to monsters like Hitler and Stalin. Hosts regularly throw around charges of dictatorship like we are living in 1930s Germany although somehow they are allowed to say it. Host Tiffany Cross recently claimed the government was grabbing people and "transporting them to concentration camps." And the face of the franchise, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, told viewers, "We have a consolidating dictatorship in our country."Remember, "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough made the most-embarrassing quote of the entire failed Joe Biden presidency: "I've said it for years now, he's cogent. But I undersold it when I said he was cogent, he's far beyond cogent. In fact, I think he's better than he's ever been, intellectually, analytically, because he's been around for 50 years," Scarborough said. "Start your tape right now because Im about to tell you the truth. And f--- you if you cant handle the truth. This version of Biden, intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever."CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONMSNBC host Nicolle Wallace even just cursed about President Donald Trump for trying to arrange a peace deal in Ukraine, calling him, "an American president who just doesnt give a s--- about democracy," she whined. That claim that the right is attacking "democracy" is another MSNBC standard.Make no mistake, this isnt some new, Trump-era insanity at the THEN network. Several insane MSNBC quotes made a NewsBusters list (Hint: My old place of work) for their list of the "The Most Absurd and Obnoxious Outbursts" of the past 20 years. Really, MSNBC has a starring role.Heres a 2009 quote from the late Ed Schultz raving on MSNBCs "The Ed Show," "The Republicans lie! They want to see you dead! Theyd rather make money off your dead corpse! They kind of like it when that woman has cancer and they dont have anything for her." If anything, the network has only gotten worse.It's not like the old MSNBC was kicking butt with ratings. Ad Week reported on August 13, "MSNBC, in primetime, averaged 821,000 total viewers." That's better than CNN, but the German shopping cart championships could beat them. (Yes, those really exist. Shoving a cart/buggy into the corral from a distance.) For those who forget, MSNBC started as a partnership between Microsoft and NBC. The MS used to mean a tech company, not someone who demanded to know your pronouns. The network has reportedly been on a hiring spree of late. So, expect even worse once the split occurs.Now, ahem, MS NOW, we have a new network that vows to be exactly the same but to build a new brand. Perhaps they should try, MiS TAKE. Or just buy titanic.com. It would be appropriate.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DAN GAINOR

Major votes are on tap this week in the Texas and California legislatures in the high-stakes battle between Republicans and Democrats over congressional redistricting ahead of next year's midterm elections.In Austin, Texas, the GOP-dominated state House of Representatives on Wednesday resumes meeting amid a second straight special session called by conservative Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.At the top of their to-do list as they return to work is passing a GOP-crafted redistricting map that would create up to five Republican-leaning congressional districts at the expense of currently Democrat-controlled seats. Republicans currently control 25 of the state's 38 U.S. House seats."Please pass this Map, ASAP. THANK YOU TEXAS," President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post on Monday.REDISTRICTING BATTLE: FLEEING TEXAS DEMOCRATS RETURN HOMEThe Republican push in Texas, which comes at Trump's urging, is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to pad their razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats stormed back to grab the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.Republicans in red state Texas enjoy a supermajority in the legislature and the state Senate passed the new congressional maps last week, during the first special legislative session.TEXAS HOUSE SPEAKER VOWS RUNAWAY DEMS WILL BE ARRESTED IF THEY TRY TO SNEAK HOME OVER WEEKENDBut dozens of Texas Democratic state representatives fled the state to prevent a quorum in the Texas House, effectively preventing Abbott and Republicans from moving forward with new maps.Many of the Democrats who had fled the state returned on Monday, and made it to the state capitol building as the House reconvened. They were cheered by supporters as they arrived.But with Republicans outnumbering Democrats 88-62 in the state House, the new maps are expected to pass when lawmakers return on Wednesday."Let me also be clear about where we go from here. We are done waiting, and we have quorum. Now is the time for action," Republican Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said on Monday.During the walkout, Abbott and Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton sued to try and remove some of the absent Democratic lawmakers from office. Meanwhile, GOP Sen. John Cornyn worked to get the FBI's help in tracking down the AWOL lawmakers. And Burrows issued civil arrest warrants and also pledged to fine the lawmakers $500 per day.The fleeing Democrats, who set up camp in the blue states of Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, late last week signaled that they would return to Texas after the adjournment of the first special session, and after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and other top California Democrats unveiled their playbook to counter the push by Trump and Republicans to enact rare but not unheard of mid-decade congressional redistricting.The end of the walkout by the Democrats will lead to the passage of the new maps, but Texas Democrats vow they'll fight the new state maps in court and say the moves by California are allowing them to pass "the baton."CALIFORNIA UNVEILS NEW CONGRESSONAL MAPS TO WIPE OUT FIVE GOP-CONTROLLED SEATS AND COUNTER TRUMPWhile the Republican push in Texas to upend the current congressional maps doesn't face constitutional constraints, Newsom's path in California is much more complicated.The governor is moving to hold a special election this year, to obtain voter approval to undo the constitutional amendments that created the non-partisan redistricting commission. A two-thirds majority vote in the Democrat-dominated California legislature would be needed to hold the referendum.Democrats in Sacramento on Monday unveiled a bill to move forward with the referendum."California and Californians have been uniquely targeted by the Trump Administration, and we are not going to sit idle while they command Texas and other states to rig the next election to keep power pursuing more extreme and unpopular policies," Newsom said Monday in a statement.The Democrat-dominated legislature is expected to approve the referendum on Thursday. The maps the Democrats unveiled late last week, would create up to five more left-leaning congressional districts at the expense of the Republican minority in heavily blue California."Here we are in open and plain sight before one vote is cast in the 2026 midterm election and here [Trump] is once again trying to rig the system," Newsom charged on Thursday.Last week's appearance by Newsom, who is considered a likely contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, also served as a fundraising kickoff to raise massive amounts of campaign cash needed to sell the redistricting push statewide in California.The non-partisan redistricting commission, created over 15 years ago, remains popular with most Californians, according to public opinion polling.That's why Newsom and California Democratic lawmakers are promising not to scrap the commission entirely, but rather replace it temporarily by the legislature for the next three election cycles.But Republican former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who represented a congressional district in California's Central Valley for 17 years, argued in an appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" that "when you think about how they drew these lines, there wasn't one hearing. There is no debate. There's no input. Even the legislature in California doesn't have input. The DCCC is just ending it. That is why we need to stop Newsom's power grab."McCarthy, who is helping to lead the GOP fundraising effort to counter Newsom and California Democrats leading up to the likely referendum this fall, said that "November 4th will be the election that people could actually have a say," as he pointed to polls showing strong support for the current non-partisan redistricting commission.A handful of California Republican state lawmakers on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in the state Supreme Court to stop the proposed redistricting reform.And the push to temporarily replace the commission is also being opposed by other high-profile Republicans. Among the most visible is former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the last Republican elected governor in Democrat-dominated California.The longtime Hollywood action star says he's mobilizing to oppose the push by Newsom to temporarily scrap the state's nonpartisan redistricting commission."Im getting ready for the gerrymandering battle," Schwarzenegger wrote in a social media post Friday, which included a photo of the former professional bodybuilding champion lifting weights.Schwarzenegger, who rose to worldwide fame as the star of the film "The Terminator" four decades ago, wore a T-shirt in the photo that said "terminate gerrymandering."Schwarzenegger spokesperson Daniel Ketchell told Politico earlier this month that "he calls gerrymandering evil, and he means that. He thinks its truly evil for politicians to take power from people.""Hes opposed to what Texas is doing, and hes opposed to the idea that California would race to the bottom to do the same thing," Ketchell added.Schwarzenegger, during his tenure as governor, had a starring role in the passage of constitutional amendments in California in 2008 and 2010 that took the power to draw state legislative and congressional districts away from politicians and placed it in the hands of an independent commission.