Voters in two different minority groups cannot combine efforts to claim a Texas political map stripped their voting power, according to a federal appeals court decision that could win congressional seats for Republicans in the South.
Conservatives had claimed that Democrats were misusing the Voting Rights Act to create voting districts favoring their party in Galveston, Texas, and the appeals court agreed.
The same thing was happening in other parts of Texas as well as Mississippi and Louisiana. Fixing the problem could turn a number of blue districts red again and potentially shift the balance of power in the House.
Section 2 of the law prohibits voting practices that discriminate based on race or color, but the appeals court decided it does not support coalition claims of multiple groups acting together.
In many of the affected districts, no single group comprises a majority, but several groups together do.
Until 2021, Galveston was a combined Black and Hispanic majority district. When redistricting eliminated that makeup, the the NAACP and the Justice Department sued Texas, but they have now lost.
They got their way with the lower court, but the appeals court reversed the decision.
Section 2’s language specifies protections for a “class” of citizens, not “classes,” the court discovered, which means that political alliances between different minority groups are not covered by the law.
Appeals court Judge Edith Jones wrote that the 5th Circuit refused to rubber stamp litigation “not compelled by law or the Supreme Court, whose principal effects are to (a) supplant legislative redistricting by elected representatives with judicial fiat; (b) encourage divisively counting citizens by race and ethnicity; and (c) displace the fundamental principle of democratic rule by the majority with balkanized interests.”
The ruling is a major one because it will prevent what turns out to be rule by the minority in many cases.
The deck has seemed unfairly stacked against Republicans for the past few decades, and now we know why.
The silver lining has been that it forced Republicans to make some inroads with Black and Hispanic voters, which means they could be stronger than ever in those areas.
The House is a toss-up in November with a very small Republican majority under threat by numerous retirements.
This ruling could be a big boost for them to try to hold on.
Confidential sources told the New York Post on Friday that Chelsea Clinton is eyeing an ambassadorship--likely to the UK--if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected in November.
“Chelsea really wants to be the ambassador to the UK,” said a Clinton source. “There’s a reason why Bill and Hillary came out in the first five minutes to support Kamala’s presidential bid — they were currying favor.”
Such a move would be a way to keep the family in politics in some way--and who knows what could happen if the ambassadorship ends.
The Clintons have been “working on this idea for a long time,” the source said.
Clinton is currently vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, which has been suspected of getting money from foreign sources like China that isn't exactly on the up-and-up.
Even so, a UK ambassadorship is going to be hard to get, some think.
“I can well imagine that the UK ambassadorship is an aspiration for Chelsea, although she is a bit junior still — and London usually goes to a massive donor or fundraiser,” a longtime British embassy official, now based in London, told The Post.
The source said Clinton would also favor a stint as ambassador of France, which may be an easier get.
The current ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley, is a longtime businesswoman who raised half-a-million dollars for Barack Obama.
Hartley is 74, however, so there could be an opening if the Clintons get to work on fundraising.
Clinton has ties to the UK, having attended Oxford for her masters and doctoral degrees.
“She is 44 and has a long-held ambition for this. It’s important for her to have her own legacy,” the source said. “She has always wanted to spend more time abroad, much like Caroline Kennedy” — currently ambassador to Australia and formerly ambassador to Japan under Obama.
A spokesperson for Hillary Clinton denied that there was any attempt to curry favor for Chelsea with Harris involved in the endorsement.
“Among stupid things said by clueless people, that’s pretty high up there," they said.
Former President Donald Trump has been on a tear lately with multiple legal wins but he had a rare setback on Saturday when his request to get his January 6th case dismissed.
Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed Trump's motion in a 16-page ruling explaining that Trump's lawyers "proffered no meaningful evidence … nor has he given any explanation of how a hearing would produce material evidence to support his claims."
All of this comes after the Supreme Court returned Trump's case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
They immediately kicked it down to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in what has become an extremely drawn-out legal process. In fact, this motion was originally filed in October 2023.
Trump wants the case against him dismissed based on selective and vindictive prosecution grounds. These claims are self-evident as Democrats have been extremely selective in their prosecution but Judge Chutkan didn't seem to see things that way.
Trump's J6 case has been on hold for months as Judge Chutkan has refused to schedule a trial until the Supreme Court ruled on Trump’s claim that presidents should enjoy immunity from prosecution.
That decision took months to come out and now the case has circled back to its original starting point with Judge Chutkan yet to set a trial date.
The Supreme Court's decision will likely factor greatly in the outcome of Trump's J6 case as they found that presidents have "absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority” and “presumptive immunity” for all official acts.
Trump's motion was backed by evidence from media outlets about President Joe Biden privately saying that Trump should be prosecuted.
That further proves that the litigation that Trump is facing is being pushed by his political opponents in a crucial election year with the election just months away.
However, there wasn't enough evidence of those statements for Chutkan's standards so she dismissed the motion.
Judge Chutkan set August 16 as the date for the prosecution and the defense to return to Washington to resume pretrial proceedings. Trump is not required to return for that date which is great news as his schedule is packed full on account of waging a busy campaign.
The election is just around the corner with Vice President Kamala Harris set to be coronated at the DNC this week following President Joe Biden's sudden decision to drop out.
There is a strong chance that Trump's trial will not begin until after the election in November considering pre-trial motions aren't even going to begin until mid-August. Should Trump win the election, this trial will likely be inconsequential.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have announced that they will be collaborating for America's 250th anniversary in 2026.
The collaboration is intended to showcase bipartisan action in an era of extreme political polarization. Of course, for conservatives seeing George Bush and Barack Obama, two figures who are remarkably similar politically, doesn't exactly scream bipartisan.
First Ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush will also be participating as honorary national co-chairs of America250.
America250 was created by Congress in 2016 to oversee the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
There has been an increasing focus on bipartisanship among Democrats, especially in the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Democrats have spent the past decade calling conservatives Nazis and heightening division but they are now trying to cover themselves.
The commission's leadership wants to bring two recent Democratic and Republican presidents together to serve as an example of bipartisan cooperation in a country where political polarization continues to get more extreme.
Of course, for conservatives who have been repeatedly sold out by the Bush family, it's unlikely that this bipartisan initiative will do much to soothe tempers.
After decades of vicious attacks by leftists on conservatives, it will take a lot to reduce polarization. More importantly, it will take apologies for the racial politics and the radical ideology that Obama himself pushed while in office.
While it's unlikely any real recognition will be had, the commission is forging ahead and championing its inclusive goals.
Rosie Rios, a former U.S. treasurer, who is working with the commission said, "This is a grassroots effort that all Americans feel like they can be a part of from Guam to Alaska, Fairbanks to Philadelphia, and everything in between. This is about celebrating and commemorating that we’re the oldest democracy in the world"
America250 will hold events in all 50 states and six U.S. territories. It was formally launched July 4, 2023, during a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
Even though it has been less than a month since Donald Trump was shot, the Democrat Party is already debuting its newest strategy of demeaning Republicans by calling everything Trump-related "weird."
Thanks to a support base of terminally online Generation Z supporters, Harris's campaign is fully embracing calling Republicans "weird." That is the tamest of the Democrat's insults as accusations of fascism and Nazism fly like bullets from leftists.
Republicans have also had to stand by while radical leftists burned down cities and took over college campuses in support of literal terrorists. It's going to take real apologies and real condemnation from Democrat politicians before reconciliation and bipartisanship can happen.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama is calling in all her celebrity favors in an effort to get support for Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat presidential nominee after endorsing her last week.
A new get-out-the-vote video from Obama's When We All Vote organization Instagram account featured NBA star Steph Curry, actress Kerry Washington, and soccer player Megan Rapinoe, among others.
Obama is shown calling them to ask if they plan to vote this year, and they all enthusiastically say they are, of course.
Other stars in the video include Singer Reyna Roberts and Hollywood producer Shonda Rhimes.
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“Now it’s your turn to answer the call,” Michelle Obama speaks to the camera. “We are just 100 days away from the general election.”
“From our local elected officials, to ballot measures on reproductive rights, the environment, and our economy,” she First Lady continued. “Our future is on the ballot. So, are you voting this year?”
The video continued with Rhimes, Paul, and beauty influencer Bretman Rock, all asking the camera, “Are you voting this year?”
It concluded with an invitation to register to vote with the organization.
A Friday X video depicted a phone call from the Obamas to Harris.
“I can’t have this phone call without saying to my girl, Kamala, I am proud of you,” Michelle said to Harris on speakerphone in the video. “This is going to be historic.”
The video is captioned, "I’m so proud of my girl, Kamala. Barack and I are so excited to endorse her as the Democratic nominee because of her positivity, sense of humor, and ability to bring light and hope to people all across the country. We’ve got your back, @KamalaHarris!"
The Obamas were reportedly not happy with Harris as the Democrat nominee, given that her approval ratings are lower than Biden's and she's known for flubbing everything when she speaks in public.
They took their time endorsing her but fell into line once she had the necessary delegates to clinch the nomination.
Fox Business independent expert Patrice Onwuka doesn't think the star-studded video will be enough to overcome the "apathy problem" Democrats have after Biden's lackluster performance as the candidate over the last year.
"There's an apathy problem that Democrats have to fight right now. They have to get all of those disenchanted and disengaged voters to actually care," Independent Women’s Forum director for center of economic opportunity Patrice Onwuka said on "Fox & Friends First," Monday.
"They've removed one candidate that was very unpopular, and they've placed someone else as a placeholder in that role. That's not enough," she added. "That's not going to be enough to move the needle."
The presidential political landscape is in upheaval following the resignation of President Joe Biden from his position as the Democrat nominee. It became even more tumultuous when Vice President Kamala Harris stepped into his shoes.
Now the question of who will step into the number two position remains unanswered, but many more experienced Democrats are concerned about who the already unpopular Harris might pick, as The Washington Examiner reported.
As rumors circulate that the senator from a swing state could secure the highly sought-after position of vice president, Kamala Harris's running mate, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and several Democrats are cautioning that he may not be the best choice.
According to John LaBombard, a political insider from Washington, D.C., who has worked as a senior advisor for Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, he is uncertain that Kelly will help the presidential ticket.
“My guess is that Sen. Kelly would have some growth to do in that part of the role, at least as compared to Gov. Walz,” the Democratic strategist said. Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) is also rumored to be on the vice presidential shortlist.
“The vice presidential candidate really ideally would be somebody who would be comfortable being an attack dog on the other ticket but doing it in a way that’s not off-putting to winnable voters,” LaBombard added.
According to Steve Jarding, a former counsel to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and another Democratic strategist, Kelly did not conform to the conventional "attack dog" profile for candidates running for vice president.
Jarding, on the other hand, thinks that might work in favor of people who are turned off by "pit bull" politics.
This week, the senator from a battleground state stepped up his attacks on the Trump-Vance ticket, seemingly eager to portray himself as the "pit bull" that campaign strategists aspire for, amid growing speculation that Kelly leads the probable Democratic nominee's vice presidential shortlist.
Kelly avoided questions regarding the vice president while swiftly criticizing the GOP immigration reform ticket on Wednesday's MSNBC Morning Joe.
“We can’t have four more years of Donald Trump, especially with J.D. Vance one heartbeat away from the presidency,” the Democrat said.
In other comments from this week, Kelly told reporters that Trump had made the world “a more dangerous place.”
Kelly may already have a significant backer. During an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday, Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J. ), a personal friend of Harris, lauded the senator, who is now in a battleground state, as "out of the world."
Booker has stated that he personally urged Biden's candidate for the position of heir apparent to run for the United States Senate in the year 2016.
Booker looked to favor "one of the greatest champions and heroes in the country" in his enthusiastic approval for the Arizonan.
Talking heads were in a frenzy and the headlines were flying when it was announced that the Supreme Court sided with Trump on presidential immunity.
However, according to a recent exclusive report by CNN, this case was one of the Supreme Court's toughest decisions since Chief Justice John Robers has presided over the nation's high court.
The report states that Roberts is no stranger to controversy and has often been criticized for his decision, with last minute switches and vote shifting marking his time in office.
Many consider these moves to be part of the chief justice participating in "playing politics," with a branch of government that shouldn't be partisan in any way.
In contrast, this was not the case in the spring of this year, when six conservatives nominated by the Republican party secured a quite extensive immunity from prosecution for former President Donald Trump.
As the justices convened in private in the oak-paneled conference room that is adjacent to the chief justice's chambers, sources who are acquainted with the negotiations told CNN that there was an early and straightforward 6-3 split.
There was not even a smidgen of the cross-ideological accord that distinguished decisions involving presidential powers in the past, and Roberts did not make any significant efforts to get the three liberal justices to concur with him. He believed he could persuade people to look beyond Trump.
During the previous decades, when the Supreme Court was faced with significant challenges to the power of the president, they have traditionally reached a consensus.
In spite of the fact that the bench and the entire Washington area are significantly more divided than they were in the past, Roberts was able to mediate compromises in two Trump document instances as recently as the year 2020.
The belief that Roberts would oppose any resounding victory for Trump and that a middle ground could be found on certain issues in the immunity dispute was conceivable to outsiders and even some justices within the court.
The chief justice's institutionalist inclination had been solidified in decision after decision over the previous two decades.
This is something Roberts spoke to frequently, including in 2018 when he chided Trump saying jurists have no political affiliation when they take on their robe:
“We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”
The chief justice, who is now 69 years old and is about to begin his 20th term, appears to have dropped his typical concerns regarding the institution.
Only a week after securing the delegates to become the Democrat presidential nominee without a single voter casting a ballot for her as such, the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris is already lowering expectations for a Democrat victory under her leadership.
“Harris and emerging campaign brain trust share the view that shifting the fundamentals of the race will be difficult with a calcified electorate and fragmented media environment,” Politico Playbook reported Monday.
Breitbart noted that Harris has not given a one-on-one press interview since becoming the presumptive nominee, but it has only been a week.
Given her history of gaffes, though, it isn't surprising that a Democrat senator said the campaign was going to be "brutally tough."
An Economist/YouGov poll found that only 39% of registered independents even think Harris is qualified to be president.
That can't be encouraging for the campaign.
In the same poll, 92% said Harris was at least "a little" involved in the coverup of Biden's mental decline.
Party elites including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) were reportedly "lukewarm" to concerned about Harris's candidacy, a source involved in internal discussions told the Hill.
“She wasn’t a great candidate,” a Democrat senator told the Hill referring to Harris's 2020 candidacy, when she dropped out of the primary before any votes had even been cast.
Another Democrat senator said it was going to be hard for Harris to gain support if she steadfastly praised Biden because his record (and hers by association) was unpopular.
And then there's her record in the Senate, where she was ranked the most liberal senator there.
She's a pretty weak candidate already, so it stands to reason she might not be able to withstand close scrutiny of her record.
They must have really needed to get Biden out of there if they latched onto Harris despite her unpopularity.
It looks like they are already expecting to lose to former President Donald Trump in November, and they may not even fight it all that much. Either that or they want to brag about a come-from-behind victory when the time comes.
The New York Times got access to texts between members of the Beaver County Emergency Service Unit before the shooting of former President Donald Trump that show shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was seen as a suspicious person almost 100 minutes before the shooting occurred.
“Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know,” a counter-sniper texted a colleague at 4:26 p.m.
Another counter-sniper took pictures of Crooks at 5:38 p.m. and sent them to a group chat.
One of the texts suggested letting the Secret Service know about the suspicious person since he was aiming his rangefinder at the stage of the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
“Kid learning around the building we are in. AGR I believe it is,” the text reads. “I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.”
Around 6:00 p.m., the members said they thought he had moved away from the event, but that was only a guess--and it was dead wrong.
Crooks was already on the roof at that time, and it was only a few minutes later that he shot Trump and several rallygoers, killing one and injuring two others.
Trump's Secret Service detail said it had not received reports of a suspicious person prior to spotting Crooks on the roof just minutes before the shooting.
Crooks was shot down by Secret Service counter-snipers moments after firing on Trump, but it is unclear why he wasn't shot down before he could shoot.
Rallygoers near the roof where Crooks was located shouted at police to alert them of his presence several minutes before Trump was shot, slightly injuring his ear.
While Trump escaped serious injury or death, firefighter Corey Comperatore lost his life after he threw himself over his wife and daughter's bodies to shield them from the bullets.
It seems that all of it could have been prevented if police and the Secret Service were doing their jobs and communicating effectively in those 90-plus minutes before the shooting occurred.
The security failures were obviously multi-layered, and have already caused Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to resign over the debacle.
There is still no known motive for the shooting.
In a new poll by YouGov and the Times of London, nearly all voters surveyed--92%--who believed there was a coverup of President Joe Biden's health said that Vice President Kamala Harris was at least partly to blame.
A majority of voters, 54%, said they believed there was a coverup of Biden's declining health, which was made evident during the June presidential debate against former President Donald Trump.
68% of that 54% said they blamed Harris "a great deal" for the coverup, while 17% said they blamed her somewhat and 7% said they thought she was a little bit to blame.
An even bigger percentage, 95%, said they believed the Biden family was to blame for the coverup. That included 84% who said they were a great deal to blame, 9% who said somewhat, and 3% who said a little.
The news media, Democrats in Congress, and White House staff all had majorities of voters that also got some of the blame for the coverup.
When asked if they thought Biden should resign now, however, only 30% said yes, while 63% said no and 7% weren't sure.
Harris was also the favorite candidate to replace Biden, with 50% indicating they thought she was the best choice. A number of other candidates including Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro and Joe Manchin had from three to 10% each, with 22% saying "other."
It's hardly an overwhelming level of support, but Harris already has enough delegates to become the Democrat nominee without a single primary vote being cast for her, at least in the presidential position on the ticket.
There is a lot of trepidation about Harris as the Democrat nominee. Even Black Lives Matter denounced "annointing" Harris as "not democratic" and said they didn't support the move.
"Democratic Party elites and billionaire donors are attempting to manipulate Black voters by anointing Kamala Harris and an unknown vice president as the new Democratic ticket without a primary vote by the public," Black Lives Matter said in a statement.
Harris remains deeply unpopular, with a -10 approval rating, even higher than Trump's -6 in the same poll.
Voters who complained they didn't like either of the two major candidates are not seeming any happier with Harris than they were with Biden.
There was a lot of support for Biden dropping out of the race, however, with 76% indicating they strongly or somewhat agreed with the decision.
Donald Trump was two points ahead of Kamala Harris in the poll, 46% to 44%, even though when asked which party's candidate they would vote for without giving names, the poll was tied at 44% each. Third-party and independent candidates were included in the survey.