Politics

The Times Of Israel reports: Israel’s plan to “take control” of Gaza City as approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet touched off a wave of criticism Friday from both inside and outside the country. Nations around the world condemned the plan, saying it would only worsen the conflict and lead to more bloodshed. The United Nations Security Council …

Politico reports: New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte has ruled out joining the rush of states redrawing the lines of congressional districts for partisan advantage in the 2026 midterms. The governor told a local TV station Friday that it was a question of timing. “The timing is off for this, because we are literally in the middle of the census period,” …

San Francisco’s ABC affiliate reports: California Governor Gavin Newsom is now calling for a special election to approve a one-time redrawing of California’s congressional districts. Newsom hosted half dozen Lone Star state lawmakers in Sacramento. “With the leadership behind me, they will get this on the ballot. We are calling for a special election that will be the first week …

“The New York Times puts out a major story on the front page, Palestinian mother holding a child, starved supposedly. And then it turns out that that child has cerebral palsy. It’s a congenital disease. How do we win? Eventually, the truth gets out. It takes time. People will see the humanitarian surge. People will see our efforts to prevent …

Axios reports: Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal for the occupation of Gaza City, a senior Israeli official said. The decision, which came after more than 10 hours of consultations in the security cabinet, is the first phase in an offensive that could include the occupation of the entire Gaza Strip by the Israel Defense Forces. President …

The Associated Press reports: The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the U.S. with fentanyl-laced cocaine. “Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his …

Gothamist reports: Casting himself as the reality-based alternative to Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo said Thursday he would make subways and buses free for the poorest New Yorkers. The policy — which he estimates will cost $140 million annually — amounted to a less ambitious version of Mamdani’s campaign platform of making buses free for all riders. In a twist, Cuomo …

The Washington Post reports: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with his security cabinet on Thursday to discuss plans for the full occupation of the Gaza Strip. It comes amid opposition voiced by Israel’s military leadership, said a person familiar with Netanyahu’s office’s decisions, corroborated by two former Israeli officials — potentially setting up a clash between the country’s military …

The Hill reports: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said what Texas Republicans are doing is “wrong” after they forwarded a gerrymandered congressional map, which would result in five new GOP seats in the House ahead of next year’s midterm elections, as he seeks reelection in his New York swing district. “I think it’s wrong, what Texas is doing,” he said of …

Just in via press release: Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced that the continued refusal to perform legislative duties by Texas House Democrats who broke quorum constitutes abandonment of office and that he will pursue a court ruling ensuring that their seats are declared vacant. Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows has given members until Friday, August 8, to …

Just in via press release: Attorney General James Uthmeier is taking legal action against multiple online pornography websites acting in violation of Florida law by not requiring age verification before accessing adult content. Last year, Florida enacted HB 3, requiring commercial entities that distribute sexually explicit material online that is harmful to minors to verify that individuals attempting to access …

Politico reports: Democrats’ best bet to flip a Long Island House seat that’s been red for more than a decade looks great on paper. Chris Gallant is a Black Hawk pilot, Army veteran, national guardsman, former air traffic controller and union leader and volunteer firefighter. He’s also a gay millennial, political newcomer and Long Island native. Now, Gallant is looking …

Politico reports: A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas may enforce a state law that invalidates mail-in ballots submitted without a voter’s state identification number or partial Social Security number. A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that the requirement the Texas Legislature enacted in 2021 as part of an election-integrity bill known as …

The Times of Israel reports: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told ministers in the past day that he will seek cabinet backing for a plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, despite objections from within the IDF, Hebrew media reports. Several ministers reportedly said Netanyahu used the term “occupation of the Strip” in private conversations describing his vision for the …

The New York Times reports: Democratic state legislators from Texas who fled their state Sunday to try to block the passage of gerrymandered U.S. House maps stood on Monday with Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York with a message: Any notion of fair political mapmaking has ended. “If Republicans are willing to rewrite these rules to give themselves an advantage, …

Axios reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government unanimously voted Monday to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who is currently prosecuting him for corruption. This is the first time an Israeli government has ever voted to fire an attorney general. The move sparked immediate accusations Netanyahu was seeking to protect himself and his aides. In addition to prosecuting Netanyahu in …

The New York Times reports: The Democratic Party’s group that works on state legislative races on Monday called on Democratic-led legislatures across the country to begin their own redistricting efforts, a step that could escalate a national battle after Republican efforts to redraw the congressional maps in Texas. “The D.L.C.C. isn’t going to sit back and allow Republicans to cheat …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: A culture of fear has persisted at a Florida nuclear power plant owned and operated by the state’s largest utility, according to a federal inspection report completed last fall. Workers were hesitant to report safety concerns to upper management lest they face retaliation. Inspectors came to this conclusion after interviewing more than 75 employees at …

The Hill reports: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said on Sunday that the state would protect Texas Democrats who fled to the Prairie State over GOP efforts to redraw the Lone Star State’s congressional maps. “They’re here in Illinois. We’re going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them and make sure that — ’cause we …

The New York Times reports: Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives said they’re leaving the state on Sunday, in what would amount to a last-ditch attempt to stop Republicans from adopting an aggressively redrawn congressional map. Their absence would prevent the House from reaching the quorum needed to hold a vote this week. The move to walk out …