Republicans

Ars Technica reports: Texas is gearing up for war as a savage, flesh-eating fly appears poised for a US invasion and is expanding its range of victims. On Friday, the Texas Department of Agriculture announced the debut of TDA Swormlure, a synthetic bait designed to attract the flies with a scent that mimics open flesh wounds, which are critical to the …

NBC News reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham said in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that Russia and Ukraine would have to swap some territory to end the war, echoing President Donald Trump‘s comments about land exchanges. “I want to be honest with you, Ukraine is not going to evict every Russian, and Russia is not going to Kyiv, …

“I think a lot of people are seeing higher prices. Our family’s in the construction business, and we get a lot of our timber from Canada and other countries. Yes, it’s higher. Steel prices are up, but it’s for the good of the country. Should we expect high prices for a short time? Yes. But overall, we couldn’t keep going …

The Hill reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a major proponent of increased sanctions on Moscow and its allies, signaled Saturday that he supported President Trump’s decision to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Invoking former President Ronald Reagan’s summit with former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev before the end of the Cold War and subsequent fall of the Soviet Union, Graham …

“I would just say to the president, spend your time where it’s needed more, on geopolitical interests that affect all Americans. This election in New York City does not affect all Americans. Let’s face it. Cuomo’s been talking to Trump for years. They grew up together, side by side. “Fred, the patriarch of the Trump family, supported Mario Cuomo. I …

The Meidas Touch reports: Rep. Eric Burlison, a Missouri Republican serving on the House Oversight Committee, appeared on BlazeTV’s Prime Time with Alex Stein, where he discussed his belief that giants once existed. Burlison told Stein he was scheduled to be at “NephCon 2025,” a conference focused on fringe topics including the biblical Nephilim —figures in Genesis that some interpret …

Houston Public Media reports: As Democrats and Republicans in Texas spar about the prospect of redrawing the state’s congressional districts ahead of the midterm election next year, a state senator from the Houston area is being accused of racism over a social media post about a fellow lawmaker who fled the state. State Rep. Gene Wu of Houston, chair of …

The Washington Post reports: Texas GOP leaders hailed the FBI’s apparent willingness to help them track down the more than 50 Democratic lawmakers who have left the state amid a messy redistricting fight, calling it a necessary step to end a standoff that has ground state politics to a halt. But a day after Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that …

ABC News reports: As Texas Republicans try to muscle a rare mid-decade redistricting bill through the Legislature to help Republicans gain seats in Congress — at President Donald Trump’s request — residents in Austin, the state capital, could find themselves sharing a district with rural Texans more than 300 miles away. The proposed map chops up Central Texas’ 37th Congressional …

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,” …

The Texas Tribune reports: Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke cannot financially support Texas Democrats who left the state to delay passage of a new congressional map, a Tarrant County judge ruled Friday evening. O’Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, were sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Friday afternoon. Paxton argued that the group was deceptively fundraising for …

Crooks & Liars reports: It’s no deep dark secret that Rep. Drunken Van Orden doesn’t have very good people skills. He’s sexually harassed two women while he was in the Navy, he screamed at a teen library aide, he screamed at teen Senate pages, and he physically assaulted a young woman with CODEPINK. But DVO has a special hatred for …

The Washington Post reports: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) asked the state’s high court Friday to remove 13 Democrats from office for leaving the state this week to prevent the GOP from giving themselves five more safe congressional districts. The Republican attorney general’s office said in a news release that he was focused on 13 of the more than …

Raw Story reports: House Speaker Mike Johnson has been accused of using campaign money to pay his rent in what the government watchdog group Campaign Legal Center described as a “clear-cut violation of federal campaign finance laws,” newly filed complaints allege. In two separate complaints filed this week with the Federal Election Commission and the Office of Congressional Conduct, the …

Politico reports: The Texas House gaveled in and out without a quorum again on Friday, as Republicans grew annoyed with Democratic lawmakers who left the state to prevent a vote on a redistricting bill that President Donald Trump urged them to pass. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced at Friday’s session that Democrats would be required to collect their monthly …

The Hill reports: Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) introduced a bill to initiate a snap census that counts only American citizens. The brief bill, dubbed the “Correct the Count Act,” directs the secretary of Commerce to immediately conduct a census that will “count in any tabulation of population only individuals who are citizens of the United States.” “The American right to …

Fort Lauderdale’s ABC affiliate reports: The Florida Department of Education has identified more than 50 books it says are no longer permitted in public schools across the state, citing inappropriate and pornographic content. But some parents and advocacy groups are questioning whether the state should have the final say over what books are allowed in schools — including in Broward …

The Dallas Morning News reports: Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows tried to gather a quorum when he convened the House at 1 p.m. Friday – but with more than 50 Democrats nowhere near the Capitol, it didn’t happen. That marks Day 5 of dead air in the chamber, which lacks enough members on the House floor to hold a vote …

The Hill reports: Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is eyeing a bid for Texas attorney general, two sources familiar with the matter told The Hill, as the GOP lawmaker considers jumping from Washington back to the Lone Star State. Reached for comment, Roy told The Hill: “I’m always considering where I can best serve the people I represent to ensure we …

NOTUS reports: First-term Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a multimillionaire who recently sold control of his family’s electrical contracting company and now represents one of Pennsylvania’s poorest congressional districts, appears to have taken steps to hide one whirling aspect of his wealth: his new personal helicopter. The helicopter — a 2024 Robinson R66 that retails between $1 million and $1.5 million …