Congressional Map Fight (Cont.), James Dobson, & Shrekking

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Adam Rogers
August 22, 2025

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California Democrats launched their final push Thursday to redraw their state's political map and gain up to five House seats, responding to similar efforts by Texas Republicans. Gov. Newsom must approve scheduling a special November election today to put the redistricting plan before voters and override California's nonpartisan redistricting commission.
The redistricting push intensified after Trump urged Texas to redraw voting maps and create up to five GOP-leaning seats to prevent midterm losses in 2026. Texas passed its new map 88-52 on Wednesday after Democrats left the state in protest and returned under police monitoring. With Democrats just three seats from a House majority, both parties view redistricting as crucial for 2026 control.
The Supreme Court has ruled that purely partisan redistricting is legal. However, Republicans have more freedom to act quickly since fewer GOP-controlled states have redistricting commissions like California's. Trump is also urging Republican states like Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio to redraw maps while Democrats consider changes in Maryland and New York.

James Dobson, the child psychologist who founded Focus on the Family, died Thursday at 89. He advised five presidents and became a major force in conservative Christian politics since launching his ministry in 1977. At its peak, Focus on the Family had over 1,000 employees and reached millions through radio programming broadcast on 1,500 outlets.
Dobson helped create a network of Family Policy Councils in 40 states, and his organization spent over $4 million on political advertising since the late 1990s. He praised Trump for appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and promoted practices including physical discipline for children and conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people. Conversion therapy has been banned in 23 states and is considered a scientifically discredited practice.
Dobson moved Focus on the Family to Colorado Springs in the 1990s, helping establish the city as a major evangelical center. After stepping down from the organization in 2010, he continued broadcasting his Family Talk radio show, reaching over 500,000 weekly listeners, until his death.

A New York appeals court threw out the $500 million civil fraud judgment against President Trump and his company on Thursday. All five judges agreed the penalty was excessive, though they disagreed on whether Trump committed fraud. Two judges said Trump was liable, but the fine was too large, two others said the case should be retried, and a fifth judge said the case shouldn't have been brought at all.
The case involved Trump inflating property values on financial statements to secure better loan terms from banks and insurers from 2011-2021. Key allegations included claiming his Trump Tower penthouse was 30,000 square feet instead of its actual 10,996 square feet and overvaluing Mar-a-Lago by treating it as a personal residence rather than a social club.
New York Attorney General Letitia James can appeal to the state's highest court and has rejected calls to drop the case despite Trump's presidency. The decision wipes out Trump’s biggest unresolved legal judgment.

Villanova University was locked down for an hour during freshman orientation because of a false active shooter report in what officials called a "cruel hoax" now under federal investigation. (More)

The White House suspended public tours starting September 1 while construction is underway on Trump's new $200 million ballroom. (More)

Navy sailor Jinchao Wei was convicted of espionage for selling ship secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for over $12,000 despite telling friends it was "quite obviously" spying. (More)

The Soviet-era German city of Eisenhüttenstadt launched a “trial living” program with two weeks of free housing. More than 1,700 people applied, and two professionals were selected to move in. (More)

Uganda will accept US deportees from third countries who can't get asylum, preferring African migrants and excluding those with criminal records. (More)

German prosecutors say a Ukrainian man was arrested in Italy for allegedly bombing Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, which severed Europe's key Russian gas supply. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -0.40%, Nasdaq -0.34%, Dow -0.34%). Markets continued their downward slide this week as traders wait for Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech today. (More)

The US and EU finalized trade deal details Thursday, setting 15% tariff caps on cars, chips, and drugs, while the EU committed to buy $750 billion in American energy. (More)

Cracker Barrel stock plunged 15%, wiping out nearly $200 M in value after the restaurant chain removed its iconic overalls-wearing man from its logo. (More)

The Beatles will release unheard outtakes and a remastered documentary series on Disney+ starting November 21. (More)

Kelsey Plum hit a buzzer-beater bank shot to lift Los Angeles over Dallas 81-80, spoiling Paige Bueckers' 44-point night that matched the WNBA rookie record. (More)

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown's father was arrested Wednesday for allegedly stabbing a man in Las Vegas. Police said the victim remains in critical condition. (More)

Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman called studying AI consciousness "dangerous" while Anthropic and other labs explore whether AI models deserve rights as "AI welfare" research grows. (More)

Chipotle launched "Zipotle" drone delivery in Dallas on Thursday, partnering with Zipline to fly burrito orders directly to customers' homes within minutes. (More)

SpaceX's Starship will attempt its 10th test flight Sunday after three straight explosions. MIT engineers have questioned whether Elon Musk's Mars rocket design works. (More)

How to pick the best watermelon at the grocery store.

The latest toxic dating trend: Shrekking.

The world’s oldest person celebrates her 116th birthday.

Watch: 20 tons of ribeye steaks catch fire in a semi truck.

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