Voting Rights and Redistricting - Texas Democratic representatives are protesting against President Trump's assault on democracy and to protect voting rights [2][3] - The redistricting map in Texas is seen as an attack on democracy, diluting the voices of minority voters [7][8][9] - The current map minimizes and dilutes the voices of minority voters, impacting 13 districts [8] - The proposed redistricting attempts to eliminate five seats where minority voters can elect their candidate of choice, violating the Voting Rights Act [8][9] - More than 60% of Texas voters are minorities, yet Anglo voters control 65% of congressional district elections [23] Political and Financial Risks - Lawmakers face a $500 per day fine for breaking quorum [5] - The Attorney General threatened Democrats with arrest for breaking quorum [5][6] Special Session and Priorities - The special session was initially intended to address flooding issues in Texas [12][13] - Republicans have not introduced any solutions for flood relief during the session, focusing instead on redistricting [16] - Governor Abbott is accused of using flood relief as a cover for redistricting efforts [15][17] National Implications - The redistricting issue is not limited to Texas and is expected to spread to other states [11] - There is a need for a national standard to address redistricting and ensure fairness [25]

Economy & Labor Statistics - The independence of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from political pressure is crucial for reliably reporting job numbers [1] - An investigation into the firing of the BLS commissioner is warranted, considering potential weaponization of the agency [1] - Tariffs are impacting working families across the country, costing them $2400 per year [1] Immigration Policy - The focus should be on modernizing immigration programs and addressing the situation of long-term undocumented residents [1] - Concerns exist regarding the arrest, detention, and deportation policies targeting individuals who are critical to the economy and do not have violent criminal convictions [1] Redistricting & Political Strategy - Republicans are accused of trying to "rig the system" through redistricting to maintain power [1] - California may respond to Texas' redistricting with its own map to boost Democratic seats [1] - The ideal scenario is for Texas to stand down from redistricting efforts [2] Democratic Party Dynamics - There are internal clashes within the Democratic party regarding support for bills funding police departments [5][6] - The Trump administration is accused of withholding funds from Democratic states and cities [8] - Kamala Harris' decision not to run for California governor in 2028 leaves the door open for a potential presidential run [9][10] International Affairs - The situation in Gaza is a humanitarian crisis, and Israel needs to do more to address it [16] - The US should focus on the humanitarian piece and move policy and investments accordingly [18] - Israel faces constant threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran [18]

Joining us now, semaphore politics reporter Dave Wigle, Punch Bowl News co-founder and MSNBC political contributor Jake Sherman, staff writer for The Atlantic and MSNBC contributor Mark Lieovich, and former North Dakota senator and MSNBC contributor Heidi Hydeamp. Thank you all for being with us. Jake, starting with you, this new Texas map targets Democratic US House members in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and in South Texas as well.Is this a done deal. Um will the how will the current representatives how are t ...

Redistricting and Political Strategy - Texas Republicans are aiming to gain five seats in the next midterm elections through a new congressional map, initiated by Governor Greg Abbott at the urging of President Trump [1] - The proposed maps would have favored President Trump in 30 out of 38 seats, each by more than 10 percentage points [2] - California Governor Gavin Newsom is considering redrawing congressional lines to favor Democrats if Texas Republicans proceed with their map [3] - Republicans are openly aiming to give Trump more seats, rather than focusing on fairness or constituent representation [5][6] Gerrymandering and its Consequences - The practice of gerrymandering, intensified by computer-based redistricting since the 1990s, leads to extreme partisanship and less need for representatives to appeal to a broad range of constituents [8][9][10][11] - Gerrymandering results in uncompetitive districts (e g, 90/10 or 80/20 party affiliation), where primary wins are more crucial than general elections, pushing House members to extremes [9][10] - In Wisconsin, gerrymandering after the 2010 election led to Republicans controlling 60-65% of the state legislature despite a roughly 50/50 split in the popular vote [24][25] Legal and Voter Perspectives - Democrats may challenge the Texas maps in court, arguing that they eliminate majority-minority districts, violating the Voting Rights Act, but face challenges in Texas courts [13][14] - Some Democrats suggest abandoning the concept of majority-minority districts to maximize the number of seats they can win [15] - Voters generally oppose politicians drawing districts to prevent themselves from losing, but the presentation of ballot initiatives can influence their perception [20][21] Potential National Implications - The redistricting efforts in Texas could trigger an "arms race," with some Democrats suggesting similar tactics in blue states like New York and California [17] - There is growing pressure on Democratic leaders to adopt more aggressive redistricting strategies, mirroring Republican tactics, to maintain political power [27] - Some fear that the current trend is leading to an increasingly polarized and "ugly" political landscape, where both parties prioritize partisan advantage over fairness [28][29]

And Senator Padilla joins us now. He's a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. >> Senator, thanks for joining us.We know the Office of Special Counsel this White House submitted a new name to lead up that office, a Trump loyalist, some may say stick. Do you really believe that the office of special counsel under this administration would do an investigation into this. Look, I know there's questions and whether they may or may not actually do the job of investigating, which by the way, they have confirme ...

From pole taxes to white only primaries, Texas has discriminated against voters of color for generations. >> Please complete your testimony. >> You have the power to reject that.To reject the pressure from President Trump and national Republican operatives urging you to offset their anticipated electoral losses elsewhere by redrawing the map in Texas to discriminate against minority communities. That was Democratic Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher pushing back against the GOP plan to redraw Texas's congression ...

Joining me now is Texas Congresswoman Julie Johnson, vice ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee. Welcome, Congresswoman. Glad to have you here.And we just heard from your colleague, Congressman BC there. Whose district, like yours, could be on a redistricting target list. What could proposed maps look like for your seat.Well, you know, they're absolutely targeting Dallas County um because we are a very high voting Democrat voting uh area. And so they're trying to really fajit distribut it, howev ...

Yeah, we need someone who's actually a good person. Well, >> to, you know, because the Democrats have very few candidates that are >> That was of course Joe Rogan interviewing Texas State Representative James Telerico on his podcast last week. Telerico is emerging as a rising star in the Democratic party following his interview in previous viral videos.You may have seen them that have pushed him into the spotlight. And now he is hinting at a possible run for the US Senate seat now held by Republican John Co ...

A special session of the Texas legislature is underway right now in Austin. While the response to the central Texas floods is a top priority, Republican Governor Greg Abbott has added redrawing the state's 38 congressional districts to the agenda. It's a key piece.That item came at the urging of President Trump and his team, who believe Republicans can add as many as five seats in next year's midterms. Texas Democrats, meanwhile, are vowing to fight the redistricting efforts. But as the minority party in bo ...

the plan is to go after these particular seats for the purposes of getting some type of electoral advantage. Uh I guess in 26 it makes no sense to me because the fact a couple of things. One, you've got governor Democratic governors now looking at the possibility of doing the same in their states to offset any gains here.But two, given the momentum the de the Democrats are starting to build and hoping to continue to build, um, Republicans are going to need more than four seats out of Texas to hold the House ...