A cross-country redistricting battle: California Democrats push new maps to counter Texas Republicans. Control of Congress still hangs in the balance.
Plus, a judge blocks the expansion of Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility and bans new detainees.
And President Donald Trump thanks National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., with burgers and pizza. He hints at which city could be next.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Aug. 22, 2025.
California Democrats pass redistricting plan in direct response to Texas
California Democrats fired back at Texas, passing a sweeping redistricting plan designed to elect more Democrats to Congress. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill Thursday after a fast-track vote in Sacramento.
He also called a special election in November so voters could decide whether the new maps stick.
The move is a direct counterpunch to Texas. On Wednesday, Republicans pushed through a new map that could net them five extra seats in the U.S. House. President Donald Trump requested the move.
California Democrats claimed their plan would achieve the same goal, adding five seats for their side and strengthening four swing districts.
“This is not something six weeks ago that I ever imagined we would be doing,” Newsom said. “This is being done in response to Texas. This was not an organized effort. This was a reaction to an assault on our democracy in Texas. And we’re going to continue to support those that are of like mind to get the vote out and to get word about what this is all about.”
Newsom’s move put him at the center of a redistricting showdown between the nation’s two biggest states. It’s a battle that could decide control of the House in 2026.
But Republicans are promising to fight this in court and at the ballot box. Some critics have said that “fighting fire with fire” could ultimately burn down public trust in the system.
Judge blocks ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ expansion; No new detainees allowed
A federal judge has slammed the brakes on “Alligator Alcatraz,” Florida’s controversial immigrant detention facility in the Everglades. The order issued on Thursday bars any new construction and blocks Florida from bringing in more detainees.
The facility can remain open, but the state must remove temporary fencing, industrial lights, generators and waste equipment within 60 days.
The ruling is a major win for environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, which sued over damage to the Everglades.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ spokesperson dismissed the criticism, saying, “The deportations will continue until morale improves.”
Appeals court tosses Trump’s $500M penalty, upholds fraud
Two important court cases involving Trump made progress overnight. A New York appeals court has thrown out the half-billion-dollar penalty in Trump’s civil fraud case.
The judges agreed that Trump and his company are liable for fraud. However, they said the $500 million award was excessive and violated the Eighth Amendment.
That money is now off the table as the case moves to further appeal.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has vowed to keep fighting as Trump called the ruling a “total victory.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court handed Trump a partial win in his push to defund diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
By a 5 to 4 vote, the justices allowed his administration to halt nearly $800-million in National Institutes of Health research grants that he said promoted “gender ideology” or race-based preferences.
However, the court also left the door open for challengers to win in the long term, signaling that the president’s broader crackdown on DEI may not survive.
Trump praises troops in Washington crime crackdown, calls it a ‘test run’
On Thursday, the president put himself front and center in Washington’s crime fight. Trump spoke to hundreds of police and nearly 2,000 National Guard troops gathered at a park police facility in southeast Washington.
He thanked them for “restoring safety” and touted the deployment as a success.
“I’ve never received so many phone calls thanking me for what we’ve done in Washington, D.C., from people who haven’t gone to a restaurant in literally 4 years,” Trump said. “And they said ‘You know, what you’ve done, it’s unprecedented.’ They said it was just unsafe.”
Trump mobilized National Guard units from six states to support federal law enforcement. The guard patrolled tourist spots and transit hubs.
The move comes even as city crime stats show violent crime down 26% from last year, a three-decade low.
However, the White House does not believe those numbers are correct. The Justice Department has now launched an investigation to see if the data was manipulated.
Trump said this federal takeover is a test run, with Memphis likely next.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser called the federal takeover political theater that doesn’t match the numbers on the ground.
She said the federal surge is aimed less at violent crime and more at immigration and homelessness.
“In the request from the feds that was represented in the Pam Bondi order, almost exclusively focused on immigration enforcement and homeless encampment enforcement. So I’ll let you draw your own conclusion,” Bowser said.
She also noted the surge has brought more checkpoints and masked federal officers on city streets. She noted that so far, there’s been no explanation for why.
DOJ to hand over first batch of Epstein files to Congress
The Justice Department (DOJ) is expected to deliver the first batch of Jeffrey Epstein files to Congress, but it doesn’t anticipate a complete data dump in the near future.
The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, subpoenaed the documents after months of fighting.
Both Republicans and Democrats have called for transparency. However, the DOJ stated it will release the files gradually. The initial documents, due by the end of Friday, could include FBI reports and material seized from Epstein’s properties.
Comer said he’ll move quickly to release them publicly, but wants to review first to protect victims.
That’s unsatisfactory to both Democrats and Republicans like Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who want a floor vote to require full disclosure, with only victim names and explicit material redacted.
Democrats have called the DOJ’s plan a cover-up.
Hurricane Erin pulls away from East Coast, flood threats remain
Hurricane Erin, now a Category 2 storm, has pulled away from the East Coast, tracking northeast toward Nova Scotia. The National Hurricane Center said Erin remains a very large storm system with winds up to 105 miles per hour.
A state of emergency remains in effect along the Jersey shore. Rip currents, high surf and coastal flooding continue to pose dangers through Friday and into the weekend.
SpaceX launches experimental mini shuttle for US Space Force
A U.S. Space Force mini shuttle is on its way to orbit, carrying out a classified military mission. SpaceX launched the unmanned vehicle, known as X-37 B, from Cape Canaveral late Thursday night.
The Space Force said it will test laser communications and new methods to navigate without GPS.
This is the 8th flight for an experimental X-37B — a mini shuttle that is just 29 feet long with a wingspan of about 15 feet.
No word on how long it will stay up, but the last mission stayed in orbit for over a year.
More from Straight Arrow News:
What’s behind the Vegas tourism drop, and what does it mean for other cities?
Starting from his days as a busboy at the Sands, Teddy Pappageorge has seen the evolution and all the turmoil Las Vegas has endured as a 42-year member of Culinary Union Local 226, the largest in Nevada. Now serving as secretary-treasurer for 60,000 hospitality workers, he does not mince words about the economic outlook Las Vegas has faced in recent months. He paints it as a warning to other cities.
“When the economy sneezes, Vegas gets the flu,” Pappageorge told Straight Arrow News.
Those words ring as a reminder that Las Vegas’ status as one of America’s crown jewels of tourism is often dependent on a healthy national economy. Immigration policies and evolving tariff proposals have taken a toll on the city’s economy and job prospects, affecting tourism, housing and the cost of living. Those factors, alongside rising costs for tourists and locals, along with a high unemployment rate, suggest people are spending their money elsewhere. And residents are feeling the squeeze.
Read the full story now >
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Author: Craig Nigrelli
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