Congressional

• The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request to implement congressional maps in Missouri that were backed by Donald Trump. • The proposed maps were specifically drawn to help Republicans gain an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. • This decision limits the ability of Republicans to increase their control of the House ahead of the November midterm elections.

Latest decision appears to set the stage for the state to use its old electoral maps this yearThe US supreme court again rejected a push backed by Donald Trump to overhaul Missouri’s congressional maps in a bid to hand Republicans an edge in November’s midterm elections.Its latest ruling, after days of confusion following conflicting decisions, appears to set the stage for the state to use its old electoral maps this year. Continue reading...

Decision marks setback for president and Republicans, who set in motion national redistricting battle last yearThe US supreme court refused an emergency appeal by Missouri officials to use a newly drawn congressional map backed by Donald Trump in the November midterm election, letting stand a ruling by the state’s highest state court that blocked the new lines from taking effect.Last week the Missouri supreme court ruled that the map must go before voters to approve or reject the new districts, meaning it cannot be used in the November election. Trump and Republicans fumed over the decision, with the president calling it “horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional”. Continue reading...

The decision marks a setback for Republicans in a national redistricting battleSign up for US Breaking News emailsHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The Missouri supreme court blocked a Republican-drawn new congressional map ⁠from being used in November’s midterm ⁠elections, a blow to the party’s ​odds for maintaining its narrow US House majority.The Trump administration filed an emergency request asking the US supreme court to lift order blocking USPS from implementing mail-in voting restrictions. Chuck Schumer said the president was “[attempting] to destroy the integrity of our elections” with the move.Excavation work on Donald Trump’s “Great Triumphal Arch” project in Washington is set to begin in the coming weeks, interior secretary Doug Burgum said. Congressman Don Beyer, whose district includes Arlington National Cemetery, described the arch project as “illegal, gridlock-increasing [and] narcissistic”.Maryland’s supreme court has decided that a Democrat-backed congressional redistricting amendment can go before voters in the state in November in a win for Democrats.Donald Trump announced an interim replacement for army secretary, Dan Driscoll, who suddenly resigned earlier this week amid reports of tension between him and defense secretary Pete Hegseth.Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass has been asked to testify before a congressional subcommittee as part of an investigation into the “potential misallocation” of federal funds by the region’s Homeless Services Authority. Congressman Robert Garcia described the move as “another attempt by Donald Trump and House Republicans to launch a witch-hunt against Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles.” Continue reading...

Setback for Republicans in redistricting battle as court orders forbids maps from being used in November electionsThe Missouri supreme court has unanimously blocked new congressional districts backed by Donald Trump from being used in the November election and ordered a statewide vote on whether to uphold or reject the new map.The decision Thursday marks a rare setback for Republicans in a national redistricting battle. Republicans had hoped Missouri’s new congressional boundaries could help them win an additional seat and hold onto their slim House majority in the midterms. The ruling still could be appealed to the US supreme court. Continue reading...

Lander screamed at and verbally abused as he protested against Hindu nationalist rally in Madison Square GardenNew York Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander was screamed at and verbally abused by protesters over his stance on Israel as he protested a Hindu nationalist politician speaking outside Madison Square Garden.As Lander attended a demonstration on Saturday against the event, organized by the Hindu nationalist RSS movement and where Mohan Bhagwat, leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was speaking, he was confronted by several protesters demanding that he leave the rally. Continue reading...

Ryan Mackenzie, running for re-election, is accused of ‘fabricating’ a career in the real estate industryThe Republican congressman Ryan Mackenzie has been accused of embellishing his résumé with private sector experience in real estate sales amid an acrimonious showdown over his Pennsylvania seat.Mackenzie, who has previously been accused of lying about his age on Tinder, “was a real estate salesperson licensed in PA”, according to his LinkedIn profile, and biographies have consistently listed it has his former profession. Continue reading...