• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed new congressional district maps designed to strip Democrats of additional House seats in the state.
• The redistricting effort is part of a broader coast-to-coast battle over legislative boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterms, with competing proposals from both parties.
• In Virginia, voters narrowly backed a Democratic remap that threatens several Republican incumbents, demonstrating the high stakes of redistricting.
• Florida's KidCare expansion remains stalled in legal limbo since February 2024, preventing coverage for more children.
• Uninsured children in the state have risen to 400,000, one of the highest tallies nationwide.
• Delay exacerbates access issues as federal funds await resolution, impacting low-income families significantly.
Proposal from Ron DeSantis would net Republicans up to four additional US House seats ahead of midterm electionsRon DeSantis, Florida’s Republican governor, on Monday unveiled his proposal for redistricting his state’s congressional maps, a move he hopes will net his party up to four additional House seats in November’s midterm elections.The long-awaited reveal, which will be debated during a special session of Florida’s legislature called by DeSantis beginning Tuesday, is the latest, and possibly final, act of a nationwide “gerrymandering” battle for control of Congress sparked by Donald Trump that looks increasingly to be moving back in Republicans’ favor. Continue reading...
Hisham Abugharbieh has been charged in the deaths of his roommate and his roommate’s girlfriendSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe man charged with killing two University of South Florida doctoral students from Bangladesh allegedly asked ChatGPT about what happens if a person has been put in a garbage bag and “thrown in a dumpster”, according to prosecutors in a court filing.He also allegedly bought duct tape and trash bags in the days leading up to the students’ disappearance. Continue reading...
Special session comes after Virginia voted to redraw maps and as Trump pressures Republicans to protect House majorityFlorida begins a special session on Tuesday in what may be the last front of the redistricting war before the 2026 election, with Republicans trying to redraw maps to pick up more seats in Congress.Lawmakers enter the session in Tallahassee cloaked in mystery, with no preview of a proposed map to consider and no clear path for Republicans to increase their representation in what appears to be a hostile year for their party. Continue reading...