Heats

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed new congressional maps set to strip Democrats of additional House seats ahead of 2026 midterms. • In contrast, Virginia voters narrowly approved a Democratic-backed redistricting plan threatening Republican incumbents. • The coast-to-coast battles reflect volatile gerrymandering disputes shaping midterm battlegrounds.

Six candidates clashed over homelessness and cost of living crisis in first debate since Eric Swalwell’s exit – with a clear frontrunner still yet to emergeSix candidates vying to become the next governor of California sparred on Wednesday in the first debate since the already topsy-turvy race was plunged into upheaval by the sudden collapse of former congressman Eric Swalwell’s campaign after sexual assault and misconduct allegations.With a clear frontrunner still yet to emerge, the unusually wide-open race to replace the outgoing governor Gavin Newsom in the heavily Democratic state has left nearly a quarter of voters undecided ahead of the 2 June primary. Continue reading...

The story of a wildflower that adapted to a severe drought in California raises hopes that evolution will come to the rescue of species hit by climate change, but there are limits