States are justifying mid-decade redistricting as fair because other states are doing it and say it will maintain partisan balance in the US House. It could reduce power for minority communities and leave fewer distinct voices in DC. apnews.com/article/redi...

apnews.com/article/nati...  Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation faces outrage from fellow Native Americans after new tribal business signed nearly $30M federal contract involving immigrant detention centers. Tribe now says it's trying to get out of it.

U.S. Supreme Court allows TX to use its new, more-GOP-favoring congressional map in 2026 elections. Candidate filing deadline there is Monday, because the primary is in early March. apnews.com/article/supr...  Supreme Court allows Texas to use a congressional map favorable to Republicans in 2026

apnews.com/article/redi...  Panel of federal judges, in 2-1 decision, blocks TX from using new congressional map, enacted this year to give GOP five more US House seats there, which touched off state-by-state fight over mid-decade redistricting. TX promises a swift appeal to the US Supreme Court.

apnews.com/article/redi...  Different needs but similar fears arise in communities on both ends of Missouri's redistricting. A look at the effects of the rush to redraw America's political maps.

A raid on the Marion County Record sparked outrage in August 2023. The county has agreed to pay a little more than $3 million and apologize to the paper, its publisher, employees, the estate of the publisher's mother and a former City Council member. apnews.com/article/kans...

A special US House election in Houston: Harris County's top civil attorney and a former Houston City Council member are headed to a runoff to fill the seat held by the late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner. Both candidates are Democrats. apnews.com/article/cong...

An expansive, GOP-backed plan to change voting procedures in Maine (it included a voter ID law) fails at the polls. In Texas, voters approve a state constitutional amendment against noncitizen voting. Kansas will have a similar measure on its ballot in November 2026. apnews.com/article/vote...

UPDATE: After Kansas House speaker announces that there will be no special session on redistricting, Senate president promises it will be a top priority when lawmakers convene their next annual session in January. Speaker says most Republicans want a conversation. apnews.com/article/redi...

apnews.com/article/redi... Republicans drop push to enter nation's widening redistricting battle

apnews.com/article/elec...  Maine and Texas are the latest fronts in voting battles, with voter ID, citizenship on the ballot. The Texas question is similar to ones that will be on the ballot in Kansas and South Dakota in November 2026.

apnews.com/article/redi...  President Donald Trump has been pushing Republican state lawmakers across the U.S. to redraw congressional districts to help the GOP in the 2026 midterms, but the effort has met resistence in Indiana and Kansas.

apnews.com/article/alam...  The CEO of the Alamo's historic site has resigned after a top Texas Republican criticized her.

Vance dismisses outrage over racist, offensive Young GOP group chat as "pearl clutching," citing 2022 text by Dem AG candidate in VA suggesting a big Rep should be shot. apnews.com/article/vanc...  JD Vance dismisses bipartisan outrage over racist and offensive Young Republican group chat

As states consider redrawing their congressional district lines to favor one political party, some politicians warn that attempts to gerrymander can devolve into “dummymandering,” when partisan goals end up helping the opposing party in neighboring districts. apnews.com/article/redi...

apnews.com/article/abor...  Abortion providers say Missouri's attorney general is trying to get patient records. Missouri's AG has subpoenaed five people, demanding documents, including patient records, according to court filings.

Several months after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas dropped the state's membership in the National Governors Association, fellow Democratic Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois and Gavin Newsom of California are talking about leaving the group. apnews.com/article/news...

A hearing on whether the new TX congressional map is an illegal and unconstitutional racial gerrymander has started in a federal courthouse in El Paso. apnews.com/article/redi...  A key court test begins for Texas' redrawn US House map that boosts the GOP

A look at various mid-decade redistricting efforts in various states. apnews.com/article/redi...

apnews.com/article/trum...  Missouri legislators have redrawn the state's congressional districts so that the GOP can win a 7-1 margin in seats there. The 5th, represented by Emanuel Cleaver II, had much of KC's Black population. Now those residents are split among various districts.

apnews.com/article/poli... Kansas City, Kansas, police officer has died after being struck by a fleeing driver

apnews.com/article/poli...  A police officer died after a fleeing driver hit tire-deflating devices and veered into him, authorities said. His police chief said the death was “an intentional act of homicide.”

apnews.com/article/new-...  ICYMI: A Maryland man who traveled to El Salvador was diagnosed as having picked up the New World Screwworm fly's flesh-eating larvae. The man recovered and isn't believed to have spread it to animals.

apnews.com/article/redi...  Even at the grocery store, Texas troopers don't let Democrats out of sight after walkout. The Texas House is set to vote Wednesday on a proposal for redrawing congressional districts, aiming to have the GOP pick up five seats there in 2026.

apnews.com/article/redi...  What to know about redistricting fights as Texas Democrats return and California starts work.

apnews.com/article/fly-...  The US is planning to build a $750M fly factory in southern Texas to bulk up its capacity to put sterile male flies into the wild to stop the fly's flesh-eating larvae from getting to Texas and infesting cattle.

apnews.com/article/texa...  Texas' Republican governor is now asking the all-GOP state Supreme Court to remove the Texas House's Democratic leader from office over a walkout that has blocked passage of a GOP congresisonal redistricting plan.

Here is a photo gallery. apnews.com/photo-galler...

apnews.com/article/mexi...  I've been following developments with the movement of a fly's flesh-eating larvae in Mexico. Here's an update.

apnews.com/article/redi...  Democrats are arguing that a Republican plan for redrawing districts in Texas to create more winnable U.S. House seats for the GOP is not only a power grab by President Donald Trump but also an attack on Black and Hispanic voters.

apnews.com/article/texa...  Texas Republicans have unveiled their plan for redrawing the state's US House districts and meeting President Trump's goal of giving the GOP five more winnable seats in the state. |

apnews.com/article/kans...  A 38-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, man who previously served time in prison for aggravated robbery and other crimes has been charged with capital murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a sheriff's deputy.

apnews.com/article/okla...  In OK, local sheriff is investigating reports that explicit images flashed on a TV screen behind Ed Superintendent Ryan Walters during a meeting in his office last week. Oklahoma authorities investigate reports of explicit images on state education chief's TV

apnews.com/article/disa...  The landmark Americans with Disability Rights Act turned 35 on Saturday with disablity rights centers in each state facing the possibility of having the federal funds crucial to their work slashed. The centers fear losing more than 60% of those dollars.