Free Republic

In the immortal words of J.D. Vance, do they even hear themselves? The biggest names in Democrat gerrymandering are out taking to the Sunday talk show circuit, to complain about Texas's maneuvers to redistrict their state in what would likely bring in more Republican seats in Congress, in what they say is a bid to correct underrepresentation. "Threat to democracy," intoned Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzger, without irony. Questioned about his own state's famous gerrymandering, he insisted that his state is nothing like Texas, which its own way was true enough, because nothing is as badly gerrymandered as Illinois. New York's...

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is leaning into the Texas redistricting battle as he seeks to fend off a conservative primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). On Tuesday, Cornyn publicly called for FBI Director Kash Patel to assist in tracking down Democrats who fled the state in protest. Two days later, the senator and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) separately confirmed that the FBI was assisting in the effort. The move to get out in front of the redistricting battle allows Cornyn to ingratiate himself with the state’s deeply conservative base, who have distanced themselves from the incumbent...

From a tiny hotel room that resembles a prison cell, James Talarico says that he will stay away ‘for however long it takes’ to stop a Trump-backed redistricting plan. James Talarico isn’t like most Democrats. For starters, the Texas state representative is a Joe Rogan–friendly guy whose twang leaks out between critiques of the billionaire class. This week, Talarico is making news for leading an exodus of Texas Democrats who fled the state to block a redistricting vote that could carve out as many as five new Republican congressional seats and help the Republicans keep their House majority next year....

Illinois Gov. JB . ...Pritzker slammed President Donald Trump as a "cheater" and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as a "joke" days after welcoming Texas Democrats who fled their state in protest of GOP-led redistricting efforts.... .

News of Abdul Niazi’s death arrived in a chilling phone call. It was March 26, nearly the end of Ramadan, and his wife wanted to know when to expect her husband, a former U.S. military interpreter who lost both legs in a bomb blast in Afghanistan and became one of Houston’s most well-known advocates for new Afghan migrants. It was almost time to break the day’s fast, recalled Niazi’s cousin, but he hadn’t returned home. So she called his cellphone. “I’m not your husband,” the man on the other end of the line said, according to Rizwanullah Niazi, Niazi’s cousin....

A Texas real estate magnate and trophy hunter was killed by a Cape buffalo during a hunting expedition in South Africa, according to a safari company, which described the incident as "sudden and unprovoked." Asher Watkins had been tracking the bull for a kill when the large horned animal staged an attack first. "Asher was fatally injured in a sudden and unprovoked attack by an unwounded buffalo he was tracking together with one of our professional hunters and one of our trackers," said Hans Vermaak, leader of the safari company Coenraad Vermaak Safaris (CVS), in a statement. "The family and...

For my fellow Texans.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared shoulder-to-shoulder Friday with Texas Democratic lawmakers in a show of support for their nearly weeklong walkout, which has blocked a vote on congressional redistricting maps sought by President Donald Trump in a widening national battle over U.S. House control. Texas has been the epicenter of Trump’s push to gerrymander congressional maps to shore up Republicans’ narrow House majority before next year. But the standoff is threatening to spill into other states — including California, New York, Florida and Indiana — in an emerging proxy war for control of Congress...

The Temple Institute announced on Tuesday that the remaining red heifers that had been brought from Texas by Boneh Israel to perform the Biblically mandated purification ceremony are not suited for the ceremony. “The three weeks of intensified focus and adoption of customs of mourning over the destruction of the two Holy Temples in Jerusalem have ended,” the announcement read. “But our recap of all the work the Temple Institute is involved with, the one aim of rebuilding the Holy Temple and renewing the Divine service is far from exhausted.” The Temple Institute described its more than two decades of...

A Texas judge ruled Friday against Beto O’Rourke and his nonprofit in a case brought by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused them of illegally raising funds to support Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state to block GOP redistricting legislation. Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey handed down a temporary restraining order Friday evening against O'Rourke, a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate, and his group, Powered by People, over alleged "unlawful fundraising practices" tied to efforts to support Texas Democrats who fled the state — including funding air travel, lodging, logistics and daily fines. "Defendants have and will continue...

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/08/just-texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-moves-declare/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is now going nuclear to ensure the Texas fleebaggers never return to power.Paxton announced Friday afternoon that he has filed a “historic” lawsuit with the Texas Supreme Court to declare all 13 seats vacant.“The rogue Democrat legislators who fled the state have abandoned their duties, leaving their seats vacant,” Paxton said in a statement. “These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold.”“Their out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and the business of Texas must go on,” he added. “I have asked the Texas Supreme Court to declare what has...

Record-breaking heat continues for parts of the desert Southwest into the weekend, with sweltering temperatures beginning to expand east into the Heartland.Extreme heat warnings remain in effect for parts of the desert Southwest -- including Palm Springs, California; Phoenix; and Tucson, Arizona.High temperatures are expected to reach well into the 100s and up to 115 in spots.

So she's now calling her own staffers racist and sexist? LOL. The NYP is reporting that staffers for Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett are BLASTING her for being a "diva" who mistreats staff and is "focused almost exclusively on being an influencer" instead of being a member of congress. "She is laying around her apartment, won’t come into the office" “I don’t want to hear Jasmine Crockett talk about helping black women when she just fired one for no reason!” “The only person that she thinks about and cares about is herself." "She doesn’t care about the local issues happening in...

WASHINGTON — Rep. Jasmine Crockett has positioned herself as an unfiltered critic of President Trump, earning regular TV appearances and an enthusiastic online following, but congressional aides tell The Post that the Dallas Democrat is just as “rude” and mean to her own staff. The liberal loudmouth, 44, has rocketed to fame since taking office in January 2023 as a fiery antagonist of the Republican president and his allies. But three sources who have worked with or for Crockett say she’s rarely present when TV cameras aren’t rolling — and terrorizes staff when she does appear. Crockett is not often...

BREAKING: Dustin Burrows, Speaker of the Texas House, announces ADDITIONAL penalties for Dems who fled the state: -Possible arrest -No direct paycheck deposits -Paychecks must now be picked up at the Capitol -30% of the office budget is to be made unavailable -Must appear in person to ask permission for reimbursements and approve newsletters Hold them accountable!

A whistleblower doctor and his wife took to X recently to slam a man who is angling to become President Trump’s chief prosecutor in the Southern District of Texas. Dr. Eithan Haim, a surgeon who blew the whistle on illegal child sex change surgeries at Texas Children’s Hospital, and his wife, Andrea, contend that Pearson did nothing to oppose or block their persecution at the hands of the Biden-appointed US Attorney and AUSA Tina Ansari, who later had to recuse herself from the case due to her family’s close ties to the hospital.

Democrat Texas Judge Lina Hidalgo derailed a meeting Thursday at the Harris County Commissioners Court over a failed tax hike, encouraging children to descend on the courtroom to ask commissioners how they planned to vote. A tax increase proposal, supported by Hidalgo, was brought forward Thursday to fund certain child care and education training programs previously covered by COVID-era funding, according to Houston Public Media. During the meeting, Commissioner Tom Ramsey was seen in footage from KHOU11’s YouTube page saying he would vote no to put forward the proposal on the next ballot, casting doubt on the county’s budget being...

You never know what's swimming in the waters around North Texas. At Eagle Mountain Lake in Tarrant County, it was an alligator! The alligator was safely removed from the lake Thursday morning. "We were trying to get it into the cage last night," said Mike Mancy, who saw the alligator near his dock on Thursday. "He (the alligator) got in it (the cage) this morning on his own."

In January, Dr. Elisabeth Potter said she was midway through performing a breast reconstruction surgery when a call from a representative from UnitedHealthcare came into the operating room. The health insurance company wanted to talk about the patient on the table. “I got a phone call into the operating room saying that UnitedHealthcare wanted to talk to me and that they wanted to talk to me now,” Potter, a plastic surgeon, told NBC News. Potter posted a video on TikTok recounting the call that’s reached nearly 6 million views. During the call she said the UnitedHealthcare representative wanted more information...

Let’s take a tour of the 13th Congressional District in Illinois. It starts in East St. Louis and then moves steadily north. By the time it gets to Springfield, home of Abraham Lincoln, about 90 miles away, it takes a sharp turn to the east, reaching Decatur and finally Champaign, itself about 80 miles away from Springfield. It’s a jagged, narrow strip of territory with no obvious rhyme or reason as it traverses six counties. It’s less a congressional district than a road trip, and bears a resemblance to the original gerrymander, a long, salamander-like state Senate district in Massachusetts...