Democrats have gone into what party insiders
openly describe as panic mode as Republicans suddenly see a clearer path
to holding the House in 2026.
A series of court rulings on redistricting and voting rights has
given the GOP a clear path to pick up at least 10 House seats, political
experts say.
What only weeks ago appeared to be a growing Democrat advantage in
the national redistricting battle has now dramatically reversed.
A major ruling this past week by the Virginia Supreme Court
invalidating the state's newly drawn congressional map, combined with a
recent U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting key provisions of the Voting
Rights Act, could ultimately hand Republicans control of the House in
the next Congress.
The developments have rattled Democrats nationwide and energized
Republicans who now believe the political map has shifted decisively in
their favor.
"F*****ck!!" one House Democrat texted Axios reporter Andrew Solender
after Virginia's high court struck down the Democrat-backed map that
would have targeted four Republican-held seats.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed Democrats would pursue
"all options to overturn this shocking decision," while
Democrat strategists privately acknowledged the setback could
fundamentally alter the battle for control of Congress.
"I think we still take back the House, but it's a major setback,"
Democrat strategist Adrienne Elrod told reporters. "We have to just win
at the ballot box. And we can do it."
Republican optimism comes after a dramatic turnaround in a redistricting war Democrats themselves escalated beginning in 2023.
That year, Republicans shocked Democrats by flipping 11 House seats
nationally, including major gains in New York. Democrats responded
aggressively.
In Albany, Democrat lawmakers moved to redraw New York's
congressional map, effectively eliminating six Republican districts and
reigniting mid-decade redistricting efforts across the country.
The strategy unleashed an all-out national battle over congressional
lines, with both parties searching for ways to gain an advantage before
the next census.
Until recently, Democrats appeared to have momentum.
Virginia Democrats had approved new congressional maps projected to create four additional Democratic-leaning seats.
But the Virginia Supreme Court's ruling Friday erased those gains and restored a friendlier political landscape for Republicans.
At nearly the same time, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
unveiled new
congressional maps that could create four more Republican-leaning
districts in his state's already GOP-dominated delegation.
Then came perhaps the most consequential blow of all: the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act could
not be used to create a racial majority district.
The ruling opens the door for Republican-controlled Southern states
such as Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia to redraw numerous
majority-minority districts that had long been protected under federal
law.
Political analysts believe the decision could reshape congressional maps across the South for years to come.
Tennessee Republicans have already approved a new map targeting the
state's lone Democrat-held district, while other Southern legislatures
are reportedly moving quickly to redraw additional lines.
Democrat consultant Trevor Southerland bluntly summed up growing concerns inside the party: "Rigged maps can overcome a lot."
Republicans, meanwhile, are celebrating what they see as a political and legal breakthrough.
"I thank the Supreme Court for its courage in standing up for what is
right," said Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., whose district would have become
heavily Democrat under Virginia's invalidated map.
Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican
Congressional Committee, declared: "This win is yet another sign
Republicans have the momentum heading into November. We're on offense,
and we're going to win."
The redistricting reversal is particularly striking because Democrats
had believed the 2026 political environment favored them strongly.
President Donald Trump's approval ratings have struggled amid
concerns about inflation, energy prices, and tensions surrounding the
war with Iran.
Historically, the party controlling the White House often loses House seats during midterm elections.
Democrats still believe public dissatisfaction with economic conditions could carry them to victory.
But party officials now fear redistricting may blunt those advantages.
One Democrat strategist admitted the party may now have to divert
huge sums of money simply to remain competitive in House races.
"Dems are going to have to double down on winning the House — even if
that means being unable to expand the map in the Senate," the
strategist said.
The financial cost is already enormous. Democrats reportedly spent
more than $65 million on the Virginia redistricting effort that was
ultimately struck down by the courts.
Republicans credit much of the strategy to Trump political advisers who pushed for aggressive mid-decade redraws nationwide.
James Blair, a Trump ally who advocated the plan, reacted to the court victories by posting on X: "Lord grant me humility."
Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita praised Blair's strategy,
writing: "Always initiate contact — never wait for it to come to you."
Some Democrats now fear the conflict could escalate even further by
2028, with both parties embracing increasingly aggressive gerrymandering
tactics.
Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala.,
warned that Democrats may retaliate in blue states.
"I take 52 seats from California and 17 seats from Illinois," Sewell
said. "We're going to play their game, and we're going to beat them at
it."
For now, however, Republicans appear to hold the upper hand in a
redistricting battle that could determine control of Congress not just
this year — but for the rest of the decade.
Those are the words Spencer Pratt
used to introduce a two-minute video honoring his wife of almost 18
years, Heidi Montag, and vividly showing why he is running for mayor of
Los Angeles. He's been very open about how difficult losing everything
in such a sudden and traumatic way has been for both his wife and his
mother, and how that's inspired him to act. While the video focuses on
his own family, the same video could be made about every family whose
home burned to the ground in that firestorm, and Pratt's running to
fight for them, too.
The video begins by juxtaposing video of a wildfire with shots of
Montag leaning her head on Pratt's shoulder, a pensive look on her face,
then cuts to show their two sons, Gunner and Ryker, returning for the
first time to the burned-out lot upon which their home used to sit.
"Heidi and I have been through hell together. No mom should ever have to go through what she's gone through."
An
Airstream trailer was recently placed on the lot, but the family has
been living at his parents' beach house in Santa Barbara County since
January 7, 2025. Now that there's a trailer there and not just an empty
lot, they brought the boys, ages 8 and 3, to visit.
The boys are
excited to go into the trailer, with Gunner, the oldest, quickly hopping
into one of the beds and getting under the covers, Ryker fast on his
trail. Gunner looks out the window, excitedly yelling, "Hummingbirds!
Three!" while Heidi sinks into Spencer's arms, wiping away tears.
I had no idea what the hummingbirds were about on the Spencer Pratt campaign logo but then I saw this. I would vote for @spencerpratt just seeing this. If I could vote for him that is. pic.twitter.com/dbp5k5ZaUq
Going back outside, Heidi, holding Ryker, points out where various
rooms in the house used to be. Seeing a concerned look on his face, she
asks, "Are you okay?" "No," he says, and puts his head on her shoulder.
Walking
up the stairs back to street level, Gunner spots something in the dirt
and points, "It's my old favorite shovel, Mom!" Heidi laughs as Gunner
runs to retrieve it, shouting, "Dad, this used to be my" -- then his joy
quickly fades as he sees that the shovel is burned, and he simply says,
"Oh."
One moment that struck me is a bit in the background. The
family sets up a fire pit to make s'mores. As everyone's sitting around
the campfire, the camera focuses on Spencer's face. The look on his face
of righteous anger and determination to fix it for his family is
something that should strike fear in LA Mayor Karen Bass, Governor Gavin
Newsom, and the other bureaucrats that allowed this tragedy to occur -
and politicians everywhere who continue to act without regard for the
safety and well-being of their constituents. Not that Pratt will
physically harm them, though that desire would absolutely be justified,
and not just that he will be successful at the polls. What should strike
fear in them is the movement Pratt's unleashed by bringing what's
really wrong in American politics into sharp focus.
It's
heartbreaking to watch, and some (Karen Bass and Nithya Raman) will
likely argue that Pratt brought his family there for a photo op, just
like they said when he released a video with his mother last week.
They'll
again say that he's exploiting his own family for political gain and
harming his sons by taking them back to the lot. Was it an extremely
difficult thing for the boys to see? Yes. But they've been living in
trauma since the day they had to flee their home, leaving everything
except what they could hurriedly pack in their car, behind, sirens
blaring everywhere and walls of flame chasing them.
What they're
learning now is resilience. They're learning that their dad will always
fight for them, and that their mom will always be there for comfort and
nurturing. They had to have wondered, especially Gunner, what their
"home" looked like now. Whether the family will be able to rebuild
remains to be seen; they, like thousands of their neighbors, had been
forced onto California's FAIR Plan for insurance, which is very
bare-bones, and they're part of a class action lawsuit against city and
state. But they're learning that the family can go through difficult
things and survive.
"I think that they're trying to have a good attitude
about it but I did see Gunner like almost crying up there, but they're
so happy to be home, too."
Pratt closes the video by
saying, "I am constantly in awe of Heidi. She's the most incredible mom
to our boys. She's why I fight."
Happy Mother's Day, Heidi, and all the moms of Pacific Palisades and Altadena still struggling to find some normalcy.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) has sparked a lot of outrage after comments
he made on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan about the status of
our armaments at this point in the fight with Iran.
Brennan tweeted about the interview.
After
hearing the Pentagon classified brief on Iran war impact on US weapons
stockpiles, Senator Mark Kelly says it is "shocking how deep we have
gone into these magazines." He said the Tomahawks, ATACMS, SM-3, THAAD
rounds, Patriot rounds, so those interceptor rounds to defend ourselves
have been hit hard. He says it'll take years to replenish those
stockpiles, which could affect a hypothetical US conflict with China.
Here's what he said.
🚨
HOLY CRAP! SecWar Pete Hegseth has just opened a Pentagon legal
investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly for possibly OPENLY LEAKING a
*classified* briefing on CBS' Face The Nation
The topic was US weapons stockpiles — info that could help OUR ENEMIES
A
number of times, we've been briefed by the Pentagon on specific
munitions. Actually, it's been pretty detailed on Tomahawks, ATACMS,
SM-3, THAAD rounds, Patriot rounds, so those interceptor rounds to
defend ourselves. And the numbers are, I think it's fair to say it's
shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines, because this
president got our country into this without a strategic goal, without a
plan, without a timeline, and because of that, we've expended a lot of
munitions, and that means the American people are less safe, whether
it's a conflict in the western Pacific with China or somewhere else in
the world, the munitions are depleted. You may have seen me ask the
Secretary of Defense this question about how long it's going to take to
replenish. We're talking about years.
But Brennan also noted as a rebuttal to Kelly.
Admiral
Paparo, the head of US Pacific Command, was recently asked in front of
Congress about American readiness and whether the diversion to the
Middle East was hurting it. He said he did not see any real cost on our
ability to deter China. From what you have heard, when you say it's
shocking, do you think that the U.S. would be able to defend, for
example, Taiwan, if China tries to move against it? Or are you saying we
are not in a position to do that right now?
Kelly responded that it depended on how long the conflict was. Why is he even talking about that?
That
had many people concerned about whether he was talking about things
said in a classified briefing, and why he was saying things that might
give our adversaries thoughts.
Then, too, whether it's even true
and why Democrats never seemed to have an issue pouring out weapons to
Ukraine, when that wasn't even an action we're involved in. This is in
support of our action to stop Iran's nuclear threat.
People ripped into Kelly in response to Brennan's tweet.
But Secretary of War Pete Hegseth really let him have it, additionally calling it false.
“Captain”
Mark Kelly strikes again. Now he’s blabbing on TV (falsely &
dumbly) about a *CLASSIFIED* Pentagon briefing he received. Did he
violate his oath…again? @DeptofWar legal counsel will review.
Sounds like Kelly just walked right into it again.
She really didn’t say this, did she? Regardless of
the circumstances, this young New York City liberal woman bears
responsibility: she could have put a troubled repeat offender behind
bars and saved a retired teacher who was pushed down a flight of stairs
and killed by this criminal. She refused to cooperate with prosecutors
because she didn’t want to be responsible for imprisoning another Black
man.
Remember, the suspect assaulted her in early April. It’s another
case of misguided empathy. Lady, this man couldn’t care less about you
(via NY Post) [emphasis mine]:
Liberal woman
who refused to cooperate with prosecutors after maniac attacked her on
subway weeks before he pushed retired NYC teacher to death has regrets:
"Maybe a part of me was just like, I don’t want to put another black man
in jail." https://t.co/QihuYD552f
A
23-year-old woman recounted the terrifying subway attack she suffered
at the hands of the same recidivist madman accused of fatally shoving a
retired Big Apple teacher down a flight of stairs hours after being released from a psych ward.
The horrified victim told The Post she and a friend were on a subway in Manhattan on
April 2 when Rhamell Burke approached them and began a conversation
they quickly shut down before frantically trying to switch cars to get
away from him.
She said the crazed
suspect stalked them closely and allegedly yanked her by the back of her
head in an attempt to slam her to the ground and booted her friend in
the back.
[…]
“We started running a little bit, but then
thank God the cops were right there because, I mean, we kept thinking
about, imagine that there were no cops, we would have had to literally
run for our lives. They immediately arrested him. It was shut down
really fast by the cops and we respected that.”
[…]
She said
the attack left her and her friend “in shock,” but they ultimately
chose not to cooperate with prosecutors — a decision she now regrets
after Burke was charged with murder on Friday for allegedly hurling
76-year-old stranger Ross Falzone to his death at a Chelsea subway
station Thursday night.
Police had taken the violent brute to
Bellevue Hospital for “acting erratically” Thursday afternoon before he
was released about an hour later and allegedly launched the deadly
unprovoked attack later that night.
“I regret it 100% and I actually feel really bad that a man lost his life,” the woman said.
“Maybe a part of me was just like, I don’t want to put another black
man in jail, but, you know, at some point, if you are a criminal, you’re
a criminal, and he was scary, he was a scary guy,” she said.
You can just tell she’s a Kamala supporter. Also, those words mean nothing, lady—your inaction led to a man dying.
Who
is this person? She deserves to be exposed. It’s people like you who
allow criminality to spread, and it’s people like you that criminals
love. It reminds me of a quote from Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins:
“Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society's 'understanding.’”
Bill Maher’s Friday episode of Real Time had some
good moments and, of course, some bad ones. The difference is I can
handle differing opinions because a) he doesn’t take himself too
seriously—he’s a comedian, b) because of that, he knows his lane, and c)
it’s not the shrieking we hear from MS Now and CNN daily.
He started off well with Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who expressed
his support for the White House ballroom, having attended the White
House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where Cole Allen tried to
assassinate President Trump last month. The entire presidential line of
succession was seated near Fetterman. Cole could have killed many
people. We’re lucky Allen tripped before he could breach the venue.
He
and Maher also called out the “orgy of socialism” that’s engulfed the
Democratic Party, while adding the communism is no longer a dirty word
in today’s lexicon on the Left. He also added that the other thing the
two men share is that they avoid stupid fights that are commonplace
among woke leftists:
Even Bill Maher’s liberal audience is now APPLAUDING after he says Trump’s ballroom plans actually make sense.
John
Fetterman was two tables away from the latest assassination attempt,
and he says he saw the “entire line of succession” flashing before his
eyes.
Where
Bill was wrong and right was about the redistricting wars: yes,
Republicans are winning, but no, this isn’t some racist attempt to
dilute Black voters. For starters, Black Republicans are being elected,
something that guest Dan Crenshaw pointed out. Still, Maher is right
that the redistricting wars are not going well for Democrats.
Bill Maher looks visibly taken aback after he realizes Democrats’ gerrymandering efforts have backfired badly.
“Republicans are winning the gerrymandering war.”
“Texas, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, North Carolina: They’re all now more Republican.”
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) May 9, 2026
Bill
Maher gets MIC DROPPED after fearmongering about Republicans redrawing
illegally racially gerrymandered congressional maps in the South.
Rep.
Dan Crenshaw (R-TX): “The new governor of Florida is likely going to be
black. These are white Republicans that are voting him in.” pic.twitter.com/hOYaaCiBTK
There are no Republican House members in New England. There will be
virtually no Democrats in the South. It’s an even trade, right? Keep
redistricting, and don’t be wimps about it, Republicans.
Trump rejects Iran proposal as 'totally unacceptable'
President Donald Trump on
Sunday sharply dismissed Iran’s multipage proposal, signaling potential
and continued deadlock in negotiations to end the war.
“I have
just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.” I don’t
like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” Trump said in a post shared on Truth
Social.
According to reports, Iran’s response — delivered through
Pakistani mediators — failed to address Washington’s core demand for
advance commitments on the future of its nuclear program and uranium
reserves.
Israeli PM Netanyahu argues public opinion shift on Israel "correlates almost 100%" to social media
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed
on "60 Minutes" Sunday that the dramatic shift in public opinion on his
country could be traced to the rise in social media.
"Israel has
gone to unbelievable lengths to get innocent civilians out of harm's
way," Netanyahu said. "We text message millions of text messages to
them—make millions of phone calls to them, pamphlets, leaflets, you name
it, OK? We have seen the deterioration of the support for Israel in the
United States almost — I would say, it correlates almost 100% with the
geometric rise of social media."
He continued, "And that by itself
is not what caused it. And I don't believe in, you know, in censoring
them or anything. But I'll tell you what happened. We have several
countries that basically manipulated social media. And they do it in a
clever way. And that's something that has hurt us badly."
Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel has made "mistakes" in its war against Hamas but emphasized that they were not deliberate actions.
"Israel is besieged on the media front, on the propaganda front, and we've not done well on the propaganda war," he said.
Netanyahu
remarked that even host Major Garrett would not be immune to negative
propaganda if there was enough pressure against him.
"I can paint you as a monster," Netanyahu said. "And if I say it often enough, enough people will believe it."
An
NBC News poll in March found that only 32% of Americans view Israel
positively while 39% of Americans saw the nation in a negative light.
The shift was far more pronounced among Democrats and independents,
while Republicans were still largely sympathetic to the Jewish state.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Lindsay Kornick.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
Second suspected oil slick near Iran raises fears of major disaster in vital global oil corridor
A second suspected oil slick has been detected near Iran’s Kharg Island
export hub, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI,
heightening fears of an environmental disaster as a larger spill
identified May 8 continues drifting toward Saudi Arabian waters.
The
suspected new slick comes as U.N. officials warned Sunday that oil
spills in the region could trigger an environmental catastrophe amid the
ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.
"Another possible oil spill was
detected today at 11 a.m. local time," Windward told Fox News Digital.
The approximate visible area, according to the firm, was between 12 to
20 square kilometers.
Tehran has
pointed to foreign vessels, but maritime experts say the main slick —
estimated at tens of thousands of barrels and covering about 65 square
kilometers, according to the U.N. University Institute for Water,
Environment and Health — is more likely linked to aging infrastructure,
pipeline ruptures or a "war mode" environment that has threatened the
waterway since February.
"We should worry about the cause of the
slick and monitor things carefully to see if there are new
developments," U.N. official Dr. Kaveh Madani told Fox News Digital.
"If
this slick gets bigger, we should be seriously worried about there
being a leakage of aging infrastructure," Madani said, adding the slick
was "moving away toward the southwest of the island."
"We just
have to see how it moves and if it gets closer to the centers of
population. If it does, desalination operations also must be halted. The
risk is low right now," he said.
The Department of Justice this week announced two sharp enforcement
actions that expose a clear pattern: transnational human smugglers are
using Canada as a backdoor into the United States, and our porous
northern border is paying the price. The guilty plea and the sentence
are welcome, but they are also a reminder that enforcement alone won’t
fix a broken visa system and weak border policies.
DOJ cracks down: guilty plea by Edgar Sanchez‑SolÃs
The
headline case here is Mexican national Edgar Sanchez‑SolÃs, who pleaded
guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and five
counts of alien smuggling for commercial advantage and private financial
gain. Prosecutors say he led an organization that moved hundreds of
migrants from Mexico and Central and South America through Canada into
northern New York. He coordinated trips while living illegally in Kansas
City and even led a high‑speed chase in May 2023 that Border Patrol had
to suspend for public safety. Sanchez‑SolÃs faces between five and 15
years in prison at his sentencing, which is scheduled for September 10,
2026.
Vermont case shows the same playbook
The second
announcement is less glamorous but no less telling. Tyshan Murray of New
Jersey was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for transporting
nine Irish nationals—five adults and four children—who illegally crossed
from Canada into Vermont. Agents found children unrestrained in rear
seats and other kids in a cargo area sitting on luggage. The government
sought a longer term, calling the conduct reckless and noting Murray’s
criminal past, but the judge settled on 18 months followed by supervised
release. The case was tied to Operation Take Back America, the DOJ’s
push against alien smuggling.
Why this matters: Canada’s visa policy and the northern border gap
These
two cases are not isolated oddities. Prosecutors explicitly say
smugglers have exploited Canada’s visitor visa rules and lax
northern‑border security to move people into the U.S. for profit. Joint
Task Force Alpha and other federal partners report hundreds of arrests
and convictions in recent enforcement sweeps, but arrests are a
downstream fix. The real problem is a cross‑border route that exists
because of weak visa vetting and political choices that have left the
northern border less defended than common sense requires.
Fix it or keep applauding Band‑Aids
We
should applaud the agents and prosecutors who put these smugglers
behind bars. But nationhood means more than arrests after the fact. We
need stricter visa vetting where Canada is being used as a waypoint,
better intelligence sharing with Canadian authorities, and policies that
stop the flow before it becomes someone else’s tragic cargo. If
policymakers prefer press releases and soundbites to real fixes, expect
more headlines like these—and more children riding on luggage. That’s
not law enforcement theatre; it’s a preventable crisis that needs
policy, not just prosecutors, to solve.
The news cycle just tossed us a tightrope: a White House says a one‑page
memorandum could pause the fighting with Iran, while President Donald
Trump publicly warned, bluntly, “if they don’t agree, the bombing
starts.” It’s what you get when diplomacy and military power sit in the
same room — polite smiles at the table, missiles on the doorstep. Here’s
why this moment matters for American security, Israel’s safety, and
anyone tired of endless, feeble back-and-forth that never really ends
wars.
A deal — or a short pause?
Axios and other outlets report
that the White House believes a short, one‑page memorandum could
formalize a pause in hostilities and open a narrow window for talks.
Call it an MOU, a ceasefire framework, or a diplomatic Band‑Aid — the
idea is the same: buy time to negotiate nuclear limits, sanctions
relief, and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. That slim paper
might sound clever, but anyone who remembers the long, complicated Iran
file knows a one‑page promise can unravel fast when militias, proxies,
and hardliners decide they don’t like the fine print.
Ultimatum: words with teeth
President
Donald Trump didn’t sugarcoat it: he said he’s “cautiously optimistic”
but posted a stark ultimatum — if Iran refuses, the bombing starts.
Conservatives who want strength should like that clarity. Diplomacy
backed by real consequences works; wishful talk without leverage does
not. Still, public ultimatums can corner negotiators and harden
opponents. If you’re trying to get Iran to take a one‑page deal, yelling
about bombs on social media may be both useful and risky.
Strikes at sea and in Lebanon show danger
The
diplomatic window is already under stress. U.S. officials say
destroyers were targeted in the Strait of Hormuz and that American
“self‑defense” strikes followed. At the same time, Israel struck in
Beirut and said it killed a Hezbollah Radwan Force commander. These are
not minor skirmishes — they’re the kind of incidents that rip a fragile
agreement to shreds. If a single attack at sea or a retaliatory strike
by a proxy spirals, that one‑page MOU becomes irrelevant fast.
Backchannels, Pakistan, and the political theater
Don’t
ignore the boring part: backchannels. Pakistan has been a discreet
mediator between Washington and Tehran, helping move proposals along.
That’s the kind of quiet diplomacy that can deliver results, even when
microphones are hot. But make no mistake: the public theater from
leaders, the military moves, and partisan pressure at home all shape
what Iran sees as a credible offer. A real deal needs both private craft
and public strength — not just clever wording or a viral post.
Bottom line: hard power plus smart diplomacy
We
should want an end to fighting, fewer strikes on sailors and civilians,
and a secure Middle East. If a one‑page memorandum can actually stop
the shooting and buy time for tough talks, welcome it — but don’t
pretend it’s the final answer. Conservatives should push for a deal that
verifies results, keeps pressure on Iran’s worst behavior, and supports
allies like Israel. Talk is useful when backed by force and resolve;
otherwise it’s just more paperwork that buys headlines, not peace.
