According to reports, Texas House Democrats who fled the state in an attempt to stop a vote on the proposed new congressional district map will return to the chamber. “ABC13 has confirmed with multiple sources that House Democrats will return to Texas,” ABC13 wrote. BREAKING — REPUBLICANS WIN: Texas House Democrats will now be RETURNING to Texas for Greg Abbott’s Special Session, where the new U.S. House Maps will be PASSED Democrats cave AGAIN! We’re about to have FIVE MORE Republicans US House seats! LFG! pic.twitter.com/PFyhadEVXI — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 12, 2025 ABC13 has the details: Eyewitness News has not confirmed the date, but we do know that Democrats believe they’ve accomplished their mission by killing the first special session and by raising national awareness about the mid-decade redistricting effort. It is unclear which day they will be in Austin at the Capitol, but they stress that they will push for Hill Country flooding relief to be the priority. This comes as the House went another session without a quorum on Tuesday, with just 95 members present for the second day in a row. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said that assuming there is no quorum on Friday, the session will end, and a new one will begin. Hours later, the Senate actually passed a new map that benefits Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. It’s the same map that passed out of committee in the House and precipitated more than 50 House Democrats to break quorum. The Texas Senate passed the proposed congressional map in a 19-2 vote, with nine Democrats absent after exiting the chamber. JUST IN: Congressional Redistricting Map Approved By Texas Senate, Democrats Walk Out “This mid-decade redistricting isn’t about fair representation—it’s about politicians picking their voters instead of voters choosing their leaders,” the Senate Democratic Caucus said in a statement. “And it doesn’t stop here. If they can gerrymander now, they can and will do it before every election,” the statement continued. “Democrats can run to another state, but they can’t outrun the will of Texans. If there’s no quorum Friday, Special Session #2 will start immediately after Sine Die. Same agenda, with potential to add more. I’ll call special after special until the Texas first agenda is passed,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said. Democrats can run to another state, but they can’t outrun the will of Texans. If there’s no quorum Friday, Special Session #2 will start immediately after Sine Die. Same agenda, with potential to add more. I’ll call special after special until the Texas first agenda is passed. pic.twitter.com/DruA8YHcrn — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 12, 2025 ABC News has more: ABC News has not confirmed the date that Democrats plan to return or if they will return in a group, though one source told ABC News the House Democrats loosely plan on returning this weekend. Those plans could change, one source noted, if Republicans go back on their word to begin a second special session on Friday. Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Tuesday morning that the chamber will sine die on Friday, rendering the current special session adjourned if Democrats do not return by then. Abbott would then call a second special session “immediately,” he said in a statement. He indicated the second special session would include every item from the first and potentially additional items -- though his office could not say what those additional items might be Abbott has said he is committed to calling special sessions, which can last a maximum of 30 days, as long as needed to pass the maps.

The Trump administration is considering establishing a “reaction force” comprising hundreds of National Guard members to deploy quickly into U.S. cities to quell civil unrest, multiple outlets reported. The Washington Post first reported the story, The outlet reviewed internal Pentagon documents that outlined a “Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force.” The plan would place 600 National Guard troops on standby at all times and ready to deploy on a moment’s notice. “The troops would reportedly be split into two groups of 300, stationed at military bases in Alabama and Arizona,” Fox News noted. Breaking news: The Trump administration is considering making a military “reaction force” for civil unrest that would have 600 troops remain on standby to deploy in as little as one hour, according to internal Pentagon documents reviewed by The Post. https://t.co/BGUm7J2sR0 — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 12, 2025 Fox News has more: The documents, reportedly prepared for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by policy chief Elbridge Colby, outline a “predecisional” idea. “The Department of Defense is a planning organization and routinely reviews how the department would respond to a variety of contingencies across the globe,” a defense official told Fox News Digital. ” We will not discuss these plans through leaked documents, pre-decisional or otherwise.” Trump has already deployed the military for domestic purposes, first in Los Angeles in June, sending 5,000 National Guard members and Marines to tamp down anti-immigration enforcement riots. On Monday, he deployed 800 D.C. National Guard troops to support law enforcement in Washington, D.C., in cracking down on violent crime. The administration has also sent thousands of troops to the southern border in a show of force to discourage illegal immigration. The administration would rely on Title 32, a status in which the National Guard operates under the command of a state governor but is funded by the federal government, according to the Post. The authority is typically used for domestic missions, such as responding to natural disasters. When deployed under Title 32, Guard members may be granted limited law enforcement powers. A section of the U.S. Code allows the commander in chief to bypass certain restrictions on using the military for domestic purposes. After deploying National Guard troops in the nation’s capital, Trump said he was looking into taking similar actions in other cities. “This Will Go Further”: President Trump Hints MULTIPLE Dem-Run Cities are NEXT After Activating National Guard! Trump mentioned New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Here's a clip: NOW - Trump says that he may take control of New York, Chicago and other cities just like DC. pic.twitter.com/7ZyxVb17bW — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 11, 2025 The Hill noted: The proposal also contains discussions about the potential societal implications in setting up such a program, as well as budget projections, which show the effort could cost hundreds of millions of dollars if military aircraft are needed to be ready at all times. The program could be created and funded at the earliest in fiscal 2027 if using the Pentagon’s annual budgetary process, with an open question as to whether it could begin sooner through other means of funding, according to the Post. Asked about the documents, a defense official appeared to acknowledge that such plans existed but declined to comment. “The Department of Defense is a planning organization and routinely reviews how the department would respond to a variety of contingencies across the globe. We will not discuss these plans through leaked documents, pre-decisional or otherwise,” the official told News Nation, The Hill’s sister network. The plan is unique as it would allow the Trump administration to move troops from one state to another, versus the typical route of National Guard commands using fast-response teams within their home states.

Emergency crews responded to a train derailment near Gordon, Texas, on Tuesday afternoon. The crash sparked grass fires near the train tracks in Palo Pinto County. According to reports, no one sustained injuries and nothing hazardous was leaking from the crash site. Footage below: WATCH: A train derailment in Gordon, Texas, has caused a huge mess and grass fires in Palo Pinto County. Read more: https://t.co/SSjFXqHTHe pic.twitter.com/20wg84r2FP — WFAA (@wfaa) August 12, 2025 CBS News provided further info: According to officials, the derailment happened at about 1:45 p.m. over a railroad bridge on Coalville Road north of State 183. Officials said 35 train cars carrying hazardous materials are involved, but none of them show signs of leaking at the scene. At this time, there are evacuations in place or injuries reported. WFAA shared photos from the crash site: TRAIN DERAILED IN NORTH TEXAS: Here's the scene from above, which shows mangled train cars piled up off the tracks, heavy smoke, and fire trucks on the side of the tracks. STORY: https://t.co/QLjo48Sblw pic.twitter.com/sKNrVE4ZJY — WFAA (@wfaa) August 12, 2025 FOX 4 noted: At first, there was concern that some of the overturned tankers were leaking. However, Palo Pinto County officials said no cars are leaking contents and no evacuations will be necessary. However, firefighters are still working to contain a grass fire that was sparked by the wreck. Residents were urged to avoid the area. No one was hurt, officials said. It’s not yet clear what caused the crash. Union Pacific said it is sending crews to the area for cleanup and an investigation. WFAA provided additional coverage:

A federal appeals court ruled in favor of allowing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access data from the Department of Education, the Treasury Department, and the Office of Personnel Management after previously being blocked by a lower court in February.

A train with 35 Union Pacific cars has derailed in Palo Pinto County near Gordon, Texas. 

Big Media loses it over Trump's plans for White House: Rob Finnerty

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is convening an emergency top-level summit ahead of critical Ukraine negotiations in Alaska. Politico calls it “extraordinary.” Ukrainian President Zelensky will be on the call. If they think they can force President Trump to continue the war, I believe they are mistaken. The Europeans are panicking over possibly losing the West’s […] The post Germany Has an Emergency War Summit on Ukraine Tomorrow appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.