The Texas Senate on Tuesday approved the proposed congressional redistricting map that would likely give the GOP five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. A majority of Democrats walked out of the chamber. The proposed map passed in a 19-2 vote, with nine Democrats absent after exiting the chamber. “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. Watch Democrats exit the chamber below: BREAKING: The Texas Senate has officially PASSED the new U.S. House Maps, as Democrats STORMED OUT of the chamber The Dems are BIG mad. Now all it needs is House approval and Republicans will pick up potentially 5 U.S. House seats! @dallasnews pic.twitter.com/lyIL6ixhcO — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 12, 2025 The Texas Tribune provided further details: The exit wasn’t enough to deny a quorum, as their counterparts have done in the Texas House. Dozens of Democrats in the lower chamber have decamped to Illinois and other parts of the country, bringing work in the House to a halt for a second week as the chamber continued to lack the minimum headcount needed to conduct business. “We stand in solidarity with our House Democrat brothers and sisters,” said Houston Sen. Carol Alvarado, the Senate Democratic leader. “Our options here to push back and fight in the Senate are pretty limited, so we’re using every tool that we have.” The Senate-approved map now heads to the House, which must approve the lines. So far, the Democrats’ absence has stalled the effort. On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said they would adjourn for the session if the lower chamber continued to lack a quorum on Friday. Gov. Greg Abbott said he would immediately call a second special session with the same agenda, while teasing the possibility of adding more items. Texas Republicans began to push for new political boundaries after President Donald Trump’s team insisted state lawmakers, who were initially wary, take up an opportunity to gain more GOP seats in Congress. The Senate-approved map is identical to the initial draft introduced in the House. After that proposal was approved by a House committee, Democrats in the lower chamber left the state, depriving the chamber of the required number of lawmakers to pass legislation. The so-called quorum break stalled the map from passing the full House. “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 Tuesday. 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 Read the full statement from the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus: Texas Senate Democrats just walked out of the chamber before the new map was brought up. They released this statement. #txlege pic.twitter.com/qYZNDYpaZd — Brad Johnson (@bradj_TX) August 12, 2025 A closer look: More from The Dallas Morning News: The walkout did not prevent the Republican-controlled Senate from passing the map on a 19-2 vote. The map, however, is unlikely to go anywhere as dozens of House Democrats left the state to deny the chamber a quorum. Activity in the House has been frozen since Aug. 4. Lawmakers are anticipating a second special session to begin Friday after Gov. Greg Abbott said he would immediately call lawmakers back if enough House Democrats do not return to establish a quorum.

First… they laughed. Then… they denied. And all the while… it was happening right under our noses.Hidden in plain sight, inside the foods we trust most. A quiet operation, years in the making. And now… [...] The post Microchips Patented By Bill Gates Discovered In Massive Range of Everyday Foods  appeared first on The People's Voice.

The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD) has released records related to the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary that killed 19 children and two adults. 

Less than two weeks after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched its new recruitment campaign, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that they have received over 100,000 applications nationwide so far.

Alabama GOP Rep. Barry Moore has formally launched his campaign for the state's Senate seat -- soon to be vacated by GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville.