Texas state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, right, looks at a protester dressed as death standing outside of the House Chamber where Democratic Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier refuses to leave due to a required law enforcement escort, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Rep.Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, raises a fist as she greets supporters from inside the House Chamber at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Armed officers prepare to place handcuffs on a man from within an apartment complex, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. The officers pictured had "Washington Field Office" on their shirts underneath tactical gear that said Police. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Texas state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, right, looks at a protester dressed as death standing outside of the House Chamber where Democratic Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier refuses to leave due to a required law enforcement escort, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Rep.Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, raises a fist as she greets supporters from inside the House Chamber at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
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Members of the District of Columbia National Guard patrol outside Union Station, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Armed officers prepare to place handcuffs on a man from within an apartment complex, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. The officers pictured had "Washington Field Office" on their shirts underneath tactical gear that said Police. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
The first domino in a growing national redistricting battle is likely to fall Wednesday as the Republican-controlled Texas legislature is expected to pass a new congressional map creating five new winnable seats for the GOP. The vote follows prodding by President Donald Trump to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives.
Democrats who refused to ensure they'd provide a quorum were confined to the House floor, where they protested on a livestream. They've vowed , with a retaliatory gerrymandering for the state's voters to consider in November.
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Hundreds of federal health employees sign a letter protesting Kennedy’s actions
The employees at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies have signed a letter charging that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. .
The two-page letter sent to Kennedy and members of Congress cites his anti-science rhetoric, denigration of federal workers, layoffs affecting public health programs and with a handpicked group that includes some anti-vaccine advocates.
It faults Kennedy’s delayed response to in Atlanta. And it asks Kennedy to stop , affirm the CDC’s scientific integrity, and guarantee the safety of the HHS workforce.
About 400 current employees signed their names, most of them from the CDC but some from the National Institutes of Health and other health agencies. Also signing the document are some noted former CDC leaders, including former acting director Dr. Anne Schuchat.
