Texas House Republicans vote for GOP redistricting maps
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U.S. and NATO military officials are meeting to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
Highlights from Aug. 20, 2025
- TEXAS REDISTRICTING: Republicans in the Texas House tonight passed a GOP plan to redraw the state’s congressional map after Democratic lawmakers returned to Austin. Democrats had fled the state for two weeks to block a vote on the map, and several spent last night on the statehouse floor in a protest.
- U.S.-NATO MEETING: U.S. and NATO military officials are meeting to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine as the White House works to arrange a summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- FED UNDER FIRE: President Donald Trump amped up his attacks on the Federal Reserve this morning, saying one member of the board of governors should resign after an administration official accused the member of "potentially committing mortgage fraud."
- TRUMP'S BOND BUYS: Trump has purchased at least $103 million worth of corporate and municipal bonds since he took office in January, according to new filings from the Office of Government Ethics.
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Trump administration’s newest allegation against political foes: Mortgage fraud
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has targeted Democratic officials over allegations of mortgage fraud, a new front in an effort to undermine critics.
The latest one came today, when Trump, who has been sharply critical of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policies, posted to his Truth Social platform that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook “must resign, now!!!”
His post came after William Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, alleged in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi that Cook, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, potentially committing mortgage fraud.” Pulte’s letter claimed that Cook falsified her residence statuses for her properties in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Atlanta.
The move followed recent efforts targeting Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who was a leading figure in Trump’s impeachments, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully sued Trump and his company over what her office said were fraudulent misrepresentations of his wealth and financial statements that he used to get favorable rates on bank loans and insurance policies that he otherwise would not have been able to obtain. (A judge awarded James’ office over $300 million in the case, an amount that has since ballooned to over $500 million with interest. Trump has called the case “a fraud on me” and is appealing the judgment.)
DNC chair says Democrats will 'get even' after Texas House votes to redraw congressional maps
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said today that Democrats will "get even" after the Texas House passed new congressional maps aimed at giving Republicans five more U.S. House seats.
“This is a shame — a craven, power-hungry, unconstitutional shame. But we won’t back down, and we won’t let the old rules stop us. Republicans tore up that rule book, destroying voting rights to try to cling to power, so we refuse to play fair anymore," Martin said in a statement.
“Make no mistake: this isn’t your grandfather’s Democratic Party. We don’t give up, we get even,” Martin added.
After tonight’s vote in Austin, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on X, “It’s on, Texas,” after he threatened a retaliatory redistricting effort if Republicans in Texas voted to redraw congressional lines in their favor.
Martin said Newsom, "and likely others, will carry that movement forward on behalf of Texas and the entire country."
Abbott praises Texas House for passing redistricting maps
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tonight praised the state House for passing legislation to redraw congressional lines in the state and said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk.
“I congratulate Speaker Burrows and the Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives for passing congressional districts that better reflect the actual votes of Texans," Abbott said in a statement.
"While Democrats shirked their duty, in futility, and ran away to other states, Republicans stayed the course, stayed at work and stayed true to Texas. I will sign this bill once it passes the Senate and gets to my desk,” he added.
Abbott also wrote on X that the maps, which are aimed at giving Republicans five more U.S. House seats, would make his state and Congress "a brighter shade of Red."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is crafting a retaliatory redistricting plan in response to Texas, wrote on X after the bill was passed that Abbott "will now go down in history as one of Donald Trump’s most loyal lapdogs. Shredding our nation’s founding principles. What a legacy."
What’s next in the battle over redistricting as the Texas House passes new GOP maps
The Republican-controlled Texas House has passed new congressional maps that aim to pad the party’s majority in Washington by as much as five seats in the midterm elections as battles over redistricting spread across the country.
With Texas set to fully enact its new plan as soon as this week, urged on by Trump, California Democrats are moving quickly to implement a plan carving up their state’s maps in retaliation. Meanwhile, top Republicans in states like Indiana, Missouri and Florida continue to talk about tweaking their maps to create more Republican-controlled congressional seats in the 2026 elections. Ohio’s redraw, which it must do under state law, could benefit the GOP, too.
Governors in Democratic-controlled states are weighing responses, too, but in many cases, they’re restrained by procedural hurdles or by other practical limits — some have already stretched their own gerrymandered maps as far as they could go — that could make a tit-for-tat more difficult.
Top Federal Reserve official says she won't be 'bullied' by Trump and Pulte
A top Fed official, Governor Lisa Cook, said in a statement that she has "no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet."
Earlier today, Federal Housing Finance Authority Director William Pulte alleged in a letter that Cook committed mortgage fraud. Trump quickly reacted, writing on Truth Social: "Cook must resign, now!!!"
Cook said in the statement that she intends "to take any questions about my financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve and so I am gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts.”
Trump and his administration have kept intense pressure on the central bank since the beginning of the year, repeatedly calling for it and its chairman, Jerome Powell, to lower interest rates. Cook has a permanent vote on the Fed's rate-setting committee.
Military officers shifted to prosecute local D.C. crimes amid Trump takeover
As members of the National Guard deploy to the nation’s capital as part of the Trump administration’s takeover of policing in Washington, members of the military are also set to take on prosecutorial roles handling civilian crimes.
Twenty members of the Defense Department are set to begin working as special assistant U.S. attorneys — federal prosecutors — in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia next week, two people familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Tim Lauer, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, confirmed the move, saying members of the Judge Advocate General Corps would be joining the office, though he did not know how long the detail would last.
Texas Democrat who camped out in statehouse abruptly leaves video call, saying she was warned 'it's a felony'
Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier abruptly left a redistricting call with Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin and other leaders today, saying she was warned of breaking the law.
“Sorry, I have to leave,” Collier said about 30 minutes into the call while she was responding to a reporter's question. "They said it’s a felony for me to do this. Apparently I can’t be on the floor or in a bathroom.”
Collier, who didn't specify what statute was invoked, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on who told her she was committing a felony.
After her abrupt exit, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said on the redistricting call that “Collier in the bathroom has more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office.”
“What we just witnessed, them trying to shut her down and say it’s illegal for her to be in the bathroom, and on this call, this is the lengths that they’re going to in Texas to try to bring about a system so unjust and so unjustifiable,” he added.
Martin wrote on X after the incident: “What a disgrace. This is Trump’s America."
Collier camped out in the statehouse chamber yesterday after she refused a security escort as part of the fallout from Texas Democrats' returning to their home state. The Democratic legislators fled to other states this month to disrupt Texas Republicans’ plans to redraw congressional lines in their favor.
Before she left today's call, Collier said Texas Republicans' proposed maps were "the most segregated" seen in the state in decades.
“We’re going to fight as much as we can, whether it’s on the rules or it’s even on the policy. We will continue to push back on the Republican quest to dilute our voice,” she said.
Gabbard announces new cuts at national intelligence office
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard said today that her office will oversee a 40% reduction in "missions, functions and personnel" by the end of the fiscal year, framing the move as an attempt to make the "bloated" agency more "agile, effective and efficient."
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the intelligence community "must make serious changes to fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the U.S. Constitution by focusing on our core mission: find the truth and provide objective, unbiased, timely intelligence to the President and policymakers," Gabbard said in a statement.
Cuts to the national intelligence director's office will come from eliminating "redundant missions, functions and personnel," the agency indicated. A news release indicated the cuts will save taxpayers more than $700 million annually.
Gabbard has tried to crack down on leaks at the agency while also steering it to be more conciliatory to Trump in its assessments.
Kristi Noem is pushing for ICE to buy and operate a fleet of deportation planes, sources say
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is pushing for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to use an influx of funds to buy, own and operate its own fleet of airplanes to deport immigrants, two sources familiar with the discussions told NBC News. Former officials said that ICE’s owning and maintaining its own planes would be costly but that it could make it easier for the agency to potentially double the number of people it deports every month.
ICE uses charter planes to deport immigrants and has done so for years. The agency has typically chartered eight to 14 planes at a time for deportation flights, according to Jason Houser, who was ICE chief of staff from 2022 to 2023. He said that allowed the Biden administration to deport roughly 15,000 immigrants per month on charter flights.
“If the goal is to get to 30 to 35,000 removals a month, you would need to double the number of planes,” Houser said, or purchase roughly 30 planes.
With a guaranteed set of 30 or more planes, ICE wouldn’t be constrained by the limits of the companies it contracts with, which charter their planes to multiple clients.
Trump and his team are still working to set up a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, despite Russian foreign minister's comments
A White House official said in a statement today that Trump and his national security team are still working on setting up a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy despite a Russian official's comments that didn't inspire confidence in such a plan.
“President Trump and his national security team continue to engage with Russian and Ukrainian officials towards a bilateral meeting to stop the killing and end the war," the official said.
"It is not in the national interest to further negotiate these issues publicly,” the official added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today that negotiations for a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting should start at the “expert level" and that any security discussions without Moscow are a "road to nowhere."
The Kremlin said today that it was prepared for settlement discussions with Ukraine that included security guarantees.
Judge denies DOJ request to release Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts
A federal judge in New York today denied the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits in the Jeffrey Epstein case.
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman found the government had not reached the high bar necessary to unseal the transcripts — and suggested there was not much there anyway.
“A significant and compelling reason to reject the Government’s position in this litigation is that the Government has already undertaken a comprehensive investigation into the Epstein case and, not surprisingly, has assembled a ‘trove’ of Epstein documents, interviews and exhibits,” Berman wrote.
“The government’s 100,000 pages of Epstein files and materials dwarf the 70 odd pages of Epstein grand jury materials,” the ruling said, adding the government’s motion “appears to be a ‘diversion’ from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government’s possession.”
Obama calls Gov. Newsom's redistricting plan 'a responsible approach'
Former President Barack Obama is voicing his support for California's planned response to the GOP's mid-decade redistricting efforts in Texas.
Obama talked about his preference for fair maps last night at a fundraising event for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee but also about the need to "respond effectively" to Republican attempts to gerrymander in their favor.
"I’ve had to wrestle with my preference, which would be that we don’t have political gerrymandering, but what I also know is that if we don’t respond effectively, then this White House and Republican-controlled state governments all across the country, they will not stop, because they do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy," he told attendees.
Obama cited California Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan, which would allow redistricting that would favor Democrats, but only as a break-glass measure if Texas gerrymanders for Republicans first.
"Given that Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House that is effectively saying: Gerrymander for partisan purposes so we can maintain the House despite our unpopular policies; redistrict right in the middle of a decade between censuses, which is not how the system was designed. I have tremendous respect for how Gov. Newsom has approached this," he said.
"So I believe that Gov. Newsom’s approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We’re not going to try to completely maximize it. We’re only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers," Obama added.
Parents of children who died in Texas camp flood implore state lawmakers to pass safety improvements
The parents of children who died at Camp Mystic in a central Texas flood on July 4 pleaded with Texas lawmakers today to pass legislation to improve safety at children's camps.
The parents moved between tearful and angry descriptions of their devastating grief and stern denunciations of the unsafe conditions at camps.
The parents of Cile Steward, the only girl still missing out of the more than two dozen people who died in the flash flood on the Guadalupe River, were among those who spoke to the legislators.
CiCi Williams Steward told them that she had been assured that the safety of all the young girls at Camp Mystic was paramount but that the assurance was betrayed by obvious and commonsense safety measures and protocols that were absent or ignored.
“As a result, my daughter was stolen from us not because of an unavoidable act of nature, but because of preventable failures,” she said through tears. “Cile remains somewhere in the devastation of the Guadalupe River. We remain trapped in agony until she is brought home.”
Reforms proposed in legislation the state Senate is expected to consider “must occur so this tragedy never happens again,” Williams Steward said.
National Guard vehicle and auto collide in D.C.
A D.C. National Guard transport vehicle was involved in a collision with a civilian vehicle at an intersection in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington just after 6 a.m.
The troop transport, called a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, was part of a five-vehicle convoy. A D.C. Metropolitan Police cruiser involved in the convoy stopped and rendered aid to the civilian, according to the National Guard.
The police department said D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services took the civilian to a hospital, conscious and breathing, for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The National Guard said the incident is under investigation.
JD Vance, Pete Hegseth and Stephen Miller show support for troops in D.C. as Mayor Bowser criticizes their deployment
Vice President JD Vance told reporters during a visit to D.C.'s Union Station that police officers and the National Guard have been "empowered to do their job, which is to make American streets safe for American citizens."
"I think that empowerment is going to keep on going until we make America, and D.C. in particular, a safe place to be," he said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller accompanied Vance and joined him in thanking the National Guard troops stationed in the area. As they spoke, protesters shouted phrases like "Free D.C." in the background.
Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters at a separate event today that she does not "think the National Guard should be used for law enforcement."
"I think calling men and women from their homes and their jobs and their families, they have to be used on mission-specific items that benefit the nation," she said. "I don't think you have an armed militia in the nation's capital."
More than 90 people arrested in D.C. last night, official says
Law enforcement officers in D.C. arrested 91 people last night, including one on suspicion of armed robbery, a White House official said.
Other people were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and on outstanding arrest warrants alleging child abuse and involuntary manslaughter. Law enforcement officers seized eight illegal firearms, the official said.
The arrests also included 25 undocumented immigrants. The official said many of them had criminal histories, including drug possession and threats to kidnap or injure a person, but did not say how many.
The official said more than 550 arrests have now been made since the Trump initiative started Aug. 7.
Multiagency teams have also "cleared" 48 homeless encampments in that time, the official said.
Trump bought more than $100M in bonds since January, filings show
Trump has bought at least $103 million worth of corporate and municipal bonds since he took office in January, according to filings from the Office of Government Ethics.
The documents, released late last night, show that Trump began the bond-buying spree one day after he was sworn in on Jan. 20 and that they include debt sold by companies, local governments and entities that could be directly affected by his sweeping agenda. All told, Trump made about 690 purchases from Jan. 21 through Aug. 1.
The active trading by a president of the United States is unprecedented, and it puts Trump in a direct position to benefit — or lose — if any of the entities that own the bonds he has purchased succeed or fail. It’s also another example of Trump’s pursuing business endeavors and transactions to increase his wealth in office.
Trump says Fed Governor Lisa Cook ‘must resign’ after William Pulte alleges mortgage fraud
Trump said on Truth Social that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook “must resign, now!!!”
Trump’s comment came after the director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, William Pulte, a sharp critic of the Fed, alleged in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi that Cook “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, potentially committing mortgage fraud.”
In the letter that Pulte called a “criminal referral,” he said that his agency had obtained her mortgage documents and requested that the Justice Department review the matter.
Court documents shed light on Jeanine Pirro's efforts to secure a pardon for her ex-husband
Newly unredacted filings in Smartmatic's defamation case against Fox News shed light on U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro's efforts to secure a pardon for her ex-husband.
Pirro contacted Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies to try to get her ex-husband, Albert Pirro, a pardon after he sought one during Trump's first term, the filing by the election technology company said. Albert Pirro was convicted of conspiracy and tax evasion in 2000 and sentenced to more than two years in prison.
"When her ex-husband initially was not included on the pardon list, Pirro exploded," the filing said. It added, "Her outburst stemmed from expectation that President Trump would pardon her husband. Eventually, President Trump did."
Pirro, then a Fox News host, also bragged about her support for Trump during the 2020 election, according to the Smartmatic filing. Pirro wrote a text message to then-RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, "I’m the Number 1 watched show on all news cable all weekend. I work so hard for the President and party," the filing said.
The filing also details some of Pirro's communications with ex-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell and her team in support of the president's 2020 election fraud claims. Pirro told Powell to "keep fighting" and sent a document titled "Smartmatic Fact Sheet" that she claimed came from a "CIA source" to Powell's co-counsel, according to the document.
Pirro's office did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.
Soybean trade group warns Trump of 'a trade and financial precipice' due to tariffs
The American Soybean Association warned Trump in a letter yesterday that "U.S. soybean farmers are standing at a trade and financial precipice" because of the trade dispute between the U.S. and China.
In the letter, the group urged the White House to reach a trade deal with Beijing that includes China's removal of retaliatory duties.
The American Soybean Association wrote that the tariff battle has prompted longtime customers in China to turn to competitors, putting "our farmers at an untimely competitive disadvantage" as harvest season approaches.
"Soybean farmers are under extreme financial stress. Prices continue to drop and at the same time our farmers are paying significantly more for inputs and equipment," said the letter, which was written by the association's president, Caleb Ragland. "U.S. soybean farmers cannot survive a prolonged trade dispute with our largest customer."
Reached for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that Trump "cares deeply about those who feed America — including our soy farmers, who can sell more goods to consumers in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and more" because of the administration's trade agreements.
"President Trump will continue to open markets and level the playing field for American farmers to ensure they can sell as many made-in-America products as possible," she added.
China is by far the top foreign market for U.S. soybeans. Last year, $12.64 billion worth of soybeans were exported there, according to the Department of Agriculture. The European Union was the second biggest importer of U.S. soybeans last year, importing $2.45 billion worth of soybeans, a fraction of China's imports.
Japan imported about $998 million worth of the crop, and the United Kingdom is not one of the top 10 importers, according to the USDA.
Texas Democrats to introduce Epstein files amendment to GOP redistricting legislation
Texas House Minority Leader Gene Wu will introduce an amendment today to the GOP congressional redistricting bill to try to put Republicans in a tough spot on the Jeffrey Epstein files — an issue that has not gone away in the minds of voters.
The amendment would block the new map from going into effect until there is a “complete release” of the files.
Because Republicans are in the majority in the Texas House, the amendment likely won't go anywhere. Wu’s move today mirrors what we’ve seen happen in Congress in Washington, with Democrats forcing Epstein-related votes on a variety of issues before the August recess.
Wu invoked Trump's ties to the late billionaire financier and sex offender Epstein in his statement on the amendment, saying: “At the same time he’s demanding Abbott ram through racist maps, he’s making sure Congressional Republicans block the release of files that could expose his decades-long relationship with a child sex trafficker. This amendment forces Republicans to choose between their loyalty to Trump and their obligation to expose sexual predators.”
The Texas House will convene this morning to debate and vote on the GOP- and Trump-backed congressional district map.
Texas Capitol evacuated last night after shooting threat
The Texas Capitol was evacuated last night after someone posted a social media message about "the ongoing political situation" and called for shooting lawmakers, according to the Texas Department of Safety.
"In that message, the individual calls on others to go to the Capitol building and take action by shooting and killing those who will not allow lawmakers to leave," the department said in a statement obtained by NBC affiliate WOAI and other outlets. It added that the department is working to identify the person who posted the threat.
A Texas state trooper tells protesters to evacuate the Capitol in Austin last night. Nuri Vallbona / Reuters
Several Democratic lawmakers spent the night in the Capitol to protest the GOP requiring them to have security escorts to leave the building, which was a response to the Democrats fleeing the state for two weeks in order to block a vote on a GOP redistricting plan. The Democrats returned to Austin this week.
State Rep. Nicole Collier was the first lawmaker to stay overnight on Monday, and several members joined her on Tuesday.
Texas Democrats condemned the threat. Collier and Texas House Minority Leader Rep. Gene Wu said in a statement that "violence and threats have no place in our democratic process, and we unequivocally condemn any threats against public servants or law enforcement, regardless of political differences."
"Our democracy thrives when citizens engage peacefully and passionately in the civic process, not through intimidation or violence," they said.
Trump and Zelenskyy’s meeting with European leaders marks a historic moment
Seven European leaders joined Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington this week in a rare display of trans-Atlantic unity. The gathering marked the first time in decades that such a broad delegation of allies had assembled at the White House under such pressing circumstances.
Shortly after noon, one by one, the heads of state and NATO partners passed the White House gates, where they were met by Trump’s chief of protocol, and in Zelenskyy’s case, by Trump himself.
There are few precedents for the gathering, which merged diplomacy with Trump’s usual verve.
Israel approves plan for Gaza City takeover and call-up of 60,000 reservists
Israel has approved a plan for the takeover of Gaza City that includes calling up 60,000 reservists for its expanded military operation in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The U.S. ally appeared to be pushing ahead Wednesday with a new phase of its war despite international opposition — and in the face of a renewed push for a ceasefire with Hamas.
D.C. federal prosecutors to no longer seek charges against people carrying long guns in the city
D.C. federal prosecutors were instructed to not seek felony charges against people carrying rifles or shotguns in the city, according to the D.C. U.S. attorney’s office.
The move, first reported by The Washington Post, marks a dramatic shift from previous policy and comes as the Trump administration moved to send hundreds of federal agents into the capital’s streets to fight crime.
“Criminal culpability is not determined by the instruments people employ but by the intent and conduct of the actor," U.S. Attorney Janine Pirro said in a statement. "Crimes are intentional acts and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent by my office regardless of what instruments of criminality are used.”
Pirro's office said it would still charge suspects for any violent crimes with long guns or firearms trafficking, such as the sale of guns to prohibited persons. But possession a rifle or shotgun outside the home or at a place of business will not result in charges as it had been in the past.
Police officers have seized at least 68 firearms since the law enforcement efforts began on Aug. 7, according to statistics released by the White House. Most firearm offenses in D.C. relate to handguns, not long guns.
EMILY's List endorses two swing-state Supreme Court candidates
EMILY's List, a national group that backs Democratic women who support abortion rights, is endorsing two candidates in 2026 state Supreme Court races this week: North Carolina state Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, who is running for re-election, and Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor, who is running to unseat a conservative justice there.
“North Carolina Republicans have repeatedly attempted to disenfranchise voters, which is why it is critical we flip the balance of the court in 2028. That begins with reelecting Justice Anita Earls in 2026,” EMILY's List president Jessica Mackler said in a statement.
Mackler added, “Judge Chris Taylor has spent her career ensuring that every person is treated fairly under the law. From her work strengthening protections for survivors of violence to her commitment to safeguarding the rights of all Wisconsinites, she has shown integrity, independence, and a deep respect for justice."
The endorsements, shared first with NBC News, come as state Supreme Court races have grown in prominence in recent years. State Supreme Courts can be the final decision-makers on hot button issues like abortion, redistricting and more.
Taylor is running to unseat conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley in Wisconsin, where state Supreme Court races are officially nonpartisan. While the outcome of the race won't tip the balance of the court in either direction, a victory by Taylor would expand the court's current liberal majority.
In North Carolina, Earls launched her re-election campaign earlier this year, just months after the resolution of Democratic Justice Allison Riggs' narrow 2024 election victory, which was the subject of a lengthy court challenge from the Republican candidate.
U.S., allies meet on security guarantees as Trump arranges Putin-Zelenskyy summit
United States and NATO military officials were set to meet Wednesday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine as the White House worked to arrange a summit between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine and its European allies appeared buoyed after Trump promised during their meeting in Washington that the U.S. would provide security guarantees as part of any settlement with Russia — a red-line issue for Kyiv.
