California to hold special election in November on congressional map changes
This version of Trump Ukraine Russia California Redistricting Tariffs Dc Live Updates Rcna225395 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
Also, an appeals court dismissed a civil fraud judgment against Trump and his companies.
Highlights from Aug. 21, 2025
- REDISTRICTING BATTLE: Legislators in California voted to hold a special election this fall to let voters decide on the Democrats’ plan to gerrymander the state’s congressional map. Meanwhile, the Texas Senate is considering a House-passed Republican redistricting plan that could allow the party to gain as many as five congressional seats in the midterm elections.
- TRUMP PENALTY TOSSED OUT: An appeals court threw out the New York civil fraud judgment against President Donald Trump that was set to cost Trump and his business more than $500 million. The panel of judges called the penalty "excessive." New York Attorney General Letitia James said the state would appeal the decision.
- D.C. TAKEOVER: Trump greeted law enforcement officials and National Guard members in Washington today. The administration has touted arrests in the district, and 20 members of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps will join the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia next week to help prosecute civilian crimes, two people familiar with the matter told NBC News.
- RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that he wants to have an understanding of the protections allies are willing to give Ukraine within seven to 10 days.
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Judge rules ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ can stay open for now, but no further detainees or construction are allowed
A federal judge in Miami ruled today that “Alligator Alcatraz,” the contested migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades, can remain operational for now but that it cannot be expanded and no additional detainees can be brought in.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams entered a preliminary injunction to prevent the installation of any additional industrial-style lighting and any site expansion. Her ruling further prevents “bringing any additional persons ... who were not already being detained at the site at the time of this order.”
The ruling was filed late today, allowing the injunction that was requested over National Environmental Policy Act violations.
Within 60 days, the facility must also remove “all generators, gas, sewage, and other waste and waste receptacles that were installed to support this project,” the 82-page ruling said.
Newsom signs bill clearing way for special election on redistricting plan
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation this afternoon that will advance an effort to redraw the state's map to create at least five additional congressional seats that California Democrats believe they are favored to win.
The new bill clears the way for a special election this fall in California, where voters will be able to determine whether or not to approve a plan to gerrymander California’s congressional map to benefit Democrats. The state’s maps are currently drawn by an independent commission.
The legislation is a direct response to a similar effort in Texas, where the Republican majority approved a plan yesterday redraw district lines and create five pick-up opportunities likely to favor Republicans.
Padilla calls California's redistricting legislation an 'essential check' on Trump's power
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., accused Trump and Republicans of “trying to gerrymander their way to cling to power" in a statement that applauded the California Legislature for approving redistricting plans to put a congressional map drawn by Democrats on the ballot.
“California is ready to fight fire with fire,” Padilla said. “I am confident that California voters will approve this measure as an essential check on Trump’s reckless power grab and overreach."
Padilla released the statement shortly after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation as a retaliatory response to Republicans' efforts in Texas to redraw congressional lines in their favor.
DNC chair praises California Legislature for approving ballot measure on congressional maps drawn by Democrats
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin praised the California Legislature today for approving redistricting plans to put a congressional map gerrymandered by Democrats on the ballot.
Martin urged California voters to support the ballot measure in November, saying in a statement that "Democrats are fighting fire with fire against Trump and Republicans’ attempts to rig congressional maps."
"When faced with the reality that he was going to lose in the midterms, Donald Trump did what he always does: He cheated. He thought he could rig the maps, Democrats would fold, and we’d all move on," Martin said.
"Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Democrats had another idea: giving Donald Trump a showdown and meeting the moment to fight back against Trump’s craven, authoritarian power grab," he added.
Martin issued a scathing statement yesterday opposing the Texas House vote to pass new congressional maps that favored Republicans, saying Democrats would "get even."
West Virginia action group sues to halt state National Guard deployment to D.C.
A group of advocates represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia sued today to stop the West Virginia National Guard from deploying to Washington, D.C.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Saturday that he planned to deploy 300 to 400 troops to D.C.
The lawsuit, filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court by the West Virginia Citizen Action Group, challenges the deployment as "exceeding the governor’s constitutional and statutory authority," according to the ACLU-WV.
“The Guard’s services are indispensable to West Virginia, and sending these vital resources out of state to participate in a political stunt by the President is unprecedented, unconscionable, and unlawful,” ACLU-WV Legal Director Aubrey Sparks said in a news release. “Neither state law nor our Constitution permits this deployment.”
West Virginia Citizen Action Group advocates for "better public policy, rights of individuals, a clean environment, and a stronger democratic process," according to its website.
Dani Parent, its executive director, said using state National Guard troops is a "clear misuse of power" in the news release, saying that "the governor’s priority should be in serving West Virginians, not political grandstanding.”
Trump meets with law enforcement and National Guard troops in D.C. to thank them for anti-crime efforts
Trump greeted dozens of law enforcement personnel and National Guard troops today and thanked them for what he has characterized as a successful early start to his administration’s efforts to drastically reduce crime in Washington.
Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were among those stationed outside the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility as Trump talked up the federal takeover of D.C. police, which has been accompanied by the deployment of more than a thousand National Guard troops.
“I feel very safe now, and I’m hearing people are very safe,” Trump told the crowd. “You people are winners. And I just think it’s really, it’s such an honor to be with you. And we’re going to make Washington, D.C., great again.”
California legislators pass redistricting plans to put a Democratic-drawn map before voters
California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed bills today setting up a high-profile special election this fall, when voters will decide whether to approve the party’s plan to gerrymander California’s congressional map
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has championed the proposal as a political counterweight to Texas’ recent move to create more Republican seats there as both parties get ready for a 2026 election in which control of Congress will be up for grabs.
Both the state Assembly and the state Senate passed the redistricting legislation today, each with the two-thirds vote needed to enact “urgent” measures in the state. With Newsom’s signature expected to come quickly, now it’s up to the voters to decide whether to temporarily sidestep the state’s independent redistricting commission, which voters put in place to handle the issue once every decade.
Trump praises dismissal of civil fraud penalty
Trump this evening praised the dismissal of a $500 million civil fraud judgment against him and his companies in connection with listing misleading property values for years in financial statements in a case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
"You know, they stole $550 million from me with a fake case, and it was overturned. They said this was a fake case," Trump told a group of law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C.
"It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a nice victory, you know? I mean, it’s not bad, you know, we all have, we all have our limits, but this was a terrible thing, that it was a witch hunt. And I’ve had more witch hunts than any human being," he added.
Trump had appealed the judgment last year.
The New York state Appellate Division’s First Department agreed that Trump was being held to an “excessive fine” in the judgment.
Trump earlier had touted the ruling as a “total victory” on Truth Social.
Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett says he’ll retire after Texas redistricting unless courts overturn GOP map
Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the longest-serving member of Texas’ congressional delegation, announced today that he will retire instead of run for re-election if new congressional district boundaries aren’t rejected in court after state Republicans carved up his Austin-area home district in new maps.
While Austin is divided into two districts represented by two Democrats, Doggett and Rep. Greg Casar, the new map combines those two districts to make one heavily Democratic seat and another more around San Antonio that leans Republican.
While Doggett, 78, had been telegraphing for weeks he was planning to seek re-election for the blue seat in Austin, setting up a generational clash Casar, 36, he’s on course to retire, instead, unless a court intervenes.
Supreme Court allows Trump’s cuts to National Institutes of Health grants over DEI policies
The Supreme Court today allowed Trump administration cuts to National Institutes of Health grants as part of the federal government’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
But in a mixed decision, the court left in place a different part of the lower court judge’s ruling that threw out the administration’s guidance document that introduced the policy, raising questions about whether it can be applied moving forward.
The justices, on a 5-4 vote, granted in part an emergency request filed by the administration seeking to put a Massachusetts-based federal judge’s ruling on hold.
The court did not fully explain its reasoning, but the majority indicated that groups seeking to challenge the funding cuts have to file separate lawsuits in a different federal venue — the Court of Federal Claims.
Ex-Trump lawyer Alina Habba’s appointment as U.S. attorney for N.J. was ‘unlawful,’ judge rules
A federal judge today found that acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba’s appointment was “unlawful” and that her actions since July as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey may be declared void.
“The Executive branch has perpetuated Alina Habba’s appointment to act as the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey through a novel series of legal and personnel moves,” U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann wrote in a 77-page ruling.
“Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,” Brann added.
Trump signs executive order establishing design initiative for federal spaces
Trump signed an executive order today that launches an initiative aimed at improving the "visual presentation and usability" of digital and physical spaces run by the federal government.
The initiative will establish the "National Design Studio," which will be led by a chief design officer. The initiative will be tasked with advising agencies on cutting "duplicative" design costs and standardizing design, according to the executive order text.
Heads of agencies are directed to consult with the chief design officer to implement the initiative, with a first round of results expected by July 4 of next year, the order states.
Canadian PM Carney says he spoke with Trump in 'wide-ranging' conversation
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's office said in a statement that Carney had a "productive and wide-ranging conversation" with Trump today.
"The leaders discussed current trade challenges, opportunities, and shared priorities in a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the U.S." the statement said. "The leaders also discussed how to build on the President’s leadership to support long-term peace and security for Ukraine and Europe."
A spokesperson for the White House confirmed that Trump spoke with Carney but did not offer details about the content of their conversation.
Vance 'hopes' other cities will follow suit with D.C. crackdown
Vice President JD Vance spoke in Georgia today about his support for the Trump administration's decision to deploy National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C., in an effort to crack down on crime.
"We certainly hope that whether it’s Atlanta or anywhere else, people are going to look around and say, 'We don’t have to live like this,'" Vance said.
"It turns out, if you just go and arrest the bad guys, you can have cities and streets that are safe again. And we hope that people see what we’re doing in Washington, D.C., and follow our example all across the country," he added.
Trump to visit local law enforcement and National Guard troops in D.C.
Trump is expected to greet law enforcement personnel and National Guard troops in Washington today and thank them for their efforts to carry out the anti-crime measures his administration has imposed on the city, a White House official said.
The official did not provide details on the location or the timing of the visit, which will give Trump a firsthand look at how his directives are affecting the capital.
Earlier today, Trump revealed his plans in an interview on the conservative radio program “The Todd Starnes Show.”
“I’m going to be going out tonight, I think with the, with the police, with the — and with the military, of course,” he said. “So we’re going to do a job. The National Guard is great; they’ve done a fantastic job.”
The move comes amid protests and criticism from some D.C. residents, who are against the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops to the city by Trump and the Republican governors of half a dozen states.
Gavin Newsom strikes a nerve — and seizes the spotlight — as he treads on Trump’s turf
After months of escalating attacks against Trump, California Gov. Gavin Newsom seems to have finally hit a nerve by hijacking his tactics.
Newsom has put California at the center of Democrats’ campaign against a Trump-backed effort in Texas to pad the GOP’s U.S. House majority, countering with a rare, mid-decade redistricting proposal of his own. All the while, he has flooded social media with a steady stream of all-caps screeds mocking Trump’s signature style.
He has commanded a whirlwind of national attention, from Democrats and Republicans alike, that few in Newsom’s party have been able to manage during Trump’s second term.
Kamala Harris announces international book tour for ‘107 Days’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris today announced a 15-city book tour that will take her from New York and San Francisco to Toronto and London.
The tour will kick off Sept. 24, one day after the release of her memoir, “107 Days,” and will end at Miami’s Ziff Opera House in late November.
New York will appeal Trump civil fraud case decision
New York Attorney General Letitia James plans to appeal a New York court's decision to throw out a $500 million fraud judgment against Trump.
In a statement, James said, "We will seek appeal to the Court of Appeals and continue to protect the rights and interests of New Yorkers.”
White House suspends tours for ballroom construction
The White House is suspending public tours because of the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom initiated by Trump, a White House official said.
The official did not provide a timeline for when tours would resume, saying only that the suspension is temporary.
Trump reacts to toss of civil fraud judgment: 'TOTAL VICTORY'
Trump reacted to the news that a New York appeals court had thrown out the civil fraud judgment against him, calling the move on Truth Social a “TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case!”
“I greatly respect the fact that the Court had the Courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful Decision that was hurting Business all throughout New York State. Others were afraid to do business there,” he added.
Trump also called the case “a Political Witch Hunt, in a business sense, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.”
He also said, “I wasn’t given a Jury and, during the course of the Trial, which lasted a long time, was not given one Ruling in my favor by this Political Hack.”
The civil suit was not eligible for a jury trial because the manner by which James brought it meant it would have needed to be decided by a judge.
Judge Arthur Engoron addressed the jury issue at the time, saying, “Neither side asked for one, and, in any event, the remedies sought are all equitable in nature, mandating that the trial be a bench trial, one that a judge alone decides.”
Trump's sons celebrate appeals court decision
Responding to the news that a New York appeals court had struck down a civil fraud penalty against Trump, the president's son Eric Trump told NBC News in a phone call Thursday, “This is the biggest victory in the world.”
“We always knew this was going to happen. The case is totally won, and it’s a big day for us,” he added.
In a post on X, Donald Trump Jr. called the decision a “Massive Win!!!”
“It was always a witch hunt, election interference, and a total miscarriage of justice… and even a left leaning NY appeals court agrees! NO MORE LAWFARE!” he added.
Appeals court strikes down $500M Trump fraud judgment
A New York appeals court has struck down New York Attorney General Letitia James' huge civil fraud judgment against Trump and his companies.
The divided ruling by the midlevel state Appellate Division largely agreed with Judge Arthur Engoron's fraud findings against the president and his companies, but found the damages were "excessive."
Engoron initially ordered Trump and his companies to pay over $350 million in "disgorgement" in his February 2024 ruling. That amount has since swelled to over $500 million with interest.
Trump threatens 'harsh measures' if election denier Tina Peters is not released from prison
Trump threatened to take unspecified "harsh measures" if Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk who promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, is not released from prison.
The president referred to Peters as "a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians," calling to "FREE TINA PETERS."
"She did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election," Trump claimed. Trump has a history of falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
"If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!!" Trump concluded, without providing details. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' office did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.
Peters is currently serving nine years behind bars after being convicted last year of four felony and three misdemeanor charges in connection with a security breach of Mesa County’s voting system. Trump has previously called for her release.
At least 600 CDC employees are getting final termination notices, union says
At least 600 employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are receiving permanent termination notices in the wake of a recent court decision that protected some CDC employees from layoffs but not others.
The notices went out this week and many people have not yet received them, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 2,000 dues-paying members at CDC.
Conservative firebrand Chip Roy jumps into race for Texas attorney general
Conservative firebrand Rep. Chip Roy announced today that he is running for Texas attorney general, jumping into a crowded Republican primary field to replace Ken Paxton.
Roy, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has been a thorn in the side of Trump and party leaders. The former attorney and Ted Cruz aide first came to Congress in 2019.
In his campaign launch video, Roy warned “the Texas of our dreams, our families’ and our forefathers,” is under assault,” blaming “radical Democrats and George Soros,” “open border politicians” and “faceless corporations and the Chinese Communist Party.”
“Today, we draw a line in the sand,” he said.
Eric Adams adviser who gave reporter potato chip bag stuffed with cash is suspended from campaign
A longtime ally, adviser and fundraiser for New York Mayor Eric Adams was suspended from his re-election effort after she tried to hand a journalist a cash-stuffed potato chip bag.
Winnie Greco was outed by a local news organization, The City, for trying to give cash surreptitiously tucked inside a Herr’s Sour Cream & Onion ripple potato chip bag to one of its City Hall reporters after a campaign event yesterday afternoon in Harlem.
According to the news outlet, the reporter, Katie Honan, initially refused the potato chips, which she believed to be a genuine snack offer, but Greco insisted. Upon discovering the wad of cash, which reportedly included at least one $100 bill and several $20 bills, Honan immediately contacted the Adams confidant to return the unwanted gift.
“I can’t take this, when can I give it back to you,” Honan texted Greco, to no response, according to The City.
‘A responsible approach’: Obama backs California’s response to Texas redistricting
Former President Barack Obama is backing California’s plan to counter mid-decade redistricting efforts by Republicans in Texas.
At a fundraising event Tuesday night for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, Obama said the Democratic Party needs to “respond effectively” to Republican attempts to gerrymander.
After Trump’s gains, the next big test of the Latino vote is looming this year
With an empanada in one hand, Republican Jack Ciattarelli spent part of last Saturday afternoon at El Primito restaurant in Passaic, New Jersey, making his case to be the state’s next governor instead of Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
“My opponent is a continuation of Phil Murphy’s policy,” Ciattarelli told customers at the restaurant, referring to the state’s Democratic governor.
It’s no accident that Ciattarelli took his case against Sherrill to this this city and this restaurant, where a mural of the Dominican Republic’s countryside stretches across a wall and the country’s flags hang over a doorway.
Trump won Passaic County, which includes the city by the same name, by 3 percentage points last year. A former Democratic stronghold, Passaic saw the largest swing toward Trump of any county in the Garden State in 2024 compared to the 2020 election. And it’s home to the largest share of Latino residents of any New Jersey county.
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.
Trump backs down on threats of 250% tariffs on E.U. lumber and pharma
The United States has agreed to limit tariffs on pharmaceuticals, lumber and semiconductors imported from the European Union to 15%, according to an agreement released Thursday.
President Donald Trump recently threatened the European pharmaceutical industry with tariffs as high as 250% and the region’s semiconductor industry with tariff rates as high as 100%.
Ireland, an E.U. member state, is one of the top sources of pharmaceutical imports for the United States.
What’s next in the battle over redistricting as the Texas House passes new GOP map
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 President Donald Trump, California Democrats are moving quickly to implement a plan to carve 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.
Zelenskyy urges quick progress on security guarantees, says possible Putin summit site ‘challenging’
Ukraine has said it expects rapid progress on the security guarantees its allies could provide in a peace deal with Russia, but that one of the possible summit sites being pursued by the United States would be “challenging.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged swift progress as military officials from the U.S. and Europe meet. Ukraine wanted to “have an understanding of the security guarantees architecture within seven to 10 days,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday.
After Russia launched one of its biggest aerial attacks of the year overnight, he said Thursday that there was “still no signal from Moscow that they truly intend to engage in substantive negotiations and end this war.”
