
Lone Star State lawmakers put Texas-sized pressure on Washington Democrats over voting rights
CNN
Nearly two dozen Democratic members of the Texas state Legislature are taking their voting rights fight from Austin to Washington this week.
The trip is a "Hail Mary" effort of sorts, to apply some Texas-sized pressure on US lawmakers to support the passage of the For the People's Act, a comprehensive federal voting rights bill that would counteract many of the voting restrictions put in place by Republicans at the state level. The cross-country blitz comes just weeks after Texas Democrats, in dramatic fashion, notched a rare victory in killing the Republican-controlled Legislature's flagship election overhaul bill, Senate Bill 7, by walking off the state House floor as the clocked ticked down on the 2020 session. The move left the Republican majority without the quorum they needed to approve the bill this session in the final hours before a midnight deadline. The state's Republican governor, who claimed the bill improved election security, has vowed to call a special session to bring the contents of SB7 back for a vote later this year, sparking a renewed effort by Texas Democrats to push for federal intervention.
Dolls, pencils, backyard chickens and ‘a piece of broccoli’: The Trump team’s awkward austerity talk
Amid the European debt crisis in the early 2010s, a Fox News pundit named Donald Trump warned about a backlash against leaders asking people to tighten their belts.

Tensions flare in Minneapolis after federal agent shoots and injures man who allegedly assaulted him
Law enforcement and demonstrators clashed last night near where a federal agent shot and injured a man after he allegedly assaulted the agent. The city is reeling over last week’s fatal shooting by an ICE agent of Renee Good sparked nationwide protests. Follow for live news updates.

The Trump administration is preparing to use private military contractors to protect oil and energy assets in Venezuela rather than deploying US troops, according to two sources familiar with the plans, setting up a potential boon for security firms with experience in the region and ties to the administration.

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, arrives in Washington this week for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump on the future of Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The meeting comes after Trump surprised many by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, dashing opposition hopes for a new democratic era.









