Battle lines drawn as Missouri court blocks Trump-backed US House map<\/p>\n
Hello and welcome to the US politics<\/a> live blog.<\/p>\n The Missouri supreme court blocked a Republican-drawn new congressional map \u2060from being used in November\u2019s midterm \u2060elections, a blow to the party\u2019s \u200bodds for maintaining its narrow US House majority.<\/p>\n The ruling could save the House seat of longtime Democratic U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver. His Kansas City-based district had been dismantled under the redrawn map.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite the cynical and deeply shameful attempt to silence many of our neighbors, the people fought back and won,\u201d Cleaver said in a social media post on Thursday.<\/p>\n The decision marked a setback for Republicans in a national redistricting battle, AP reported, as Republicans had hoped Missouri\u2019s new congressional boundaries could help them win an additional seat and hold on to their slim House majority in the midterms.<\/p>\n \u201cThe referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise,\u201d the court said in its ruling. The legislation containing the new districts \u201cdid not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.\u201d<\/p>\n As a result, the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census \u201cremains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election.\u201d<\/p>\n Missouri attorney general Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, said she would immediately appeal to the US supreme court, asserting that the decision \u201chas thrust our state into a full\u2011fledged constitutional crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Missouri governor Mike Kehoe, a Republican who backed the redrawn map, said on X: \u201cWe are extremely disappointed in today\u2019s decision by unelected judges and their lack of respect for the legislative process.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump condemned the ruling in a post on Truth Social, saying it was \u201ca Dark Day for \u2019Justice\u2019 in Missouri!\u201d.<\/p>\n But Richard von Glahn, executive \u2060director of People Not Politicians, told reporters that \u201cthe Missouri constitution says what it says, and those words matter.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThis is what democracy looks like. The people of Missouri demanded a voice, and the court just confirmed what we\u2019ve been saying all along. People, not politicians, will have the final say.\u201d<\/p>\n In other developments:<\/p>\n The Trump administration filed an emergency request asking the US supreme court to lift order blocking USPS from implementing mail-in voting restrictions. Chuck Schumer said the president was \u201c[attempting] to destroy the integrity of our elections\u201d with the move.<\/p>\n Excavation work on Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cGreat Triumphal Arch\u201d project in Washington is set to begin in the coming weeks, interior secretary Doug Burgum said. Congressman Don Beyer, whose district includes Arlington National Cemetery, described the arch project as \u201cillegal, gridlock-increasing [and] narcissistic\u201d.<\/p>\n Maryland\u2019s supreme court has decided that a Democrat-backed congressional redistricting amendment can go before voters in the state in November in a win for Democrats.<\/p>\n Donald Trump announced an interim replacement for army secretary, Dan Driscoll, who suddenly resigned earlier this week amid reports of tension between him and defense secretary Pete Hegseth.<\/p>\n Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass has been asked to testify before a congressional subcommittee as part of an investigation into the \u201cpotential misallocation\u201d of federal funds by the region\u2019s Homeless Services Authority. Congressman Robert Garcia described the move as \u201canother attempt by Donald Trump and House Republicans to launch a witch-hunt against Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Uwa Ede-Osifo<\/p>\n A Missouri House race has been rocked by the Wednesday arrest<\/a> of Republican candidate Thomas Ross, whom prosecutors accuse <\/a>of attempting to frame his primary opponent Louise Secker for cocaine possession.<\/p>\n In June, Ross allegedly gave his former campaign manager, identified by the initials \u201cCS\u201d in court documents, a bag of cocaine and Adderall. The two allegedly devised a plan for the former manager to stash the drugs in Secker\u2019s purse or vehicle.<\/p>\n On 21 June, prosecutors said, Ross asked for an update on the plot.<\/p>\n \u201cTaking it no luck with the substance of it all?\u201d he wrote in a text to his staffer. \u201cSubstance\u201d was a euphemism for the narcotics, authorities say.<\/p>\n \u201cI am actually creeping down to the car show right now and seeing if I can see your car. I have had it on me for a couple days in order to be able to take full advantage of any opportunity that arises,\u201d the former manager replied, according to court documents.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I had it at the forum Walter went to, but never got close [and] car was locked.\u201d<\/p>\n The Joplin police department in Missouri<\/a> alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on 30 July to a public corruption matter. It\u2019s unclear how the police were alerted to the alleged scheme. The next day, the federal agency gave the former manager a covert recording device, which he used to tape a conversation with Ross.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will ask Europeans to repay the American aid provided to Ukraine under the administration of his predecessor Joe Biden.<\/p>\n Trump has long demanded that Europeans shoulder more of the cost of Western support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, which began more than four years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cHundreds of Billions of Dollars was given to Ukraine and NATO, free of charge, that Europe would have paid for \u2013 If they were only asked, but we will be asking for that money, though somewhat belatedly!\u201d Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.<\/p>\n The president did not specify which countries he believed should pay.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Battle lines drawn as Missouri court blocks Trump-backed US House map<\/p>\n