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At the moment’s prime tales
Trump-backed Texas Legal professional Normal Ken Paxton defeated four-term GOP Sen. John Cornyn yesterday to develop into the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat. Paxton, 63, outpolled 74-year-old Cornyn by a margin of almost two to at least one. Each candidates made it to Tuesday’s runoff election after failing to safe a majority in Texas’ main in March. Republicans spent $100 million for the first race, making it the costliest main in Senate historical past.
Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton speaks to supporters at a watch get together on March 3 in Dallas. Paxton beat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a runoff for the nomination, organising a tricky combat in November in opposition to Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico.
Sergio Flores/Getty Photos
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Sergio Flores/Getty Photos
- 🎧 The election, like many throughout Texas and the nation, was centered round a possible altering of the guard, Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider tells Up First. Cornyn represents the institution wing of the Texas Republican Celebration. The get together has moved considerably to the suitable since he was first elected to the Senate throughout George W. Bush’s presidency. Over the previous yr, Paxton has argued that Cornyn’s time has handed and that he wasn’t sufficiently supportive of President Trump. Final month, Texas Public Opinion Analysis launched a ballot indicating {that a} Trump endorsement may propel Paxton to a double-digit victory over Cornyn. Paxton will now face the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, within the midterms. Paxton argues that Talarico is simply too far to the left to signify Texas, citing his earlier feedback on points together with immigration, the economic system and transgender rights. Talarico secured his place because the Democratic nominee by highlighting his success in flipping a state Home district that beforehand supported Trump by double digits.
- ➡️ Democrat Nathan Johnson and Republican Mayes Middleton are set to face off to develop into Texas’ subsequent lawyer basic within the November election. The winner will change Paxton. (through KERA Information)
- ➡️ U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee received the Democratic main runoff in opposition to U.S. Rep. Al Inexperienced in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, in response to a race name by the Related Press. (through Houston Public Radio)
- ➡️ The Texas basic election matchups are lastly set. Listed here are 4 takeaways from the state’s main runoffs.
South Carolina lawmakers yesterday blocked Trump’s effort to change voting maps forward of the midterm elections. A brand new map may have flipped the one Democratic-held Home seat within the state, which is at the moment held by Rep. James Clyburn. It might have made all seven congressional districts within the state lean Republican, additional extending the GOP’s benefit within the nationwide redistricting course of, which has already doubtlessly netted them round 9 extra U.S. Home seats.
- 🎧 In South Carolina, the final three weeks have been a whirlwind as redistricting took heart stage throughout the last days of the legislative session, South Carolina Public Radio’s Gavin Jackson says. The Senate briefly stalled the method, prompting Gov. Henry McMaster to name a particular session to handle a brand new map. McMaster has stated that the president wants to take care of a Republican Congress to advance his agenda. Regardless of this, a handful of outstanding state Senate Republicans pushed again in opposition to the redistricting course of. South Carolina senators take satisfaction in being deliberative and resisting exterior pressures from Washington, Jackson says. After contemplating the anticipated lawsuits and the prices of delaying the primaries, a few of them stated that it wasn’t a lot a rebuke of the president, however fairly a actuality verify, in response to Jackson. Not like members of the Home, South Carolina’s state senators should not up for reelection this yr, which may insulate them from stress from Trump.
- ➡️ Yesterday, a federal courtroom in Alabama blocked the state’s effort to implement a 2023 congressional map that favors the GOP. This ruling comes amid a long-running redistricting case over Black voter illustration.
The Division of Homeland Safety is increasing its iris scanning capability as a part of its mass deportation efforts. Privateness specialists have raised considerations that the company is accumulating biometric knowledge from detained people. Final week, DHS awarded a $25 million no-bid contract to BI2 Applied sciences, an organization that makes a speciality of iris scanning. This new contract is greater than 5 instances the quantity of BI2’s earlier contract with DHS, awarded final fall. As a part of its proposal to B12, DHS requested over 1,500 iris scanners and sought entry to BI2’s cell app.
The Trump administration has mass-deleted info concerning prosecutions associated to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, together with instances involving defendants who assaulted law enforcement officials. This transfer marks the newest try by Trump to change the narrative surrounding the violent riot. Final week, Justice Division information releases that detailed responsible pleas, jury verdicts and jail sentences disappeared from authorities web sites. An NPR evaluation discovered that the deletions included details about among the most severe assaults on regulation enforcement that occurred that day.
- ➡️ NPR maintains essentially the most full database and visible archive of the Jan. 6 prosecutions. Test it out right here.
Church and State
Housing and City Improvement Secretary Scott Turner prays throughout a Cupboard assembly with President Donald Trump on the White Home in Washington on Feb. 26, 2025, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick additionally bow their heads.
Pool photograph/AP
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Pool photograph/AP
This week at NPR, we will discover the elevated intermixing of God and authorities in a brand new collection we’re calling Church and State. It is an concept that has been gaining momentum by means of the primary and second Trump administrations, not solely inside U.S. politics but in addition all through American tradition, in songs and work, schoolbooks and worship occasions infused with religion and politics.
In January, the Division of Homeland Safety launched a video as the large immigration enforcement was underway in Minnesota. The phrase “Blessed are the peacemakers” from the Sermon on the Mount within the Gospel of Matthew seems on display, adopted by imagery of military-style immigration enforcement. Because the scene unfolds, the remainder of the biblical passage emerges: “For they shall be known as the sons of God.” Presidents have lengthy turned to scripture as a rhetorical device, invoking the Bible to border moments of nationwide disaster or function. However the Trump administration applies biblical references in a really completely different means, utilizing particular passages to attach its insurance policies and actions to God’s will.
Dyron Daughrity, a minister within the evangelical Church of Christ, says the imagery within the DHS video is putting however not unprecedented. But, some view this method as extra intentional and troubling. To some students of Christianity, such framing undermines a few of Jesus’ core moral teachings. Discover each views on how the administration makes use of the Bible to justify navy invasions and immigration raids.
From our hosts
UFC president and CEO Dana White speaks to Steve Inskeep for NPR’s Newsmakers at Newark’s Prudential Heart.
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Staff have begun assembling a brief outside stadium on the White Home South Garden. It consists of seating for a number of thousand individuals anticipated to look at combined martial arts preventing cage matches as a part of the Final Preventing Championship on June 14.
Steve Inskeep spoke just lately with UFC chief Dana White on video for the NPR’s Newsmakers.
We met Dana White simply earlier than a UFC occasion in a New Jersey area, sitting close to the fenced octagon just like the one the UFC is constructing on the White Home garden.
He has doubts about what he was requested to do. “I hate stadiums, and… preventing exterior,” he stated, citing the possibility of “rain and lightning” in addition to “bugs.” White nonetheless agreed to construct a brief outside stadium, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. “There presumably could not be a better honor,” he stated.
White is a buddy of Trump, whose casinos as soon as supplied venues for the UFC. In a divided nation, that could be all some individuals suppose they should find out about White — however our Newsmakers video interview confirmed in any other case.
The fighters in White’s UFC embody refugees and immigrants. UFC opponents combat their means up from the underside, and White is frank concerning the bodily dangers.
Within the most stunning a part of the interview, White informed me that he was urged to border the June 14 occasion because the USA in opposition to the world, with Individuals paired in opposition to overseas fighters. White felt that narrative would miss the purpose of the USA in addition to the UFC. He says he intends, as an alternative, to showcase the range of America.
3 issues to know earlier than you go
Gamers of the USA pose for a crew photograph on stage throughout the U.S. Soccer World Cup roster reveal on Tuesday in New York Metropolis.
Adam Starvation/Getty Photos
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Adam Starvation/Getty Photos
- The U.S. males’s nationwide soccer crew yesterday introduced the 26 gamers who will signify them on this summer season’s FIFA World Cup. The squad will embody a mixture of veterans and 13 newcomers.
- The French Open, the second Grand Slam match of the yr, is now underway in Paris on the Roland Garros advanced. The venue is known as after a World Warfare I fighter pilot with no recognized ties to the racquet sport. This is why.
- The Trump administration has proposed a government-wide nondisclosure settlement for federal staff, citing latest leaks concerning immigration enforcement and the Venezuela raid.
This article was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
