Democratic Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier spent the night on the Texas House floor in protest after refusing a Republican demand to be placed under the watch of the state Department of Public Safety.

The move will allow Republicans to move forward with their plan to redraw Texas' congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Former Texas Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke is the preferred candidate among Democratic voters in the state’s 2026 Senate race, according to recent polling — despite having lost three major races within a span of four years.

Texas Republicans now face a clear path to redraw the state’s congressional maps after state House Democrats ended their 15-day walkout and returned to the Capitol on Monday. In California, meanwhile,

The chairman of the state Democratic Party said the lawmakers “are coming back to fight these racist maps in the legislature and then in the courts.”

Plus, ahead of Friday's summit, Trump threatens “very severe consequences” if Putin doesn’t agree to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

To disregard California’s practice of independently crafting political maps to avoid partisan tilt, Newsom’s plan hinges on the compliance of lawmakers in the state Legislature, which is dominated by members of his own party. And so far, it doesn’t look likely that the governor will meet significant resistance.