California Supreme Court Green Lights Democratic Redistricting Effort
California Supreme Court rejects Republican challenge to Democratic redistricting plan that could flip up to five GOP House seats.
By Aaron Parnas•August 21, 2025•4 min read
Supreme Court
Good morning, everyone. We’re expecting an increase of National Guard presence in Washington, D.C. today, and I’ll be on the ground at Union Station later this morning to show you exactly what’s happening—unfiltered, in real time.
Overnight, Fox News featured our work again—this time, my recent interview with California Governor Gavin Newsom. At this point, with the airtime they spend attacking me and this movement, they might as well put me on payroll (only half-kidding).
Meanwhile, we are keeping the Epstein story front and center. I cover it every single day, and I will not let it fade from the headlines. To take this work even further, I’m doubling down on Substack and expanding my team so I can get back on the road—to Texas, California, and beyond—to bring you the kind of raw, on-the-ground reporting that corporate media and Big Tech can’t throttle, filter, or silence.
If you believe in fearless, independent journalism that won’t bow to political pressure, subscribe today. Let’s build this into something even bigger—and prove that real reporting doesn’t need permission from the White House, Silicon Valley, or anyone else.
Subscribe
Here’s what you missed overnight:
California’s Democratic-led legislature is set to approve a redistricting plan backed by Governor Gavin Newsom that could flip up to five GOP-held House seats as a direct response to Republican gerrymandering in Texas, escalating a coast-to-coast partisan showdown ahead of the midterms.
The California Supreme Court rejected Republicans’ bid to block Democratic redistricting legislation, ruling that petitioners failed to show a valid basis for relief.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 57% of Americans fear democracy is in danger, with majorities in both parties saying partisan redistricting efforts in states like Texas and California are “bad for democracy,” as Republicans push to redraw maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.
JD Vance was booed with chants of “Free DC!” while handing out food to Trump-deployed National Guard troops at Union Station, drawing protests over the militarization of the city as he defended the deployment by citing crime, homelessness, and safety concerns.
President Donald Trump warned that California school districts refusing to follow his administration’s transgender policies would lose federal funding, posting the threat on Truth Social.
Trump threatened “harsh” retaliation against Colorado unless the state releases Tina Peters, the former clerk serving a nine-year sentence for breaching election systems to support his false 2020 fraud claims.
Donald Trump spent his late evening attacking MSNBC in a series of remarks.
President Trump is taking a step back from direct involvement in Russia-Ukraine peace talks, saying he will host a trilateral meeting only after Putin and Zelenskyy meet first, as his administration pursues security guarantees for Ukraine while ruling out U.S. ground troops.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled willingness to compromise on his demand for a ceasefire before talks with Putin, aligning with Trump’s push for a “peace deal” tied to security guarantees, while Russia downplayed prospects of a leaders’ summit and insisted on higher-level preparatory talks in Istanbul.
Uganda announced a deal with the U.S. to accept certain migrants denied asylum in America, excluding those with criminal records or unaccompanied minors, as part of President Trump’s broader push to deport millions, though officials emphasized it is a temporary, conditional arrangement.
Winnie Greco, a former adviser to NYC Mayor Eric Adams under FBI scrutiny, handed a reporter a chip bag containing cash after a campaign event, later apologizing and calling it a cultural gesture, while Adams’ campaign suspended her and denied prior knowledge of the incident.
A new CSIS report revealed North Korea has an undeclared military base at Sinpung-dong near the Chinese border, likely housing nuclear-capable ICBMs that pose a threat to East Asia and the U.S., highlighting Pyongyang’s expanding missile strategy and deepening ties with Russia.
A new study found that at the 100 lowest-paying S&P 500 firms, CEO pay rose nearly 35% over five years while worker wages stagnated, widening the average CEO-to-worker pay gap from 560:1 in 2019 to 632:1 in 2024.
Israel has launched a major operation to seize Gaza City, calling up 60,000 reservists despite warnings of troop burnout, hostage risks, and worsening humanitarian crisis, as Netanyahu pushes for a faster timeline amid widespread hunger and displacement in the enclave.
