https://twitter.com/MaddowBlog/status/900166587126136832

https://twitter.com/MaddowBlog/status/900167012122370049

https://twitter.com/MaddowBlog/status/900167284001357824

The SPLC is doing great work https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-amal-clooney-give-one-million-grant-to-combat-hate-groups/

the Texas Democratic Party has arranged a number of call to actions for voters to meet Joaquin Castro and to try to encourage him to run. The Meyerland Democrats had an event this afternoon and tonight the Katy Democrats had an event where we had over 140 attendees. There was a great deal of love shown to Congressman Castro. 140+ attendees for this event was a major accomplishment. I was very pleased with the event.

There is another event at the Harris County Democratic Party headquarters tomorrow morning at 10 AM. http://www.harrisdemocrats.com/joaquincastroaug2017 If you are in Houston, go meet Congressman Castro. He would give Greg Abbott a good run and could win if Greg and Patrick continue to push things like bathroom bills and the sanctuary city silliness

Texas has the option of letting the court redraw the boundaries or having the Texas legislature redo the boundaries. Texas is going for a third option of appealing to the SCOTUS. https://electionlawblog.org/?p=94354


The court will hold hearings on Sept 5 to 8 unless enjoined or stayed by the SCOTUS. I think that there is a decent chance that the SCOTUS will let the court draw new boundaries pending determination of appeal

The Southern Poverty Law Center bankrupted the KKK in the South and the Aryan Nation in Idaho by suing these organizations for the acts of their members. This tactic was very effective with respect to the KKK and the Aryan Nation. Now this tactic is being used against the idiots in the alt right http://www.politicususa.com/2017/08/15/organizers-white-nationalist-rally-virginia-driver-sued-3-million.html

Source: Texas Tribune

Federal judges have invalidated two Texas congressional districts, ruling that they must be fixed by either the Legislature or a federal court.

In a unanimous decision Tuesday, a three-judge panel in San Antonio ruled that Congressional Districts 27 and 35 violate the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. The judges found that Hispanic voters in Congressional District 27, represented by U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, were "intentionally deprived of their opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice." Congressional District 35 — a Central Texas district represented by Democrat Lloyd Doggett of Austin — was deemed "an impermissible racial gerrymander" because mapdrawers illegally used race as the predominant factor in drawing it without a compelling state interest, the judges wrote.

The 107-page ruling — the latest chapter of a six-year court battle over how Texas lawmakers drew political maps — sets up a scramble to redraw the districts in time for the 2018 elections.

The court ordered the Texas Attorney General’s Office to indicate within three business days whether the Texas Legislature would take up redistricting to fix those violations. Otherwise, the state and its legal foes will head back to court on Sept. 5 to begin re-drawing the congressional map — which could shake up other congressional races when the boundaries are changed.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/15/federal-court-invalidates-part-texas-congressional-map/

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If the Texas legislature does not elect to redraw the boundaries, then there will be a hearing on Sept 5 to 8. This ruling is only on the Congressional Districts and a separate ruling will be issued on the Texas state house seats

Here is some good news http://www.chron.com/local/education/campus-chronicles/article/Rep-Texas-A-M-cancels-Sept-11-White-Lives-11818626.php?ipid=ntk

The RWNJ sources are pushing this story as the next E. Farkas, Susan Rice and/or Seth Rich conspiracy theory. I had never heard of this story and it seems that there is nothing to it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/08/08/the-story-of-debbie-wasserman-schultz-and-an-it-staffer-thats-lighting-up-the-right/?utm_term=.b94fdc35fed2


After reading the timeline in the Washington Post article, there is not anything to worry about despite the hype on RWNJ sources