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Florida governor Ron DeSantis signs state’s new congressional map into law – live | Trump administration

Published

3 months ago

May 4, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

DeSantis signs Florida’s new congressional map into law

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has announced that he has signed into law the state’s new congressional map, which could deliver the GOP an additional four US House seats in November’s midterm elections.

“Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,” DeSantis said in a post on X, with a map of the new districts attached.

With it, Florida becomes the latest state to adopt redrawn districts since Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw their state’s map to favor the GOP last year, sparking a nationwide redistricting battle.

Florida’s new House map aims to boost its GOP congressional delegation from 20 to 24 seats, while reducing Democrats’ eight seats to four.

Key events

Trump once again boasted about his ability to pass cognitive tests designed to detect dementia and mental deterioration. A couple of days ago, he repeated these comments in a speech at a retirement community in Florida. He also went on to insult Gavin Newsom, calling him “stupid”.

His remarks come after calls from lawmakers, including Democratic representative Jamie Raskin, for him to take another cognitive test and publicly release the results.

In an interview with journalist Jim Acosta, former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb called the president “clearly insane” in late March.

Trump also, misleadingly, claims that inflation under his predecessor Joe Biden was the “worst” it has ever been.

Actually, at the end of Biden’s sole term in office, inflation hovered around 2.9% – down from a peak of 9.1% in June 2023.

The latest consumer price index data shows that inflation, under Trump, now sits at 3.3%.

As Donald Trump begins his remarks in the East Room, he repeats claims that US forces have decimated Iran’s capabilities.

“They have no navy, they have no air force,” the president said. “They have no radar. They have no nothing.”

Democrats welcome temporary supreme court ruling that restores access to abortion pills, but note ‘fight is just beginning’

In response to the supreme court’s decision to restore mail access to mifepristone, one of the two-drug regimen needed for medication abortion, Democrats welcomed the news, but noted this is part of a wider fight to further undermine safe and effective access to reproductive healthcare.

“This fight is just beginning,” said Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat. “We will stop at nothing to prevent the Republicans from putting a national abortion ban into effect.”

Since the 2022 Dobbs decision, anti-abortion groups have attempted to limit access to abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, now the most common method to terminate pregnancies in the US.

“I urge the Court to move swiftly to permanently protect access to this critical medication for women,” said Senator Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada.

“As this case proceeds, we must continue to fight back against Republican efforts to try to ban abortion nationwide,” said Democratic representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

Donald Trump is due to speak shortly at a small business summit at the White House. We’ll bring you the latest lines, particularly keeping an ear out for any lines about the ongoing talks in Iran, particularly after the news that the US military destroyed six Iranian small boats amid the naval blockade in the strait of Hormuz.

Here’s a recap of the day so far

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has announced that he has signed into law the state’s new congressional map, which could deliver the GOP an additional four US House seats in November’s midterm elections. “Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,” DeSantis said in a post on X, with a map of the new districts attached.
The supreme court issued a temporary order to restore access to the abortion pill mifepristone by mail on Monday. This comes after two companies who manufacture mifepristone the drug filed an emergency appeal to the court on Saturday asking it to halt a court decision that would require an in‑person exam before the medication can be prescribed. In a one-page order by justice Samuel Alito, the court stayed the fifth circuit’s decision until 11 May, giving the court more time to hear both sides before making a decision.
During Cole Tomas Allen’s hearing in Washington today, Judge Zia M Faruqui questioned why the suspect had been subjected to such harsh conditions in the DC jail, namely solitary confinement, while detained. Ahead of the latest hearing for the suspect in the White House press gala shooting last month, his lawyers wrote to the magistrate judge to note that Allen had been removed from suicide watch and issued a motion to vacate Monday’s hearing.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, will travel to Rome this week to visit Pope Leo XIV, as the Trump administration’s relationship with the Vatican remains strained. The state department said in a statement that the meeting will be “to advance bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican”.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was hospitalized with pneumonia and remains in critical but stable condition, “is now breathing on his own”, according to his spokesperson, Ted Goodman. The infection had overwhelmed Giuliani – who Goodman said had been diagnosed with restrictive airway disease in the wake of the 9/11 attacks – and he had required a ventilator to breathe. “He is now breathing on his own, with his family and primary medical provider at his side,” Goodman said.

Trump says Iran will be ‘blown off the face of the Earth’ if they attack US vessels

In an interview with Fox News, Donald Trump said that Iran would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they attack US vessels in the strait of Hormuz, while the naval blockade continues.

The president called the blockade “one of the greatest military maneuvers ever done” and that Tehran has become “much more malleable” during recent talks.

This comes after US Central Command (Centcom), said on Monday that it had destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones fired at ships and commercial vessels being “protected” by the US military in the strait of Hormuz.

During Cole Tomas Allen’s hearing in Washington today, Judge Zia M Faruqui questioned why the suspect had been subjected to such harsh conditions in the DC jail, namely solitary confinement, while detained. According to reporters in the courtroom, the magistrate judge noted that January 6 defendants appeared to receive better treatment.

“Pardons may erase convictions but they do not erase history,” Faruqui said, while noting that Allen was enduring “vastly different” treatment compared with others who allegedly tried to attack “elected officials based on their political beliefs”.

DeSantis signs Florida’s new congressional map into law

“Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,” DeSantis said in a post on X, with a map of the new districts attached.

Florida’s new House map aims to boost its GOP congressional delegation from 20 to 24 seats, while reducing Democrats’ eight seats to four.

Rudy Giuliani ‘now breathing on his own’ after being hospitalized with pneumonia, spokesman says

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was hospitalized with pneumonia and remains in critical but stable condition, “is now breathing on his own”, according to his spokesperson, Ted Goodman.

The viral lung infection had “quickly overwhelmed” Giuliani – who Goodman said had been diagnosed with restrictive airway disease in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, adding “complications to any respiratory illness” – and he had required a ventilator to breathe.

“He is now breathing on his own, with his family and primary medical provider at his side,” Goodman said. “Mayor Giuliani is the ultimate fighter – as he has demonstrated throughout his life – and he is winning this battle … Please keep the prayers coming.”

Goodman announced yesterday that Guiliani, 81, had been hospitalized in Florida, but did not say why, and it remains unclear when he was first admitted to hospital.

In a post on Truth Social yesterday, Donald Trump, called his former personal attorney a “True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR” – before making it about himself, by perpetuating his lie about the 2020 election.

“They cheated on the Elections, fabricated hundreds of stories, did anything possible to destroy our Nation, and now, look at Rudy. So sad!” he said.

Giuliani hosted his online show, America’s Mayor Live, on Friday night from Florida, but said his voice was “a little under the weather”.

As mayor of New York City he garnered acclaim for his response to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, earning the nickname “America’s mayor”.

He later worked as an attorney for Trump in his failed efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, an effort that led to criminal charges against Giuliani in two US states and a defamation lawsuit from election workers. Giuliani has denied wrongdoing in the criminal cases. Trump pardoned Giuliani after he faced criminal charges for his efforts to help try to overturn the 2020 election.

He was also hospitalized last year after a car crash in New Hampshire left him with injuries including a spinal fracture.

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UK News

Driver killed in Bedford train crash named

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.

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UK News

Spain v Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2026 – live | World Cup 2026

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

Key events

In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.

Oyarzabal profile

Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.

“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “

News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.

“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.

“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”

Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.

Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.

The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.

The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.

An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.

In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.

For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:

“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.

“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”

Saturday’s match reports here.

The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same ⁠team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.

“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are ⁠missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against ‌Cape Verde.

“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you ‌should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.

“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.

“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.

“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”

The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”

Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.

The teams – Lamine Yamal starts

Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.

Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.

Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)

Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?

Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.

Al-Aqidi profile

Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat

The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.

The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.

Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.

“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.

Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.

Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.

A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.

Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP

Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?

Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.

Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.

“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”

A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.

“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”

We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.

The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.

Lamine Yamal profile

Preamble

Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.

Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.

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