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Florida governor Ron DeSantis signs state’s new congressional map into law – live | Trump administration
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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”.
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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
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.
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.
Cole Tomas Allen removed from suicide watch
Ahead of the latest hearing for Cole Tomas Allen, 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.
However, the court denied the motion. Instead, Judge Zia M Faruqui said he had “grave concerns” about Allen’s “seemingly unprompted solitary confinement for days and overall conditions of confinement”. The hearing is due to start shortly.
Amy Gibney says she is one of eight families at her child’s school to find out that they don’t have a place for next year.
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Edinburgh airport reopens after security alert but passengers warned of ‘knock on’ effect | Scotland
Edinburgh airport reopened on Saturday morning after parts of the terminal building were evacuated on Friday night because of a security alert.
An explosive ordnance disposal team was sent to the airport to investigate what Police Scotland described as a “potentially suspicious package” discovered at about 6.50pm on Friday.
An evacuation was ordered and a police cordon was set up, with roads closed.
Passengers faced disruption as result of the operation and the airport warned that schedules would continue to be affected on Saturday.
In a statement at about 3am on Saturday, the airport confirmed it had reopened and would work to restore normal services as quickly as possible.
“Following investigations by specialist teams, the airport has now reopened.
“This incident will have knock-on impacts throughout today and staff are working hard to address these and support passengers.
“Operational teams are continuing to work to restore normal services as quickly as possible.
“Please check with your airline for the latest information on your flight.”
The statement did not provide an update about the examination of the suspicious package.
From Glasgow to Salford, smaller, unique events are celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
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