Southwest
High-stakes map fight: Here are the next battlegrounds in the Trump vs. Democrats redistricting showdown
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In the high-stakes battle over congressional redistricting, President Donald Trump suffered a stinging setback this week, days after the Supreme Court handed him a major victory.
After months of arm-twisting by the president, top allies and aligned groups, the GOP-dominated Indiana Senate on Thursday voted down a new map championed by Trump that would have created two more right-leaning congressional districts in the solidly red Midwestern state, where Republicans control seven of Indiana’s nine U.S. House seats.
The showdown in Indiana came a week after the Supreme Court cleared the way for Republican-dominated Texas to use its newly redrawn map, which creates five more right-leaning House seats.
Indiana was the latest battleground in Trump’s aggressive national campaign to reshape congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms, when Republicans, as the party in power, will likely face traditional political headwinds as they defend their razor-thin House majority.
STUNNING SETBACK FOR TRUMP IN REDISTRICTING WARS
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith announces the results of a vote to redistrict the state’s congressional map, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. (Michael Conroy/AP Photo)
By championing rare but not unheard-of mid-decade redistricting, Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.
Democrats are pushing back, as they hope to negate the push by the president and his allies.
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Here’s a look at where things stand, and what’s next in the fierce fight over redrawing the maps.
Current balance of power
Republicans currently hold a 220-213 majority in the House, with two Democratic-held seats vacant.
But the number of GOP lawmakers in the chamber will drop to 219 early next month when Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a MAGA firebrand who had a falling out with the president, leaves.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a MAGA firebrand who had a falling out with President Donald Trump, announced she’ll resign from Congress in January. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
A special election will be held on Jan. 31 to fill the seat left vacant when Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas died last March.
And a special election will be held on April 16 to fill the seat left vacant when Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill resigned last month after being elected New Jersey governor.
As of now, the Democrats need a net gain of three seats to win back the House majority in next year’s midterms.
Where things stand in redistricting wars
Six states have new congressional maps: California, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Utah.
The Republican pickup of five seats in Texas is canceled out by the drawing of five more left-leaning seats in Democratic-dominated California.
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The GOP gains two more right-leaning seats in Ohio, and one each in Missouri and North Carolina. But a Utah district judge last month rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Do the math, and Republicans theoretically have a three-seat advantage right now in the redistricting wars.
But that’s far from written in stone.
Democratic opponents of redistricting in Missouri submitted thousands of petition signatures calling for a statewide referendum vote on the state’s new maps, which could put the GOP redistricting in jeopardy.
In Utah, Republicans are hoping an appeal will overturn the court-ordered map.
It’s far from certain that Democrats will sweep all five newly drawn left-leaning districts in California and that Republicans will do likewise in Texas. And Democrats in Ohio are confident they can still make a play for the two newly drawn districts that tilt further to the right.
What’s next
Republicans are looking to GOP-controlled Florida, where early redistricting moves are underway in Tallahassee. A new map could possibly produce up to five more right-leaning seats. But conservative Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP legislative leaders don’t see eye-to-eye on how to move forward.
Governor Ron DeSantis, seen speaking to reporters during a press conference in Ochopee, Florida, on July 25, 2025, supports congressional redistricting in his state. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Democrats have their eyes on Virginia, where the Democratic Party holds majorities in both chambers of the legislature. A new map in the Commonwealth could produce up to four more left-leaning districts.
Other states that might step into the redistricting wars — Democratic-dominated Illinois and Maryland, and two red states with Democratic governors, Kentucky and Kansas.
The wildcard
Hovering over the redistricting wars is the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule in Louisiana v. Callais, a crucial case which may lead to the overturning of a key provision in the Voting Rights Act.
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If the ruling goes the way of the conservatives on the high court, it could lead to the redrawing of a slew of majority-minority districts across the county, which would greatly favor Republicans.
But it is very much up in the air — when the court will rule, and what it will actually do.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people
Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.
“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.
Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.
Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.
“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.
Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.
One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.
Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.
“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.
Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.
“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”
The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.
All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.
Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
The crash remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests
Just hours after officials announced arrests connected to a string of residential burglaries, another one was reported in the San Fernando Valley.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the incident took place just before 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue, which is located in the Valley Village neighborhood.
The person who lives in the home was too shaken to appear on camera but told KTLA that three masked suspects broke in while she was inside and took off within minutes.
The LAPD spokesperson was unable to confirm that detail, or any other details, right away. It was unclear whether anything was taken from the home.
The alleged break-in came less than a day after L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other officials announced arrests in a string of burglaries mainly plaguing the San Fernando Valley. At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass said there has been a 30% reduction year-to-date in property crimes and burglaries.
The LAPD says part of their strategy is to saturate areas, like the Valley, that have been targeted disproportionately, using visible officers and others “behind the scenes.”
“Burglaries in the city are down over 30%, reflecting the effectiveness of our proactive enforcement and prevention strategies,” LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard said. “We are aware that the burglary crews are highly organized and sophisticated, and we are constantly adjusting our strategies to counteract their tactics.”
That said, the LAPD is down anywhere from 800 to 1,400 police officers. The mayor said she’s fighting to hire more and is using mental health professionals on calls which don’t require a police officer.
Los Angeles, Ca
Detectives investigating if La Cañada burglary is connected to string of recent break-ins
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary, which happened on the 1200 block of El Vago Drive in La Cañada Flintridge on May 2.
The burglary happened around 7:20 p.m. Detectives are actively investigating if the burglary is connected to a string of other recent burglaries in L.A. County.
A woman who lives in the area contacted KTLA about the burglary after she noticed that security camera footage of the suspects matched the suspects seen in a different burglary in Studio City. During the Studio City burglary, the suspects attacked a Good Samaritan with bear spray.
LASD Capt. Ryan Vienna called the rash of burglaries in the region “unacceptable.” LASD has deployed additional deputies to the La Cañada Flintridge area in response to the burglary.
“I ask all members of the community to promptly report suspicious activity or crimes in progress, as well as cooperate with our investigators so we may apprehend those who would or have caused harm,” Vienna said.
No other details have been revealed in the case as it remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact LASD at (818) 236-4015.
Burglaries are an ongoing problem across Southern California in recent months. On May 5, four men were arrested for stealing more than $100,000 in valuables form a Thousand Oaks home, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
LASD provided following burglary prevention tips:
- Lock all doors and windows, even when home
- Keep exterior lights on during nighttime hours
- Utilize alarm systems and surveillance cameras if available
- Avoid leaving valuables visible from outside the home
- Collect mail and packages promptly
- Report suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood immediately
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