SUMMARY: Texas golf coach John Fields first spotted Scottie Scheffler’s poise in eighth grade after a bad-luck shot at Spanish Oaks Golf Club, sparking his recruitment. Scheffler’s maturity then mirrors the composed demeanor seen today as he dominates professional golf. After a standout college career at Texas, Scheffler has now won four majors, including the 2025 Open Championship, and held the world No. 1 ranking for 114 consecutive weeks. Fields compares him to legends like Woods and Nicklaus. Known for humility and balance, Scheffler prioritizes faith and family over fame, influencing peers to rethink their own approach to golf and life.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott initially resisted a Trump-backed plan for a rare mid-decade redistricting to gain GOP congressional seats, concerned about backlash from Texas Republicans. After a direct call from Trump, Abbott agreed to include redistricting in a special legislative session agenda. Most Texas GOP lawmakers opposed the move, fearing it could jeopardize their seats, but Trump’s influence pushed the effort forward. Abbott justified the redistricting citing DOJ concerns over racial gerrymandering in current maps. Democrats criticize the move as partisan and are preparing retaliatory redistricting efforts in other states like California. Legal challenges and political battles are expected ahead.
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WASHINGTON — Before he called lawmakers back to Austin to redraw Texas’ congressional maps, Gov. Greg Abbott was initially resistant to the plan pushed by President Donald Trump’s political team to pick up new GOP seats through a rare mid-decade redistricting, according to two people who have spoken to Abbott and the White House about the behind-the-scenes discussions.
The majority of Texas’ GOP congressional delegation was also wary of the idea, with many members concerned that Republican map-drawers could miscalculate and spread their voters too thin — thus putting their jobs in jeopardy — while trying to flip Democratic seats, six people involved in internal delegation discussions told The Texas Tribune.
Abbott told House Republicans from Texas that he was reluctant to take up the issue in Austin, where state lawmakers approve the new lines, if it would pit him against the delegation. In discussions with Abbott’s office, White House staffers attempted to assuage his worries but were unsuccessful, according to two people with direct knowledge of the developments.
Then, Trump placed a call to Abbott during which they discussed redistricting. The governor subsequently agreed to put it on his agenda for the special session, according to two people who spoke with White House officials about the call, one of whom also discussed the matter with Abbott’s office.
Trump’s involvement underscores the immense power he holds over Texas Republicans and shows how far the president will go to protect his Washington trifecta that has handed him sweeping legislative wins, even if that means irritating those who are voting to approve his agenda in Congress.
If Republicans lose control of the House in next year’s midterms, Trump’s agenda would be stalled and his remaining two lame-duck years in the White House would likely be replete with Democratic-led investigations.
The details of the redistricting dynamics were relayed through almost a dozen people, many of whom were granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations that could have legal implications. Any new map passed by the Legislature would almost certainly be challenged in court.
A person familiar with Abbott’s thinking said it was “inaccurate” to characterize the governor as being reluctant to pursue redistricting, but declined to provide any additional details.
Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, declined to comment on Abbott’s conversations with Trump and other Republicans about redistricting but said the governor “looks forward to the legislature addressing important topics such as flood relief and property tax cuts, along with other critical issues, during this special session.”
On July 9, Abbott announced the agenda for the special session that began Monday, laying out an 18-item to-do list that included a rare mid-decade makeover of the state’s congressional maps. The district lines are typically redrawn once a decade, to account for population changes in the U.S. census, though there is nothing barring lawmakers from crafting new maps in the intervening years.
In private delegation meetings, most Texas members actively opposed the idea. Others said redistricting was inevitable once it received Trump’s backing, and they should try to work with the White House to draw the maps in their favor. A few stayed silent on the issue or did not actively participate.
Their opposition was communicated to the White House, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions, but it appears they were ignored. Multiple Texas congressional staffers told The Texas Tribune that some Republicans did not receive notice of Abbott’s decision to go ahead with redistricting before he announced it publicly.
Most of the 25 Republicans in Texas’ congressional delegation have stayed publicly mum. Seven of them declined to comment for this article.
With Abbott on board and the special session announced, Trump held a call last week with the Texas GOP members and declared his political team intended to flip an ambitious five seats with the new map, according to three people familiar with the call.
The message was clear among the delegation: there was no stopping the president and they should get on board.
“I believe that you got to give President Trump the respect,” Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, said. “If we can redraw Texas and it fits within all the confines of law and everything, well, then let’s get ’er done.”
Abbott justified the redistricting by saying it was needed to address “constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice” about the current maps, which were drawn in 2021 and are the subject of an ongoing court challenge.
The concerns were raised in a DOJ letter dated two days before Abbott announced the special session, in which Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon argued that four of Texas’ Democratic-controlled districts were unconstitutional and should be redrawn on the grounds of racial gerrymandering.
Since the special session agenda was unveiled, Democrats have been calling the letter a fig leaf that provides political cover for the partisan motivation behind the redistricting effort.
News of Texas’ redistricting has also set off a cascade of events that may have national implications.
For weeks, House Democratic leadership, rank-and-file members and representatives for blue state governors have been meeting to discuss retaliatory redistricting, The Texas Tribune previously reported. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has become more outspoken about doing so in his state in recent days, laying out several paths to circumvent the state’s independent redistricting commission.
Members of the California congressional delegation met with Jeffries last week. The group was largely in favor of redistricting to give Democrats another five to seven seats, according to two House Democrats who were in attendance.
Paul Mitchell, an expert in redistricting who has met with Newsom’s team in recent weeks, thinks that California could easily squeeze four Democratic seats out of the state.
“California has a much better hand, because we are starting from the partisan-neutral map,” Mitchell said, referring to the independent commission that approved the current lines.
In Texas, the maps are drawn by the Republican-dominated Legislature and have already been crafted to favor the GOP, giving them less wiggle room to send additional party members to Washington. In California, on the other hand, the independent commission has not as aggressively optimized the maps in favor of Democrats, giving a partisan-motivated body more freedom to shape the lines in favor of their party.
The boldness of the new Texas map — and whether Trump targets additional states, a possibility he suggested last week — could dictate how much political support Newsom and other blue state leaders could expect to get for a retaliatory redistricting effort, Mitchell said. The more aggressive Republicans are, the more justification there is for Democrats to respond in kind.
Texas Democrats could also flee the state, depriving the Legislature of the quorum it needs to approve new maps. But doing so would incur fines, and Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to use law enforcement to compel the attendance of absent lawmakers.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party’s campaign arm for House races nationwide, has promised to wield its multimillion-dollar war chest against any Republicans who find themselves vulnerable under a new Texas map.
The DCCC has also pledged a six-figure sum for a public opinion campaign aimed at dissuading Texas Republicans from going through with the redistricting plan, according to a staffer with knowledge of the charge.
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The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This article provides a factual and balanced overview of the Texas redistricting process, detailing actions by Republican leaders including Gov. Greg Abbott and former President Donald Trump, while also presenting responses from Democrats and the potential political ramifications. The language is neutral and informative, with no evident editorializing or partisan framing, focusing on internal political dynamics and legal concerns without favoring either side. The report includes voices and perspectives from multiple stakeholders, which contributes to its centrist presentation.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-07-21 20:33:00
The Texas special legislative session, called by Gov. Greg Abbott, began Monday to address 18 priorities, including redistricting the state’s 38 congressional districts due to DOJ constitutional concerns. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows emphasized collaboration on a legal, constitutional plan. Burrows created the bipartisan House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting with 21 members. The 2021 redistricting plan is under ongoing legal challenge, consolidated in LULAC v. Abbott. The committee will hold public hearings to gather input. If passed, the new plan would take effect for 2026 elections, but opposition and further lawsuits are expected.
(The Center Square) – On the call for the special legislative session, which began Monday, is the task of redistricting Texas’ 38 congressional districts.
The special session has begun for an initial 30 days to address 18 legislative priorities identified by Gov. Greg Abbott, including redistricting. The governor may extend the special session for another 30 days and amend agenda items at any time.
In Abbott’s call for the special session, he said the legislature must pass legislation “that provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice.”
The legislature is also “working in lockstep on congressional redistricting legislation,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said in a joint statement.
“Working with the House, the Texas Senate will move forward on redistricting to pass a legal, constitutional congressional map,” Patrick said.
“Texans place their trust in the Legislature to uphold fairness in the redistricting process, and we will continue to work closely together to fulfill this legislative responsibility,” Burrows said.
On Monday, Burrows announced he created the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting and appointed a bipartisan group of 21 members to serve on it.
They include state Reps. Cody Vasut as chair and Jon Rosenthal as vice chair and Reps. Josey Garcia, Charlie Geren, Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, Ryan Guillen, Cole Hefner, Hillary Hickland, Todd Hunter, Christian Manuel, Will Metcalf, John McQueeney, Joe Moody, Katrina Pierson, David Spiller, Carl Tepper, Senfronia Thompson, Chris Turner, Terry Wilson and Gene Wu.
Patrick has yet to announce Senate committee members.
The Texas legislature has published information about the redistricting process, including about the Legislative Redistricting Board, public hearing process, judicial review and elections. Generally, redistricting takes place after a federal census. Because the last census was conducted in 2020 and the Texas legislature meets every other year during odd years, the legislature convened in 2021 to implement a redistricting plan.
That plan passed the legislature, was approved by the governor, and was met with lawsuits beginning in October 2021. It has been in litigation ever since.
The cases were consolidated into one case before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. This May and June, oral arguments were heard in the consolidated cases, LULAC v. Abbott and the court ordered the involved parties to submit post-trial briefs no later than September 3. The groups argue the redistricting plan violates the 14th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act.
As with other bills and committees, the select committee will hold public hearings to allow “citizens to present relevant testimony concerning the impact of existing districts, local preferences for district changes, communities of interest, local voting patterns, and other issues that the legislature may consider when redrawing district lines. The hearings also promote public awareness of the legislative redistricting process,” the legislature explains.
This year’s process includes the legislature proposing, voting on and potentially passing a redistricting bill. The governor may sign the bill into law, allow it to go into effect without signing it or veto it. If it fails to pass or is vetoed, the Legislative Redistricting Board would meet as required by the Texas Constitution. The LRB is comprised of the lieutenant governor, House speaker, attorney general, comptroller, and General Land Office commissioner.
If the redistricting plan is adopted, it would become effective for the following primary and general election, which would be in 2026. However, Democratic opposition is expected throughout the process and lawsuits are also expected as was the case in 2021.
If or when a redistricting law becomes effective, before elections are held in new districts, impacted counties are required to change their voting precinct boundaries. Candidates for state legislative office are required to have resided in the district they seek to represent for at least one year before the general election is held.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
This article from The Center Square reports on Texas’ redistricting process with an emphasis on official Republican-led actions and statements, including those from Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. While the article includes information about lawsuits and Democratic opposition, it does so briefly and without elaboration. The overall framing reflects a procedural tone, but the consistent use of Republican sources and perspectives, combined with minimal coverage of opposing views or legal arguments, suggests a subtle right-leaning bias typical of Center-Right reporting. The piece aims for neutrality but leans toward the Republican framing of events.
SUMMARY: Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known as Theodore Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has died at 54 from drowning while swimming on vacation in Costa Rica. Rescued but found without vital signs, he was pronounced dead after being taken to the morgue. Warner was celebrated for his iconic role on the show, which he remained proud of despite controversies surrounding Bill Cosby. He earned Emmy and Young Artist Award nominations and won three Young Artist Awards. His career included film roles and TV appearances on series like “The Resident” and “American Horror Story.” Warner won a Grammy in 2015 and recently co-hosted the “Not All Hood” podcast. He is survived by his wife and daughter.
