State Politics
New York redistricting could flip the House for Democrats
Earlier this month, the Independent Redistricting Commission released their map proposal for New York State’s congressional maps. It kept things very similar to the status quo, and was passed in a 9-1 vote of the bipartisan commission. However many Democrats wanted a more aggressive map, which would dramatically aid their efforts to retake the house in the 2024 election cycle.
That much was clear in the statement from Chairman Jay S. Jacobs of the New York State Democratic Party, in which he expressed concern about the new maps and urged a pause and thoughtful examination. He also called out the fact that the map was endorsed by former Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, and took the chance to call him out for his statements on January 6th.
The New York Democrats now have a choice: do they stick with the bipartisan map, or do they risk running afoul of New York’s anti-gerrymandering amendment and attempt a more aggressive map? New rumors showed up on X recently indicate that the State Legislature will attempt to go for a more aggressive map, and bring back a relatively aggressive map they originally proposed in 2022. This news comes via Dave Wasserman of Cook Political.
Notably, the map features a NY-3 that snakes from Long Island to Westchester, and a NY-11 that goes from Staten Island to Park Slope through Southern Brooklyn. If adopted, it could help the Democrats take back control of the House of Representatives. However, the proposed map is unlikely to pass muster with the New York Supreme Court or the IRC. If you want to check out the map in more detail, you can use this interactive version.
In a surprise move by the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Committee, Oklahoma City has been named the host of two events for the Olympic Games. Come Olympic season, OKC will be hosting the Olympic Canoe Slalom and Softball events, as Los Angeles does not have the necessary facilities locally.
LA28 stressed that the Oklahoma facilities were “built to international competition standards,” and that this move allowed the City of Los Angeles to save money on venues they would not continue to use after the Olympics.
Softball has a long tradition in Oklahoma City, which has hosted the Women’s College World Series every year except 1990. They already have these world class facilities in place, as well as an in-built and enthusiastic audience for the sport.
Oklahoma City also recently completed construction on Riversport Rapids, a world class canoeing and kayaking facility, in 2016. They currently offer consumer rafting experiences as well as training facilities for athletes. In preparation for the Olympics, they will also use it to host the Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2026.
While the plan is still awaiting approval from Los Angeles, LA28 has received approval from all relevant international bodies for the move. However it is unlikely that LA will deny the request considering the cost benefits laid out under the plan.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday that the infamous Rikers Island prison is “ready” to receive Former President Donald Trump. Trump is currently facing potential temporary incarceration following repeated violations of his gag order.
The judge overseeing Trump’s hush money trial, Judge Juan Merchan, made it clear on Monday that if the Former President continued to violate his gag order, he could be placed in jail. He called Trump’s repeated violations a “direct attack on the rule of law.”
Putting the Former President in jail could prove difficult for the New York City Department of Connection. Due to the high security required for his incarceration, the options could be very limited.
Despite Rikers Island’s poor reputation, city officials could be of the mind that they are best equipped to handle a prisoner of Donald Trump’s stature. Eric Adams told the media that “they’re professionals, they’ll be ready.”
Off the coast of Boca Raton, Florida, two teenagers were caught throwing heaps of trash into the ocean from their boat. The teenagers were partying on their speeding boat with their friends when they committed the offense. Wavy Boats, a social media account, first uploaded the viral video on April 30.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) led the investigation, which the Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection were also involved in. The FWC wanted to send a message that the state of Florida “doesn’t tolerate this” and wants to “protect [their] environment.”
According to a South Florida newspaper, after turning themselves in on Friday, the two teenagers (unnamed) face “felony third-degree charges of causing pollution so as to harm or injure human health or welfare, animal, plant, aquatic life or property, which amounts to $50,000 in fines or up to five years in prison.”