Apple News Today: How Trump’s Texas Power Grab Could Change Voting Nationwide

Release Date: August 5, 2025

Hosted by Shemitah Basu

Introduction

In today’s episode of Apple News Today, host Shemitah Basu delves into a series of compelling stories shaping the political and social landscape of the United States and beyond. The primary focus centers on a significant political maneuver in Texas that could have nationwide implications for future elections. Additionally, the show explores topics ranging from aggressive immigration enforcement tactics to international trade tensions and even unconventional criminal enterprises. This summary captures all key discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in the episode.

1. Texas Redistricting and Political Showdown

The episode opens with an in-depth analysis of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s latest efforts to redraw the state’s congressional map—a move heavily influenced by former President Donald Trump’s directives. Abbott aims to reshape the map in a manner that favors Republican candidates, potentially increasing their seats in the upcoming midterm elections.

• Legislative Stalemate: On the scheduled vote for redistricting, Texas faced an unprecedented challenge when over 50 Democratic lawmakers fled the state to Illinois and New York, preventing the quorum needed for the vote. Gene Wu, Chair of the Texas State House Democratic Caucus, addressed CNN regarding the mass departure:

  "We tried to negotiate Republicans, we tried to talk to them, we tried to tell them that the public is very angry at what they're doing, and they simply wouldn't listen. This was the only way we could protect our constituents and protect the state." (01:10)

• Governor Abbott’s Response: In response to the obstruction, Abbott has issued civil arrest warrants for the absent Democrats, asserting his authority to remove them from their seats. Speaking to Fox:

  "Gerrymandering can be done, or drawing lines can be done on the basis of political makeup, as in Republican versus Democrat. And there's nothing illegal about that." (02:00)

This action is set against the backdrop of a 2019 Supreme Court ruling that limits federal oversight of partisan gerrymandering, effectively allowing states like Texas to proceed with such redistricting efforts without federal interference.

• National Implications: The standoff in Texas has empowered Democratic governors in other states to consider similar tactics. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, alongside Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom, have indicated potential retaliatory redistricting measures. Hochul emphatically stated:

  "This is no longer the Wild West. We're not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern day stagecoach hoist by a bunch of law breaking cowboys." (03:01)

Experts like David Daley from FairVote highlight the escalating nature of gerrymandering:

"This is a national problem. It can't be fixed piecemeal, state by state... It's really difficult for politicians to end gerrymandering. They benefit from it. They like it." (04:05)

The Texas episode underscores a growing trend where states may increasingly manipulate electoral maps to secure political advantages, raising concerns about the integrity and fairness of future elections across the nation.

2. Aggressive Tactics by ICE Agents

Shifting focus, the episode addresses the intensified efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Trump’s administration to deport undocumented immigrants. ProPublica has documented nearly 50 instances where ICE agents have resorted to forcibly breaking car windows to make arrests— a tactic previously rare, with only eight documented cases in the past decade.

• Violent Arrests: In Oregon, an ICE agent's aggressive approach is captured as a father is detained while driving his toddler to preschool:

  "Hell, hold on, I'm getting out." (05:16)

• Impact on Families: Elsie Noemi Berrios’ daughter’s emotional plea during her mother’s arrest illustrates the human cost:

  "You guys cannot take her just because you guys want." (07:29)

Basu reports that despite ICE’s claims of legality, these methods have resulted in injuries, including glass in a detainee’s knee and concussions among others. An ICE expert explains:

"We had one person's lawyer told us that he had glass in his knee when he did an X-ray. Later we have images of bloodied faces... we have heard of broken arms and concussions." (06:45)

While ICE defends the use of such tactics, asserting that it’s permissible when individuals do not comply, the escalation in aggressive arrest methods raises significant concerns about the treatment of immigrants and the potential for abuse of power.

3. US Tariffs and Lesotho’s Economic Struggle

Another critical story covered is the Trump administration’s imposition of new tariffs affecting over 60 countries, with a specific focus on Lesotho, a small African nation reliant heavily on textile exports to the US.

• Economic Devastation: Alexandra Wexler, Africa corporate reporter for the Wall Street Journal, explains the dire consequences of these tariffs:

  "The threat of these 50% tariffs has dried up orders, thousands of people have been laid off, and that's had a really dire effect on them and the economy as a whole." (09:11)

Originally, Lesotho benefited from the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provided duty-free access to the US market. However, with the act set to expire and unsupportive legislative prospects, the new 15% tariff exacerbates the economic plight:

"Lesotho was sending a lot of stuff to the US and not getting a lot of US Goods in. And that trade imbalance ended up sort of... punishing them in an unexpected way by imposing these tariffs." (10:06)

Lesotho’s government has declared a state of disaster, enabling it to implement measures to support struggling businesses and stimulate economic recovery. The pressing question remains whether US textile customers will resume their purchases to allow Lesotho to rehire the displaced workforce.

4. Additional Stories

While the central theme revolves around Texas’s political maneuvers, the episode also touches upon several other noteworthy topics:

• Israel’s Attorney General Firing: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has unanimously voted to fire his attorney general, who is currently prosecuting him on corruption charges. This unprecedented move has been met with resistance from Israel’s High Court, which has temporarily frozen the decision:

  "Netanyahu has faced accusations in the past that he has used legal tactics to delay the case." (11:18)

• Canada Wildfire Smoke Affecting US Air Quality: Approximately 200 wildfires in Canada have generated a significant smoky haze, leading to air quality alerts across the Northeast and Upper Great Lakes in the United States. Cities like Detroit and Chicago are among the ten worst for air quality globally due to this environmental crisis.

• Unconventional Criminal Enterprises in Bali: A unique criminal network involving long-tailed macaques in Bali has been causing havoc by stealing valuables from tourists and demanding food as ransom. Researchers describe these monkeys as exhibiting “unprecedented economic decision-making processes,” having learned to target high-value items like wallets and smartphones to maximize their gains.

Conclusion

Shemitah Basu’s episode of Apple News Today provides a comprehensive overview of pivotal events influencing both national and international arenas. From Texas’s controversial redistricting efforts potentially reshaping future elections to the aggressive tactics employed by ICE agents and the economic struggles faced by Lesotho due to US tariffs, each story underscores the interconnectedness of political decisions and their far-reaching impacts. Additional reports on Israel’s judiciary tensions, environmental challenges from wildfires, and the peculiarities of monkey-led thefts in Bali further enrich the discourse, offering listeners a nuanced understanding of the current global landscape.

For a deeper dive into these stories and more, listeners are encouraged to access the full episodes and articles available on the Apple News app.