The first domino in a growing national redistricting battle is likely to fall Wednesday as the Republican-controlled Texas legislature isexpected to pass a new congressional mapcreating five new winnable seats for the GOP. The vote followsprodding by President Donald Trumpto stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives. Democrats who refusedround-the-clock police escortsto ensure they'd provide a quorum were confined to the House floor, where they protested on a livestream. They've voweda blue-states payback for the Texas map, withCalifornia's legislature poised to approvea retaliatory gerrymandering for the state's voters to consider in November. Here's the Latest: Hundreds of federal health employees sign a letter protesting Kennedy's actions The employees at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies have signed a letter charging that Health SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.has endangered their lives and the rest of the public. The two-page letter sent to Kennedy and members of Congress cites his anti-science rhetoric, denigration of federal workers, layoffs affecting public health programs andKennedy's decision to replace members of a vaccine advisory panelwith a handpicked group that includes some anti-vaccine advocates. It faults Kennedy's delayed response toan Aug. 8 shooting at the CDC's main campusin Atlanta. And it asks Kennedy to stopspreading false health information, affirm the CDC's scientific integrity, and guarantee the safety of the HHS workforce. About 400 current employees signed their names, most of them from the CDC but some from the National Institutes of Health and other health agencies. Also signing the document are some noted former CDC leaders, including former acting director Dr. Anne Schuchat.
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