Today's Headlines: Texas House Approves Redistricting Maps, Just as Trump Wanted

With Moves on West Bank and Gaza City, Israel Defies Global Outcry

View in browser August 21, 2025, 4:10 a.m. Eastern time Top News Texas House Approves Redistricting Maps, Just as Trump Wanted The State Senate will vote Thursday on maps intended to help the G.O.P. win five more U.S. House seats in the midterm elections. California Democrats will counter on the same day. With Moves on West Bank and Gaza City, Israel Defies Global Outcry Israel approved new settlements in the occupied West Bank, while its troops have reached the outskirts of Gaza City. The developments raise questions about the viability of a cease-fire proposal. Rubio Takes on Tricky Task of Drafting Security Guarantees for Ukraine The secretary of state and national security adviser will meet with European counterparts on Thursday in an effort to advance a peace process that so far has gotten little traction. Editors' Picks Why Magic, Dragons and Explicit Sex Are in Bookstores Everywhere Romantasy is propping up the fiction market. Thanks to a generation that grew up reading about a boy wizard. Opinion | The New American Inequality: The Cooled vs. the Cooked Heat waves are increasingly dangerous for those without water, shade and air-conditioning. World Israel Approves Settlements, a Blow to Faded Hopes for a Palestinian State The long-stalled project near Jerusalem, known as E1, further fragments West Bank lands envisioned as part of a Palestinian state, advancing a goal of Israeli hard-liners. What Russia Is Doing to Grab Ukrainian Land While It Still Can As negotiations over the war carry on, President Vladimir V. Putin is pushing hard with tactics that have evolved over three and a half years. Facing Trump's Threats, Mexico and Canada Draw Closer. Will It Last? Mexico and Canada have long viewed each other with indifference or even distrust. They're now talking about teaming up. See more world news U.S. Even a Glancing Blow From Hurricane Erin May Cost the Outer Banks a Crucial Lifeline Highway 12 is beloved for its scenic views. But it's also prone to flooding. Judge Halts Texas Law Mandating the Ten Commandments in School The state law had said public schools would have to display the Ten Commandments in a "conspicuous" location in every classroom in Texas by Sept. 1. Camp Mystic Parents Demand Changes Before More Children Are Lost A Texas Legislative Committee heard for the first time from the parents who demanded better flood warning systems, better training and equipment for camps near the river. See more U.S. news Politics The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis The party is bleeding support beyond the ballot box, a new analysis shows. Senate Adds Guardrails in an Effort to Force Trump to Obey Spending Bills Leaders of the Appropriations Committee are trying to tighten up funding legislation to give the Trump administration less leeway to refuse to spend federal money. Obama Endorses Newsom's Redistricting Proposal as a 'Responsible Approach' The former president suggested that Democrats opposing G.O.P. efforts in Texas and elsewhere should advance their own gerrymandering plans. See more political news Business American Businesses in 'Survival Mode' as Trump Tariffs Pile Up A 90-day pause on additional tariffs on China offers no relief to American companies already facing extraordinarily high import taxes imposed by President Trump. Come One, Come All! Buy Your TV Subscriptions Here! A battle is heating up in the streaming world as millions of Americans sign up for multiple services through a single provider instead of separate apps. Target Names New C.E.O. as It Tries to Break Sales Slump Michael Fiddelke, the company's chief operating officer, will step into the role in February. See more business news Arts How Ian Fleming and His Spy Scheme Inspired a Broadway Show The musical "Operation Mincemeat" tells the story of an absurd feat of deception dreamed up by this spy-turned-novelist. His real acts of espionage were even wilder. Morgan Wallen Will Not Submit Latest Album for Grammys Consideration The country singer became the latest major artist to abandon the awards, declining to enter his chart-topping fourth album, "I'm the Problem," for the 2026 ceremony. For Zach Cherry, 'Severance' Was a Leap of Faith The actor's improv background makes him more comfortable in comedy, but his performance in this twisty sci-fi mystery brought his first Emmy nomination. See more arts news New York More Adams Associates and Supporters Are Said to Face Corruption Charges Among those expected to surrender in the coming days is a close friend of Mayor Eric Adams whom the mayor installed in a powerful city position. Manhattan Judge Denies Request to Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts The judge said that the papers contained testimony from a single F.B.I. agent and that far more information about the case was held in Justice Department files. Deportation of 6-Year-Old Puts Spotlight on ICE's Detention of Families Immigration authorities have detained about 50 children younger than 18 in the New York City area since January. At least 38 of them have been deported. See more New York news Food 7 Things You Should Always Pack for Your Vacation Rental Kitchen Cooking in a rental property can be stressful, but packing a few treasured items from home can help you actually relax. Schmaltzy Tomatoes! Peak summer tomatoes get a salty, savory boost from pan drippings in my easy skillet chicken dinner. Walmart Recalls Frozen Shrimp After Radioactive Contamination Warning The Food and Drug Administration urged consumers to discard packages of frozen shrimp sold in 13 states. A food safety expert said the risk to the public was low. See more food news Science A 1990 Measles Outbreak Shows How the Disease Can Roar Back To understand the virus's re-emergence in America in 2025, some experts are looking to a past epidemic that had a high death rate in Philadelphia. Onionlike Space Explosion May Be a New Type of Supernova The rare blast peeled back the inner layers of a dying star, offering clues to how the elements that make up life on Earth were forged. Uranus Was Hiding a Moon Outside Its Rings The 29th moon found to be orbiting the solar system's 7th planet is about six miles wide. See more science news Magazine How Georgia Went From the Vanguard of Democracy to the Front Lines of Autocracy Two decades after the Rose Revolution, the former Soviet satellite is turning away from the West and back toward Russia. What happened? This Quick Cake Is the Best Way to Use All Your Berries This easy, generous recipe is the stuff of love affairs. Wholesome, Noble Superheroes Are Back. (A Wholesome, Noble World Is Not.) This summer's blockbusters leave behind the era of dark, "edgy" champions for heroes who can't help but listen to their consciences. See more magazine news Well Why Covid Is Spreading Again This Summer Researchers are seeing an uptick in cases, as they have every summer since the pandemic began. Here's why. Fewer People Are Reading for Fun, Study Finds From 2003 to 2023, the share of Americans who read for pleasure fell 40 percent, a sharp decline that is part of a continuing downward trend. 'Natural' Sex Drugs Are a Spreading Health Risk in West Africa Unregulated sexual stimulants claiming to be herbal remedies or pharmaceuticals are flooding the region. Officials are scrambling to address the issue. See more on Well Travel Their Window Seats Lacked Windows, So Delta and United Passengers Sued Two suits filed this week accuse the airlines of unfairly charging passengers extra fees for window seats that the carriers knew were adjacent to aircraft walls. In Norway, Are 'Coolcations' Taking a Toll? As heat and wildfires plague many parts of Europe, the desire for cooler climes is driving tourists to Nordic countries, prompting as much concern as celebration. How to Avoid Getting Caught Up in 'Air Rage' The passenger fistfights seen on viral videos aren't inevitable. Here are the warning signs and tips on how to dial down the tension. See more travel news Real Estate When Your First Home Is Subsidized by Your Parents In today's tough housing market, some first-time home buyers are looking to their parents for help. Here's what to know if you plan to do the same. These Moms Want to Design Your Dorm Room Influencers are making money online by recommending dorm products and designs to families, who spend thousands of dollars on back-to-college shopping. $2.8 Million Homes in Connecticut, Florida and South Carolina A stone house in Old Lyme, a midcentury house in Miami and a rowhouse in Charleston See more real estate news Fashion & Style A Rare Smell on the Brink of Extinction An obscure perfume worn by the actress Elizabeth Taylor was lost to time. Some passionate fans have given it a new life. See more fashion news Obituaries Bruce Slovin, Who Unified Jewish Archives in New York, Dies at 89 A corporate executive who specialized in mergers, he brought together five Jewish institutions and their collections at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan. Stephanie Shirley, Who Created a Tech World for Women, Dies at 91 In 1962, she started a software company at her dining room table with a revolutionary idea: to create a place where women could find a work-life balance. Warren Brodey, 101, Dies; a Visionary at the Dawn of the Information Age His work on complex systems and responsive technologies helped lay the groundwork for later work on artificial intelligence. See more Obituaries Opinion Guest Essay Amy Klobuchar: What I Didn't Say About Sydney Sweeney Deepfakes are getting more realistic and more difficult to stop. Congress needs to take steps now. Jamelle Bouie What Trump Is Really Up to in Washington Even as the president is putting on a show, he's also doing everything he can to reach his ultimate aim. Guest Essay Would You Trust This Man With Your Elections? It is going to be up to states, the courts and ultimately the American people to stop the president's attempt to further erode American democracy. Guest Essay We Need a New Language After This War We must find a way to speak in a common language again, a language that has a name for everything, even for a person holding a photograph of a dead child. Jessica Grose Moms Need to Give MAHA a Taste of Its Own Medicine Peer-to-peer persuasion is a necessary tool right now. Guest Essay I'm a Red-State Mayor. Diversity Is Not Reverse Bigotry. In Oklahoma City we're not put off by rhetoric about reverse discrimination that attacks equal opportunity and celebrations of our residents' unique identities. 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