GOLDEN STATE OF EMERGENCY

Gavin Newsom’s master plan to counter Donald Trump’s election manipulation faces a big problem: California voters don’t like it.

• Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) threw down the gauntlet against President Donald Trump today, vowing to battle Trump’s gerrymandering ambitions with some creative political line-redrawing of his own. It’s the latest escalation of a fight that started when Trump pressured Texas to reshape its congressional districts to send at least five more Republicans to the House.

• Today, Newsom said he’ll ask his state to vote on new maps in November that would likely send at least five more Dems to Washington, D.C. in next year’s midterms. The plan will only proceed if Texas and other Republican states move first, and the new maps would remain through 2030. After that, California would hand its map-drawing back to an independent commission.

• Democrats could even win a total of nine more seats from the new maps in California, Newsom exclusively told Pod Save America’s Dan Pfeiffer. Detailed plans are expected tomorrow.

• “They say, 'Don't mess with Texas,’” Newsom told a cheering crowd earlier today. “Well, don't mess with the great Golden State.” Trump, of course, continues to mess with California anyway: Federal agents staged a border patrol operation right outside the hall in Los Angeles where Newsom was speaking — as if to underscore that Newsom’s warning about Trump’s threat to democracy was all too real.

• A nationwide redistricting battle is now officially underway, with other states jumping in to redraw their maps, too. History suggests Democrats should do well in the 2026 midterms, because the party that holds the White House traditionally gets trounced. The big question now is how all the political funny business will play out when it comes to counting the votes.

• Newsom wanted today to be his “Braveheart” moment — yelling “chaaaaarge!” as he rallies Democrats to the battle. “Wake up America,” the governor said, while his office released a campaign ad-style video bolstering his message and attacking Trump. “We’re giving the people of this state the power to save democracy not just in California, but all across the United States of America.”

But Newsom has a problem: California voters seem to hate gerrymandering — and he needs their support to make his plan work.

• California currently uses an independent commission to handle redistricting… and a brand new poll shows Californians prefer that method by a two-to-one margin. Only 36 percent of voters are cool with reshaping the state for political purposes (aka, gerrymandering).

• Newsom’s team argues these new maps would only be temporary, as a response to the emergency that is Donald Trump. His message to voters: “This provides power to the people to stop Trump, power to stand up against rigged elections, power to stand up for our democracy.” Newsom told Pod Save America. “We have drafted this with a pathway to win.”

• Newsom might still be able to rally his state to victory behind his plan. But even so, Republicans still have the upper hand in the broader redistricting battle that’s raging across the country, because they have more opportunities to reshape their states and pick up seats to appease their MAGA king. Of course, if enough voters choose Democrats, no amount of redistricting could stop a true blue tsunami.

“The Republicans are pretty likely to come out ahead,” one analyst told the Washington Post.“It’s just a question of how much they come out ahead.”

CAPITAL UNCHILL

“No fucking way.”

It’s not every day you hear Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer drop an F-bomb. But these are bizarre times, and Democrats are loosening their ties.

In this case, Schumer was reacting to Donald Trump’s attempt to extend his grip over Washington D.C.’s police force.

Trump needs Congress’s approval to control the city’s police force for more than 30 days — and he needs several Democratic senators to back him. The president knows that’s not gonna happen… so, now, he’s floating the idea of retaining control of the police as long as he likes, without approval. “We’ll fight him tooth and nail,” Schumer said in an interview.

Meanwhile, tensions in D.C. are rising between Trump’s feds and the local citizens. Today, the city’s police chief ordered local cops to share information with federal authorities about people who aren’t in custody, such as drivers stopped at traffic stops and checkpoints. Trump said he wants to use traffic stops to find undocumented migrants.

“Sir, you don’t want to do this,” one protestor shouted at law enforcement last night. “You do not want this role in history. You did this job to protect and serve. Look what they’re doing to you. This is the community.”

These are freaky times in this city. But residents are bonding over their love and appreciation for their home. I highly recommend you read this love letter to D.C. written by a local journalist. She writes: “While D.C. might be full of people who want to change the world, now we have to fight to not let the world change us.”

WHAT ELSE?

Melania Trump is threatening Hunter Biden with a lawsuit for making a claim about deceased child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, in the most gossipy, 2025-esque headline imaginable. What did Hunter say? “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep.” Allegedly, Biden’s comments caused Melania “to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm,” and she’s demanding a retraction. Hunter’s response? “Fuck that. That’s not going to happen.” Ball’s back in your court, Melania!

Trump cold-called the Norwegian finance minister to bug him about getting a Nobel Peace Prize last month. “Out of the blue, while Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg was walking down the street in Oslo, Donald Trump called … He wanted the Nobel Peace Prize — and to discuss tariffs,” Norway’s Dagens Næringsliv newspaper reported. Trump is sooooo thirsty for that Nobel.

U.S. wholesale prices rose at the fastest rate in three years, in yet another sign that Trump’s tariffs are about to make your life more expensive. Shoutout to the time Trump justified his trade war by saying American children can handle having fewer toys.

The dirt on Trump’s nominee to control America’s economic stats keeps getting filthier. E.J. Antoni was a “bystander” at the Capitol riot, according to the White House. He was literally in the crowd, according to a photo of him that day. This guy worked for the right-wing think tank tied to Project 2025, so are you really surprised?

Meta has allowed its AI chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual,” create false medical info and assist users in arguing that Black people are “dumber than white people,” according to internal company documents reviewed by Reuters. The company reportedly removed the parts about children… but what about the other policies?!

Light at the End of the Email…

Violent crime in cities along the Mexican border fell to their lowest levels in decades last year, according to FBI data. You hear that, MAGA? Last year!!!

A judge ordered that Alex Jones’ far-right Infowars cesspool be liquidated to help pay for $1.4 billion in damages to Sandy Hook victims’ families. Jones famously repeatedly called the shooting a hoax, leading to a defamation case that’s now toppling his incel empire.

“South Park” viewership has skyrocketed since the creators started making fun of the Trump administration. The show’s second episode of this season saw 6.2 million viewers and is the highest-rated episode since 2018. The first episode also had 6 million viewers.

Scientists believe that a massive star exploded while being torn apart by a black hole, causing one of the most bizarre explosions ever observed in the universe. Observed by humans, that is…

On that note: Who’s ready for a planet parade? Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury are visible to the naked eye, and you can use binoculars to see Uranus and Neptune.

A couple in Tennessee saved a stray dog and her puppy after finding them in the woods — then the mama brought them five more pups. They’re all happy and healthy now, and after the story went viral, social media users shared tales of their rescue dogs. Along with many adorable pictures, of course.

Happy Panamanian Golden Frog Day! It’s a day “dedicated to raising awareness about one of the world’s most endangered toads,” according to the Associated Press. Check out this ribbeting video of one of the frogs at a Chicago zoo.