Trump said today he plans to send federal agents and deploy the National Guard to Memphis, Tenn. A top local official called the idea “anti-democratic and anti-American.”

Friday, September 12

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Missouri sends GOP gerrymander to governor as Dems continue fight

- The Missouri Senate gave final approval Friday to a gerrymander designed to rig the 2026 election by creating an additional Republican seat in Congress.

- The state Senate also gave final approval Friday to a bill that aims to restrict direct democracy by making it harder for Missourians to use the ballot initiative process. Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) is expected to sign both measures into law.

Trump says he’ll deploy troops to Memphis next

- President Donald Trump said today he plans ([link removed] ) to send federal agents and deploy the National Guard to Memphis, Tenn. A top local official called the idea “anti-democratic and anti-American.”



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Trump’s downplaying of right-wing violence continues long pattern

- With the country reeling from yet another act of political violence, Trump excused ([link removed] ) far-right extremism. “I’ll tell you something that’s going to get me in trouble, but I couldn’t care less,” he said. “The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don’t want to see crime."

Coming up Monday

- A district court will hold a hearing ([link removed] ) as the NAACP seeks to void Missouri’s special session and any legislation arising in response.

AND NOW FOR THIS WEEK’S GOOD NEWS

Justice for North Carolina voters with felony convictions

- The 4th Circuit struck down a North Carolina law ([link removed] ) imposing criminal penalties on residents with felony convictions who vote before their rights are restored — even if they mistakenly believe or were told they are eligible — ruling that it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Virginia Democrat wins special election, narrows GOP majority in Congress

- James Walkinshaw (D) won decisively ([link removed] ) in Virginia’s 11th District special election, retaking the seat of the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D) for Democrats. The landslide victory shrinks the GOP’s slim House majority and shows momentum for pro-democracy candidates ahead of the 2026 elections.

Federal judge halts Trump’s attempt to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook

- A federal judge issued ([link removed] ) an injunction stopping Trump’s bid to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The judge ruled that the move violated federal law and Cook’s constitutional rights. While Trump has already appealed the ruling, this is a setback in his attempt to assert direct control over the central bank, which was designed by Congress to be insulated from partisan politics.

Appeals court stops Trump from shuttering key federal agencies

- A federal appeals court left in place an injunction preventing ([link removed] ) Trump’s dismantling of three federal agencies that support museums, libraries, minority-owned businesses, and labor mediation. The ruling blocks Trump’s executive order to slash the agencies “to the minimum presence and function required by law,” preserving critical funding for community institutions and protecting congressional authority over federal programs.

Federal court rules against Trump’s attempt to strip immigrant protections

- A federal judge ruled ([link removed] ) that the Trump administration illegally tried to cancel Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 1 million residents from Venezuela and Haiti, calling the move unreasoned and racially motivated. The decision keeps TPS — which shields migrants from deportation and allows them to work legally — in place while the case continues, protecting thousands from Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

District court protects journalists from DHS and LAPD assaults at protests

- A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction barring ([link removed] ) the Department of Homeland Security and Los Angeles Police Department from using tear gas, rubber bullets and other weapons on journalists and protesters who pose no threat to public safety. District Judge Hernán D. Vera found over 50 credible reports of federal agents targeting the press covering immigration raids, and ruled that law enforcement must provide two audible warnings before using force, reaffirming First Amendment rights and press freedom.

Trump’s D.C. emergency power expires as Congress fails to extend it

- Trump’s unprecedented declaration of a “crime emergency” in Washington, D.C. — which put local police under federal control and sent in the National Guard — officially expired ([link removed] ) this week after Congress refused to extend it. This restores, at least in part, local control over policing and law enforcement decisions in the city, and reaffirms limits on Trump’s executive power.

Court affirms defamation verdict against Trump

- A federal appeals court upheld ([link removed] ) the $83.3 million jury verdict against Trump for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll by dismissing her rape allegation in 2019. The ruling rejected Trump’s claim of presidential immunity and declared the damages “fair and reasonable” given the severity and persistence of his attacks.

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