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As redistricting wars rage across the country, California’s battle just took a dramatic turn.
Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he’s ready to “terminate” political corruption as Governor Gavin Newsom pushes a controversial plan to hand redistricting power back to lawmakers, undoing a key reform passed by voters and championed by Schwarzenegger himself.
What We Know
Newsom’s proposal is a direct response to Republican gerrymandering in Texas and Florida.
🗳️ California has 52 congressional seats
🟦 43 held by Democrats
🟥 9 held by Republicans
Newsom wants all 52.
The plan would allow Democrats to redraw California’s U.S. House districts for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections.
A special election is expected this November
But There’s A Cost
The plan would dismantle California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission, a nonpartisan reform Schwarzenegger helped pass through with Proposition 11 (2008) and expanded with Proposition 20 (2010). The commission was created to end political map-rigging by elected officials. To many who supported these initiaitves, especially Schwarzenegger, Newsom’s so called “Reveenge Map” plan feels like a step backwards.
“He calls gerrymandering evil, and he means that. He thinks it’s truly evil for politicians to take power from people. He’s opposed to what Texas is doing, and he’s opposed to the idea that California would race to the bottom to do the same thing.”
Gov. Newsom has promised California’s congressional maps won’t be drawn in a backroom.
I asked how he can promise that on such a tight timeline. How can he guarantee CA’s process doesn’t end up exactly like Texas?
He said the involvement of voters is the key difference.
— #Ashley Zavala (#@ZavalaA)
11:25 PM • Aug 4, 2025
Texas Hold ’Em
In Texas, for the second day in a row, GOP lawmakers failed to reach a quorum as dozens of Democratic legislators remain out of state, part of a coordinated attempt to block the Republican redistricting map by grinding the legislature to a halt.
So, Governor Greg Abbott turned up the heat, ordering state troopers “to locate, arrest, and return” the absent Democrats to the Lonestar state. Are these threats of arrest legally valid or just political theater?
Either way, it’s fired up the President. Trump claimed today that the GOP are “entitled” to five more congressional seats, simply because he won Texas in 2024.
Trump: "We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats ... I got the highest vote in the history of Texas as you probably know. And we are entitled to five more seats."
— #Aaron Rupar (#@atrupar)
12:37 PM • Aug 5, 2025
SoCal Man Called 911 for Help. ICE Also Shows Up
ICE agents continue to roam masked and armed across Southern California, rounding up undocumented immigrants, many without serious criminal records. But every once in a while, a video surfaces that raises serious alarms.
This one comes from Fontana, where questions are now swirling about how a 911 call for help ended with federal agents trying to force their way into a family’s home.
What Happened
ABC 7 reports that it involves Jose, a Nicaraguan national who fled political persecution for speaking out against government corruption.
On July 30, Jose called Fontana police after he had a minor fender bender and a dispute outside his home with a neighbor.
Officers arrived, took a report, and left.
Jose says he went back inside, thinking the matter was resolved, until a few minutes later, when armed immigration showed up.
The agents are on surveillance video, violently trying to push and kick their way into his apartment. Agents also stalk the family outside their apartment, even return on subsequent days. But they never show a warrant for Jose’s arrest.
ICE Response
DHS issued a statement labeling Jose a “dangerous criminal illegal alien from Nicaragua”, citing past charges including battery.
But court records reviewed by ABC7 paint a different picture: Jose has only one misdemeanor conviction for disturbing the peace. The more serious charges were either dismissed or never filed.
The Fallout
Fontana police confirm they were only involved in the initial call, the one Jose made himself.
They say ICE acted independently, without any coordination from local law enforcement.
Now, Jose and his family are afraid to leave their home, fearing agents could return at any time.
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Big investors are buying this “unlisted” stock
When the founder who sold his last company to Zillow for $120M starts a new venture, people notice. That’s why the same VCs who backed Uber, Venmo, and eBay also invested in Pacaso.
Disrupting the real estate industry once again, Pacaso’s streamlined platform offers co-ownership of premier properties, revamping the $1.3T vacation home market.
And it works. By handing keys to 2,000+ happy homeowners, Pacaso has already made $110M+ in gross profits in their operating history.
Now, after 41% YoY gross profit growth last year alone, they recently reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
Before You Go
After a long-awaited renovation, Seaworld’s Bayside Aquarium is back with a sleek new design and a diverse array of marine life. Starting this Friday, it will reopen with upgraded exhibits and guests will be able to see rare species like the critically endangered axolotl.
About Calibrate
✨Founded by journalists-turned-creators who’ve launched platforms and led award-winning newsrooms, Calibrate is rooted in one belief: facts matter, and stories told with honesty can still cut through the noise.
