Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans’ position in next year’s elections.

“I believe that Gov. Newsom’s approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We’re not going to try to completely maximize it,” Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to excerpts obtained by The Associated Press. “We’re only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn’t go into effect.”

While noting that “political gerrymandering” is not his “preference,” Obama said that, if Democrats “don’t respond effectively, then this White House and Republican-controlled state governments all across the country, they will not stop, because they do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy.”

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

According to organizers, the event raised $2 million for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliates, one of which has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn districts. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Eric Holder, who served as Obama’s attorney general and heads up the group, also appeared.

The former president’s comments come as Texas lawmakers return to Austin this week, renewing a heated debate over a new congressional map creating five new potential GOP seats. The plan is the result of prodding by President Donald Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives. Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed a vote for 15 days by leaving the state in protest, depriving the House of enough members to do business.

Spurred on by the Texas situation, Democratic governors including Newsom have pondered ways to possibly strengthen their party’s position by way of redrawing U.S. House district lines, five years out from the Census count that typically leads into such procedures.

In California — where voters in 2010 gave the power to draw congressional maps to an independent commission, with the goal of making the process less partisan — Democrats have unveiled a proposal that could give that state’s dominant political party an additional five U.S. House seats in a bid to win the fight to control of Congress next year. If approved by voters in November, the blueprint could nearly erase Republican House members in the nation’s most populous state, with Democrats intending to win the party 48 of its 52 U.S. House seats, up from 43.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

A hearing over that measure devolved into a shouting match Tuesday as a Republican lawmaker clashed with Democrats, and a committee voted along party lines to advance the new congressional map. California Democrats do not need any Republican votes to move ahead, and legislators are expected to approve a proposed congressional map and declare a Nov. 4 special election by Thursday to get required voter approval.

Newsom and Democratic leaders say they’ll ask voters to approve their new maps only for the next few elections, returning map-drawing power to the commission following the 2030 census — and only if a Republican state moves forward with new maps. Obama applauded that temporary timeline.

“And we’re going to do it in a temporary basis because we’re keeping our eye on where we want to be long term,” Obama said, referencing Newsom’s take on the California plan. “I think that approach is a smart, measured approach, designed to address a very particular problem in a very particular moment in time.”

___

Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

Poland’s Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz says that a flying object that crashed and exploded in a cornfield in eastern Poland has been identified as a Russian drone

By The Associated Press

Police secure the area of a cornfield where an unidentified flying object has crashed and exploded in the country’s east in Osiny, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo)

Police secure the area of a cornfield where an unidentified flying object has crashed and exploded in the country’s east in Osiny, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo)

Police secure the area of a cornfield where an unidentified flying object has crashed and exploded in the country’s east in Osiny, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo)

Police secure the area of a cornfield where an unidentified flying object has crashed and exploded in the country’s east in Osiny, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo)

WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s defense minister said that a flying object that crashed and exploded in a cornfield in eastern Poland early Wednesday was identified as a Russian drone, calling it a provocation by Russia.

At a news conference in Warsaw, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz accused Russia of provoking NATO during a crucial moment, as peace talks over the war in neighboring Ukraine are underway, the country’s news agency PAP reported.

“Russia is provoking us once again,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said, just as peace talks have given hope that the war “has a chance of ending.”

Police said they received reports of the crash around 2 a.m. and found burned metal and plastic debris at the scene, near the village of Osiny. The blast broke windows in some nearby houses, but nobody was injured, PAP reported.

Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command said Wednesday on social media that no violations of Polish airspace from neighboring Ukraine or Belarus were recorded overnight.

Officials initially said the explosion may have been caused by a part of an old engine with a propeller.

Lublin District Prosecutor Grzegorz Trusiewicz told reporters several investigators — both civilian and military — were examining the crash site.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, there have been a number of intrusions into Polish airspace, raising alarm in the European Union and NATO member state and reminding people how close the war is.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford slammed the American owner of Hamilton steelmaker Stelco, saying Wednesday he’s ready to “blast” the company’s CEO for his support of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.

Ford was joined by union leaders in the city to announce training and employment services for workers laid off due to U.S. tariffs and policies.

Cleveland-Cliffs bought Stelco last year for $3.4 billion Cdn. Since President Donald Trump has taken office and introduced high tariffs, Cleveland-Cliffs and president-CEO Lourenco Goncalves have pushed for more.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Canadian-made steel and aluminum currently face 50 per cent tariffs when entering the U.S.

Speaking inside Stelco union headquarters on Barton Street East, Ford said that while he “loves the workers,” he’s “got a problem” with Goncalves stating he supports tariffs.

“He doesn’t give two hoots about people who work at Stelco when he’s signing all these letters,” the premier said. “Remember that Stelco workers, when the owner comes prancing through your place. He doesn’t support you.”

Lourenco Goncalves, president and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, Stelco’s owner, is in favour of tariffs brought in by the Trump administration. (John Kuntz/Associated Press)

Ford suggested that Cleveland-Cliffs find a new Stelco owner or that the province should buy it.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

“I look forward to getting a phone call from him because he has my number,” Ford said. “I’m going to blast him.”

He then apologized to the audience for getting heated.

“Sorry guys — I get passionate about this because I want to protect our country and province.”

Mayor says more tariffs ‘devastating news’

Earlier this week, the U.S. government announced it is hiking steel and aluminum tariffs on more than 400 products, including wind turbines, mobile cranes, appliances and heavy equipment.

Mayor Andrea Horwath said the “underhanded move” is “devastating news” for Hamilton.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

“These new tariffs could potentially have a catastrophic impact on our city’s workers, manufacturers and families if they remain in place,” Horwath said in a statement on social media Wednesday.

“Cross-border trade keeps our factories running and our economy moving. This decision threatens both.”

For his part, Goncalves applauded the tariffs and thanked Trump.

“Today’s action taken by the secretary of commerce gives us certainty that the American domestic market will not be undercut by unfairly traded steel embedded in derivative products,” he said in a statement Monday. “That allows us to continue to invest in our [U.S.] stainless steel operations.”

Stelco’s union and Cleveland-Cliffs did not respond to requests for comment before publication.

LONDON (Reuters) -British foreign minister David Lammy said on Wednesday that a widely condemned Israeli settlement plan would, if implemented, constitute a breach of international law and risk dividing a future Palestinian state.

The E1 project, which would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, received the final go-ahead from a defence ministry planning commission on Wednesday.

“If implemented, it would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution,” Lammy said in a post on X, calling on the Israeli government to reverse the decision.

(Reporting by Sam TabahritiEditing by Gareth Jones)

A military drone that crashed in a cornfield and exploded in eastern Poland early on Wednesday was Russian, the country’s defence minister has said.

Police said they received reports of the crash around 2 am and found burned metal and plastic debris at the scene near the village of Osiny.

As a result of the explosion, windows were broken in some houses but nobody was injured, PAP reported.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Poland’s Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed the drone was Russian.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

“This was another provocation carried out by the Russian Federation, it was a Russian drone. Note that it happened in a particular moment, as peace talks are ongoing and there are hopes for the end to the war that Russia declared against the state of Ukraine, but which also challenges the security of the NATO member states. In such a moment Russia provokes again,” he said.

Police secure a cornfield where an unidentified flying object crashed and exploded in Osiny, 20 August, 2025 – AP Photo

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the media that the drone was a Russian version of the Shahed model, which is produced by Iran.

The military reported that the unmanned aircraft had a Chinese engine installed.

Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command said in a social media post that no violations of Polish airspace from neighbouring Ukraine or Belarus had been recorded overnight.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Officials initially believed the explosion may have been caused by a part of an old engine with a propeller.

Related

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, there have been a number of incursions into Polish airspace, raising alarm in the European Union and NATO member state and reminding people how close the war is.

Poland is among the staunchest supporters of Ukraine and will spend 4.12% of its GDP on defence this year, according to estimates published by NATO.

And in March, then Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to provide military training to “every adult male” in the face of ongoing security threats.