Democrat Taylor Rehmet Stuns GOP in Texas State Senate Race
Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a special election for a Texas state Senate seat on Saturday, flipping a reliably Republican district that President Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024, according to the Associated Press. Rehmet, a labor union leader and veteran, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Fort Worth-area district.
With almost all votes counted, Rehmet held a comfortable lead of more than 14 percentage points. "This win goes to everyday working people," Rehmet told supporters, according to NPR News. The victory added to Democrats' record of over-performing in special elections since Trump took office.
In other news, President Trump stated on Saturday that he instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem not to intervene in protests occurring in cities led by Democrats unless local authorities request federal assistance, according to the Associated Press. This announcement came amid mounting criticism of his administration's immigration crackdown.
Across the U.S. on Saturday, protesters demonstrated against the federal government's immigration enforcement tactics, particularly in Minneapolis, according to NPR News. The group 50501 called on communities to shut "ICE Out of Everywhere" in a national day of action. The anti-ICE protests included calls for boycotts against retailers and businesses perceived to be in cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Protesters picketed a Target store in Washington, D.C., as Target is based in Minneapolis, where federal agents killed two protesters in January, according to Kristin Wright of NPR News.
Meanwhile, in Houston, the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela continued to spark debate, according to NPR Politics. The intervention, which involved U.S. forces seizing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, has had a significant impact on the oil-rich city, home to major petroleum companies and a large Venezuelan community. Some residents expressed fear about the potential consequences of U.S. intervention, while others viewed it as a power play. Lupita Gutierrez, a fruit and vegetable vendor at the Houston Farmer's Market, stated she believed Trump ordered the intervention in Venezuela to distract Americans from his failure to reduce inflation at home, according to Frank Langfitt of NPR.
In other developments, files released by the Justice Department on Friday revealed email correspondence between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein, according to Time. The files, part of a release of millions of documents related to various investigations into Epstein, included 16 emails between Musk and the disgraced financier sent in 2012 and 2013. The emails suggest Musk expressed an interest in visiting Epstein's Caribbean island numerous times. Musk appeared to acknowledge on Saturday that the emails were genuine but denied any close connection to Epstein. "No one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released and I'm glad that has finally happened," Musk said on X after the files were released, according to Time.
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