A federal court has blocked the state of Texas from enforcing its new congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms. CBS News' Hunter Woodall explains.

Texas

A federal court has issued a two-to-one ruling blocking the new Texas congressional map signed into law in August, citing substantial evidence of racial gerrymandering. The court ordered Texas to use its 2021 map instead, marking a significant setback for Texas Republicans, who had aimed to make five Democratic seats more favorable to their party.

The decision, delivered by a judge nominated by President Trump, has prompted Texas officials to announce plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The ruling is seen as a rebuke of the redistricting process and may have broader implications for similar efforts in other states, including ongoing legal challenges in California.

Republicans face challenges in Texas redistricting fight

All right. There's been a major setback for Republicans in their redistricting fight. In a two-to-one ruling, a federal court has blocked the new Texas maps that were signed into law back in August. In his opinion, the judge, who was nominated by President Trump, wrote, quote, substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map, end quote. He ordered the state to use the 2021 map instead. CBS News political reporter Hunter Woodall joins us from our D.C. bureau with more on this. A remarkable ruling, Hunter. I don't know if anyone really expected this. So how does this decision delay or change what's happening there in Texas and nationally? Aaron, what we saw yesterday was incredibly significant, as you've outlined. This was a huge setback for not just Texas Republicans, but President Donald Trump. This ruling essentially sidelines the new map that Texas Republicans had drawn to try and gain five congressional seats in Texas, taking five Democratic seats and making them more favorable to Republicans. But it was also quite a rebuke of the whole process that led to this. At the center of this issue really was a letter from the Department of Justice about redistricting that was sent to Texas that really underpinned what the two judges outlined in this decision, in this ruling. And it really goes back to what Republicans can do. Now, it's clear Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, has said, as well as the governor, have said they're going to appeal this to the U.S. Supreme Court. But it's also notable that the judge that delivered this opinion, he was nominated to his post by President Donald Trump. He was a former Texas Supreme Court justice. Now, the other judge that signed on to this was appointed by President Obama back during President Obama's first term. But it is significant, given how much of a rebuke this is to what Republicans tried to do in Texas and what it means for redistricting around the country. And let's talk about that a bit, because it's a bit of a patchwork out there when it comes to states changing their congressional maps. California is doing it through a proposition that passed. But how might this single ruling impact what's happening elsewhere? And Errol, that's the key question we're watching right now, because you have California Democrats redrew their maps and had a ballot measure that passed to essentially answer what Texas has done, taking five Republican seats in California and making them more favorable to Democrats. Now, California, that map is being challenged in court by Republicans, as well as the Department of Justice is challenging that map. But really, this whole process, what came into it was this idea that Republicans were going to try and redraw congressional districts that had favored Democrats in hopes of helping their chances of winning in next year's midterms. Now, the midterms of the incumbent party's president, the incumbent president's party, usually they don't do too well. So the idea was you help Republicans, maybe they would be able to hold on to their narrow majority in the U.S. House. Now that looks more in peril than ever before. All right, Hunter Woodall in our D.C. Bureau, thank you.

U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized a plan for the CIA in Venezuela, according to a New York Times report. CBS News' Charlie D'Agata has more details.

Washington

Trump authorizes plans for CIA covert operation in Venezuela: report

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon killed 13 people and wounded several others, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Wednesday. The Israeli military said it struck Hamas militants who it said were operating in a training compound there.

Beirut

Middle East Conflict

Israeli strike on Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon kills 13

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San Francisco

Microsoft, Nvidia to invest up to $15 billion in Anthropic

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New York

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Johannesburg

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Jerusalem

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visiting White House

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London

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Virginia

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President Trump now says Republicans should vote to release all of the files related to the federal investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News' Olivia Rinaldi and Nikole Killion have the latest on what could happen next.

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Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called an explosion on a railway line “an unprecedented act of sabotage.” Donald Tusk did not say who he believed had carried out the attack, but a government minister said "foreign intelligence agencies" were responsible.

Warsaw

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Ukrainian President Zelenskyy signed a landmark deal in Paris on Monday to buy 100 Rafale jets, drones, and air defense systems from France.

Paris

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Dhaka

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President Donald Trump now appears to support the release of all Jeffrey Epstein files as the House of Representatives readies for a vote on the matter. CBS News' Natalie Brand reports.

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Charlotte

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Caracas

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Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to kill the effort to release federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein, House Republican leaders are planning to hold a vote this week on legislation to force the issue.

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