Politics/Religion Consolidated Megathread Extravaganza

[Herman]

Donald Trump is trying to clear the field of several Indiana Republican state senators who previously opposed a congressional redistricting map by endorsing their challengers in the upcoming May 5 primary election.

In December, 21 Republican state senators joined their Democrat colleagues to block a redrawn congressional map that would have strengthened the GOP's control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The new map, which would have created two more Republican-leaning congressional districts, failed in the state Senate in a 31-19 vote.

Trump issued a warning to Republican state senators ahead of the vote, cautioning those who planned to block the map.

"Anybody that votes against Redistricting, and the SUCCESS of the Republican Party in D.C., will be, I am sure, met with a MAGA Primary in the Spring," Trump wrote, adding that he would "do everything within my power to make sure that they will not hurt the Republican Party, and our Country, again."

[DKG]

The Trump administration has made it easier to deport recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals amnesty program implemented by former President Barack Obama, and activists are furious.

Obama said numerous times that he did not have the power to unilaterally pass amnesty for illegal aliens before he announced that he was passing amnesty for illegal aliens in 2012.

Fourteen years later, the "Dreamer" immigrants granted amnesty through the DACA program face a heightened threat of deportation.

The decision was made by the Executive Office for Immigration Review Board of Immigration Appeals of the Department of Justice.

Critics have long argued that the original order from Obama to offer amnesty to child arrivals violated the U.S. Constitution by usurping the powers intended to be vested in Congress.

[DKG]

Donald Trump continues to prioritize the passage of the SAVE America Act, keeping election integrity at the forefront in Washington. However, states are not waiting for Congress to act. Across the country, this shift has been building for years, and it is becoming harder to ignore.

Florida offers one of the clearest examples. Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a state-level measure requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and directing officials to verify applicants using existing data systems. The approach mirrors what the SAVE America Act would do at the federal level. DeSantis said the law would "strengthen the security, transparency, and reliability of Florida's election system."

Florida is not alone. In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves signed the SHIELD Act, which requires officials to verify citizenship when individuals register to vote, including checks against federal databases and regular audits of voter rolls. Reeves called it "another win for election integrity" and made clear that the state intends to keep strengthening its system.

South Dakota has already enacted similar requirements this year, requiring proof of citizenship for new voter registrations and putting those rules into effect immediately. Governor Larry Rhoden said the law "ensures only citizens vote in state elections, keeping our elections safe and secure."

[Brent]

A newly passed Tennessee law allows homeowners to use deadly force to protect their property under certain circumstances.

Progtards are not happy.

[DKG]

Republicans are raising alarms about new vehicle safety requirements that could introduce intrusive monitoring technology — including systems capable of disabling a car against a driver's will.

The mandate stems from a provision in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, made law under President Biden, which requires automakers to install advanced impaired-driving prevention technology in new vehicles by 2027.

Critics argue that the implications go far beyond safety.

"The car dashboard becomes your judge, your jury, and your executioner," said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has been one of the most vocal opponents of the measure.

Section 24220 of the law — titled "Advanced Impaired Driving Technology" — directs regulators to require systems designed to prevent drunk-driving fatalities. The technology under consideration includes both passive and active monitoring tools, many powered by artificial intelligence.

These may include infrared cameras that track a driver's eye movements and pupil dilation, as well as "cockpit-embedded sensors" capable of analyzing a driver's breath to estimate blood alcohol levels. Other proposed methods include touch-based sensors that use tissue spectroscopy to detect alcohol through the skin of a finger or palm.