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Eric Holder accuses GOP of ‘stealing seats’ while defending ‘fair’ Democratic redistricting push

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Top Virginia redistricting proponent and former Attorney General Eric Holder defended Democrats’ proposed changes to the Old Dominion’s congressional map, accusing Republicans of «stealing seats» in Missouri and Texas.
Voters go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to «restore fairness» — in the words of the Democrat-crafted referendum itself — by essentially approving a new congressional map that would redraw Virginia’s districts to favor Democrats over Republicans 10-1.
In a CBS News interview, anchor Margaret Brennan pressed Holder on the need for a new map, noting that a president’s party — in this case the GOP — already historically underperforms in midterm elections.
Holder denied the move is an acknowledgment that the Democratic Party can’t win «on its own» and said that they can definitely win if it is a fair fight.
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«What were we supposed to do, nothing?» Holder asked, citing Texas’ decision to redraw its districts at the behest of President Donald Trump and similar Republican-led redistricting efforts in Missouri and North Carolina.
Holder did not mention that Indiana legislative Republicans balked at calls to similarly redraw their map to favor the GOP, and Maryland Democrats also rejected a push to redraw their districts, ultimately preserving House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris’ Eastern Shore seat.
Holder said Democrats couldn’t allow Republicans to «stack the deck» nationally and «try to steal seats.»
«All we are trying to do is meet them and try to make the system as fair as it possibly can be, and that’s all this is about,» he said.
Holder’s comments sparked online criticism, as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and others pushed back on the former Obama «wingman’s» logic.
«It’s only partisan gerrymandering and ‘stealing seats’ when Republicans do it,» Lee said on X.
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«When it’s Democrats, it’s about ‘making the system as fair as it can be’ — Democrat logic is exhausting.»
Fox News contributor and media critic Joe Concha noted that Brennan also did not bring up several recent case of Democrats doing exactly what Holder criticized Republicans for.
«Margaret didn’t bother to push back and bring up the fact that several blue states have done this for years,» Concha said.
Critics have often pointed to the fact that the entirety of New England lacks a Republican member of congress, despite the true D-to-R population proportion.
Like the proposed Virginia map, which includes several districts painstakingly drawn into Fairfax County and another intentionally drawn to connect interior cities like Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Roanoke, Democratic states like Illinois have created similar awkwardly-drawn maps.
Reps. Eric Sorensen and Nikki Budzinski’s districts notably form thin, arcing lines connecting various Illinois cities that are otherwise nowhere near each other and not in a straight line or contour.
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Attorney General Eric Holder delivers remarks at the 103rd NAACP National Convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center on July 10, 2012, in Houston. (Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle)
Sorensen’s covers Rockford, Moline, Peoria and Bloomington, while Budzinski’s snakes from East St. Louis to Decatur and Urbana while incidentally collecting a thin line of rural areas that happen to be in between.
In Maryland, until recently, the third district was in several distinct pieces connected only by waterways and tributaries — to the extent a federal judge derisively called it a «broken-winged pterodactyl» flying over Balt-Wash suburbs.
elections, midterm elections, republicans elections, democrats, virginia
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America’s 250th celebration in nation’s capital boosted by iconic automaker’s 2-week tribute to innovation
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WASHINGTON, DC – As dozens of travelers arrived at Union Station Wednesday morning, many stopped to photograph historic Ford Motor Co. cars, trucks, tractors and artifacts celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and the automaker’s role in shaping the nation.
For two weeks, Ford is hosting «Driving America Forward: A Ford Experience at Union Station,» a free public exhibit showcasing vehicles and artifacts from the Ford Heritage Vault in Dearborn that trace the company’s legacy, from the Model T, the iconic mass-produced car, to a 1934 Ford pickup on loan from legendary late-night host Jay Leno.
The exhibit, part of Ford’s marquee America 250 celebrations, features 10 vehicles displayed behind museum-quality glass, including a 1941 Ford GP prototype that helped lead to the military Jeep, a 1951 Ford 8N tractor, a 1954 F-100 from Virginia’s Red Truck Bakery and a 2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One car. Visitors can also create a free postcard at an interactive photo station and shop for Ford merchandise.
«America’s celebrating its 250th anniversary,» Ted Ryan, Ford’s archives and heritage brand manager, told Fox News Digital. «We’ve been here for almost half of that journey, and we’ve had such a material impact on America.»
HISTORIC BIG BOY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE DRAWS CROWDS AS AMERICA 250 TOUR HEADS EAST
Historic Ford vehicles are on display at «Driving America Forward: A Ford Experience,» a free exhibit at Union Station in Washington, D.C., celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. (Fox News Digital/Kiera McDonald)
«Whether it’s industrializing, building the moving assembly line, mass transportation with the Model T, the best-selling car in the world for a number of years, or even the tractor that transformed farming. Ford has been there.»
Ryan said the exhibit was designed to turn heads and reveal surprising stories about the company’s influence on American industry, transportation and pop culture over the past 123 years.
«I was challenged to create an exhibit that would stop people in their tracks to take pictures or learn new facts about the Ford Motor Company,» he said. «So we have 10 amazing vehicles that go throughout our entire 124-year history… These are cars that are stopping people in their tracks, and then the exhibit cases are full of material that will tell people stories they don’t expect to hear.»
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The free exhibit is open daily through July 14 at Union Station in Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital/Kiera McDonald)
In a news release, Ryan said Union Station was a fitting location because it has «a particular kind of magic.»
«For more than a century, it has served as the front door to the nation’s capital, a place where presidents have arrived to be inaugurated, where soldiers have shipped off to war, and where ordinary Americans, by the millions, have stepped off a train and into the heart of their democracy,» he wrote.
But Ryan said Ford’s contributions to America go far beyond building cars.
«Ford built Mission Control at Johnson Space Center,» he said. «We developed tracking beams for airplanes. Ford invented the mail sorter. Hopefully we’re teaching people about the critical role that Ford has played in America during half of its 250 years.»
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The exhibit highlights Ford’s 124-year legacy and its impact on American transportation and innovation. (Fox News Digital/Kiera McDonald)
Ryan said the vehicles are meant to spark memories for visitors, whether they remind someone of their first car, a family road trip or a vehicle passed down through generations.
«I hope people take wonderful photos of cars that remind them of vehicles Ford has produced that they fell in love with, and that they’ll leave with information they didn’t know ahead of time,» he said.
Through wars, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan said Ford has consistently stepped up to support the country through its «Answering the Call» initiative, which highlights the company’s long history of helping the nation during times of need.
«Ford is always there and always will be there to answer the call whenever America or our local communities need us,» he said.
As visitors walk through the exhibit, Ryan hopes they leave with a deeper appreciation for Ford.
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«America’s turning 250, and it’s a great time to celebrate,» he said. «Ford has been here for half of it, and we’re doing our best to tell our story and the role we’ve played in America.»
The exhibit is open daily through July 14, with no tickets or registration required.
politics, museums exhibits, america 250, american innovation, ford
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El papa comienza sus vacaciones en Castel Gandolfo, tras mostrar firmeza en la escena internacional y en la interna de la Iglesia

INTERNACIONAL
Bandas criminales buscan menores en escuelas para explotación sexual en Costa Rica

Las bandas criminales han comenzado a utilizar las escuelas y colegios como lugares para captar a menores de edad en redes de explotación sexual comercial, según lo revela el Informe Explotación sexual comercial de niños, niñas y adolescentes (ESCNNA) publicado este año. El documento, elaborado por el Programa Interdisciplinario de Estudios y Acción Social de los Derechos de la Niñez y la Adolescencia (Pridena) de la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) y el Instituto de Estudios Interdisciplinarios de la Niñez y la Adolescencia (Ineina) de la Universidad Nacional (UNA), describe cómo los entornos educativos en Puntarenas, Corredores y Garabito han sido utilizados para el reclutamiento de víctimas.
La investigación, que fue citada por CR Hoy en su cobertura, identifica que la problemática se agrava por la exclusión social, la pobreza, la desmotivación estudiantil, la falta de oportunidades y la presencia del narcotráfico. Todos estos factores han creado un ambiente donde los menores de edad resultan vulnerables ante las redes de explotación sexual.
Según el informe, los centros educativos cumplen una doble función. Por un lado, se presentan como espacios de protección institucional para los estudiantes. Por otro, pueden convertirse en escenarios donde operan redes de explotación sexual comercial. Dentro de las escuelas y colegios, algunos menores de edad, que ya se encuentran vinculados a grupos criminales, buscan reclutar a sus propios compañeros para integrarlos en estas redes.

Entre las formas de captación identificadas, destaca que el primer contacto con las víctimas puede producirse dentro de los mismos centros educativos. Los grupos criminales utilizan a estudiantes para acercarse a otros alumnos y convencerlos de integrarse a la red con promesas de protección y beneficios económicos. Además, el informe advierte que las redes sociales juegan un papel importante, ya que son empleadas para captar víctimas y para promover la cosificación y sexualización del cuerpo femenino.
El estudio también señala la falta de una estadística específica en Costa Rica sobre procesos judiciales relacionados con la explotación sexual comercial de personas menores de edad. Aunque existen delitos vinculados, la carencia de datos dificulta dimensionar la magnitud del problema. Como referencia, el Ministerio Público reportó durante 2025 un total de 3,203 casos por el delito de relaciones sexuales con personas menores de edad.
En cuanto a la respuesta institucional, la investigación indica que las fiscalías especializadas han dirigido sus esfuerzos en el endurecimiento de las penas, sin avanzar en igual medida en la prevención. El informe resalta la necesidad de fortalecer las acciones preventivas a través de una mayor inversión social y la creación de un programa nacional de prevención de la explotación sexual.

Ante la consulta sobre las acciones del Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI), la institución reconoció que enfrenta importantes desafíos para garantizar los derechos de las personas menores de edad, especialmente de las víctimas. El PANI destacó que la complejidad del fenómeno y de los delitos asociados exige la articulación de procesos integrales, interinstitucionales e intersectoriales.
El análisis desarrollado por Pridena y Ineina se basó en información aportada por diferentes instituciones públicas, entre ellas el PANI, y en relatos de familias afectadas. El informe incluye el caso de una madre que detalló cómo su hija fue contactada indirectamente por un grupo criminal a través de otra estudiante del colegio. Esta situación evidencia el nivel de vulnerabilidad al que están expuestos los menores de edad en los entornos educativos.
La investigación concluye que la presencia del narcotráfico, la violencia y las brechas sociales han facilitado la operación de redes de explotación sexual comercial que utilizan estrategias de captación cada vez más sofisticadas. El fenómeno afecta tanto a las víctimas como a las instituciones encargadas de su protección, que reconocen la necesidad de respuestas más amplias y coordinadas para hacer frente a esta problemática.
Nicaragua,educación,aula,escuela,secundaria,pupitres
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