boundaries

Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun called Monday for state lawmakers to return to Indianapolis for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries, escalating a national fight over midcycle redistricting.

President Trump has ramped up pressure on Republican governors to draw new maps that give the party an easier path to maintain control of the House in the midterms. While Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have moved quickly to enact new districts and California Democrats are seeking to counter with their own redistricting plan, Indiana lawmakers have been far more hesitant.

Braun called for the General Assembly to convene Nov. 3 for the special session. It’s unclear whether enough of the GOP majority Senate will back new maps.

The White House held multiple meetings with Indiana lawmakers who have held out for months. The legislative leaders kept their cards close as speculation swirled over whether the state known for its more measured approach to Republican politics would answer the redistricting call.

National pressure campaign

Vice President JD Vance first met with Braun and legislative leaders in Indianapolis in August and Trump met privately with state House Speaker Todd Huston and state Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray in the Oval Office weeks later. Vance also spoke to state lawmakers visiting Washington that day.

Vance returned to Indianapolis on Oct. 10 to meet with the governor, as well as the Republican state House and Senate members.

Braun is a staunch ally of Trump in a state the president won by 19 percentage points in 2024. But Indiana lawmakers have avoided the national spotlight in recent years — especially after a 2022 special session that yielded a strict abortion ban. Braun previously said he did not want to call a special session until he was sure lawmakers would back a new map.

“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” Braun said in a statement Monday.

Typically, states redraw boundaries of congressional districts every 10 years after the census has concluded. Opponents are expected to challenge any new maps in court.

State lawmakers have the sole power to draw maps in Indiana, where Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers. Democrats could not stop a special session by refusing to attend, as their peers in Texas briefly did.

Republican opposition to redrawing the maps again

A spokesperson for Bray said last week that the Indiana Senate lacked the votes to pass a new congressional map and she said Monday that the votes are still lacking, casting doubt on whether a special session will achieve Braun’s goals.

With only 10 Democrats in the 50-member Senate, that means more than a dozen of the 40 Republicans oppose the idea. Some state Republican lawmakers have warned that midcycle redistricting can be costly and could backfire politically.

Republicans who vote against redistricting could be forced out of office if their colleagues back primary opponents as punishment for not toeing the party line. Braun’s move to call a special session could force lawmakers who haven’t commented publicly to take a stance.

Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders praised existing boundaries after adopting them four years ago.

“I believe these maps reflect feedback from the public and will serve Hoosiers well for the next decade,” Bray said at the time.

Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder decried the special session and threatened legal action over any maps passed by the Legislature.

“This is not democracy,” she said in a statement. “This is desperation.”

Redistricting balloons

Democrats only need to gain three seats to flip control of the U.S. House, and redistricting fights have erupted in multiple states.

Some Democratic states have moved to counter Republican gains with new legislative maps. The latest, Virginia, is expected to take up the issue in a special session starting this week.

Republicans outnumber Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation 7 to 2, limiting possibilities of squeezing out another seat. But many in the party see it as a chance for the GOP to represent all nine seats.

The GOP would likely target Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, a longtime Democratic stronghold that encompasses Gary and other cities near Chicago in the state’s northwest corner. The seat held by third-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan has been seen by Republicans as a possible pickup in recent elections.

Lawmakers in Indiana redrew the borders of the district to be slightly more favorable toward Republicans in the 2022 election, but did not entirely split it up. The new maps were not challenged in court after they were approved in 2021, not even by Democrats and allies who had opposed the changes boosting GOP standing in the suburbs north of Indianapolis.

Mrvan still won reelection in 2022 and easily retained his seat in 2024.

Republicans could also zero in on Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, composed entirely of Marion County and the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis. But that option would be more controversial, potentially slicing up the state’s largest city and diluting Black voters’ influence.

Volmert writes for the Associated Press.

Sept. 24 (UPI) — The FCC is prohibited from influencing network content but Chairman Brendan Carr and President Donald Trump have used pressure campaigns on ABC and others to test those limits.

The Trump administration’s attempt to push Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air worked, briefly. While consumer backlash convinced Disney and ABC to reverse course, the alarm has been sounded over the weaponization of federal authority to suppress free speech.

Kimmel returned to ABC on Tuesday, lamenting the importance of standing up for free speech in his opening monologue, calling attempts to take shows like his off the air for sharing dissenting opinions “un-American.”

“Ten years ago this sounded crazy: Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, telling an American company ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ and ‘These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,'” Kimmel said. “In addition to being a direct violation of the First Amendment, it is not a particularly intelligent threat to be made in public.”

Section 326 of the Communications Act states that the commission cannot interfere with the right to exercise free speech.

Former FCC Commissioner Tom Wheeler, who served during the Obama administration, told UPI Carr is bringing the commission into “uncharted territory.”

“The FCC is approaching 100 years old,” Wheeler said. “Over that period, one of its primary purposes has been to make sure when it comes to broadcasters using the people’s airwaves that there is a diversity of voices and a diversity of ownership.”

“That’s something that has held true until today, when we see the chairman of the FCC attempting to influence what people hear and we hear the president of the United States saying that he wants to consider yanking the broadcast licenses for those who don’t agree with him,” he continued.

One of the FCC’s chief responsibilities is licensing. It is responsible for ensuring that licenses are distributed and used in the public’s interest, convenience and necessity. The statute does not go on to define what public interest means, leaving it up to the heads of the FCC to determine this over the years.

Throughout its history, according to Wheeler, FCC chairmen have taken seriously the importance of fulfilling their duties in a neutral and independent way.

The FCC operations manual refers to Section 326 of the Communications Act and the First Amendment, stating that both “expressly prohibit the commission from censoring broadcast matter. Our role in overseeing program content is very limited.”

“Those are pretty explicit,” Wheeler said of the First Amendment and Section 326. “The public interest definition ought to presumably fall within the four corners of those kinds of descriptions.”

The FCC’s role in overseeing content may be limited, as its manual acknowledges, but it still has influence.

Networks are required to renew their licenses every eight years. This applies to all networks, including major networks like ABC and local companies.

The FCC must also approve the transfer of licenses when companies merge. For example, when Disney bought ABC, the ownership of its licenses needed to reflect this transfer of ownership. This is also true for companies like Sinclair and Nexstar purchasing local networks.

Nexstar has an agreement in place to purchase Tegna for $6.2 billion. If the deal is approved, Nexstar would own 265 stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, including 132 of the top 210 TV markets in the country, expanding its reach to 80% of U.S. households.

The FCC has a 39% cap on how many households a network group can reach. It is called the National Television Ownership rule and its purpose is to maintain diversity, competition and localism by preventing a small number of companies from controlling the airwaves.

In June, the FCC Media Bureau filed a public notice that it seeks new public comments to refresh the record on television network ownership rules. It is looking for input on whether it should retain, modify or eliminate the 39% cap on network ownership. It last did this in 2017.

“The FCC has an economic lever over those that it regulates,” Wheeler said. “There’s economic leverage that Brendan Carr has been very successful in playing up.”

Nexstar owns 32 ABC affiliate networks and Sinclair owns more than 30. Both announced Tuesday that they will not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! despite ABC electing to bring it back.

The licenses held by networks permit them to use the public’s airwaves to broadcast content. It does not give them ownership of those airwaves. They belong to the public.

The licensing renewal process is usually straightforward and without much controversy, Gigi Sohn, Benton Institute senior fellow and public advocate, told UPI.

“Throughout almost the entire history of the FCC there has been one time and one time only that the FCC has denied a license renewal based on the content of programming,” Sohn said. “That was in the ’60s when a Mississippi radio and TV station refused to run any news program or any program of any kind about the Civil Rights movement and instead ran racist programming.”

Sohn added that the FCC, in that instance, did not tell the station it could not run one program and had to run another or had to change how it edited its programs. Instead, it determined the station was not serving the public interest because it was not giving its audience access to all the information related to the stories it was broadcasting.

“That is something that the FCC has the right to do when it looks at the overall programming of a broadcaster,” Sohn said. “What it doesn’t have the right to do is bully a network — into dropping one program because he made a joke about, not even about the president, not about Charlie Kirk, but about the way the president’s followers were reacting to the Kirk murder.”

After Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on his late-night show about the late Charlie Kirk, the FCC chairman threatened to take action against ABC and parent company Disney. Media companies Nexstar and Sinclair quickly followed with statements that were critical of Kimmel’s comments.

Within hours of Carr’s threats, ABC announced Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be preempted indefinitely.

According to Sohn and Wheeler, Carr wielded his regulatory power in this instance to influence ABC to remove Kimmel’s show from the airwaves due to his longtime criticism of the president. They add that it is not the first time Carr has done something like this since becoming chairman earlier this year.

A pending merger between Skydance and Paramount remained under scrutiny by Carr and the FCC for months before being approved in July. During the hold up, Carr investigated CBS News over its editorial decisions.

Trump meanwhile had an open lawsuit against CBS, seeking $20 billion over allegations that 60 Minutes edited an interview with former presidential candidate Kamala Harris in a way that was favorable to her and her candidacy. On July 2, it was reported that Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, settled with Trump for $16 million.

The FCC approved the Skydance-Paramount merger on July 24. As conditions of the merger, Skydance agreed to Carr’s demands that the company will end or not establish any diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

It also agreed to hire an ombudsman to oversee CBS News editorial decisions. The ombudsman, Kenneth Weinstein, is the former president and CEO of conservative think tank the Hudson Institute.

Harold Feld, senior vice president of Public Knowledge, told UPI a bad precedent is being set by networks like ABC and CBS as they give into pressure from the FCC and the president.

“Not only does it show the administration that these guys are going to cave and therefore we can keep pushing them, but it also means we won’t get coverage when the administration does this to other companies,” Feld said. “If the news has been cowed into submission it means the administration is free to do this to anyone and nobody will find out about it.”

Former FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez issued a statement after the suspension of Kimmel’s program was reinstated.

“As this FCC considers steps that would let the same billion-dollar media conglomerates that caved in to government pressure grow even bigger, we must combat these efforts to stifle free expression,” Gomez said.

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Reporting from Sacramento — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger refers to it as the “ribbon of shame,” a congressional district that stretches in a reed-thin line 200 miles along the California coast from Oxnard to the Monterey County line. Voters there refer to it as “the district that disappears at high tide.”

Democratic lawmakers drew it that way to make sure one of their own won every election. The party has held the seat throughout the decade — since the last redistricting gave it a big edge in voter registration there.

Critics of that 2001 remapping have cited the coastal ribbon as Exhibit A — the reason, they say, that Californians were right to strip elected officials of the power to choose their voters and give the task of determining political boundaries to more ordinary citizens.

As the new Citizens Redistricting Commission begins its work next month, members say, the 23rd Congressional District will be a good reminder of what not to do.

“It’s been used as an example of how absurd the process is,” said Peter Yao, the commission’s chairman. “It does not allow people to choose the candidate. They are forced to go with the party’s choice.”

Republicans have protected themselves too. Using a spaghetti strip of land along the shore of heavily Democratic Long Beach, for example, they connected a GOP-leaning area of Orange County with a pouch of like-minded voters on the Palos Verdes Peninsula to create the 46th Congressional District.

The whole country, in fact, is marked with districts so distorted by gerrymandering that they are referred to by such names as “Rabbit on a Skateboard” (in Illinois) and “Upside-Down Chinese Dragon” (in Pennsylvania).

California, which voted two years ago to take the job of redrawing state districts from lawmakers, is one of 10 states that have given the job to a citizens group. But most of them are appointed by elected officials and are less independent than the Golden State’s panel.

In the districts drawn by the Legislature the old way, every incumbent member of Congress and the state Legislature on the California ballot was reelected Nov. 2 — even as a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that only 21% of voters approve of the job being done by Congress and 12% like what state lawmakers do.

Now the bipartisan citizen commission, appointed through a process overseen by the state auditor, will draw both the Legislature’s districts and California’s congressional boundaries. Last month, voters added the federal districts to the panel’s job.

Proponents of the change said it could alter campaigns and improve government. The new districts would be more competitive, forcing candidates to appeal to a broader range of voters, according to Tony Quinn, co-editor of the nonpartisan Target Book, which analyzes California legislative races, and a former Republican redistricting consultant.

“They would be more worried about getting elected, so their behavior would change,” Quinn said. “They would reflect their districts much more.”

Under the new rules, boundaries can no longer be drawn according to where an incumbent lives or how the lines would benefit him or her, said advisors to the commission.

Lines must be drawn “for publicly minded good rather than reflecting what gives a particular legislator an advantage,” said Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School who advises the commission.

The new rules emphasize compactness, contiguity and the need to keep counties, cities, neighborhoods and other communities of interest together. The aim is to prevent redrawings such as the one that left San Luis Obispo County and some cities scattered among multiple districts.

Rep. Lois Capps (D- Santa Barbara) has easily won reelection every two years since the latest boundaries were drawn to create a district 44.3% Democratic and 32.9% Republican. Previously, she represented a district that was 39.1% Democratic and 39.4% Republican.

The map makers kept heavily Republican precincts out and connected heavily Democratic precincts along the coast, using areas that are just a few blocks wide.

“You can drive a golf ball across [the district] in a couple of places,” said Tom Watson, a Republican businessman who unsuccessfully challenged Capps last month.

The boundaries also split the city of Ventura between Capps, who has about a fourth of it, and Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley). In 2000, before the last remapping, Gallegly’s district was 40.6% Democratic and 39.8% Republican. Afterward, it was 45.9% Republican and 34.6% Democrat.

Redistricting expert Alan Clayton is concerned that black and Latino voters could lose ground under the new criteria, which he said are too vague about how much weight should be given to which factors and what constitutes “communities of interest.” And, he said, a citizens panel need not be responsive to constituent groups the way lawmakers would be.

Clayton cites the example of congressional districts that divide the city of Long Beach. Part of that city is split into a district shared with Compton, making it easier, at least theoretically, for an African American to be elected. If Long Beach is kept in one congressional district without Compton, it could mean the loss of an African American seat, Clayton said.

Bob Hertzberg, who was Assembly speaker during the 2001 redistricting, said he doubts the new method will produce significant change in the numbers of Democratic- and Republican-held seats, because that is largely a function of voter registration.

“I don’t think it makes a hill of beans’ difference,” he said. Still, he supported the ballot measure that took the job from the Legislature. “It’s about restoring public confidence in government. You can’t have people thinking that politicians are self-dealing.”

After last month’s election, Schwarzenegger said the old method polarized government and contributed to its dysfunction.

“To win those districts, you had to be far to the left or far to the right,” he said, “and of course that is why it is very tough here in Sacramento to get things done.”

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Jeremy Vine and Ken Bruce front two new quiz shows this week, promising plenty of mind-bending twists this week. But there are also plenty of dramas for fans of explosive thrills.

Prince William and Princess Anne have shaped modern monarchy in their own way – so it’s no surprise Channel 5 is dedicating two documentaries on the heir to the throne and the Princess Royal this week.

The broadcaster has also promised exciting challenges ahead with Celebrity Puzzling, a brand new puzzle game show in which Jeremy Vine defies household names to the ultimate puzzle game.

Ken Bruce follows a similar theme on Channel 4 with his PopMasterTV heading to the small screen. ITV2, on the other hand, is introducing a ground-breaking comedy with Jordan Gray taking the lead in Transaction. Here are all the shows you need to keep an eye on this week.

READ MORE: Boots’ No7 serum that ‘reverses’ signs of skin damage sold every 7 seconds

Prince William: Passion, Honour…

Saturday, 5

Prince William takes centre stage in this candid and revealing documentary that charts his journey from childhood to the present day. Using rare archival footage and key interviews, it explores his upbringing, relationship with his mother, Princess Diana, and very public fallout with Prince Harry.

Poised to be kind, William is presented not just as a royal, but as a man shaped by loss and duty. It’s a fascinating portrait of a prince on the brink of kingship and a man navigating family, fame and the future.

Capital’s Summertime Ball

Sunday, ITV

Couldn’t make it to Wembley? Rest assured – ITV brings the party to your living room. Hosted by Sian Welby, Chris Stark and Jordan North on Capital Breakfast, this year’s Summertime Ball is packed with performances from the biggest stars around: Mariah Carey, McFly, even rising sensation Lola Young.

With Eurovision favourites Remember Monday also hitting the stage, expect fireworks, sing-alongs and feel-good vibes in one of the UK’s most anticipated music events of the summer.

The Gilded Age

Monday, Sky

Back with its third season, The Gilded Age is a deliciously dramatic look at the clash between old money and new ambition in 1880s America.

Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) has her eyes set on social domination while her husband George (Morgan Spector) risks everything in a financial gamble.

With stunning visuals, iconic returns from Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski, and cutthroat stakes, it’s a lavish, addictive drama about legacy, power and what people will do to keep their place in history.

PopMasterTV

Monday, C4

Ken Bruce brings his beloved music quiz to TV, and it’s as charming as ever. Five music buffs face off in a battle of pop trivia, racing through decades of chart history in a fame where memory is everything.

With singalong classics, retro facts and Ken’s dry wit holding it all together, PopMasterTV is a nostalgic gem. Whether you’re a chart nerd of a casual fan, it’s the kind of feel-good, comforting telly that’ll have you shouting answers from the sofa.

Crime Scene Cleaners

Monday, C4

Behind every crime scene lies a brutal mess – and a clean-up crew willing to face the unthinkable. This ten-part series follows real-life trauma cleaners in the UK and US as they scrub, sanitise and support victims’ families through unimaginable loss.

From robberies to gruesome murders, it’s gritty, graphic and gut-wrenching – but also deeply humane. With 24/7 call-outs and extraordinary compassion, Crime Scene Cleaners shines a light on the unsung heroes helping others start over – one horrific job at a time.

Celebrity Puzzling

Tuesday, 5

It’s brains over brawn in this cosy celebrity competition hosted by Jeremy Vine. Team captains Carol Vorderman and Sally Lindsay star with their celeb squads, going head-to-head in battles of logic, memory, wordplay and wit.

With laugh-out-loud moments, surprisingly tense showdowns and appearances from stars like Gareth Malone and Scarlett Moffatt, Celebrity Puzzling is perfect telly for puzzle lovers. It’s gentle, satisfying and the perfect watch to unwind.

Transaction

Tuesday, ITV2

Jordan Gray is a force of nature in this chaotic comedy about Liv, a trans nightshift worker who makes her supermarket shift anything but ordinary.

Hired as a PR stunt after the manager (Nick Frost) makes an offensive remark, Liv quickly realises she’s unsackable – and uses it to cause glorious havoc.

Transaction is sharp, silly and proudly anarchic, with Jordan’s wild charisma driving every scene. It’s messy, loud and defiant – and one of the boldest new British comedies in ages.

Ironheart

Tuesday, Disney+

After the events of Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams takes the MCU baton in Ironheart, a sleek new Marvel series where tech meets magic.

Dominique Throne shines as Riri, an MIT genius caught in a dangerous game with the mysterious Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos). As tensions rise between science and sorcery, Riri must build more than a super-suit – she has to build her own legacy. Big on action, packed with heart and essential for Phase Five fans, this is Marvel’s next big swing.

The Kim Kardashian Diamond Heist

Wednesday, BBC3

In 2016, Kim Kardashian was tied up at gunpoint in a Paris hotel and robbed of millions in jewels – a crime that shocked the world. This gripping BBC doc unpacks the full story, from police investigations and trial footage to interviews with journalists and those close to the US reality TV star.

Revisiting that terrifying night and the global fallout, this documentary uncovers details that were kept quiet – until now. It’s glossy, revealing and surprisingly emotional.

Amol Rajan Goes to the Ganges

Wednesday, BBC1

Amol Rajan embarks on a moving and personal journey to India’s Maha Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering. Surrounded by millions of pilgrims and extraordinary rituals, he reflects on faith, family and identity – while reconnecting with his birthplace.

This isn’t just a documentary about spectacle; it’s a deep, soulful exploration of belonging and spirituality. Beautifully shot and quietly profound, this one-off hour captures something few travel shows ever do: the emotional pull of home and the power of belief.

The Bear

Thursday, Disney +

Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is back in the kitchen for season four, and the heat is on. With the restaurant gaining momentum and the stakes rising, Carmy, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) face new hurdles that threaten to boil over.

A raw, intense exploration of ambition, grief and grit, The Bear mixes chaos and tenderness with razor-sharp precision. Get ready for more kitchen meltdowns and quiet victories in this unmissable drama.

Squid Game

Friday, Netflix

The global hit reaches its final act, and Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is out for justice. Haunted by his past and driven by grief, he sets out to destroy the Game once and for all.

But the elusive Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) has other plans, and the psychological warfare only deepens. Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, this intense, emotional conclusion delivers shocks, heart and explosive tension as Squid Game cements its place in TV history with an unforgettable final chapter.

Princess Anne: Royal Rule Breaker

Friday, 9pm, 5

She’s the monarchy’s steeliest operator and this 90-minute documentary finally gives her her due. Often overlooked but never outdone, Princess Anne has quietly become the Royal Family’s hardest grafter and boldest spirit.

From Olympic glory to diplomatic duty, this film traces her evolution from headstrong teen to pillar of the Crown. Featuring expert insight, archive footage and rare glimpses behind palace doors, it’s a tribute to a woman who plays by her own rules – and rarely puts a foot wrong.

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