It’s not Texas’ first rodeo.
| 'We need help now. Can y'all help us?'  It's not Texas' first rodeo.
The Lone Star State has long stamped its brand on US politics. It's where President John Kennedy was assassinated. Three Presidents forged political careers there and some of the most colorful political characters of the modern era, including the late former Gov. Ann Richards, political guru Karl Rove and the late journalist Molly Ivins.
Now Texas is stirring it up again.
A new state law banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy has effectively just demolished 50 years of constitutional rights for women. Another new law lets most Texans carry guns in public without any licenses or training. Yet another measure passed by the state legislature rolls back efforts by Democratic cities to expand voting but makes it easier in rural, conservative areas. Ultra-conservative Gov. Greg Abbott is leading the right's charge against Covid-19 science — trying to ban mask mandates in schools. Yet another new statute defines how teachers can talk about race and racism.
This radicalism building upon itself is what happens in what is effectively Texas' one-party system, where Republicans have monopolized power for years and where voters haven't chosen a Democrat for president since 1976. It also adds up to a decent conservative resume if Abbott decides on a White House run.
Texas is a fascinating political story of a battle between its conservative leaders and its fast-expanding Democratic cities like Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio and the suburbs around them. People who are most affected by Abbott's restrictions on voting and abortion are more likely to be minorities who live in those conurbations than those who dwell out on the plains.
Every recent election cycle has tantalized Democrats with visions of a breakthrough that could transform national elections, given Texas' power and influence. They've always fallen short — though they did come close to beating Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Liberal optimism was doused by Trump's near 6-point win in the state last year. Texas is, however, increasingly becoming a wider metaphor for a nationwide battle between rural conservative areas and more liberal urban and suburban population centers.
The struggle by largely White conservatives to cling to power against a populace that is increasingly ethnically diverse and more socially moderate will define the next American era.  2020 presidential election results in Texas. The world and America Schools in northwestern Nigeria closed after scores of students were kidnapped.
A Paralympian shotputter was stripped of his gold medal for arriving three minutes late.
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 'This is a family, where a divorce within a station is not possible' Despite threatening to pull out of the International Space Station prematurely, the head of Russia's space agency is now promising to continue its 46-year partnership with NASA -- at least until the orbiting outpost is eventually retired. Dmitry Rogozin, Roscosmos' director general, has backtracked from threats made in June about withdrawing from the station unless sanctions on Russia's space sector were lifted, telling CNN that the ISS community "is a family."
Ida's continuing damage Remnants of Hurricane Ida brought drenching rains and rare floods to New York City and New Jersey on Wednesday night and early Thursday, paralyzing transportation and killing dozens of people. "Because of climate change, unfortunately this is something we're going to have to deal with great regularity," New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a news conference Thursday to address the historic flooding.  Subway flooding in New York City, where hundreds of people had to be rescued from trains and station platforms. (Twitter/@AleksanderMilch)
 Cars stranded from heavy flooding in NYC's Bronx borough. (WCBS)
 A submerged stadium in Bound Brook, New Jersey. (News 12 New Jersey LLC)
 Heavy rainfall sinks cars on a street in New Jersey. (Twitter/@AntOz) 'We need help now. Can y'all help us?' Meanwhile, much of Louisiana is still without power and gasoline after Hurricane Ida's brutal landfall there. A single mother of four in New Orleans told CNN's Adrienne Broaddus that she'd been waiting in line for two hours to get gas. "It's been almost five days; I've got to sleep in the car. My kids are hot. We're hungry," Myra Castro said.
"Where's FEMA? Where's the Red Cross? We need help now. Can y'all help us? We're about to die. We got children in here. I'm a single mom and I'm doing it by myself; it's hard out here. Can they help us? Where's the President? Can he come help us?" Castro asked CNN. Thanks for reading.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden is expected to deliver remarks on the August jobs report. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at an economic forum in Vladivostok. French President Emmanuel Macron attends the opening ceremony of a meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Marseille.
On Saturday, protesters plan to march in Paris against mandatory health passes to access restaurants, bars, trains, planes and supermarkets.
On Sunday, the closing ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics takes place. The Fallas festival in Valencia, Spain, ends with the traditional burning of the giant sculptures.
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