Bennie Thompson

U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar and fellow Democrats Bennie Thompson and Lou Correa urged President Donald Trump to open the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects Detroit to Ontario, Canada. The bridge's opening was delayed by Trump, with critics citing the Moroun family's influence due to their ownership of the Ambassador Bridge. Thanedar emphasized the bridge's economic importance for commerce and auto industry jobs.

U.S. Democratic lawmakers pledged to address delays in Puerto Rico's disaster recovery, citing issues with federal reimbursement and project approvals. They highlighted challenges caused by a former Homeland Security policy requiring manual approval for large expenditures and ongoing staffing shortages at FEMA, which hindered recovery efforts from hurricanes and earthquakes.

US Democratic lawmakers pledged to address delays in Puerto Rico's disaster recovery, including issues with federal funding approvals and FEMA staffing. The group met with mayors to discuss challenges caused by a policy requiring personal approval for large expenditures, which was later rescinded. Puerto Rico's recovery from hurricanes and earthquakes remains slow, with 30% of projects pending.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that Camp East Montana, an immigrant detention center in Texas, wasted millions in federal funding and failed to meet safety standards. The facility, operated by the Department of Defense and ICE, faced issues including tuberculosis cases, detainee deaths, and a $1.3 billion contract that led to significant financial waste.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is reviewing contracts pursued by Kristi Noem that may have had ties to her allies and will provide a list of contracts that have been nixed. Rep. Bennie Thompson questioned Mullin about the matter during a House panel session.

House Democrats Bennie Thompson and Timothy Kennedy are requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) criteria for disaster declarations following high-profile denials of aid requests.

A CISA contractor intentionally published AWS GovCloud keys and sensitive agency credentials on a public GitHub account, prompting Congressional lawmakers to demand answers. The breach exposed plaintext credentials to dozens of internal CISA systems and occurred amid significant staff losses at the agency following Trump administration-ordered retirements and resignations.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is investigating a reported exposure of sensitive agency credential data on GitHub, which was discovered by security firm GitGuardian. Congressional Democrats are demanding answers from CISA about the incident. The exposure has raised concerns about potential abuse by malicious parties.

Democrats claim that Republican redistricting efforts in the South are aimed at reducing Black representation in Congress, while Republicans argue it's a fair response to past Democratic actions. The redistricting could lead to the loss of up to 19 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. This is part of a broader national conflict over voting rights and representation.

A wave of voting rights battles and GOP redistricting fights is triggering a coordinated response across the South, with organizers preparing a Summer of Action campaign starting this weekend. The fight over congressional maps, voting access, and political representation is accelerating ahead of November's midterms and the 2028 general election. Organizers say the Supreme Court's narrowing of the Voting Rights Act has made it harder to challenge maps on the basis of racial discrimination.

The Voting Rights Act ruling has emboldened Republican lawmakers in Mississippi to target US Representative Bennie Thompson, threatening to redraw his congressional district. Thompson is the state's lone Democrat and only Black representative in Congress. The move is seen as a direct attack on voting rights.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has dropped his pledge to immediately pursue redistricting, which is a setback for Trump's midterm plan. The decision comes after a Supreme Court ruling on how race can factor into redistricting. This move may impact the seat of Democrat Bennie Thompson.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has dropped his pledge to immediately pursue redistricting after a Supreme Court ruling, which is a setback for Trump's midterm plan. The move comes as Republicans aim to hold the U.S. House and oust Democratic leaders like Bennie Thompson. Redistricting efforts are now in limbo, with changes potentially taking effect for the 2027 statewide elections.

Democrats have received a temporary reprieve on redistricting in the Deep South, with Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana slowing down or stepping back from aggressive redraw plans. This decision affects several longtime Black lawmakers, including Rep. Bennie Thompson and Rep. Sanford Bishop. The move could impact the Congressional Black Caucus, which had feared a significant loss of representation.

The House Homeland Security Committee held a closed-door briefing with Anthropic to discuss its AI model Mythos and cyber risks. The committee is planning to hold a hearing on the topic, and some lawmakers are requesting a classified briefing. The federal government's use of Mythos is divided among agencies.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) warned that Democrats face a significant challenge following the Supreme Court's ruling against a second Black-majority congressional district in Louisiana, which may influence redistricting efforts in Mississippi. The decision impacts voting rights and political representation under the Voting Rights Act.