By MEG KINNARD, Associated Press

Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans’ position in next year’s elections.

“I believe that Gov. Newsom’s approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We’re not going to try to completely maximize it,” Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to excerpts obtained by The Associated Press. “We’re only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn’t go into effect.”

While noting that “political gerrymandering” is not his “preference,” Obama said that, if Democrats “don’t respond effectively, then this White House and Republican-controlled state governments all across the country, they will not stop, because they do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy.”

According to organizers, the event raised $2 million for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliates, one of which has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn districts. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Eric Holder, who served as Obama’s attorney general and heads up the group, also appeared.

The former president’s comments come as Texas lawmakers return to Austin this week, renewing a heated debate over a new congressional map creating five new potential GOP seats. The plan is the result of prodding by President Donald Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives. Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed a vote for 15 days by leaving the state in protest, depriving the House of enough members to do business.

Gov. Gavin Newsom holds a press conference at the Google office in San Francisco on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, to announce new AI partnerships. (Anna Connors/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Spurred on by the Texas situation, Democratic governors including Newsom have pondered ways to possibly strengthen their party’s position by way of redrawing U.S. House district lines, five years out from the Census count that typically leads into such procedures.

In California — where voters in 2010 gave the power to draw congressional maps to an independent commission, with the goal of making the process less partisan — Democrats have unveiled a proposal that could give that state’s dominant political party an additional five U.S. House seats in a bid to win the fight to control of Congress next year. If approved by voters in November, the blueprint could nearly erase Republican House members in the nation’s most populous state, with Democrats intending to win the party 48 of its 52 U.S. House seats, up from 43.

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A hearing over that measure devolved into a shouting match Tuesday as a Republican lawmaker clashed with Democrats, and a committee voted along party lines to advance the new congressional map. California Democrats do not need any Republican votes to move ahead, and legislators are expected to approve a proposed congressional map and declare a Nov. 4 special election by Thursday to get required voter approval.

Newsom and Democratic leaders say they’ll ask voters to approve their new maps only for the next few elections, returning map-drawing power to the commission following the 2030 census — and only if a Republican state moves forward with new maps. Obama applauded that temporary timeline.

“And we’re going to do it in a temporary basis because we’re keeping our eye on where we want to be long term,” Obama said, referencing Newsom’s take on the California plan. “I think that approach is a smart, measured approach, designed to address a very particular problem in a very particular moment in time.”

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and DAMIAN DOVARGANES, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A dangerous, multiday heat wave descended on much of California and the U.S. Southwest, with near-record temperatures expected along with a higher risk of wildfires.

Officials opened cooling centers this week in Los Angeles, where residents are warned to avoid strenuous outdoor activities. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state firefighting resources deployed in areas where blazes could ignite.

Here’s what you need to know:

Sizzling hot

The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for Southern California starting Wednesday into the weekend. If outdoor activities can’t be avoided, forecasters say, they should be moved to early morning hours. And everyone should hydrate.

Downtown Los Angeles was forecast to reach 97 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, while valleys to the north braced for temperatures as high as 108 F. It will be several degrees hotter in desert areas including Palm Springs.

A visitor takes pictures of the TCL Chinese Theatre as a street vendor works nearby in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Candice Catlett, who uses a wheelchair, rolled herself toward some shade as temperatures started spiking Tuesday in downtown LA.

“It’s sizzling hot out here,” Catlett said. “I have sunblock. Hopefully, I can find some cold water. I’m trying to stay out of the direct sun.”

Further north, nearly-always-hot Death Valley could see a severe 120 F, the weather service said, 14 degrees shy of its record high of 134 F set more than a century ago when in 1913 it hit the highest-ever recorded temperature on Earth.

In Arizona, the peak of the heat wave will hit Thursday and Friday, with the mercury possibly reaching 110 F in the southern and western parts of the state. Similar temperatures were likely in Las Vegas.

A woman rests on a picnic table at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Fire risk

Red flag warnings, signaling elevated wildfire danger, have been issued across Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties until Saturday.

“If you live in a high fire danger area in the mountains or foothills, review your evacuation plans and route and stay tuned to your local emergency officials,” the weather service said in a statement.

A person walks through the shade along a wall patterned by sunlight in Norwalk, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The state has sent 10 fire engines and multiple firefighting teams to LA County to assist local agencies if blazes break out.

“By prepositioning firefighting crews, equipment, and other resources in high-risk areas, we can respond faster and more effectively when needed,” said Nancy Ward, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

California’s largest blaze this year, the Gifford Fire, was at 95% containment Wednesday after charring nearly 206 square miles of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties since erupting on Aug. 1. The cause is under investigation.

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Thunderstorms, too

Adding to the chance for wildfires, especially in mountain areas, is lightning that could accompany thunderstorms, said Sam Zuber, a meteorologist with the weather service’s San Diego office.

“We have monsoonal moisture coming in, we have an unstable environment because of the heat, and that creates perfect condition for thunderstorms,” Zuber said Wednesday. She added that lightning can strike in dry areas up to 15 miles away from where downpours occur.

Heavy rain could also cause localized flooding and mudslides, forecasters warned.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Federal Reserve officials said last month that the threat of higher inflation was a greater concern than the potential for job losses, leading the central bank to keep its key rate unchanged.

According to the minutes of the July 29-30 meeting, released Wednesday, members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee “assessed that the effects of higher tariffs had become more apparent in the prices of some goods but that their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remained to be seen.”

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The minutes underscored the reluctance among the majority of the Fed’s 19 policymakers to reduce the central bank’s short-term interest rate until they get a clearer sense of the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on inflation. So far inflation has crept up in the past couple of months but hasn’t risen as much as many economists feared when Trump unveiled some of his duties.

The Fed left its key interest rate unchanged last month at about 4.3%, though two members of its governing board dissented in favor of a rate cut. Both dissenters — Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman — were appointed to the board during Trump’s first term.

At a news conference after the meeting, Chair Jerome Powell signaled that it might take significant additional time for the Fed to determine whether Trump’s sweeping tariffs are boosting inflation.

When the Fed changes its rate, it often — though not always — affects borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards.

The Fed typically keeps its rate high, or raises it, to cool borrowing and spending and combat inflation. It often cuts its rate to bolster the economy and hiring when growth is cooling.

New York City public school students will head back to class on Thursday, Sept. 4. For many families across the five boroughs, that means stocking up on a fresh batch of school supplies—the costs of which can add up. 

NYC students lined up for the first day of school in 2021. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

New York City public school students will head back to class on Thursday, Sept. 4. For many families across the five boroughs, that means stocking up on a fresh batch of school supplies—the costs of which can add up. 

According to a 2022 survey conducted by Junior Achievement USA, a nonprofit that advocates for the economic advancement of young people, 33 percent of the teens it surveyed across the country expressed insecurity over the cost of school supplies. This can lead to a stressful period as families try to get everything that is required on their child’s school supply list, in addition to uniforms, new clothes, sneakers, shoes and more.

Luckily, many New York City elected officials and local organizations host giveaways to help ease some of that burden.

“Unfortunately a lot of households already have limited resources and now with [all these] cuts it’s going to be a lot harder for people,” said Lance Sagesse, a leader with the Pentecostal Church of God in Flatbush, Brooklyn, which is organizing one such event on Aug. 23, referring to federal cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and other safety net programs. “So whatever we can do to relieve the burden from parents as well as students, that’s going to be our goal.” 

City Limits compiled this list of back to school supplies and backpack giveaways happening in the coming weeks. Heads up: most events are first-come, first-serve and have limited inventory available, and require the child or children be present.

Know one we missed? Email editor@citylimits.org.

For residents in Queens City Council District 22: City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán will host the following backpack distribution events, co-hosted by Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, Big Reuse, the Hispanic Federation, the NYC District Council of Carpenters, and other partners. Backpacks will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis, one per child (the child must be present):  

Wednesday, Aug. 20: 4 to 6 p.m. Gorman Playground, 25th Avenue between 84th & 85th Streets in Queens

Saturday, Aug. 23: 1 to 4 p.m. at NYCHA’s Astoria Houses, 4-05 Astoria Blvd., Queens

New York Restoration Project will hold several backpack and school supply giveaways throughout the month of August at NYRP gardens. Learn more and register at nyrp.org/backpacks:

Friday, Aug. 22: Essex Street Community Garden (Cypress Hills, Brooklyn) featuring a cooking demo with chef Genny Mack

Saturday, Aug.  23: McLeod’s Community Garden (Brownsville, Brooklyn) & Los Amigos Community Garden(East Harlem, Manhattan)

Friday, Aug.  29: Bed-Stuy Community Garden (Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn) in partnership with Councilmember Chi Ossé

Saturday, Aug, 30: Target Bronx Community Garden (Highbridge, The Bronx) featuring a cooking demo with chef Brandy Cochrane & Creston Avenue Playground (Fordham, The Bronx)

Saturday, Aug. 30: Creston Avenue Playground (Fordham, The Bronx)

Sunday, Aug. 31: Eastchester Road Community Garden (Eastchester, The Bronx) in partnership with Councilmember Kevin C. Riley

NYC Health and Hospitals:

Jacobi Back To School Health Fest: Friday, Aug. 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461, Pedestrian Mall

Elmhurst Summer Yoga: Friday, Aug. 22,  12 to 1 p.m. at 79-01 Broadway, 4th Floor Room D4-17A, Elmhurst, NY 11373

Lincoln back to school health fest: Wednesday, Aug. 27 (Rain Date: Thursday, Aug. 28),  11a.m. to 2 p.m. at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, 234 E. 149th St, Bronx, NY 14051, Great Lawn

NYC Health and Hospitals North Central Bronx Back to school health fest: Friday, Aug. 29, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3424 Kossuth Ave., Bronx, NY 10467 (Kossuth Avenue between 208th and 210th streets)

NYC Health and Hospitals Elmhurst Mental Health and Wellness Block Party: Saturday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 41st Avenue and 80th Street, Elmhurst, Queens

Queens Library events:

Thursday, Aug 21, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the East Elmhurst Library, 95-06 Astoria Boulevard, East Elmhurst, NY 11369. More here.

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 12 to 3 p.m. at the Elmhurst Library, 86-07 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY 11373. More here.

Thursday, Aug. 28, 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the South Hollis Library, 204-01 Hollis Avenue, South Hollis, NY 11412. More here.

Pentecostal Church of God will be hosting a back to school giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 23 between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2310 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn, NY 11226

Backpack Giveaway presented by New York City Councilmember Robert F. Holden: Wednesday, Aug, 20, 3 to 5 p.m. (while supplies last) at 58-38 69th St., Maspeth, NY 11378. Participants must reside in the 30th City Council district and have their children present with them. Event is hosted collaboration with Broadway Stages, Greater Ridgewood Youth Council, Madison Square Garden and Maspeth Town Hall.

Gateway Center Back To School Fest: Saturday, Aug. 23, 1 to -3:30 p.m. at Gateway Center Mall located at 579 Gateway Drive, Brooklyn, NY 11239. Live DJ, face painting, photo booth, games and more.

State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez Backpack Giveaway: Saturday, Aug. 23, 12 to 4 p.m. at 3025 Cross Bronx N. Service Rd., Bronx, NY 10465. Supplies are limited.

EmblemHealth and Neighborhood Care’s special back-to-school event and giveaway: Aug. 28, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 88-31 55th Avenue, Elmhurst, NY 11373

Gerritsen Beach Library: Aug. 28 between 4 to 7 p.m. at 2808 Gerritsen Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11229. Organized by City Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse. One backpack per child. First come, first served. For more information, call 718-241-9330.

Back to School Homecoming 2025: Saturday, Sept. 6, 10  a.m. to 3 p.m. at PS/ MS 206 Schoolyard, 508 East 120th St., New York, NY 10035. Family fun, arts and crafts, face painting, music, games, giveaways, backpacks, school supplies, food, health care information 

University Settlement and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s backpack giveaway: Sept. 7, 1 to 3 p.m,184 Eldridge St., New York, NY

Midwood Block Association:  Families are invited to enjoy a fun-filled day with free school supplies for students, music, food, games, raffles, and more: Sept. 13, 2 to 5 p.m., located at 200 Midwood St., Brooklyn, NY 11225.

The post Upcoming Backpack & School Supplies Giveaways in NYC appeared first on City Limits.