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By TIM REYNOLDS

SUNRISE — Steven Stamkos scored with 57 seconds left in overtime, and the Nashville Predators beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Thursday night.

Stamkos’ goal came with the net appearing to be off its moorings, but it held up after a brief review and gave the Predators their fourth win in five games. It was his 53rd goal all-time against Florida, including playoffs, the most by any player against the Panthers.

Carter Verhaeghe scored two days after the birth of his son and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 shots for the Panthers, but the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions lost their fourth game in a row and their fifth straight at home.

The last time the Panthers had lost as many as five home games in a row was in March of 2020.

Verhaeghe missed Tuesday’s loss to Toronto because his wife was giving birth to their new son Rory, but returned in time for morning skate on Thursday and then the game.

Ryan O’Reilly scored with 6:19 left in the third period to tie the game for Nashville, and Stamkos scored on a rush to win it in the extra period.

Jusse Saros stopped 30 shots for Nashville.

Verhaeghe was asked earlier Thursday if becoming a father compared at all with the feeling of being part of three Stanley Cup championships — one with Tampa Bay, and the last two with Florida over the last two seasons.

“Not even close,” Verhaeghe said. “This one, it’s the best feeling in the world. It doesn’t even come close to any anything. It’s the greatest thing in the world.”

Bobrovsky got some help in the second period. Stamkos actually beat Bobrovsky with a shot from the circle to the right of the Panthers’ net, but defenseman Niko Mikkola got his stick near the goal line and was able to knock the puck away.

Up next

Predators: Visit Carolina on Saturday.

Panthers: Host Columbus on Saturday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Southern Command announced that it had conducted another strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, following a pause of almost three weeks.

It is the 22nd strike the U.S. military has carried out against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that the Trump administration claimed were trafficking drugs.

There were four casualties in Thursday’s strike, according to the social media post, bringing the death toll of the campaign to at least 87 people.

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In a video that accompanied the announcement, a small boat can be seen moving across the water before it is suddenly consumed by a large explosion. The video then zooms out to show the boat covered in flames and billowing smoke.

The strike was conducted the same day Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers began an investigation into the very first strike carried out by the military on Sept. 2. The sessions came after a report that Bradley ordered a follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s demands.

Bradley told lawmakers there was no “kill them all” order from Hegseth, but a stark video of the entire series of attacks left some lawmakers with serious questions.

Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the laws of military warfare.

Bradley spoke to lawmakers alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, in a classified session. His testimony provided fresh information at a crucial moment as Hegseth’s leadership comes under scrutiny, but it did little to resolve growing questions about the legal basis for President Donald Trump’s extraordinary campaign to use war powers against suspected drug smugglers.

Lawmakers offered differing accounts of what they saw on the video.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said he saw the survivors “trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for United States back over so they could stay in the fight.”

Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, “What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.”

“You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel,” he said, adding they “were killed by the United States.”

Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said the survivors were “basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water — until the missiles come and kill them.”

After a three-day trial this week, a federal jury found a Broward County woman guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her role in a scheme that sold thousands of fraudulent nursing diplomas to people across the U.S.

Stephanie Dorisca, 57, was the director of nursing at Techni-Pro Institute LLC in Boca Raton, which offered a practical nursing program and an associate of science in nursing, according to a superseding indictment filed in federal court in November. Charges against her and 11 others were announced in September, nearly three years after federal authorities first announced charges in the scheme where thousands of hopeful nurses bought fake diplomas and transcripts.

Despite never having taken the required courses and clinicals, the documents the aspiring nurses purchased showed that they had, allowing them to take national board exams and land jobs in healthcare if they passed.

Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, Siena College in Lauderhill and Sacred Heart International Institute in Fort Lauderdale also participated in the scheme, federal prosecutors said in 2023. More than 7,600 fake diplomas were sold by those three schools, which are now closed.

The diplomas were sold on average for $15,000, garnering a total of $114 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida previously said.

Thousands have fake nursing diplomas after scam involving three South Florida schools, prosecutors say

Between 2020 and 2023, Dorisca was among the defendants who sold fraudulent diplomas, transcripts and other documents that falsely represented that the purchasers had completed the required courses and trainings at the Boca Raton school when they never had, according to the indictment.

The fraudulent documents “created and distributed” by Dorisca and others allowed those who purchased them to gain employment at and be paid salaries by healthcare providers throughout the country, the indictment said.

Messages included in the indictment showed Dorisca communicating about “nursing student
information” for three different people, an email she sent to someone identified only as J.L. in Texas “arranging a meeting in Texas to discuss processing nursing students” and a text message that discussed a $5,000 bank deposit “as payment for the processing of nursing students.”

At a November court hearing, Dorisca “expressed unequivocally” that she wanted to proceed to trial, according to federal court records.

Trial began Monday, and the jury returned its verdict Wednesday, finding her guilty of all charges: One count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be held in March.

She faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years as to each count, according to the indictment.

General Daily Insight for December 05, 2025

A gentle steadiness returns after early friction. We start with the emotional Moon opposing fiery Mars, stirring debates and quick reactions that ask us to breathe and choose softer words. By contrast, action-oriented Mars trines healing Chiron at 5:03 pm EST, opening lanes for repair where brave steps and honest apologies turn misunderstandings into trust. As the nurturing Moon enters Cancer later, home comforts steady us, so evening plans feel calmer and our hearts stay generous. Choose patience now so it can speed tomorrow’s progress.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

When effort meets healing, paths open easily. Learning expands as a flowing trine lights your 9th House of Travel and Higher Learning, encouraging brave plans and honest questions that open new doors. Even as Chiron in your 1st House of Self and Identity exposes old doubts, you can share a bold idea with warmth and still be clearly heard. Consider asking for something you need right now — your steady courage turns curiosity into real movement. Small steps today make next week easier.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

This afternoon favors heartfelt, practical choices. Your 8th House of Intimacy and Shared Resources receives supportive flow from a Mars-Chiron trine, making brave talks about money and trust feel doable and surprisingly warm. Even as your 12th House of Solitude and Closure surfaces private worries, you can slow the pace, breathe, and suggest one clear next step. You may agree on a shared account rule for gifts today. Clear boundaries keep connection warm without draining resources. Choose clarity over speed to protect precious energy.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

How can you turn conflict into progress? Tensions soften into teamwork as a supportive trine lights your 7th House of Partnerships, inviting honest words that aim to repair rather than win. You may suggest a check-in with a coworker over coffee. Negotiated agreements protect care and keep projects moving smoothly. Even if old misunderstandings echo, your 11th House of Friends offers backup, so a trusted ally can mirror your point and ease the conversation. Your patience will encourage others to meet you halfway.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Cancer, your caring nature finds brave footing today. Fiery Mars trines healing Chiron from your 6th House of Work and Health, turning effort into gentle progress and making routines easier to adjust without guilt. You may renegotiate a deadline by explaining your bandwidth. Your body knows its limits and deserves kind scheduling that supports your whole self. Even as your 10th House of Career pushes for perfection, you can prioritize rest and still deliver consistent results that make everyone feel supported. Protect your rhythm so results arrive without strain.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Warm courage melts worry into useful focus. Warrior Mars in your 5th House of Creativity and Romance trines wise Chiron, turning nervous jitters into enthusiastic spark and helping you share your talents with heart. You might pitch your idea in a meeting, because generous attention shines when you relax into authentic expression. Even if your 9th House of Big Ideas tempts you to overpromise, you can choose one fun deliverable and wow people without overwhelm. Lead with warmth and watch support gather quickly.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Clarity lands as small steps build confidence. Home choices feel easier as a harmonious trine focuses your 4th House of Home and Family, inviting steady fixes that protect comfort and restore order. You may rearrange a room or start a gentle budget talk at dinner. A thoughtful structure supports care and lowers stress. Even as your 8th House of Shared Resources stirs deeper feelings, you can move slowly and still create firm, fair boundaries that everyone respects. Keep your options open and heart steady.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

When courage softens pain, bridges appear. Ambitious Mars trines tender Chiron from your 3rd House of Communication, helping you say hard truths with kindness and turn a sticky thread into useful dialogue. You might call a sibling to resolve a mix-up Appreciation and truth together open doors honesty alone could not. Even as your 7th House of Partnerships holds a different viewpoint, you can outline shared goals and leave room for style differences. Balance truth with care to keep bridges strong.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Scorpio, your insight cuts through the noise. Your 2nd House of Money and Values gains a boost from a flowing trine today, helping you choose quality over impulse and recommit to what matters. You may cancel a subscription after checking usage. Focused attention protects resources without sacrificing goodwill or momentum. Even as your 6th House of Work and Health adds new tasks, a simple budget routine keeps momentum and lets you feel in control. Invest in quality so daily life feels easier.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Are you ready to lead with heart? Fiery Mars trines therapeutic Chiron through your identity and first impressions, energizing your voice and giving courage to act on a vision without second-guessing. Pitch a plan to the right person, and go bold with it! Your natural optimism lands as confidence rather than pressure. Even as your 5th House of Creativity invites many playful options, you can focus on one direct expression and let it set the tone. Say yes bravely, because courage invites good company.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

By evening, resolve comes with steadiness. Quiet work goes further than loud hustle as a trine supports your 12th House of Solitude and Closure, making private repair feel unexpectedly productive and kind. You may take a quiet walk before replying, because reflection turns raw feelings into clear, calm choices gently. Even as your 4th House of Home asks for caretaking, small boundaries around chores or visits protect your energy and keep care sustainable today. Gentle pauses now will sharpen tomorrow’s drive.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Confidence grows as friends rally behind you. Your 11th House of Social Networks receives supportive flow today, inviting community help and making it easy to coordinate plans that move causes forward. You might post a call for volunteers on your social channels — coordination beats going solo and saves time for meaningful work. Even as your 3rd House of Communication buzzes with side chats, you can simplify threads and set one agenda everyone can follow. Lean on allies so momentum builds at the right speed.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Soft feelings guide bold, simple choices. Your 10th House of Career and Status benefits from an easy trine, helping you share your work with quiet confidence and set a clear public goal. Request specific feedback from a trusted mentor, because clarity makes your gifts visible and guides your next brave step. Even as your 2nd House of Money nudges practical concerns, you can choose one step that honors both your values and your current bandwidth. Name your goal kindly and let trust grow.

GAINESVILLE — Former Florida coach Billy Napier has reportedly found a new home in a familiar spot, landing at James Madison University of the Sun Belt Conference.

Napier, according to multiple reports, will replace Bob Chesney, who will head to UCLA after the No. 25 Dukes (11-1) host Troy in Friday night’s Sun Belt championship game.

UF fired Napier Oct. 19, the day after a 23-21 homecoming escape against Mississippi State left him 22-23 during four seasons with the Gators. His 48.9 winning percentage is the lowest at UF since the 1940s.

Meanwhile, JMU, based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, is 39-10 since joining the FBS level in 2022, including 19-5 under Curt Cignetti. Cignetti left after five seasons with the Dukes for Indiana, where he has turned the No. 2 Hoosiers (12-0) into one of the nation’s top teams.

Chesney replaced Cignetti in 2024 and is 20-5.

Napier will have big shoes to fill, a high standard to meet and improvement to make after his tenure in Gainesville.

The Gators were 12-16 in SEC play, 5-17 against ranked opponents, including 0-14 away from home under Napier.

Florida averaged 21.6 points while going 4-8 in 2025, scoring a single touchdown each in losses to USF, LSU, Miami, Kentucky and Tennessee.

In 2024, UF finished 12th in the SEC in total offense, leading Napier to enter the offseason expected to make an outside hire at offensive coordinator. But he ultimately continued to call plays.

Meanwhile, new UF coach Jon Sumrall hired Georgia Tech’s Buster Faulkner Thursday to energize the Gators’ attack.

Napier, though, could find success again in the Sun Belt Conference. During four seasons at Louisiana 40-12 and winning the 2020 and 2021 conference titles.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and OLIVIA DIAZ, Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The Justice Department failed Thursday to secure a new indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James after a judge dismissed the previous mortgage fraud prosecution encouraged by President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

Prosecutors went back to a grand jury in Virginia after a judge’s ruling halting the prosecution of James and another longtime Trump foe, former FBI Director James Comey, on the grounds that the U.S. attorney who presented the cases was illegally appointed. But grand jurors rejected prosecutors’ request to bring charges.

It’s the latest setback for the Justice Department in its bid to prosecute the frequent political target of the Republican president.

Prosecutors are expected to try again for an indictment, according to one person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

James was initially charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020. Lindsey Halligan, a former White House aide and Trump lawyer, personally presented the case to the grand jury in October after being installed as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia amid pressure from Trump to charge Comey and James.

James has denied any wrongdoing and accused the administration of using the justice system to seek revenge against Trump’s political opponents. In a statement Thursday, James said: “It is time for this unchecked weaponization of our justice system to stop.”

“This should be the end of this case,” her attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement. “If they continue, undeterred by a court ruling and a grand jury’s rejection of the charges, it will be a shocking assault on the rule of law and a devastating blow to the integrity of our justice system.”

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The allegations related to James’ purchase of a modest house in Norfolk, where she has family. During the sale, she signed a standard document called a “second home rider” in which she agreed to keep the property primarily for her “personal use and enjoyment for at least one year,” unless the lender agreed otherwise.

Rather than using the home as a second residence, James rented it out to a family of three, allowing her to obtain favorable loan terms not available for investment properties, prosecutors alleged.

It’s the latest example of pushback by grand jurors since the beginning of the second Trump administration. It’s so unusual for grand jurors to refuse to return an indictment that it was once said that prosecutors could persuade a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich.” But the Justice Department has faced setbacks in front of grand juries in several recent cases.

Even if the charges against James are resurrected, the Justice Department could face obstacles in securing a conviction against James.

James’ lawyers separately argued the case was a vindictive prosecution brought to punish the Trump critic who spent years investigating and suing the Republican president and won a staggering judgment in a lawsuit alleging he defrauded banks by overstating the value of his real estate holdings on financial statements. The fine was later tossed out by a higher court, but both sides are appealing.

The defense had also alleged “outrageous government conduct” preceding her indictment, which the defense argued warrants the case’s dismissal. The judge hadn’t ruled on the defense’s arguments on those matters before dismissing the case last month over the appointment of Lindsey Halligan as U.S. attorney.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie took issue with the mechanism the Trump administration employed to appoint Halligan to lead one of the Justice Department’s most elite and important offices.

Halligan was named as a replacement for Erik Siebert, a veteran prosecutor in the office and interim U.S. attorney who resigned in September amid Trump administration pressure to file charges against both Comey and James.

The following night, Trump said he would be nominating Halligan to the role of interim U.S. attorney and publicly implored Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against his political opponents, saying in a Truth Social post that, “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility” and “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

Comey was indicted three days after Halligan was sworn in by Bondi, and James was charged two weeks after that.

The Justice Department had defended Halligan’s appointment but has also revealed that Bondi had given Halligan a separate position of “Special Attorney,” presumably as a way to protect the indictments from the possibility of collapse. But Currie said such a retroactive designation could not save the cases.

Richer reported from Washington.

Palm Beach County government spending has surpassed inflation and population growth by more than $344 million this year, Florida’s chief financial officer argued Thursday.

As part of what CFO Blaise Ingoglia called “the wasteful spending exposing tour,” he held a news conference in West Palm Beach to call attention to his office’s findings, holding up placards with large numbers on them.

“Palm Beach County needs to do better. The taxpayers deserve better,” Ingoglia said. “If government didn’t grow, it wouldn’t need all that money. If it didn’t need all that money, you would not have to be taxed to pay for it.”

Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida, is the eleventh location that Ingoglia has visited to call out what he says is wasteful spending by municipal governments. Ingoglia said the $344 million figure is the largest “raw number” DOGE has identified as overspending in the state so far.

Ingoglia visited Broward County on Sept. 30, claiming government officials there overspent by about $190 million this year. These numbers come from analyses conducted by the state’s Department of Governmental Efficiency, following trips the DOGE team took to municipalities across the state earlier this year to audit budgets.

During his news conference, a sign at the lectern read, “FAFO audit,” a reference to the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight, another term being used as part of the initiative.

DOGE ran calculations that looked at fiscal years 2019-2020 to 2024-2025, factoring in inflation and population growth, and incorporating buffers, to determine how much larger governments’ budgets are nowadays than where they “should be” or “could be.”

“Local governments are going to say that they need all this extra revenue. They don’t. They want the extra revenue, but they don’t need it. You know who needs it? You, the taxpayers who are footing the bill for large, bloated, excessive government,” Ingoglia said on Thursday.

Newly appointed Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter, who attended Thursday’s news conference, agreed with Ingoglia’s conclusion: “I think we can do better,” she said.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia holds a news conference at the Okeechobee Steakhouse on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. He points to a graph with the amount of money he claims is being wasted by local government in Palm Beach County. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Ingoglia declined to offer examples of Palm Beach County’s overspending, instead referring to reports issued by DOGE that are set to come out in the future with specific line items. Originally, Ingoglia said these audits would be out around October.

“It’s a bunch of stuff,” Ingoglia said Thursday. “It’s the growth in government itself. Most of government is personnel costs, so a lot of the growth in government over time, adding full-time equivalents, new people, full hires and giving people raises year after year.”

In early October, Ingoglia made a brief remark about how Palm Beach County’s paratransit costs tripled in the last two years during a news conference in Jacksonville with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Local leaders responded saying the paratransit costs had not risen as much as Ingoglia claimed.

Ingoglia also had offered reporters in August some early remarks about what DOGE inspectors had found so far during in-office visits in Palm Beach County.

The DOGE team “identified some things, some area of opportunities here in Palm Beach County, some things that, quite frankly, when I heard it were a little eye-popping,” Ingoglia told reporters outside the county government building on Aug. 19. “I don’t think that the voters in Palm Beach County would agree that that’s probably the best use of taxpayer dollars.”

Part of the DOGE efforts is to advocate for property tax relief, and Ingoglia has frequently referenced the expectation that there will be a referendum question on the November 2026 ballot, possibly to eliminate taxes for homesteaded properties.

“Everyone is feeling the pinch, and this is why property taxes, and it relates to affordability, is going to be such a big issue on the 2026 ballot,” Ingoglia said Thursday. “It’s going to be a big issue for constitutional amendment purposes. It’s going to be a big issue for people running for office. We’re going to have to solve this problem.”

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court on Thursday came to the rescue of Texas Republicans, allowing next year’s elections to be held under the state’s congressional redistricting plan favorable to the GOP and pushed by President Donald Trump despite a lower-court ruling that the map likely discriminates on the basis of race.

With conservative justices in the majority, the court acted on an emergency request from Texas for quick action because qualifying in the new districts already has begun, with primary elections in March.

The Supreme Court’s order puts the 2-1 ruling blocking the map on hold at least until after the high court issues a final decision in the case. Justice Samuel Alito had previously temporarily blocked the order while the full court considered the Texas appeal.

The justices cast doubt on the lower-court finding that race played a role in the new map, saying in an unsigned statement that Texas lawmakers had “avowedly partisan goals.”

In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the three liberal justices that her colleagues should not have intervened at this point. Doing so, she wrote, “ensures that many Texas citizens, for no good reason, will be placed in electoral districts because of their race. And that result, as this Court has pronounced year in and year out, is a violation of the Constitution.”

The high court’s vote “is a green light for there to be even more re-redistricting, and a strong message to lower courts to butt out,” Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Los Angeles law school, wrote on the Election Law Blog.

The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections.

The Texas congressional map enacted last summer at Trump’s urging was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats.

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The effort to preserve a slim Republican majority in the House in next year’s elections touched off a nationwide redistricting battle.

Texas was the first state to meet Trump’s demands in what has become an expanding national battle over redistricting. Republicans drew the state’s new map to give the GOP five additional seats, and Missouri and North Carolina followed with new maps adding an additional Republican seat each. To counter those moves, California voters approved a ballot initiative to give Democrats an additional five seats there.

The redrawn maps are facing court challenges in California and Missouri. A three-judge panel allowed the new North Carolina map to be used in the 2026 elections.

The Trump administration is suing to block the new California maps, but it called for the Supreme Court to keep the redrawn Texas districts in place.

The justices are separately considering a case from Louisiana that could further limit race-based districts under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It’s unclear how the current round of redistricting would be affected by the outcome in the Louisiana case.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the Supreme Court’s order “defended Texas’s fundamental right to draw a map that ensures we are represented by Republicans.” He called the redistricting law “the Big Beautiful Map.”

“Texas is paving the way as we take our country back, district by district, state by state,” Paxton said in a statement. “This map reflects the political climate of our state and is a massive win for Texas and every conservative who is tired of watching the left try to upend the political system with bogus lawsuits.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying: “We won! Texas is officially — and legally — more red.”

Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin said in a statement that the court’s decision “to allow Texas Republicans’ rigged, racially gerrymandered maps to go into effect is wrong — both morally and legally. Once again, the Supreme Court gave Trump exactly what he wanted: a rigged map to help Republicans avoid accountability in the midterms for turning their backs on the American people.”

In the Texas case, U.S. District Judges Jeffrey V. Brown and David Guaderrama concluded that the redistricting plan likely dilutes the political power of Black and Latino voters in violation of the Constitution. Trump appointed Brown in his first term while President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Guaderrama.

“To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map,” Brown wrote. “But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map.”

The majority opinion provoked a vituperative dissent from Judge Jerry Smith, an appeals court judge on the panel.

Smith accused Brown of “pernicious judicial misbehavior” for not giving Smith sufficient time before issuing the majority opinion. Smith, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, also disagreed strenuously with the substance of the opinion, saying it would be a candidate for the “Nobel Prize for Fiction,” if there were such an award.

“The main winners from Judge Brown’s opinion are George Soros and Gavin Newsom,” Smith wrote, referring to the liberal megadonor and California’s Democratic governor. “The obvious losers are the People of Texas and the Rule of Law.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed Thursday’s Supreme Court stay, posting on X, “Federal courts have no right to interfere with a State’s decision to redraw legislative maps for partisan reasons.”

The new map eliminated five of the state’s nine “coalition” districts, where no minority group has a majority but together they outnumber non-Hispanic white voters. The total number of congressional districts in which minorities make up a majority of voting-age citizens dropped from 16 to 14.

Yet Republicans argued the map is better for minority voters. There’s a new, eighth Hispanic-majority district, and two Black-majority districts instead of none.

But critics consider that the Hispanic or Black majority in each district is so slim that white voters, who tend to turn out in larger percentages, will control election results.

Associated Press writer John Hanna contributed to this report from Topeka, Kansas.