Patricia Mazzei

“The stupid stuff is killing our chances,” said a retiring Republican senator.

A little more than five months before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump seems to be focused on virtually anything other than keeping Republican control of Congress.

Ken Paxton was endorsed by President Trump in his campaign against John Cornyn, a four-term Republican senator. The winner will face James Talarico, a Democrat, in November.

The plaintiffs had argued that the map violated a state ban on partisan gerrymandering that the state’s voters passed in 2010.

A little more than five months before the midterm elections, President Trump seems to be focused on virtually anything other than keeping Republican control of Congress.

President Trump has sought revenge in G.O.P. primaries. Democrats have turned out to vote in large numbers. Republicans have gained a redistricting advantage.

Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, defeated John Cornyn, a four-term Republican senator, in a runoff that confirmed the president’s hold on his party’s voters. Mr. Paxton will face the Democratic nominee, James Talarico, in a race with national implications.

A Human Rights Watch report found that many Cubans deported to Mexico by the Trump administration are living in an “indefinite legal limbo” and struggling to get by.

Senator John Cornyn lost to his MAGA-aligned challenger, Ken Paxton, by 28 percentage points. It was a historically poor showing.