Watch night two of the GOP midterm convention:Key MomentSupreme Court Voids Decision That Let Missouri Use GOP-Friendly MapThe U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a lower court decision that had allowed Missouri to use a new congressional district map that favors Republicans. The state now enters an uncertain period where it must use an old map for the Nov. 3 midterms even though it held primary elections for a different map.The court’s decision, which came from Justice Brett Kavanaugh with no noted dissents, follows a complicated and contradictory series of rulings that made it unclear what map Missouri could use in 2026.Missouri Republicans redrew their congressional maps in 2025 to eliminate one of the state’s two House seats held by Democrats. But activists gathered enough signatures to put a referendum on the ballot that would block the new map for the 2026 election and allow voters to reject it on Nov. 3. GOP Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, however, rejected the referendum, leading the activists to sue.The state Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the referendum and required the state to revert to its old 2022 map with two Democratic-leaning seats. But then a federal district court judge overruled the state’s Supreme Court and ordered the state to use the new map with just one Democratic seat.The Supreme Court’s invention stayed that district court decision, thus requiring the state to use the 2022 map. Now, the state’s political parties must determine how they will pick candidates for maps when no primaries were held under them.Latest Live UpdatesConspiracy Theorists Attack Student Who Asked Kirk Question Before AssassinationHunter Kozak, the Utah Valley University student who asked Charlie Kirk about mass shootings moments before his assassination, told The Salt Lake Tribune that Kirk fans are still harassing him a year later.“Just today I blocked someone,” Hunter Kozak, who has shared his experience about being harassed on TikTok, told the outlet Thursday. “It happens daily…The conspiracy theorists have only ramped up in their fervor.”Many of them have baselessly accused him of playing a role in the right-wing activist’s killing exactly one year ago, including a man who showed up outside his home, saying to him, “I know you were in on it,” Kozak said.The 23-year-old accused of killing Kirk, Tyler Robinson, is set to go on trial, but a date has not yet been set. Robinson pleaded not guilty to all seven charges.Read more at The Salt Lake Tribune:New California Laws Could Penalize Social Media Firms For Harming ChildrenCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of laws Thursday aimed at protecting children from the risks of technology, including social media and AI chatbots.The laws will penalize large social media companies up to $1 million per child if they are found negligent of harming children through their platforms, ban tech businesses from offering addictive feeds to anyone under 16, require operators of AI chatbots to perform risk assessments before rolling them out and allow families to opt out of receiving school-issued laptops.Read more from The Associated Press:Johnson Begs Voters To Be Patient About Cost Of LivingHouse Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday effectively pleaded with voters to give Republicans more time to address the cost of living crisis as the party fields backlash over soaring prices going into this fall’s elections.“The very moment that Republicans were put back in charge, we started working around the clock to help you and your family, to make life more affordable and to do everything within our power to bring down the cost of living for everyone in this country,” Johnson said in a speech at the Republican midterm convention. “We’ve succeeded in so many ways, but it takes more than just 20 months to fix the total disaster that we were handed and to turn the ship of state around. We know the job isn’t finished yet,” he continued.Johnson’s statements come as voters have raised concerns on issues including oil and gas prices, which have surged amid the U.S. war on Iran. Mike Johnson Warns Of 'Barbarians Inside The Gate' In Fearmongering RNC SpeechOn the second day of the GOP’s midterm convention, House Speaker Mike Johnson gave an alarmist speech, decrying the “barbarians” supposedly overtaking Congress.“We know who the Mamdanis and the El-Sayeds are,” Johnson said, referring to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who are both Muslim. “But it’s Democrats in the swing seats who say one thing and then join forces and vote with the socialists that they are afraid of -- that is the dangerous part.” “They are the ones who can let the barbarians inside the gate,” he continued, “and next year, the communists will be in Congress. That is what is so frightening.”The remarks from Johnson, who made similar comments last week, are in line with the event’s overall theme of warning voters that a Democratic win in the midterms will bring socialism and communism to America.Iran Reportedly Developing Ballistic Missiles AgainIran is once again building ballistic missiles, marking a major blow to efforts by the U.S. and Israel to block the country’s missile capability, The Wall Street Journal reported. President Donald Trump suggested earlier this year he wanted to completely destroy Iran’s missile industry, but changed course in June when he said he would allow the country to have a small number of ballistic missiles. Read more: 'Defeat The Islamist': Ted Cruz Goes On Bizarre, Bigoted RNC RantSen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) gave an impassioned speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday decrying the supposed threats of Sharia Law and Islam.“We must stand and defeat the Islamist,” he said. “Together, arm in arm, we must save America.” Cruz repeated a popular line among far-right and conservative politicians: “Shariah law has no place in America.”Democratic lawmakers have made no efforts to include the Islamic religion in any aspect of American law, unlike Christian politicians who have pushed for religious ideology to be required in classrooms. The senator’s short speech focused primarily on demonizing the Islamic faith while taking shots at Muslim politicians like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic Senate Nominee Abdul El-Sayed. “We are witnessing a new and dangerous red-green alliance: communists and Islamists coming together and sweeping over the Democrat Party,” Cruz said.“They hate Christians, hate Jews,” he continued. “They hate capitalism. They hate the constitution and they hate America. Trump Claims $5,000 Dividends Might Not Need Congressional Approval — Without Offering EvidencePresident Donald Trump claimed on Thursday, without citing evidence, that his proposed $5,000 dividends could potentially be issued without Congressional approval. “Last night you proposed ‘Trump Dividends,’ giving every American…adult citizen $5,000, and I’m wondering would Congress need to approve that?” CBS News Texas reporter Jack Fink asked the president in an interview on Thursday. “We think not,” Trump said. “I think they will do it if we needed it. But we think not.”Trump did elaborate on the legal authority that the administration would have to dole out the payments given the purview the Constitution grants to Congress over federal spending.A White House spokesperson also did not provide more detail when asked about the administration’s legal authority to distribute the dividends. “President Trump has consistently proven his doubters wrong, drawing a clear contrast with the Democrats’ record of historic inflation, unfettered illegal immigration, skyrocketing crime, and weakness on the world stage,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement.“With the continued support of the American people, President Trump will keep delivering real results.”Trump Promises $500 Obamacare Rebate Checks For Enrollees In 30 StatesThe Trump administration is promising $500 rebate checks to an estimated 1 million Affordable Care Act enrollees across 30 states, whom the White House alleges were overcharged by the Biden administration for exchange fees.The promise comes after Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections and as affordability has become a central issue for voters heading into November.Read more from The Associated Press:Vance Met With '48' Chants At RNC Breakfast: ReportAlthough Vice President JD Vance has shied away from discussing a potential 2028 presidential run, he was met with chants of “48” during a closed-door breakfast Thursday at the Republican National Convention in Dallas, sources told Politico. Vance is headlining Day 2 of the convention with a primetime speech likely to highlight many of the party’s popular talking points, such as describing Democrats as “crazy” and “radical,” and stressing to conservative voters the importance of choosing the “common sense” party. Read more from Politico:Vance Had Secret Calls About Iran War With Military Leaders: ReportVice President JD Vance has in recent months conducted a number of secret phone calls with top U.S. military leaders, looking for a sincere evaluation of the ongoing war with Iran, sources told The New York Times. Vance reportedly developed serious doubts about the war as military commanders shared their concerns about a lack of missiles and necessary munitions. Read more: See All Updates