Tipsheet: Rise of big cities push Texas to swing-state territory — maybe by 2020

View in your browser     Rise of big cities push Texas to swing-state territory — maybe by 2020 BY REID WILSON SAN ANTONIO — For a quarter century, Republicans have dominated Texas politics so much that the Democratic minority has often been an afterthought. The big political battles in Austin have been fought between conservative and centrist factions within the GOP, as Democrats watch from the sidelines. But Democratic gains in this year’s midterm elections on the federal, state and county level show the prospect that Texas will become a swing state —a promise Democrats have made for years — is slowly coming to fruition. Read the full story here     Dems wonder if Sherrod Brown could be their magic man BY AMIE PARNES AND ALEXANDER BOLTON   Democrats say Sen. Sherrod Brown is a potential 2020 candidate who could thread the needle and unite a party divided by people debating whether it’s better to move to the left or the center to win back the White House. Read the full story here     Gillum officially concedes in Florida gubernatorial race BY TAL AXELROD Democrat Andrew Gillum officially conceded to Republican former Rep. Ron DeSantis in Florida’s gubernatorial race as a recount of votes showed a margin Gillum was unlikely to close. Read the full story here     Dem Gil Cisneros scores win in open-seat race in California BY LISA HAGEN Democrat Gil Cisneros is projected to win the open-seat race for California’s 39th District, a critical victory for Democrats in the battle for the House. Read the full story here       Trump to hold two rallies for Hyde-Smith day before Mississippi runoff BY TAL AXELROD President Trump will hold two campaign rallies for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) the day before the runoff in Mississippi's tight Senate race.  Read the full story here     Trump defends border deployment amid fresh scrutiny BY ELLEN MITCHELL President Trump on Saturday defended his decision to order thousands of active-duty troops to the nation's southern border amid increasing scrutiny from lawmakers demanding answers on the deployment. Read the full story here     Trump on border wall funding: ‘This would be a very good time to do a shutdown’ BY TAL AXELROD President Trump on Saturday kept the door open to a potential government shutdown if an upcoming deal to fund parts of the government does not include funding for a border wall. Read the full story here     Trump set to have close ally Graham in powerful chairmanship BY ALEXANDER BOLTON Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) expected election as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee would put one of President Trump’s closest allies in charge of a panel overseeing the confirmation of judges and special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. Read the full story here     FDA tobacco crackdown draws fire from right BY NATHANIEL WEIXEL The Trump administration is under fire from GOP lawmakers and conservative groups over its proposed crackdown on e-cigarettes and menthol tobacco products. Read the full story here     Barack Obama makes surprise appearance at Michelle's DC event BY JUDY KURTZ  President Obama compared himself to Jay-Z during a surprise appearance at Michelle Obama’s book tour stop in Washington. Read the full story here     Mueller could turn easy Trump answers into difficult situation BY JONATHAN TURLEY OPINION | For White House legal counsel, it may be the most chilling five words uttered thus far in the long Russia investigation. President Trump said he has finished working on the questions submitted to him by special counsel Robert Mueller, declaring, “I answered them very easily.” Read the full story here     The Trump Doctrine: A triumphant incoherence BY LOUIS RENÉ BERES OPINION | President Donald Trump has brought policy making by chaos to be the new normal. Repeatedly, we learn this president's seat-of-the-pants decisions are founded upon contrivance, and they often appear poised to injure our interests and our ideals simultaneously. Most alarmingly, these injuries concern the basic expectations of national security and international justice. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Fight for House speaker explodes into national political campaign BY ELISE VIEBECK, MIKE DeBONIS AND ERICA WERNER   Nancy Pelosi is confident she can put down a Democratic insurrection in a fight with implications for the party, the 2020 campaign and determining who takes on President Trump. Read the full story here     The New York Times: America’s election grid remains a patchwork of vulnerabilities BY MIKE McINTIRE, MICHAEL WINES AND ALAN BLINDER   As Americans cast their ballots in the midterm elections this month, confusion and errors across the country once again tested confidence in the vote. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump consoles Californians suffering from twin tragedies BY JONATHAN LEMIRE President Donald Trump acknowledged Californians suffering from twin tragedies, walking through the ashes of a mobile home and RV park in a small northern town all-but-destroyed by deadly wildfires and privately consoling people grieving after a mass shooting at a popular college bar outside Los Angeles. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Trump says report on Khashoggi killing coming early in the week BY WARREN P. STROBEL AND VIVIAN SALAMA President met with CIA director amid reports agency determined killing was carried out on the orders of Saudi crown prince. Read the full story here     Reuters: US peace envoy hopes for deal with Taliban in 2019: media BY RUPAM JAIN AND ABDUL QADIR SEDIQI The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan hopes to cement a peace deal with Taliban insurgents by April 2019, local media reported on Sunday. 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