Karl Rove, one of the architects of the modern Texas Republican Party, says he will vote for a Democrat for the first time since 1994 — a bad sign for Republicans heading into the midterms.

• Rove blames what he calls unsubtle racism and anti-immigrant hostility inside the Texas GOP, saying it is shrinking the party rather than building it.
• The final straw was Republican official Bo French complaining that a University of Texas graduation had too many non-white students.
• Rove says Texas Republicans have abandoned their long tradition of welcoming immigrants, a shift also visible in Greg Abbott's fight over H-1B visas.
• Democrats are growing more confident about a midterm wave as high-profile defections and internal fights pile up on the Republican side.
• Separately, Warren Buffett stepped down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman and named his son to replace him.

Outlook: Expect more establishment Republicans to distance themselves from the party's hard-line wing as the midterms approach, with a possible longer-term split into multiple parties.