Lead Stories

Amidst water shortage, federal judge hears arguments in legal battle over Corpus Christi mayor's removal

A federal judge heard arguments Monday in the legal fight over the planned removal of Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo, with a ruling expected by the end of the week. The hearing, held via Zoom, centered on a key legal question: whether the city charter's removal process applies to the mayor's office or only to city council members. Attorneys for Guajardo argued the city charter does not clearly outline a process for removing a mayor, contending the language applies solely to council members. City attorneys countered that the charter's removal language is broad enough to include the mayor's office as well. City attorneys also argued that a removal process is already underway and that, out of fairness to those who filed complaints against Guajardo, it should be allowed to continue.

The removal proceedings were triggered on April 14, when five city council members voted to advance a petition seeking Guajardo's removal from office. Council members Carolyn Vaughn, Gil Hernandez, Sylvia Campos, Kaylynn Paxson and Eric Cantu voted in favor of moving forward. Council members Roland Barrera and Mark Scott voted against it. Guajardo and Council Member Everett Roy abstained. Earlier this month, attorneys for the mayor filed a motion demanding those same five council members recuse themselves from the impeachment proceedings before a trial even begins. The motion argues that because Vaughn, Hernandez, Campos, Paxson and Cantu voted to advance the impeachment, they cannot serve as impartial jurors — particularly given that they are also witnesses in the case. Guajardo has since taken the fight to federal court, filing a lawsuit challenging the entire removal process. The suit names the City of Corpus Christi as a defendant, along with all five council members who voted to advance the petition. The lawsuit raises significant questions about due process and whether the removal proceedings comply with the city charter.

Read this article at KIIITV - Subscribers Only

Trump administration creates $1.776 billion fund for allies of the president after he drops lawsuit against IRS

The Justice Department on Monday announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund to compensate President Donald Trump’s allies who claim they were unfairly targeted by the previous administration. It’s an unprecedented move that would allow the president’s administration to pay his supporters from a government agency he controls with taxpayer money. There appears to be few constraints on who can submit a claim to the fund. The president has broadly stated that his allies were politically targeted by the justice system, from the years-old Russian collusion investigation to the nearly 1,600 people charged in connection to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot. Its creation comes as Trump dropped his $10 billion lawsuit alleging that the Internal Revenue Service failed to protect Trump and the Trump Organization from an unauthorized leak of their tax returns.

Trump himself will not receive any payments, but will receive a formal apology, the Justice Department said. The so-called “anti-weaponization” fund, with its symbolic 1776 figure, is likely to face immediate challenges in court from Democrats and watchdog organizations who say the effort amounts to corruption by allowing the president to enrich allies over what critics they say are unfounded claims of political prosecutions by the Biden administration. Trump on Monday said that those poised to benefit from the fund were “treated brutally.” “This is reimbursing people that were horribly treated,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They’re getting reimbursed for their legal fees and the other things that they had to suffer.” “The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was previously a member of Trump’s personal defense team, said in a statement Monday. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”

Read this article at CNN - Subscribers Only

An unburdened Bill Cassidy doesn’t regret Trump impeachment vote after primary loss

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), fresh off a stunning primary election loss over the weekend to two Republican challengers, holds no remorse for actions that likely cost him his political career. That includes his 2021 vote to convict President Donald Trump of impeachment over the U.S. Capitol riot. “I voted to uphold the Constitution. That may have cost me my seat, but who cares?” Cassidy told reporters Monday evening just off the Senate floor. “I had the privilege of voting to uphold the Constitution. Isn’t that a great thing? Wouldn’t all of us want to say, ‘My, I voted to support the Constitution on something momentous’? That’s the way I feel about it. I’m very pleased about it.”

“When I die,” he later added, “if that’s put in my obituary, ‘He voted to uphold the Constitution,’ that’s going to be a better obituary.” Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming led Saturday’s primary with 44.8% and 28.3% of the vote, respectively. The duo advanced to a June 27 runoff. Cassidy placed third with less than 25% of the vote. A conservative who has largely aligned with Trump’s second term but has been critical of health policies and nominees, Cassidy will have the political freedom to wield immense power in a chamber Republicans control by just three seats, should he choose to use it. But the second-term senator did not express an appetite for vengeance against the president by acting as a swing vote, and his GOP colleagues do not expect him to undermine party priorities, including a party-line immigration enforcement bill Senate Republicans hope to pass later this week.

Read this article at Washington Examiner - Subscribers Only

The American rebellion against AI is gaining steam

The only thing growing faster than the artificial-intelligence industry may be Americans’ negative feelings about it—as former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt saw on Friday. Delivering a commencement address at the University of Arizona, Schmidt told students the “technological transformation” wrought by artificial intelligence will be “larger, faster and more consequential than what came before.” Like some other graduation speakers mentioning AI, Schmidt was met with a chorus of boos. In one poll after another in recent weeks, respondents have overwhelmingly voiced concerns about AI, a challenge to claims by industry executives that their technology would gain popularity by improving people’s lives. Consumers resent energy-price jumps exacerbated by the spread of data centers. Workers fear widespread job losses. Parents worry about AI undermining education and harming children’s mental health. In recent months, the wave of anger has brought protests, swayed election results and spurred isolated acts of violence.

In April, a 20-year-old Texas man allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman’s home and made threats at the company’s San Francisco headquarters, according to a federal complaint filed against him. A few days earlier, someone fired 13 shots at the front door of an Indianapolis councilman who had recently approved a data center. “It’s something I never thought would be imaginable,” said Councilman Ron Gibson, who found a note saying “NO DATA CENTERS” under his doormat. Two days later, Gibson found a similar note saying “f— you.” Pollsters and historians say the souring of public opinion is all but unprecedented in its speed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen something intensify this quickly,” Gregory Ferenstein, who conducted a recent poll with researchers at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, said of the backlash. The poll showed about 30% of Democrats think America should accelerate AI innovation as quickly as possible, compared with roughly half of Republicans and 77% of tech founders.

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

State Stories

Austin weekend shootings were 'a mix of random and targeted,' police say

One of the teenagers arrested after a weekend of shootings, stolen vehicles and an hourslong manhunt across the Austin area has been identified as 17-year-old Cristian Mondragon, according to law enforcement. Formal charges are pending, but Austin police said they expect charges to include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, deadly conduct unlawful use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest with a vehicle and theft of a firearm, among others.

Sources close to the investigation said a warrant had been issued for Mondragon’s arrest in recent months but could not elaborate on the details because Mondragon was underage at the time. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said in a Sunday news conference that two teenagers — ages 15 and 17 — were in custody in connection with the shootings. Davis said the 17-year-old had an outstanding warrant tied to the theft of a gun from “the same store” where the 15-year-old allegedly stole a firearm Saturday. According to Austin police, officers responded at 11:30 a.m. to Central Texas Gun Works at 321 W. Ben White Blvd.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

Wayne Christian: Don’t let China sabotage our future with AI data center fearmongering

There is no hotter debate unfolding across rural America than the expansion of data center infrastructure. Here in Texas, I have been hearing from folks who are raising legitimate concerns about water use, electricity demand, landowner rights, and whether massive Big Tech companies can be trusted to operate responsibly. I understand those concerns because I share many of them myself. The scale and coordination of the rural backlash against data centers is impossible to ignore. The passion is real, and the movement has become increasingly bipartisan, drawing support from both conservatives and liberals alike. The result is a growing wave of opposition that is beginning to stop many of these projects before they ever get off the ground, with calls for moratoriums across the nation. Typically, if both sides of the aisle can see eye to eye on a single issue, this is a sign that it may be a just cause. But is it?

For decades, radical environmentalists and far-left activists have fought pipelines, power plants, transmission lines, and American energy production. They claim we are running out of oil. They say fossil fuels will destroy civilization. They argue that economic growth, technological advancement, and capitalism itself are the problems. Now, many of those same tactics are being redirected toward artificial intelligence, data centers, and the infrastructure America needs to compete in the next technological revolution. These efforts often present themselves as completely grassroots and organic. But are they? Recent reporting by Power the Future raises serious questions. According to the report, Chinese state-linked propaganda outlets may have helped fund and amplify anti-data center activism in the United States as America and Communist China compete for dominance in artificial intelligence. Frankly, if proven, that should not surprise anyone. Right now, Beijing is aggressively expanding its own AI infrastructure, power generation, and technology capabilities. They understand the stakes, and for them, it’s just as much a matter of their national security as it is ours. So, we should ask ourselves a simple question: why wouldn’t an adversarial nation want Americans to believe that building new infrastructure is dangerous? Conservatives should also ask themselves why Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and other far-left activists suddenly find themselves aligned with narratives that ultimately benefit Communist China’s technological ambitions over America’s. That should concern every Republican. I know it sends a shiver down my spine.

Read this article at Washington Examiner - Subscribers Only

Jane Street, HRT executives join Texas Stock Exchange Board

The company behind the upstart Texas Stock Exchange named Jaime Gow as its chief financial officer and unveiled its board of directors, which includes executives from Jane Street Group and Hudson River Trading. Gow joins TXSE Group as it plans to begin offering exchange-traded products on the exchange this summer. He has worked as an executive with financial technology firm Sagent and mortgage servicer Mr. Cooper Group Inc. Board members include Jane Street’s Andrew Upward and HRT’s Darren Mulholland, who bring market-making experience to the Texas exchange’s effort to grab business from the established duopoly of NYSE Group Inc. and Nasdaq. Rich Steiner of Piper Sandler and Anna Kurzrok of Jefferies also joined the 12-member board.

TXSE hasn’t announced any companies planning dual listings or initial public offerings on the exchange, but it has raised some $270 million from investors including Citadel Securities and BlackRock Inc. Last year, it secured US regulatory approval as a national securities exchange. The exchange plans to open a trading floor and offices at Bank of America Tower at Parkside, a new building under construction in Dallas. The lease is contingent on certain municipal approvals, including to place a large digital stock ticker on the exterior.

Read this article at Bloomberg - Subscribers Only

Texas Instruments, other tech firms want Ukraine War lawsuit tossed

Texas Instruments, Intel and two other semiconductor and technology companies are asking a Dallas federal judge to dismiss lawsuits brought by five Ukrainian citizens who claim that microchips, processors and programmable devices made by the four companies are being used by the Russian military in its war against Ukraine. High-profile trial lawyers on both sides of the litigation will present arguments Tuesday to U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater about whether the lawsuits claiming that TI, Mansfield-based Mouser Electronics, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel sold their technology to third parties, which they knew or should have known were then providing those technologies to Russia to use in the war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian plaintiffs claim that they were injured or killed in separate attacks on community playgrounds, a children’s hospital and a school dormitory and that technology made and sold by the defendants were used by the Russians in those attacks. But in court documents, lawyers for the tech companies claim that the lawsuits are preempted by federal law, failed to legally plead a claim under Texas law and missed the deadline for filing such claims under the statute of limitations. “These lawsuits ask the court to do something essentially unprecedented in American tort law: hold American manufacturers liable — under Texas state law — for foreign military operations they had no role in planning or executing,” according to a motion filed by lawyers for the tech companies. “American semiconductor companies are not liable for the Russian military’s attacks, and plaintiffs cannot use Texas law to privately enforce federal export-control laws and foreign policy. As a result — for multiple overlapping reasons — plaintiffs’ claims fail.”

Read this article at Texas Lawbook - Subscribers Only

Grapevine-Colleyville school board has a new look, including a new president

The Grapevine-Colleyville school board had three new trustees sworn in, but that was not the only big news out of the May 18 meeting. GCISD board president Shannon Braun lost her position to trustee Dalia Begin, who was elected to the board in 2024. Trustee Matt Foust nominated Begin for the role of president and all three new trustees voted for her. Trustee Kathy Florence- Spradley lost her officer duties as secretary. Members of the audience broke out into claps and cheering and one person yelled “there is a new sheriff in town” when Begin was voted in. The new board also voted for Foust as vice-president and Darrell Brown as secretary.

Braun did not vote for Begin and had a list of reasons as to why, saying that Begin lacks knowledge of some of the board responsibilities. Begin thanked the outgoing officers for their time and service to the district. “As we begin this new term, I want to be clear this board is not made up of sides, factions, majorities, minorities or groups,” Begin said. “It’s made up of seven individually elected trustees. Who each bring valuable perspectives, experiences and ideas to the table. We will not always agree, and we should not expect to. Thoughtful discussion and differing viewpoints are important parts of good governance, and we can approach those conversations with professionalism, mutual respect, open minds and a shared focus on what is best for students.”

Read this article at Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Subscribers Only

Is high-speed rail dead? Transportation officials to negotiate with Dallas on rail route

North Texas transportation officials will begin talks with Dallas administrators to see if a proposed high-speed rail route from Fort Worth and Arlington is achievable. Regional Transportation Council leaders said they want to discuss options for a proposed western alignment route that would run west of downtown Dallas to reach a station south of the city’s Central Business District and Interstate 30 to connect with Houston. Transportation council members decided in November to advance the western alignment with an elevated track despite opposition from Dallas. Dallas City Council members approved a resolution in January reinforcing their 2024 opposition to an elevated rail line through downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. West Dallas and nearby parks were added to the prohibited areas for the rail corridor under the resolution.

“We had been working on that western alignment for two-plus years and this is the first time that we’d been told that we could not be anywhere near that portion of downtown Dallas,” said Dan Lamers, a senior program manager for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. “We had previously understood that meant we needed to be outside the development area of both the Convention Center and the Reunion (Arena) development area,” Lamers said. “We had questions — does this particular resolution essentially preclude the western alignment that we had been spending the last two-plus years on? We haven’t formally heard anything from the city of Dallas on this point.” Lamers said informal discussions with Dallas officials indicated the city would not support the western alignment route from Fort Worth and Arlington. In its resolution, the Dallas council directed transportation planners to look at alternatives such as upgrading existing rail corridors such as the Trinity Railway Express passenger train between downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas or developing an underground high-speed rail option for Dallas as planners proposed in Fort Worth and Arlington.

Read this article at Fort Worth Report - Subscribers Only

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues 'TexAM' university, alleging illegal degree programs and deceptive branding

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a North Texas institution operating as "TexAM," accusing the school of illegally offering degrees without state authorization and misleading students by using branding similar to Texas A&M University System. The lawsuit targets Texas American Muslim University, also known as TexAM, along with three people associated with its operations. TexAM describes itself as a faith-based institution focused on STEM education integrated with Islamic studies. The school advertised bachelor's and master's degree programs in fields including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, computer science and health informatics, while promoting online coursework and a campus in Richardson.

Paxton alleges the school advertised bachelor's and master's degree programs, operated a campus in Richardson and recruited students online and overseas despite never receiving a certificate of authority from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. "TexAM has repeatedly disregarded Texas law, misrepresented its authority to grant degrees, and risked deceiving students about its legitimacy," Paxton said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. "My office will not allow illegal, unaccredited degree mills to operate in Texas." The legal action follows a cease-and-desist letter sent by the Higher Education Coordinating Board earlier this month at the direction of Governor Greg Abbott. The board said the institution was operating illegally under Texas law and ordered it to stop advertising degree programs and enrolling students. Days later, the Texas A&M University System issued its own cease-and-desist letter, arguing that the use of "TexAM" and similar names created confusion and falsely implied an affiliation with the university system.

Read this article at KERA - Subscribers Only

'Kill all the Muslims and Jews': Man arrested for threats made at Houston's Ismaili Center

A 29-year-old man was arrested over the weekend on a terroristic threat warrant after allegedly making death threats at Houston’s Ismaili Center Houston last month. Jacolby Poindexter, 29, was arrested Saturday, according to records, before posting a $30,000 bond on a terroristic threat charge Sunday. In mid-April, Poindexter allegedly drove onto the property on Allen Parkway and spoke with a security guard, pretending to know him. Once on the property, he allegedly began making derogatory comments to a volunteer. “Muhammad had a 9-year-old wife; he’s worse than Epstein,” Poindexter allegedly told the volunteer, adding, “This is our hood, and you guys are taking over.”

The volunteer told Poindexter to leave the property, but he allegedly refused, saying he wanted to visit, according to court records. That’s when the rhetoric allegedly became more violent, with Poindexter repeatedly saying he would return and “kill all the Muslims and Jews.” Another witness told police she heard Poindexter making statements regarding Muhammad and Islam. As he was leaving, she took photos of his car. Police linked the vehicle to Poindexter during the investigation. According to records, he admitted to being at the Ismaili Center on the day of the incident and said he was “upset because (he) has been through some things when it comes to Islamic people.” Poindexter added that he was just voicing his opinion and perhaps should not have expressed it that way, but he denied making any death threats. As a direct result of the incident, court records indicate the Ismaili Center “heightened security measures on the property out of concern for potential future violence.”

Read this article at Click2Houston - Subscribers Only

Houston ISD board to consider another certification waiver application for Mike Miles

Houston ISD's appointed board may allow the district to file an application with the state to waive the certification requirement for Superintendent Mike Miles for the remainder of his contract term, according to a Wednesday meeting agenda. The board of managers previously greenlit the district's applications for superintendent certification waivers in June 2023 and June 2025. The board may approve the waiver application during Wednesday's budget workshop. Under state law, a person cannot be employed as a school district superintendent without certification, but a district can request a waiver for this requirement.

The state appointed Miles, who makes a base salary of $462,000, in June 2023. His contract term runs through June 2030. School districts can request superintendent certification waivers for up to three school years, according to the Texas Education Agency's 2025-26 waiver guidebook HISD has begun informing uncertified teachers whether they can return in the upcoming school year. HISD told 406 uncertified teachers last school year that they could not return to their roles in 2025-26 because they did not make "adequate progress toward certification" within a two-year period, according to a district statement during that school year.

Read this article at Dallas Observer - Subscribers Only

Austin robotaxi crash counts climb in new federal data

Austin-based robotaxi company Avride has added new crashes to its tally, according to the most recent data reported to federal regulators. After a string of incidents that prompted a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation, Avride reported three crashes in Austin in April and five in Dallas. In Austin alone, the company's vehicles have been involved in 20 crashes since June 2025. Waymo, whose fleet has grown to 300 vehicles in Austin and plans to expand its service area, now has a crash count of 75 in Austin. That's up from just under 70 incidents in last month's crash data, which reflected incidents from June through March 16. Tesla Inc.'s Austin crash count now stands at 17, up from 15 last month. Zoox reported no new crashes involving its purpose-built robotaxi in Austin, leaving its total crashes at one previously reported collission with a Toyota Highlander. Waymo and Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

The latest crash report data includes details of a high-profile crash in which a Avride's Hyundai Ioniq 5 struck and killed a duck near Mueller Lake Park. Shortly after the March crash, the company did not clarify whether the vehicle was operating in autonomous mode or if the safety monitor was controlling the car. Now, data shows the vehicle had been operating at a speed of 15 mph in autonomous mode when it struck and killed the animal. Apart from that incident, the remaining crashes involved property damage only. In one March crash in Austin, an Avride vehicle operating in autonomous mode attempted a left turn when a pickup truck ran a red light and struck the robotaxi, according to the data. Both vehicles were damaged, and the pickup left the scene. In another Austin crash, an Avride vehicle stopped at a red light was rear-ended by a van, though neither vehicle was damaged. NHTSA’s probe into Avride covers incidents involving robotaxis “executing lane changes into other vehicles and failing to avoid vehicles or objects in the roadway.” In one Dallas crash, an Avride struck a road sign lying in its lane, damaging the vehicle. In another, an Avride collided with a passenger vehicle attempting to cross two lanes into a parking garage, causing damage to both vehicles but no injuries.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

James Robison, televangelist known as 'avenging angel of the religious right,' dies at 82

James Robison, a televangelist, author, friend of politicians and key figure in the Moral Majority movement who later led a humanitarian organization, died Saturday (May 16). He was 82. “It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Rev. James Robison, the beloved founder of Life Outreach International,” the board of directors of the ministry Robison founded said in a statement. “James devoted his life to sharing the Gospel and bringing hope, help, and healing to those in need around the world. Together, James and Betty stewarded a ministry that has touched countless lives and will continue impacting generations to come.”

Born Oct. 9, 1943, in Houston, Robison had what his ministry called a “dysfunctional” childhood. His mother, a nurse, was assaulted by the son of a patient, according to his official bio, and became pregnant as a result. She placed her son, Robison, with a Baptist couple that she had found in a newspaper ad. That couple raised him for five years before he returned to his birth mother. As a teenager, Robison returned to live with his adopted family, the Hales, during high school in suburban Houston. While living with them, he met his future wife, Betty, and felt a call to ministry — and began preaching at 14. In 1963, he left college to start the James Robison Evangelistic Association and began a preaching ministry that would last decades, bringing him into contact with politicians and celebrities. “I don’t believe it would hinder an evangelist to get an education, but it might. It might take away something God is trying to say,” he told Texas Monthly magazine in 1981. By the early 1980s, he had become what Texas Monthly called “the avenging angel of the religious right.”

Read this article at Religion News Service - Subscribers Only

County Stories

Dallas judge says masks are required in her court to protect her. She's not wearing one.

The Dallas County judge who requires masks in her courtroom told the state’s highest civil court she’s highly susceptible to infection and the policy helps protect her. The explanation from civil court Judge D’Metria Benson came in a letter Friday to Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice James Blacklock after he demanded answers. Benson did not say whether or why she doesn’t wear a mask in court, which was among the allegations in a lawyer’s complaint made earlier this month about her mask rule. Blacklock wrote to Benson last week, saying he wasn’t sure her rules were legal. He gave her until the end of Friday to provide a rationale for them or risk having them struck down.

“I require masks to protect my personal health and safety,” Benson wrote in her response. “Just as a bailiff is present in the courtroom to protect the judge's safety, a mask is required to protect me from infection, which a bailiff cannot do.” Benson didn’t respond Monday to a message requesting more information from The Dallas Morning News. Blacklock’s office also didn’t respond to an email asking if he planned to take any further action. But Administrative Judge Ray Wheless, who presides over the region that includes Dallas County, said he was contacted by Blacklock Monday and that the chief justice plans to investigate further. The grievance about the judge’s mask rule was filed with Wheless by Dallas attorney Brian Hail on behalf of a colleague who was barred from participating in a medical malpractice trial in Benson’s court for refusing to wear a mask. The lawyer, Scott Frenkel, wouldn’t comply with the order because he can’t wear a covering over his nose and mouth for long, Hail said.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

City Stories

Sheila Jackson Lee honored with IAH terminal dedication

Friends and family of the late Sheila Jackson Lee gathered Monday to commemorate her memory at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Terminal E, which was named in her honor. A plaque honoring the Houston congresswoman was placed on Terminal E’s arrivals floor. The city passed an ordinance last year to rename the major international terminal, which serves 30,000 monthly passengers and 12 million annual travelers. “No one person can ever fill her shoes, but our actions going forward are the greatest tribute that we can give,” said Erica Lee Carter, daughter of Jackson Lee and county administrator of the Harris County commissioners court. Houston Airport System Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak said that Jackson Lee always made sure the airport received the support it needed from Congress. She secured $125 million in federal funding during her tenure.

Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only

National Stories

3 victims, 2 suspects dead after shooting at San Diego Islamic Center

Three people were shot and killed at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, police said, including a security guard working at the mosque. Two suspected shooters, one 17 years old and the other 18 years old, were found dead in a vehicle. Police believe they died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. The victims have not been identified, and police have adjusted their ages as the investigation continued. Investigators are considering the shooting a hate crime, police said. Wahl said early Monday, the mother of one of the suspected shooters called police to report her son as a runaway. She reported that she believed he was suicidal and had taken her vehicle and several of her weapons, and that he was with a companion.

Believing there was an increased threat, police dispatched officers to a local high school one of the suspects was associated with, and other officers were interviewing the woman a few blocks from the Islamic Center when the initial report of a shooting came in shortly before noon. San Diego police said 50 to 100 officers responded to the facility. As they were searching for the suspects room by room, another call to police reported a landscaper working down the street was shot at but not injured, police said. A subsequent call reported the two suspects seen in a vehicle with gunshot wounds. After finding the vehicle, both were declared dead at the scene. The Islamic Center is in a heavily residential neighborhood about 9 miles north of downtown San Diego, California. Police said there was no specific threat toward the mosque before the shooting.

Read this article at WFAA - Subscribers Only

Trump official helped secure US visa for fugitive Polish minister

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau instructed senior State Department officials to facilitate and approve a visa for a fugitive former Polish ?cabinet minister, allowing him to flee to the United States from Hungary, three people familiar with the matter said. Poland is seeking to prosecute former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, the architect of changes ?to the Polish judicial system that the EU has said undermined the rule of law during the 2015-2023 rule of the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS).

He faces 26 charges stemming mainly from his alleged misuse of money for political gain from a crime victims fund. He has denied wrongdoing, contending he is the victim of a politically motivated campaign by Poland's ruling pro-European Union coalition. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's office did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters was unable to reach Ziobro in the United States. His lawyer in ?Poland, Bartosz Lewandowski, said he would convey questions to Ziobro, who did not respond. While the Trump administration has made it a priority to support conservative views in Europe, granting a visa to a politician facing ?criminal charges by a U.S.-allied government is highly unusual. Hungary's former Prime Minister Viktor Orban granted Ziobro asylum in January. Warsaw had hoped that Orban's defeat by pro-EU rival Peter ?Magyar in an April election would see Ziobro returned to Poland. Magyar had said that he would extradite him to Poland on his first day in office.

Read this article at Reuters - Subscribers Only

Anderson Cooper takes thinly veiled dig at Bari Weiss in '60 Minutes' farewell: 'Independence has been critical'

Anderson Cooper appeared to take a thinly veiled dig at Bari Weiss and the future direction of “60 Minutes” during an emotional farewell Sunday night — offering up a pointed defense of the legendary newsmagazine’s “independence.” Cooper, who announced earlier this year that he was stepping away from the show after nearly two decades as a correspondent, used his final “60 Minutes Overtime” segment to express his “hope” that “’60 Minutes’ remains ’60 Minutes’.” Cooper, who was poised to become the face of “60 Minutes” under Weiss before surprising CBS executives by letting them know that he was out, did not mention the editor in chief by name during the farewell segment.

The remarks landed as Weiss, the Free Press co-founder installed atop CBS News by Paramount Skydance boss David Ellison, has rattled veterans of the Tiffany Network by inserting herself into “60 Minutes” editorial decisions and booking calls — moves that have fueled fears she is trying to remake the famously independent broadcast. “There’s very few things that have been around for as long as ’60 Minutes’ has and maintain the quality that it has,” Cooper, the CNN primetime host who first joined “60 Minutes” in 2007, said in the “Overtime” segment that was posted online on Sunday. While Cooper acknowledged that “things can always evolve and change,” he added that he hoped “the core of what ’60 Minutes’ is always remains.” “I think the independence of ’60 Minutes’ has been critical,” Cooper said. “I think also the variety of stories … and I think the trust it has with viewers is critical to the success of ’60 Minutes’.” CBS publicly framed Cooper’s departure as a family decision, with the CNN anchor saying earlier this year that he wanted to spend more time with his young children.

Read this article at New York Post - Subscribers Only

Trump is pressuring John Thune to fire the parliamentarian over ballroom funding

President Donald Trump pressed Senate Majority Leader John Thune to fire the Senate parliamentarian after she ruled Republicans could not include funding for the president’s ballroom in a budget bill, two sources familiar with the request told NOTUS. The president called the South Dakota Republican on Monday to express his frustrations with the decision, according to a third source. The call between Trump and Thune was first reported by Semafor. While Trump has promised to build the ballroom with private donations, Republicans are looking to get $1 billion in Secret Service funding into their filibuster-proof legislation. About $220 million is aimed specifically at the East Wing project. Elizabeth MacDonough, the nonpartisan parliamentarian who gives determinations on the rules of the Senate, determined Saturday that the provision, as written, did not pass the so-called Byrd Rule, which prevents non-budget items from passing with a simple majority.

Republicans said they would revise the proposal to try to get the ballroom into the bill. Thune declined to comment on whether the president asked him to oust MacDonough, saying he does not discuss their private conversations. He also said he would not do it. “No,” Thune told NOTUS when asked if he would entertain that idea of firing MacDonough. “We’re going through a process that we go through every time we have a reconciliation bill and the people on both sides are mad at the parliamentarian. That’s been true.” A White House official told NOTUS, “We don’t comment on private conversations that may or may not have happened.” MacDonough did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republicans are hoping to get favorable rulings from MacDonough in the coming days that would allow them to move ahead with votes on the package, which includes $72 billion for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

How Nicki Minaj became Trump’s ‘No. 1 Fan’

Shortly before the 2024 election that would move him back into the White House, Donald Trump took a phone call on his plane from a secret supporter. Nicki Minaj was on the line, and she wanted Trump to know she was supporting his re-election, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump’s campaign managers, sensing an opportunity to score an endorsement from the rap world’s most popular female star, asked Minaj to take her support public. But Minaj—and her management team—said she needed to stay behind the scenes because taking a political stance posed a risk to her brand and businesses, some of these people said. Not anymore.

Today, the 43-year-old best known for chart toppers like “Starships,” for leading an online army of mega-fans known as “Barbz” and for bringing a theatrical streak to contemporary hip hop has embraced a new status atop MAGA’s A-list. She has visited Trump in the Oval Office, spoken in support of administration priorities at the United Nations and encouraged her tens of millions of social-media followers to lobby their legislators on the White House’s behalf. She has gabbed onstage with conservative influencers. She’s also put her own money behind Trump accounts for children, filmed a TikTok meme video with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and recorded a podcast with conservative commentator Katie Miller. At the Washington premiere of “Melania,” the documentary about the first lady, she wore a cleavage-baring baby-blue dress and was seated near the president and his family. All of the work, she told Miller, has become a “second job” she felt called to do. Speaking at a Black History month event in February, Trump made clear the fandom went both ways when he started talking about Minaj’s long, manicured nails. “I said, ‘Nicki, are they real?’ But she didn’t want to get into that. But she was so beautiful and so great—and she gets it, more importantly,” he said.

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

American tests positive for Ebola; U.S. to screen travelers at airports

An American has tested positive for Ebola while working in Congo and is being transported to Germany for treatment along with six other Americans who are high-risk contacts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The CDC also is enhancing public health screening and traveler monitoring amid a growing Ebola outbreak, and non-U.S. passport holders face entry restrictions if they have been to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo or South Sudan in the previous 21 days. “To the American public, the risk to the United States remains low,” said Satish Pillai, CDC Ebola response incident manager. “Travelers to the region should avoid contact with sick people, report symptoms immediately, and follow our travel guidance.”

Health experts are growing increasingly alarmed about this outbreak, arguing that cases have been spreading undetected in a volatile region as public health authorities are stretched thin amid funding cuts and the ongoing hantavirus outbreak. World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking before the World Health Assembly on Tuesday in Geneva, said he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic,” adding that WHO would convene its emergency committee that day to seek temporary recommendations. CDC officials noted the Americans impacted are being transported to Germany, a country that has experience caring for Ebola patients and is a shorter flight from Congo. Their travel itinerary is evolving, and the CDC is looking into lab-made antibody treatments. “We are doing this to ensure that they are at the level of care that they can receive the either treatment or observation that’s required,” Pillai said.

Read this article at Washington Post - Subscribers Only

Hegseth campaigns for Trump loyalist in House race, a breach of decorum

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who took the stage at the Kentucky rally to chants of “U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.,” opened with a nod to his highly unusual move of hitting the campaign trail as a serving defense secretary. “I have to say up front, for the lawyers, that I’m here in my personal capacity as a private citizen, a fellow American, and a fellow combat veteran here to support Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein,” the secretary said. He then criticized a sitting member of Congress, from the president’s own party, for not voting in lock step with the president. “Kentucky has a choice in this race,” Hegseth said. “You can send a warrior, reinforcements for the president in our shared fight against the radical left, or you can send an obstructionist. In my mind, it’s an easy choice.”

“Too often Massie’s instinct is to throw elbows at fellow Republicans instead of the people who are destroying our country,” the secretary said. Hegseth praised Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL captain, as a candidate who would be unfailingly loyal to the president as a soldier is loyal to his commander, infusing the race with warlike stakes and painting “left-wing lunatic Democrats” as the enemy in a fight in which the president “requires a Congress full of warriors, including Ed.” “President Trump needs reinforcements, and that’s what warfighters do,” Hegseth said. “They stand behind leaders and have their back. Warfighters understand mission, they understand teamwork, they understand loyalty. And they understand that in the middle of a fight, you don’t weaken your own side.”

Read this article at New York Times - Subscribers Only

Lead Stories

3 in custody following weekend crime spree of 12 shootings, multiple car thefts in Austin

Three people are in police custody in connection with 12 shootings and multiple car thefts across Austin this weekend. One shooting victim sustained serious injuries and three others have minor injuries, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said Sunday. A 15-year-old and a 17-year-old with stolen guns were taken into custody following a car chase in Manor, Davis said, while a third suspect who had also fled the scene remained at large into the evening. The Manor Police Department announced late Sunday that the third suspect had been detained. The two teenage suspects have not been identified but will be placed in juvenile detention, Davis said. Police were not sure how the third person was involved in the string of shootings.

Several areas in Manor were under a shelter-in-place notice for several hours before authorities lifted it just before 8 p.m. Sunday. Manor police said they were ending an exhaustive search that involved nearly 200 officers, including canine, SWAT, helicopter and drone support. Davis said the first call came from a person around 4 p.m. Saturday who reported their vehicle stolen from an Austin apartment complex. Not long after, another call came in about a stolen gun. She said that over several hours, around 20 calls came in for shootings, primarily in South and Southeast Austin, including at two fire stations. After a lull, the shooting spree continued Sunday. The suspects appeared to be using multiple stolen vehicles. A shelter-in-place alert that went out just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday covered an area of South Austin bordered by Slaughter Lane, McKinney Falls Parkway, Ben White Boulevard and Escarpment Boulevard.

Read this article at KUT - Subscribers Only

John Cornyn targets Ken Paxton’s North Texas base with electability warning before Senate runoff

Sen. John Cornyn spent Sunday deep in rival Ken Paxton country, standing before a packed barbecue crowd and delivering a blunt warning to Republicans: Nominate Paxton, and Texas could suddenly have a real Senate problem in November. On the eve of early voting in advance of their May 26 runoff, Cornyn zeroed in on North Texas, a vote-rich GOP region central to his hopes of surviving the fiercest challenge of his long career and cutting into Paxton’s political base. At Hard 8 BBQ in The Colony, Cornyn called the runoff bigger than a clash between two Republicans. He said the outcome could shape whether the GOP holds the Texas Senate seat comfortably, protects down-ballot Republicans and keeps President Donald Trump’s agenda on track.

“The attorney general thinks all the scandals that he’s brought with him over the years are already baked into the cake and people don’t care,” Cornyn said. “Character is on the ballot ... if you care about the future of the Republican Party and the president’s agenda ... there’s too much at stake for any of us to stay home.” The senator, who finished first in the March primary but short of the vote needed to avoid a runoff, has ramped up his advertising assault on Paxton with deeply personal attacks aimed at raising doubts about the attorney general’s character and electability. Collin County state Reps. Matt Shaheen and Jeff Leach joined Cornyn. He praised then for showing courage in their 2023 House votes to impeach Paxton on misconduct allegations, though the Senate acquitted him. “The easiest thing to do would have been to run for the hills and hide from political controversy,” Cornyn said. “They didn’t do that. They stood up for you and our Texas values.” Cornyn repeatedly has cast Paxton as unfit for office because of past legal entanglements and alleged extramarital affairs. Paxton has used his ads to portray Cornyn as out of step with MAGA conservatives.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Trump’s more than 3,700 trades provoke Wall Street astonishment

President Donald Trump’s latest financial disclosures show that he or his investment advisers made more than 3,700 trades in the first quarter, a flurry totaling tens of millions of dollars and involving major companies that have dealings with his administration. The transactions, spelled out in more than 100 pages of documents filed Thursday with the US Office of Government Ethics, list purchases and sales in broad ranges, making it hard to calculate an exact value. But the volume of trading — more than 40 per day over a three-month period — stands out as much as the potential dollar value. “This is an insane amount of trades,” said Matthew Tuttle, chief executive officer of Tuttle Capital Management, in an interview, adding that it looks more like something done by “a hedge fund with massive algo trades” that buys and shorts securities than a personal account.

In the first quarter, the president bought at least $1 million each in companies including Nvidia Corp., Oracle Corp., Microsoft Corp., Boeing Co. and Costco Wholesale Corp., according to the documents. Other trades involved eBay Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Uber Technologies Inc., AT&T Inc. and discount store Dollar Tree Inc. The disclosure reignites conflict-of-interest concerns that have shadowed Trump’s terms in the White House. Critics have regularly accused him of mixing his official duties with his business interests. Unlike his predecessors, Trump didn’t divest or move his assets into a blind trust with an independent overseer. His sprawling business empire is managed by two of his sons and operates in several areas that intersect with presidential policy. At the same time, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner helps manage billions in investments for Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates while simultaneously serving as a “volunteer” envoy for the president on issues affecting the war in Iran and the Middle East in general. The White House dismissed questions about potential conflicts, with spokesman David Ingle saying that Trump “only acts in the best interests of the American public.” He added: “There are no conflicts of interest.”

Read this article at Bloomberg - Subscribers Only

Iran energy crisis enters new phase as peak summer season approaches

Nearly 80 countries have now introduced emergency measures to protect their economies as the world approaches a new, more dangerous phase in the energy crisis driven by the Iran war. Governments are stepping up their responses ahead of a looming tipping point, when traders warn that oil prices could jump again sharply unless more fuel trapped in the Gulf can be exported through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Paul Diggle, chief economist at fund manager Aberdeen, said his team was now examining a scenario where Brent crude rockets to $180 a barrel, causing surging inflation and recessions in a host of European and Asian countries. “We are taking that outcome very seriously,” he told the FT, adding that it was not yet his base case. “We are living on borrowed time.”

Malcolm Moore, Sam Fleming and Jonathan Vincent in London Published40 minutes ago 9 Print this page Get ahead with daily markets updates.Join the FT's WhatsApp channel Nearly 80 countries have now introduced emergency measures to protect their economies as the world approaches a new, more dangerous phase in the energy crisis driven by the Iran war. Governments are stepping up their responses ahead of a looming tipping point, when traders warn that oil prices could jump again sharply unless more fuel trapped in the Gulf can be exported through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Paul Diggle, chief economist at fund manager Aberdeen, said his team was now examining a scenario where Brent crude rockets to $180 a barrel, causing surging inflation and recessions in a host of European and Asian countries. “We are taking that outcome very seriously,” he told the FT, adding that it was not yet his base case. “We are living on borrowed time.” Demand for air conditioning and holiday travel at the start of the northern hemisphere’s summer will put further strain on supplies of crude oil, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, when global stocks are already falling at the fastest rate on record. Australia has pledged to spend $10bn to boost its fuel and fertiliser stockpiles, while France has said it will “change the scope and scale” of its support to shield its economy from the crisis. India has urged the public not to buy gold or holiday abroad as it tries to shore up its reserves of foreign currency. The International Energy Agency estimates that the number of countries that have already been forced into emergency measures has reached 76, up from 55 at the end of March. Economists and traders warn the next phase of the crisis could bring another sharp jump in energy prices, broader fuel rationing, industrial shutdowns and a significant slowdown in global growth. If the Middle East conflict “does not end in the coming weeks and we don’t have the reopening of the Hormuz strait, I’m afraid a world recession could be on the table”, the EU’s transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told an FT conference in Athens on Thursday.

Read this article at FT - Subscribers Only

State Stories

Mayor, APD chief talk license plate readers following shootings

During Sunday’s press conference over the multiple shootings around Austin, questions were raised about license plate readers, or Flock cameras and if they could have helped. Austin ended its contract last year with Flock, a company that provided license plate reader technology, amid privacy concerns. “I think the conversation is ripe to have, could that have helped? Yes, it could have helped,” said Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis when asked about license plate readers. Mayor Kirk Watson also weighed in on the technology.

“What I will say is this, probably having license plate readers would have been helpful under these circumstances,” said Watson. “So, we need to make sure when we are trying to reach balance and perspective, we take all of that into account.” MOST READ: LIVE BLOG: All suspects in connection with south Austin shootings are in custody As of late Sunday, all three suspects were in custody in connection with an investigation into at least 10 shootings in the south Austin area over the weekend that injured four people. After two of them were found Sunday afternoon, the Manor Police Department said officers found and arrested the third around 9:30 p.m. The search for the suspect prompted the Manor Police Department and Travis County Sheriff’s Office to issue shelter-in-place orders for a portion of the area around 4:45 p.m. The orders were lifted shortly before 8 p.m. without the suspect being located, MPD said in a social media post.

Read this article at KXAN - Subscribers Only

Data center controversy in Texas heading to Legislature

Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden is frustrated about data centers. He estimated the county near Austin is looking at a $20-plus billion investment across at least four data center campuses coming on its tax rolls in the next five years. Local government constraints in Texas mean he can't do much about it, to the chagrin of his angry constituents, and he's scared of what it means for not only resources but the county's solvency. "I'm telling you, I'm directing every citizen that comes to me complaining to call the state rep and the state senator. I'm going to do everything I can to fill up their committee chambers with pissed off people cause I'm tired of it – because they're filling my chamber with pissed off people. So I'm directing them where to go," Haden said.

Haden's predicament is emblematic of the growing frustration cities, counties and citizens have as the state continues to explode with data center investment, primarily in suburban and rural areas. Some municipalities have tried to stop – or at least slow – that boom but to little or no avail. Leadership in Hill County, roughly 55 miles south of Fort Worth, in mid-May became the first known county to pass a one-year pause on data center development, citing public safety and health concerns, according to media reports. Others, including Hays County, considered one but stood down. That all comes amid legal pressure from Texas Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who is chair of the Senate's Local Government Committee. When Hood County considered a moratorium, he sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that claimed it would violate state law. He has said that same letter applies to any county that attempts to do so. That means the next stop for local frustration is the Texas State Capitol. It's setting up what stands to be a contentious legislative battle when the legislature reconvenes next year, and what – if anything – gets done remains to be seen. Interim charges for both the state house and senate have listed data centers as a priority topic, and at least one committee has held a hearing to discuss their impact, with others expected to follow.

Read this article at Austin Business Journal - Subscribers Only

Bridget Grumet: Austin has a process for police damage claims. It always says no.

Sometime after 1 a.m., Austin police chasing a car thief kicked in the unlocked gate outside Spencer Harder’s home. Harder awoke that April 2025 morning to find $1,035 in damage that was now his problem. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’” the software engineer recently told me from his Northeast Austin home. “But I thought that maybe we can get (the city) to pay for this. It’s very obvious what happened.” Instead, he learned that when Austin police break it, you buy it — even if you’re just an unlucky bystander. We all want police to catch criminals and reach people who might need help. Sometimes that involves breaking down doors or gates. As I noted in the first installment of this “Damaged for Good” series last week, the question is what happens next: Who bears the collateral cost for public safety in Austin?

In theory, the city has a process for people to seek reimbursement for damages caused by police. But that system, built on a narrow reading of a contested area of law, is as broken as Harder’s gate. Austin’s Law Department received 135 claims for building damages caused by police over the past six years. Each time, the city refused to pay. Those damages arose from everything from welfare checks to suspect pursuits to a handful of times officers kicked in the wrong door. One of the most maddening aspects of the claims review process is the pretense that there is one. Officers typically apologize and give residents the contact information to file a claim with the city’s Law Department. Residents write up what happened, submit photos and sometimes include receipts, believing there is a decent chance they’ll be reimbursed. Then the Law Department arrives at a denial with such binary efficiency that a chatbot could do it. As long as the case does not involve a car crash — which falls under different liability standards — the city cites governmental immunity and “respectfully denies” the claim. The process is so geared toward denial that sometimes the city tells residents the particulars don’t matter.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

Tarrant County judge touts economic growth ahead of the World Cup in State of the County address

Tarrant County cities like Arlington and Fort Worth have seen a surge in economic growth — something that will only continue as the FIFA World Cup is set to begin in June and host nine games in Arlington, County Judge Tim O’Hare said during his State of the County address Wednesday. It was one of several topics discussed at the 15th annual address, hosted by O’Hare and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. O’Hare also talked about affordability, county savings and the county jail. But the economy took up a bulk of his remarks, as he predicted a strong summer ahead of the World Cup games at AT&T Stadium. “We’re about to showcase to the world through the most matches of any city in the country in the whole FIFA World Cup,” O’Hare said. “We need to put on a great show, we need to be the friendliest, warmest, most welcoming people you could ever imagine.”

Dallas-Fort Worth is projected to bring millions of tourists to the region. The World Cup is also projected to bring in $400 million and create more than 3,000 jobs. Still, the economic impact of the international sporting event remains to be seen. Hotel booking numbers are lower than expected after FIFA canceled some hotel block reservations in Dallas and Arlington. That’s a trend cities are facing across the country. O’Hare also pointed to the renewal of the $273 million Dallas Cowboys lease at AT&T Stadium as another good sign for the city’s economic future. “People are coming over here from all over the Metroplex, and sometimes all over the state, to watch a Cowboys game,” O’Hare told the Report after Wednesday’s speech. “Arlington has been a great model and example of how to use these things to bring in dollars, that people from outside your city spend money here.” O’Hare said the county saved taxpayers more than $921 million in the three years he’s held his seat. The county also saw an $81 million cut from its operating budget in that time while maintaining an increased budget for the sheriff and the district attorney’s office, he said.

Read this article at KERA - Subscribers Only

Personal adversity, compassion drive Luz Elena Chapa's DA race

By her own telling, the leading candidate to become Bexar County’s next district attorney isn’t a great debater. She’s never been a prosecutor, and it took her three tries to pass the bar exam. That hasn’t slowed down 52-year-old Luz Elena Chapa, whose battles with adversity have long made her a rising star in a Democratic Party that wants to see more compassion in the justice system. As a young girl, Chapa’s early interactions with that system involved witnessing ugly custody fights between her immigrant mother and alcoholic father. “It was a struggle to collect child support, and it was a struggle for my father to follow through with his visitation schedule, and so we were constantly in court,” she said in a May 13 interview at the Guerra Law Firm.

In the judge’s chambers at age 8, Chapa decided that she would put everything she had into helping mothers like hers. “Naturally, I wanted to go to law school to represent single mothers and help them collect child support,” Chapa said. The oldest daughter in her large family would grow up to do just that. She left El Paso to pursue an undergraduate degree at St. Mary’s University, spent a year in D.C. as a legislative correspondent for then-U.S. Rep. Frank Tejeda (D-San Antonio), and returned to St. Mary’s University for a law degree. “I took the bar three times,” Chapa said in the interview. “The first time was a dry run because I had so much anxiety as a young kid. The second time, however, I studied my a– off for three months and it was devastating.” Saddled with debt and panicked about her future, Chapa said her mom sat her down. “She said, ‘You’re trying to pass this exam for me, and you need to pass this bar for yourself,'” Chapa recalled. “Being the eldest Latina, you know, we do take a lot of responsibility.”

Read this article at San Antonio Report - Subscribers Only

San Antonio congressional candidate Maureen Galindo wants rival tried for treason

Democratic congressional candidate Maureen Galindo is again stirring up controversy, this time for saying her runoff opponent, former Bexar County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Johnny Garcia, should be tried for treason. “[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is again part of [the Department of Homeland Security], which has headquarters and offices inside Israel,” Galindo said on Texas Public Radio’s The Source with David Martin Davies. “This is an Israeli occupation of America,” the candidate for San Antonio’s 35th Congressional District continued. “In fact, I was thinking this morning, maybe Johnny Garcia and others who support him, or anybody who is supported by Israel, should be tried for treason.”

For reference, ICE is headquartered in Washington, D.C. And, while the agency has two offices in Israel, they are located within the U.S. diplomatic facilities, as is common in other U.S. diplomatic outposts. A bewildered Davies tried to respond before Galindo cut him off, warning that Israel could be planning genocide in the United States. She didn’t elaborate on how that might come about. Garcia, who was also on The Source on Wednesday, dismissed Galindo’s assertion that he should be tried for treason or that he is controlled by Israel. “I think she’s drawing these baseless claims from the group called AIPAC Tracker that put us on that website after the endorsement of the Democratic majority for Israel,” Garcia said. AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is an advocacy group that lobbies the U.S. government to strengthen its ties with Israel.

Read this article at San Antonio Current - Subscribers Only

Cuellar urges caution after first screwworm case detected in Coahuila

U.S. lawmakers are raising concerns and outlining response efforts after the first confirmed detection of New World screwworm in a northern Mexican state near the Texas border. The detection, confirmed in the Mexican State of Coahuila, is drawing renewed attention from policymakers and the agricultural community, particularly in South Texas. U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX), who represents Texas’ 28th District located on the U.S Southern Border, says cattle producers should remain vigilant as the threat evolves. “Well, you know that they just have to be aware because, as you know, all that that little fly — that larvae — needs just a little nick, or even through the nose or the mouth — it’s very dangerous, so they just have to be aware, you know, just like some years ago,” Cuellar told RFD News Correspondent Frank McCaffrey in an exclusive interview. “We were fighting the fever ticks. Now we are still looking at fever ticks, and we still have to deal with this new threat.”

According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, the screwworm was detected roughly 119 miles from the Texas border — nearly the same latitude as Zapata, Texas, and north and west of the Rio Grande Valley. Cuellar warns that the economic stakes are high if the pest spreads further. “Absolutely. Look, you know, in Texas, the cattle industry is a $15.5 billion industry,” Cuellar said. “It’s a lot, and we saw the screwworms back in the ‘60s and the ‘70s. We beat him, but now we’re seeing this again, close across the river about 70, 80 miles away.” The dangerous parasite, known for attacking open wounds in livestock and wildlife, can cause severe, often fatal infections in cattle, raising concerns for both animal health and the broader agricultural economy. While there are many concerns among members of the South Texas ag community, and perhaps many nightmares, the congressman assures them that steps are being taken to keep them secure. Cuellar points to ongoing collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico, along with new infrastructure aimed at preventing the pest from reaching U.S. herds.

Read this article at RFD TV - Subscribers Only

Attorneys threaten suit if Dallas City Hall Plaza is redeveloped without OK.

Attorneys for a group seeking to protect Dallas City Hall warned Dallas leaders this week that they could sue if the city sells or redevelops City Hall Plaza without voter approval. It's the second time this week they've threatened legal action against the city. In a letter sent Thursday to the mayor, City Council and interim City Attorney Bert Vandenberg, the Save Dallas City Hall Coalition said the plaza is legally designated park land and a historic site. Under state law, its attorneys said, any sale would require voter approval and any project using park land would require a public hearing. A city spokesman Friday said the city was declining to comment due to the possibility of litigation.

It marks the latest escalation in the fight over City Hall’s future. City leaders are weighing whether to repair the aging I.M. Pei-designed building or relocate, while some business leaders have pushed redevelopment ideas tied to a possible new sports arena. Preservationists, meanwhile, say City Hall and its plaza are civic landmarks worth protecting. The Landmark Commission last year approved beginning the process to designate City Hall as an official landmark, though the final decision rests with the City Council. The council on Wednesday is scheduled to review repair strategies for City Hall, which has decades of deferred maintenance. Consultants have estimated near-term repairs at about $329 million, while full modernization could cost more than $1 billion over the next 20 years. The coalition’s first letter, sent Tuesday, accused the city of violating its historic preservation ordinance by failing to repair City Hall, citing issues like waterproofing, emergency generators and deteriorating public restrooms. The coalition’s four lawyers, including former interim City Attorney Chris Bowers, have given the city 60 days to respond to their concerns before filing suit.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Landgraf seeks pause on "Food Truck Freedom Act"

A new Texas law intended to slash bureaucratic red tape for mobile food vendors is instead serving up a case of sticker shock for West Texas entrepreneurs. State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) met with dozens of local food truck owners Monday at the Downtown Grub Hub to address mounting "anxiety and concern" over Senate Bill 2844. Known as the "Food Truck Freedom Act," the legislation was designed to create a single, statewide license, allowing vendors to operate across city and county lines without paying for multiple local permits. However, the convenience comes with a hefty price tag. Local business owners say the new state fees, which can reach upwards of $1,800, represent a massive hike compared to current local costs.

"The biggest thing everybody is really concerned about is the fee. The fee jumped $600," said Eddie Mitchell, an Odessa City Councilman and owner of Ed & Tom’s Bar-B-Que. "That’s killing people because if you have two food trucks, you’ve got to pay $2,800 or whatever the total is going to end up being. This is some people’s livelihood." The burden is felt most acutely by "stationary" vendors who operate out of permanent food parks like the Grub Hub and rarely, if ever, travel outside of Odessa city limits. Under the current structure of the law, these owners are forced to pay for a statewide "freedom" they do not intend to use. "I think if we had options where we could choose the state or the city... that would be helpful," said co-owner Laura Armendariz. "Some don't travel out of city or county limits." During the town hall, Landgraf admitted the rollout of the law hasn't been perfect and conceded that the fee structure wasn't exactly what he had in mind. He told the crowd he is now moving to hit the "pause" button on the legislation to protect the "little guy" from being priced out of the industry.

Read this article at NewsWest9 - Subscribers Only

Texas’ upstream oil and gas jobs increase slightly as industry sees sustained high prices

Upstream jobs in Texas’ oil and gas industry have increased slightly, according to the Texas Oil and Gas Association. The state added 1,800 jobs in this sector in March, according to the association's analysis of Texas Workforce Commission data. Houston added 200 oil and gas extraction jobs that month, according to the Greater Houston Partnership. Many Texas oil companies expressed hesitation about increasing production in the first few months of the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, saying it takes time to increase oil production – and supply disruptions, caused by war and other geopolitical factors, are often resolved before then.

However, Texas Oil and Gas Association President Todd Staples said the market is beginning to respond to months of sustained higher oil prices, potentially contributing to the slight increase in jobs. "I think the continued depletion of the storage of oil (in) both private and public sectors has motivated some companies to expand their production," he said. However, he said, it's still hard to predict the long-term impacts of the war. "I don't think you're going to see any abrupt moves because once normality returns, you'll have to determine what the market looks like," Staples said. Overall, Texas added more than 46,000 non-farm jobs in March, with a slightly higher job growth rate than the rest of the country. Houston added 16,400 jobs in March.

Read this article at Houston Public Media - Subscribers Only

With millions of federal dollars at risk, Harris County to seek extension for post-Harvey flood projects

Harris County flood control leaders plan to ask for a deadline extension to use federal grant funds after a recent report revealed several post-Hurricane Harvey disaster relief projects — authorized by voters in 2018 as part of a $2.5 billion bond — won’t meet a state-imposed deadline early next year. The Texas General Land Office (GLO) would be responsible for granting Harris County an extension on a February 2027 deadline to use more than $245 million in grant funding from the federal government after the 2017 hurricane that devastated the Houston region. If the county doesn’t meet timeline benchmarks set by the Texas GLO and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), it could be forced to repay the federal government millions of dollars. Those federal grant funds, which were allocated by HUD and disbursed by the Texas GLO, have a final spending deadline of 2028.

Discussions of an extension came a week after a report revealed most of the flood mitigation projects tied to the 2018 bond — six of 11 — won’t be complete by the February 2027 deadline imposed by the Texas GLO. Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Tina Petersen, whose job was brought into question during an hour-long closed-door meeting at county commissioners court Thursday, subsequently told commissioners the flood control district will request a nine-month extension on those projects. “Looking at the schedules, we believe that that puts us in a very good place and there may be one, possibly two projects that go beyond,” Petersen said. “In conversations with the GLO, it is clear to me that we should be focused on only the areas where we need extensions. We want to work as hard as we can to see how far we can get before we go ask.” The six projects that could miss the Texas GLO’s deadline early next year — totaling $245.8 million — include channel conveyance improvements in precincts 1 and 2 and stormwater detention basin projects in precincts 2, 3 and 4. The county has broken ground on only four of those disaster relief projects that are on track to meet next year's funding deadline, according to the report.

Read this article at Houston Public Media - Subscribers Only

Chris Hollins posts memes about Houston’s budget fight

City Controller Chris Hollins' beef about Houston's finances has now entered meme territory and social media is here for it. In a post Friday on the official Houston Controller's Instagram, the popular Homer Simpson meme where he appears to be holding in the letter "F" is depicted with the words above saying, "how hard I pronounce the F in 'f*ck no," when my buddy asks if the Houston Budget is balanced." Hollins then invited the public to RSVP for a town hall meeting on Sunday, a "reality check to learn more." Naturally, social media had to do its thing, amassing more than 700 likes on Instagram and 9,000 views on X. The reactions were exactly what you'd expect.

"Not on the official page lol," one person commented on Instagram. "?? we shouldn't be laughing at this. But I am.... ???????," another user said. Another commenter added: "Heard the F all the way in ATL." It's no secret that Hollins has been vocal (and uncensored) about balancing the city's budget and criticizing Mayor John Whitmire for what he has previously described as "quick fixes" rather than structural solutions. Their disagreements have played out publicly over issues ranging from flood control funding to broader concerns about balancing Houston's budget. At the center of the latest debate is Whitmire's proposed budget plan, which includes a new monthly fee tied to solid waste services as the city faces mounting financial pressure. Of course, not everyone was amused by the meme. Council Member Sallie Alcorn shared her sentiments on X calling it not a respectful way to spark discussion.

Read this article at Chron - Subscribers Only

National Stories

‘Crush their souls’: Democrats ditch the niceties after GOP gains upper hand on redistricting

House Democrats say they tried playing nice. Now the gloves are off. After spending more than a decade pushing for anti-gerrymandering measures and other good-government initiatives, Democratic lawmakers said this week they are gearing up to play political hardball in the wake of stunning court losses on redistricting — potentially for years to come. “We will beat the far-right extremists,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday. “We’re going to win in November, and then we’re going to crush their souls as it relates to the extremism that they are trying to unleash on the American people.” It’s a marked reversal from years of high-minded Democratic rhetoric that included advocating for independent redistricting commissions, campaign finance curbs and more — even as Republicans used the courts and their control of state governments to consolidate and enhance their own party’s power.

The U-turn was already underway, but it was cemented in recent weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court reinterpreted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to allow states to eliminate majority-minority districts. Then the Virginia Supreme Court moved last week to invalidate a recent voter referendum paving the way for a Democrat-friendly map. Several Democratic states, including New York, have been hindered by their adoption of independent redistricting commissions and other processes meant to take partisan considerations out of the drawing of congressional lines. Now Democratic leaders are openly discussing overriding those safeguards. “All options should be on the table,” Rep. Ted Lieu (R-Calif.) told reporters Wednesday. “And other states that have redistricting commissions should be prepared to have conversations with their legislature and their voters in response to what we’re seeing in the South. And I think all of that is completely fair.” The party’s anger also translates to a growing appetite to remake the Supreme Court, which many House Democrats say is ushering in an era of “Jim Crow 2.0.”

Read this article at Politico - Subscribers Only

U.S. Trade Rep appears to walk back Trump’s Taiwan arms sales stance

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer appeared to break with President Donald Trump on Sunday over the issue of arms sales to Taiwan, insisting there is “no change in American policy” just days after his boss openly stated that he was using arms sales to the island as a bargaining chip in negotiations with China. Doing so would violate decades-old foreign policy assurances for the island, something that Trump acknowledged during remarks to reporters last week. But Greer on Sunday seemed to contradict the president during an interview on ABC’s “This Week.” “The most important thing that needs to happen is we need to have no change in the status quo in the Taiwan Straits, and the president was really clear about this,” Greer said.

The U.S. approved a record-breaking $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan in December, but the deal is effectively stuck in limbo as manufacturing and contract procurement stall the final delivery of weapons. The sale includes advanced rocket systems, anti-tank missiles and munition drones, among other artillery. A separate $14 billion package is set to expand on the equipment from the $11.1 billion deal and bolster Taiwan’s air defense capabilities, but that proposed sale is awaiting approval from the president. Trump teased using both packages as leverage in negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of last week’s U.S.-China summit. U.S. policy regarding weapons shipments to the self-governing territory — which China claims to have sovereignty over — dates to 1979, when the U.S. recognized the People’s Republic of China as the sole, legitimate government of the country. That year, the Taiwan Relations Act became the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan policy. The act mandates that the U.S. provide Taiwan with arms of a “defensive character.”

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

Foreigners with World Cup tickets won't have to pay bonds to enter US, Trump administration says

The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that foreign visitors from certain countries pay as much as $15,000 in bonds if they are confirmed World Cup ticket holders, the State Department told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The department imposed the bond requirement last year on countries it said had high rates of visa overstays and other security issues, as part of the Republican administration’s broader crackdown on immigration. Travelers to the United States from 50 countries are required to pay the new bond, and five of those countries have qualified for the World Cup — Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia. “The United States is excited to organize the biggest and best FIFA World Cup in history," Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said. “We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets" and opted in to the FIFA Pass system that allows expedited visa appointments as of April 15.

The waiver is a rare loosening of immigration requirements under the administration and will ease travel burdens for at least some visitors to the U.S. for the World Cup, which begins June 11 and is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. World Cup team players, coaches and some staff were already exempt from the bond requirement as part of the administration’s orders to prioritize the processing of visas for the tournament. Ordinary fans, even if they had confirmed tickets, had not been exempt until Wednesday. The administration has taken dramatic steps to restrict immigration in ways that critics say are incongruous with the type of unifying message that a global sporting event such as the World Cup is supposed to project. For instance, the administration has barred travelers from Iran and Haiti, though World Cup players, coaches and other support personnel are exempt. Travelers from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, also World Cup qualifiers, face partial restrictions under an expanded version of that travel ban.

Read this article at Associated Press - Subscribers Only

Trump, GOP make midterm appeal to farmers with China deal, farm bill

The Trump administration and GOP lawmakers are seeking to win over U.S. farmers, a core constituency for the president during his 2016 and 2024 White House wins that has been aggravated by rising prices caused by his trade policies and the Iran war. Ahead of a midterm election season where the GOP is working to win every vote it can, the White House and its allies in Congress are reaching out to farmers in red and blue states alike. On the way back from Beijing after his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Trump assured farmers that they would be pleased with the deals he’d made with a major purchaser of U.S. agricultural goods that has cut down on its cash for U.S. soybeans and other goods amid a trade fight with his administration.

“The farmers are going to be very happy. They’re going to be buying millions of dollars,” Trump told reporters on his way back from China. Earlier, Trump told Fox News’s Sean Hannity that Xi agreed to purchase U.S. soybeans, oil and liquified natural gas and other energy, along with Boeing jets. A White House official told The Hill that the agricultural agreements made “will help our farmers gain unprecedented access into Chinese markets.” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Bloomberg on Thursday that he expected China to commit $10 billion to purchasing agricultural products. But experts say there are questions about whether China will follow up with commitments on promises that may have been made between the two leaders.

Read this article at The Hill - Subscribers Only

‘Our hands are tied’: House Republicans insist they’re not driving redistricting strategy

House Republicans say they have little to do with the planning to redraw congressional lines across the South ahead of this year’s midterm elections. The decisions around that, they say, are owned by the White House and state legislatures. President Donald Trump’s push to create new, Republican-friendly congressional districts could determine whether the party controls the House of Representatives. Many of the members who already hold seats say they are leaving the gamesmanship to state-level party heads and are figuring out their new districts on their own. “I had been campaigning and going to diners and things in eight counties I no longer represent,” Tennessee Rep. Scott DesJarlais, whose race will be more competitive as his district takes up parts of Nashville, told NOTUS. “It’s just out of my hands, and so I just have to deal with what it is.” He called the move to redistrict in Tennessee “a top-down strategy.”

Tennessee was one of the fastest states to redistrict following the April Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court ruling that significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act. In a Truth Social post last month, Trump said he had spoken with Gov. Bill Lee about redrawing the state’s maps. Days later, the state approved a map friendlier to Republicans. “If the president hadn’t asked that to happen, it probably wouldn’t have. You saw Indiana,” DesJarlais said, referring to the state senators who, after refusing to redraw their lines, lost to Trump-backed challengers earlier this month. As Republicans take steps to make districts favorable for their party, Democrats are beginning to campaign against the power grab. They are mobilizing voters who are dissatisfied with the changes to head to the polls and planning their own redistricting efforts. Though Rep. Robert Aderholt’s district isn’t changing much in Alabama — another state that rushed to redistrict after the Supreme Court ruling — he told NOTUS that House Republicans “talk about” redistricting amid “a lot of uncertainty” about districts being redrawn and the new timing of primaries. But that doesn’t mean they get input. “Our hands are tied because it’s all done at the state level,” Aderholt said.

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

Trump allies lead thousands in prayer to 'rededicate' America to God on National Mall

As House Speaker Mike Johnson stood before a crowd of thousands on the National Mall on Sunday (May 17), he did something not altogether unusual for the outspoken Southern Baptist: He closed his eyes, bowed his head and prayed. But as Johnson began speaking, his frame dwarfed by enormous screens featuring patriotic and religious imagery, he made clear this particular prayer was meant to hold more weight than usual. “Just as we in the beginning dedicated this land to your most holy name, today, here, Lord, in this 250th year of American independence, we hereby rededicate the United States of America as one nation under God,” said Johnson, a Republican, to cheers.

It was one of many such moments at the daylong event, titled “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee Of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving.” The effort was one of several projects overseen by Freedom 250, an organization partnering with the White House and other branches of the federal government to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Like Johnson, the speakers largely advanced the ideas that the U.S. has a religious — and particularly Christian — founding and that its future success depends on prayer. The event featured a video of President Donald Trump reading from 2 Corinthians, which he prepared for a separate event two weeks ago. After the clip ended, Pastor Lou Engle led the crowd in chanting “Revival! Revival! Revival!” The prayers moved Michelle Calhoun of Florida, a Catholic, to tears. “I think they’re bringing on the Holy Spirit over our country, and I’m proud to be an American,” she said, voice shaking.

Read this article at Religion News Service - Subscribers Only

Data centers are coming for rural America,

At its peak, the Androscoggin paper mill in Jay, Maine, a rural town about 67 miles northwest of Portland, employed about 1,500 people — until a pulp digester exploded in 2020, forcing the mill to close permanently. In 2023, the 1.4 million-square-foot facility was purchased through a joint venture by JGT2 Redevelopment and a number of other holding and capital companies. The project is led by developer Tony McDonald. Over the next three years, McDonald and his team broke down the mill’s machinery and shipped it to Pakistan, and worked to clean up the industrial site for resale. That resale agreement was finalized earlier this year, according to McDonald — turning Jay into the latest flashpoint over giant data centers in America. Maine is particularly appealing for data center developers for its relatively cool year-round temperatures, lax land-use statutes, and 54 percent renewable energy mix, the eighth highest in the nation. There is a handful of planned data centers around the state, which recently prompted the state legislature to pass a bill ordering an 18-month moratorium on permits and building of any proposed data center that consumes more than 20 megawatts of power.

Lawmakers wanted to pause construction in order to study data centers’ impact on local economies, the power grid, and the environment. But that bill, which would have been the country’s first, was vetoed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills last month. In her veto, she cited one overriding reason: jobs. A $550 million facility proposed for the shuttered paper mill in Jay, she argued, would create 125 to 150 permanent, high-paying positions in a town that had watched its largest employer close. From mill towns in Maine to farm counties in Indiana to desert plots outside Abilene, Texas, data center developers are telling local governments: Bring us in, give us what we need, add some tax breaks, and the jobs will follow. More than 35 states have responded by offering incentives and more to attract the industry. There’s little research into whether massive industrial sites actually deliver the long-term economic gains they promise, but early reports suggest otherwise. Experts say that rural communities often lack the governmental expertise to properly assess how data centers might impact an area. According to recent Pew Research Center data, 67 percent of planned data centers in the US are headed to rural areas, and 39 percent are going to counties that currently have none. As data center development scales rapidly, it’s becoming clear that what rural communities around the country are actually getting isn’t jobs, but a power- and water-hungry industrial facility that temporarily employs about as many people as a midsize restaurant.

Read this article at The Verge - Subscribers Only

Lead Stories

U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico opens up about his girlfriend on podcast

State Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Texas’ contested U.S. Senate seat, got personal during a Thursday appearance on the Jamie Kern Lima podcast. When asked by Lima, a New York Times best-selling author and co-founder of IT Cosmetics, whether he has a girlfriend, the Austin politician revealed he did. The question comes as online trolls have repeatedly questioned his sexuality. “She is my rock. She is my best friend,” Talarico told the podcaster. “I don’t know if I could have gotten through the last six months of this crazy race if she hadn’t been by my side.” Talarico’s campaign said he met his girlfriend when she was the Chief of Staff in his Texas House legislative office, and that they’ve been together for four years. After they developed feelings for each other, she left the office to pursue other opportunities and have been together ever since.

“We became best friends, and then we fell in love, and we’ve been together ever since,” he added. Talaricio’s campaign asked the Current not to publish the woman’s name out of fear for her safety. “What I’m trying to do is protect her and my family and my friends from the impacts of this race,” Talarico said on the podcast. “I signed up to run for the U.S. Senate; obviously, they did not. So, I’m trying to balance running this race while also protecting them, and protecting her in particular.” Talarico’s response makes sense, considering Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s spiritual advisor, Brooks Potteiger, tweeted in March that he wanted the Texas Democrat to be “crucified with Christ.” “I always try to remind myself that every single person that I come across is a child of God,” Talarico said. “Including someone who is praying for my death.” As Lima and Talarico discussed his relationship, he also said he plans to become a father in the future. He touched on his relationship with his niece Jane, his sister’s daughter.

Read this article at San Antonio Current - Subscribers Only

Trump nemesis Sen. Bill Cassidy defeated in GOP primary

Sen. Bill Cassidy’s run for re-election was cut short Saturday as voters heeded President Trump’s call to oust the two-term Louisiana Republican, with the incumbent expected to finish third in the GOP primary and failing to qualify for the runoff this summer. The outcome marks a dramatic end for Cassidy’s decadeslong run in politics, with the result again showing the president’s ability to make or break Republicans’ careers, despite slipping approval ratings and voter anxieties about the Iran war and the cost of living. The Associated Press projected the top two vote getters were Rep. Julia Letlow, who was endorsed by Trump, and state Treasurer John Fleming. With no candidate exceeding 50%, Letlow and Fleming will advance to a June 27 runoff, the AP projected. Louisiana is considered a safe GOP seat, so the winner of the runoff is expected to have an easy path to victory in November.

Cassidy, who spent heavily on the race, became the first Republican senator to lose in a party primary this election cycle. He had faced an uphill battle to keep his seat, more than five years after he voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump had made clear he wanted Cassidy out. Ahead of the election, he reiterated his endorsement of Letlow and called Cassidy a “disloyal disaster.” On Saturday evening, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” Letlow enjoyed broad support across the state, leading the vote in 52 of the state’s 64 parishes. “Julia Letlow is a fantastic person and, after taking care of some additional business, will make a brilliant Senator for the Great People of Louisiana,” Trump said in a separate post. Cassidy has argued that he works well with the president despite his past conviction vote against him. After his defeat, he told supporters in a concession speech: “I have spoken to John. I spoke with Julia. And I congratulated them both. This was not the result that I necessarily wanted, but I feel great.”

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

‘Technology is a hurdle’: Rural Texans push through 765-kV transmission line hearing

Inside a large, brightly lit hotel conference room in downtown Austin, Lance Trinque’s face flashed on a screen. Or, his eyes and forehead, rather, while he held his phone close to his nose and searched for what button he needed to push. A woman’s face entered the corner of the screen. It was Jocelyn Perez, the Erath County judge’s chief of staff, whose eyes crinkled from smiling as she helped Trinque unmute.

Trinque, a 65-year-old retired firefighter, could finally be heard at one of the most important meetings he’s ever attended: the proceeding on a proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line with the State Office of Administrative Hearings, or SOAH. One of the judges presiding over the case acknowledged Trinque from a table at the front of the Austin conference room and admitted his testimony. A similar scene repeated throughout the day on May 4 as the faces — and voices — of residents throughout nearly two dozen Texas counties attempted to participate in a regulatory process many of them described as overwhelming and confusing. These interactions lasted a matter of seconds but left participants anxiously staring at their computers and phones for hours. “Technology is a hurdle,” Randall Terrell, a former attorney who attended in person, said. He lives in San Marcos but is representing his family’s generational ranch in Erath County. “They’re threatening our major family asset and doing the same to all our neighbors,” he said. “They’re running over it with complex cases, and the whole thing comes across unfair and predetermined.”

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Senate parliamentarian deals blow to $1 billion security proposal for White House

A proposal to fund $1 billion in security additions for the White House campus and the president’s new ballroom fails to meet procedural rules, according to the Senate parliamentarian, dealing a blow to Republican plans to include it as part of a bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies for the next three years. The parliamentarian’s ruling, described late Saturday by Senate Democrats, said that funding for a project as large and complex as President Donald Trump’s massive East Wing renovation is too broad to be included in the narrow GOP budget bill, which cannot be filibustered and only needs a simple majority to pass. It’s unclear if Republicans will be able to immediately salvage any part of the billion-dollar Secret Service proposal, which would fund security for Trump’s ballroom along with other parts of the White House, including a new visitor screening center, additional training for agents and extra reinforcements for large events. Republicans said Saturday night that they are revising the legislation based on the parliamentarian’s advice.

Ryan Wrasse, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, wrote in a post on X that “none of this is abnormal” during the complicated budget process that Republicans are using to try and pass the immigration enforcement and White House security money on a partisan basis. “Redraft. Refine. Resubmit,” Wrasse said in the post. Democrats have seized on the security request, accusing Republicans of dedicating precious federal resources to the ballroom effort instead of focusing on helping Americans with rising costs. Republicans have insisted that private donations will be used to build the ballroom and that the federal dollars are focused just on much-needed security enhancements. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took credit for the ruling after Democrats argued to the parliamentarian that the security money doesn’t belong in the bill. “Republicans tried to make taxpayers foot the bill for Trump’s billion-dollar ballroom,” Schumer said Saturday evening. “Senate Democrats fought back — and blew up their first attempt.” Schumer added that Democrats “will be ready to stop them again” as Republicans say they will revise the bill.

Read this article at Associated Press - Subscribers Only

Supreme Court rejects Virginia’s bid to restore congressional map favoring Democrats

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Virginia’s bid to restore a congressional map that would have given Democrats a chance to pick up four seats in the closely divided House of Representatives. The court’s order, issued without any noted dissent, is the latest twist in the nation’s mid-decade redistricting competition. It was kicked off last year by President Donald Trump urging Republican-controlled states to redraw their lines and was supercharged by a recent Supreme Court ruling severely weakening the Voting Rights Act that opened up even more winnable seats for the GOP. In recent days, the justices have sided with Republicans in Alabama and Louisiana who hope to redo their congressional maps to produce more GOP-leaning seats following the court’s voting rights decision.

But the Virginia situation was different, stemming from a 4-3 ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court that struck down a constitutional amendment that voters narrowly passed just last month. The state court found that the Democratic-controlled legislature improperly began the process of placing the amendment on the ballot after early voting had begun in Virginia’s general election last fall. The Supreme Court typically doesn’t intervene in state court proceedings unless they present an issue of federal law. Virginia Democrats had hoped to persuade the justices that the Virginia court misread federal law and Supreme Court precedent that hold that, even if early voting is underway, an election does not happen until Election Day itself. Virginia’s amendment had been intended as a response to Republican gains in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, and to blunt a new map in Florida that just became law. Once the Virginia amendment passed, it briefly turned the nationwide redistricting scramble into a draw between the two parties. That was unraveled by the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision. The state’s attorney general, Democrat Jay Jones, slammed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, saying it was another example of what he described as a national attack on voting rights and the rule of law.

Read this article at Associated Press - Subscribers Only

State Stories

John Moritz: Texas Democrats hope Obama’s visit can help break decades of political losses

When Barack Obama made his surprise appearance in Austin last week with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and gubernatorial hopeful Gina Hinojosa, the former president gave Texas Democrats and Republicans something they could use as the 2026 midterm election cycle barrels toward November. The advantage for the Democrats is obvious. Obama has been the party's most effective mobilizing force of the 21st century, even before leaving the White House with two largely scandal-free terms under his belt and handing off a stronger national economy than the one he had inherited. But the upside for the GOP is that, in Texas, Obama was never quite able to parlay his popularity among Democrats into support from independents — much less Republicans. He lost Texas in both of his presidential elections, and he lost by more on his second try, when voters could assess his first four years in the White House.

And that helps explain why, even as Talarico and Hinojosa were flooding their social media platforms with images and video of Obama with patrons at a taco restaurant just east of the University of Texas campus, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's campaign was blasting out some of the same images to Republicans and urging them to send campaign contributions. But let's take a deeper look at why Obama would come to Texas, given that the state hasn't elected a Democrat since before he was even a state senator — and before Talarico was out of middle school or Hinojosa had graduated from college. What's more, even though Talarico is showing promising poll numbers in hypothetical matchups with four-term incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and runoff challenger Ken Paxton, political forecasters still have Texas a ways down the list of states most likely to flip a Republican-held Senate seat to the Democrats. Hinojosa is given far less of a chance of blocking Abbott's bid for a fourth term as governor. One explanation might be that Obama is playing the prediction markets in his head. Polymarket, for instance, gave Talarico a 47% chance of winning as of Friday even though Republicans won't settle on a nominee until May 26.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

Judge rules in favor of opponents to Corpus Christi Evangeline project

An administrative law judge has ruled that opponents of Corpus Christi's Evangeline water project have legal standing to have their concerns heard in court. The ongoing legal battle over the Evangeline Aquifer is centered on a proposal by city leaders to pump water from it as one of the solutions to the region’s water crisis. Others say such a move could impact wells, land, and long-term aquifer health. A letter from Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni stated that Administrative Law Judge Alicia York found standing for all the protesting parties, and recommends granting them the requested contested case as to all permit applications for the Evangeline project, which include 22 drilling permits and one transport permit. Those parties include the cities of Sinton and St. Paul.

"Basically the Judge concludes that the protestants provided sufficient testimony to support the conclusion that the installation of the infrastructure could cause an injury to their wells, water quality, etc.," Zanoni stated in his letter. Zanoni adds that York's ruling does not mean that the project ultimately does not get permitted. "It means the Judge thinks the protestants should have their concerns heard in court through a contested case hearing process," Zanoni said. San Patricio County rancher Charles Ring was also a party to the protest, saying that if the project moves forward, it would decimate his livelihood. While Ring was granted standing for the one transport permit being considered, the judge requested briefings and will set a hearing date on Ring’s late protest of the drilling permits. Judge York also recommended contested-case hearing status for R.B. Farms Inc. and Ring Bros. Farm and Seed. The recommendation means the case could move into a much more extensive legal process involving attorneys, expert witnesses, hydrogeologists, scientific studies, cross examination, evidence and possible appeals. Such proceedings can last months or even years.

Read this article at KIIITV - Subscribers Only

North Texas home insurance costs squeeze homeowners

Any gains North Texans receive from protesting their property taxes may be lost to growing home insurance costs that are stretching homeowners’ budgets and blunting the region’s affordability edge, real estate experts say. Among the largest U.S. metros, Dallas-Fort Worth now has the second highest number of homeowners with annual insurance premiums exceeding $4,000, according to a News analysis of the latest census data. The region has superseded cities such as New York, Houston or Los Angeles, cities more prone to flooding and wildfire risks. It is second only to Miami. Mortgage lenders require homebuyers to secure insurance policies before they complete a home loan. In April, home insurance costs made up about 15% of a homeowner’s mortgage payment in North Texas – double the national average – according to data from Realtor.com. In Tarrant County, insurance costs account for nearly 18% of total monthly mortgage payments.

“One of the advantages of the D-FW metro is relatively affordable home prices compared to incomes,” said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com. “But when we add in this factor of high homeowners’ insurance, a lot of those advantages go away.” Many North Texas homebuyers are choosing to settle for less expensive homes than they initially planned so they can accommodate high insurance costs, said Nancy Garcia, a Monument Realty real estate agent working in the D-FW area since 2019.? “Because insurance is taking up a larger portion, they cannot actually get a better home because the monthly payment is going to be that much higher.,” Garcia said.? Insurance premiums are typically among the smaller parts of a monthly housing payment, and homeowners aren’t accustomed to focusing on that part of the breakdown, said Todd Luong, a ReMax real estate agent, who has worked in the North Texas region for 19 years. Home values, property taxes and insurance costs have all shot up in the region, he said, “So they just kind of see everything is going up.” Over the last five years, though, home insurance rates have increased in Texas, and especially in North Texas, at a faster rate than any other state, said Daniel Oney, director of research at the Texas Real Estate Research Center. “That doesn't mean that we have the highest rates, but our rates have gone up more than other states,” he said. Between 2019 and 2024, when the average home insurance premium in the state rose 67%, it rose 105% in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties, according to a News analysis of data available from the Texas Department of Insurance.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Texas Children’s Hospital to develop nation's first ‘detransition clinic,’ fire physicians as part of settlement, AG says

Texas Children's Hospital will develop a “detransition clinic” and fire five physicians as part of a unique settlement with the state, the Office of the Texas Attorney General announced Friday. Such a clinic could be the first of its kind, the attorney general’s office said in a news release. It would focus on providing medical care to patients who had undergone gender-affirming healthcare and work toward reversing the effects of that healthcare. The Houston-based hospital system is also required to pay $10 million for billing Texas Medicaid for prior gender transition treatments, along with firing and permanently cutting ties with five doctors who performed such treatments, according to the attorney general.

In a lengthy statement, representatives from Texas Children's Hospital stated they had cooperated with the attorney general’s office, producing more than 5 million documents and conducting multiple investigations. "All reviews and investigations continue to support the facts – we have been compliant with all laws," Texas Children's said in a statement. "Today, we made the difficult decision to settle with the Texas Attorney General and the Department of Justice, closing a chapter that has been wrought with falsehoods and distractions. To be clear – we are settling to protect our resources from endless and costly litigation. This settlement will allow us to redirect those precious resources to focus on the life-saving care and groundbreaking discoveries of our exceptional clinicians and scientists." Texas Children's did not provide specific information regarding the development of a detransition clinic, including when it might be in operation and what it might entail.

Read this article at Houston Public Media - Subscribers Only

Washington Post Editorial: Ken Paxton vs. Netflix: AG pivots hard to the left with an attack on the streamer.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) filed a lawsuit this week aimed at forcing Netflix to get rid of its auto-play feature and purge data about user habits. Pivoting hard to the left during a Republican primary is a novel strategy, but American politics has always been a little strange. Paxton is trying to take political advantage of parental anxieties about the streamer, but his desired changes would make Netflix less convenient and useful for its customers. The data collection allows Netflix’s algorithm to serve up personalized suggestions for shows and movies that someone might enjoy. The auto-play feature allows people to move seamlessly from one episode to the next. Paxton says collecting that data is “spying” and going from one show to the next is “addictive.” But no one is forced to sign up for Netflix, and people are clearly happy with the service without a politician dictating how it ought to be run.

Paxton’s suit rests on claims that Netflix deceived customers back in 2020 when its leaders marketed the company as a “safe respite” from the advertising and data collection that many of its competitors engaged in. True enough. CEO Reed Hastings made that core to the company’s branding back then. Yet, as is often the case in the fast-moving world of technology, the business dynamic changed. Multiple competitors entered the market, including Disney+ and Paramount+. That contributed to Netflix’s first loss of subscribers in more than a decade. Meanwhile, the cost of producing content skyrocketed. By 2022, out of necessity, Netflix changed course. It cracked down on password sharing and expanded advertising. Perhaps the company’s leaders misled viewers when they said they had “zero interest” in advertising and implausibly promised that they “don’t collect anything.” Or perhaps they realized their old business model wouldn’t keep them competitive, so they adapted to survive.

Read this article at Washington Post - Subscribers Only

Joe Panzarella beats Nick Hellyar in District C special election runoff despite last-minute attack

Joe Panzarella beat Nick Hellyar in a special election runoff to fill the District C position on the Houston City Council, according to results reported Saturday night by the Harris County Clerk's Office. Panzarella, a progressive community organizer, received 64.7% of the 9,912 votes cast. Hellyar, a former city hall staffer, garnered 35.3% of the vote. Panzarella and Hellyar were vying to replace Abbie Kamin. She is stepping down to run for Harris County attorney, a position to which she has been appointed on an interim basis. Panzarella ran as a candidate focused on boosting home affordability and expanding multimodal transportation options on city streets.

“This is a grassroots, people-powered campaign that is passionate about safer streets, about affordable housing and transparency,” Panzarella said after early voting results were released. “This is what a lot of folks in District C are looking for, and we’re excited to bring that vision to city council.” Hellyar, who was not available for an interview Saturday night, focused on core city services, like the police and parks departments. They emerged from a seven-candidate field in April, when Panzarella and Hellyar earned 33% and 23% of the vote, respectively, with progressive Audrey Nath falling short in third place with 20% of the vote. In the runoff, Nath endorsed Panzarella. For some voters in the area — overlapping with the 18th Congressional District, which also had a special election this year — the runoff marked the sixth election since November.

Read this article at Houston Public Media - Subscribers Only

John Cornyn: With water treaty, we’ve tried the carrot approach; now it is time to bring out the sticks

Eight decades ago, the United States and Mexico signed an agreement, now known as the 1944 Water Treaty, to govern the sharing of waters of the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. According to this treaty, the United States is required to deliver one and a half million acre feet, or just under 500,000 gallons of water from the Colorado River to Mexico each year. Similarly, Mexico is obligated to deliver 1.7 5 million acre feet to the United States from the Rio Grande River every five years. And while the United States has dutifully held up its end of the bargain, Mexico has been delinquent on repeated occasions. Now Mexico is hundreds of thousands of acre feet behind in their required water deliveries. In the most recent cycle, which ended in October of last year, Mexico has delivered less than half of the water it was obligated to deliver under the terms of the treaty.

Furthermore, Mexico has not been consistent in their water delivery, sometimes waiting to the very end of the five year period to deliver a substantial amount of water in an attempt, ostensibly, to catch up. This uncertainty, in and of itself, has made life difficult. You can imagine for the more than 400,000 farmers and ranchers who call Texas home… imagine trying to grow crops, not knowing whether you're going to have any water for as long as four years, only to receive a huge lump sum at the end of year five. It just doesn't work out, but this is a very real dilemma faced by many of my constituents in South Texas. Water deliveries from Mexico are vital to irrigation farming and municipal use in the Rio Grande Valley, helping generate billions in economic productivity for the region. Water shortages created by Mexico's failure to follow this treaty have wreaked havoc on the ability of farmers and ranchers to plan and attend their crops, which has, in turn, had a terrible economic cost on our entire state. In 2024 the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, which ran the only sugar cane mill in Texas, announced they were forced to close operations after more than 51 years because of these water shortages. Five hundred American jobs were lost as a result. If Mexico continues to fail to live up to the treaty, more and more farmers and ranchers and other producers will face the same fate.

Read this article at Rio Grande Guardian - Subscribers Only

Greg Abbott, DEI champion

In the day-to-day, the churn of politics in Texas consists of events and proclamations that seem, taken on their own, nonsensical. But put deranged events together, and quite often, by some strange additive property, they make sense. Last week, Governor Greg Abbott went to war with the City of Grand Prairie, in North Texas, threatening to cut its state funding if it did not force the cancellation of a private party for families organized by a small group of local Muslims to celebrate a religious holiday. If you want to understand why this became a flash point, amid all the various problems facing the great state, you have to start elsewhere. On May 7, the Texan conservative activist Lynn Davenport posted a clip of herself on a web show discussing the governor’s race. Abbott “goes on all these junkets to other countries and draws in foreign money and foreign investments,” she said. She meant this as an indictment. But ten or twenty years ago, this would have been a fair description of the job of the Texas governor as our governors understood it. Rick Perry went to foreign lands—India, Mexico, California—to get Job Creators to come here. He was very proud of it. Greg Abbott, when he became governor, more or less picked up the model of leadership Perry had innovated. He dispensed ample cash to bring companies here, courted big business, and celebrated, within limits, the diversity and dynamism that population growth had brought to Texas.

Perry danced with rabbis; Abbott put on garb to celebrate Diwali. “As long as I’m governor,” Abbott said in 2024, “Texas will be a land for the Indian community.” They balanced this out with border theater—pouring money into ineffective state efforts to curtail illegal immigration. For some folks, like Davenport, that was not enough to offset the offense of embracing legal immigration. The overarching problem was Texas’s place in the world. Abbott “has been a primary driver of globalism,” she said, speaking on a show hosted by an editor of the New American, a magazine affiliated with the John Birch Society, one of the most storied ultra-right-wing groups in America. “We have not only Zionist donors to Abbott pulling his strings but also Islamic [ones]—the top donor is a Muslim oil and gas guy,” she said. (Pennsylvanian Jeff Yass would actually seem to be Abbott’s largest donor—but Midland oilman Javaid Anwar is close behind.) Would a real conservative go to “the World Economic Forum on the plane of Sheldon Adelson’s widow?” (Miriam Adelson.) Maybe you’ve heard this line before, but Davenport took it to an unexpected place. “As a lifelong Texan, I have always voted for Republican governors,” she said. Not this time: She would be voting for Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Socialism or progressivism, which Democrats might try to usher in, would be preferable to “globalism and technocracy, which is far more dangerous than any other ism.”

Read this article at Texas Monthly - Subscribers Only

‘What kind of life is this?’: Five desperate Cubans weigh their odds in Texas

It’s 3 a.m. in Austin and Rodríguez is still awake, the glow of his phone illuminating his face in the darkness. He refreshes the page again. A painting job appears—$150 for a day’s work. His finger hovers over the screen for just a second. Too long. By the time he taps, it’s already gone. He’s been doing this for months now, ever since President Donald Trump canceled his work permit. Before that, he’d installed speakers at a Tesla facility north of town for 12 hours a day. And before that, he’d served drinks at a nightclub downtown, worked construction, and hauled furniture. These days, he takes whatever he can find, whenever he can find it, hoping someone will accept his expired documents. His American girlfriend helps when she can, but her brothers won’t even look at him. “Your boyfriend isn’t welcome until he gets his papers,” he said they told her.

Rodríguez, who asked to be identified only by his last name for fear of retaliation, is one of an estimated 125,000 Cubans now living in Texas. He is part of a wave who fled the island over the past five years, seeking safety. Instead, they found a U.S. immigration system that opens doors, then slams them shut: work permits canceled overnight and bureaucratic delays stretching for years. The flow of Cubans to the United States became a flood after July 11, 2021, when thousands took to the streets demanding freedom. More than 850,000 arrived here from 2022 to September 2024. To manage the influx, the Biden administration created a humanitarian parole process in January 2023, allowing Cubans and others to apply online for legal entry and work permits while awaiting immigration court dates. Then, under Trump’s second administration, humanitarian parole programs were ended, stripping those permits and legal protections from more than half a million people. The changes created shock waves, particularly among people who historically had benefited from the Cuban Adjustment Act—a Cold War-era policy created in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution that promised many a relatively swift path to permanent residency after a year. Now, technicalities in that law and changes in U.S. policy have disqualified many new arrivals—even some with U.S. citizen relatives. Applicants are required to prove that they entered the country “properly.” They cannot have a prior deportation order or any criminal or immigration court record.

Read this article at Texas Observer - Subscribers Only

Attorney General says San Antonio can withhold records from investigation into Mayor Jones

The Texas Attorney General’s office says San Antonio does not have to release records surrounding an investigation into Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ conduct earlier this year. Jones was accused of yelling at Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) in a private meeting space on Feb. 5, and the city hired an outside counsel to look into incident. Though the results of that investigation were cited by council members who voted to censure the mayor weeks later, they were never released to the public because the city said it would be too easy to identify the witnesses, even if their names were redacted. City officials asked the AG’s office for permission to withhold the report from open records requestors, stating that it was subject to attorney-client privilege. On Thursday, the AG’s office seemed to agree with that assessment, saying “the city may withhold the submitted information” under Texas evidence rules.

“The city asserts the information at issue was intended to be and has remained confidential,” Assistant Attorney General James L. Coggeshall wrote in a letter. “We find the city has demonstrated the applicability of the attorney-client privilege.” Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. She admitted to using an “f-bomb” in the Feb. 5 confrontation with Kaur, and later said “I should not have raised my voice at my colleague.” The few details shared from the employment law investigator’s report concluded that Jones’ actions were verbally abusive and violated the council’s Code of Conduct, as well as city administrative directives governing equal employment opportunity and workplace violence. But members of the public who showed up to speak before the censure vote had wildly mixed opinions about what they’d heard, and council members were divided about whether people should be allowed to view the report and make their own judgement.

Read this article at San Antonio Report - Subscribers Only

$2 billion Toyota expansion fuels talk of Tacoma production returning to San Antonio

Toyota has filed public disclosures for a $2 billion expansion of its South Side manufacturing facility, fueling industry speculation it may resume production of its Tacoma pickup trucks here. The expansion could also create up to 2,000 jobs. Construction is scheduled to start this year and would become operational in 2030, according to a filing at the Texas State Comptroller's Office. The production of those trucks was relocated from here to Toyota plants in Tijuana and Guanajuato, Mexico in 2021 as part of a major restructuring of the company's North American production facilities. Toyota did not release specific details about its expansion plans on the South Side. They issued only a short statement on how it chooses to locate its facilities.

"Our production philosophy is to build where we sell and buy where we build. We regularly evaluate our manufacturing footprint to ensure we remain competitive and aligned with customer demand. This reflects our long-term commitment of investing in the North American region, local manufacturing jobs, and suppliers. We have nothing further to announce at this time," said the statement released by Melinda Higgins Louder, the manager of corporate communications for Toyota Motor North America. Moving Tacoma production back to San Antonio makes sense to industry observers because tariffs on foreign imports could affect its sticker price. The company recently opened a new rear axle manufacturing facility on its South Side grounds. Those axles would not have to be shipped to Mexico any longer to be installed in Tacoma trucks. Erin Keating, an executive analyst for Cox Automotive, with consumer-facing brands like Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, said it's a pretty good bet the Tacoma is coming back to the Alamo City. "I'd say there's a solid 50-50 shot that it's the Tacoma," she said. "I mean we know in the U.S., consumers continue to go for the pickups and SUVs, and so anything they can do to help increase the profitability in those particular models will help them continue to either import or sell more of the sedans and compact SUVS, where they don't make as much margin."

Read this article at Texas Public Radio - Subscribers Only

Weslaco mayor establishing coalition to strengthen healthcare network

Weslaco Mayor Adrian Gonzalez emphasizes “communication is the key to success” as the city launches its first healthcare coalition meeting to help strengthen coordination and preparedness across the healthcare network. The meeting was held Wednesday morning at the Weslaco City Hall where city officials, community health partners, mental health professionals and members of the school district gathered together to kick off the collaborative effort. Gonzalez explained one of his main reasons for wanting to create a healthcare coalition is to create a space that allows the healthcare systems and city officials to stay informed and plan effectively and efficiently for emergency situations. “My thing was to make sure that in case of any emergencies that we’re prepared,” Gonzalez said. “I want to be proactive not reactive.”

He added that during the meeting attendees shared their contact information to ensure they are all accessible to each other as well as discussed emergency management. The goal of the coalition however, is not just to strengthen emergency care but also to create a space that prioritizes mental health. For Gonzalez, opening lines of communication on how to address mental health needs in the area is an important aspect to improving community health. “It’s not just affecting our young, it’s affecting all ages and I wanted to know and figure out what we can do to improve that,” Gonzalez said. After struggling with his own mental health issues Gonzalez wants residents to know they’re not alone and hopes to build a support system for the community. “I was an alcoholic. I’m going on eight-and-a-half years sober, I know what it is to be in those dark places and that mental health so I’m speaking because I’ve been through it,” Gonzalez said, adding that he wants to be a source for people who are struggling.

Read this article at MyRGV - Subscribers Only

Nicole Golden and Liz Hanks: Texas leads the U.S. in murder-suicides. Here's how to change that.

(Nicole Golden is executive director of Texas Gun Sense. Liz Hanks is a board member of Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council.) Over the last weeks, Texans have digested horrific news of murder-suicides in our communities. Our hearts ache for Thy Mitchell and her two young children, whose lives were stolen in a horrific murder-suicide in Houston — and also for the victims and survivors of deadly family violence San Antonio, Lubbock, Pflugerville and Burleson. These incidents come on the heels of devastating murder-suicides across the country. Last month in Virginia, former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his estranged wife, Cerina Fairfax, and then himself. In Louisiana, a former National Guard member killed seven of his children and their cousin, ranging in age from 3 to 11, before taking his own life. Every domestic violence shooting destroys families and sends traumatic ripples through the lives of everyone they knew.

It is urgent that policymakers commit to adequately funding vital domestic violence programs and adopting lifesaving gun laws that protect families. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 20 murder-suicides in Texas this year, including eight so far in May. Our state accounts for approximately 10% of all U.S. murder-suicides in 2026 to date. For too many kids, home offers no protection. Heartbreaking data tell us that between 2018 and 2022, at least 621 kids were shot and killed in domestic violence incidents. During that period, Texas had more child domestic violence shootings than any other state during that period. Murder-suicides are particularly shocking acts that intersect with other types of violence. However, guns are consistently the most common catalytic component in these cases. In the first half of 2025, 87% of murder-suicides nationwide involved a firearm. The lethal intersection of guns and domestic violence cannot be overstated. When an abusive partner has access to a gun, a woman is five times more likely to be killed. Nearly half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner, and more than half of these intimate partner homicides are by firearm. In Texas, around 70% of intimate partner homicide victims are shot. In 2024, 114 Texans were shot and killed by their partners, including 47 victims in Harris County.

Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only

Huffines Foundation program pays Mesquite kids for math, reading skill

At three public schools in Mesquite, some kids are making money for doing math. Each time they complete 30 addition problems correctly within 60 seconds, for example, they get a badge that earns them $20. The same thing happens when they get 20 phonics problems right in 90 seconds. On Friday, students from the school district gathered at Horn High School to celebrate their feats, with an appearance from the Mavs Man. The cash they racked up throughout the semester by completing problems on an app came from the Huffines Foundation, founded by Phillip Huffines. He’s the co-founder of Dallas-Fort Worth residential real estate development company Huffines Communities, which developed Solterra Communities in Mesquite.

The foundation partnered with Mesquite ISD to launch a pilot program at Gentry Elementary School, Smith Elementary School and Achziger Elementary School, where second and third grade students earned badges that they can trade in for $20 cash each time they complete a certain amount of timed math and reading problems on an app. “Education is the foundation for opportunity, which means success,” Huffines said. “When children are schooled on their math facts, then everything else is a lot easier when it comes to math.” Huffines and his employees brought envelopes filled with cash for the students. When Achziger Elementary was announced as the winner of the an additional $10,000 prize, kids leaped up and cheered, bumping chests and clapping. The school’s principal, Robin Cathcart, said teachers with strong attendance will receive the extra money. More than 440 students earned at least one “mastery badge,” and several students earned $250, according to the Huffines Foundation. The foundation awarded 2,887 badges in total, giving nearly $60,000 to students. The program began at the start of the fall semester.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

National Stories

She was deported without her toddler. Then ICE blamed her for his killing.

After U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained his mother, 2-year-old Orlin Hernandez Reyes moved into a shed. His uncle, Samuel Maldonado Erazo, was charged with taking care of the toddler and his three cousins, the oldest of whom was 7, while Orlin’s mother and her sister waited in ICE detention to be deported to Honduras. Maldonado had once served in the Honduran military, a co-worker later told investigators, and now lived in the Florida Panhandle. He was separated from Orlin’s aunt, and police said he drank heavily and whipped the children with a wire. Orlin repeatedly endured the worst of the abuse. An autopsy showed he had multiple broken bones. There were signs his tiny body had been sexually battered. Authorities allege Maldonado repeatedly struck Orlin in the head, stomped on his body and burned his skin with a lighter.

His hands bore bruises, a sign that Orlin had tried to shield himself from the blows. The coroner listed his cause of death as multiple blunt force traumas. Maldonado has been charged with murder and pleaded not guilty. In a statement a week after Orlin died, acting ICE director Todd M. Lyons berated Orlin’s mother, Wendy Hernandez Reyes, alleging that she had “abandoned” her child to the man who allegedly killed him — an undocumented immigrant who “never should’ve been in this country in the first place,” but was nonetheless allowed to care for the children while Orlin’s mother was in detention. “Reyes chose to leave her son here with a violent murderer who took his life,” he asserted. But a review of court records and the mother’s own account contradict ICE’s narrative and raise questions about how the Trump administration is deporting scores of parents, many without their children. Hernandez was detained by a sheriff’s deputy in Alabama while on her way to work. Local law enforcement agencies are increasingly carrying out immigration enforcement as part of the president’s mass deportation campaign.

Read this article at Washington Post - Subscribers Only

FIFA vs. the State of New Jersey is the World Cup’s biggest grudge match

—A highhanded international organization with a reputation for skulduggery and cozy relationships with autocrats may have finally met its match: the state of New Jersey. FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, will stage eight World Cup matches—including the final—at the Garden State’s MetLife Stadium. But just as the extravaganza is set to kick off, many New Jerseyans are viewing their hosting duties less as an honor and more as a costly burden they could do without. The tension came to a boil when NJ Transit announced last month it would charge fans $150 for a round-trip ticket from Manhattan to the Meadowlands, a ride that typically costs around $13. Such charges would have “a chilling effect,” FIFA’s chief operating officer, Heimo Schirgi, warned—which struck some New Jersey officials as rich, coming from a body that touts the inclusive nature of the games while charging nearly $33,000 for top tickets.

NJ Transit has since reduced the train fare to $98, thanks to contributions from corporate sponsors. Still, New Jersey’s new Democratic governor, Mikie Sherrill, shows no sign of bending further to an organization that expects to generate at least $14 billion from the quadrennial soccer-fest. “My number one concern is to make sure that this isn’t put on the back of New Jerseyans,” Sherrill said of an estimated $62 million in World Cup-related transit costs at a time when she is trying to pass her first budget. “We still strongly feel like they need to throw in more for some of these expenses.” Others are less diplomatic. In a recent budget hearing, Declan O’Scanlon, a Republican state senator and fiscal hawk, gave voice to a nativist suspicion about the world’s game. O’Scanlon dismissed predictions of a World Cup bonanza “because soccer sucks,” he said. The clash between FIFA and New Jersey features the familiar rage of this populist era—namely, a public beaten down by rising costs snarling at global elites. It is fodder for the debate about the economic merits of hosting big sporting events. Underlying all that is the fragile ego of a state whose outward brassiness is often a cover for an inferiority complex stoked by its glittering neighbor.

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

He’s king of the AI boom. Why do former colleagues say he can’t be trusted?

“Do you always tell the truth?” an attorney for Tesla CEO Elon Musk gruffly asked Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, in federal court this week. “I believe I’m a truthful person,” Altman replied. The attorney pivoted, asking him if people Altman did business with would ever think he misled them. “I can’t answer that for other people,” said Altman — but several had already had their say in court. Altman spoke on Tuesday in the closing days of a trial in which several of his onetime close associates, including former OpenAI executives and board members, testified that he misled or lied to them. The CEO’s trustworthiness has been at the heart of Musk’s case in his lawsuit that colorfully played out in court over the past three weeks. The opposing sides gave closing arguments Thursday and jury deliberations begin Monday.

Musk alleges that Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman, who co-founded the artificial intelligence venture with Musk as a nonprofit in 2015, pivoted away from its mission of helping humanity benefit from AI after Musk left the project in 2018. Instead, Musk claims, Altman and Brockman transformed OpenAI into a profit-chasing business with the aim of enriching themselves. The trial has given new life to allegations of lying and self-dealing that have followed Altman for years, even as he has cemented his position as the most influential CEO in Silicon Valley’s AI revolution, sitting atop the company that kick-started it with ChatGPT and is now worth over $850 billion. A former mentor once wrote admiringly of Altman that “You could parachute him into an island full of cannibals and come back in five years and he’d be the king.” OpenAI’s rivals Google and Anthropic have largely caught up to its early lead, but ChatGPT remains more popular than other chatbots, with over 900 million users. The company has maintained friendly relations with the Trump administration, with Altman attending Trump’s inauguration. Brockman is among the largest donors to MAGA Inc., a super PAC aligned with President Donald Trump, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Read this article at Washington Post - Subscribers Only

AI license plate cameras tore this town apart and led to a state of emergency

The civic uproar began quietly, when a mom walking her newborn spotted a strange black contraption at the end of her block: a camera topped with a solar panel. Dierdre Shea researched the camera and learned that it was an artificial-intelligence-assisted license plate reader — the type that have caused privacy concerns across the country in recent months, leading to laws limiting their use in more than a dozen states. She emailed her neighbors, sparking fierce debate in this town of 52,000 overlooking the Hudson River. Citizens called for the devices to be taken off the streets, and the Republican mayor, who supports the cameras, clashed with the Democratic city council, which tried to halt funding for them. Last month, Mayor Carmella Mantello, flanked by officers in blue, accused the city council of “defunding” the police and declared a state of emergency to keep the cameras running, a designation usually reserved for floods and blizzards.

“I will not put our city in jeopardy and take these cameras away,” she said. The cameras at the heart of the debate are run by Flock Safety, a technology company that has built a network of automatic license plate readers in more than 6,000 communities across the country in recent years. Flock’s system uses AI-enabled cameras to snap photos of every vehicle that passes, creating a digital “fingerprint” that includes data as personal as bumper stickers or gun racks. Flock cameras are beloved by police because officers can use the company’s national database to track vehicle movements to recover drugs and stolen automobiles, and to solve even more serious crimes. A company spokesman said in a statement that the devices support “communities across the country in addressing crime and locating missing people.” “At Flock, we believe safety and privacy should go hand in hand, which is why our technology is built around transparency, accountability, and local control,” Chris Castaldo, Flock Safety’s chief information security officer, said in a statement. “Our platform includes safeguards like audit trails to help ensure accountability at every step.”

Read this article at Washington Post - Subscribers Only

American Bar Association votes to eliminate DEI rule for law schools

A longstanding diversity and inclusion requirement for U.S. law schools is teetering amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration and Republican states. The American Bar Association council that oversees law school accreditation voted on Friday to eliminate a ?rule that requires law schools to demonstrate their commitment to diversity in recruitment, admissions, and student programming. Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here. The ?rule has been suspended since February 2025, after Republican President Donald Trump returned to the White House and began cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

"Even though I personally agree with [the diversity and inclusion standard] and what it tries to achieve, I think it's appropriate as an ?accrediting body that we eliminate that standard so we don't inhibit the diversity of ideas out there in ?various types of legal education environments," said David Brennen, a council member and a former dean ?of the University of Kentucky College of Law. The change would not become final until the ABA's House of Delegates begins ?to consider it as early as August and then debates revisions. That approval process could push the diversity rule's elimination to sometime ?in 2027. The ABA's accreditation rules for law schools have required diversity and inclusion for decades, providing a key tool for advocates seeking to bolster the number of women and minorities in the U.S. legal profession — which remains more heavily white and male than the nation's population. But the ?ABA's focus on DEI has placed the organization squarely in the crosshairs of the second Trump administration. Trump in April 2025 signed ?an executive order directing U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to assess whether to suspend or terminate the ABA as the government's official law school ?accreditor, citing ?its "unlawful 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' requirements," as part of an executive order focused on reforming higher education accreditation. Texas, Florida and Alabama have each moved to sideline the ABA in their lawyer licensing processes in recent months, and several other Republican-controlled states are weighing similar moves.

Read this article at Reuters - Subscribers Only

Trump threatens to primary Lauren Boebert after she campaigned for Massie

President Donald Trump threatened Saturday to back a primary challenger to Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) after she campaigned in Kentucky for Trump adversary Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). “Is anyone interested in running against Weak Minded Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District?” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my Honor to withdraw that Endorsement, and endorse a good and proper alternative.” Boebert is among a small group of GOP lawmakers who have publicly supported Massie in his race against Trump-backed Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Army Ranger. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was also at the event.

Massie has emerged as one of Trump’s most outspoken critics on high-profile policy debates, including Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, the Iran war, and spending. “I’m not mad or offended. I knew the risks when I agreed to stand by my friend Thomas Massie” Boebert said in response to the president on X. “I was, and will be, America First, America Always, and MAGA.” Gallrein held roughly a 5 percentage-point lead over Massie one day before early voting began, according to a Wednesday Quantis Insights poll of 908 likely GOP voters. The primary will be held on Tuesday, May 19.

Read this article at Washington Examiner - Subscribers Only

National Mall prayer event sparks concern about Trump administration eroding the wall between church and state

An all-day prayer event on the National Mall on Sunday — backed by the White House through a mix of taxpayer funds and private donations — is?the most recent flashpoint in the Trump administration blurring separation of church and state. The event, dubbed “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,” is part of a series of celebrations commemorating America’s 250th birthday, and is expected to feature video messages from President Donald Trump and other members of his Cabinet. House Speaker Mike Johnson will also deliver remarks. The event will bring together faith leaders, public officials and musicians to reflect and worship ahead of the anniversary of the nation’s founding. Sunday’s event is the latest in a series of faith initiatives and policy moves championed by the White House that have bolstered an emphasis on Christianity in the government’s operations,?culture?and policy.

Freedom 250, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Park Foundation, which functions as the National Park Service’s?fundraising?arm, organized the event. “Rededicate250 will be a powerful moment to reflect on where we have been, recommit ourselves to the ideals that define us, and look toward the future with renewed hope and purpose,” said Freedom 250 senior adviser Danielle Alvarez. While organizers are inviting Americans of every background to attend the event, the?long list?of faith leaders attending?are?largely evangelical Christians — except?for?one Orthodox?rabbi and two conservative Catholic bishops. Brittany Baldwin, White House senior policy adviser and executive of the White House Task Force America 250, described a focus on “our heritage as a?Judeo-Christian” nation in a since-deleted planning webinar that was posted ahead of Sunday’s event. Experts CNN spoke with were split on?whether the event is constitutional.

Read this article at CNN - Subscribers Only

Lead Stories

Texas immigration law partially blocked by federal judge

On Thursday, a federal judge blocked the state of Texas from enforcing certain provisions of its controversial immigration law, just one day before they’re set to go into effect. In his 78-page order granting a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Court Judge David Alan Ezra found two anonymous Honduran immigrants leading a class action had met their burden to show they face a substantial threat of enforcement under Senate Bill 4. “Enforcement of this law would place plaintiffs at risk of arrest, prosecution, detention, and ultimately, removal,” Ezra wrote. “The court finds this threatened enforcement and the severity of the harm imposed to plaintiffs in the event the likely preempted law is enforced against them constitutes irreparable harm.”

The remaining provisions of SB 4 untouched by Ezra’s injunction will be allowed to take effect Friday, including the ability for police to arrest anyone suspected of unlawful entry into the country. The injunction applies only to those suspected of illegal reentry. Both plaintiffs live in Austin and are the primary providers in their families. One is a green card holder, while the other has received provisional approval for a U-visa, which protects the victims of crimes who have been helpful to law enforcement from deportation. The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas and the Texas Civil Rights Project brought the class action on their behalf. The defendant in the case is Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the agency responsible for the enforcement of the law. In his order, Ezra wrote he believed the provisions of SB 4 challenged by the plaintiffs likely violate the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause, because the law conflicts and encroaches on the federal government’s interest in regulating immigration. Passed in 2023, SB 4 made it a state crime to break immigration laws. Once prosecuted, judges are required to order migrants to be removed to Mexico.

Read this article at Courthouse News Service - Subscribers Only

Trump leaves China, short on deliverables but with signs of a stabilized relationship

President Donald Trump departed Beijing Friday afternoon local time without any immediate sign that the US and China have resolved thorny challenges dogging their fractious relationship, but with a freshly stabilized relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping – for now. The leaders covered a range of issues from Iran and Taiwan to trade, during two days that included intensive bilateral meetings. But there were also grand displays of soft diplomacy, marking the first Beijing meeting for the longtime rivals in nearly a decade. Since Trump’s last visit in 2017, he has reimagined Washington’s role in the world, while Xi has tightened his grip on authority domestically and spurred China’s high-tech transformation. “We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to settle, and the relationship is a very strong one,” Trump said at the start of bilateral discussions Friday, offering no concrete details on the problems in question.

Given how bad relations have been in recent years, the fact both leaders came away speaking of each other in warm terms and agreeing on the importance of their ties is evidence of a shift to stabilization at a time when a jittery world is desperately seeking geopolitical calm. The US-Israeli war with Iran loomed over the whirlwind summit. There were questions of what, if any, behind-the-scenes support Xi might be willing to extend to help bring an end to the months-long conflict, which has thrown the global economy into turmoil without a clear endgame. Details of the sweeping trade deals Trump promised ahead of the trip remain unclear, with big pronouncements from the president and some top officials, but any substantive announcements still absent and unconfirmed by China. And amid concerns from experts and analysts that Xi was walking into the meeting with the upper hand, the Chinese leader offered his own flex on the issue of Taiwan. But the visit also provided an opportunity to reset the tone of the fractious US-China relationship, Xi rolling out a literal and figurative red carpet that charmed and delighted his guest, a warm connection on display. “I think it will go down as a very important moment in history. And maybe more than anything else, a great moment of respect,” Trump reflected during an interview with Fox News.

Read this article at CNN - Subscribers Only

USDA employees’ union sues federal agency, accusing Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins of religious coercion

A union representing more than 19,000 employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is suing the agency. It accuses Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins of violating employees' First Amendment rights through a campaign of religious coercion. The National Federation of Federal Employees filed the lawsuit, in conjunction with seven individual USDA employees. "Plaintiffs – a group of multifaith and nonreligious USDA employees ... are subject to the effects of that coercion, religious sermonizing, and denominational preference," the complaint reads. "They feel excluded and unwelcome, and they fear the negative consequences of not sharing the Secretary's religion or expressing their own different beliefs in the workplace."

Rollins is one of two cabinet secretaries from Texas serving in the second Trump administration. In her home state, Christian nationalism has become a central theme in Republican primary runoff campaigns ahead of the May 26 election. The legal complaint, filed Wednesday in a federal court in California, claims the communications reached a new level with an April 5, 2026, email to employees, marking Easter and promoting the secretary's evangelical Christian theology. "Today we celebrate the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith, and the abiding hope of all mankind," the email began. "From the foot of the Cross on Good Friday to the stone rolled away from the now empty tomb, sin has been destroyed. Jesus has been raised from the dead. And God has granted each of us victory and new life. And where there is life — risen life—there is hope."

Read this article at Houston Public Media - Subscribers Only

Texas governor's prosecutor plan targets Travis County DA José Garza

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday unveiled a legislative priority that takes aim at Travis County District Attorney José Garza and other progressive prosecutors by creating a statewide prosecutorial office with authority to intervene in local cases. Under Abbott's plan, the statewide prosecutor would monitor cases to ensure that they are handled properly within 90 days — and would have the authority to take over cases and act within 30 days when local prosecutors fall short. Abbott said the office also would be available to help local district and county attorneys prosecute local cases. "We want to ensure that justice is done for all the victims who have been victimized," Abbott said in an interview with the American-Statesman. "The state will have a prosecutor to take those cases when the local district attorney doesn't have the resources or doesn't have the will to take those cases."

The effort represents Abbott’s latest focus on Garza, a progressive prosecutor who took office in 2021. Conservatives have routinely portrayed Garza as soft on crime, though in his second term he also has faced increased bipartisan criticism over day-to-day case management in his office. In an interview later Thursday, Garza accused Abbott of a "political stunt" and said his office has worked on programs to improve community safety. Abbott's proposal "ignores the gap between politics and the realities that prosecutors all across the state face," Garza said. Abbott said he was partly moved to create the position after ongoing Statesman reporting last year showed Garza's felony prosecutors routinely failed to indict cases within 90 days, an issue that resulted in the release of potentially violent defendants and others remaining in jail longer than legally allowed. Garza's office has since addressed the deficiencies. "The failure to indict people who had been arrested, including murderers, and the failure to indict them on time was a catalyst, the straw that broke the camel's back," he told the Statesman. "We have to have a state prosecutor who will backstop that kind of failure, that kind of neglect by a district attorney."

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

State Stories

San Antonio congressional candidate Maureen Galindo faces antisemitism accusations

San Antonio Democratic congressional candidate Maureen Galindo is facing heat after an article and an op-ed, both appearing over the weekend in the New York Times, accused her of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media. In response to the reports, Galindo doubled down on her rhetoric, telling the Current in a conversation Tuesday that she’s not antisemitic but instead is taking a stand against a cabal of “Zionist billionaire Jews” that controls the world. “It’s all very complex. But, it’s my perception that Zionist billionaires run the world,” Galindo said. “They’re of all religions. But, especially Israeli, Jewish billionaire Zionists who disproportionately and factually own a lot of Hollywood production studios, media companies and banks.” Galindo told the Current she has “no hatred toward any group,” except the “billionaire Zionists and their puppets.”

The accusations and Galindo’s response are the latest chapters in one of the most bizarre political stories this election season. The self-proclaimed sex therapist and housing advocate ran an underdog populist campaign to represent Texas’ redrawn 35th District, which includes part of San Antonio. Despite her fringe rhetoric and meager funding, she ended up in the Democratic primary runoff against Johnny Garcia, a former Bexar County Sheriff’s Department public information officer. Galindo said she didn’t read either of the New York Times pieces, which hit the street as her May 26 runoff looms. However, she said she suspects Zionist Jews and their collaborators are behind the so-called “hit pieces.” The claim appears to dovetail sentiments she shared in a Facebook video last fall cited by the Times in which she warned that Jews and Christian Zionists are trying to bring about the End of Days via their control of Hollywood. In her remarks to the Current, Galindo also said the Zionists are trying to sabotage her candidacy so that her opponent, Garcia, can retain control of Bexar County’s human trafficking networks, which, according to Galindo, are controlled by the Zionist billionaire Jews.

Read this article at San Antonio Current - Subscribers Only

Second Baptist lawsuit heads to July trial after mediation fails

Mediation efforts in a lawsuit accusing Houston's Second Baptist Church of misleading congregants have been unsuccessful, a court document shows. The case will now head to a jury trial, currently scheduled for July 27. The legal fight involving the Houston megachurch is currently taking place in Texas’ 11th Division Business Court. A group of current and former church members known as the Jeremiah Counsel say the church concealed the real reason for changing bylaws that had affirmed voting rights to the congregation. The revised bylaws consolidated power in the hands of a few and abolished the 94,000-member congregation’s right to vote in major decisions, such as selecting the top pastor.

Second Baptist has denied the allegations. Along with the nearly century-old church itself, the defendants are longtime senior pastor Ed Young; his son and the church’s new leader, Ben Young; associate pastor Lee Maxcy; and Dennis Brewer Jr., general counsel and executive pastor at Fellowship Church in Grapevine. Fellowship Church is led by Ed Young Jr., Ben Young’s brother. Second Baptist’s revised bylaws resemble Fellowship’s bylaws. Speaking to his congregation last year, Second Baptist senior pastor Ben Young said that the allegations "simply are not true” and said the new bylaws were both "biblically and legally" sound. In a statement shared Thursday, the Jeremiah Counsel expressed disappointment at the lack of resolution “after participating in mediation in good faith.” The group is seeking a restoration of voting rights for Second Baptist members. The trial was initially scheduled for last month, but was moved soon after the mediation was ordered on April 1. Attorneys for the defendants did not respond to the Houston Chronicle’s requests for comment.

Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only

A Texas fight for a powerful oil job tests the strength of the hard right

Bo French was such a headache for some Republican leaders last year that they asked him to resign as a county party chairman. But if their goal had been to try to sideline Mr. French, among the loudest voices on the far right in Texas, that effort may have backfired. With the support of a couple of billionaire oilmen, Mr. French has become a viable candidate for a powerful statewide job overseeing the Texas oil and gas industry, a cornerstone in the nation’s energy portfolio. Attorney General Ken Paxton headlined Mr. French’s campaign kick off party. Steve Bannon, a former close aide to President Trump, has boosted his candidacy.

On the other hand, Mr. French is opposed by Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Republican officials, along with some of the biggest companies in the energy business. They have all thrown their considerable conservative weight and campaign cash behind Jim Wright, the staid incumbent chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission who is facing Mr. French in a May 26 runoff. The contest, mostly overlooked outside of Texas, offers a clear test of the power of a traditional business-backed conservative incumbent against a self-described “America First” upstart challenging his own party’s boundaries of decency. The two men, who have never met in person, are waging parallel but utterly disparate campaigns. Mr. French, 56, frequently posts anti-Muslim rhetoric on social media, claiming the state of Texas is being taken over by Muslims. He has called for the deportation of nearly one-third of the country and attacked his critics as “liars” or “gay race communists.” Accused criminals, he has said, deserve one punishment: “A rope.”

Read this article at New York Times - Subscribers Only

Texans push back on Elon Musk's bid for tax breaks for Terafab

Residents of a largely rural county east of College Station aren’t wild about Elon Musk’s proposal to receive tax breaks in exchange for building a massive computer chipmaking facility there. Many of them lined up this week to voice concerns and, in some cases, support for the semiconductor manufacturing and advanced fabrication facility being pitched by Musk’s SpaceX. Dubbed Terafab, Musk says it would be the world’s largest.

Supporters say the investment, which could begin at $55 billion and more than double through later phases, is too good for Grimes County to pass up. Detractors, though, worry about the questionable environmental track record of Musk’s businesses — and whether the huge space company getting set for what’s likely to be the largest-ever initial public offering even needs the help. “I believe it would be immoral to give this company tax abatement when we have serious concerns about health issues and safety issues,” county resident Jacqueline Ross told Grimes County commissioners. She was among more than a dozen who signed up to speak at a special meeting to discuss commercial and financial information the commissioners court received from SpaceX regarding its request. No details of the proposal have been made public.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

El Paso city population drops by 2,209 in 2025, largest decline in Texas, new census estimates show

The number of people living in the city of El Paso fell by 2,209 between 2024 and 2025, the largest decline in Texas and seventh-largest in the United States, according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The annual population decline is the largest ever recorded in census estimates for the city of El Paso, surpassing a drop of 1,700 people between 2017 and 2018, records show. The city’s population has grown by a little over 4,000 since the 2020 census, or 0.6%, which makes it El Paso’s slowest growth period since a population decline during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Several trends such as rapidly declining birth rates, slowing immigration from Mexico and migration of young adults out of El Paso in search of better economic opportunities have slowed the city’s population growth over the past 15 years or longer. Now, national economic and political developments may also be playing a role, said Tom Fullerton, an economics professor at the University of Texas at El Paso.

“The immigration crackdown in the United States has severely reduced population growth in El Paso, a place where international migrants frequently prefer to relocate,” Fullerton said. “The anti-trade movements from both the right and left wings of the political spectrum have also damaged business and job opportunities in El Paso during the past decade. A variety of investments on both sides of the border have been sidelined due to business climate uncertainty, tariff rate increases, and administrative actions that thwart international commerce and manufacturing. Any time trade suffers, it tends to slow economic expansion and demographic growth within the Sun City and throughout the Borderplex,” he said. The loss of 2,209 people – or about 0.3% of the city of El Paso’s 2024 population – is equivalent to losing the entire student body at El Dorado or Montwood high schools. Mayor Renard Johnson said “population numbers are important because they tell us whether people feel they have opportunity and a strong quality of life in a city.”

Read this article at El Paso Matters - Subscribers Only

Parents plead with HISD leaders to scrap changes to special education program, to little success

Houston ISD leaders defended plans Thursday to move thousands of special education students to new campuses in the 2026-27 school year despite a federal investigation and emotional opposition from dozens of families, saying the move would reduce class sizes and limit the number of different grades served in one classroom. HISD announced its new “Special Education Success Programs” May 6, days after the Houston Chronicle and other media outlets reported on leaked documents outlining plans to move some children with disabilities to “specialty schools.” Under the new plan, up to 5,000 students who spend most of their time in self-contained classrooms will move to one of 150 designated campuses. HISD Deputy Superintendent Kristen Hole said at the school board’s monthly meeting that 65% of teachers in self-contained classrooms are currently serving at least three grade levels in one classroom.

Under the new model, most classrooms will be limited to two grade levels, allowing teachers to better support students’ needs, she said. “We're walking into classrooms over and over again and seeing teachers really trying to support their students, but (it's) being very, very hard, because you have a kindergartner and a fifth grader sitting three feet apart, and the teacher is trying their best, but that's a hard environment to really provide that quality instruction,” Hole said. About 100 community members signed up to speak at Thursday’s meeting, with most voicing emotional opposition to the planned changes. Several HISD parents and students cried as they pleaded with the board not to force them to leave their community schools. HISD police escorted two parents — Cristian Garcia and Jessie Dugan — out of the meeting after they refused to stop speaking. “I worked hard to get to Bellaire. Now, I'm figuring out that I won't be able to go there next year, and I'm very sad about it. I just started making friends, and now you're making me change and lose my friends,” said Rhys Sullivan, a freshman at Bellaire High School. “It was my dream to join the Bellaire band, and you've taken that dream away from me.”

Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only

Houston Chronicle Editorial: It's time for Rep. Vo to go. Dems should pick school leader Breaux in runoff.

As school board president for Alief ISD, Darlene Breaux has seen up close the promise and the challenges of this westside Houston community. It is one of the most diverse districts in the state, brimming with polyglots and possibility. It is also, like so many school districts, battling declining enrollment and state funding that hasn’t even kept pace with inflation. Since she began on the board in 2017, voters there have approved a bond and tax rate increase – no small feat when similar efforts in neighboring districts have failed. Breaux took it as a sign that she and the board have earned the community’s trust. She certainly earned our endorsement for House District 149. Currently represented by Democrat Hubert Vo, the district is known for its international diversity. Vo, who has been in office for two decades, helped bring an important management district to the area, investing in beautification and other projects. That win was in 2007. But his accomplishments in office have been light since then.

When we spoke with Vo ahead of the March primary, we were concerned by how frequently he repeated himself and how little he had to show for all his time in office. Breaux meanwhile, impressed us with her passion and ideas for the Legislature including, “adding teacher wellness days, further protecting seniors in care facilities who are reliant on backup power during disasters, utilizing mobile technical training opportunities in the district and helping residents in the district — which includes Barker Reservoir — during disasters by automatically dropping toll road fees.” Incumbency is important. It should translate to connections, seniority and respect on the floor. But we don’t see Vo’s years in office paying off. Breaux is more than ready to take up the task and Democratic voters should pick her to represent them in Austin.

Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only

Houston Chronicle Editorial: Staci Childs found hundreds of issues in your kid's proposed curriculum. Think what she can do in the state House.

If you’ve been following the state’s overhaul of K-12 social studies curriculum and infusion of Bible passages in reading lists, you probably know Staci Childs. She’s the current State Board of Education member who has been challenging the conservative-led efforts and personally poring over thousands of pages of proposed class material, flagging around 200 errors and concerns. She is also our pick for the Democratic primary for state House District 131.

True, her challenger, Lawrence Allen Jr., 64, won the outgoing incumbent’s endorsement but that outgoing incumbent is also his mother, Alma Allen. Both candidates have remarkably similar experience in education. Both have served on the State Board of Education, though Childs is also a lawyer. When we interviewed the candidates together, Childs, 38, was more informed and energized to help innovate in the Legislature. In fact, she has already had some success. She told the editorial board earlier that, from the state board, she was able to get a Republican legislator to help her pass a budget rider that created a grant program for some of the lowest-performing schools to fund tutoring, parental engagement and professional development. She is the best prepared to make a difference once in the Legislature, too. Democratic voters should go with Childs.

Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only

Houston Chronicle Editorial: Kelly Peterson wants Republicans to stop fighting each other. They should want that, too.

Stan Stanart came so close to clearing the 50% threshold in March’s primary election for House District 126, we’re surprised he didn’t claim election fraud. We kid, but Stanart, 66, has been known to dabble in conspiracy theories about elections – a fact that he once apologized for back when he was running for Harris County Clerk but now he defends running for state representative for his northwest Harris County district. Luckily, Republican voters there have a stronger option in Kelly Peterson, who is still our pick in the May runoff.

A former district manager for the outgoing incumbent Sam Harless, Peterson, 55, said she prioritizes property tax relief, flood mitigation, securing the border, strengthening job training and opportunities. And, perhaps most refreshing, she told us, “I want empathy back at the Capitol,” adding, “I want fighting to stop within our party.” Republicans should want that, too. Ridiculous purity tests have led to vengeful cleavages in the state’s Republican party. As a county clerk, Stanart garnered plenty of media attention and we suspect he would do the same as a state representative. Peterson is ready to get down to the issues that actually affect everyday life in the suburban communities of House District 126. Republican voters should go with her.

Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only

4 of the 5 fastest growing cities in the country are in North Texas. Here's where

North Texas is no stranger to staggering growth, and new census data shows that it's only accelerating. The new data, tracking population growth between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, shows that four of the five fastest-growing cities are North Texas suburbs. The nation's fastest-growing city, Celina, is no stranger to rapid growth. In 2024, it was the fastest-growing city in the county, and its population was previously expected to quintuple in just ten years, WFAA previously reported. Once again, Celina topped the list for population growth, with a 24.6% increase in just one year. Celina's continued growth isn't a surprise, after it was revealed as the fastest-growing city in the country, it also issued a record number of single-family residential permits in 2024.

"Families are drawn to Celina for our outstanding schools, safe neighborhoods, and dynamic community life, while businesses recognize the strategic advantages of our location, robust infrastructure, and supportive environment," Celina Mayor Ryan Tubbs previously told WFAA in a statement. The No. 2 fastest-growing city is Fulshear outside Houston, according to Census data. Other Collin County cities round out the list of the top 5 fastest-growing cities. Princeton ranked third, Melissa ranked fourth, and Anna ranked fifth. Several other North Texas cities also ranked in the top 15, including Forney at No. 8 and Greenville at No. 15. In the same amount of time, Fort Worth saw the second-largest numeric population increase, growing by 19,512 people. McKinney ranked 10th for the largest numeric increase, adding 8,504.

Read this article at WFAA - Subscribers Only

Fort Worth becomes 10th largest US city with more than 1 million residents, Census shows

Fort Worth is officially one of the largest cities in the country, and the city is still growing fast. New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the city’s population has reached 1,028,117, pushing Cowtown into the top 10 largest cities in the United States. That’s up from its previous ranking at number 11. The milestone comes after Fort Worth surpassed Jacksonville, Florida, by more than 10,000 residents. Within Texas, Fort Worth remains the fourth-largest city, behind Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, trailing Dallas by about 300,000 people. Mayor Mattie Parker says the growth is no accident.

“Fort Worth is booming for the right reasons,” Parker said in a press release put out by the city Thursday, adding that the focus now is on managing that growth through what she calls smart policies, investments, and planning to ensure long-term success. The latest Census estimates, which reflect data through July 2025, show Fort Worth added 19,512 new residents in just one year, which is the second-largest numeric increase in the country, according to the report. Only Charlotte, North Carolina, saw a bigger jump. That growth stands out, especially as many large U.S. cities are seeing slower gains or even slight declines. According to Census data, those slowdowns have been most noticeable in the Northeast. Fort Worth’s rise is also part of a much larger trend across Texas.

Read this article at WFAA - Subscribers Only

Dallas Morning News Editorial: In the Republican primary runoff for Texas Attorney General, we recommend no one

This month, Texans will cast their votes in primary runoff elections, deciding who will appear on the ballot for the November general election. Early voting begins Monday and continues through May 22. Election day is May 26. State Sen. Mayes Middleton and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy are headed for a runoff in the Republican primary for attorney general. We cannot recommend either of them. With a focus on the office’s nuts-and-bolts responsibilities, state Sen. Joan Huffman was the smartest choice in the primary. But we knew that Middleton and Roy would be the front-runners, so it was not surprising that Huffman only won about 15% of the vote.

Roy and Middleton are running two of the most noxious campaigns you’ll see this year. Each has been aggressively slinging mud at the other in outlandish ads filled with claims that stretch the truth beyond the breaking point. If you were to believe them, you’d think Middleton is a secret Shariah supporter and Roy is in cahoots with the pro-transgender lobby. While the candidates insult voters’ intelligence with insane claims, they are far too quiet on actual policy issues that matter.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Stacy Eastland dropped from lawsuit targeting Camp Mystic

The elder brother of Camp Mystic’s late owner Richard “Dick” Eastland has been dismissed from a lawsuit filed by the parents of several children killed in a flash flood after it was shown he had no part in the Texas Hill Country retreat for more than a decade before the July 4 disaster. Stacy Eastland was dropped from the lawsuit after his attorney proved he had no ownership interest or operational role with Camp Mystic for more than 10 years before the flood that killed 25 children, two counselors and his brother at the retreat.

Eastland severed all ties to Camp Mystic in 2012 after transferring his minority interest in Natural Fountains Properties, Inc., which owns the land where the camp operates, back to the company, according to a statement from FBFK Law, which defended him in the dispute. Eastland, a prominent trust and estate lawyer in Houston, had initially been named as one of numerous defendants in the lawsuit filed by the parents of six children killed in the flash flood. That lawsuit also targeted Camp Mystic, Natural Fountains Properties and several other members of the Eastland family. “Stacy Eastland should never have been named in this lawsuit,” Eastland’s attorney, Dan Bitting, said in the statement. Eastland said he continues to grieve what happened at Camp Mystic. “I was shocked and devastated when I was accused of having any role in the tragic deaths of 27 young girls, when I had no involvement with the camp for more than a decade before the floods,” Eastland said. “I am grateful that (the) plaintiffs’ attorneys finally acknowledged that I should never have been sued in connection with this tragedy.”

Read this article at San Antonio Express-News - Subscribers Only

Austin population tops 1 million residents as growth reshapes the city

Austin’s new million-resident milestone is more than just a number. To City Demographer Lila Valencia, it means more business opportunities and tax money for city services. It puts Austin in a league of just 12 cities now with a seven-digit population. It signals that Austin remains a city on the rise, unlike those losing population. “It definitely puts Austin on more of not just a national stage in terms of big cities, but an international and global stage that can really work to attract greater economic development to the area,” she said. The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released data officially listing Austin’s 2025 population as 1,002,632. Austin, the city. Not the Austin metro area. Not the Austin region. Austin, the city, has been teetering at the million mark since 2020. That year, the Census Bureau put Austin at 958,151. Since then, it has grown 4.6%.

Austin’s new status shines light on its evolution from a fast-growing boomtown into one of the nation’s largest cities, bringing both economic clout and mounting pressure on infrastructure, housing and public services. Even as the city grapples with traffic congestion, affordability challenges, aging bridges and food access gaps, Austin continues to attract new residents with its job market, cultural identity and outdoor lifestyle. The new federal designation also arrives as population growth slows or reverses in many large U.S. cities, reinforcing Austin’s status as one of the country’s enduring growth centers. “There’s no denying now that Austin is a big city and we have big challenges," said Austin Mayor Kirk Watson. “But we also still have a small town heart and that’s part of what makes it the best place in the country to raise a family or to seek out new opportunities.” The million-person mark is no surprise to Valencia. She says Austin has been a 1-million-person city since 2020 and has been waiting for federal data to catch up. The demographer’s numbers have been at odds with the Census Bureau’s figures since that year, when the federal count was thrown off-kilter by COVID-19. Because of that, Valencia said, the Census Bureau missed about 40,000 residents.

Read this article at Austin Current - Subscribers Only

Dustin Fawcett: West Texas built one boom. It can build another

(Dustin Fawcett is Ector County Judge.) Odessa knows how to build an industry from scratch. When the first oil wells came in across the Permian Basin, nobody had a blueprint. The infrastructure didn’t exist, the workforce had to be trained, and critics said the land was too remote, the conditions too harsh, the risks too high. West Texans figured it out anyway, and in doing so, they powered a nation. That same instinct is what I bring to the conversation about data centers. Texas needs to lean into this opportunity, not shy away from it. Data centers are not an abstraction. They are the infrastructure behind everything we take for granted: the apps on our phones, the payment systems at every gas station and grocery store, the electronic health records at rural hospitals across West Texas.

When a small-town ER physician pulls up a patient’s medical history, a data center made it possible. When a soldier in the field accesses real-time intelligence, data infrastructure made it possible. These facilities are as essential to modern life as the power grid, and America’s ability to lead in artificial intelligence depends on building enough of them, fast enough, on American soil. Texas is already at the center of that buildout, competing with Virginia, Arizona, and the rest of the world for this investment. The question for Ector County and West Texas broadly is whether we want a seat at that table. I do, and here’s why we’re better positioned than anywhere else in the country. The Permian Basin produces something that data centers need and most of the country lacks: energy and water, in abundance, side by side. Start with energy. The fracking revolution made the Permian the most prolific oil basin in the world, but associated natural gas overwhelmed pipeline capacity faster than anyone could keep up. Prices at Waha Hub went negative for more than 40% of trading days in 2024. Operators were paying to move gas or flaring it, disposing of abundance instead of profiting from it. Data centers change that calculus. A gigawatt-scale facility consumes roughly 170 million cubic feet of gas per day, and behind-the-meter generation turns a stranded resource into the most reliable, dispatchable power source in the world.

Read this article at Odessa American - Subscribers Only

National Stories

Lawmakers worry Trump’s chummy China trip puts $14B Taiwan arms package in jeopardy

Lawmakers from both parties are watching closely for any signs President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping could affect future U.S. support to Taiwan, as questions swirl around the future of a proposed $14 billion weapons package for the island. “It’ll be interesting to see what he gives away on Taiwan,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters Thursday. She also noted that the White House readout of the Trump-Xi meeting “didn’t mention Taiwan at all.” During the summit, Xi warned Trump that mishandling Taiwan could damage relations between the two countries and lead to conflict, according to Chinese state media and reports from the meeting. Beijing also described Taiwan as the “most important” issue in U.S.-China relations.

Trump has not publicly responded in detail to Xi’s warning. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remained “unchanged” after the summit. Trump struck a notably warm tone toward Xi during the summit, repeatedly praising the Chinese leader and emphasizing cooperation, economic ties and a “stable” relationship between the two countries. Still, it remains unclear exactly what Trump and Xi discussed privately about Taiwan, including whether future U.S. arms sales were discussed. That uncertainty is fueling concern in Congress, especially as lawmakers watch the fate of a proposed $14 billion Taiwan weapons package that has been ready for the president’s approval since at least March but reportedly held under wraps in the lead-up to the China trip. Lawmakers fear the administration could delay approving the package further as it tries to stabilize relations with Beijing, which strongly opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

The Supreme Court keeps abortion pill mifepristone available by telehealth

The Supreme Court decided to keep the status quo in place for abortion access Thursday. The high court's order means the abortion pill mifepristone will remain available via telehealth as a case brought by Louisiana against the Food and Drug Administration proceeds through the lower courts. The Supreme Court stayed a May 1 ruling from the New Orleans-based, U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals which would have banned mifepristone from being mailed for the whole country. Thursday's decision came in the form of order from the court issued around 5:30 p.m., about 30 minutes past a deadline the court set for itself. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented publicly.

The appeals court ruling would have re-instituted prescribing regulations from before the pandemic that required patients to receive mifepristone in person in a doctor's office or clinic. The FDA determined that in-person dispensing of mifepristone was medically unnecessary in 2021. The state of Louisiana sued the FDA last fall, arguing that telemedicine access undermines the state's abortion ban. This week, FDA's commissioner Dr. Marty Makary resigned under pressure from the White House. It's not clear if this lawsuit played a role in his ouster, but anti-abortion rights groups were vocal about their displeasure with how little he did to restrict abortion in that role.

Read this article at NPR - Subscribers Only

Fed Governor Miran submits resignation, throws support behind Warsh as new chair

Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran officially handed in his resignation letter Thursday, saying he will vacate his spot on the central bank board when or just before new Chair Kevin Warsh takes his seat. Stepping in to fill what was left of an unexpired term last September, Miran served as a contrarian voice on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee. He voted “no” in each of the six meetings he has attended since taking over for Adriana Kugler, who abruptly resigned in August 2025. In his letter, Miran said his brief stint was “the highest honor of my life” and expressed confidence in Warsh, who gained Senate confirmation to the top seat Wednesday. Miran came to the Fed after serving as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.

“Going forward, I am excited about changes Chairman-designate Kevin Warsh and the Federal Reserve may make in areas such as communications policy, balance sheet policy, and keeping the Federal Reserve to its narrow mandate and out of hot-button political and cultural issues,” he wrote. Miran has advocated for lower rates, voting against the three quarter-percentage-point reductions the FOMC approved in 2025. This year, he voted against the three decisions to hold rates steady in favor of quarter-point cuts. In addition, he said he has pushed for a more forward-looking approach to monetary policy and believes the Fed “needs to do a better job accounting for nonmonetary forces and their implications for monetary policy.” Specifically, he cited the impact of lower population growth and immigration on employment and deregulation as a disinflationary force. “I’ve emphasized that given monetary policy lags, policymaking needs to be forward-looking and begin to incorporate these effects now,” Miran said. He also expressed support for a series of moves the Fed has enacted lowering regulatory barriers for banks, and led research showing how the central bank should shrink the size of its balance sheet and its $6.7 trillion in asset holdings.

Read this article at CNBC - Subscribers Only

Emails show Kash Patel went on a 'VIP snorkel' at Pearl Harbor

When Kash Patel visited Hawaii last summer, the FBI took pains to note the director was not on vacation, highlighting his walking tour of the bureau’s Honolulu field office and meetings with local law enforcement. Left out of the FBI’s news releases was an exclusive excursion that Patel took days later when he participated in what government officials described as a “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona in an outing coordinated by the military. The sunken battleship entombs more than 900 sailors and Marines at Pearl Harbor. The swim, revealed in government emails obtained by The Associated Press, comes to light amid criticism of Patel’s use of the FBI plane and his global travel, which have blurred professional responsibilities with leisure activities. The FBI did not disclose the snorkeling session or that Patel had returned to Hawaii for two days after his initial stopover on the island.

“It fits a pattern of Director Patel getting tangled up in unseemly distractions — this time at a site commemorating the second deadliest attack in U.S. history — instead of staying laser-focused on keeping Americans safe,” said Stacey Young, who founded Justice Connection, a network of former federal prosecutors and agents who advocate for the Department of Justice’s independence. With few exceptions, snorkeling and diving are off-limits around the USS Arizona. The battleship, now a military cemetery reachable only by boat, has stood as one of the nation’s most hallowed sites since Japan bombed and sank it in 1941. Marine archaeologists and crews from the National Park Service make occasional dives at the memorial to survey the condition of the wreck. Other dives have been conducted to inter the remains of Arizona survivors who wanted to rest eternally with their former shipmates. Still, since at least the Obama administration, the Navy and the park service have quietly allowed a handful of dignitaries, including military and government officials responsible for management of the memorial, to swim at the site. The Navy and park service declined to provide details of those permitted to take such excursions.

Read this article at Associated Press - Subscribers Only

U.S. moving to indict Cuba's Raúl Castro, sources say

The U.S. is taking steps to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel, in connection with the downing of planes 30 years ago, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The potential indictment — which would need to be approved by a grand jury — is expected to focus on Cuba's deadly 1996 shootdown of planes operated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. The plan comes as the U.S. heaps pressure on the Cuban government. The Trump administration has threatened heavy tariffs on any country that exports oil to Cuba, leading to energy shortages as oil shipments are largely cut off. President Trump has pressed for major reforms in Cuba and has floated a "friendly takeover" of the country.

The pressure on Cuba began to pick up in January, after the U.S. military removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and flew him to New York to face drug charges. Venezuela was a key partner of Cuba's before the operation. Raúl Castro formally stepped down as the leader of Cuba's Communist Party in 2021, but he is still widely seen as one of the most powerful figures in the country. His grandson Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as "Raulito," is viewed as both a representative of the 94-year-old and a key point of contact between the U.S. and Cuba. CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with the younger Castro on Thursday, following an earlier U.S. visit last month. Ratcliffe personally delivered President Trump's message that the U.S. is "prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes," a CIA official said. The official added that Cuba can "no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere." Miami's top federal prosecutor several months ago spearheaded a new initiative targeting Cuban communist leaders. That initiative, which involves federal and local law enforcement and the U.S. Treasury Department, is pursuing prosecutions involving economic crimes, drugs, violent crimes and immigration-related violations, with a focus on targeting those in the Communist Party leadership, CBS News previously reported.

Read this article at CBS News - Subscribers Only

Trump poised to drop IRS suit, launch $1.7B 'weaponization' fund for allies: Sources

President Donald Trump is expected to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The commission overseeing the compensation fund would have the total authority to hand out approximately $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to settle claims brought by anyone who alleges they were harmed by the Biden administration's "weaponization" of the legal system, including the nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as well as potentially entities associated with President Trump himself. While the settlement is expected to be agreed upon in the coming days, sources caution that the final terms will not be set until they are officially announced.

In addition to a public apology from the IRS, the compensation fund is believed to be the main condition for Trump to drop a series of legal actions he filed against the federal government, including the $10 billion lawsuit related to the 2019 leak of his tax returns as well as $230 million in legal claims related to the 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and the Russia collusion investigation he faced during his first term in office, sources familiar with the ongoing deliberations said. The settlement terms are expected to prohibit Trump from directly receiving payments related to those three legal claims; however, entities associated with Trump are not explicitly barred from filing additional claims, sources said. In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for President Trump's legal team told ABC News, "The IRS wrongly allowed a rogue, politically-motivated employee to leak private and confidential information about President Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization to the New York Times, ProPublica and other left-wing news outlets, which was then illegally released to millions of people. President Trump continues to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable."

Read this article at ABC News - Subscribers Only

Penile implant specialist with history of far-right comments led Hantavirus presser

As the Trump administration sought to reassure Americans this week that a hantavirus outbreak posed little risk to the public, Dr. Brian Christine, one of the top public health officials in charge of infectious disease policy, stood before reporters in Nebraska promising a response “grounded in science” and “grounded in transparency.” Before he joined the Trump administration last year, Christine was an Alabama-based urologist who specialized in penile implants. He has little public health experience and a history of far-right commentary and promoting conspiracy theories. He’s said the Covid pandemic led to a wider government plot to control people, compared the Biden administration to Nazi Germany and suggested the Covid vaccine had little effect in stopping the pandemic. He once hosted a YouTube show called “Erection Connection,” a professional YouTube series on erectile dysfunction for fellow urologists.

A CNN review of archived podcast episodes, social media posts and radio appearances found that Christine repeatedly framed public health institutions, the federal government and pandemic-era policies as tools used to target conservatives and religious Americans. In comments made on a podcast he hosted while running for Alabama state Senate in 2022, Christine questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election. He also advocated for abortion bans without exceptions for rape or incest and suggested there may have been a worldwide effort involving George Soros and figures associated with the World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset” to use the pandemic to force small businesses to close. Christine repeatedly criticized Covid mandates, arguing that the vaccines neither prevented disease nor transmission, despite evidence the vaccines prevented millions of deaths. Andrew Nixon, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Media Relations at the US Department of Health and Human Services, told CNN, “Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Christine remains focused on executing President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s agenda to Make America Healthy Again and deliver on President Trump’s Executive Order to protect our children against chemical and surgical mutilation.”

Read this article at CNN - Subscribers Only

Scrutiny ramps up over mystery of missing lawmakers

Scrutiny of lawmakers absent from Washington due to mysterious health issues is ramping up as two House members — Reps. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) — have missed weeks of votes. The absences come as leaders in both parties are encouraging full participation from their members, given the razor-thin margins in the House. And in the instance of Kean, who represents a swing district, the absence could affect his reelection campaign and, by extension, the balance of power in Congress next year. Kean, 57, has not voted since March 5 due to what his campaign called a “personal medical issue,” without further elaboration. And while an April 27 statement said he expects to “return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent” in the “near future,” he remained absent as the House returned this week.

Wilson, 83, has not voted since April 17, though she is expected back in the Capitol next week. Her monthlong absence went largely unexplained and unnoticed until reporter Jamie Dupree noted her absence in a post on the social platform X on Wednesday, leading reporters to ask House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) about it. “She’s recovering from a procedure, and I expect that she’ll be back shortly,” Jeffries told reporters in the Capitol. Republican leaders, by contrast, say they are unaware of what Kean’s actual medical issue is and are not sure when he will be back to work in the House. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Thursday that he spoke to Kean about two weeks ago, and he “sounded great.” “He said he was out on a medical issue and he’ll be back as soon as possible. That’s the full extent of what I know about it,” Johnson said. “It’s a personal thing, and obviously I told him that we’re praying for him, and I need him to get back as soon as he can.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said that he has not spoken to Kean directly.

Read this article at The Hill - Subscribers Only

Frustrations erupt as Senate, House Republicans clash over housing

Senate Republicans are furious that a bipartisan bill they passed to address housing affordability has languished in the House for weeks and undergone revisions that may doom its chances of becoming law before the November election. On Wednesday evening, the House unveiled new legislative text that would scale back the Senate bill’s restriction on institutional investors’ ownership of single-family homes, even though the language was endorsed by President Trump. If the House approves those changes on the floor next week, the bill would need to go back to the Senate for approval before it heads to Trump’s desk. Senate Republicans fear that could ultimately derail what would be the largest housing bill enacted in decades and one they were hoping to tout as a major accomplishment in the fall campaign.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee which crafted the legislation, expressed that there is “an enormous amount of frustration” among his Senate colleagues and “astonishment” that the House did not take action on “a bill, which could lower housing costs in the face of an approaching election, where cost of living is the biggest issue” for several weeks. Kennedy said a small group of House Republicans have “raised hell” over the bill but for weeks did little to actually move the legislation forward, delaying a top legislative priority. This comes just as a small group of House conservatives bogged down a Senate-passed bill to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this spring. “Those who have raised the most hell in the House about the bill have done just nothing for a considerable period of time. And what I discussed with the president on Monday … [was] to see if he could get the bill moving,” Kennedy added. Senate Republicans are worried that the House will wind up killing their top-priority legislation by tinkering with it only months before Election Day. They fear that Senate Democrats could now walk away from the legislation — which initially passed the upper chamber 89-10 — to deprive the GOP of a big policy win ahead of the fall campaign.

Read this article at The Hill - Subscribers Only

Lead Stories

Greg Abbott pushes Texas Supreme Court to oust Rep. Gene Wu for leading last year's quorum break

Gov. Greg Abbott is prodding the Texas Supreme Court to act on his months-old lawsuit to force state Rep. Gene Wu from office because of the Houston Democrat's role leading last year's quorum break that delayed the Republican-led plan to redraw Texas' congressional district boundaries. “He (Wu) clearly abdicated the remainder of his current term," Abbott's lawyer Trevor W. Ezell wrote to the justices in April, the most recent filing in the case that has yet to be scheduled for a hearing. The lawsuit by Abbott is an unprecedented move by a sitting Texas governor. And it's the last lingering ramification for Texas House Democrats, who've already been financially punished by their Republican counterparts for fleeing to the state to fight a map that gives the GOP an advantage in the midterms.

In an interview, Wu called Abbott's lawsuit a sideshow that should be brought to an end and said that he no longer reads the court documents "because they're all just the same nonsense again and again." "I miss having adults in the room," said Wu, who leads the Texas House Democrats. "I really miss having adults in the room in government. Yes, this is politics, but this is serious." Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said the governor also sees the matter as serious, and that he has no intention of backing down. “Governor Abbott is committed to holding absent Democrats like Wu accountable for their dereliction of duty," Mahaleris said in a statement. "This matter remains pending before the Texas Supreme Court. State law—and common sense—require the removal of legislators who violate their constitutional oath.” If Abbott persuades the court to oust Wu, it would only be for the remainder of his current two-year term. Wu is up for re-election in November and if he wins, would be sworn into a new term in January ahead of the next legislative session.

Read this article at San Antonio Express-News - Subscribers Only

Hill County temporarily bans data center construction in what appears to be a Texas first

Homeowners and landowners packed the courtroom Tuesday morning to oppose the possibility of data centers coming to the area. “I am begging you.... No, no, no. We demand you all stand against this,” one Hill County resident said. The vote was close. The four commissioners split evenly, leaving County Judge Shane Brassell to cast the deciding vote in favor of the pause as the courtroom erupted in applause. According to the Texas Tribune, the one-year moratorium appears to be a first by a Texas county. The moratorium applies only to unincorporated land within Hill County. Residents urged commissioners to do everything possible to slow the developments. “We need to do everything we can to slow this down. We don’t want this. I’m not going to sit here and tell you we’re not going to get it, but it ought to be them pushing a million-ton rock up Mount Everest,” resident Tom Lyness said.

But not everyone in the room opposed the projects. A data center developer also addressed commissioners, warning the local economy could miss out on major economic growth. “We’d be bringing a lot of long-term tax revenue to the county to fund your schools and infrastructure, and I’d like to keep an honest, open relationship with the commissioners court,” said Pervez Siddique, chief development officer for Prime Power Inc.. County officials said several construction teams have expressed interest in building data centers in the area. Commissioners said the pause would give them time to weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks before granting approvals. Other homeowners spoke about concerns over noise pollution, traffic and electricity bills during the four-hour public comment period. “If this data center comes and our home value plummets and our utility bills skyrocket, how are we supposed to stay in this rural setting?” a Hill County resident said. However, Siddique assured residents his company would not drive up electricity prices and would work closely with neighbors. “We’re not increasing anyone’s electricity prices because we are generating our own electricity. We are not using more water than the equivalent of five households in Hill County,” Siddique said. During the one-year period, the county plans to conduct studies on traffic, environmental impact and emergency response capacity. Despite the moratorium, commissioners left the door open for exceptions. They could still grant waivers to developers if a proposed project is determined not to pose a threat to public health and safety.

Read this article at KCEN - Subscribers Only

Last-second filings from Camp Mystic attorneys delay lawsuits against them

Travis County District Court Judge Maya Guerra Gamble was not pleased with Camp Mystic’s legal team on Wednesday morning. She was set to spend all day in a courtroom hashing out the latest motions in the five cases against the camp — brought by various parents of the 27 young girls who died at the camp during last summer’s deadly Independence Day floods. “What we were supposed to do today was hear the defendant’s motions to compel arbitration and motions to stay — a hearing for which I was fully prepared, had fully read all the briefings and was fully ready to make a decision” Gamble said. “At midnight, we got an email… so those motions have been withdrawn, so we won’t be doing that today. However, I noticed that they immediately filed — which I don’t have right now — amended motions.”

The action of withdrawing motions itself is not an issue, Gamble said. However in this specific instance, especially with Gamble saying the motions “are “appear to be, in substance, identical,” it may be an issue. “A motion’s just a motion, what I don’t like is the last-second notice,” Gamble said. “I especially don’t like it when I think I know what’s going on because I’m getting emails about Spurs games and weddings in Italy, so I don’t love that.” The Italy wedding referred to Camp Mystic’s lead attorney Mikal Watts, who was absent from today’s hearing. “Friends of mine since high school got married in Italy on a wedding trip this and last week that was planned long before the July 4 tragedy,” Watts told Nexstar in a statement. “Regrettably, because of this wedding celebration – which my wife officiated – I could not attend this week’s Camp Mystic hearings, but look forward to representing my clients in future proceedings.” Brad Beckworth, the lead attorney for CiCi and Will Steward, speculated the withdraw and refiling was a delay tactic. The Steward’s eight-year-old daughter, Cile, is the last victim of last summer’s Camp Mystic floods to not be recovered. “Kind of reminds me of being in grade school when somebody picked a fight and said, ‘Let’s go meet at the football field at noon on Saturday, and we’ll duke it out. They didn’t show,” Beckworth said. “A little subterfuge and trickery at the last minute to avoid their day in court.”

Read this article at KXAN - Subscribers Only

Why the oil crisis could become a full-blown catastrophe within a month

Global oil stockpiles have provided a cushion for the severe production disruptions caused by the U.S. and Israel war’s with Iran — and the resulting near-standstill of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. But as hopes for peace falter and with U.S. inflation hitting a three-year high on Tuesday, analysts are sounding the alarm about dwindling energy reserves. From a geopolitical perspective, the current stalemate in peace negotiations and the mix of ultimatums and extensions could go on for a long time, said Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at Dow Jones Energy.

“But from the point of view of energy, this is a snowball — and every week that passes, you have tighter markets,” Brito said. If the Middle East war doesn’t end quickly, the world — including the Group of 7 developed nations that have relied on their ample oil reserves — “will start facing scarcity,” warned Ipek Ozkardeskaya, an analyst at Swissquote. And analysts at J.P. Morgan recently said that developed countries’ commercial crude stocks could be close to operational stress levels by early June. On paper, global crude inventories are ample, and they include both commercial stockpiles held by companies and strategic stockpiles held by governments. But not every barrel is available, and operating with low levels of inventories causes its own problems. Estimates on exactly how much is stockpiled vary, because both companies and governments are playing it close to the vest: They are not keen on letting the world know exactly how much crude they have stockpiled. Analysts at Morgan Stanley recently pegged global commercial and SPR crude inventories at 5.75 billion barrels, while Societe Generale sees it at about 7.8 billion barrels and J.P. Morgan has it at around 8.2 billion barrels — and all three used a mix of official and private data to arrive at their estimates. For context, there were about 9 billion barrels sitting in inventories back in 2020.

Read this article at Market Watch - Subscribers Only

State Stories

Corpus Christi city council approves revised Level 1 Water Emergency plan on first reading

Corpus Christi city council voted Tuesday to approve the first reading of a revised Level 1 Water Emergency Plan after sending Corpus Christi Water back to the drawing board over concerns about fines and water allotments. Mayor Paulette Guajardo said the council was united in its opposition to certain parts of the original plan. "Every council member up here had something to say about citations, about surcharges," Guajardo said. Corpus Christi city council approves revised Level 1 water emergency plan on first reading The revised plan eliminates the potential $500 citations for residents that council members had opposed. The new plan also increases the baseline water allotment to 8,000 gallons per month. After a 25% curtailment is applied, residents will be allotted 6,000 gallons per month.

Nick Winkelmann, COO of Corpus Christi Water, noted the allotment would only take effect under specific conditions. "That is implemented on the date of a Level One Water Emergency," Winkelmann said. While citations are gone, surcharges remain for customers who exceed their monthly allotments. All customers — residents, businesses, and industry — will be billed $4 per thousand gallons over their allotment. Customers who exceed their baseline will be billed $8 per thousand gallons. At-Large Councilmember Mark Scott suggested the surcharge structure may be too lenient and referenced a tiered format used in 1984. "They charged three dollars for the first thousand gallons, then five dollars for the next thousand gallons over, and then ten dollars for the next thousand gallons over, and then twenty five dollars for the next thousand gallons," Scott said. Under the revised plan, amenities such as splash pads and pools will remain open. Commercial car washes will also be allowed to operate as long as they comply with all drought contingency plan measures.

Read this article at KRIS - Subscribers Only

Why Downtown Dallas can't fill its "zombie" office towers

The downtown Dallas office market is at a crossroads. Overall vacancy is near 30 percent, but the city’s 10 largest office towers are half-empty, with a 48.8 percent vacancy rate, according to data from Downtown Dallas Inc. and Dallas CAD. In all, they account for 6.26 million square feet of empty space. At first glance, the numbers suggest a collapsing office market. Top tenant rep broker Jeff Ellerman of Stream Realty points to Goldman Sachs’ decision to leave downtown for Uptown to show that it might just be. Developer Ray Washburne calls most towers downtown, “basically zombie buildings.” But many developers, brokers, and downtown investors argue the story is more complicated. In some cases, they say, the issue is not demand—it’s infrastructure. More specifically, parking.

Take Bank of America Plaza for example. Technically, the tower is roughly 70 percent leased. But the building is effectively full. That’s because it can’t accommodate additional tenants under modern parking expectations. With 1,336 spaces in its 14-story garage, there simply are not enough places for workers’ cars five days a week. The building would need roughly 1,200 additional parking spaces to truly reach full occupancy, according to Mike Ablon who, alongside Mike Hoque, has intentions to redevelop the tower. (The duo has yet to close on acquiring the property.) “You want to fix downtown?” Ablon says. “Go build 10 parking garages.” That may sound almost absurd in an era dominated by conversations around transit-oriented development, walkability, and the future of remote work. But to many downtown real estate pros, the parking shortage is not a new problem; it’s the predictable outcome of how the city was built. Early versions of downtown were accessed by rail and streetcars. But, unlike older American cities such as New York City or Chicago, Dallas largely came of age after World War II—during the automobile era. The region exploded outward during the postwar economic boom, fueled by highway construction, suburban housing growth, and cheap land. Between the 1950s and 1980s, Dallas spread out.

Read this article at D Magazine - Subscribers Only

Paxton demands Dallas County sheriff work with ICE

The Dallas County sheriff must cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or face legal consequences, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned Wednesday. In a letter to Sheriff Marian Brown, Paxton called her decision not to seek a cooperative partnership with ICE "troubling" and "not yours to make." He provided a deadline of June 1 for Brown to begin the process. "I will not let the people of Dallas County pay the price for your dereliction of duty," Paxton wrote. Brown said in a statement the sheriff's office already "maintains an active working relationship with ICE" and that it "remains committed to continued compliance with applicable state and federal law."

As it seeks to deport roughly 1 million people a year, the Trump administration revived a decades-old program that allows local law enforcement officers to interrogate immigrants and detain them for potential deportation. Typically, that authority is reserved for federal agents. Since President Donald Trump took office, ICE has expanded the program to hundreds of agencies across the country. Texas lawmakers last year passed a bill requiring every Texas sheriff's office with a jail to sign an agreement, formally called a 287(g), with the federal government. Sheriff's offices must sign an agreement by Dec. 1, 2026 under the law, not June 1, Brown noted in her statement. Tarrant, Denton and Ellis counties are among the 300 Texas law enforcement agencies that have signed an agreement. Dallas County has so far declined to do so. Late last year, Brown said she did not plan to pursue an agreement. “No, there are no additional efforts that we’re going to put into it,” she said at an event at the University of North Texas at Dallas.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Regions taps BofA vet to lead Texas growth push

At a moment when “everyone sees Texas as an opportunity,” new Regions executive Christina Clemmons plans to lean on her roots in the state to drive growth for the bank. Having lived and worked in Texas her entire life, Clemmons said she understands the nuances of the state’s various markets. That and the size and scale of the state are “what trips people up sometimes,” said Clemmons, Regions’ Texas consumer banking executive. “You have micro-markets within these big markets,” she said in a recent interview. Clemmons, who’s based in Dallas, recently joined Birmingham, Alabama-based Regions after spending 31 years at Bank of America. Clemmons will lead operations across Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Tyler and east Texas. An area of particular focus for Clemmons: expanding the regional bank’s reach in serving small-business owners in the state.

Fast-growing Texas continues to benefit from population growth and business relocation, creating “tremendous opportunity” for the $161 billion-asset bank to go after, she said. To be sure, Regions faces a raft of competitors racing to capture more business within Texas, from locally based Frost Bank and Texas Capital, to bigger lenders such as Bank of America, PNC and Truist, to Ohio-based regionals Fifth Third and Huntington. Regions’ deposit market share for the county in which Dallas is located was 0.74% as of the most recent Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data from June 2025. In the county that covers Fort Worth, it was 0.83%. In Austin’s county, it was 0.88%; in Houston’s, 0.54%. Regions’ Texas-based subsidiary, Ascentium Capital, which provides small businesses with lending options for equipment purchases, is a notable component in the bank’s ability to serve entrepreneurs, Clemmons said. Regions is also upskilling some retail bank staff to meet the needs of small-business clients, she noted. And in April, CEO John Turner said the bank is deploying a small-business digital origination platform at the end of the month, which brings a “fairly significant improvement in our digital offering” for small businesses.

Read this article at Banking Dive - Subscribers Only

Longtime KUT host Jennifer Stayton stepping away from 'the best job' in public radio

After 22 years greeting Austin first thing in the morning, Jennifer Stayton is hitting the snooze button. KUT News’ longtime Morning Edition host will be moving to a later time slot on air, as well as focusing on special events and reporting on a soon-to-launch project about aging in Austin. Prior to her early morning tenure with KUT, Stayton also spent a few years as the Morning Edition host for WAER in Syracuse, N.Y. “So we're pushing 25 years of getting up, you know, around 4 a.m., if not a bit earlier,” she told Jimmy Maas, KUT’s program director. “I'm ready to sleep a little bit later, quite honestly.”

"I will be on the air from 9 to noon, Monday through Friday, once we have someone who is going to slide into Morning Edition; that's going to take a few months. So this schedule will also allow me maybe to slide in and host Austin Signal a few more times when Jerry [Quijano] needs a break from hosting duties, maybe hop into All Things Considered when, you know, folks are on vacation. Looking forward to kind of hopping around and hosting different things on the schedule. And then, I know we're gonna talk more about this later, but I'll be doing some interviews, some special events, and some reporting around a project we are launching about aging in Austin," she said.

Read this article at KUT - Subscribers Only

Sen. John Cornyn's 'Ken' dolls target AG Ken Paxton's scandals

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is rolling a line of "Ken" dolls, but not the kind typically remembered as Barbie's beau. In a recent ad, Cornyn, R-TX, is taking aim at his U.S. Senate primary runoff opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, with a collection of dolls meant to shed light on the attorney general's numerous scandals over the years. "Twelve years as attorney general," a news release from Cornyn's campaign stated. "One federal indictment. Eight of his own staffers blowing the whistle on him. A mistress conveniently employed by the donor whose FBI investigation needed to disappear. A child sex trafficker he personally cut loose. An impeachment his own party showed up to vote yes on.

"The dolls practically built themselves." In all, 10 dolls can be found on the senator's website representing a variety of familiar Paxton scandals — Kentucky Derby Ken comes complete with a mistress and taxpayer-funded security detail; Mortgage Fraud Ken comes with four "primary residences" and 11 total houses; Soft on Crime Ken comes with a "Get Out of Jail Free" card for a child sex trafficker. "Every accessory is real," the campaign noted. "Every scandal is documented. Every doll is waiting for you. "Texas deserves better than Crooked Ken. The collection agrees."

Read this article at El Paso Times - Subscribers Only

Hartzell defends UT response to 2024 pro-Palestine protest

Former University of Texas President Jay Hartzell returned to Austin on Tuesday to testify that he was not in contact with Gov. Greg Abbott during a 2024 pro-Palestinian protest that resulted in the arrest of more than 50 people. The current leader of Southern Methodist University insisted that he decided to cancel the 2024 demonstration due to worries it would disrupt campus, not over the viewpoint of the protesters. In two hours under questioning, Hartzell connected the actions of Austin pro-Palestinian protesters to the tactics of a national movement disrupting colleges across the country with widespread student encampments or building occupations in spring 2024. “Columbia (University) was front and center on my mind,” Hartzell said. “It looked to me that the clear intent was to do things at UT Austin that happened at Columbia.”

This is the first lawsuit that has gone to trial related to the April 24, 2024 protest where 57 people were arrested for conduct protesters asserted was peaceful, but university leaders, including Hartzell, said broke university rules. The trial began on Monday and is expected to wrap up by Wednesday. Hartzell, who led the university at the time, cancelled the protest on April 23, 2024 because he believed it would resemble other pro-Palestine encampments taking place across the country. Students and community members still gathered on April 24, setting the stage for a stand-off between protesters and law enforcement on Speedway and UT’s South Lawn. Qaddumi, a student leader with the Palestine Solidarity Committee, which organized the April 24 protest, was the first person arrested at the demonstration, which student leaders, including Qaddumi, insisted would abide by university rules. After UT’s dean of students ruled to suspend Qaddumi for three semesters for his role in the protest, the former UT student sued the university for retaliation and viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pitman will decide whether to strike the suspension from Qaddumi’s record. Qaddumi is expected to graduate from UT in May, according to court documents. At Hartzell’s request, more than 100 state troopers and 30 UT police officers responded to the event. Though Abbott oversees the Department of Public Safety, Hartzell acted alone in asking for help, he said.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

Peter Thiel-backed, crypto-based bank to launch in Dallas

A proposed crypto-based bank, headquartered in Dallas, is a step closer to fruition. Augustus National Bank received preliminary conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on May 8. It plans to be a branchless full-service insured national bank with a wholly owned stablecoin subsidiary, “to engage in issuance, custody, conversion, and payment of U.S. dollar-denominated reserve-backed stablecoins,” according to the OCC’s decision filing.

The company, rebranded from its earlier iteration Ivy, said it aims to revamp a “clearing model [that] runs on legacy correspondents that are closed 115 days a year, built for humans, and take two days to settle.” “Legacy banks are made of paper, Augustus is made of code,” co-founder Ferdinand Dabitz said in a statement. “It’s obvious we need to upgrade clearing to the [artificial intelligence] era. But only this unique regulatory moment at the intersection of US financial regulatory innovation, the Genius Act, and AI enables us to finally do so.” Dabitz, 25, would be CEO of Augustus Bank, N.A. – becoming the youngest CEO of a federally chartered bank in more than 100 years, the company said.

Read this article at Banking Dive and Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Texas Tech ‘On and On’ campaign surpasses $1 billion in donations

Texas Tech University’s ‘ON&ON’ fundraising campaign has raised more than one billion dollars, creating endless possibilities to impact future generations, President Lawrence Schovanec said. “Because of this campaign, we have been able to create over 600 new scholarship endowments and when you talk about going forward, those funds will always be there in the future to support students,” Schovanec said.

The fundraising campaign publicly launched in 2024 and has received more than 80,000 donations, including 37,000 first-time donors. Schovanec said one of the biggest impacts is the ability to provide financial support to students. “How special are those graduates from Texas Tech, when other students hear of their success, they also want to be part of that, and it’s very and its very competitive environment to be able to provide financial support,” Schovanec said. “When I talk to advisors, the most common thing I what on what really closed the deal, is probably financial support.” The campaign will also build and enhance facilities and programs the university offers, with some construction and upgrades already taking place. “The design village will house architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, construction engineering, six or seven colleges will be in that building,” Schovanec said. “The building in the Davis College of Agricultural sciences and natural resources, another project that will start this summer, so there is a lot of effort to raise funds for that building as well.”

Read this article at KCBD - Subscribers Only

Austin law firm to sue Denver over 'preventable' runway death involving Frontier flight

An Austin-based law firm is preparing to sue the city and county of Denver on behalf of passengers who were on board the Frontier Airlines flight involved in last week’s deadly incident at Denver International Airport. Attorneys with DJC Law told KVUE they are representing about four Denver-area passengers who were on board the flight and are working alongside Ramos Law, which is representing additional passengers. The incident happened on Friday as the Frontier Airlines plane was taking off for Los Angeles with 231 people onboard. Officials said the aircraft struck and killed a person on the runway after that individual jumped a perimeter fence.

Airport officials said there was also a brief engine fire, causing smoke to fill the cabin. All passengers and crew members evacuated the plane. Twelve people were injured, and five were taken to the hospital. Attorney Andres Pereira with DJC Law said his clients expected safe travel but instead experienced a “preventable aviation incident” that left them with physical and psychological injuries. “I have three clients right now who were sitting in a row right next to the engine, and they actually saw portions of the individual's body go through the engine, which you can imagine must be a very traumatic experience,” Pereira said. “As soon as that occurred, of course, everybody on the aircraft, my clients included, they all thought they were going to die.” Pereira said some of his clients suffered smoke inhalation, while another was injured while evacuating down the emergency slide. The law firm claims there were “multiple failures in the design, maintenance, monitoring, and operation of the airport’s perimeter security and intrusion-detection systems,” as well as failures to timely notify air traffic control and to halt operations on the runway after the breach. Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident. Pereira said a formal Notice of Claim was served on Tuesday, and attorneys expect to file an official lawsuit in the coming days.

Read this article at KVUE - Subscribers Only

How Texas’ foster care fix fell apart in North Texas

On March 14, a baby with big brown eyes and dark brown curls died in a Dallas hospital days after spending her first birthday on life support. Athaliah Leilani Silva Bernal, whose family said she was hospitalized with head trauma, died from what the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services called “intentional injuries.” The fate of Athaliah was the breaking point for a child welfare system already under scrutiny. At 2 months old, she was removed from her parents for suspected child abuse but was later returned and not regularly checked on, according to DFPS. Four days after her death, a judge placed the private contractor in charge of managing all Child Protective Services cases in the Dallas area under state supervision.

The judge’s receivership ruling is the first of its kind in Texas since legislators nearly a decade ago implemented a statewide “community-based care” model in which private contractors handle the management of child welfare cases. Empower, the contractor over Dallas and eight surrounding counties, is currently under review for failures to keep kids safe. In the request for receivership filed by DFPS, which administers the state’s child welfare system, the agency laid out a biting assessment of Empower’s performance since it began managing CPS cases two years ago. The petition called out “systemic failures” that place children in “imminent danger,” such as a lack of in-person visits with kids and case files missing critical information. It said exhaustive efforts to address those failures — including more than a dozen quality improvement plans and two corrective action plans — were unsuccessful, warranting the “extraordinary” step to request receivership. North Texas’ at-risk children have been at the center of such concerns before.

Read this article at Lab Report Dallas - Subscribers Only

Nearly every Lake Worth takeover manager lives outside the district. Why?

Four of the five people governing Lake Worth ISD under a state takeover live outside the district, according to property records and a Fort Worth Report analysis. Only longtime Lake Worth educator Judy Starnes appears to live within Lake Worth ISD boundaries based on Tarrant Appraisal District records. Others are tied to addresses in Fort Worth neighborhoods outside the district, including areas near downtown and the Ridgmar corridor. The board of managers and new superintendent are tasked with reversing years of low academic performance in the 3,200-student district. Board President Tom Harris said several members were recruited by the Texas Education Agency after participating in governance training connected to Fort Worth ISD’s takeover process. Harris, Ken Nichols and Mason Sneed all applied to serve on FWISD’s takeover board, according to previous Fort Worth Report findings.

Managers volunteered for the role because they want to help guide the district, Superintendent Ena Meyers, teachers and administrators as they work to give students the opportunity to excel in the classroom, Harris said. “The entire LWISD board of managers believes all students deserve a high-quality education regardless of their ZIP code and look forward to engaging with the community as we move forward,” he said in an emailed statement. The residence of two members, Amy Morgan and Ken Nichols, could not be confirmed through available public records. The makeup of the board reflects both how the state selects managers and the limited number of Lake Worth residents who applied to serve. Only 19 people applied for positions on the board of managers, according to updated data the Texas Education Agency released alongside its appointment of the managers and new Superintendent Ena Meyers. Of those, only four lived within district boundaries. Texas law does not always require board of managers members to live in the district they oversee, agency spokesperson Jake Kobersky said.

Read this article at Fort Worth Report - Subscribers Only

Houston World Cup Committee hones in on transport details

World Cup Houston Host Committee members have a lot of messages to share with the public in the final month before festivities kick off on June 14, but one directive was loud and clear at a press briefing on Monday: Take the METRO. Host committee officials expect 500,000 people to visit Houston between mid-June and July 4, although they have emphasized that not all the guests will be in town at the same time. Seven World Cup matches are scheduled at NRG Stadium, rebranded as Houston Stadium, on June 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, and July 4. A free Fan Festival is planned in East Downtown from June 11 through July 19, where people can watch the soccer matches on one of nine big screens and enjoy food, entertainment and family-friendly activities.

But there’s a growing concern from Houstonians about how the long-term event will affect their work commutes. Thus, the advice repeated at Monday’s media briefing was to take the METRO whenever possible, whether you’re an international traveler or a Houston resident. Host committee officials say they’re confident that Houston has the capacity to accommodate the largest sporting event in the world and its fans, but they’re preparing for every possible scenario, including heat-related illnesses, a possible tropical storm, cyber attacks, human trafficking, immigration raids, infectious diseases and, of course, gridlock along Houston highways. METRO’s goal is to make the light rail an easy choice for guests while keeping daily commuters happy, said Elizabeth Brock, chair of the transit authority’s board of directors. Buses will depart from Bush and Hobby airports every 30 minutes and go downtown, where travelers can connect to a rail line, bus or an on-demand service to take them to a hotel.

Read this article at Houston Press - Subscribers Only

Frisco pastor calls Islam 'demonic agenda,' says mayoral race is 'spiritual battle'

In Frisco, a mayor’s race that might ordinarily have been fought over issues of zoning and development has become a “spiritual battle for the soul of the city,” according to Keith Craft, lead pastor at Elevate Life Church. He made the remark from the pulpit the day after the May 2 election in which Rod Vilhauer, a member of the nondenominational church, garnered about a third of the vote and advanced to a runoff. On stage in front of a sanctuary that accommodates about 3,000 in stadium-style seating, Craft warned his congregation that Muslims were “making a play” for Frisco and that Islam was not a religion but an “ideology from hell.”

He said Vilhauer, who stood a few rows from the church’s stage, was the right man to lead the city. He laid his hands on Vilhauer’s head as members of the congregation, with outstretched hands, joined him in asking God to give the candidate “wisdom, knowledge and divine favor” as he continues to campaign. Four candidates were on the ballot in Frisco, the first time in nine years that city residents had a chance to weigh in on an open seat for mayor. In that time, the city’s population grew by about 40% and has grown more diverse in terms of race and religion. No candidate won a majority of votes, so Vilhauer will face outgoing Frisco ISD board trustee Mark Hill in a June 13 runoff. Vilhauer, 65, is a retired construction business owner who has lived in Frisco since 1986. At a late April service, Craft said he first met Vilhauer in 1998 soon after he landed in Frisco, after years of preaching around the world with a group of Christian bodybuilders. Craft began holding services out of an elementary school when Frisco was what he called a “little Podunk town” with fewer than 30,000 residents. Rodman, the construction company Vilhauer co-owned, undertook about $6 million worth of excavation work at the site of the church’s first building in the early 2000s. Vilhauer was also the first person to donate $1 million to the church in a single check, Craft said. Several of Vilhauer’s campaign volunteers and staffers are people he met through Elevate Life Church.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

National Stories

The White House is meeting with DOJ, DHS and USPS about creating voter lists

President Donald Trump’s attempt to impose federally approved voter lists on states and restrict mail-in voting is moving full-steam ahead. White House officials have held discussions in recent weeks about putting the plan into action with the help of the Justice Department, the postmaster general and a known election conspiracy theorist who’s been put in charge of “election integrity” at the Department of Homeland Security. According to a government official with direct knowledge of these discussions, the talks have involved top administration officials at particular departments. The official responsibilities of the individuals involved hints at how the government is planning to implement — and defend — the policy in court. This source provided evidence that these discussions have involved DOJ Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon and her deputies; U.S. Postal Service CEO David Steiner; and Heather Honey, a far-right activist whose disproven research fueled Trump’s 2020 election challenges.

Honey is now the DHS deputy assistant secretary for election integrity in the department’s Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans. She has been described as a “protege” of Cleta Mitchell, a Republican lawyer who guided Trump as he attempted to cling to power after losing his 2020 reelection bid. Trump’s March 31 executive order, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” tasks DHS with establishing what it calls a “state citizenship list” and calls for the DOJ to “prioritize” the prosecution of state and local officials who distribute ballots to anyone not eligible to vote. The nation’s postal service is also ordered to create rules that would force states to submit rosters of eligible voters to USPS in order to distribute mail-in ballots. Progressive groups have decried the maneuver as an attempt to violate the Constitution by having the federal government seize control of state-run elections. Speaking on background, a White House staffer would not acknowledge that these discussions have taken place but said “it is standard process for administration officials to coordinate on implementing President Trump’s executive orders. We do not comment on private meetings that may or may not have happened.”

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

Five takeaways from the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing so far

The U.S. and China agreed to forge more cooperative ties at their summit in Beijing on Thursday, in a high-stakes meeting full of friendly gestures between two countries that have been battling for years on issues ranging from intellectual property and human rights to technology and trade. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to develop a “constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability,” according to Beijing’s official English readout of the summit. Beijing will treat this as the guiding framework for the next three years and beyond, he said. The strategic positioning would be led by cooperation and “measured competition” with manageable differences, Xi said, according to the readout, while stressing that the framework must be translated into concrete actions.

The two countries’ trade envoys reached “overall balanced and positive outcomes” at the preparatory summit in South Korea on Wednesday, according to Xi. That delegation was led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. “Both sides should work together to preserve this hard-won positive momentum,” Xi said. Beijing welcomes deeper commercial engagement from the U.S., he said, and “China’s door to opening up will only open wider.” The comments came as a dozen business leaders from some of the biggest American companies joined Trump’s visit, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. Both sides should make better use of diplomatic and military communication channels, Xi said. He also called for deeper cooperation in economic and trade issues, agriculture and tourism. Trump, Xi and their teams discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation, including expanding market access for U.S. businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into American industries, according to a White House official.

Read this article at CNBC - Subscribers Only

Venezuela embarks on $150 billion restructuring of debt amid political turmoil

The Venezuelan government announced Wednesday that it has begun a “comprehensive and orderly process” for restructuring its enormous sovereign and state oil company debt. In a statement, Venezuela’s economics and finance ministry said the intention was to “put the economy at the service of the Venezuelan people and free the country from the burden of accumulated debt.” “Venezuela demonstrated solvency throughout the years, fully complying with all its international obligations. This capacity and willingness to meet our financial commitments was impeded from 2017 onward as a result of financial sanctions,” the government said. “For too long, the country has been deprived of normal access to financing, and its economy lost the capacity to invest in health, electricity, water, education, infrastructure, productive recovery, and the well-being of its population.”

The restructuring process aims to guarantee substantial debt relief, officials said, which will be used to benefit the country and its population. “Venezuela will fulfill its commitments sustainably and will do so under the conditions that the Venezuelan people deserve, building a solid path to recover well-being, justice, and social equality,” the statement said. In 2017, during his first presidential term, Donald Trump slapped financial sanctions on Venezuela in a bid to restrict the Maduro regime’s access to capital. In January, an extraordinary U.S. military operation saw American troops capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to the U.S., where he was indicted on narco-terrorism conspiracy and other charges alongside his wife Cilia Flores. Both Maduro and Flores have denied any wrongdoing.

Read this article at CNBC - Subscribers Only

Russia keeps attacking U.S. firms in Ukraine. The White House is silent.

The Russian drones slammed into the American-owned warehouses one after another. Each announced its arrival with an eerie whine. Then came the blasts, ripping through a vast grain terminal in southern Ukraine and lighting up the night sky. Seven drones in three minutes. The target, according to a video of the mid-April attack recorded by a truck driver, was the U.S. farming giant Cargill. “This is insane,” the driver is heard repeating in the video, which was obtained and verified by The New York Times. “This is insane.” The attack was one of the latest in a series of Russian strikes on major American companies since last summer, including facilities tied to Coca-Cola, Boeing, the snacks maker Mondelez and the tobacco giant Philip Morris.

The corporations have largely avoided publicizing the strikes, wary of alarming investors and insurers. While Ukraine has disclosed several attacks on American assets, the strikes on Cargill and Coca-Cola have not been previously reported. Russia’s motivation for striking U.S. companies is unclear. Some Ukrainian business figures say the attacks are part of a broader campaign targeting all types of assets, regardless of companies’ nationality, aimed at choking off the country’s economy. Others see a more focused goal: to deter U.S. investment just as Kyiv is trying to deepen business ties with a deal-making White House. The companies have quietly raised concerns with U.S. officials about what they see as a deliberate and escalating campaign against American business interests in Ukraine. The White House, despite its pledge to defend U.S. commercial interests abroad, has been muted in its response. The Trump administration has not condemned any of the attacks that Ukraine has made public this year. After U.S. diplomats in Kyiv and Ukrainian business figures and officials warned about the attacks, the administration offered a response that amounted to little more than an acknowledgment of the concerns, according to three people familiar with the exchanges, who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal matters.

Read this article at New York Times - Subscribers Only

Trump White House explores 250 pardons to mark America’s 250th birthday

White House officials are weighing a plan for President Trump to issue 250 pardons as a way to mark the celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday this summer, according to people familiar with the matter. The plan is still in preliminary discussions but, if carried out, would expand Trump’s already wide use of the pardon power. His apparent willingness to grant pardons has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle and encouraged some high-profile candidates to openly campaign to have their convictions or alleged crimes wiped away with a signature. Some in the White House have raised concerns about doing too many more pardons, or any at all, before the midterm elections this fall, some of the people said. Trump could announce the 250 acts of mercy on June 14, which is both Flag Day and his birthday, or on the Fourth of July, some of the people said.

A White House official said there are always conversations about how to best carry out the president’s priorities, but no decisions had been made. Trump is the ultimate decision maker on any clemency-related actions, the official added. Trump has been determined to put his imprint on the national celebration, known as the semiquincentennial. He has pushed for a National Garden of American Heroes featuring 250 life-size statues of figures including past presidents George Washington and Ronald Reagan and baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson. He has launched plans for the “Patriot Games,” athletic competitions featuring high-schoolers. And he has commissioned the repainting of the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Throughout history, kings and popes traditionally celebrated “jubilee” years with granting pardons and forgiving sins. Ed Martin, the Trump-appointed pardon attorney at the Justice Department, harked to that history earlier this year in a guest essay published in “Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture,” writing that pardons were “especially essential to the administration of justice” to past rulers.

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

How a legal challenge over gender dysphoria became a fight for disability rights

Charlotte Cravins’ son Landry turned 2 in January. He’s a smiley little boy who loves singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and recently got his first pair of glasses. Landry was born with Down syndrome and has impaired vision. He receives publicly funded therapies that have helped him learn to crawl, to pull himself up to stand, and to use American Sign Language. Landry lives with his parents and sister in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, one of the eight states whose attorney general has chosen to remain in a lawsuit challenging a federal rule that protects accommodations for people with disabilities. States are asking a federal court in Texas to declare unconstitutional a part of federal law that requires states to provide services to disabled people in their communities, rather than in institutions, when appropriate.

Cravins, an attorney, has followed the case with increasing concern. If the states succeed, that could strip disabled people like her son of the right to publicly funded services that allow them to live in their own homes and neighborhoods, and instead push them into institutions such as state hospitals and nursing homes. “Landry is a part of our family, a part of the community,” she said, “and to present his involvement in our family and in our community as a burden is unconscionable.” The lawsuit is unusual. It began in 2024 with 17 Republican-led states suing the Biden administration over its inclusion of gender dysphoria as a protected disability under a portion of federal law known as Section 504. The states also challenged the constitutionality of Section 504 itself. But the suit has since morphed into something different. After President Donald Trump was reelected and his administration made clear it would not enforce the Biden rule protecting gender dysphoria, eight states pulled out of the lawsuit.

Read this article at The 19th - Subscribers Only

Inside Marty Makary’s downfall at the FDA

In the end, Dr. Marty Makary had just about run out of allies. The chorus calling for the Food and Drug Administration commissioner to be ousted—from inside and outside the administration—grew so loud that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles went to President Trump last week to discuss the concerns about his leadership, according to people familiar with the matter. She had previously defended him and liked the former Johns Hopkins surgeon. Earlier in the week, Wiles discussed with Chris Klomp, the No. 2 official at the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the FDA, the reasons Makary had become a net liability for the administration, the people said. Those conversations followed a decision made privately by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who around the end of April concluded he would need to replace Makary, the people said. Kennedy directed Klomp to lead the effort to find a replacement.

Makary’s downfall was cemented Tuesday when Trump announced Makary was leaving his role, capping a tumultuous 13-month run leading an agency that regulates about one-fifth of U.S. consumer spending. He had upset advocates for vaping and rare-disease patients, antiabortion groups, and some drug-industry leaders—as well as other officials in the administration. Senior officials told Makary on Monday that they believed he needed to go, according to people familiar with the discussion. On Tuesday, the president posted on his Truth Social platform a screenshot of a text message that included Makary’s resignation. “It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your FDA Commissioner,” Makary said. “I am forever grateful.” White House spokesman Kush Desai said: “President Trump pledged to accelerate innovation in the United States, lower drug prices, and Make America Healthy Again. The FDA will continue to build on Commissioner Makary’s historic work delivering on these presidential priorities.” Senior leaders in the White House increasingly concluded Makary was out of step with the president’s priorities on vaping and other policy issues, people familiar with the matter said.

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

Amazon looks to redefine a need for speed with 30-minute deliveries

More than 20 years after it redefined fast shipping, Amazon is preparing to raise the bar on consumer expectations again by offering to fulfill customers’ most urgent product needs in a half-hour or less for an extra fee. The company, which revolutionized online shopping in 2005 with two-day deliveries for Prime members, is rapidly opening small order-processing hubs in dozens of U.S. and foreign cities to cater to shoppers who can’t or don’t want to wait for cough medicine to relieve flu symptoms or tomatoes for tonight’s dinner salad. The ultrafast service, called Amazon Now, first launched in India last June. Amazon says 30-minute deliveries now are also available in urban areas of Brazil, Mexico, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The mini-warehouses devoted to Amazon Now are about the size of a CVS drugstore. They stock about 3,500 products for expedited delivery, including beer, diapers, pet food, meat, nonprescription medications, playing cards and cellphone charging cables. "We know that customers love speed and always have," Beryl Tomay, Amazon's head of transportation, told The Associated Press on Monday. "What we see customers doing, when we offer faster speeds, are they purchase more from Amazon. And Amazon becomes more top of mind for that or other types of items as well." In the U.S., the company first tested Amazon Now in Seattle, the home of its headquarters, and in Philadelphia. Most residents of Atlanta and the Dallas-Fort Worth area now have access as well. The service is also live in Houston, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Florida, and dozens of other cities, Amazon said, with New York City and others expected by year-end.

Read this article at Associated Press - Subscribers Only

Across the borderlands, wall construction threatens sacred sites

On October 22, 1992, Mount Kuchamaa—a 3,900-foot-high peak spanning Southern California and Baja California—became the first site listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its cultural and religious significance to a Native American tribe. The mountain is sacred to the Kumeyaay people, whose homeland spans San Diego County and northern Baja California. Also known as Tecate Peak, the rugged Kuchamaa (Cuchumá in Spanish) is strewn with granite boulders and covered in green chaparral plants. It holds rare, endemic forests of Tecate Cypress, and on clear days, the Pacific Ocean is visible from its peak. In Kumeyaay cosmology, Mount Kuchamaa is considered the home of the spirit of a shaman, also named Kuchamaa, who taught the tribe their rituals and directed them to stop fighting one another. Traditionally, the mountain has served as a site where the tribe trains its religious leaders. In the 1980s, tribal elders recounted to an anthropologist a case in which shamans had danced so much “that they wore a circular rut in the rock on the mountain top.”

In April, however, federal contractors from Fisher Sand and Gravel Company began dynamiting the sacred mountain, despite efforts by the Kumeyaay and surrounding communities to convey its importance to the Trump administration. Explosions sent plumes of smoke billowing from the mountain’s hillside. Heavy machinery moved across dirt roads. The mountain was being sacrificed for the construction of a second border wall. Unable to persuade Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to stop the desecration of Kuchamaa, on April 12, “dozens of residents, including Kumeyaay people on the Mexican side, gathered on a small Tecate soccer field in the shadow of the existing border fence” to perform a ceremony honoring the mountain, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Kuchamaa is not the borderlands’ only sacred site facing irreparable damage. In July 2025, the Trump administration and the Republican Congress’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated more than $46 million for border barriers—over three times the amount spent during the first Trump administration. New sections of steel wall are now under rapid construction across the region, including second walls running parallel to those constructed in previous administrations and walls in areas previously left intact because of geological challenges or concessions for environmentally sensitive areas. From California to Texas, this unprecedented escalation of construction is threatening sites sacred to borderland communities.

Read this article at Border Chronicle - Subscribers Only

Lead Stories

Austin agrees to pay $35 million to men exonerated in yogurt shop murders case

The city of Austin plans to pay $35 million to three men and the family of a fourth who were wrongly accused in Austin’s yogurt shop murders case, the American-Statesman has confirmed. The tentative settlement, reached Tuesday, would resolve claims that Austin police misconduct upended the men’s lives for decades and sent one of them to Texas’ death row. The agreement still requires City Council approval. If approved, the settlement would mark the largest payout in city history and likely require it to borrow money through bonds or loans. It also would rank among the nation’s larger wrongful conviction settlements, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.

There is no timeline for finalizing the agreement, but City Council members have met multiple times in recent executive sessions to discuss the city’s strategy. The city also hired prominent Austin attorney Dan Richards to negotiate on its behalf. Mayor Kirk Watson said in a statement that "there is nothing I can say to undo past wrongs. We can only mitigate our mistakes with action. I hope the exonerations bring some relief and closure. And I hope that this proposed financial settlement agreement also brings some relief and closure." "This settlement closes the final chapter of a devastating story in Austin's history," City Manager T.C. Broadnax said in a statement. "We are pleased to have reached an agreement with those who were wrongly accused and wrongly convicted in this case and hope that this settlement brings a sense of closure to everyone affected by this horrific event." By resolving the matter, officials hope to avoid a lawsuit expected to be filed by Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn and the family of Maurice Pierce.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

Ex-Texas Lottery Director quietly indicted - then unindicted

Gary Grief, the former director of the Texas Lottery Commission who has absorbed much of the blame for the agency’s role in helping international gamblers engineer a $95 million Lotto jackpot win in 2023, was indicted for abuse of public office, according to documents filed in Travis County District Court. The case, a first-degree felony, was then quickly dismissed, documents show. According to the bare-bones filing, Grief, who retired from his lottery position in early 2024, was indicted by a grand jury on April 16. The indictment alleged he “intentionally and knowingly misuse(d) government property,” specifically, “the Lotto Texas drawing held on April 22, 2023, and the value of the use of the said Lotto Texas drawing was of the value of $300,000 or more.”

The case was dismissed the following day by the Travis County District Attorney’s office for “prosecutorial discretion,” according to court documents. The assistant district attorney who dismissed the case did not return a phone call seeking comment. Nor did Grief’s last known attorney, Sam Bassett. The speedy and unexplained dismissal of the serious criminal indictment of a former high-level state official adds another element of mystery to a scheme that last year consumed the Texas Legislature. It resulted in the resignation of the Texas Lottery Commission’s executive director, the dismantling of the agency and at least two state investigations. The lottery is now overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. With the Lotto jackpot swollen to $95 million, on April 22, 2023, a single buyer purchased virtually all of the possible 25.8 million number combinations for the game, guaranteeing that one of its tickets would be the winner. No other player guessed the correct six numbers, and two months later the State of Texas handed an entity called Rook TX a $57.8 million check. The company collected another $2.5 million from lesser prizes.

Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only

As Republicans carve up Black districts, Democrats pivot to a new midterm message

As Republicans carve up Black districts, Democrats pivot to a new midterm message Democrats will be unable to respond to the GOP’s redistricting gains before the November elections, and are now turning the mapmaking fight into a political messaging battle. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and members of the Congressional Black Caucus speak to reporters House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and members of the Congressional Black Caucus speak in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling to strike down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana, at the Capitol in Washington, on April 29, 2026. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP By Andrew Howard 05/12/2026 04:40 AM EDT Updated: 05/12/2026 10:13 AM EDT Democrats are changing their redistricting strategy — again. Just two weeks after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries promised to invoke “maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time,” his side has been forced to shift drastically into a defensive posture thanks to a pair of court rulings that moved the House map toward the GOP. Now, with little to no chances left to redistrict ahead of November to counter GOP gains of 10 favorable House seats or more, Democrats are stuck doing something they know all too well: blaming President Donald Trump, and hoping it will spur voters to turn out for them in the midterms. In statements and interviews since Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down state Democrats’ new congressional map and the high court narrowed the Voting Rights Act, the party is arguing that Republicans’ aggressive moves to dismantle Black- and Hispanic-majority districts in the South will outrage voters of color and spur them to the polls in record numbers.

“Given the highly unfavorable political environment confronting House Republicans, the extremists will not meaningfully benefit from their scandalous gerrymandering scheme,” Jeffries said in a Monday “Dear Colleague” letter. “Quite the opposite. Democratic enthusiasm and resolve have grown more intense.” Democrats are looking to turn that argument into a political silver lining. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has begun recruiting candidates to run in Southern states where GOP lawmakers are mulling redraws — like South Carolina, where the party is betting Republicans will miscalculate and accidentally create a new battleground seat, according to one person familiar with the effort granted anonymity to discuss it. There are also numerous districts on the DCCC’s list of battleground seats where Black voters — who are being targeted by the Southern redraws — make up significant shares of the population and could be motivated to vote by what Democrats see as attempts to suppress the community’s sway. “Democrats are gonna be able to go into African American communities and say, ‘Republicans are doing everything they can to take away your political power,’” said Democratic strategist Ian Russell, who served as the DCCC political director in 2014 and 2016 and still works on House races across the country. “That’s a really salient message.”

Read this article at Politico - Subscribers Only

FBI created ‘Payback Squad’ to handle political cases, sources say

The FBI now has a team of special agents that’s being internally referred to as the “payback squad” specifically put together to handle politically sensitive cases, according to four sources briefed on the matter who spoke to NOTUS on the condition of anonymity. The team is understood to be made up of agents who are willing to pursue political targets set by the Trump administration, with one current government official noting that investigators are tasked with building cases similar to the recent criminal prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey. The sources — which include two current government officials, a former official and a fourth person familiar with current operations — differed on whether the squad is based out of Washington headquarters or New York. A current law enforcement official described the squad as a team of agents who know what they’re signing up for and work temporary rotations at an off-site location away from standard FBI field offices as part of an effort that began roughly a year ago.

Asked about the matter, a senior FBI official speaking on background denied that a new squad was created with that particular name. However, this person said bureau personnel are likely referring to an effort stemming from what is officially called the Director’s Advisory Team, a group that was created early last year as a “special investigative” unit tasked with “getting to the bottom of some abuses of power that happened” during the previous three presidential administrations. That relatively new investigative team was “detached” from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and has recently added new agents out of New York, the senior official said. This official said the Director’s Advisory Team is currently building a criminal case that seeks to charge former top government officials with a “grand conspiracy” against President Donald Trump. That particular investigation aims to indict former CIA Director John Brennan in the coming weeks, likely in South Florida, according to two other officials with knowledge of the matter. The Director’s Advisory Team includes former FBI agent John Eckenrode, who previously worked on the special counsel investigation led by the prosecutor John Durham that examined the origins of the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

State Stories

Locked in tight race, Cornyn offers bill to name interstate for Trump

In today’s Texas Republican politics, the road to President Donald Trump’s heart might just run down a Texas highway. Sen. John Cornyn unveiled legislation this week to rename a future interstate across Texas as “I-47,” honoring President Donald Trump as the nation’s 47th president. The move comes as Cornyn seeks Trump’s endorsement in advance of his bruising Senate runoff May 26 against Attorney General Ken Paxton. The proposal would upgrade U.S. Highway 287, which runs from Port Arthur to Amarillo before continuing north into Montana, into a future interstate corridor Cornyn wants branded as the “Trump Interstate.” Cornyn cast the proposal as both an economic development measure and a tribute to Trump, calling him “the most consequential president of our lifetime.”

“Texas is Trump Country, and this bill cements that legacy by designating nearly 1,800 miles of open-road from Texas’ Gulf Coast to the edge of the U.S.-Canadian border as I-47 to forever be remembered as Trump Interstate,” Cornyn said in a news release promoting the bill. With early voting starting Monday in the runoff, many social media users connected the timing to the race, mocking the announcement as a bid to win Trump’s favor. Cornyn edged Paxton in the first round of voting but finished short of the majority required to avoid a rematch. The winner faces Democrat James Talarico in November. Both candidates have emphasized their ties to Trump, who has teased that he will make a pick but so far has stayed out of the race. Paxton has sharply criticized Cornyn as disloyal to the president, posting recently on X that “there's no one more anti-Trump than Cornyn.” Cornyn has touted his support of Trump and brushed aside suggestions the highway proposal represents him angling for the president’s endorsement. So why name the interstate for Trump? “Why not? I mean, we name highways and bridges and buildings after people all the time,” Cornyn said. “It's appropriate.”

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Texas Republicans spent years courting Indian voters. Then came talk of the “Indian takeover.”

Burt Thakur is a U.S. citizen, a Navy veteran and a Trump supporter. Last year, he was elected to be a strong conservative voice on the City Council in the booming Dallas suburb of Frisco. Lately, that job has required Thakur, who was born in New Delhi, to sit on the dais at Frisco City Hall and listen as a steady stream of people hurl racist invective at him and the entire Indian community. The speakers, many of whom don’t live in Frisco, rail against invaders, anchor babies, H-1B visa fraud and the “Indian takeover” of a city where nearly one in five residents are Indian. Dylan Law, a McKinney resident who grew up in Frisco, told the council in early February that the city was falling to “unchosen, unwanted and uninvited forces.” “Be America First,” Law implored the council, to audience cheers. “And to those who abuse the system my people built, go home before you are sent back.”

Over the last few months, Frisco has become the unwilling backdrop for a larger conflict between Republicans’ nascent relationship with Indian American voters, and the party’s rising nativist strain, which rejects anyone not born here, including naturalized citizens. The same faction that’s been targeting Muslims over the specter of Sharia law has turned its hostility toward Texas’ growing Indian community, accusing them of exploiting the H-1B visa program to steal American jobs and undercut wages. For some conservatives, Frisco’s changing face is proof that President Donald Trump’s America First agenda must be taken to what they see as its natural conclusion: cutting off immigration to the U.S. en masse. “We’ve got communities like Frisco that have been totally transformed, whether it’s Islamic immigration or immigration from anywhere else in Asia,” Rep. Brandon Gill, a Republican who represents parts of Frisco, told conservative YouTuber Benny Johnson. “If you go to some of these areas, you feel like you’re in a foreign country, and that’s a problem. America is for our people. We have a distinct heritage … and that’s something we as conservatives should seek to actually conserve.” Gill and other members of Texas’ congressional delegation have called for a freeze on all legal immigration, citing concerns with the H-1B visa program, which is primarily used by high-skill Indian immigrants. Gov. Greg Abbott, following Trump’s lead, restricted H-1B visas for state workers, a move he promoted on social media to push back against complaints about H-1B visas in Texas.

Read this article at Texas Tribune - Subscribers Only

40,000 pregnant Texans faced month-long wait for Medicaid application to be processed

More than 40,000 pregnant people in Texas waited more than a month for the state to process their Medicaid applications – which an advocacy group said could delay vital prenatal care. Texans Care for Children recently released data it received from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, or HHSC, that shows between March 2025 and this February almost 24,000 people waited more than 60 days. A 2025 external quality review of Texas Medicaid also found once pregnant people were enrolled in the program they could face wait times for appointments. “When our moms miss out on prenatal care or start prenatal care late, they're more likely to have complications with their pregnancy and their babies are less likely to be healthy,” said Diana Forester, director of health policy at Texans Care for Children.

Medicaid covers almost half of all births in Texas – representing more than 185,000 births in 2023. That’s why Forester said it’s so important to pay attention to what’s happening with the program. “It’s an indicator of how our healthcare system is functioning,” she said. “It’s a red flag. If something’s wrong, we need to fix it.” Texas is one of 10 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid to include low-income adults that are considered “able-bodied” – which makes it one of the most restrictive states for coverage, according to Forester. That means the “traditional” Medicaid populations, or the populations that states have to cover – like people with disabilities, children and pregnant people – are some of the only groups that have access to the program in Texas. Because Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the country, Forester said getting enrolled in Medicaid quickly can play an important role in getting access to care earlier in someone’s pregnancy. “Medicaid is the only viable way to get health insurance when you're pregnant, if you are uninsured,” she said. Federal standards require states to process Medicaid applications within 45 days of an individual applying. Between March of last year and this February, almost 27,000 pregnant Texans waited for longer than that for their application to be approved or denied.

Read this article at KERA - Subscribers Only

Oppose? Expand? Votes in 2 North Texas communities highlight a divide over data center growth

Leaders in two North Texas communities took sharply different approaches this week to the rapid expansion of Al-driven data centers, highlighting a growing divide over how Texas should manage the industry's explosive growth. In Glen Rose, the Somervell County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a resolution opposing any new data center developments until the state legislature addresses the county concerns over water and energy regulations. Additionally, the commissioners approved a letter to state officials urging lawmakers to increase regulation on data centers. County officials and residents raised concerns about water use, strain on infrastructure and the long-term impact industrial development could have on rural communities and natural resources.

The vote came months after the county approved incentives tied to a proposed Amazon data center project near the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant. “Growth without planning and without guardrails can create long term consequences that we cannot take back, especially on our natural resources and even more so on our water," state Rep. Helen Kerwin told commissioners during Monday's meeting. "It is about making sure rural Texas has a say in its future and that we are protecting our water, our infrastructure, and the very way of life that our people care so deeply about," Kerwin said. Residents speaking in favor of tighter restrictions argued counties need more authority to regulate major industrial projects. "We, as a community, citizens, with elected officials, must do everything we can to combat the invasion of industrial development that threaten our communities,” said resident Brian Crawford. “As elected officials, you represent the citizens of this county. You should speak as the citizens speak, not as the developers and investors want you to.”

Read this article at KERA - Subscribers Only

South Dakota company claims $78 million Lotto Texas jackpot days before expiration

A South Dakota trust company has claimed the $78 million Lotto Texas jackpot just six days before the winning ticket expired, the Texas Lottery said. Jua-Ri Trust Agreement Trident Trust Company Inc., of Sioux Falls, S.D., was the group that claimed the ticket, the lottery said. The prize was claimed on May 8, less than a week before the ticket expires and the prize money was to be redistributed by the Texas Legislature. The winning ticket was for the Nov. 15, 2025 drawing, which had all six numbers drawn (7-17-23-28-39-48). It was purchased at Gordon’s Bait & Tackle, located in Brownsville. The jackpot is the sixth-highest jackpot in Lotto Texas history.

Read this article at CW 39 - Subscribers Only

Chapa and Davis clash on performance of DA Joe Gonzales

The two runoff candidates for the Democratic party nomination for Bexar County district attorney have two very different views on the job performance of current district attorney Joe Gonzales. Speaking on Tuesday on Texas Public Radio’s The Source candidate Luz Ellena Chapa graded Gonzales time as DA with an “F.” Chapa also claimed that at a recent event hosted by the Northwest Democrats Gonzales confronted her. “He lunged at me and put his finger in my face and told me he could put his finger in my face because I'm no longer a sitting judge,” said Chapa. In a statement to Texas Public Radio, Gonzales responded to Chapa’s claim saying he “respectfully denies allegations that he lunged at DA candidate Luz Elena Chapa.”

Chapa, a former Fourth Court of Appeals Justice, is running against Jane Davis, a veteran prosecutor who currently works in the District Attorney’s office. Davis has positioned herself as the candidate who would continue the progressive reforms Gonzales has initiated at the DA’s office. “Joe has done some good things,” Davis said. “He has been courageous in some of the things he's tried to do. I do think that many of the things that he has tried to do need some refinement. And we need to be working especially with law enforcement,” she said. One of the biggest distinctions between the two candidates is their backgrounds in prosecuting cases, which is a main function of the job of district attorney. Chapa has never prosecuted a criminal case but that experience was unnecessary to be an effective district attorney.

Read this article at Texas Public Radio - Subscribers Only

Ken Paxton’s Glass House

Ken Paxton wants you to join him on his high horse. Since announcing his run for the U.S. Senate seat held by four-term incumbent Senator John Cornyn last April, Paxton has held two roles: Texas Attorney General and firebrand candidate. Using the official trappings of the powerful AG’s office, Paxton has spent the past year broadcasting strong, overtly political messages to Texans. Among them: You should be scared, and you should be disgusted. (You should also be impressed by all that he’s doing to protect you from all of it.) In a rigorous journalistic endeavor, the Texas Observer looked at every single press release Paxton’s office has put out from April 2025 through April 2026. We wanted to see how he was using his official AG communications—those presumably tailored to influence the media narrative, with bombastic quotes packaged for reporters to reprint—as his Senate campaign grew more contentious and voters indicated they needed more convincing. These press releases have helped serve as useful chum to throw out to his party base as he, first, navigated a three-way primary that included Congressman Wesley Hunt, and now, a ruthless runoff with Cornyn that will come to a head later this month.

These communiqués have also helped create a constant stream of free media, which is especially helpful given his struggles to fundraise for expensive ad buys (while Cornyn has a massive money machine). With the guidance of a rhetoric expert, and stubbornly without the use of artificial intelligence implements, we analyzed hundreds of these documents, paying special attention to word choice, the impetus behind each missive, and who, if anybody, was the target of his vitriol. The AG’s office sent out nearly 300 press releases in the past year, and the overwhelming majority were negative in tone, even those lauding his office’s “major victories” in court. In these announcements—a mixture of bombthrowing office PR and turn-of-the-screw legal and investigative updates—he used strong language, replete with moralizing and name calling. His favorite targets were companies he accused of having unethical business practices or ties to China, immigrants, and trans people. His most fervent month was August 2025, when Texas House Democrats broke quorum for two weeks to forestall a vote on a Trump-ordered congressional redistricting map and Paxton’s office sent out 37 releases. The following month, Paxton sent out one of his longest releases, which was a laundry list of his accomplishments securing “victory after victory” in the AG’s office. His second most prolific month was February of this year—during which he sent 34 press releases—the month ahead of the heated March primary contest.

Read this article at Texas Observer - Subscribers Only

Dallas County childcare tax push draws packed house, doubts

The Dallas County Commissioners Court hosted a full house of parents, pastors, nonprofit leaders and business representatives on Monday, many wearing red stickers that read “childcare supports working families.” It’s not yet clear whether a childcare tax will reach the Nov. 3 county ballot, but the meeting’s turnout reflects the growing recognition of Texas’ childcare crisis. About 9,500 families are on a waitlist to receive childcare assistance through Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, while childcare in Dallas County can cost about $11,000 a year for one child, according to the Living Wage Institute. Hillary Evans, vice president of policy and advocacy at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, told commissioners 83% of eligible Dallas County children cannot access affordable, high-quality care. Roughly 19,000 parents want to work but cannot because they lack reliable childcare, she said, while advocates estimate childcare shortages drain nearly $4 billion from the regional economy annually.

“Too often, childcare is discussed only as a household expense, when in reality, it is a core economic infrastructure that supports parental employment, business stability and long-term educational success for children,” Evans said. Melanie Rubin, director of the North Texas Early Education Alliance, explained that the proposed Dallas County Children’s Fund would levy a 3-cent tax per $100 of assessed valuation, which advocates said amounts to roughly $10 a month for the average homeowner. The tax could generate an estimated $132 million annually, most of it directed toward childcare scholarships and stabilizing infant and toddler classrooms. Advocates asked the county to begin drafting ballot language and implementation plans this month, so commissioners could decide by early August whether to place the measure before voters in November.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Texas Stock Exchange signs lease at high-profile Uptown tower

The Texas Stock Exchange has signed a lease at Bank of America Tower at Parkside, officials with the exchange told The Dallas Morning News. The deal includes several provisions that would allow TXSE to get out of the lease without penalty if certain conditions aren’t met. One key point is that city officials approve an electronic ticker on the high-rise.

The Oak Lawn Committee offered near unanimous support for the ticker request during its Tuesday meeting. Support from the Oak Lawn Committee isn’t required, but it’s a critical step that shapes projects and informs decision-makers ahead of city plan commission and city council review. “While TXSE has taken the next step to select its permanent home in Dallas, we continue to work through a number of critical remaining items that are essential to finalizing the location of the Texas Market Center,” the group said. TXSE was announced in 2024 with more than $100 million in backing from major players like BlackRock, Citadel Securities and Charles Schwab. That figure has grown to $275 million thanks to investments from Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and others.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Mexican authorities confirm 3 of the 6 migrants found dead inside a freight rail container near Laredo were Mexican nationals

Mexican authorities said they are assisting families and coordinating repatriation efforts after six migrants were found dead inside a shipping container transported by rail near Laredo, Texas, in a case that has renewed attention on the dangers of migrant smuggling routes tied to commercial freight systems along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office identified five of the six victims Tuesday, a 29-year-old woman, a 45-year-old man and a 56-year-old man from Mexico, and a 14-year-old boy and a 24-year-old man from Honduras. The six individuals were discovered Sunday afternoon inside a shipping container at the Union Pacific Railyard near mile marker 13 of Interstate 35 after workers inspected one of the containers.

Following initial examinations, the medical examiner’s office determined the 29-year-old Mexican woman died from hyperthermia. The cause of death has not been confirmed for all six, but officials said it was highly probable that extreme heat caused the deaths of the entire group. Temperatures in Laredo reached 97 degrees Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. In a statement, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the Mexican Consulate in Laredo activated its protection protocols immediately after local authorities notified officials about the deaths. The ministry said three of the victims had been confirmed as Mexican nationals and that consular personnel were maintaining contact with relatives to provide legal assistance, support identification efforts and coordinate the eventual repatriation of remains to Mexico. The consulate also said it had established communication with the assistant chief of the Laredo Police Department overseeing the investigation and would continue monitoring the case while remaining in permanent contact with authorities to follow developments and contribute to clarifying what happened.

Read this article at Texas Public Radio - Subscribers Only

Gateway Church and founder Robert Morris agree to dismiss retirement pay lawsuit

Southlake’s Gateway Church and its founder, Robert Morris, have agreed to dismiss a yearlong, multi-million-dollar lawsuit over Morris’ retirement pay, according to court documents. Filed Friday in Tarrant County, the agreement comes weeks after Morris was released from an Oklahoma prison after serving a six-month sentence for child sexual abuse. “The parties have reached agreement on an appropriate arbitration forum to resolve their dispute and will now proceed in that forum and not in state court,” Morris’ attorney, Bill Mateja, said in a statement on Tuesday. “Thus, the state court proceeding was dismissed.” The parties agreed to dismiss the suit without prejudice, and for each side to cover any expenses incurred over the course of the action.

Morris, the North Texas megachurch’s former senior pastor, was seeking a $1 million one-time payment, and annual payments of $600,000 to $800,000 for the rest of his and his wife, Debbie’s, lives, the Star-Telegram previously reported. Gateway Church had declined to pay, citing contract terms and a “defiantly unapologetic” stance by Morris in relation to the allegations against him. Morris countered, arguing that the church was using the allegations to get out of paying him the benefits package. Another lawsuit filed against Morris and the church by the abuse victim, Cindy Clemishire, is still pending. Clemishire was 12 years old in the 1980s when Morris began abusing her, she has said.

Read this article at Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Subscribers Only

Fort Worth tables $10B data center site plan vote hours before council meeting

Less than three hours before the Fort Worth City Council was scheduled to discuss a site plan for a $10 billion data center development on the city’s southeast edge, the agenda item was delayed by over a month to the council’s June 23 meeting. Council members were expected to discuss and vote on a site plan for the data center being developed by Fort Worth-based energy consortium Black Mountain, which has successfully petitioned the city to rezone roughly 431 acres near Forest Hill and Everman for the development. The site plan is for a 187-acre portion of the future data center campus that was initially approved by the Fort Worth City Council in 2025, located at the corner Lon Stephenson Road and Forest Hill Drive.

The data center campus would contain four buildings and an Oncor substation that would deliver power only to the data center. The site plan approved by the zoning commission included increased building heights and setbacks from residential areas. Over 30 people were registered to give public comment about the data center at the City Council meeting, according to the speaker list shared with the Star-Telegram. Council member Chris Nettles said that was not a factor in rescheduling the motion. Bob Riley, a consultant for the development, told the Star-Telegram that he was told by the city late Tuesday afternoon that the agenda item would be moved to a council meeting in late June, but he was not told which meeting. The council is scheduled to hear a briefing about data centers from city staff on June 2 before voting on two zoning measures for the data center that have spent most of this year in limbo after residents, council members, and leaders in nearby cities expressed concerns about the development. Council member Chris Nettles said that although he could have moved the agenda item earlier, after speaking with other council members, he decided to reschedule the item so they could hear the city staff briefing first.

Read this article at Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Subscribers Only

Blue Origin eyes Williamson County for massive project, sources say

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Enterprises LP is considering a Williamson County city for a massive project. The Hutto Economic Development Corp. during a May 11 meeting held a public hearing to consider financial incentives for what was only referred to as a "Project Blue Hub" in public documents. The company was not mentioned by name and nobody from the public signed up to speak. No action was taken. It was described by officials as a 1.3 million-square-foot manufacturing, research-and-development, warehouse and logistics project looking at Hutto. It was said to be bringing more than 2,000 jobs with an average salary of $88,000 over the next five years. The capital investment was pegged at more than $650 million.

The group then discussed an economic development performance agreement for an incentive to support Project Blue Hub during a lengthy executive session. No action was taken upon return into public session and the details of the incentive are not publicly known. While Blue Origin was not mentioned by name, several sources told the Austin Business Journal the company has indeed squared in on Hutto – a rural but fast-growing city 25 miles northeast of Austin – as a potential location for the project. The details revealed also line up with what was described by the ABJ late last year, in terms of a project approaching $1 billion in capital investment. "As we scale production to meet our customers' needs across our various programs, we're evaluating several locations nationwide that align with our operational requirements and mission objectives. With existing roots in Texas, the state continues to be an important part of that conversation," a spokesperson for Blue Origin said in a May 12 statement. Hutto economic development officials did not immediately respond to a request.

Read this article at Austin Business Journal - Subscribers Only

Former President Barack Obama makes surprise Austin appearance with James Talarico, Gina Hinojosa

Former President Barack Obama stopped by an Austin taco restaurant Tuesday afternoon alongside Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and gubernatorial hopeful state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, according to videos shared online. Obama appeared to make a campaign-style visit at Taco Joint on San Jacinto Boulevard, just east of the University of Texas, where he spoke with patrons and posed for photos alongside the two Texas Democrats. “Do you know our outstanding next governor and senator?” Obama said to a group of restaurant patrons as Hinojosa and Talarico stood nearby. They chatted and took photos for about 30 minutes. The appearance had been kept under wraps for security reasons.

The trio reportedly chatted with restaurant goers, and as Obama left, he addressed the crowd, saying, “Remember to vote!” Those who piled into the establishment cheered in response to the former president. He took his order of fried fish, mole and shrimp street tacos to go, attendees said.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

National Stories

In blow to Democrats, Missouri Supreme Court upholds map that targets Rep. Cleaver

The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled Tuesday that the submission of referendum signatures did not automatically prevent a GOP-friendly congressional map from going into effect and also rejected two other challenges contending that the new lines violate constitutional prohibitions on compactness. The rulings are another blow to Democrats, who have had a string of setbacks nationally related to redistricting in the past week. Last year, Missouri lawmakers overhauled the state’s congressional map to transform Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-based district into a GOP-leaning seat. The group People Not Politicians submitted signatures to place the map up for a referendum, which in the past would have likely prevented it from going into effect.

But Secretary of State Denny Hoskins announced that during the signature verification process, the new map – and not one passed in 2022 that features a district Cleaver would likely win – would be in effect. Two plaintiffs filed a lawsuit, which was rejected by Cole County Judge Brian Stumpe. The plaintiffs appealed that decision to the state Supreme Court. On Tuesday, the same day that oral arguments were heard in the case, Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ginger Gooch wrote in her unanimous opinion that nothing in the state constitution stipulates that a bill is suspended when a group turns in signatures. “Had the drafters intended a referendum petition filing to automatically suspend any act of the General Assembly at issue in the referendum petition, they would have so stated,” Gooch wrote. While the plaintiffs in the case pointed to other instances where laws were suspended, such as in 2017 when opponents of right to work submitted referendum signatures, Gooch wrote that “appellants offered no evidence the secretary could have determined, or did determine, compliance with the constitutional signature requirement on December 9 when the referendum petition was filed.”

Read this article at St. Louis Public Radio - Subscribers Only

The South Carolina Republican who defied Trump on redistricting

Shane Massey, the Republican leader of the South Carolina Senate, described his party’s attempt to redraw the state’s congressional map as a “perfect example of just how much elected officials have lost their way.” In an impassioned, roughly 45-minute speech that spoke to national frustrations over anti-democratic gerrymanders, Mr. Massey listed the reasons he would vote not to return to the Capitol to take up redistricting. “Too many people in power just want to do whatever it takes to stay in power,” he said. “They’ll do whatever it takes to keep it, but I ask to what end? What do you do with it when you’ve attained it?”

His speech came after facing days of calls, texts and online posts pressuring him to eliminate South Carolina’s sole Democratic-held congressional district. Mr. Massey said even President Trump had called him last week — his first conversation with the president — to discuss how South Carolina could help him sweep the state’s congressional delegation. “Look, I hope you can help us out,” Mr. Massey recalled the president telling him. In Mr. Massey’s view, however, it wasn’t that easy. While opponents of the ruthless national redistricting battle have often been on the losing end, isolated intraparty conflicts have impeded a wholly partisan reshaping of congressional districts. Republicans in Indiana broke with Mr. Trump last year, and Bill Ferguson, the Democratic leader of the Maryland Senate, effectively blocked a redistricting drive in his state. But few have spoken as explicitly, or extensively, as Mr. Massey. On Tuesday, he was one of five South Carolina Republicans who voted not to approve an agreement that would have allowed the Legislature to reconvene this month for redistricting. Now, the state appears unlikely to join the redistricting frenzy that has taken hold across the country, especially in the South, since the Supreme Court last month weakened the Voting Rights Act.

Read this article at New York Times - Subscribers Only

Waymo recalls massive autonomous fleet after incident flags major safety issue

Waymo is recalling its massive fleet of autonomous vehicles over a defect that may pose significant safety risk, according to federal regulators. The action follows an incident in which a driverless vehicle failed to come to a complete stop after encountering flooded road conditions on a high-speed roadway, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a May 6 report. "Entering a flooded roadway can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury," the agency said. The recall covers 3,791 vehicles equipped with the company’s 5th and 6th generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS), which regulators estimate have a 100% defect rate.

The company currently operates thousands of vehicles across the U.S., including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin. According to the report, when a Waymo robotaxi approaches standing water on higher-speed roads, it may slow down but fail to come to a full stop after detection. Federal regulators said the first incident occurred on April 20, when an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered an "untraversable flooded section" of roadway with a 40 mph speed limit. That same day, Waymo implemented additional restrictions to reduce the risk of similar incidents in inclement weather, including updates to weather-related controls and changes to mapping systems used by its vehicles.

Read this article at Fox Business - Subscribers Only

Tiny data centers may be coming into the homes of Americans in the future

Data centers are gobbling up land, driving up electric bills, and becoming a lightning rod for public discontent over big tech’s power in society. Maine’s legislature recently passed a data center ban in the state (but failed to override the governor’s veto). According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 14 states spanning the political spectrum from Oklahoma to New York are considering legislation that would ban or pause new data centers, as public opinion on AI has increasingly shifted to the negative. Still, despite the qualms of the public and politicians, there’s a torrent of capital for building new data centers. The biggest technology companies in the U.S. are on pace to spend as much as $1 trillion annually by 2027 on AI, according to recent Wall Street estimates. Globally, a recent McKinsey report forecasts spending on data centers will hit $7 trillion by 2030.

At the same time, the idea of putting data centers closer to consumers, even onto and into their homes, is gaining traction in real estate circles. Major players in housing, including homebuilder PulteGroup, are in early testing with Nvidia and California-based startup Span to install small fractional data center “nodes” on the exterior walls of newly built homes, according to recent reporting from CNBC’s Diana Olick. The question of whether that model can scale, and whether homeowners, HOAs, and regulators will approve it, is up for debate. Experts point to some benefits to home-based data centers, with the home-based grid allowing for less construction needed on new ones and greater energy efficiency. “It is technically possible and already being explored,” said Balaji Tammabattula, chief operating officer at BaRupOn, a U.S.-based energy and technology company currently building out a data center campus in Liberty County, Texas. He said just as a home computer can contribute processing power to a distributed network, a home can host compute hardware that feeds into a larger data processing system. The home-as-data-center model would follow similar attempts at using latent home power for crypto mining or to sell excess rooftop solar power or EV credits.

Read this article at CNBC - Subscribers Only

Nebraska Democratic Senate primary winner says she’ll drop out to support independent in general election

A Democratic challenger who said she intends to drop out of November’s race for the US Senate in Nebraska to clear the way for an independent candidate has won the state’s Democratic primary. Cindy Burbank ran against William Forbes, who Democrats contended was a Republican plant in the race, with the intent to drop out if she won. Forbes, a pastor who has voted for Trump and opposed abortion access, is currently registered as a Democrat. While the state Democratic party endorsed Burbank for the primary, it has backed Dan Osborn for the general election. Osborn, an independent, is seen as the best hope to beat the Republican senator Pete Ricketts in November. Burbank wants to clear the field to give Osborn and Ricketts a head-to-head matchup, she has previously said.

And in the state’s second congressional district, known as the “blue dot” of Omaha and its surrounding suburbs, the state senator John Cavanaugh remained locked in a tight race with Denise Powell that remained too close to call late Tuesday night. The second congressional district is a key pickup potential for Democrats if they want to regain control of the US House. It is rated as leaning Democratic by the Cook Political Report, which analyzes elections. Republican representative Don Bacon announced last year that he wouldn’t seek re-election, giving Democrats more of a chance to pick up the seat in the politically mixed area of the right-leaning Plains state. Most US states use a winner-take-all method to award electoral college votes: whoever wins the whole state gets the entirety of its electoral college votes, the process by which the US elects a president. But in Nebraska, each congressional district awards an electoral college vote. And in the “blue dot” of the second congressional district, Democrats have won the electoral college vote in three of the last five elections, including for Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans have sought to change Nebraska’s electoral college voting process to a winner-take-all method, most recently in 2025, when the effort failed by two votes. If Cavanaugh wins the general election for the second district, the Republican governor, Jim Pillen, would get the chance to appoint his replacement through 2028, which could give Republicans the numbers to overturn the “blue dot”. It’s not clear that Republicans will actually make an attempt to overturn this process – they, too, have benefited from it, depending on the year.

Read this article at The Guardian - Subscribers Only

Progressives bet AI anxiety will win them elections

Many Americans are anxious about artificial intelligence. Progressive politicians think they can capitalize on that. A growing number of progressive candidates are campaigning on their plans to regulate the AI industry and address the threat of workers being displaced. Their hope is the issue will help them gain support among the young, rural and working-class voters whom Democrats are eager to attract. “There’s an opening, but you’ve got to be aggressive,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who is running in a Democratic primary to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters, told NOTUS. “You have people who are seeing AI thrust in front of them, whether they like it or not, in every aspect of their lives and people are incredibly anxious about what this technology means.”

AI’s rapid growth and the lack of government guardrails are quickly becoming a widespread concern among Americans. Multiple polls show people are worried about AI-related issues: 51% of Americans don’t trust either Republicans or Democrats to do a good job at handling AI, according to an April poll by Washington Post, ABC News and IPSOS. A Politico and Public First poll from last month found that 43% of those surveyed said the risk of AI outweighs the benefits. And only 18% of Gen Z reports feeling hopeful about AI, according to recent polling from Gallup. McMorrow said demonstrating that Democrats can push back on Big Tech will help the party make inroads with voters who supported Donald Trump in the last general election. “People voted for him, and then they looked at the inauguration and he’s surrounded by all of the tech CEOs. He’s grifting and making all of this money for himself while this technology is pummeling people full force,” McMorrow said.

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

Longtime ICE official David Venturella chosen to head agency

Longtime ICE official David Venturella has been chosen to lead the immigration agency after its former acting director’s departure was announced last month, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Tuesday evening. Venturella was executive director of ICE’s Secure Communities program, which deals with people in the country illegally who are in the custody of other law enforcement agencies. He also served at the private prison company GEO Group as a senior vice president of client relations until 2023. GEO Group has over $1 billion worth of contracts with ICE, according to public records. After he retired from GEO, Venturella was a consultant for the company, advising on new and existing contracts, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

President Barack Obama ended the Secure Communities program in 2014. Then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a memo at the time that the program alienated immigrant communities from local law enforcement. Under the program, authorities shared digital fingerprints from everyone booked into jail with federal authorities, who used it to look for people in the country without authorization. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reinstitute the Secure Communities program in 2017, during his first term. Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March and replaced her with a Republican ally, Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. Trump campaigned for his second term in office by promising mass deportations. After he retook office, ICE was thrust into the national spotlight when federal officers, some of them from ICE, carried out immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago and other cities. During the operation in Minneapolis, federal officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Read this article at NBC News - Subscribers Only

Nvidia C.E.O. Jensen Huang hitches ride with Trump to China after last-minute invite

President Trump welcomed Jensen Huang, the chief executive of the chip giant Nvidia, late Tuesday onto Air Force One as he headed to Beijing for a summit with China’s leader. Mr. Huang, who leads the world’s most valuable company, had been omitted from a list of business leaders slated to travel to China. But after seeing reports that Mr. Huang wasn’t coming, Mr. Trump called him on Tuesday morning and extended an invitation, said a person familiar with the call. Mr. Huang flew to Alaska late Tuesday and boarded Air Force One during a layover. For nearly a year, he has been lobbying officials in Washington and Beijing to allow Nvidia to sell its artificial intelligence chips to China.

“Jensen is currently on Air Force One,” Mr. Trump said in a social media post. He said it was an honor to have the Nvidia chief executive, who he called “the Great Jensen Huang,” and other business leaders “journeying to the Great Country of China where I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic.” On Monday, the White House released a list of 16 chief executives, including Tim Cook of Apple, Larry Fink of BlackRock and leaders of other companies pushing for deals with China. It did not include Mr. Huang. That omission was noted across Silicon Valley and Washington. Mr. Huang has forged a strong relationship with Mr. Trump and has acted as a go-between for the administration between Washington and Beijing. His company’s chips have been critical to the A.I. boom that is reshaping the global economy, and are coveted by governments and companies across the world. Selling A.I. chips to China has been contentious in Washington. Last summer, Mr. Trump approved the sale of an older generation of Nvidia chips to China and planned to take a cut of those sales. But the Chinese government hasn’t approved any purchases. Some Republicans have supported legislation that would limit the scope of those sales, and last year, members of Mr. Trump’s own administration intervened to discourage him from permitting the sale of even more advanced A.I. chips for national security reasons.

Read this article at New York Times - Subscribers Only

Lead Stories

Report: Texas public schools have largest non-Covid enrollment drop in recorded history

Total public school enrollment in Texas dropped by over 76,000 students, according to a Texas 2036 report released on Monday morning. The 2025-26 school year is only the second time public school education has dropped in recorded Texas history, dating back to the 1987-88 school year. The other recorded drop happened in the 2020-21 school year, during the height of the COVID-19 shutdowns. The enrollment drop is happening across the state, with only the Abilene area seeing an increase in enrollment, and only certain areas in central and east Texas holding steady. The biggest drops are taking place in south and west Texas, with the Midland, Amarillo, Edinburg and San Angelo regions all losing at least 2.5% of their student population.

“(The decline is) spread out across all types of students, it’s spread out across all areas of the state,” Mary Lynn Pruneda, the Director of Education and Workforce Policy for Texas 2036, said. “So that makes it really hard to point to one particular thing and say, “Yes, this is definitely the reason that there are fewer kids in public schools today.'” Schools are also disproportionately losing Hispanic and White students. While the overall public school population dropped 1.4%, the Hispanic population dropped by 2.1% and the White population dropped by 1.9%. Overall, Hispanic students made up 81% of the loss enrollment loss. The data also shows declines in traditionally underserved communities — with homeless students dropping by 8% and economically-disadvantaged students dropping by 2.3%. The drop is also primarily hitting the start of the education funnel — 60% of the lost students were in elementary school, “a shortfall that will move though middle and high school pipelines within the decade.”

Read this article at KXAN - Subscribers Only

Ken Paxton ignored dozens of WinRed complaints while suing ActBlue

Texas retiree Charlene Allmon thought she was making a handful of modest, one-time donations to GOP candidates who flooded her email inbox. But the payments never stopped. Throughout 2024 and 2025, Republican fundraising platform WinRed drafted more than $15,000 from Allmon’s bank account. In a single day, it charged her 29 times. Panicked, she turned to Attorney General Ken Paxton for help. "Didn’t realize they were sucking my life savings out of my bank account," Allmon, an 87-year-old living outside Austin, wrote in a complaint to his office on Feb. 26. She never heard back. Allmon is among dozens of political donors who begged Paxton's office in recent years for recourse against WinRed and its Democratic competitor ActBlue, complaining of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges and nonstop text messages requesting more money, according to public records obtained by Hearst Newspapers.

Paxton hasn't publicly taken action on their concerns. He uses WinRed to fundraise for his bid against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn — and deploys the same aggressive tactics flagged by some of the complainants. Neither Paxton’s Senate campaign nor the office of the attorney general responded to Hearst’s request for comment. Last month, the Republican attorney general sued ActBlue, but the lawsuit did not address what was outlined in the consumer complaints. Instead, he accused the platform of failing to properly block foreign and anonymous donations. “Fair elections are the foundation of our democracy, and I will work to ensure no illegal campaign donation flies under the radar,” he said when announcing the suit. Democrats have accused Paxton of suing ActBlue for political gain while giving a pass to the platform that helps his party. Candidates across the country use WinRed and ActBlue to process campaign contributions from online donors. The platforms are central to Texas’ U.S. Senate race, with Paxton, Cornyn and Democrat James Talarico relying on them to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Read this article at San Antonio Express-News - Subscribers Only

Senate Republicans weigh whether to swallow Trump’s $1B push for ballroom security

Key Senate Republicans are signaling a willingness to support up to $1 billion in security upgrades for President Donald Trump’s ballroom renovation project, despite Democratic attacks, as the White House ramps up its lobbying push. But the vote could put some of the Senate’s moderates in a politically difficult position, especially after the president said his ballroom would be funded through private donations. “Obviously, there have been three or four attempts on the president’s life, and that’s extremely serious, and we’re in a heightened era of political violence, but the ballroom itself should be paid for by private donations, as the president had indicated,” Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins said, adding she wanted clarity on what precisely the money would be going toward.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune projected confidence Monday that congressional Republicans will back the $1 billion in funding, arguing that the money will be focused on other Secret Service projects beyond the ballroom itself. “It’s to secure the building — and not just the ballroom. I think the entire East Wing, which is something the Secret Service is tasked with protecting when the president is using it,” Thune told reporters. “It’s pretty clear it’s a tool to keep the president safe.” The White House will ratchet up its push for the funding Tuesday with the US Secret Service director expected to join lawmakers at the Senate GOP lunch. The issue is becoming the latest political flashpoint that Republicans must navigate as they attempt to get funding for federal immigration enforcement across the finish line on a party-line vote in Congress. The push for as much as $1 billion in ballroom security funding – as part of a broader package that will include the immigration enforcement funding – was announced as lawmakers were away from Washington on a pre-scheduled recess and took some Republicans by surprise.

Read this article at CNN - Subscribers Only

‘Malaise’: Karl Rove warns the GOP’s House majority may be doomed despite gerrymander advantage

Fox News’ Karl Rove warned that the country’s malaise may doom the GOP’s House majority during a Sunday evening chat with Trey Gowdy. After criticizing both parties for pushing aside “the business of the people” to carve up states’ congressional district maps ahead of November’s midterm elections and arguing that while “this is not a new phenomenon,” it’s also not “a particularly helpful phenomenon,” Rove was asked about the underlying politics. “All right, Mr. Rove, there were more Democrats in Congress before Jim Clyburn’s seat was drawn. I actually worked for the federal judge that was on that three-judge panel,” mused Gowdy. “Is there a chance these new maps win the battle but lose the war? I mean, if you get too cute by half, is there a chance that it could backfire?”

“Oh, sure. You could in essence take, you know, like here in Texas, take big cities, which are typically Democrat, and split them up among several sort of suburban and rural Republicans and thereby reduce their margin and make them more vulnerable in an election year. Same thing could happen in the South, where you take these large, Blacks-dominated cities like New Orleans, or rural areas like in South Carolina that are dominated by Blacks, and who are traditionally Democrat voters, and split them up into several different Republican districts and make things more problematic in a swing year. You know, nothing ever plays out exactly in politics as we think it does,” replied Rove, who continued: "And take a look at this, think about this for just a minute. The Democrats think they’re gonna pick up between four and five seats in California and one in Utah, so they’re going to have five-to-six seat pickup because of redistricting. Republicans think in Texas, three-to-five, one in Missouri, one or two in Ohio, one in Louisiana if they go through with the redistricting there, and get rid of this abysmal district that runs from Shreveport to Baton Rouge, and looks like two birds drawing in every Black area they can in the state in order to create a district. Alabama, maybe one district if they get it done. Tennessee, as you talked about, maybe one. South Carolina, maybe, but I think it’s very difficult to do. But that means even if the Republicans pull it off, that means between eight-to-twelve offset by five-to-six. So the Republicans may pick up a net of three, or maybe of six. Now, maybe that’s enough to control the House, but maybe not, because that’d be a very small number of seats that would be lost otherwise. And with the president’s approval rating where it is, and with the normal malaise that we have, it’s hard to believe that the Republican losses are only going to be five or six seats."

Read this article at Mediaite - Subscribers Only

State Stories

Netflix sued by Texas for allegedly spying on children, addicting users

Netflix was sued on Monday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent, and designing its platform to be addictive. Texas said Netflix has for years falsely represented to consumers that it did not collect or share user data, when it actually tracked viewing habits and preferences and sold the data to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies, making billions of dollars a year. The complaint quoted former Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings as saying in 2020 "we don't collect anything," as he sought to distinguish Netflix from Amazon.com, Facebook, Google with regard to data collection. "When you watch Netflix, Netflix watches you," according to the complaint filed in a state court in Collin County, near Dallas. Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read this article at Reuters - Subscribers Only

Barrientes Vela and Reyna bring different backgrounds to HD125 Dem Runoff Election

The two runoff candidates for the Democratic nomination for Texas House District 125 presented two very different views on public service and how they can help the residents of their Bexar County area. Speaking on TPR’s "The Source" on Monday Adrian Reyna leaned into his experience as a teacher in the San Antonio Independent School District while Michelle Barrientes Vela pointed to her tenure in law enforcement as evidence of her commitment to public service. Reyna said he is grounded in traditional Democratic values which include public education and working class issues. “ “It’s pretty clear right now which party is speaking to the people that I serve in schools and I also work alongside. So, I want to make sure that we have somebody up in Austin who's fighting for the policies that are going to reflect and strengthen the communities that we come from,” Reyna said.

Barrientes Vela said her time as an elected Bexar County constable has prepared her to be a state representative for HD 125. “I believe my experience is very important, my law enforcement background, as well as being an elected official as a constable,” she said. However, Barrientes Vela’s time as the Precinct 2 Constable was unintentionally cut short. In September 2019 she announced her candidacy for Bexar County Sheriff. That announcement triggered the Texas Constitution’s resign-to-run rule because she still had more than 13 months left in her constable term in office. Barrientes Vela sued Bexar County to prevent her being replaced as a constable, but that suit was unsuccessful. Barrientes Vela said her many controversies in office were the result of county politics. “I was targeted and eventually there was a crime created and made up by some elected officials here in this county,” she said. On Jan. 23, 2020, Barrientes Vela was arrested and charged with aggravated perjury, two counts of tampering with evidence, and three counts of official oppression. A Bexar County jury convicted her on two felony counts of tampering with records related to Rodriguez Park security-payment logs. She was sentenced to five years’ probation. However, on Oct. 3, 2024: The Eighth Court of Appeals overturned the convictions and rendered a judgment of acquittal.

Read this article at Texas Public Radio - Subscribers Only

750,000 flights: American Airlines gears up for record-shattering summer operation

The summer travel season is fast approaching, and Fort Worth-based American Airlines says it will fly more customers than any previous one before. The airline, which operates its central hub at DFW International Airport, said it will transport 75 million travelers across 750,000 flights between May 21 and Sept. 8, breaking a previous record it set in 2019. That means five flights and 500 customers will be departing every minute, American said. American’s summer travel period begins Memorial Day weekend, when it expects more than 4.2 million customers across more than 40,000 flights scheduled from May 21 through May 26. The busiest day of travel for that weekend will be Friday, May 22, according to American.

In a letter to employees, which was shared with The Dallas Morning News, American’s Chief Operating Officer David Seymour touted some of the airline’s recent operations initiatives he said are paying off as it ramps up for a busy summer. Since American adjusted its bank structure at DFW Airport, on-time arrivals have increased by nearly 10 percentage points and on-time departures are up by nearly 2 percentage points. Missed connections at DFW are down by 44%, according to Seymour. He added that a similar scheduling adjustment at the airline’s Philadelphia International Airport hub has also led to an increase in on-time arrivals and departures. This summer, American is also focused on its “Flagship reliability,” Seymour said, referring to its most premium business product onboard the airline’s widebody aircraft, like the 787-9 Dreamliner, and its new Airbus A321 XLRs. He emphasized the importance of the product for the airline’s customer experience and revenue performance.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

Voter says cease-and-desist letter won’t silence her criticism of Kendall County Judge candidate’s past

A Kendall County woman, who created a meme calling one of the candidates in the county judge runoff a “wifebeater” and “child support dodger,” said she will not be intimidated by a cease-and-desist letter sent by the candidate’s attorney. Challenger Ricky Gleason’s past has become a flashpoint in the bruising May 26 Republican runoff against incumbent Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk. Toni Lott created the meme this spring after court records circulated in the community described Gleason’s 2006 arrest for misdemeanor family violence in Bexar County and a five-figure child support judgment issued against him by a district judge in the Texas Panhandle several years ago.

Lott said she altered a political ad for Gleason by changing the information contained in its bullet points and adding the name of a made up political action committee: Citizens Against Grifters. Lott messaged the meme to three people, who shared it with other people before it eventually made its way to Gleason. In late March, Lott and one of the original recipients of the meme received cease-and-desist letters from an attorney representing Gleason. The letter accuses Lott and the meme recipients of defaming Gleason and publishing materially false information about a public figure. “It was pretty obvious to me that he was trying to intimidate me,” said Lott, who claims she never posted the meme publicly. The author of the cease-and-desist letter, attorney Dennis Postiglione, told KSAT Investigates in a phone interview that publication is defined as anything communicated to a third party. The letter formally demands that Lott and the other resident retract, correct and clarify the graphic. “It feels like power and control versus what he’s running on, which is character and being open and honest, transparent,” said Lott.

Read this article at KSAT - Subscribers Only

Tesla avoids trial in lawsuit tied to Austin mass shooting suspect

Tesla Inc. has successfully fended off a public trial over a Gigafactory Texas assault case tied to the former employee suspected in a mass shooting in March on West Sixth Street. The Austin company was granted a motion for arbitration, avoiding a trial the alleged victim said she hoped would shed light on Tesla’s missed opportunities to stop the assault that left three people dead and 15 injured. The case was filed after employee Lillian Brady sued the automaker in the aftermath of the shooting at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, alleging she had been assaulted in December at the factory by former co-worker and shooting suspect Ndiaga Diagne.

In her lawsuit, Brady argued that the automaker failed to provide a safe work environment and know the backgrounds of its employees. She also accused Tesla of withholding Diagne’s name after the alleged assault Dec. 4. In an earlier interview, she said she only learned his identity when Diagne was identified as the suspect in the shooting. Tesla fired him in January without notifying Brady. On March 1, police say he went on a shooting spree in downtown Austin before being fatally shot by officers. The FBI investigated the shooting as a possible act of terrorism. Last week, investigators said they found no evidence that Diagne was directed by a foreign terrorist organization. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment about the complaint being moved to arbitration. During an April hearing in state District Court in Austin, Tesla attorney Joshua Romero cited the company’s “broad” arbitration agreement, which says “any and all disputes arising from or related to your employment go to arbitration.”

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

New Braunfels city attorney fired following mayoral election conflict

Following an hours-long discussion, the New Braunfels City Council voted to terminate Valeria Acevedo from her role as city attorney in a four to three vote on Monday, May 11. Councilmembers Toni Carter, Mary Ann Labowski and April Ryan were opposed. The item was intended to be discussed during the closed, executive session, but Acevedo requested the item be taken up in public prior to the start of the regular city council meeting. “I believe this level of transparency is necessary so that everyone can hear this discussion, as it may help dispel some of the confusion created by last week,” Acevedo said. “ … There is one thing that I want to address … and that is the fact that every vote counted. That is the fact that the election was carried out as it has been for years on our behalf by the county.”

The firing comes as a result of the discovery of a conflict between the city charter and the Texas State Constitution that led to mountains of controversy and discourse over the past week. Charles Zech formerly served as New Braunfels city attorney from 2001 to 2006 and is currently a contract attorney for the city, and said he was the one to bring the conflict to the city attorney’s office’s attention. Zech said he has spent his career analyzing city charters and is regularly contracted to assist cities in creating and amending charters. Zech said he saw a Facebook post stating that the New Braunfels mayoral race was to be decided by a plurality. He then checked the charter for accuracy and found that it was in conflict with the state constitution, which requires a majority vote – or more than 50% – for any office with a term of more than three years. Zech said he then contacted the City Attorney’s Office directly to inform them of the situation. Additionally, he clarified that he is not friends with Mayor Linnartz, nor did he go to school with him at any level.

Read this article at New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung - Subscribers Only

Republican officials urge unity, voter mobilization in Tarrant ahead of primary runoffs

With a little more than a week until early voting opens for the primary runoffs, Tarrant County Republicans and GOP candidates at the top of the ballot urged party unity ahead of the November midterm elections. Through party unity, prayer and mass mobilization of conservative voters, the local GOP can not only maintain control of the county’s highest elected offices but also drive a spiritual revival, speakers said at a May 9 “night of action” event hosted at Mercy Culture Church in Fort Worth. “You can win if you just mobilize the people who think like you to get out and vote,” said Bo French, former chairman of the Tarrant County GOP. He faces incumbent Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright in a runoff for the GOP nomination for a seat on the commission that oversees the state’s oil and gas industry.

French took the stage Saturday afternoon with other candidates slated to appear on the May 26 runoff ballot: Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. senator, and Texas Sen. Mayes Middleton, who is running for attorney general. The March 3 primaries determined Republican and Democratic nominees for county, state and federal offices before the November midterms. In races where no candidate drew more than 50% of votes, the top two vote-getters face off again May 26. Early voting opens May 18. Hosted by Mercy Culture’s political wing, For Liberty & Justice, the event’s lineup of speakers also included outgoing state Rep. Nate Schatzline, a founder of the host group; Nate Sheets, GOP nominee for Texas agriculture commissioner; Kambree Nelson, a Christian activist and influencer; and Kyle Rittenhouse, a conservative gun rights activist who gained fame after being acquitted for killing two people during a 2020 racial justice protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Read this article at Fort Worth Report - Subscribers Only

Secretary of State Nelson and Bexar County leaders spar over timeline to integrate registered voters

The Texas secretary of state and some Bexar County leaders are sparring over the timeline to integrate registered voters in the county. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said a timeline set by the county to integrate voter registration records from the county's new voter system for the November elections is "unrealistic" and "unworkable." In a return letter to County Judge Peter Sakai, who questioned whether timely data migration would occur, Nelson said her staff will respond with a schedule to connect the county's VR System to the state's TEAM System that is "timely" and "feasible." The state uses an elections management vendor named Civix.

It's the second time the county has called on the state to quickly integrate such a system. The first occurred before the November elections. The county's vendor then—Votech—suddenly went out of business. Nelson said last November that quick action cost the state more than $100,000 and affected the functionality of the core system for counties statewide. County officials have said TEAM is slow and has caused backlogs of registered voters and other glitches. Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert has been among the most outspoken. Calvert said that there are "counties big and small are raising the alarms about the voter registration system backlogs caused by TEAM and the glitches causing the potential multiple mail ballots to go to voters rather than a single mail ballot they requested." "These errors could put Civix and the SOS in legal battles and cause unnecessary and unforced error into the confidence in the 2026 mid-term election," Calvert added. Alicia Pierce, assistant secretary of state for communications, defended TEAM from the county's criticisms. "The state has had five successful elections using the new TEAM system. Our staff has been working day and night to address any issues as they arise. We will be working with Bexar County on a reasonable schedule," she said.

Read this article at Texas Public Radio - Subscribers Only

'Really difficult conversations': Fort Worth stares down nearly $50 million budget shortfall

Fort Worth City Council and staff are facing a $49.3 million gap in the city's 2027 budget as property and sales tax income lag behind previous years. In a budget worksession held on May 5, Fort Worth staff presented an initial overview of the budget as it stands now, which includes a $49.3 million budget shortfall. Both increased expenses and lagging revenue are to blame for the gap, city leaders said. Council and staff have several more months to balance the budget before it goes up for a vote, but council members warned some cuts will be painful. "We're going to have really difficult conversations as we go forward, especially about public safety," Charlie Lauersdorf, who represents District 4, said.

The city has faced falling revenue as property values have stopped growing at historic rates, and the Tarrant County Appraisal District has made significant changes to its appraisal process. The shortfall is also thanks in part to growing expenses that are not easily shed from the budget, including an increase for the city's vehicle and equipment fund, costs of operating facilities funded by the 2022 bond, pay increases for city employees, and increases related to the city's newly adopted EMS service. Last year, the city initially faced a budget shortfall of $11 million, which they closed by the time the budget passed with a property tax rate reduction for taxpayers. City leadership accomplished that task in part by asking city departments to submit their budgets with a 1% reduction in expenditures. This year, city leaders have asked departments to make 1% cuts again and submit a budget with a 3% reduction in expenditures. With a 1% reduction, the city would save about $7.8 million; with a 3% reduction, it would save about $14 million. The salaries of sworn officers are excluded from the cuts.

Read this article at WFAA - Subscribers Only

Dallas Morning News Editorial: 'Reformers' ousted Michael Morris. But they have no vision to replace him

A lawsuit, accusations, political scheming and a dubious ouster: Here’s a lesson in how not to run a regional planning agency that funnels billions of dollars into transportation projects throughout North Texas. Late last month, the North Central Texas Council of Governments terminated its long-time transportation director, Michael Morris. More specifically, Executive Director Todd Little sent him packing. After that, the Regional Transportation Council joined Denton County in a lawsuit against the COG and its executive board. Then, a judge temporarily blocked Morris’ termination. He has been reinstated, at least for now. The heart of the issue is who has the authority to fire Morris. With us so far?

Our newsroom covered these events in depth. Near as we can tell, Morris’ detractors ousted him for political reasons, removing one of the most consequential figures in shaping North Texas. There are many potential problems here. The first is that those who pushed Morris out have articulated no clear vision for who could replace him or his experience. That is no easy question. Whatever one thinks of Morris' successes and shortcomings, he has delivered the funds to keep this region growing time after time and he has been a fair arbiter for every segment. Some who wanted Morris gone have aired grievances against his policies: the number of tolled lanes of highway developed under his leadership, for instance.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

‘The tech market is the story’: Economist says tech layoffs continue to weigh on Austin housing

Tech layoffs continue to weigh on the Austin housing market as prices dropped to their lowest March level since 2021. Across the first quarter, prices are down 3.4% to a median sales price of $415,300, according to the Austin Board of Realtors.

Texas housing economist Amy Nixon said tech layoffs have an outsized impact on cities like Austin where a disproportionate number of workers are employed by tech. So far in 2026, tech companies have laid off nearly 103,000 workers, according to layoffs.fyi. As a result, there are fewer people with good incomes who are able to purchase homes as they come onto the market. "I think that part of the reason is property taxes; they’re obviously high in Texas. When your median home price is $200,000 or $300,000, like it was in the major metros for most of the 2010s, that’s not so much of a burden. But when you get to this price point where suddenly median homes are more like $500,000, that starts to be a little bit more of a factor. When the overall tax burden starts to increase, specifically when you’re looking at that property tax component, it starts to offset the no income tax or some of the other tax benefits that you get from living in the state," Nixon said.

Read this article at KXAN - Subscribers Only

New book peers into the abyss that is Alex Jones and Infowars

Years ago, when I was still at the Chronicle news desk, I got a phone call from Mike Hanson, who at the time was Alex Jones’ main “producer,” sidekick, and chief personal promoter. I’m not sure of the year, but it was before the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre. At the time, the Jones bullhorn was devoted primarily to proclaiming “9/11 was an inside job.” Hanson wasn’t calling about that; this was sort of a chest-beating marketing call. Jones was about to launch a weekly newspaper in Austin, and Hanson wanted to let me know that Infowars was coming specifically for the Chronicle. “You’ll be out of business in six months,” Hanson warned me. Indeed, over the next few weeks, vending boxes with the new publication appeared around Downtown. They disappeared just about as quickly.

My amateur Google searches now fail to provide evidence that Jones’ newsweekly ever existed. Meanwhile, the Chronicle – like every print publication, somewhat diminished by something called the “World Wide Web” – soldiers on. Hanson no longer works for Jones, and in his new book – The Madness of Believing: A Memoir From Inside Alex Jones’s Conspiracy Machine – former Infowars video editor and field producer Josh Owens suggests the two men are semi-estranged. Nevertheless, Hanson apparently still devotes time and energy to documenting his Jones-related history. Somebody has to do it, I guess. In a much better world, Jones’ entire history would instead disappear into oblivion. At the moment, he’s in the news again, for a couple of headline reasons. Like a handful of other right-wing grifters (Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens [no relation to Josh], Marjorie Taylor Greene), he’s suddenly lost his enthusiasm for Donald Trump (primarily over the war on Iran), and Trump has responded nastily in kind. More importantly, it appears that a modicum of justice has finally arrived for the Newtown, Connecticut families that Jones viciously vilified and harassed in the aftermath of their children’s murders at the Sandy Hook elementary school. The families eventually sued, and Jones repeatedly lost in court, but Jones’ lawyers managed to win endless delays.

Read this article at Austin Chronicle - Subscribers Only

Quarterback who led Dallas Cowboys to their first Super Bowl dies at 83

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton, one of only four QBs to start for two franchises in a Super Bowl, died Saturday in Mill Valley, California, at age 83. The Cowboys and Denver Broncos — the two teams he led to the Super Bowl — confirmed his death. Morton threw the first touchdown pass by a Cowboy in a Super Bowl in Dallas’ 16-13 loss to Baltimore in Super Bowl 5 in January 1971. After losing his job to Roger Staubach the next season, Morton eventually took over in Denver and led the Broncos to Super Bowl 12 — where they lost to Staubach and the Cowboys 27-10 in January 1978. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner are the only other quarterbacks to start for two franchises in Super Bowls.

“We are saddened to learn of Craig’s passing,” the Cowboys said on social media. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.” The Cowboys selected Morton with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1965 NFL draft out of California, and he backed up Don Meredith for his first four seasons. After Meredith retired, Morton took over as the starter in 1969 over the rookie Staubach and led Dallas to a 10-2-1 record before losing to Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. In 1970, Morton started the vast majority of the season, leading the Cowboys to a 10-4 record. They earned defensive-minded playoff victories over Detroit (5-0) and San Francisco (17-10) before losing to the Colts in the Super Bowl. The competition between Morton and Staubach came to a head in 1971 after both started games and even alternated snaps at one point. Staubach ultimately won the job, and the Cowboys claimed the first Super Bowl title in franchise history, beating Miami 24-3 in Super Bowl 6. Morton got one last season as Dallas’ starter when Staubach suffered an injury in the preseason in 1972. The Cowboys went 10-4, but Staubach relieved Morton in the divisional playoffs and rallied Dallas to a 30-28 victory over San Francisco.

Read this article at Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Subscribers Only

City Stories

San Antonio's Barn Door and Meat Market waitress gets $2,800-plus farewell tip from regulars served over 3 decades

Every Wednesday morning for the past 35 years, Maria Davila entered the History Room at the Barn Door Restaurant & Meat Market and served breakfast to a gathering of 30 or more guests. She poured their coffee, brought their tea and greeted each one by name: the billionaire, the banker, the developers and CEOs, power brokers of the business community known as The Civic Leaders Club. Davila knew the detailed preferences of each member: Red McCombs, the late billionaire, wanted five creamers and two Sweet’N Lows with his coffee. Pat Frost, the banker, liked hot tea. Marty Wender, the developer, drank Diet Coke. Most club members preferred their bacon extra crispy.

On May 6, Davila served her last breakfast for the group. When it ended, Wender thanked Davila for her service, collected $100 bills from each person and presented them to her as a final gratuity. “I wanted to cry,” Davila said. “They gave me $2,800. It’s the biggest tip I ever got.” The gratuity was partial. What Davila does not realize is that more money is coming. Members unable to attend are going to mail her checks. “When it’s all said and done, she’s going to get between $4,000 and $5,000,” Wender said. “She’s a very special lady. Everybody loves her.” Attention to detail is one hallmark of Davila’s work at the Barn Door, which closes on Sunday after 72 years. Warmth and kindness are others, which she uses to bring next level service to each table. Then there’s her story. She was born in Peru and came to the U.S. at 15 to visit an uncle in Georgia. She remained in the country after her mother, Violeta Martinez Rodriguez, arrived and then moved with her to San Antonio in 1980. Davila’s father, Juan Rodriguez, came the following year.

Read this article at San Antonio Report - Subscribers Only

National Stories

One in five HealthCare.gov enrollees dropped insurance coverage this year

The numbers are bearing out what many lawmakers feared: Many Americans can’t afford health insurance through the federal marketplaces without boosted subsidies. More than one in five people who enrolled in health insurance through HealthCare.gov during open enrollment and in the weeks immediately following were dropped from coverage for failing to pay their first month’s premium, according to internal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, documents obtained by NOTUS that haven’t been made public. The roughly 21% decline in enrollment in the 30 states using the federal marketplace is significantly higher than the rate of last year, when 12% of enrollees dropped off over the same time frame.

The numbers support widespread fears that the end of extra, pandemic-era subsidies, which congressional Republicans declined to extend in December, would leave Affordable Care Act plans unaffordable for some Americans. Faced with such a stark drop in enrollment, leadership at CMS, which is led by Administrator Mehmet Oz, is seeking to attribute a majority of the enrollment declines to rooting out fraud rather than people not paying their premiums, according to three CMS sources. The sources said it’s unlikely fraud is behind most of the cancellations. While marketplace fraud has been a problem in recent years, partly because insurance agents and brokers exploited Biden administration policies allowing year-round sign-ups, it’s more likely that a majority of the cancellations are among customers who were automatically reenrolled in their plans from last year and just never paid the premiums. That happens every year, but this year’s rate of cancellations is significantly higher. This year also saw fewer sign-ups to begin with, leaving total ACA enrollment at around 19 million people, around 3 million fewer than one year ago, according to CMS documents.

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

Trump says Iran ceasefire is on 'life support' after rejecting latest proposal

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the ceasefire is on “life support” after he rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war over its lack of satisfactory nuclear concessions. The stalled diplomacy follows recent exchanges of fire between the two countries, while Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remain in place. Trump also said Monday that he would indefinitely suspend the federal gas tax, though Congress needs to approve the move. The war continues to send fuel prices skyrocketing and rattle world markets. After Trump’s comment on the weakness of the ceasefire, the price for a barrel of Brent crude oil climbed 2.9% to $104.18. Trump will travel to Beijing this week for a rescheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

But Beijing’s deep economic ties to Iran, as well as trade tensions over tariff threats stretching back to Trump’s first term, could crimp the meeting, even though the Republican president has for years effusively praised Xi. Democrats on Monday filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to halt a Virginia ruling invalidating a ballot measure that would have given their party an additional four winnable U.S. House seats. The ballot measure, narrowly passed by voters, was struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court last week.

Read this article at Associated Press - Subscribers Only

Virginia Democrats ask US Supreme Court to let them use new congressional map

Democratic officials in Virginia asked the US Supreme Court on Monday to reinstate a congressional map that would benefit their party ahead of this year’s midterm elections, the latest map drawing appeal to reach the high court amid a flurry of mid-decade redistricting. The emergency appeal follows a decision from the state Supreme Court last week that voided Democrats’ attempt to redraw Virginia’s US House map via an April referendum in a way that would help Democrats pick up four additional seates. The Democrats are asking the US Supreme Court to effectively put that order on hold for this year’s midterm election. The decision, the officials said, was “deeply mistaken” and had “profound practical importance to the nation.”

The US Supreme Court is already deeply enmeshed in a flood of redistricting taking place in states across the country as both parties seek to eke an advantage out of House boundaries in the fall election. Several southern states have moved to redraw their maps following a blockbuster decision in late April that severely weakened the scope of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Virginia case will be handled, at least initially, by Chief Justice John Roberts, who oversees emergency appeals from Virginia and other states covered by the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals. Roberts asked for a response in the case by Thursday evening. Though it was not based on the Voting Rights Act decision, Virginia’s redistricting was nevertheless seen by Democrats as a way to offset the advantage Republicans have picked up from that effort. But the state’s highest court ruled that the process state officials used to create the referendum violated the state constitution. “The irreparable harm resulting from the Supreme Court of Virginia’s decision is profound and immediate,” Democrats told the US Supreme Court on Monday. “By forcing the commonwealth to conduct its congressional elections using districts different from those adopted by the General Assembly pursuant to a constitutional amendment the people just ratified, the Supreme Court of Virginia has deprived voters, candidates, and the commonwealth of their right to the lawfully enacted congressional districts.”

Read this article at CNN - Subscribers Only

In bid to flip Senate, Democrats push deep into Trump territory

Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown lost his seat in a 2024 MAGA wave that put Republicans back in control of the Senate. Now, the onetime three-term Ohio senator is seeking a comeback in a very different political environment, with an unpopular war and high prices denting President Trump’s poll numbers and alarming Republican strategists. Standing on a recent weekday with about 30 United Steelworkers union members and supporters outside a closed paper mill, Brown talked all about the economy. The professorial Brown, 73 years old, blasted his opponent, Republican Sen. Jon Husted, 58, who was appointed when JD Vance became vice president. “He’s been on the side of billionaires, not on the side of steelworkers…or people that are struggling in this neighborhood,” Brown said.

Republicans are playing defense in Ohio and a growing number of other red states, where Democrats are counting on voter backlash to power them to victory this fall in their long-shot battle to retake the Senate. Brown gave similar stump speeches in 2024, when he lost to Republican Bernie Moreno, a staunch Trump ally, by about 3.5 percentage points. But uncertainty about the economy, gas prices, the Iran war and other issues since have frustrated the electorate. Husted, the former Ohio lieutenant governor, brushed off the idea that Trump’s sinking approval ratings could drag him down. Recent polls show Husted holding a slight lead. “I’m not talking about President Trump, in the sense that he’s not on the ballot,” Husted said. At the same time, he said that if Trump was on the ballot, it would make his election easier: “He’s won Ohio three times.” Republicans began this election cycle favored to keep the Senate: Democrats would need to defend all their seats and then notch wins in solidly Trump states to take the majority. Republicans were far more worried about losing the House, where dozens of seats are in play. But the states that Democrats see as truly competitive have gradually expanded beyond North Carolina, which Trump won narrowly in 2024, and Maine, where he lost. More states once considered solidly Republican are in the mix, including Alaska, Iowa, Texas and Ohio. GOP hopes for flipping a Democratic seat in Georgia have faded, although Republicans think they have a chance to pick up a seat in Michigan.

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

Supreme Court clears way for a Republican-friendly Alabama map

Alabama can revert to a congressional map with only a single majority-Black district, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. The decision, based on the high court’s recent ruling on the Voting Rights Act, opens a path for Republicans to pick up an additional U.S. House seat. Alabama officials had urged the high court to allow the state to use a 2023 map that cuts two majority-Black congressional districts down to one, part of a move by several states across the South to redraw maps since the Supreme Court struck down part of the federal law protecting minority districts. The state had previously been barred from changing its congressional and state legislative maps until 2030. The court’s ruling comes a week before Alabama’s primaries are set to take place.

“Alabama’s case mirrors Louisiana’s, and they should end the same way: with this year’s elections run with districts based on lawful policy goals, not race,” state officials said in one of a series of emergency requests to the Supreme Court. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, writing that Monday’s ruling “unceremoniously discards the district court’s meticulously documented and supported discriminatory-intent finding and careful remedial order without any sound basis for doing so and without regard for the confusion that will surely ensure.” The ruling did not contain any opinions nor explanations from the court’s majority for lifting the lower court order. Alabama’s current congressional map was drawn to the standards of the Voting Rights Act before last month’s decision, and has two districts with a majority of Black voters represented by Democratic Reps. Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell. Figures flipped a GOP seat in 2024, and his election marked the first time Alabama had two Black representatives in Congress.

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

Trump nominates a former Navy SEAL he fired from FEMA to run FEMA

President Donald Trump nominated ex-Federal Emergency Management Agency leader Cameron Hamilton on Monday to direct the organization once again, just over a year after he was ousted from the post. Hamilton served as the acting head of the agency from January to May 2025. The former Navy SEAL was fired just one day after publicly breaking with Trump’s efforts to dismantle the agency. “I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security in March 2025, though he added that he believed FEMA had “evolved into an overextended federal bureaucracy, attempting to manage every type of emergency no matter how minor.”

Hamilton at the time was appearing before the subcommittee to discuss FEMA’s 2026 budget requests and distribution of aid. His comments were widely interpreted as a rebuke of Trump’s efforts to pare back the agency. Trump in June 2025 announced plans to abolish FEMA after the hurricane season, but his administration quietly backed off of this promise when catastrophic flooding devastated parts of Texas. The president initially sought to transfer more relief responsibility to state governments, a move that concerned many lawmakers from disaster-prone areas. In order for Hamilton to reassume his post, his appointment must be confirmed by the Senate — a process he avoided last year while he served as the acting head of FEMA. Hamilton has worked in the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, but he only led FEMA for 5 months. This relative lack of executive experience could expose Hamilton’s nomination to Senate scrutiny during the confirmation process. Since being removed from his role leading FEMA, Hamilton has been working with private “disaster response and recovery operations,” according to his LinkedIn.

Read this article at NOTUS - Subscribers Only

Trump’s complaints about Iran war leaks prompt aggressive DOJ investigations

President Trump privately complained to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about media leaks in the wake of the Iran war last month, according to administration officials familiar with the matter, prompting an aggressive push at the Justice Department to pursue those investigations. Blanche vowed to secure subpoenas specifically targeting the records of reporters who have worked on sensitive national security stories, one official said. In one meeting, Trump passed a stack of news articles he and other senior officials thought threatened national security to Blanche with a sticky note on it that said “treason,” another administration official said. Senior Justice Department officials have met with counterparts from the Pentagon to discuss the investigations, according to officials familiar with the meetings. In particular, Trump has focused his ire on articles that provided details on how he arrived at his decision to launch the war, and what his advisers had told him as he deliberated, officials said.

Launched 10 weeks ago, the conflict is now stuck in a shaky cease-fire. “In all circumstances, the Department of Justice follows the facts and applies the law to identify those committing crimes against the United States,” a department spokeswoman said. A White House official referred a request for comment to the Justice Department. Trump’s recent push to pursue the leak investigations comes as the Justice Department had already stepped up investigations into sensitive reporting about the lead up to the Iran war. The Wall Street Journal received grand jury subpoenas dated March 4 for records of Journal reporters. The request related to a Feb. 23 article that reported that Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and others at the Pentagon warned the president about the risks of an extended military campaign against Iran. Other news outlets, including Axios and the Washington Post, published similar stories that day. Trump launched the war five days later, on Feb. 28.

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

Lead Stories

Iran says it will ‘never bow’ as Trump rejects peace counteroffer, prolonging Middle East conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s counterproposal to end the 10-week war in the Middle East, calling it “totally unacceptable,” while Tehran vowed to “never bow,” prolonging a standoff that has choked the Strait of Hormuz and roiled global energy markets. “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.” I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” the president said in a Truth Social post on Sunday. Iranian state media framed Tehran’s response as a rejection of the U.S. proposal, which it characterized as a demand for “surrender.” In its response to the latest U.S. proposal, Tehran has insisted on war reparations, full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone as negotiations proceeded Sunday. “We will never bow our heads before the enemy, and if talk of dialogue or negotiation arises, it does not mean surrender or retreat,” he said on X in Persian, translated via Grok. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” said the war was not over because there was “more work to be done.” Iran had neither surrendered its enriched uranium nor dismantled enrichment sites, and continues to support regional proxies and advance its ballistic missile program, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran rejected U.S. demands regarding its nuclear program and stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Instead, Tehran proposed separate negotiations and offered to dilute some of its highly enriched uranium and transfer the rest to a third country, with a provision that it be returned if Washington exits any eventual deal, the Journal reported. The U.S. wants assurances that Iran will end its nuclear program as part of any peace deal. Iran has reportedly agreed to suspend enriching uranium, but for a shorter period than the 20-year moratorium proposed by the U.S. Iran has rejected dismantling its nuclear facilities. Tehran has also demanded that the U.S. end its blockade of Iranian ports as a condition for it to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Read this article at CNBC - Subscribers Only

After Virginia redistricting map is tossed, Democrats search desperately for a response

Democrats are struggling to respond to a major redistricting setback in Virginia, with some party leaders discussing an audacious and possibly far-fetched idea for trying to restore a congressional map voided by the court but showing little indication they have a clear plan. During a private discussion on Saturday that included Democratic House members from Virginia and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader, the lawmakers vented anger at their defeat at the Virginia Supreme Court, spoke about a collective determination to flip two or three Republican-held seats under the existing map and discussed a bank-shot proposal to redraw the congressional lines anyway, according to three people who participated in the call and two others who were briefed on it. They did not land on a specific course forward, and Mr. Jeffries and the other members of Congress agreed to consult with their lawyers about the most prudent way to proceed, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private talk.

The conversation reflected the desperation and fury that have gripped the party after the state Supreme Court struck down a favorable map that had been ratified by voters. The most dramatic idea they discussed — which would involve an unusual gambit to replace the entire state Supreme Court, with a goal of reinstating their gerrymandered map — drew mixed reactions on the call, said the people, and it was not clear that it would even be viable, or palatable to Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly. After Democrats had fought Republicans to a rough draw last month in a nationwide gerrymandering war, a pair of recent court rulings quickly gave the G.O.P. the clear upper hand in the race to redraw maps ahead of the midterm elections. Facing stiff headwinds, including President Trump’s low approval ratings and high gas prices, Republicans are looking for every advantage they can find to defy the odds and hold on to their narrow majority. Any plans to enact a new congressional map for this year’s midterm elections would require action in the next few days. In a court filing last month, Steven Koski, the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections, said any changes to the maps after Tuesday, May 12, “will significantly increase the risk” of his agency being unable to properly prepare for the state’s scheduled Aug. 4 primary election. A spokesman for Mr. Jeffries declined to comment.

Read this article at New York Times - Subscribers Only

White House distances itself from tighter AI regulation

Senior White House officials are trying to soothe industry concerns that the administration could require tech companies to submit their advanced artificial intelligence models for federal vetting before releasing them to the public. A day after one top White House economic adviser publicly confirmed that such a review was under discussion — likening it Wednesday to the Food and Drug Administration’s yearslong testing of prescription drugs — aides to President Donald Trump were sending a different message: Not so fast. “There’s one or two people who are very intent on government regulations, but they’re sort of the minority of the bunch,” said one senior White House official. This person, like others in this report, was granted anonymity to describe sensitive policy discussions.

The back-and-forth messaging comes as tech industry officials anxiously await an executive order spelling out how the administration plans to prevent powerful new AI models from being misused to launch cyberattacks or even develop bioweapons. POLITICO reported Tuesday that the White House is eyeing a vetting system that could require AI giants such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google to go through the government before releasing new models. While it is not immediately clear how onerous that oversight system would be, Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council, said in a Fox Business interview Wednesday that the administration was considering a pre-release safety testing regime akin to what the FDA does for drugs. “We’re studying possibly an executive order to give a clear roadmap to everybody about how this is gonna go, and how future AIs that also potentially create vulnerabilities should go through a process so that they’re released into the wild after they’ve been proven safe — just like an FDA drug,” Hassett said.

Read this article at Politico - Subscribers Only

Confident in China’s power, Xi is ready to host an unpredictable Trump

President Donald Trump is set to visit China this week for the first time since 2017, when he received a red-carpet welcome from children waving American and Chinese flags, and Chinese officials hoping to negotiate with a leader they viewed as a pragmatic businessman and dealmaker. This time, Trump will return to a Beijing that is a far more powerful, confident seat of global power than a decade ago — with a seasoned leader, Xi Jinping, who now understands Trump weaponizes unpredictability and holds no illusions about making lasting deals with the American leader. Instead, Xi wants to project China as a more reliable and responsible counterweight to U.S. volatility, U.S. and Chinese experts say. “China’s comprehensive national power has grown significantly since 2017,” said William Klein, who arranged Trump’s visit at the time as a senior official at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

The summit, which was delayed from March because of the war in Iran, comes as the U.S. is mired in a Middle East conflict that shows no sign of winding down. Trump’s standing, domestically and worldwide, has also been weakened because of the public’s dissatisfaction with the war and the severe damage to the global economy. As they meet this week, Xi and Trump, leaders of the world’s two biggest economies, are looking to stabilize the bilateral relationship after tit-for-tat export controls and sweeping U.S. sanctions on Chinese shipping firms and vessels suspected of doing business with the Iranian regime. In the more than 15 months since Trump’s return to the White House, Xi has displayed confidence in going toe-to-toe with his American counterpart, refusing to blink in response to repeated tariff threats and instead negotiating what was largely viewed as a mutual de-escalation. “China, after almost a decade of dealing with the U.S., has more experience and confidence now and is more clear-minded,” said Wang Huiyao, a former government policy adviser and president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based think tank.

Read this article at Washington Post - Subscribers Only

State Stories

Austin SBOE candidates debate: which are worse for public ed? Private school vouchers or charter schools?

Democrats Allison Bush and Stephanie Bazan, competitors in the May 26 runoff election to represent District 5 and Travis County on the Texas State Board of Education, agree on most things – but not all – when it comes to shaping our state’s education system. When asked about the most pressing problems facing Texas public schools right now, Bazan said it’s private school vouchers. Bush argued it’s charter schools. And at a moment when Austin ISD faces a growing budget deficit and school closures, which presents the bigger strain on neighborhood public schools has come to the forefront of the runoff. More than 500 Austin-area students have been awarded private school vouchers, the Statesman reported March 5, a program that costs the state $1 billion in its first school year.

But Austin ISD is also losing money to charter schools. Maggie Stern of Our Schools Our Democracy told the Chronicle they estimate that the district lost $148 million from students transferring to charter schools in the 2024-2025 school year alone. “That’s obviously a pretty large number in a district that is talking about budget cuts and already voted to close campuses,” Stern continued. “That revenue loss has real consequences for the vast majority of Texas families who continue to choose their local public school.” Bazan and Bush emerged from a crowded Democratic primary to represent six Austin-area counties on the SBOE, the Republican-majority board that approves public school curriculum standards and textbooks, manages how the state’s large Permanent School Fund is used, and approves new charter school systems – privately funded public schools like Austin-area IDEA and KIPP meant to diversify public education options. In March, Bush pulled ahead with about 36% of the vote – over 83,000 votes – while Bazan earned about 49,500, 21% of the vote. The winner of this month’s runoff will face Republican Mica Arellano in November. And while the SBOE is often a branch of state government that flies under the radar, it incited statewide protests last month. In early April, members advanced a controversial draft of the state’s curriculum standards for social studies that centers Texas’ and Christianity’s role within national and world history, and a literary works list that includes references to the Bible. Both Bush and Bazan expressed deep concern to the Chronicle about what the SBOE has accomplished this month.

Read this article at Austin Chronicle - Subscribers Only

Gov. Abbott activates state emergency resources ahead of severe storm threat

Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources as a massive storm system threatens much of the state with hurricane-force winds, giant hail, and the risk of tornadoes. The severe weather, expected to last through Monday morning, covers a vast footprint including West, North, East, Central, and South-Central Texas. Forecasters warned the system could produce wind gusts exceeding 75 mph and hail larger than 2 inches in diameter.

What they're saying: "Texas is prepared to confront the severe storms that pose a threat to communities all across our state," Abbott said in a statement. He urged Texans to monitor local forecasts and warned motorists never to drive through flooded roadways, invoking the phrase, "Turn Around, Don't Drown." Heavy rainfall is expected to be widespread, with some areas potentially seeing isolated totals of 3 to 6 inches, which could lead to significant flash flooding. As the system progresses, the threat is expected to shift toward the South and Southeast Texas coasts.

Read this article at Fox 4 - Subscribers Only

Historic Stoneleigh hotel reopens in Dallas after $20M renovations

The historic Stoneleigh hotel in Dallas has reopened following a $20 million renovation, just in time for Mother’s Day. The upgrades include refreshed guest rooms, a redesigned lobby and the addition of a new Italian restaurant led by a Michelin-starred chef, offering a fresh dining experience inside the iconic property. Guests visiting the restaurant can expect an upscale menu featuring caviar, steak tartare and a variety of house-made pastas.

Read this article at NBC DFW - Subscribers Only

Port of Corpus Christi rolls out new environmental guidelines as activity surges

The Port of Corpus Christi is introducing new environmental guidelines aimed at shaping future operations as activity at the port continues to grow. The announcement comes as the port has drawn national attention for a recent surge in activity, largely tied to the war in Iran. That increase, along with ongoing concerns about the Coastal Bend’s water supply, has sparked questions from community members about how local industry is addressing environmental impacts. Longtime Sinton resident Lilly Wilkinson said she has seen environmental changes in the area over the decades. “There was a lot of sludge and things and a lot of waste from the petroleum industry that dumped into rivers and creeks in the bays,” Wilkinson said, recalling what Corpus Christi Bay looked like in the 1960s.

Wilkinson said conditions today are much different. “The water now is so fresh and so clean I've never seen it this clean and pristine,” Wilkinson said. She shared her perspective after attending a community meeting hosted by the port announcing their updated environmental policies. Kent Britton, CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi, broke down the new guidelines. “We kind of have a cadence for our strategic planning at the port of three years. And so as we kind of update our strategic plan every three years, which we just approved, I don’t know, four or five months ago, then falling right on the heels of that, we update our environmental policy,” Britton said. Britton said many environmental regulations for their customers are overseen by agencies such as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, but the port is focusing on changes within its own operations.

Read this article at KIIITV - Subscribers Only

Texas A&M University System issues cease & desist to Muslim education entity

The Texas A&M University System is objecting to what it calls the unauthorized use of the Texas A&M name and trademarks by a Muslim education entity in North Texas branding itself as “TexAM University.” System officials say they’ve sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding the group stop using names, marks, domains and other branding elements they believe infringe on or dilute Texas A&M trademarks. According to the A&M System, the use of “TexAM,” “Texas AM University,” and similar variations could create confusion and mislead the public into thinking there is an affiliation or endorsement. The A&M System says the entity is not affiliated with Texas A&M University or The Texas A&M University System.

“The Texas A&M University System has a responsibility to protect the name and trademarks, which represent more than a century of academic excellence, public trust and institutional integrity,” Chancellor Glenn Hegar said in a statement. “When another organization uses branding that is similar, particularly in the same educational space, we must act to prevent confusion and protect the value of those marks.” The entity is formally known as the Texas American Muslim Institute of Technology at Dallas, according to the A&M System. Officials also say it is not recognized as a university by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. A&M System officials say they are prepared to pursue legal action if necessary.

Read this article at KBTX - Subscribers Only

Harris County treasurer arrested, charged with DWI in Galveston County weeks after burglary charge dismissed

Weeks after a grand jury declined to indict her on another criminal charge, Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt was arrested in Galveston County on Saturday for allegedly driving while intoxicated, jail records show. Wyatt, 56, was being held on a $3,000 cash bond in Galveston County late Saturday for the DWI charge. It’s the second time Wyatt has been accused of driving while intoxicated during her tenure as the Harris County treasurer after she was arrested in 2023 for allegedly having a blood-alcohol concentration of at least .15%, nearly twice the legal limit. That charge was dismissed in August last year after Wyatt completed a pretrial diversion program, court records show.

She was arrested again in Harris County last December and accused of breaking into another person’s vehicle in a restaurant parking lot with intent to commit theft. Prosecutors said several people watched as Wyatt searched through items inside a vehicle that wasn't hers. Sign up for the Hello, Houston! daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox. A Harris County grand jury declined to indict her on the burglary charge in April. Her attorney in that case, Christopher Downey, said Wyatt received a medical consultation following her arrest for cerebrovascular disease and a mini-stroke, information that he said was presented to the grand jury. It’s not clear whether Wyatt’s recent medical history factored into the grand jurors’ decision to no-bill the county treasurer. Wyatt had begun treatment for anemia and made certain changes to her daily nutritional intake and work habits, Downey previously told Houston Public Media. Wyatt also is in the throes of a shakeup in the county treasurer’s office after county commissioners in February stripped the office of a key function and voted unanimously to pursue dissolving the office, which would require voter approval. The county treasurer, elected in 2022, is set to be on the ballot again in November after she did not have any challengers in the Democratic primary election in March. Marc Cowart won the Republican nomination for the seat. No defense attorneys for Wyatt were listed in online Galveston County court records as of late Saturday.

Read this article at Houston Public Media - Subscribers Only

Texas law enforcement agencies brace for FIFA World Cup impact

As North Texas prepares to host matches and events tied to the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, law enforcement agencies across the region are ramping up security operations, investing in technology and coordinating staffing efforts ahead of what officials expect to be one of the busiest summers in recent history. North Texas officials estimate roughly 3.8 million visitors could travel through the region during the tournament, creating additional concerns surrounding transportation, crowd control and public safety. “So, there’s issues regarding transportation and traffic. There’s issues regarding security,” said Arlington Mayor Jim Ross. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which will be called Dallas Stadium during the tournament, will host nine soccer matches.

The expected influx of visitors is prompting agencies across the region to adopt new tools and strategies. The Burleson Police Department is using body cameras capable of conducting real-time translations in 50 languages. “It’s a game-changer,” said Officer Jay Davis of the department. Meanwhile, the North Central Texas Council of Governments is investing $200,000 into artificial intelligence software designed to help 911 operators translate calls from non-English speakers. “We’re expecting to see a higher usage in language translation services,” said Rodger Mann of the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District. Dallas is also preparing to host the FIFA Fan Festival and the International Broadcast Center, both of which will require a significant police presence and security operations. The Dallas Police Department is receiving a $22 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to help fund those efforts.

Read this article at Spectrum News - Subscribers Only

Spurs coach defends Wembanyama amid 'disgusting' physicality

Coming to the defense of Victor Wembanyama following his ejection in Game 4 against the Timberwolves, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the physicality his star player faces on a nightly basis is “actually disgusting.” Wembanyama was kicked out of Sunday’s 114-109 loss in Minneapolis with 8:39 to play in the second quarter after swinging his elbow into the chin of Minnesota’s Naz Reid while battling for a rebound. Officials assessed a flagrant 2 foul following a review. Asked after Friday’s Game 3 about the fresh scratches and bruises across his body, Wembanyama said the physical punishment is “gonna happen” in the playoff environment. But Johnson had less patience following Game 4, pointing to the league’s responsibility to protect Wembanyama.

“The physicality people try to impose on him and the lack of protection is really disappointing,” Johnson said. “At some level, it’s starting to get actually disgusting, just in terms of when he tries to fight through things and be professional and mature and deal with some of that stuff.” Johnson said the Spurs have spoken to Wembanyama about defending himself against his opponents’ physicality. “I do think it’s getting to a point that if the people who are in charge of controlling the game and protecting the physicality of the game don’t do that, at some point he’s going to have to protect himself,” Johnson said. “We’ve been asking him to do that for a while.” Though Johnson defended Wembanyama for responding to Minnesota’s aggression, he clarified that he did not condone Sunday’s foul against Reid. “I’m glad he took matters into his own hands,” Johnson said. “Not in terms of hitting Naz Reid. I want to be very clear about that. I’m glad Naz Reid was OK. I didn’t want him to elbow him. But he’s going to have to protect himself, if they’re not. And I think it’s disgusting.” The league is expected to review the play on Monday, and Wembanyama could face additional punishment. Johnson said he did not believe anything beyond Sunday’s ejection would be warranted. “There was zero intent,” Johnson said. “To have anything on top of that, I think, would be ridiculous.”

Read this article at San Antonio Express-News - Subscribers Only

Texas can tax VELO oral nicotine products as tobacco, state Supreme Court rules

Despite not containing true tobacco, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday a line of oral nicotine pouches and lozenges are tobacco products, and the state can tax them as such. VELO products are made of a blend of plant matter and nicotine. The combination makes the products tobacco substitutes, subjecting them to state tax laws that the Texas Comptroller enforces, Justice Brett Busby wrote in an opinion for the court. “A VELO pouch is essentially a type of snus—a porous pouch that is filled with cellulose and nicotine isolate instead of pulverized tobacco,” Busby wrote. “In short, the primary ingredient in VELO pouches—a blend of powdered cellulose and nicotine isolate—takes the place and function of the tobacco plant matter in snus, a 'preparation of pulverized tobacco' that is taxable under (the Texas Tax Code)."

In a concurring opinion, Justice James Sullivan said he considers the presence of plant matter in VELO pouches irrelevant to the court's interpretation of tobacco tax law. "Respectfully, I’m doubtful that the presence of 'microcrystalline cellulose, a naturally occurring organic compound found in the cell walls of plants,' is essential to a VELO pouch’s having been 'made of . . . a tobacco substitute,'" Sullivan wrote, citing Busby's opinion and state law. In a statement, a spokesperson said the Texas Comptroller’s Office is “pleased” with the high court’s ruling. KERA News has reached out to RJR Vapor Co. and will update this story with any response. RJR Vapor Co. sells oral nicotine products throughout Texas, including VELO, a competitor of ZYN nicotine pouches. The distributor was seeking a $16,000 refund on taxes it paid in 2020 after the comptroller determined VELO pouches and lozenges were taxable as tobacco.

Read this article at KERA - Subscribers Only

New immigration rule for Texas occupational licenses leaves some beauty professionals in ‘limbo'

Jadira sweeps the floor of her beauty salon tucked into a southern Dallas neighborhood as a client and her two kids arrive. Jadira helps the four-year-old up on the salon chair as his mom explains the type of haircut she would like for her son. For the last 20 years, Jadira — whom KERA is only referring to by her first name because she does not have legal status in the U.S. — has been forging relationships with community members and has seen generations grow up and remain loyal customers. But she is now afraid that the trust and connections she has built could be taken away because of a new regulation that requires occupational license holders to show proof of legal status. “I’m worried about the new requirements to get a license because my livelihood depends on this,” Jadira told KERA in Spanish. “I’ve also talked to various people in the same situation as me, and we don’t know what to do.”

She said she’s “in limbo” without any clear guidance. Under the new requirement by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) that went into effect May 1, anyone renewing their license must show proof of legal status in the U.S. The new rule affects approximately 40 professions, including cosmetologists like Jadira, estheticians, nail techs, eyelash techs and barbers. “It’s a very radical change because it doesn't just affect those who work in the beauty industry, but the majority of Latinos without legal status in areas such as plumbing, air conditioning, electricity,” Luisa Carrillo, who runs a beauty school based in North Dallas, said in Spanish. “So we’re not just talking about beauty.” Carrillo is worried of what the change means for the future of beauty schools in North Texas – the ones that have predominantly migrant students. Some of her students have considered leaving the beauty school, she said.

Read this article at KERA - Subscribers Only

New Wilmer council member aims to take on rapid data center growth

A lifelong Wilmer resident campaigned on a promise to regulate the rapid growth of data centers in and around the small town south of Dallas – and won. Council member-elect Moses Garcia said apart from industry, he hasn’t seen much growth in his city of about 7,000 people over the years. “The last time that we had anything in Wilmer was the main strip in town, and that was done when I was like 10 years old,” Garcia said. Low tax rates and city incentives have turned the town and surrounding area into a hub of industrial development in recent years. Major companies like Procter & Gamble, Ace Hardware and Amazon have built warehouses in the largely rural corner of southern Dallas County.

Quality Technology Services – or QTS – recently began developing a multi-building data center campus southwest of the town. According to the company, several facilities are under development and more are under review. “South Dallas is a key growth area for the region’s digital and industrial economy, and Wilmer is well positioned to benefit given its location, infrastructure, and existing industrial base,” read the statement. “QTS expanded in Wilmer to support long-term growth and to serve as a committed community partner.” Four Granbury residents accused city leaders of secrecy and Open Meetings Act violations tied to a controversial data center and Knox Ranch annexation. The multi-billion dollar company has donated $25,000 to the Wilmer Fire Department and took part in an initiative to plant more trees in the region, but Garcia said residents are wary of the new development as data center growth threatens energy and water supplies in other small Texas towns. The QTS development caught his attention when he first began campaigning for Wilmer’s city council.

Read this article at KERA - Subscribers Only

Austin spends millions on outside attorneys to handle lawsuits

As the city of Austin enters another, leaner budget season, some say it should rein in spending and have more oversight on its contracts with pricey outside attorneys. Austin has spent tens of millions of dollars in recent years hiring attorneys to handle litigation against the city. A case before City Council this week highlighted the practice and pushed Council Member Mike Siegel to rethink the city's approach. The lawsuit stems from a botched raid and detainment of a couple at their home in South Austin in 2023. Glen and Mindy Shield's home off Channel Island Drive was raided by state troopers after the Austin Police Department believed an armed suspect was inside. Troopers busted down the door with explosives, used flashbang devices and caused more than $23,000 in damages, according to the Shields' lawsuit. In late March, the city had a chance to settle that lawsuit, but attorneys acting on behalf of the city opted to pursue the case further. Council OK'd more than $609,000 in payments to an outside firm, Richards Rodriguez and Skeith.

On Thursday, the council approved a possible $350,000 settlement in that case, in addition to the money paid to the law firm. Siegel, who voted in favor of that contract extension and the potential settlement, said the City Council needs more oversight in cases like these. "I think most people would agree that an outside attorney is more likely to be expensive for a variety of reasons," he said. "And then the question becomes, 'Are they more effective?'" KUT News reached out to the city's Law Department and the City Manager's Office, but neither would provide an on-the-record interview for this story. A statement from a city spokesperson said the city used outside attorneys in cases with a conflict of interest, when "expertise" is needed or when the city needs to "balance workload." "The City Attorney’s Office always takes into consideration the efficient use of public dollars when deciding to hire outside counsel and the firms hired understand this responsibility in their role representing the City," the statement read. The increase in spending has dovetailed with a boon in civil lawsuits against the city's police department after the 2020 protests. Austin has paid out more than $20 million to plaintiffs who alleged city police used excessive force against protesters. All told, Austin has paid out more than $48 million in settlements since that year for all cases filed against the city, and many of those cases have leaned on outside attorneys. Austin attorney Scott Hendler said that isn't uncommon for any city, but the six-figure contracts incentivize third-party trial lawyers to bill for as much as they can, slowing down the process.

Read this article at KUT - Subscribers Only

Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress says Pope is wrong about Iran

First Baptist Dallas' senior pastor Robert Jeffress said in a recent Fox News segment Pope Leo XIV is wrong when it comes to Iran, expressing his support for the Trump Administration's war on the regime. Iran's nuclear capabilities are part of the rationale that the Trump administration has earlier provided for launching a war on the regime, The Associated Press reported earlier this year. The White House has previously said the decision to launch Operation Epic Fury to destroy Iran's offensive missile and security infrastructure was based on a cumulative effect of direct and imminent threat that the regime posed to the United States, The AP reported.

Pope Leo, the first American Pope, expressed his strong disapproval of the war that the Trump administration has launched against Iran and has criticized the situation, saying "God does not bless any conflict," The AP reported. "The Pope is a good man, he is sincere in his faith, but he is sincerely wrong when it comes to Iran," Jeffress said. The pastor told Fox News that a few days after the U.S.-Iran conflict began, he was in the Oval Office with faith leaders and President Donald Trump, who said "Iran was within weeks of getting a powerful weapon that would destroy Israel, much of the Middle East and could bring great harm to America, and he had no choice but to act." Jeffress said, in the segment, he commends the president for fulfilling his "God-given" responsibility to protect the nation. He added the role of the government is to protect its citizens from evil-doers.

Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only

National Stories

Private credit’s hot streak is over

Private-credit firms delivered eye-popping returns to investors in recent years. That hot streak is over. The latest earnings results across the industry show returns that appear to be entering a more modest chapter, just as investors have grown worried about other aspects of private-credit funds that lend to riskier companies. Ares Capital Corp., Golub Capital and other publicly traded funds marked down their net asset values in the last quarter after lowering the valuations of loans they made to software and other companies. Others like Sixth Street Specialty Lending also trimmed their dividends.

Apollo Global Management said this past week that gross returns on its direct origination funds that include investment-grade loans to companies were 0.5%, down from 2.6% a year ago. Gross returns reflect dividends paid to investors as well as their investment’s change in value, before fees. Earlier, Blackstone and Blue Owl also reported lower returns for the period from a year ago. Just a few years ago, investors had enjoyed mid- to high-double-digit annual gross returns, fueled by a confluence of unusual circumstances. During the pandemic, for instance, private lenders stepped up to supply credit to borrowers when others were pulling back, earning strong returns for doing so. That was followed by a dealmaking frenzy that drove up demand for borrowing. Then, when the regional-banking crisis hit in 2023 and banks pulled back on this lending, private-credit firms took more share.

Read this article at Wall Street Journal - Subscribers Only

For struggling JetBlue, Spirit’s demise may offer an opportunity

Mere hours after Spirit Airlines shut down last weekend, JetBlue Airways announced more than two dozen new flights out of Spirit’s home airport. JetBlue’s speed in filling the void was not surprising. The airline is trying to turn itself around after years of losing money. JetBlue wants to make Spirit’s base — Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, near Miami — the next pillar of its business, and seized the opportunity to attract thousands of travelers suddenly left in the lurch. Once celebrated as a hip, disruptive upstart, JetBlue has fallen on hard times. The company has shrunk somewhat in recent years to under 5 percent of domestic air travel, making it about one-fourth as big as the country’s largest airlines.

As a result, it is not big enough to compete head to head with American, Delta, United or Southwest. And its costs are too high to pursue the low-fare approach popularized by Spirit and others. That leaves JetBlue in a difficult situation: It needs to grow, but it has few easy or good options. “It is the most uncomfortable place in the world,” said John Grant, chief analyst at OAG, an aviation data provider. “You don’t know where you’re going and how you can compete.” From 2019 to 2025, JetBlue’s operating costs rose almost 29 percent as it matched industrywide raises handed out to pilots and other employees and paid more in airport fees. But its revenue climbed just 13 percent. The airline has lost money every year since 2019 and has about $8.5 billion in debt. JetBlue, which is based in New York, declined to make its chief executive available for an interview for this article. The airline has tried various strategies to put itself on a more sustainable footing, but few have worked out.

Read this article at New York Times - Subscribers Only

With Netflix new ad-free standard plan at $20, streaming's tipping point into old TV is getting closer

Streaming companies are discovering that their most valuable customers may not be the ones paying the most. Instead, it’s increasingly the viewers who watch the most. The change is being driven by a move away from a subscription-only model to one that combines subscription fees with advertising. Because ads are sold based on viewership, the more time a subscriber spends watching, the more revenue that viewer generates. In March, Netflix raised prices for the second time in just over a year, pushing its standard ad-free plan to around $20 a month, versus an ad-supported tier at $9, signaling that how much a subscriber watches may matter as much if not more than what they pay upfront. “It’s a double payday,” said Kevin Krim, president and CEO of EDO, a company that measures the impact of advertising across streaming and linear TV. “As long as the ad-tier subscriber is engaged with the content and the ads, they will be at least as valuable or more than ad-free subscribers,” Krim said.

After years of resisting advertising, Netflix is now leaning heavily into that model, rapidly building out its advertising business alongside subscriptions. “We’re making good progress, and the opportunity ahead of us is massive,” Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said after the company’s latest earnings report. Disney’s Hulu has long combined subscription and advertising revenue, and Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast have pushed similar strategies across their streaming platforms. Netflix’s advantage, however, comes from both its scale and how much its audience watches. According to the company’s Q4 2025 shareholder update, it has over 325 million subscribers globally, and viewers collectively watched more than 95 billion hours of content in the first half of 2025 alone, providing far more opportunity than competitors to generate advertising revenue over time. According to Peters, closing the gap between ad-free and ad-tier subscribers is a major focus for the company. The “gap is narrowing,” and closing it will be a “key opportunity for future revenue growth,” he said on the company’s recent earnings call.

Read this article at CNBC - Subscribers Only

‘It’s literally going to break me.’ Commuting is now unaffordable for some American workers

Stephen Kaledecker was psyched when he was promoted in December to regional manager at the hotel chain where he works – but his enthusiasm cratered when gas prices started to skyrocket after the US-Israeli conflict with Iran began earlier this year. The new job entails thousands of miles of driving each month to properties in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. With the price of gas topping $5 a gallon on his trips, he is spending more than a $1,000 a month on fuel. That means he will end up losing money, since his raise won’t cover the increased fuel expenses – and his employer won’t reimburse him for mileage once he fully transitions into his new role next month. But he can’t go back to his old position managing a hotel in Ohio, because the role has already been filled.

Having to decide whether to continue as regional manager, which he loves, has left him terrified and crying some nights in his hotel rooms on the road. While he was looking forward to advancing in his career, the Gahanna, Ohio, resident feels he can’t justify it financially. “It’s going to literally break me,” said Kaledecker, who has already put more than 20,000 miles on his 2018 Chevy Silverado, which he uses to carry equipment and supplies for the hotels, this year. “I look at my bank account and I’m like, ‘Okay, if I go here and do what they ask me to do, I’m not going to be able to get my prescriptions, or I’m not going to be able to pay that electric bill.’” Kaledecker, 46, is among the American workers feeling the pain from soaring gas prices, which climbed to an average of $4.52 per gallon nationwide on Sunday, up from $2.98 per gallon when the conflict began in late February, according to AAA. Workers with long commutes are being hit particularly hard, forcing some to make tough choices about whether to continue in their jobs. Others are asking if they can work from home more, while still others are narrowing their job searches to minimize the time required in their cars.

Read this article at CNN - Subscribers Only

Budget-conscious shoppers are feeding a boom in discount groceries

When Rachel Negro-Henderson started shopping at Aldi regularly during the pandemic — a change her family made when her husband lost his income as a crew coach — she'd sometimes have awkward run-ins with acquaintances. "People would not want to talk about why they were here, like it was a mistake," the healthcare administrator said. "They just stumbled into a grocery store because they needed a tomato." But after just a few years, those interactions have changed. Negro-Henderson, who lives in Audubon, N.J., with her husband and three kids, says she now sees people she knows there all the time.

A slew of factors has been making it harder to put an affordable meal on the table. Food insecurity mushroomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and grocery prices have skyrocketed in recent years. Layer onto that inflation, the threat of tariffs and corporate cost-cutting schemes like shrinkflation and electronic shelf labels, which give retailers the ability to change prices based on demand. "Consumers are just to a point where [they're saying], 'Give us a break,'" said grocery industry analyst Phil Lempert. "This is food. You don't screw around with our food." Many of those facing economic pressures and frustrations have begun shopping at budget grocery stores and warehouse clubs in lieu of traditional supermarkets, their priorities shifting in pursuit of a good deal. Look to social media to see the change, where creators regularly post their favorite finds at Aldi or meals they've made entirely from ingredients bought at Costco. In the process, Lempert said, discounters have invested in improving their food and beverage offerings, shaking off any lackluster reputations they may have had in the past and ushering in a new generation of cost-conscious consumers.

Read this article at NPR - Subscribers Only

Berlin sceptikal as Putin proposes Germany's ex-chancellor Schroeder as Ukraine mediator

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed longtime ally and friend, former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, as mediator in the Ukraine war – an idea that has been met with scepticism in Berlin. Asked on Saturday who he would like to help restart talks with Europe, Putin said he would "personally" prefer Schroeder, who led Germany from 1998 to 2005. Schroeder, 82, has remained close to the Kremlin leader long after leaving office, standing apart from most Western leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. German officials reacted cautiously, saying they had "taken note" of Putin's comments but viewed them as part of "a series of bogus offers" from Russia, government sources told AFP Sunday.

One source said a real test of Moscow's intentions would be to extend the current three-day truce. Schroeder's stance has made him a controversial figure at home. He has never publicly condemned the invasion of Ukraine, costing him several privileges normally granted to former chancellors. He previously held key roles in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and a seat on the board of Russian oil firm Rosneft, which he gave up in 2022. Some German politicians from Schroeder's own SPD party – a junior partner in Germany's coalition government – say this makes him unsuitable for any mediator role. Michael Roth, former SPD lawmaker and chair of the foreign affairs committee, said a mediator "cannot be Putin's buddy", in an interview with Tagesspiegel. He stressed that any mediator must above all be accepted by Ukraine. "Neither Moscow nor we can decide that on Kyiv's behalf."

Read this article at France24 - Subscribers Only

Copyright May 19, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved