Lead Stories

Maine airport officials confirm new details on plane crash tied to Houston firm

A Houston-registered flight had received fuel and "de-icing services" at Bangor International Airport before crashing Sunday night, officials said Tuesday. Four passengers and two crew members were on the plane, officials said, and all are presumed to be dead by authorities. The plane was heading to Paris-Vatry Airport in France from Bangor International Airport, according to officials. It had originally arrived in Maine from Houston, although officials did not specify which airport the flight originated from.

Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigations are at the airport and have started their investigation into the crash, officials said. The plane, a Bombardier Challenger 600, has a registered address that is the same as the Houston law firm Arnold & Itkin. Authorities have not yet announced the identities of those in the plane, but Lakewood Church confirmed that one of the victims was employee Shawna Collins. The Federal Aviation Administration first reported the incident Sunday night, saying that the plane crashed around 7:45 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. According to air traffic control audio from LiveATC.net, after a plane was cleared for takeoff Sunday night, someone said, "We have a passenger aircraft upside down." The airport has remained closed since the crash. Officials have said the airport will remain closed until at least 9 a.m. Thursday.

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Texas pauses H-1B visas for high-skilled workers at colleges and state agencies

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is directing state agencies and public universities and colleges to hit pause on new federal H-1B visas — temporary work visas that are reserved for high-skilled immigrant workers. In a Tuesday letter, Abbott said the higher education institutions and state agencies led by governor appointees shouldn’t initiate or sponsor any new H-1B visas until the end of the next year’s Texas legislative session, unless given written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission. State lawmakers from Jan. 12 through May. 31, 2027. The directive includes university-affiliated medical centers, such as UT Southwestern in Dallas and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Abbott cited “recent reports of abuse” in the federal program, as well as an ongoing federal review of the program “to ensure American jobs are going to American workers,” as the basis for the new directive.

“State government must lead by example and ensure that employment opportunities — particularly those funded with taxpayer dollars — are filled by Texans first,” Abbott said in a Tuesday statement. Abbott also told the state agencies and universities and colleges to collect data about existing H-1B visas, including how many of the visas are sponsored, the countries of origin for the visa holders, the types of jobs held and anticipated expiration dates. The agencies and higher education institutions should identify documentation of efforts to give “qualified Texas candidates with a reasonable opportunity to apply for each position filled by a H-1B visa holder before a new petition was submitted for that position.” The information gathering and pause on new H-1B visas will give the Texas Legislature time to create “guardrails” for future employment practices for federal visa holders in state government, Abbott said. It will also allow Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration time to carry out changes, Abbott said. The governor teased the announcement in a Monday episode of “The Mark Davis Show.” In fiscal year 2025 across all sectors, Texas had about 42,500 recipients of H-1B visas, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data. Tech-related companies like Cognizant Technology Solutions, Infosys Limited, Oracle and Tesla were among the top employers in the state.

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D.H.S. review does not say Pretti brandished gun, as Noem claimed

A preliminary review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s internal watchdog office found that Alex Pretti was shot by two federal officers after resisting arrest, but did not indicate that he brandished a weapon during the encounter, according to an email sent to Congress and reviewed by The New York Times. The review makes no mention of the Department of Homeland Security’s earlier claims that Mr. Pretti, a U.S. citizen, “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Shortly after the shooting, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, claimed that Mr. Pretti had been “brandishing” a gun. Officials had provided no evidence to back up the claim, which was contradicted by witness videos.

The initial review by C.B.P., which deployed more than 1,000 officers and agents to support the enforcement operation in Minnesota, represents the first official written assessment of Saturday’s shooting since administration officials rushed to blame Mr. Pretti. “These notifications reflect standard Customs and Border Protection protocol and are issued in accordance with existing procedures,” Hilton Beckham, a C.B.P. spokeswoman, said in a statement. “They provide an initial outline of an event that took place and do not convey any definitive conclusion or investigative findings. They are factual reports — not analytical judgments — and are provided to inform Congress and to promote transparency.” The review was done by C.B.P.’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which normally conducts internal misconduct investigations following shootings, and was distributed to members of Congress on Tuesday, as required by law. It presents a detailed timeline of the events based on body camera footage and agency documentation. At approximately 9 a.m. on Saturday, a federal officer was confronted by two female civilians blowing whistles, according to the review. Although the officer ordered them to move out of the road, they did not move.

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ICE raid rumors spark fear in Austin as city denies surge

As a winter storm bore down on Austin late last week, residents braced for an onslaught of ice — and, many feared, ICE enforcement in the city. Rumors that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were preparing a major operation in Austin spread rapidly across social media as the weekend approached. The claims, shared by a prominent Austin immigration attorney who is now a political candidate, along with downtown businesses and food influencers, suggested ICE had booked a large block of rooms at the Hyatt Regency downtown and arrested service workers in the Warehouse District. None included photos, video or other evidence.

“Credible reports on ICE activity,” attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said in a bilingual video post that was viewed more than 1 million times on Instagram and 250,000 on TikTok. “Watch out, stay safe and avoid downtown.” City officials initially said nothing publicly, even as they worked behind the scenes to figure out if there was anything to the rumors. Police Chief Lisa Davis called ICE. City Council Member José “Chito” Vela called downtown hotels and bar workers, as well as immigration and criminal defense attorneys. They found nothing to corroborate the claims. The situation was the latest test for officials in Austin, a liberal city where distrust of federal immigration agencies runs deep and residents have been rattled by recent events in Minneapolis. Earlier this month, Davis’ department faced backlash after Austin police called ICE on a mother and her young daughter due to an outstanding immigration warrant. The weekend rumors again placed local officials — many of whom oppose the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — in the difficult position of trying to combat misinformation and calm fears while explaining the complexities of immigration enforcement in Texas and relying on assurances from the same federal agencies residents increasingly distrust.

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State Stories

Ted Cruz urges Trump administration to soften tone on shootings

Sen. Ted Cruz has urged the Trump administration to strike a more measured tone after fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, saying tough talk risks alienating key swing voters. After Renee Good was shot and killed in her vehicle, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested Good was trying to run down Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in an “act of domestic terrorism.” Cruz, in his podcast Monday, defended the agent’s actions, saying Good drove her car into him, and “that is a justifiable use of lethal force.” He also said officials should be cautious about casting those killed as terrorists and he said he supports an investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse in Minneapolis.

“Immediately when an incident like this happens, they come out guns blazing that we took out a violent terrorist, hooray,” Cruz said. “And the problem is, particularly for someone not paying attention, if you’re being told this is a mom of three, and there’s no indication, you know, she’s not waving an ISIS flag or doesn’t have a suicide vest around her, escalating the rhetoric doesn’t help and it actually loses credibility,” he said. After Pretti’s shooting, some Republicans blamed him for carrying a gun while protesting immigration enforcement operations. He had a Minnesota permit to carry a firearm. Trump adviser Stephen Miller described Pretti as an “assassin” trying to murder federal agents. Some Second Amendment rights advocates, generally supportive of President Donald Trump, have said exercising a constitutional right to carry doesn’t automatically give law enforcement cause to shoot someone. Cruz, a Republican, said on his podcast there was “confusion” about what happened with Pretti and “there needs to be an investigation.”

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Paxton files suit against Delaware nurse practitioner for providing abortion pills to Texans

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued a Delaware-based nurse practitioner, alleging she broke Texas law by prescribing abortion pills to women in Texas. In the suit filed Tuesday, Paxton said that Debra Lynch, a co-founder of the organization Her Safe Harbor, has sent packages containing the medications mifepristone and misoprostol to women in cities including Beaumont, Fulshear, Tomball, Houston and El Paso. The suit references statements Lynch made to media outlets, including in a profile by the Austin American-Statesman. Abortion is illegal in Texas except for a narrow carveout for medical emergencies.

Her Safe Harbor advertises itself as a telehealth service that offers “safe, private care” to women in all 50 states. In addition to abortion medication, the service offers other kinds of gynecology treatment, such as care for UTIs and sexually transmitted infections, and prescribes birth control and emergency contraception. In the filing, Paxton calls Her Safe Harbor “part of a growing network of out-of-state abortion traffickers that deliberately target Texas residents.” He is seeking a temporary or permanent injunction that prohibits Lynch and her organization from providing abortion medication to Texas residents and prevents her from practicing medicine in the state. The action follows a cease and desist letter the Texas Attorney General’s office sent Lynch last year. After receiving the letter, Lynch told media outlets that Her Safe Harbor did not plan to change its operations, and she had seen an uptick in requests from Texans since news of the cease-and-desist was reported.

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After Alex Pretti, Kyle Rittenhouse is again a lightning rod online

As Americans vented, grieved and, in some cases, justified the killing of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers over the weekend, they turned, as they often do, to social media. In the hours after the shooting, as the Trump administration rushed to push a narrative that Mr. Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” who possessed a weapon and an intent to cause harm, the name Kyle Rittenhouse began to circulate online. A young man who arrived armed with an AR-15-style rifle to defend a local business during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, Mr. Rittenhouse was once a symbol of patriotism and Second Amendment rights for many on the right. Some of his supporters, among them President Trump, helped fund his legal defense when he was brought up on — and later found not guilty of — charges of intentional homicide for shooting three protesters and killing two.

After the killing of Mr. Pretti, Mr. Rittenhouse has become a prism through which observers across the political spectrum are filtering the actions by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis. For those on the left, Mr. Rittenhouse is a figure who highlights what they believe is a staggering display of hypocrisy by MAGA conservatives and administration officials who have rushed to paint Mr. Pretti, an I.C.U. nurse, as a violent activist on the streets of Minneapolis. Some liberals have posted images of Mr. Rittenhouse gripping a rifle as a pointed reminder that conservatives, not that long ago, once forcefully defended the right to bear arms on the streets of America. Mr. Pretti was carrying a 9 mm handgun, according to federal officials, when he entered a zone of civil unrest. “Kyle Rittenhouse showed up to a protest like this and Republicans called him a hero,” Isaiah Martin, a former Democratic candidate for Congress in Texas, wrote on X on Saturday. For many on the right, the simple fact that Mr. Pretti had a weapon in his possession justified the actions of the federal agents, who fired at least 10 shots at Mr. Pretti in five seconds after appearing to have disarmed him. (Officials with the Minneapolis Police Department have said that Mr. Pretti had a permit to carry a weapon.)

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Addison joins other North Texas cities considering leaving DART

Pressure is increasing on Dallas Area Rapid Transit as a fifth city is now considering an election to withdraw from the agency. The city of Addison has called a special meeting on Dec. 2 to address concerns from the council over funding for the transit agency. If the council votes to call an election, it would join four other cities — Farmers Branch, Highland Park, Irving and Plano — that will ask voters this spring whether or not to leave DART. “Following the decision of four other cities to call DART withdrawal elections, the Addison City Council has decided to call a special meeting to determine the best path forward for our community,” Addison’s director of marketing and tourism Mary Rosenbleeth said in a written statement.

The city is identified as a “donor” city according to a 2024 report by the consulting firm Ernst & Young that showed the Addison contributed about $16 million while only receiving $9.5 million in services in Fiscal Year 2023. The report does not take into account the recently added Silver Line that began providing service to the city in October. Transportation Plano's new proposal to DART could keep the city from leaving the agency Pablo Arauz Peña , November 19, 2025 Plano's proposal would eliminate regular bus routes in the city but keep rail, including the new Silver Line. The decision to consider a withdrawal election is a blow to DART’s standing with the city, which earlier this year passed a resolution to support full funding for the agency after North Texas legislators filed a bill to reduce the agency’s funding by at least 25%. When that effort in the legislature failed, the DART board of directors voted to approve a General Mobility Program (GMP) to return 5% of sales tax funds to donor cities, including Addison; DART later stipulated cities would need to cease efforts to leave the agency or reduce its funding in order to receive their share of the GMP. According to a presentation prepared by city staff for the Dec. 2 meeting, Addison's legal team advised the council not to approve the GMP "as written and have made our concerns known to DART.” If Addison residents vote to leave the agency, service would end the day after the election. A spokesperson for DART told KERA in a statement the agency is aware of the Dec. 2 meeting. “DART remains committed to negotiating transparently and in good faith to ensure North Texans have access to transit solutions that work best for them,” the statement said. DART CEO Nadine Lee has previously said that cities withdrawing from the agency would have a detrimental impact on the entire system. “What I tell people is, you pay with your time or your money,” Lee said in a recent interview on WFAA’s Y'allitics podcast. “You’re going to sit in congestion and maybe you’ll have the option to work from home but in 20 years, who knows what’s going to happen?” Addison City Council’s special called meeting is at 5:30 on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

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Report projects more than 6,000 PTSD cases tied to Kerr County floods without sustained mental health care

The July 4 floods in Kerr County could result in more than 6,000 new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among adults and about 2,000 cases of serious emotional disturbance in children without sustained access to mental health care, according to a new assessment released this week. The assessment was conducted by the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country in partnership with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. It highlights that the psychological impacts of disasters often surface well after the initial crisis and can persist for years.

“These effects often emerge months after a disaster and persist without sustained care,” the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country said in a statement. “Informed by interviews with 70 local leaders and supported by data modeling, the report identifies where expanded mental health support is most needed.” The findings build on broader recovery efforts already underway following the floods and are intended to guide long-term investment in mental health services across Kerr County. In response, the Community Foundation announced a $1 million grant commitment to partner organizations working to expand mental health services in the area. Those groups include Light on the Hill, Hunt Independent School District, and the Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers. Priority areas for the funding include expanding trauma and grief-informed care, increasing access to mental health services for children, and providing specialized support for bereaved families and frontline responders. Foundation leaders say the goal is to ensure residents affected by the floods have access to mental health care throughout the long recovery process, not just in the immediate aftermath.

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Edward Mazria: Texas can transform coal infrastructure into clean energy engines for digital age

(Edward Mazria is founder of the nonprofit Architecture 2030 and an internationally recognized architect, author, researcher, and educator. He was awarded the 2021 AIA Gold Medal for his “unwavering voice and leadership” in the fight against climate change.) A dangerous fiction is being promoted in Texas and across the nation: a manufactured energy crisis designed to justify our reliance on polluting coal plants while scapegoating new technologies like AI and data centers. Simultaneously, communities in Texas are grappling with the immense costs and impacts of proposed massive new transmission lines and the construction of large, resource- and land-intensive data center campuses. Citing unsustainable energy and water consumption, more than 230 groups have now urged Congress to pause data center development in the U.S. But these narratives miss the real story. The problem isn’t our digital future; it’s our toxic past. First, let’s be clear: there is no systemic energy crisis in the United States. The facts tell a story of progress showing the U.S. produces more energy than it consumes and remains the world’s top oil and gas producer, with Texas as the nation’s leading net energy supplier.

The hype that new development is causing an energy crisis ignores a crucial fact: the data shows no corresponding increase in energy demand, even with massive growth. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), from 2005 to 2024, the American building sector cut its energy consumption by 8.2 percent and its electricity energy consumption by an impressive 10.7percent, while total U.S. electric power sector use fell 13.0 percent. These figures include America’s massive digital infrastructure—ten times the number in China—with major hubs in Texas. This trend holds in Texas: despite leading the nation in construction, the state’s building sector energy consumption fell 0.6 percent between 2013 and 2023 and the latest 2024 EIA data for Texas shows a 1.5 percent drop in building sector electricity consumption this past year. While the energy and electricity demand from the data center boom has not materialized, the financial risk to Texans is very real: acting on this false narrative and building out infrastructure would cost consumers billions. What is the real motive behind the energy-crisis narrative? It serves as a pretext to prop up fossil fuels and gut federal and local rules that protect our health and well-being. This fiction has been used to weaken clean air and water regulations, limit federal tracking of extreme rainfall and pollution data, and promote so-called “clean” coal-generated electricity in the U.S. and Texas. Promoting these aging, polluting coal plants to power the AI revolution is like trying to run the newest iPhone on a steam engine.

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UT Austin becomes NSF’s top-funded campus, driven by computing and AI

The University of Texas at Austin was the top university for research funded by the National Science Foundation nationally in fiscal year 2024 — a sign of the university’s leadership in scientific research. Federal funding pays for 60% of UT’s research. In 2024, NSF dollars made up $176.4 million of that funding, accounting for roughly one-quarter of UT’s total federal research dollars. The National Science Foundation’s mission is to advance scientific discovery, national prosperity and national security. The federal agency funds thousands of projects at 1,900 universities annually. UT’s top rank means the Texas flagship received more funding than any other institution, according to a Higher Education Research and Development Survey released last month.

Two major UT centers studying artificial intelligence computing power and image processing received significant investment from NSF. The research keeps UT on the forefront of the rapidly growing fields while ensuring the public can access its benefits. “I do think people all over Texas, if they’re not already, will be using tools that were created by NSF researchers,” said Adam Klivans, the director of the AI Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning. The biggest 2024 NSF grant for UT was a multi-year $457 million investment to build a “leadership-class” computing center, with UT receiving $26 million of the grant in 2024. The money will go to creating the largest-ever supercomputer, Horizon, which will have ten times the computing power than the current largest computer, Frontera, which is also at UT. The facility marks a new “major facilities commitment to large scale computing,” said Daniel Stanzione, the executive director of UT’s Texas Advanced Computing Center, which is spearheading the project. About 80% of the center’s funding comes from NSF alone, he said. “We keep sort of upgrading the level of funding we’re getting as they trust us more and more to be the right place to do this,” he said. UT has built four other supercomputers with NSF over the past two decades.

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San Antonio Express-News Editorial: Daniel Betts is our choice in GOP primary to replace Chip Roy

The Republican primary election for Texas’ 21st Congressional District is among the most contested and wide open races on the March 3 ballot. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy — who ran unopposed in the 2024 Republican primary — is not seeking a fifth term. He has chosen instead to run for the office of Texas attorney general, which is being vacated by Ken Paxton, who is seeking to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in his bid for a fifth term. In Roy’s wake, 12 candidates are vying for the GOP nomination to replace him. Given the historically conservative voting patterns in District 21, which includes parts of northern Bexar County, most of Comal County and all of Kendall, Kerr and Bandera counties, the winner of this primary will have a huge edge in the November general election.

Daniel Betts, an Austin-based criminal defense lawyer and University of Texas School of Law graduate, emerged as our recommendation in this crowded field. Betts, who lives in Dripping Springs and ran for Travis County district attorney during the previous election cycle, is a conservative, but not in the combative and arrogant mold of Roy. Betts’ law degree is interestingly paired with an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago, which speaks to an appreciation of science and validated facts that we hope will serve as a backstop against some of the evidence-be-damned, ideological approaches to federal lawmaking we see in too many ultra-right members of Congress. Betts is keen on finding ways to responsibly do desalination to help meet our needs for water, as well as possibly tapping nuclear power for the energy needed to operate such plants. He considers himself a “small government” conservative who believes many in his party have “fallen down on the job” in that regard. At the same time, he acknowledges that being in Congress means representing and listening to constituents of all parties, and he told us that he would strive to hold town halls at least monthly, as did a few other candidates.

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Austin Film Critics Association takes stand against Alamo Drafthouse mobile ordering

The recent announcement that the Alamo Drafthouse is getting rid of its pen-and-paper ordering and in-seat call buttons has been met with an overwhelming backlash from customers. Now the Austin Film Critics Association has joined the chorus by releasing a statement that calls for the Alamo Drafthouse and its owners, Sony Pictures Entertainment, to reverse this decision. [Full disclosure: Chronicle critics including Kimberley Jones, Marjorie Baumgarten, and Richard Whittaker are members of the AFCA.] On January 10, the Drafthouse announced the shift to ordering via QR code. In the statement, management explained that they believed it will reduce distractions during screenings, and that staff will still be available to assist if there are any issues.

However, the consumer response online has been wholly negative, as this is a complete reversal of the Drafthouse’s cornerstone policy that bans phone usage during screenings. Moreover, there have been broad concerns among Drafthouse staff that, when introduced nationwide in February, the immediate result will be a loss of staff. So far, the Drafthouse has not issued any further statement on the change, but every social media post released since has become a forum for protest. Even the company’s LinkedIn page has seen complaints and calls for the old system to be reinstated, and a Change.org petition promoted by workers union Alamo United has already gathered more than 4,000 signatures. Now the AFCA has taken the unprecedented step of issuing a statement in support of the reversal and laying out the reasons for its opposition.

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‘ICE conveyor belt’ illegally detaining, moving Minnesota children to Texas faster than courts can respond

Shortly after Elvis Joel Tipan Echeverria, a man from Ecuador with an open asylum case, pulled into the driveway of his Minneapolis home on Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents broke a window in his car, pulled him and his 2-year-old daughter out and drove them away. In less than eight hours, Echeverria and his daughter were on a commercial flight to a Texas family detention facility, even though a judge had ordered ICE to return the toddler to her Minnesota home. “The court ordered the release of this child, and 20 minutes later they were put on a flight,” said Irina Vaynerman, an attorney representing the man and his daughter. The 2-year-old’s detention is part of an accelerating trend of what Vaynerman describes as ICE agents sending children and adults with legal immigration status out of state to avoid dealing with accountability from the federal court system.

Vaynerman said she and her colleagues filed an emergency motion in federal court Friday, asking a judge to stop the practice. “Minnesotans are being unlawfully detained and are then being quickly marshalled across state lines by the government,” Vaynerman said. “They’re doing that in order to evade the reach of the federal district court in Minnesota.” “This is an intentional, calculated effort,” Vaynerman added, “Especially where folks are already being denied the access of counsel before they're placed on the planes.” Echeverria’s 2-year-old daughter, identified in court documents only as C.R.T.V., was returned to Minnesota on Friday and is now with her mother. Her father is still in detention. But several lawyers told MPR News the trend of illegally detaining immigrants, including young children and shipping them out of state has been widespread. Early on Thursday morning, Maria Velasco Hurtado was being driven to work by a neighbor when the vehicle she was in was stopped by ICE officers. According to her attorney, Velasco Hurtado tried to show the agents papers proving her legal permission to be in the United States. But the agents removed her from the car, drove to her home in Hopkins and, according to her lawyer, used her as “bait” to detain the rest of the family, including two children in first and fourth grade. q

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Deep East Texas electric company explains why thousands without power for a week

Following the winter freeze that has been sweeping across East Texas, Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative has reported around 24,000 customers without power. Now, three days later, around 10,000 customers were still waiting for power to be restored, and some residents may face another week without electricity. While the cooperative hopes to restore power for most by Sunday, they definitely recognize the frustration and need. “It’s kind of a situation where you plan for the worst and you hope for the best, so we hope that we can restore it much sooner to most folks by Sunday. But the reality is that it could take by Sunday for us to restore everyone’s power,” Brittney Ford, director of communications for the Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative, said.

The ice storm has been particularly brutal in certain areas. Cities like Garrison, Tenaha, Timpson and Joaquin have borne the brunt of the damage, with higher ice accumulation creating additional challenges for restoration crews. The widespread damage in these communities means they require more time and resources to get back online compared to other affected areas. For residents like Brian Patterson, the outage has taken its toll. “It’s been hard,” he explained. “We got power but the rest of my friends and family don’t have power. We come together and hope for the best—that’s about it.” Ford stressed that the areas hardest hit aren’t necessarily the most difficult to access—they simply sustained more damage. “Those areas in Garrison and Tenaha and Timpson and Joaquin were heavily impacted. They saw higher ice accumulation. It’s not that they’re not as accessible as the other areas, they just have more damages,” she explained. As restoration efforts continue, Ford recommends that those without power report their outages two to three times a day to help keep them updated.

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Could ‘Landman’ help Fort Worth’s film industry grow into a $5B production powerhouse? Experts believe so

Cowtown’s two-step with Hollywood is lining up to be a showbiz success. Film and TV productions are booming in Fort Worth, thanks to Taylor Sheridan’s “Landman” series, which features prominent shots of the city in most episodes. In 2025, an estimated $1 billion in economic impact spurred the opening of new production facilities and offices across the Fort Worth area. “It really is a Cinderella story for Fort Worth — and it’s just the beginning,” said Taylor Hardy, film commissioner and director of video content for Visit Fort Worth, the city’s tourism arm. Hardy’s comments came during a 2026 Real Estate Forecast event held Jan. 22 at TCU as experts discussed ways in which Fort Worth can bolster its ties to film and TV productions in North Texas. Until “Landman,” Fort Worth often lost out to Dallas when productions chose filming locations, Hardy said. Since then, with the establishment of a film commission, Visit Fort Worth has kept track of the city’s efforts to secure more film and TV productions for the past decade.

“It was kind of a turning point for our city,” Hardy said. “Before that, we were losing a lot of business to Dallas. They were representing the entire metroplex and they didn’t know our locations and our community.” Despite the initial lack of economic incentives and infrastructure, Fort Worth was still attractive enough to scrape its way into TV and film. Diverse filming locations, including the Stockyards, and talented crew members aided in developing the local industry and attracting new businesses. Fort Worth’s proximity to the middle of the United States was enhanced further by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the world’s third-busiest travel hub. “We’re right between New York and Los Angeles, with more direct flights and more availability than cities like Austin or Oklahoma City,” Hardy said. Cowtown’s pride also helped provide positive experiences for filmmakers and directors, who have been welcomed by residents and officials alike. “That pride in our city is something that’s really contagious,” she said. Since filmmaker David Lowery, a former Irving High School student, did a scene in Fort Worth years ago, he has returned to the city for other projects, including “The Old Man & The Gun,” Robert Redford’s final movie, Hardy said. The film commission’s work with Taylor Sheridan began in 2021 when he sought to film a Fort Worth equestrian scene for the TV series “Yellowstone.” He returned to film the “1883” spinoff in the city, followed by a season of “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” two seasons of “Lioness,” two seasons of “Landman,” and two new shows, “The Madison” and “The Dutton Ranch.”

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National Stories

Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked during town hall meeting in Minneapolis

A man attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) while she was speaking during a Tuesday town hall meeting in Minneapolis, according to local police. The man used a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar, the police said. The meeting was being held in the wake of events that have roiled the state, including the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal officers last week. “We must abolish ICE for good. And (Department of Homeland Security) Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment,” Omar said just before the man walked up to her. The man was immediately arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault, the police statement added. The Minneapolis Police Department later identified the attacker as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak.

A live stream of the event shows the man being tackled to the ground and taken away by security. Photos from the scene show the syringe containing a brown liquid. Omar appears unharmed and continues speaking. “We are Minnesota strong. We will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us,” she says after coming back to the lectern. In a social media post after the attack, Omar said she was all right and thanked her constituents for rallying behind her. “I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” she wrote on X. In a phone interview late Tuesday, President Donald Trump minimized reports of the incident and called Omar a “fraud,” echoing his frequent barbs against the congresswoman. Trump told ABC News that “she probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” without providing evidence to substantiate the claim. Speaking to CNN later, Omar said it is important not to get intimidated and to keep fighting for her constituents. “I’ve survived war. And I’m definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think they can throw at me because I’m built that way,” she said.

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Trump has four finalists to run the Fed. None of them are exactly what he wants.

President Trump has said for months that he’s made up his mind about who should lead the Federal Reserve. But with each passing week without an announcement, some people close to the process aren’t sure any of his four finalists fully meet his requirements. The difficulty: Trump wants something that may not exist—a new chair who will pursue his demands for lower interest rates while still commanding enough credibility on Wall Street and from his colleagues to deliver them. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been managing the search and, after ruling himself out of contention, has presented Trump with four finalists: Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor; Christopher Waller, a current Fed governor whom Trump appointed to the board in 2020; Rick Rieder, a senior executive at BlackRock; and Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council.

Each represents a different trade-off between the two things Trump says he wants. The tension was on display last week when Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “They’re all respected. They’re all great…. Everyone could do, I think, a fantastic job,” he said of his finalists. Then he telegraphed his core anxiety about the selection—that candidates “say everything I want to hear” during interviews, only to assert their independence once they have been confirmed. “It’s amazing how people change once they have the job,” Trump said. “It’s too bad, sort of disloyalty, but they got to do what they think is right.” In a Dec. 23 post on Truth Social, the president laid out what he called “The Trump Rule”—a demand that the Fed abandon an approach to inflation that has conditioned markets to treat good economic news as bad news, since it means rates won’t come down as fast. He concluded with an unambiguous warning: “Anybody that disagrees with me will never be the Fed Chairman!” The two statements capture the bind Trump has created for himself as he searches for someone to replace Jerome Powell, whose term expires in May.

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Bari Weiss tries to win CBS staffers’ trust amid ‘noise’ over 60 Minutes segment

In her first town hall, Weiss expressed some regret over her decision to pull 60 Minutes segment at the last minute During her first address to CBS News employees as editor in chief, Bari Weiss acknowledged that there had been “a lot of noise” about her tumultuous tenure and said that some staffers might decide they don’t support her or want to continue working at the company. “I just want to start by saying: I get it. And I get why, in the face of all this tumult and noise, you might feel uncertain or skeptical about me and about what I’m aiming to do here,” Weiss said on Tuesday morning, according to an audio recording of her comments obtained by the Guardian. “So I’m not going to stand up here today in front of all of you and ask for your trust: I’m going to earn it, just like we have to do with our viewers. What I can give you is what I’ve always tried to give my readers and listeners as a journalist: and that is transparency, clarity and straight talk.”

Weiss, who shared her broader strategy for the network for the first time since joining the network in October after her company The Free Press was acquired by Paramount Skydance for a reported $150m, said that her goal is to “make CBS News fit for purpose in the 21st century”. As part of the new strategy that Weiss laid out, CBS News announced the addition of 18 new on-air contributors, including prominent names from the world of politics, academia and culture – though some have faced controversy. The list includes medical expert Mark Hyman, historian Niall Ferguson, neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and former national security adviser H R McMaster. Ending her opening remarks, Weiss acknowledged that her plans might not be for everyone. “We are the best-capitalized media startup in the world,” she said. “We have the talent, we have the energy, and we have the mandate to transform CBS News. And if everyone here does their jobs right, and together, in a year’s time CBS News is going to look different. But startups aren’t for everybody. … If that’s not your bag, that’s OK. It’s a free country, and I completely respect if you decide I’m not the right leader for you, or this isn’t the right place at the right time.”

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Amazon to cut 16,000 jobs in latest round of layoffs

Though business has been booming, Amazon said on Wednesday that it was laying off 16,000 more corporate employees as it looked to trim bureaucracy and free up money for plans to spend heavily on artificial intelligence. The cuts were widely expected across Amazon’s corporate work force since late October, when the company laid off 14,000 corporate employees. At the time, The New York Times and other publications reported that another round of layoffs was planned for January, after the holiday shopping season. The company did not rule out more job cuts in the future, although it said it was not planning to create a “new rhythm” of layoffs every few months. “Just as we always have, every team will continue to evaluate the ownership, speed, and capacity to invent for customers, and make adjustments as appropriate,” Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, said in a blog post.

Next week, Amazon is scheduled to report its financial results for the fourth quarter, which covered the holiday shopping season. Wall Street analysts expect that sales surpassed $211 billion and that profits were more than $21 billion. In the previous quarter, July through September, the company’s sales totaled $180 billion, and profit topped $21 billion. The pattern echoed a large round of layoffs in late 2022 and early 2023, when the company eliminated almost 30,000 positions to trim costs as the world emerged from the pandemic. The October layoffs ran the gamut. In Amazon’s home state, Washington, about 2,000 employees lost their jobs, including recruiters, analysts and managers. The hardest-hit job category was software engineers. More than 1,500 positions were cut in California. Last summer, Andy Jassy, Amazon’s chief executive, told employees that artificial intelligence meant that, over time, the company would operate with fewer corporate workers. But in the fall, he told investors that the layoffs had less to do with A.I. or finances and more with reducing layers of bureaucracy. Still, the reductions in various divisions were based on targets for trimming operating costs.

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Trump posts more endorsements of GOP challengers to Indiana redistricting foes

President Donald Trump is publicly backing Republican primary challengers to longtime state Sens. Jim Buck and Greg Walker over their opposition to the Indiana congressional redistricting demanded by the president. Trump has vowed political revenge against Republican legislators who helped defeat the redistricting bill — and in separate Monday social media posts he endorsed state Rep. Michelle Davis in her challenge to Walker and Tipton County Commissioner Tracey Powell to defeat Buck. Trump’s posts used nearly identical wording to label Walker and Buck as a “RINO” — for Republican in name only — and “an America Last politician” for voting against the redrawing of Indiana’s U.S. House maps aimed at helping Republicans win all nine seats. Davis, a third-term House member from Whiteland, announced her Senate campaign in August after Walker had said he would not seek reelection to the seat he first won in 2006.

But Walker, R-Columbus, earlier this month filed for the May primary, saying he was “greatly concerned when I see Hoosier politics play a surrogate to those national battles.” Davis voted in favor of the redistricting plan when it passed the House in December. She said after Walker reversed his decision on seeking reelection that she was continuing her Senate campaign. Walker said in a statement that he was “not surprised this issue is following some of us in our primaries.” “I could not support a map creating four new Indianapolis districts that would have greatly undermined the important voices of rural Indiana and my constituents who live in these areas,” Walker said. “I respect the President’s opinion but I have to put Hoosiers first.” Davis is challenging Walker in Senate District 41, which includes all of Bartholomew County and much of Johnson County south of Indianapolis. Powell is a chiropractor who was first elected as a Tipton County commissioner in 2020.

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State judge in Virginia blocks Democrats’ redistricting effort

A state judge on Tuesday ruled against Democrats’ redistricting efforts in Virginia, which Democrats quickly said they would appeal. Judge Jack S. Hurley Jr. ruled that the state constitutional amendment passed by Democrats in order to redraw their district maps, which could net Democrats several House seats in this year’s midterm elections, is unconstitutional because the process they used to pass the constitutional amendment is invalid. “The simple fact is that the rules cannot be rewritten on the fly to suit the political ambitions of those in power,” the Republican Party of Virginia’s acting chair, Kristi Way, said in a statement cheering the ruling. “Democrats in Richmond have attempted to jam through a major constitutional change by violating clear-cut procedures, ignoring long-standing statutory requirements, and disregarding the plain text of our Constitution.”

Virginia Democrats, who paved the way to new maps in the Virginia General Assembly along party lines, have yet to publicly say what the maps would look like. After the passage of the constitutional amendment in the General Assembly earlier this month, lawmakers began to plan for an April 21 special election. Republican leaders quickly filed suit in Tazewell County, where they found Hurley in agreement. “We will be appealing this ruling immediately and we expect to prevail,” said a joint statement from Democratic leadership in the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate. “This was court-shopping, plain and simple. We’re prepared for the next step, and voters - not politicians - will have the final say.” Virginia currently has six Democrats and five Republican representatives in the House. “We always knew this would be a fight— because this has never been about what’s easy. It’s about what’s right: leveling the playing field and protecting the right to vote,” the speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Don Scott, said on social media. “Today’s ruling won’t deter us. Republicans who can’t win at the ballot box are abusing the courts to sow confusion and block Virginians from voting. We will appeal immediately, and we expect to prevail. Voters—not politicians—will have the final say.”

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Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter joins those calling for boycott of World Cup in U.S.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday backed a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration at home and abroad. Blatter was the latest international soccer figure to call into question the suitability of the United States as a host country. He called for the boycott in a post on X that supported Mark Pieth's comments in an interview last week with the Swiss newspaper Der Bund. Pieth, a Swiss attorney specializing in white-collar crime and an anti-corruption expert, chaired the Independent Governance Committee's oversight of FIFA reform a decade ago. Blatter was president of the world's governing body for soccer from 1998-2015; he resigned amid an investigation into corruption.

In his interview with Der Bund, Pieth said, "If we consider everything we've discussed, there's only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA! You'll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don't please the officials, they'll be put straight on the next flight home. If they're lucky." In his X post, Blatter quoted Pieth and added, "I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup." The United States is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico from June 11-July 19. The international soccer community's concerns about the United States stem from Trump's expansionist posture on Greenland, and travel bans and aggressive tactics in dealing with migrants and immigration enforcement protesters in American cities, particularly Minneapolis. Oke Göttlich, one of the vice presidents of the German soccer federation, told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper in an interview on Friday that the time had come to seriously consider boycotting the World Cup. Travel plans for fans from two of the top soccer countries in Africa were thrown into disarray in December, when the Trump administration announced an expanded ban that would effectively bar people from Senegal and Ivory Coast following their teams unless they already have visas. Trump cited "screening and vetting deficiencies" as the main reason for the suspensions. Fans from Iran and Haiti, two other countries that have qualified for the World Cup, will be barred from entering the United States as well; they were included in the first iteration of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration.

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Lead Stories

Tara Arnold and Shawna Collins among 6 killed on private plane tied to Houston law firm

What was supposed to be a business trip to France ended in tragedy for a prominent Houston law firm and several local families. A private Bombardier Challenger 600 jet that federal aviation records show is owned by Arnold & Itkin Law Firm took off from Hobby Airport Sunday afternoon, with the final destination in France. Employees at Jet Aviation confirmed the corporate jet departed Hobby Airport in Houston, and successfully landed in Maine before attempting to take off again for its final destination in France. During that departure, the plane flipped and crashed.Bangor officials said the incident happened during a snowy, wintry weather event, but other planes were still taking off and landing at that time. Bangor officials say all six people on board died.

Multiple sources have confirmed that the firm's founders, Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, were not on the aircraft. However, the same sources say attorney Tara Arnold, who is married to Kurt Arnold, was among the passengers killed. Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones, a close friend of the family, expressed her grief as she awaited more information. "I'm close friends with Kurt and Tara Arnold, and we're still waiting for additional information," Briones said. "Unfortunately, the plane went down (Sunday) evening in Maine, and my heart hurts for them, for their children, and for their families." The daughter of event planner Shawna Collins also confirmed her mother was on the flight. The daughter told ABC13 she had spoken to her mother on Sunday before the flight, and Collins was excited about the upcoming business trip to Europe. Arnold & Itkin has not released an official statement as of Monday evening. The firm's founders are well known across Texas for their legal work, political and civic involvement, and major philanthropic contributions. The Arnolds and Itkins recently made a $40 million commitment to the University of Texas Athletics, where their names appear on the Longhorns' stadium scoreboard. Briones described Tara Arnold as a deeply committed public servant. "She was a phenomenal person, a bold leader, and someone with a heart of service," Briones said. "She was very involved in Precinct 4 and our nonprofit, Precinct 4 Forward. My heart is with Kurt, their children, and everyone affected." Officials in Maine have not released an official cause of the crash. Aviation experts say icy and wintry conditions may have been a factor, though authorities noted that other aircraft were landing and taking off around the same time. The investigation remains ongoing.

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The 48 hours that convinced Trump to change course in Minnesota

The videos were splashed across cable news—and President Trump was paying attention. Working from the Oval Office as a winter storm barreled toward the nation’s capital, Trump watched as footage of a federal immigration agent shooting Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive-care nurse and U.S. citizen, played on repeat from Minneapolis. Within hours of the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alleged Pretti had attacked officers and was brandishing a gun, labeling the actions domestic terrorism. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti wanted to massacre law enforcement. And Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s aggressive immigration strategy, called Pretti a “would-be assassin.” It wasn’t long before that narrative started to fall apart—and Trump started to get frustrated, according to administration officials.

Roughly 48 hours after the shooting, Trump decided to change course, moving to pull back one of his administration’s most high-profile and divisive immigration-enforcement campaigns. By the end of the day Monday, Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar who advocated for a more targeted approach to deportations, was en route to Minneapolis to take charge. Bovino, the face of the hard-edge approach employed in Minnesota, was leaving the state. Trump’s pivot came after Republican lawmakers and other allies raised concerns that he was squandering public support for his signature campaign issue and senior administration officials increasingly saw the chaotic scenes in Minneapolis as a political liability. Gun rights advocates, normally steadfast allies of Trump, publicly criticized administration officials for criticizing Pretti for carrying a gun during protest activity. State officials said Pretti had a permit to carry the weapon. In the process, Trump appeared to take sides—for now—in a simmering debate that has been playing out quietly in the administration. Over the past year, Trump’s more hard-line aides, including Noem and her top adviser Corey Lewandowski, have pushed for missions that include roving patrols doing street sweeps in large liberal cities. Homan and others have favored a more methodical but slower approach to go after immigrants with criminal histories or final deportation orders, according to people familiar with the matter.

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EU and India clinch ‘mother of all deals’ in rebuff to Trump

The European Union and India concluded a free-trade agreement after almost two decades of negotiations, part of an effort to deepen economic ties that has gained momentum due to the Trump administration’s aggressive tariff policies. “We have concluded the mother of all deals,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday in a social-media post. The head of the EU executive, who was in New Delhi to mark the moment with European Council President Antonio Costa, added that the accord “created a free trade zone of two billion people, with both sides set to benefit.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the agreement as a means of strengthening India’s manufacturing and services sectors while boosting investor confidence in Asia’s third-largest economy.

“India has completed its biggest and most historic free trade agreement,” Modi said at a joint press briefing in New Delhi. “This historic agreement will make it easier for our farmers and small businesses to reach the European markets.” The conclusion of negotiations reflects the rapidly shifting global alignment under US President Donald Trump. The EU, despite long clashing with Indian officials on trade policy, is focused on paring back its economic reliance on the US and China. India is trying to shake its protectionist reputation and offset a 50% Trump tariff, while at the same time balance ties with Russia. The deal is expected to double EU goods exports to India by 2032 after New Delhi agreed to eliminate or cut tariffs on 96.6% of shipments, according to a European Commission press release. The EU, in turn, will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 99.5% of goods imported from India over seven years, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said.

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FEC to Texas Republican Party: Explain your COVID tax credit math

Some congressional Republicans have long criticized the Employee Retention Credit program — a COVID-era initiative designed to keep Americans employed during the pandemic — saying that it is rife with fraud and abuse. For the Republican Party of Texas, federal regulators are questioning whether committee officials have properly accounted for $600,000 worth of Employee Retention Credit funds the committee itself received. In a letter on Jan. 19, the Federal Election Commission asked the Republican Party of Texas’ federal committee to explain why it appeared to improperly disclose a $600,000 payment in September to the U.S. Treasury to “reverse emp. retention credits to state acct upon audit.”

In its federal disclosure, the Republican Party of Texas reported receiving a -$600,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury — something that runs contrary to standard campaign-finance accounting practices for federal political committees. It is unclear why the Republican Party of Texas accounted for its Employee Retention Credit funds in this way and appeared to make a large payment to the Treasury Department. Jordan Leighty, communications director for the Republican Party of Texas, acknowledged NOTUS’ inquiry in a brief phone call but did not respond to multiple follow-up calls and emails. A woman who answered the phone at the party’s headquarters said the organization had no comment. Treasury officials also did not answer multiple requests for comment. The FEC gave the Republican Party of Texas until Feb. 23 to respond to its letter and clarify the money mystery, noting that the committee’s response would “be taken into consideration in determining whether audit action will be initiated.” Failure to reply may “result in an enforcement action against the committee.”

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State Stories

San Antonio Express-News Editorial: We recommend Jasmine Crockett for U.S. Senate in Democratic primary

The high-profile Texas Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate is a prelude to what will be a riveting race in the fall. In this contest between two rising stars, we recommend U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas over state Rep. James Talarico of Round Rock. Little separates these candidates on the issues, and both are talented, media-savvy and smart. They possess massive social media followings and have demonstrated a commitment to public service. But Crockett's experience in Congress is a key difference. A former civil rights attorney with two terms in the House of Representatives, Crockett speaks with fluency on a wide range of policies and federal issues. She has proven herself in Washington.

Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has held this seat for four terms. He is in a tough primary fight with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston. During her time in Congress, Crockett has emerged as a controversial national figure for some of her comments. We're not down with her "Governor Hot Wheels" comment about Gov. Greg Abbott. But we still see a candidate who can connect with voters and advocate for the best interests of all Texans. Crockett’s career began in rural East Texas as a public defender. While she can spin records as a DJ in a Houston nightclub, she can also talk to farmers about the need for a farm bill. Earlier this month she went on a two-day, 17-stop bus tour in South Texas, from San Antonio to Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. In Congress, Crockett has worked with Republicans, including Cornyn, with whom she collaborated on legislation on food security and fentanyl. Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and former schoolteacher, is a fine candidate. But Crockett, authentic as she is engaging, has the experience and policy depth that makes her ready for the U.S. Senate.

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Greg Abbott says ICE needs to 'recalibrate' mission after Minnesota shooting

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said the White House needs to “recalibrate” Immigration and Customs Enforcement's mission to rebuild public trust after immigration agents shot and killed a second protester in Minnesota over the weekend. Abbott said immigration officials should “get back to what they wanted to do to begin with — and that is to remove people from the country who are here illegally.” “In general, we need to have respect for law enforcement officers in the country. ICE, they are law enforcement officers,” the Texas Republican said on conservative radio host Mark Davis’ show Monday morning. “So they, being the White House, need to recalibrate on what needs to be done to make sure that that respect is going to be reinstilled. And that's not an easy task, especially under the current circumstances.”

He said he believes the administration is working on a “game plan” for immigration agents to “go about their job in a more structured way to make sure that they are going to be able to remove these people, but without causing all the kinds of problems and fighting in communities that they are experiencing right now.” Abbott’s comments come as a growing number of Republicans are pressing for a deeper investigation into federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse who was protesting in Minneapolis. But Abbott largely blamed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the unrest in the state. He accused Walz, a Democrat, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “literally inciting violence” in their condemnation of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown there. Abbott said the “fights on the streets” are “fomented by the governor up there, by the mayor up there.”

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Early voting in 18th Congressional District extended following weather interruptions, civil rights lawsuit

Texas civil rights organizations on Monday secured an emergency court order directing Harris County to operate two additional early voting days in the 18th Congressional District special election runoff following weather interruptions. The order comes after polling locations in the Houston congressional district were closed Sunday and Monday due to freezing temperatures. The brief closure over the weekend prompted a lawsuit by two criminal justice organizations and calls for action from Amanda Edwards, a candidate for the position, which has been vacant for almost a year.

The district, which covers swaths of north Harris County and areas surrounding downtown Houston, was left without representation after the death of U.S. Rep. and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in March of last year. “I am in full alignment with the extension of the early voting period,” Edwards said during a press conference Monday. “In large part because this community has been without its voice for far too long and needs every opportunity possible to have the ability to exercise its right to vote." Christian Menefee, the other candidate in the Jan. 31 runoff election, said about 11,000 votes have already been cast in the early voting period. His campaign is conducting outreach efforts to ensure voters are aware of the extension. “Folks are tired of not having a representative who will fight back against the harm we're seeing from this administration,” he said in a Monday statement. “Now is our time to be heard in every way we can, including at the ballot box." The early voting period was initially scheduled to end Tuesday, when 17 polling locations in Harris County will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Polling locations in the congressional district will now additionally operate from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, and from noon-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, according to the order signed in Harris County’s 157th Civil District Court on Monday. Election Day is Jan. 31, when polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

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Jerry Patterson: I carry a handgun. Am I a domestic terrorist?

I carry a 9mm handgun at all times. I have carried since 1996, when the Texas’ concealed handgun law I authored as a Texas state senator took effect. If I brandish my handgun in the presence of a peace officer, I expect to get shot. If it remains untouched in my holster, I don’t expect to get shot. Until Saturday in Minneapolis that was a pretty simple concept. What happened? Therein lies the question. Will we ever know the answer? I don’t think so. Was there a crime scene investigation? No, and federal authorities apparently have no intention of conducting any type of investigation. Did the victim, Alex Pretti, draw or attempt to draw his weapon? As videos indicate, was he already disarmed before a federal border patrol officer fatally shot him multiple times in the back?

The most compelling questions arise after the actual incident and relate to the responses by federal government officials. The day after the shooting, on social media, President Trump praised Saturday’s violence: “LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the victim “came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation” and “committed an act of domestic terrorism.” Noem added, without providing evidence, that Pretti appeared to have arrived at the scene intending “to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.” Border Control Commander Greg Bovino falsely claimed it was “unlawful” for protestors to bring a firearm to a demonstration. Bovino also claimed without evidence that Pretti intended to “inflict maximum damage” on law enforcement since he was armed with a loaded firearm and violently resisted. On X.com, Trump adviser Stephen Miller claimed Pretti was a “domestic terrorist,” as well as “a would-be assassin who tried to murder federal law enforcement.” Trump’s comment is simply bizarre, as expected. The other comments are outright lies — lies made even in the face of multiple videos that tell a completely different story. Should the vast number of Texans licensed to carry a handgun be concerned? If you’re dealing with Texas peace officers, I think the answer is almost always no. Dealing with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Patrol might be another matter. ICE is needed, but not this ICE. This ICE and its leadership need to go — now.

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Abbott widens winter storm disaster to cover 219 Texas counties

Gov. Greg Abbott has amended the state’s original disaster declaration for Winter Storm Fern to include 85 additional counties facing impacts from winter weather conditions. Within the original disaster declaration issued on Thursday, Jan. 22, counties across the Permian Basin, including Midland and Ector, were listed. Additionally, surrounding counties such as Andrews, Borden, Crane, Dawson, Gaines, Glasscock, Howard, Loving, Martin, Reagan, Reeves, Sterling, Upton, Ward and Winkler were part of the original disaster decree. During the weekend, Abbott amended the state’s original disaster declaration for the ongoing winter storm to include Pecos County and others.

“Communities across the state have been impacted by the weekend’s winter weather,” Abbott said in a statement. “I am updating my disaster declaration to include additional counties to help more Texans during these freezing temperatures. Texans should continue to monitor local weather forecasts and road conditions to keep themselves and their families safe.” In all, the disaster declaration includes 219 counties. The governor’s office said Texas has more than 10,900 state responders, over 4,900 vehicles and pieces of equipment and more than 15 state agencies responding to Winter Storm Fern.

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Whitmire, Lina Hidalgo host dueling freeze updates

Although the ice brought by this weekend’s winter storm is expected to soon recede, the relationship between County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor John Whitmire shows no signs of thawing. In a series of dueling news conferences, the pair provided separate updates to residents as emergency resources were activated in response to the near-record-low temperatures. Hidalgo said that, despite multiple offers to host a joint event as a show of unity, the mayor’s office repeatedly declined to appear alongside the county judge. Hidalgo said her staff even offered to host the conference at a place and time of Whitmire’s choosing, which was declined. A spokesperson for her office said they reached out ahead of Hidalgo’s Thursday news conference — one day prior to the mayor hosting his own news conference Friday afternoon.

“We invited his office to our press conference. And in fact, we said: ‘You pick the time and we will make it happen at that time,’” Hidalgo said during a Monday news conference at Lincoln Park Community Center. “So I can only speak for my side. But you know what, I'm happy that the community gets information.” The rift appears to exist only between Whitmire and Hidalgo, and does not represent a broader issue between city and county officials. Just 45 minutes after Hidalgo addressed residents, Whitmire and Commissioner Lesley Briones held a joint news conference 18 miles across the city at Bayland Community Center. Whitmire and Hidalgo hit an impasse shortly after he took office, and the pair have not reconciled since. The pair did not hold a news conference together as floods decimated Kingwood, prompting concern about how they could work together during hurricane season. When the May 2024 Derecho swept across the region, the mayor and county judge eventually held their first joint press conference, where they sparred over Whitmire inviting Briones to the lectern to speak.

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Planned ‘mega’ ICE detention center in Far East El Paso County has rocky start with tribe-owned businesses

A massive ICE detention center planned in Far East El Paso County – whose early federal contracts with tribal-owned businesses sparked backlash and withdrawals – appears to be part of the Trump administration’s efforts to create mega holding facilities. The new Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility is expected to hold up to 8,500 people – more than the controversial 5,000-capacity East Montana Detention Center that opened on Fort Bliss land in August. “It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

DHS did not respond to specific questions about the facility’s location or timeline, saying it had no new detention centers to announce at this time. However,a logistics park off Gateway Boulevard East in the city of Socorro near Clint has been identified as the likely site of the center by sources with knowledge of the matter. Responding to whether the facilities would be in steel warehouses, DHS said they would be “well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards.” The Department of Homeland Security is planning seven detention centers for deportation staging to be located near logistics hubs in several states, including Virginia, Texas and Arizona, the Washington Post reported in December, citing a draft contractor solicitation. The centers would be in renovated industrial warehouses and hold up to 10,000 people each, while more than a dozen smaller facilities would serve as processing centers and hold up to 1,500 people each, the Washington Post reported. The facilities are being funded under the One Big Beautiful Bill, which includes about $75 billion in supplemental funding to ICE over four years, with about $45 billion allocated for detention facilities and $30 billion for enforcement.

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SpaceX explosion shook South Texas, sparking oversight and safety concerns

The late-night blast sent a fireball more than 2,000 feet into the South Texas sky and shook a miles-long swath of the Rio Grande Valley with the force of the military’s most powerful bombs. The June 18 rocket-testing explosion triggered dozens of 911 calls, tied up first responders, sparked fires and hurled debris across the Rio Grande into Mexico. It also laid bare a community’s concerns about minimal regulatory oversight of Elon Musk’s commercial space business in Starbase, the rural coastal enclave where SpaceX builds, tests and launches the world’s most powerful rocket.

Several weeks after the explosion, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. was still trying to find out which government agency — if any — would investigate and work to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. In a letter, he reached out to 10 federal and state offices to ask about their roles in probes into such events. None have stepped up in that regard, instead leaving investigations to SpaceX. But while the chaos of that June night has subsided, many of the concerns it raised persist. In the minutes after the 11:05 p.m. blast, more than 40 calls from panicked neighbors flooded Brownsville and Cameron County 911 dispatchers. Some reported the walls of their homes shaking after a “huge explosion.” Others described a “big fireball” and a “crazy orange glow” that lit up the night sky. “Something is exploding,” one caller said. “It exploded four times around Starbase.” Dispatchers scrambled to understand what was happening and told callers they were “trying to figure it out.”

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TX21 candidates bring conservative heat in San Antonio debate

Republicans running to replace U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Dripping Springs) have spent weeks brandishing their conservative bonafides across the deep-red Hill County district. But at a Bexar County Republican Party debate in San Antonio Thursday night, candidates were quizzed on a different challenge they could soon face as the newest member of the city’s congressional delegation: Representing the party’s values in a landscape dominated by Democrats. Texas’ 21st Congressional District starts near Alamo Heights and stretches northwest past Fredericksburg, making for a deep red seat that gave President Donald Trump more than 60% of its vote in 2024. While that political lean didn’t change much with redistricting, the new maps did expand the district’s reach into blue Bexar County, where even conservatives agree the role of a Republican official is much different than out in more rural territory.

Earlier that day, many of the county’s GOP leaders and candidates were at a San Antonio City Council meeting lobbying for more coordination between local law enforcement and ICE — a perspective met with boos so loud that Bexar County’s lone Republican commissioner Grant Moody (Pct. 3) could hardly make his comments. “Fighting over whether they want to support ICE or not — that’s a metropolitan issue,” former Bexar GOP Vice Chair Kyle Sinclair, who is now among the dozen candidates running for the GOP nomination on the March 3 primary ballot, said during the debate later that night. “It’s hard to go from the Hill Country area to focusing on a metropolitan city and the major issues that you deal with — from the Tren de Aragua gang, to human trafficking, to drug trafficking, to police issues, to crime,” he told the audience of roughly 150 people at Norris Conference Center near the North Star Mall.

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Exxon to offload South Texas assets as costs rise, oil prices soften

XTO Energy, an Exxon Mobil subsidiary, aims to sell its Eagle Ford shale assets in South Texas for nearly $1 billion, according to a report by Reuters. The move would reportedly include over a thousand wells across 168,000 acres. Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others. A spokesperson for Exxon confirmed the news, but declined to confirm which assets would be included. Texas oil companies like Exxon are shedding assets as oil prices soften and production costs rise, pressuring producers to cut costs and increase drilling efficiency. Underground resources are also becoming harder to reach in domestic U.S. shale basins, forcing more companies to invest in assets outside the country.

“This marketing decision is consistent with our strategy to continually evaluate and optimize our portfolio,” the Exxon spokesperson said in an email. The global oil giant based in Houston has focused its holdings in the Permian Basin, the top U.S. oil field, as well as in Guyana. The oil fields offshore Guyana, of which Exxon owns the largest stake, are considered among the most prolific oil discoveries of recent decades. The Eagle Ford Shale is a rock formation in South Texas known for its significant oil and natural gas reserves. Other recent sales of Eagle Ford assets include Canadian producer BayTex Energy’s $2.14 billion sale, which closed in December. Houston pipeline giant Kinder Morgan announced last week that it had solidified its own deal selling a $396 million stake in the area. The oil and gas industry has seen a rush of layoffs over the last year, including from Exxon, as companies weather weak oil markets. Exxon said in September it would lay off around 2,000 workers globally, though none of those layoffs are expected to include positions in the United States.

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Why Ken Paxton ads aren't spamming the TV airwaves in Texas

With just weeks until early voting begins, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's campaign and the outside groups supporting him have spent virtually nothing advertising his candidacy for U.S. Senate. That's compared to more than $44 million that's gone into promoting U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's reelection campaign and another $8 million on U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt's, according to the research firm AdImpact. Meanwhile Paxton, who is leading in most polls, is seemingly content to wait out a primary where no one candidate is likely to get a majority, triggering a runoff between the two highest vote-getters. "We feel good about where we're at and will spend our resources when it's necessary, and not before," said Greg Keller, a spokesman for the pro-Paxton group Texas Lone Star Liberty PAC.

An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll released Jan. 15 showed Paxton narrowly leading the trio, with 27% of likely Republican voters saying they planned to vote for him. Cornyn had 26% and Hunt 16%, with 29% undecided. Paxton has also shown signs he is struggling to keep pace on fundraising with Cornyn, who over more than two decades in the U.S. Senate has a long list of corporate donors. On a fundraising call last week, the attorney general complained that the current federal campaign finance rules favor incumbents. "They can have these committees — there are many of them — the leadership fund, the (National Republican Senatorial Committee), and other special committees that people can donate to," he said. "If you want to give to John Cornyn, you can give well over $100,000. Whereas if you’re a challenger, I can only take $7,000 per person." Paxton's supportors still have ways to solicit large checks — Lone Star Liberty PAC, for instance, doesn't have restrictions on donations.

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Teachers’ union asks court to stop investigations into educators over Charlie Kirk posts

The Texas American Federation of Teachers is asking a judge to order the state to stop investigating educators accused of making inappropriate comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The union filed a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency and the state’s Education Commissioner, Mike Morath, in early January. The suit accused the agency of retaliating against educators and violating their First Amendment rights. Two days after Kirk was shot and killed on a college campus in Utah, Morath directed school superintendents to report any educators who made inappropriate social media posts about Kirk to the state’s misconduct portal. The agency said since then, it has received more than 350 complaints. As of Jan. 6, the TEA said the agency closed most of those cases, but 95 are still undergoing further investigation.

The lawsuit alleges the agency’s investigations into whether educators’ posts about Kirk incited violence or violated the state’s Educator Code of Ethics are “unlawful.” KXAN reached out to the TEA, but a spokesperson for the agency said they do not comment on ongoing litigation. The agency has not yet responded to the original complaint filed by AFT in federal court. “We are not talking about anything that happened in the classroom,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said on Monday. “We are fighting for the proposition that we believe everybody should fight for, that educators do not lose their first amendment right […] because they are schoolteachers.” Weingarten and the president of the union’s Texas branch, Zeph Capo, also shared two posts the union says are indicative of the threats that were made to their members after making posts on their private social media about the Turning Point USA founder. One message AFT provided to KXAN, and other media outlets stated, “Can only hope your COVID vaccine kills you soon.” A separate Facebook direct message AFT provided said, “I’m only about an hour and a half away. Why don’t you see if you’re brave enough to spew your vile, hateful rhetoric to the face of someone who will do something about it?” AFT did not release the identity of the educators who it said received the messages. The union says it is not clear how quickly the court will set a date for a hearing. Capo said the hearing could happen as early as February.

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Texas expands prohibited tech list, citing cyber risks posed by Chinese Communist Party

Texas is tightening its cybersecurity defenses by expanding the list of technologies that state employees are barred from using on government devices, a move aimed at preventing foreign actors from accessing sensitive state data or exploiting government systems. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced the state is adding new restrictions on certain hardware, software and artificial intelligence tools tied to the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party. The expanded list includes a range of companies involved in AI, surveillance technology, networking equipment, consumer electronics and e-commerce platforms, including Alibaba, Moonshot AI, Xiaomi and TCL.

Cybersecurity analysts have said these products pose potential risks because some Chinese companies are legally required under foreign law to share data with their government, raising concerns about espionage and data misuse. The move comes after Texas established a “hostile foreign adversaries unit” in September to stop the growing influence of the CCP in the United States. “Rogue actors across the globe who wish harm on Texans should not be allowed to infiltrate our state’s network and devices,” Abbott said in a press release. “Hostile adversaries harvest user data through AI and other applications and hardware to exploit, manipulate, and violate users and put them at extreme risk.” According to the governor’s office, the update was made in consultation with the Texas Cyber Command, a new cybersecurity organization headquartered at the University of Texas at San Antonio. In a letter last week, Abbott named the center as the lead agency responsible for identifying additional technologies that could pose a threat to Texas information systems. Texas is not alone in prohibiting technologies from U.S. adversaries. Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota have restricted the use of some foreign-made apps and devices on their networks, while Indiana and Tennessee have issued guidance limiting procurement of technology linked to foreign adversaries. Many such state actions mirror federal bans.

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$700M in city projects recommended for Austin's 2026 bond

A $700 million bond package to fund mobility, watershed protection, parks and public facility projects has been recommended by city staff after months of review. The outline may not represent Austin's final 2026 bond—if an election is even called this year, a decision city officials are now considering—as a public task force will also weigh in with its own project proposals this spring. City Council voted to begin developing a new bond with climate-centered elements back in 2024. That work has been handled by both city departments and the resident-led 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force.

Austin hasn't called a comprehensive bond election since 2018, although stand-alone packages were approved for transportation in 2020 and affordable housing in 2022. Given Austin's current debt capacity, staff recommend capping a potential 2026 bond at $700 million. Council members are also weighing whether to push an election to another year, or reduce this year's measure and plan for a larger bond in the near future. City departments previously forwarded lists of all project they'd like to get funded as part of the ongoing bond development process. Their requests from last summer added up to nearly $4 billion, a total that was meant to be refined to a lower amount. That process has now been completed with the $700 million recommendation released Jan. 21. "The 2026 Bond program is being developed with a clear objective: to address Austin’s most pressing infrastructure needs that will deliver the greatest benefit to the community through a predictable six-year bond cycle. This approach ensures alignment with departmental plans, financial stability, and delivery on commitments," Assistant City Manager Mike Rogers said in a memo.

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National Stories

30 people dead from effects of winter storm as more freezing cold pummels US

Many in the U.S. faced another night of below-freezing temperatures and no electricity after a colossal winter storm heaped more snow Monday on the Northeast and kept parts of the South coated in ice. At least 30 deaths were reported in states afflicted with severe cold. Deep snow — over a foot (30 centimeters) extending in a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) swath from Arkansas to New England — halted traffic, canceled flights and triggered wide school closures Monday. The National Weather Service said areas north of Pittsburgh got up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of snow and faced wind chills as low as minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 31 degrees Celsius) late Monday into Tuesday.

The bitter cold afflicting two-thirds of the U.S. wasn’t going away. The weather service said Monday that a fresh influx of artic air is expected to sustain freezing temperatures in places already covered in snow and ice. And forecasters said it’s possible another winter storm could hit parts of the East Coast this weekend. A rising death toll included two people run over by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal sledding accidents that killed teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman whose body was found covered in snow by police with bloodhounds after she was last seen leaving a Kansas bar. In New York City, officials said eight people were found dead outdoors over the frigid weekend. There were still more than 560,000 power outages in the nation Monday evening, according to poweroutage.com. Most of them were in the South, where weekend blasts of freezing rain caused tree limbs and power lines to snap, inflicting crippling outages on northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee. Officials warned that it could take days for power to be restored. In Mississippi, officials scrambled to get cots, blankets, bottled water and generators to warming stations in hard-hit areas in the aftermath of the state’s worst ice storm since 1994. At least 14 homes, one business and 20 public roads had major damage, Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday evening. The U.S. had more than 12,000 flight delays or cancellations nationwide Monday, according to flight tracker flightaware.com. On Sunday, 45% of U.S. flights got cancelled, making it the highest day for cancellations since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. The impact extended far beyond the storm’s reach because such major hubs as the Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport were clobbered by the storm, stranding planes and flight crews.

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Minnesota Republican drops governor bid, blasts party over federal ‘retribution’ after Pretti killing

A Minneapolis lawyer who represented the immigration agent who fatally shot Renee Good is ending his Republican bid for Minnesota governor after a second protester was killed by federal authorities. "I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of our state," Chris Madel said in a message posted on social media Monday, as he announced he was dropping his outsider bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. "Nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so." Madel's move comes two days after a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center who was filming an immigration operation.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials initially said Pretti, who was legally armed with a handgun, was threatening agents, who they say fired in self-defense. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem labeled the actions of Pretti as "domestic terrorism" and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called him a "would-be assassin." But videos of the shooting seem to indicate Pretti was brandishing a cell phone rather than his handgun, with federal agents appearing to secure Pretti's weapon moments before he was shot multiple times. The fatal shooting has further inflamed political tensions in Minnesota and across the country over aggressive efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Border Patrol and other federal agencies to enforce President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. "I support the originally stated goals of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Operation Metro Surge in locating and deporting the worst of the worst from our state," Madel said. But he argued, "Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats. United States citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship. That’s wrong." While he praised a number of Trump's achievements so far in the president's second term in the White House, Madel claimed that the massive deployment of a couple of thousand federal immigration agents to Minnesota "has been an unmitigated disaster." "At the end of the day, I have to look my daughters in the eye and tell them I believe I did what was right. And I am doing that today," he added. No Republican has won an election for governor in blue-leaning Minnesota in 20 years, and Madel claimed, "The reality is that the national Republicans have made it nearly impossible for a Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota. It is a simple fact."

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'Chaos': Behind the scenes of Amazon's Melania Trump doc

On Saturday, the same day that an ICE agent shot and killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti as he was restrained, face first on ground in Minneapolis, a few dozen VIPs — including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Queen Rania of Jordan, and former heavy-weight champion Mike Tyson — gathered at the White House for a lavish party, complete with custom-made popcorn buckets and gift boxes emblazoned with the first lady’s portrait, to celebrate the forthcoming documentary Melania: Twenty Days to History. The private sneak peek screening was held ahead of the Brett Ratner-directed film’s world premiere, slated to take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. The fine print along the bottom of an invitation to the premiere reads: “If you are a government employee or a government official, by accepting this invitation you are confirming that you have received approval from your ethics officer or legal department to attend this event and accept any provided items.” The boilerplate language refers to the fact that federal officials and government employees are subject to strict rules on accepting gifts from anyone who does business with the government to avoid conflicts of interest — or even the mere appearance of a conflict.

The irony is thick: A little over a year ago, Melania sparked a bidding war among Hollywood studios eager to curry favor with the incoming Trump administration. Amazon MGM Studios ended up beating out both Disney (which had just donated $15 million to Trump’s future presidential library to settle a dubious defamation claim the soon-to-be president had levied against its subsidiary ABC) and Paramount, which was seeking good relations with the White House ahead of a blockbuster merger that would be subject to FCC approval. A few weeks before Amazon MGM Studios offered an eye-watering $40 million dollars for the film rights — the most the streamer had ever paid for any piece of content — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos dined with Trump and his wife at Mar-a-Lago. According to The Wall Street Journal, the first lady kept roughly 70 percent of the licensing fee, $28 million, herself. And, technically, there is nothing illegal about that. “The First Lady is, for ethical purposes, considered to be a private citizen, and so the conflicts of interest statutes, the regulations for other executive branch employees, simply don’t apply,” says Don Fox, the former acting director of the U.S. office of government ethics, who worked under Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama.

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More history exhibits pulled from nationals parks, including Grand Canyon

Trump officials have ordered national parks to remove dozens of signs and displays related to climate change, environmental protection and settlers’ mistreatment of Native Americans in a renewed push to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order on “restoring truth and sanity to American history.” Park staff have interpreted Trump’s directive — which seeks to scrub federal institutions of what it calls “partisan ideology” and remove any content deemed to “disparage Americans past or living” — to include any references to historic racism and sexism, as well as climate change and LGBTQ rights. Last week, that included the removal of an exhibit at Independence National Historical Park that focused on George Washington’s ownership of enslaved people. In a new wave of orders this month, Trump officials instructed staff to remove or edit signs and other informational materials in at least 17 additional parks in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post.

The documents also listed some removals ordered in August and September of last year. The Interior Department said in a statement that it was implementing Trump’s executive order. Staff at a Grand Canyon visitor center in Arizona removed part of an exhibit after flagging potentially problematic passages to the national park system’s leadership in D.C., according to documentation reviewed by The Post. The passages included text stating that settlers “exploited land for mining and grazing” and that federal officials “pushed tribes off their land” to establish the park. In response to frequent inquiries from visitors about the potential disappearance of the famous glaciers at Montana’s Glacier National Park, staff created signs and other resources to answer those questions, said Jeff Mow, who retired as superintendent of the park in 2022. The signs slated for removal at Big Bend National Park along the Texas-Mexico border do not reference the topics, such as climate or Native American history, that have typically attracted the attention of Trump officials. Instead, of the nearly 20 signs flagged for not conforming with the new policy, many deal with geology, prehistoric history, fossils and other seemingly uncontroversial scientific or historical topics. The removal orders do not spell out what’s wrong with the signs.

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Filming law enforcement is a tool for accountability. It’s also under attack.

Alex Pretti was filming immigration agents in Minneapolis not long before one of them killed him. In the hours since, bystander footage contradicting the official narrative from the Trump administration led to a swell of outrage, even from the president’s allies. The killing showed the dangers of filming law enforcement in America. It also showed how vital it is for accountability. Activists, free speech advocates and fed-up citizens nationwide are grappling with what experts say is a flashpoint for the First Amendment. They say filming law enforcement operations is a clearly established right and is essential for documenting and investigating potential abuses. While the administration has sought to stop observers, arguing that people filming and following immigration agents puts their safety and missions at risk, free speech advocates say documenting what’s happening is as important as ever.

“There’s an element of necessity here for accountability,” Will Creeley, legal director at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said Sunday. “If we didn’t have video footage of what happened to Mr. Pretti yesterday, what would the government tell us? What would we know about it?” Creeley added that “they are taking steps seemingly designed to evade accountability, going after folks filming in public exercising their First Amendment rights, wearing masks, expanding the definition of ‘doxing,’ which is not a legal term of art, to include any discussion of where ICE is and what they’re doing.” Pretti appeared to film on his phone before officers threw him to the ground, took away a gun he was legally authorized to carry and shot him 10 times. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by immigration agents earlier this month after she and her wife stopped to observe and verbally confront them. After officers yelled conflicting orders at her, she turned her wheel and attempted to drive away as a federal agent shot her three times.

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ICE agents set to have security role during Winter Olympics in Italy, prompting uproar

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will have a security role during the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Games in Italy, according to several reports. ICE and the U.S. embassy in Rome have confirmed to the Associated Press and France’s AFP that ICE agents will be traveling to Italy for the upcoming Feb. 6-22 Winter Games, but only in a capacity of supporting diplomatic security details. “At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations,” ICE said in a statement, according to AFP.

“All security operations remain under Italian authority,” the statement added, noting that “obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries.” News of the presence of ICE agents at the Winter Olympics had been swirling in Italy over the weekend, with Italian authorities saying they had no knowledge of this or downright denying it. The prospect of ICE agents in Italy following the recent killings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis has sparked strong polemics. On Tuesday, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said that ICE agents were “not welcome.” “This is a militia that kills … It’s clear that they are not welcome in Milan, there’s no doubt about it. Can’t we just say no to Trump for once?” the mayor said in an interview with Italy’s RTL 102.5 radio. U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony in Milan on Feb. 6.

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Lead Stories

Private jet linked to Houston law firm crashes in flames at Maine airport with eight aboard

A private jet crashed in flames as it was taking off from a Maine airport with eight aboard, the U.S. aviation regulator said, but their fate and identities were not immediately known. Sunday's crash of a twin-engine turbo-fan jet Bombardier Challenger 600 at Bangor International Airport happened at about 7:45 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement, adding that it planned to investigate. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here. Few details were available, but a government official briefed on the matter told Reuters there was a significant fire after the crash.

Light snow had started falling at the airport before the crash, weather reports showed, but authorities gave no immediate indication that weather played a role in the accident. A winter storm warning covered most of Maine, including Bangor, the state's third-largest city. The plane had arrived in Maine from Texas, the government official said. The company listed as its registered owner shares a Houston address with Arnold & Itkin, a personal injury law firm. FAA records show the craft went into service in April 2020. The FAA said it would investigate the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board.

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Cruz trashed Trump and Vance in secret recordings

Ted Cruz trashed President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in conversations with GOP donors last year, explosive leaked recordings allege. The Texas senator, expected to run for president in 2028, slammed Trump’s tariff crusade and said he even threatened his staff with immediate firing if they used the phrase “Liberation Day” to refer to the day the sweeping taxes were announced, reports Axios. Cruz, 55, told donors he and other senators expressed their tariff disgust with Trump in a lengthy phone call, warning it would tank the economy and lead to his impeachment. The call pushed past midnight and “did not go well,” Cruz told donors, with Trump “yelling” and “cursing” at the lawmakers.

Cruz claims that he received an especially explicit response from the president that night. “Mr. President, if we get to November of [2026] and people’s 401(k)s are down 30% and prices are up 10–20% at the supermarket, we’re going to go into Election Day, face a bloodbath,” Cruz told Trump, according to the recording. “You’re going to lose the House, you’re going to lose the Senate, you’re going to spend the next two years being impeached every single week.” Trump allegedly responded bluntly: “‘F--- you, Ted.’” The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Cruz’s office did not deny the contents of the recordings in a statement to Axios. Still, Cruz’s office claimed that he is still “the president’s greatest ally in the Senate and battles every day in the trenches to advance his agenda.” Axios reports that the recordings were “nearly 10 minutes in total” and came from conversations in “early and middle 2025.” The site said the recordings were provided by a “Republican source.” It is unclear which donors Cruz was speaking to.

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Massive winter storm dumps sleet, freezing rain and snow around much of US

A massive winter storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the U.S. on Sunday, bringing subzero temperatures and halting air and road traffic. Tree branches and power lines snapped under the weight of ice, and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Southeast were left without electricity. The ice and snowfall were expected to continue into Monday followed by very low temperatures which could cause “dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts” for days, the National Weather Service said. Heavy snow was falling from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, while “catastrophic ice accumulation” threatened from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

“It is a unique storm in the sense that it is so widespread,” weather service meteorologist Allison Santorelli said in a phone interview. “It was affecting areas all the way from New Mexico, Texas, all the way into New England, so we’re talking like a 2,000-mile spread.” President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states by Saturday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency had rescue teams and supplies in numerous states, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. In New York, communities near the Canadian border saw record-breaking subzero temperatures, with Watertown registering minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit and Copenhagen minus 49 F, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. As of Sunday morning, about 213 million people were under some sort of winter weather warning, Santorelli said. Hundreds of thousands of customers were without power according to poweroutage.us, with Tennessee and Mississippi hit especially hard. Some 12,000 flights were canceled Sunday and nearly 20,000 were delayed, according to the flight tracker flightaware.com. Airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey were among those impacted.

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Senate Democrats vow to block DHS funding, risking another shutdown

Senate Democrats signaled Saturday that they would be willing to shut down much of the government rather than vote for a package that includes funds for immigration enforcement, following another deadly shooting in Minneapolis. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said Democrats wouldn’t vote to advance a broader package needed to fund federal agencies if the current measure funding the Department of Homeland Security is included. Democrats are demanding constraints on DHS’s immigration enforcement activities and more oversight. “What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling—and unacceptable in any American city,” Schumer said in a statement. He said the DHS bill “is woefully inadequate” to rein abuses by immigration officials. Republicans control the Senate 53-47, but 60 votes are needed to advance most legislation.

Schumer’s statement came after many Senate Democrats—including some who broke with the majority of their party in November and voted to reopen the government—issued angry statements Saturday saying they wouldn’t support a bill funding DHS, the agency that includes the U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Enough is enough,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen (D., Nev.), who last year was one of eight Democrats to join Senate Republicans in voting to end the shutdown. “I have the responsibility to hold the Trump administration accountable when I see abuses of power,” she said in a social-media post. The statement from Schumer raised the prospect of a partial government shutdown when funding for the federal government expires at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 31, since the Homeland Security funding is wrapped into a broader package covering about $1.3 trillion in annual spending. Senate Democrats are expected to hold a caucuswide call on Sunday. Heading into the weekend, many Senate Democrats had wanted to avoid another shutdown. But the deadly shooting of a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis by a U.S. Border Patrol officer changed the dynamic, aides and lawmakers said, uniting the party in taking a hard line. The Trump administration has surged border-control officers into the city as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration, sparking protests and physical confrontations.

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State Stories

Talarico, who now disavows AIPAC, attended group’s event in 2019

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for Senate in the state, has disavowed AIPAC and pledged not to take support from the group on the campaign trail. But in late 2019, he attended an AIPAC event alongside a major donor to his campaign, according to a contemporaneous Instagram post about the event posted by an AIPAC supporter. The post has been circulating online in recent days, driving discussion in progressive circles. Since mounting his Senate bid, Talarico has vowed not to accept support from AIPAC or J Street, and has faced criticism from some in the Jewish community who believe he is singling out AIPAC in particular.

“I refuse to be complicit in the death and destruction in Gaza, and I will never use your tax dollars to support the killing in that part of the world, and it makes me sick to my stomach to see what’s happening,” Talarico said at an event last year. “I hope in this campaign here in Texas we can send a crystal-clear message to the rest of the country that we are done being complicit.” Asked for comment on Talarico’s attendance at the AIPAC event, campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said, “James has been clear on his position on what is happening in Israel and Gaza. If anyone has questions on where James stands, they should look at his record, his extensive public comments, and the issues page on his website.” Talarico has vowed to support efforts to ban some weapons sales to Israel and accused Israel of war crimes. The same AIPAC supporter who shared the post with Talarico in 2019 was a major donor to his 2020 campaign; Talarico posted repeatedly on X about the donor offering to match up to $10,000 in donations to his campaign. Talarico has also faced scrutiny on the campaign trail for accepting donations for his statehouse campaigns from a pro-gambling super PAC, Texas Sands PAC, funded by prominent pro-Israel GOP donor Miriam Adelson. The Texas state representative is one a growing number of Democratic candidates who previously affiliated with or sought support from AIPAC but have since disavowed the group on the campaign trail amid increasing progressive hostility toward the pro-Israel organization, including Reps. Seth Moulton (D-MA), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), former New York Assemblyman Michael Blake and Evanston, Ill., Mayor Daniel Biss.

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Tarrant polls closed Sunday; turnout heavy in Fort Worth area SD 9 runoff

Polling places in Tarrant County will be closed Sunday due to the inclement weather, according to the Tarrant County Elections Department. The runoff between Republican Leigh Wambsganss and Democrat Taylor Rehmet has already brought out thousands of voters. The two are vying to represent much of the county until the winner of a general election in November takes office in 2027. Early voting ends Jan. 27; Election Day is Jan. 31. The winner of the election will fill the seat vacated by Kelly Hancock, who left the state Senate to become acting comptroller.

Over 24,000 voters cast their ballots in the first two days of the early voting period, according to Tarrant County Elections Administration. In contrast, about 12,000 showed up for the first two days back in November. Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig had previously said the county would keep all 22 of the early voting locations open over the weekend, though the individual sites may be closed by the owners. The county will post information about closures on its website or Facebook page.

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Lawsuit asks for early voting extension in CD-18 race after freeze closures

A pair of voting rights organizations filed a lawsuit Sunday seeking an emergency court order to extend early voting in Harris County past Tuesday after severe weather forced the closure of polling locations in the runoff election for Texas' 18th Congressional District. The Harris County Elections Department closed all early vote centers for the CD-18 special runoff election on Sunday and Monday, citing hazardous winter weather. In a statement, the department said the closures were a precaution to protect voters and election workers as freezing conditions affected the region. Early voting was slated to end Tuesday, and Election Day is Jan. 31.

"The safety of voters, election workers, and staff must come first," Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said in the statement, adding that the decision was made in coordination with state and local emergency management officials. The clerk’s office said it would continue to monitor conditions and provide reopening plans as weather improves. The Harris County Clerk’s Office has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit. The suit was filed by Houston Justice and Pure Justice, two Houston-based advocacy organizations, against Harris County, the Harris County Commissioners Court, the county clerk, and members of Commissioners Court in their official capacities. The plaintiffs are asking a district judge to order additional early voting hours later this week to compensate for the lost voting time. The Texas Civil Rights Project is representing the two organizations.

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Mayor Johnson mum as Cornyn fights to hold Senate seat in GOP primary

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson stood beside Sen. John Cornyn this week to tout World Cup security plans, while remaining neutral as Cornyn heads into a heated Republican primary. The incumbent Texas senator later said he was comfortable with that, arguing public officials in nonpartisan roles like mayors often avoid weighing in on contested primaries to avoid alienating supporters. He’s faced attacks from Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, who have accused him of straying from the GOP’s agenda. Cornyn has argued that his voting record aligns with President Donald Trump’s policies. Johnson previously said he avoids endorsing candidates in partisan races while serving as mayor, though after switching parties in 2023, he took a more overtly political role, founding the Republican Mayors Association and publicly backing Trump during the 2024 campaign.

“Typically, I would say public officials don’t like to get involved in contested primaries because they’re going to disappoint some of their own supporters if they choose sides,” Cornyn told The Dallas Morning News after the FIFA discussion Thursday at Dallas police headquarters. “Mayor Johnson is my friend. I support him, but I’m happy to duke it out with Paxton and Hunt and then we can continue to work together,” he added. Neither Johnson nor his office responded to requests for comment Friday morning. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker took a different approach, endorsing Cornyn in October. Her predecessor, Betsy Price, who served as mayor from 2011 to 2021, also endorsed him. Thursday’s discussion of FIFA security and public-safety planning came weeks after downtown Dallas — a focal point for visitors during the international tournament’s run — was pulled into a political fight, with Gov. Greg Abbott seizing on AT&T’s planned relocation to Plano to criticize Dallas leaders’ approach to police funding and efforts to address homelessness. Abbott, who is also running for reelection, made the comments at a Jan. 6 political event in Fort Worth alongside Tarrant County elected officials and police union leaders.

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Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins left for Costa Rica ahead of winter storm

As Dallas County awoke to icy snow on Saturday, County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins shared National Weather Service warnings to his constituents on X about “life threatening cold” and potential for power outages. By then, Jenkins was much warmer, after he and his family boarded a plane to Costa Rica on Friday before the storm hit back home, according to a photo posted by KDFW-TV (Channel 4) in Dallas. The county judge is the local government’s head of emergency operations during disasters. Gov. Greg Abbott declared Dallas and 133 other counties under a disaster on Thursday as the storm approached. The weather conditions Saturday in San José, the capital of Costa Rica: mostly sunny, with a high of 77 degrees.

Chief of staff Lauren Trimble said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News Jenkins’ trip “was scheduled months ago,” and he ensured emergency operations and coordination were in place during his travel. She declined to say when Jenkins, a Democrat, will return or whether he considered canceling his trip as the storm developed. She said the county’s readiness and emergency operations are fully staffed, and Chief of Emergency Services Scott Forster is overseeing the response. “The county’s full focus is on keeping people safe and services running,” Trimble said. “Dallas County’s experienced teams are ready to respond as conditions change and (Jenkins) will continue to get regular updates.” In Jenkins’ absence, Trimble said, she is empowered to sign emergency orders, but Abbott’s disaster declaration “makes that unnecessary.” Jenkins was not the only Texas official to generate attention over out-of-state travel plans as the winter storm approached. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz drew scrutiny after being photographed on a plane to Laguna Beach, California, ahead of the winter storm. His office called it “pre-planned work travel,” and Cruz posted on social media to say he returned on Friday. Cruz, a Republican, left the state in 2021 during a deadly winter storm to take his family to Cancun, a trip he later called a mistake after intense backlash.

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Son of Arlington man detained by ICE dies from rare disease

The son of an Arlington who was arrested by immigration authorities in October has died from a rare disease, and his family is begging for ICE to release his father so he can attend his son’s funeral. Wael Tarabishi, the son of Maher Tarabishi, died at around 2 p.m. Friday in the intensive care unit at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, according to a press release. He had Pompe disease. Maher was arrested on Oct. 28 by immigration agents. Before his arrest, Mahel was the primary caretaker for Wael, who had a rare disease that left him unable to move or breathe on his own. Wael was hospitalized on Dec. 24 for a stomach infection, according to his family.

Wael’s family signed a “do not reuscitate” order on Friday, begging ICE to release Maher so he could be with his son in his final hours. According to the family, Maher’s attorney has filed to reopen his client’s asylum case because his previous lawyer was practicing law without a license. Hours before Wael’s death, the family said, the attorney met with an ICE official to ask for Maher’s release, but that request was denied. Maher ‘s family has previously told the Star-Telegram that Maher, a Jordanian national, came to the U.S. in 1994 on a tourist visa that has since expired. Maher has been applying for asylum since then, and he was arrested during a routine check-in at the Dallas immigration field office — a trend that advocates say has increased since President Donald Trump took office last January. “We call on every congressional representative that represents Texas to take action to the fullest extent of their capacity to ensure that Maher gets the opportunity to properly mourn his son and grieve with his family, as is his human right to do,” a representative for the Tarabishi family said in a statement.

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Congressman tries to cut pay of ICE prosecutor with racist X account to $1

As a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill works its way through Congress, Congressman Marc Veasey, a Democrat who represents part of Dallas, introduced an amendment in committee Wednesday aimed to reduce the salary of James Rodden, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) assistant chief counsel who acts as a prosecutor for ICE in immigration court in Dallas, to $1. In February of last year, the Texas Observer reported that Rodden operates a white supremacist X account named GlomarResponder, based on an overwhelming number of biographical details that the Observer matched through publicly available documents, other social media activity, and courtroom observation. Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Veasey, wrote letters to ICE and DHS demanding information and investigation. In response, ICE sent a letter to Veasey stating it would address the matter and that such internal investigations can take up to 120 days, but it has otherwise not provided any information.

Veasey’s amendment came a week after the Observer reported that Rodden, who was apparently pulled from federal immigration court schedules following the Observer’s reporting last February, had returned to immigration court in Dallas. “[Rodden’s] statements are disgusting, and they are dangerous, and regardless of if you are a Democrat or a Republican, they should be disqualifying for anyone entrusted with power in the United States government,” Veasey said during Wednesday’s House Rules Committee hearing. “If Congress does nothing, if the committee does nothing, then we’re sending the message that this type of behavior is tolerable, that accountability is optional, and that white supremacy can continue to be subsidized with taxpayer dollars.” The GlomarResponder account has over 17,000 followers and has routinely posted hateful statements. In addition to posting that “America is a White nation,” that “‘Migrants’ are all criminals,” and that “All blacks are foreign to my people,” plus apparent praise of Adolf Hitler, the account has also made posts that evoke anti-immigrant violence: “Nobody is proposing feeding migrants into tree shredders,” the account posted in March 2024. “Yet. Give it a few more weeks at this level of invasion, and that will be the moderate position.”

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What is a microschool, and why are they expanding in Texas?

A new education model called microschooling is gaining popularity nationally and is expected to gain traction in Texas with the rollout of private school vouchers. Focused on maintaining small class sizes and providing a tailored learning experience, microschools typically enroll fewer than 100 students per campus. Some campus operators turn homes into schools, while others find small spaces in strip malls or former small businesses. There are four kinds of microschools: independent microschools, microschool networks, partnership microschools and public microschools, said Don Soifer, CEO and Founder of the National Microschooling Center. His center is a nonprofit focused on growing the movement across the country.

Independent microschools are typically run by a former educator and, as their name suggests, are operated independently by that educator. Microschool networks include companies like Primer and KaiPod, which run campuses or provide curriculum for local operators across multiple states. Partnership microschools are often operated by a founder or educator in conjunction with another company, such as a city, church or employer. Public microschools are open to the public for free, just like neighborhood schools. As Texas rolls out its Education Freedom Accounts, or TEFAs, which use taxpayer funds to subsidize private school tuition, the number of microschool campuses is likely to grow in the coming years. The program will give up to about $10,500 to qualifying families to cover the cost of private school tuition. Students with disabilities may qualify for closer to $30,000 annually. This funding could help families who have traditionally enrolled in public schools seek other options.

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This Texas Democrat is running straight at the working class

Someone watching the first 15 seconds of Marcos Vélez's 2-minute video announcing his plans to run for statewide office could be forgiven for assuming the first-time candidate is a Republican. The footage is heavy on industrial Texas — hard hats, work sites and sweat equity — and the narration centers on the bonds of a multigenerational blue-collar family. Vélez also fits the bill for the sort of candidates Texas Republicans like to showcase. He is biracial — Puerto Rican and Black. His formal education ended with a high school diploma. He volunteers in his community, plays ball with his kids in the backyard, and he likes to hunt. But the back end of his video, and the text on his campaign website, flip that assumption on its head.

Vélez is a Texas Democrat running an uphill race for lieutenant governor, launching his first political campaign at age 40. And from the outset, he is aiming his message not only at Republicans, but at his own party. Vélez’s campaign is built around two arguments. One is aimed at working-class voters like him, arguing that Republicans have failed to deliver on promises to tame inflation and jump-start the economy. The other takes direct aim at national Democratic leaders, whom Vélez argues have drifted away from blue-collar voters and ceded that ground to Donald Trump. The one-time refinery worker, who showed up each day in a hard hat, said national Democrats have gone out of their way to alienate people who punch time clocks and take their showers after work. "When I started working in the refinery, this was mid-2000s, most of your guys in their 50s and 60s were Democrats. They were blue-collar, Reagan-esque Democrats," Vélez said in an interview last week. "They voted for Obama, even though the bulk of them were white conservative men. And then you saw them drift to Trump in 2016. And now, they are entrenched with Donald Trump. You can't peel them away."

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Dallas Mavericks narrow choices for new arena

The Dallas Mavericks have narrowed their focus to two locations in the city of Dallas for their new arena, but a decision may not be made until July 1. In an interview with The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said, “We have identified, with the city, two city of Dallas locations that we are focusing all our time and attention on now, and hoping to bring one of them to success.” The two locations the Mavericks have zeroed in on are downtown and the Valley View Center property, a sprawling 110-acre site at the corner of Preston Road and Interstate 635. The land where City Hall resides is one possible downtown location, but the city is still having conversations on whether to preserve or demolish the I.M. Pei-designed structure.

No decision on the site for a new arena is imminent for the Mavericks, who plan to move into a new facility when their lease with the American Airlines Center expires in 2031. Welts had previously said the team planned to announce the location of a new arena by the end of March. That timeline has changed. “Right now, our hope is somewhere around July 1, the end of the NBA season, that we are in position to be able to make a decision,” Welts told The News. “But a lot of that is out of our control, out of the city’s control. I’ve been out there saying first quarter [of the year] before. We are not going to make first quarter. Another two or three months after that,” he added. “We want to open in 2031. That means we’re on the clock. Sounds like a long time, but for a 50-acre mixed-use entertainment district, an arena, public gathering places — we’re on the clock.”

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North Texas immigration attorney says burnout, hate make job harder

For immigration attorneys like Jaime Barron, the work never stops. The 51-year-old North Texas lawyer says he’s been averaging 65 hours a week with very few days off since President Donald Trump took office last year. Barron, who’s originally from Veracruz in Mexico, began practicing immigration law during President Bill Clinton’s administration. He launched his own firm, Jaime Barron PC, in 2000. Barron told the Star-Telegram that the current administration’s focus on deportation and the frequent changes in how laws are interpreted have made the past year “really painful psychologically” for those in his profession. “It’s hard dealing with all this,” he said.

Trump entered his second term in the White House promising “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.” The Department of Homeland Security announced Sept. 23 that two million undocumented immigrants had been removed or self-deported since Inauguration Day. Officials insist that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents target primarily “criminal illegal aliens,” but Barron says many arrested by ICE have no criminal background. A recent Dallas Morning News analysis shows that 62% of the 12,000 arrested in North Texas and Oklahoma between January and October 2025 have never been convicted of a crime. “As an immigrant, as a lawyer, I have a personal stake,” Barron said. “I get angry every day.” The high-stakes environment is hard on immigration attorneys and paralegals. Many are reporting high levels of stress and burnout, and some are leaving the profession altogether. Barron said everyone expresses the pain they’re going through differently. Staff have access to a therapist if needed, and the firm’s 40 attorneys are all on a WhatsApp group chat where they can talk about their experiences. The firm is also hiring more lawyers to work in deportation defense. “Right now, what’s different is that the relationship with ICE/Homeland Security is soured because the administration just doesn’t want us to communicate,” Barron said. Previously, attorneys could contact the Department of Homeland Security and negotiate the release of immigrants in deportation proceedings who didn’t have a criminal record. It was a help to the government, Barron said, because it lowered the amount of cases and allowed them to focus on individuals they considered a legitimate threat.

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Not long after Prop Q's defeat, Austin leaders could ask voters for a tax increase in bond package

Just a few months after Austin voters rejected a property tax rate increase, city leaders are again considering going to voters for help to pay for city projects including park improvements and public safety needs with a bond package. Austin City Council Member Krista Laine fears it might be too soon to ask voters for more money after Proposition Q's defeat in November. She said the city could benefit from taking more time to get their ducks in a row. “What we need to do as a city is not just talk about but deliver savings that come from increased efficiencies that allow us to fund our priorities," Laine said. "The work has been ongoing. But our voters, it's not enough for them to hear us say that, they have to see it begin to happen.”

Over the next several months, the Austin City Council will be weighing whether to put the bond before voters and how much to ask for. The initial nearly $4 billion project list includes addressing space constraints at the Austin Animal Center, expanding library branches and renovating public safety facilities. Redesigning the Sixth Street entertainment district, parkland improvements and adding more emergency shelter space for people experiencing homelessness could also be part of the deal. But that list will have to be whittled down. City staff are recommending a bond package totaling no more than $750 million to minimize the impact on taxpayers. Kim Olivares, the city’s financial services director, said right now the average homeowner — a resident with a home valued around $495,000 — sends about $450 of their annual tax money toward the city’s debt. That will increase as the city uses more previously approved bond dollars to do projects. A new bond would add to that tax burden.

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National Stories

From Davos to Minneapolis to D.C., Trump is facing sharper pushback

Anders Vistisen, a member of the European Parliament from Denmark, stepped up to the microphone this past week in the Parliament’s vast chamber, where matters of European statecraft and diplomacy are usually debated in solemn and often dry tones. “Let me put this in words you might understand, Mr. President,” Vistisen said. “F--- off.” Vistisen’s sharp language reflected a trend that is increasingly noticeable, from the conference rooms of Davos, Switzerland, to the halls of the Federal Reserve to the streets of Minneapolis: President Donald Trump’s adversaries are pushing back against him with renewed force. The change is partly rhetorical and partly substantive, but underlying it is a sense that seeking to placate Trump has proved ineffective in the first year of his second term and that counterpunching is the better option. That was evident this week in Davos, where the world’s financial and political leaders gathered under the cloud of Trump’s threat to take over Greenland, a Danish territory.

European leaders, who have spent a year seeking to appease Trump in ways large and small, this time sharply criticized his Greenland gambit and threatened an array of aggressive trade moves in response. The president backed off his threat of military action and punitive tariffs — at least for now. The shift has been clear in other venues as well. When the Justice Department served Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell with subpoenas related to a renovation project, Powell responded with a defiant video emphasizing the importance of “standing firm in the face of threats.” Powell’s tone for much of the past year had been far more accommodating. On Thursday, former special counsel Jack Smith vigorously defended his efforts to prosecute Trump, telling a congressional committee that the president “willfully broke the very laws that he took an oath to uphold.” When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth censured Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), a retired Navy officer, for appearing in a video saying service members do not have to obey illegal orders, Kelly hit back with a lawsuit. When Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), a Trump ally, subpoenaed former president Bill Clinton and his wife, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, in the Jeffrey Epstein case, they refused in a fiery letter, saying: “Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its people and its principles, no matter the consequences. For us, now is that time.” On Wednesday, Comer’s House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress, with several Democrats joining the Republican majority.

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Minnesota CEOs issue joint letter urging de-escalation in Minnesota after shooting

More than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies including Target, Best Buy and UnitedHealth signed an open letter posted on the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce website on Sunday calling for state, local and federal officials to work together, as businesses grapple with how to address tensions in the state and across the country following two fatal shootings by federal agents amid a massive immigration enforcement operation that has spurred protests. “With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions,” the open letter reads. CEOs that signed the letter included 3M CEO William Brown, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry, General Mills CEO Jeff Harmening, Target incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke, UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Helmsley, and others.

Before the letter, most of the biggest Minnesota-based companies had not issued any public statements about the enforcement surge and unrest. But the issue has become more difficult to avoid. Over the past two weeks protesters have targeted some businesses they see not taking a strong enough stand against federal law enforcement activity, including Minneapolis-based Target. Earlier in January a Minnesota hotel that wouldn’t allow federal immigration agents to stay there apologized and said the refusal violated its own policies after a furor online. Meanwhile, the state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities cited devastating economic impacts in a lawsuit filed this month imploring a federal judge to halt the immigration operations. The lawsuit asserted that some businesses have reported sales drops up to 80%. “In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future,” the letter reads.

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“We’re not trying to recreate social media”: How Minnesota’s Star Tribune navigates a local crisis

The biggest news organization in Minnesota is trying to serve as the sober counterweight to hysterical social media posts, swarming videos, political conflict, and public statements that contradict observable facts. “There’s lots of rumor and chatter and confusion, and, there’s also just bad and incomplete reporting, that’s flying around lots of outlets,” Minnesota Star Tribune editor and senior vice president Kathleen Hennessey told Semafor. “Not all of it is malicious, and some of it’s just strange. You cannot be an informed person and just sort of scroll through social media, it’s distorting and it doesn’t add clarity, I don’t think. Ultimately, that’s what journalism is in for. You, you need to shed some light and bring true understanding.”

In recent weeks, the 157-year-old newspaper has been the central hub of local information amid a massive immigration enforcement operation that has repeatedly turned deadly. Since the federal government deployed immigration and border patrol agents to Minnesota, the paper has turned to focus much of its journalism on the unfolding enforcement and activism from local citizens. In a telephone call on Saturday, Hennessey estimated that 50 of the paper’s 200 journalists are covering the story daily, doing everything from tracking protests and monitoring immigration enforcement action to covering the significant business impact on the city. A major focus of the paper’s energies has been the details that are left off of viral short form video clips and widely-shared Instagram stories. Hennessey said the paper has spent a lot of time every day chasing “ghosts” and trying to make sense of viral images, sifting through rumors circulating on social media. She also noted that the paper is checking facts and building on video clips from national media and independent content creators who have swarmed Minnesota in recent weeks.

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NFL play-offs: Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots win to reach Super Bowl 60

The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 after claiming a thrilling victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The NFC Championship game was a shootout in Seattle, with Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and Rams counterpart Matt Stafford both throwing three touchdown passes before the hosts held on for a 31-27 win. Meanwhile, defences dominated the AFC Championship game as the Patriots ground out a 10-7 win in a blizzard at the Denver Broncos. Quarterback Drake Maye, Stafford's main rival for this season's Most Valuable Player award, ran in New England's only touchdown as they secured a record-extending 12th Super Bowl appearance and their first since Tom Brady led the franchise to its sixth NFL championship in 2019. This year's NFL title decider will be a rematch of 2015, when the Patriots beat the Seahawks 28-24 to deny them back-to-back Super Bowl wins. This is the fourth time Seattle have reached the NFL showpiece, with their solitary championship coming in 2014. Super Bowl 60 takes places on Sunday, 8 February in Santa Clara, California, at the home of the San Francisco 49ers.

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Health insurance is now more expensive than the mortgage for these Americans

Millions of Americans are starting to see their monthly health-insurance bills rise, a new pressure point for a nation still frustrated with the high cost of living. Many of those facing the most substantial dollar increases are middle-income Americans who buy health insurance through the marketplaces set up by the government’s Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. Expanded subsidies for those insured under the ACA expired on Dec. 31—the central battle in last year’s record-long government shutdown. That shutdown ended with no resolution on the subsidies, and lawmakers haven’t passed legislation to revive them. Now, the newly calculated insurance bills are coming due, and Americans are having to figure out how to pay up, or go without.

Lenny and Mandee Wilson, who are 47 years old and live in Charleston, W.Va., paid $255 a month last year for a low-end ACA plan. Late last year, they learned their bill would be going up to $2,155 a month, a sum nearly triple their monthly mortgage payment of about $760. The Wilsons each squeezed in one last checkup before the end of 2025 and are now going without insurance. They are planning to put the money they used to spend on their premiums into an emergency fund. They will avoid any preventive care and hope their modest savings can cover any medical costs. Their ACA insurance wasn’t “the greatest plan, but it gave us some coverage and made sure we wouldn’t go bankrupt if something happened,” said Lenny Wilson, who co-owns an IT business. His wife, Mandee Wilson, makes pottery. Living without health insurance feels precarious. “If we step off the ladder wrong and make a trip to the ER or have to spend the night in the hospital for any reason, that would pretty much wipe us out financially,” Lenny said.

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NASA is about to send people to the moon — in a spacecraft not everyone thinks is safe to fly

When four astronauts begin a historic trip around the moon as soon as February 6, they’ll climb aboard NASA’s 16.5-foot-wide Orion spacecraft with the understanding that it has a known flaw — one that has some experts urging the space agency not to fly the mission with humans on board. But NASA remains confident it has a handle on the problem and the vehicle can bring the crew home safely. The issue relates to a special coating applied to the bottom partof the spacecraft, called the heat shield. It’s a crucial piece of hardware designed to protect the astronauts from extreme temperatures as they’re descending back to Earth during the final stretch of their moon-bound mission called Artemis II. This vital part of the Orion spacecraft is nearly identical to the heat shield flown on Artemis I, an uncrewed 2022 test flight. That prior mission’s Orion vehicle returned from space with a heat shield pockmarked by unexpected damage — prompting NASA to investigate the issue.

And while NASA is poised to clear the heat shield for flight, even those who believe the mission is safe acknowledge there is unknown risk involved. “This is a deviant heat shield,” said Dr. Danny Olivas, a former NASA astronaut who served on a space agency-appointed independent review team that investigated the incident. “There’s no doubt about it: This is not the heat shield that NASA would want to give its astronauts.” Still, Olivas said he believes after spending years analyzing what went wrong with the heat shield, NASA “has its arms around the problem.” Upon completing the investigation about a year ago, NASA determined it would fly the Artemis II Orion capsule as is, believing it could ensure the crew’s safety by slightly altering the mission’s flight path. In a statement to CNN on Friday, NASA said the agency “considered all aspects” when making that decision, noting there is also “uncertainty that comes with the development and qualification of the processes of changing the manufacturing process of the Avcoat ablator blocks.” Basically, NASA said, there’s uncertainty involved no matter which course of action it takes. “I think in my mind, there’s no flight that ever takes off where you don’t have a lingering doubt,” Olivas said. “But NASA really does understand what they have. They know the importance of the heat shield to crew safety, and I do believe that they’ve done the job.”

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Lead Stories

US declares power emergency in Texas as storm boosts demand

The US Energy Department declared a power emergency in Texas Saturday as a massive winter storm was set to test the state’s electric grid with ice, snow and temperatures forecast to be in the teens and single digits. The order, signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, authorizes the state’s grid operator to deploy backup generation at data centers and other major facilities, “due to a sudden increase in demand, a shortage of electric energy, a shortage of facilities for the generation of electric energy.” “This extreme level of demand raises a significant risk of emergency conditions that could jeopardize electric reliability and public safety,” the grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc., wrote in requesting the emergency action Saturday.

More than 175 million people will face snow, rain, sleet and ice through the weekend as record-breaking cold across the central and eastern regions fuels the season’s largest winter storm. In Texas, nearly 50,000 customers were out of power as of 11:19 p.m. New York Time, according to tracker PowerOutage.com. The storm is set to be one of the biggest tests of the state’s electric grid since the deadly collapse during a freeze in February 2021 that killed more than 240 people and paralyzed the entire state. The Energy Department warned grid operators on Friday to be prepared to make backup power available ahead of the storm, including from datacenters, an usual move for facilities that do not usually provide power to the grid. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator — which manages a power grid that stretches from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast — lowered its energy-emergency alert level to 1 late Saturday. It was at EEA2 earlier in the day in an effort to shore up reserves as conditions worsened. EEA2 is usually triggered as operating reserves continue to decline and means MISO is facing an energy shortage and needs to reduce demand. PJM Interconnection, another big US grid, asked the Energy Department for an order allowing all generators in its 13-state footprint to operate at maximum capability beyond emissions limits as soon as possible, according to a letter Saturday evening. It said it already provided up to 3 gigawatts during neighboring grid MISO’s emergency level Saturday.

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US storm leaves 670,000 without power, forces thousands of flight cancellations

More than 670,000 customers in the U.S. as far west as New Mexico were without electricity and almost 10,000 flights were canceled on Sunday ahead of a monster winter storm that threatened to paralyze eastern states with heavy snowfall. Forecasters said snow, sleet, freezing rain and dangerously frigid temperatures would sweep the eastern two-thirds of the nation on Sunday and into the week. Calling the storms "historic," President Donald Trump on Saturday approved federal emergency disaster declarations in South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.

"We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have declared weather emergencies, the Department of Homeland Security said. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, at a news conference on Saturday, warned Americans to take precautions. "It’s going to be very, very cold," Noem said. "So we'd encourage everybody to stock up on fuel, stock up on food, and we will get through this together." "We have utility crews that are working to restore that as quick as possible," Noem added. The number of outages continued to rise. As of 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT) on Sunday, more than 670,000 U.S. customers were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us, with more than 100,000 each in Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee and Louisiana. Other states affected included Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia and New Mexico. Major U.S. airlines warned passengers to stay alert for abrupt flight changes and cancellations.

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AG Bondi demands access to Minnesota voter rolls after fatal Border Patrol shooting

Just hours after federal immigration officers shot and killed a man in Minneapolis, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi seized upon the incident to demand access to Minnesota’s voter rolls, directly tying the Trump administration’s quest for voters’ unredacted personal data to its aggressive immigration raids across the state. In a letter to Gov. Tim Walz (D) Saturday, Bondi blamed state and local leaders for the unrest ignited by the Trump administration’s expansive immigration enforcement operations. She claimed that Walz could “restore the rule of law” by complying with a list of demands, including giving the Department of Justice (DOJ) the state’s voter registration records. “Allow the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice to access voter rolls to confirm that Minnesota’s voter registration practices comply with federal law as authorized by the Civil Rights Act of 1960,” Bondi said in the letter, which was first obtained by Fox News.

The letter adds the state’s unwillingness to share voting data to a litany of grievances the Trump administration has leveled against Minnesota, which range from the local Democratic leaders’ rejection of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) actions to a longstanding welfare fraud scandal. Bondi’s other demands included sharing Minnesota’s data on Medicaid and supplementary food assistance with the federal government, ending “sanctuary policies” and supporting and collaborating with ICE. This would allow the government to investigate fraud and curb “crime and violence” in the state, the attorney general claimed. In sum, Bondi’s letter represents a major assault on Minnesota’s sovereignty, demanding that it forfeit its ability to make and enforce its own laws and maintain its voter rolls without oversight from the executive branch, which does not have authority over elections. Earlier this week, Minnesota rejected the DOJ’s demand for data on its same-day voter registration and vouching system. Minnesota leaders described the request as an unlawful federal attempt to intrude on sensitive voter information and the state’s authority.

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Gun activists bridle at suggestion that pistol justified killing

Some high-profile gun rights activists and groups bristled on Saturday at government officials’ claims that federal agents may have been justified in killing a Minneapolis man during a protest because he was carrying a pistol. The right to bear arms in public has been a mainstay of the gun rights movement. On Saturday, a Los Angeles federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, became a magnet for outrage when he wrote on social media that “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don’t do it!” Gun Owners of America, one of the country’s largest gun advocacy groups, said in its own posting that it condemned his “untoward comments.”

The group said that “federal agents are not ‘highly likely’ to be ‘legally justified’ in ‘shooting’ concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm. The Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting — a right the federal government must not infringe upon.” The gun group also accused “the Left” of “antagonizing” immigration agents. The exchange could point to political fissures between the gun rights movement and President Trump, who is generally seen as an ally. And it already is sparking debate within a movement that has long warned against government overreach. The National Rifle Association referred to federal agents as “jackbooted government thugs” in a 1995 mailer. But in a statement Saturday night, the N.R.A. put blame for the shooting on Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and other “radical progressive politicians.” It said their “calls to dangerously interject oneself into legitimate law-enforcement activities have ended in violence.”

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Key takeaways from Crockett vs. Talarico Democratic US Senate debate

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Texas State Representative James Talarico took the stage at the Texas AFL-CIO COPE convention on Saturday afternoon to debate for the first time since they both launched their bids for the U.S. Senate. The Dallas-area civil rights attorney and former San Antonio-area school teacher are the top two contenders for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. Since the Democratic primary field became set in early December, two different polls have shown a different story. Here are three key takeaways from Saturday’s debate.

Almost the entire debate focused on substance. Both candidates refrained from personal attacks. However, there was an early moment when it could have gone in a different direction. About 10 minutes into the debate, moderators asked Talarico, “you have said that your campaign is shaped by two commandments, ‘Love God.’ ‘Love thy neighbor.’ But a lot of Democrats want a fighter. So why do you think that your approach is the right one to get you to Washington?” Talarico responded by saying he has been a fighter for Texans in the State House. “We need a proven fighter for our schools, for our values, for our constituents in the halls of power in Washington D.C.,” Talarico said. “I think we need a teacher in the United States Senate.” In a response, Crockett painted herself as a fighter. “James and I served in the State House together. He’s actually been elected longer than I have been elected,” Crockett said. “Yet he’s not as known right now because I have engaged in these fights and they have been right there on the front lines where people could see me out front.”

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State Stories

Austin dispels rumors of ICE presence at warming centers

The city of Austin on Saturday evening addressed online rumors claiming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were staging in the area. City officials said they contacted regional ICE representatives, who assured them the agency is not operating at warming centers or cold weather shelters. Officials also said ICE is not bringing in personnel from outside the area or housing them in local hotels.

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Schools tied to 'terrorists' or 'enemies' can be denied vouchers, Paxton says

Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday partially sided with acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock in his push to ban some private schools from the state's new voucher program over alleged terrorism or foreign ties. Paxton confirmed in a non-binding opinion that the state comptroller “unambiguously” has the authority to block or remove schools from the program if they violate other state laws, including the support of transnational criminal networks or terrorist activity. But he declined to weigh in on the specific schools Hancock is targeting, saying only the comptroller’s office could determine whether a school can be disqualified. "Your inquiry improperly shifts the responsibility of making these factual determinations to the Attorney General," Paxton wrote. "Our office has no greater statutory role in deciding who qualifies for the TEFA program than we do in dictating which private schools are accredited in Texas."

Hancock asked Paxton to weigh in last month, alleging that certain unnamed schools that applied to the tuition-support program have ties to the Chinese government and the Council American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group that Gov. Greg Abbott recently declared a terrorist organization. CAIR has disputed the designation and is suing to overturn it. In a statement Saturday afternoon, Hancock said he appreciated Paxton’s support and that his opinion “makes clear that Texas will not tolerate taxpayer funds being diverted to bad actors.” The opinion is legally nonbinding but could be used to justify barring certain schools. Conservative opponents of school choice have long criticized the voucher program for its potential to direct tax dollars to Islamic schools. Hancock has not said he plans to block all Islamic schools from the program, though none have been publicly admitted so far. The effort to bar the unnamed schools has already created broader ripple effects within the program, as hundreds of other schools, including Christian and Jewish institutions, have also seen their invitations to sign up delayed by over a month. Parents are scheduled to begin signing up for the program on Feb. 4.

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Protest breaks out at Dilley immigration detention facility holding 5-year-old Liam Ramos

A protest broke out Saturday at the South Texas family detention complex in Dilley, about 70 miles south of San Antonio, after guards abruptly ordered attorneys to leave while detainees — many of them children — poured into open areas of the facility chanting “Libertad,” or "Freedom," according to an immigration attorney who witnessed the event. Immigration attorney Eric Lee said he was at the Dilley facility for a confidential visit with clients — an immigrant family of six, including five children — when guards began shouting for everyone in the waiting area to leave, citing what they described as “an incident.” As the Michigan-based attorney walked toward his car, he said he heard what sounded like “hundreds of children” shouting, with voices he described as "high-pitched" and "urgent." He said he could see children streaming from dormitory areas behind a chain-link fence and chanting “Libertad."

Lee said clients he later spoke with told him the protest was triggered by concerns over the treatment of Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old who was taken into custody with his father in Minnesota earlier this week and transferred to the Dilley facility. Lawmakers and advocates are calling for the child’s release, while the Department of Homeland Security disputes claims about how the boy was taken into custody and faces criticism over access to the facility. School officials in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, have said federal agents took the child from a running car in the family’s driveway and directed him to knock on the door of the home — an action the superintendent described as “essentially using a 5-year-old as bait.” The Department of Homeland Security has disputed that account, saying agents did not target the child, were focused on apprehending the child’s father—whom DHS said fled on foot—and attempted to have the child’s mother take custody of the boy. Lee described Saturday’s action inside the facility as a peaceful demonstration, not a riot, and said the show of solidarity carried risk for detained families. Lee said the protest unfolded against what he described as harsh day-to-day conditions inside the Dilley detention center. He characterized the facility as “a horrible, horrible place,” alleging that drinking water is “putrid” and often undrinkable, and that meals have contained “bugs,” dirt, and debris.

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Anti-abortion Texans rally at the Capitol despite frigid temperatures

As temperatures inched toward freezing on Saturday afternoon, people in knit caps and raincoats gathered for the Texas Rally for Life in Austin, holding signs that read “Let Life Live” and “Pray to End Abortion.” While turnout appeared lower than in previous years, the annual event still drew a crowd as elected officials, activists and clergy members stood on the Texas Capitol steps to cheer the anti-abortion movement's gains in the state. “I think I've been at this event pretty much every year that I’ve been governor. Never have I seen a weather challenge like this,” said Gov. Greg Abbott to the crowd. “But I'm so proud and heartened to see that it's not dampened your spirit.” Similar events happen across the country each year around the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade.

For decades, these rallies brought together members of a movement that hoped to see that decision reversed. In 2022, it was, and the federal right to abortion ended. Now, events like the Texas Rally for Life celebrate the anti-abortion movement’s political successes. Over the past five years, the state has instituted multiple overlapping abortion bans and pioneered a new civil enforcement mechanism for cracking down on those who “aid or abet” abortion seekers. “Because of your decades of advocating for life, abortion is not legal in our state,” Abbott said Saturday. The governor also touted bills passed during last year’s state legislative session, including a new law that aims to penalize the practice of out-of-state doctors providing abortion pills to women in Texas and a statute that prevents local governments from using taxpayer money to support travel and logistics for women seeking abortions.

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Debate clips: Talarico on ICE: 'take that money back'

Democrats Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico differed more on style than substance in their first debate for U.S. Senate in heavily Republican Texas, though they distinguished themselves somewhat on the future of ICE and impeachment of President Donald Trump. Crockett, an outspoken second-term U.S. House member, and Talarico, a more soft-spoken four-term state representative, generally echoed each other on economic issues, health care and taxes. Both called for a “fighter” in the role. Crockett, who is Black, said she was better positioned to attract disaffected Black voters, while Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian who often discusses his Christian faith, suggested he could net rural voters unhappy with Republicans.

Both candidates condemned the shooting of a man in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers Saturday, and ICE’s heavy presence in the city, though Talarico was more adamant about cutting funding to the agency. Both said they support bringing impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, under whom ICE serves. But Crockett was less specific about cutting their funding. “We absolutely have to clean house,” she said. “Whatever that looks like, I’m willing to do it.” Talarcio more specifically said of ICE funding, “We should take that money back and put it in our communities where it belongs.”

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Debate clips: Jasmine Crockett: ICE agents in Minneapolis are ‘turning us into Nazi Germany’

Texas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett compared the actions of federal agents in Minnesota, where an agent shot dead a man Saturday, to “Nazi Germany” during a Democratic debate for the U.S. Senate. Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico are the leading candidates in the Democratic primary, hoping to win in March and be on the ticket in November for Sen. John Cornyn’s seat. The two Democrats took the stage in Georgetown, north of Austin, shortly after federal immigration agents in Minneapolis had shot 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive-care nurse for a VA hospital. The shooting came just weeks after Renee Good was shot and killed by an immigration officer in the same city. The Saturday killing was recorded by bystanders from different angles, showing a group of federal officers tackle Pretti as he appeared to be using a phone to record them.

Pretti was legally carrying a handgun, according to Minnesota authorities, and was shot multiple times after he was on the ground. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters that the fact that Pretti carried a weapon “looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” contradicting video evidence of the encounter. At one point during Saturday’s debate, the moderators asked Crockett and Talarico about how they’d balance their feelings toward ICE while also representing Texans who support deporting undocumented immigrants. “As it relates to the enforcement that we see right now, let me be clear: They are supposed to do immigration and customs enforcement,” Crockett said. “Not going after U.S. citizens. Not going after people that are documented. That is not what they are supposed to do, but that is what they’re doing. They are turning us into Nazi Germany by saying they’re going to go door to door.” She continued, “They’re going after people because of their accent or the color of their skin, because this Supreme Court gave them carte blanche ability to do so. So all we want ICE to do is to do what ICE was created to do, and unfortunately, that’s not what they are doing.”

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Austin company to forgive $6.9M in debt for disabled vets AG says it scammed

An Austin company has agreed to provide almost $6.9 million in debt relief to disabled veterans the state alleged were deceptively charged for assistance in navigating the disability benefits claims process. VA Claims Insider LLC, also known as VACI, is prohibited from collecting any debts incurred by veterans who were misled into believing its services were free as part of an agreed final judgment entered into with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The office said Friday the company also will forgo collecting any qualifying debts incurred for the past nine years. The estimated total of the debt forgiveness is just under $6.9 million.

“Disabled veterans are our nation’s heroes who put their lives on the line for our country, and no company will be allowed to pose as a legitimate VA service in order to scam and deceive them,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement. “This judgment ensures that disabled veterans are protected from VACI’s fraudulent VA assistance scheme and will not be held responsible for illegitimate debts.” Paxton had sued VA Claims in 2023 in state District Court in San Antonio, alleging the company had engaged in “false, misleading, and deceptive acts.” The company agreed to the judgment “solely for the purpose of settlement” and did not admit any wrongdoing or violation of state consumer protection laws, the court filing says. Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa signed the judgment Jan. 15. Jeff Eller, a VA Claims Insider spokesman, said in an email there “is no fraud” and that the company “will continue to actively fight any accusation of fraud.” He added that the company “welcomes the settlement with the State of Texas and looks forward to continuing its service to U.S. military veterans who are exploring their eligibility for increased disability benefits. As the only VA disability education company focused on educating veterans who seek to prepare and file their own claims, the work that VA Claims Insider does changes veterans’ lives for the better,” he said. VA Claims has entered into a permanent injunction that bars it from committing certain acts, including advertising as “free” any educational or consulting services to veterans when and if those services are not free.

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HUD Secretary, Gonzalez, clash over ICE raids

Scott Turner, the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, says there are plenty of Americans willing and able to replace immigrants in the construction industry. Turner clashed with U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen during a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. “We have plenty American people for American jobs, and that's my concentration. I would say that to have migrants to do these jobs, I believe, is a slap in the face for the American people. We need to increase the trades in our country. We need to bring back manufacturing in our country,” Turner said response to a question from Gonzalez. Gonzalez said he agreed with Turner that the U.S. has to bring back manufacturing but said that is not going to happen overnight. “We have a labor shortage,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez began the exchange by telling Turner he wanted to address housing affordability in the U.S. “We have to be honest about that, because, while we talk about immigrants, 30% of construction workers in this country are immigrants. And in Texas, about 40% of construction workers are immigrants. And in your city of Dallas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Houston, San Antonio, that number goes up to about 60% depending where you are.,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez said he had met recently with the South Texas Builders Association. “We had a very candid conversation about the labor shortage that we're suffering in Texas and across the country. Just last year, it was shown that we would have had 400,000 homes less built in this country if it had not been for immigrant labor,” Gonzalez said.

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Sister Norma Pimentel’s shelter in McAllen, Texas looks different now

For as long as Sister Norma Pimentel can remember, the shelter she runs in the border city of McAllen, Texas, has been crowded with thousands of migrants fleeing natural disasters, violence, authoritarian governments and poverty. But ever since President Trump retook the White House and embarked on aggressive immigration enforcement that has all but sealed the U.S. border with Mexico, her shelter, steps away from a bus station, looks quiet. “We have not seen a single migrant in months,” Sister Pimentel said last month. “We are completely empty.” She pointed to a vacant kitchen, a deserted children’s play area and a bare floor that less than two years ago was filled with makeshift beds. At the height of the migrant surge during President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s administration, shelters along the border quickly became overwhelmed by the flood of migrants, some having received up to 1,000 people a day.

At Sister Pimentel’s shelter, the Humanitarian Respite Center, the emptiness was so palpable recently that the voices of the workers and volunteers and a Christmas song echoed throughout the desolate rooms. The migrant slowdown is happening from Texas to California. The number of individuals seeking to cross the Southwest border has dwindled to an average of 245 a day from a peak of about 10,000 to 12,000 encounters a day during Mr. Biden’s administration, according to government data. Sister Pimentel is well known globally for migrant advocacy and was included in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020. Her shelter became an epicenter of the immigration debate, and received some backlash for its work. “The question back then was that some people viewed Catholic Charities as inviting people to come over,” said Javier Villalobos, the mayor of McAllen, a registered Republican. “That’s not necessarily true, but some people viewed it this way.” With no migrants to house, the staff and volunteers at Sister Pimentel’s shelter have pivoted to help residents of McAllen, one of the poorest cities in America, with a population of about 150,000.

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End of an era: David Taffet retiring from host of longest running LGBTQ radio show in country

In era is coming to an end for LGBTQ+ North Texas. After 35 years as a co-host on Lambda Weekly, David Taffet is retiring following a Parkinson’s diagnosis a year-and-a-half-ago. And he’s looking for someone to replace him. Lambda Weekly, the longest-running LGBTQ+ radio show on the air anywhere, airs each Sunday from 1-2 p.m. on KNON 89.3, North Texas’ public radio station. Taffet first joined the show in 1989. “In 1989, I was writing travel articles for Dallas Voice, and Bill Travis — who was the Lambda Weekly host at the time — asked me to come on each week to do a travel spot,” Taffet recalled this week. “Usually, the piece was recorded and then played on the air. So I usually wasn’t even in the studio when it was broadcast.”

Then Alonzo Duralde joined Travis as the show’s cohost until 1992, when both men left the show on the same day — Travis to move to San Francisco and Duralde to move to Los Angeles. Steve Walters stepped in then to take over as host. “Steve had radio experience, but his first day at Lambda Weekly, he was just really nervous,” Taffet said. “I went into the studio to see if he wanted me to keep doing the travel spot, and he was so nervous, I asked him if he wanted me to stay. He said yes, so I sat down and we just spent the hour talking about whatever. “At the end of the hour, I asked if he wanted me to come back the next week, and he said yeah. So I became his cohost,” he added. “That way, he had someone to talk to. We got gay newspapers from all over the country back then, from all over the world. And we would read the articles and find things to talk about. And we would fill in between the segments with music.” Before long, Taffet said, he and Walters started inviting guests to join them on the show each week, either for a short segment or for the whole hour, “and they would just join our conversations about whatever garbage we were talking about that day.” Walters left the show in 1998, and Cathy Tipps stepped up as Taffet’s new cohost. The two started advertising for a third cohost, and that’s when, in about 1999, Lerone Landis joined the show. Shortly after, Tipps left, and “that’s when Patti [Fink] came along. She came on first as a guest. Then Lerone and I asked her to come on as a cohost,” Taffet said.

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South Texas Builders Association is now getting national media attention

About an hour after the Rio Grande Guardian met with Mario M. Guerrero, CEO of South Texas Builders Association, a national TV news crew with CBS was slated to meet him. Guerrero said the national network showed interest in the group after watching STBA’s livestream on Facebook two days before. The livestream featured STBA’s Immigration Enforcement & Construction Industry Impact Symposium, held at McAllen Convention Center. Watching the livestream, CBS reporters would have heard about the huge concerns South Texas builders have with the current ICE raids at construction sites. So many workers are being rounded up that projects are blowing up, leaving some firms close to bankruptcy. “We have a national CBS news crew that is actually on their way right now. They're about 30 minutes out from McAllen. They're going to be coming in, and they're going to be doing a broadcast on STBA, the South Texas Builders Association, and they're supposed to air it out by the end of the week on a national level,” Guerrero told the Guardian.

“They're going to be speaking to different people in the organization that were at that symposium yesterday. They told me personally that they were actually listening throughout the whole meeting, which is very humbling, because we're not advocating for destruction, we're not advocating for hate, we're advocating for peace, and we're advocating for love, and we're advocating for our community. If anybody says anything different, they obviously don't understand the words I'm saying.” Guerrero acknowledged he has been getting hate mail from across the country, for challenging the actions of the Trump administration when it comes to immigration enforcement. “We keep advocating for peace and love in our community. And unfortunately, the reality is that everything that's happening is already affecting our economy. And it’s going to have a massive effect on our local economy if we're not able to bring some sort of peace to the construction industry.” Another builder that spoke at the symposium was Efrain Gomez, Jr., president of Gomez 3 Construction. Indeed, Gomez served as moderator of the discussion.

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NTSB investigating Waymo over robotaxis passing stopped school buses in Austin

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into Waymo’s operations in Austin after its robotaxis were found to have illegally passed stopped school buses in the city. The independent U.S. investigative agency said it’s looking into 24 documented instances of the autonomous ride-hailing company’s vehicles failing to stop around Austin ISD buses as required by Texas law. “Investigators will travel to Austin to gather information on a series of incidents in which the automated vehicles failed to stop for loading or unloading students,” an NTSB spokesman said in a statement.

Waymo, the the driverless ride-hailing company owned by Google parent Alphabet Inc., said it welcomed the opportunity to show the NTSB its approach to safety. The investigation comes after the school district this year launched a new school bus safety campaign that’s netted thousands of violators. In January, it approved a contract with AlertBus, an AI-powered program that automatically issues $300 fines based on footage from cameras attached to the stop arm of a bus. The system enforces a state law requiring other vehicles to come to a complete stop when a school bus is stopped with its stop-arm extended and red lights flashing. Other vehicles may not proceed until the bus begins moving again, a requirement intended to protect students getting on or off a bus. Since the start of the school year in August, the district has recorded Waymo’s robotaxis illegally passing a stopped school bus at least 24 times. Several of those incidents came after the company said it had issued a voluntary recall of its vehicles to address the issue with a software update and met with district officials.

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Heartbreak, confusion, prayer: A typical day at ‘the tent’ by Dallas’ ICE office

The air was frigid and windy on a January morning as Sandra Avalos scanned Empress Row in Dallas for cars entering and exiting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office. Avalos, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico as a child, helps erect two tents each morning outside the parking lot for the field office. A stack of papers listing the rights of detainees sits on tables inside the tents, and boxes of donated stuffed animals and clothes are on the ground nearby. Since President Donald Trump took office for the second time last January, enacting a sweeping immigration agenda and deporting more than 605,000 people, Avalos and about 60 others like her have become a constant presence outside the ICE building. They’re part a nationwide group working to protect the rights of immigrants.

The Dallas field office, where a gunman killed two detainees and injured another in September, serves as a processing center for detained migrants, an administrative office for some Department of Homeland Security and ICE employees, and a location for check-in appointments. These check-ins are meant to give ICE a way to monitor people who have been released during the course of their immigration cases. Volunteers who stand outside each morning try to advise people of their rights, obtain contact information for a loved one in case they are detained, and troubleshoot the myriad problems that come up during these check-ins. These advocates — a mix of church members, seasoned activists and some who have never been a part of any movements — take shifts at the tent throughout the week. Across the Metroplex, many of these advocates who focus their efforts on immigration have reinvented themselves to become de facto scholars of immigration policy and the inner workings of acquiring legal citizenship in the United States. The tent has been part of a larger movement to monitor immigration agents at field offices and courthouses across the country. One of the biggest tasks each day is to keep track of who goes into the field office — and who does not come back out.

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Sen. Cornyn targets Texas AG Paxton. Talarico spotlights insulin costs

Candidates in the U.S. Senate primary in Texas are taking their messages to the airwaves. For incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, that means taking aim at his biggest threat in the Super Tuesday primary on March 3: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Cornyn's campaign launched on Thursday, Jan. 22, with a digital ad entitled "Same Lawyer. Radical EPIC City. Ken Paxton's Record Exposed." The ad alleges that Paxton "talks tough on radical Islam, but the record shows he's soft on the issue." A voiceover in the ad blasts Paxton over the fact that the attorney in his impeachment proceedings "is the same lawyer defending the radical Islamic (East Plano Islamic Center) City project," which will bring "Sharia Law in Texas." In fact, the EPIC project, situated about 40 miles from Dallas, has nothing to do with "radical" Islam or "Sharia Law." The project is a planned community that will feature more than 1,000 residential units, a K-12 school, a community college and commercial shopping facilities.

The Department of Justice closed its investigation into the project last year after affirming that the developers would comply with the Fair Housing Act. The ad also criticizes Paxton for sending "over two-and-a-half million dollars to organizations resettling Afghan refugees into Texas" after U.S. troops withdrew from the country. It's unclear, however, how such an allegation ties into Cornyn's attacks on radical Islam, as the Afghan nationals who resettled in the United States did so after assisting U.S. troops in their war against the Taliban. While Cornyn lobs largely unsubstantiated allegations against his primary challenger, state Rep. James Talarico, a Democratic candidate in the U.S. Senate race, used his airtime to tackle kitchen-table issues, specifically the cost of the diabetes medication Insulin. In the ad, which launched Friday, Jan. 23, in major markets across the state, Talarico recalls his own Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and how the "how the sky-high cost of insulin motivated him to take on Big Pharma …" "When I was 28, I almost died," Talarico, D-Austin, says in the ad. "I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. When I picked up my first Insulin prescription, it cost me $684. I couldn’t afford that. Most Texans can’t either." Talarico then details how that experience led him to introduce and pass legislation in the Texas House of Representatives to cap Insulin prices at $25 for patients on state-regulated healthcare plans. The law took effect Sept. 1, 2021, and aids approximately 16% of Texans. "I know what it means to fight for my life," he says as the ad concludes. "I approve this message because, in the Senate, I’ll fight for yours."

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National Stories

US airlines and airports brace for a brutal travel day amid massive winter storm

A massive winter storm set the stage for a brutal travel day Sunday, with airlines warning of widespread cancellations and delays at some of the nation’s busiest airports. Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people — more than half the U.S. population — in a path stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, the National Weather Service said Saturday night. After sweeping through the South, forecasters said the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston. More than 13,500 flights have been canceled across the U.S. since Saturday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.

About 9,600 of those were scheduled for Sunday. Aviation analytics company Cirium says its data shows that Sunday will be the highest cancellation event since the pandemic, with over 29% of all U.S. departing flights axed. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport warned travelers on its website of widespread flight cancellations. Nearly all of its departing flights scheduled for the day — 414 flights, or 97% — have been canceled. Significant disruptions were also expected at major airport hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, home to the nation’s busiest airport, as well as New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. American Airlines had canceled over 1,400 flights for Sunday, according to FlightAware. Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines each reported about 1,000 cancellations for the day, while United Airlines had more than 800. JetBlue had more than 560 canceled flights, accounting for roughly 70% of its schedule for the day.

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Protesters demand immigration agents leave Minneapolis after man is shot and killed during crackdown

Democrats demanded that federal immigration officers leave Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigid streets and increasing tensions in a city already shaken by another shooting death weeks earlier. Family members identified the man who was killed as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who protested President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in his city. After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered and protesters clashed with federal officers, who wielded batons and deployed flash bangs. A federal judge has already issued an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to the shooting, after state and county officials sued. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the suit filed Saturday is meant to preserve evidence collected by federal officials that state authorities have not yet been able to inspect. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday in federal court in St. Paul. “A full, impartial, and transparent investigation into his fatal shooting at the hands of DHS agents is non-negotiable,” Ellison said in a statement.

Spokespersons for the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, which are named in the lawsuit, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Sunday. Another federal judge previously ruled that officers participating in the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents. The Minnesota National Guard was assisting local police at the direction of Gov. Tim Walz, officials said. Guard troops were sent to both the shooting site and a federal building where officers have squared off with demonstrators daily. Information about what led up to the shooting was limited, Police Chief Brian O’Hara said. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that federal officers were conducting an operation and fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached them and “violently resisted” when they tried to disarm him.

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GOP Sen. Cassidy breaks with Trump over deadly shooting by Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called for a full investigation after a federal agent fatally shot a man who was allegedly armed in Minneapolis on Saturday, calling the incident "incredibly disturbing." Cassidy joined a chorus of Democratic lawmakers raising questions following the shooting death of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex J. Pretti, who was killed by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday. Pretti allegedly confronted officers during a Department of Homeland Security operation in south Minneapolis and was carrying a gun, according to the agency. "The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing," Cassidy said in a post on X. "The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation."

Cassidy added that "we can trust the American people with the truth." The Louisiana Republican's comments were seemingly at odds with members of his party, including President Donald Trump, who said in a post on Truth Social following the shooting that federal agents "had to protect themselves" because of the lack of support from local police in Minneapolis. "This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go—What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?" Trump wrote in the post. "The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—Not an easy thing to do!" Last week, Trump pledged his endorsement for U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow if she entered the GOP primary in Louisiana, challenging Cassidy, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015. Letlow launched her Senate bid days later.

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Witnesses say they begged ICE agents not to detain Minnesota 5-year-old after father's arrest

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents refused to allow 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos to stay at his Columbia Heights home with family after being detained, observers said, despite people in the home, neighbors and school officials begging them to do so. Those who saw the federal agents detain Liam Tuesday pushed back against claims this week by ICE and Vice President JD Vance that the child was abandoned by his family after the boy and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were detained on their way home from school. Neighbors and Columbia Heights school officials say they pleaded with agents to let the child enter the home to join his mother or to stay with a neighbor or school leader after agents took the father into custody. They also say that they did not see Conejo Arias flee the scene and leave his son in the cold as ICE officials maintain.

“There was ample opportunity to be able to safely hand that child off to adults,” said Mary Granlund, chair of the Columbia Heights School Board who said she was at the scene and among those who offered to take Liam to his family or back to school. “There was another adult who lived in the home that was there saying, ‘I will take the child. I will take the child.’ Somebody else was yelling … that I was there and said, ‘School is here. They can take the child. You don't have to take them.’ And mom was there. She saw (through) the window, and dad was yelling, ‘Please do not open the door!’” ICE officials say the father and son are together at an ICE residential family facility in Texas. Marc Prokosch, the lawyer representing Liam and his dad, said he had still not had direct contact with them. ICE says the father is in the country illegally but Prokosch says that’s not the case.

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Gambling industry found bankrolling swing district congressional members

Vulnerable members of Congress who rely on the gambling industry to fund their campaigns are pushing legislation that the industry wants passed, a Washington Examiner review of campaign finance filings has found. Reps. Susie Lee (D), Steven Horsford (D), Mark Amodei (R), and Diana Titus (D) — all from Nevada — have thrown their support behind legislation that would allow gamblers to deduct 100% of losses from their tax bills, revising a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that reduced the deduction to 90% of losses. Restoring the full deduction has been a major priority of the gambling industry, which has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaigns of those representatives since 2020.

Lee took the most from the gambling industry, accepting nearly $400,000 over the past four electoral cycles. She was closely followed by Amodei, who received well over $300,000, then by Horsford, who took almost $300,000, and Titus, who raked in around $200,000, according to a Washington Examiner review of records from the lawmakers’ primary campaign accounts, their victory funds, and their leadership PACs. Top executives from MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts reportedly met with representatives from the American Gaming Association — the trade group responsible for representing the interests of casinos and other parts of the gambling industry — in December to drum up support for a gambler’s tax break. Lee, Horsford, Amodei, and Titus, who ultimately fulfilled their request, have all accepted large donations from executives working for the three casino operators as well as the AGA. Casino executives and PACs representing the three operators that pushed for the legislation contributed roughly $140,000 to Lee, $95,000 to Horsford, $85,000 to Titus, and $83,000 to Amodei since 2020. The AGA, meanwhile, gave Lee $3,000, Titus $5,500, Horsford $6,000, and Amodei $5,000 over the same period. Amodei, Horsford, and Lee all represent swing districts, making campaign dollars even more valuable to them, given the difficulty of retaining their seats.

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Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse dedicated to helping others, friends and family said

Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old man killed by federal immigration agents Saturday, worked as a nurse treating sick veterans, according to family, friends and colleagues – a reflection of his deep desire to help others, they said. Pretti worked as an Intensive Care Unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center for around five years, according to a co-worker who asked to speak anonymously. “Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world,” his parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, said in a statement. “Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact.”

Dr. Dimitri Drekonja, Chief of Infectious Diseases Section at the Minneapolis VA, wrote on Bluesky that he was “a good, kind person who lived to help.” Drekonja said Pretti supported critically ill veterans at the hospital. The co-worker said Pretti researched how to prevent veterans from dying from colon cancer. Pretti was fatally shot while immigration agents wrestled him on the ground in Minneapolis; the Department of Homeland Security said officers took a handgun from Pretti at the scene and fired in self-defense. CNN analysis of video shows a federal agent removed the gun just before the shooting. “The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted,” the agency said in a statement. Minneapolis police have said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit, and court records show he had no charges in the state, only traffic and parking infractions. His parents, in their statement, disputed DHS claims that he was a threat to agents when he was killed. They said he was seeking to protect a woman near the agents at the time. “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” the parents said, adding that “he was a good man.”

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Dems cool to Duffy’s IndyCar Grand Prix

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is pushing to host an IndyCar race on the National Mall in August as part of the America250 celebration, according to multiple sources familiar with the effort. The race would start at the Supreme Court and cover a full lap around the National Mall, including the Lincoln Memorial. “Pit Row” would be by the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Organizers are targeting Aug. 21 for the event. There’s only one problem: Congress has to approve legislation to make it happen. That seems increasingly unlikely since Democrats aren’t thrilled about the idea.

Congress needs to pass a bill for the race because there’s a ban on advertising on the Capitol grounds. IndyCar vehicles are famously adorned with lots of ads. The Grand Prix idea has made its way to aides of the Big Four — Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Democrats are worried about the strain it would place on both the U.S. Capitol Police and area roads. Plus, Democrats feel as if Republicans haven’t been helpful to them. Why should Democrats assist Republicans with this if the GOP has refused to hang any plaque honoring the victims of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, one aide said to us. Several Democrats told us that it seems absurd for Congress to OK an IndyCar race in D.C. when lawmakers won’t even extend health care subsidies for millions of Americans.

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Lead Stories

5 years after Uri, here’s why Texas leaders say state is better prepared for upcoming freeze

A far-reaching winter storm is expected to bring below-freezing temperatures, wintry precipitation and “dangerous ice” to Texas beginning Jan. 23, according to the National Weather Service. As residents brace for days of potentially hazardous conditions, state leaders said Jan. 22 that the Texas power grid “has never been stronger” and will withstand the storm. Nearly five years earlier, Winter Storm Uri blanketed Texas, devastating a power grid that was unprepared for the historic February 2021 storm. Nearly 250 people died during prolonged power outages across the state, Community Impact reported. State officials said Jan. 22 that they are prepared for the dayslong storm and will ensure issues from 2021 do not occur this year. “The power grid system we have today is completely different than the power grid system we had back then,” Gov. Greg Abbott said during a Jan. 22 news conference in Austin. “We have abundant power [and] the reliability of it has never been better.”

Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 134 of Texas’ 254 counties, telling reporters that the northern two-thirds of the state—from San Antonio to the Panhandle—will be impacted by the storm. The Dallas-Fort Worth area may be the hardest-hit, officials said, with Community Impact reporting that sleet and below-zero wind chills will reach the region as soon as Jan. 23. “This is a severe winter storm that will impact most of the state of Texas,” Abbott said. “The severity of it is not quite as great, and the size of it is not quite as great as Winter Storm Uri. That said, people would be making a mistake if they don't take it serious.” Officials said they do not expect a repeat of the widespread power outages that occurred in 2021, emphasizing that changes have been made in recent years to harden the grid against extreme weather and secure backup power supplies. Some Texans could see “local, isolated” outages due to fallen tree branches or ice on power lines, Abbott said. Local and state agencies are preparing for the freeze by treating roadways, setting up warming centers, monitoring water supplies and making additional power supplies available. Texas Department of Transportation crews began treating roads early in the week to prevent ice from accumulating, with falling temperatures and wintry precipitation—including sleet and freezing rain—expected in parts of the state Jan. 23 through the weekend. TxDOT will be at “peak operations” in the coming days, with approximately 5,000 personnel operating hundreds of vehicles and equipment across Texas, Executive Director Marc Williams said.

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Natural gas prices soar as U.S. braces for Arctic blast

Natural-gas prices have jumped 63% this week in response to forecasts calling for some of the coldest, snowiest weather in years to freeze the country from the West Texas desert to the Great Lakes. The forecasts have stoked fears of a repeat of the deadly winter storm that froze Texas in 2021 and left millions of people without electricity for days. Energy producers and utilities are preparing for the worst. The Energy Department late Thursday ordered grid operators to be prepared to take extraordinary steps to tap in to backup power generation. Subzero temperatures are in store for Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit starting Friday. New York and Washington, D.C., are expecting to be buried in snow by the end of the weekend.

The big concern in energy markets is for Texas and other parts of the southern U.S., where uncommonly cold temperatures threaten to ice some of America’s most prolific oil-and-gas fields and wreak havoc on the power grid. Prices for electricity this weekend are already surging in Texas. The biggest gains in natural-gas prices have been for near-term deliveries. Futures for February delivery of the heating and power-generation fuel had their biggest three-day percentage gain on record. Futures settled Thursday at $5.045 per million British thermal units, up from $3.103 at the end of last week. The arctic blast has the potential to be felt in energy markets for a long time. Traders are anticipating a big chunk of U.S. production will become blocked in frozen wells when heating demand is highest, necessitating a huge drawdown of domestic stockpiles to keep furnaces and boilers running. They are betting the incoming weather will be cold and persistent enough to change the outlook for domestic supply, which a week ago appeared headed for another glut that depressed prices and pinched producers.

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5-year-old boy taken by ICE in Minneapolis being held with father in Texas; used him as ‘bait

A 5-year-old child and his father arrested by federal immigration agents in Minnesota this week are now being held in a South Texas detention facility, their attorney said Thursday. Lawyer Marc Prokosh said the child, Liam Ramos, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were sent from Minneapolis to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley on Tuesday. The facility, run by private contractor CoreCivic, was closed in 2024 by the Biden administration, but reopened under the Trump administration last March. It can hold up to 2,400 people.

Minnesota school officials have said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Ramos and his father in their driveway as they were coming home from school on Tuesday. They alleged the child was used as “bait” to lure his mother and others out of the home. News reports about the incident have since gone viral. The Department of Homeland Security has denied that it targeted the child. The agency claimed the father fled on foot as officers tried to arrest him and agents “remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias.” “Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates,” said Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the agency, in a public statement. “This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement. Parents can take control of their departure and receive a free flight and $2,600 with the CBP Home app.” At a press conference in Minneapolis Thursday, school officials disputed DHS's account. Mary Granlund, the president of the school board, said she was on her way to get her children from school when she heard a commotion and saw people at the home. "I got out of my car and came around the corner, I heard, 'What are you doing? Don't take the child,'" Granlund said. She said the mother, who was in the house, told officers there were people who could care for Ramos. When they saw Granlund, she said, someone said "school is here, they can take the child. You don't have to take them."

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Texas sheriff Martin Cuellar, brother of Rep. Henry Cuellar, indicted on fraud charges

Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar was arraigned on federal embezzlement charges in Houston on Thursday morning. The South Texas sheriff, along with his former first deputy, Alex Gutierrez, is accused of theft or bribery related to the use of government-funded cleaning supplies, which were used for COVID-related disinfection work from 2020 to 2022. Cuellar and Gutierrez are accused of using the sheriff office's staff and resources to run a for-profit business, Disinfect Pro Master, according to the Justice Department. The men, along with another former sheriff's office employee, Assistant Chief Ricardo “Rick” Rodriguez, opened a disinfecting business in April 2020 and entered into agreements with local businesses that lacked cleaning services and supplies, authorities said.

Prosecutors allege sheriff's office employees handled the company's day-to-day to operations and conducted some of the disinfecting work on the clock. The company allegedly got a $500,000 contract to clean facilities at United Independent School District, a 40,000-student school district in Laredo. The cleaning was done "almost entirely" with county employees, according to prosecutors. Cuellar and the other men received $175,000 for their part in the business, according to the indictment. Cuellar, 67, and Gutierrez, 47, were indicted in November. The case was ordered unsealed on Thursday. Charging documents weren't immediately available. Both men pleaded not guilty and were released on bond. Officials said during the Thursday hearing that the indictment was connected to a 2023 FBI raid of the sheriff's office. Cuellar said at the time that the raid focused on Rodriguez. Rodriguez has already pleaded guilty for his role scheme, according to the Justice Department. In a written statement, Cuellar's lawyer, Eric Reed, denounced the charges, calling them "baseless and driven by false narratives and assumptions fueled by politics and rivalries." "The whole truth is that Sheriff Cuellar's actions were entirely lawful even if the conduct of other was not," Reed said. "The charges relate to the COVID-19 pandemic and the relentless fight by first responders and others to stop its spread." Reed said Cuellar helped lead an effort to prevent COVID infections in the Webb County jail, as well as in churches, nursing homes, daycare facilities, among other places.

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State Stories

John Whitmire announces he will seek a second term as Houston mayor

Houston Mayor John Whitmire will be running for re-election, or so he indicated during a roughly hour-long conversation with Houston attorney Tony Buzbee. "I will run for another term as mayor, and plan on serving two four-year terms," Whitmire told Buzbee. "I think it takes that long at least to correct some of the mistakes and get us back on the right path and finish some of my reorganization." Whitmire broke the news during the latest episode of Buzbee's podcast, "Swimming with the Sharks," uploaded on Wednesday. The much-anticipated podcast release shines a rare light on Whitmire's roughly first two years sitting at the city's helm. The mayor is notably selective about which media he speaks with, which he himself noted in the conversation.

Chron contacted Whitmire's office for further comment but did not receive a response by publication. Whitmire's office has not responded to Chron since August 2025. Recently, when attempting to contact the mayor's spokesperson at City Hall, a Chron reporter was told the spokesperson and the mayor would remain unavailable to Chron for "a while." Whitmire and Buzbee discussed the controversial Houston Police Department pay raises, Whitmire's attention to rectifying the unhoused "issue," public safety and road and drainage conditions. The mayor reflected on his time in elected leadership, having served in the Texas House and the Texas Senate for nearly four decades before pursuing a mayoral bid. Whitmire's tenure has been characterized as contentious by some Houstonians. He regularly receives backlash for his approach to uprooting road projects, has lost the eligibility to receive future endorsements from his party, and, more recently, was criticized for the lack of transparency regarding HPD's cooperation with ICE, among other issues.

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Texas orphaned oil wells hit 20-year high, topping 11,000 statewide

Chronicle The number of orphaned wells across Texas reached over 11,000 at the end of 2025, breaking a 20-year record, according to the latest data from the state. So-called orphaned wells are oil and gas wells that are not actively maintained and have no operator on file with regulators, meaning the responsibility to clean up after and plug them lies with the state. Roughly 2,000 new wells joined the list over the last year, bringing the total of known orphaned wells to 11,123, according to the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry.

Because of the continued consolidation of the oil and gas industry, increased production costs, and lower crude prices – the price of oil fell roughly 20% over the last year – companies are more likely to go bankrupt or dissolve, leaving unplugged wells behind for the state to fix. The number of orphaned wells across the state is likely to grow even further as a result. "While there has been a recent increase in these populations due to various external factors such as operator bankruptcies and aging wells, we are in the process of taking significant actions to increase our well plugging efforts," said Bryce Dubee, a spokesman for the Railroad Commission. The Railroad Commission earlier this month opened the "largest solicitation for well plugging and related services in our agency’s history," Dubee said, applying more than $350 million in federal funding and $100 million in state funding toward well plugging projects.

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Immigration enforcement debate prompts disruptions at lengthy San Antonio City Council meeting

San Antonio City Council chambers were packed Thursday as residents crowded into a more than seven-hour meeting focused on the city’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The meeting was recessed multiple times after disruptions from the audience. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones called for order at least three times, urging attendees to allow all speakers to be heard. “We are here to listen,” Jones said. “We also want to make sure every speaker, regardless of their viewpoint on the spectrum, is treated with respect.” The meeting was intended as a public briefing and listening session on how often the San Antonio Police Department works with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. City officials said that cooperation occurs only in limited circumstances required by state or federal law.

According to data provided by SAPD, the department made roughly 51,000 arrests last year. Of those, 111 involved ICE detainer requests — when federal authorities ask local law enforcement to hold someone for pickup by ICE. Police said 49 of those cases involved Class C misdemeanors, while 62 involved Class B or higher offenses. Police Chief William McManus repeatedly emphasized that SAPD does not enforce immigration law. “I want to be very, very clear on this,” McManus told the council. “SAPD does not enforce immigration laws. We do not arrest people for immigration violations. We are not enabled to do that by law, and we do not have that jurisdiction.” Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez added that out of roughly 1.8 million calls for service last year, only 258 incident reports included the word “immigration,” and most of those involved no federal action. McManus said SAPD participates in joint task forces with state and federal agencies primarily to share resources.

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Bud Kennedy: One Texas Republican loses Greg Abbott’s support over ‘criminality’

Texas’ political season has been like a slow-developing TV plot so far, but Republicans finally have a cliffhanger. Somewhere way down the March 3 primary ballot, deep beneath races that won’t be decided until the May 26 runoff, cowboy Sid Miller is desperately gripping the reins and at risk of being bucked out of his job as Texas agriculture commissioner. Yes, I know. The race for agriculture commissioner is not must-see TV. Miller, a grinning Texas slickster straight out of a Taylor Sheridan drama, is known for wearing a big western hat, riding in rodeos and flashing a toothy smile as bright as the halogen headlights on a cattle truck. Miller has been agriculture commissioner for 11 years. Seems like 50.

Maybe you remember when he declared war on lab-cultured meat. Or on affirmative action. Or on those crazy little seeds Amazon delivers from China. Gov. Greg Abbott has noticed. Abbott, usually cautious, issued one of his most blunt endorsements, backing Collin County Republican challenger Nate Sheets against Miller. Sheets, a creator of the “I Am Second” evangelical Christian video campaign, is also the beekeeper and founder behind Nature’s Nate Honey. Abbott took Miller behind the barn. Texans deserves an Agriculture Commissioner with “zero tolerance for criminality,” the governor posted. On his X.com campaign account, Abbott called Sheets a “principled leader” focused on promoting Texas agriculture, which is the commissioner’s primary job. That was after Miller told an East Texas campaign forum in Mineola: “Our governor — for 10 years, I’ve been trying to get him on the farm. Hadn’t got him there yet.” The governor’s “criminality” line did not refer directly to Miller. Abbott was talking about Miller’s political consultant, Todd M. Smith. Smith ran Miller’s campaigns for 25 years. He was behind Miller’s often-vulgar social media posts. In 2024, Smith pleaded guilty in a bribery case. He was put on a two-year probation after the Texas Rangers said he solicited $55,000 in exchange for licenses to grow hemp. So what did Miller do? He rehired Smith.

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Austin council members unanimously back new expense guidelines for their offices

City Council members voted to update policies governing their offices' spending, one of several financial and operational reforms they're pursuing in the wake of last year's failed tax rate election. Officials first suggested revising Austin's council spending policies in the fall, and have since been developing a new outline of allowable expenses and transparency measures. The updated policy unanimously approved Jan. 22 lays out various allowable expenses for council offices, as well as related financial reporting, staff training and enforcement standards. Officials' spending on items like office supplies, travel, hospitality, software, conferences and gifts are now outlined in the city's rulebook. All relevant city employees will now receive annual training on the policy, and public reports on all council office spending will be published online every year going forward.

Mayor Kirk Watson, who first suggested the spending reforms after the November election, said the update consolidates and clarifies past guidelines while moving Austin's rules more in line with other Texas jurisdictions. "This will help safeguard public confidence and offer greater clarity on permissible and impermissible use of funds," he said. "When we reviewed the council spending policies, we found a bunch, a lot, a whole lot of decentralized administrative bulletins and governing policies. So this kind of ... brings those together.” A city analysis of local practices versus others across the state found Austin City Hall to be an outlier in terms of how officials' remaining funds are handled year-to-year. No other Texas cities allow council offices to carry any of their leftover budgets across fiscal years, and state senators are permitted limited office rollover. The draft version of Austin's new expense policy would have capped rollover budgets at $50,000, but that limit was removed through an amendment from council member José Velásquez who said offices need to maintain flexibility to better serve constituents. "While we all receive the same amount of funding, our communities have very different needs. Some examples of those are interpretation and translation services, and meeting with organizations and community leaders that serve monolingual Spanish speakers and immigrants," he said. "With regard to equity, I believe each council office better understands their communities’ individual needs rather than the body as a whole."

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Can Texas enforce immigration law on its own? Judges hear legal challenge.

The fate of a Texas law that makes it a state crime to enter the country without authorization could hinge on whether an immigrant advocacy center has a right to challenge the legislation, and if border enforcement is solely the federal government’s responsibility. Texas' Senate Bill 4 was passed in 2023 and makes unauthorized entry into Texas a state crime. The bill also makes unlawful presence in Texas a felony if a person has been denied entry or previously ordered removed. The bill was scheduled to go into effect in March 2024 but has been placed on hold after a federal district judge ruled in February 2024 that it conflicts with federal law and violates the Supremacy Clause of the United States.

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in New Orleans after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the court to reconsider the pause on the legislation. Most of the arguments centered on whether El Paso-based Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, will face harm and has standing to sue. The law was also challenged by the Biden Justice Department, but the Trump administration’s Department of Justice later dropped the lawsuit against Texas. The state of Texas argued in a court filing that Las Americas relied on a flawed theory to convince the court that it would suffer harm because it would need to divert resources to represent immigrants detained under the provisions of SB4. Texas’ argument focused largely on a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. In that case, the high court determined that the alliance didn’t have legal standing to sue the FDA. “The alliance argued the … governmental action impaired its ability to provide services and achieve its organizational mission. The Supreme Court held that argument does not work,” Texas Solicitor General William Peterson told the court. “I urge the court to resolve the case on standing grounds.”

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Glenn Rogers: Go ahead; close public schools

Gov. Greg Abbott is following up his scorched earth removal of pro-public education Republican legislators with a plan to eliminate school property taxes, a move that could effectively dismantle the public school system as it currently exists. The endgame for the theo-oligarchs who control Texas state politics is complete dominion over what they call the Seven Mountains: family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business and government. Dominion over the education mountain is top priority and requires privatization and elimination of Texas public schools. But I have a few questions. First, if public education is as irredeemably broken, wasteful, ideological, incompetent and dangerous as some politicians insist, why not pull the plug now? Not a slow and gradual death, but overnight closure of every public school. Just shut the doors.

After all, we have heard for years that public schools are failing children, indoctrinating, mismanaging funds and producing poor outcomes. If that is all true, why keep them open one more day? Why subject another child to such a vile system? Then, what happens after schools close? Here’s what: 5.5 million Texas students do not go anywhere. Parents — many of whom work hourly jobs or hold positions that do not come with flexibility — suddenly must answer a basic question: Where does my child go? Employers feel it immediately. Hospitals, construction sites, factories, restaurants, small businesses — everyone feels it. Gone, too, are special education services, speech therapy, behavioral support, school meals, transportation, counselors, dyslexia specialists, nurses and bilingual support. What about structure and predictability? Where will children be expected to show up, learn, interact and receive supervision for the bulk of the day? We received a glimpse of this nightmare during the pandemic. Remember how quickly we decided that school closures were catastrophic for kids? Remember how we said (correctly) that schools are more than buildings, more than instruction, more than test scores? Remember how we watched learning loss grow, mental health concerns skyrocket and parents reach a breaking point?

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Wall Street’s Texas move gains steam as NYSE Texas hits 100-company milestone

NYSE President Lynn Martin joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss the launch of a new tokenized securities platform, a potential IPO surge in 2026 and why U.S. capital markets remain unmatched globally. The New York Stock Exchange’s quiet expansion into Texas is gaining rapid traction, with NYSE President Lynn Martin revealing that more than 100 companies have already dual-listed on NYSE Texas in under a year — a milestone that underscores Wall Street’s accelerating pivot toward the Lone Star State’s pro-business climate. "NYSE Texas, which we announced February of last year, brought it live March 31 of last year, and now have more than 100 dual listings on NYSE Texas in less than a year," President Lynn Martin told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo at the World Economic Forum on Thursday. "It’s going great," she continued.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump blasted plans to expand the New York Stock Exchange to Dallas, calling the move "unbelievably bad" for New York and a failure of city leadership. "Building a New York Stock Exchange in Dallas is an unbelievably bad thing for New York. I can't believe they would let this happen," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. He added that the move posed a "big test" for New York's newly inaugurated mayor, Zohran Mamdani. The New York Stock Exchange has said the Dallas expansion — a fully electronic equities exchange based in Dallas — is intended to broaden its footprint and better serve companies in the South and Southwest, not to replace its New York operations. NYSE Texas launched in March 2025 and continues to operate alongside the main exchange. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson predicts big firms will quit working in the Big Apple on 'Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street.'

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How a lawsuit by Ken Paxton gave Beto O'Rourke hope when it comes to politics

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton unwittingly gave Beto O’Rourke hope by suing him. It started over the summer, after O’Rourke donated $1 million to Texas House Democrats who had fled the state to try to stop the Republicans’ redistricting plan. In court documents, Paxton, a Republican from Collin County who is running for the U.S. Senate, argued O’Rourke was "operating a misleading financial-influence scheme" to help Texas House Democrats commit an illegal act. During an exclusive interview on the Texas Take Podcast, recorded live at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q in Austin, O’Rourke said it was a frivolous case that shouldn’t have had a shot. Still, his political action committee shelled out $400,000 to fight it in a legal system with judges appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, whom O’Rourke ran against in 2022.

Ultimately, O’Rourke and Powered By People won. He said the verdict, delivered in September, shows that some things remain nonpartisan. “Not only did that feel good because it removed us from this frivolous legal jeopardy, but it felt good that regardless of party difference, there's something that still binds us together, and that's the United States Constitution,” O’Rourke said. But Paxton did succeed in one key way. The $400,000 lost to legal expenses became money that Powered By People couldn’t use on voter registration and turnout - the group’s core mission. “It was to bleed us dry of the resources we needed to support our volunteers out in the field,” O’Rourke said. “But lo and behold, we fought him toe to toe.”

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Dallas City Council puts tougher restrictions on proposed bullet train to Fort Worth

The Dallas City Council this week placed more restrictions on where a proposed bullet train connecting the city to Fort Worth can be built. City leaders voted unanimously Wednesday to restrict above-ground rail in parts of West Dallas including Harold Simmons Park. The resolution re-affirms and expands a 2024 resolution opposing “new aboveground passenger rail lines” through the Central Business District, Uptown, and Victory Park. “It is important because it sets parameters for such rail development should it ever come to pass, which at this time seems problematic in light of the Congress just this week reaching a deal to defund $928 million in high-speed rail grants,” said District 14 council member Paul Ridley, referring to a recently passed spending deal.

The council also gave the go-ahead to the North Central Texas Council of Governments executive board to approve a $500,000 grant to study high-speed rail between Fort Worth and Houston. Even with the grant, Ridley said the planning process could have implications for future alignments through Dallas. Speaking to the NCTCOG board Thursday, Dallas City Council member Cara Mendelsohn reiterated the council's opposition to any above-ground rail going through downtown Dallas. "We have to do projects that are a win for everybody, and downtown Fort Worth and Arlington do not get below-grade treatment and Dallas gets seven stories up," she said. As part of the study, the council wants NCTCOG to evaluate upgrades to the existing Trinity Railway Express system “in lieu of a whole separate new high-speed rail right of way at a great additional expense,” Ridley said Wednesday. He said upgrading the Trinity Railway Express would be cheaper for the community heading west to Fort Worth.

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Former ‘Lone Star Law’ game warden turns himself in after felony indictments

A former Texas game warden, once featured on Animal Planet’s “Lone Star Law,” was back in jail Wednesday after turning himself in following multiple felony indictments. Justin Charles Eddins, 47, of Jasper, was held at the Jasper County Jail on bonds totaling $100,000 for charges of false statement to obtain property or credit, more than $30,000 but less than $100,000; harvesting standing timber, more than $20,000 but less than $100,000; and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, according to a press release. Eddins was indicted in October 2025 after he was charged with making a false statement to obtain credit, according to indictment documents received by KLTV. The indictment states Eddins made the false documents between March 2022 and November 2023 in an attempt to obtain loans amounting to between $150,000 and $300,000. Eddins was released Wednesday after his lawyer, Bill Morian, posted bail, according to Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Havard.

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See who has the edge in CD18 runoff fundraising between Menefee and Edwards

With early voting underway and Election Day approaching in the runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, campaign finance reports show the two campaigns are financially competitive heading into the final days. Through the most recent campaign finance reporting period ending Jan. 11, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee reported raising $2.23 million for the special election, compared to $1.74 million raised by former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards. Menefee also reported higher overall spending, roughly $1.8 million versus Edwards’ $1.4 million, but still entered the final stretch with $388,739 in cash on hand. Edwards reported $280,566.

The bulk of both candidates’ fundraising came from individual donors. Menefee reported $2.09 million in individual contributions, while Edwards reported $1.66 million. Contributions from political committees made up a relatively small share of each campaign’s total, with Menefee reporting $138,550 from committees and Edwards reporting $55,350. The runoff election is being conducted by the current 18th Congressional District boundaries and caps a special election triggered by the prolonged vacancy of the seat after the death of Sylvester Turner earlier last year. Both runoff candidates, Menefee and Edwards, have also filed to run in the March Democratic primary for the newly redrawn CD 18. That race includes longtime representative Al Green, who previously represented Texas' 9th Congressional District, which now makes up a significant portion of the new 18th.

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Texas data centers could consume 161 billion gallons of water annually by 2030

Texas data centers could consume up to 161 billion gallons of water annually by 2030, according to a white paper released Wednesday by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC). Existing data centers in Texas consume an estimated 25 billion gallons of water each year for electricity generation and cooling systems, and their demand on the Lone Star Stater’s valuable natural resources is only going to grow, the report cautions. Considered the most rapidly growing data center market in the country, Texas is experiencing a boom in construction of the facilities with many more on the way.

“Texas is no stranger to industrial booms, having ridden waves of oil, gas, and manufacturing, but the data center surge presents a unique challenge that requires immediate attention,” HARC President and CEO John Hall said in an emailed statement. “Our analysis makes one fact unavoidable: When we talk about data centers, we must talk about water. We have a rare window to shape how this industry grows and how Texas prospers. We can either plan now with foresight and transparency, or we will be forced to react later with our backs to the wall.” By 2030, data centers could potentially represent up to 2.7% of the state’s total water use. What’s more, HARC’s white paper cites critical planning gaps as bureaucratic blind spots in addressing this new problem of the rapidly accelerating digital age. The Texas State Water Plan, the primary tool for funding water infrastructure, relies heavily on historical data. As such, HARC argues, the plan doesn’t currently account for the future growth of data centers, leaving local communities to manage water security without adequate state-level support.

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National Stories

The House passed all 12 spending bills asserting their control

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed its 12th and final funding bill for the fiscal year — a productive pivot showing Congress can govern after months of legislative turmoil in the chamber. The House managed to pass all of its funding bills just months after a stand off on a spending package forced the longest government shutdown in history. Lawmakers are one step closer to avoiding another shutdown by the Jan. 30 funding deadline, pending action by the Senate and president. Lawmakers applauded in the chamber as the final package passed, while the Appropriations Committee’s chair and ranking member, Reps. Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro, took a photo together on the House floor. The productive few weeks of churning through spending bills and passing them with bipartisan votes came after months of partisan fights that gridlocked Congress.

House leaders couldn’t move forward with their agenda, and Republican leadership faced its own members using procedural maneuvers to force votes on issues they worked to avoid, like releasing the Epstein files and renewing health care subsidies. Even the lawmakers who negotiated the spending bills were surprised. DeLauro posed a rhetorical question to reporters Wednesday night: “I don’t believe that anyone thought that by Jan. 30 we would get to pass all the appropriations bills. Am I right?” she said. “We are.” The House approved the two final sets of appropriations bills Thursday. The first, funding for the Department of Homeland Security, passed 220-207 with help from seven Democrats: Reps. Jared Golden, Henry Cuellar, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen, Vicente Gonzalez and Don Davis. Rep. Thomas Massie was the sole Republican ‘no.’ A shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis had threatened the bill’s prospects for the last two weeks, though Republicans were confident it would ultimately squeak through. The second package garnered more bipartisan support in a 341-88 vote. It included funding for several departments: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Defense. Two dozen Republicans, mostly budget hawks, opposed the bill. House appropriators have been deep in negotiations over the past few months trying to come to bipartisan deals that could acquire support from both parties and be signed by the president, with some appropriators and their staff working over the holiday recess. Cole has said that keeping negotiations at the subcommittee level allowed bills to move forward without fights requiring leadership to step in. Many senior Republican appropriators and Speaker Mike Johnson gave Cole credit for getting the bills passed at a news conference Thursday evening.

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Jamie Dimon issues rare CEO criticism of Trump’s immigration policy: ‘I don’t like what I’m seeing’

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said Wednesday that he disagreed with President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration, offering a rare public rebuke by a U.S. corporate leader of one of Trump’s signature policies. Dimon, speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, initially praised Trump’s moves to secure the borders of the world’s largest economy. Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border fell to the lowest level in 50 years for the period from October 2024 to September 2025, the BBC reported citing federal data. But Dimon, who has long advocated for immigration reform to boost U.S. economic growth, also made an apparent reference to videos of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers rounding up people alleged to be undocumented immigrants.

?I don’t like what I’m seeing, five grown men beating up a little old lady,” Dimon said. “So I think we should calm down a little bit on the internal anger about immigration.” It’s unclear if Dimon was speaking about a specific incident, or more broadly about ICE confrontations. In the first year of his second term, Trump has overhauled U.S. immigration policy with a focus on mass deportations, tightened asylum access and ramped-up spending for ICE personnel and facilities. Among a torrent of new policies that changed the landscape for seeking American citizenship, the administration also rescinded guidance on where ICE arrests could happen, leading to raids at schools, hospitals and places of worship. Unlike during Trump’s first term, American CEOs have mostly avoided public criticism of his policies. Wall Street analysts have speculated that business leaders fear retribution from the Trump administration, which has sued media companies, universities and law firms, and instead choose to appeal to the president out of the public spotlight.

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Sharyn Alfonsi, Scott Pelley’s jobs are on the line after pushing back against Bari Weiss’ CBS News shakeups: sources

Call it Game of … Microphones? “60 Minutes” correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Scott Pelley’s vocal pushback against CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss’s moves to shake up the outlet have put the duo at risk of being fired, The Post has learned. Both veteran correspondents could get the boot as Weiss, who has run the network since October, works to revamp “60 Minutes,” said sources with knowledge of the matter — who compared the ongoing intrigue to “Game of Thrones”-style drama. “It’s going to be a war,” a network insider told The Post. “They don’t think their s–t stinks,” the person said of the “60 Minutes” staff.

CBS News is willing to buy out contracts of talent and executives, sources said. Alfonsi’s is up in a few months. It could not immediately be learned when Pelley’s contract is set to expire. The correspondents did not respond to requests for comment. CBS News did not immediately comment. Alfonsi irked Weiss by fighting the boss’ efforts to strengthen a recent report on El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, while Pelley has put a target on his back for a drumroll of commentary criticizing CBS News’ new leadership, sources said. Weiss is overseeing all the important political and cultural stories produced by the network — including “60 Minutes,” sources said, noting that the exec now takes part in a new Monday meeting with the show’s executive producer Tanya Simon. That’s a sharp departure from the “60 Minutes” tradition of operating as a kingdom unto itself for decades, when the show’s executive producer was the only person overseeing the show’s journalism. “CBS News is allergic to changes – especially ‘60 Minutes’ people,” said the network insider.

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Rollins: Viral meal costs remark meant to describe ‘more robust plate’

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that comments she made last week suggesting Americans could get a nutritious meal consisting of a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and “one other thing” for just $3 were meant to describe a “more robust plate.” Rollins clarified her remarks after being asked by a reporter whether she was being “a little bit flip” about the cost of groceries. “No, and well, I regret that I didn’t make it sound like a more robust plate because that is what I mean to make it sound like,” Rollins told reporters outside the White House.

“A really big piece of chicken. And when I said a piece of broccoli, I meant like big. … I’m a mom of four, and I cook broccoli a lot. For me, that’s a big head of broccoli, a baked potato, etc., a couple pieces of bread,” she said. Rollins’s remark on meal prices came during an interview on NewsNation last week, where she addressed concerns over whether the White House’s new dietary guidelines meant it would become more expensive to maintain a healthy diet. “We’ve run over 1,000 simulations,” Rollins told anchor Connell McShane last Wednesday, insisting the Trump administration was not asking people to spend more on their diet. “It can cost around $3 a meal for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, you know, a corn tortilla and one other thing,” she continued. “So, there is a way to do this that actually will save the average American consumer money.”

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TikTok finalizes deal to keep operating in the U.S.

TikTok officially established a joint venture that would allow it to keep operating in the U.S., the company said Thursday, resolving a yearslong fight to address Washington’s national-security concerns. Under the terms of the deal negotiated by the Trump administration, the popular video-sharing app will be operated by a new U.S. entity controlled by investors seen as friendly to the U.S. Its data-management and algorithm-training on American users will be overseen by Oracle, the cloud-computing giant that has safeguarded its U.S. data for years and has close ties to the Trump administration. The deal was negotiated to comply with a law passed in 2024. President Trump delayed the implementation of the law a year ago after starting his second term to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. He signed a series of executive orders to extend the deadline for completing a deal until it was met Thursday.

“I am so happy to have helped in saving TikTok!” Trump said in a social-media post Thursday night. He thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping “for working with us and, ultimately, approving the Deal. He could have gone the other way, but didn’t, and is appreciated for his decision.” Trump and TikTok’s investors and allies pushed the deal through despite lingering concerns among lawmakers and security hawks that China could still influence the new entity through TikTok parent ByteDance, which owns almost 20% of it. “The majority American owned joint venture will operate under defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurances for U.S. users,” TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in an internal note to employees announcing the news. Chew’s deputy Adam Presser will lead the new entity, which was created after securing approval from the U.S. and Chinese governments. The board members include Chew, Oracle executive Ken Glueck and several investors. Oracle, private-equity firm Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will each own 15% of the new entity while existing TikTok investors own about 30%. Other notable investors include Vice President JD Vance’s former firm Revolution and tech executive Michael Dell’s family investment office.

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A judge just ruled a New York City district unconstitutional, possibly handing Democrats another seat

A judge has ruled that the boundaries of one of New York’s Congressional districts is unconstitutional, throwing a wrench into the 2026 midterm elections. Supreme Court Judge Jeffrey Pearlman of Manhattan issued a ruling Wednesday that says the boundaries of New York’s 11th District — which currently covers Staten Island and a small part of Brooklyn — was drawn unlawfully and needs to be redone. He ordered that a special Independent Redistricting Commission convene to complete a new map by Feb. 6, just over two weeks from now. Before becoming a judge, Pearlman has worked for major New York Democrats including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

The 11th Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Nicole Malliotakis, who is the only Republican member of Congress in New York City. A redrawn district could include more blue parts of the city, upsetting what is now a fairly safe seat for the GOP. John Faso, a representative of attorneys representing Rep. Malliotakis in the case, called the decision “judicial lawmaking run amok.” “It is contrary to plain language in both state and federal constitutions. The case will definitely be appealed,” he said. Malliotakis is not named as a plaintiff or defendant in the case, but joined as an intervener in late October arguing to keep the district lines as they are. The Board of Elections and Gov. Kathy Hochul, both named as defendants in the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment by THE CITY. Neither did attorneys Andrew Celli and Bennet Moskowitz, who are representing Staten Island voters as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

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Judge skeptical of Trump's arguments he has proper authority to build White House ballroom

A federal judge appeared skeptical of the Trump administration's claims that it has the proper authority to continue construction on the East Wing site that was demolished last year. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon heard arguments Thursday on a motion brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to block the ongoing construction of the East Wing until the Trump administration goes through the appropriate approval processes, which it alleges the Trump administration has ignored. Friday's arguments focused primarily on two issues: whether the president can unilaterally renovate the White House and whether he can do it with private funds that were transferred to an office under his authority, rather than with funds appropriated by Congress.

Tad Heuer, an attorney representing the Trust, argued the law requires express approval from Congress to execute a project as significant as the 90,000 square-foot East Wing renovation. Congress provides the White House with a modest annual budget for the "repair, alteration, and improvement" of the building. The administration contends this authority encompasses the East Wing overhaul. Leon responded that the Trump administration's view is a "very expansive definition," later adding that "there's been an end-run around this oversight from Congress." Leon pressed senior Justice Department official Yaakov Roth, on whether "ripping down the East Wing" is similar to previous White House renovations, like the tennis pavilion added by Mr. Trump in his first term, or the swimming pool added in 1975 by President Gerald Ford. Roth argued it was akin to those projects. "Come on. Be serious," Leon snapped.

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Data center lobbying is booming as tech and energy giants face ‘affordability’ backlash

Dozens of Silicon Valley giants, utility providers and other companies stand to earn a fortune from the nation’s artificial intelligence boom. And according to new lobbying disclosures reviewed by NOTUS, these special interests together spent big money late last year to score favorable treatment from federal lawmakers and regulators on what’s fast becoming a central issue of the 2026 midterm elections: the proliferation of data centers that undergird AI’s existence. Energy demand from data centers has increased in recent years, leading to soaring prices and increasing threats of blackouts. Energy experts have raised doubts about whether the nation’s power grid can withstand data center demand — particularly as President Donald Trump attempts to stymie renewable energy development and generation.

Hand-wringing over the proliferation of data centers — which has played a huge role in recent U.S. economic growth — has already hit Congress. Members of both parties are now publicly weighing the economic benefits of the construction boom against the risks to the power grid and costs to energy consumers, with some on the left calling for at least temporary limits on data center construction. Edison Electric Institute was one of the nation’s biggest lobbying spenders last quarter. The investor-owned association of electric companies poured $2.33 million into its lobbying efforts in an attempt to influence “data center issues generally,” among other issues. “EEI engages with policymakers to advance policies that support responsible data center development, protect everyday Americans from cost shifts and strengthen the grid for American families and businesses,” Jeremy White, an Edison Electric Institute spokesperson, wrote to NOTUS. American Electric Power, a large investor-owned utility in the Midwest, spent $360,000 during the fourth quarter of 2025 to lobby Congress, the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, partly on data center matters.

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Lead Stories

Inside Trump’s head-spinning Greenland and tariffs u-turn

When President Trump arrived in the snow-covered Swiss Alps on Wednesday afternoon, European leaders were panicking that his efforts to acquire Greenland would trigger a trans-Atlantic conflagration. By the time the sun set, Trump had backed down. The about-face followed days of back-channel conversations between Trump, his advisers and European leaders, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to people close to the talks. The Europeans, who stood united in their opposition to Trump acquiring Greenland, employed a mix of enticements, such as offers to boost Arctic security, and warnings, including about the dangers to the U.S. of a deeper rupture in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. After a meeting with Rutte on Wednesday, Trump called off promised tariffs on European nations, contending that he had “formed the framework of a future deal” with respect to the largest island in the world.

The exact contours of the framework are still in flux, but negotiations are expected to center on several areas, according to officials in Europe familiar with the discussions. They include a potential U.S. agreement with Denmark about stationing forces at bases in Greenland and expanded European efforts to boost security around the Arctic. The U.S. could receive a right of first refusal on investments in Greenland’s mineral resources—a veto aimed at preventing Russia and China from tapping the island’s wealth—and in exchange Trump would take tariff threats off the table, the officials said. Speaking to reporters, Trump called the framework “really fantastic,” but offered few details. He said he assumes Denmark, which controls Greenland, had been informed about the potential deal. The White House declined to comment on the details of the proposed framework and a Trump administration official said the scope of the negotiations hadn’t been set in stone. “If this deal goes through, and President Trump is very hopeful it will, the United States will be achieving all of its strategic goals with respect to Greenland, at very little cost, forever,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

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Ahead of this weekend's freeze, Texans are asking: Where's Ted Cruz?

Ahead of an Arctic blast forecast to bring plunging temperatures, "hazardous cold" and ice to areas across Texas this weekend, some Texans are asking a familiar question: Where is Sen. Ted Cruz? The Texas senator faced heavy backlash in 2021 after constituents discovered he had flown to Cancun for a family vacation during a devastating winter storm that left an estimated 246 people dead and most of the state without power. So when an eagle-eyed X user spotted Cruz on a flight to Laguna Beach, Calif., on Tuesday, attention quickly turned to whether history might be repeating itself.

Is the senator fleeing the storm for sunnier climes once again? Not the case, a spokesperson for Cruz confirmed to the Statesman. "Senator Cruz is currently on pre-planned work travel that was scheduled weeks in advance," the spokesperson said in a statement. "He will be back in Texas before the storm is projected to hit." Cruz returned early from his Cancun trip in 2021 after widespread criticism, saying at the time that he initially planned to “work remotely” but reconsidered as the situation worsened. "From the moment I sat on the plane, I begin really second-guessing that decision," Cruz said after his return to Texas. "As it became a bigger and bigger firestorm, it became all the more compelling that I needed to come back."

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Trump 2.0 shakes up K Street power balance

President Donald Trump has upended business as usual in Washington, and the lobbying industry is no exception. The District’s reigning lobbying firm from 2024, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, was dethroned in 2025 by Ballard Partners, the firm run by Trump ally Brian Ballard that counts White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi among its alumni. Ballard Partners made more than $87.6 million in 2025, according to a NOTUS analysis of federal lobbying disclosures — a more than 350% increase from the $19.3 million in federal lobbying revenue it earned in 2024. No lobbying firm has ever cracked $80 million in federal revenue in one year until Ballard Partners did last year.

“We are exceptionally honored to be in the company of the many respected firms we have long admired. Our success is due to the tireless work of our partners and staff who go above and beyond every day to deliver results for our outstanding clients,” Brian Ballard, president of Ballard Partners, said in a statement to NOTUS. Some on K Street are skeptical that a Trump-tied firm can sustain its momentum if Republicans lose control of the House or Senate later this year, and certainly, if they lose the White House in 2028. But Ballard said the firm is “doggedly committed to growing a fiercely bipartisan firm that is built to thrive in Washington’s dynamic political environment for decades to come.” Bipartisan firms have been able to absorb much of the shock of the transition from the Biden administration to Trump’s second term. Several lobbying firms that thrived in 2025 are Republican-only, though. CGCN, a Republican firm filled with former Trump administration alumni, nearly doubled its federal lobbying revenue from $9.7 million in 2024 to more than $18.9 million in 2025.

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Abbott endorses challenger against incumbent Ag Commissioner Sid Miller

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday endorsed Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller's Republican primary challenger, initiating a rare intraparty dustup with an entrenched incumbent who has strong ties to President Donald Trump. Abbott, who is seeking a record fourth term and is heavily favored in the upcoming primary, said on social media that he is backing political newcomer Nate Sheets, because he is "committed to fighting for the best interests of Texas agriculture, upholding the rule of law, and restoring integrity" to the office Miller has held since 2015.

"Texans deserve an Agriculture Commissioner who is focused on promoting Texas Agriculture, with zero tolerance for criminality," Abbott said in the post. "Nate Sheets is the true conservative champion for the job and is the leader we need to keep Texas the global powerhouse in agriculture." Miller, who was elected agriculture commissioner the same year Abbott won his first race for governor, has proven to be both a colorful and controversial statewide officeholder. He has been a champion of the Texas hemp industry and pushed back against Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's full-court press to ban products containing THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that is derived from hemp. Last year, Miller rehired his longtime friend and political aide Todd Smith shortly after Smith pleaded guilty to commercial bribery charges that he’d solicited tens of thousands from farmers seeking licenses to grow hemp in the state. It's unclear if Abbott's statement was a reference to the incident.

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State Stories

Cuban detainee in El Paso ICE facility died by homicide, autopsy shows

A Cuban immigrant’s death in an El Paso detention center this month was ruled a homicide, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the county medical examiner’s office. The detainee, Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, became unresponsive while he was physically restrained by law enforcement on Jan. 3 at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility called Camp East Montana, the report said. Emergency medical workers tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The autopsy listed the cause of death as “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.” The report also described injuries Mr. Lunas Campos had sustained to his head and neck, including burst blood vessels in the front and side of the neck, as well as on his eyelids.

The determination by the medical examiner’s office does not necessarily indicate criminal culpability. It is a classification of how a person died, not a legal determination of guilt. Mr. Lunas Campos’s death has brought renewed scrutiny to the detention center this month after The Washington Post reported the episode last week. His family has asserted that he was killed by the facility’s guards, citing a witness who said he saw guards choking Mr. Lunas Campos to death. The family is preparing a wrongful-death lawsuit, according to their lawyer, Will Horowitz. “He was being abused and beaten and choked to death,” Jeanette Pagan Lopez, the mother of two of Mr. Lunas Campos’s children, told The New York Times last week. On Wednesday, Ms. Pagan Lopez said she had not yet seen the autopsy report. Federal officials have offered a different account of how Mr. Lunas Campos died. In a Jan. 9 news release, they said he died on Jan. 3 after experiencing medical distress, but after the Washington Post article published, they described his death as a suicide.

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Jury acquits former Uvalde school officer in first criminal trial tied to Robb Elementary shooting

A Nueces County jury on Wednesday acquitted former Uvalde CISD police officer Adrian Gonzales of all charges in the first criminal trial tied to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers. As the verdict was read, several family members of the victims sat in silence, visibly emotional, some covering their faces as they wiped away tears. “It’s been an emotional roller coaster since day one. We prepared for the worst,” said Javier Cazares, who lost his 9-year-old daughter, Jackie, in the shooting. “We had a little hope, but it wasn’t enough.”

Jesse Rizo, the uncle of Jackie Cazares, said he respected the jury’s decision but believes it sends a troubling message to law enforcement in future situations. “If you’re an officer, you can stand by, stand down, and do nothing while people are executed, killed, slaughtered, massacred,” Rizo said. “Is that the message you sent today?” The verdict ends the first attempt to hold a law enforcement officer criminally responsible for the delayed police response to the massacre, in which nearly 400 officers waited more than an hour to confront the gunman. Prosecutors had argued Gonzales, one of the first officers on scene, failed to act quickly enough to stop or delay the shooter. Defense attorneys said Gonzales never saw the gunman and acted reasonably given the limited information available to him at the time. During closing arguments earlier Wednesday, attorneys on both sides told jurors their verdict would send a message to law enforcement officers across Texas — though they disagreed sharply on what that message should be.

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Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board: Taylor Rehmet for Senate District 9

Everything about the special election for a Tarrant County seat in the Texas Senate is unusual — the timing, the first-time candidates for state office and, increasingly, the potential outcome. Democrat Taylor Rehmet led the first round of voting despite the fact that District 9, covering much of north and west Tarrant County, is solid Republican turf. That was largely because two Republicans split the vote. But Rehmet came close to winning outright, and he’s got a chance to pull off an upset in the runoff against Republican Leigh Wambsganss. That would be the best outcome for Fort Worth. It’s not that the winner here, whose term will end in early 2027, will sway important legislation. It’s likely that Rehmet or Wambsganss won’t cast a single vote in the Senate, which doesn’t meet this year, until after one of them is elected to a full term in the fall.

A Rehmet victory, though, would send an important message to the Texas and Tarrant County Republican parties: Enough. Rehmet, a union leader and aircraft machinist, has focused his campaign on economic and quality-of-life concerns. We don’t agree with him on any number of specific issues. But he’s more in tune with everyday voters’ concerns: the price of groceries, the availability of reasonably priced housing, the quality of public schools and the length of their commutes. He’s not bucking his party on social and cultural issues. But he seems to recognize that they eat up far too much of our political oxygen as serious economic issues stack up. And if Rehmet, 33, should pull this off, it will be a clear signal to the GOP that it is in danger of going too far to the right and ignoring the needs of Texans beyond the narrowest Republican base. By nominating Wambsganss, a 58-year-old Southlake resident, the party embraced its conservative id. She’s a long-tenured and successful activist who, until launching this campaign, was an executive at Patriot Mobile, the Christian-themed cellular company, and a leader in its political activities. Texas Republicans need a jolt, a reminder that they should prioritize the biggest concerns of Texas families: education (not just school vouchers), health care (not just restrictions on abortion and gender care) and housing (not just cutting property taxes).

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Texas Supreme Court to hear suit from over 50 cities saying telecom providers get illegal discounts

Texas Supreme Court justices will decide whether two state laws are giving unlawful discounts to cable and telecommunication service providers, resulting in millions in lost revenue for dozens of cities across the state. The court granted the state’s request to review the case in which both the trial court and the Austin-based Third Court of Appeals ruled two laws passed by the Texas Legislature in 2017 and 2019 capping costs for providers are unconstitutional. Justices will hear arguments in the case March 5. “The (Texas) Constitution says you can’t give public property away for free,” Bob Heath, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, told KERA News. “That’s exactly what’s going on here.”

KERA News has reached out to the Texas Attorney General’s Office for comment and will update this story with any response. State lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1004 in 2017, allowing wireless network providers install network nodes in public rights-of-way — like roads — and cities to charge the providers an annual $250 right-of-way rate per node. The nodes are typically installed on street lights or utility poles 30-40 feet above the ground, enabling 5G wireless services. Two years later, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1152. Instead of requiring companies providing both cable and telecom services to pay cities to deliver both services, the law allowed companies to only pay whichever charge was higher. Texas argued the laws incentivize technology improvements, provide uniform regulation, reduce consumer costs and eliminate “double taxation” for utility companies. The laws passed as providers started rolling out 5G wireless technology and asked federal and state officials to streamline the process.

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To save district from takeover, Austin ISD will likely cede control of three middle schools

Three struggling Austin middle schools will likely come under the operation of charter schools after a detailed review of testing scores and projections showed the schools are unlikely to improve enough to avoid a district takeover. Austin ISD board members are expected to vote later this month on whether to seek the charter partnerships and relinquish control of Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools as part of a scramble to maintain control of the district. At a board meeting Thursday night, Superintendent Matias Segura confirmed the schools were showing meaningful academic gains but not enough, or at least fast enough, to escape Texas’ accountability clock. Without dramatic improvement this year, the campuses could trigger a chain reaction that allows the state to close the schools or seize control of the entire district.

Under Texas policy, if any of the three schools receive a fifth failing accountability rating after this year’s standardized tests, the state education commissioner could order the campuses closed or overtake the district entirely, replacing elected trustees with a state-appointed board of managers and diminishing local input on district decisions. Test scores weigh heavily in the accountability ratings. Segura told board members the district relied on an internal data review as well as an analysis by a technical partner, Steady State, which showed especially strong academic growth at Burnet and Dobie. “In reality, that great work is leading to improvement, and we’re excited to share some of that, but we also recognize that there are lots of challenges with the types of growth we need in the time period that we have,” Segura said after commending teachers and staff at the three schools, which he said he visited recently. Trustee Arati Singh highlighted double-digit gains in reading and math scores among seventh and eighth grade students at Dobie and Burnet middle schools. “I don’t know if I have really seen these kinds of gains,” Singh said. “Thank you to the staff of our schools for doing this and the students and our families for really focusing in. I wish we could continue this trajectory.”

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Farrah Abraham says she’s running for Austin City Council. Is she eligible?

Reality TV star Farrah Abraham made headlines last week when she announced her bid for the District 5 seat on the Austin City Council. But is she eligible to run? City code requires council candidates to have lived continuously in Texas for at least 12 months and in the district they seek to represent for at least six months before the filing deadline. Abraham filed a campaign finance report last Thursday listing a mailing address in District 9. In a statement to the American-Statesman, Abraham said data indicating that her address was not in District 5 was outdated. She said the city confirmed her council district after what she described as confusion surrounding her initial mayoral announcement. Abraham initially announced a run for Austin mayor on TMZ before learning the next mayoral election is not until 2028.

“The current map for 2031 is correct that I do indeed live in district 5 and have triple checked via Ai legal binding accurate maps,” Abraham said. She added that she hopes to advocate for the use of artificial intelligence on Austin city websites “to help other candidates stop misinformation to get me disqualified.” “I have provided what was legally stated to me by city officials who approved my documents to move forward and that is proper fact checking,” she said. “If I was not in the zip code then I clearly would not have my docs updated and wait two years for Mayor.” On Tuesday, Abraham posted on Instagram that the address she listed, on Harwin Lane, is in Council District 5. Her post included an image of a council district map with what appeared to be a search of the address and the text, “Definitive Answer: [Street number] Harwin Lane is District 5.” The Statesman located Harwin Lane on the city's Council District Map and found that the street is entirely within District 2.

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3 Prairieland shooting defense attorneys fined $500 each for ‘frivolous’ evidence motions

A federal judge in Fort Worth fined three defense attorneys in the July 4 Prairieland Detention Center shooting case Jan. 14 for filing “frivolous” motions attempting to obtain evidence from prosecutors. After a hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Pittman ordered Patrick McLain, Brian Bouffard and Bradley Sauer — attorneys for defendant Zachary Evetts — to pay $500 each for their “sharp-elbow drafting” of repeated motions in the case, in what he said were violations of state rules for attorney conduct. The motions accused the government of stonewalling Evetts’ attorneys as they attempt to obtain and review evidence ahead of the Feb. 17 trial in the case. The prosecution and defense are legally required to share all evidence that will be presented at trial with the other side in a case.

Pittman’s order also accused the attorneys of falsely casting doubt on the prosecutors’ integrity and misrepresenting communications between the parties. In one of their motions, Evetts’ attorneys omitted an email from the government responding to one request — explaining that the defense counsel’s demands for evidence were moot or sought materials outside the scope of criminal rules for discovery. Evetts’ attorneys say the omission was a mistake. McLain, Evetts' lead counsel, told KERA News in a phone call Tuesday that while he and his co-counsel stand by the accuracy of their requests for Pittman to enforce the rules of discovery against the government, as outlined in a scheduling order, his team respects the judge’s authority. “We are, of course, going to honor his decision, and we're going to proceed forward to trial, ready to advocate on behalf of Mr. Evetts and argue for his acquittal on the charges against him in this case,” McLain said.

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Austin candidates raised $140K heading into 2026 City Council elections this November

Mid-January campaign finance reports offer an early look at Austin's 2026 City Council contests, as candidates for five seats raised almost $140,000 and had nearly $800,000 on hand heading into the new year. This November's local ballot will feature elections for half of Austin's 10 geographic council districts. The District 1 seat will be open for the first time in eight years, as council member Natasha Harper-Madison reaches her term limit and isn't running for re-election. Any challengers in districts 3, 5, 8 and 9 are expected to face incumbent candidates; District 8 council member Paige Ellis is also reaching her limit of two consecutive terms but will petition her Southwest Austin constituents to allow her to run for a third.

Two people have filed so far in the race to succeed Harper-Madison and represent portions of Central and East Austin in District 1. Candidate Steven Brown raised almost $6,000 from more than two dozen people and spent less than $200, leaving him with just over $5,500 heading into 2026, while Alexandria Anderson reported no fundraising, campaign spending or cash on hand. Sitting council member José Velásquez doesn't yet have any challengers in District 3, which covers portions of South and East Austin. Velásquez drew more than $27,000 in donations from over 100 people last year while reporting just under $1,400 in fundraising expenses, leaving him with more than $32,000 on hand for his upcoming campaign. South Austin's District 5 race has three candidates so far, with David Weinberg and Farrah Abraham challenging incumbent council member Ryan Alter.

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Gov. Greg Abbott demands Cy-Fair ISD cancel Islamic Games event

Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to Cy-Fair ISD leaders Wednesday demanding that they cancel a sporting event with the Islamic Games of North America scheduled for later this year, citing alleged ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which Abbott recently declared a "foreign terrorist organization." "You cannot invite such dangers through the front doors of our schools," he wrote. "Radical Islamic extremism is not welcome in Texas — and certainly not in our schools." The move comes after the Dallas-area Grapevine-Colleyville ISD canceled a similar event on Tuesday, saying that they had learned that CAIR New Jersey was a sponsor of a related event at one point, according to news reports.

The Islamic Games describes itself as the "premier Muslim sports and athletic event in North America," with over 8,000 athletes participating in games held across the U.S. and Canada last year. It says its mission is to promote unity and community development and is "open to any individual or team regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion." Abbott ordered Cy-Fair ISD to "preserve all records and communications concerning this event" and demanded leaders cancel the event within seven days of receiving the letter or face an investigation by the Texas Education Agency and potential legal action by Attorney General Ken Paxton. He added that he would direct Paxton to file "injunctions to halt public school districts from hosting events sponsored by designated terror organizations like CAIR." Cy-Fair ISD leaders did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the event, which is scheduled to take place at Bridgeland High School in October. In his letter to Cy-Fair ISD leaders, Abbott cites a link to a snapshot of the Islamic Games' website from Nov. 16 — two days before his terrorist organization designation of CAIR — using the Wayback Machine, an online archive that collects snapshots of websites. CAIR New Jersey is listed among the slate of event sponsors on the archived page, but it is no longer on the live site.

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UH removed its student government. Can they budget $25M in student fees?

Two state lawmakers and a group of University of Houston students are questioning whether the university followed state law when it approved a $25 million student fee budget last fall without a functioning student government. The controversy involves the Student Fees Advisory Committee, which UH students view as their most direct way to affect change on campus. It sets the budget for millions of dollars in student fees each year, funding campus services like health care, veteran support and career advising. While previous debates have centered on subsidies for athletics, the committee became a flash point again last year after UH administrators dissolved the Student Government Association, which state statute holds responsible for making student appointments to the advisory committee.

Instead of waiting for a new student government this spring, UH officials convened a group of current and former student leaders to conduct interviews and appoint new members to the advisory panel, a university spokesperson said. That work-around got the attention of state Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, D-Houston. She wrote a letter to UH Chancellor Renu Khator on Nov. 25, saying she worried that the appointments were improper and "undermined student authority." "The statute reflects the Legislature's belief that students should have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting the more than $25 million in annual student service fees at UH," Morales Shaw wrote. "While I deeply respect UH's autonomy in managing its affairs, I want to ensure we're on the same page regarding the statutory requirements for student representation." State Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, also wrote a letter to the student chair of the committee, urging her not to sign the 2027 budget recommendations until it was clear UH was following the law. The student chair did not respond to requests for comment.

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'Call a Republican': Phone connects liberal San Francisco with conservative Texas

An old pay phone in San Francisco's Mission District is connecting people in the majority Democratic city with people in Abilene, Texas, a majority Republican city. The phone is called the Party Line; it was installed over the weekend in front of tattoo studio Black Serum in San Francisco and in front of a bookshop in Abilene. In San Francisco, users are encouraged to "call a Republican." In Abilene, they're asked to "call a Democrat." Tech startup Matter Neuroscience is behind the social experiment. The company is focused on boosting happiness and believes people fundamentally enjoy talking. The idea is to encourage conversation between people who may be different away from social media.

Christopher Renfro, who works a few doors down from where the phone is installed in San Francisco, decided to pick it up and give it a try on Tuesday. "Hey, this is Chris from San Francisco. Who am I speaking with?" Renfro started the conversation. Renfro said the man on the other line was on a date and had just had wood-fired pizza for lunch. They talked about their jobs and the cities they lived in. Politics never came up, but Matter Neuroscience told the San Francisco Chronicle that's the point. Renfro said it was a good experience. "I think as long as you're just trying to be nice, respectful and see where they are in the world, it's pretty easy to have a conversation with anyone," he said.

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County Stories

Tarrant County Juvenile Board removes lawyer. Some say it was a political move

A local lawyer who is running for a district judge seat was removed from a list of court-appointed attorneys by the Tarrant County Juvenile Board. Some say it was driven by politics. Brian Willett, a Democrat , was not approved for a list of attorneys a court can assign to represent juveniles whose families can’t afford one, during a Tarrant County Juvenile Board meeting on Wednesday. Willett, who is running for the 323rd District Court seat, which hears child welfare and juvenile delinquency cases, is hoping to unseat Judge Alex Kim, a Republican and the chair of the Tarrant County Juvenile Board.

“I think it’s totally political, because I’ve been on the list from the very beginning in 2002 when it first opened and never had a problem,” Willett told the Star-Telegram. “The only thing that’s changed since then is I decided to run against one of their candidates, and now, all of a sudden, it’s an issue.” Willett was not present during the meeting and heard about the news hours later. Judge Christopher Taylor, a Republican who presides over the 48th District Court, said he wanted to personally remove Willett from the approved list of attorneys and vote on Willett separately. Judge Don Cosby, a Republican who presides over the 67th District Court, questioned if it was a political move. “Are we doing this for political reasons?” Crosby asked. “I don’t want to be part of something, that is hurting somebody for political reasons.” Taylor said he has “personal issues” with Willett and will abstain from the vote.

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City Stories

Crosswalks and intersection in University Park will keep SMU theme

As you may have heard, late last year, Gov. Greg Abbott, who gladly enforced an edict from U.S. Transportation Secretary/former MTV Real World roommate/Airport Sartorial Choice Critic/Human Jock Jams CD/champion lumberjack/speed climber Sean Duffy, ordered that all “non-standard surface markings, signage, and signals” have to go. That would especially include rainbow crosswalks and anything related to Black Lives Matter. As Tim pointed out yesterday, Dallas learned that the state denied the city’s appeal to keep its crosswalks, which are funded by local merchants in Oak Lawn, not taxpayers. In October, Fox 4’s Steve Noviello asked why nobody was talking about the SMU Mustang intersection in University Park.

After Dallas got its final verdict, we reached out to Paige Ruedy, the University Park community information officer, to ask about the roadway markings, which feature the Mustang within the intersection, surrounded on four sides by decorative crosswalks. We pointed out several examples where seemingly innocuous decorative crosswalks were believed to be out of compliance with the state order and had been removed. “Has anyone at the Governor’s office or TxDOT confirmed that the SMU crosswalk is in compliance?” we asked. “After review of the documents, we believe all intersections within the City are in compliance with the Governor’s order,” Ruedy told us. “Our assessment focused on intersections in University Park specifically and did not involve comparisons to other cities.” Noviello’s question was a good one, because other cities with decorative crosswalks that have nothing to do with any controversy at all were also required to yoink their crosswalks. Corpus Christi had to get rid of two, including one that honored Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Lubbock also had to remove its Buddy Holly crosswalks, for Pete’s sake. The city posted a photo of the intersection under construction last September.

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National Stories

IRS head announces a shake-up on the eve of the 2026 tax season

Days before the 2026 tax filing season begins, the head of the IRS announced a shake-up Tuesday, saying the personnel and operational changes are intended to improve taxpayer service and modernize the agency. The timing of the announcement coincides with a critical moment for the agency, as the IRS prepares to process millions of tax returns while simultaneously implementing major tax law changes under the tax and spending package President Donald Trump signed into law last summer. There are new tax relief provisions for tips and overtime, and new deductions for qualifying older Americans. In a letter addressed to the agency’s 74,000 employees and viewed by The Associated Press, Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano announced new priorities and a reorganization of IRS executive leadership.

Notably, Gary Shapley, the whistleblower who testified publicly about investigations into Hunter Biden’s taxes and served just two days as IRS Commissioner last year, was named deputy chief of the Criminal Investigation division. Guy Ficco, the head of Criminal Investigation, is set to retire and will be replaced by Jarod Koopman, who will also serve as chief tax compliance officer alongside Bisignano. Joseph Ziegler, another Hunter Biden whistleblower, was named chief of internal consulting, the letter said. Bisignano said in the letter that he is “confident that with this new team in place, the IRS is well-prepared to deliver a successful tax filing season for the American public.” The June National Taxpayer Advocate report to Congress warned that the 2026 season could be rocky after a series of mass layoffs last year brought on by the Department of Government Efficiency. “With the IRS workforce reduced by 26% and significant tax law changes on the horizon, there are risks to next year’s filing season,” said Erin M. Collins, who leads the organization assigned to protect taxpayers’ rights. Bisignano, who was named to his job in October, also serves as the commissioner of the Social Security Administration. His main priorities for the IRS in 2026 include enhancing customer service, improving tax collections and safeguarding taxpayer privacy. The IRS expects to receive roughly 164 million individual income tax returns this year, which is on par with what it received last year. The average refund amount last year was $3,167, according to IRS data. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said on several occasions that the effects of Republican tax law will result in bigger refunds in 2026.

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Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge's warrant, memo says

Federal immigration officers are asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter people’s homes without a judge’s warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press, marking a sharp reversal of longstanding guidance meant to respect constitutional limits on government searches. The memo authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal, a move that advocates say collides with Fourth Amendment protections and upends years of advice given to immigrant communities. The shift comes as the Trump administration dramatically expands immigration arrests nationwide, deploying thousands of officers under a mass deportation campaign that is already reshaping enforcement tactics in cities such as Minneapolis.

For years, immigrant advocates, legal aid groups and local governments have urged people not to open their doors to immigration agents unless they are shown a warrant signed by a judge. That guidance is rooted in Supreme Court rulings that generally prohibit law enforcement from entering a home without judicial approval. The ICE directive directly undercuts that advice at a time when arrests are accelerating under the administration’s immigration crackdown. Related Stories Oglala Sioux president walks back claims of DHS pressure, member arrests What to know about the warrants most immigration agents use to make arrests Judge refuses to block new DHS policy limiting Congress members' access to ICE facilities The memo itself has not been widely shared within the agency, according to a whistleblower complaint, but its contents have been used to train new ICE officers who are being deployed into cities and towns to implement the president’s immigration crackdown. New ICE hires and those still in training are being told to follow the memo’s guidance instead of written training materials that actually contradict the memo, according to the whistleblower disclosure.

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Health insurance CEOs to appear before House committees as premiums soar

The CEOs of five major health insurers are set to face a grilling from members of Congress on Thursday as House Republicans seek to place blame for rising health care costs. The back-to-back hearings before the Energy and Commerce and the Ways and Means committees come after Republicans allowed enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire at the end of last year, a move that led to sharp premium increases for millions of Americans. Congress has few immediate plans to address the lapse in the tax credits. The House and the Senate have yet to reach a deal to lower skyrocketing health insurance premiums. And with the Senate out this week and the House set to go into recess next week, the odds of passing a bill anytime soon are very slim, experts say.

“Insurance companies are an easy target because they make people miserable through prior authorization review and in many other ways,” said Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group. The CEOs of UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health Group, Cigna Health Group, Elevance Health and Ascendiun are set to testify. President Donald Trump and Republicans are facing criticism from voters about the cost of living, including health care. Last week, Trump rolled out his long-awaited health care plan, which included a proposal to redirect funding used for ACA subsidies into health savings accounts. The plan offered few details and drew criticism for largely restating ideas Trump has previously floated. Many of the proposals need congressional approval, raising questions about how quickly — or whether — they can be implemented. Trump’s plan is not expected to be the focus of Thursday’s hearings. Instead, they are expected to be the first in a series to examine the “root causes” driving higher health care prices, committee Chairs Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement. Thursday’s hearings will also take aim at the ACA, which Republicans say is a major driver of higher health care costs. “The ACA mandated coverage for individuals regardless of underlying health conditions and largely prohibited plans from underwriting plans at the individual level,” a hearing document says, “effectively increasing health care access and affordability for the unhealthiest Americans but also driving up health care costs for healthier Americans.”

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Ghislaine Maxwell to be deposed by House Oversight Committee next month

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, said Wednesday that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by his committee on Feb. 9 -- though her attorneys have indicated Maxwell will invoke her privilege against self-incrimination and decline to answer questions. Comer's remarks came during a House Oversight hearing in which members were weighing whether to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for failing to respond subpoenas calling for them to testify about Epstein. "I agree we need to hear from Ghislaine Maxwell," Comer said as Democrats pressed him on why the committee is not pursuing contempt of Congress charges against Maxwell or Attorney General Pam Bondi as they are doing for the Clintons, who refused to appear for subpoenaed depositions earlier this month.

"We've been trying to get her in for a deposition," Comer said of Maxwell, who was convicted for sex trafficking and other offenses in 2021. "Her lawyers have been saying that she's going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee. Now, her lawyers have made it clear that she's going to plead the Fifth. I hope she changes her mind, because I want to hear from her." Maxwell, 64, is currently serving a 20-year sentence. A lawyer for Maxwell had attempted to persuade Comer not to proceed with the planned deposition, arguing that it would serve "no other purpose than pure political theater and a complete waste of taxpayer monies," according to a letter sent to the Committee chairman this week. "If the Committee proceeds now, Ms. Maxwell will invoke her privilege against self-incrimination and decline to answer questions. That is not a negotiating position or a tactical choice; it is a legal necessity," wrote attorney David Markus, citing Maxwell's recently filed petition challenging her conviction in federal court in New York.

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DHS launches 'Operation Catch of the Day' enforcement action in Maine

The Department of Homeland Security has now picked another state on which to focus its immigration enforcement action: Maine. On Wednesday, DHS launched "Operation Catch of the Day" -- an operation targeting criminal illegal migrants in the state, according to a DHS spokesperson. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin singled out Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, and "her fellow sanctuary politicians" for prompting the need for the federal immigration crackdown in Maine.

"We have launched Operation Catch of the Day to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in the state. On the first day of operations, we arrested illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child," McLaughlin said in a statement. "Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, we are no longer allowing criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens." It was not immediately clear how long DHS plans to keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Maine or if the Customs and Border Protection agents currently operating in Minneapolis will move to Maine. Mills, who has had previous run-ins with President Donald Trump over the past year, is running for the U.S. Senate. In a statement released on Monday, Andrew Benson, the U.S. attorney for the District of Maine, said people have the right to protest, but not turn to violence, and seemed to indicate a DHS operation was coming.

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DOGE employees shared Social Security data, court filing shows

Employees with the Department of Government Efficiency who were detailed to the Social Security Administration last March shared sensitive data through a nonsecure third party server, in violation of agency security policies, the Justice Department disclosed in a court filing. The Social Security Administration does not know what data was shared on the server or whether it still exists there, the Justice Department said in a Jan. 16 formal correction to statements that Social Security Administration officials made to a federal court in Maryland last spring. But the disclosure about the third-party server confirms concerns among career government employees and data security experts that DOGE’s chaotic access to sensitive government data risks sharing this data broadly and without knowing what data was exposed or who has seen it.

Last August, the Social Security Administration’s chief data officer, shortly before resigning, filed a whistle-blower complaint over DOGE employees’ activities, saying they had shared a crucial database on a private server. The Justice Department’s filing addresses the period last March at the height of the conflict between career Social Security officials and DOGE over the sharing of sensitive information. The Justice Department’s “corrections to the record” identified sworn statements that senior agency officials made asserting that the agency revoked DOGE employees’ access to sensitive data, statements the department later found to be false, though federal lawyers said the officials did not know they were false at the time. According to the Justice Department, the inconsistencies were revealed through an internal agency review last fall. The agency notified Justice Department lawyers about its findings on Dec. 10. The department filed corrections to the court more than a month later. The Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Data centers are becoming a political problem

Lawmakers in Washington often insist data centers, which require thousands of acres and enormous amounts of energy, are a municipal issue. But residents organizing against their construction say candidates up and down the ballot will have to answer for their concerns — especially if those politicians are going to campaign on affordability. “This absolutely plays into affordability,” said Christine Le Jeune, a founding organizer of Great Lakes Neighbors United in Wisconsin. “People are concerned about rapidly rising energy prices.” Le Jeune’s group launched a petition to recall the mayor of Port Washington, a Wisconsin town on Lake Michigan where construction began last month on a $15 billion data center to service OpenAI and Oracle through the Stargate project backed by President Donald Trump.

The recall effort is one of the bolder actions in a wave of local protests against data centers sweeping Wisconsin and the country. Le Jeune said Mayor Ted Neitzke failed to take up residents’ concerns that they will end up “on the hook” for data centers’ energy usage into consideration when he went ahead with the Stargate plans. Neitzke did not respond to NOTUS’ request for comment. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers feel insulated from the grassroots resistance threatening local elected officials. “It’s going to be more a challenge in gubernatorial races and state races, because that’s where those decisions are made. We don’t have as much, in fact very little to do with it at a federal level,” Rep. Mark Pocan said. That may not last long.

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Lead Stories

Forecasters warn of a 'potentially catastrophic' storm from Texas to the Carolinas

With many Americans still recovering from multiple blasts of snow and unrelenting freezing temperatures in the nation’s northern tier, a new storm is set to emerge this weekend that could coat roads, trees and power lines with devastating ice across a wide expanse of the South. The storm arriving late this week and into the weekend is shaping up to be a “widespread potentially catastrophic event from Texas to the Carolinas,” said Ryan Maue, a former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “I don’t know how people are going to deal with it,” he said. Forecasters on Tuesday warned that the ice could weigh down trees and power lines, triggering widespread outages. “If you get a half of an inch of ice — or heaven forbid an inch of ice — that could be catastrophic,” said Keith Avery, CEO of the Newberry Electric Cooperative in South Carolina.

The National Weather Service warned of “great swaths of heavy snow, sleet, and treacherous freezing rain” starting Friday in much of the nation’s midsection and then shifting toward the East Coast through Sunday. Temperatures will be slow to warm in many areas, meaning ice that forms on roads and sidewalks might stick around, forecasters say. The exact timing of the approaching storm — and where it is headed — remained uncertain on Tuesday. Forecasters say it can be challenging to predict precisely which areas could see rain and which ones could be punished with ice. An extremely cold arctic air mass is set to dive south from Canada, setting up a clash with the cold temperatures and rain that will be streaming eastward across the southern U.S. “This is extreme, even for this being the peak of winter,” National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Jackson said of the cold temperatures. When the cold air meets the rain, the likely result will be “a major winter storm with very impactful weather, with all the moisture coming up from the Gulf and encountering all this particularly cold air that’s spilling in,” Jackson said.

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Determined to grab Greenland, Trump faces tough reception in Davos

U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to ramp up his push to acquire Greenland when he descends on Davos on Wednesday, facing down European opposition to his plans in the biggest fraying of transatlantic ties in decades. Trump, who marked the end of a turbulent first year in office on Tuesday, is expected to overshadow the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in the Swiss mountain resort, where global elites chew over economic and political trends. Trump told a news conference on Tuesday that he would have meetings about the Danish territory of Greenland in Davos and was optimistic that an agreement could eventually be reached. "I think we will work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and where we're going to be very happy. But we need it for security purposes. We need it for national security," he said.

NATO leaders have warned that Trump's Greenland strategy could upend the alliance, while the leaders of Denmark and Greenland have offered a wide array of ways for a greater U.S. presence on the strategic island territory of 57,000 people. "You'll find out," said Trump, who has linked Greenland to his anger at not receiving a Nobel Peace Prize, when asked how far he is willing to go. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent further stoked the war of words being played out with Washington's allies on Wednesday when he called Denmark "irrelevant". "Denmark's investment in the U.S. Treasury bonds, like Denmark itself, is irrelevant," Bessent said in Davos when asked whether the issue could spark a sell-off in U.S. Treasuries by investors in Europe, such as pension funds in Denmark and elsewhere. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declined to comment on the tensions, but said work was going on to bolster the Arctic. "President Trump and other leaders are right. We have to do more there. We have to protect the Arctic against Russian and Chinese influence," he said during a panel discussion. "We are working on that, making sure that collectively we'll defend the Arctic region," Rutte added.

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Kendra Scott, Yeti, Valero and other Texas firms sue U.S. over tariffs. But don't ask them about it.

Even in deep red Texas, companies wanting to stay in the black are taking on President Donald Trump’s tariffs. More than a dozen companies across the state, including well-known drinkware purveyor Yeti Holdings Inc., jewelry designer and manufacturer Kendra Scott and the marketing arm of Valero Energy Corp., have challenged the president’s use of executive action to upend global trade. The broad range of companies fighting the cost-warping import taxes demonstrates how Trump’s chaotic trade war has disrupted all aspects of the economy, a Texas trade expert says. “It’s everybody. It’s not just one sector. They’re widespread,” said Raymond Robertson, director of the Mosbacher Institute of Trade, Economics and Public Policy at Texas A&M University. “It’s incredibly widespread. And it’s really unprecedented in scope.”

Despite their publicly filed lawsuits, most Texas companies reached last week either declined to comment or simply did not respond. Though many publicly traded companies have told investors and spoken privately about the fact tariffs are increasing costs, harming consumers and increasing uncertainty, few business leaders are willing to publicly speak out, Robertson said. They fear retaliation from the White House. “The president has not hesitated to target individual companies,” he said. “There was really a deafening silence from the business community.” The Texas Association of Business, long an advocate for free trade, now makes no mention of the issue on the “Federal Priorities” page of its website. As recently as December, it had listed free trade as one of its priorities. The bulleted entry on that document previously said: “Oppose tariffs that disrupt economic development, particularly those affecting key trading partners like Mexico and Canada whose supply chains are strongly connected to the Texas economy.” The “About Us” section of the website still stresses sensible trade policies as a core principle, and an association spokesperson emphasized that free trade remains a policy priority. He cited a letter the association sent to the U.S. Trade Representative in December pushing for strengthening the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement — negotiated during the first Trump administration but which the president last week called “irrelevant” — and decrying tariffs.

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Rep. Crockett releases poll showing her with a 13 point advantage in US Senate Democratic primary

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State Stories

Cuellar: Minnesota shooting has stalled my efforts to get South Texas builders an audience with ICE

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said Renee Good’s killing in Minnesota has caused a delay in organizing a meeting between the Department of Homeland Security and the South Texas Builders Association. Cuellar met with STBA leaders at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen late last year. At the meeting, leaders with the trade association voiced concerns about ICE raids at construction sites. They said they are losing too many workers and projects. Cuellar had a lot of sympathy for the builders and told them he would try and set up a meeting in Washington so they could voice those concerns directly with DHS. But, the shooting death of U.S. citizen Renee Good by an ICE agent has put everything on hold, Cuellar said.

“I've talked to the ICE director twice. He says he'll give me somebody that can sit down with business. Because, look, if they want to get rid of criminals, that's one thing, but when they start going after the work side, that has an impact on our economy,” Cuellar told the Rio Grande Guardian. “But I have been in contact with the South Texas builders. I've talked to some of the folks in Laredo, I've talked to some of the folks in San Antonio, and we're hoping that we can have something but the ICE Director, Mr. Lyons. He told me that he will set something up. But as you know, this ICE shooting, the Minnesota shooting, complicated things on that, but it's at the top of my radar.

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Grapevine-Colleyville ISD denies Muslim sports competition use of school

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD ended negotiations with a national nonprofit Muslim athletics competition for use of a high school to host the games after a public outcry from Texas politicians. The Islamic Games athletic event was scheduled at Colleyville Heritage High School on May 9-10. The organization was in negotiations for a rental agreement with the school district. But over the weekend, state lawmakers and local leaders posted on social media that the organization’s sponsors had ties to the Council on American Islamic Relations, which Gov. Greg Abbott designated a foreign terrorism organization in November.

The school district told the Star-Telegram in a statement that officials learned Monday “that an organization listed as a sponsor of the Islamic Games in North Texas has been declared a Terrorist Organization by the Governor of Texas.” The district spokesperson said state law bars any governmental entity from entering into a contract with such a group. “Thus, GCISD provided notice that it is severing the negotiations for the use of District properties for the 2026 Islamic Games,” the spokesperson said. Despite numerous attempts, the Star-Telegram could not immediately reach the organizers of Islamic Games for comment. According to its website, Islamic Games is a “premier Muslim sports and athletic event in North America, dedicated to promoting physical excellence, unity, and community development” to youth. It started in 1989 in Queens, New York. In 2006, the games were rebranded and relaunched in New Jersey. The program is geared towards leagues, Islamic centers, sports academies, organizations and Muslim schools. The games travel from city to city hosting competitive team and individual sports that include boys and girls soccer, tennis, basketball, volleyball, cricket, flag football, track and field and archery. Other locations hosting competitions this year include Chicago, Houston, Michigan, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

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Prosecution and defense rest in trial of former Uvalde school police officer

The trial of former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officer Adrian Gonzales entered its final phase Tuesday in Corpus Christi, with both the prosecution and defense resting their cases after days of emotional and at times contentious testimony. After a recess at the Nueces County Courthouse, Presiding Judge Sid Harle informed jurors that both sides had concluded their presentations. The jury was then dismissed for the day as attorneys prepared for closing arguments and the case moved closer to deliberation. Gonzales is charged with 29 counts of abandoning or endangering a child for his actions during the May 24, 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 students and two teachers were killed. He has pleaded not guilty.

Much of the testimony focused on Gonzales’ location and actions in the early minutes of the attack, and whether he had an opportunity to move into the school building and confront the gunman. Prosecutors argued Gonzales was among the first officers on scene and failed to take action that could have disrupted the shooting. Their case relied on timelines built from body-camera footage, radio traffic, and witness accounts. Several witnesses played central roles in shaping the state’s case. Robb Elementary teacher Stephanie Hale testified about what she said she saw near the school during the early moments of the shooting, placing the gunman close to the building. Her testimony prompted immediate objections from defense attorneys and briefly halted proceedings while the judge considered a mistrial request. The motion was denied, though portions of her testimony were later excluded and jurors were instructed to disregard them. Witnesses provided harrowing accounts of the Robb Elementary shooting, detailing the lockdown procedures and efforts to protect students while waiting for police intervention. Another key moment came from testimony by Melodye Flores, who told jurors she saw Gonzales outside the school and observed him pacing near the building rather than moving inside. Prosecutors cited her account as evidence Gonzales had an opportunity to act. Defense attorneys questioned the reliability of eyewitness accounts from inside the school, citing the chaos and stress of the moment.

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Court hears arguments on Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms

A federal court is currently deliberating whether Texas can mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, a decision that could significantly impact the national conversation on religious symbols in public spaces. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is hearing arguments in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of laws in Texas and Louisiana that require schools to display donated posters of the Ten Commandments. The central issue is whether these laws infringe upon the First Amendment's establishment clause, which prohibits government endorsement of religion.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the law last summer, prompting legal challenges from groups like the ACLU, which argue that the law effectively turns public schools into religious institutions. "The right to decide which religion, if any, to follow, and which religious beliefs to follow, is reserved for individual people, families, parents, children-- and they are not for state legislatures and governors to decide," the ACLU stated at a press conference. Conversely, Texas Values, a conservative advocacy group, held a press conference urging the court to uphold the law. "This should be an easy case for the Court of Appeals," said Texas Values President and Attorney Jonathan Saenz. "We're glad that the entire court is taking a look at this because we know that is just another way of acknowledging how important the Ten Commandments are to the historical and traditional foundations of American law and policy." All 17 active judges on the Fifth Circuit are hearing the case, and the outcome could potentially lead to a U.S. Supreme Court review, given its history of ruling on church-and-state issues.

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Dallas pushes to keep majority vote on DART board amid withdrawal election discussion

Dallas leaders say they don't want to give up the city's voting power on Dallas Area Rapid Transit's board amid discussions over withdrawal elections by neighboring suburbs this spring. The city's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted Tuesday to give the city manager's office authority to negotiate the number of Dallas representatives on the DART Board — but pushed to keep a majority or near majority of the seats. During the meeting, assistant city manager Dev Rastogi shared the latest updates on the DART withdrawal elections called by five member cities, including discussions between Dallas city manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and DART officials.

Transportation DART calls public hearings on potential impacts of withdrawal elections Pablo Arauz Peña , January 14, 2026 If cities vote to leave DART, service could end at more than a dozen rail stations and bus stops. A proposal by the agency would expand the board from 15 directors to 20, with Dallas' representation shrinking from 8 to 5. That could potentially reduce the city's voting share from 53% to 40%, but not all committee members agreed. "I think that since DART is really an important part of our Dallas economy, that we really have to have robust and extensive representation," said District 11 council member William Roth. "I'm not sure that 40 percent is enough, because I think we really are the dog, not the tail here." District 12 council member Cara Mendelsohn called it "poor governance" to potentially reduce the city's majority on the DART board.

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5 years before Anthony Johnson Jr.’s death in the Tarrant County Jail, indicted guard watched another man get knelt on in jail

Lt. Joel Garcia filmed Anthony Johnson Jr. as he lay handcuffed face-down on the floor of the Tarrant County Jail — and another jailer knelt on Johnson’s back. The altercation with Johnson in 2024 wasn’t the first time a Tarrant County jailer knelt on someone who was already handcuffed. It wasn’t the first time Garcia watched that happen. And it wasn’t the first time the prisoner later died. A KERA News investigation found Garcia was there when another jailer knelt on a prisoner named Derick Wynn, in 2019. Wynn was also face-down on the floor, in handcuffs. He became unresponsive, and he died soon after. Both deaths occurred more than two decades after the U.S. Department of Justice published warnings against the dangers of kneeling on people who are restrained. Johnson’s death — eventually declared a homicide by asphyxiation — was another scandal for a jail that has spent years under intense scrutiny.

Local activists and elected officials have criticized the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail, for a spike in deaths, as well as allegations of mistreatment and neglect of vulnerable prisoners. Sheriff Bill Waybourn condemned Johnson’s treatment at a press conference a month after his death, where he showed reporters Garcia’s cell phone video. “Once he’s restrained, the knee should have never went on the back,” he said. Wynn’s death five years earlier did not get the same level of public scrutiny as Johnson’s. A medical examiner blamed Wynn’s death on mixed drug intoxication. It’s unclear whether the doctor who performed the autopsy took the restraint into consideration. The sheriff’s office refuses to answer questions about Wynn’s death. Spokesperson Laurie Passman provided a written statement that denied any wrongdoing and claimed “a knee properly placed to control a combative individual” is different than kneeling on someone. “There is no indication noted by the investigator that the technique was done improperly, nor does the medical examiner rule that as a contributing factor in his death,” Passman said. The sheriff’s office’s training documents, also obtained by KERA News, say new jailers should not be taught to place a knee on someone’s upper back — for safety reasons.

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Texas water crisis demands new thinking across agriculture

Agricultural irrigation accounts for about 50% of Texas’ water demand, and the dynamics of a rapidly growing population, increased industrial activity and limited state government funds to create new sources of water require that all users seek ways to conserve the state’s most important resource. Speakers at the 2025 Texas Plant Protection Association Conference’s opening session, recently held in Bryan, offered management, research and policy options to enhance water conservation statewide. Dana Porter, associate head of Texas A&M University’s biological and agricultural engineering department and conference speaker, said irrigation strategies and emerging technologies will play a key role in conserving water while minimizing the effects of drought on Texas cropland. “The key to realizing the benefits of these options includes understanding the operation — assessing field and crop conditions, selecting proper tools and using them correctly,” Porter said.

Precision irrigation will be a key, she added. Available practices and tools include: improved management of surface irrigation, pressurized irrigation systems, improved nozzle packages, advanced irrigation controllers and automated tools, irrigation scheduling and variable-rate irrigation systems. She said surface irrigation management should include contour farming and land leveling as well as residue management and conservation tillage. “Drip irrigation is a good idea on cotton in West Texas,” Porter said. “We’ve seen a high rate of adoption of a lot of technologies, including low-pressure center pivots. In the Texas High Plains, about 85% of the irrigated acreage is under center-pivot systems. Microirrigation has also taken off but is not a good fit for everyone.”

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Parents call for accountability in Celina ISD investigation

The Celina ISD Board of Trustees met for the first time since releasing additional information from the third-party investigation into former Moore Middle School teacher William Caleb Elliott. At the Tuesday, Jan. 20, regularly scheduled board of trustees meeting, several parents spoke during public comment and condemned the board’s lack of urgency, accountability and information released regarding the investigation. William Caleb Elliott, son of Celina High School football Coach Bill Elliott, was arrested on Oct. 3, 2025, and charged with multiple crimes after allegedly recording boys in the middle school locker room. Bill Elliott had been on leave since October 2025. On Jan. 14, Bill Elliott announced his resignation from the district. Subsequently, former Moore Middle School Principal Allison Ginn announced her resignation.

The district currently faces four lawsuits stemming from William Caleb Elliott's alleged filming. An 85-page release of additional information was made public on Friday, Jan. 16. The report says the independent investigators hired by the district found no indication of a coverup and determined that claims suggesting district officials were aware of William Caleb Elliott's sexual misconduct before his arrest were not supported by interviews with school staff. Investigators also discovered “systematic issues and failures” in the district’s athletic department, along with Moore Middle School. Additionally, investigators discovered "a large amount of cash" in a safe in Bill Elliott's office. Documents state the money allegedly came from doctors who performed physicals on student-athletes paid for in cash, who then "donated" the cash back to the athletics department. At the board meeting, several parents expressed their disappointment following the district's further release, with several calling for districtwide change of practices and leadership. Multiple parents called for Celina ISD Superintendent of Schools Tom Maglisceau to step down, with several accusing him of refusing to act while aware of the ongoing situation.

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Fort Worth council member says commitment will not waver following DWI arrest

After his arrest on a DWI charge over the weekend, Fort Worth city council member Michael Crain said his commitment to the city “will not waver.” The District 3 council member was stopped on Chisholm Trail Parkway by a DPS trooper for a traffic violation at about 10:20 p.m. Friday night. The trooper suspected Crain of drunken driving and arrested him. He was booked into the Tarrant County Jail early Saturday morning on a DWI charge, a Class B misdemeanor. Crain posted a $750 bond Saturday afternoon and was released. In a statement, Crain said he regrets the concern and uncertainty his arrest caused for the people he cares about and serves.

“I want to sincerely apologize to my wife and children, the residents of Fort Worth and my colleagues for the distraction this has caused,” Crain said. “I regret the concern and uncertainty it has created for the people I care about and serve.” Because it is an ongoing legal matter, Crain said he would not go into details. He said he would respect the process and cooperate as it moves forward. A city of Fort Worth spokesperson said they are aware of the situation, but had no comment for the same reason. Crain, 53, joined the City Council in May 2021 for his first two-year term. His district covers parts of far west and southwest Fort Worth, including the area around TCU. “To the residents of District 3, please know that my commitment to you and to the city will not waver,” Crain said in his statement. “While this is a difficult moment, my responsibility to serve you has not changed and I remain focused, as always, on the work ahead and serving as your representative on the City Council.”

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Saying it was at fault, Lake Worth school board won’t fight TEA’s takeover

The Lake Worth school board voted unanimously Tuesday night to not appeal a decision by the Texas Education Agency to take over the struggling district. Board members voted to not fight the TEA takeover and waived the school district’s ability to ask the State Office of Administrative Hearings to review Commissioner of Education Mike Morath’s decision to remove Superintendent Mark Ramirez and all current members of the school board. Board president Tammy Thomas said trustees did not act fast enough to hire Ramirez as superintendent when the search began for the district’s new leader in September 2024, and they must be held accountable for doing so. Ramirez was not hired until May 2025.

“From my perspective, the fault that the district is in lies in the hands of this board,” Thomas said before the vote Tuesday night. “We were slow, very slow, in appointing a new superintendent while we had a school board election going on. Everyone is paying the price of the decisions that this board made, and now the board is going to be held accountable. I can only apologize for the board not doing our job.” Thomas also said if the appeal process allowed her and fellow board members to convince the TEA to reconsider their decision to remove Ramirez from his post, then she would vote to appeal and “pack her bags for Austin in a heartbeat.” But that seems to be out of the question, she told attendees before the board’s vote. Board member Mary Coker spoke in agreement with Thomas against appealing the takeover before the unanimous vote. “After consulting with our district lawyers, it looks like, even if we feel it really won’t, it would just be a delay and a cost, and we feel like that money can be better spent on our students and on our lawyers.”

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1 year since measles cases found in Texas, US still seeing surge of infections with elimination status at risk

One year ago, health officials confirmed that cases of measles were cropping up in a small town in western Texas. Soon, the virus had spread to neighboring counties in Texas. Other states began reporting their own measles outbreaks, including Utah and South Carolina. By the time 2025 ended, more than 2,200 cases had been confirmed, the highest number reported in the U.S. in 33 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. also saw its first measles deaths in more than a decide including two among unvaccinated school-aged children in Texas and one among an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico. It's unclear if the cases in Texas that were confirmed on Jan. 20 are linked to those in other states; if so, it would mean the U.S. has seen a year of continuous transmission.

If it's determined that the U.S. has experienced 12 months of continuous measles transmission, it could lead to a loss of the country's elimination status that was earned in 2000. Measles would once again be considered endemic or constantly circulating. "Back in the year 2000, the United States was declared free of measles. We had eliminated measles from our shores, and that was an incredible achievement for public health," Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and acting director of the CDC during former President Barack Obama's administration, told ABC News. "The fact that we've seen measles at incredibly high levels over this past year is concerning." The loss of status is determined by the Pan American Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations that oversees international health in the Americas. An independent body of experts established by the PAHO -- known as the Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission -- meets at least once a year to monitor and re-verify measles and rubella elimination among countries in the region.

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Groups demand immediate closure of Camp East Montana following 3rd in-custody death

A coalition of Texas and New Mexico immigrant rights, legal advocacy, and faith-based organizations is demanding the immediate closure of Camp East Montana following the third in-custody death at the detention center, it was announced in a news release. The coalition said it condemns the death of Victor Manuel Diaz — a 36-year-old undocumented migrant from Nicaragua — as it’s the third death connected to this detention center, “underscoring a deadly pattern of abuse, neglect, and impunity that has defined the facility since its opening.” Diaz died on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Camp East Montana. He was pronounced deceased at 4:09 p.m., and his death was a presumed suicide, according to ICE. However, the official cause of his death remains under investigation.

The announcement of Diaz’s death comes just days after The Washington Post reported last week that 55-year-old Geraldo Lunas Campos’ death — the second detainee who died at the detention center — could be ruled as a homicide. The coalition said that Lunas Campos “died from asphyxiation after guards choked him to death, and that federal authorities subsequently are threatening to deport key witnesses to the incident, raising grave concerns about accountability and efforts to suppress evidence of abuse at the facility.” Additionally, Francisco Gaspar Cristobal Andres was the first detainee held at the Fort Bliss immigration facility to die. The 48-year-old man from Guatemala was taken to the hospital on Nov. 16 and died on Dec. 3 of “suspected natural causes.” The coalition is now calling on the Trump Administration to “immediately reverse course and demand that Congress act to end this cycle of abuse and impunity.” “Camp East Montana must be closed without delay, and a full, independent investigation into all detention facilities must begin now. Failure to act will continue to cost lives,” read the news release.

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National Stories

Prosecutor who brought James Comey and Letitia James cases steps down

Lindsey Halligan, the former Trump White House aide who went on to spearhead short-lived criminal cases against a pair of the president’s perceived adversaries, is stepping down from her Justice Department position. Halligan’s departure was announced Tuesday night by Attorney General Pam Bondi, capping a fraught four-month tenure during which she served as the driving force behind the Justice Department’s prosecutions of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. A former personal lawyer for Trump, Halligan was installed as the top federal prosecutor in eastern Virginia after her predecessor was forced out. Soon after, she almost single-handedly secured indictments against Comey and James that the president had demanded. Both cases were later dismissed by a judge who ruled she was unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department has appealed those rulings.

Her departure came as the federal judges of eastern Virginia increasingly questioned the legitimacy of her role within the Justice Department. Earlier on Tuesday, the chief judge of the federal district court in eastern Virginia issued an order soliciting applicants to replace Halligan, noting that her interim appointment expired after 120 days and that the Senate hadn’t voted to confirm her. Another judge separately excoriated Halligan for continuing to identify herself as U.S. attorney, despite the November ruling that found her appointment unlawful. “In short, this charade of Ms. Halligan masquerading as the United States Attorney for this District in direct defiance of binding court orders must come to an end,” wrote Judge David Novak, a Trump appointee who was confirmed in 2019. Novak also criticized the tone of a recent filing, cosigned by Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, in which Halligan accused him of abusing his power. That response, Novak wrote, “contains a level of vitriol more appropriate for a cable news talk show and falls far beneath the level of advocacy expected from litigants in this Court, particularly the Department of Justice.”

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US bishops break further with Trump, this time on foreign policy

With President Donald Trump ratcheting up economic threats against U.S. allies as part of his campaign to take Greenland, after the administration's comments that military action is "always an option," U.S. bishops are offering stark warnings against the administration's recent foreign policy actions and threats, including a rare joint statement from three senior church leaders. On Monday, Jan. 19, three Catholic cardinals — Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., and Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey — amplified an address given Jan. 9 by Pope Leo XIV to the Vatican's diplomatic corps. "We renounce war as an instrument for narrow national interests and proclaim that military action must be seen only as a last resort in extreme situations, not a normal instrument of national policy," said the cardinals, each of whom were staunch allies of Pope Francis and were present at the conclave that elected Leo.

"We seek a foreign policy that respects and advances the right to human life, religious liberty, and the enhancement of human dignity throughout the world, especially through economic assistance." Though the cardinals did not specifically mention the recent U.S. incursion in Venezuela, or President Trump's increasingly bellicose rhetoric toward Greenland, they offered one of the stronger challenges to the president's second term foreign policy aims and promised to continue highlighting the issue. Over the weekend, Trump said in a text to the leader of Norway that he no longer feels "an obligation to think purely of Peace" because he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, adding, "The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland." In their statement, the three U.S. cardinals targeted the self-interested foreign policy they said aims to upend efforts to bring about peace. "Our nation's debate on the moral foundation for American policy is beset by polarization, partisanship, and narrow economic and social interests," the cardinals said. "Pope Leo has given us the prism through which to raise it to a much higher level. We will preach, teach, and advocate in the coming months to make that higher level possible." The cardinals' statement represents another step in the seemingly widening gap between U.S. bishops and Trump, who heavily courted and won over U.S. Catholics during his 2024 campaign.

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1 year into Trump's second term, a consumer watchdog agency is 'hanging by a thread'

Lisa Rosenthal's career gives you a sense of the scope of the watchdog duties at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. For 13 years as an attorney there, she helped victims of predatory payday loans, trained staff to go after abusive practices at financial institutions and supervised teams working on everything from the student loan market to auto financing to debt collection. But in early 2025, she says, she was told to stop all work. "We were in this very bizarre situation. The offices were closed. We weren't on leave," Rosenthal said. "We're just sitting at home, staring at our computer screens, not able to do work."

One of the priorities of the Trump administration during President Trump's first year back in office has been a dismantling of the agency. In 2025, CFPB employees faced orders to halt work, as well as attempts by the administration to cut their funding and lay off the majority of the staff. Congress created the CFPB in 2010 after the 2008 financial crisis to protect consumers against fraud and predatory practices. The brainchild of Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the agency took on the consumer protection duties of other agencies, put them under one roof and acquired new supervising and rule-making powers. Overall, the agency reported that as of Jan. 30, 2025, it had returned $19.7 billion to consumers since its creation. But the agency's conservative critics have long accused the CFPB of overreaching, punishing small lenders and harming businesses. And now one of those critics runs the agency. Trump named Russell Vought, who also directs the Office of Management and Budget, as the CFPB's acting director in February 2025.

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Vance to visit Minneapolis as tensions over immigration operations escalate

Vice President JD Vance will visit Minnesota on Thursday, a person familiar with the plans told NBC News, underscoring the White House's increased focus on the state. The trip, which will include remarks in Minneapolis and a roundtable discussion with local leaders and members of the community, comes amid escalating political tensions over the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence there. An ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, during a confrontation with officers almost two weeks ago. President Donald Trump, Vance and other top U.S. officials have said the shooting was justified. Democrats, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have disputed their assertions.

They also have found themselves pulled into a federal investigation into whether state officials conspired to impede law enforcement in the administration's immigration operations. The Justice Department has sent subpoenas to Walz, Frey and other state leaders, according to a document reviewed by NBC News and a person familiar with the investigation. The trip was first reported by MS NOW. Vance has taken a lead role in the White House response. At a White House news briefing this month, he claimed Good had been “brainwashed,” suggesting without evidence that she was tied to a “broader, left-wing network.” Vance has also been vocal about an ongoing fraud investigation involving allegations of misuse of welfare funds in Minnesota's Somali community. He has criticized Walz, his Democratic opponent for vice president in 2024, and at this month's briefing he announced the creation of a position to tackle fraud probes there and in other states. Minnesota has been a particular fixation for Trump, who has long sought to flip the state to Republicans. The GOP hasn't won a statewide race there in two decades.

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The Trump administration says it’s safe for Venezuelans to return home. María Corina Machado says it’s not.

When the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela last year, officials said that the departments of Homeland Security and State had determined there had been “notable improvements” in areas like the economy and crime that allowed for Venezuelan migrants “to be safely returned to their home country.” Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, reiterated that conclusion in early January, shortly after the ouster of Nicolás Maduro: “The great news for those who are here from Venezuela with Temporary Protected Status is that they can now go home with hope for their country.” But Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado told reporters that’s not the case. “What I want is to return to Venezuela soon,” Machado told reporters in the U.S. Capitol after leaving a closed-door meeting with House Foreign Affairs Committee members Tuesday evening.

“It is not safe for anyone to be in Venezuela right now, we all know that,” she added, answering in Spanish after NOTUS asked whether she was safe to return there. She was quick to note that she wants to return and plans to as soon as she is able to do so: “No one has ever said or thought that the fight for freedom is without risks, that’s the truth.” Machado, who lived in hiding in Venezuela due to fear of prosecution from the Maduro government, escaped the country in December with help from Grey Bull Rescue, a rescue company. “Our objective, and I want to insist on this, is we want the Venezuelan people that were forced to leave to come back home, and that’s going to happen once we have democracy in Venezuela,” she said later in English as she stood alongside Republican Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez. Following Maduro’s capture, the Trump administration has not offered a clear timeline as to when elections will take place in Venezuela. In a classified briefing earlier this month, lawmakers asked administration officials for specifics on the U.S. plan for Venezuela in the aftermath of Maduro’s ouster but were not given any additional details, as NOTUS previously reported.

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Despite some bipartisan opposition, Maryland redistricting panel approves new Congressional map

The Maryland Redistricting Commission voted Tuesday to recommend new borders for congressional districts in the state, the latest Democratic state to retaliate against partisan maps drawn by Republicans in several other states across the country. Maryland is currently split into eight congressional districts represented by seven Democrats. The proposed map by the commission would likely ensure a full Democratic sweep across the state. “The vote by Maryland’s redistricting committee is another important step toward ensuring a fair national congressional map ahead of the midterm election,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. “Arrogant and corrupt Republicans started this battle. Democrats will end it. We will ensure that there is a free and fair midterm election in November.”

U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, the chair of the redistricting panel, also celebrated the move in a statement Tuesday night, saying that the state “has a responsibility to lead with urgency” due to similar Republican efforts to redraw maps in their party’s favor across the country. Not all of the commission’s Democrats are on board, however. Senate President Bill Ferguson has spoken out against the commission and its new congressional map, calling it “a flawed process has delivered a flawed product.” “The Governor’s Commission recommended a map today that is objectively unconstitutional and jeopardizes Maryland’s existing map,” Ferguson said Tuesday in a statement. “Further, this map fails the governor’s own test. It breaks apart more neighborhoods and communities than our existing map, and it fails the constitutional requirement of one person, one vote.”

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Copyright January 28, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved