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Newsclips - March 28, 2024 |
Lead Stories
Before deal in Ken Paxton's fraud case, prosecutor was scrambling to buy more time, find new partner
The lead prosecutor in Ken Paxton’s securities fraud case was scrambling in recent months to push back the trial date and find local district attorneys who could help him present a convincing argument to the jury. The April 15 trial date set by Harris County Judge Andrea Beall was quickly approaching after years of delays and an attempt by Paxton’s team to have the charges dismissed for lack of a speedy trial was still pending. Brian Wice, the lead private attorney appointed to prosecute Paxton, told Hearst Newspapers he and defense attorney Dan Cogdell agreed they were not going to be ready by that date and decided to set a meeting with Beall on Valentine’s Day to ask to move the trial to September. The judge flatly rejected them.
The previously unreported meeting came as one of the longest cases in Texas history, at nearly nine years, was suddenly fast-tracked. It ended on Tuesday in a deal that allowed Paxton to avoid any admission of guilt in exchange for community service and restitution payments. Paxton had been accused of soliciting two friends to invest in a North Texas technology company without disclosing he was getting a cut and failing to register as an investment adviser Prosecutors said they faced an uphill battle after so many years of procedural delays. But Wice’s problems began to pile up early this year, including when his co-counsel, Kent Schaffer, appeared ready to back out of the case because the two were not being paid amid an ongoing dispute with Collin County, where the case originated. Beall had told the lawyers on the case in October that she planned to hold the trial regardless of whether the pay issue was resolved. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in late January declined to intervene to settle the compensation issue, dragging it out further. >
Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only
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The city promised firefighters $650M in backpay. Here’s how Houston taxpayers might pay for it
Mayor John Whitmire's administration is considering higher taxes and new fees to cover its agreement with the firefighters union, an expensive deal poised to cost Houston taxpayers tens of millions of dollars more every year in the coming decades. After eight years of bitter contract disputes, the city reached a landmark settlement with the union earlier this month, promising the firefighters $650 million in back pay, as well as up to 34% salary increases in the next five years. City officials estimated the total cost of the deal will likely exceed $1 billion, with payments spread out over the next 25 to 30 years. Marty Lancton, president of the firefighters union, has argued that Houston’s budget could have taken an even larger immediate hit if the two sides had gone to trial.
Even before factoring in the financial strain from the firefighters’ agreement, the city already faces a projected budget shortfall of at least $160 million for the fiscal year beginning this July, according to Finance Director Melissa Dubowski. And that’s without factoring in Houston’s municipal workers union and police union, which are also set to renew their contracts this year and next year, respectively. Whitmire recently said the city is “broke” and urged Houstonians to get behind all necessary measures to finance the firefighters’ deal. And City Attorney Arturo Michel told the Chronicle the administration is weighing all options as it approaches the budget season. While the specifics are still in flux, here are some possible ways the billion-dollar agreement could impact Houston residents. Houston residents could see higher property tax bills within the next year, as the Whitmire administration considers ways to draw more tax revenues from homeowners than permitted by the city's revenue cap. >
Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only
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Joe Lieberman, former senator, democratic vice president nominee, dies
Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in the disputed 2000 election and who almost became Republican John McCain’s running mate eight years later, has died, according to a statement issued by his family. Lieberman died in New York City on Wednesday due to complications from a fall, the statement said. He was 82. The Democrat-turned-independent was never shy about veering from the party line.
Lieberman’s independent streak and especially his needling of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential contest rankled many Democrats, the party he aligned with in the Senate. Yet his support for gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes at times won him the praise of many liberals over the years. Lieberman came tantalizingly close to winning the vice presidency in the contentious 2000 presidential contest that was decided by a 537-vote margin victory for George W. Bush in Florida after a drawn-out recount, legal challenges and a Supreme Court decision. He was the first Jewish candidate on a major party’s presidential ticket and would have been the first Jewish vice president. He was also the first national Democrat to publicly criticize President Bill Clinton for his extramarital affair with a White House intern. Lieberman sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 but dropped out after a weak showing in the early primaries. Four years later, he was an independent who was nearly chosen to be McCain’s running mate. He and McCain were close pals who shared hawkish views on military and national security matters. McCain was leaning strongly toward choosing Lieberman for the ticket as the 2008 GOP convention neared, but he chose Sarah Palin at the last minute after “ferocious” blowback from conservatives over Lieberman’s liberal record, according to Steve Schmidt, who managed McCain’s campaign. >
Read this article at Associated Press - Subscribers Only
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Biden’s uneasy energy empire
President Joe Biden is presiding over a historic boom in U.S. energy production, with oil, natural gas and renewable power all setting records that would have seemed unfathomable two decades ago. And almost no one is happy about it. Republicans are angry about the hundreds of billions of dollars Biden is pouring into incentives for green energy, and his decision to place a temporary cap on the explosive growth of U.S. natural gas exports. Climate-minded Democrats and environmental advocates, meanwhile, say Biden’s approvals of pipelines and other fossil fuel projects violate his pledges to take on climate change — with some warning he’s demoralizing the young voters he needs to win reelection.
All the same, the once-unimaginable milestones keep coming: The U.S. set an all-time record for crude oil production in 2023, outstripping what any country — even Saudi Arabia — has ever produced in one year. Its natural gas exports also lead the world, providing a growing fuel lifeline to Europe and Asia. Wind and solar have emerged as the nation’s fastest-growing source of power, and now contribute nearly 15 percent of the country’s electricity, up from nearly zero 20 years ago. This abundance, the result of technological advances in drilling, energy tax policy tweaks across multiple administrations, state-level renewable energy production targets and the falling prices of wind and solar energy, means Biden has gotten the closest to an “all of the above” energy economy since presidential candidates from both parties started using the phrase in the 2000s. But the result has hardly been an era of untroubled bliss for the president. Instead, he faces continued unhappiness among many voters about gasoline prices, which spiked to record highs two years ago. And his administration must make tough decisions about whether, and how, to rein in fossil fuels that drive climate change. “We are an ‘all of the above’ country in many ways,” said Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat whose state is one of the country’s largest oil producers. “But is that sufficient? Ultimately we’re going to have to figure out how we get to a clean energy future.” >
Read this article at Politico - Subscribers Only
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State Stories
Some leaders of the Texas GOP have found a new enemy: H-E-B Chairman Charles Butt
Up against the wall, Charles Butt! The Jacobins in the GOP have a new enemy, and it’s the 86-year-old chairman of Texas’s beloved grocery chain, H-E-B. This weekend, party officials in four counties in East and Southeast Texas voted to condemn the “Democrat billionaire” for involving himself in “advocating for policies contrary to the Republican Party of Texas platform.” Among Butt’s alleged offenses against the party: Advocating against “election integrity.” (Ahead of the 2020 election, Butt publicly supported Harris County, home to Houston, in its quest to send mail-in ballots to all eligible voters.) Lobbying “against parents’ God-given rights and against empowering parents to choose the education that is best for their children.” (It’s unclear what “God-given rights” Butt opposes—in general, the resolution is poorly worded—but otherwise, his apostasy involves contributing to candidates and groups that support public education and oppose private-school vouchers, which would divert tax dollars away from public schools and toward private ones.) Sponsoring “drag queen shows for children.” (The resolution doesn’t specify what events it is referencing, but right-wing news sites have accused H-E-B of sponsoring pride events that included drag shows.)
To understand how Butt has become a target of so many among the GOP faithful, consider how the party crafts its most sacred document: the party platform, a notoriously long and ideologically extreme text that activists wield like a cudgel against Republican elected officials and candidates. For crimes against the principles outlined in the platform, the Texas GOP has adopted resolutions censuring a who’s who of the party’s top leaders, including—in chronological order—former House Speaker Joe Straus, Congressman Tony Gonzales, state representative Andrew Murr, and House Speaker Dade Phelan. (After contacting the Charles Butt Foundation, a representative for Butt and H-E-B declined our request for an interview.) The drafting of the platform is an every-other-year affair, in even years. It begins ahead of the biennial state Republican Party convention, during precinct, county, and state Senate district meetings that take place across the state. If the Republican Party convention is a sort of right-wing Burning Man—a gathering of like-minded eccentrics—then the local and regional conventions are tailgating parties, where activists propose and debate resolutions that will be considered at the state convention. The platform is supposed to reflect the ideology of the GOP base, which can be defined, for practical purposes, as the very right-wing 3 percent of Texans who decide Republican primary elections. Though it’s nonbinding, the document is treated with grim seriousness by its authors—and therefore commands at least some respect, or perhaps fear, among elected officials. Platform fundamentalism is a core feature of the Texas Republican Party. >
Read this article at Texas Monthly - Subscribers Only
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Jennifer Garner starring in movie based on accountant, wife convicted of embezzling $17 million from North Texas bakery, report says
Texas-born actress Jennifer Garner is set to star in a movie about a couple who embezzled nearly $17 million from the Collin Street Bakery based in Corsicana, according to a new report. The movie, entitled Fruitcake, according to Deadline, will feature Garner as Kay Jenkins and Paul Walter Hauser as Kay's husband, Sandy Jenkins, a seemingly upstanding middle-class couple, who achieved the American dream after Sandy used his job as an accountant to embezzle $17 million from Collin Street Bakery, the world-famous fruitcake company based in Corsicana. In September 2015, Sandy was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Kay was given five years probation and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. Deadline had previously reported in 2020 that Will Ferrell and Laura Dern were set to portray the Texas couple, but the project "has undergone a makeover," according to Deadline's new report released earlier this month.
The movie is being directed by Max Winkler, known for films like Flower and Jungleland. "The saga of the Collin Street Bakery’s fruitcake factory, based on Katy Vine’s brilliant article, remains our white whale. I’m thrilled and honored to get to bring it all to the screen with this wonderful team we have assembled.,” Winkler told Deadline. A timetable for the movie's release has not yet been reported. According to federal authorities, Sandy Jenkins caused Collin Street Bakery checks to be written to his personal creditors and then manipulated Collin Street Bakery's computerized accounting system to show that the checks had been voided. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for Texas' Northern District, the prosecution said the Jenkins took 223 trips on private jets from 2004 until the embezzlement was discovered in 2013 at a total cost exceeding $3.3 million. Additionally, the government found the Jenkins spent more than $11 million on an American Express black card alone — which comes out to roughly $98,000 per month over the course of the scheme — and $1.2 million at the Neiman Marcus store in Dallas' Northpark Center. >
Read this article at WFAA - Subscribers Only
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$270M National Medal of Honor Museum sets official opening date in Arlington
City Manager Trey Yelverton had a front-row seat during the process of bringing the National Medal of Honor Museum to Arlington — a process he likened to a series of speed dates between the community and the museum. First, the museum’s site selection committee met with longtime residents with past military connections. Then, residents got former Mayor Jeff Williams involved. Next, the community — students and business partners — joined the date. At some point, Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys owners also contributed by hosting the committee members. All the efforts culminated in a phone call that Williams put on speaker for hundreds of staff members gathered in the city manager’s conference room. The CEO of the museum said in the phone call, “There was no other place in the country than Arlington for this historic place.”
Five years later, the official date is set: The National Medal of Honor Museum will open on National Medal of Honor Day, March 25, 2025, at 1717 E. Randol Mill Road, north of Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium. The 100,000-square-foot museum will be the only national institution dedicated to telling the stories of America’s 3,517 recipients of the highest military decoration for valor in combat. There are 19 double recipients of the medals, bringing the total to 3,536. “This project was born here in Arlington. It’ll be in Arlington, but it’s a way that we, together, are going to inspire America,” said Chris Cassidy, president and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. The museum was expected to open on Veterans Day this year, but global supply shortages and other issues stemming from the pandemic caused the delay, Cassidy said. >
Read this article at Fort Worth Report - Subscribers Only
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Republicans’ budding interest in Texas’ housing crisis could create strange political bedfellows
Republican lawmakers have begun to signal that curtailing the state’s high home prices and rents will be a major focus when they return to Austin next year. Texas Republicans’ traditional approach to combating growing housing costs has been to rein in property taxes, which are among the highest in the nation. But one idea to solve the country’s growing housing crisis has been gaining traction in red and blue states alike: reducing or eliminating city zoning and land-use rules that determine what kind of housing can be built and where. Many housing advocates believe these policies get in the way of adding enough homes. Curbing or getting rid of them, they argue, would bring down home prices and rents — and give would-be buyers a fighting shot at owning a home. Unlike many of the contentious issues that drive stark partisan divides among Texas lawmakers, tackling the state’s housing affordability crisis could foster rare alliances between Republicans and Democrats during next year’s legislative session. That’s because the underlying attitudes Texans hold about housing don’t break cleanly along partisan lines.
Would-be homeowners and renters, regardless of political affiliation, are desperate for cheaper housing. Homeowners who tend to resist development — often referred to as NIMBYs, which stands for “Not In My Backyard” — can be found in Republican and Democratic strongholds alike. For conservatives expressing support for zoning reforms in recent weeks, reducing government regulations and letting the free market take the wheel holds a clear appeal. It could also bolster property owners’ rights by allowing them to build more on their land. “There's too much government involved in the housing affordability issue,” said James Quintero, policy director for the foundation’s Taxpayer Protection Project. “To the extent that we can either limit or get government out of the way entirely, we will begin to ease the problem and allow market forces to correct for it.” State Rep. Cody Vasut, a Houston-area Republican who is close with House leadership, hinted he would welcome a proposal to at least tamp down on those regulations next session. “We want to have good policies that encourage development in order to lower prices,” Vasut said during a February panel at a gathering of pro-housing activists and groups in Austin. “And the best way to do that is to get the government slightly more out of the way so that the free market takes off and provides a good product at a lower price.” >
Read this article at Texas Tribune - Subscribers Only
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HISD outlines priorities for 2024-25 school year in draft action plan. Here's what it says.
Houston ISD is expected to expand several of its controversial reforms during the 2024-25 school year, according to a preliminary version of the district's plans shared earlier this month. HISD's state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles presented a draft version of the district’s action plan to the District Advisory Committee last week, along with the Board of Managers. He also previewed the plan with the Principal Advisory Committee and the Teacher Advisory Committee. The plan, as of March 17, lists 10 of the district’s planned “key actions” for next year, which include plans to reduce hundreds of central office staff positions, call a bond election in November and mandate leadership training for principals. The listed key actions also include several previously announced plans or initiatives, such as expanding the New Education System to 45 schools, adding hundreds of additional pre-K seats, and creating a new teacher evaluation system to implement in the 2025-2026 school year.
As announced in January, HISD plans to add 45 campuses next year to the NES program, which includes a standardized curriculum, the conversion of libraries to Team Centers and courses focused on the “science of reading.” The campuses also have longer hours, timed lessons, higher pay for teachers and additional staff who support teachers. More than 10 years after the district’s last bond election, HISD wrote that it plans to ask the voters for a bond election in November 2024, pending board approval, to address what it describes as deteriorating schools and infrastructure. The plan states that HISD expects to draft the bond measure plan by April 1 and obtain board approval by May 1. The third action item states that HISD is aiming to “grow staff capacity to provide the highest quality instruction,” with the goal of increasing the average teacher spot observation scores by both December 2024 and May 2025. HISD plans to create “special education resource classrooms" in reading and math courses for fourth through seventh graders and provide a special education teacher assistant for “every 60 moderate needs students” at NES schools. >
Read this article at Houston Chronicle - Subscribers Only
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Water scarcity hurting South Texas border agriculture
The South Texas border town of Mission is known as the “Home of the Grapefruit.” But the sight of grapefruit, lemon and orange groves could soon be no more as water scarcity is beginning to affect the citrus industry here significantly, and other Rio Grande Valley towns and communities are having to adjust because of Mexico’s inability to pay the United States water it owes. So far, Mexico has paid barely one year’s worth of water in the current five-year water cycle, which ends in October 2025, according to the International Boundary and Water Commission. Under a 1944 international treaty, Mexico must deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water by the deadline, an average of about 350,000 acre-feet per year. But as of Saturday, Mexico has only paid 382,538 acre-feet of water, and with just 19 months to go, border lawmakers do not believe Mexico will pay its debt in time.
Last month, Texas’ only sugar mill — and one of only three in the nation — closed down in nearby Santa Rosa because there wasn’t enough water for sugar growers. Over 500 mill workers lost their jobs. And local leaders fear it’s just the first of many industries to falter as water becomes scarcer. “We’ve passed two resolutions – one last year, and actually one at the last meeting – urging Mexico to release the water that is owed to us by the treaty. And so obviously, that has affected our water supply negatively,” Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza told Border Report. Garza spoke on Monday night after the Mission City Council unanimously voted to secure agriculture water rights with a local irrigation district to pump more water from the Rio Grande that they will then convert for municipal use. But it comes at a cost of $80 per acre-foot and they won’t get all they pay for. To move the water from the Rio Grande, the city will pay what’s called a “loss” of 15%, meaning for every 100 acre-feet of water they buy; they will get 85 acre-feet, Garza told Border Report. >
Read this article at Border Report - Subscribers Only
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Can a ‘smart highway’ in Texas pave the way to self-driving?
Texas State Highway 130 swings a wide arc to the east of Austin, traversing a patchwork of farmland that is being carved into housing subdivisions. Semi-trailer trucks hurtle alongside sedans at 85 miles an hour, the highest posted speed limit in the US. Along the eastern edge of SH 130 sprawls Tesla’s factory, churning out cars that the company wants to eventually be capable of self-driving. Soon, the highway itself could help make that task easier. In 2023, the Texas Department of Transportation announced it would partner with a company called Cavnue to pilot the country’s first autonomous freight corridor on a stretch of SH 130 north of Austin. Cavnue intends to add sensors alongside the roadway to collect data on road conditions and, eventually, communicate with connected vehicles — cars and trucks that can “talk” to the highway as they speed down it.
“The way roads are designed, the way they’re operated, and the way information comes off the roadway needs to improve,” says Tyler Duvall, CEO and founder of Cavnue. The Washington, DC-based company was launched in 2020 from Google parent Alphabet’s Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners; its name is a portmanteau of “connected and automated vehicles,” or CAVs, and “avenue.” Smart roadways are the latest addition to a suite of vehicle automation technologies intended to deliver the self-driving revolution that we have long been promised. But it’s not yet clear if they’re the path forward. Enthusiasts like Duvall say that the more information that drivers — computers or humans — have about the road ahead, the safer and more efficient that road will be. The question now at play in Texas is whether adding technology to existing roads can dramatically improve AV performance and traffic safety. What makes a road “smart”? Mostly, the intelligence comes from capturing data via sensors installed on poles rising every 200 or 400 meters along the edge of the highway. These devices will collect and communicate information about traffic, weather, work zones, obstacles, and other road conditions. The advanced driver assistance features that allow some current vehicles to pilot themselves rely on cameras and other sensors contained within the vehicle itself. A smart road can expand that field of vision, Duvall says. “It’s a lot better to see a half mile or a mile ahead than it is 300 meters ahead, particularly for trucks,” he says. >
Read this article at Bloomberg - Subscribers Only
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Gov. Abbott issues executive order fighting antisemitism at Texas colleges
Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Wednesday aimed at fighting what his office called an increase in antisemitism at Texas’ colleges and universities. “Some radical organizations on our campuses engaged in acts that have no place in Texas,” Abbott said in a press release. “Now, we must work to ensure that our college campuses are safe spaces for members of the Jewish community.” Abbott said acts of antisemitism began to grow “in number, size and danger to the Jewish community” since the Hamas attack in early October that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel. The order requires all public colleges and universities in the state to review their free speech policies to lay out punishments for antisemitic rhetoric on campuses; to ensure administrators enforce those policies; and to include the definition of antisemitism.
However, some worried about the impact it would have on free speech and criticized it as overly broad. The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas) condemned the order in a statement, calling it “an unconstitutional overreach.” “This order not only undermines the principles of free speech and academic freedom but also perpetuates a harmful narrative that equates criticism of Israeli policies with antisemitism,” CAIR-DFW Executive Director Mustafa Carroll said in a statement. In the executive order, Abbott noted that protected free speech areas on Texas university campuses, including the buildings and parking lots of Jewish student organizations, have been covered in antisemitic graffiti. He said multiple protests and walkouts staged by schools’ student organizations have featured chants that included antisemitic phrases, such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which he described as being “used by Hamas supporters to call for the violent dismantling of the State of Israel and the destruction of the Jewish people who live there.” The governor is distributing more than $4 million in grant funding for security enhancements among Jewish organizations; directing state agencies to cease purchasing goods produced in or exported from the Gaza Strip and from any organization or state with ties to Hamas; and encouraging schools across the state to use lessons and resources shared by the Texas Education Agency to help students understand the Israel-Hamas war. >
Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only
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IRS owes Texans $107 million in unclaimed tax refunds. Time is running out to file
More than 93,000 Texans have unclaimed tax refunds, but the deadline to file a tax return is approaching. The IRS said this week that roughly 940,000 people in the U.S. have until May 17 to submit tax returns for unclaimed refunds for tax year 2020, which total more than $1 billion nationwide. In Texas, unclaimed refunds total $107 million, with a median refund of $960. The national median refund for 2020 is $932. “There’s money remaining on the table for hundreds of thousands of people who haven’t filed 2020 tax returns,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement “We want taxpayers to claim these refunds, but time is running out for people who may have overlooked or forgotten about these refunds.” Taxpayers typically have three years to file and claim their tax refunds before the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline for 2020 was extended from 2023 to 2024.
By not filing a return, taxpayers could lose more than a refund. Many low- and moderate-income workers may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which in 2020 was worth up to $6,660 for taxpayers with qualifying children. The program helps individuals and people whose incomes are below certain thresholds. “People faced extremely unusual situations during the pandemic, which may have led some people to forget about a potential refund on their 2020 tax returns,” Werfel said. For those who need to file a return, the IRS advises taxpayers to request their W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 from their employer or bank — or order a free wage and income transcript using the “Get Transcript Online” tool at IRS.gov. This week’s announcement from the IRS comes weeks after the federal tax collector launched a pilot program called Direct File in a dozen states, including Texas. Some 50,000 people in those states have used the free program so far this year. >
Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only
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How many Texas bridges are ‘structurally deficient?’
Texas bridges are among the safest in the nation, according to a 2023 analysis by the non-partisan American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Nearly 20% of the state’s more than 56,000 bridges need repair, but less than 2% are considered structurally deficient, meaning one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition. On Tuesday morning, a cargo ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, bringing the structure down and presumably killing six construction workers on the structure. The bodies of two people were recovered from the site Wednesday, Maryland State Police said. North Texas does not have any boat ports or bridges similar in structure to the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but there are hundreds of bridges that cross other roadways, railroads, rivers, lakes and basins.
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Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only
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North Texas county issues disaster declaration for solar eclipse, expects 200K people
A North Texas county issued a disaster declaration ahead of the April 8 solar eclipse, warning of traffic and potential gridlock as the celestial event ends. Kaufman County Judge Jakie Allen issued the declaration Wednesday due to “projected and expected number of visitors,” according to a news release from the county’s Office of Emergency Management. County officials are expecting 200,000 people in attendance — nearly double its population — to view the total eclipse as Kaufman and Terrell are in the path of totality. “The dramatic increase in population, even for a short time, will greatly impact our public safety agencies, taxing their ability to respond to calls,” officials wrote in a release announcing the declaration.
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Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only
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Why Dallas megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes was named in lawsuit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Dallas megachurch pastor of The Potter's House, Thomas Dexter (T.D.) Jakes, has been named in a lawsuit that associates him with Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. The lawsuit — filed by music producer for Combs’ Bad Boy records Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones — accuses Combs and several of his associates of participating in a "sex trafficking venture." The civil lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court for the southern district of New York and obtained by USA TODAY on Monday, alleges that for more than a year, Combs sexually harassed, drugged and threatened Jones. Jones is seeking $30 million in compensation and a jury trial.
The lawsuit states that Jones has “irrefutable evidence” of “Mr. Combs detailing how he planned to leverage his relationship with Bishop T.D. Jakes to soften the impact on his public image of Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit.” According to The Dallas Morning News, in December 2023, Jakes was accused of participating in sex parties hosted by Combs in unverified reports on social media. Jakes responded to the reports in a Christmas Eve service at The Potter’s House. “The worst that could happen, if everything was true, all I got to do is repent sincerely, from my heart,” he said. “There’s enough power in the blood to cover all kinds of sin. I don’t care what it is, the blood would fix it,” Jakes said. “But I ain’t got to repent about this.” Jakes founded The Potter’s House in 1996 and reportedly has more than 30,000 members of the church with locations in Frisco, Fort Worth, Denver and Los Angeles as well, according to NBC5DFW. >
Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only
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City Stories
It just became a little easier, and cheaper, to run a restaurant in Dallas
Dallas City Council approved a code change Wednesday that no longer requires food service managers to register with the city. Prior to the code revision, restaurant and food business managers had to submit an application form through the city to show they were certified through the state’s health department. The registration cost $63, and food service managers faced a penalty of up to $500 if they didn’t comply. Now, they are only required to obtain a food manager certificate from the state’s health department. It may be a small change, but restaurateur Tanner Agar says it’s a meaningful one. When he and his business partners opened Rye in Dallas after operating in McKinney for years, they were surprised and confused by the Dallas requirement.
“You had to register to show that you were registered,” Agar said of the code requirement. “You can see why we thought it was odd.” Agar said the change is a welcomed one in a city where the process for opening and operating restaurants is notoriously choked with red tape on things from awnings to parking requirements. “I do think there should be rules for restaurants, but it can be helpful when there are fewer hoops to jump through, especially when I don’t think those hoops are making things safer,” he said. “The city is growing and changing, and code needs to change to reflect that for the best interest of the citizens, and doing away with obstacles only benefits the people who have jobs with us and the people who dine with us.” >
Read this article at Dallas Morning News - Subscribers Only
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National Stories
Mexico adds more troops to hot spot for unlawful migrant crossings
Mexico’s National Guard is deploying more soldiers to an area between San Diego and Tijuana that has seen an increased number of unlawful crossings in recent weeks. The added foot patrols are also a result of verbal abuse and threats from smugglers directed at the soldiers, according to David Pérez Tejada, head of Mexico’s National Institute of Migration in Baja California. “We are getting a lot of aggressive encounters,” he said. “We’re also asking migrants to stay out of this area.” The area is just east of Tijuana’s bullring in a canyon about half a mile from the coast, where, according to Pérez Tejada, at least 100 people are unlawfully crossing the border daily.
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Read this article at Border Report - Subscribers Only
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Some Medicaid providers borrow or go into debt amid ‘unwinding’ payment disruptions
Jason George began noticing in September that Medicaid payments had stalled for some of his assisted living facility residents, people who need help with daily living. Guardian Group Montana, which owns three small facilities in rural Montana, relies on the government health insurance to cover its care of low-income residents. George, who manages the facilities, said residents’ Medicaid delays have lasted from a few weeks to more than six months and that at one point the total amounted to roughly $150,000. George said the company didn’t have enough money to pay its employees. When he called state health and public assistance officials for help, he said, they told him they were swamped processing a high load of Medicaid cases, and that his residents would have to wait their turn. “I’ve mentioned to some of them, ‘Well what do we do if we’re not being paid for four or five months? Do we have to evict the resident?’” he asked.
Instead, the company took out bank loans at 8% interest, George said. Montana officials finished their initial checks of who qualifies for Medicaid in January, less than a year after the federal government lifted a freeze on disenrollments during the height of the covid-19 pandemic. More than 127,200 people in Montana lost Medicaid with tens of thousands of cases still processing, according to the latest state data, from mid-February. Providers who take Medicaid have said their state payments have been disrupted, leaving them financially struggling amid the unwinding. They’re providing care without pay, and sometimes going into debt. It’s affecting small long-term care facilities, substance use disorder clinics, and federally funded health centers that rely on Medicaid to offer treatment based on need, not what people can pay. State health officials have defended their Medicaid redetermination process and said they have worked to address public assistance backlogs. Financial pinches were expected as people who legitimately no longer qualify were removed from coverage. But the businesses have said an overburdened state workforce is creating a different set of problems. In some cases, it has taken months for people to reapply for Medicaid after getting dropped, or to access the coverage for the first time. Part of the problem, providers said, are long waits on hold for the state’s call center and limited in-person help. >
Read this article at Kaiser Health News - Subscribers Only
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Trump is selling ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles for $59.99 as he faces mounting legal bills
Former President Donald Trump is now selling Bibles as he runs to return to the White House. Trump, who became the presumptive Republican nominee earlier this month, released a video on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday urging his supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” which is inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad. Trump takes the stage to the song at each of his rallies and has appeared with Greenwood at events. “Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless the USA Bible,” Trump wrote, directing his supporters to a website selling the book for $59.99. The effort comes as Trump has faced a serious money crunch amid mounting legal bills while he fights four criminal indictments along with a series of civil charges.
Trump was given a reprieve Monday when a New York appeals court agreed to hold off on collecting the more than $454 million he owes following a civil fraud judgment if he puts up $175 million within 10 days. Trump has already posted a $92 million bond in connection with defamation cases brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault. “All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” Trump said in the video posted on Truth Social. “I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible. We must make America pray again.” Billing itself as “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump!” the new venture’s website calls it “Easy-to-read” with “large print” and a “slim design” that “invites you to explore God’s Word anywhere, any time.” >
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Lawyers for Trump after 2020 election face professional reckonings
Fallout for lawyers who assisted Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election is coming into focus this week, as one ex-lawyer for Trump will find if he may lose his law license and another attorney is in the middle of a disciplinary trial. John Eastman, a conservative law professor, and Jeffrey Clark, the former Trump Justice Department official whom Trump nearly installed as attorney general, face major developments in their attorney discipline cases in the jurisdictions where they are barred. The developments highlight how, even years after the 2020 election, authorities that regulate the attorneys are still looking closely at the actions of attorneys for Trump, several of whom could lose their law licenses.
In addition to Eastman and Clark, three other lawyers for Trump in 2020 — Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis —have pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Georgia that could risk their law licenses. Another lawyer, Stefanie Lambert, recently spent the night in jail for failing to show up for a case against her in Michigan, while the prominent attorney Rudy Giuliani is in bankruptcy and suspended from practicing law. And Lawrence Joseph, Julia Haller and Brandon Johnson, who worked in battleground states to support Trump and on frivolous court filings alleging election fraud after the last presidential election, are now facing attorney disciplinary charges in Washington, DC. The State Bar of California is expected to issue a decision by Wednesday regarding Eastman, the architect of an effort to halt Congress’ certification of the 2020 results. Meanwhile, Clark’s professional ethics trial began on Tuesday. >
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As threats in space mount, U.S. lags in protecting key services
The United States and China are locked in a new race, in space and on Earth, over a fundamental resource: time itself. And the United States is losing. Global positioning satellites serve as clocks in the sky, and their signals have become fundamental to the global economy — as essential for telecommunications, 911 services and financial exchanges as they are for drivers and lost pedestrians. But those services are increasingly vulnerable as space is rapidly militarized and satellite signals are attacked on Earth. Yet, unlike China, the United States does not have a Plan B for civilians should those signals get knocked out in space or on land. The risks may seem as remote as science fiction. But just last month, the United States said that Russia may deploy a nuclear weapon into space, refocusing attention on satellites’ vulnerability. And John E. Hyten, an Air Force general who also served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and who is now retired, once called some satellites “big, fat, juicy targets.”
Tangible threats have been growing for years. Russia, China, India and the United States have tested antisatellite missiles, and several major world powers have developed technology meant to disrupt signals in space. One Chinese satellite has a robotic arm that could destroy or move other satellites. Other attacks are occurring on Earth. Russian hackers targeted a satellite system’s ground infrastructure in Ukraine, cutting off internet at the start of the war there. Attacks like jamming, which drowns out satellite signals, and spoofing, which sends misleading data, are increasing, diverting flights and confounding pilots far from battlefields. If the world were to lose its connection to those satellites, the economic losses would amount to billions of dollars a day. Despite recognizing the risks, the United States is years from having a reliable alternative source for time and navigation for civilian use if GPS signals are out or interrupted, documents show and experts say. The Transportation Department, which leads civilian projects for timing and navigation, disputed this, but did not provide answers to follow-up questions. A 2010 plan by the Obama administration, which experts had hoped would create a backup to satellites, never took off. A decade later, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order that said that the disruption or manipulation of satellite signals posed a threat to national security. But he did not suggest an alternative or propose funding to protect infrastructure. The Biden administration is soliciting bids from private companies, hoping they will offer technical solutions. But it could take years for those technologies to be widely adopted. >
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Inside the raids at Diddy's homes: Emptied safes, dismantled electronics, many questions
It was a major show of force: Dozens of agents, some heavily armed, descending on Sean "Diddy" Combs' estates in Los Angeles and Miami. Television news helicopters captured the action as Department of Homeland Security agents served a search warrant in what officials described as an investigation into alleged sex trafficking — claims the music legend denies. Homeland Security investigators yelled for those inside the star's Holmby Hills mansion to come out with their hands in the air. Combs' adult sons later told their father they had lasers pointed at them as they emerged from the home, sources told The Times. Combs himself was in Florida at the time. But much remains unknown about the case and how close authorities are to determining whether to file criminal charges.
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How Greene’s bid to topple Johnson could blow up the House — or in her own face
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bid to vote on firing Speaker Mike Johnson risks throwing the House back into leaderless paralysis for the second time in six months. But it also holds real peril for the frustrated conservatives whom she claims to represent — with some worried she could possibly push Johnson into working with Democrats on Ukraine aid. The Georgia Republican last week introduced a resolution ousting Johnson that she hasn’t said when she will force a vote on, portraying it as an early warning to the speaker after he pushed through a government funding deal that his right flank loathed. Should Greene decide to tee up that vote later next month, after Johnson’s margin shrinks to just one vote, she might need only a single colleague on her side in order to fire him — so long as Democrats unite against saving his job.
“You should take her very seriously,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker last year but said he “isn’t there yet” on joining Greene’s anti-Johnson push. “Marjorie is playing chess, not checkers. She’s looking at the long game, and she’s holding all the cards on this one,” Burchett added. “And I think it’s an attempt on her part to move the Republican party to a more conservative area — where our base is.” Yet as Johnson increasingly looks to Democrats to help pass major bills, including a $1.2 trillion spending plan that most of his conference opposed, Greene’s latest chess move could backfire spectacularly. There’s no guarantee any Republicans will join her in ousting Johnson, since even many conservatives are disinterested in firing another speaker. Still, some haven’t ruled it out — and Johnson has no room to maneuver in his thin majority. So the speaker could end up answering her threat by giving Democrats floor time for Ukraine, as the Louisiana Republican actively decides a path forward on the foreign aid package. That may well be enough to lock in a few Democratic votes for saving his job. >
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Newsclips - March 27, 2024 |
Lead Stories
AG Ken Paxton strikes deal to resolve 2015 securities fraud charges
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and prosecutors agreed to dismiss almost 9-year-old criminal charges Tuesday if the Republican state official completes community supervision and pays about $270,000 in restitution. Terms of the 18-month intervention agreement, announced Tuesday in a pretrial hearing that had been delayed from last week, also include 100 hours of community service and 15 hours of legal education classes focused on ethics. Paxton was to face trial on April 15 on three felony counts, including two charges of securities fraud. If Paxton, who was in the courtroom Tuesday, completes the terms of the arrangement, the charges will not appear on his record. In a statement after the hearing, Paxton said he did not admit guilt under the agreement, which was proposed by prosecutors.
“For over a decade, my family and I have been dealing with the ongoing stress of these accusations and are relieved to finally have a resolution in this matter,” Paxton said. “The prosecution came to us to begin negotiations, and we were able to come to an agreement on terms. There will never be a conviction in this case, nor am I guilty,” he said. Brian Wice, who was appointed as a special prosecutor in the case, had said earlier this year that an agreement without an admission of guilt would not be appropriate in this case. But on Tuesday, Wice said Paxton’s decision to pay restitution offered a rare opportunity to undo any wrongdoing to the victims. “In a typical criminal case, victims are seldom, if ever, made whole,” Wice said. “In this case, you were able to do exactly that.” Paxton will have 18 months to pay the $270,000 to former state Rep. Byron Cook and the estate of Florida businessman Joel Hochberg, who died last year. Wice said that, if Paxton repays money lost in the investment deal early, he would entertain cutting short his supervision of Paxton. The agreement requires the attorney general to check in with prosecutors every 60 days. >
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How Ken Paxton's securities fraud deal boosts both his GOP friends and Democratic enemies
By settling the securities fraud case that has dogged his entire tenure as Texas' attorney general, Ken Paxton on Tuesday shed a legal and political albatross that has swung from his neck for nine years, and immediately became a champion among his fellow Republicans and politically weaker in the minds of Democrats with two and half years left before the state's top attorney will have to face voters again. "This is redemption for him politically, at least in the eyes of (his fellow) Republicans," University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus told the American-Statesman on Tuesday after attorneys in a Harris County state District Court announced Paxton's pretrial intervention agreement. The 18-month agreement, which comes with no admission of guilt by Paxton, would sweep away the securities fraud charges filed against him in 2015, if he meets the requirements of the deal, including serving 100 hours of community service, enrolling in 15 hours of legal ethics training and paying $271,000 in total restitution.
And while his attorney emphatically told reporters that the settlement affirms Paxton's oft-repeated claim that he has committed no wrongdoing, the provision that requires the three-term Republican to pay $271,000 in total restitution to investors tied to the fraud allegations will stand as a tempting target for Democrats in any future election where Paxton's name is on the ballot. A six-figure payout to end a legal case speaks much louder than a defendant's claim of innocence, said veteran Democratic operative Matt Angle. "By agreeing to the terms of the confidential settlement," Angle said, Paxton "has admitted that he engaged in fraud and failed to register as an agent for security. And of course, he's getting a sweetheart deal. They're treating him like he's a teenager who smoked pot. He does community service, and his record expunged." Paxton, whose third term ends in 2026, has not publicly indicated whether he plans to run for reelection. But he has expressed at least some interest in launching a primary challenge to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, whose term also expires in the same election cycle. Texas Republican operative Luke Twombly sees the equation much differently. He likened Paxton's deal to the settlement of a nuisance civil lawsuit in which a lump-sum payment is less expensive than ongoing litigation. More telling, Twombly said, was Paxton beating the 20 impeachment charges, including bribery and abuse office, filed against him last year by the Texas House, which led to a trial in the Senate after which senators, largely along party lines, acquitted him of wrongdoing. Also notable was Paxton's near run-the-table defeat of many House Republican incumbents who voted to impeach him and of the three GOP members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals who blocked some of the attorney general's legal initiatives. >
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U.S. Supreme Court challenges anti-abortion groups’ ability to sue over abortion drug
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared unlikely to roll back mifepristone access after hearing arguments from the federal government and anti-abortion groups challenging the medication’s availability nationwide. Chief Justice John Roberts suggested granting relief only for the doctors who raised an issue with the drug. Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Neil Gorsuch also expressed doubts about triggering nationwide change when only a small number of doctors contend that the medication’s availability harms them. “This case seems like a prime example of what could be a small lawsuit into a nationwide assembly on an FDA approval or any other federal government action,” said Gorsuch, noting a recent “rash” of broad court actions.
Tuesday’s hearing was the first time the Supreme Court took up the issue of abortion since overturning Roe v. Wade almost two years ago. The case stemmed from a federal lawsuit challenging the drug’s safety and was filed in Texas by the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, and anti-abortion doctors and medical groups. At the hearing, the court’s scope was limited to whether the FDA improperly made procedural changes that increased access to mifepristone nationwide in 2016 and 2021, and whether the plaintiffs showed evidence of harm related to those changes. The court’s decision, not expected until June, could roll back access to the drug nationwide by reinstating requirements for patients to visit a physician in person and attend multiple clinical appointments, among other restrictions. Right now, patients can get a prescription for mifepristone via telehealth and have the medication mailed to them. Even in Texas, which banned medication abortion, some women are receiving prescriptions via telehealth from doctors in states where abortion is legal. >
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Banks shying away from fossil fuels bolster private credit deals
Private credit managers are doing significantly more fossil-fuel deals now than just a few years ago, as they step into a void left by banks exiting assets they worry pose too big a climate risk. The value of private credit deals in the oil and gas industry topped $9 billion in the 24 months through 2023, up from $450 million arranged in the preceding two years, according to data provided by Preqin, an analytics company that tracks the alternative investment industry. That’s based on the limited pool of deals reported publicly or disclosed directly to Preqin. The figures offer the clearest signal yet that fossil-fuel exclusion policies among banks — driven by regulatory and reputational concerns — are shifting some oil, gas and coal assets to less transparent corners of the market. It’s a trend that investors say is only going to increase in the coming years.
The expectation is that some banks “will just exit” the loans market for coal, oil and even gas, said Ryan Dunfield, chief executive officer of SAF Group, one of the largest alternative lenders in Canada’s energy sector. The shift is particularly pronounced among banks based in Europe, where climate regulations are stricter than in other jurisdictions. Lenders stepping up restrictions on fossil-fuel loans include BNP Paribas SA and ING Group NV. The trend is hardest felt by less diversified mid-sized companies with weaker environmental, social and governance policies, according to Dunfield. European banks that used to be involved in financing oil and gas in SAF’s home market of Canada “have backed out over the past five years,” Dunfield said. Combined with a partial retreat by some US banks, the development has left a financing gap, he said. Canada is “a very progressive country,” but “a big part of our GDP comes from energy,” Dunfield said. As a result, the “economic engine conflicts with public policy in that sense.” For companies shifting from banks to private credit, the cost can be considerable. Sydney-based Whitehaven Coal Ltd., whose recent efforts to secure a $1.1 billion loan attracted 17 private credit lenders and just one bank, is paying 650 basis points, or 6.5 percentage points, over the so-called secured overnight financing rate, Bloomberg News reported last week. >
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State Stories
Will Texas AG Ken Paxton's securities fraud deal be public? Probably not. Here's why.
With embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state prosecutors cutting a deal Tuesday to end the state's nearly nine-year criminal securities fraud case against Paxton, the public might never know the details of how the three-term Republican officially responded to the charges because the agreement legally can be kept secret. The Texas Public Information Act allows that information to be kept from public disclosure as such agreements do not equate to a criminal conviction. Brian Wice, the special prosecutor on the case, said Paxton's pretrial intervention agreement is not a public record. "It is not filed with the papers of the court," he told reporters Tuesday after announcing the deal in a Harris County state District Court. Paxton was indicted in 2015 for three securities fraud felonies stemming from his work to seek investments for a Dallas-area tech startup without disclosing to potential clients that the company was paying him $100,000 in company stock for each referral.
As per the terms of the deal announced Tuesday, Paxton's charges will be dismissed if he completes 100 hours of community service in Collin County, enrolls in 15 hours of legal ethics training and pays $271,000 in total restitution to investors. The actual agreement, though, was not released to the public. There is a level of irony in play in Paxton's case. In 2016, his office released a formal opinion that a deferred prosecution agreement in a misdemeanor case that the Travis County attorney's office had reached with a defendant in a misdemeanor domestic violence case should be publicly released. The process involved more than a few twists and turns, including a lawsuit that triggered an appeal, an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court that the justices declined to hear. The settlement of Paxton case is called a "pretrial diversion agreement" because of the level of supervision he is subject to over the agreement's 18-month life. According to an April 3, 2020, write-up for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, the Travis County attorney's office asked the attorney general's Open Records Division to weigh on whether a public information request by the victim of domestic violence should be disclosed. >
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Dade Phelan's efforts to expand healthcare still leave many struggling in his district
Three years ago, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan unveiled a set of bills that he declared would improve the health of millions of Texans, largely by expanding access to healthcare. The measures, authored by Republicans and Democrats, were applauded by health advocates such as the Texas Medical Association. This month, an updated version of one of the most noteworthy bills took effect, extending postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers from two months after giving birth to a year. The reforms—most of which passed—fell short of full Medicaid expansion, but they cast the newly elected House speaker in a milder light: a conservative Texas GOP leader willing at times to prioritize the state’s serious healthcare gaps. Phelan toes a conservative line, including supporting one of the country’s most restrictive abortion bans. But some advocates were hopeful that Phelan’s “Healthy Families, Healthy Texas” plan, which included bills from Republicans and Democrats, might signal openness to Medicaid expansion approval to cover more low-income adults.
Other than abortion, healthcare issues are not dominating the debates in Texas campaigns. Phelan’s office declined to talk to Public Health Watch for this story or provide a statement on Medicaid expansion. But back home in his district—state House District 21, a vertical stretch of rural, metro, and industrial communities sandwiched between Houston and Louisiana—the needs for affordable healthcare are high. District 21 represents all of Jasper and Orange counties and about a quarter of Jefferson County’s population, including part of Beaumont, Phelan’s hometown. Nearly 19 percent of District 21 residents younger than 65—or about 28,500 people—are uninsured, according to the Census Bureau’s 2022 five-year estimates. Like much of Texas, the district has a shortage of primary care providers. Hospital services are tenuous. In rural Jasper County, there’s only one hospital—Jasper Memorial, part of Christus Southeast Texas—and it no longer has a labor-and-delivery unit. The next closest is an hour northwest to Lufkin or an hour south to Beaumont. >
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Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax takes step toward Austin job
Outgoing Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax is a step closer to becoming city manager in Austin. According to a city council message board post from Mayor Kirk Watson, a subcommittee has recommended Broadnax move forward to become the next city manager. In the message, with a heading of “City Manager Search Update,” Mayor Watson writes that the subcommittee “recommends that we post a council action for April 4, 2024, to authorize negotiation of an employment agreement with T.C. Broadnax.” The notice further says, “This posting will also be for potential passage of an ordinance to employ T.C. Broadnax as Austin City Manager.” Broadnax did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
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North Texas teacher changes name to Literally Anybody Else to run for U.S. president
A North Texas school teacher has legally changed his name to Literally Anybody Else and announced he is running for U.S. president. Formerly known as Dustin Ebey, Else said he is deeply unhappy with 2024 presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump so he requested a name change in January to make a point. Else’s long-shot presidential bid is attracting widespread attention. On Tuesday, the 35-year-old told The Dallas Morning News he is fielding a flurry of calls from news outlets across the U.S. and as far as Germany and India. Interviews with radio and television stations are piling up. “People are fed up,” said Else, who lives in North Richland Hills and teaches seventh grade math. “Government is supposed to be by the people, for the people, but that’s not what we have here. We have a billionaire and a career politician.”
Else knows he faces near-impossible odds. Just getting on the ballot will be difficult. In Texas, an independent candidate needs 113,151 signatures of registered voters who did not vote in the presidential primary of either party by May 13 to get on the ballot, per state law. Other states have their own requirements and deadlines. Understanding that will be challenging to navigate, Else is encouraging voters to write in Literally Anybody Else. To spread the word, the U.S. Army veteran campaigned before a Dallas Stars game and is considering hosting a campaign event this month. Other than that, he is relying on word of mouth, and Else said he hopes to hire an assistant soon to help field media calls. Donations have begun to trickle in on his website and a GoFundMe, reaching just under $1,000 by Tuesday evening. “Literally Anybody Else isn’t a person,” Else writes on his website. “It’s a rally cry.” “We’re victims of political parties that put party loyalty above governing,” Else said. “We need to a send a message that you will represent the people or be replaced.” >
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Report: Austin has the fastest-growing number of millionaires in the U.S.
While Austin was ranked as the city with the fastest-growing number of millionaires – growing a whopping 110 percent in the last decade – Houston's millionaire population still dwarfs that of the Texas capital, with 58,200 more top earners, according to a report by Henley & Partners. According to the investment consultancy's annual wealth report, Houston ranks in the top five wealthiest cities, with 90,900 people living in the city making at least $1 million. In comparison, Austin is ranked No. 10, with 32,700 millionaires, the largest increase in the U.S., according to the report. Texas is very well represented in the top ten wealthiest cities in the U.S., with Dallas coming in at No. 6 with 68,600 people living there making at least $1 million.
Austin's tech boom between 2013-2023 is the culprit behind the city's giant leap, but it isn't the only reason for the surge. With its booming tech sector, Austin has been dubbed "Silicon Hills" as major tech companies such as Tesla and Oracle have moved their headquarters to the city. Houston has proven to also be a millionaire magnet with high-earning residents surging by 70 percent in the same period. New York City continues to hold the No.1 spot as the biggest millionaire magnet, with 349,500 people, followed by the Bay Area with 305, 700, Los Angeles at 212,100, and Chicago at 120,500, according to the study. "Cities such as Austin, Miami and Scottsdale are gaining residents, while traditional hubs such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago experience modest declines," Henley & Partners managing partner wrote in the 2024 report. The steady number of millionaires in the area seems to reflect strong home sales in the luxury segment in Houston, according to the Houston Association of Realtors latest report. Last month, the high-end market, representing houses valued at $1 million or more, saw the strongest performance in February, surging 48 percent year over year. Homes priced between $500,000-$1 million rose 18 percent year over year. >
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San Antonio's 'AK Guy' is famous online. Can that take him to Congress over U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales?
“What’s up, you sexy YouTube mother-lovers?” Brandon Herrera opens many of his videos the same way: with that catchphrase, in a T-shirt, his hair slicked back, sitting in front of a wall showcasing dozens of guns. The social media personality-turned-San Antonio congressional candidate has more than 3 million YouTube subscribers who tune in to watch his very specific brand of content about firearms, politics and “dark humor.” In one video, Herrera and his buddies crash a gun buyback program in Dallas. In another, he reviews memes about different firearms. He’s made a series of videos testing different guns used in the assassinations of influential political figures, including Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.
In the MLK Jr. video, Herrera tried to mimic the shot that killed the civil rights leader. After twice shooting at a dummy, he walked over to the fake head and said his reenactment was “pretty faithful to the shot.” Later in the video, he shot the dummy execution-style as he attempted to make a joke about the FBI allegedly killing its critics. Herrera laughed to himself as the dummy’s head exploded on the table: “This is so (expletive) wrong.” Herrera, also known online as the ‘AK Guy,’ is a gun manufacturer, a political neophyte and, according to his social media bio, “VERY politically incorrect.” He’s also one of the only people now standing between U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales and a third term in Washington. Gonzales is the only Republican congressional incumbent in Texas facing a primary runoff election on May 28, after Herrera and three other GOP challengers siphoned enough votes earlier this month to stop the congressman from winning the nomination outright. Herrera’s online fame likely had a lot to do with that. >
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Abbott announces members for Texas Space Commission that will help shape industry
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday unveiled the 18 people who will lead Texas’ efforts to remain competitive in civil, commercial and military space. The nominees – including representatives from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, smaller commercial space companies and academia – will guide the Texas Space Commission and the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium. The Texas Legislature created the organizations last year to keep Texas competitive with Florida, Colorado and other states capitalizing on the new era of space exploration. “In this past session, one of the most forward-looking things we did was to create the Texas Space Commission,” Abbott said Tuesday during a news conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
The Texas Space Commission will be tasked with developing a statewide strategy that promotes innovation, creates incentives (including grant funding) and develops workforce training. They initially have $350 million to work with, $150 million budgeted for grants and $200 million for a new research and training facility built by the Texas A&M University System. The Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium, which is part of the Texas Space Commission, will identify research and development opportunities and find ways to further integrate space into the Texas economy. Texas is already home to major space exploration companies. SpaceX is developing and launching the world’s most powerful rocket in South Texas while Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launches its suborbital rocket from West Texas. Houston is home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center as well as private companies pushing beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Intuitive Machines last month became the first private company to make a soft landing on the lunar surface. Axiom Space is developing a commercial space station. >
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Mayor Whitmire appoints Gwendolyn Tillotson-Bell to replace chief development officer Andy Icken
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has appointed Gwendolyn Tillotson-Bell to fill the vacancy left by the city’s longtime chief economic development officer Andy Icken after his departure earlier this month. A key role within the mayor’s office, the chief development officer is responsible for promoting local economic growth and attracting businesses to Houston. The officer also oversees Houston’s various economic development tools, including a contentious program called Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ). Icken recently retired after serving as Houston’s chief development officer under both former Mayors Sylvester Turner and Annise Parker. Whitmire announced on Tuesday that Tillotson-Bell, the deputy director of the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, has succeeded Icken.
Tillotson-Bell has focused on business management and workforce development since joining the city about 17 years ago. As the deputy director of the economic development office, she contributed to projects including the development of the Energy Corridor business district, the introduction of Meow Wolf immersive art installations and the creation of the East End Maker Hub, among others. Facing steep fiscal challenges in the coming years, Whitmire recently suggested scrutinizing the financial implications of the TIRZs. These zones allow some property tax revenue generated within their boundaries to be used exclusively for improvements in those areas, instead of contributing to the city’s general fund. The controversial program currently claims nearly $200 million of city revenue every year. While Whitmire did not provide specifics on the economic development office's future direction, he said he expects Tillotson-Bell to assist the new administration in rethinking the office’s priorities and functions. >
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Julie Kocurek: I’m a Texas judge. A defendant shot me. That shouldn’t happen.
State and local court judges play a pivotal role in our society. They preside over cases that shape the lives of individuals and the fabric of our communities. They uphold the rule of law and the Constitution. Alarmingly, state and local judges and court officials across the nation are facing increasing attacks and threats of violence and intimidation just for doing their job. In 2021, individuals protected by the U.S. Marshals Service — including federal judges, prosecutors and court officials — faced over 4,500 threats, a 400% increase since 2015. In Texas, 522 general threats, 29 assaults, and 68 bomb threats were made toward judicial officers from 2018 to 2023, according to the Texas Office of Court Administration. Simply stated, an attack on a judge is an attack on our judicial system and the rule of law. I know this all too well.
In 2015, a defendant who appeared in my courtroom weeks before shot and seriously wounded me in my car. My 15-year-old son watched the attack unfold, coming face to face with the gunman. My attacker obtained my home address, phone number, and the make and model of my vehicle from online searches, and he stalked me and my family for weeks. Shot four times, I spent 40 days in the hospital and underwent 30 surgeries. I lived in fear that my attacker, or someone else, would come to finish the job or harm my family. I was determined to fight against fear and intimidation, so I returned to the bench after I recovered. As I began taking measures to increase my personal security and my family’s security, I realized that state and local judges have virtually no access to expert resources to understand the threat environment, take personal protective measures, design more secure court facilities and protocols, and share threat information. Because of my attack, in 2017 the Texas Legislature passed the Judge Julie Kocurek Judicial and Courthouse Security Act, which requires local law enforcement to report judicial security incidents to the Texas Office of Court Administration. It created a filing fee to fund training for judges and court staff, and a special division to house information on judicial security. >
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Former Harris County judge candidate Alex Mealer starts on Metro transit board
Alexandra Moral Mealer on Thursday joined the Metropolitan Transit Authority board at the request of leaders of smaller cities that participate in the bus and rail agency, bringing the crime-focused county judge candidate to the board at a time of transition. Mealer lost her first elected office bid when Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo won re-election in 2022. She later challenged the results of her loss, then Mealer withdrew the complaint in September 2023 after the efforts to question the validity of the election gained little traction. Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey issued Mealer the oath of office to serve on the Metro board around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, at the transit agency's downtown Houston headquarters. An hour later, Mealer participated in her first round of board committee meetings.
Ramsey announced the appointment Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, applauding her “leadership and management experience.” “Her service to Harris County is a valuable asset that will benefit our communities and residents for years to come,” Ramsey said. In a statement she posted on social media, Mealer said she planned to meet with the city officials who appointed her and examine their needs. "I am honored to be able to represent their communities and believe that the health and success of Metro is critical to ensuring our region's vibrant future," Mealer said. Paramount to that, she wrote, is to "understand how Metro can better deliver value to their residents," noting that only one-fifth of Houston's population lives within Loop 610, and the transit area is sprawling. Mealer is an uncommon choice because she is among those who live within the Loop. She replaces former Katy Mayor Don Elder, who served the maximum allowable eight years on the transit board. >
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Director of Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is retiring
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth director Marla Price is retiring after 30 years at the museum. The former associate curator of 20th century art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and well-known scholar of contemporary art came to Texas in 1986 to serve as the museum’s chief curator, presenting shows like 1989’s renowned touring show “10 + 10: Contemporary Soviet and American Painters.” Price became acting director after E.A. Carmean left for the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in 1991. She took the job in 1992, coinciding with the state’s oldest art museum’s centennial. She oversaw an aggressive expansion of the permanent collection with acquisitions of works by Francis Bacon, the world’s largest collections of Robert Motherwell, Wangechi Mutu of Kenya and the Nigerian American Njideka Akunyili Crosby.
When its growing collection required a new home, she oversaw the construction of a new building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando and opened in 2002. Peter Plagens wrote in Artforum that “If everything goes according to design [it] will have turned itself into the most elegant museum in the entire country.” (Plagens was a huge fan of the neighboring Kimbell as well.) A larger building allowed for more ambitious exhibits like “KAWS: WHERE THE END STARTS,” “Mark Bradford: End Papers” and “Lucian Freud: Portraits,” and dedicated space for the collection. An expanded lobby, auditorium and large café created more opportunities to engage the community. Board Chair Marsland Moncrief and Board President Rafael Garza praised her leadership. “The Modern has become an outstanding star on a national and international scale, while the mission has grown to be an inclusive community space for people to engage on different levels with the art of our time,” Moncrief said. Garza commended “her artistic vision and commitment to scholarly excellence have cultivated a robust organization with devoted, longstanding supporters and staff.” >
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Houston firefighter back-pay settlement could cost up to $1.3 billion, controller says
Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s proposed settlement with the firefighters union could cost significantly more than previously advertised, City Controller Chris Hollins said Tuesday. The total cost of a back-pay settlement with the city’s firefighters could be $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion after taking into account interest and fees, Hollins said. In addition, a forward-looking contract that raises firefighter pay over the next five years could cost upwards of $400 million by the end of that period, according to the controller. Hollins declined to weigh in on whether he thinks the settlement is fair, but his take on the settlement cost underscores the heavy hit to taxpayers from the deal that Whitmire struck earlier this month. Before the end of June, Whitmire hopes to win approval from the Texas Attorney General’s Office and City Council for the historic settlement, which would wrap up a protracted dispute with the union representing thousands of firefighters. Whitmire was elected to office promising to strike a deal that eluded his predecessor, Sylvester Turner.
Whitmire’s administration previously had pegged the cost of the back-pay settlement at $650 million. That figure does not include the interest and fees that will come with the financial instrument known as a judgment bond that the mayor hopes to use to spread the cost of the settlement over 25 to 30 years. Under questioning from council members last week, Whitmire defended the deal as a win for taxpayers, noting the high cost of a loss in court to the firefighters. “This was the businesslike approach to get out of court and not have a billion-plus exposure,” Whitmire said. “I didn’t go into this for the purposes of making people feel good. These are tough discussions.” Council members also asked Whitmire why he elected to strike a long-term deal with the firefighters on their pay going forward. Whitmire said he wanted to lock in financial predictability while enticing more firefighters to work for the city. A mayoral spokesperson said the city still was in the process of calculating the long-term cost of the back-pay settlement. “The numbers will be reviewed with the judge and the agreement will go to the council,” Communications Director Mary Benton said. >
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David Simpson: Declaring political independence
Our best statesmen have been principled and independent, especially our first president. Washington eschewed political parties and warned Congress of their evils: “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely … to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”
Washington goes on to describe the dire consequences of seizing partisan power and placing an unwarranted and pernicious trust in its chieftain: “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge … is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction … turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.” This may explain why Republicans reluctantly and yet zealously support Trump despite his instituting lockdowns, heeding Fauci and Birx, abetting the captivity of federal agencies by appointing leaders of industries they are regulating and adding trillions to the national debt. Similarly, Democrats doggedly support Biden overlooking his cabal of corporate censorship, unending support of foreign wars, relentless promotion of minimally tested and ineffective vaccines, years disregarding massive illegal immigration and increasing the national debt by trillions of dollars. The principles of liberty that I espouse have more closely aligned with the Republican Party. However, its state and federal leaders increasingly are demanding fealty to themselves, to which I cannot submit. Neither can I overlook their hypocrisy, self-serving and vengeance. This has so alarmed me that I have protested repeatedly. Today, I am doing that by declaring myself an independent. Washington led the way as the first and so far only independent president. But now there is hope of another, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who humbly, winsomely and courageously is forging the way of freedom. >
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Turkey Leg Hut files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, owing nearly $5 million in debt, court records show
Turkey Leg Hut, a popular restaurant that's become a staple in Houston's Third Ward community, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to court records, the restaurant owes nearly $5 million in debt to 19 creditors. A list of creditors owed includes American Express, City of Houston - Water, the IRS and the Small Business Administration. The bankruptcy news comes nearly two weeks after co-owner Lyndell 'Lynn' Price was ordered to pay his former business partner Steve Rogers nearly a million dollars. Rogers was also listed as one of the creditors in the bankruptcy filing. The restaurant that's known for its massive, stuffed turkey legs and long lines of customers has seen its fair share of financial drama over the years. In 2018, a lawsuit was filed against co-owner Nakia Price after she allegedly failed to pay rent after assuming a lease for Turkey Leg Hut. This civil case is still ongoing, according to court records.
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Divided appeals court extends block on Texas immigration law
A federal appeals court early on Wednesday extended its hold on a new Texas immigration law, meaning the measure cannot go into effect while litigation continues. A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on a 2-1 vote said in a decision issued overnight that the statute, known as Senate Bill 4, should remain blocked. The same court temporarily froze the law March 19, just hours after the Supreme Court said it could go into effect. "For nearly 150 years, the Supreme Court has held that the power to control immigration — the entry, admission, and removal of noncitizens—is exclusively a federal power," Judge Priscilla Richman wrote for the majority. She cited in part a 2012 Supreme Court ruling that invalided a similar law in Arizona.
Whatever the state’s criticisms about the federal government’s “actions and inactions” on immigration, it is the president’s role “to decide whether, and if so, how to pursue noncitizens illegally present in the United States,” Richman wrote. The state law would allow police to arrest migrants suspected of illegally crossing the border from Mexico and impose criminal penalties. It would also empower state judges to order people to be deported to Mexico. The dispute is the latest clash between the Biden administration and Texas over immigration enforcement on the U.S.-Mexico border. Texas could potentially now ask the Supreme Court to allow the law to go into effect. In the meantime, the appeals court holds another hearing on April 3. Richman and Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez voted to block the law. Judge Andrew Oldham voted for it to go into effect. Richman and Oldham are both Republican appointees, while Ramirez was appointed by President Joe Biden. It was the same lineup of judges that issued the temporary block. Oldham wrote a lengthy dissenting opinion saying the law should not be blocked in full because of hypothetical concerns about how it would be enforced. >
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National Stories
Democrat wins Alabama special election in early test for IVF as a campaign issue
Democratic candidate Marilyn Lands on Tuesday won a special election for a state House seat in Alabama after she made in vitro fertilization and abortion rights central to her campaign. Lands, a licensed professional counselor, defeated Madison City Council member Teddy Powell, a Republican who once worked as a Defense Department budget analyst. A Republican had held the Huntsville-area seat in the state's 10th District. "Today, Alabama women and families sent a clear message that will be heard in Montgomery and across the nation. Our legislature must repeal Alabama’s no-exceptions abortion ban, fully restore access to IVF, and protect the right to contraception," Lands said in a statement shared by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which supported her candidacy. Lands had 63% of the vote to Powell's 37% with all precincts reporting.
“The voters have spoken and I’m honored to have been considered for this office," Powell said in a statement to Alabama Daily News. "I wish Mrs. Lands the absolute best as she goes on to serve the people of District 10 in the House of Representatives.” Powell's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. While campaigning, Lands focused on IVF and access to abortions, telling voters that she supports repealing the state’s near-total ban on abortions, which went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022. Her campaign website notes endorsements from groups such as Planned Parenthood, the Alabama AFL-CIO and the gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a GOP-backed bill to protect IVF after widespread backlash to a ruling by the state Supreme Court in February that threatened the procedure. Tuesday's contest was seen as an early test for Democrats campaigning on IVF after the high court's ruling. The special election was called after David Cole, a Republican who defeated Lands in 2022 by 7 percentage points, pleaded guilty to a voter fraud charge last year and resigned. >
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Renting is now cheaper than owning in all of America’s 50 biggest metro areas
While it was already cheaper to rent than to buy in 90% of metro areas as of last year, a hot real-estate market has pushed that to 100%. And it’s the first time that has happened since Realtor.com began tracking renting versus buying in 2021. “With rents continuing to fall and the cost of buying a home remaining high” due to mortgage rates and home prices, “renting a home is now a more cost-effective option in all major U.S. markets,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a statement. To be sure, buying a house is a form of forced savings that builds wealth via an asset that appreciates over time. But the current market is too expensive for many Americans, given the steep rise in borrowing costs and home prices, relative to rents, in recent years.
For instance, the median rent in the New York–Newark–Jersey City metro area was $2,852, which was far cheaper than the $4,995 monthly cost of buying. Realtor.com calculates the monthly cost of buying a home by averaging the median listing prices of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes in a market; it is weighted by the number of listings in each market. It also assumes that buyers are putting down 8% on a home purchase with a mortgage rate of 6.78%, and the figures include taxes, insurance and any applicable homeowners association fees. That gap between renting and buying is the widest in the Austin–Round Rock–Georgetown area in Texas, where the median rent was $1,530, while the monthly cost of buying was $3,695 in February. In other words, it was 142% more expensive to buy a home in that metropolitan area versus renting. Rents were lower there in part because of increased supply. “There’s definitely quite a bit of rentals on the market in certain neighborhoods,” Cynthia Mattiza, an Austin-based real-estate agent with JBGoodwin, told MarketWatch. Austin has seen a wave of new apartments hit the market in recent years, according to analysis by RealPage Analytics, a real-estate software company. In 2023, over 17,000 apartment units were added to the market in Austin, which increased the total inventory by 6%, the company said. The city is expected to see an 11.2% increase in apartment inventory this year. >
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‘Mayday’ call from ship stopped Baltimore bridge traffic, saved lives
As a cargo ship the size of a skyscraper drifted dangerously close to a major Baltimore bridge that carried more than 30,000 cars a day, the crew of the Dali issued an urgent “mayday,” hoping to avert disaster Tuesday. First responders sprang into action, shutting down most traffic on the four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge just before the 95,000 gross-ton vessel plowed into a bridge piling at about 1:30 a.m., causing multiple sections of the span to bow and snap in a harrowing scene captured on video. “C13 dispatch, the whole bridge just fell down!” someone shouted on an emergency channel. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) hailed those who carried out the quick work as “heroes” and said they saved lives, but the scale of the destruction was catastrophic and will probably have far-reaching impacts for the economy and travel on the East Coast for months to come.
Much of the 1.6-mile bridge fell, sending at least eight construction workers repairing potholes into the 48-degree waters of the Patapsco River. Two were rescued, including one who was seriously injured. Authorities announced Tuesday night that six were presumed dead and suspended the search. Authorities planned to resume the hunt for the victims at 6 a.m. Wednesday. The collapse halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore — one of the nation’s largest — and severed a crucial portion of Baltimore’s Beltway, which is also a major artery in the busy corridor between Washington and New York. President Biden pledged that the federal government will foot the bill for the repairs and work quickly. The impact led to a scene of utter destruction — mangled bridge trusses, shipping containers split open like tin cans and the cargo ship wedged under fallen debris. Officials turned to Hollywood to register the magnitude of what happened. “This is a tragedy you can never imagine,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) said at an early-morning news conference. “Never would you think that you would see … the Key Bridge literally tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie.”>
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NBC reverses decision to hire Ronna McDaniel after on-air backlash
Amid a chorus of on-air protest from some of the network’s biggest stars, NBC announced Tuesday night that former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel will no longer be joining the network as a paid contributor. In a memo, NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde told staff that he had listened to “the legitimate concerns” of many network employees. “No organization, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned,” he wrote. “Over the last few days, it has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal.” The network had only just announced four days earlier that they were bringing McDaniel on board to provide “expert insight and analysis” on politics. “It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” one NBC News executive told staff at the time.
But the company’s on-air personalities — especially those on NBC’s liberal-leaning cable affiliate MSNBC — disagreed vehemently, saying that McDaniel’s promotion of former president Donald Trump’s media-bashing and false election-fraud claims disqualified her from a role in their news divisions. And one by one, they took to the airwaves to deliver that message to their bosses in front of their live audiences Monday. “Take a minute, acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call,” MSNBC’s top-rated star Rachel Maddow said on her show that night. “It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong.” NBC delivered the news of its course correction to its employees before informing McDaniel, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve confidence. >
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History group finds little evidence of K-12 'indoctrination'
The combination of COVID-19 school closures and rising culture wars put a harsh spotlight on educators, but none had it worse than the nation’s social studies educators. Social studies has long been a political punching bag, but it reached a new peak around 2021, with teachers accused of indoctrinating students in a variety of political viewpoints, teaching students to “hate” the United States, and coloring key moments of U.S. history with a paintbrush of contemporary “woke” politics. Pushback hasn’t been limited to conservatives, either: Lessons based on slavery simulations and other damaging, ahistorical lessons periodically go viral and create an uproar. Fueled by this rhetoric, policymakers in some 18 states have passed legislation or other rules regulating how teachers can discuss issues of racism, sexism, and inequality in the classroom. Discussing critical race theory, the study of institutional racism, and even current events is banned or limited in some states, and under attack in others.
But preliminary findings from a new study by the American Historical Association, a professional organization of historians provides evidence that most middle and high school teachers history teachers strive to keep their lessons politically neutral. In the essay, published in TIME magazine, 97 percent of the about 3,000 teachers surveyed for the study said the top objectives of a social science lesson is to turn students into critical thinkers and informed citizens. “The divisive concepts legislations that have been introduced by lawmakers make assumptions about what teachers are teaching. We always knew that teachers don’t really teach critical race theory in their classrooms. But not one [piece of legislation] had any data on what’s being taught,” said Jim Grossman, the executive director of the AHA. Few teachers rely on political extremes to teach their lessons, but still most must navigate the rhetorical accusations that they’re indoctrinating students, the AHA concluded. Over three quarters of teachers surveyed said they cobble together a multitude of online resources,from such sources as the Library of Congress, the federally funded Smithsonian Institution websites, and YouTube educational series like Crash Course, run by popular YouTubers John and Hank Green. Teachers tend to use textbooks only as a reference, rather than source material. >
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Joshua M. Cowen: The false promise — and hidden costs — of school vouchers
(Joshua M. Cowen, the author of “The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers,” is a professor of education policy at Michigan State University.) If you’ve ever run a small business or talked to a business owner, you might have heard the phrase “under promise, over deliver” as a strategy for customer service. Unfortunately, when it comes to school voucher plans like those being considered by Pennsylvania lawmakers this spring, what happens is the opposite of a sound investment: a lot of overpromising ahead of woeful under-delivery. As an expert on school vouchers, I think about the idea of what’s promised in the rhetoric vs. what actually happens when the real cost sets in. To hear voucher lobbyists tell it — usually working for billionaires like Betsy DeVos, or Pennsylvania’s own Jeff Yass — all that’s needed to move American education forward is a fully privatized market of school choice, where parents are customers and education is the product. As I testified to Pennsylvania lawmakers last fall, however, vouchers are the education equivalent of predatory lending. One promise that never holds up is the idea that states can afford to create voucher systems that underwrite private tuition for some children, while still keeping public school spending strong.
Other states that have passed or expanded voucher systems have rarely been able to sustain new investments in public schools. Even when those voucher bills also came with initial increases in public education funding. Six out of the last seven states to pass such bills have failed to keep up with just the national average in public school investment. But for children and families — especially those who have been traditionally underserved by schools at different points in U.S. history — the cost of school vouchers goes beyond the price for taxpayers. Although most voucher users in other states (about 70%) were, in fact, in private schools first, the academic results for the kids who transfer are disastrous. Statewide vouchers have led to some of the largest academic declines in the history of education research — drops in performance that were on par with how COVID-19 or Hurricane Katrina affected student learning. Although school vouchers have enjoyed fits and starts of bipartisan support from time to time, today’s push for universal voucher systems across the country is almost entirely the product of conservative politics. All 12 states that created or expanded some form of a voucher system in 2023 voted for Donald Trump in 2020. Of those that passed voucher laws since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, only two (Arizona and New Hampshire) voted for Joe Biden that election year. >
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Biden, promising corporate tax increases, has cut taxes overall
President Biden, amping up a populist pitch in his re-election campaign, has repeatedly said he would raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations to make them pay their “fair share.” Republicans say Mr. Biden has “an unquenchable thirst for taxing the American people.” His Republican opponent in the election, former President Donald J. Trump, said recently that Mr. Biden was “going to give you the greatest, biggest, ugliest tax hike in the history of our country.” So it might come as a surprise that, in just over three years in office, Mr. Biden has cut taxes overall. The math is straightforward. An analysis prepared for The New York Times by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank that studies fiscal issues, shows that the tax cuts Mr. Biden has signed for individuals and corporations are larger than the tax increases he has imposed on big corporations and their shareholders. The analysis estimates that the tax changes Mr. Biden has ushered into law will amount to a net cut of about $600 billion over four years and slightly more than that over a full decade.
“It’s reasonable to conclude from those numbers that the Biden tax policy hasn’t been some kind of radical tax-raising program,” said Benjamin R. Page, a senior fellow at the center and author of the analysis. The analysis strictly looks at changes to taxes over the course of Mr. Biden’s presidency, including some direct benefits to people and businesses that flow through the tax code. It does not measure the effects of inflation or certain regulations, which Republicans sometimes label “tax hikes” since they can raise costs for companies and individuals. It also does not measure the social or economic benefits of Mr. Biden’s spending policies, or of his regulatory efforts meant to help consumers, like cracking down on so-called junk fees and limiting the cost of insulin and other medication. Instead, the analysis provides a comprehensive look at what Mr. Biden has done to the tax code, and how those policies add up. It is clear by that measure that his record has not matched his own ambitions for taxing the rich and big companies — or Republicans’ attempts to caricature him as a tax-and-spend liberal. That’s largely because Mr. Biden has struggled to pass his most ambitious tax-raising plans. “It’s what can be got through Congress and signed,” Mr. Page said. “They were subject to compromise.” >
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Newsclips - March 26, 2024 |
Lead Stories
A Supreme Court abortion pill case with potential consequences for every other drug
Abortion is back at the Supreme Court Tuesday. This time anti-abortion doctors are challenging the FDA's regulatory actions making abortion pills more accessible. More than half of American women who choose to terminate a pregnancy do so using a two-drug combination of pills. So you might call this case "daughter of Dobbs," the Supreme Court's 2022 decision reversing Roe v. Wade and leaving the legality of abortion to the states. Only this time, there is more at stake than abortion rights. It's the entire structure of the FDA's regulatory power to approve drugs and continually evaluate their safety—a system that until now has been widely viewed as the gold standard for both safety and innovation.
"It would be traumatizing to the system," says Marsha Henderson, a former FDA associate commissioner for women's health and a 22-year veteran of the agency. "We have a very clear scientific approach...it's not just a helter-skelter set of ad hoc opinions," Henderson says. "There are teams of scientists and researchers that participate over many years, starting from phase one pre-clinical all the way through post market...and the information, the data evolve, and they collectively help to enhance the whole research world." If you start putting politics or junk science into the mix, she warns, the system will collapse. The challenge in this case was brought by the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an association of anti-abortion doctors founded just months after the Dobbs decision. The group quickly filed a lawsuit seeking to get rid of abortion pills altogether. After a tortuous and tumultuous series of lower court rulings, the Supreme Court intervened to prevent any change to the status quo while it considers the case. >
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Cargo ship hits Baltimore's Key Bridge, bringing it down. Several people believed to be in water
A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below. Rescuers were searching for at least seven people in the water. The vessel appears to have hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in several places and plunge into the water, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The ship caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it. “This is a dire emergency,” Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press. “Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.” Emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, Cartwright said, though he said it’s too early to know how many people were affected. He called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”
He added that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge, which spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Agencies received emergency calls around 1:30 a.m. reporting that a ship leaving Baltimore had struck a column on the bridge, according to Cartwright. Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck. The temperature in the river was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. From a vantage point near the entrance to the bridge, jagged remnants of its steel frame were visible protruding from the water, with the on-ramp ending abruptly where the span once began. The ship is called “Dali,” according to Cartwright. A vessel by that name was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, as its final destination, according to Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder. The ship was flying under a Singapore flag, WTOP radio station reported, citing Petty Officer Matthew West from the Coast Guard in Baltimore. >
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AG Ken Paxton in court for last scheduled hearing ahead of April 15 securities fraud trial
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is expected back in court on Tuesday, as his criminal securities fraud trial looms and the window closes for prosecutors and defense attorneys to resolve the case outside of court. In one of the longest-running cases in Texas history, Paxton is set to go to trial on April 15 — nearly nine years after he was charged. A Collin County grand jury indicted Paxton on three felony securities fraud charges in July 2015, just months after he was sworn in as the state’s top lawyer. He was charged with two first-degree felony counts for failing to inform friends that he would make a commission off their investment in a North Texas tech company, as well as for one lesser, third-degree felony charge for neglecting to register with the state as an investment adviser. The penalties range from two to 99 years in prison.
He pleaded not guilty and cast the case as a “political witch hunt.” The pre-trial hearing Tuesday is before Harris County state district Judge Andrea Beall. It could present one of the last opportunities for Paxton and the special prosecutor to reach a deal that would negate the need for a trial. If Paxton were to be convicted, it would jeopardize his ability to run for office and retain his law license. Paxton, a third-term Republican, is coming off the heels of an acquittal of corruption-related impeachment charges by the Texas Senate last fall. Since then, he’s been more politically invigorated than ever, launching a revenge campaign against conservative Texas House members who voted in favor of his impeachment and filing lawsuits that have garnered national attention as he fights the Biden Administration over immigration policy. Despite his legal challenges, the hardline conservative has never lost the support of far-right Texans, and his approval rating has edged up 9 percentage points from 32% in October, a month after he was acquitted, to 41% as of last month, according to Texas Politics Project polling. >
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Fed officials are now considering fewer rate cuts this year
Americans hamstrung by high borrowing costs on car loans, mortgages and credit cards shouldn’t expect much of a break this year. That’s because some Federal Reserve officials are reconsidering forecasts they made three months ago that called for three rate cuts this year. Currently, the Fed’s target interest rate is between 5.25% and 5.5%, a 23-year high. Four of the 19 officials on the rate-setting committee now see rates staying above 5% this year, implying one or no rate cuts, according to new economic projections from last week’s meeting. Meanwhile, in December, three officials saw rates staying above 5%. On the opposite end, just one official — compared to five previously — sees rates dipping below 4.5%, implying four cuts.
The stakes are high because there are consequences if the Fed cuts rates soon or if it leaves rates where they’ve been for the past eight months. If the central bank cuts prematurely, it could risk losing its grip on inflation, which hasn’t yet returned to its 2% target. But if the Fed waits too long to cut, high interest rates could further punish Americans and the economy by potentially triggering a recession. Beyond their official projections, various officials have also been making their case in public speeches and media appearances on how the Fed should approach the difficult task of when to begin cutting interest rates. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, currently a voting member on the Fed’s rate-setting committee, went as far as to suggest that the central bank should only cut rates once this year. “The economy continues to deliver surprises and it continues to be more resilient and more energized than I had forecast or projected,” Bostic said last week. That’s why he said he revised his belief that the central bank should cut rates twice this year to once. >
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State Stories
Texas Medical Board provides rules for how doctors can navigate Texas abortion laws. Some say it still leaves many questions.
The Texas Medical Board published what it sees as guidance for doctors on how to define what constitutes a medical exception under the state's strict abortion ban on Friday. Dr. Sherif Zaafran, president of the Texas Medical Board, spoke to Houston Matters about why they chose to give guidance, rather than a specific list of exemptions. "A list of exemptions is, number one, never going to be exhaustive," Zaafran said. "And, number two, it’s always going to have to take consideration of the circumstance of the case itself, and that’s why we use very specific language of medical judgment.” Zaafran added that medical judgment would be dependent on the circumstances of the case, the location of the case, and what other considerations had to be taken while that case was going on.
"One of the things that we listed in the proposal is the ability, for example, to transfer to a higher level of care," he said. "So, there may ... one circumstance where you’re in an urban area versus in a rural area, where there may not be the ability to render care in a way that you may be able to in an urban area." Zaafran said during the height of the pandemic the board tried to provide guidelines around elective surgeries, and many surgeons came back with questions about specific cases. "A lot of surgeons would ask us, ‘Well, what about this type of case? What if it was cancer here or what if it was cancer that could not wait more than a month,'" he said. "And what we really said, at the end of the day, is you just have to document to us if you and your judgment believe that a case is emergent and describe the scenario in this situation and why." This is similar to that kind of circumstance, Zaafran said. Doctors will have to describe why they believe that a woman's life is in danger and an abortion must be done to preserve the woman's life or organ function. >
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Keller Williams faces class action over profit sharing
Austin-based Keller Williams Realty Inc. is facing a potential class-action lawsuit over changes to its profit-sharing program that could collectively cost former associates millions of dollars. Ex-Keller Williams agent Jerri Moulder wants a court to rule the company cannot retroactively reduce distributions earned by former associates vested in the profit-sharing program just because they now work for a competitor. She’s now an agent with another firm in Kansas City, Mo. Last summer, Keller Williams announced plans to slash from 100% to 5% the profit distributions it shares with agents vested in the program but who left the brokerage to join a rival — unless they returned to the firm within six months. The change takes effect July 1, but does not affect Keller Williams agents who have retired or left the industry.
“Under the revised policy, former KW agents who actively compete against our brokerages will receive less profit share, with more redistributed to the agents who continue to partner in our growth,” said Darryl Frost, a spokesperson for Keller Williams. The dispute involves big money. In Moulder’s case filed Friday in federal court in San Antonio, she seeks damages of $250 million or an amount to be determined at trial. The class is expected to number more than 100 former agents. As of July 31, Keller Williams had distributed almost $1.6 billion to associates since the profit-sharing program took effect in 1987, HousingWire reported in August. According to the lawsuit, Keller Williams paid from $25 million to $40 million in distributions in the year before an August 2019 presentation to the company’s International Associate Leadership Council. The damages claim was calculated by multiplying $25 million by 10 years, said Kenneth McClain, a Missouri lawyer representing Moulder.>
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Colin Allred, Joaquin Castro get personal campaigning on health care
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-Dallas), who hopes to make health care a top issue in Texas’ U.S. Senate race this year, huddled with local health care experts in San Antonio Monday. The roundtable at the North East Bexar County Democrats’ office focused on how San Antonio leaders are dealing with closing hospitals, like one that recently shuttered on the South Side, and a large uninsured population that’s growing as residents who received Medicaid during the pandemic are being removed from the rolls. Allred said that in his district, when the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center closed several years ago, he was able to get the facility donated to the Department of Veterans Affairs so that the community wouldn’t completely lose those hospital beds.
“I know what we’re facing in North Texas very well,” said Allred, who used the meeting to learn about San Antonio-specific challenges ahead of a statewide race this November. Leaders from South Texas Allergy & Asthma Medical Professionals and the equity research nonprofit Every Texan participated in the event. Though the 2024 election cycle has so far been dominated by immigration and border security, the NFL player-turned-civil rights lawyer sees potential in reviving a topic Democrats have had success with in the past. Allred is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz who famously shut the government down in his crusade against the Affordable Care Act in 2013 — a time when Republicans were picking up seats over backlash to the health care law. But Obamacare has since grown in popularity, and Cruz’s continued efforts to unravel it — by gutting its protections for people with preexisting conditions — provided Democrats with their most effective line of attack against Republicans across the country in 2018. Cruz’s own campaign said he was hurt by 11th-hour ads suggesting he wanted to kick people off their health care, contributing to his narrow 2.6% victory over Democrat Beto O’Rourke that year. >
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Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association names new leadership
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the oldest and largest livestock association in the Southwest, has elected Carl Ray Polk Jr. as president during the 2024 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo. Polk, of Lufkin, Texas, is a respected figure within the industry, bringing extensive expertise and a proven advocacy track record to his two-year term as TSCRA president. As a third-generation rancher and land steward, Polk is well-positioned to steer the association toward continued growth and success.
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Mayorkas says Texas immigration law is unconstitutional
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that a Texas law giving state authorities the power to arrest and deport migrants who have entered the country illegally is unconstitutional. “It is our strongly held view as a matter of law that SB4 (the Texas law) … is unconstitutional and it is our hope and confidence that the courts will strike it down with finality,” Mayorkas said during a joint news conference with Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo in the Guatemalan capital. The Texas law passed last year would allow the state to arrest and deport people who enter the U.S. illegally. The U.S. Justice Department has challenged the law as a clear violation of federal authority.
A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on the Texas law Wednesday, but did not rule. The law is on hold for now. In an interview with The Associated Press later Thursday, Mayorkas added that “Should SB4 be permitted to proceed, we are very concerned about the effect it would have and the chaos that it could bring to the challenge of border migration.” Mayorkas described the U.S.-led regional strategy toward immigration as seeking to “build lawful, safe and orderly pathways for people to reach safety from their place of persecution and, at the same time, returning people to their countries as a consequence when they do not take advantage of those lawful pathways.” Among those safe pathways is a U.S. effort to streamline the process for those seeking U.S. asylum in the region through so-called safe mobility offices. They allow migrants to start the process where they are rather than making the dangerous and costly journey to the U.S. border. >
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2 Army veterans posthumously awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor
Two Army veterans were posthumously awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor on Monday. Gov. Greg Abbott presented the prestigious award to the families of U.S. Army Major Jerry L. Bell and Army Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña at the Texas Capitol Monday morning. KXAN spoke to the daughter of Bell, Wendy Baldwin, who spoke on what the award means to them. Bell was recognized for his service in the Vietnam War, and Peña was recognized for his service in World War II. Additionally, Peña gave his life during the Korean War, Abbott’s office said in a news release Monday.
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19% of Texas school districts, charters did not report bus crash data last year
Nineteen percent of Texas school districts and charters failed to report details on school bus crashes that occurred last school year to the Texas Education Agency. The agency tracks school bus accidents through an annual survey that collects information on accidents involving school district or charter school buses. Districts and open-enrollment charter schools are supposed to report information showing basic information about crashes – like the type of bus, the number of students and adults involved or injured, and whether passengers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, according to TEA and state statute. According to a TEA report, not all school districts responded to last year’s survey. The agency’s data shows that 233 districts and charters did not report school bus crash data for the 2022-23 school year. KXAN investigators discovered this following last week’s deadly bus crash in Hays CISD.
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Many Houston charter schools are violating state transparency laws. Here’s why it’s an issue
Many Houston-area charter schools are violating state transparency laws designed to make school governance and financial decisions open to the public, a pattern that has drawn minimal scrutiny from state officials. Nearly 85 percent of the 39 charter school networks based in Harris County did not have all their up-to-date transparency records posted online as required by state law, the Houston Landing found this month after reviewing their sites. The missing records include board meeting notices, agendas and minutes, which would allow the public to monitor the board’s governance, as well as annual budgets and year-end financial reports. In recent years, the types of records missing from many school sites have helped expose questionable financial deals and lax oversight of charter schools, prompting calls for state lawmakers to increase oversight.
Most notably, Texas Education Agency officials appointed a conservator to oversee the state’s largest charter school chain, IDEA Public Schools, after a state investigation into multiple allegations of financial mismanagement. One of the most controversial decisions by IDEA leaders — spending $15 million to lease a private jet — received extensive media coverage after a teachers union spotted the plans in board meeting records. Charter schools receive nearly all of their funding from Texas taxpayers, but they are privately operated by nonprofit governing boards. Voters in Texas elect the board members of their local independent school districts, which the vast majority of the state’s school-aged children attend. Almost all the schools violating the law are relatively small operators, while almost all the region’s biggest charter organizations — including KIPP Texas, IDEA and YES Prep — were in compliance. One charter operator, Houston Classical Charter School, updated its website following an inquiry from the Landing for this article. Ten other charter organizations did not respond to requests for comment. >
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Outgoing Dallas City Manager Broadnax says chance at Austin job came at ‘perfect time’
Outgoing Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax told Austin residents on Monday that he’s excited at the idea of working with their City Council and being their top municipal executive, calling the opportunity the “perfect place” at the “perfect time”. During a public forum Monday where the two finalists for Austin’s city manager job made their case for why they should be hired, Broadnax said he believed the Austin City Council was “committed to doing things to the benefit of this community,” with a long-term vision. He said he was excited to work on their behalf to execute those plans. Broadnax called Dallas “the city I had dreamed of leading” but said he looked forward to the chance of leading the state’s capital city.
“I would love to have an opportunity to lead that city so that we can be the beacon for any other city in this great nation, let alone in the (state) of Texas,” said Broadnax during a question and answer session in front of a capacity crowd that included Mayor Kirk Watson and several council members at the Permitting and Development Event Center in Austin. The other finalist is Denton City Manager Sara Hensley, a former Austin assistant city manager who has also led the city’s parks and recreation department. Both will be interviewed by the Austin City Council during a closed Council meeting on Tuesday. Watson has said the city plans to invite at least one of the candidates back for interviews next week and the council could approve negotiations starting with one of them as soon as next Thursday. Broadnax started as Dallas city manager in 2017. His resignation was announced Feb. 21 and goes into effect June 3. While Broadnax answered a series of questions from a moderator at the Austin event, he never referenced anything about the circumstances that led to his resignation nor how it was at the suggestion of the majority of the City Council. >
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Baytown plant with troubled track record could receive up to $332 million from federal government to lower emissions
A Baytown power plant with a track record of federal air quality violations could get up to $332 million from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a national decarbonization initiative. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $6 billion in funding for 33 decarbonization projects across the country — including six projects specifically in Texas. One of those projects could grant up to $331.9 million to the ExxonMobil Baytown Olefins Plant to “enable the use of hydrogen in place of natural gas” for ethylene production, with the goal of cutting down the plant’s total emissions by more than half. However, environmental advocacy groups say they’re skeptical. Luke Metzger, the executive director of Environment Texas, said the hydrogen that Exxon would use would likely be produced using natural gas, which would add to the plant’s omissions and nullify the benefits of the project.
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La Niña is back this summer. Here's what it means for Texas and hurricane season
Adios, El Niño. It’s looking increasingly possible that a transition to La Niña is at hand by the start of meteorological summer on June 1, according to the latest data from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. What does La Niña mean for the summer months in Texas? Could the switch to La Niña have consequences on the upcoming hurricane season? Let’s discuss. What is La Niña? La Niña is a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually cooler sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator. Strong trade winds blow from east to west during a La Niña pattern, pushing warm surface waters toward Asia and Australia. This causes cold, nutrient-rich waters to well up along the west coast of South America.
The warming of these same waters is known as El Niño, and the ripple effects from changes in ocean temperatures near the equator can influence weather patterns in North America and other parts of the world. Understanding La Niña helps forecasters predict weather patterns and their potential effects on agriculture, water resources and economies. Governments, farmers and communities use this information to prepare for possible floods, droughts, or other weather-related challenges associated with La Niña. How does La Niña affect Texas weather? The effects of La Niña or El Niño in Texas can depend on the season. In the summer, for instance, the phenomena aren’t as consequential in Texas. That’s because La Niña, much like its counterpart, El Niño, influences the positioning of the subtropical jet stream. During the summer, the subtropical jet stream is found well to the north of the Lone Star State. Locally, our summers are plagued by stretches of relentless heat, courtesy of large systems of high atmospheric pressure circulating thousands of feet above our heads, more commonly referred to as “heat domes.” >
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Higher education in Texas: What lawmakers hope to tackle in the 89th legislative session
In the legislative session last year, Texas lawmakers revamped the state's community college financing model, boosted research funding at several universities and invested billions in higher education. Lawmakers also passed controversial measures dealing with higher education such as Senate Bill 17, which bars public colleges and universities from having diversity, equity and inclusion offices or performing those functions, and SB 18, a law to further regulate how a tenured professor can be fired. With the 89th legislative session set to begin in January, Texas' higher education is again in the crosshairs. At a policy summit hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank, in downtown Austin last week, conservative panelists, including state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, called Texas a leader in the fight against "woke" ideologies — also referred to as identity politics — on college campuses. They also said Texas is far from done.
"We're going to ask some very tough questions to make sure that it's actually being enacted in the way that the bill intended," Bettencourt, who serves on the Senate Education Committee, said about SB 17, which bars DEI. Sherry Sylvester, a senior policy fellow at the foundation, said at the panel that SB 17 is "the strongest (law) in the nation to fight institutionalized woke," but that it could take decades to fully address "illiberalism on campuses and restore intellectual diversity. In response to a question about further limiting tenure protections, Bettencourt told the crowd that "everything's on the table" for the next session. "We filed bills about tenure last session; I expect we'll file bills about tenure again this session," he said. Bettencourt also spoke against faculty senates. Heidi Tseu, assistant vice president of national engagement at the American Council on Education, a national higher education association that aims to shape policy, said a "flurry" of DEI bills have been filed at state legislatures across the country in the past couple of years. "What we've broadly seen is these are targeting specific, very specific things," Tseu said. "There are think tanks that have put out guidance on how to push back on the 'woke' culture. So you're seeing the language being replicated across these different states." >
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Austin judge upholds ruling to block Texas from demanding trans kids' records from LGBTQ+ group
An Austin judge on Monday once again stopped the state from accessing information on trans youth from national LGBTQ+ organization PFLAG. Judge Amy Clark Meachum from Travis County’s 201st Civil District court granted the organization a temporary injunction against the Texas Attorney General’s Office and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Lambda Legal is one of the organizations representing PFLAG in court. Senior Counsel Paul Castillo said he “did not anticipate a decision today from the bench,” but he’s thankful the court saw “the urgency of our requests for injunctive relief.” “It was important for PFLAG to convey just how disruptive these demands were to their mission, where they are providing a safe space and peer support,” he said. PFLAG received a notice in February to turn over any documents involving “contingency plans and/or alternative avenues to maintain care” for trans youth, along with “recommendations, referrals and/or lists” of health providers treating trans youth.
The Office of the Attorney General of Texas (OAG) has sent inquiries to hospitals, clinics and other organizations to turn over any documentation on trans youth and their health services. Seattle Children’s Hospital sued the office in December 2023, writing in an affidavit that the hospital does not treat any Texas patients and the inquiry was a fear tactic to stop Texans from seeking care in other states. The OAG’s demands stem from Senate Bill 14, a law passed after last year’s legislative session that bans gender-affirming care for trans Texans under eighteen. PFLAG won a temporary restraining order earlier this month. Monday’s ruling grants a temporary injunction as the courts sort out the validity of the state’s request. Castillo said the state’s request has already been harmful to PFLAG’s chapters in Texas. “Membership and participation in those meetings has decreased since the demands have been issued,” he said. “Volunteer chapter leaders are moving meetings from public libraries to private homes. There is reluctance to secure and obtain sign-in information from members because parents and families fear that the Office of the Attorney General is collecting information about who these trans and non-binary young people are in Texas.” >
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Speaker Dade Phelan creates committee to examine Biden pause on LNG facility permits
House Speaker Dade Phelan created a special committee Monday to examine President Joe Biden’s executive order pausing new permits for facilities that export liquified natural gas, a move that has drawn backlash from the oil industry, Republicans and some Democrats. Phelan, R-Beaumont, directed the committee’s three Republicans and two Democrats to determine if the Biden administration had the authority to freeze the permits and assess the policy’s economic, social and environmental impact. The panel was given until May 13 to report its findings. “President Biden’s abrupt decision earlier this year to pause pending approvals of LNG export projects will likely have significant economic implications for Texas, and it is important we fully understand what a prolonged pause would mean for our state’s thriving energy sector,” Phelan said Monday.
Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, will chair the Select Committee on Protecting Texas LNG Exports. Other members include Reps. Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa; Cody Vasut, R-Angleton; Christian Manuel, D-Beaumont; and Mary Ann Perez, D-Houston. Patterson said the pause hurts U.S. allies across the world. “The US is the top exporter globally of clean, abundant, and inexpensive energy, creating jobs and wealth here at home,” Patterson said. It was the second special panel Phelan has created ahead of the 2025 legislative session, which begins in January. The other committee was directed to make recommendations related to the devastating Panhandle wildfires that started in late February. Biden announced the ban in January so his administration could study how exports of liquified natural gas, which is cooled to a liquid state for shipping and storage, affect climate change, a priority in his first term. “This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time,” Biden said Jan. 26. “We will heed the calls of young people and frontline communities who are using their voices to demand action from those with the power to act.” >
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County Stories
Hackers demand $700K from Tarrant Appraisal District
Ransomware attackers who took control of the Tarrant Appraisal District website have demanded $700,000, the district announced Monday. The hackers have threatened to release “sensitive” information if their demands are not met, but TAD does not know if they actually have any information, said Lindsay B. Nickle, a cybersecurity attorney from Dallas hired by the district. The district said it is weighing its options, but does not want to pay, Nickle said. Nickle and TAD suspect that Medusa ransomware, which was first spotted in 2021, is behind the attack. Medusa has previously used extortion and the threat of selling sensitive information on the dark web as a tactic to negotiate, according to the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.
Jingguo Wang, a professor of information systems and operations management at UT Arlington, told the Star-Telegram Friday that the public nature of TAD’s security struggles might have made them a target for the attack. TAD board members did not field questions following their closed session about the matter Monday afternoon. Following closed session the board approved the reallocation $235,000 to purchase Microsoft Office 365, the cybersecurity platform Sentinel 1 and a cybersecurity consultant. Tax Assessor Collector Wendy Burgess — who is a member of the districts board — was not present for the meeting. The site has been down since the attack on Thursday, the second time it crashed in two weeks. TAD’s email and phone lines are still down. After the initial crash on March 14 — which the district blamed on a “database failure” — the district rolled out its new website ahead of its planned launch. >
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City Stories
'We're done': Spring Brand ISD Board votes to keep name on building
Former Superintendent Duncan Klussmann’s name will remain on the Spring Branch Educational Center, the board voted unanimously Monday, after hearing copious community feedback against their proposal to remove his name from the building. More than 40 people spoke at the public hearing asking the board not to remove the name of the now University of Houston assistant professor, many of whom wore red or pink in solidarity. Before the meeting, a petition to keep his name on the building was submitted to the board with over 600 signatures.
A rival petition was submitted with over 300 signatures asking the board to reverse the vote that put Klussmann’s name on the building in the first place, but only two people spoke in public comment in favor of that option. Those who spoke against the name change cited concerns with free speech and retaliation for differing opinions, as Board President Chris Earnest announced his intent to begin the process to remove Klussmann’s name after the former superintendent published a critical op-ed in the Houston Chronicle. Others expressed frustration that the board would spend time discussing the name of a building instead of dealing with the current financial issues at hand. >
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National Stories
N.Y. appeals court reduces Trump's bond in his civil fraud case to $175 million, a victory for the former president
A state appeals court ruled that Donald Trump and his co-defendants in the New York civil fraud case have 10 days to post a $175 million bond, down from the $464 million judgment that was originally due Monday. The 11th-hour ruling from a panel of state Appellate Division judges, all appointed by Democratic governors, is a major victory and relief for the former president, whose attorneys had said coming up with the larger bond was a “practical impossibility.” The ruling also means state Attorney General Letitia James’ office cannot yet begin collecting on the judgment. “I greatly respect the decision of the appellate division and I’ll post the $175 million in cash or bonds or security or whatever is necessary very quickly within the 10 days, and I thank the appellate division for acting quickly,” Trump said in front of cameras after he left a New York courtroom for a hearing in the hush money case.
Before Monday’s ruling, Trump was liable for $454 million, most of the fraud judgment, but the amount he owed had been increasing by more than $111,000 a day because of added interest. Trump claimed on social media Friday that he had nearly $500 million in cash that he had planned to use toward his 2024 presidential campaign. The former president, however, hasn’t used his own money toward his presidential campaigns since 2016. He had also floated the idea last week of mortgaging or selling off his properties, saying he would be forced to do so at “Fire Sale prices.” His lawyers noted in court filings that bond companies typically “require collateral of approximately 120% of the amount of the judgment” — which in this case would total about $557 million. Trump's lawyers said in one filing a week ago that they hadn’t been able at that point to secure a bond, and believed it was “a practical impossibility.” They said that they approached 30 surety companies through four separate brokers, trying to negotiate with the world’s largest insurance companies. >
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Biden-Netanyahu rift grows, as Israel cancels delegation visit
Senior Biden administration officials believed they made clear to their Israeli counterparts in nonstop talks over the weekend the possibility that the United States would abstain from — rather than veto — a U.N. Security Council resolution Monday calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. But the White House was taken aback by what happened after the abstention vote was cast: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly canceled a high-level delegation’s trip to Washington, specifically requested by President Biden in a phone call last week, to discuss U.S. concerns about Israel’s plans for a major military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. In a reaction that understated the administration’s shock, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called the cancellation “surprising and unfortunate.”
The remarkable turn of events has transformed a widening rift between Biden and Netanyahu into a public chasm. Administration officials hastened to insist there had been no U.S. policy change, that Israeli plans for a Rafah operation were not imminent in any case, that negotiations over the release of hostages would continue, and that they looked forward to future conversations with Netanyahu and his government. Despite the extensive weekend consultations, and with no effort by the Israeli leader to reach out to Biden directly, Netanyahu alleged in a statement released by his office after the vote that the United States had “abandoned its policy in the U.N. today. ... Regrettably, the United States did not veto the new resolution, which calls for a ceasefire that is not contingent on the release of hostages.” This, the statement said, was “a clear departure from the U.S. position.” The meeting was off — a delegation headed by Ron Dermer, Netanyahu’s senior strategic adviser, would not travel to Washington as scheduled. >
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What ‘KateGate’ says about royalty, celebrity and Internet culture
Once upon a time, the British monarchy exerted a unique hold over the imaginations of millions of Americans, an interest that elevated its crown-bearing figureheads above the average A-lister or Hollywood hoi polloi. Lately, however, a succession of births, deaths and marriages in the royal family, and several high-profile scandals, have collided with the rise of an internet culture evermore obsessed with celebrity. The monthslong frenzy over the whereabouts of Catherine, Princess of Wales — culminating in a televised statement on Friday in which she revealed she was battling cancer — reflects a fundamental shift in the sentiment of a growing faction of the public: that the Windsors are like any other celebrity family in the public eye, and that they deserve to be treated as such. The online maelstrom that fueled KateGate came largely from outside Britain — and especially from across the Atlantic. It exploded thanks to a 24-hour news cycle, a boom in conspiracy theories and rabid social media punditry, as millions of users sought clicks and a boost in followers with increasingly provocative posts.
“Everyone is watching a different thread on their phone, following a different theory or even becoming an armchair expert or sleuth broadcasting about the royals from their living room,” Wendy Naugle, the editor in chief of People magazine, said last week. These days, many of Ms. Naugle’s American readers follow every update about the British royals as they would other celebrities — “for the outfits and family drama,” she said. And while millions of people wanted only to offer well wishes to the princess, the criticism, mockery and expectation that interested parties should be given boundless information about her reached levels rarely seen before. Matters were not helped by an edited photo released by Kensington Palace on Mother’s Day that fed speculation that Princess Catherine was missing, dying, using a body double or seeking a divorce. TMZ footage of the princess in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton, was published widely in the United States. Thousands of posts and reposts asked whether, given the angle of her face, it was even her. “The moment grew far beyond the corners of social media into the mainstream media and the national conversation in America,” Elizabeth Holmes, a journalist and royal expert in Los Angeles, said last week, before Catherine’s statement was aired. New ground was broken by outlets and individuals with audiences of millions in terms of what they said publicly about royals. Certainly any expectation that three months of silence by a family in the public eye was shown to be unrealistic. >
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Truth Social will start trading on Tuesday. Trump stands to earn a fortune
The company behind Donald Trump's social media app Truth Social will start trading on the Nasdaq exchange on Tuesday, potentially delivering a windfall of more than $3 billion to the former president. Trump Media and Technology Group is set to become a public company after completing a merger with a listed shell company called Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC), which was created to merge with the former president's company.\ Trump Media will trade under the stock symbol DJT, short for Donald J. Trump. The former president would own at least 58% of the merged company, a stake that could be worth billions of dollars at current market valuations. The windfall comes as Trump is mired in a slew of legal cases. Earlier on Monday, a New York appeals court reduced the amount Trump must post as bond in his civil fraud case to $175 million from nearly half a million dollars — and gave him him another 10 days to post it.
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NBC considering cutting ties with Ronna McDaniel after intense backlash: Insider
There's active consideration at NBC News to cut ties with Ronna McDaniel after the brutal reception her hiring as an analyst has gotten, a network insider tells Fox News Digital. The former Republican National Committee chairwoman was signed as a paid contributor last week, leading to an immediate uproar among current and former NBC staffers, as well as media critics who considered the longtime Donald Trump ally unacceptable for the news organization. An MSNBC insider told Fox News Digital that the pushback against McDaniel's hiring was worse than leadership anticipated, and not just from within NBC, and due to that there was discussion about cutting her. Spokespersons for NBC News and MSNBC didn't respond to a request for comment, and McDaniel remains with the network as of Monday.
The source added they'd be glad to see NBC cut McDaniel, saying she has long operated in bad faith, had credibility issues and has engaged in election denial, alluding to her role in helping President Trump's efforts to overturn 2020 election results and rhetoric about that election being unfair. MSNBC President Rashida Jones already told colleagues over the weekend that McDaniel wouldn't appear on their airwaves. MSNBC is NBC's left-leaning cable news arm, and insiders there told Fox News Digital she wouldn't be welcome on their programs. Another source at NBC News said they were "totally blindsided" by McDaniel being added to the team. "I haven't spoken to a single person who thinks it's a good idea," they told Fox News Digital. Another MSNBC insider also supported NBC dropping her entirely, suggesting she be replaced by a former Trump official who wasn't involved in the "Jan. 6 scheme." A separate NBC source told Fox News Digital they were not aware of discussions about possibly dropping McDaniel. >
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Boeing’s next CEO will have ‘massive job’ at company in crisis
Federal probes, sloppy factories, angry airlines, tense union negotiations and supply-chain snarls. Boeing’s crisis won’t end when David Calhoun exits as chief executive. The next leader of the American manufacturing icon will have to address some of the same issues that Calhoun, a longtime Boeing director, was brought on to clean up four years ago when the board he led ousted his predecessor. Boeing said Monday that Calhoun will step aside by the end of the year, though he is expected to leave as soon as his replacement is found. Calhoun’s biggest ally on the board, Chairman Larry Kellner, is also stepping down, and the top executive for the commercial aircraft unit was replaced on Monday.
Airline executives and government officials said they welcomed the shake-up. The board has started searching for a new leader. While it will look at internal executives, it faces added pressure to bring on an outsider who can clean up quality issues that have slowed production of 737 MAX jets that airlines need. “They understand what they need to do,” General Electric CEO Larry Culp said in an interview in mid-March, when asked about Boeing. “As it was for us, a lot of work ahead.” Culp would know. He has just spent five years restructuring GE by splitting off business units, paying down debts and streamlining its factories. Soon he will oversee a slimmed-down GE Aerospace, which makes jet engines that go into the 737 MAX. By setting Calhoun’s exit date at the end of the year, Boeing gave itself ample time to find a successor who the board hopes could instill confidence in the company internally and externally. And if other controversies surface at Boeing in the coming months, Calhoun can take the blame for them instead of the new CEO, executive advisers said. “Let’s hope there aren’t any front-page scandals” to come, said Peter Crist, chairman of the executive search firm Crist Kolder Associates. “But boards do think about that stuff.”>
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