Lead Stories

FEMA to Texas? Disaster agency mulls move to Lone Star State

The Trump administration is considering moving the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters to Texas and putting the state’s top emergency manager in charge of the agency, two former senior FEMA officials told POLITICO’s E&E News. Moving the agency from its headquarters in Washington would create “huge challenges” coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA and is located across town from the agency, according to one former official, who was granted anonymity so they could speak freely. Shortly after President Donald Trump took office, White House officials interviewed Nim Kidd, head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, to run the nation’s disaster agency. After POLITICO’s E&E News reported the interview, Kidd posted a statement on his LinkedIn account acknowledging the interview but saying, “My work in Texas is not done.” On Monday, FEMA acting Administrator David Richardson resigned after a six-month tenure and is returning to the private sector. Starting Dec. 1, FEMA chief of staff Karen Evans will assume the role of acting administrator, a DHS spokesperson said.

A panel appointed by Trump to review FEMA plans is expected to recommend moving the agency to Texas, which would accommodate Kidd and his refusal to leave his home state, according to a former FEMA official. “The admin wanted him, but he refused to leave Texas,” one FEMA source said. Kidd has remained close to the Trump administration and is one of 13 members of Trump’s FEMA review panel, which is expected to make recommendations shortly. Kidd had a high profile in July after flash flooding overwhelmed central Texas and killed at least 130 people, including many young girls at a summer camp. Kidd was at a news conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shortly after the deadly flood and met with Richardson at the disaster site. Kidd is widely respected and has extensive experience running one of the nation’s largest disaster agencies. He appears to meet all statutory requirements to run FEMA and likely would be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate. Kidd would be FEMA’s first permanent administrator since Trump returned to the White House in January. Before Richardson ran the agency, Cameron Hamilton was acting administrator until he was fired in May after publicly disagreeing with the administration about the importance of FEMA. When the White House interviewed Kidd in February, it also interviewed the head of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie, who has helped Trump by establishing an immigrant detention site in the Everglades to handle the increasing number of detainees. Neither Kidd nor the Trump administration immediately responded to requests for comment.

Read this article at Politico - Subscribers Only

As Trump looks for distraction on Epstein, Justice Dept. rushes to his aid

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s prosecutorial sprint speed is improving, at least from the perspective of the man holding a stopwatch, President Trump. Just 217 minutes elapsed between Mr. Trump’s command on Friday morning that she investigate prominent Democrats like Bill Clinton who were named in documents Congress obtained from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate and Ms. Bondi’s announcement that she had referred the matter to the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. Earlier demands took days, sometimes weeks, to fulfill. Ms. Bondi’s statement was an unmistakable demonstration of Mr. Trump’s near-total success in subordinating the Justice Department’s post-Watergate independence to his will. Friday was a milestone of sorts. The department was deployed, in effect, as an arm of the president’s rapid-response operation to help him muscle through a damaging news cycle, current and former officials said. “Whether you are investigated or prosecuted, or whether you are pardoned or have your sentence commuted, depends on whether you are an enemy or a friend of Donald Trump,” said Mary McCord, who once oversaw the Justice Department’s national security division and is now a professor at Georgetown Law.

“There is no pretense of evenhanded justice,” she said. “That core principle is gone.” Mr. Trump has ordered partisan investigations in bulk: James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director; Letitia James, New York’s attorney general; John O. Brennan, the former C.I.A. director; Adam B. Schiff, a Democratic senator from California; and Jack Smith, the special counsel who twice indicted Mr. Trump, among others. Friday’s batch consisted of an all-Democratic roster of men who, like Mr. Trump, socialized with Mr. Epstein, a convicted sex offender. They included Mr. Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers, and the megadonor and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman, along with a bank that has longstanding ties to Mr. Epstein. Several Trump allies, requesting anonymity to speak candidly, conceded that the investigation was an effort to shift attention from messages in the trove that suggested the president knew far more about Mr. Epstein’s abuse of underage girls than he previously acknowledged. Just as important, they said, was Mr. Trump’s need to spin a new narrative to deflect an emerging challenge within his own party: the push to release the remaining Justice Department and F.B.I. investigative files on Mr. Epstein.

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As data flow revives, Fed still faces a deep policy divide

A divided U.S. Federal Reserve begins receiving updated economic reports from the now-reopened federal government this week as policymakers hope for clarity in their debate over whether to cut interest rates when they meet in just over three weeks. It remains unclear how much of the shutdown-delayed data on employment, inflation, retail spending, economic growth, and other aspects of the economy will be in hand by then. As of Monday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said it would publish the delayed employment report for September on Thursday, but the White House has said some of the October reports may be skipped altogether, while data gathering for November may also be hampered by a shutdown that stretched to mid-month. But the lines of debate have been sharply drawn, and minutes of the Fed's October meeting to be released on Wednesday could provide more detail on the split that has emerged over whether the risk of higher inflation remains pronounced enough to delay rate cuts for now, or whether slowing job growth and looser monetary policy should take priority.

"I am not worried about inflation accelerating or inflation expectations rising significantly," Fed Governor Christopher Waller said on Monday. "My focus is on the labor market, and after months of weakening, it is unlikely that the September jobs report later this week or any other data in the next few weeks would change my view that another cut is in order" when the Fed meets on December 9-10. Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson meanwhile said the central bank should go "slowly" given the benchmark interest rate, in the 3.75%-to-4.00% range, is likely nearing the level where it will no longer discourage economic activity and put downward pressure on inflation. Clear camps have formed within the central bank, with several Fed governors - all appointees of President Donald Trump - arguing for another cut, and several regional reserve bank presidents taking a hard line on inflation. Still, the intensity of those divisions may mask a narrower set of concerns about timing and the desire for more data to show a clearer direction for the economy. The Fed's approval of a quarter-percentage-point rate cut at the October 28-29 meeting included dissents in favor of both looser and tighter monetary policy, a rarity in recent decades. Afterward, Fed Chair Jerome Powell offered unusual, explicit guidance about the outcome of the December meeting.

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Could Paxton's push to close the GOP primary election help him against Cornyn?

Attorney General Ken Paxton says his push to restrict the upcoming GOP primary only to registered Republican voters is based on legal grounds. But one of his top advisors recently suggested the move could also benefit Paxton politically as he seeks to oust U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in one of the state’s most heated primary races. Michelle Smith told conservatives that blocking independent and Democratic voters from participating in the March 3 contest would help Paxton and hurt Cornyn. “(Critics are) saying Paxton just wants this so he can win his primary, and I said, ‘Well, of course, any Republican, it's good for all Republicans, not just General Paxton,’” Smith said on an X Spaces live event last month, adding about Cornyn: “These guys know they need to trigger the Democrats to come vote for them, and without that, they know they won’t win."

Paxton’s office has joined the Republican Party of Texas in its lawsuit against the state to close the March primary election, arguing its a First Amendment issue. The decision has split the state’s top GOP leaders. Grassroots conservatives, who say closed primaries help guard against moderate candidates, are rallying behind Paxton. “Republicans, and only Republicans, should select Republican nominees,” Texas Republican Party chair Abraham George said. Secretary of State Jane Nelson is fighting the suit, saying that changing the system so close to an election would create confusion among voters. Other Republican officials worry that restricting participation could risk turning away new GOP voters. Experts say closing primaries has had no meaningful impact on the results and would be unlikely to benefit Paxton. “A belief has taken hold in the Republican Party that closed primaries are better because you're keeping out moderates. You're keeping out members of the other party who might want to mess with your nomination,” said Robert Boatright, a political science professor at Clark University in Massachusetts who studies primary elections. “There’s no evidence that this happens. There's no evidence that there are any elections that have been swung like this.”

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State Stories

Gov. Greg Abbott's 332-day gift to President Trump

In the end, Gov. Greg Abbott will have bought President Donald Trump at least an extra 332 days of advantage in a tightly held Congress. On Monday, Abbott finally set the runoff election for Jan. 31 to fill the seat left vacant by the late Sylvester Turner. Once those results are certified, typically the next week, either Democrat Amanda Edwards or Christian Menefee will head to Congress to give downtown Houston a vote in the U.S. House for the first time since March 5. ?Abbott’s delay in filling the seat has paid huge dividends for Trump. With one less Democrat in the House, it allowed Trump to get his big spending and tax cut plan passed in the U.S. House by one vote back in the summer. And it left the vote on releasing more Jeffrey Epstein files one vote short — that is until Arizona filled its own vacant congressional seat this month.

bbott never said he was delaying because of Trump. Instead, he said Harris County needed the extra time to conduct the election — something county officials have denied. ?Two other members of Congress, from Arizona and Virginia, died in office after Turner’s death in March, yet both of those seats have already been filled through special elections. And in Tennessee, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Republican, resigned in July, but that seat will be filled in an election on Dec. 2 — just over 130 days after it was left vacant. ?Since 2002, there have been more than 100 vacancies in the U.S. House. On average it has taken 136 days to fill them. ?While Houston's 332-plus days without a representative will be one of the longest vacancies in history, it isn’t the record. In Michigan, longtime U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, resigned in December 2017. But then-Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, didn’t set the special election to fill the seat until November 2018 in the Democratically-dominated district, giving the House GOP an extra seat edge for 359 days. California Gov. Gavin Newsom returned the favor when U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican in a GOP-safe district, resigned in January 2020. Newsom, a Democrat, decided not to fill the seat at all, leaving the San Diego-based district without a member of Congress for 356 days.

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Texas lawmakers ask feds to reimburse state for immigration enforcement

Dozens of Republican Texas lawmakers are asking the federal government to reimburse the Lone Star State for years of immigration enforcement costs. Twenty-seven GOP lawmakers from Texas on Friday sent U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem letters asking that the state be reimbursed for $11.1 billion the state spent since 2021 on border enforcement operations through Operation Lone Star. “The State of Texas bore the heaviest burden, incurring $11.1 billion in costs over four years. We respectfully request that the departments prioritize Texas in disbursing these funds,” says the letter. The lawmakers, led by U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, cite the $13.5 billion in authorized reimbursement funds appropriated through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to repay states for immigration-related costs.

“President Biden’s open-border policies imposed a substantial cost on communities in Texas, through increased fentanyl trafficking, crime, and even stress on local emergency response services,” the letter says. Since March 2021, Texas has spent state funds on immigration enforcement including: Building miles of state-funded border wall. Spending $1 million for a 1,000-foot span of border buoys in Eagle Pass in the Rio Grande. Thousands of National Guard troops sent to the border. Prosecution of those suspected of crossing into the state illegally from Mexico. Dispatching of thousands of Texas state troopers to patrol border roads, especially in South Texas. “Texas’s actions through Operation Lone Star were absolutely vital to ensuring the safety and security of Americans across our great country. However, our State should not have had to bear alone the costs of securing the border,” the lawmakers say. “We therefore respectfully ask that, as the Departments prepare to disburse the funds set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the State of Texas be fully reimbursed for the costs incurred to protect Americans from illegal immigration and drug trafficking.”

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Austin City Council faces showdown over public safety cuts

As the Austin City Council begins deliberating over a new austerity budget proposal Tuesday, public safety spending has become a major flashpoint. While the three public safety unions are pushing council to infuse millions of dollars into the fire department and emergency medical services, a coalition of nearly two dozen progressive organizations is advocating for a more equitable approach so that homeless services, parks and other programs don’t have to suffer cuts amid a nagging budget shortfall. The coalition also is calling for a reduction in police spending, which it described as “one of the few viable ways” to achieve its goal. The wrangling began in earnest last week after City Manager T.C. Broadnax released a revised budget proposal that reduced the Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS budgets by a combined $14 million-plus. Leaders of the Austin Firefighters Association and Austin EMS Association, along with the Austin Police Association, were quick to blast the cuts and warn they would put Austin residents at risk by slowing response times and weakening the ability of their agencies to respond to severe fires and medical emergencies.

“What the manager proposed doesn’t adequately fund the resources we need,” EMS Association President James Monks said in an interview. Broadnax’s budget proposal came days after the Nov. 4 election where voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition Q, a measure that would have generated nearly $110 million by increasing the city property tax rate by more than 20%. The $6.3 billion budget City Council approved in August accounted for that money, so the council must now approve a new spending plan. A city staff presentation posted online ahead of Tuesday’s budget work session says Broadnax’s proposal calls for net cuts of nearly $55 million to the Prop Q budget, along with the elimination of a $40.5 million planned transfer to reserves and a $14.1 million withdrawal from that savings account. The presentation also includes updated estimates that show the city’s deficit could grow to $37.4 million by 2029, assuming a modest annual tax rate increase of 3.5% and no further budget cuts. Under the Prop Q budget approved in August, EMS was set to receive $6.3 million to hire more staff and purchase new ambulances and other equipment while the Fire Department had been set to receive $8.3 million to cover overtime costs. Both sums are nixed in Broadnax’s proposal – though EMS’ overall budget is still set to increase when compared to the budget for the fiscal year that just ended. (That spending plan gave the agency $143 million; Broadnax’s proposal gives it $148.2 million.)

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‘What’s actually happening’: UT Austin students feel left in the dark, university remains silent on Trump compact deal

In just a few days, there’s a major Trump administration deadline. It’s one that the University of Texas at Austin has remained silent on. The school is among nine universities to be offered a deal that would give preferential federal funding in exchange for signing a compact that would change and double down on major changes to campus culture, hiring and admission processes, foreign student enrollment and more. Students are concerned how this deal, and other political influences might impact courses. There’s a worry that gender and ethnic study classes might be consolidated. “All we are looking for is transparency,” UT Junior and African Diaspora and Economics major Mikey Rush said. “We have an obligation to be at the table when decisions are made that affect us all. This silence has been intentional.”

UT Austin has not said whether it has plans to consolidate classes, but the UT system did announce in September it would be reviewing all gender studies courses at its 14 institutions to comply with state law and federal guidance. And in October, UT Austin announced a new core curriculum task force to review general education curriculum to comply with state law and federal guidance. President Jim Davis touched on academic integrity during his inauguration. “Some wonder if we’ve lost our way in how we teach,” Davis said. “We recognize that as a public university, we hold a position of public trust. And we recommit to our long-held and enduring values, that we teach with intellectual honesty. We honor the traditions of both academic freedom and academic responsibility. Year after year, Jacob Zaragoza has been by his family’s side for the small and big moments.Out of his 10 siblings, he’s someone they’ve looked up to. Now, a freshman at UT Austin, and the first in his family to go to college, he’s speaking up for the sake of those he loves most.“That’s why it’s so personal to me,” Zaragoza said. “Because it’s not just about my ability to do this. It’s about my younger siblings. I want them to have this luxury as well.” Zaragoza, a Mexican American, joined other Black and brown UT students on campus Monday to address concerns about whether UT will consolidate ethnic and gender studies. The university has still not said whether it’ll join the Trump compact deal, accepting federal funding in exchange for doubling down on no diversity, equity and inclusion practices, changing foreign admission policies and more.As the university constantly evolves, students said they feel left in the dark.“They’re hiding from us what’s actually happening,” a UT student said. Students told KXAN they’ve requested meetings, but have not been able to talk to UT Austin’s administration regarding its plans.

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New ‘Landman’ season gives oil, gas lobby a chance to promote itself

As Taylor Sheridan’s wildly popular West Texas oil drama, Landman, returned Sunday for its second season, the American Petroleum Institute also premiered new content: three 30-second ads featuring real workers in the oil patches. The TV show, which stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, had more than 5 million viewers watch last year’s season premiere and broke streaming records. It also helped vault the modern oilfield into the pop culture spotlight. API president and CEO Mike Sommers told The Dallas Morning News that Landman, like other shows in Sheridan’s portfolio, is a reflection of the “current culture.” To be sure, the fossil fuels industry has its share of critics, particularly in an environmental movement motivated by climate change, and the imperative to shift away from oil and gas. But at least for now, “I think we are finally in a moment, a cultural moment, where people understand how important the oil and gas industry is,” Sommers said.

“There has been a lot of talk about the so-called ‘energy transition’ over the course of the last five years, but I think we’re finally at this point where people are starting to understand ‘energy reality,’ and that oil and gas are going to play a key role in our energy future for decades and decades to come," he added. More and more, politicians and leaders across the policy spectrum have called for an “all of the above” approach for meeting the world’s insatiable energy demand, as data centers and artificial intelligence surge and everyday life becomes increasingly digital. And rising numbers of Americans support offshore drilling and fracking today compared with five years ago, according to a Pew Research Center poll published in June. Just last week the International Energy Agency forecasted global oil production will increase through at least 2050. “I think people are understanding that the pie is getting bigger, and as the pie gets bigger there’s going to be a lot more new energy sources coming on, but the base is still going to come from the greatest industry in the world, the American oil and gas industry,” Sommer said. The show has also highlighted the “energy trilemma” of balancing conflicting goals of energy security, equity and environmental sustainability. Last year, API took out a seven-figure purchase of ads to run alongside the show in an effort to counter some negative depictions of the oil and gas industry.

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Former Alamo Trust CEO files federal lawsuit alleging first amendment violations

Former Alamo Trust President and CEO Kate Rogers has filed a federal lawsuit claiming she was fired for exercising her First Amendment rights. SAN ANTONIO - Former Alamo Trust President and CEO Kate Rogers has filed a federal lawsuit claiming she was fired for exercising her First Amendment rights. According to the lawsuit, Rogers alleges she was removed from her position in October 2025 after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick read her 2023 doctoral dissertation, which discussed her personal views on the Alamo’s role in unifying people by acknowledging differing historical interpretations. Rogers says the dissertation was written in her capacity as a private citizen.

The lawsuit claims Rogers was retaliated against again when she spoke to Texas Monthly about her termination and the importance of historical truth at the Alamo. After that interview, the filing states, the Alamo Trust and the Remember the Alamo Foundation revoked her severance offer. Rogers argues the organizations violated her constitutional rights by “silencing” her over viewpoints they disagreed with.

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A 370-mile powerline ‘superhighway’ sparks Hill Country outrage

As Jada Jo Smith wades into the clear water of the Sabinal River, she can see down to the stony base of the waterway, which is shaded by overhanging cypress trees. She’s spent countless summer days here, swimming alongside the Guadalupe bass and turtles as they navigate through the river grass. Her daughter, Viola, is growing up around the pristine waters. She recently celebrated her sixth birthday along the river, which is usually quiet save for the sounds of the trickling spring feeding it, humming insects and chirping birds. Many Texans have spent time here swimming, kayaking and fishing. The Hill Country the Sabinal runs through offers visitors an escape from the rapidly growing cities nearby, with a night sky still dark enough to view the Milky Way and a long history of ranches that have been in families for generations. Now, Smith says, one of the few parts of Texas still untouched by development is in danger.

Soon, a 370-mile-long swath of the Hill Country stretching from San Antonio to Fort Stockton could be sliced by a massive electric transmission line. Though the precise route of the 765-kilovolt line has yet to be determined, it would potentially cut through 14 counties including Uvalde, which includes the tiny town of Utopia. “It’s so important to save the uniqueness of it, the rawness of it,” Smith said. “Once it’s gone, you can never get it back.” The transmission line is a project of CPS Energy and American Electric Power. Known as the Howard-Solstice Transmission Line, it’s just the first step in what state officials say is a larger plan to improve grid reliability and transmission efficiency, with the immediate focus now on getting more electricity to the Permian Basin. Hill Country residents have been told the 160-foot towers carrying the highest-voltage lines ever seen in Texas are necessary to meet the state’s booming energy demand. But they’re questioning why pristine land and rivers must be sacrificed in the process. The headwaters of another Hill Country waterway, the West Nueces River, are the site of a ranch that’s been in Ted Flato’s family for nearly a century. The San Antonio architect’s father married into the ranch family and Flato said he and his dad learned together about fishing on the clear stream. Now, another generation — Flato’s daughter — lives on the property. So, when he heard about the power line project, he was concerned.

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De La Cruz: UTRGV should not be stripped of funding

U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz has broken with President Trump over funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions. The Edinburg Republican disagrees with a recent decision by the U.S. Department of Education to rescind $350 million in funding from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). UT-Rio Grande Valley is one of the HSIs affected. De La Cruz outlined her opposition to the decision in a letter sent to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon. It was co-penned by five of her colleagues in the Congressional Hispanic Conference, the only caucus of Hispanic Republican lawmakers in Congress. “As Hispanic Republicans, we firmly believe in upholding fiscal responsibility and have been strong proponents of supporting evidence and merit-based rationale over radical DEI policies as it relates to federal funding decisions.

“While we understand the Department raised constitutional concerns that HSI programs may violate the equal-protection component of the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause “by conferring benefits exclusively to institutions that meet racial or ethnic quotas”, this reasoning overlooks the reality of most HSIs. “These institutions do not artificially seek to meet quotas to obtain federal funds; rather, they serve the communities in which they are located.” By way of example, the letter points out that UTRGV serves a population that is 91 percent Hispanic. The other five members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference to write to Mahon were Reps. Tony Gonzales, David Valadao, Juan Ciscomani, Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez. They said they were particularly concerned about suspension of the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (Title III, Part E), the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (Title V, Part A), and the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program (Title V, Part B). “Given the extraordinary value of these programs in strengthening America’s workforce and serving the very communities that have helped sustain our Republican majority, we respectfully urge you to reconsider this decision and ensure continued support for these vital programs,” the members of Congress wrote. The letter says UTRGV is doing great work in strengthening the nation’s health workforce.

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Texas raid targeting Tren de Aragua gang leads to arrest of 140 illegal immigrants

A raid at a sex and human trafficking operation in San Antonio operated by members of Tren de Aragua gang (TdA) resulted in at least 140 illegal immigrants being arrested, authorities said Monday. The raid was part of a joint operation between the Texas Department of Public Safety and federal and local authorities, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott said. On Monday, a regional Homeland Security Task Force was created to combat transnational criminal organizations. The aim of the task force is to dismantle drug cartels, foreign terrorist organizations, and criminal networks responsible for crimes like human trafficking, drug smuggling, and money laundering. Sunday’s raid was part of President Donald Trump’s executive order issued on Jan. 20 targeting transnational criminal organizations.

More than 140 illegal immigrants from Venezuela, Honduras, Mexico and other South American countries were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The raid involved multiple federal agencies. “The Homeland Security Task Force enables the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to bring its sophisticated investigative techniques to the table, which have been instrumental in capturing the most violent drug trafficking organizations in the United States and worldwide,” said the Houston Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. “We look forward to working hand in hand with our federal and state counterparts in bringing down drug traffickers pumping poison into our neighborhoods and devastating our communities,” he added. US Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, whose brother served as mayor of San Antonio, said he has asked the Justice Department and local agencies for more information on the raid. He claimed that raids conducted elsewhere have seen US citizens and immigrants with no criminal record arrested. Meanwhile, in Houston, ICE arrested 3,500 criminal illegal aliens, including child predators and murderers, during the 43-day government shutdown. The suspects taken into custody include 13 people convicted of murder, 51 child predators, 67 sex offenders and 23 gang members, including an MS-13 gang member charged with a triple homicide in Dallas, authorities said.

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Leader of Dallas’ largest police union placed on leave in internal affairs probe

Jaime Castro, a longtime officer who leads the Dallas Police Association, the city’s largest and oldest police union, was placed on administrative leave Friday while the department conducts an internal affairs investigation. The exact nature of the investigation was unclear Monday. Responding to a list of questions from The Dallas Morning News, a police spokesperson said no further information would be provided to “protect the integrity of the process.” “The Dallas Police Department expects every member of the organization to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability,” Chief Daniel Comeaux said in a statement through the spokesperson. “Any allegation of misconduct is taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and fairly.” Castro did not immediately return messages seeking comment Monday. His attorney, John Snider, also did not return messages.

Castro, 52, joined the department in 1998. He holds the rank of senior corporal and is assigned to the department’s alarm unit, which is housed in the office of the police chief. Association members elected Castro president in January 2024, succeeding Mike Mata, who held the job for six years. Before then, Castro had served on the union’s executive board since 2016. As president, Castro has been a prominent voice for rank-and-file officers. He is a common fixture in debates around City Hall’s public safety obligations, particularly in the lead-up to a vote last November on a charter amendment to overhaul the Dallas Police Department. Voters overwhelmingly supported the measure, which requires Dallas to maintain a 4,000-officer force, devote half of new annual revenue to pensions and public safety, and ensure the department’s starting pay is competitive in North Texas.

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Fort Worth ISD’s new guidelines ask teachers to work from rigid scripts

In the weeks leading up to the announcement that the Texas Education Agency is taking over the Fort Worth Independent School District, parents and community members worried the district would roll out the same kinds of tightly scripted lessons leaders in Houston ISD implemented during a similar takeover there. But Fort Worth ISD is already using scripted lessons in many subject areas, district officials told the Star-Telegram. District leaders developed a series of lessons over the summer and rolled them out at the beginning of the current school year. Fort Worth ISD officials say the move is designed to relieve overburdened teachers of some of their responsibilities, allowing them more time to focus on students. But some teachers say the change strips them of autonomy and doesn’t allow them the flexibility to give students the personalized instruction they need.

The new scripted lessons are a part of Fort Worth ISD’s new instructional framework. Each lesson includes a slide show presentation and a script teachers are expected to follow. The script is detailed, teachers told the Star-Telegram — it outlines words teachers are expected to emphasize and time markers they’re expected to meet. At the end of each lesson, students take a short quiz that’s intended to gauge whether they understood the material. The framework includes a second script for teachers to follow to re-teach the lessons to students who don’t pass the quiz. MJ Bowman, Fort Worth ISD’s executive director for literacy, said the district began developing scripted lessons over the summer, after Superintendent Karen Molinar asked district leaders to find a way to take the responsibility of writing lesson plans off of teachers’ plates. Especially in elementary schools, where teachers get one planning period per day, it’s important that central office leaders do everything they can to help teachers maximize their time, she said. Kim Axtell, the district’s director for mathematics, said the re-teach portion of each lesson is designed to give students a second look at material they didn’t understand the first time. In addition to the re-teach session, each instructional block includes 20 minutes for teachers to give targeted support to students who need extra help, she said.

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Election date set for North Texas Senate District 9 runoff

The runoff election to fill North Texas’ Senate District 9 is set for Jan. 31, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced Monday. Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss advanced to the runnoff to fill the North Texas district following a Nov. 4 special election. The seat is vacant after former Sen. Kelly Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican, left for the Texas Comptroller’s office, where he currently serves as acting comptroller. Early voting starts Jan. 21 and runs through Jan. 27. Rehmet, a union leader and aircraft mechanic, was the top vote getter in the first round of voting, winning nearly 48% of the votes in the district, despite its being a historically Republican seat. Wambsganss, Patriot Mobile’s chief communication officer, got the second most votes— about 36%. Former Southlake Mayor John Huffman did not advance to the runoff. The Tarrant County district includes much of Northwest Tarrant County, including part of Fort Worth and suburban communities like Southlake, Keller and North Richland Hills.

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Media blitz opposes removal of LGBTQ protections in Arlington

Thousands of mailers, social media posts and television commercials are pushing the city of Arlington to restore its anti-discrimination ordinance and questioning City Council members’ values. The media campaign, called Arlington Strikes Out, wants council members to keep LGBTQ protections after they overhauled programs and ordinances to protect the city’s $65 million in federal funding. DeeJay Johannessen, the CEO of HELP Center for LGBTQ Health, said the campaign is a direct response to a lack of action to protect LGBTQ residents. “The discomfort they are having is that, for the first time in Arlington’s history, the LGBTQ+ community has the resources to have this discussion in the public square,” Johannessen said. “It’s not about getting 250 people to show up at a City Council meeting. It’s about being in tens of thousands of living rooms telling people exactly what’s going on.”

The campaign was paid for by the HELP Center for LGBTQ Health. Johannessen declined to say how much money the organization spent on the ads. The HELP Center, or Health Education Learning Project, is a Fort Worth-based nonprofit focused on providing preventative resources for HIV, AIDS and STDs. Alongside the organization’s resource work, it also advocates for LGBTQ rights. Johannessen was one of the initial proponents of an anti-discrimination ordinance in Arlington. In 2021, then-Mayor Jeff Williams and Arlington City Council unanimously adopted the anti-discrimination ordinance. Ahead of that vote, Johannessen urged council members to adopt the measure. “This ordinance will not magically make discrimination disappear in Arlington, but what it will do is, for the very first time in our city’s history, put down in writing that in Arlington, Texas, the American Dream City, discrimination is not OK,” Johannessen said at the time. Williams’ involvement in passing the ordinance was the subject of one mailer that ended up in Arlington mailboxes over the weekend. The front of the flyer reads: “Former Mayor Jeff Williams championed the inclusion of sexual orientation.”

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Gov. Greg Abbott sets special election runoff date for Texas' 18th Congressional District

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former city council member Amanda Edwards will compete in a runoff election to represent Houston's 18th Congressional District on Jan. 31. Early voting will begin Jan. 21. Gov. Greg Abbott announced the date on Monday. The winner of the special election will finish out the remainder of former U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner's term representing an an area that includes downtown, the Greater Fifth Ward, Acres Homes and the area around George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

?Menefee and Edwards finished first and second in a 16-candidate field on Nov. 4, but were sent into a runoff because neither won 50% of the vote. ?The timing means Edwards and Menefee will have to run two elections at the same time. As they battle in the runoff, vote by mail for the March Democratic primary will be underway to represent the 18th Congressional District for a full two-year term starting in 2027. ?The late January runoff date means the 18th Congressional District will have gone more than 330 days without any representation in the U.S. House. Turner died on March 5, but Abbott refused to set a special election until Nov. 4. ?Abbott said he delayed the election because Harris County has a history of election management issues and he wanted to give them extra time to prepare. ?But politically, the move has been a big help to President Donald Trump. Without a replacement for Turner, Trump’s big spending and tax cut package in the summer passed the House by one vote.

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Mayor John Whitmire sets new date for annual State of the City address following hotel strike

Mayor John Whitmire will give his long-awaited State of the City address on the Houston's future on Feb. 12 after a postponement due to striking workers at Hilton-Americas, the event's venue. The State of the City event was originally set for Sept. 25. It is held every year at around the same time of year, and is jointly hosted by Houston First and the Greater Houston Partnership at the Hilton-Americas hotel in downtown Houston. But after workers at the hotel went on strike, Whitmire opted to postpone his remarks until they struck a deal.

Hotel workers were pressing for a $23 minimum wage, safety improvements and more consistent working hours. After a 40-day strike, the workers ended up with a contract that promised $20 minimum wages. They also secured safety improvements and reduced workloads. In a post on X, Whitmire's office said the mayor is expected to provide updates on quality of life issues, public safety and infrastructure at the sold-out event.

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National Stories

Saudi crown prince returns to U.S. for first time after diplomatic isolation

Whether viewed as a visionary reformist or a murderous despot, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, will be taking a huge step toward rejoining the international community when he meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Bin Salman, 40, became an international pariah after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a fierce critic of his government, in 2018, though Trump defended the Saudi government even after the CIA concluded that the crown prince himself ordered the killing. Then-President Joe Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and controversially fist-bumped bin Salman, an image that went viral, at a time when most leaders had shunned the crown prince. Bin Salman said in 2019 that he took “full responsibility” for the Khashoggi killing since it happened on his watch, but denied ordering it.

But it is bin Salman’s trip Tuesday, his first during Trump’s second term, that will be seen more broadly as a move toward acceptance back into the diplomatic fold. “He’s a different kind of figure now. Obviously, the questions about the manner of his rule and internal repression, those things haven’t gone away. But he’s a changed figure; it’s a changed moment. And, I think, important symbolically in that sense,” said Michael Wahid Hanna, the U.S. program director at the International Crisis Group, a global nonprofit organization based in Brussels that works to prevent conflicts. He added: “He’s central to what this administration wants to do in the region.” Trump and bin Salman are expected to sign economic and defense agreements, a White House official told NBC News. Even before bin Salman had set foot in the United States, Trump confirmed at an Oval Office event Monday that he would be willing to sign off on the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the kingdom, a contentious move that could shift the balance of power in the Middle East, where Israel has been the primary recipient of America’s cutting-edge military technology.

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Larry Summers stepping back from ‘public commitments’ over Epstein emails

Former Democratic treasury secretary Larry Summers is “deeply ashamed” of his years-long communication with Jeffrey Epstein and will be “stepping back from public commitments,” he said in a statement Monday night. “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused,” Summers said. “I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein. While continuing to fulfill my teaching obligations, I will be stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.” The House Oversight Committee released a new trove of documents Wednesday highlighting Epstein’s extensive ties to world leaders, politicians and other close confidants. Much focus went to Epstein’s talk of Donald Trump. But the messages also ensnared a broader web of powerful friends, Summers among them.

After Summers’ statement, a growing number of boards and think tanks said they no longer had relationships with him. Summers was set to have a leading role in the rollout of a set of economic proposals from the left-leaning think tank the Center for American Progress. But the formal launch of that working group was put on hold as Summers continued to draw scrutiny. In a statement Monday, a CAP spokesperson said Summers was no longer a fellow at the think tank. A spokesperson for the Yale Budget Lab also said Summers had withdrawn from its advisory group. A former president of Harvard University, Summers still holds a professorship there. The school did not respond to a request for comment Monday. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), an emerita professor at Harvard, told CNN on Monday that the university should sever ties with Summers. Summers holds affiliations with a number of prominent liberal economic policy groups. He remains a member of the Hamilton Project Advisory Council at the Brookings Institution, a spokesperson said Monday. He is also the board chair of the Center for Global Development and vice chairman of the board of directors at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Representatives from those groups did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump are at war. What’s her endgame?

It’s hard to miss Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s office in the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill thanks to the enormous sign out front declaring, “There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE.” Behind a pair of walnut doors, a photo of Donald Trump, fist in the air and blood smeared across his face, sits on a secretary’s desk. A “Gulf of America” hat rests on a table nearby. All this unsubtle iconography might dispel the perception, which has echoed around Washington and beyond lately, that the Georgia congresswoman has changed. It’s hard to escape the question these days: What’s going on with Marjorie Taylor Greene? The woman known for wearing a red “Trump Was Right About Everything!” hat to the president’s March address to Congress has been openly challenging the Trump administration on everything from the Epstein files to the war in Gaza. She’s appeared for a chummy confab on The View, and clips of her speaking empathetically about Americans not being able to afford health care are going viral. In an appearance on CNN over the weekend, Greene apologized for taking part in “toxic politics.” The rift exploded on Friday night, as Trump attacked Greene on Truth Social. “I am withdrawing my support and Endorsement of ‘Congresswoman’ Marjorie Taylor Greene, of the Great State of Georgia,” he wrote.

On Saturday morning, Trump bestowed upon Greene his ultimate token of disrespect: an insulting nickname. “Lightweight Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Brown (Green grass turns Brown when it begins to ROT!),” he wrote in one post, which was quickly followed up by another featuring a marginally improved alternative: “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green.” Trump, who called Greene “Wacky,” “Fake,” “a disgrace,” a “RINO,” and a “ranting Lunatic” in his various posts, said if the “right person” were to challenge her in a primary, he’d pledge his “Unyielding” support. Greene is up for reelection in 2026. Her campaign has raised $1.9 million as of September, according to the Federal Election Commission, and her closest Republican challenger is a woman by the name of Star Black, who has $78,000 cash on hand and four followers on TikTok. “It’s astonishing really how hard he’s fighting to stop the Epstein files from coming out that he actually goes to this level,” Greene wrote on X. In a post Sunday night, Greene said Trump’s “unwarranted and vicious attacks against me were a dog whistle to dangerous radicals that could lead to serious attacks on me and my family.” Since her ascension to Congress, Greene has fashioned herself as Trump’s most loyal foot soldier on Capitol Hill. She even looks a little like Trump; her hair is dyed platinum blond, and makeup covers her face in a cloak of ocher. Her smile, which comes easily, is the same perfect white as the vinyl trim her family’s construction business puts on the outside of homes across Georgia. Most Popular Olivia Nuzzi's American Canto: Read the Exclusive Excerpt News Olivia Nuzzi's American Canto: Read the Exclusive Excerpt By Olivia Nuzzi Timothée Chalamet and Adam Sandler Unite for Vanity Fair Scene Selection Live Hollywood Timothée Chalamet and Adam Sandler Unite for Vanity Fair Scene Selection Live By John Ross Inside the $700 Million Art Trove to Be Sold at Christie’s&-and That’s Not Counting the Secret Room Style Inside the $700 Million Art Trove to Be Sold at Christie’s—and That’s Not Counting the Secret Room By Nate Freeman On the day we met last week for an interview at her office, she wore nude pumps, black pleather pants, and a blue velvet blazer. From her neck dangled a crucifix; on her wrist, an iced-out paperclip bracelet. As I sank into a chesterfield sofa in the sitting room of Greene’s office, the president and his top officials were reportedly pressuring several House Republicans to kill a discharge petition compelling the release of further Epstein files. Greene, they had apparently determined, was a lost cause. That morning, Congress released thousands of documents from Epstein’s estate, several of which revealed shocking insights into the president and the disgraced financier’s relationship. Trump publicly urged Republicans to move on from the issue, calling it a “Hoax.” At a briefing last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the revived controversy “truly a manufactured hoax by the Democrat Party.” Greene had a distinctly different take. “If the cover-up continues, protecting rich, powerful people continues, we’re sending the scariest message to any victim—that no one will fight for you,” she told me.

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Democratic Lieutenant Governors want to be their party’s future

As Democrats continue to look around for a way out of the political wilderness, a group representing the nation’s seconds-in-command is suggesting primary voters consider making 2026 the Year of the Lieutenant Governor. “The LGs are a uniquely dynamic, diverse group of individuals and we should be the leaders that folks are elevating,” Austin Davis, the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and chair of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, told NOTUS in a recent interview. “We’re in a moment when the Democratic Party is looking for leadership who aren’t just going to go to Washington or go to their state capitals and be part of the problem, but who are going to be part of the solution.” His candidates, Davis said, his fellow LGs, “are very exciting folks.” The DLGA just came back into being recently after years of dormancy. Like the official campaign arms for Democratic governors, senators and House members, it recruits new candidats and tries to grow the number of lieutenant governor seats held by Democrats. But unlike those groups, the DLGA is actively helping lieutenant governors run for different offices in open Democratic primaries.

The 2026 cycle will be the first major push for this plan, though the group spent some money on races in 2024. The “open primaries” distinction is incredibly important to the project, sources close to the DLGA said. When Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado of New York announced his intention to primary a fellow Democrat, Gov. Kathy Hochul, the DLGA pointedly said it was staying out. “We will offer our support only to Lt. Governors seeking higher office in open primaries,” the group said in a statement. The DLGA’s political operation expects to spend large sums backing candidates in high-profile primary campaigns like that of Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, running for the open Senate seat in Minnesota, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, running in the open Senate primary in Illinois. The group is also spending money in high-profile gubernatorial open primaries like the one in Michigan, where Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is running to replace the term-limited Gretchen Whitmer. The DLGA has also formally endorsed Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis in the open California gubernatorial primary (though Kounalakis has reportedly intimated she’d drop her bid if Kamala Harris enters the race, as many expect). A source at the DLGA said the group has already maxed out in hard money contributions to Flanagan, Stratton, Gilchrist and Kounalakis. The bulk of the support the open primary candidates get will come from an independent expenditure group. It’s too early to know exactly how big that total will be, but the expectation is seven figures of political spending in each targeted race.

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Faith-based institutions navigate Trump’s higher ed policy changes

Leaders of faith-based colleges and universities have spoken out on a slew of political issues in recent months, sometimes standing alongside secular universities and at other times differentiating themselves and defending their unique standing and missions. The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities signed on to an October statement from the American Council on Education opposing the administration’s higher education compact, for example. Over the summer, CCCU also came out with a statement on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that echoed those of secular associations and institutions, expressing concern that “it ultimately falls short in supporting student access and success.” ACE’s Commission on Faith-Based Colleges and Universities was among the higher ed groups that lobbied hard against Pell Grant cuts, later dropped from the bill. At the same time, the University of Notre Dame and other faith-based institutions fought for an exemption for religious institutions from the higher education endowment tax, ultimately left out of the legislation’s final version.

Like their secular peers, faith-based colleges and universities have been buffeted by the rapid-fire policy changes roiling higher ed this year. Some leaders of religious colleges say their institutions are enjoying renewed support that they hope sets a precedent for future policymakers across party lines. At the same time, some advocates fear religious colleges—and their missions—are suffering collateral damage in Trump’s war against highly selective universities, and they’re making careful decisions about when and how to speak out. “I knew change would be coming,” said David Hoag, president of CCCU, “but I never expected the pace to be this fast.” Under any administration, CCCU’s job is to “make it possible for our institutions to achieve their missions,” Hoag said. But some recent policy changes pose an obstacle to that. Christian colleges—which tend to be small, enrolling about 2,500 students on average—can’t afford to join Trump’s proposed compact for higher ed, he said. He believes some of the compact’s demands, such as freezing tuition for five years, are a tall order with campus expenses on the rise. He also opposes the compact’s standardized test mandate when so many Christian colleges offer broad access, and he’s concerned by the possibility that government could have some control over curriculum, though he said the compact was unclear on that score. “On the curriculum side, most of our institutions are conservative. We have a solid Christian mission,” Hoag said. “I’m fine with civics being a part of some of the work that we do, but it, to me, starts to … step over academic freedom.” Christian colleges are also balking at the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas, which these institutions use to bring in visiting professors from other countries.

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If Democrats regain the White House, Trump's ballroom could be an early casualty

The East Wing that President Donald Trump tore down last month stood for decades. The ballroom he’s building in its place could be gone not long after the first wave of guests sit down for dinner, depending on the outcome of the 2028 presidential race. If elected, a Democratic president would have plenty to worry about aside from White House decor; war and peace can easily fill up a day. But a new president may face considerable pressure from within the Democratic fold to do something about a massive new ballroom forever linked to Trump. Already, prominent Democratic officials are workshopping ideas for repurposing the space in favor of something that’s decidedly un-Trump. If any of these come to fruition, the $300 million ballroom that Trump birthed could take on a function that he never intended.

Should the ballroom be used as the president plans? “No way,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who said he will consider a presidential bid if Democrats gain control of the House in the upcoming midterm elections. “This is a space that’s owned by the people and that serves the people,” Raskin said in an interview. “So, it should be used opposite of what Trump has in mind, which is for the American aristocracy and plutocracy to gather.” Rep. Ro Khanna of California, another Democrat viewed as a possible presidential candidate, said the ballroom should be used in a way that “celebrates and empowers forgotten Americans” as opposed to accommodating guests for glitzy state dinners. Letting the 90,000-square-foot structure remain a ballroom would only validate the means by which Trump built it: demolishing the East Wing without forewarning and bankrolling the project with private donations, Democratic officials suggested.

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National Republicans send deceptive text to ‘confuse and intimidate’ Missouri voters

Political text messages are a dime a dozen, helping campaigns and political action committees (PACs) raise funds, promote candidates, or denigrate their opponents. But few go as hard as an intimidating message urging Missouri voters to remove their names from an anti-gerrymandering petition “before it’s too late.” The manipulative text, sent out last week, is just the latest tactic Republicans are using in their madcap effort to prevent Missourians from putting the GOP’s gerrymander plans to a statewide referendum. And unlike many such political texts, this one came directly from the national Republican Party. Referendum supporters are calling it a “blatant attempt to confuse and intimidate voters.”

“Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has declared TENS OF THOUSANDS of petition signatures IMPROPERLY COLLECTED. Did you accidentally sign this? Text back or call 417-612-9044 to withdraw your signature before it’s too late,” the message reads. It came to public attention after Elad Gross, a former Democratic candidate for Missouri Attorney General, received the text and published a screenshot on Facebook. Soon, other Missourians responded saying they had also received it. The ad was paid for by the Republican National Committee (RNC), according to a disclosure accompanying the text. Missouri is one of three states that moved to gerrymander its congressional map this year solely at the behest of President Donald Trump, who is demanding GOP-controlled states redraw to win more Republican seats in 2026. But unlike in Texas and North Carolina, the Missouri Constitution gives voters the power to stop the gerrymander by collecting signatures and putting a veto referendum on the ballot. To do that, People Not Politicians, the advocacy group leading the referendum effort, must gather over 106,000 signatures within 90 days after the state legislature’s special session on redistricting adjourned. That deadline is coming up on Dec. 11.

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Judge scolds Justice Department for 'profound investigative missteps' in Comey case

The Justice Department engaged in a “disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps” in the process of securing an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey, a federal judge ruled Monday in directing prosecutors to provide defense lawyers with all grand jury materials from the case. Those problems, wrote Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, include “fundamental misstatements of the law” by a prosecutor to the grand jury that indicted Comey in September, the use of potentially privileged communications during the investigation and unexplained irregularities in the transcript of the grand jury proceedings. “The Court recognizes that the relief sought by the defense is rarely granted,” Fitzpatrick wrote. “However, the record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and a prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding.”

The 24-page opinion is the most blistering assessment yet by a judge of the Justice Department’s actions leading up to the Comey indictment. It underscores how procedural missteps and prosecutorial inexperience have combined to imperil the prosecution pushed by President Donald Trump for reasons separate and apart from the substance of the disputed allegations against Comey. The Comey case and a separate prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James have hastened concerns that the Justice Department is being weaponized in pursuit of Trump’s political opponents. Both defendants have filed multiple motions to dismiss the cases against them before trial, arguing that the prosecutions are improperly vindictive and that the prosecutor who filed the charges, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed. A different judge is expected to decide by Thanksgiving on the challenges by Comey and James to Halligan’s appointment. Though grand jury proceedings are presumptively secret, Comey’s lawyers had sought records from the process out of concern that irregularities may have tainted the case. The sole prosecutor who defense lawyers say presented the case to the grand jury was Halligan, a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience who was appointed just days before the indictment to the job of interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In his order Monday, Fitzpatrick said that after reviewing the grand jury transcript himself, he had come away deeply concerned about the integrity of the case.

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Lead Stories

Texas’ top voucher vendor taps Abbott allies in contract bid, program rollout

Even before the Texas Legislature finally passed its private school voucher bill earlier this year, the race was on among the handful of firms in the burgeoning voucher vendor sector to win the lucrative contract to launch and administer what will be the largest program of its kind in the nation. That race is now over as the Texas Comptroller last month awarded the job to a New York firm called Odyssey. In winning the bid, and in its plans to ramp up the program, Odyssey cultivated close ties to the political world of Governor Greg Abbott. One of the top outfits in the voucher vendor game, Odyssey is backed with major venture capitalist investments. As the Texas Observer previously reported, Odyssey and others pushed hard to win the Texas contract, essentially the industry’s holy grail.

Awarding the contract to the private administrator of the program—known as a certified educational assistance organization (CEAO)—marks a key milestone in the voucher rollout as the comptroller delegates control of almost every facet of the program, from handling applications and approvals for students to accepting the private schools and other vendors eligible to participate, plus controlling the flow of state money to and fro. Odyssey will also be in charge of the marketing and PR involved with promoting and defending the program, which the state has dubbed “Texas Education Freedom Accounts.”” Voucher funds will be eligible to be used not only for participating private schools’ tuition and homeschooling but also for tutoring services and an array of other educational materials. Abbott staked much of his hard-earned political capital, and campaign cash, on getting the school voucher program over the finish line. In the 2024 Republican primaries, he used his political war chest to oust several anti-voucher incumbents who’d previously blocked passage in the Texas House. This effort was aided by a record $6 million in campaign contributions from Jeff Yass, a Pennsylvania billionaire and voucher advocate. During the legislative session, Odyssey tapped lobbyist Luis Saenz, who was previously Abbott’s longtime chief of staff, to work on its behalf as the governor worked to pass the bill (It also made Daniel Warner, ex-Speaker Dade Phelan’s education policy advisor, its state director.)

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In shift, Trump says House should vote to release Epstein files

In a sharp reversal, President Donald Trump said late Sunday that House Republicans should support a measure that would require the Justice Department to release the information it has related to its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — after key lawmakers said support was building ahead of a closely watched vote. Trump, who has resisted backing such a measure for weeks, said on social media that he believes Republican lawmakers “should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide.” “Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it” before the 2024 election, Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social, urging Republican lawmakers to focus on the economy instead. Before Trump’s post, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), who introduced the legislation with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), suggested that “100 or more” House Republicans could vote in favor of releasing the Epstein files this week despite opposition from Trump. Early resistance from Republican leaders led the two to press for a discharge petition to compel a vote on the matter.

“We could have a deluge of Republicans,” Massie said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” “I’m hoping to get a veto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote.” Several Epstein survivors have been increasing the pressure campaign on lawmakers. A group released a video Sunday night through the organization World Without Exploitation to urge people to call their lawmakers to back the vote to release more files. Khanna said House members who have been backing the release of more documents are planning to hold a news conference Tuesday at the Capitol with survivors. The lawmakers are also asking Trump to meet with the women. Until Sunday, the president had been ramping up pressure against the measure, even urging the four Republicans who had signed the discharge petition to remove their names. Trump still insisted that the focus on the Epstein files was a “hoax” promoted by Democrats, but he said Sunday night that the push to release more documents was distracting the party. “All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who controls which bills are brought to the floor, had resisted bringing the measure to a vote after it was introduced in July. But after the discharge petition obtained enough signatures last week to compel a vote, he said he is ready to put it before House lawmakers.

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Senate Republicans get more aggressive in defending John Cornyn in Texas

Tightening polls in North Carolina, Ohio and Maine have U.S. Senate Republicans starting to sweat more over the prospect of Texas falling into Democratic hands and the GOP losing its majority. ?Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning Democrats need four seats to flip the chamber, potentially roadblocking every future judicial or cabinet nomination from President Donald Trump in his final two years in office. Last week's election results, where Democrats stomped Republicans in purple states like Virginia, is only adding to the concern. ?Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., clearly knows the math and is taking a more hands-on approach in Texas. He put out an endorsement and fundraising letter for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn this week, stressing how vital the seat is for Republicans in making sure they hold the majority. ?“The Left has made Texas their top target,” Thune said in a fundraising email supporting Cornyn. “They know if they can defeat John, they flip the Senate, and stop President Trump’s agenda cold.”

?He followed that with a pair of campaign stops in Dallas and Houston this week in support of Cornyn. ?Cornyn is battling against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt in a tight primary. Some polling shows that if Paxton wins the primary, Democrats will have a better chance of flipping the seat with either former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred or state Rep. James Talarico, who are vying for the Democratic nomination. Many of those same polls also show Paxton leading in the GOP primary. ?Cornyn’s supporters have warned Republicans that if Paxton becomes the nominee, they will have to spend big in Texas to hold the seat against either Talarico or Allred. In a state with 20 media markets, $2 million goes really fast during a campaign. Plus, any money shoveled into Texas to defend the seat is not going to places like Maine and North Carolina, which are in greater danger of flipping to Democrats. "With the stakes as high as they are in the 2026 midterms, President Trump won't need to worry about Texas if John Cornyn is the GOP nominee," said Matt Mackowiak, a senior advisor to Cornyn's campaign.

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Homeland Security missions falter amid focus on deportations

The Department of Homeland Security has diverted thousands of federal agents from their normal duties to focus on arresting undocumented immigrants, undermining a wide range of law enforcement operations in response to mounting pressure from President Trump, a New York Times investigation has found. Homeland security agents investigating sexual crimes against children, for instance, have been redeployed to the immigrant crackdown for weeks at a time, hampering their pursuit of child predators. A national security probe into the black market for Iranian oil sold to finance terrorism has been slowed down for months because of the shift to immigration work, allowing tanker ships and money to disappear. And federal efforts to combat human smuggling and sex trafficking have languished with investigators reassigned to help staff deportation efforts.

The changes have extended deep into D.H.S.’s public-safety mission, as the Coast Guard has diverted aircraft to transport immigrants between detention centers and the department’s law enforcement academy has delayed training for many agencies to prioritize new immigration officers. The Times investigation is based on previously undisclosed internal documents from D.H.S. — including statistical reports about department workloads, search warrants and arrests — obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The Times also spoke with more than 65 officials who have worked in the federal government during the current Trump administration, in addition to local authorities and others who collaborate with the department. Most of them spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters and out of fear of retribution. The overhaul represents a striking departure for the behemoth agency that Congress created in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Homeland Security Department was tasked with preventing terrorism, protecting the president, investigating transnational crime and responding to natural disasters, among other duties. Immigration enforcement was one of many responsibilities, but it was not envisioned as D.H.S.’s singular function. Today, the Trump administration has remade the agency into a veritable Department of Deportation.

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State Stories

Texas Senate braces for one of its biggest shake-ups in years

The Texas Senate is in the midst of a major transition. There are currently two vacancies, and by the time the 2026 elections are complete, at least five of the 31 senators who served in this year's legislative session will have gone on to other roles or retirements. Five newcomers are expected to take their places by January 2027. But wait, as they say in the infomercials, there's more. Two senators who aren’t up for election this cycle have announced plans to run for Texas attorney general. Another plans to run for Congress, and can do so without leaving the Senate. If one of the attorney general candidates and the congressional hopeful both win, that would mean seven freshmen senators next session — more if any of the incumbents on next year's ballot lose their bids for reelection. And those freshman would join a body that has welcomed seven new members since 2023. That would mean nearly half of the upper chamber would still be climbing the legislative learning curve.

For the past half-century, the Senate has been a fairly stable institution. Most sessions start with two or three freshmen, but rarely more than that. Who better to offer perspective on how the Texas Senate evolves than Patsy Spaw, who since 2001 has been the secretary of the Senate, which means she's the top of the Senate staff hierarchy. For 20 years before that, she was a management-level employee, a status she reached after a decade as a rank-and-file staffer in the chamber. Spaw, drawing on her half-century of institutional knowledge with help from researchers in the Texas Reference Library on the Capitol's second floor, was nice enough to compile a highlights reel of turnover trends in the Senate. She found that the biggest freshman class in the modern era of Texas politics came in 1973, when 16 of the 31 members were new, driven by a voter “throw the bums out” mood after what became known as the Sharpstown stock fraud scandal — a web of self-dealing and financial misconduct involving several lawmakers and other elected officials. Half of the House membership also consisted of freshmen. Looking back to 1876, when Reconstruction was ending and the current Texas Constitution was ratified, voters sent 27 wet-behind-the-ears senators to Austin.

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Rollins: SNAP participants to reapply for benefits to show "they are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it.”

The Trump administration will require millions of low-income people to reapply for food stamps as part of an effort to crack down on “fraud,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. Rollins told Newsmax on Thursday that she plans to “have everyone reapply for their benefits, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through ... food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it.” She did not provide further information on when or how people would need to reapply. Her comment comes after funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ran out of federal funding during the government shutdown, leading many conservative pundits and even President Donald Trump to criticize just how much the government spends on food stamps. SNAP, which serves nearly 42 million Americans, cost roughly $100 billion in fiscal year 2024.

SNAP fraud can occur when participants intentionally lie about their qualifications for the program, retailers exchange benefits for cash or criminals skim EBT cards for benefits, per USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. But anti-hunger groups say there’s not nearly as much fraud as the Trump administration alleges and note that SNAP only issues about $6 a day in benefits to the average participant. State SNAP administrators already require participants to recertify their information as often as every six months, and families that receive benefits are expected to keep their work history, income and other personal information up to date. USDA did not immediately respond to a request to clarify a timeline for Rollins’ new plan or how it differs from current state-level requirements for participants to reapply for the program. Rollins has teased an announcement of a new plan to overhaul the program in the coming weeks. She has already directed states to turn in sensitive data on SNAP participants, including their Social Security numbers — though that effort is currently being challenged in court.

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'Antivirus for libraries': How a Texas startup is capitalizing on book bans

As school administrators scramble to comply with a sweeping new state ban on controversial library books, a North Texas startup is selling a solution. The company, Bookmarked, has pitched itself as an “antivirus for libraries,” offering to flag potentially problematic material from thousands of titles and give parents direct insight into their children’s reading choices. “We give your team the data and transparency they need, so librarians, teachers, and board members can act from a place of clarity rather than fear,” reads a marketing email the company sent to Leander Independent School District last month.

Bookmarked’s business model has boomed in the wake of the new law, Senate Bill 13, which Republican advocates pushed as a means to shield students from harmful content, which has included many classic titles and some books with LGBTQ content. At least 130 Texas school districts have hired the company, agreeing to pay more than $600,000 in total for the service, according to records obtained by Hearst Newspapers. The company is among the fastest-growing private vendors to target SB 13 and other book censorship laws, and has been praised by the law’s author, state Sen. Angela Paxton. It has hired the powerful Texas lobbying firm Moak Casey to connect it with potential customers. Bookmarked’s co-founder Steve Wandler, who advocated for SB 13’s passage but now has reservations about the law, described his company as a neutral player in the censorship debate. “A book that might be a problem in another state or another district might not be a problem for you,” Wandler said. “If the school district decides to censor it, that's on them.” Critics of the platform, many of whom also oppose the law, say that it preemptively pushes districts to pull books over fear they could cause problems, even if no one has complained. “We just feel like it's really shady," Laney Hawes, cofounder of the Texas Freedom to Read Project, said of Bookmarked. “We have school districts that are being bullied and pressured into pulling books." Wandler started the company in 2022 as conservative groups like Moms for Liberty were mobilizing across Texas, demanding that schools remove books they viewed as sexually explicit or “woke.”

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Deadly Texas floods prompt calls for review of how rivers are managed

Thirty minutes south of Kerrville, in the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” David Maulk pulled out a map and began tracing his finger along the winding rivers flowing through a region with a more weathered nickname: “Flash Flood Alley.” “The terrain, the geography — it’s steep and it’s rocky,” he said. “And, when it rains here, it can be a contact sport.” On the wall behind him was the painted outline of a cowboy hat over the phrase: “BANDERA RUNS ON WATER.” Maulk is the general manager of the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District. The nine-member elected board is in charge of managing the Sabinal and Medina rivers running through Bandera County, which has a population of more than 20,000. Their work includes everything from water quality testing to drought and flood management. Unlike the vast majority of Texas’ river authorities, voters here get a say in its work.

KXAN looked at more than 15 river authorities and found just two — Bandera and San Antonio — whose revenue and accountability stream from the residents who live in the area. Nicole Marshall, a spokeswoman for the San Antonio River Authority, said the board “will decline to participate” in this report. Unlike other river authorities that raise money from selling water or hydroelectric power, Bandera’s board gets its funding from property taxes. “You have the taxpayers funding us who are also potentially the voters in the region,” he said. “And, they can affect change down the road, if they don’t like how things are going.” Originally, Bandera’s river authority — which the Texas Legislature established in 1971 — operated like the rest: the governor appointed the board. Its system switched in 1989 to a ballot box model after it combined with the local groundwater conservation district. For Maulk, this model generates more than just public buy-in.

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ERCOT forecasts stable Texas power grid this January

Texas’ power grid will likely remain stable in December and January, recent reports from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas show. Grid conditions could become tight if a winter storm hits large swaths of Texas, driving up demand for electricity. ERCOT, which operates the electric grid for 90% of Texas, found in a Nov. 7 report that there should be “sufficient generating capacity available” to serve customers throughout January. The grid operator said the same thing in an Oct. 3 report analyzing expected grid conditions for December, Community Impact previously reported. In the winter, demand for electricity spikes when people get up in the morning and return home in the evening. Less solar and wind power are available during these “higher-risk” periods, which can cause tight grid conditions, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said last year.

ERCOT forecasts that the tightest period in December and January will be from 7-8 a.m. daily, when little to no solar power is being produced. During that time, ERCOT found the chances of a grid emergency are 1.81% in December and 1.4% in January. However, ERCOT’s models indicate that grid conditions could become tight if a winter storm blankets Texas, pushing temperatures down and electric demand up. ERCOT hit a new record for winter demand in February, reaching 80,525 megawatts of demand on the grid in a single day. This winter, if a severe winter storm leads to similar levels of electric demand between 7-8 a.m., the agency’s models show a roughly 35% chance of a grid emergency in December. That risk falls to less than 10% in January. If demand approaches ERCOT’s all-time record of 85,508 megawatts, which was set in August 2023, there is a 62% chance of a grid emergency in December and about a 25% chance in January, according to the reports. “The probability of the hourly load reaching 85,000 MW for [7-8 a.m.] is under one percent,” the December report notes.

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Trial date set for woman who claims marine spiked her drink with abortion pills

A pre-trial hearing was held Thursday morning in a lawsuit filed by a Corpus Christi woman who claims a Marine pilot poisoned her drink with abortion pills to kill their unborn child. Federal Judge David S. Morale presided over the hearing that was held via Zoom. Corpus Christi Woman sues NASCC Marine Pilot claiming he spiked her drink with abortion pills to kill their unborn child On Aug. 11, a local woman, we have decided not to be identify per her attorney's request, filed a lawsuit against a Marine pilot, who is stationed at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, and her company, Aid Access, which manufactured the abortion pill. The woman, a mother of three, was going through a divorce at the time.

During Thursday's hearing, the pilots defense team requested that this case go to trial, and the plaintiff's attorney told the judge they have been unable to contact Aid Access, which are based out of the Netherlands. The judge set Oct. 15, 2026, as the deadline for both sides to gather all their evidence and scheduled the trial for March 29, 2027. This all comes three years after the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling in the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating a woman's constitutional right to abortion. This lawsuit also comes as the use of the abortion pill has increased since the state of Texas passed the "Heartbeat" bill, which banned the majority of abortions in 2021. Now, state lawmakers are going after the companies, like Aid Access, that send abortion pills into Texas, likely creating a precedent for other states to follow. The plaintiff's attorney, Jonathan Mitchell, authored the "Heartbeat" bill, a law that bans abortions past six weeks of pregnancy, a point at which a heartbeat is detected on an ultrasound.

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San Antonio leaders say shutdown is just a preview of cuts to come

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history had an outsized impact on already vulnerable residents in Bexar County. Now that it’s over, local leaders say the panic over delayed food assistance and at-risk health care subsidies should paint a clear picture of what’s coming down the pipeline for a community consistently ranked among the most impoverished large cities. Republicans’ signature economic policy since taking control of the White House in November, signed into law by President Donald Trump in July, makes big cuts to Medicaid, environmental programs and food benefits to help pay for tax cuts, increased defense spending and border security.

“To give you an idea of the need in our community, in Bexar County, $50 million worth of SNAP benefits comes into our community every single month,” Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said on a Texas Tribune Festival panel Friday morning. “It was unprecedented for those benefits not to be forward-paid to those folks that would need it during the shutdown,” Jones said, ” … [and] what it did is give us a really good idea of, unfortunately, what the implementation of that lovely, Big Beautiful Bill is going to look like.” San Antonio famously experienced lines around the block at its food bank when residents were out of work during the COVID-19 shutdown — a situation Jones said could soon repeat if leaders aren’t careful. On Friday, Jones and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai were joined by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio), who had just returned from Thursday’s government funding vote in Washington. Castro was among the vast majority of Democrats disappointed to see some members of his party break with Republicans on a temporary spending measure that ended the shutdown by punting Congress’s next funding deadline to January — but didn’t make good on the goal of securing health care tax credits set to expire at the end of the year.

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Texas National Guard troops to leave Chicago after federal judge halts deployment

Members of the Texas National Guard are expected to leave Chicago soon and return home. Approximately 200 troops arrived in the city about a month ago following an order from the Trump administration. The troops were sent to assist with immigration enforcement and to protect federal workers. However, a federal judge halted the deployment, and the troops have remained at training bases outside the city for several weeks.

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150 migrants arrested by federal agents in San Antonio raid: FBI

Nearly 150 migrants were arrested in an overnight operation at a makeshift nightclub in San Antonio, the FBI confirmed to NewsNation. Most of the migrants apprehended were from Venezuela and have suspected ties to Tren de Aragua. Tren de Aragua was designated as a foreign terrorist organization under President Trump’s administration. The raid involved multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI. “I can confirm that FBI San Antonio & Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio, along with their local, state, and federal partners are conducting court-authorized activity in the vicinity of the intersection of San Pedro Ave. and Basse Rd. in San Antonio, Texas,” said an FBI San Antonio Spokesperson. The raid comes just hours after immigration officials arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of what the Department of Homeland Security is dubbing “Operation Charlotte’s Web.”

Charlotte is the latest city to unwillingly receive federal agents in Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown. The federal government hasn’t provided a full explanation for why this began or how many people have been detained, but DHS blamed the operation in Democratic-led Charlotte on state officials, saying illegal immigrants fled there because of sanctuary policies they believed would protect them. A DHS press release included a list of migrants the agency called “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” who they say were released onto North Carolina streets because of those policies.

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Massive fire burns at decommissioned Texas power plant

Firefighters from multiple agencies are battling a massive blaze at a decommissioned power plant near Galveston, Texas, authorities said. A huge black plume of smoke filled the sky over several cities in Galveston County, including San Leon, where the fire engulfed the old power plant alongside Highway 146, authorities said. At one point on Sunday, residents in the area were being asked to take precautions to avoid the heavy smoke, according to police in the Galveston suburb of Kemah. "At this time, two cooling towers and power lines are on fire," the Kemah Police Department said in a social media post, in part. "All residents are advised to avoid the area and take precautions not to expose themselves to the smoke," the post added. No injuries have been reported.

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Could this Houston City Council member be appointed interim county attorney?

Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin is garnering support to potentially be chosen by Harris County leadership as the new interim county attorney as they contend with a potential opening. Kamin has gathered a list of nearly 60 elected officials, labor organizations, faith leaders and community leaders who are supporting her “appointment … as Interim County Attorney,” according to a document obtained by the Houston Chronicle. Among the officials on the list are U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare and Minority House Leader Gene Wu. Kamin, a civil rights attorney, is currently serving her second term representing the Heights, Montrose and other area neighborhoods on the City Council. Her term is up in 2027, and term limits prohibit her from running for re-election.

The veteran council member’s most recent campaign finance report shows she has nearly $416,000 on hand – an amount one expert says sends a message. “(It) definitely indicates they’re looking toward another office,” said Nancy Sims, a politics lecturer at the University of Houston. Kamin said Friday she was asked to submit a list of supporters in case she was considered for the appointment. "While I continue to focus on the work in front of me, it is an honor to be considered, and I am grateful for the support of so many outstanding leaders," she wrote in a text. Rumors about Kamin’s interest in the position have been swirling since current County Attorney Christian Menefee filed to run to represent Houston’s 18th Congressional District, a seat left vacant following former U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death from health complications in March. Menefee will face former Council Member Amanda Edwards in a runoff that has yet to be set. State resign-to-run rules required Menefee to step back from his role as county attorney to run for Congress. But a provision in that rule allows Menefee to continue serving as county attorney until commissioners vote to replace him. Commissioners opted to keep Menefee on board at a meeting in March. A permanent county attorney will eventually be chosen by the voters in the 2026 election. Kenny Friedman, the former chair of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, is among the names listed on Kamin’s endorsements. Friedman told the Chronicle Friday that he had not seen the endorsement list, but he had given Kamin permission to put his name on it. “She's an incredibly talented person, and she's got the right background to be a great county attorney, and I think she'll do a great job,” Friedman said. Another two people on the list, LULAC President Sergio Lira and Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson, had also not seen the document but both said they chatted with Kamin about her interest in the position. Lira’s endorsement came down to Kamin’s support of LULAC in the past and how she has constantly spoken out about the organization’s issues at City Hall. Anderson’s came down to how Kamin has stood up for public education. “I'm quite concerned about how people view education, and if they're willing to stand up and make statements and stands about public education,” Anderson said. “It shows me their commitment to making sure that our future generation is educated. I believe that Abbie would do that.”

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Buddy Holly crosswalk in Texas hometown to be removed following governor's order on road safety

Fans of the Buddy Holly crosswalk in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, with a painted depiction of the rock and roll legend’s iconic glasses, will soon have to say goodbye to it. That’ll be a day that will possibly make them cry. Lubbock City Council members said this week they have no choice but to remove it, to comply with a directive from the Trump administration and Republicans to rid the public roadways of any political messages or artwork. Laredo, in South Texas, removed a mural in October that protested the border wall along the southern border with Mexico. In August, Florida officials removed a rainbow-colored crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub where 49 people were gunned down.

Lubbock’s crosswalk was first installed in 2020 and is near the Buddy Holly Center, a downtown museum with exhibits honoring Lubbock’s most famous native son. “It’s such a tasteful cross section and people like it. But what do you do?” said City Council Member Christy Martinez-Garcia, who was among those questioning why it had to go. Lubbock received a letter from the Texas Department of Transportation with “some harsh wording” that threatened the possible loss of state or federal funding for road projects if such artwork was not removed, David Bragg, Lubbock’s interim division director of public works, told council members on Tuesday. “This was very broad letter. I don’t think it was intended to go after, say, the Buddy Holly glasses. Unfortunately it did,” Bragg said.

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Texas Capital needed to transform, and it did. How is simpler than it seems

The words “bank” and “fun” don’t often go in the same sentence — unless you’re Rob Holmes, chairman, president and CEO of Texas Capital. “Bankers here are having fun,” he told The Dallas Morning News in an interview. “Because with wins, you have fun.” And recently, Texas Capital has done a lot of winning. The Dallas-based bank posted its best quarter under Holmes’ leadership yet in its third-quarter report, hitting the quantitative and qualitative goals it set in 2021 as part of its transformation into a full-service financial institution. Texas Capital’s shares, traded on the Nasdaq, are up over 11% year-to-date, outpacing an index of broader regional bank stocks. Bank earnings numbers are complicated, but the trick to hitting them was simple for Texas Capital: people.

“I came here to build something special in a special place with people who care about each other,” Holmes said. “It’s different.” Holmes came to Texas Capital in January 2021, after a 31-year career with J.P. Morgan Chase. With a true Texan sensibility — kudos to Highland Park High School, University of Texas at Austin and Southern Methodist University education — Holmes entered with a vision to dig the firm out of a period of struggle, and transform it into a full-service financial institution. Texas Capital — which now has more that $26 billion in deposits and is the fifth-largest Texas-headquartered bank, per the latest Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data — was founded in 1998, raising a then-record $80 million in startup capital. But leading up to 2020, things started to go awry. Texas Capital primarily dealt in the loan-focused commercial banking sector, but expenses were outpacing growth. After trading at an all-time high of over $100 per share in May 2018, Texas Capital stock had sunk to just $50 in December of the same year. A merger with the McKinney-based Independent Bank Group promised to alleviate some of Texas Capital’s problems, but that imploded in early 2020 and its stock price tanked to just over $20. Both banks blamed the onset of the pandemic for the deal falling through, and then-Texas Capital CEO C. Keith Cargill resigned his post immediately.

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Judge denies Texas bid for bar on Tylenol marketing in state

A judge rejected for now a bid by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to bar Tylenol-maker Kenvue Inc. from marketing its over-the-counter pain medication as being safe for pregnant women within the state. After a hearing Friday, State District Judge LeAnn Rafferty denied Paxton’s request for a temporary restraining order, court records show. The attorney general suedKenvue and its former parent Johnson & Johnson on Oct. 28, claiming they concealed the risks of autism and other disorders for children if mothers take Tylenol during pregnancy.

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Dallas Morning News Editorial: Tucker Carlson, Bo French and the GOP’s short memory

Is it too much to hope that the GOP won’t succumb to short memories that have become so typical of our politics today? The party that widened its tent in 2024 with a forceful economic message will lose its appeal and tear away at American society by tolerating antisemitism and bigotry from its politicians and thought leaders. Bo French recently announced that he wouldn’t seek reelection as Tarrant County GOP chair. But he didn’t do it for the reasons we’d hoped. It wasn’t because his party finally had enough of the bigoted garbage he spews on the internet. Nope. He’s running for statewide office instead. Earlier this year, French posted a poll to social media platform X asking his audience, “who is a bigger threat to America?” The response options were: Jews or Muslims. Rightfully, the since-deleted post drew calls for his resignation from prominent GOP leaders including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. John Cornyn.

But all the hubbub fizzled out. French never faced any substantial consequences. Now he’s running to become a member of the Texas Railroad Commission, the state’s top oil and gas regulator. He said on social media that “this will be the best way that I can defend Texas, stop the Islamic invasion, and defeat the left.” In August, French launched a bigoted attack against state House Rep. Salman Bhojani, a U.S. citizen born in Pakistan. On social media, he called on the feds “to denaturalize and deport” Bhojani. He accused the Muslim state representative of trying to “further jihad.” Will GOP leaders remember their anger at French? The rebukes of him after his poll came years after French began posting hateful messages into the virtual void. But that wasn’t enough to diminish his presence within the Texas GOP. The current environment of permissiveness has only emboldened people like French. Take Tucker Carlson’s recent interview with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes. Once a fringe figure in the conservative movement, Fuentes has been getting more attention in recent years. During a friendly interview with Carlson, one of the most prominent faces of the modern Republican Party, Fuentes made statements about “organized Jewry in America” and a need to be “pro-white” on some level.

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City Stories

‘Beginning of the end’: Dallas City Hall’s fate hangs in the balance of relocation study

Some Dallas City Council members fear last week’s vote to explore alternatives for the deteriorating City Hall building sets the stage for its eventual demolition. Council members Paul Ridley and Paula Blackmon, two of the three votes against the plan, told The Dallas Morning News the decision leaves key questions unanswered, particularly why the process is moving so quickly and what’s driving the urgency. “It’s kind of a sad day because it feels like the beginning of the end,” Blackmon said. “I really hope we know what we’re doing.” When asked whether the vote signals a move toward demolishing City Hall, Ridley said, “Oh, absolutely.” He noted that the building is purpose-built for government use and poorly suited for commercial tenants. “If we move out, no one’s going to move in here,” he said.

Both Ridley and Blackmon said they voted against the resolution because they wanted a full assessment of the building’s condition and repair costs before exploring alternatives. They also suspect undeclared developer interest may be driving the push to relocate, though no developer has publicly confirmed interest. “A lot of people are talking about it, but we haven’t seen any evidence that there is such interest,” Ridley said. “I suspect that’s what’s motivating this rush to judgment about the future of City Hall. I can’t think of any other reason why we would have to rush this process like we are.” The council voted 12–3 on Wednesday to direct City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to evaluate real estate opportunities, including potential relocation sites for Dallas’ municipal government, and report back to the council’s finance committee by February 2026. The resolution also requires a third-party assessment of deferred maintenance costs for City Hall and an exploration of economic development opportunities for the downtown City Hall site.

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National Stories

Trump plans to meet with Mamdani, says he'll 'work something out' with New York City's mayor-elect

President Donald Trump indicated Sunday that he plans to meet with New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and said they’ll “work something out,” in what could be a detente for the Republican president and Democratic political star who have cast each other as political foils. Trump has for months slammed Mamdani, falsely labeling him as a “communist” and predicting the ruin of his hometown, New York, if the democratic socialist was elected. He also threatened to deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalized American citizen, and to pull federal money from the city. Mamdani rose from an obscure state lawmaker to become a social media star and symbol of the resistance against Trump during his mayoral campaign. He campaigned on an array of progressive policies and a message that was stark in its opposition to the aggressive, anti-immigrant agenda Trump has rolled out in his second White House term.

The 34-year-old appealed to a broad cross-section of New Yorkers and defeated one of its political heavyweights, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, by nearly 9 percentage points. In his election night victory speech, Mamdani said he wanted New York to show the country how to defeat the president. But the day after, while speaking about his plans for “Trump-proofing” New York once he takes office in January, the incoming mayor also said he was willing to work with anyone, including the president, if it can help New Yorkers. Representatives for Mamdani did not have an immediate comment Sunday night on the president’s remarks, but a spokesperson pointed to the mayor-elect’s remarks last week when he said he planned to reach out to the White House “because this is a relationship that will be critical to the success of the city.” Trump expressed a similar sentiment on Sunday. “The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us. We’ll work something out,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to fly back to Washington after spending the weekend in Florida. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified shortly after that Trump was referring to Mamdani and said no date had been set for such a meeting. “We want to see everything work out well for New York,” Trump said. Trump’s comments came as he also said the U.S. may hold discussions soon with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, after a military buildup near the South American country: “I’ll talk to anybody,” Trump said.

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Maryland Democrats want to redistrict. Their state’s Senate President isn’t making it easy.

As Democrats push ahead with nationwide redistricting efforts, Maryland has hit a snag. Its state Senate president is refusing to hold a special session on redistricting. Bill Ferguson, the Democratic state Senate president, is resisting calls from local, state and national Democratic leaders to redistrict. Ferguson believes that the move is too risky for Maryland Democrats and that it has the potential to cost them seats. It is some of the last remaining tension within a party that has otherwise largely adopted a redistricting strategy in the face of Republican efforts to redraw maps in their favor. While state Sen. Ferguson has remained steadfast in his stance against mid-decade redistricting in his state, Gov. Wes Moore, along with other state Democrats, have pushed ahead on redistricting in other ways.

“His position is on risk, on whether he thinks the risk is worth taking,” Rep. Steny Hoyer, who long served as part of House Democratic leadership, told NOTUS. “The president of the senate is a very respected individual, he’s an honest individual, I don’t think he’s trying to game anyone. I hope he comes to the conclusion that the risk is worth taking.” Ferguson did little to address his disagreement with other Democrats in a statement to NOTUS. “With this federal administration’s troubling willingness to ignore the law, Marylanders understand our vulnerability. We must act with urgency to confront the real challenges ahead in the upcoming session,” Ferguson said. “Everything else is a distraction from the mission.” In the past few weeks, Ferguson has made the case against redistricting as a member of Moore’s Redistricting Advisory Commission, arguing that it could lead to Democrats losing seats that they already have if a new map is drawn.

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Trump lashes out at Indiana Republicans after redistricting effort stalls

President Donald Trump is not happy with Indiana Republicans after state lawmakers refused to call a special session to redraw congressional maps. “Very disappointed in Indiana State Senate Republicans, led by RINO Senators Rod Bray and Greg Goode, for not wanting to redistrict their State, allowing the United States Congress to perhaps gain two more Republican seats,” Trump said in a Sunday morning post on Truth Social. “Because of these two politically correct type ‘gentlemen,’ and a few others, they could be depriving Republicans of a Majority in the House, A VERY BIG DEAL!” the post continued. Bray, the state Senate president, released a statement Friday saying the party lacked the votes needed to open the redistricting conversation.

“Over the last several months, Senate Republicans have given very serious and thoughtful consideration to the concept of redrawing our state’s congressional maps,” Bray said in a statement to Politico, after conducting a private test vote Friday afternoon with his caucus. “Today, I’m announcing there are not enough votes to move that idea forward, and the Senate will not reconvene in December.” Republicans across the state and country aired their disagreement with Bray’s decision over the weekend. U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz said in a post on Friday that state Republicans “should not be hiding behind closed doors but putting their votes on the board.” “Hoosiers deserve transparency,” Spartz posted on X. “Voters should know whether their senators stand with President Trump or with the NY & CA socialists destroying our country.” Rep. Marlin Stutzman said in a Friday statement that “Senator Bray and anti-Trump Indiana Senate Republicans made it clear today that they would rather protect [Democratic Rep.] André Carson, stand with Pete Buttigieg, and let Gavin Newsom steamroll Hoosier voices than support the conservative America First agenda.”

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Former Fed Gov. Adriana Kugler violated trading rules while at central bank: ethics report

bank’s rules barring trading of individual stocks and executing financial transactions close to meetings where interest rates are set, actions that led up to her abrupt resignation, according to a report by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics released Saturday. The report comes three months after Kugler mysteriously left from the Fed’s Board of Governors without giving a reason. Kugler joined the Fed in September 2023 after being appointed by then-President Joe Biden. Kugler’s resignation came after she requested and was denied a waiver by Chair Jerome Powell on a disclosure form that showed she had impermissible holdings, Fed officials familiar with the matter told CNBC.com. An official said that concerns related to trading activity by Kugler or her husband date to at least September 2024, when she began working with ethics officials to resolve violations of trading policies.

A financial disclosure report that Kugler filed with the OGE this year on Sept. 11 — which contains details of securities transactions by either her or her husband — notes that an Ethics Office official declined to certify the report. In a note on Friday’s disclosure, an Ethics official says, “Matters related to this disclosure were referred earlier this year” by the office to the independent Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. An inspector general is an internal ethics watchdog for federal departments and agencies. Another note on the report says, “Consistent with her September 15, 2024, disclosure, certain trading activity was carried out by Dr. Kugler’s spouse, without Dr. Kugler’s knowledge and she affirms that her spouse did not intend to violate any rules or policies.” Kugler is married to Ignacio Donoso, who is an immigration lawyer. Her disclosure shows two kinds of violations of Fed rules regarding financial transactions by senior officials at the central bank: purchases of stock shares of individual companies, as opposed to mutual funds; and purchases of securities during so-called “blackout periods” leading up to and after meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee.

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Timothy Carney: The Trump era is one of GOP decline

(Timothy P. Carney is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he works on civil society, family, localism, religion in America, economic competition, and electoral politics. He is concurrently a senior columnist at the Washington Examiner.) President Donald Trump has dominated the Republican Party for a decade, and in many ways, it has been good for the GOP and conservatism. Republicans won two of the three presidential elections (after losing two straight and four of six). Republicans control Congress, and for the first time in forever, the Supreme Court has a conservative majority. It even struck down Roe v. Wade. Trump’s policy accomplishments are also real. Taxes are lower, especially for the middle class. Illegal immigration was controlled for four years, and it’s getting under control again. And for the first time since the Cold War ended, we are avoiding senseless wars of choice. But just as Trump’s policy record is mixed (increased spending, federal support for in vitro fertilization, oodles of corporate welfare), so is the Trump-era political record. If you step back from the current political balance in Washington, D.C., you see a troubling trend, highlighted by the recent blowouts in New Jersey and Virginia: Republicans, in the Trump era, are mostly losing.

Yes, Trump wins. Yes, when Trump is on the ballot, the downballot Republicans get some lift from Trump. But when Trump isn’t on the ballot, the Trump era is a story of GOP loss. This is a big problem for Republicans because Trump will never be on a ballot nationwide again. It’s very possible that after Trump is gone, Republicans will experience their darkest hour and lowest point since the New Deal. Here’s one measure of the partisan shift in the Trump era: In 2016, Republicans controlled 31 governorships and 68 legislative chambers. Come January, the GOP will control only 26 governorships and 57 legislative chambers (more than a 15% reduction on both scores). In the Trump era, here’s the rule: Elections in which Trump is on the ballot, the GOP does fine. In elections in which he is not, the GOP does poorly. This isn’t just about incumbent disadvantage in midterm elections. Even during former President Joe Biden’s presidency, when Trump was the head of the GOP, its most recent nominee, and its next nominee, Democrats historically performed well. For instance, in 2022, they gained trifectas in four states, taking control of the legislatures in Michigan and Minnesota, and winning the governorships of Maryland and Massachusetts — all while their party controlled the White House. The best place to see Trump’s impact on realignment may be in the Great Lakes states. Trump won in 2016 by pulling off upsets in three blue-leaning Rust Belt states — Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. He won those states in large part by pulling in labor union voters and other non-college voters, a demographic that had been used by Democrats but had been politically homeless since the Clinton era.

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Trump defends Tucker Carlson after interview with activist known for his antisemitic views

President Donald Trump on Sunday brushed aside concerns about conservative commentator Tucker Carlson’s recent interview with a far-right activist known for his antisemitic views, which has caused a schism within the Republican Party. Trump defended Carlson, saying the former Fox News host has “said good things about me over the years.” He said if Carlson wants to interview Nick Fuentes, whose followers see themselves as working to preserve America’s white, Christian identity, then “people have to decide.” Trump did not criticize Carlson or Fuentes. Fuentes appeared to appreciate Trump’s sentiment, posting “Thank you Mr. President!” along with video of his interaction with reporters.

Carlson had an amiable sit-down on his podcast last month with Fuentes that touched off a controversy among conservatives. It roiled the Heritage Foundation, where the president of the right-wing think tank defended Carlson for his interview, drawing outrage from staffers. Heritage President Kevin Roberts later denounced Fuentes’ views. Trump told reporters as he prepared to fly back to Washington from a weekend in Florida that when it comes to Carlson, “You can’t tell him who to interview.” “If he wants to interview Nick Fuentes, I don’t know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out,” Trump said. “People have to decide.” Trump a few minutes later added, “Meeting people, talking to people for somebody like Tucker — that’s what they do. You know, people are controversial.” The president then said: “I’m not controversial, so I like it that way.”

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Firm tied to Kristi Noem secretly got money from $220 million DHS ad contracts

On Oct. 2, the second day of the government shutdown, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived at Mount Rushmore to shoot a television ad. Sitting on horseback in chaps and a cowboy hat, Noem addressed the camera with a stern message for immigrants: “Break our laws, we’ll punish you.” Noem has hailed the more than $200 million, taxpayer-funded ad campaign as a crucial tool to stem illegal immigration. Her agency invoked the “national emergency” at the border as it awarded contracts for the campaign, bypassing the normal competitive bidding process designed to prevent waste and corruption. The Department of Homeland Security has kept at least one beneficiary of the nine-figure ad deal a secret, records and interviews show: a Republican consulting firm with long-standing personal and business ties to Noem and her senior aides at DHS. The company running the Mount Rushmore shoot, called the Strategy Group, does not appear on public documents about the contract. The main recipient listed on the contracts is a mysterious Delaware company, which was created days before the deal was finalized.

No firm has closer ties to Noem’s political operation than the Strategy Group. It played a central role in her 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial campaign. Corey Lewandowski, her top adviser at DHS, has worked extensively with the firm. And the company’s CEO is married to Noem’s chief spokesperson at DHS, Tricia McLaughlin. The Strategy Group’s ad work is the first known example of money flowing from Noem’s agency to businesses controlled by her allies and friends. Government contracting experts said the depth of the ties between DHS leadership and the Strategy Group suggested major potential violations of ethics rules. “It’s corrupt, is the word,” said Charles Tiefer, a leading authority on federal contract law and former member of the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said that the Strategy Group’s role should prompt investigations by both the DHS inspector general and the House Oversight Committee. “Hiding your friends as subcontractors is like playing hide the salami with the taxpayer,” Tiefer added. Federal regulations forbid conflicts of interest in contracting and require that the process be conducted “with complete impartiality and with preferential treatment for none.”

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Lead Stories

Joaquin Castro on why a Democratic Senate logjam stopped him from running for AG

As he weighed a bid for the U.S. Senate earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro found himself at an impasse with three other big-name Democrats who also wanted to run for the upper chamber. At the time, Castro met over Zoom with the other then-prospective candidates — former U.S. Reps. Colin Allred and Beto O’Rourke and state Rep. James Talarico — to try to hash out their plans for 2026. Castro eventually offered to run for Texas attorney general if the others could divide up the remaining statewide offices, including governor and lieutenant governor, instead of running against each other for Senate. In the end, Castro said Friday, “we just couldn’t get there.” “All of us initially were interested in the U.S. Senate race,” Castro, a seventh-term congressman from San Antonio, said on a panel at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. “But, you know, it doesn’t really make sense to have four people running for the U.S. Senate, and then nobody’s running for anything else. So at one point, I told a few of those guys … hey, I’ll slot down to the AG race if you guys can figure out the rest.”

About a month after the May 31 Zoom meeting, which was first reported by The Dallas Morning News, Allred announced he was running for the Senate seat held by GOP Sen. John Cornyn. Talarico soon after joined the race, pitting the two Democrats against each other as the party remained without a high-profile candidate to take on Gov. Greg Abbott. Castro said Friday he’s “not blaming them” for seizing what “could be a great opportunity in 2026,” whether the Democratic nominee ends up facing Cornyn or one of his GOP challengers, Attorney General Ken Paxton or U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. Still, Castro added, he saw the 2018 midterm as a cautionary tale, when O’Rourke ran for Senate and was “carrying the ticket” of other statewide Democrats, none of whom gained the same traction and fundraising support. O’Rourke lost to Sen. Ted Cruz by less than 3 percentage points, the closest a Texas Democrat has come to winning statewide in decades. “Ideally, if you were gonna design the strongest possible chances of winning, you would design it so that you have strong candidates that are well-funded in each of those races,” Castro said. “That was my hope, that we would have a full slate, and we didn’t quite get there.” Castro added that he would do “what I can” to support the Democrats who have announced statewide bids, including Austin state Reps. Gina Hinojosa and Vikki Goodwin, who are running for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively. Asked if he had ruled out a statewide run, Castro said he hadn’t made a “final decision” and would announce his plans at some point before the Dec. 8 candidate filing deadline. The San Antonio Democrat has toyed with statewide runs a number of times since he began representing Texas’ 20th Congressional District in 2013. He previously passed up Senate bids in 2018 and 2020.

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New videos, data and reporting give a detailed account of the Camp Mystic disaster

Across Camp Mystic on the night of July 3, 195 campers settled into their bunks. Taps played over a loudspeaker shortly after 10 p.m. Dick Eastland, the 70-year-old patriarch of the family-run all girls camp, was at home in his creek-side house on the camp property, not far from the cabins. So too was Edward Eastland, one of his sons. Edward grew up at Camp Mystic and now directs the camp along with his wife Mary Liz, living in a house even closer to the cabins and the Guadalupe River than his father. Heavy rain was in the forecast, and camp staffers had already pulled from the water the largest boats — 20-foot-long “war canoes” — as they always did before a big rain in the flood-prone area. What follows is the most detailed description to date of the events that took the lives of more than two dozen campers and counselors, and the elder Mr. Eastland, at the 99-year-old summer retreat.

The descriptions and rendering of those events were taken from the first interviews that Camp Mystic’s owners have granted, along with never-before-seen videos and photos taken during flooding at the camp, data from devices such as Apple watches, cell phones and vehicle crash data, and court documents from a lawsuit filed by some of the parents of children who died. The Times visualized the water levels at the camp over the course of the night using videos and photos from the camp and estimates from a flood simulation by First Street, a nonprofit that assesses flood risk in the United States. The moving dots on the diagrams in this story show the simulated flow and depth of water at different times, and the extent of flooding. At 1:14 a.m. on July 4, the National Weather Service warned of potentially life-threatening flooding in the area. By that point, according to data from his phone, Dick Eastland was already up and monitoring the weather. Around 1:45 a.m., he radioed his son, Edward. “His words were that we’ve gotten about two inches of rain in the last hour and that we need to move the waterfront equipment,” Edward Eastland told The New York Times, his first time recounting his story publicly. Members of the grounds crew went to the waterfront and pulled the remaining smaller canoes to higher ground on the hill nearer to the cabins. No one expected the water to rise that high, Edward Eastland said.

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Texas's water wars

In 2019, Corpus Christi, Texas’s eighth-largest city, moved forward with plans to build a desalination plant. The facility, which was expected to be completed by 2023, at a cost of a hundred and forty million dollars, would convert seawater into freshwater to be used by the area’s many refineries and chemical plants. The former mayor called it “a pretty significant day in the life of our city.” In anticipation of the plant’s opening, the city committed to provide tens of millions of gallons of water per day to new industrial operations, including a plastics plant co-owned by ExxonMobil and the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, a lithium refinery for Tesla batteries, and a “specialty chemicals” plant operated by Chemours. The facilities went into operation, but the desalination plant stalled out in the planning process, and its projected costs ballooned to more than a billion dollars. In the meantime, the city suffered through a multiyear drought, and local reservoirs reached alarmingly low levels. Residents were prohibited from watering their lawns or hosing down their cars; industrial operations, largely exempt from drought restrictions, kept drawing the water they had been promised. Officials predicted that Corpus Christi might enter an official water emergency—triggered when water demand is projected to exceed supply within six months—by the end of 2026.

This September, the city council met to vote on whether to proceed with building the desalination plant. The hearing started around noon; by midnight, it was still under way, and three women in the audience, including a former mayoral candidate and a college professor, had been arrested for disorderly conduct. Some opponents of the plan voiced concerns about its costs. Others were worried about environmental ramifications. Desalination results in large amounts of salty sludge that must be disposed of. Dumping it in the nearby bay risks harming the ecosystem and destroying the fragile local fishing industry; injecting it underground risks causing small earthquakes. Supporters argued that, without the desalination plant, the local economy would collapse. Around 1 A.M., the council elected to pull funding for the project; where, exactly, Corpus Christi’s water will come from is currently an open question. One possibility is groundwater pumped from nearby rural areas; another is relying on a private-equity firm that provides “water-as-a-service” to struggling municipalities, essentially by building its own treatment infrastructure and leasing the water to the local utility. But those plans, too, have met with local resistance. Texas’s economy has boomed for so long that it would be easy to imagine that the growth might go on forever. But, across the state, residents are being confronted with the alarming reality of limited water supplies. According to the state government’s 2022 Texas Water Plan, by 2070, the population is projected to increase by more than seventy per cent as water supplies decline by nearly eighteen per cent.

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Thousands protest crime and corruption in Mexico City as 'Gen Z' protests gain momentum

Several thousand people took to the streets of Mexico City on Saturday to protest crime, corruption and impunity in a demonstration organized by members of Generation Z, but which ended with strong backing from older supporters of opposition parties. The demonstration was mostly peaceful but ended with some young people clashing with the police. Protesters attacked police with stones, fireworks, sticks and chains, grabbing police shields and other equipment. The capital's security secretary, Pablo Vázquez, said 120 people were injured, 100 of them police officers. Twenty people were arrested. In several countries this year, members of the demographic group born between the late 1990s and early 2010s have organized protests against inequality, democratic backsliding and corruption.

The largest "Gen Z" protests took place in Nepal in September, following a ban on social media, and led to the resignation of that nation's prime minister. In Mexico, many young people say they are frustrated with systemic problems like corruption and impunity for violent crimes. "We need more security" said Andres Massa, a 29-year-old business consultant who carried the pirate skull flag that has become a global symbol of Gen Z protests. Arizbeth Garcia, a 43-year-old physician who joined the protests said she was marching for more funding for the public health system, and for better security because doctors "are also exposed to the insecurity gripping the country, where you can be murdered and nothing happens." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum still has high approval ratings despite a recent spate of high profile murders that includes the assassination of a popular mayor in the western state of Michoacan. In the days leading up to Saturday's protest, Sheinbaum accused right-wing parties of trying to infiltrate the Gen Z movement, and of using bots on social media to try to increase attendance. This week some "Gen Z" social media influencers said they no longer backed Saturday's protests. While elderly figures like former President Vicente Fox, and Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego published messages in support of the protests. Saturday's march was attended by people from several age groups, with supporters of the recently killed Michoacan Mayor Carlos Manzo, attending the protest wearing the straw hats that symbolize his political movement. "The state is dying," said Rosa Maria Avila, a 65-year-old real estate agent who traveled from the town of Patzcuaro in Michoacan state. "He was killed because he was a man who was sending officers into the mountains to fight delinquents. He had the guts to confront them," she said of Manzo.

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On Epstein and Venezuela, Trump tries to rebrand

In need of a reset on multiple policy fronts, the Trump administration isn’t afraid of turning to some good old-fashioned rebranding. Tired of hearing about how Epstein emails released by a House Democrats feature President Donald Trump? Trump asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate any Democrats who, like Trump, were Epstein associates and are mentioned in the emails. As the House moves toward a bipartisan demand for the FBI to release its Epstein files, Trump is trying to flip the script on what he’s now calling the “Epstein Hoax.” Need a reset for the unpopular military policy in the Western hemisphere? Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave the operation a new name, “Southern Spear.”

Hoping to make people believe a militaristic deportation strategy is focused on dangerous criminals instead of the preschool teachers and parents who have featured in recent news stories? Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem unveiled “Operation Dirtbag,” in which ICE announces the deportation of previously convicted sex offenders, among mothers, in Florida. That Noem announcement came the same week a judge in Illinois ordered hundreds of detainees rounded up in ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz” to be released. On affordability — Trump’s most obvious political problem at the moment — he is working hard to reframe his policies around that term to argue that they will drive costs down. In fact, tariffs are likely to drive costs up, and tax cuts passed by Republicans will predominantly benefit the wealthiest Americans. But it is the new name for Trump’s Venezuela policy that has the most obvious feel of a complete relaunch. Though it has not gotten authorization from Congress, the Pentagon has overseen the apparently extrajudicial killings of 80 alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific — and counting. The administration says it is protecting Americans from “narco-terrorists,” although it’s not clear the strikes will do much to stop the flow of drugs into the country, and it is deeply unpopular — less than a third of Americans said they supported it in a Reuters poll released this week.

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State Stories

Texas’s Eagle Pass voters turned to Trump. A year later, some have doubts

Along southern Texas, the Rio Grande forms the US-Mexico border, an arrangement established after the end of the Mexican-American war. Eagle Pass, which had been known as El Paso del Águila, became the first US settlement on the Rio Grande. Swimming across the river has remained treacherous ever since. But migrants never stopped risking their lives to set foot on US soil – and in 2023, those numbers reach record highs as Eagle Pass, the seat of Maverick county, became the epicenter of growing backlash over the Biden administration’s immigration policies. In 2024, for the first time in a century, the Hispanic-majority border county voted for a Republican: Donald Trump. Trump won 14 out of 18 counties along the southern border, gaining the most support there of any Republican in three decades. But he made his biggest gains in Maverick, with 59% of the votes, increasing his support by 14% from 2020.

While many supported Trump’s policies on border security, one year later some residents in Eagle Pass are increasingly uncomfortable with the tactics the administration has used across the country in keeping with its mass deportation agenda. Since Trump’s inauguration, federal agents have disrupted communities as they arrest parents who are with their children, show up at schools or daycare facilities, and accidentally sweep up US citizens. The intensity of the national crackdown is jarring for residents like Manuel Mello III who have been on the frontlines of border issues for decades. The chief of the Eagle Pass fire department, Mello explained that border crossings have always been part of the city’s history. Mello said his grandmother would pack food and water for those migrants that passed by. She would give them las bendiciones, or blessings in Spanish, and send them off. But what he saw at the Rio Grande in the last year of the Biden administration was unlike anything he had witnessed in his 33 years in the fire department. “We would get between 30 to 60 emergency calls a day about migrants crossing the river with a lot of injuries, some with broken femurs or this lady who had an emergency childbirth,” Mello said.

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Judge opens door for Texas AG to argue why Harris County’s misdemeanor bail reform should end

U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal is giving Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton the opportunity to argue that new state laws could invalidate a first-of-its-kind bail reform in Harris County. In a recent 35-page opinion about Paxton’s August motion to vacate the ODonnell Consent Decree — which since 2019 has given most misdemeanor defendants the opportunity to be released from jail before trial without first paying cash bail — Rosenthal issued a critical review of the county’s bail practices before the consent decree took effect. The decree stems from a 2016 class action lawsuit filed by Maranda Lynn ODonnell, who argued that Houston-area defendants charged with low-level crimes were penalized for being unable to afford cash bail. The case found violations of defendants’ constitutional rights.

On Aug. 26, one day after President Donald Trump issued a federal executive order seeking to end cashless bail for people who are accused of violent offenses or pose threats to public safety, Paxton filed a motion to intervene in the ODonnell case and vacate the consent decree. Following a scheduling conference held Wednesday, the Texas Attorney General’s Office was given a Dec. 11 deadline to file a revised motion seeking to vacate the consent decree. A six-month discovery period is scheduled to take place until June of next year, followed by an Aug. 27, 2026, hearing on the state’s motion to vacate or amend the bail reform practice. In Rosenthal’s Oct. 30 opinion, the district court judge recognized reports about the consent decree that showed no significant increase in recidivism, a multi-million-dollar cost savings to Harris County and much-needed relief on the county’s overcrowded jail. Since the consent decree was issued in 2019, court-appointed monitors have consistently reported successes in reducing the population of misdemeanor defendants in the Harris County Jail, which has been plagued by crowding and staffing issues, costly contracts to outsource jail inmates and a rise of in-custody deaths this year.

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Tiny GOP counties get big litigation in Paxton’s Texas

Roblox Corp. will face off against Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in King County, Texas — home to about 265 people and the latest unconventional venue choice for the Lone Star state’s top lawyer. The Nov. 6 petition accusing the popular video game of facilitating child sex trafficking joins divorce proceedings and custody battles as one of fewer than 10 active cases in the district court. “We’ve never had anything like this before,” said district clerk Jammye Timmons. But King County, five hours from Paxton’s Austin office, is just the latest tiny Texas location to earn a blockbuster filing from Paxton. Days before the suit, Paxton went to Panola County, with 22,000 residents, and sued Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue for an unproven claim that Tylenol causes autism in children.

Two of his biggest victories—a $1.4 billion settlement from Meta and a $1.375 billion settlement from Google to resolve two cases—were secured in Harrison, Midland, and Victoria counties—all less than 200,000 residents. Paxton has brought 11 cases to Harrison County alone—whose population is less than 2% of Harris County’s, the state’s most populous. Although Paxton has long been accused of judge shopping in single judge divisions in federal courts, little attention has been given to his venue choices in state court. The counties are by-and-large extremely conservative places where Paxton’s politics are popular. Only six of 135 voters in King County went for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the presidential election, presenting a jury pool that’s more likely to have negative feelings toward Big Pharma and Big Tech. “That’s very dangerous if you’re a defendant,” said David Coale, an appellate attorney with Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann. Additionally, the counties Paxton’s turning to typically have only one district court judge, always a Republican who’s guaranteed to get the case—a feature urban courthouse in the state largely can’t provide. Judge LeAnn Rafferty, who touted her membership in the National Rifle Association when running for office in 2016, will oversee the Tylenol case. Of Rafferty, who also hears criminal matters, “I think she was surprised to get the lawsuit,” said her friend, Michelle Slaughter, a Republican former judge on Texas’ high criminal court. Paxton’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment about its strategy in picking counties.

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Nirenberg jumps into Bexar County Judge race

Former Mayor Ron Nirenberg is waging a primary challenge against Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai — a fellow Democrat who Nirenberg says doesn’t have the vision to steward a rapidly growing county. “I don’t think that that office is performing the way it should. It’s been reactionary to major issues. And frankly, we need strong leadership,” Nirenberg told the San Antonio Report of his decision this week. In recent years across the state, traditionally bureaucratic county judgeships have seen long-time incumbents replaced with more ambitious, and in some cases more partisan, successors.

Outspoken progressive Lina Hidalgo shocked political watchers by unseating longtime Republican Harris County Judge Ed Emmett in 2018. Then in 2022, voters chose Republican firebrand Tim O’Hare to succeed longtime Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley. Nirenberg went toe-to-toe with GOP state leaders many times as mayor, but suggested that isn’t necessarily his intention in replacing Sakai. “The county judge has the bully pulpit and has the ability to set the tone for this entire community,” Nirenberg said. “It doesn’t mean we’re looking for a fight, but it does mean that sometimes we’ve got to end them.” But he agreed that across Texas, other counties are approaching the role differently. “I think that the kind of energy, innovation and teamwork that are represented by some of these new leaders in counties, is an opportunity to look at Bexar County in a similar way,” he said. A campaign launch party on Saturday exuded energy and enthusiasm as roughly 200 supporters ate pizza while a live band played at Backyard on Broadway.

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Foreign exchange students could be banned from varsity sports in Texas starting next school year

Starting next school year, foreign exchange students could no longer be allowed to participate in varsity athletics in Texas, according to a rule change recently approved by the University Interscholastic League's legislative council. The change, which still needs the approval of state Education Commissioner Mike Morath, would not affect foreign exchange students wanting to participate in sub-varsity athletics or other activities the UIL oversees, like music and academics. The UIL's legislative council — comprised of 32 public school administrators — is its rule-making body. Several members of the council expressed concern about schools getting a possible competitive advantage when foreign exchange students receive a waiver to play at the varsity level.

"Our Texas kids are not allowed to go to a town — a neighboring town, without moving there — and play at the varsity level," said Aaron Hood, superintendent of Robert Lee ISD north of San Angelo. "But [foreign exchange students] are allowed to get on a plane and come across to our state and play immediately, taking the place, many times, of a community kid that has worked hard to get that position on an athletic team." Hood said he's also seen some foreign exchange students use social media to promote themselves to Texas coaches and schools. "They're actually putting height, weight, position," he said. "It is unfair to Texas kids and community kids." Greg Poole, superintendent of Barbers Hill ISD outside Houston, agreed and said he hopes the rule change results in similar changes for schools with open enrollment policies. "You can tell teams that have a higher percentage of foreign exchange. You can also tell teams that have a higher percentage of open enrollment athletes," Poole said. "I understand that's not politically popular, but I throw it out there for the sake of the coaches that I have that feel like it's unfair. I guess I would just say I hope we pass this, and I hope it opens the door for other motions."

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Mayor talks FWISD takeover, taxes and maintaining Fort Worth’s ‘vibe’ during TribFest

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker sat down with The Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith for a discussion ranging from how one of the nation’s largest cities maintains its signature “vibe” to partisan politics. During the Friday panel at the annual Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Smith noted that Cowtown is about to be one of the largest 10 cities in the country but keeps its authenticity and vibe. Parker attributed that to the city’s focus, pointing to the opening of the highly regarded Bowie House hotel on Camp Bowie Boulevard. “We worked for years with that developer to make sure it fit the fabric of the (Camp Bowie) bricks and the height was the way it needed to be,” Parker said. “These don’t just happen overnight. It takes a tremendous amount of focus. I give credit to our city staff. It’s intentionality.”

Other topics included Texas’ takeover of FWISD; Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposed property tax overhaul and its impact on cities’ ability to finance their growth; and how to improve maternal health, one of the mayor’s interests. Here are takeaways from Parker’s discussion in Austin: Parker continued to advocate that Fort Worth schools Superintendent Karen Molinar should keep her job as the state takes control of the district. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath plans to appoint a new superintendent in the spring along with a board of managers to step in for the district’s elected trustees. “I want to see a superintendent lead this district that cares about our kids in Fort Worth,” Parker said. “Maybe there are other leaders that are capable of that same heart. I just don’t know who those people are. And so as this process continues, I want to see that same level of leadership from our board of managers.” Smith pressed Parker, noting that the decision is solely Morath’s. “He’s listening to my opinions and my feelings about our city (and) the people I put in front of him for different positions,” she said. “That’s all I can ask him to do right now.” Smith asked whether the mayor was “good” with the state taking control of the district because one already-closed campus failed state ratings for five consecutive years.

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Ex-Catholic Charities Fort Worth CEO asks courts for investigation of his termination

Nearly three months after Catholic Charities Fort Worth and its former president and CEO Michael Iglio parted ways, the former nonprofit leader wants a Tarrant County court to help him get answers to why he was fired. Iglio filed the petition on Nov. 12 asking Tarrant County’s 352nd District Court for permission to take testimony of several leaders at the charity to investigate the “mysterious nature of the termination.” The purpose of the depositions is to assess whether Iglio was defamed by any staff or defamed or defrauded by the nonprofit’s board. Iglio alleges he was “treated differently than other past CEOs of Catholic Charities” and needs to determine whether he was discriminated against, according to the court filing. Iglio did not respond to the Fort Worth Report’s call and text requesting comment.

The depositions are a way to “find out the truth about what happened,” said David Fielding, an attorney representing Iglio. “We’re saying we need more information. Here, it looks like he might have been defamed. It looks like he might have been discriminated against for an unlawful reason, but we want to gather the information first before we make any allegations like that,” Fielding told the Report. “Catholic Charities Fort Worth is confident in our decision regarding the future of this agency and all who are served by it,” a spokesperson said to the Report in a statement. “These claims have no merit, and we welcome the opportunity to address any allegations through the appropriate channels of the judicial system,” the statement said. Catholic Charities Fort Worth officials announced that Iglio was no longer with the nonprofit in mid-August. They named the nonprofit’s board chair Beth Kwasny as the interim leader. Catholic Charities officials did not respond to the Fort Worth Report’s questions at the time about why Iglio was no longer with the nonprofit, whether he resigned or was let go, and other queries related to the leadership change. In October the charity named Heather Reynolds as its next president and CEO. She is expected to formally step into the role in February.

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Google investing $40B into Texas for AI, new data centers

Google will invest $40 billion into Texas to help expand Google Cloud, artificial intelligence and new data centers, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced at a press conference Friday. The money, funded through 2027, would help create three AI data centers in Texas: two in Haskell County and one in Armstrong County. It would also continue investing in the existing 400-acre Midlothian site and its Dallas Cloud region, which businesses and organizations use for their own AI solutions, Pichai said. “Texas has the optimism, the talent, the policy environment, and the innovation needed to lead this new era and create immense benefits for everyone,” Pichai said.

Pichai was joined by Gov. Greg Abbott in Midlothian at Friday’s press conference, who called the funding a “Texas-sized investment.” “Texas will be the centerpiece for AI data centers for Google in the whole world,” Abbott said. Abott said the investment has support from several state leaders, including Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz. Along with the data centers, a solar and battery energy plant with be built alongside one of the Haskell County locations. The company also announced $30 million will go towards the Energy Impact Fund and dispersed to local organizations and community partners focused on energy affordability. The funding comes as part of Google’s ongoing partnerships with state colleges and universities, like Dallas College, offering AI training courses and Google career certificates. The investment comes amid concerns about the impact of data centers on the environment and local communities. Last month, Fort Worth unanimously approved energy giant Black Mountain Power LLC’s request to expand its upcoming 431-acre data center in southeast Fort Worth. Several residents previously voiced their disapproval, saying the project would hurt nearby businesses and natural areas. Some raised concerns over noise, light and air pollution the center would generate – and increased electricity use from a data center could strain local energy infrastructure.Data centers could also have a negative impact on Texas’ electric grid as they’re built faster than traditional transmission planning can manage, according to the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas.

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Texas Radio Hall-of-Famer, Dallas TV talk show host Suzie Humphreys dies

Suzie Humphreys, Texas Radio Hall-of-Famer and former talk show host, has died, leaving behind a memorable legacy in Texas broadcast journalism. She was 87. Humphreys worked as a secretary in Dallas and performed in a comedy show before breaking into local journalism. In the 1970s, Humphreys anchored WFAA Channel 8’s morning television show News 8 etc… alongside Don Harris and Gene Thomas. The hosts produced the live show five days a week without cue cards or teleprompters, according to an article published by the University of North Texas. The show was known by local audiences for its quirky improvisation, celebrity guests and comedic stunts. The production was met with tragedy. In 1971, Thomas died in a drag-racing crash at the Dallas International Motor Speedway while reporting a story. Harris left the show, and was killed in 1978 while reporting in Guyana.

Humphreys herself narrowly escaped death by avoiding a helicopter crash by minutes at her next gig reporting from the KVIL station traffic helicopter. Humphreys, pregnant at the time, got off the chopper due to nausea just before it took off again and crashed, killing the pilot. The temporary assignment reporting on traffic from the air turned into two decades with the radio station alongside legendary radio host Ron Chapman. Her reports were filled with humor and authenticity, said long-time Dallas-Fort Worth broadcaster Jody Dean. “She’s a broadcast legend,” Dean said. “The contribution she made to the industry and the opportunities she helped create for women in particular because of her extraordinary talent, is just breathtaking.” Humphreys was also an actress, comedian and author. She also had a passion for motivational speaking. She was inducted into the National Speakers Association’s Hall of Fame in 2002. She was born in 1937 and grew up in San Antonio, according to an article published by the University of North Texas.

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How a San Antonio elementary went from failing to 'B' in 1 year

Before walking into Tradition Elementary School, visitors are greeted with a huge banner informing them: “This is a ‘B’ rated campus.” Inside, colorful hallways broadcast student work and a constant buzz of movement blankets the campus. Last year, Principal Karen Kopeck wouldn’t have celebrated her school’s F-rating, which is considered a failing grade by the state of Texas. Tradition, located in a rural town called St. Hedwig on the far East Side, scored a 57 for the 2023-24 school year. For the 2024-25 school year, the campus scored an 85, doing what often takes others years to do. “There were a lot of factors,” Kopeck said when asked why the school had previously struggled so much and what led to the growth.

Part of the East Central Independent School District, Tradition opened its doors in 2018, replacing John Glenn Elementary School, a space that now serves as an annex for East Central High School. Unlike most San Antonio-are school districts, ECISD’s student population has been quickly outgrowing the district’s facilities, increasing demand for new school buildings and teachers. The district had an enrollment of roughly 11,500 for the 2024-25 school year. In August, officials said it had 12,900 students for the current school cycle. By the 2033-34 school year, ECISD expects enrollment to skyrocket to over 25,000 students. Several of its schools are facing overcrowding or will soon be over capacity, including Tradition. Tradition’s current enrollment sits at about 700 students, and the school ended the 2024-25 school year with 600 students. Before that, the school’s enrollment had reached over 1,000. The building’s capacity sits at 901 students without using portable classrooms. The state’s public school accountability system doesn’t kick in until the second year a school campus is open, meaning the public doesn’t know how well Tradition performed during the 2018-19 school year. Because of COVID, schools weren’t rated for 2019-20, and later ratings were caught up in lawsuits after the Texas Education Agency updated the accountability system in 2022. Even though Tradition seemed to be steadily improving after COVID, earning a 72 for 2022-23, Kopeck’s team struggled to keep up with the growth. From 2022-23 to 2023-24, Tradition went from having 993 students to 1,141. That’s when it got an F-rating. “We were surviving, not thriving,” Kopeck recalled. “The teachers were tired. You could see it on their faces.”

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Tony Quesada: TxDOT plan for statewide transit network is an admirable long shot

(Tony Quesada is the Express-News Deputy Editorial Page Editor.) As someone who has at various times relied on public mass transit for my daily commute, other intracity travel and occasional regional travel, I was pleasantly surprised to learn of and read the draft of a wide-ranging transit plan proposed by the Texas Department of Transportation. Among the most remarkable aspects of the recently released “Texas Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan 2050” is that it’s from TxDOT, the lead transportation agency in a state as partial to personal vehicles and pavement as any in the nation. I nearly fell over when I read TxDOT is advocating for and seeks to lead the development of a statewide transit network and hub plan for providing “an accessible and seamless way to travel across Texas without a car.”

The draft plan envisions such a network to be “safe, universally accessible, and integrated” while asserting that it would improve the quality of life and economy for Texans. It’s hard to refute that the projected increase in people coming to Texas will overwhelm our ability to move around the state in cars, trucks and SUVs alone. According to the plan, it’s projected that roughly 92% of Texas residents will live in an urban area by 2050, up from about 90% in 2020. And the biggest portion of that growth will be in the region known as the Texas Triangle — a contiguous 65-county mass bounded by San Antonio-Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. This megaregion’s population is expected to rise by about 50% by 2050, when it will be home to nearly 80% of the state’s people. And while the number of people living here — and businesses employing them — will increase, the space they will occupy will remain the same.

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Texas AG Paxton sues over rules on religious students

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking the unusual step of suing a state agency, arguing that three state-funded college work-study programs unconstitutionally discriminate against religious students. In a lawsuit filed Friday in a Travis County district court, Paxton’s office says the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board violates the First Amendment by barring work-study participants from engaging in “sectarian activities, including sectarian courses of study,” reports The Texas Tribune. The restrictions apply to the Texas College Work-Study Program, the Working Off-Campus: Reinforcing Knowledge and Skills Internship Program, and the Innovative Adult Career Education Grant Program, which provides financially needy students access to jobs to afford college.

Paxton argues the programs improperly exclude religious organizations whose employment opportunities are solely sectarian, and prevent seminary students from participating altogether. He said this amounts to a “wholesale exclusion” which the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly rejected. “These anti-Christian laws targeting religious students must be completely wiped off the books,” Paxton said in a statement. “Our nation was built by patriotic Americans who had the freedom to express their religious beliefs without fear of being targeted, and we will honor that heritage by upholding the First Amendment in Texas,” he added. The coordinating board allocated more than $8 million for work-study programs in fiscal year 2026.

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Just when the Texas hemp industry breathed a sigh of relief, it faces another extinction-level event

Here’s the good news: THC is still legal in Texas. Now, the bad news: Some Republicans in Congress still want to ban it — and they might get their wish. Yes, despite attempts by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to rip weed gummies out of the mouths of his constituents, it didn’t happen, and hemp advocates breathed a sigh of relief. Then, while guards were down, the U.S. Senate on Monday agreed to language in a spending bill that would ban almost all THC-containing hemp products nationwide, according to the Houston Chronicle. As for the federal level, “momentum has been gaining for Congress to take action to ban hemp products,” Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell III Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, told The Barbed Wire.

“The ban still has to pass the House, where it could potentially be watered down, but if it does pass, many open questions will remain,” she said. “As written, it wouldn’t take effect for a year. When it does, who handles enforcement? If it’s a mixture of federal and state agencies, who and how will online sales be restricted?” Sen. Rand Paul tried to fight it, proposing an amendment to remove language that he said would “destroy” the hemp industry. Paul and Sen. Ted Cruz (!!!) were the only Republicans to support the measure, which would have stripped a provision tightening restrictions on intoxicating hemp products legalized under the 2018 farm bill. And, yes, you read that right, Ted Cruz might be the only hope for the state’s $8 billion hemp industry. He tweeted on Monday that hemp regulation should be left up to the states. And, he even sided with Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been leaning against banning THC and in favor of regulation. “There is a vital need to protect children by, at a minimum, requiring that purchasers be 21 and prohibiting synthetics and dangerous foreign imports marketed to kids,” Cruz said. “That’s the approach Governor Abbott has taken in Texas, and I urge other states to follow Texas’s example.”

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National Stories

Right-wing media shrugs off latest Epstein document release

What do thousands of pages of newly released material reveal about the well-documented relationship between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump? Not much of anything, according to some of the right-wing influencers who have long been clamoring for the government to release more information about Epstein and his crimes. "To me, these are nothingburgers. If they're even real," pro-Trump podcaster Jon Herold said on his Badlands Media Rumble livestream on Wednesday. Herold gained an audience in the wake of the 2020 election after spreading QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theories. His fellow Badlands Media personality, Brian Lupo, took a slightly different view on his own livestream this week. The emails didn't exactly say nothing, he claimed, but they show that Trump was informing on Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison term for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. (Epstein died by suicide while in jail during the first Trump administration.)

"My take on this is Epstein and Maxwell are trying to figure out who's a mole or a rat or an informant in their circle of friends," Lupo said, referring to an email in which Epstein called Trump a "dog that didn't bark." (The White House has denied that Trump was an informant.) Epstein looms large for many conspiracy theorists, including QAnon believers. He's seen as a prime example of the satanic cabal of pedophiles they believe are entrenched among the world's most powerful people. QAnon adherents think Donald Trump is destined to defeat that cabal. Trump has acknowledged he and Epstein were once friendly but fell out decades ago. He's denied any knowledge of Epstein's trafficking of underage girls. While one of the newly released emails suggests Trump did know about Epstein's behavior, some right-wing media figures say the new disclosures prove Trump did nothing wrong. "They're claiming it's a hoax, they're claiming that the Democrats are cherry-picking the things that make Trump look the worst, and that these things prove that he didn't actually do anything wrong and that he's not a criminal and that he was actually gathering information for the FBI on Epstein," said Mike Rothschild, an independent journalist and author who has written extensively about conspiracy theories and QAnon.

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Trump buys at least $82 million in bonds since late August, disclosures show

U.S. President Donald Trump bought at least $82 million in corporate and municipal bonds from late August to early October including new investments in sectors benefiting from his policies, financial disclosures made public on Saturday showed. According to the forms released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Trump carried out more than 175 financial purchases from August 28 through October 2. The disclosures, made under a 1978 transparency law called the Ethics in Government Act, do not list exact amounts for each purchase, only providing a broad range. The maximum total value of the bond purchases exceeded $337 million, according to the filings.

Most of the assets listed in Saturday's disclosures consist of bonds issued by municipalities, states, counties, school districts and other entities with ties to public agencies. Trump's new bond investments span several industries, including sectors that have already benefited, or are benefiting, from his administration's policy changes such as financial deregulation. Corporate bonds acquired by Trump include offerings from chipmakers such as Broadcom and Qualcomm; tech companies such as Meta Platforms; retailers such as Home Depot and CVS Health ; and Wall Street banks such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Purchases of the debt of investment banks in late August included bonds of JP Morgan. On Friday, Trump asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate JP Morgan over its ties to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bank has said it regrets its past ties with Epstein and did not help him commit "heinous acts." Trump also acquired Intel bonds after the U.S. government, under Trump's direction, acquired a stake, opens new tab in the company. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. The administration has said before that Trump has continued to file mandatory disclosures about his investments but that neither he nor his family has a role in running the portfolio, which is managed by a third-party financial institution. Trump, who became wealthy in the real estate sector before entering politics, has previously said that he placed his companies into a trust overseen by his children. A disclosure filed in August indicated that Trump had purchased more than $100 million in bonds since returning to the presidency on January 20. Trump also submitted his annual disclosure form in June, which indicated that income from his various ventures still ultimately goes to him, raising concerns of potential conflicts of interest.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s had ‘warnings for my safety’ after posts by Trump

Marjorie Taylor Greene, a longtime Republican ally who previously fiercely defended Donald Trump and his Maga movement, said on Saturday she had been contacted by private security firms “with warnings for my safety” after Trump announced on Friday he was withdrawing his support for and endorsement of the Georgia representative. In a post on X, Greene said that “a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world”, without referring to Trump by name, adding it was “the man I supported and helped get elected”. Greene said that “aggressive rhetoric attacking me has historically led to death threats and multiple convictions of men who were radicalized by the same type rhetoric being directed at me right now. This time by the President of the United States.”

Greene did not specify any threats against her that had been received by security firms, but said that “as a woman I take threats from men seriously. I now have a small understanding of the fear and pressure the women, who are victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his cabal, must feel.” Greene also said that as a Republican who votes “overwhelmingly” in favor of party legislation, “his aggression against me also fuels the venomous nature of his radical internet trolls (many of whom are paid), this is completely shocking to everyone” . The accusation echoes claims made by Trump and administration officials that Democrats have used “paid actors” at protests. In later posts on X, Greene posted a chart of rising average grocery bills, calling it “the ultimate warning to all of my Republican colleagues” and equating cost-of-living pressures to a vote in Congress over the release of further Epstein files next week.

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Michelle Obama shuts down presidential run: 'You're not ready for a woman'

Michelle Obama has shut down the idea she might one day run for president yet again. While speaking to Tracee Ellis Ross this month at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Obama insisted the United States is “not ready for a woman” to lead. “Well, as we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” Obama said in reference to the 2024 election, which Donald Trump won over Kamala Harris. “That’s why I’m like, ‘Don’t even look at me about running, ‘cause you all are lying,’ ” she continued, “You’re not ready for a woman. You are not. So don’t waste my time.”

Obama added: “We got a lot of growing up to do, and there are still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it.” The author and wife of former president Barack Obama has repeatedly shut down requests and rumors about her potential candidacy for years. The topic was broached by Savannah Guthrie in 2018, who asked Michelle during a segment for “Today” if she would consider a career in politics. “Absolutely not. I’ve never wanted to be a politician,” Michelle answered. “Nothing has changed in me. I want to serve. … There are so many ways to make an impact. Politics is not my thing. It’s as simple as that.”

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Border Patrol arrests 81 as 'Charlotte's Web' operation starts

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents fanned out across Charlotte on Saturday, making arrests along Charlotte's immigrant-heavy Central Avenue and South Boulevard corridors. The arrests preceded a protest Saturday afternoon in uptown, where hundreds condemned the crackdown and the deployment of federal immigration agents. On Sunday morning, CBP Commander Greg Bovino said in a social media post that agents had arrested 81 people so far, "many" of whom have criminal histories. He said the agency will release more information about people who were arrested on social media. One arrest that was representative of the day took place in east Charlotte on Saturday morning. Agents wearing green uniforms with Border Patrol identifying patches, masks and sunglasses chased and arrested a man at a shopping center at the corner of Rosehaven Drive and Central Avenue.

The area is known for its large Latino and immigrant population. The circumstances of the arrest were not immediately clear. A WFAE reporter witnessed one arrest, and social media videos posted Saturday showed agents conducting arrests in other parts of the city, appearing to be concentrated in areas including east Charlotte and South Boulevard. Hours later in First Ward Park, hundreds of people gathered by the early afternoon, waving signs and chanting "No justice, no peace, no ICE or police." Many businesses on Central Avenue closed for the day. One restaurant employee declined to give his name, but said the arrests were spreading fear. "A lot of the workers are scared, and this, like - it’s going to be worse here in the east and South Boulevard where there are a lot of Hispanics," he told WFAE. Agents were also filmed questioning nearby landscapers, and smashing the window of a man’s car on South Boulevard and pulling him from his vehicle. Arrests also reportedly took place in Pineville and in Matthews. The Department of Homeland Security said Saturday that it had launched an operation called "Charlotte's Web" because local law enforcement were not detaining people charged with serious crimes.

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Trump issues new pardons for Jan. 6 rioters

President Trump over the weekend pardoned two individuals charged in connection with the investigation into the 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol. The president issued pardons for Suzanne Ellen Kaye, who served an 18-month sentence for threatening to shoot FBI agents amid an investigation into her involvement in the riots, and Daniel Edwin Wilson, who remained imprisoned, despite Trump’s sweeping pardons of Jan. 6 rioters, due to an unlawful firearms possession conviction. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin posted photos of the pardons to the social platform X on Saturday. Martin said that he specifically advocated for Wilson to receive clemency, and that the Justice Department under former President Biden “targeted” Kaye.

In 2021, the FBI received a tip regarding Kaye and the Jan. 6 riots, according to court records. Agent Arthur Smith interviewed Kaye, a native of Boca Raton, Fla., over the phone, during which she denied being at the Capitol. Kaye, who went by “Angry Patriot Hippie” online, then posted two videos, one to Facebook and another to Instagram. Both videos were titled “F— the FBI,” and featured Kaye, while drinking alcohol from a bottle, saying she would “shoot your f—ing a– if you come” to her house. She posted the latter video to her TikTok account as well. Kaye was found guilty of threatening to shoot FBI agents in June 2022 and sentenced to 18 months in prison in April 2023. She was released last year. A White House official told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister company, Saturday that Kaye “suffers from stress-induced seizures,” which she experienced while the jury read its verdict. “This is clearly a case of disfavored First Amendment political speech being prosecuted and an excessive sentence,” the official added.

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How a tech billionaire philanthropist got caught between Trump and San Francisco

While tech moguls like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat center stage at President Donald Trump’s January inauguration, Marc Benioff, CEO of cloud software company Salesforce, was 4,000 miles away at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Benioff, an influential philanthropist and political voice in San Francisco, appeared set on making clear he wasn’t moving toward Trump. He said at one Davos event that the new administration would not change his or Salesforce’s core values, which include equality and sustainability. “Presidents change. Administrations change. We don’t change,” Benioff said in an onstage interview at a slick event space hosted by Axios, according to video of the event. But last month, many of Benioff’s onetime fans in San Francisco’s liberal community attacked him after he endorsed Trump’s proposal to send the National Guard into San Francisco to fight crime. “We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,” he said in an interview with the New York Times.

Rafael Mandelman, president of the city’s Board of Supervisors, called Benioff’s National Guard comments a “gut punch.” San Francisco’s mayor, sheriff and district attorney all pushed back on the idea that federal troops could help the city. Nearly 200 Salesforce employees reacted with barfing-face emojis in an internal message channel after a worker posted the New York Times article that reported Benioff’s comments, according to screenshots viewed by The Washington Post. “This seems to conflict pretty heavily with our values,” one worker wrote. Tech workers broadly lean Democratic and many CEOs now cultivating friendlier relations with Trump have previously supported liberal causes. But Benioff has made issues such as homelessness relief and LGBTQ+ rights, and the liberal bastion of San Francisco, part of his personal and professional brand. The recent blowback to Benioff shows the challenges corporate leaders face as they wrestle with the political and cultural collisions of this era — when both the White House and local officials are willing to go after, or even punish, companies they don’t agree with. Some tech companies have donated millions to Trump’s new White House ballroom, but Benioff’s roots in liberal San Francisco turned his brief comments into a major controversy that could have enduring consequences. Salesforce did not donate to the ballroom or Trump’s 2025 inauguration.

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On edge in small-town America

CJ’s Coffee n’ Cream was the only coffee shop in town, and Paul Blount sat in the corner of the room, his chair facing the front entrance, his fingers hooked into the sides of a bullet-resistant vest labeled “POLICE,” so that to anyone coming or going, he would be difficult to miss. Paul, 51, believed it was the duty of a police chief in a place as small as Palmyra, population 1,719, to make himself available to the people of the village. And lately in Palmyra, there was a growing sense of unease that he was determined to talk through and, if he could, contain, before it became something dangerous. It was the day before homecoming weekend, which meant that soon there would be toilet paper streamers in the trees, a football game played under the lights and the largest parade the village hosted all year. The parade, which ran half a mile from one end of Main Street to the other, was a concern. “Given the climate and recent media headlines, we are taking the following precautionary measures for this weekend’s event,” Paul had written to members of the village board that governed Palmyra. The precautionary measures included the use of a neighboring county’s drone program, to scan the rooftops for threats. “My team and I are proactively preparing for the worst-case scenarios while continuing to hope for the best.” How had such a feeling reached a place like Palmyra?

A dot on the map between Madison and Milwaukee, the village had two bars, one grocery store, two gas stations and acres of farmland. It was about 20 miles from the interstate, making it a place where people said, “If you’re in Palmyra, you either intended to be here, or you’re lost.” Palmyra was also in debt, and without enough growth in the village to support its costs, the board had been talking about dissolving the police department, which was already understaffed, with just two other full-time officers and no overnight patrol. So when Paul saw a flier advertising extra funding through a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he applied. The program, which ICE called a 287(g) agreement, was offering big payouts to police departments that train and deputize their officers to enforce immigration law. Paul believed in cooperating with the federal government, and had told people he saw the program as a tool to address “serious criminal threats.” He’d also said he would leave it to the village board to decide whether to move forward with the agreement. But before that could happen, ICE had approved his application, and then came a statement from the ACLU, the TV news crews and emails to Paul saying he’d “sold his soul for money,” and now, so much of what he saw unfolding across the country felt like it was creeping into life in the village he was supposed to keep safe. When Paul had written his email warning the village board about the national “climate,” a gunman had just driven his pickup truck into a Mormon church in Michigan, and, four days before that, a man had opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, and two weeks before that, Charlie Kirk had been killed on a college campus in Utah.

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Lead Stories

TAMU System bans courses that ‘advocate’ for race, gender ideology

Texas A&M System Regents approved a policy prohibiting its 12 universities from teaching course content that “advocates” for race or gender ideology unless they are approved by the institution’s president or a designee — becoming the first system in Texas to impose such a ban. The policy follows the high-profile firing of Texas A&M Professor Melissa McCoul after a viral video of a student accusing her of “illegally” teaching gender ideology caught the attention of Gov. Greg Abbott. Though no law in Texas bars such teaching, McCoul, herdepartment chair and dean lost their jobs, and president Mark Welsh resigned amid criticism he mishandled it. The university system later approved a $3.5 million payout to Welsh.

Regents agreed the system must “lead the way with an in-depth and reputable review of our courses so that we can, simply put, make sure we are educating, not advocating,” said Regent Sam Torn, chair of the committee on academic and student affairs in his opening remarks. “Curriculum is created and approved based on the accepted body of knowledge needed for our students to be successful in their chosen profession,” Torn said. “It is unacceptable for other material to be taught instead.” The language in the policy softened from its initial draft — changing the prohibited action from teaching to advocating. “You were heard,” Regent Bob Albritton told those who publicly testified. More than 140 people submitted written testimony, with a large majority against the measure. Critics said the policy would infringe on their ability to teach about race and gender and would violate the principle of academic freedom. Regent John Bellinger said professors should use “common sense” in how they teach, responding to public testimony from faculty members who said they would be restricted in how they teach the Holocaust. Albritton agreed the policy only pertains to advocacy. The Texas A&M System, which serves 175,000 students, is the second largest university system in the state. Regents also passed a measure to require faculty to teach the approved syllabus, limiting a professor’s ability to tailor a class to their expertise.

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Amid new endorsements in tightening GOP primary for U.S. Senate, Cornyn says "the trend line is in our favor"

Thirty Republican current and former elected leaders from Dallas-Fort Worth are backing Sen. John Cornyn for re-election over Attorney General Ken Paxton and Houston Congressman Wesley Hunt. Among them are North Texas Congressmen Jake Ellzey and Craig Goldman, former Congressman Michael Burgess, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, and former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. In an interview in Dallas on Wednesday evening, Cornyn told CBS News Texas the endorsements give voters some validation of the services he has performed. "I think these elected officials, former and present, who are endorsing me, is sort of a sign of a good housekeeping seal," Cornyn said.

The Republican primary for U.S. Senate is close, according to a statewide poll of 1,097 likely 2026 GOP primary voters conducted Oct. 6-10, after Hunt entered the race. Paxton leads with 28 percent, Cornyn has 24 percent, and Hunt has 19 percent. Other polls have shown a similarly tight race. When asked why a four-term incumbent should be this low in the polls, Cornyn said, "It's early. I don't think most Texans, maybe political junkies like you and me, think about those things a lot, but not most folks are concerned about their kids going to school or their job or the government shutdown, or other things. I think as people begin to focus on it, as we get closer to March 3rd, I think that the numbers will tighten up considerably." Analysts say Cornyn's poll numbers have risen because of a flurry of TV and radio ads his campaign and third parties have aired since the summer, highlighting his record. Cornyn said, "So, the fact that we've been able to close the gap so dramatically where the Attorney General's numbers have not gone up, but my numbers have gone up dramatically, the trend line is in our favor, so I'm very optimistic." Analysts say Hunt's entry into the race raises the likelihood of a runoff in May. Cornyn said his campaign has not been hurt by Hunt's entry. "No, I don't think he can win. What could happen is it would force a runoff in May. We're prepared for the duration. Obviously, I'd prefer to have the race decided in March," Cornyn said. There are three and a half months before the March 3 primary. Because the race is so close, one analyst told CBS News Texas he expects there won't be a clear picture of how it will shape up until three weeks before the election.

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Trump faces heat from MAGA base on ‘America First’ agenda, Epstein

MAGA leaders erupted this week over President Donald Trump’s assertion that the United States needs foreign workers because it does not have enough “talented people,” questioning the president’s commitment to the “America First” politics he popularized. A congressional push to release the government’s files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a years-long cause on the right — moved forward against the wishes of the White House, even as Republicans overwhelmingly dismissed newly released emails Epstein wrote, including some about Trump. And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), a longtime Trump ally, sparred with the president on multiple fronts after suggesting that the White House was too focused on foreign affairs and denouncing recent aid to Argentina.

The dissent showed an impassioned base willing to challenge Trump on some issues while largely supporting his leadership. Trump’s critics voiced skepticism that the rifts will hurt the president’s support in any lasting way. But the rare criticism showed the limits of Trump’s authority over the “America First” agenda he championed as a candidate and raised some GOP concerns about enthusiasm ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Some warned that the rifts could depress turnout among less engaged voters that Trump mobilized, with Republicans already nervous that they will not show up when he is not on the ballot. “If you show them that you’re not standing up for them on these populist, nationalist issues, I think there’s a real risk for the 2026 midterms,” said Republican strategist Steve Cortes, who has argued that the U.S. admits too many foreign workers and foreign students. “I don’t know anyone on the right who’s so angry that they’re splitting with Trump, but we’re disappointed,” Cortes said. “And we want to lead him to a better place.” Trump has responded defiantly to criticism and cast himself as the ultimate arbiter of what his “Make America Great Again” movement wants.

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'Luv ya': Disgraced Baylor president emailed Jeffrey Epstein for years

There's little to no indication that Jeffrey Epstein, the New York financier and pedophile, ever spent time in Texas. But that hasn't stopped Texas connections from popping up in the ongoing scandal engulfing the federal government. Just days after new emails came to light showing the living conditions of Epstein's girlfriend in a Texas prison camp, newly released files shed new light on the relationship between Epstein and late Texan Kenneth Starr, the disgraced former president of Baylor University who was ousted in 2016. In the emails, Starr frequently expressed his wish to visit Epstein in both New York City and Florida. The two often shared thoughts on current events, such as the Trump Russian interference scandal and new allegations that began to come out about Epstein, leading up to his arrest in 2019. Starr and Epstein frequently expressed fondness for each other, and Starr frequently signed his emails with "hugs" and "love." Starr, who died in 2022, often conversed with other lawyers and elites in Epstein's orbit.

According to the new tranche of emails released by the House Oversight Committee, Starr, the Vernon, Texas native, corresponded with Epstein throughout 2016 and 2018. That itself isn't a surprise. After serving as the independent counsel in the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky affair that led to Clinton's impeachment, the longtime conservative lawyer returned to private practice and was involved in many high-profile cases. Those include representing the school board in the 2007 "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" Supreme Court case, supporters of a California proposition that outlawed same-sex marriage, and the private mercenary company Blackwater. But most controversially, Starr was part of the legal team that defended Epstein during his first criminal case in the mid-2000s. As part of that defense, Starr was instrumental in securing a plea deal for Epstein in 2008 that included an unprecedented non-prosecution agreement. Epstein, who was accused of running a "cult-like" network to rape underage girls at his Palm Beach mansion, was ultimately granted immunity from federal sex trafficking charges. Instead, he agreed to plead guilty to two state felony prostitution charges, serve 18 months in prison, and register as a sex offender. In 2018, Miami Herald journalist Julie K. Brown revealed the arrangement had allowed Epstein to be housed in a private wing of the Palm Beach jail and be granted work release. Epstein was allowed to leave the jail six days a week for 12 hours a day and work at his private office, despite rules barring sex offenders from work release agreements.

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State Stories

Student speech under scrutiny as Texas lawmakers hold first hearing after Charlie Kirk's death

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday held its first hearing to examine free speech on college campuses following the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Lawmakers said civil discourse is important and it embodied the kind of work Kirk did. “Charlie Kirk, as we honor him in a way of starting this conversation, famously debated opponents with open handshakes instead of closed fists,” said Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham. “We can only have civil discourse and freedom of speech when we welcome all sides of a debate.” The Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education held a joint five-hour hearing and lawmakers heard from invited speakers only.

Kirk’s death escalated conversations around the price of free speech on university and college campuses — the consequences conservatives can face when expressing their beliefs or the retaliation students and teachers who criticized Kirk faced. Kirk’s death escalated conversations around the price of free speech on university and college campuses — the consequences conservatives can face when expressing their beliefs or the retaliation students and teachers who criticized Kirk faced. Jim Davis, the president of UT Austin, told lawmakers the university tries to make sure students are able to have wide-ranging discussions in classrooms, including on controversial topics, so students can form their own conclusions. “Here we expect that our professors build a culture of trust, so that all students feel free to voice their questions and their beliefs, especially when those perspectives might conflict with those of the professor or other students,” Davis said. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, created the committees so they could examine “bias, discourse, and freedom of speech across Texas college campuses,” a news release said at the time. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, who chairs the Senate committee, said Thursday the purpose of the committee was to make sure speech isn’t silenced in the future. He added that he believes that in 1968, “liberal speech” was being suppressed.

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Congressman Tony Gonzales decries 'completely untruthful' rumors in wake of staffer's death

Congressman Tony Gonzales on Thursday denied reports he was having an affair with a Uvalde-based staffer when she set herself on fire in September. It was the first time the Texas Republican has publicly spoken about the September death of 35-year-old Regina Santos-Aviles, which sparked an investigation led by the Texas Rangers. Earlier this week, the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her manner of death as a suicide. Gonzales, a Republican who represents a slice of Texas stretching from San Antonio to El Paso, made the comments at a Thursday panel at the Texas Tribune Festival, where he blasted rumors about him as "completely untruthful." At the same time, he praised Santos-Aviles' commitment to the community.

"Regina’s family has asked for privacy. If it was your family or any of our families, I would argue that you would want privacy as well," Gonzales said. "I don’t know exactly what happened. I’m waiting for a final report, I think that would make a lot of sense. But I would like everyone to remember Regina for all the wonderful things that she did for our community." Gonzales said those accomplishments include leading efforts to develop a new mental health facility in Uvalde, planning a new community center in Natalia and improving communication among local school districts. She also previously worked as executive director of the Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce. "Anyone that ever met her knew she was a kind, welcoming soul," he added. "And that’s how everyone should remember her.” Santos-Aviles died on Sept. 13 at her Uvalde home. Local authorities have said from the start there were no indications of foul play in her death, and a subsequent report from the Uvalde Leader News said Santos-Aviles had "doused herself in gasoline and was ignited into flames." Uvalde police determined by Sept. 23 that Santos-Aviles was alone in her backyard when she died. According to LinkedIn, she had worked for Gonzales, whose district includes San Antonio and Uvalde, since 2021. The third-term Texas Republican said in an initial statement provided soon after her death was first reported that she would be remembered for working to make a difference in the lives of Texans.

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Federal THC ban is an 'extinction-level event' for Texas hemp industry, economist says

The newly passed federal ban on hemp-based products containing THC could have a significant negative effect on the Texas economy, hitting a wide range of Texas industries that rely on hemp in any form, according to leading economists studying the hemp industry. Language included in the spending legislation that just ended the federal government shutdown would dramatically lower the legal amount of THC — the psychoactive component of cannabis — permitted in hemp-derived products. Advocates, including a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, argue this is necessary to close a loophole in the 2018 Federal Farm Bill that has led to the widespread marketing of intoxicating products, including to children. Notably, the coalition did not include Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, despite the significant push by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas lawmakers over the past year to ban such hemp-based products containing THC.

Texas produces more hemp than almost any other state in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Economist Beau Whitney estimated the Texas hemp industry employs roughly 53,000 people and pays wages of just $2.1 billion. "There’s roughly 6,350 businesses that are projected to fail as a result of this and displace over 40,000 workers. And so, this is a significant blow to the Texas economy," Whitney said, "because of the fact that those people now, instead of contributing into the state coffers from a revenue perspective ... payroll taxes, business taxes and the spending that occurs, sales taxes, this will now be an expenditure that is needing to be absorbed by the state." Those numbers include workers involved in cultivating, manufacturing, distributing and selling hemp-derived cannabinoids. But Whitney says the legislation would discourage the cultivation of any hemp.

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Young Texans were most immediately impacted by six-week abortion ban: study

It’s been four years since Texas enacted its then-unprecedented six-week abortion ban. Though the procedure is now nearly fully prohibited in the state, researchers are still trying to piece together how the six-week ban impacted access in its immediate aftermath – and are finding it had disproportionate effects on children and young adults. A study published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health found that facility-based abortions both in and out of the state decreased by about 26% for Texans under 18 and and almost 20% for those between the ages of 18 and 24. For Texans 25 through 29, recorded abortions fell by 17%. For Texans 30 and older, they fell by about 18%. The study did not look at abortions that were self-managed through mail-in abortion medications.

Previous research has shown that facility-based abortions significantly decreased overall after the ban, but few studies have focused on children and young adults. Young Texans may be more likely to not recognize pregnancy early, know where to obtain an abortion, have fear about disclosing their pregnancy to family members or to be unable to travel and pay for care, especially without adult help, researchers wrote. To conduct the review, they looked at data from Texas and six surrounding states and estimated the percentage change in abortions from the nine months before and after the law went into effect in September 2021. Texas has since banned nearly all abortion except in cases to save the life of the pregnant patient, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal right to abortion. Even before the abortion bans, young people faced barriers to access, including a requirement that minors get parental consent or seek permission from a judge to obtain an abortion in-state.

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Edinburg educator announces run for Texas House District 40

An educational professional from Edinburg on Tuesday announced that she is running for Texas House District 40. In a campaign announcement, Vangela Churchill said she is running as a Republican and said she has 25 years of experience in the educational field. “Churchill has personal experience with the daily battle she sees every day with children, parents, and families struggling to make their lives better,” the campaign announcement read. Churchill said she is running for the Texas State House because she can no longer watch families struggle while politicians argue.

“For my entire adult life, I’ve worked on the front lines as an educator, and all of us see these challenges our Rio Grande Valley families face every day,” she said in the announcement. “Educators deal directly with America’s biggest issues — students learning English as a second language, children without healthcare, families facing hunger or addiction, and classrooms stretched thin by budget cuts. “Every one of these problems walks through our school’s doors.” Churchill said the core of America’s problems can be found in schools, which is where solutions must begin. “But until the politicians in Austin hear the voice of the people in the Rio Grande Valley, nothing will change. That’s why I will be the voice of working families in Austin,” Churchill said.

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Jason Corley announces Exploratory Committee for Texas’ 19th Congressional District

After Congressman Jodey Arrington announced that he will not seek a sixth term. Lubbock County Commissioner Jason Corley says he has received an outpouring of encouragement from supporters across West Texas and the Big Country urging him to run for Congress. “I was surprised and humbled by the number of calls and messages from friends, supporters, and members of the media encouraging me to run,” Corley said. “After much consideration, I’ve decided to form an exploratory committee to assess the level of public support for a campaign to represent the people of West Texas and the Big Country in Congress.” According to the news release, further details about the exploratory committee and next steps will be announced soon.

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Tom Sell announces candidacy for Congressional District 19 representative

Lubbock businessman and conservative Tom Sell has announced his candidacy to serve West Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives for District 19. Sell’s announcement comes after current Congressman Jodey Arrington said he will not seek re-election in 2026. Arrington was elected to congress in 2016 and has served for nearly a decade. Sell is a fifth-generation West Texan committed to serving farm and ranch families, cities and rural communities throughout the southern High Plains. Sell graduated from Texas Tech to then serve former Representative Larry Combest when he chaired the House Agriculture Committee. Tom and his wife Kyla both live and work in Lubbock and have four children together. “We love our country and West Texas, and we want to repay all the great people of West Texas for the blessings they have given us and our family over our lifetime by standing by and defending them — and our country and everything they stand for,” Tom and Kyla said. “We are motivated by a strong sense of urgency and deep gratitude that we both feel.”

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Baylor AD, CFP chair Mack Rhoades takes 'leave of absence' after verbal, physical altercation, new allegations

Six days after our report on Baylor AD and CFP Chairman Mack Rhoades putting his hands on a player before the Arizona State game, followed by a physical altercation with an assistant coach, he is officially taking a "leave of absence" from his job. The news also comes just two days following his appearance on the College Football Playoff rankings show, where he did not comment on the investigation that took place. Rhoades was at the center of a school investigation into an alleged verbal and physical altercation with a football player and assistant coach. Now, OutKick can report new allegations were presented to the school on Nov. 10, which do not involve Title IX, student welfare or NCAA rules. They also do not involve the football program. The circumstances around Mack Rhoades have only intensified over the past month, with Rhoades skipping a prominent booster dinner on Wednesday night as well.

OutKick spoke to numerous sources regarding this incident, and are protecting their identities because of fear of future retribution regarding this matter. On Sept. 20, as Baylor was preparing to play Arizona State in a Big 12 conference game, tight end Michael Trigg was preparing to take the field for the opening series against the Sun Devils. As part of the uniform that day, Trigg was wearing a long-sleeved yellow shirt that was being used to cover a brace he was wearing on his shoulder. Sources tell OutKick that athletic director Mack Rhoades went up to Trigg as the ball was being kicked off to start the game, and while putting his hands on the player asked him ‘What the f--- are you wearing that yellow shirt for?'. Along the sidelines before the game, multiple assistants were around when this incident occurred, as it occurred in a brief span of time. On Thursday, Baylor athletics released a statement to OutKick regarding the decision from Rhoades. "Baylor Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades is on a leave of absence for personal reasons, effective November 12. The University will decline to comment further at this time."

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Harlandale ISD regains local control, ends state conservatorship

After five years of being under direct state oversight, the Texas Education Agency decided to end Harlandale Independent School District’s conservatorship on Tuesday. The announcement comes three months after the state loosened the reins on the conservatorship, “elevating” Harlandale ISD to observing status, a less intrusive form of oversight. Now, the district has full local control over its own governance.

“This is a tremendous moment for Harlandale ISD,” said Superintendent Gerardo Soto. “It represents years of collaboration and dedication from our Board of Trustees, staff and community.” TEA began investigating Harlandale ISD in 2017 after complaints of alleged nepotism, issues with the district’s procurement process, financial mismanagement and dysfunctional governance. Then-superintendent Rey Madrigal “separated” from the district after the board moved to fire him. Soto was hired shortly after Madrigal left in 2019. He was recently named the Best Superintendent in the state’s Education Region 20. In 2020, TEA decided to take over Harlandale ISD by appointing a conservator, opting not to replace the school board trustees with a board of managers or Soto with a state-appointed superintendent . Even though the board and Soto weren’t replaced, the conservator had the power to override board decisions if they didn’t think they were in the best interest of students.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hands out bonus checks to TSA workers in Houston

In a show of gratitude at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem personally handed out $10,000 bonus checks to Transportation Security Administration workers who she said went above and beyond during the recent government shutdown. Noem, speaking to a room filled with TSA staff, praised their unwavering dedication. “Every single one of these individuals served with exemplary service,” she said. “They were an example of not only taking seriously the security concerns and measures that TSA has every single day, but also, they went above and beyond.”

She highlighted how officers volunteered for extra shifts, assisted with transportation for colleagues commuting to work, and helped families who faced unexpected challenges. “They helped individuals. They served extra shifts. They helped with transportation of people getting back and forth to work,” Noem said. “Other challenges that families may have. They were all examples of what we need.” The Homeland Security secretary also stated that the department intends to continue recognizing workers nationwide, especially those who served during the shutdown. “We will be looking at every single TSA official that helped serve during this government shutdown and do what we can to recognize that and help them financially with a bonus check to get them and their family back on their feet,” she said.

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‘Elon Musk Unveiled – The Tesla Experiment’ doc reveals trailer featuring whistleblowers ahead of IDFA launch

A potentially explosive doc titled “Elon Musk Unveiled – The Tesla Experiment” is set to launch from the upcoming IDFA documentary festival in Amsterdam, where its Nov. 16 premiere will be attended by several former Tesla employees, insiders and whistleblowers who spoke out. “I had a moral obligation to tell the world what is really going on behind the curtain,” says former Tesla autopilot employee John Bernal in the doc’s trailer, which Variety is launching exclusively (watch above). “Elon Musk Unveiled” “pulls back the curtain on Musk’s empire, as close confidants, whistleblowers, victims and former high-ranking Tesla employees speak out,” says the doc’s logline. “Their testimonies expose hidden data and buried defects in the race for self-driving cars — where unchecked ambition costs lives and challenges Big Tech’s most powerful titan.”

“For the very first time, we get a really close insight of how Tesla works and how Elon Musk is managing his company,” producer Christian Beetz, CEO of Beetz Brothers, tells Variety. After he launches “Elon Musk Unveiled” on the European festival circuit, Beetz is very keen to also bring the doc to U.S. audiences. Produced by Germany’s Beetz Brothers and directed by Andreas Pichler (“The Milk System”), “Tesla Experiment” takes its cue from 100GB of leaked internal data provided by a whistleblower named Lukasz Krupski, who worked for Tesla in Norway, to German business newspaper Handelsblatt. The “Tesla Experiment” weaves three interconnected narratives. The first one is a storyline “that examines Musk’s grip on Tesla and his transformation from tech entrepreneur to political strategist,” according to promotional materials. The second is “victim stories, which focus on personal tragedies caused by Tesla’s autopilot, contrasting Musk’s grand technological ambitions with the real suffering of those left behind.” And the third delves into investigations into Musk following journalists and lawyers uncovering the inner workings of Tesla through leaked data and “revealing a pattern of cover-ups, regulatory evasion, and a growing entanglement between Musk’s empire and political power,” the materials say.

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Bee Moorhead: COP30: Cop to the truth

(Bee Moorhead is executive director of Texas Impact.) Monday was Earth Information Day at COP30. Earth Information Day is a plenary briefing where all the UNFCCC science groups, including the World Meteorological Organization, the World Climate Research Programme, and others brief the COP delegates on the state of climate science. As the UNFCCC “information note” explains: Systematic observation is vital for monitoring and understanding weather and climate status and trends to inform climate action. Earth observation networks, including in-situ and satellite-based observations, provide relevant data for forecasting and modelling climate change, response mechanism, risk management including supporting relate services such as early warning systems (EWS).

Within the UNFCCC process, the annual Earth Information Day (EID) provides an opportunity for Parties to engage with the systematic observation community to share and understand latest information, trends and projections of the climate to inform negotiations and wider decision-making. Through EID, messages on closing observation gaps, enhancing systematic observations and related initiatives, and advancing cooperation have been recognized. As a highlight of COP30, which is being dubbed “the COP of Truth,” Earth Information Day 2025 delivered some hard truths. It featured scary science, even scarier policy, and interesting takeaways for state and local governments. UNFCCC Executive Director Simon Steil kicked off the discussion by pointing out that “science and data give us resilience,” not just bad news. Observations are more important than ever, but unfortunately our observation systems are under strain. WMO executive director Celeste Saulo WMO reported that the past three years have been the warmest 3 yrs on record, and have delivered destructive weather on a daily basis. Science not only warns us, but also – and increasingly importantly – equips us. She argued the need for more and better bridges between science and policy. She also pointed out that scientists are increasingly able to attribute weather events to climate change, an important condition for policy action.

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With Prop Q’s defeat, an era of austerity begins

“I don’t think the voters appreciate how deep the cuts are going to have to be,” Austin City Council Member Mike Siegel told the Chronicle last week as Prop Q, the ballot measure to increase property taxes to fund a variety of city services, went down in flames. Siegel was talking about the cuts that will have to be made to the city’s 2025-26 budget with the defeat of Prop Q, which was envisioned as an opportunity to get homeless people off the streets and fix holes in the social safety net torn open by the federal government. City Manager T.C. Broadnax released a new proposed budget last Friday which showed the depth of the cuts. The proposed budget eviscerates funding for homelessness programs, compared with what would have been available with Prop Q. It cuts tens of millions of dollars from other social services. The cuts to homeless services include over $10 million intended for more emergency shelter beds and long-term supportive housing.

Additionally, $1.6 million is cut from public health initiatives like free vaccinations; $1.3 million is cut from the Family Stabilization Grant, which helps families avoid becoming homeless; and $1 million is cut from community violence intervention programs. Millions more are cut from programs for food pantries, city libraries, and wildfire prevention, to name just a few. Some of that funding may still be restored by moving money from other areas of the budget, but a coalition of community groups led by Equity Action is demanding that city leaders revise last year’s police contract in an effort to find more money. “[The city leaders’] proposal protects the bloated police budget while forcing cuts to every other essential public service including EMS, Austin Public Health, parks, contracts to community service organizations, and more,” Equity Action’s Savannah Lee wrote in a press release Tuesday. “In short, they have once again prioritized police over fully staffed city offices, services for folks experiencing homelessness, and quick and accessible healthcare for Austinites.” The community groups argue that a clause in the police contract approved last year allows the city to reduce APD’s budget when voters reject proposals like Prop Q, if reducing the budget is “necessary to meet the funding obligations set forth in [the] agreement.” Austin’s chief financial officer, Ed Van Eenoo, sent a memo to the mayor and City Council on Nov. 7, writing that a reduction in the police contract will not be “necessary” this fiscal year because the budget that will be adopted in coming weeks will be balanced. Lee called that statement a falsehood. “The clause refers to the budget that passed,” she told us. “Not the proposed one and not a future one. It exists to prevent exactly what’s happening now, where the police budget is deemed necessary and everything else is on the chopping block.” Broadnax’s proposed budget also decreases funding for the city’s public safety system, particularly its EMS response.

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'FoodWithBearHands' content creator Michael Duarte shot and killed by Texas sheriff's deputies

Michael Duarte, the food and barbecue content creator known widely online as "FoodWithBearHands," died Saturday after being shot by sheriff's deputies in Texas, according to officials. Medina County, located west of San Antonio, confirmed that deputies responded to a call in Castroville for man acting erratically with a knife. Officials said the man, later identified as Duarte, was threatening and charging at deputies and "making threats to kill everyone." Law enforcement said he attempted to assault other emergency personnel who had responded to the scene as the deputy arrived. They added that Duarte was given multiple verbal commands to get on the ground, but he charged toward a responding deputy while yelling, “I’m going to kill you.” The deputy then fired two rounds at Duarte, hitting him.

Duarte was taken to University Hospital in San Antonio where he was pronounced dead, according to Medina County officials. The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation into his death. Duarte's talent agency, Alooma Media Group, confirmed his death in a statement posted to Instagram on Saturday. "It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our valued client and dear friend, Michael Duarte," the agency wrote. "His passion, professionalism, and creativity left a lasting mark not only on our team but on everyone who had the privilege of working with him." Family members initially said Duarte had died after what they described as a "horrible incident" while traveling in Texas. The 36-year-old California-based content creator had amassed more than 2 million combined followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, where he shared cooking videos and recipes focused on grilled meats and barbecue.

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Dallas-based Muslim artist detained by ICE is being ‘punished’ for his social media posts, his lawyers say

Attorneys for Ya’akub Ira Vijandre, a Filipino artist being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Georgia, are challenging his detention in court, arguing he is being “punished for his faith, his speech and his political beliefs.” A Muslim filmmaker and activist whose legal name is Jacob, Vijandre was detained at gunpoint by ICE officers while leaving his Dallas-area home for work on Oct. 7. His lawyers say officers unjustly targeted him based on his social media activity, which immigration enforcement officials claim “glorify terrorism,” according to a recent legal filing calling on the government to release him. “By detaining Mr. Vijandre for his activism and journalism, the United States government is mirroring the tactics it has long criticized abroad: suppressing voices that dare challenge those in power, intimidating journalists, and chilling public debate,” Maria Kari, an attorney representing Vijandre, said in a statement Thursday (Nov. 13).

Vijandre, 38, is one of several immigrants who have been detained this year after speaking out against the war in Gaza, including Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, Dallas community leader Marwan Marouf and Sami Hamdi, a British journalist who was detained and released this month. Civil rights groups have criticized these detentions as violating constitutional protections for freedom of speech. Vijandre posted publicly about his opposition to U.S. foreign policy, the policies of the Israeli government and abuse of prisoners accused of terrorism—speech that his lawyers say is protected by his First Amendment rights. “Equating such speech to ‘terrorism’ to justify detention would risk criminalizing a broad array of protected speech critical of U.S. government policy engaged in by citizens and non-citizens alike,” his lawyers wrote in a habeas corpus filed last month.

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National Stories

A new litmus test For Republicans running for Senate: Ending the filibuster

Republicans running in Senate primaries have a new litmus test for who the Trumpiest candidate is: Do you support nuking the filibuster? President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Senate Republicans to abolish the filibuster — something that would require support from a majority of senators. Trump also made this push during his first term, but his efforts now have been significantly more intense. Republican Senate leadership has been adamantly against using the so-called “nuclear option” to end the 60-vote threshold for most legislation, and much of the conference is as well. But the 42-day government shutdown made Trump more aggressive in telling Republicans to change the rules to allow for a simple majority vote.

There currently aren’t enough Republicans in the Senate who support the nuclear option, but that could change in 2026. A NOTUS survey of Republican Senate candidates across the country found that, in most cases, there is at least openness to abolishing the filibuster — if not outright support to do so. NOTUS reached out to and examined the public statements of Republican candidates in Kentucky, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and North Carolina. Only two candidates hadn’t said anything about the filibuster and did not respond to a request for comment: Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr and former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Three candidates expressed support for eliminating the filibuster: Nate Morris of Kentucky, Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia and Michael Whatley of North Carolina. In a statement to NOTUS, Whatley said: “All options must be on the table, including the removal of the filibuster, to move forward with Making America Affordable Again — cutting taxes for working families, lowering prices, achieving energy dominance, reindustrializing America, and bringing good-paying jobs back home.”

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Companies predict 2026 will be the worst college grad job market in five years

Employers have a warning for the Class of 2026: Next spring’s graduate-hiring market is likely to be even worse than this year’s. Six months out from graduation season, more than half of 183 employers surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers rate the job market for the Class of 2026 as poor or fair. That is the most pessimistic outlook since the first year of the pandemic, according to the survey, which is widely seen as an early signal of graduate hiring each year. A cooling job market is darkening that outlook. In recent months, employers from Amazon.com to United Parcel Service have revealed plans to cut thousands of jobs. The latest is Verizon Communications, which, according to people familiar with the matter, plans to cut 15,000 jobs over the next week in its largest reduction ever.

Companies say the uncertain economic outlook has pushed them to hire more conservatively, and many are giving priority to recruits with some experience as opposed to fresh-from-college graduates. More executives are also speaking openly about the potential of artificial intelligence to bring deep job cuts and take over more tasks that new graduates are traditionally tapped to do. For college seniors, that means they are also competing against junior workers who have been recently laid off. The unemployment rate for recent college graduates was 4.8% in June, greater than overall unemployment that month and the highest June level for recent graduates in four years, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York analysis. Overall, employers say they expect a 1.6% increase in hiring for the Class of 2026, down considerably from their plans for the Class of 2025 last fall, according to the semiannual survey. College recruiting for full-time jobs typically kicks off in the fall or earlier, and by the spring, employers have a clearer sense of where hiring will land. In recent years, employers have revised their spring plans downward from the fall survey. Annika Swenson, a senior at the University of Iowa, said layoffs at companies like Amazon have made her more anxious about the search. The sheer number of applicants to positions and the fast-moving pace of AI have also increased her stress level.

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Trump administration targets Charlotte for next immigration crackdown, local sheriff say

Federal agents are set to arrive in Charlotte as early as this weekend as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on immigration, according to a local county sheriff’s office. The Mecklenburg County sheriff’s office on Thursday said the sheriff, Garry L. McFadden, was contacted by two unnamed federal officials this week who said U.S. Customs and Border Patrol personnel will be arriving in the Charlotte area either Saturday or early next week. Mecklenburg County encompasses Charlotte. “We value and welcome the renewed collaboration and open communication with our federal partners,” McFadden said in a statement. “It allows us to stay informed and be proactive in keeping Mecklenburg County safe and to maintain the level of trust our community deserves.”

The announcement follows several days of confusion from some officials in North Carolina, who on Tuesday said there had been no communication between the Mecklenburg County sheriff’s office and the Customs and Border Patrol. Though the agents’ operations have not been specified, the Mecklenburg County sheriff’s office stated it will not be involved with any Immigration and Customs Enforcement or CBP crackdowns. A Homeland Security spokesperson would not comment on the North Carolina operation. “Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “We do not discuss future or potential operations.” President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a top priority and has deployed immigration officials throughout the country. It’s caused a major backlash in some communities, with some people decrying what they call heavy-handed tactics.

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Top Fannie Mae officials ousted after sounding alarm on sharing confidential housing data

A confidant of Bill Pulte, the Trump administration’s top housing regulator, provided confidential mortgage pricing data from Fannie Mae to a principal competitor, alarming senior officials of the government-backed lending giant who warned it could expose the company to claims that it was colluding with a rival to fix mortgage rates. Emails reviewed by The Associated Press show that Fannie Mae executives were unnerved about what one called the “very problematic” disclosure of data by Lauren Smith, the company’s head of marketing, who was acting on Pulte’s behalf. “Lauren, the information that was provided to Freddie Mac in this email is a problem,” Malloy Evans, senior vice president of Fannie Mae’s single-family mortgage division, wrote in an Oct. 11 email. “That is confidential, competitive information.”

He also copied Fannie Mae’s CEO, Priscilla Almodovar, on the email, which bore the subject line: “As Per Director Pulte’s Ask.” Evans asked Fannie Mae’s top attorney “to weigh in on what, if any, steps we need to take legally to protect ourselves now.” While Smith still holds her position, the senior Fannie Mae officials who called her conduct into question were all forced out of their jobs late last month, along with internal ethics watchdogs who were investigating Pulte and his allies. The dismissals rattled the housing industry and drew condemnation from Democrats. It also gave Pulte’s critics evidence to support claims that he has leveraged the nonpublic information available to him to further his own political aims. “This is another example of Bill Pulte weaponizing his role to do Donald Trump’s bidding, instead of working to lower costs amidst a housing crisis,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee. “His behavior raises significant questions, and he needs to be brought in front of Congress to answer them.” The episode marks the latest example of Pulte using what is typically a low-profile position in the federal bureaucracy to enhance his own standing and gain the attention of President Trump. He’s prompted mortgage fraud investigations of prominent Democrats who are some of the president’s best known antagonists, including Sen. Adam Schiff of California, New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Rep. Eric Swalwell.

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California revokes 17,000 commercial driver's licenses for immigrants

California plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses given to immigrants after discovering the expiration dates went past when the drivers were legally allowed to be in the U.S., state officials said Wednesday. The announcement follows harsh criticism from the Trump administration about California and other states granting licenses to people in the country illegally. The issue was thrust into the public’s consciousness in August, when a tractor-trailer driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that California’s action to revoke these licenses is an admission that the state acted improperly even though it previously defended its licensing standards. California launched its review of commercial driver’s licenses it issued after Duffy raised concerns.

“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Duffy said, referring to the state’s governor. “This is just the tip of iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses.” Newsom’s office said that every one of the drivers whose license is being revoked had valid work authorizations from the federal government. At first, his office declined to disclose the exact reason for revoking the licenses, saying only they violated state law. Later, his office revealed the state law it was referring to was one that requires the licenses expire on or before a person’s legal status to be in the United State ends, as reported to the DMV. Still, Newsom’s spokesperson Brandon Richards shot back at Duffy in a statement. “Once again, the Sean ‘Road Rules’ Duffy fails to share the truth — spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a sad and desperate attempt to please his dear leader,” Richards said.

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Catholic hospitals barred from offering gender-affirming care

Catholic leaders have formally banned their hospitals from providing gender-affirming care to transgender patients, following a Wednesday vote at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Catholic health systems account for 1 in 6 acute care hospitals in the country — and in many rural areas, they are the only available hospital. The Catholic health ministry oversees more than 650 hospitals, according to numbers by the Catholic Health Association, plus another 1,600 health facilities, including those meant for long-term care. However, not all Catholic hospitals have explicitly disclosed their religious affiliation on their websites in the past, creating potential for confused patients seeking care that they cannot access. “Catholic providers will continue to welcome those who seek medical care from us and identify as transgender. We will continue to treat these individuals with dignity and respect, which is consistent with Catholic social teaching and our moral obligation to serve everyone, particularly those who are marginalized,” the Catholic Health Association said in a statement on Wednesday.

The formal gender-affirming care ban follows 2023 guidelines issued by U.S. bishops that urged Catholic hospitals to not provide gender-affirming treatments, “whether surgical or chemical,” as part of a patient’s medical gender transition. Now, that policy is official. Similarly, reproductive health care is heavily restricted at Catholic hospitals due to the church’s opposition to contraception and abortion: birth control pills, IUDs and vasectomies are prohibited, as is abortion. These restrictions limit how doctors at Catholic hospitals can treat urgent pregnancy complications. That does not always mean patients can’t get help. Some doctors find workarounds for their patients — and it’s been an open secret in Catholic hospitals for some time, said Debra B. Stulberg, chair of family medicine at the University of Chicago, secular institution. She has researched the church’s health care policies as they relate to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care. “People who want hormonal contraception — the clinicians are advised that you can’t provide these medicines for the purpose of contraception,” Stulberg said. “But if the patient has really painful periods or really bad acne, you can prescribe it for other reasons.”

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Trump official refers Rep. Eric Swalwell for a federal criminal probe over alleged mortgage fraud

A top housing official in President Donald Trump's administration has referred California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell to the Justice Department for a potential federal criminal probe, based on allegations of mortgage and tax fraud related to a Washington, D.C., home, according to a person familiar with the referral. He is the fourth Democratic official to face mortgage fraud allegations in recent months. Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, alleged in a letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday that Swalwell may have made false or misleading statements in loan documents. The matter has also been referred to the agency's acting inspector general, this person said.

"As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me," Swalwell said in a statement to NBC News. The referral, according to the source, alleges several million dollars worth of loans and refinancing based on Swalwell declaring his primary residence as Washington. It calls for an investigation into possible mortgage fraud, state and local tax fraud, and insurance fraud, as well as any related crimes. The Justice Department did not immediately return a request for comment. The move comes as Trump has publicly urged the prosecution of his political opponents. Pulte previously sent criminal referrals to the Justice Department for two other prominent Democratic critics of Trump, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as well as Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook — who was nominated by then-President Joe Biden — on allegations of mortgage fraud. All three have denied wrongdoing.

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Why every company suddenly wants to become a bank

Last year, Ripple Chief Executive Brad Garlinghouse had a bone to pick with banks, saying they had shut him and his industry out. This year, his cryptocurrency company is asking the Trump administration for permission to start its own bank. Ripple isn’t the only company that suddenly wants to be a bank. Under Trump, crypto firms and fintechs including Coinbase and Wise are looking to open banks and retailers such as Amazon and Walmart are eyeing expansions of banklike services. Trump-appointed regulators are welcoming their efforts, taking cues from a crypto-friendly administration that has said it wants to remove barriers to new payments systems. “My view is that it’s better for it to be done within the banking system, if it’s legally permissible and can be done in a safe and sound manner,” Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said of cryptocurrency at a conference last month. Gould’s agency, part of the Treasury Department, regulates nationally-chartered U.S. banks.

Most of the new applications are for national trust charters. Trust banks differ from full banks in that they generally cannot take deposits or make loans. Instead, trusts charge fees for the safekeeping of customer assets. Since they don’t take deposits, they typically aren’t insured like full banks. So far this year, there have been 12 applications for trust charters, more than any in at least the preceding eight years, according to data compiled by Klaros Group, a financial-services advisory firm. In addition to Ripple, Coinbase and the U.K. payments company Wise, other applicants for trust charters include Sony Bank, a Japanese commercial bank whose parent company is partially owned by the electronics and entertainment conglomerate. Banking lobby groups argue that approving the flood of applications could threaten the stability of the financial system. They say companies such as Ripple want to compete for banks’ customers without shouldering the same regulatory oversight, such as stringent capital requirements. Other critics of looser regulation point out that since the 2008-09 financial crisis, regulators have been highly restrictive about who could launch a bank and what banks can do—for good reason, they say. The Bank Policy Institute in recent weeks sent letters urging the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to reject the Ripple, Wise and Sony applications, among others. The Independent Community Bankers of America, a trade group representing smaller banks, also wrote in opposition.

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Lead Stories

Longest government shutdown in U.S. history ends after Trump signs funding bill

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended Wednesday night after President Donald Trump signed into law a spending package to reopen the government, capping 43 days of a political stalemate that caused widespread disruptions at U.S. airports and upended food assistance for families. Speaking from the White House late Wednesday, Trump blamed the shutdown and its harmful effects squarely on the Democratic Party and portrayed its end as a Republican victory. He also urged voters to remember the shutdown ahead of the 2026 midterm elections — an apparent attempt to use the moment as political leverage, despite a recent poll suggesting more Americans blame the GOP for the shutdown. “This is no way to run a country. I hope we all can agree that the government should never be shut down again,” Trump said in a live broadcast. He pledged to pass legislation to end politicians’ ability to filibuster and said the federal government “will now resume normal operations.”

Earlier in the day, the House voted to reopen federal agencies — the first time it had been in session in nearly eight weeks. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had kept the chamber out of session since Sept. 19 in a bid to pressure the Senate to agree to a GOP funding extension, which Senate Democrats had repeatedly rejected. Lawmakers voted 222-209 to reopen the government. “We feel very relieved tonight. The Democrat shutdown is finally over,” Johnson told reporters after the House vote earlier Wednesday. “All this was utterly pointless and foolish. This outcome was totally foreseeable. … They got nothing for their selfish political stunt.” Federal paychecks will begin going out Saturday, a senior administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. The deal will fund the government through Jan. 30, pass three appropriations bills, reverse more than 4,000 federal layoffs the Trump administration attempted to implement earlier in the shutdown and prevent future layoffs through the end of January. It will appropriate funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps, through September 2026.

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Jaworski, Johnson spar in fiery first Texas Attorney General debate for Democrats

Minutes after taking the stage, the two leading Democrats running for Texas Attorney General clashed in their first debate of the primary cycle. “There is only one fighter on this stage you can count on,” said Joe Jaworski, former Galveston Mayor. Jaworski went on the offense early attacking Nathan Johnson’s record in the state senate. “Nathan Johnson, when he had the opportunity to sit as a juror before Ken Paxton, he voted to acquit Ken Paxton on two charges that the House impeached him on,” Jaworski said. “Why would you give any comfort to that scoundrel?” Jaworski then put Johnson on the defensive with Senate Bill 2972 that the legislature passed this year.

“He was one of two Democrats to join all Republicans to pass this Campus Security Act which may as well be called the Suppression of Free Speech Act,” Jaworski told the audience. “A Reagan appointee found Mr. Johnson’s law to be unconstitutional.” Rebutting the former Galveston mayor, Johnson shot back. “This is exactly the attack I would expect from a Republican. This person is running to be Attorney General, and he told you if I find the prosecution has failed to meet its burden, I should convict anyway,” Johnson responded. “I voted to convict Ken Paxton 14 [of 16] times.” On SB 2972, Johnson said that “Gina Hinojosa, our nominee for governor, and [Democratic U.S. Senate candidate] James Talarico voted the way I did.” Denton Together hosted the event at The Lyceum Theater on the campus of the University of North Texas Sunday afternoon.

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Epstein alleged in emails that Trump knew of his conduct

House Democrats on Wednesday released emails in which Jeffrey Epstein wrote that President Trump had “spent hours at my house” with one of Mr. Epstein’s victims, among other messages that suggested that the convicted sex offender believed Mr. Trump knew more about his abuse than he has acknowledged. Mr. Trump has emphatically denied any involvement in or knowledge of Mr. Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation. He has said that he and Mr. Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide in federal prison in 2019, were once friendly but had a falling out. But Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said the emails, which they selected from thousands of pages of documents received by their panel, raised new questions about the relationship between the two men. In one of the messages, Mr. Epstein flatly asserted that Mr. Trump “knew about the girls,” many of whom were later found by investigators to have been underage.

In another, Mr. Epstein pondered how to address questions from the news media about their relationship as Mr. Trump was becoming a national political figure. Committee Republicans on Wednesday released the rest of the newly obtained material, condemning Democrats for choosing three that referred to Mr. Trump. They also identified the unnamed victim mentioned in two of the emails as Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April and had said that she had not witnessed Mr. Trump participating in the sexual abuse of minors at Mr. Epstein’s home. In a statement, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, cited Ms. Giuffre’s past remarks about Mr. Trump, denouncing “selectively released emails” that she said were meant to “smear” the president. “The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre,” Ms. Leavitt said. “These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again.”

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Democrats could make gains with Latino voters in Texas

President Donald Trump made historic gains with Latino voters in Texas during the 2024 general election, earning more than half of the state's Latino vote. Many Republicans used those gains as one reason to redraw the state’s congressional map mid-decade. Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, says that wasn’t the safest bet. “Their partisanship is not as durable as a lot of other groups in the electorate, which means they move. They respond to events,” said Blank. Exit polling from the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial race show a majority of Latino voters supported the Democratic victors. But some Republicans running for the new congressional districts don’t think the trend will impact the Texas midterms.

Keith Allen is in a crowded GOP primary for Congressional District 34, a Democratic seat that would have gone to Trump by 10 points under the new congressional lines. In the newly drawn district near McAllen, Latinos are the largest demographic of voters. “When the Latino community sees that you have somebody that cares about people and wants to get this figured out for the greater good, I think they'll get behind that, and I believe they'll get behind me,” said Allen. Also in the race is former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores, who decided to run for her old seat after the new map was passed. She described District 34 as one of the top GOP opportunities in the country. “South Texas is very supportive of President Trump. President Trump is doing exactly what he voted for. He ran on border security. He ran on focusing on deportation, especially focusing on those that crossing legally into the country,” said Flores.

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State Stories

Tarrant GOP Chair Bo French bids for Texas Railroad Commission

A North Texas Republican Party chair known for incendiary social media posts is looking to statewide office. Tarrant County Republican Party Chair Bo French on Wednesday announced a bid for the Railroad Commission of Texas. Despite what its name may suggest, the state commission oversees Texas’ oil and gas industry. He also resigned from his GOP chairman position, French said in a post on X and in a text. The local party’s executive committee is set to select a new chair on Nov. 22. The Railroad Commission is made up of three commissioners, who serve staggered six-year terms. The commissioners select who will serve as chairman. Chairman Jim Wright and Commissioners Christi Craddick and Wayne Christian, all of whom are Republicans, compose its members. Wright’s commissioner seat is up for reelection in 2026.

“Texas oil and gas made America great and literally fueled the fight for freedom across the world,” French said in a statement he posted to X. “With Iran and radical Islamists attacking our allies in the Middle East, the Chinese Communist Party pushing its agenda worldwide, and the radical Green New Scam artists waging war on domestic energy production, our state needs a strong leader who will fight back. I’m running for Railroad Commissioner to put American citizens, American interests, and American energy first.” French has faced backlash over social media posts during his tenure as Tarrant County GOP chair — a position he assumed in October 2023. In late October, French shared posts that critics called racist. “November 1, 2025 is National Chimp Out Day. It’s going to be lit,” French said, adding in a comment: “(N)o SNAP!” Nov. 1 was the day SNAP benefits were expiring amid the government shutdown. “Let’s be clear: in 2025, there is no excuse — none — for any public figure to liken African Americans or any people of color to animals,” said Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, an Arlington Democrat. “That’s not political speech. That’s racism, plain and simple.”

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Dallas Morning News Editorial: Abbott’s property tax plan is full of holes

Gov. Greg Abbott has made eliminating homeowners’ school property taxes, and severely limiting local governments’ control over property tax, a top campaign issue. It’s a worrisome stance, given how little we know about how the governor plans to fund our schools. But we can understand some of the political impetus. Homeowners in much of the state are struggling financially as annual property tax bills keep rising. Still, it’s irresponsible to pledge to wipe out a key source of public school funding without offering a substitute. It’s like quitting your job without having any idea how you’ll cover the mortgage. Local governments in Texas rely on property tax to pay for services like police, fire, libraries and parks. Schools depend on it to help cover operating expenses like teacher salaries. Texas leans hard on property tax partly because it levies no personal income tax. Property tax is especially painful because it’s assessed all at once, rather than paid out in a few dollars here and there as sales tax is.

In a state as big as Texas, tax-related numbers are eye-popping. In 2023, the taxable value of all taxable property in school districts was almost $4 trillion, according to a report from the Texas comptroller’s office. About 45% of that value came from single-family homes. The total tax assessed on all categories of property was $81.4 billion, and the state’s 1,014 school districts assessed $39.5 billion of that. Meanwhile, local sales tax revenue in 2023 totaled $13 billion. Here is what we know about Abbott’s plan: It would limit property appraisals to once every five years and require all local property tax increases to be approved by a two-thirds majority of voters. Appraisal increases would be capped at 3% and the state would mandate spending limits on local governments. And it would allow voters to kill local school property tax for homeowners.

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Dispute between Rockwall County, developer raises the question: Who should pay for infrastructure?

Thirty miles east of Dallas is the quiet bedroom community of McLendon-Chisolm. Located in southeast Rockwall County, it’s a rural area with green space and land all around, but that’s quickly changing. In recent years McLendon-Chisholm, with a population of about 5,000 people, has attracted an influx of development, and new homes have sprung up throughout the area. But one development in particular – on 1,800 acres of unincorporated Rockwall County, just outside city limits – has become the subject of a lawsuit filed by developer DR Horton against the county earlier this year. At issue is who should pay for infrastructure to serve the new community. “When they build these developments, when they're done, they leave,” said McLendon-Chisolm Mayor Bryan McNeal.

He said he’s not against development in and around his city, but he said builders, including Arlington-based DR Horton, need to help cover costs. “They leave behind the residents who are in the surrounding areas as well as the city that they just dropped in and the governments have to figure it out," he said. "And they offer zero support.” The River Rock Trails development could eventually include more than 6,000 new homes — and it’ll need the infrastructure to serve it, like water and sewer services, new roads, police and fire, even schools. The county sent developers a list of items it wanted covered, including new sheriffs and improvements to an adjacent road. Rockwall County Judge Frank New said state law gives the county the right to ask developers to share infrastructure costs in certain cases. “It's a fairly new law," he said. "It's been there since 2019, so we weren't the first to actually implement the law, and D.R. Horton is challenging our authority.” DR Horton offered to pay for the roads and sheriffs, but after the county denied an application for the development, the company appealed the list, and sued.

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Coinbase moves incorporation to Texas from Delaware, following Musk’s lead

Coinbase is following Tesla out of Delaware and into Texas. Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s chief legal officer, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Wednesday that the crypto exchange is moving its state of incorporation, a year after Elon Musk did the same with his electric vehicle maker. Musk also reincorporated his rocket maker SpaceX from Delaware to Texas. “Delaware’s legal framework once provided companies with consistency. But no more,” Grawal wrote, pointing to recent “unpredictable outcomes” in the Delaware Chancery Court. A handful of notable names, including Dropbox, TripAdvisor and venture firm Andreessen Horowitz have announced departures from Delaware. It’s a move that was championed by Musk following a Delaware Chancery Court ruling that ordered Tesla to rescind the CEO’s 2018 pay package, worth about $56 billion in options.

“If your company is still incorporated in Delaware, I recommend moving to another state as soon as possible,” Musk wrote in a post on X in February 2024, when he filed to change SpaceX’s incorporation state. Last week, Tesla shareholders voted to approve Musk’s more recent pay package, which could be worth up to $1 trillion. Delaware has long been the dominant state for U.S. companies to incorporate due to its flexible corporate code and expert judiciary, and is seen as balancing the rights of executives and shareholders. A Texas state law allows corporations to limit shareholder lawsuits against insiders for breach of fiduciary duty. Coinbase and Andreessen Horowitz, an early backer, currently face a lawsuit in Delaware concerning the sale of shares in the crypto company tied to its public listing in 2021. Like Musk, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong was a major contributor to President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign for the White House.

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Glenn Beck sells DFW mansion ahead of move out of Texas

A big home -- with a big name behind it -- is off the North Texas real estate market. Conservative commentator Glenn Beck recently sold his Westlake estate, which was last listed for $11.75 million, according to Zillow. The final sale price was not disclosed. The sale closed on Oct. 31. Beck has long called Westlake -- an affluent enclave just west of Southlake in northern Tarrant County -- home, but he recently announced he and his wife are moving to Florida. Beck, 61, a former Fox News commentator, is the CEO and voice behind the conservative Blaze Media. His estate on King Fisher Drive in Westlake included an 8,900-square-foot home set on 3.5 acres.

"Tucked behind its own set of private gates is this estate of exquisitely designed interiors—where architectural brilliance and refined elegance coalesce in a symphony of scale, texture, and light," the listing touted. "From soaring ceilings & stone fireplaces to hand-hewn beams & floor-to-ceiling glass, the home exudes both grandeur & intimacy in equal measure. At the heart of the home, a designer chef’s kitchen with double islands, top-tier Viking appliances, and an expansive scullery is both a showpiece & a functional haven for culinary pursuits." The home was built in 2004, and Beck initially purchased it in 2012, according to Tarrant County property records. Pro golfer Brandt Jobe was a previous owner of the home, records say. The six-bedroom home includes stone fireplaces, "hand-hewn beams" and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, according to the listing. There's also a private gym, a guest casita, a firepit lounge and pool with a spa. Michael Hershenberg, of the The Hershenberg Group, and Brad Cook marketed the property.

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At least 44K school-aged children in North Texas may be at risk of deportation, according to report

Thousands of school-aged children and their families in North Texas may be impacted by U.S. immigration polices, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute. A report from the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, estimates that 44,000 school-aged children between the ages of 5 and 18 in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton Counties don't have legal status, as well as around 218,000 more people who live with children under 18, according to 2023 data. The Migration Policy Institute also found that Texas was the second state most impacted by immigration policy, with an estimated nearly 2 million immigrants without legal status, according to the report. California is estimated to have had nearly 3 million, according to the data.

"The unauthorized immigrant population in the United States has grown sharply in recent years, with the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimating it reached 13.7 million as of mid-2023, following more than a decade of stagnation. Still, nearly half of this population—45 percent—had lived in the country for 20 years or more, with 80 percent having at least five years of residence," the report's summary reads. Texas was also estimated to have just under 1 million children who live with at least one parent living in the U.S. without legal status, according to the report. Texas again follows California, which was estimated to have nearly 1.3 million children living in the state with at least one parent living in the U.S. without legal status, according to the 2023 data. Dallas County alone was estimated to have 319,000 people without legal status, followed by Tarrant County with 127,000, Collin County at 43,000, and Denton County at 35,000, the reports show.

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T.D. Jakes moves from pastoring to podcasting as his next focus

Less than a year after suffering a massive heart attack, megachurch founder T.D. Jakes is launching a podcast featuring celebrities and influencers discussing transformative points of transition in their lives. “NXT Chapter with T.D. Jakes” will premiere on the iHeartMedia radio network Friday (Nov. 14) with an interview with media mogul Oprah Winfrey. “After experiencing a profound shift in my own life and career, I knew I was not alone,” Jakes says in a trailer for the podcast. “These moments of change, challenge and transformation touch all of us. That’s why I created this podcast to sit down with people from all walks of life — leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, athletes — and talk about the moments that changed everything for all of them.”

Others scheduled to appear in the first season of the show include actor-director Denzel Washington, rapper Jeezy and Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, Jakes’ daughter and successor as co-leader of The Potter’s House, in Dallas. Jakes’ podcast comes as the popular preacher and bestselling author has experienced some transitions of his own. In April Jakes, 68, announced to the Potter’s House congregation that he was turning over its leadership to Roberts and Pastor Touré Roberts, his son-in-law. In the preceding months, attorneys for Jakes had filed a defamation lawsuit on his behalf relating to accusations of sexual assault dating to years before. The suit argued that the accusations, made by a Pennsylvania minister named Duane Youngblood, were false. But in October of this year Jakes informed the Pennsylvania federal district court where the case was filed that it had been voluntarily dismissed “by consent of all parties” involved in the litigation.

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Dallas’s next election will be November 2027

The other major item on the City Council’s agenda today was an initiative to move city elections from May to November of odd-numbered years. That means our next election will be on November 2, 2027, on the same ballot as any constitutional amendments the state legislature might cook up in the next session.

All 15 council members and Mayor Eric Johnson voted in favor of the move, but some expressed concerns about it. Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn pointed out that it would mean their terms would be extended by six months. The council’s budget discussions typically occur in August and September, which means the budget will be decided upon by councilmembers who could be voted out just a couple of months later, she said. Others had similar concerns about appointments to commissions, too, as well as what happens if there is a runoff, particularly in the mayoral election. However, in the end, they all acknowledged that voters approved this move during last year’s charter election. Longtime advocates pointed out that this will save the city money because it won’t be on the hook for as much of the cost. And cities that have moved their elections to November have seen better turnout, moving from single digits to low double digits. State Rep. Rafael Anchia, who sponsored the House version of the bill authored by state Sen. Nathan Johnson, explained it’s not a “silver bullet”: Turnout in the teens still low turnout, it’s not the abysmal turnout the city currently has in May elections.

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Faith-based groups sue Texas over limitations on investment advice

Business and faith-based investment groups are suing Texas to stop enforcement of a new law that limits expert advice available to investors. “The plaintiffs are faith-based and nonprofit organizations that, as part of their missions, partner with institutional investors to engage with companies to seek strong long-term financial performance,” said Democracy Forward, a nonprofit legal group leading the lawsuit filed Nov. 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. At issue is the enforcement of Senate Bill 2337, a 2025 law that restricts the ability of advisory firms to offer nonfinancial investment guidance. The measure went into effect Sept. 1.

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, United Church Funds and Ceres filed the action asserting the statute violates advisors’ and investors’ freedom of speech guaranteed under the First Amendment and is “unconstitutionally vague” about due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. “As part of that work, the plaintiffs take into account environmental and social impacts of company practices, as well as strong corporate governance and other factors, because they believe — correctly — that these factors can be central to the long-term financial success of companies,” Democracy Forward explained. “SB-2337 classifies those factors as ‘nonfinancial’ and places burdensome restrictions on sharing such considerations with shareholders.” The state already has been sued by two of the most prominent shareholder proxy advising firms in the U.S. In August, a district court blocked Texas from applying the law to Glass Lewis and ISS pending the outcome of a February 2026 trial.

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Austin City Council looks at cuts to EMS, public health and parks services after Prop Q fails

The Austin City Council will spend the coming days trying to balance the city’s budget. That's after residents voted down a controversial property tax rate increase known as Proposition Q, which was expected to generate nearly $110 million. The council has canceled a special called meeting scheduled for Thursday to go over changes to the city budget. City Manager T.C. Broadnax said in an email to council members that the city received a complaint Wednesday about a possible violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act in the posting language for the meeting. Broadnax said the city's legal team believes it met state requirements, but said "our goal with the budget is to restore trust in the City, so we are willing to take additional steps to achieve that goal."

The council is now set to take up the budget changes on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Council members were aiming to adopt an amended budget by Nov. 20, and it's unclear how the timeline for adoption might change. Last weekend, staff in Austin’s budget office proposed cuts that reach across many city departments, including nearly $6.3 million in cuts to emergency medical services. James Monks, president of the Austin EMS Association, said money from Prop Q could have meant hiring more staff and purchasing new equipment. “[Now] it’s going to mean less paramedics on the street, and more work for the paramedics we already have out there, who are already struggling, who are already dealing with overwork burnout, mental health issues and constant stress,” Monks said. He said the department is at a breaking point, and something has to change, especially as medics work to reduce response times and serve a growing population. “If you have a medical emergency in Travis County as a whole, you're going to be getting one of our ambulances,” Monks said. “And so, whether you work here, whether you live here, whether you visit here, you are going to be impacted by this.”

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UT Arlington's plans for the future include a boutique hotel and creating 'gateways' to campus

UT Arlington administration is planning for big updates to the campus, including a boutique hotel, new residential halls and updated or new academic buildings. The details of the university’s plan were shared at a recent town hall in Arlington. John Hall, the university’s vice president for administration and economic development, said the UTA’s plan hopes to prepare the institute for future students while integrating the campus into the larger landscape of downtown Arlington. A part of that will come with the creation of “gateways” and a “front door” for the university, Hall said at the Nov. 6 town hall.

The front door will be designed to look like the main entrance of the campus for visitors and potential students. Hall said it will be based around the University Center, on UTA Boulevard. Surface parking lots around the University Center would be transformed into green space while more development around the area would draw those unfamiliar with the campus to the front door, Hall said. Gateways would also help to define the campus' limits, Hall said. The gateways would be designed to simultaneously differentiate the campus from the rest of the downtown area while complementing the aesthetics and theme of the surrounding area. Planners have identified three gateways: the West Gateway at Davis Street and Greek Row Drive and the North Gateway and South Gateway, both at Cooper Street on either end of the campus. The surface parking around the University Center wouldn’t be the only to go — the master plan calls for most of the campus’ lots to be replaced with garages that will shrink the parking footprint and allow for more buildings and green space.

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UNT's Turning Point USA chapter hosts Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, discusses future of conservatism in America

The university’s Turning Point USA chapter hosted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Nov. 10, in which he remembered TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk and discussed a future for young conservatives in the country. The event hosted around 150 attendees, with additional speeches from Paige Rasmussen, TPUSA Lone Star field representative, university student Mary-Catherine Hallmark and right-wing podcaster Sara Gonzales, host of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.” “I was really amazed when you can see the culmination of what Charlie Kirk was accomplishing happen in this election by getting people out to vote,” Paxton said in his speech. “And encouraging college students and high school students to be engaged like they never had [...] [conservative views] actually work, unlike the woke ideas that we hear infiltrated with every day at college and high school campuses.”

Paxton, who is running for a United States Senate seat in 2026, addressed the controversy the university faced regarding a viral video Hallmark posted online after Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University. Previously, Paxton made comments in a letter, expressing disapproval with the university for not addressing Hallmark directly after she said she received threats for saying Kirk’s death should not be celebrated, “no matter what political beliefs.” “I really am so appreciative of Mary-Catherine, her courage and the courage of other students that are willing to stand up and exercise their right to free speech, [...]” Paxton said. Paxton announced Oct. 16 that he is launching an investigation against the university for still not taking action against the students who “celebrated the political assassination” of Kirk and “who have threatened violent acts against students,” the press release said. “UNT’s silence has made one thing clear,” Hallmark said in her speech. “Their so-called ‘neutrality’ is nothing more than a quiet approval of the radical left’s agenda.”

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Texas A&M Faculty Council says professor’s dismissal violated academic freedom

ATexas A&M University faculty council determined in late September that Melissa McCoul, an instructor fired for teaching about gender identity in a children’s literature class, had her academic freedom violated and that former president Mark Welsh flouted proper termination processes when he fired her, The Texas Tribune reported Monday. McCoul was dismissed in September after a video went viral, showing a student confronting her in class and claiming the professor’s gender identity lesson was illegal. McCoul is actively appealing her termination. The documented justification for her dismissal was that McCoul’s course content and material did not match the description in the course catalog, but the faculty council said this was false.

“The content of the course was the reason for the dismissal and not the stated reason: failure of academic responsibility,” the council wrote in its report. “Given the timeline of dismissal, the political pressure brought to bear, and statements by Regents that the course content was illegal, President Welsh’s assertion that the firing was for failure of academic responsibility appears pretextual.” In an Oct. 2 memo obtained by the Tribune, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Blanca Lupiani rejected the council’s conclusions and said the council acted outside its charge to review matters that were “largely unrelated to academic freedom.” The complaint about McCoul was never assigned to the council, Lupiani said in the memo. University rules require the department head to write charges for dismissal, seek approval from the dean and give the faculty member a notice of intent to dismiss with five business days to respond, but Welsh requested McCoul’s dismissal on Sept. 9 “effective immediately,” the Tribune reported.

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From Texas to Kentucky, undocumented students, advocates intensify defense of in-state tuition laws

Immigrant students and their advocates are working to reopen federal lawsuits that ended in-state tuition benefits for undocumented students in two states and another state where the same outcome seems imminent. Advocates say the judges ruled in favor of the government without a public hearing and the affected students weren’t given the opportunity to defend the policies. Since the summer, the U.S. Department of Justice challenged in-state tuition policies in Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas, claiming state laws extending in-state tuition prices to undocumented students breach federal law. In Texas and Oklahoma, attorneys general quickly sided with the DOJ and judges swiftly ruled to end in-state tuition benefits for undocumented students. As a result, tuition tripled for some undocumented students this fall, forcing them to make difficult choices about whether they could afford to stay enrolled.

Kentucky’s undocumented students could soon face the same dilemma. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education agreed to end in-state tuition benefits for local undocumented students in a settlement filed in September, but a judge has yet to make a ruling. Meanwhile, legal battles in Minnesota and Illinois are ongoing as these states defend their policies. Since these lawsuits first emerged, civil rights groups and students have sought to intervene or become parties to them. They’re hoping to reopen the quickly closed cases to have their say in court. A Latino civil rights organization, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, was the first to file a motion to intervene on behalf of undocumented students in Texas in June. A month later, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the Texas Civil Rights Project, Democracy Forward and the National Immigration Law Center followed suit. They filed their own emergency motions to intervene on behalf of the activist group La Unión del Pueblo Entero, the Austin Community College District’s Board of Trustees and Oscar Silva, a student at the University of North Texas.

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Nasdaq Joins NYSE and TXSE with launch of new Texas-Based dual listings venue

The race to make Texas a national financial hub is heating up. Months after announcing a regional headquarters in Dallas, Nasdaq plans to launch Nasdaq Texas, a new dual listing venue that would join NYSE Texas and the Texas Stock Exchange on the newly established Y’all Street. Nasdaq expects to begin operations in early 2026, pending SEC approval. “Texas is the financial services capital of America,” said Governor Abbott. “With another financial exchange coming to Texas, Nasdaq Texas cements our state as a global economic leader and will help further grow our leading financial industry. I thank Nasdaq for choosing Texas for their expansion and look forward to working together to keep Texas the financial hub of the nation.” At the helm of Texas operations is Rachel Racz, who joined Nasdaq in 2013 to help stand up its oil and gas listings operation. Under her watch, she helped the exchange grow from capturing 20 percent of all energy IPOs to 80 percent.

“I think Dallas is the epicenter [of capital markets]—but really, it’s all of Texas,” Racz said. “The governor says it well: Texas has an incredible brand. What’s happening here, and what Nasdaq supports, is this miracle of leadership that’s been empowered across the state. “Think about it—Texas is the eighth-largest economy in the world, soon to be seventh,” she continued. “It’s the global center and the gravitational force for innovation. It’s a job magnet and a job creator. I believe Texas is the bridge between energy and technology—the leader in job creation for both—and it embodies smart, pro-growth, pro-business regulation.” Nasdaq might be third to join the capital markets party in Texas, but Racz is ready to compete. “We don’t think about our competitors—we think about our clients,” she said. “We welcome competition, and we’re glad other companies view Texas as important as we do. But when I look at our business model compared with others, I truly believe no one offers the same holistic support for the capital markets that Nasdaq does.

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Dallas to explore alternatives to City Hall building designed by I.M. Pei

The Dallas City Council directed City Manager Kim Tolbert late Wednesday night to formally explore alternatives to the current City Hall building, putting its future in jeopardy. Tolbert is expected to present options to council members early next year. The decision launches a process that supporters argue is simply about gathering information and exploring possibilities, not committing to any specific outcome for the nearly 50-year-old building, which faces repair costs estimated between $152 million to more than $345 million. “There are a lot of questions about City Hall,” said council member Chad West, who said the vote was not about moving from or staying in the downtown seat of Dallas city government, “and we are not going to get those answered unless we have the evaluation that the city manager has promised us.”

Opponents fear the process could be a step toward justifying the demolition of the iconic but neglected structure. Many worry the land could eventually be repurposed for uses they say are less meaningful, like a new arena for the Dallas Mavericks. Council member Paul Ridley asked his colleagues to focus first on analyzing the current City Hall. “It is not necessary at this point in time to assess real estate options and talk to every downtown landlord about moving into their buildings. There is always going to be time to do that,” Ridley said. “Doing that now is wasted effort, when what we need to do first and foremost is to assess the true condition of City Hall and the cost to repair.” Council member Gay Donnell Willis argued the city needs to make decisions about City Hall based on realistic numbers and a full understanding of all options. She emphasized the city should evaluate the land’s value and its highest and best use, just as it does with other city-owned properties. “This shouldn’t be a sacred cow,” she said.

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National Stories

Ex-Newsom aide accused of siphoning campaign cash for Gucci bags and yacht rentals

A trio of California political insiders has been indicted in connection with a sprawling federal public corruption probe that accuses them of siphoning campaign cash to fund a lavish lifestyle that includes yacht and private jet trips, luxury goods and hotel stays. Dana Williamson, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, was charged last week in the Eastern District of California with 23 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. She made her first court appearance Wednesday. The 53-year-old allegedly tapped into a dormant campaign fund for Xavier Becerra, the former Health and Human Services Secretary and current candidate for California governor, to pay for a lavish lifestyle that included a $150,000 trip to Mexico for her birthday, tens of thousands on Gucci and Chanel bags and a trip to theme parks in California.

Williamson is also accused of funneling the money to Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s former chief of staff. In all, Williamson allegedly siphoned $225,000 from the account, partly to pay for “no-show” jobs facilitated by veteran California lobbyist Greg Campbell, including one reportedly arranged for McCluskie’s wife. The indictment, first reported by The Sacramento Bee, also states that Williamson misled Becerra about how the money was being used, claiming that he was purchasing campaign consulting services. “Disguising personal luxuries as business expenses—especially to claim improper tax deductions or to willfully file fraudulent tax returns is a serious criminal offense with severe consequences,” Internal Revenue Service Special Agent Linda Nguyen said in a press release published by the Department of Justice. Williamson was Newsom’s third chief of staff and previously ran a consulting firm, Grace Public Affairs. She also worked for former Govs. Jerry Brown and Gray Davis and has long been a fixture in Democratic politics in Sacramento, according to The Sacramento Bee. Newsom’s office told Politico Wednesday night that it put Williamson on leave last year after learning she was under criminal investigation, and emphasized that she had no current connection to the administration.

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This tiny Louisiana tribe is teaming up with Roger Stone to score big wins in Trump’s Washington

During the past few months, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana scored an Oval Office visit, a meeting on its reservation with top federal officials and a $10 million no-bid contract for construction work at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. The political and financial wins came after the tiny Native American tribe said in July it would nominate President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize — all while boosting its federal lobbying operation, including hiring longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone to lobby the government on “tribal economic issues.” Stone has received $250,000 from the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe from mid-April to the end of September, according to federal lobbying disclosures.

Stone’s company, the Florida-based Drake Ventures, began lobbying at the federal level shortly after Trump began his second term this year. It’s since received a combined $1 million from four separate clients, including the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe. The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, which declined interview requests and did not respond to a detailed list of questions, is notable for its size — or lack of it. It’s one of the smallest to be federally recognized: 278 individuals live on its reservation in Louisiana, according to Census Bureau data, and the tribe estimates there are about 1,500 registered members scattered throughout the United States. But the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe’s political influence efforts are decidedly outsized. And while the tribe has maintained lobbyists in Washington for decades, its lobbying spending has skyrocketed since Trump began his second term. The tribe and its subsidiaries spent $590,000 on federal lobbying in the first nine months of 2025, up from $290,000 during the same period in 2024, according to federal lobbying data analyzed by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks money in politics.

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ICE plans to spend $180 million on bounty hunters to stalk immigrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is allocating as much as $180 million to pay bounty hunters and private investigators who verify the address and location of undocumented people ICE wishes to detain, including with physical surveillance, according to procurement records reviewed by 404 Media. The documents provide more details about ICE’s plan to enlist the private sector to find deportation targets. In October The Intercept reported on ICE’s intention to use bounty hunters or skip tracers—an industry that often works on insurance fraud or tries to find people who skipped bail. The new documents now put a clear dollar amount on the scheme to essentially use private investigators to find the locations of undocumented immigrants. “I am sure PIs, bounty hunters, process servers, and anyone with access to commercial databases can apply and will,” Igor Ostrovskiy, an experienced private investigator with Ostro Intelligence, and who expressed concerns with ICE’s plans, told 404 Media. “Money is money and people will jump at the opportunity to embed their business as a government contractor.”

The documents are part of a package published by ICE on Monday. They say ICE is seeking assistance with a “docket size” of 1.5 million, in which the agency will give vendors a batch of 50,000 last known addresses of aliens residing in the U.S. The bounty hunters are then to verify the people live at those addresses, or find their current location, and provide that information to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). ICE says bounty hunters are to start with online research such as Google or commercial data, before moving onto physical surveillance. “To achieve a higher level of confidence, the vendor may physically verify the alien’s location and presence, preferably confirming their home or work location. The vendor will then report the physical location to the Government or inform the Government that it is not able to locate the alien, and any additional visits would be fruitless. The vendor should prioritize locating the home address and only resort to employment location, failing that,” one of the documents says.

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Democrats’ latest long-shot Senate recruit: A Kentucky horse trainer

Any hope Democrats have of regaining control of the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections requires cashing lottery tickets in long-shot states. So here comes Dale Romans, a champion horse trainer who announced a campaign for the Senate seat in deep-red Kentucky that is being vacated after seven terms by Senator Mitch McConnell, the former Republican majority leader. Mr. Romans, 59, calls himself “an independent Democrat” who is aiming to ride a wave of frustration with both parties. He said in an interview this week that he would not commit to supporting Senator Chuck Schumer of New York to remain as the Democratic leader and that he opposed President Trump’s policies on tariffs and immigration enforcement, which he said had hurt people and industries in Kentucky. Mr. Romans, whose horse Shackleford won the 2011 Preakness Stakes, said he would model himself after former Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia. A two-term red-state Democrat-turned-independent, Mr. Manchin served as a thorn in the side of the party’s liberal wing while nonetheless providing critical votes on most of the Democratic agenda.

To that end, Mr. Romans said in the interview that he would have voted to end the government shutdown, as eight Democratic-aligned senators did this week despite opposition from many in the party. He said he never would have voted to shut down the government in the first place. “I would say Schumer miscalculated and really screwed things up,” he said. Even mounting a competitive race will be a steep challenge for Mr. Romans, whose highest elected position was president of the Kentucky division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. No Democrat has come within 10 percentage points of winning a Kentucky Senate seat since 2008, when Mr. McConnell won a fifth term by six points. Kentucky has not elected a Democratic senator since Wendell Ford won his fourth term in 1992. But with Mr. McConnell retiring, the state will have an open Senate seat for the first time in 16 years. Four other Democrats are already running, including Amy McGrath, who spent nearly $93 million on a 2020 Senate race she lost to Mr. McConnell by almost 20 points. That contest remains a punchline in Democratic political circles about the party’s habit of throwing money away on unwinnable races.

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Another democratic socialist wins a mayoral race, this time in Seattle

A progressive activist appears to be on the cusp of winning her bid for mayor of Seattle in a narrow victory that has echoes of the race to lead New York City. With a dwindling number of ballots left to count, Katie Wilson led Mayor Bruce Harrell by just over 1,300 votes, according to results released Tuesday by King County Elections. The incumbent led by more than 10,000 votes the day after the election but mail-in ballots counted after Nov. 4 favored the challenger. Harrell has not conceded but it was unlikely he can make up the difference with the ballots left to count, Democratic strategists said. “Kate Wilson won 61.23% of the 6,121 ballots counted today. Huge percentage and her total is close to not requiring a recount,” Crystal Fincher, a Seattle-based political consultant, said by text after the latest results. “I’m comfortable calling this race for Wilson now.”

Wilson, who like New York’s Zohran Mamdani is a self-described socialist, focused her campaign on affordability — highlighting her own struggles to afford life in Seattle. She supported a capital gains tax to raise revenue, a move opposed by Harrell, stronger protections for renters and improving public transit. Fincher said that message resonated in a city where housing has become out-of-reach for many of its citizens. “There’s a disconnect between what younger people are going through in day to day life today,” she said. “I think there’s a split in the Democratic Party about that, that we’re feeling our way through.” Wilson also pledged to do more to address homelessness, including fast-tracking shelter space, and was critical of Harrell’s support for clearing encampments from public spaces around Seattle. She called for cutting police funding in the past, but in this campaign called for changing tactics and adding more non-police response programs to supplement law enforcement.

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Judge hears challenge to Trump's appointment of prosecutor in James Comey and Letitia James cases

When acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan walks into federal court here in Virginia on Thursday morning, it will be Halligan — not the criminal defendants she hopes to prosecute — at the center of the court’s attention. Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both frequent targets of President Donald Trump, filed separate motions in their respective cases, arguing that Halligan is unlawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney and therefore the indictments against them should be thrown out. In a rare joint hearing, attorneys for Comey and James will argue this together before U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie, who is traveling up from the District of South Carolina. Currie is hearing this joint oral argument session, not a judge from the Eastern District of Virginia, to avoid any potential intradistrict conflict of interest.

Halligan, who was part of Trump’s legal team in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case but has no prior prosecutorial experience, was sworn in to the job as interim U.S. attorney in one of the nation’s busiest federal court districts on Sept. 22. That’s three days after Erik Siebert, the U.S. attorney who had been serving in the role since Jan. 21, resigned after being pressured to indict Comey and James. The indictments against Comey and James came after Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey, James and another of the president’s adversaries, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Comey and James both pleaded not guilty to their respective charges. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” the president wrote in a Sept. 20 Truth Social post. “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” According to federal statute, individuals may only serve for 120 days after being appointed U.S. attorney, unless confirmed by the U.S. Senate before then. The Senate had not confirmed him, but district judges of the Eastern District of Virginia exercised their own independent appointment authority to legally retain Siebert as an interim U.S. attorney beyond the 120-day limit.

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Boebert claims ‘no pressure’ to remove her name from Epstein petition

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) denied reports that her meeting at the White House on Wednesday was to pressure her to remove her name from a congressional petition that would necessitate a vote to release files related to disgraced financier, convicted sex offender, and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The petition, initially proposed by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), requires 218 signatures to approve the release of the files. Boebert was one of only four House Republicans to initially sign the petition, which included Massie, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). The Colorado congresswomen said the meeting was just adults having a conversation. “I love the White House,” Boebert said to CPR News on Wednesday night. “Adults are allowed to have conversations.” She explained that no one pressured her to make a decision, and the meeting on Wednesday was about transparency. “I want to honor President Trump’s legacy of transparency,” Boebert said. “I was assured today that this is an administration who’s going to continue to be transparent and honest, and we’ll see what comes of it.

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Sorry, America. Coffee prices probably aren’t coming down

With renewed verve for the word “affordability” after the GOP got absolutely trounced in last week’s off-year elections, the Trump administration is scrambling to show it’s doing something, anything, to bring prices down. One solution on offer: reversing its own policy of taxing coffee imports. “You’re going to see some substantial announcements over the next couple of days in terms of things we don’t grow here in the United States — coffee being one of them, bananas, other fruits, things like that,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday. “So that that will bring the prices down very quickly.”

Bessent here is implicitly acknowledging that tariffs do increase prices on American consumers — a fact the Trump administration has long denied. Bessent didn’t offer details about what the tariff reductions would look like or which countries would be included, but he said — seeming to acknowledge the financial strain that helped secure a Democratic sweep last week — that “the American people are going to start feeling better.” (The White House, when asked for more details on the plan, referred CNN to an executive order from September laying out potential tariff adjustments based on national security and economic goals.) Even if Trump and Bessent made a giant carve-out for coffee, it is highly unlikely that prices will go down significantly. And that’s because Americans, as a people, love coffee too much. To state the obvious: Coffee has become annoyingly expensive. Retail prices are up about 20% year-over-year. There are two primary causes for that price inflation: Extremely volatile weather has eaten into the harvest of an already labor-intensive, hard-to-grow crop. That’s been happening for a few years. And Trump’s tariffs on Brazil (50%), Colombia (10%) and Vietnam (20%)— the three biggest coffee exporters — are piling added costs on top of that. And since coffee only grows in a few places on Earth, it’s not like we can just mow down a few cornfields out in the heartland and start up our own domestic supply.

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Lead Stories

Speaker Johnson faces an unruly House as lawmakers return for shutdown vote

After refusing to convene the U.S. House during the government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson is recalling lawmakers back into session — and facing an avalanche of pent-up legislative demands from those who have largely been sidelined from governing. Hundreds of representatives are preparing to return Wednesday to Washington after a nearly eight-week absence, carrying a torrent of ideas, proposals and frustrations over work that has stalled when the Republican speaker shuttered the House doors nearly two months ago. First will be a vote to reopen the government. But that’s just the start. With efforts to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and the swearing in of Arizona’s Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, the unfinished business will pose a fresh test to Johnson’s grip on power and put a renewed focus on his leadership.

“It’s extraordinary,” said Matthew Green, a professor at the politics department at The Catholic University of America. “What Speaker Johnson and Republicans are doing, you have to go back decades to find an example where the House — either chamber — decided not to meet.” When the House gavels back into session, it will close this remarkable chapter of Johnson’s tenure when he showed himself to be a leader who is quietly, but brazenly, willing to upend institutional norms in pursuit of his broader strategy, even at the risk of diminishing the House itself. Rather than use the immense powers of the speaker’s office to forcefully steer the debate in Congress, as a coequal branch of the government on par with the executive and the courts, Johnson simply closed up shop — allowing the House to become unusually deferential, particularly to President Donald Trump. Over these past weeks, the chamber has sidestepped its basic responsibilities, from passing routine legislation to conducting oversight. The silencing of the speaker’s gavel has been both unusual and surprising in a system of government where the founders envisioned the branches would vigorously protect their institutional prerogatives.

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Federal action may end fight over intoxicating hemp products in Texas

A proposal to reopen the U.S. government that passed the Senate on Monday contains language that would outlaw the sale of consumable hemp products across the nation. The language was included in the proposal to fund the Agriculture Department and closes a so-called loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas stores. Texas passed its version of the Farm Bill in 2019 to reflect the federal law. But since then, the fight over regulating or banning consumable hemp products containing THC — the psychoactive chemical in the cannabis plant that gives its consumer a “high” — has become a highly-debated and controversial issue in Texas government.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, offered an amendment to remove the language from the Appropriations bill on the Senate floor. His proposal drew tepid support — it was tabled with only 24 votes supporting the amendment. The only other Republican to oppose the hemp language change was Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. “I have long believed that the regulation of hemp and marijuana products should rest with each individual state,” Cruz wrote on his X account. “Reasonable minds can disagree, and a blanket federal prohibition disempowers the voters in each of the fifty States.” He added that he believes a “one-size-fits-all” standard will create “unintended consequences.” The move by the U.S. Senate reflects what the Texas Senate did three times this year, passing a bill to ban intoxicating hemp products in the state. The policy was a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who strongly opposed the rising prevalence of intoxicating hemp products in the state.

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Democrats push for a ‘ruthlessly pragmatic’ approach to counter Trump

The fury at eight Democratic-aligned senators who voted with Republicans to end the longest-ever government shutdown highlights the dramatic shift in the Democratic Party less than a year into President Donald Trump’s second term, as voters and lawmakers argue that the party needs to adopt more ruthless tactics to counter the president and claw its way back to power. The reaction to the two votes on Sunday and Monday, which provide a pathway for the government to reopen after more than 40 days, was fierce. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) called for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) to be replaced, suggesting he was an ineffective leader even though Schumer opposed the government funding measure. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) blasted the eight senators and said House Democrats would not support a government funding bill that did not include the health care measures the party has demanded. Democratic advocacy groups, politically vulnerable lawmakers, potential 2028 presidential candidates and voters all followed suit, lambasting those in their party they saw as caving.

The desire for Democrats to hold firm despite the pain inflicted by the shutdown — even though the party’s prior posture was that shutdowns are self-destructive — was the latest sign that the party has decided it must adopt an altogether different playbook given Trump’s willingness to resort to unprecedented measures to consolidate and maintain power. Rather than try to uphold norms as the president shatters them, they have decided to fight Trump with tactics they previously disdained — and have excoriated those who have stood in the way, whether on redistricting or candidates with problematic pasts. “Early on, there were not enough members of Congress who recognized the magnitude of the threat Donald Trump poses to our democracy and Constitution,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), who opposed the government funding deal. “That has changed.” Van Hollen said there were a few senators in what he dubbed the “no business as usual caucus” at the beginning of Trump’s term, but it has since grown dramatically in response to energy from the party’s base. “The lesson is there is power in unity and in members of Congress working in partnership with the grassroots community,” he said. “This is why so many people are feeling let down at this moment, because that unity was important.”

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In Texas, these booming housing developments come with hidden costs: 'It's an illusion'

When Sandra Wilson sold her townhouse near downtown Dallas and moved to Josephine, a small city 40 miles outside the metroplex, she looked forward to quieter streets and cheaper taxes. Then she got her first property tax bill. “I came unglued,” she said. Wilson, who is 71 and retired, was aware when she bought her new home that it was in a municipal utility district, or MUD, and that she would have to pay a special tax. But what she didn’t know was how much that tax would be — more than $2,400 annually, double what she paid to the county — nor that she would be charged it essentially indefinitely. Lawmakers and developers have sold municipal utility districts as a way to provide affordable homeownership quickly and efficiently as the state’s population booms.

But homeowners who buy in MUDs, lured by affordable sales prices, often are saddled with high property tax bills, with double or triple the tax rates charged by neighboring cities, in addition to monthly fees for basic services like trash pickup or police protection. And the surrounding cities and counties are often on the hook to maintain infrastructure and provide services, without fully recouping the costs. “The developers and their lobbyists have become huge advocates for MUDs and they’ve really convinced the state that this is a great solution to affordable housing,” said Lisa Palomba, the city administrator in Josephine, which has struggled to keep up with the growth of MUDs outside city limits. “We know that in the long run, it is not affordable. Not for the residents, not for the city.” The state’s MUDs have historically been clustered in the Houston region — in Harris County, one in four homeowners lives in one. But over the last decade, the districts have proliferated throughout fast-growing counties in Central and North Texas. Today, there are more than 1,440 MUDs statewide, up from 960 in 2018, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. In Rockwall County, just south of Josephine, county judge Frank New said developers are “dropping cities out of the sky … with no services.”

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State Stories

Wall Street Journal Editorial: The education of the Heritage Foundation’s Kevin Roberts

Heritage Foundation leader Kevin Roberts now knows it was unwise to publish a video bear-hugging Tucker Carlson and assailing critics of the podcast host’s chummy interview with Hitler fanboy Nick Fuentes. On Wednesday he finally told his think-tank staff he wants to take responsibility, but the saga underscores the risks to the right from playing footsie with antisemites. Mr. Roberts’s first move was to dump his chief of staff who wrote the statement he read into the camera. Then he blamed the audience: “Not as many people as I thought were ready for a little bit of nuance,” he said in his first response to criticism. When that didn’t work, Mr. Roberts changed tack. “Sometimes you can make a mistake with the best of intentions,” he said Monday. “My mistake was not saying we aren’t going to participate in cancel culture—we’re not. My mistake was letting that . . . override the central motivation that I had,” which was “fighting against antisemitism in all its forms.”

Nice words but striking given that Mr. Roberts’s video had joined Mr. Carlson in the Jew-baiting. The video’s major theme was that critics of Mr. Carlson—for promoting rather than challenging a proud antisemite—were trying to suppress Christian criticism of Israel and impose loyalty to a foreign government, betraying America. Heritage’s Victoria Coates ignored this in her letter to us last week detailing her institution’s good work, which Mr. Roberts undermined. The antisemitism task force she co-chairs has now severed ties with Heritage. In a private staff meeting Wednesday, Mr. Roberts recognized he had erred with his no-enemies-to-the-right talk. “There is a limiting principle,” he said at last, adding that there was no need to defend a “softball interview” with a Hitler admirer. Why was that so hard? “I made a mistake, and I let you down and I let down this institution,” Mr. Roberts said. In explanation, he said he didn’t know much about Mr. Fuentes, who had been central to his remarks; didn’t write the video script; didn’t question it because he believed it had been vetted by others; and doesn’t “consume a lot of news” in general. It’s as if he were trying to reassure his staff that he doesn’t pay attention to what he says. “I made the mess; let me clean it up,” Mr. Roberts told staff. But when senior fellow Robert Rector asked about Mr. Carlson, Mr. Roberts replied instead only about Mr. Fuentes. Senior fellow Amy Swearer spoke up to observe that Mr. Roberts has shown a “stunning lack of both courage and judgment.”

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Anthony J. Hinojosa: The ICE raids we are witnessing violate what the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce stands for

(Anthony J. Hinojosa is vice president of government and international affairs for the United State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.) It's no secret that we're living in some of the craziest times in the history of our country. In particular, the Hispanic community seems to be facing a barrage on many fronts that are attempting to weaken our communities and ultimately, our businesses. The USHCC champions the growth and success of America's small businesses, with our mission focusing on the more than five million Hispanic-owned businesses that contribute over $800 billion to the US economy each year. We advocate for a network of more than 260 local Hispanic Chambers and business associations, and proudly partner with over 100 major US corporations to empower and support small businesses nationwide. The Hispanic business community is not only the fastest growing segment of the US economy, it is the driving force of innovation, resilience and entrepreneurship.

Today, Hispanic owned businesses contribute over $800 billion to the economy, employ millions and create opportunities across every sector. We can boast a gross domestic product of over $4 trillion. Effectively, we are the fifth largest economy in the world, surpassing countries such as India, the United Kingdom and France. Latina entrepreneurs are the major driving force behind this, creating businesses at six times the national average. But to unleash our full potential, we need a policy environment that reflects both our challenges and our strengths. This is why the USHCC is committed to championing policy priorities that build our ecosystem to accelerate Hispanic business growth and prosperity. Our first policy priority is immigration. Immigration is not just a social issue, it's an economic engine, from entrepreneurs who launch businesses to essential workers who fuel our industries, immigrants strengthen America. We call for comprehensive immigration reform that balances border security with economic opportunity. This would include a pathway for legalization for Dreamers and DACA recipients, policies that recognize immigration as a tool to strengthen our workforce, grow our GDP and maintain America's competitive edge, strengthen our visa policies and a modernize guest worker program to meet the demands of our workforce.

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Ken Paxton sues to shut down Texas Latino voter registration group ahead of 2026 election

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing to shutter a Texas voter registration nonprofit ahead of the 2026 midterm election, alleging that members of the Latino advocacy group attempted to sign up noncitizens. “Any organization attempting to register illegals, who are all criminals, must be completely crushed and shut down immediately,” Paxton, a third-term Republican running for U.S. Senate, said in a statement Monday. “I will make sure they face the full force of the law.” The lawsuit, filed in state court last month and announced Monday, came after Paxton abandoned an earlier attempt to investigate Jolt over the same allegations in federal court.

The group’s leaders say his latest legal action amounts to retaliation, and on Tuesday, they filed a federal countersuit to stop it. The Houston-based organization, founded in 2016, works to increase civic participation among young Latinos through voter registration, education and leadership training. “Let the record show that the Texas Attorney General is using the power of his office to silence Latino voters,” said Jackie Bastard?, executive director of Jolt Initiative, in a statement. “After we challenged his first unconstitutional attempt to intimidate us, he escalated his attack by moving straight to the corporate ‘death penalty’, seeking to revoke our ability to exist.” Paxton’s claims stem from an August 2024 post on X by Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, who said that a friend of a friend’s wife had seen organizations registering immigrants to vote outside state driver’s license facilities in Fort Worth and Weatherford. She did not say how she knew they were immigrants or provide any other evidence to back up the claims.

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Ken Paxton sues Harris County over its immigrant legal defense fund

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Monday against Harris County after its commissioners recently drew backlash for renewing funding for a 5-year-old immigration legal defense program. Last month, Harris County commissioners approved allocating more than $1 million for legal defense services as part of the county’s Immigrant Legal Services Fund — a years-long program that aims to improve due process in the federal immigration system. The program provides funding for legal representation to immigrants in the Houston area who are in detention or facing the threat of deportation, according to county documents. The attorney general’s lawsuit names as defendants county officials, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and each of the four elected commissioners — including Tom Ramsey, the lone Republican and a dissenting vote on the legal defense funding.

The 17-page lawsuit claims that Harris County’s allocation of public funds to nonprofit organizations, including BakerRipley and the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, violates the Texas Constitution’s gift clause. “These expenditures are gratuitous because they confer direct financial and professional benefits on private entities and individuals without providing reciprocal public benefit or consideration to Harris County,” Paxton wrote. The attorney general’s office filed the lawsuit as Paxton is running for a higher office. He is challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the 2026 Republican primary. The lawsuit asserts that the decision to fund deportation defense services was motivated by policy opposition to federal immigration raids “rather than by any legitimate public purpose.” Acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, a Democrat who is running to represent Texas’ 18th Congressional District, called the defense fund “perfectly legal” in a statement Tuesday. He also said the lawsuit is a “cheap political stunt.” “Harris County has funded this program for years because it's the right thing to do,” Menefee also said. “We're helping people who live in our communities and who contribute every day to our local economy. That's what good government looks like.”

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U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt takes Senate Republican primary pitch to Ken Paxton’s home turf

U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt says he jumped into the U.S. Senate Republican primary last month after Attorney General Ken Paxton’s polling numbers were eroded by relentless attacks from incumbent John Cornyn and his allies. The numbers revealed an opening for him, Hunt said, making the case he’s the best Republican to defeat Cornyn in the primary and keep the seat in GOP hands next November while staying true to President Donald Trump’s agenda. The Houston-area congressman took his pitch to Paxton’s back yard Monday night as the keynote speaker at a Denton County Conservative Coalition event where he hailed Trump for reversing Joe Biden’s policies but said there’s more work to be done.

“We must continue this America first agenda. We must continue to move the football and progress it as far as possible,” Hunt said in his speech. “Because not only do we have to make up for the ills and the struggles that we saw for the past four years, we’ve got to make sure that we codify what we have now for our future.” Audience members gave Hunt a standing ovation and several said afterward they were impressed with his presentation – while adding they remain Paxton supporters or are still waiting to make up their minds in the race. Hunt’s entry has complicated Cornyn’s bid for a fifth six-year term. Hunt and Paxton have largely avoided criticizing one another, using every opportunity to instead bash Cornyn as a Republican in name only. Cornyn has embraced Trump in his campaign messaging, highlighting the many times he has backed the president on issues such as border security and saying he has a proven track record of delivering results for the state. He has hammered Paxton over legal woes and personal baggage while dismissing Hunt as an unserious, attention-seeking novice.

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Texas parks now have a new plan to manage invasive feral hogs

Feral hogs are causing serious problems in Texas national parks, damaging ecosystems, cultural sites and visitor experiences while proving difficult to control due to their high reproductive rates. They are present in parks across the state, including Big Thicket National Preserve, Big Bend National Park and Padre Island National Seashore. To address the issue, researchers at Texas A&M University have developed the first nationwide framework to help the National Park Service (NPS) manage feral hog populations. Led by the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the framework provides park managers with science-backed tools for monitoring, management and control. It can be tailored to each park's conditions, including environmental limits, legal requirements, visitor use and stakeholder priorities.

Anna Racey, a doctoral student and project lead, said the framework offers a cohesive set of guidelines to help structure conservation programs while balancing ecological outcomes and resource constraints. "A unified framework for feral hog management plans would make control more attainable for all park managers—even those who have not encountered wild pigs, but could face invasion in the future," Racey said. Racey developed the guide after surveying more than 400 national parks, conducting in-depth interviews with select park staff and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data. The resulting structured decision-making tool helps managers select strategies suited to their park's conditions. Feral hogs were first introduced to North America by European explorers and now inhabit at least 35 states, with Texas hosting the largest population. They have been documented in all but four of Texas' 254 counties, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department estimates roughly 2.6 million hogs statewide. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, feral swine are among the country's most destructive invasive species, causing more than $1 billion in annual damages.

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La Marque pushing property tax hike due to major budget shortfall

The Galveston County city of La Marque is facing major budget issues. The city previously had just two weeks’ worth of funds and is now trying to jack up property taxes to fill the gap—despite questions about the legality of the hike. So how did the financial situation get so bad? Galveston County Commissioner Robin Armstrong thinks the answer is simple. “Oftentimes, it is a result of management at the local level—and a result of overspending at the local level,” he said.

Attorney General Ken Paxton has weighed in, warning that the property tax hike could violate recently passed and signed state law. Armstrong believes this could spark a legal battle. “La Marque is going to have to ultimately follow the law,” he said. “I suspect the AG is gonna win, and they’re not gonna be allowed to just indiscriminately raise taxes like this.” The state legislature passed a law during the 89th session that requires any city raising property taxes to be in compliance with financial audit reporting requirements. Because La Marque was late in sending its audits to the state, it is not in compliance.

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Land Commissioner says Alamo plans remain the same

Weeks after the Alamo Trust’s top leader was ousted for writings deemed “incompatible” with state leaders’ vision, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told reporters she doesn’t foresee revisiting the way the landmark is represented in its ongoing redevelopment. “This museum has always had the plan to discuss the battle in the context of time, from the early Native Americans, all the way through how it affects pop culture today,” Buckingham said Tuesday. “Those plans have not changed.” Like most other statewide officials, Buckingham, a former Republican state senator from Austin, is up for reelection in 2026.

On Tuesday she attended a Veterans Day event at the Alamo, joking in her remarks that her office is “the agency that rolls up our sleeves, touches your lives in a positive way, and for the most part, you had no idea we existed.” For some San Antonians, that changed last month when Buckingham responded to an Alamo Trust social media post recognizing Indigenous People’s Day, declaring it “woke,” and vowing to hold those responsible accountable. Within days, pages from Alamo Trust Inc. President and CEO Kate Rogers’ doctoral dissertation were circulating among state leaders, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was calling for Rogers’ resignation, saying her views were out of line with a historic site he’s long insisted must be focused on the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. Local officials panned those complaints, with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones calling for state leaders to have the “courage to tell the varied experiences of those at the Alamo,” and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai suggesting Texas GOP leaders’ politicization of history had gone so far, it could next include denying the existence of Japanese internment camps.

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Lakewood Church responds to TikTok plea for baby formula: ‘No problem with the fake baby lady’

A TikTok user with hundreds of thousands of followers recently called Lakewood Church and asked if it could help a 2-month-old in need of baby formula as a child cried in the background. The cries were from a recording, and the baby wasn't real. But the video was part of a viral series in which the TikTok user, who goes by the name Nikalie Monroe, calls places of worship across the U.S. to test whether they would be willing to help a parent in crisis. In the video, the phone operator for Lakewood said the church offers a benevolence ministry and could take a request for Monroe, and that it could take a couple of days or weeks to provide aid, if approved. Monroe ended the call soon after that, unimpressed by Lakewood's response. “I don't know anymore about these churches,” Monroe said in the video after the call ended. “I already knew, don't get me wrong, but it's like, when it's in your face and you're seeing it and hearing it, it's like, this is reality right now.”

A spokesperson for Lakewood said it supports 21 crisis pregnancy centers across Greater Houston and 16 food pantries that carry infant formula, while the church does not. The spokesperson said that the phone operator “made an error” by not sharing that information with Monroe. “We have no problem with the fake baby lady conducting her telephone experiment,” said Lakewood spokesperson Donald Iloff. “She has every right to do so.” Monroe did not respond to requests for comment by Tuesday evening. Many responses to Monroe’s video about Lakewood expressed disappointment with the church, with some users mentioning its Hurricane Harvey response. In 2017, Lakewood had posted online that its facility was inaccessible due to severe flooding, sparking a public backlash. The church announced it was formally opening to those in need two days later. Monroe has called dozens of churches, a mosque and a pregnancy center in what she is calling a “social experiment.” In a TikTok video explaining her efforts, she said she wanted to understand if churches were using donations to help their communities and people in need. She didn’t think many churches would rise to the occasion.

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Nico Harrison wanted to be a hero. Instead, he burned down the Mavs and tanked his career.

It’s important to remember, as the Mavericks spend the next decade digging out of the wreckage that Nico Harrison wrought, that none of this had to happen. Harrison did not need to snuff out the team’s bright future by exiling the best basketball player ever to wear its uniform, and he damn sure did not need to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Harrison did not need to do this for a return that other people in his profession made fun of long before the post-Doncic Mavs underperformed even the lowest expectations. For that matter, the Mavericks did not need to accost their fanbase for daring to feel betrayed by Harrison’s actions, and they did not need to skirt accountability like a cat conducting a jewel heist. Above all, the Mavericks did not need to spend the last nine months hemorrhaging wins, attendance, dollars, and, most of all, credibility—the collateral damage of one guy getting really mad at work.

Try as he might, Nico Harrison never stood for the Dallas Mavericks. As of yesterday morning, he is out of a job. He’ll likely never again work in the NBA, which is as it should be. You may be able to come back from waging internal political warfare, firing a beloved senior staff member by Zoom as he tended to his dying mother, perhaps even making the greatest, most loyal athlete in Dallas history wary of the Mavericks’ whole deal. But you cannot do all of those things and trade a civic treasure and express zero remorse for it. For that, you get shitcanned, and you stay shitcanned. Now that Harrison is gone, it’s impossible not to watch this video of him at last night’s game and wonder if he knew what was coming. He, like everyone else, spent the last nine months watching “Fire Nico” reach Green Eggs & Ham status: applicable in any situation, for any reason, under any circumstance. Because we heard it at Mavs games and at their own draft party, but also at college games near and far from the American Airlines Center. For that matter, we heard “Fire Nico” at baseball games, hockey games, and soccer games. Near the Rio Grande and in the heart of the Midwest. On parade routes, at film premieres, in Medieval Times, before pro wrestling shows. And it’s been spotted on at least one vanity license plate. “Fire Nico” transcended basketball long before this new, terribly depressing Mavs season began. It became Dallas culture.

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Environmental activists battle nurdles on Galveston shores, calling for regulation

On Nov. 7, Laura Leavitt knelt on the Galveston shore beside her best friend, picking tiny bits of plastic out of the sand. The two friends were among around 20 other volunteers working piece by piece to help rid the beach of nurdles — small plastic pellets used to create plastic products such as soda bottles or cottage cheese containers. "What we don’t take care of circles back to us, and I think just from picking up a piece of trash in your neighborhood, you’re contributing," Leavitt said. The group of volunteers was part of Environment Texas and the Turtle Island Restoration Network's Galveston cleanup. Along with continued nurdle beach cleanups, the groups also recently asked state leaders for more nurdle regulation since they said the pellets can be a threat to wildlife and people.

"We’re not asking for plastic production to be stopped. We’re asking for regulations to be in place to keep it safe for our environment," Joanie Steinhaus, who is the ocean program director for the Turtle Island Restoration Network, said. There are 36 facilities in Texas that produce nurdles, with three facilities along Galveston Bay, according to Turtle Island. Steinhaus said companies transport the microplastics to other facilities by truck or train in order to make the plastic products. Steinhaus said since nurdles are lightweight, when they spill during manufacturing or transport, they escape into the environment and eventually work their way onto Texas beaches. On Nov. 7, volunteers collected 1,216 nurdles. Since 2020, Steinhaus said Turtle Island has collected over 16,000 nurdles on Galveston beaches, which she said is a concern for wildlife and humans since nurdles attach to toxins in the water.

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Bexar continues sending inmates, dollars outside of the county

Bexar County continues to send inmates to jails in nearby counties — a practice Sheriff Javier Salazar says will remain necessary to meet state jail standards. County Commissioner Grant Moody calls it “an additional cost on top of the costs of running the jail,” as it moves more than $4 million in taxpayer dollars out of the county each year. In July 2024, Bexar County began transferring inmates to other county jails to ease pressure on a facility that, the month prior, was just 51 inmates shy of capacity. At the time, Salazar said the practice would become “the new normal” as his office and county commissioners worked to finalize contracts with Burnet and Kerr counties. County data shows that as of Sept. 26, 252 Bexar County inmates were housed outside the jail — 182 in Burnet County and 70 in Kerr County. All were what’s known as “paper-ready” or inmates who have completed the court process and are awaiting pick up by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to serve out their sentences.

State law provides a maximum of a 45-day window for pickup and transport to TDCJ facilities from counties after an inmate becomes paper-ready. Until they’re transferred, those inmates remain the county’s financial and logistical responsibility. “They get basically 45 days of free rent from Bexar County. It’s more cost effective for them to wait as long as they can within that 45 days,” Salazar said. “Knowing that we’re going to have to incur the cost, we do what we have to do as far as jail standards, and we have to house them out of county at that point.” That pickup process currently takes an average of 29 days for Bexar County — just one day under the statewide average, according to TDCJ data. At the county’s daily housing cost of $87.17, a 29-day stay comes to roughly $2,527 per inmate. Sending an inmate to Kerr or Burnet counties at rates of $65 and $80 per day, respectively, reduces that cost to between $1,885 and $2,320. Those day rates include fixed expenses such as staffing costs, facility maintenance and upkeep as well as food and medical care for the inmates.

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Families, officials urge Texans to help end 25-year streak of daily traffic deaths

Every day for the past 25 years, at least one person has died in crashes on Texas roads. Texas officials and the families of some fatal crash victims commemorated the grim anniversary with a candlelight ceremony at the Texas Capitol on Nov. 7. Over 91,000 people have died in Texas traffic crashes since Nov. 7, 2000, Texas Department of Transportation records show. Officials emphasized Nov. 7 that the majority of fatal crashes can be prevented if drivers follow speed limits, avoid distractions, wear seatbelts and do not get behind the wheel when under the influence of alcohol or drugs. “Those are real lives,” Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, told reporters Nov. 7. “Those are kids who won't see graduation, those are parents who won't come home. ... Life is sacred, and it's worth more than a text or a phone call or getting somewhere faster.”

Jamie White said her 2-year-old daughter, Allie, was hit and killed by a distracted driver at Round Rock’s Old Settlers Park in September 2019. “It only takes [a few] seconds... to kill somebody,” White said Nov. 7. “Can you imagine doing this, taking somebody's child from them, and living the rest of your life knowing that you caused that?” Following Allie’s death, her parents launched Allie’s Way, a nonprofit aimed at ending distracted driving. “You can't multitask—we think we're capable of it, but when you're driving a vehicle, you have to look forward, you have to look to the side,” White said. “You have to look in your rearview mirror to make sure nobody else hits you. At the same time, you're trying to figure out where you're supposed to go, and you're also supposed to be responding to somebody by text message or by phone conversation. It is not possible.” Texas law prohibits using a portable device to read, write or send texts while driving. Violators face fines of $25-$99, with up to $200 in fines for repeat offenders.

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National Stories

Republicans demand tougher abortion restrictions to extend Obamacare funds

Senate Republicans say they’re open to extending a pot of Affordable Care Act funds that will expire at the end of the year — but only if Democrats acquiesce to stricter abortion restrictions on insurance plans. The demand presents a significant hurdle to reaching a bipartisan deal to extend ACA funding designed to avoid major premium hikes next year for more than 20 million Americans, as Democrats are adamant that existing abortion guardrails under Obamacare are sufficient. If the funds are not extended by the end of the year, some people insured under Obamacare could see their bills rise by thousands of dollars per month, raising concerns that millions will choose to go uninsured. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said there will be a negotiation about an extension after the government reopens. He said one condition will be stricter rules pertaining to the Hyde amendment, which bars federal funding from being used for abortion.

To satisfy Democratic demands to comply with the Hyde amendment when Obamacare passed in 2010, the law does not allow federal funds to cover abortions. Some states allow people insured under Obamacare to access abortion coverage using state or other funding. Republicans want to change that. “That’s what we’re going to negotiate,” Thune told reporters before the Senate passed the bill to end the government shutdown. “A one-year extension along the lines of what [Democrats] are suggesting, and without Hyde protections — there’s just not even, doesn’t even get close.” Thune’s demand for more stringent abortion limits on Obamacare money is backed by colleagues, including Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., an outspoken proponent of extending the ACA funds, as well as Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Mike Lee, R-Utah. Rounds warned that “you won’t get any” Republican votes to extend the money without more stringent abortion limitations.

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Democrats lose shutdown battle — as Trump, Republicans risk losing war

The votes by a handful of Democratic senators this week to end a government shutdown without key concessions from Republicans have left the party bruised and divided, struggling to explain to a furious base why they folded without securing the health care subsidies they called essential. For many this was a head-scratching defeat, just days after election triumphs showed voters were on their side. But the closing chapter to the more than 40-day standoff, and the underlying fight over extending tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, could prove perilous for Republicans in the long term. President Donald Trump’s own pollsters and allies have warned that not extending the health care subsidies would amount to a major political risk in the midterms, and the public has shown it will blame a shutdown on the party in power — making any future breakdowns risky for Republicans.

The result: The longest government shutdown in U.S. history has no clear ultimate political victor as the House prepares to vote Wednesday on the deal to reopen. Polling shows the public disapproves of both parties’ approach. Democrats are bearing the brunt of the political losses in the immediate term, while Republicans are bracing for longer-term consequences. Trump took a victory lap on Fox News, saying Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) “thought he could break the Republicans, and the Republicans broke him.” Democrats, he boasted, are “not getting much.” Schumer said Republicans now “own” the health care fallout. “They knew it was coming,” said Schumer, who opposed the deal but is facing intense criticism from his base for the outcome. “We wanted to fix it. Republicans said no, and now it’s on them.” Most polls have found more Americans blaming Trump and Republicans for the shutdown than Democrats, though that margin decreased over time. A Washington Post poll on the first day of the shutdown found 47 percent of the public blaming Trump and Republicans in Congress more for the shutdown, while 30 percent blamed Democrats; by late October, the margin was 45 percent to 33 percent.

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‘Cloudy weather’: Hassett says some economic data was never collected during shutdown

Some essential U.S. economic data used to calculate job growth, GDP, inflation and other critical information used by policymakers may never be released because of the extended government shutdown, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Tuesday. “I’ve been told that some of the surveys were never actually completed, so we’ll perhaps never even know what happened in that month,” Hassett said in an interview on CNBC. “So we’re gonna be kind of staring a little bit in cloudy weather for a while until we get the data agencies back up.” The lack of information will leave politicians, Wall Street and the public not fully informed on the state of the U.S. economy and labor market since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. The data is highly sought after, as analysts look for bottom-line information in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s widespread tariff policies and the deportations of undocumented immigrants across the country.

Some estimates from private firms show pessimism, but it’s hard to know for sure without the more comprehensive government data. Groups, such as Goldman Sachs, estimate a loss of about 50,000 jobs in October. It’s unclear which data Hassett was referring to specifically. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced in October that the consumer price index — the main indicator of U.S. inflation levels — would not be released. The government shutdown started three days before the Bureau was set to release the September jobs report, which is expected to be released once the government reopens. “I think some of the stuff is lost forever, and some of it isn’t,” Hassett said. Hassett said on Fox Business over the weekend that the shutdown’s impact on the economy was much worse than originally expected due to its extreme length. “I think we were thinking we’re going to have at least 3% growth in the fourth quarter, now we’re expecting something like half that,” Hassett said. The Bureau underwent significant changes in recent months, with Trump firing former commissioner Erika McEntarfer after a disappointing jobs report, claiming without evidence that the numbers were “rigged.” Trump then nominated E.J. Antoni, the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, before he dropped out. William J. Wiatrowski, a longtime agency employee who was promoted to deputy BLS commissioner in 2015, has been the acting commissioner since McEntarfer’s firing.

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Supreme Court extends temporary pause on $4 billion in SNAP payments for November

With a potential end to the government shutdown in sight, the Supreme Court on Tuesday extended a freeze on a federal judge’s ruling that would require the Trump administration to fully fund the SNAP food program in November. The decision means the government, for now, does not have to distribute about $4 billion in additional SNAP funding as required by Rhode Island-based U.S. District Judge John McConnell. The Supreme Court block remains in place until midnight on Thursday. The case would likely become moot if the shutdown ends, as the bipartisan bill to reopen the government would fully fund the SNAP program through September of next year. The House is expected to vote Wednesday on the Senate-passed measure to end the record-long shutdown.

Nearly 42 million people rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. "The only way to end this crisis — which the Executive is adamant to end — is for Congress to reopen the government," Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the Trump administration's latest court filing. The brief court order noted that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson would have denied the government's request. The court had temporarily put McConnell’s ruling on hold Friday while it waited for the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to act. That court on Monday morning declined to intervene. The Trump administration has argued that, because of the shutdown, it could only spend $5 billion out of a contingency fund to partially pay for November SNAP benefits. The program usually costs about $9 billion a month. The government objected to McConnell’s order that required the other roughly $4 billion to be paid from a separate pot of money that funds child nutrition programs, called Section 32. The practical impact of the Supreme Court decision Tuesday means that until the government shutdown ends, the SNAP program will be about 65% funded. The Trump administration's failure to fund SNAP was challenged by a coalition including cities, churches and nonprofits that provide food assistance.

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The Epstein files fight is finally coming to the House floor

The Epstein files fight is finally coming to the House floor Long-delayed swearing-in of Arizona Democrat will set the stage for a vote President Trump has sought to avoid. Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) speaks with reporters after a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on the 15th day of a government shutdown, Oct. 15, 2025. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images) Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) will kick the process into motion Wednesday when she signs a House discharge petition following her swearing-in. | Francis Chung/POLITICO By Meredith Lee Hill, Hailey Fuchs and Nicholas Wu 11/12/2025 04:45 AM EST The monthslong bipartisan effort to sidestep Speaker Mike Johnson and force the release of all Justice Department files on the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is kicking into high gear this week, setting up a December floor battle that President Donald Trump has sought to avoid. The cascade of action is set to begin Wednesday evening, when Johnson will swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva right before the House votes to end the government shutdown, ending a 50-day wait following the Arizona Democrat’s election. Shortly afterward, Grijalva says she will affix the 218th and final signature to the discharge petition led by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to force a vote on the full release of DOJ’s Epstein files.

That in itself will be the culmination of months of drama that blew up into a full crisis for Johnson this summer, with a GOP mutiny grinding the floor to a halt and forcing leaders to send the House home early for August recess. The uproar over a possible Epstein cover-up faded but never disappeared entirely. The completion of the discharge petition, a rarely used mechanism to sidestep the majority party leadership, will trigger a countdown for the bill to hit the House floor. It will still take seven legislative days for the petition to ripen, after which Johnson will have two legislative days to schedule a vote. Senior Republican and Democratic aides estimate a floor vote will come the first week of December, after the Thanksgiving recess. The discharge petition tees up a “rule,” a procedural measure setting the terms of debate for the Epstein bill’s consideration on the House floor. This gives the effort’s leaders greater control over the bill, which will still require Senate approval if it passes the House.

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More than 850 flights canceled in US early Wednesday, tracker says

At least 878 flights were canceled in the United States early on Wednesday, with the departures from the busy hubs of Chicago, Denver and Atlanta leading the list of the most cancellations, according to a flight-data tracker. Another 404 flights had been delayed as of about 5 a.m. ET, according to FlightAware. Chicago O’Hare International topped the tracker’s list of cancellations, with 44 as of about 4 a.m. local time. Next was Denver with 43 and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson with 37. Wednesday’s flight cancellations appeared set to continue a dayslong streak of chaos at American airports, which were operating under duress amid a federal government shutdown. The Federal Aviation Administration continues to limit capacity at 40 major U.S. airports. Many federal employees, including Transportation Security Administration staffers, were working without pay as the partisan impasse dragged on in Washington.

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New Yorkers fill gun classes as concealed carry applications surge

In New York City, once proudly unwelcoming to guns, residents are arming up. Since June 2022, when a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision forced state lawmakers to relax longstanding restrictions, tens of thousands of New Yorkers have sought permits to carry concealed weapons outside the home. The number of permit applications submitted per month has risen nearly tenfold in the past three years, according to an analysis of New York Police Department data by THE CITY and The Trace. This boom could portend a city where legally carrying a firearm becomes, as in most other parts of the country, commonplace.

New York state requires every would-be gun carrier to go through a “safety training course” involving 16 hours of instruction, a written proficiency exam, and a live-fire assessment. That’s more training hours than any state but Maryland and Illinois requires, according to legal experts. But New York hasn’t standardized the classes beyond outlining a handful of topics to touch on. As a result, a growing group of gun aficionados have stepped in to develop and run them. A person who passes a pair of National Rifle Association training courses can become a “duly authorized instructor.” Few instructors are busier than Lance Dashefsky. The 57-year-old has more reviews on the U.S. Concealed Carry Association’s website than anyone else in the New York City area, earning a five-star rating. Most weekends, he is helping residents get locked and loaded. On a drizzly Sunday morning in October, he laid out bagels and lox in an empty youth center in East Harlem to which a friend had lent him access. Eleven students were signed up for the training, which would be divided over two weekends, and they showcased the breadth of interest. An accountant from Jamaica, Queens, had heard about the class through a co-worker. A teacher from Brooklyn learned about it from her husband, who had taken it first. A rangy equity trader from the West Village was referred by his landlord. “I don’t advertise anymore,” Dashefsky said. “It’s self-advertising.”

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Lead Stories

Even as Senate passes measure to end shutdown, hemp fight may prevent reopening

Though Congress appears to have a deal to end the government shutdown, a vote on that agreement is being held up by an unexpected issue: hemp. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is objecting to speedy consideration of the bill that would end the longest shutdown in U.S. history over a hemp provision tucked into funding for the Agriculture Department, three people familiar with conversations but not authorized to discuss them publicly told NBC News. The provision would close the so-called hemp loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill that has allowed unregulated THC products to be sold around the country, irrespective of state cannabis laws. Paul has long pushed to keep the loophole and told GOP leadership and hemp industry insiders that he wouldn’t give his consent to speed up passage of the government funding legislation unless the loophole is preserved, according to two of those people.

A spokesperson for Paul, who has voted against federal funding bills for a majority of his 15-year career in the Senate, told NBC News: “Dr. Rand Paul affirms his commitment to reopening the government without delay. However, he objects to the inclusion of provisions in the government-funding package that unfairly target Kentucky’s hemp industry—language that is unrelated to the budget and the government-reopening goal." "Dr. Paul will work to ensure that the final bill excludes this unrelated language to defend the livelihoods of Kentucky farmers, hemp processors, and manufacturing jobs," the spokesperson continued. Paul's opposition to the hemp provision is not enough to prevent Congress from passing legislation to reopen the government. But he can slow it down for several days, forcing the Senate to run through procedural hurdles before approving the bill. The agreement to end the shutdown announced Sunday represents a collaboration between a group of Democratic senators and Republicans. It is expected to pass the Senate and the House before heading to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature to reopen the government.

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USDA official who roiled Capitol Hill with his erotica now one of Rollins’ closest advisers

The USDA staffer whose smutty novella sparked controversy in September — and inside President Donald Trump’s White House, where top aides considered his termination — remains at the department. In fact, he’s been promoted — despite the swift blowback his foray into penmanship sparked just months ago. After the dust settled, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins quietly made Tucker Stewart a trusted legal adviser, moving him out of his position as deputy assistant secretary of agriculture in the department’s congressional affairs unit, according to five people. Those people, who include an agriculture lobbyist, two Capitol Hill aides and others with knowledge of the matter, were all granted anonymity to speak candidly about sensitive personnel matters.

A spokesperson for the USDA verified that Stewart has left the agency’s congressional affairs unit and “is now working on USDA’s lawfare portfolio.” The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Stewart did not respond to a request for comment sent via LinkedIn. His reassignment has also left a void in USDA’s office of congressional relations during a chaotic time for farmers and participants in USDA’s nutrition programs, all of which have been affected by the shutdown. (Former Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) is still awaiting Senate confirmation for the post of assistant secretary for congressional affairs.) Rollins, one of the people said, told colleagues she “felt bad” for the humiliation Stewart endured when POLITICO broke the story of his 28-page novel, written when he was a congressional aide, followed by a monologue by “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert. The new position, a second person said, places the young Kansan in Rollins’ inner circle and in a position to advise the secretary on some of the most sensitive initiatives at the department.

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Camp Mystic sued by families of 7 who died in July 4 flood

Camp Mystic and the family that runs the Christian girls summer camp have been accused of putting “profit over safety” by the families of seven campers and two counselors who died in the July 4 Central Texas flood that killed 27 people. Three separate lawsuits were filed Monday in Travis County district court. In a 32-page lawsuit filed Monday afternoon, a set of families representing seven who died in the flood brought claims brought claims of negligence, premises liability, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wrongful death. The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages and have demanded a jury trial. “The Camp chose to house young girls in cabins sitting in flood-prone areas, despite the risk, to avoid the cost of relocating the cabins,” the lawsuit alleges.

“The Camp chose not to make plans to safely evacuate its campers and counselors from those cabins, despite state rules requiring evacuation plans, and not to spend time and money on safety training and tools. Instead, the Camp chose to assure its campers and counselors that these cabins are built on ‘high, safe locations.’ And the Camp chose to order its campers and counselors, as a matter of policy, to stay in these flood-plain cabins regardless of life-threatening floods.” The plaintiffs in that suit are Warren and Patricia Bellows, parents of Anna Margaret Bellows; Blake and Caitlin Bonner, parents of Lila Bonner; Matthew and Wendie Childress, parents of Chloe Childress; Ryan and Elizabeth Dewitt, parents of Molly Dewitt; John and Andrea Ferruzzo, parents of Katherine Ferruzzo; Ben and Natalie Landry, parents of Lainey Landry; and Lindsey McCrory, mother of Blakely McCrory. Separately, Timothy Peck and Melissa Peck, the parents of Eloise “Lulu” Peck, who was 8 years old when she died, filed a separate 31-page lawsuit against Camp Mystic alleging negligence that seeks more than $1 million in damages and a demand for a jury trial.

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Death of Regina Santos-Aviles ruled a suicide

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the death of Regina Santos-Aviles, a congressional staffer for U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales, as a suicide by self-immolation following an investigation into the September incident at her Uvalde home. Santos-Aviles, 35, served as Gonzales’ Uvalde Regional District Director. She was found critically burned in her backyard the night of Sept. 13, after emergency crews responded to reports of a disturbance around 9:30 p.m. Paramedics transported her by air to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where she died early the next morning on Sept. 14. Firefighters reported finding and extinguishing a burning gas can at the scene. According to the Uvalde Police Department, which investigated the case with assistance from the Texas Rangers, there was no indication of foul play and no evidence that anyone else was present when the fire occurred.

In an Oct. 24 letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, attorneys representing the City of Uvalde requested that investigative materials—including 911 recordings, police reports, and body-camera footage—be withheld from public release. The city argued that the records contain highly sensitive information and that their release would infringe on the privacy rights of Santos-Aviles’ family. The letter also stated that the investigation would soon be closed without any criminal charges being filed. Under Texas law, records from cases that do not result in a conviction or deferred adjudication may be exempt from disclosure. Representative Gonzales has not publicly commented on his staffer’s death. The case has drawn broad public scrutiny and renewed debate over how much information should be released in sensitive death investigations involving public officials or their employees. Both state and local agencies have cited privacy protections and ongoing investigative procedures as reasons for withholding records.

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State Stories

Chris Bell joins the race for Texas governor in 2026

Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell on Monday announced a campaign to challenge Republican incumbent Greg Abbott for governor. “Given what we saw in the elections last Tuesday, people are ready for change,” Bell told The Dallas Morning News, saying that his record of public service and interactions with voters throughout a long career in politics give him an edge against Abbott. Abbott launched his reelection campaign Sunday in Houston. “The experience factor is going to be huge,” said Bell, who announced his campaign with an Austin news conference. Bell, 65, is running in the March 3 Democratic primary in a field that includes state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin, Houston businessman Andrew White and Quitman rancher Bobby Cole. He said he was the best choice to be the nominee against Abbott.

“It’s one thing to talk. It’s another thing to deliver,” Bell said. “I have a record that people can look to, and they don’t have to be guessing about how I handle certain issues.” “That’s going to be especially important for a Democratic governor working with what will most likely be a Republican-majority House and Senate,” Bell added. “I’ve been in those situations before, where I have had to look to work things out with people on the other side, and I really have always enjoyed doing so.” Bell, a Houston lawyer, was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2006, when he lost to Republican Rick Perry. A former Houston council member, Bell served one term in Congress (2003-2005). He was caught up in the Republican-driven 2003 redistricting effort. His 25th Congressional District was renumbered District 9 and revised to include a heavy majority of Black and Latino voters. In 2004 Democrat Al Green, a former president of the Houston NAACP, won the seat.

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State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer considers a run for Bexar County district attorney

State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer is considering a run for Bexar County district attorney. The San Antonio native announced Monday he formed an exploratory committee of local attorneys to help decide whether to seek the Democratic nomination. Martinez Fischer — an attorney in private practice — currently represents House District 116, which includes a large portion of the city's northwest side. He previously served as the chair of the House Democratic Caucus from 2022-2024. The district attorney seat is up for election in November 2026. Current Bexar County DA Joe Gonzales, a Democrat, announced earlier this year he would not be seeking reelection for a third term as the county’s top lawyer.

“I am concerned about the void being left at the District Attorney’s office and the impact it will have on our community,” Martinez Fischer said in a press release. “I will seek counsel from our legal community … and consult with county leaders on how best to implement any necessary financial and structural changes to strengthen this office.” The exploratory committee will be led by three local attorneys, each of whom has been practicing law for more than 40 years. Criminal District Court Judge Ron Rangel formed a similar exploratory committee earlier this summer, but announced last month he would not run for the position.

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'We’re scared': Texas providers urge state to reconsider Medicaid cuts to medical supply services

Providers warn proposed cuts to Texas' Medicaid reimbursement rates could hurt medical supply companies and the patients that rely on them. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is proposing significant cuts to reimbursement rates for dozens of services provided through Medicaid, like ventilators and wheelchairs. Providers said during a public hearing Monday the cuts could reduce access to services or lead to closures. Stephen Hernandez, director of operations at Angel Medical Supply in Houston, said these cuts could lead to a decrease in vital support for patients throughout Texas. “Everybody in here is scared,” Hernandez said. “And if we're scared, imagine how the patients feel.”

Hernandez was one of dozens of providers who asked HHSC to reconsider the new rate proposals for services related to feeding tubes, mobility aids and respiratory care. Angel Medical Supply serves patients within a 100-mile radius of Houston. Hernandez said these cuts could lead to companies like his limiting what services they provide and who they can provide the services to. “We can't be smarter than this,” he said. “There's no cutting costs. You can't cut your way out of this.” The proposed changes would reduce reimbursement rates for some services by more than half, with some cuts reaching up to 85%. If approved, majority of the cuts would go into effect next year. Stephen Vigorito’s son uses a feeding tube known as enteral nutrition. That service would face a cut of more than 44%. “There are no other alternatives except for him to go on a continuous feed... instead of the feeding pump, which means a decreased quality of life,” Vigorito said. “It appears that there's like this calculus, like how can we reduce [medical supply company] profit enough to where they'll still stay in business but just limp along.”

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Runoff election for Houston’s 18th Congressional District on track for late January

It's been nearly a week since Houston voters chose the top two candidates in the special election to fill out the term of the late Congressman Sylvester Turner, and Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to schedule the runoff for Texas' 18th Congressional District. On Monday, a spokesman for Abbott told Houston Public Media, “An announcement on that will be made at a later date.” Abbott is constrained as to when he can call the runoff by both federal and state election laws, according to University of Houston Law Center assistant professor David Froomkin.

"The state election code requires that the runoff be held between 70 and 77 days, or in other words, between 10 and 11 weeks after the final canvass of the election," Froomkin said. That 10-11 week window is designed to guarantee participation of serving members of the military based overseas, under the federal MOVE (Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment) Act. Harris County expects to canvass the results of the election on Thursday, Nov. 14. The Texas state election code requires that the runoff take place on a Saturday, which effectively limits the date the secretary of state can set to January 24, 2026. That will leave just three weeks between the runoff and the start of early voting for the 2026 primary elections. The runoff candidates are acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards, both Democrats.

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Abbott orders DPS investigation after financial audit at Texas Southern

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Rangers and state comptroller to investigate Texas Southern University's finances after the state auditor allegedly uncovered mismanagement worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including asset oversight, contracting and financial reporting. "Waste, fraud, and abuse will not be tolerated," Abbott said on X. "TSU's Board of Regents and all university officials must fully cooperate with these investigations to ensure taxpayer dollars are not squandered." Abbott's announcement came Monday after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released a copy of the state auditor's "interim update" on the audit, which has not been finalized. Patrick also said he would ask Abbott and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, to work with him to freeze the Legislature's appropriations to the university.

Abbott did not address a possible freeze in his statement, and his office did not return a request for comment. Burrows said that he would work with Abbott and Patrick to identify any potential misuse of state funds, and would exercise their authority as members of the Legislative Budget Board as needed. TSU officials said Monday that they had already remedied some issues. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to further questions, including what a freeze on state funding would mean for the school's 1,400 faculty and staff and more than 9,000 students. The university, a historically Black institution, is slated to receive almost $123 million from the state in the 2026 fiscal year, supporting a $248 million operating budget. "Texas Southern University has cooperated with the state auditor in evaluating our processes," officials said in a statement. "The University enacted corrective measures prior to the release of the interim report, including a new procurement system. We look forward to gaining clarity and continuing to work with the state auditor to ensure transparency for all taxpayers of Texas."

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Proposed Muslim-centric community renamed

Collin County Judge Chris Hill says the developer of an Islamic-focused neighborhood near Josephine has changed the name of the project from EPIC City to The Meadow.Hill said Community Capital Partners (CCP) had not yet filed any paperwork with the county but was expected to seek approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to form a municipal utility district and also could soon file a plat with the county.The 402-acre development in Collin and Hunt Counties was proposed by members of the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC). It was expected to include more than 1,000 homes, a mosque, school and retail outlets.More than 60 residents spoke against the project at a March 31 meeting of the Collin County Commissioners Court.

Hill said the county’s role would include ensuring compliance with state and county regulations, particularly regarding infrastructure and utilities. “All Texas and all federal laws will be adhered to in this project, just as they are in all projects in our county,” he said.Houston lawyer Dan Cogdell, who represents CCP, said the project had been the victim of racial profiling. “These aren’t foreign adversaries,” Cogdell said. “These are Texans. These are Americans. These are United States citizens.”

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Study links all-day phone bans to modest academic gains

Nearly three months into its implementation, Texas’ new school cellphone ban has led to fewer classroom distractions and more conversation among students, North Texas district leaders say. But if the results in Texas are similar to those seen elsewhere, school leaders here can expect to see benefits beyond an improved school climate, new research suggests. “I think you can expect to see improved learning environments, probably a little bit better test scores, a little bit a little bit better attendance rates and engagement,” said David Figlio, an economics professor at the University of Rochester who recently published a study on the impact of school cellphone restrictions elsewhere.

Texas’ new statewide school cellphone ban took effect at the beginning of the school year. The law requires districts to enact policies barring students from having their phones out anytime during the school day, including at lunch and during passing periods between classes. Some districts have adopted policies requiring students to leave their phones in a locked pouch in the school office at the beginning of the school day. Others allow students to keep their phones with them, but require them to keep them in a pocket or backpack during school hours. Matt Smith, superintendent of the Arlington Independent School District, said the policy has made a noticeable difference on campuses. Teachers say they spend less time dealing with distractions, he said. And where students previously spent their lunch period buried in their phones, they now spend it talking with each other. One principal in the district recently bought a handful of games for the school cafeteria and walked in one day to find a group of students playing on a life-size checker board, Smith said.

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Texas' transitional dialysis program led to significant decline in utilization of emergency dialysis

A new study reveals that a transitional dialysis program piloted in Travis County (Austin, TX) resulted in a significant decrease in emergency department visits and hospital admissions for emergency dialysis by providing a pathway for outpatient dialysis in uninsured patients. The findings were presented at ASN Kidney Week 2025, held November 5–9. Central Health, an organization that provides health and wellness services for uninsured patients in Travis County, piloted the transitional dialysis program in November 2022. The goal was to provide in-center/outpatient dialysis for Travis County residents who lacked insurance coverage.

When investigators reviewed data from November 2022 to December 2024 on the 101 patients who enrolled in the program, they observed that there was a significant decline in the number of days patients utilized emergency dialysis in the hospital prior to finding an outpatient facility. Additionally, within one year of starting dialysis, most patients were able to obtain permanent dialysis access with either an arteriovenous fistula or a peritoneal dialysis catheter. Once accepted into the program, Central Health provided an insurance plan to cover outpatient dialysis and transplantation. To date, 18 patients have been listed for kidney transplantation, and two have received living donor transplants.

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Ken Paxton softens tone in UNT speech weeks after launching university investigation

The Ken Paxton who took to the stage at the Lyceum Theatre at the University of North Texas on Monday sounded somehow softer than the Ken Paxton who announced last month that his office was investigating the university. The Texas attorney general launched an investigation into UNT's response to campus reactions to the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September. UNT student Mary-Catherine Hallmark posted a video on TikTok that went viral, showing a confrontation she had with another student she said celebrated the death of Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA. While the viral video didn't show any students cheering, Hallmark said the celebration happened when she wasn't recording, and that some students said "the same thing needs to happen to Donald Trump."

"You know, there's been a little controversy here," Paxton said Monday evening at UNT. "And I really am so appreciative of Mary-Catherine, her courage and the courage of other students that are willing to stand up and exercise their right to free speech." Paxton told the audience that students who allegedly celebrated Kirk's assassination were exercising their First Amendment rights, something he hasn't said in his press releases about the campus controversy. He reserved his jabs for the UNT faculty "who are very liberal." "And that's why I appreciate so much what Mary-Catherine did by speaking out against speech that was actually calling for the death of a president, or celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk," Paxton said. "That's free speech. But it's also sickening. I mean, somebody has just been killed. For those kinds of thoughts to be exercised, with no discretion and no thoughtfulness for what that does to people around you, and for ... the family members of Charlie Kirk." Paxton's office hasn't named any faculty member or administrator in the investigation.

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TAMU Regents to vote on revised race, gender classroom discussion policy

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents will vote on revisions to A&M’s Civil Rights Protection and Compliance and Academic Freedom, Responsibility and Tenure policies on Thursday, Nov. 13. The proposed changes follow the controversial firing of senior lecturer Melissa McCoul in early September, an instructor who became the center of a social media firestorm when Rep. Brian Harrison (R-10) leaked a video of a student confronting McCoul over her discussion of gender studies in the classroom. The revisions were submitted to the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs as a joint policy by General Counsel for the System R. Brooks Moore and recommended for approval by Chancellor Glenn Hegar and Executive Vice Chancellor Susan Ballabina, Ph. D. There are set to be no changes to System funding or other financial implications as part of those changes.

The Civil Rights Protection and Compliance policy is proposed to be amended to include supplementary definitions of gender and race ideology. The changes outlined in the agenda items for the meeting define gender ideology as “a concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing, and disconnected from, the biological category of sex,” and race ideology as “a concept that attempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity, accuse them of being oppressors in a racial hierarchy or conspiracy, ascribe to them less value as contributors to society and public discourse because of their race or ethnicity, or assign them intrinsic guilt based on the actions of their presumed ancestors or relatives in other areas of the world.” Additionally, the amendment notes this “also includes course content that promotes activism on issues related to race or ethnicity, rather than academic instruction.”

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This week could mark beginning of the end of Dallas City Hall.

This Wednesday, the City Council will consider whether it’s time to vacate City Hall for, well, other to-be-named-later pastures. The cost of repairing City Hall continues to balloon to the point that the $81.25 million baseline that we wrote about in August seems quaint. Nevertheless, at its Wednesday meeting, the Council will potentially direct city staff to “evaluate economic development options to redevelop City Hall in a manner supportive of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Master Plan, that increases tax revenue to the City of Dallas, and that creates catalytic growth in the central business district.”

The resolution doesn’t necessarily make it a forgone conclusion that the world will have one fewer I.M. Pei building, but it certainly brings it a little closer to being true. Already, we’ve seen op-eds in the Dallas Morning News from developers Shawn Todd, Lucy Billingsley, and Craig Hall urging “bold action” to “take down” the nearly 50-year-old I.M. Pei building so the property can be redeveloped for “enormous economic development opportunities.” Sources tell me that this vote could go either way. Last week’s Council committee meetings on the topic gave me the feeling that, while the discussion about the state of City Hall has been ongoing for a while, the talk of tearing it down seems to be operating on someone else’s timeline. That timeline very well could align with Mavericks CEO Rick Welts’ goal of naming a new site for the team’s next arena by the end of the year.

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Mark Cuban, Jerry Jones join 100 other Dallas investors to launch $5 million nonprofit fund

A star-studded group of investors, families, entrepreneurs, corporations, and nonprofits have pooled $5 million to launch a GreenLight Fund in Dallas. With the capital, GreenLight—a nonprofit founded in Boston in 2004—plans to address some of Dallas’ most critical unmet needs tied to racial, social, and economic inequities. The Dallas outpost marks the organization’s 15th fund in the United States. Across its 14 cities, the nonprofit has invested $42 million in 63 organizations and helped draw $400 million in additional funding. Last year alone, it reached more than 1.3 million individuals and families.

“We want to be an addition, not a substitution, for all the great things United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and all the other organizations in Dallas are doing,” said longtime private equity investor John Simon, who also serves as the co-founder and board chair of GreenLight Fund. “From the very beginning, we always wanted to come to Dallas. The city has big companies moving in, the economy is growing and diversifying, and a lot of amazing things are going on. But certain populations are falling further and further behind with less economic mobility.” GreenLight has expanded to Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, Newark, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and now Dallas. Houston, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Seattle are all potential cities on the roadmap, according to Simon. “I invested because I thought this was a positive for the city,” Mark Cuban told D CEO. “I didn’t get into the specifics on where they’d invest the funds—they can make the decision they think is best. All I’ll say is: I like helping Dallas.”

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National Stories

Supreme Court rejects bid to overturn same-sex marriage ruling

The Supreme Court rejected a long-shot effort Monday to overturn its ruling guaranteeing same-sex marriage nationwide. Former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis directly asked the justices to overrule the 2015 landmark decision after a jury awarded damages to a couple whom Davis refused to issue a marriage license. “The Court can and should fix this mistake,” her attorneys wrote in court filings. In a brief order, the justices declined to take up Davis’s appeal, alongside dozens of other petitions up for consideration at the justices’ weekly closed-door conference. There were no noted dissents.

Court-watchers viewed Davis’s appeal as a long-shot effort, but it sparked trepidation among LGBTQ rights groups, since several conservative justices who dissented in the decade-old case remain on the court. Davis gained national attention after she raised religious objections to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. Among the refused couples was David Ermold and David Moore, who sued. Davis was found to have violated a judge’s order in another case, which required her to keep issuing licenses. Davis was jailed for five days, the couple obtained their license and Kentucky later passed a law enabling clerks to keep their signatures off marriage certificates.

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Age is the issue that Democrats can’t shut down

The Democratic unity and good feelings after the party’s big election victories lasted under a week. Now, the knives are back out. As eight Democratic-aligned senators with an average age of about 70 voted with Republicans to end the 40-day government shutdown without the health care concessions Democrats had demanded, the party again convulsed with two questions that have long racked its members: How old is too old and how vigorously should they fight Republicans? Democrats are still dealing with the fallout of Joe Biden’s calamitous decision to seek re-election at age 79. What has been less discussed is the fallout of having so many members of Congress who are at (and well beyond) retirement age.

And as liberal voters just found out, it’s a lot easier to vote for something your base hates if you’re too old to worry about re-election. Of the Democratic-aligned senators who voted for the shutdown deal, two are not running again: Dick Durbin of Illinois, 80, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, 78. Angus King of Maine is 81 and Jacky Rosen of Nevada is 68. Both Tim Kaine of Virginia and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire are 67. All would be past 70 years old if they decide to run again when their terms end. The other “yes” votes were from Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, 61, who represents a state where the Las Vegas tourism industry feared taking a major hit from canceled flights, and from John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who is just 56 but has already alienated much of his party by embracing Trump on a slew of issues. “This is the problem with the gerontocracy,” said Amanda Litman, the leader of Run for Something, a group that recruits young progressive candidates to run for office. “When you have older leaders who are never going to face re-election again, you make decisions that are disconnected from what their voters believe.”

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Trump threatens to sue the BBC for $1 billion after Jan. 6 documentary

President Trump on Monday threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion over a documentary that his lawyer claimed included “malicious, disparaging” edits to a speech Mr. Trump delivered on Jan. 6, 2021. The legal threat came in a letter from Alejandro Brito, one of Mr. Trump’s lawyers, to the BBC that was obtained by The New York Times. The letter demanded a full retraction of the documentary, an apology and what his lawyers said would be payments that “appropriately compensate President Trump for the harm caused.” The letter said that if those demands were not met, “President Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollars) in damages.” It said that the lawsuit would be filed if the BBC had not taken action by this Friday at 5 p.m. Eastern time.

“The BBC is on notice,” the letter said, adding, “PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY.” The head of the BBC, Tim Davie, and the chief executive of BBC News, Deborah Turness, resigned on Sunday after growing pressure over the editing of the documentary. The BBC said on its website that it had received a letter threatening legal action and that it would “respond in due course.” The documentary, called “Trump: A Second Chance?” and broadcast before the presidential election last year, had already been removed from the BBC’s online player. Samir Shah, the BBC’s chair, said in a separate letter Monday that complaints about the editing of the clip had been discussed by the standards committee in January and May, and that the points raised in the review had been relayed to the BBC team that produced the documentary, part of a long-running current affairs series called Panorama. “With hindsight, it would have been better to take more formal action,” he wrote. He added: “We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action. The BBC would like to apologize for that error of judgment.”

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Democratic senators blame White House, AI data centers for rising electricity prices

Democratic senators on Monday blamed the White House push to fast track artificial intelligence data centers and its attacks on renewable energy for rising electricity prices in certain parts of the U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and others demanded that the White House and Commerce Department detail what actions they have taken to shield consumers from the impact of massive data centers in a letter sent Monday. Voters are increasingly feeling the pinch of rising electricity prices. Democrats Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger campaigned on the issue in the New Jersey and Virgina governors’ races, which they won in landslides last week. The senators took aim at the White House’s relationship with companies like Meta, Alphabet, Oracle, and OpenAI, and the support the administration has shown for the companies’ data center plans.

The Trump administration “has already failed to prevent those new data centers from driving up electricity prices from a surge of new commercial demand,” the senators wrote. They accused the White House of making the problem worse by opposing the expansion of solar and wind power. The White House blamed the Biden administration and its renewable energy policies for driving up electricity prices in a statement. President Donald Trump “declared an energy emergency to reverse four years of Biden’s disastrous policies, accelerate large-scale grid infrastructure projects, and expedite the expansion of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power generation,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said. The tech sector’s AI plans have ballooned in size. OpenAI and Nvidia, for example, struck a deal in September to build 10 gigawatts of data centers to train and run AI applications. This is equivalent to New York City’s peak baseline summer demand in 2024. The scale of these plans have raised questions about whether enough power is available to meet the demand and who will pay for the new generation that is needed. Renewable energy, particularly solar and energy storage, is the power source that can be deployed the quickest right now to meet demand. Retail electricity prices in the U.S. increased about 6% on average through August 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration. Prices, however, can vary widely by region.

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Trump’s $2,000 tariff dividend may be a smart political move. But it would be a huge economic gamble

One of the only things that polls worse than the Trump economy is the president’s almost unprecedented use of tariffs. The White House, in an apparent bid to turn sentiment around on both the economy and tariffs, is once again floating a bold idea: redeploying tariff revenue to fund $2,000 dividend checks to lower- and middle-income Americans. It’s easy to see how these tariff rebate payments could win over skeptical voters and help people who are struggling financially. Yet beyond the political appeal, it’s hard to make sense of the economic logic behind this idea. Economists tell CNN that tariffs are unlikely to generate enough revenue to pay for dividend payments the size President Donald Trump has promised.

If all the tariff revenue is blown on dividend payments, there would be nothing left to chip away at the $38 trillion national debt – one of Trump’s other promises. Depending on how they are structured, dividend payments could even add to America’s mountain of debt. If rebate checks are distributed, history shows that many Americans would likely spend some or all of their cash from Uncle Sam. This would increase demand without boosting supply, which could worsen the cost-of-living problem at the heart of Americans’ frustrations with the economy. “All of this is exactly the wrong recipe if you want to get inflation under control and make things feel more affordable,” Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation, told CNN in a phone interview. The risk of raising prices is why direct payments, typically called stimulus checks, are normally reserved for emergencies when demand is low – such as during the 2008 financial crisis or the Covid pandemic. Even during the pandemic, stimulus checks may have been partly to blame for the ensuing inflation crisis. The St. Louis Federal Reserve estimated that US fiscal stimulus during Covid contributed 2.6 percentage points to annual inflation.

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When neighbors lost SNAP benefits, the internet stepped in to feed them

Ashleigh Young hit her breaking point in late October. Months after rising grocery prices forced her to skip meals to keep her children fed, Young received a text alerting her that her $250 benefits in monthly food assistance benefits were unlikely to arrive in November. That text, coupled with her son throwing out his uneaten breakfast that morning, broke the typically stoic mother of two. She began to cry. “How do I tell my son, ‘You can’t throw away your breakfast because I don’t know that we’re going to be able to afford food next month,'” she said. In a now-viral TikTok recorded that October day, Young tearfully explained that she had stopped eating dinner about two months before to stretch her family’s meals. The 42-day government shutdown, which appears likely to end this week, put extraordinary stress on 42 million people who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps.

It also expanded a relatively new form of online activism featuring people like Young, who lost those benefits and turned to social media not only as a source of commiseration and political protest, but also found that going viral helped them pay for food. Young’s video eventually amassed more than 2 million views. Commenters on the video asked how they could donate — and they did. Young raised $2,500 — more than enough to ensure her family could afford groceries for the next two months. She distributed much of the remaining funds to local food organizations and moms in her community. Most of the money Young received came in small donations from others also struggling, like a person who sent the $8 left over after paying their bills, which they said they normally used to buy one latte a week. Young sent it back and told them they deserved the drink. “Why should people have to choose between affordable health care [and] making sure we get fed?” Young said of the ongoing government shutdown, in which Democrats demanded that Republicans extend health care subsidies that will expire next month. “It’s sickening to me that we’re being basically used as leverage.”

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Federal and state websites descend into political finger-pointing as SNAP fight drags on

Some agencies that administer food assistance benefits have posted partisan messages on government websites as the federal shutdown drags on. The U.S. Department of Agriculture informed states late last month that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP would be paused for November if the shutdown continued. Funding for the program, which serves nearly 42 million people each month, remains up in the air as a court battle over the frozen benefits continues. Though SNAP is federally funded, each state administers the program differently – leaving it up to states to communicate about the pause. State agencies in Texas and Iowa linked to documents addressing frequently asked questions. In Michigan and Missouri, state agencies provided lists of food banks and nonprofits that could help SNAP recipients during the shutdown.

A few states took a more partisan approach in addition to providing information and resources. A header on all web pages within the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services site includes a quote from Gov. Jim Pillen saying SNAP benefits will not be available in November "due to a failure by Democrats in the U.S. Senate." The message was initially posted without attribution before quotation marks and Pillen's name were added on Oct. 30. Department spokesperson Jeff Powell said the message was added "per consultation with Gov. Pillen's office." "It has since been updated to eliminate any confusion about its source, which was Gov. Pillen," Powell said. In Illinois, a drop-down notice on the state's Applications for Benefits Eligibility site previously referred to the "Republican federal government shutdown" and put the onus on "the Trump administration to reopen the government." That language has since been softened, but it still directly names the Trump administration and the federal government.

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Copyright November 18, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved