Lead Stories

Tarrant commissioners table decision on Election Day and early voting sites

Members of the Tarrant County Commissioners Court unanimously agreed Tuesday that a proposal to nearly halve the number of Election Day voting locations was out of left field and far too drastic. The decision on a proposed list was tabled by the commissioners until a later date, likely the Sept. 1 meeting. Under the proposed list, Tarrant County would have had 55% of the Election Day polling sites for this November’s midterm election compared with the number there were in the 2022 midterm election. Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare said the proposed number of 176 locations was too low. Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig said he came up with the number by apolitically looking at the map of election precincts and determining how many voting locations would be adequate with an increased turnout.

Ludwig outlined his methodology for configuring the 176 Election Day sites, which was done in a way that ensured there were 44 polling places in each commissioner precinct. On average, he said there are 1.3 miles between voting sites. Twenty-eight of the voting sites are within 1,000 feet of a bus stop. Ahead of the commissioners’ discussion and delayed vote, there was a flood of opposition from residents, politicians and voting right groups. Of the 70 public commenters who came to the microphone Tuesday, one supported the list as proposed. The other 69 called it un-American, voter suppression and an attempt to select who could have a voice in elections. A proposal to reduce the number of early voting sites was also tabled.

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

‘Taxation through electricity prices’: Abbott takes aim at city-owned utilities like CPS Energy

Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on the Texas Legislature to break up “monopoly-run” electricity companies like CPS Energy, allowing other providers to come into the San Antonio area and compete for customers. The move would likely mean dramatic changes for the city’s financial structure, since CPS Energy contributes 14% of its profits to the city budget in lieu of paying property taxes. At a press conference Tuesday, Abbott suggested the change was at least in part a response to ideological disagreements over how blue cities have been spending their profits from municipally owned utilities. In a particularly good year for CPS Energy, for example, San Antonio’s City Council famously used some of its share of the utility’s windfall to create a Reproductive Justice Fund — which the state later outlawed.

“Over a course of about four years, money that was paid into CPS went into a fund for the city of San Antonio that they used for other things,” Abbott said on Tuesday. “Some money that was used in that fund was used for Zumba classes,” he continued. “Listen, I’m not diminishing Zumba classes, but I’m just saying, that’s not what you’re paying your electricity bill for.” In more recent years, City Council members have looked for ways to reinvest CPS Energy profits into keeping utility costs from rising, like putting some of the money toward utility infrastructure upgrades as CPS sells energy onto the Texas grid for a profit. On Tuesday, however, Abbott claimed his plan would lower utility prices for San Antonians by 10%-20% — while also keeping CPS Energy ratepayers who don’t live within the city from helping fund city services they don’t use. “There’s more than 100,000 people that live outside of the city of San Antonio, and yet they’re paying CPS, and a large percentage of what goes to CPS goes beyond just providing electricity; it goes to funding the city budget,” Abbott said. “This is taxation through electricity prices without representation, and it must come to an end.” CPS Energy contested the idea its agreement with the city unfairly punishes any of its ratepayers.

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Stevens, El-Sayed in tight race for Michigan's Democratic Senate nomination

Moderate candidate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive favorite Abdul El-Sayed were in a tight race for Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in the early morning hours of Wednesday. Both addressed supporters, saying the vote count could continue well into the day. “We knew that this was going to be a close race, and that’s exactly what we’ve got,” Stevens said. “I am feeling fired up, and you should be too.” The bitter and expensive campaign attracted national attention not just because the general election for the seat will help decide which party controls the Senate. It also became the most notable proxy battle between the Democratic Party’s establishment and progressive wings.

Candidates from the left-flank — including democratic socialists — have found surprising success in the party’s U.S. House primaries, including in New York and Denver. Those races, however, were in deep-blue cities. Michigan has a purple hue. A progressive victory here would be a more significant notch. El-Sayed maintained a lead as initial results rolled in Tuesday night, though Stevens made up ground as Wayne County, the state’s most populous and home to Detroit, reported more votes into the night. Wayne has historically released results later than other counties, and its voters have tended toward establishment candidates over progressives. That meant Stevens could see a boost as the counting dragged on, though that did not guarantee victory. The crowds’ energy at each watch party was a measure of the race’s competitiveness: Early in the evening, El-Sayed’s supporters in Detroit’s Majestic Theatre cheered at the first batches of votes, before mellowing. Hours later, Stevens’ previously subdued partygoers roared as she narrowed the margin. “Whatever happens tonight,” El-Sayed told a thinned but still energetic crowd, “we have a responsibility to ensure that we unite, unite to make sure that Mike Rogers never sees the inside of the U.S. Senate.” Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is the Republican nominee.

Read this article at Associated Press - Subscribers Only

Texas Comptroller leadership email orders list of employees for cuts

Leaders at the Texas Comptroller’s office received an email Tuesday directing them to create priority lists of employees they’d cut under potential staff reductions. The Dallas Morning News reviewed the email, which comes in Don Huffines’ first few days as acting comptroller after being appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott last month. Huffines has campaigned on shrinking state government with his own version of the federal government’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, making it a campaign priority in the comptroller’s race, where the Dallas businessman faces state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt in the November election.

Tuesday’s email came from Michael Apperley, the comptroller’s director of administration, and was sent to several directors within the agency. When asked for comment, agency spokesman Kevin Lyons referred The News to a Tuesday afternoon news release saying the agency would undergo a performance review to find areas to save taxpayer money. The review will look at the agency’s business processes, vendor contracts and administrative structure. The email mentioned that state leaders had asked state agencies last month to cut spending by 3% in preparation for their budget requests for the next two-year budget cycle. “One of our largest objects of expense is salaries, so we must consider the potential need to reduce salary expenditures,” Apperley’s email said. The email asked the directors to provide a list of potential “staff to reduce” and broke them down into three categories: low performers with documented discipline issues; people who may be leaving the agency soon due to retirements, resignations or transfers to other agencies; and involuntary terminations.

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State Stories

Elon Musk's SpaceX tosses millions to Texas county

Elon Musk’s SpaceX just poured millions into the rural Texas county where it is planning to build its massive Terafab chip manufacturing plant. The company sent Grimes County a check for $10 million, making good on a deal for an upfront payment as part of a tax abatement agreement it won for the project in June. “I saw the check and they beat the deadline,” County Judge Joe Fauth said. Musk highlighted the payment by sharing a post about it on X. As part of the agreement, which county commissioners approved in early June, the nonrefundable payment was due within 60 days. The county treasurer received the check last week and deposited it Thursday, Fauth said.

The payment shows SpaceX is making good on the deal that waives all county property taxes on the project. In addition to the upfront payment, SpaceX will have to pay $20 million a year thereafter for the 35-year term of the agreement. As part of the deal, SpaceX also secured a tax increment reinvestment zone, which allows revenue generated by increased property values within its boundaries to be spent on improvements inside the zone. Though a Musk-linked company has been snatching up thousands of acres at the site near Gibbons Creek Reservoir and has won county and other tax breaks, Terafab's location has yet to be made official. In late July, Musk hinted that the site of the project, which is a joint venture between SpaceX, xAI, Tesla Inc. and Intel Corp., could be announced soon. SpaceX representatives have said that sites in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada have also been considered and that Terafab was prepared to walk away from Texas if school tax breaks were not approved. In July, Iola Independent School District and Anderson-Shiro Consolidated Independent School District both approved $1.66 billion in breaks under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation program.

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

What another Texas flood revealed about the state’s warning system

One year after several rivers and creeks in central Texas killed 139 people and spurred a statewide push to improve flood warnings, another historic storm tested those changes. This year’s disaster brought at least 12 inches of rain — and as much as 28 — to one dozen counties north and west of San Antonio and destroyed or damaged hundreds of buildings. Yet just three people died. “Here we are a year later, but under incredibly different circumstances,” Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a July 20 press conference. “Last year when we were here, we were grieving. We were in a pall of human loss.” Earlier forecasts, new warning systems, and a public primed by last year’s tragedies saved lives. But the catastrophe also exposed how much work remains, leaving many Texans counting on vigilance and neighbors when the water rises.

Many of those caught in this year’s flood were still mourning those who died in last year’s. The torrents that swept across the Hill Country then came with such speed and ferocity that many people were still asleep as the water crashed into their homes. The scale of the devastation, which included the deaths of 25 girls at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, shocked the nation. It also spurred action. Legislative hearings and investigations revealed failures by Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority that exemplified weaknesses in the state’s flood-warning and emergency management systems. Among them, the county lacked outdoor sirens, even along the most vulnerable stretch of the Guadalupe, and the authority had deferred building the warning system it knew it needed after the state denied funding. The county never activated a federal emergency alert system capable of reaching nearly every cellphone in the area and delayed some local alerts while dispatchers sought supervisory approval. Those shortcomings became central to lawmakers’ push for a more robust warning system across flood-prone communities. During a special late-summer session, lawmakers passed four flood-response bills. Two strengthened safety and licensing requirements at youth camps. Another launched an effort to expand flood-warning systems in 30 counties by identifying flash flood–prone areas that need warning siren systems, including sensors and gauges. The last bill provided $50 million to buy them and another $24 million for a two-year project to dot the Hill Country with more rain gauges, radar, and forecasting tools.

Read this article at Grist - Subscribers Only

'They're not real pastors': As clergy run as Democrats, Republicans question their faith

At last month’s Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, Joe Mitchell, a Republican running for U.S. Congress in the state’s second congressional district, jabbed at his Democratic opponent, state representative the Rev. Lindsay James, saying she “calls herself a pastor.” He then turned to the crowd of conservative evangelical pastors and coined a term he said applies to James, a Presbyterian minister, and other faith-forward Democratic candidates — namely, Lutheran minister the Rev. Sarah Trone Garriott, an Iowa state senator also running for another seat in Congress, and James Talarico, a state senator and Presbyterian seminarian running for U.S. Senate in Texas. “I call them PINOS,” he said, explaining the term is an acronym for “Pastors in Name Only.” “Because they’re not real pastors, right? They don’t profess the true gospel of Jesus Christ,” added Mitchell, who has attended an evangelical church in the past.

It’s the latest in a series of faith-focused attacks that have intensified amid an election cycle featuring a striking number of clergy campaigning as Democrats — and, in recent months, besting their challengers. At least 12 pastors, seminarians and former clergy have run for federal office as Democrats this year, and five have already become the Democratic nominees. Some are even competing against each other: In Iowa, James, who is ordained within the Presbyterian Church (USA), had to beat out another pastor, United Methodist minister the Rev. Clint Twedt-Ball, to win her primary. At least seven current and former pastors, all evangelicals, have also launched campaigns for Congress as Republicans this year, but with less success. Of those seven, only three — Pastor Mark Harris, an incumbent in North Carolina’s 8th district; Pastor John Elleson, who is running in Illinois’ deep-blue 9th district; and Tim Walberg, an incumbent and former pastor in Michigan’s 5th district — ultimately became nominees. Tensions are high in competitive races with clergy candidates, with Republican opponents sometimes even turning to allegations of blasphemy as they hope to capitalize on longstanding divisions within Christianity to eke out victories. That includes Garriott, whose race is rated by The Cook Political Report as one of only 18 “toss-up” House elections in the country; in addition to Mitchell’s “PINO” remarks, Republican officials have referred to Garriott as the “Wicked Witch of Woke.”

Read this article at Religion News Service - Subscribers Only

Spurs CEO defends arena deal after mayor says voters should decide

Days after Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones called for a public vote on the city’s contribution to a $1.3 billion NBA arena, the Spurs put out a letter saying that’s not necessary. The open letter from Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO R.C. Buford doesn’t mention Jones by name, but it is clearly directed at her — and any City Council member who’s on board with her proposal. “The vote has taken place. The commitments have been made. The work is underway,” the letter states. Bexar County voters “made their voices heard” when 52% approved the county’s $311 million contribution to the project last November, Buford said in the letter, which SS&E released Tuesday. The county payment required a public vote because the county will raise its taxes on hotel rooms and rental cars to generate the revenue.

The city’s $489 million contribution, however, needed only a majority of council members to say yes — and seven members did that last August when they approved the draft financing plan for the arena. SS&E agreed to put $500 million toward the arena and pay for any cost overruns. In addition, SS&E will give the city $2.5 million each year under its 30-year arena lease, which amounts to $75 million. That money can be used on projects and programs chosen by City Council. Jones has scoffed at the payment, which she routinely notes would pay for 156 speed bumps a year — 15 for each of the 10 council districts. The city contribution would come from bonds repaid by rising property tax revenue and rent from developers leasing city-owned property to build restaurants, bars and housing around the arena at Hemisfair. Rent from the arena lease and the state’s share of hotel taxes would also help repay the bonds. Buford’s letter says the contribution “comes from visitor-based revenue” and “is legally restricted to venues and tourism-related projects.”

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Marc Whyte: San Antonio has an opportunity to get data center growth right

(San Antonio City Council Member Marc Whyte represents District 10.) San Antonio faces two realities. We need new sources of revenue to support a growing city that deserves more public safety, jobs and infrastructure solutions, and we need to protect our neighborhoods, natural resources and quality of life. The debate over data centers sits squarely at the intersection of those two priorities. The issue isn’t whether we want data centers in San Antonio. They are coming. What we should focus on is establishing the standards necessary to ensure they are good neighbors and responsible consumers of our natural resources. Data centers bring significant private investment, expand our tax base, increase city revenue and create temporary construction jobs along with long-term technical and operational jobs once they are up and running.

As San Antonio faces projected budget shortfalls that could reach hundreds of millions of dollars during the next several years, growing our commercial tax base is no longer simply an economic development goal — it is a fiscal necessity. Every time San Antonio expands its commercial and industrial tax base, more of the cost of running city government is shared by businesses rather than homeowners. That helps reduce pressure on residential property taxpayers while providing additional resources for police, firefighters, streets, parks and libraries. With the positives, however, also come challenges. Gov. Greg Abbott recently directed state regulators to ensure that future data center development includes adequate power generation and water conservation measures. He also supported limiting local tax incentives for these projects, and he was right do so. Those policies reflect an important principle: Large-scale developments should contribute to the infrastructure they rely upon rather than shifting those costs onto existing residents.

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Lina Hidalgo seeks property tax increase for daycare, preschool

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will again ask Commissioners Court to consider a property tax increase to support a daycare and preschool subsidy for some residents, public agenda documents indicate. Hidalgo did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday, and the exact details of the proposal remain unclear. But records state the tax increase would maintain a “portion of critical Harris County early childhood programming” — language that closely mirrors a proposal Hidalgo floated last year that ultimately failed after she brought dozens of kids to court in a bid to pressure her colleagues to support the measure. Commissioners will discuss the proposal Thursday. If approved, the proposed increase would go before voters in November.

The program provides free daycare and preschool to eligible low-income families, and provides professional development and training to childcare providers. As many as 1,000 children can receive free childcare through the program, which currently is funded through December using federal grant dollars. Hidalgo's 2025 proposal would have dedicated a portion of the county's tax revenue to support the initiative indefinitely. The county is facing a $130 million deficit for its coming budget year — similar to the shortfall it faced when Hidalgo made her proposal last August. Nancy Sims, a University of Houston political science lecturer, said a tax hike may face political headwinds. “This is a really complicated issue, and I think it's going to be a tough sell,” Sims said. “Everything that our local governments are experiencing with budgets, so are our local citizens. So asking them to pay one more penny for anything is going to need to be seriously thought out.” More than 90,000 children in Harris County are on a waitlist for subsidized childcare, according to a fact sheet

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More than 8,400 San Antonio students will use private school vouchers

At least 8,405 students who live in San Antonio school districts will use the state’s new voucher program, according to data released Monday by the Texas Comptroller, who oversees the initiative. These students are among the 85,434 statewide to receive some of the $1 billion from the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, an education program that gives families public funds for private education costs including tuition at private schools, learning supplies and therapy. More than 2,200 students living in Northside Independent School District will use a voucher, making it one of the top Texas districts with students claiming TEFA funds.

Other San Antonio-area districts with a large number of students using the vouchers include North East and San Antonio ISDs, with 1,536 and 972 students enrolled, respectively. The data from the comptroller’s office tracks the district where students live but does not list where they previously attended school. The state prioritized awarding TEFA money to children with disabilities from low- and middle-income households. The next priority group — making up around 80% of all TEFA recipients — is children from families with incomes at or below two times the federal poverty level, which is $66,000 for a family of four. The TEFA program gives students with disabilities up to $30,000 annually. Other students can get up to $10,500 for private schooling and $2,000 for homeschooling. Parents can only use the funds to pay for state-approved private education costs. Monday’s data reflects the number of students whose parents have claimed or used their awards. Of the program’s 274,000 applicants, 90.5% were eligible for the funding, and 31.1% received funding. About 121,000 students are on a waiting list.

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Families brace for change as Third Future reboots two struggling Waco schools

Laneisha Latimer has heard about the strict way Third Future Schools plans to run South Waco Elementary School, where her son is starting as a fourth grader. School begins Tuesday at South Waco and Dean Highland elementary schools under the control of the charter school operator Waco Independent School District chose to turn them around. Latimer learned in May how tightly scheduled her son’s day will be. He will have to walk in silence in between one-minute transitions. Several times per class period he will have to demonstrate through writing or peer discussions that he understands the lesson.

And he and his classmates will have 10 more instructional days than their Waco ISD peers, who start next week. So far, so good, Latimer says. Latimer believes the additional rules and structure will work for her son, Landon, who has struggled with behavior and academics. “It would take away a lot of distraction,” Latimer said. ”First of all, when the kids are loud, when they don’t have any structure like it’s been from my point of view. … Then the kids tend to get out of control when they’re able to talk in the hallway, then that causes arguments.” Waco ISD is among the latest Texas districts to choose Third Future Schools to take control of campuses with a record of failing under the state’s accountability system. South Waco Elementary had four years of failing grades under the A-F system and Dean Highland had three. The next round of accountability rates are due next week, reflecting the 2025-26 academic year. A fifth consecutive failing grade at any single school could trigger a state takeover of the whole district. But under state law, the third-party agreement protects Waco ISD from intervention for two years.

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House Democrats add 12 GOP seats, including Texas seat, to offensive target list

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), House Democrats’ campaign arm, on Wednesday announced it is adding 12 more Republican-held and leaning seats to its offensive target list — including seats held by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), the chair of the DCCC’s GOP counterpart, the National Republican Congressional Committee. The 12 new “Districts in Play” for the 2026 cycle bring the DCCC’s total number of offensive target seats to 58, nearly all of which have been rated as Solid Republican by the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper. President Trump won all of the new additions by double digits in 2024, though some of them saw Democrats performing well in previous cycles.

Those new additions include three Republican-held open seats, with no incumbent running: Rep. Mark Amoedi (R-Nev.) is retiring from Nevada’s rural northern 2nd Congressional District; Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) opted against reelection in New York’s upstate 21st District; former Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) resigned and ended his reelection bid for Texas’s 23rd District border seat, which is rated Likely R by Cook. The DCCC also put Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, a seat that is newly Republican as a result of partisan redistricting that is being vacated by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), on its pickup list. In Colorado, the DCCC is targeting not only Boebert — who last cycle moved across the state to run in a safer GOP seat after only narrowly winning reelection in 2022 — but also Rep. Jeff Hurd, who represents the rural southwestern corner of the state. Trump won North Carolina’s central 9th District held by Hudson, the NRCC chair, by 16 points in 2024 — but Democrats are encouraged by their nominee in the district, veteran Richard Ojeda, who when he ran for Congress in 2018 in West Virginia performed 20 points better than Hillary Clinton did in 2016.

Read this article at The Hill - Subscribers Only

Texas A&M System sued over limits on race, gender teachings

A group of professors filed a federal lawsuit Monday to block the Texas A&M University System from implementing its policies that limit how faculty members can discuss race, gender and sexual orientation in the classroom. Under the policy, Texas A&M professors cannot teach courses that “advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity” without prior approval. Four professors and the national American Association of University Professors argue the policies, first introduced in November by the Texas A&M Board of Regents, are unconstitutional and violate their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

“The First Amendment plainly prohibits this egregious attack on academic freedom at a public university,” said Emerson Sykes, senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, in a news release. “This broad policy and the university’s opaque enforcement process makes it impossible to teach or to learn freely and endangers course content about everything from the history of slavery to Shakespeare to the hard sciences.” A spokesperson for the Texas A&M University System described the lawsuit Tuesday as "without merit." "The System will vigorously defend its policies and procedures," spokesperson Chris Bryan said in a statement. "The A&M System remains focused on the important work of supporting our students and fulfilling our duty to the state." Monday’s suit is the second major legal challenge brought against a Texas university system over increased restrictions around what can be taught. In July, the national AAUP chapter sued the Texas Tech University System over its policies.

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Data centers use lots of water and power, but Texas officials don't know exactly how much

The high transmission line that bisects Torrie Martin’s ranch hums subtly. Occasionally the frequency changes to a droning buzz that ends in a pop. “?You can actually hear the power plant right now,” Martin said. “It's been pretty loud the last few years.” The Vistra Hays Power Plant is directly across the street from Martin's property. It generates around 990 megawatts of power, enough to power 250,000 homes. This facility is considerably larger than Austin’s biggest power plant — Sand Hill Energy Center — which generates 595 megawatts. The proximity to the power station makes Martin’s neighborhood a desirable place to build data centers. Data centers need a lot of power to operate, and, depending on how they’re cooled, a lot of water too. As more and more data center developers submit proposals to build in Texas, questions about how they’ll impact Texas’ grid and contribute to drought conditions across the state are widespread.

So much so, that Gov. Greg Abbott effectively ordered a pause on all data center projects looking to connect to the grid until officials get a better grasp on the amount of resources they will use. For Martin, these concerns aren’t just hypothetical. A year ago, a developer approached the city of San Marcos with a request to build a data center behind her ranch. She and many other residents of the city opposed it. “?I love San Marcos,” Martin said. “This is my home, and so I'm just standing up for it.” Martin grew up on the ranch in Hays County where she now tends to a herd of horses. She said, in this rural part of the county, power and water outages aren’t uncommon. “We do have brownouts kind of regularly and we get our water shut off at least twice a month, usually [for] two or three hours, sometimes more,” Martin said. A brownout is a reduction in power availability. It can cause lights to flicker and appliances like washing machines or microwaves to run sluggishly or make weird noises. Repetitive brownouts put extra strain on machines and can shorten their lifespan.

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Suzanne Bellsnyder: Don't leave rural Texas behind

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I watched a documentary about President Theodore Roosevelt. I have always been intrigued by Roosevelt, and his “Man in the Arena” speech on courage is one I return to when I need a reminder of why engaging in the political arena matters, even when doing so is difficult. More than a century ago, the country was rapidly shifting from a nation of farms and small towns to one of growing cities, factories and industry. As Americans left rural communities for urban opportunity, Roosevelt worried that something valuable might be lost in the rush toward progress. “There are no two public questions of more vital importance to the future of this country,” Roosevelt said, “than the problem of conservation and the problem of the betterment of country life.” Roosevelt understood that conservation was about more than protecting forests, rivers and wildlife. It was also about preserving the communities that had cared for those places for generations.

Over the past year, I have written about school vouchers, data centers, property taxes, the state budget and local control. Each of those debates raises a larger question about the direction Texas is heading and what that future will mean for the people who call rural Texas home. Too often, conversations about rural Texas begin with what we lack. Some communities have lost population. Hospitals have closed. Main Streets are quieter than they once were, and young people often leave to pursue careers elsewhere. Those challenges are real, but they do not mean rural Texas needs to be rescued from itself. Many of us live here because we choose to. Others are the fourth, fifth or sixth generation to care for the same ranch or farm. We stay not because it is the easiest place to make a living, but because it is where we find purpose. There is value in knowing your neighbors, supporting your local school, serving your church, volunteering at the fire department and believing your children and grandchildren might someday want to come home. That isn’t nostalgia. It’s a culture worth protecting.

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National Stories

Trump White House readies AI framework to review security risks

In a meeting on Tuesday with top artificial intelligence companies, White House officials said the federal government planned to review only certain types of artificial intelligence models for potential security risks and not others, according to four people familiar with the discussions. The A.I. models the government plans to review are known as “closed” models, which do not publish their underlying code and are made by companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, according to three of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details of the meeting were private. The administration does not plan to review “open source” A.I. models, which have computer code available to the public to download and modify, although that could change as the technology advances, the people said.

The moves are an effort by the Trump administration to take a more hands-on approach to regulating A.I., and they formalize oversight of leading A.I. labs like OpenAI and Anthropic. But they delay addressing some of the most pressing regulatory issues with the technology, including potential threats posed by increasingly powerful open-source models made by Chinese companies. The decision to exclude open-source models could also be a boon for companies that are trying to catch up to Anthropic and OpenAI, which are widely considered leaders in developing next-generation A.I. Some companies, like Meta, have used open-source software to create products to directly compete with the two leading start-ups. The framework, which comes after months of private discussions between administration officials and a handful of the world’s most consequential tech companies, is likely to shape the global A.I. race. Companies have long decided largely on their own whether to give the public access to the latest advances or to withhold them over concerns about safety and security. Now, the United States will have a greater opportunity to weigh in, potentially giving the government the ability to slow down the rollout of the technology.

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Inside the Oval Office showdown between Trump and Jeanine Pirro

Jeanine Pirro had had it up to here with Doug Burgum. The famously voluble U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia strode into the Oval Office late Monday with her future on the line and the interior secretary, whom she privately called an incompetent liar, in her cross hairs. A few hours earlier — in front of the cameras, from the Resolute Desk — President Trump had accused Ms. Pirro, an ally and friend from New York going back decades, of “folding like an umbrella” and “choking” after she withdrew charges against a man accused of destroying the lining of his beloved but shoddily renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Why was he so angry at her? Because Ms. Pirro had dared to publicly demolish one of his most cherished narratives, promoted by Mr. Burgum, that vandals — and not a contractor hired by the Interior Department to do a rushed job — had defaced a Washington landmark.

Mr. Trump raged against Ms. Pirro in private on Monday. Then he raged a little to reporters. Rumors she would be fired burbled through West Wing. Then he raged a little bit more before hosting a high-drama, face-to-face meeting with Ms. Pirro at the White House worthy of two decorated veterans of confrontational reality TV. Mr. Burgum had been invited too, so Ms. Pirro came prepared. She entered the White House from the West Executive driveway in a bright red blazer that matched her fight-back mood, schlepping a white box containing evidence, plus a black box with documents, on wheels. Waiting for her in the Oval Office, along with the president: Mr. Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and David Warrington, the White House counsel. After about an hour of intense back-and-forth, Ms. Pirro emerged with her job intact, for now. Speaking to reporters during a trip to the West Coast on Tuesday evening, Mr. Trump said he had told Ms. Pirro he was “not happy” with her filing and was still weighing her future. “I haven’t made a determination,” he said when asked if Ms. Pirro’s job was safe. During the meeting on Monday, Ms. Pirro, her voice raised at times, directly confronted Mr. Burgum, accusing him of misleading the president. She made the case that Mr. Burgum had promoted a self-serving cover story to conceal his own missteps. Mr. Burgum spoke less, but did his best to defend himself, according to a person briefed on the exchange requesting anonymity to discuss internal conversations.

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Wesley Bell defeats anti-AIPAC challenge from Cori Bush

The pro-Israel lobby showed its sustained power in a high-profile House primary Tuesday, with Rep. Wesley Bell staving off a grassroots primary challenge from former representative Cori Bush amid a crescendo of criticism against Israel within the party. AIPAC, whose political arm spent millions to support him and oppose Bush, kept Bell on course for a second term in the heavily Democratic district. Tuesday’s race was a rematch of the 2024 primary, where the pro-Israel lobby spent $9 million to unseat Bush over her criticisms of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip. Bush cast Bell as an ineffective lawmaker who catered to the pro-Israel lobby, but Bell succeeded in pushing back on her grassroots campaign, highlighting Bush’s past personal controversies. Bell’s victory interrupted a run of wins by Democratic candidates critical of Israel and AIPAC’s political influence. Israel-critical candidates who have denounced political spending by the pro-Israel lobby have won in high-profile primaries in New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Bush expressed optimism going into Tuesday’s election that Democrats’ changing views of Israel and AIPAC had improved her prospects from two years ago. “I was pretty much isolated ... because people were afraid that they would have problems if they associated with me,” Bush said, recalling the 2024 race. “Having so much money spent from AIPAC and those other groups against a Democrat, it made some Democrats feel like, well, I don’t want that ire coming my way.” Democratic lawmakers have increasingly shown willingness to break with their party’s long-standing support for Israel. Nearly half of all House Democrats voted last month to cut off military aid to Israel — an unthinkable position for the overwhelming majority of the party only two years ago. Progressives assert the number would be higher were it not for campaign spending by the pro-Israel lobby, especially with nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters wanting to curtail aid to Israel, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll last month. AIPAC, the preeminent pro-Israel lobbying group, has been particularly subject to left-wing attacks.

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Authorities arrested a man with ammo and apparently monitoring security at Trump golf course near LA

A man carrying ammunition and with a gun in his car was arrested Sunday at President Donald Trump's Los Angeles-area golf course after appearing to monitor security preparations two days ahead of Trump's fundraiser there, authorities said Tuesday. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Jeanine John Taele, 38, was taking photos and video and had a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket. Authorities recovered a loaded pistol in his car. Law enforcement searched his home in the nearby city of Downey on Monday and found a plethora of firearms, magazines and ammunition, body armor and notebooks with "concerning statements."

The sheriff's department announced the arrest as Trump was preparing to arrive for a fundraising dinner for the Republican National Committee at the Trump National Golf Course in the suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes just south of Los Angeles. Taele was charged with several felonies including second-degree robbery, receiving a large-capacity magazine and possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun. He was also charged with carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, a misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges Monday and was ordered to stay away from the golf course and not possess weapons. His bail was set at $250,000. It wasn't clear if he had an attorney, and family members could not immediately be reached for comment. The sheriff's department said when they made contact with Taele on Sunday, they had determined he was being investigated by the El Segundo Police Department for robbery.

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At least 12 states face cyberattacks on their water systems, sources say

Possible cyber intrusions targeting water and wastewater utilities have now been reported in at least a dozen states, multiple sources told ABC News. Iran is the prime suspect in the cyberattacks, which can blind utility operators by changing passwords or disabling alarms, according to the sources, though its involvement has not been officially confirmed. There have been no widespread disruptions to water supplies or wastewater treatment so far, sources said. The FBI is urging utilities to disconnect systems from the internet where possible, use systems with breakers and become familiar with reverting to manual controls if automated systems are compromised.

In Michigan -- one of the states affected -- state police said they are monitoring the situation and coordinating with federal partners. The Michigan State Police said they are working with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to communicate with municipal water systems across the state and encourage facilities using the affected software to secure their systems and follow applicable cybersecurity guidance. "All systems continued to operate safely, issues were addressed by local operators, and there are no known impacts that posed a public health concern," the Michigan State Police said, citing information from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The Michigan State Police said the FBI is leading the investigation and referred additional questions to the bureau.

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Rand Paul’s Fauci diary dump exposed peoples’ medical histories

Anthony Fauci’s diary included the names and medical information of people he came into contact with as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, including people with cancer, Ebola or HIV. Sen. Rand Paul’s office published Fauci’s diary entries without redacting those sensitive details. The documents expose more than 20 individuals by name along with their medical histories, a NOTUS review found. Paul published over 1,600 pages of Fauci’s diaries last week ahead of Fauci’s appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, after obtaining the documents from the Department of Health and Human Services. The initial document dump was unredacted. Days later, those files were removed and replaced with partial redactions to some, but not all, of the personal medical information.

The unredacted entries have raised legal questions around how the Health Department disclosed these documents to the Senate. Several of the individuals named in the documents said they were unaware their medical history had been made public and expressed concerns around their personal privacy. “What this administration does with information is selective, it is unconstitutional and truly disappointing,” Leslie Adelman, one of the individuals whose medical information was revealed in the documents, told NOTUS in a text message. Adelman said she was “pretty offended that my name and public health information have been shared to the world.” NOTUS is only publishing the names of the private individuals who have given direct approval to appear in this story. Fauci’s diary entries remain accessible with some redactions on Paul’s Senate office website. Paul, who has long called for Fauci to be jailed for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, has suggested that the documents reveal that Fauci thought the COVID-19 virus emerged from a lab. The senator continues to promote the documents on social media.

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Lead Stories

Gov. Greg Abbott pauses new data centers until energy, water usage audit is completed

New data centers won’t be able to connect to the Texas power grid until state regulators complete a comprehensive audit of these facilities, following a directive from Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday. In a letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Abbott called on the agencies to collect information on water and power usage at these facilities and to pause data centers’ ability to connect to the grid until the audit is complete. “Our top priority is to protect Texans’ safety and quality of life,” Abbott said in the letter. “That includes providing affordable energy, maintaining a reliable electric grid, preserving water for our communities, and championing Texas values. Those priorities can, and must, be achieved while also creating the jobs and providing the economic opportunity that comes with our national leadership in technological innovation and investment.”

ERCOT says large energy consumers are requesting 474 gigawatts of power — more than five times the amount of energy used to power the entire state during record-breaking demand. About 90% of those requests are from data centers. It’s the latest correspondence between the governor and the state’s energy agencies, who are grappling with how to regulate the fastest-growing data center market in the country. And it comes as data centers have faced increasing public scrutiny across the political spectrum. Earlier this summer, Abbott directed the commission to take action to ensure that data centers lower residents’ energy bills when facilities connect to the grid and require data centers to pay for the costs of their electric infrastructure. The governor also directed the commission and ERCOT, which operates the state’s electricity grid, to review their authority and “identify actions that can be taken under those authorities to safeguard Texans, their property, and resources.” PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson responded to the governor’s letter last month, outlining the steps the two agencies had already taken to prepare for an influx of data centers to the state. Most of the policies began before the governor’s directive and were undertaken in response to a state law passed in the 2025 legislative session.

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Blanche wins backing from Sens. Cornyn and Tillis after rescinding anti-weaponization fund

In a push to move his confirmation to the role forward, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche late Sunday formally rescinded the Justice Department's controversial $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund." The Trump administration's effort to potentially compensate allies of the president and Jan. 6 rioters was holding up Blanche's confirmation on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Two members of the panel who are both leaving Congress — John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — said they wanted written assurances the fund was dead. The announcement appeared to appease their concerns, as the two senators released a statement on Monday saying they "look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon."

With the rescindment, Blanche said he was formalizing in writing his testimony before the committee that the fund would not move forward. He said that no members were appointed to direct the fund, no funds were transferred and no claims were paid in connection with the effort tied to the May deal with the Internal Revenue Service. In a second, unsigned statement, the Justice Department clarified the scope of audit protections announced in May that shielded Trump, his family and his companies from any tax audits or enforcement for prior tax returns. The statement said those protections only apply retroactively. "My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions. We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regards to the May IRS settlement," Blanche said in a statement on X. "The Department always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress."

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‘Making too much money’: Trump blasts Exxon Mobil, Chevron profits

President Donald Trump turned up the heat on Exxon Mobil and Chevron over high gasoline prices on Monday, blasting his longtime industry allies for “making too much money” while Americans struggle with higher prices at the pump. Oil majors have reported bumper quarterly earnings, buoyed by higher crude prices caused by the supply disruptions in the Middle East and the soaring profit margins for refineries. That has put targets on the backs of companies as the Trump administration faces mounting pressure to show it is working to bring down high gas prices ahead of the midterm elections. “Based on a shortage, they’re making too much money,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday. “I don’t like it, and I should be the last one to say because I’m a big free enterprise guy — nobody bigger.”

Trump specifically called out the two biggest U.S. oil producers by name after both reported strong earnings on Friday. “Chevron, too much money. Exxon Mobil, too much, too much money,” Trump said. “They ought to give some of that back to the public, and they better cut the retail price, the consumer price.” The average U.S. retail gasoline price has hovered near $4.10 a gallon for the past week, up from less than $3 before the United States and Israel launched their attacks against Iran in February. In late June, Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate big oil companies for not bringing gasoline prices down fast enough as crude oil prices weakened. Pump prices are generally set by the retailers, often sole proprietors, who own gas stations, rather than major oil producers. Chevron declined to comment on Trump’s remarks, and Exxon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The two companies’ chief executives warned in earnings calls Friday that a shortage of refining capacity could keep gasoline prices high through the fall.

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Manufacturing survey shows inflation worries ‘worse than pandemic era,’ adding to Fed pressure

A burst in factory activity shows the U.S. economy may be escaping the burden of tariffs and gaining manufacturing jobs, while at the same time laboring under the geopolitical uncertainty that some industry leaders say is worse than the Covid pandemic. In its July survey of the manufacturing landscape, the Institute for Supply Manufacturing reported the fastest pace of growth in more than four years — a 55.6 reading that was the best since May 2022 and above Wall Street expectations for 54.0. The index measures the percentage of companies reporting growth, so anything above 50 represents expansion. Leading the way were strong gains in new export orders, backlogs and a 6.3-point spike in production.

At the same time, the employment gauge hit its highest since August 2022 and marked an expansion for the first time in 33 months, ISM officials said. But concerns lurked beneath the surface of an otherwise positive report. The prices index edged lower, but only to 71.1, indicating that nearly three-quarters of all respondents reported that prices were heading still higher, the 22nd straight month that has happened. Moreover, the commentary pointed to a highly volatile environment in which purchasing managers were struggling to stay ahead of events like the Iran war and tariffs. “No normalcy in sight in the world of metals,” an executive in the primary metals sector said. “It makes me yearn for the coronavirus pandemic chaos, which was more manageable than whatever this is that we are in.” A manager in the electrical equipment, appliances and components industry voiced similar concerns. “The pricing volatility and lead-time extensions in this market are arguably worse than the pandemic era,” the respondent said. “During Covid-19, we saw a surge of price hikes and inventory buy-ups, which caused constraints that eventually leveled out.” This time around, “We are seeing nothing but consistent upward trends for both pricing and lead times that show no signs of slowing down,” the manager said.

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State Stories

Federal relief for Kerrville's second round of flooding slowed

July 16 flooding damage to Kerrville has hit $55 million, but federal disaster relief is not triggered until that figure reaches $60 million, according to a high-ranking city official. Assistant Kerrville City Manager Michael Hornes recently briefed the Kerrville City Council on damage and recovery efforts following the flood, the second in a year to hit the city. He said he believed damage may reach $60 million dollars from this year's flood, but urged residents to be patient this go-around, reminding them of the much heavier devastation in the July 4, 2025, flooding, especially the associated 117 deaths within the county. Due to the terrible scale of the first flood, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump were able to move fast on disaster declarations, he said.

"Last year, it went so fast. I think the expectation from folks is ... why isn't it going to go this fast again," he told the city council. "Because it doesn't go this fast. There're sad, sad reasons why it was that fast last year. So, I know ... no one wants to hear it, but please be patient." The July flood this year claimed the lift of 65-year-old John Steward when his mobile home was swept away. Hornes told the council more than 800 homes within the city were reported damaged, destroyed, or affected by flood survivors. He said some of those reports appear inflated due to duplicated storm reporting. The Texas Department of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency have been able to validate or certify more than 600 of those reports. Hornes said the second flood hit some homes already being repaired from last year's Fourth of July flooding. He said much flood debris has been removed, and dumpsters are being set up across the city for residents to help speed up that effort.

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Apollo Global Management confirms plans for HQ2 in Austin

Private capital firm Apollo Global Management has confirmed it's heading to downtown Austin, and there are indications its workforce here will be in the hundreds if not thousands. The New York-based financial giant on Aug. 3 announced the move, weeks after the Financial Times reported that the company chose Austin for the HQ2 over two Florida locations. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office issued an announcement calling Apollo's new Austin location a "strategic hub." Absent from the announcement was a location. But Apollo has tapped brokers from Newmark Group Inc. to lead its search, several sources told the Austin Business Journal. Apollo (NYSE: APO) is said to be looking downtown, and at least initially was looking for 250,000 square feet of office space.

A representative for Apollo on Aug. 3 said the company aims to finalize a long-term location in downtown Austin "in the next few months." In the meantime, Apollo has already set up an initial short-term office at the 300 Colorado tower. The representative also added that future growth for the company will be in Austin but will not materially impact New York operations. Representatives for Newmark said on July 31 they can't discuss anything related to Apollo "at this time," citing a matter of company policy. Apollo setting up locally is a major economic win for the Texas capital and its office market. The firm is a high-growth global asset manager that had about $1.03 trillion of assets under management as of March 31. “Austin lets us build the next generation of Apollo ... including challenger models for parts of our own business, with the talent, technology, and business environment already in place," Apollo CEO Marc Rowan said in the announcement. "That's why we chose Austin and Texas.” Other factors cited by the company include the presence of Fortune 500 companies in Texas, primarily in the hard-tech, chipmaking and defense technology sectors, along with the state's plethora of energy and infrastructure companies – all factors that "align with our thesis for the ongoing global industrial renaissance," Apollo officials said. Wherever Apollo lands, the bulk of the firm’s new hires will be housed in the new office, FT previously reported. Exact job creation numbers for the project were not initially announced.

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Dallas Morning News Editorial: Texas, keep politics out of college admissions tests

Texas’ higher education board is considering expanding the use of an alternative to the SAT and ACT, the Classic Learning Test, in public university admissions. The “traditional” admissions test has been labeled as being favored by conservatives and is accepted at the U.S. military academies, the Florida public school system and a handful of other schools, largely private religious universities. While it’s worth studying the test and evaluating alternatives to the College Board and ACT duopoly that has its grip on college admissions, the political framing attached to the CLT is exactly what Texas should avoid.

College campuses have become increasingly polarized and hostile toward students and faculty who present viewpoints inconsistent with what has been accepted in higher education spaces, but college admissions tests should be about predicting students’ success, not politics. The test uses reading passages from classical and historical texts. In contrast, the SAT and ACT typically use shorter, more contemporary reading passages. In a letter, Texas’ higher education commissioner wrote that the SAT, ACT and CLT “are of sufficient rigor and reliability” to be used in college admissions. This isn’t the complete picture. An independent study from the Texas A&M Public Policy Research Institute found all three tests met the threshold for continued consideration, but the CLT is “less mature than SAT and ACT for statewide high-stakes Texas admissions use." That’s not to say the CLT couldn’t evaluate students just as well as the SAT or ACT, but it’s too early to tell, and the potential for the test to be used in admissions by 2028 is presumptuous.

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A Texas-led federal lawsuit could affect disability rights. Here's why advocates are concerned

Disability rights advocates are urging Texas to withdraw from a federal lawsuit they say could weaken the protections that allow disabled people to live in their communities instead of institutions. The Texas-led lawsuit is questioning the constitutionality of the integration mandate — a requirement in the Americans with Disabilities Act that generally requires public entities to provide services to people with disabilities in the way least disruptive to their lives, according to Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo, director of public policy and advocacy at The Arc of Texas, a disability rights advocacy group. “[The integration mandate] means that people with disabilities should have the opportunity to live in the community and receive services in the community when appropriate, and not be unnecessarily separated or forced into institutions,” Gonzalez Saucedo said. “This is all about being in the least segregated environment.”

Disability rights advocates and politicians gathered at the Texas Capitol in July to denounce the state’s involvement in the lawsuit. ADAPT of Texas, a grassroots disability rights group, hosted the rally. Attendees were encouraged to call Attorney General Ken Paxton's office to urge Texas to withdraw from the lawsuit. Paxton, who is the lead plaintiff in the case, did not respond to requests for comment. Ron Cranston, a longtime ADAPT volunteer, became quadriplegic at 19 after a spinal cord injury. Now 70, he said he has watched disability rights ebb and flow over the decades and believes Texas v. Kennedy poses a serious threat to disabled people's ability to remain in their homes and communities. “Sometimes we are building the rights and the mechanisms through statute, through programs to make sure that we have our access, we have our support,” Cranston said. “Other times we're just fighting to keep them, and we need to continue to be vigilant. ... Things can change at a moment's notice.” Cranston said that living in his home allows him to maintain independence and family connections, something that would be difficult to preserve if he were placed in an institution. Being able to see his grandchildren regularly is one of the everyday freedoms he worries could be at risk, he said.

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Lawyer for 2 witnesses in Houston ICE shooting faces malpractice suit over man’s deportation

A Houston-area attorney representing two of the witnesses to the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by a federal immigration officer is facing a malpractice lawsuit recently filed by a man who was allegedly deported to Mexico. The lawsuit, which was filed in Somervell County in North Texas in June, claims Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, the attorney, represented Carlos Perez in his "asylum and immigration case," which resulted in Perez's deportation. An attorney for Carlos and Adriena Perez, the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which was first reported by KPRC.

Balderas-Ibarra is also representing Daniel Tirada Pantoja and Jose Trinidad Pliego, two of the men who were in a van driven by Salgado Araujo when he was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on July 7 in Houston. Pliego was released from federal custody last week, while Pantoja and the third witness, Salgado Araujo’s brother Victor Hugo Salgado Araujo, have filed similar petitions for their release from detention. All three of the witnesses are immigrants and have disputed ICE’s claims that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo tried to run over federal agents and was shot in self-defense. The Perezes' lawsuit does not share details of the alleged malpractice in the filing, but asserts "loss of income and earning capacity, suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and household services" as damages. In a court filing, Balderas-Ibarra's attorney argued as such that the lawsuit is insufficient, urging the judge to order the Perezes iterate their complaints or dismiss the lawsuit. Balderas-Ibarra's attorney did not immediately return a request for comment. He is also moving to move the lawsuit out of Somervell County to Harris County.

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About 1K students living in Austin ISD to use private school vouchers

More than 1,000 students who live in Austin Independent School District boundaries will use the state’s new private school voucher program this year, according to data released by the Texas Comptroller on Monday. These students are among the 85,344 students statewide who will participate in the new $1 billion Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, which uses public funds to pay for private education costs, such as tuition or tutoring. The vast majority of the Texas students in the program — 68,000 — are from households that make less than 200% of the federal poverty line, about $66,000 for a family of four.

About 20,700 of the students have a disability and are from families living at or below 500% of the federal poverty line — about $165,000 for a family of four. Close to 13,000 students participating in the voucher program are these students’ siblings. The vouchers provide up to $10,500 for private school tuition annually. Students who receive special education services can receive up to $30,000 per year, while homeschooled students are eligible for up to $2,000 to cover tutoring, course materials or other costs. The comptroller’s data does not track where the TEFA recipients previously went to school, so a student living in Austin ISD boundaries may have been enrolled in a non-district school previously. As of June 10, 57% of the students who were awarded scholarships had previously been enrolled in a private school or homeschooled, not including students in prekindergarten, kindergarten or first grade. A little more than one-third of the 248,712 eligible students who applied for the program won vouchers. About 40.8% of participating students are white, 13.6% are Black and 28.2% are Hispanic, according to comptroller data. On Monday, Comptroller Don Huffines said the program was the third-largest of its kind in the country and had the largest beginning participation. Huffines was sworn in as comptroller on Aug. 1 after Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, who previously oversaw the program, stepped down. Lawmakers approved the controversial program in 2025 after years of unsuccessful attempts to pass a similar initiative. Some teachers and Democrats have criticized the voucher program over concerns that the TEFA diverts funds from public schools and strains traditional districts, many of which are already facing budgetary challenges.

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Texas Republicans campaign with unusual urgency despite decades of dominance

For a party that hasn't lost a statewide race in Texas in more than three decades, the urgency was striking. Top GOP leaders descended last week on one of their strongholds to warn supporters that victory in November wasn't guaranteed. Their message reflected growing concern about turnout and a competitive Senate race between Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. “God is on our side,” said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is seeking reelection against state Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin. “If Texas fails, if we turn blue, America’s through.” Dubbed the Red River Roll Call, the Sherman fundraiser featured Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and several other statewide and congressional candidates.

Organized by state Rep. Shelley Luther of Tom Bean, it was billed as the largest Republican rally ever in Grayson County. A day later, statewide candidates met at the Governor's Mansion to coordinate strategy ahead of the fall campaign. Paxton begins a statewide campaign swing this week with stops in Allen, Houston, McAllen and San Antonio. Republicans have controlled statewide elections since 1994, thanks to their strength in suburbs, small towns and rural areas. By running up vote totals there, Republicans have offset Democrats’ advantage in the larger urban areas. Grayson County overwhelmingly supported President Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024. “If we lose Texas, I have no doubt that the U.S. Senate turns to the Democrats,” Paxton said at the event before calling Talarico a “deceiver” who is trying to hide his record. “We need rural counties to deliver and not be apathetic, because we can lose Texas.” Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder said Republican rallies will not stop his party's momentum. “They suddenly realized what we’ve known and been saying – Democrats are putting together a serious operation to turn out votes and are seriously contending in parts of the state that have been traditionally ignored,” he said. "Frankly, no one wants to vote for their slate because it’s a terrible lineup of self-servers.”

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‘Tough but fair’ and focused on Fort Worth: Peers recall Kay Granger’s service

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker used to tease her former boss, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, that the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” was about the congresswoman. Like Meryl Streep’s character, Miranda Priestly, Granger was hard to work for and wanted to be excellent at all times, said Parker, who was the congresswoman’s campaign manager and district director. Granger was incredibly caring, smart and focused, but tough, Parker said. “I used to joke with Kay, ‘They finally made a movie about you,’ and she’d just [be] like, ‘Hahaha, so funny, so funny,’” Parker recalled Monday. Granger both loved and hated the bit, Parker said. “She kept a really high standard for the people that worked in her office, mostly because — in my opinion — she had come up in politics when it was hard, especially as a woman in Fort Worth and in Texas and then in Washington,” Parker said. “She felt like she had very little room for error and held herself to a very high standard.”

Granger died Sunday at the age of 83, after a trailblazing career that was marked by a flurry of firsts. In 1991, having worked as a teacher and opening an insurance agency, Granger became the first woman to serve as Fort Worth mayor. Before that she served on the zoning commission and on the Fort Worth City Council. Granger won her 12th Congressional District seat in 1996 to become the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House. She would go on to lead the Appropriations Committee, a powerful position where she had sway over defense projects — an issue vital to the economy of North Texas, with Lockheed Martin, Bell and the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth. Granger was the first Republican woman to hold the leadership role. Those who knew Granger remember her as a champion of Fort Worth and a hard-working, no-nonsense, consensus builder in Washington who wasn’t afraid to work across the aisle. “She was truly an old-style public servant, and I admired … that about her,” said former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.

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Scholars say risks outweigh benefits of Texas' new Bible curriculum

As the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) debated this summer whether or not to add the Bible to the state's required reading list, critics argued that asking students to read Bible passages would infuse public schools with Christianity. Supporters, in turn, contended that knowledge of the Bible was key to understanding literature and U.S. history. "When we teach classical literature and social studies with biblical foundations, we are not simply preserving great books," one Lubbock resident told the SBOE as the body approved the changes. "We're helping raise young men and women who love truth, pursue wisdom and recognize God's hand throughout history and human experience Texas Republicans in support of requiring students to read Bible passages have made similar arguments, as well as said that it is important to emphasize America's founding as a "Christian nation."

That echoes similar pushes such as the effort to put the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. But after the SBOE approved adding passages like Matthew 6:25-34 or the parable of Jonah and the Whale, the argument that teaching the Bible wasn't such a bad idea found purchase outside of Texas Republican spheres. A Houston Chronicle op-ed argued that "Teaching the Bible in Texas schools is good, actually." A piece in The Atlantic magazine by Adam Kirsch declared that "The Bible Belongs in the Classroom." "Texas' decision to start teaching Bible stories—like its requirement to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, which the state legislature approved last year—is clearly meant to send a political message," Kirsch writes. "But regardless of your political or religious beliefs, there are good reasons to agree that the Bible should be part of young people's education." It's a thought-provoking question argument. After all, as Kirsch points out, countless classics of American literature contain references to the Bible, and Biblical context is helpful when understanding historical documents written during our nation's founding.

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How North Texas campaign stops reveal key differences in Talarico and Paxton bids for U.S. Senate

On a recent stop in North Texas, James Talarico stood on a shallow stage in the center of the crowded auditorium at Disciple Central Community Church in DeSoto, a city with a Black population of around 68%. It was his second stop in his race for U.S. Senate focused on reaching the state's Black voters — a group that has expressed lingering hesitation toward the 37-year-old state representative from Austin. For nearly an hour and a half, he answered questions from voters in an effort to connect with a demographic that will play a key role in November's midterm election. Left unmentioned: his opponent, state Attorney General Ken Paxton. "I don't want any Texan to vote for me because they don't want Ken Paxton as their next U.S. senator," Talarico told the press after the event. "I was here making my case. I'm not here talking about Ken Paxton."

Less than a day later, just 35 miles away, Paxton took a different approach. At the Texas Sheriffs Association annual conference in Fort Worth, the Republican was flanked by 22 sheriffs in front of a podium plastered with a mock-up mugshot of his Democratic opponent, who he said has "one of the most anti-law enforcement records in the history of Texas." "He's trying to distance himself from positions he's previously embraced," he said. "He's going to say he supports law enforcement. But what he won't tell you is the rest of the story." As November's midterm election draws closer, the race to be Texas' next U.S. senator is heating up — and though Talarico and Paxton vie for same seat, their campaigns fight different battles. While Talarico courts Black voters, a group that largely supported U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the primaries, Paxton looks to the moderate conservatives who preferred sitting U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in May's runoff election. While Talarico claims he’s moving away from negative campaigning, Paxton has embraced it. And while Talarico travels the state making stop after stop, Paxton's appearances have been rare and brief.

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Federal HIV funding changes threaten services in San Antonio and Texas

HIV prevention and treatment organizations in San Antonio and across Texas face uncertainty as the Trump administration redirects federal grants and proposes significant reductions in public-health spending. The administration recently decided not to renew approximately $46 million in direct Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants to 96 community organizations. The money supports HIV testing, outreach, connections to treatment and referrals for PrEP and PEP—medications that prevent infection. Federal officials plan to route funding through state and local health departments, arguing that local agencies can better determine community needs.

Advocates warn that states are not required to continue supporting existing organizations, which often have trusted relationships with people who might not visit government clinics. The potential consequences have already surfaced in San Antonio. In 2025, the San Antonio AIDS Foundation temporarily suspended free HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing after Texas officials told contractors to pause federally funded work while awaiting CDC guidance. Testing resumed, but the disruption demonstrated how funding delays can quickly affect patients. BEAT AIDS, the Alamo Area Resource Center, Metro Health and other local providers also offer testing, outreach, housing assistance and connections to care. Congress rejected most of the administration’s proposed fiscal 2026 HIV reductions, preserving major CDC and Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs. However, the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund was cut by $4 million. The White House’s fiscal 2027 proposal would eliminate roughly $800 million in core CDC HIV-prevention funding, although Congress will determine final spending. Health advocates warn that reduced testing and outreach could leave infections undiagnosed. Effective treatment can suppress HIV to an undetectable level, protecting patients’ health and preventing sexual transmission.

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National Stories

25 states sue over Trump’s new tariffs, calling them ‘pretext’ to replace his old ones

Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat. “After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Joining New York in the lawsuit announced Monday are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Trump, who argues that high tariffs will revive American manufacturing, last year overturned decades of U.S. policy that favored lower tariffs and ever-freer trade. Invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, he imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country, saying America’s longstanding trade deficit amounted to a national emergency. But the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize tariffs. The decision forced the administration to send refunds to importers that had paid the tariffs. Eager to make up the lost revenue, Trump turned to temporary 10% worldwide tariffs. But they expired at midnight July 24. Now he’s tapping more durable tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in unfair trade practices. Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his first term, and they survived court challenges.

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Oil giant Saudi Aramco reports 33% profit surge, despite Iran War disruptions

Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, on Tuesday reported a 33 percent increase in profit despite severe disruptions to its supply routes caused by the war in the Middle East. The company said it earned $33.4 billion in adjusted net income in April through June, versus $25.2 billion in the same quarter last year. Oil companies have reported multibillion-dollar windfalls for the second quarter because the war has driven energy prices higher. By some measures, Aramco’s quarterly profit was the biggest since 2022. The performance underscores the strength of Saudi Arabia’s state-owned energy giant, which has scrambled to find new export paths for its oil. The United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Since then Tehran has effectively paralyzed vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil and gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia quickly redirected more than 70 percent of its oil through a pipeline from its eastern fields to western port terminals on the Red Sea.

That allowed Aramco to continue to export millions of barrels per day. The company produced the equivalent of 9.5 million barrels of oil per day in the second quarter, down sharply from 12.6 million barrels in the previous quarter. But it sold that oil for an average of $108 per barrel, a big jump from about $77 per barrel in the first quarter of the year. Amin H. Nasser, the company’s chief executive, called the past months “one of the most challenging ever in the history of Saudi Aramco.” On a call with investors he credited the pipeline in part with allowing Aramco to limit supply losses. But now that alternative route, through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, has also become dangerous. On July 20, the Houthis, an Iran-aligned militia in Yemen, declared a blockade on Saudi vessels transiting the Red Sea. The Houthis have claimed attacks on several ships since then. Much of Saudi Arabi’s oil exports have now rerouted through Egypt, though tankers there have been vulnerable to drone strikes. The Saudi defense ministry said last week the country is forming a military coalition to protect Red Sea shipping from further attacks.

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Pirro meets with Trump at the White House after he said she ‘choked’ in reflecting pool case

President Trump met with Jeanine Pirro at the White House on Monday, hours after saying that she had “choked” when she concluded that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was not the work of vandals, as the president has claimed. Ms. Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., arrived at the White House on Monday afternoon and was taken to meet with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting. She was not fired by Mr. Trump, nor did she offer her resignation in that meeting, according to two people briefed on the outcome. Doug Burgum, the interior secretary, was also at the White House when she arrived. Mr. Burgum has in recent days joined Mr. Trump in railing against Ms. Pirro’s decision to drop charges against David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist who was accused of pulling up a two-square-foot piece of the pool’s lining.

Both men assert that the damage to the pool has been the work of vandals and not “the result of a botched installation and not vandalism,” as Ms. Pirro indicated in a Friday court filing. The decision to drop the charges set Ms. Pirro — a longtime ally and loyal appointee of a president — on a collision course with Mr. Trump, who has made sure to inflict consequences on people within his orbit who contradict his claims. In her filing, Ms. Pirro openly undermined Mr. Trump’s narrative that the Reflecting Pool’s peeling liner was caused by people slashing its coating with knives. Speaking earlier Monday in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump grew angry when asked whether he had spoken with Ms. Pirro about her decision. He went on to say that he believed that Ms. Pirro was intimidated by an “unfriendly” and “vicious” judge while pursuing a vandalism charge, and he lashed out at a reporter when asked whether he was reconsidering her role. He later ignored a question directly asking whether he was considering firing her.

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How Democratic Socialists are wrestling with their next moves

When a leader of the Democratic Socialists of America recently appeared on “Fox News Sunday” and enthusiastically affirmed the group’s platform — including goals such as eliminating the U.S. Senate and working toward abolishing prisons — Democratic strategists wrung their hands and Republicans licked their lips. Acknowledging such aims, both parties predicted, could hinder progressive candidates and other Democrats painted with an extremist brush in the midterm elections. At the D.S.A.’s national summit in Chicago over the weekend, many democratic socialists who had seen the Fox interview felt something different: pride. “You’re going to have to constantly push and advocate for things that people don’t think, until they think it,” said Chanpreet Singh, a D.S.A. leader from Seattle.

Hundreds of members of the group, the country’s largest socialist organization, gathered here at a moment of surging political influence, some wearing bright red shirts, swapping labor-strike tips with their “comrades,” sharing voter turnout strategies and admiring far-left merchandise (guillotine earrings, “Land Lords Suck” pins and red roses, a symbol of the group). Many dismissed the notion that their positions could be a political problem and said they felt no need to moderate them. Electoral wins were proof, they reasoned, that Democratic voters were moving closer to them. As an ardent socialist movement has encroached more deeply into the Democratic Party, with D.S.A.-backed candidates ousting incumbent Democrats from New York to Colorado and notching other victories this year, the challenges associated with that often-fraught cohabitation are coming into sharper focus. Those include questions on each side about the utility of working with the other. “Toxic to a broad majority of the country” was how Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank, described aspirations such as prison abolition and doing away with the Senate. She predicted that Republicans would make socialist policies “one of their main attack lines.” Already, President Trump and other Republican leaders are going further, seeking to brand recent Democratic nominees, falsely, as “communists.” The next big tests for democratic socialists will begin on Tuesday in Democratic primaries in Michigan and Missouri for the U.S. House. And Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive doctor who is not a democratic socialist but shares many of D.S.A.’s priorities, is running for the Senate in Michigan, a major battleground.

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This GOP lawmaker has defied Trump 3 times — but the president doesn’t seem to mind

GOP Rep. Tom Barrett voted for the third time to limit President Donald Trump’s Iran war powers in late July — attempting to help drive a stinging rebuke of the commander-in-chief that can only pass if members of his own party sign on. But just four days later, Barrett stood at Trump’s side during a rally in his own Michigan battleground district, basking in the president’s endorsement and sending back kind words of his own. “He’s going to have a tough race. You got to help him,” Trump said as he called the Republican lawmaker onto the stage. “I’m proud to stand with you today,” Barrett responded.

Republican operatives describe Barrett and Trump’s alliance as a marriage of political convenience: Trump, who rarely gives ground to anyone who defies him, has granted Barrett unusual latitude to chart his own course — even as he seeks to thwart the president’s war with Iran. Trump recognizes that maintaining the GOP’s House majority depends on suburban districts like Barrett’s. As he works to defend one of the most competitive seats in the country, Barrett is leaning into his military service, even if his position puts him at odds with the president and much of his party. The race will likely come down to how Barrett is able to walk that tightrope between drawing contrasts with the president without alienating his support; a lonely road in Trump’s Republican Party. Barrett flipped the seat from Democratic control in 2024 Trump carried the district in the election. Barrett, who served 22 years in the Army and deployed to Iraq and Guantánamo Bay, was one of only four Republicans to vote against the Trump administration’s authorization of military operations in Iran. After the conflict crossed the 60-day threshold requiring congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution, Barrett became the only Republican to introduce a measure authorizing the use of military force in Iran while limiting the scope of military action and setting a firm deadline for ending the conflict.

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Author of Democrats’ 2024 autopsy releases ‘missing’ chapter

The author of the Democratic National Committee’s widely panned 2024 postelection autopsy report released what he said is an unpublished chapter on Monday, breathing new life into a scandal that threatens to distract the party as it prepares for the closing stretch of the 2026 midterms. Paul Rivera, a longtime Democratic consultant, shared the 28-page installment with The New York Times, claiming that the missing document includes questions about President Joe Biden’s decision to run for reelection and addresses frustration that high-earning Democratic elites “drive too much of the decision-making within the ecosystem.” The consequences of Biden’s decision to run again were not discussed at length in the original 192-page document released in May. In the newly released chapter, Rivera addresses the former president’s decision.

“Is there a single point of failure for 2024? Perhaps it is a decision of the President to seek re-election instead of passing the torch, but Democrats do not have a time machine to go back and change his decision,” Rivera wrote. Rivera told the Times he personally delivered the chapter in a binder to Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin in January. But Martin and other representatives for the DNC disputed that they had ever seen the chapter in question, and that the “missing” chapter could not be located in an extensive search of the committee’s files. “That is false,” Martin wrote in a statement. “The only binder I was working with Paul on was for lessons learned materials. This alleged report section was not in any binder I reviewed.” If the DNC had received the chapter in question from Rivera, it “would have released it with the rest of the report,” Martin said. Neither NOTUS nor The New York Times could independently verify either account.

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‘He should quit’: Republican senators sound alarms about Max Miller accusations

Multiple Senate Republicans joined Sen. Bernie Moreno in calling for Rep. Max Miller to step down from office Monday amid domestic abuse allegations from the Ohio senator’s daughter. Bernie Moreno — father of Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno — said in a statement Sunday that Miller should not serve in the House soon after the House Republican did a livestream video attempting to defend himself from abuse accusations. Multiple Senate Republicans joined Sen. Bernie Moreno in calling for Rep. Max Miller to step down from office Monday amid domestic abuse allegations from the Ohio senator’s daughter. Bernie Moreno — father of Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno — said in a statement Sunday that Miller should not serve in the House soon after the House Republican did a livestream video attempting to defend himself from abuse accusations. Many of Bernie Moreno’s GOP colleagues were quick to back him following the statement. “I don’t know [Miller]. I haven’t read a whole lot about him, but if [Moreno] thinks he ought to resign, I’m supportive of that,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia said in an interview.

Miller has denied the allegations, which include pouring hot water on his ex-wife and holding a gun to her head. He has also denied accusations from his ex-wife that he broke his daughter’s collarbone. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas condemned Miller, adding, “He should resign. He should quit.” “I don’t know Mr. Miller’s story, but I trust Bernie so much as a good friend, and his family has such high values,” Marshall said in an interview. “I couldn’t imagine them wanting this out in public. So to go through with this, it makes me think that they’re telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” The surge of support from Bernie Moreno’s Senate colleagues marks the first significant crack in a wall of GOP silence regarding the allegations against Miller. The skepticism from Miller’s own party will almost certainly weigh down the congressman’s already floundering campaign as he battles Democratic candidate Brian Poindexter to keep his Cleveland-area House seat.

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Lead Stories

Kay Granger, who blazed trail from Fort Worth to heights of Congress, dies at 83

Former U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, who became one of the most powerful Texans in Congress after breaking barriers as Fort Worth’s first female mayor, has died at the age of 83. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker shared posts honoring Granger, a Republican who served 14 terms representing Tarrant and Parker County, on social media Sunday evening. “Kay Granger devoted her life to serving her Fort Worth, Texas community — as a teacher and businesswoman, on the Fort Worth Zoning Commission and City Council, as Mayor, and in Congress for nearly three decades,” Johnson said.

Granger joined the U.S. House in 1997 representing Texas’ 12th Congressional District. She announced she wouldn’t seek reelection to Congress in November 2023. Granger was the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House. She worked steadily to gain clout as one of a handful of House members who directed federal spending. From her perch on the Appropriations Committee, she gained influence over defense projects in particular, helping to protect jobs for top Fort Worth employers Lockheed Martin and others. Parker described her as “a trailblazer and tenacious leader.” “Over the years that I worked with Kay, I learned from her indelible spirit, work ethic, constant sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to Texas and Fort Worth,” said Parker, a former Granger aide. “I’m fortunate to have called her a mentor and friend.” Granger was born in Greenville in Hunt County, Texas in January 1943 and grew up in Fort Worth. She graduated from Eastern Hills High School and Texas Wesleyan University, before going on to become a teacher and open an insurance agency. She served on Fort Worth’s zoning commission and on the Fort Worth City Council. She was mayor from 1991 to 1995.

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Judge declines to block Big Bend area border wall

A federal judge on Sunday declined to block construction on the Trump administration’s Big Bend area border wall, saying plaintiffs could not argue the plan violates a federal law because the administration was legally allowed to bypass that law. The Presidio Municipal Development District, a local economic development group, sued the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in June, claiming the agencies had violated the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 in seeking to build the wall along the city’s levee system without approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The group argued the plan could lead to “deadly” flooding in the area if not properly evaluated. On July 2, just two weeks after the lawsuit was filed, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin responded by waiving the law in question, allowing the agencies to bypass it entirely.

At that point the Rivers and Harbors Act joined the slew of other environmental, cultural resource protection and contracting laws already waived by DHS to expedite border wall construction across the region. PMDD had asked U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton to at least temporarily block impending wall construction while the case played out in court. In his ruling Sunday, Walton wrote that the July 2 waiver “defeats any claim that the defendants violated” the Rivers and Harbors Act. “Despite the understandable concerns expressed by the plaintiff regarding the harms it and the plaintiff’s residents might sustain by the potential construction of the Smart Wall,” Walton wrote, he was “compelled” to reject PMDD’s request for a temporary block on construction. “We are very disappointed that the court will allow this potentially disastrous construction to continue, but we remain committed to protecting the Big Bend area and those who rely on the threatened levees,” Democracy Forward, the national nonprofit representing PMDD in the case, said in a statement Sunday.

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Kansas’ data center boom is shaking up the governor’s race

The fight over data centers has suddenly become a defining battle in the race to run Kansas — on both sides of the aisle. Gubernatorial hopefuls are trying to leverage the issue to weaken their rivals in the final stretch before Tuesday’s primaries, with attack ads, dark money and accusations of flip-flopping roiling the race. Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher and GOP state Sen. Ty Masterson, two of the top contenders in their respective fields, are bearing the brunt of the criticism. Republican businessman Philip Sarnecki has spent more than $300,000 on ads attacking Masterson for voting for a bill last year to expand data center construction and give 20-year tax breaks to developers, accusing him of being beholden to big tech.

On the Democratic side, Holscher voted for the same bill but has now staked out a populist stance calling for a moratorium on data centers — an appeal to the same grassroots base that has put her in a strong position to win. Her primary opponents are attacking her as a flip-flopper, and social media ads fueled by anonymous backers keep highlighting her past vote in support of data centers. She’s up against state Sen. Ethan Corson, whom Gov. Laura Kelly endorsed, and Overland Park Mayor Kurt Skoog. The brawl shows just how divisive and complicated the politics of data centers has become, as politicians in both parties struggle to define a clear winning position on the mass hubs amid growing voter backlash. A July POLITICO Poll found that Americans are increasingly souring on data centers, a trend that’s especially evident among Democrats but crosses partisan lines. Republican and Democratic candidates are harnessing that opposition to gain an edge in crowded primaries, a rare moment of partisan crossover that speaks to its potency.

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Acting AG Todd Blanche reaches deal with holdout senators to scrap $1.8B ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

After a weekslong standoff between senators and the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Sunday night that the parties had reached a deal and that had he issued an order “officially” rescinding a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund. “My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” Blanche wrote on X. “We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement. The Department always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress.” Attached to his post was a signed order that said, “The Attorney General’s May 18, 2026 Order establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund (‘Fund’) is rescinded and shall have nor force or effect.”

“This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no fund,” the order read. Blanche’s announcement comes two days before the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote his nomination to be attorney general in a permanent capacity. The fund was part of a settlement agreement that stemmed from a lawsuit President Donald Trump filed against the IRS, which also shielded the Trump family from tax audits. The fund has been criticized in part because the payouts could extend to participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Blanche faced pushback from key GOP Sens. John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, who said their support for him hinged on the administration’s rescinding its plans for the fund. Tillis and Cornyn have feuded with Trump in the past. Tillis announced he would not seek re-election; Cornyn was unseated by Trump-endorsed GOP primary challenger Ken Paxton. The two senators previously said other senators shared their concerns about the fund, but they did not sit on the Judiciary Committee and therefore could not vote on Blanche’s nomination until it came before the full Senate.

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State Stories

Ken Paxton is acting like he thinks he could lose

Ken Paxton was feeling good. The day after securing Donald Trump’s endorsement in his primary race against John Cornyn, the soon-to-be-crowned U.S. Senate nominee was onstage at a Katy barbecue joint, riffing like a crowd-work comedian and surveying staffers on potential nicknames for the Democratic nominee, James Talarico. “Six-Gender Jimmy,” one campaign worker suggested. “Low-T Talarico,” chimed another. Paxton liked them all, but had his own: “Tofu Talarico,” he said with a grin. The crowd erupted in laughter and applause. On a television nearby, Fox News played a clip of President Donald Trump speaking to reporters. “TRUMP: TEXANS WON’T ELECT A VEGAN,” read the chyron. This, it seemed, was to be the central focus of Paxton’s campaign: the idea that Talarico, a former schoolteacher and Texas House member, was simply too much of a wimp to ever be elected in Texas.

The strategy doesn’t seem to be working. Recent headlines about allegations that Paxton committed voter fraud, photos of him gallivanting in Europe with his girlfriend, and scrutiny of his expanding luxury real estate portfolio have largely overshadowed his attempts to frame Talarico and the race as he’d like. With three months until the November midterms, Talarico has a massive fundraising edge. And poll after poll shows that the race is somewhere between a toss-up and one that favors Talarico—on Thursday a stunning Fox News poll showed the Democrat leading by three points. Voters are angry with Trump. They’re furious about gas prices, the economy, and the war with Iran. Not coincidentally, while Paxton has focused on hammering his opponent on culture-war issues, Talarico has made economic inequality a staple of his campaign. Now, after months of meager campaigning, Paxton is pivoting. On Friday—weeks after agreeing to at least one debate with Talarico—Paxton announced a four-city “Protecting the Texas Promise” tour to promote his newly unveiled economic plan. Among the planks, according to The Texas Tribune: a $50,000 tax deduction for first-time homebuyers; a $5,000 deduction to “stimulate healthy lifestyle choices,” including paying for nutrition plans and GLP-1 medications to aid in weight loss; an expansion of so-called Trump accounts, which invest federal money into savings accounts for all American children; and a doubling of the child tax credit. “Washington is making it harder than ever to get ahead,” Paxton says in a new ad, also released on Friday. “And the American dream is slipping away, as the cost of everything, from housing to health care, rises.” Paxton has never been afraid to critique Washington—he’s long framed himself as an outsider and a crusader against entrenched D.C. bureaucrats and their “swamp.” It’s a huge part of his seemingly unwavering appeal to the culture-warring, GOP-primary voters who catapulted him past Cornyn. But general elections are a different animal. History tells us that “the economy, stupid” is and will always be the defining issue for most voters. Talarico’s campaign understands that. And while Paxton probably won’t ever campaign as “Ten-Gender Ken,” his sudden shift to kitchen-table issues indicates that he knows who currently has the electorate’s pulse.

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Tesla wanted millions in tax breaks. Travis County found problems.

To win the latest installment of its Travis County tax breaks, Tesla Inc. had to address a grave loss. The issue stretched back to a hot day in 2021, when a worker died at the site of Gigafactory Texas, the company’s sprawling plant and headquarters then under construction east of downtown. In the years since it happened, Tesla has insisted the heat-related death of contractor Antelmo Ramirez was due to a pre-existing medical condition. It did so again this year, in a report Tesla’s general counsel for tax incentives provided to a county commissioner ahead of a review and vote on tax breaks for developing the project. As the company was making its case about the contributions it’s made to the county’s economy, though, it also had to live up to other standards and the matter of Ramirez’s death, and Tesla’s safety record came to haunt the company.

Ahead of the April vote, safety became a sticking point as commissioners considered the company’s tax rebates ahead of a vote that resulted in the county withholding 9% of Tesla’s scheduled rebates for 2020, 2021 and 2022. At the time, the dollar amount was unknown. Ultimately, Travis County withheld $854,127 over Tesla’s failure to comply with some elements of the deal it reached back in 2020. It marked the first time commissioners had so publicly questioned the company’s performance. Now, documents obtained from the planning and budget office shed light on how the county used the formula it reached then to determine how the tax breaks would be awarded after this year’s review. Still eligible for the bulk of rebates, Tesla will receive about $8.6 million for the years 2020 through 2022. But email, text messages and calendar invitations from the period leading up to the vote offer a glimpse of how Tesla pitched its compliance with its economic development performance agreement with the county to secure those millions.

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Pflugerville voters could weigh surveillance oversight

Pflugerville voters could soon decide whether to require new oversight for the city’s use of artificial intelligence, facial recognition and surveillance technology. The proposed amendment is one of several recommendations made by the city’s Charter Review Commission that could appear on the Nov. 3 ballot if the Pflugerville City Council approves the measure on second reading at its Aug. 11 meeting. If approved by voters, the amendment would require the City Council to adopt protections governing the collection, use, retention, and oversight of data, facial recognition, and surveillance technologies, to establish transparent approval processes for such technologies, and to require a responsible artificial intelligence framework.

The proposal comes as governments across Texas and the country continue exploring how artificial intelligence and surveillance technology can be used in public safety, city operations and other government services, while also balancing concerns surrounding privacy and transparency. According to the proposed charter amendment, the City Council would be responsible for establishing policies governing how those technologies are implemented and monitored. The AI and surveillance proposal is one of 14 charter amendments recommended by the Charter Review Commission, a group of Pflugerville residents appointed every five years to review the city’s Home Rule Charter and recommend updates. “I really want us to have a framework and evolve over time, given that there’s only going to be more,” council member Jonathan Coffman said. “I really see AI surveillance and technology infused in almost anything a city is going to do anymore and so really the idea is to elevate it to the same level as things like ethics and accountability and transparency, other principles that are already in the city charter,” said Coffman. Coffman told KXAN surveillance technology has generated more emails, phone calls and public feedback than any other issue he’s dealt with since taking office. Coffman also said the city is looking at proposing a resident advisory committee on advanced technology to provide ongoing public input as AI and surveillance technology continue to evolve.

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VP Vance expected at Port of Brownsville on Tuesday

Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak Tuesday at the Port of Brownsville, the site of a planned $300 billion oil refinery that President Donald Trump announced back in March. Details remain unclear; however, Brownsville Mayor John Cowen said Friday evening that Vance is expected to speak around noon at the port and anticipates the remarks to be about the expected industrial developments in the area. In March, Trump announced that a company named America First Refining would be opening a refinery at the port as part of an investment and partnership with India.

News of the visit also comes after the White House on Thursday announced a presidential permit authorizing Cameron County to own, operate and maintain the B&M (Brownsville and Matamoros) International Bridge. The county on Oct. 7, 2025, approved an agreement acquiring 50% owning interest in the bridge, which was made possible by purchasing Union Pacific Railroad’s entire stake, a county news release stated. The permit will provide Cameron County “with an opportunity to strengthen international trade through modernization and improved operational efficiency across our land ports of entry,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said in the release.

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Frost CEO warns of ‘race to the bottom’ on Texas loan structure

Frost Bank’s CEO expects intense banking competition in Texas may cool slightly after some lenders making “structure-light” loans learn over time whether their decisions were right. CEO Phil Green told analysts during the bank’s second-quarter earnings call Thursday that Frost is seeing heightened lending competition, and when the bank loses deals, it’s mainly commercial real estate loans and related to loan structure. To Green, it seems like “a bit of a race to the bottom on some of these structures,” he said. “We see people who are very aggressive in the market, and then things turn a little bit and they disappear.”

A day earlier, executives at Texas peer Prosperity Bank said competition in the state, particularly from larger banks, was making it tough to grow loans profitably. Many top-10 banks as well as regionals such as Fifth Third, Huntington and Regions are chasing business in Texas as the state’s population and business presence has expanded. “We’re not going to put a bunch of stuff on the books,” Prosperity CEO David Zalman said Wednesday, “just to grow loans and not be profitable and take the risk.” While $54 billion-asset Frost seeks to remain competitive on price, the structure element of loans can be tough, because it’s “dangerous to do that poorly,” Green said in an interview. If economic conditions sour as loans mature, “you could end up working through some problems that you didn’t want to,” Green said. “If they’re not quite what you thought they were, you’re going to figure it out in a couple of years.”

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For sale: early access to Trump's Truth Social posts

President Trump, his critics like to say, learned one major lesson during his first term: Never leave any money on the table. But even for a president who raked in $2 billion, fueled mostly by his lucrative cryptocurrency ventures, the latest offering from his social media platform, Truth Social, stands out. Trump Media & Technology Group is now shopping to traders and investors a premium version of Truth Social delivering early access to the feeds of high-profile users, including the president. Starting Saturday, for a fee of up to $100,000 a month, trading firms can access "Truth API" to get a glimpse of the president's often market-moving announcements about economic policy and global affairs before the rest of the world.

Trump's media company says customers have already started signing up. Such an offering would give institutional investors a leg up in areas of finance like high-frequency trading, where an advantage of a few milliseconds can mean the difference of millions of dollars. But will the service be widely adopted across Wall Street? "It's insane," said one Wall Street executive, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the Trump administration. "I can say for myself and 200 of my friends in finance, we're not getting anywhere near this. In another administration, this would be considered criminal." NPR reached out to 12 other major players in finance, brokers, hedge fund managers and other investors. None would speak publicly about the service, with some saying the risk of landing in Trump's crosshairs was too high. Securities experts, however, are drawing attention to the legal concerns surrounding the service. Renée Jones, a Boston College professor and former top official at the Securities and Exchange Commission, said the paid offering appears to run afoul of insider trading laws. She pointed to federal securities laws prohibiting schemes in which non-public information is misused to give a trader an unfair advantage. The law states that sharing such information is a breach of "a duty or trust of confidence."

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Houston mothers challenge Texas Ten Commandments law under state religious freedom protections

Three Houston mothers are suing to stop displaying the Ten Commandments in Texas public school classrooms, arguing it violates the state’s religious freedom law and a voter-approved parental rights amendment. Their lawsuit is the latest challenge to Senate Bill 10 — this time under Texas law. Other attempts to prohibit the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools under federal law — primarily the First Amendment’s guarantee of separation of church and state — have been unsuccessful so far. The mothers’ suit, filed in Harris County on Thursday (July 30), demands that the displays be taken down and that the court act before mid-August, when the school year begins. The bill was signed by the governor last year.

Emily Roth, one of the plaintiffs, said in a Friday morning press release that the state’s Ten Commandments poster purposefully ignores religious differences in the classroom and will make students feel like they do not belong. “It teaches students, and their teachers, that exclusion is acceptable, maybe even preferred,” she said. “That is not a lesson I want my children learning from the state of Texas.” The parents are suing under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which the legislature passed in 1999, and declares that “a government agency may not substantially burden a person’s free exercise of religion.” They are also suing under the recently approved Texas Proposition 15 — also known as the Parental Rights amendment — which ensures parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing.” Senate Bill 10 requires Texas classrooms to display donated posters of the King James Version of the Ten Commandments. The posters must be visible in the classroom and cannot be smaller than 16 by 20 inches. However, various faiths — such as Jewish, Catholic and Protestant traditions — number and word the commandments differently, the press release from the plaintiffs noted. Sixteen families sued 11 school districts to block the new law in July 2025. They argued that it violates the separation of church and state and pressures students to embrace religious principles and values they may not align with.

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A new policy geared toward safety for workers around rail lines leave some contractors worried about limitations on workforce

In late June, the Texas Department of Transportation sent a memo to the state’s Rail Transit Agencies (RTA) enforcing that all safety training exams must be administered in English exclusively. RTAs are required to provide Roadway Worker Protection training to employees and contractors who are working around rail lines in order to keep them safe from trains and equipment. Contractors hoping to work near a rail line must take a course and pass a multiple-choice test to be credentialed. Those tests used to be administered in Spanish as well, but TXDOT now requires all those tests to be in English only. The memo says RTAs are allowed to provide study and reference materials in the native language, but the tests must be exclusively in English.

A spokesperson for TXDOT said the agency implemented the change “due to safety concerns with using multiple languages while conducting track maintenance and establishing work zones.” Sergio de la Llata, who manages Gold Lion Services, a contractor in Houston, said the change has created a challenge for his company to complete some contracts. For instance, Gold Lion Services secured a contract with Houston METRO to repaint some canopies at some stations. de la Llata sent five workers to the training course to get their credentials to work near the rail line, but he said four of the five were sent away because of the English requirement. de la Llata argues the new policy limits their ability to find enough men to do the job because of how many in the workforce speak predominantly Spanish. “There happens to be quite a few folks that work in construction and speak Spanish primarily and are comfortable speaking in Spanish but understand English,” de la Llata said. “And they could probably read it as well but are just not comfortable speaking it.” de la Llata said he doesn’t believe the new policy ensures more protection for workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) collects work-related injury data through various industries, such as construction. OSHA does not keep track specifically of injuries caused by a language barrier on the job site. In 2010, OSHA said that workers must be able to understand the safety training they receive, which does not mean the training is required to be in English, but in a language the worker can understand. OSHA also went on to say that it is important that construction workers be able to communicate with their co-workers and supervisors on the job site, but that communication can also be established in a language other than English. TXDOT said it would conduct random checks to ensure compliance with the new policy.

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Jones vows to revisit veteran vouchers, slamming fellow council members as ‘OK with a little bit of discrimination’

In May the San Antonio City Council passed an ordinance that banned landlords with five or more properties from turning away veterans who were paying rent with a federal housing voucher. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and veteran advocates argue the ordinance does not do enough to help expand access to housing for veterans. “There are more restrictions to a dog being off the leash than there are to discriminating against a veteran using a voucher,” Jones said. “That’s ludicrous and unacceptable in Military City USA.” According to a City Council ordinance, a dog owner found to not be in compliance with the city’s leash policy will be fined $100 for the first violation, $500 for the second and $750 for the third.

A landlord found to not be in compliance with the city’s voucher acceptance policy will be given a written warning on the first offense, a mandatory training on the second offense and a $500 fine on the third offense. When the ordinance hits its six-month mark in November, Jones said she will revisit it, aiming to remove all exemptions. A veteran of the Air Force herself and a former Pentagon official, Jones chided her fellow council members for passing the ordinance without closing the loopholes on exemptions. “Some of my colleagues were OK with a little bit of discrimination… I, of course, advocate for no discrimination,” she said. The My City is My Home chapter of the American GI Forum worked with students at UTSA’s Rowdy Corps Community Scholars program to create a report analyzing housing options across the city, and build two online tools to help renters see where vouchers are accepted. “The central idea of this report is simple: an advertised unit is not necessarily an accessible unit,” said Wael Albakri, a masters student working on the project.

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Austin faces uphill battle to fund $8.2B light rail expansion

The expansion of Austin's light rail system is expected to cost $8.2 billion, and the federal government has long been expected to provide over $4 billion to cover the construction costs. But the path to securing federal funding for the landmark project appears uncertain, and a contingency plan is not being discussed in the event those dollars aren't awarded, according to Austin Transit Partnership officials. ATP said the light rail project — focused largely on bringing more trains to Central Austin — is on track to get federal funding in early 2028. However, the program from which ATP hopes to secure federal funding hasn't handed out grants to new projects since President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office in January 2025. ATP said it still needs to advance to the engineering phase of the project next year before funding can be awarded, indicating it is premature to assume anything about a decision from the feds.

ATP officials said they aren't having conversations about a contingency plan if they don't secure funding by 2028. They said their conversations are focused on advancing the project under the idea that the federal government will eventually provide funding. Officially, it's planned that the federal government will cover 49.4% of the price tag. Under that plan, funding would be awarded through the Capital Investment Grants program, which is overseen by the Federal Transit Administration. The path to funding from the CIG program is a competitive process with projects from other cities. The FTA reports it has 50 projects in its CIG program that have either received or are seeking funding. But only four of the 50 active CIG projects have received the full grant funding as of July 29. Of those four projects, none were awarded the funding during the current Trump administration. The New York Times recently reported funding for CIG projects across the U.S. is at a virtual standstill under the Trump administration. ATP officials are undeterred. "Funding follows when we've achieved outcomes as we move along the way," said Jennifer Pyne, ATP's executive vice president of planning, community and federal programs. "We're moving on that path, so we just have to keep demonstrating readiness and being prepared for what comes, be prepared for that opportunity (to get federal funding)." A former ATP board member doesn't think Austin will be able to secure the federal funding.

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Austin City Council hires firm for efficiency review

Austin City Council voted unanimously Thursday to hire Public Works LLC to conduct an independent efficiency review of all city departments, advancing an audit that has become entangled with a competing ballot proposal and questions about the firm’s standing in Texas. Mayor Kirk Watson said the vote completed months of work to establish the council-initiated review, which will be conducted by the outside firm in coordination with the city auditor. “It insists on something that I believe was essential from the very beginning and this council has endorsed and pushed forward:?independent judgment,” Watson said. “We're bringing in professionals because we want professional analysis, not political analysis.”

City staff said Public Works was selected from 25 competing bids for the firm's understanding of the assessment’s needs and Austin’s unique challenges. The firm has also conducted efficiency assessments for local governments across the country, including the city of Chicago, Baltimore County, Broward County, Travis County, six state governments and two U.S. territories. Save Austin Now, a political action committee led by former Travis County Republican Party Chair Matt Mackowiak, has criticized the selection of Public Works while promoting its own proposed charter amendment requiring regular audits of city government. The measure is expected to go before Austin voters in November. The PAC said earlier this month that Public Works’ right to do business in Texas was revoked in 2024 after the company failed to pay state taxes. City spokesperson Jenny LaCoste-Caputo said at the time that the company had previously been registered in the Texas but intentionally allowed its registration to lapse because it had no active projects in the state and owed no Texas taxes

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National Stories

Iran war not popular on K Street

As the U.S. war with Iran enters its sixth month, the memorandum of understanding that was supposed to end the conflict didn’t go over well with K Street, according to our latest Canvass survey. Nearly all K Street leaders (91%) view the Trump administration’s MOU with Iran as a failure for the United States. In fact, 70% said that former President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran was a more beneficial deal. Almost half of the Republican K Street leaders said Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was better. The Canvass K Street was conducted July 6-24 in partnership with independent public affairs firm LSG. The MOU was signed in June to huge fanfare, but since then, the fighting has resumed and four more Americans have been killed in the hostilities. In all, 18 troops have been killed since the conflict started on Feb. 28 and more than 600 have been wounded.

The ongoing war is unpopular on Capitol Hill, as well. The successful passage of a war powers resolution through Congress has done nothing to stop President Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East. Now, Hill Democrats are looking to the appropriations process to limit military operations in Iran. U.S.-Israel relations. Since the war started, the relationship between the United States and Israel has been front and center. Most K Street senior leaders (82%) believe the relationship between the United States and Israel has worsened as a result of the conflict, and 65% say Israel’s involvement had a negative impact on the outcome. Want to take part in The Canvass? Our survey provides anonymous monthly insights from top Capitol Hill staffers and K Street leaders on key issues facing Washington.

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MTG teams up with Tucker Carlson and Thomas Massie to plot new political party: ‘The movement has begun’

Former Republicans Majorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson are apparently serious about their plans to launch a new political party — and they’ve got some help too. Greene posted a picture on Saturday of her and her new husband Brian Glenn sitting at a wooden table headed by Carlson, who was flanked by lame duck Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and another ex-fan of President Donald Trump: Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center who quit earlier this year in protest of the Iran war. Massie and Kent’s wife are also seated at the table. Everyone appears to be pretty jolly in the picture — and focused on their mission to upend American politics.

“We said no more foreign wars and we meant it and supported Donald Trump because he made that promise. But he’s betrayed us all,” Greene wrote. “Our commitment is America First for all Americans, right, left, and center.” “The movement has begun,” Greene capped off her post. And the gang’s fuel-of-choice for the plotting session? A batch of chocolate chip cookies and milk, based on the spread on the table. MTG’s pic comes a month after Carlson said he was working to “help build” a new third party. Carlson said it was imperative because the Republicans and Democrats are too busy worrying about foreign affairs while the lives of average Americans crumble. His announcement followed Carlson saying in June he was done voting for Republicans. MTG made the same announcement soon after.

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A normie Democrat revolt is pushing Abdul El-Sayed yoward victory in Michigan

Kent Tisdale spent most of his life voting for Republicans before he started voting for Democrats, even backing Donald Trump in 2016. The 70-year-old retiree can even remember that his biggest concern backing Mitt Romney in 2012 was that the GOP presidential nominee wasn’t conservative enough. He is now seriously considering supporting Abdul El-Sayed in Tuesday’s Senate Democratic primary. Tisdale, now a member of his local Indivisible chapter, said Trump’s presidency and the deluge of money in politics led him to El-Sayed, whose passion has impressed him even if the candidate’s politics are further left than he’d like. “I don’t feel I’ve changed that much,” said Tisdale, who spoke to NOTUS while attending an event for a local House candidate. “But I feel the environment has changed.” In Michigan and across the country this year, voters like Tisdale are transforming Democratic primaries — and potentially putting the party on a different path as it heads into the 2028 presidential campaign.

Rank-and-file Democratic voters who once naturally inclined toward establishment-backed candidates are instead supporting — or at least showing an openness to — lefty candidates they would have previously believed to be outside the political mainstream. They’re driven by disappointment in old-guard Democrats’ inability to beat Trump in 2024 and a growing sense that the country’s politics need a fresh direction. It’s that change in the electorate that, more than anything this year, explains why El-Sayed is now favored to beat Rep. Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s Senate primary in Michigan. Stevens is running the type of campaign — backed by key party endorsements, support in the Black community and plenty of money — that has helped centrist Democrats like her defeat progressive challengers for years. That pattern held for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. But the voters on the receiving end of that effort are in a much different place than they were in 2024, much less 2018 or 2016. “So many people feel the same way I do, that something needs to be done,” said Jan Cohen, who founded a local Indivisible chapter last year. “And the only reasonable thing seems to be: Burn it down and start over, and make it different. We have to take the stands and do everything we can.” Cohen voted against El-Sayed in 2018 when he ran for governor against Gretchen Whitmer. But she said she’s grown frustrated with Michigan Democratic leaders recently, worried they no longer seem to be pushing progressive policy through the state and upset at their support for Stevens.

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Gulf states pressed Trump to hold off on Iran strikes and pursue talks

President Trump held off on a new attack on Iran as mediators made fresh progress on a plan to open the strategic Strait of Hormuz and some Gulf states pressed the president to pursue dialogue with Tehran, people familiar with the matter said. Trump’s abrupt announcement on social media, posted early Sunday in the Middle East, that he had called off the strikes eased tensions between the U.S. and Iran—at least for the moment. His pivot was the latest in a pattern by the president, who has swung between dire threats against Tehran and soothing claims that a peace deal is within reach. Regional mediators have worked to push the U.S. and Iran into a new ceasefire. Qatari mediators presented Iran on Saturday with a fresh proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian diplomats reacted positively to it, raising hopes that a compromise may be near, mediators said.

An Iranian diplomat confirmed Tehran had expressed openness to a proposal from mediators, though it wasn’t clear if Iran would ultimately agree to it. The proposal would create new traffic patterns for ships transiting the strait, which is bordered by Iran on the northern shore and Oman on the southern. Iran insisted last week that it control at least part of both lanes through the strait, which usually carries 20% of the world’s oil trade. It was unclear Sunday how the new proposal addresses a key sticking point—Iran’s stated desire to collect fees or tolls from ships passing through the strait, a position the U.S. has strongly opposed. Iranian diplomats also presented new ideas Friday to open the strategic waterway and lift sanctions on their country’s oil, regional officials said. Just a few hours before Trump’s announcement, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a call with the U.S. president urging dialogue to reduce escalation in the region, according to Saudi state media and Saudi officials familiar with the matter.

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RFK Jr. targets Fauci and pushes medical misinformation in fiery CNN interview

In attempting to rewrite the history of the US Covid-19 response, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday pinned the blame for pandemic lockdowns on Dr. Anthony Fauci, while simultaneously reviving a string of debunked assertions about vaccines, RSV and measles. Kennedy’s appearance came in the wake of a congressional hearing with Fauci last week, when the infections disease expert invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination more than 100 times, as Republicans lambasted him for his role in handling the pandemic. Kennedy joined the chorus of criticism on CNN’s “State of the Union with Dana Bash,” saying President Donald Trump, who was in office at the beginning of the pandemic and notably downplayed the virus, was not to blame for the government’s response.

“Trump, as you recall, wanted to end the lockdowns. I think the thing that did the most damage to our country was the lockdowns,” he said. The lockdowns were overseen by state and local leaders who were responding to ICUs being overwhelmed and hospitals asking for help to get control of the situation in the early stages of the pandemic. Dr. Ashish Jha, who served as the White House Covid-19 response coordinator under President Joe Biden from 2022 to 2023, pushed back on Kennedy’s claims, saying, “accountability has to be with our political leaders,” while condemning his false claims on the inefficacy of vaccines. “The accountability has to be with our political leaders, not with scientists who are giving advice. Second issue that i just want to quickly reflect on. There was a lot of information that Secretary Kennedy said that just isn’t true. It’s just factually not true,” Jha told Bash in an interview following Kennedy’s appearance.

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How a top law firm went from standing up to Trump to bending the knee

On his desk at the law firm Paul Weiss, Brad Karp keeps a framed picture of a young girl and her father embracing after they had been separated at the border by the immigration policies of the first Trump administration. It is a reminder of one of the firm’s proudest moments — when Mr. Karp, as chairman, led its lawyers to fight the administration in court and undertake the painstaking work to reunite families. “It was a call to arms,” Mr. Karp said later. But two months into the second Trump administration, when the president came for Paul Weiss with an executive order imposing crippling sanctions, Mr. Karp did not just lay down arms. He rushed to the White House to surrender. The legal and political worlds were shocked.

Paul Weiss was a titan in the legal business, known for its stable of elite litigators and for its history of standing up to the government and championing progressive causes going back to the civil rights movement. But sitting in the Oval Office in March 2025, Mr. Karp bent without a fight to an executive order that was widely seen as illegal. Four law firms that fought similar executive orders won quick injunctions from incensed judges, making Paul Weiss’s capitulation particularly consequential for President Trump’s retribution campaign against an array of perceived enemies. Eight other firms followed Paul Weiss in making deals with the White House, agreeing to perform a total of nearly $1 billion in free legal work for causes Mr. Trump supported. “They’re just saying, ‘Where do I sign?’” Mr. Trump bragged. “No one can believe it.” But behind the public disbelief was a deeper story of an institution that had slowly come loose from its roots. That story, pieced together in a New York Times investigation, reveals that Paul Weiss’s bow to the White House was the culmination of a reordering of power and finances behind the scenes at the firm for years.

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Lead Stories

Texas land commissioner sends cease and desist for alleged illegal land clearing in Hudspeth County

A Texas state agency is pushing back on what it calls illegal entry and unauthorized clearing of more than a mile of state land near the Rio Grande. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham sent a cease and desist letter Friday to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and a contractor working on border wall construction. In a release, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) said Buckingham sent the letter after finding that federal contractor Barnard Construction illegally entered and cleared more than a mile of state land. The letter claimed the contractor CBP hired trespassed across and altered GLO-managed state lands in Presidio County without permission. The land at issue also partly falls under Hudspeth County.

The Texas GLO said its leases don't allow land modifications, excavations or construction without the office's written consent. “Significant grazing acreage was disrupted by this unauthorized activity that has devalued our lease and diminished our ability to generate future revenue for the schoolchildren of Texas,” said Commissioner Buckingham in a news release. The letter included a map with areas that match an online property sale listing for the Moody Bennett Ranch, which extends across Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties. Online Presidio County property records show that Trans Pecos Ice LLC owns parcels in that same area, which match the GLO's map included in Buckingham's letter. The Texas GLO said Trans Pecos Ice LLC has been told they're in breach of their lease agreement for allowing unauthorized access. The office told it to take immediate action. Additionally, the GLO demanded any and all state land damaged by the reported activity be restored to its original condition. Barnard was asked to work with the CBP and lessee to develop a reclamation proposal plan for the GLO to approve. “The people of Texas entrusted the General Land Office with more than 13 million acres of state land, and we take that responsibility seriously,” Commissioner Buckingham said. “We will work with our federal partners to keep the southern border secured, but we will not compromise the integrity of Texas state property to do it. State land is damaged and it must be restored.” Texas State Senator Cesar Blanco shared his support for Buckingham's letter Friday. "I applaud Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham’s decision to order an immediate halt to land-clearing activities related to border wall construction and require a more transparent process. This is an essential step toward protecting Texas' sovereignty and ensuring proper oversight," the senator said in a statement.

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The Democrats’ biggest donors have gone on strike

George Soros and his son Alex donated more than $400,000 to the Democratic National Committee during the 2018 midterms. They gave more than $1 million during the 2022 midterm election cycle, campaign finance records show. This year, they have yet to give the DNC a dollar. The Soroses aren’t alone—other high-profile donors have given little or no money to the Democrats’ central committee this year. Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, wrote steady checks to the DNC for years but during the midterms has yet to give money. In a sign of the party’s challenges, a running joke among some donors is that the DNC stands for “Do Not Contribute,” said one Democratic strategist who advises major party donors. Months ahead of pivotal midterm elections, the Democratic fundraising apparatus has a big donor problem.

While many Democratic elites still feel bullish about taking back the House and are willing to throw big money at their favorite candidates, institutional fatigue—and in some cases, full-on drama—have set in among a number of the party’s biggest donors. Like voters, donors say they feel disillusioned with Washington and the party establishment they have long supported. The DNC isn’t the only problem spot for Democrats—other Democratic committees and super PACs lag behind Republicans across the board. It is common for a party that is out of power in Washington to struggle, but Democrats are increasingly concerned it will hurt their chances of winning this fall as Republicans stack up significantly more money in committees and PACs that can organize door-knocking efforts and air TV ads. Some of the problem is the lingering frustration among major donors over how their money was spent in the 2024 presidential election, when nominee Kamala Harris quickly raised more than $1 billion but still lost after a rushed process to nominate her. Others point to the painful divisions in the Democratic Party’s donor base over the war in Gaza, antisemitism in the U.S. and an insurgent group of Democratic socialists.

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Abbott vows to prevent cities from collecting sales tax if they circumvent housing laws

Gov. Greg Abbott is continuing to push for lower housing costs in Texas, arguing that local regulations are circumventing recent reforms designed to clear red tape to build homes. “One thing that’s driving up the cost of housing is our local government regulations,” Abbott said. “Now already last year, I signed a law to make it easier and cheaper to build homes, but some local governments are skirting the law, imposing costly mandates.” Abbott pointed to multiple laws he signed last year as an example of his efforts to reduce housing costs. One was Senate Bill 840 — aimed at increasing housing in the state. The law primarily allows multi-family housing and mixed usage in areas previously zoned for retail, office or commercial purposes.

According to a recent report conducted by Texans for Reasonable Solutions, Texas Appleseed and American Enterprise Institute, SB 840 can be linked to 8,764 new housing units in it’s first nine months. Abbott said cities are passing regulations that are designed to subvert laws like SB 840. “So what they try to do to limit new residential building, they will add very costly amenities to what the requirements are. It could be requiring eight stories be built for multifamily housing. It could be adding very large swimming pools,” he said. “I can’t even express my frustration,” Nicole Nosek, Founder of Texans for Reasonable Solutions, said. “These mandates don’t come out of a developer’s pockets. They come out of the rent check of a nurse, a senior citizen, a teacher.” As Abbott seeks a fourth term, he says he’ll crack down on cities by hitting them where it hurts — their pocketbooks.

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How rogue officers turned a nationwide camera network into a tool for stalking

Marci Bakely couldn’t understand how her ex-boyfriend always seemed to know where she was. When she went to buy groceries or on a date or to the doctor, he’d text her about it, sometimes within minutes, despite working 15 miles from her home as a police chief in a small town in the Atlanta suburbs. One day in 2024, when he incorrectly suspected that she’d gone to see a man against his wishes, he messaged her, “I didn’t think you would slip up,” according to texts she shared with The Washington Post. Bakely, 50, began to feel like she was constantly being watched. She says she installed three cameras around her home and on her patio, to see if he was staking out her cul-de-sac. She bought a hidden-camera detector and nervously waved it down every wall. Three times, in desperation, she says she drove her Kia to a mechanic’s shop, asking them to scan for trackers on her car. Then one day, when she pressed him for answers, her ex told her in a text: He was using Flock.

Like thousands of other law-enforcement agencies across the United States, his police force could follow cars spotted by Flock’s sprawling network of artificial-intelligence roadside cameras, which record passing license plates into a mappable database that officers can search while investigating crime. Flock had sold its system as a police officer’s dream crime-fighting tool. But the tool had also given the chief, Michael Steffman, the power to silently monitor Bakely’s life. By the time she understood what was happening, Steffman had looked up the tags for her and her teenage daughter roughly 600 times, according to Have I Been Flocked, a website that aggregates police search logs made available through public records. Steffman was arrested in November on charges of stalking, harassment and license-plate-reader misuse. In April, before a trial could take place, he was found dead in his home from what officials said was a suicide. The town manager of Braselton, where Steffman worked, declined to comment. The town’s new police chief and four members of Steffman’s family did not respond to requests for comment. Backed by some of Silicon Valley’s top investors, Flock has rapidly grown into a colossus of American technological surveillance. A leader of the surging industry for license-plate readers, the company told The Post that its more than 120,000 shoebox-size cameras now scan the roads of more than 6,000 communities and record 20 billion plate scans a month.

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John Curtis: I won’t change the filibuster

(Mr. Curtis, a Republican, is a U.S. senator from Utah.) The debate over the filibuster is often misunderstood. Most people think it is about a rule. It isn’t. It is about the absence of a rule. When the Senate was established, the Constitution gave it the authority to create its own rules. The Senate chose not to give itself a mechanism to end debate. Unlimited debate wasn’t an accident or a loophole. It was simply how the Senate operated. This original design assumed a very different environment from today’s. There were no established political parties as we now know them. No modern leadership structure. Very little media. No mass communication. It was a small group of people sitting in a room, working through issues, knowing that if they wanted to act, they had to reach agreement. In that setting, if no one could force the end of debate, the only way forward was to work it out. Cloture, which is what we usually mean when we talk about the filibuster today, came much later in the Senate’s history.

Eventually the chamber grew, and unlimited debate threatened to bring all business to a permanent halt. While cloture was adopted in 1917 to limit debate, its current 60-vote threshold protects the Senate’s original design in the face of today’s realities by requiring a broad number of members to “work through issues” before passing bills. This tradition contributed to the Senate’s reputation as the world’s greatest deliberative body. Not because senators speak longer, but because no one can be easily ignored. The structure forces engagement. It requires listening. It pushes ideas to be tested beyond a simple majority. Because of that, individual senators hold real power. This is an important distinction between the Senate and the House. In the House, power is centralized. Leadership controls the flow of legislation, the terms of debate and often the outcome. Even senior members can have limited influence. I served there and saw how difficult it is for an individual member to shape major legislation. The Senate operates differently. Because debate isn’t easily cut off, individual senators can’t be dismissed in the same way.

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State Stories

Contractor who built Colossus and Colossus II says Elon Musk owes him colossal amount of money

A mechanical contractor who helped build Elon Musk’s Memphis-area data centers at breakneck speed says SpaceXAI is dragging its feet on paying his company for work performed since 2024. Darrell Cuttell, owner of Ohio-based Darana Hybrid, said SpaceXAI owes his company more than $136 million. Dima Amro, the real estate and economic development reporter for the Memphis Business Journal, broke the story Friday. Cuttell’s company is one of several with liens filed against SpaceXAI for failing to pay for services rendered. “The contractors are alleging they haven’t been paid for years of construction work,” she told Action News 5.

The Shelby County Register of Deeds website shows Darana Hybrid filed two liens against SpaceXAI this week. Cuttell said his company has not been paid for more than $118 million worth of work at the Tulane Road Colossus II data center in Whitehaven, and $18 million for construction at the Colossus facility near Boxtown. The work was performed from 2024 through June of this year. Cuttell is expected to file additional liens for construction performed at the Southaven plant as well which would take the total amount of money he says is owed to him by SpaceXAI to more than half a billion dollars. “So it looks like more liens are going to be coming to the surface,” said Amro, “About $400 million more worth of liens. I was told that that would be filed in Mississippi for the SpaceXAI facilities there.” Two other companies also filed liens against SpaceXAI. USW-Menard Inc. claims it is owed $2.2 million for work done at the water treatment plant. TorcSill Foundations says SpaceXAI owes the company $65,000 for two days of work at Colossus II. Amro said Cuttell has been affected by the dispute. “He said he hasn’t slept in over four months. He’s lost a lot of weight. And he feels like there’s no future right now after filing those liens,” Amro said.

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Hundreds of El Paso teachers leave classrooms as enrollment decline reshapes area schools, workforce

Last spring, Patricia Amezaga, a physical education teacher at Coach Wally Hartley PK-8 School, tossed volleyballs and talked to students who visited her gym every day as part of an afterschool program for military families. Amezaga knew it would be one of the last days she’d have to wrangle footballs, referee a game of pickup basketball and watch students head home with their parents at the end of the day. Amezaga said she had considered leaving her job after teaching for 35 years, but wasn’t sure until the El Paso Independent School District offered a $3,000 buyout to employees to give an early notification of their plans to retire or resign at the end of the school year. She took it and retired at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

“When they offered $3,000, I said, ‘You know what, I’m 99.9% sure I’m going to leave, so, I’m going to take the leap,’” Amezaga said. “It’s going to be really hard to leave, because I love it here. It’s a great place to be. I think now it’s just time for me to go.” Hundreds of El Paso teachers took similar steps after the city’s three largest school districts offered separation incentives to reduce staffing costs in response to declining enrollment. About 820 teachers from the El Paso, Socorro and Ysleta school districts – nearly 10% of all teachers in the districts – either retired, resigned or were terminated during the last fiscal year, which ended in June. That same year, the districts only hired a combined 470 teachers – 260 at EPISD, 160 at SISD and the remainder at YISD. Over the last seven years, the number of full-time equivalent teachers working for the three districts declined by about 10% to 8,400 during the 2025-26 school year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. Meanwhile, the total number of employees in the districts fell by about 8% to 18,200.

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Texas Stock Exchange rings bell to mark historic milestone

Gold confetti coated the floor underneath the Texas Stock Exchange's formidable closing bell Friday, a physical manifestation of the capital foundation provided by the likes of Goldman Sachs and Charles Schwab that made TXSE the most well-capitalized stock exchange ever when it debuted in the summer of 2024. Just two years later, the nascent Dallas-based is celebrating a major milestone, literally rung in Friday at the exchange's temporary headquarters in Knox/Henderson: the complete launch of trading on TXSE's platform. Having begun a phased launch of operations on July 6, Friday's closing bell ceremony marked the ability to trade all the more than 13,000 stock symbols that trade in the U.S. on the Lone Star State's homegrown exchange.

"Today is an important moment for the state of Texas and America's capital markets. The Texas Stock Exchange has successfully completed its launch of trading and is now firmly part of the global market structure. We are recognizing this milestone because what this team and our partners have accomplished is simply remarkable," said founder and CEO James Lee before striking the bell. "Here's what they've delivered in a mere 18 months: a fully integrated exchange that's trading and listings at once, something that has never been done before, and the broadest day one participation of any new exchange in a half a century. This is pure infrastructure built to support what comes next: real competition for primary listings for the first time in decades," he continued. On Friday, more than $700 million worth of shares were traded on TXSE, according to NasdaqTrader.com, as the exchange seeks to slowly but surely nab market share from the New York capital markets duopoly it aims to challenge. TXSE has raised more than $275 million in backing to create its own trading platform from the ground up and eventually give companies an alternative venue to list, with the goal of restoring health to public markets.

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U.S. House candidate Claire Reynolds searches for blue dots in West Texas

laire Reynolds stood before a group of 30 neighbors at the Pflugerville Library on a recent July day and explained how she came to be running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. “I was living my life, working at the State Bar of Texas, and I woke up one morning and found that I was in a completely different congressional district,” Reynolds told the audience. “When I looked to see where that district was, and who the current representative was, I was very disappointed. I felt like that representative did not represent my values. So I was mad.” She paused and laughed shyly. “And then I decided that being mad was getting me nowhere. I decided: Let’s beat them at their own game.” Reynolds is a 51-year-old attorney whose home at the edge of North Austin was, until December of last year, part of the 37th Congressional District of the U.S. House, represented by the Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett.

But after Donald Trump demanded that Texas Republicans provide him with five additional Republican seats for the House last summer, Reynolds and approximately 193,000 other residents in the area were stripped out of nearby districts and placed in Congressional District 11, considered one of the reddest districts in the nation. On maps, TX-11 resembles a blocky handgun, pointed west. It covers an immense stretch of Central and West Texas almost twice the size of Massachusetts, much of it very remote. The Pflugerville-area neighborhoods added to the district appear as a tiny, twisting tail tacked onto its southeast corner. For years, the district has been represented by conservative Republicans, most recently a retired Air Force colonel named August Pfluger. Though equipped with the perfect name to represent the area, Pfluger has no perceptible connection to Central Texas. He lives in San Angelo. The most relevant thing about him is that on January 6, 2021, three days after being sworn in to office, Pfluger helped Donald Trump attempt a coup against our country, voting to block certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory. He has gone on to become a close ally of Trump.

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Environmental groups threaten Clean Air Act lawsuit over San Antonio data centers

Three environmental organizations are threatening to sue the developers of two West San Antonio data centers, alleging the companies improperly used streamlined state permits to avoid stricter federal air-pollution requirements. The Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club and Public Citizen sent a formal notice of intent to sue Vantage Data Centers and VoltaGrid on July 22. The notice is a required step before filing a citizen lawsuit under the federal Clean Air Act; it does not establish that the companies violated the law. The projects at 14270 Omicron Drive and 5207 Rogers Road include two natural-gas power plants and 151 backup diesel generators.

Together, the dedicated “behind-the-meter” systems, which serve the data centers rather than the regional grid, provide 423 megawatts of primary generating capacity. The groups contend Vantage and VoltaGrid treated the equipment as separate, minor pollution sources when the interconnected operations should have been evaluated as major sources. In 2024 and 2025, the companies obtained four minor-source authorizations from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. According to the legal notice, the facilities have the potential — not necessarily the expectation — to emit approximately 5,600 tons of nitrogen oxides and 323 tons of volatile organic compounds annually. Those pollutants help create ground-level ozone. The groups also estimate potential emissions of 1,190 tons of carbon monoxide and more than 70 tons of formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. The allegations carry particular significance because TCEQ classifies Bexar County as a “serious” ozone nonattainment area, meaning it does not meet the federal health standard for ozone. Major-source permits generally require pollution controls, monitoring and opportunities for public participation before construction. The environmental groups say those safeguards were bypassed.

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Family, community honor Carrollton soldier Isabella Gonzales at funeral service

Family members, military leaders and elected officials gathered in Plano Saturday to honor the life of Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, remembering the 19-year-old as a woman of deep faith, selfless service and unwavering determination. Gonzales, a Hebron High School graduate who enlisted in the Army shortly after graduation, was killed July 17 while serving in Jordan. She volunteered for the deployment and was remembered throughout the service as someone who embraced challenges and put others before herself. Her uncle, Alfredo Muñiz, told mourners Gonzales "made the ultimate sacrifice. She was killed in action doing exactly what she wanted and chose to do."

Muñiz said Gonzales lived intentionally, choosing to spend her time helping others and pursuing her dream of serving her country. "Don't measure Isabella's legacy by the length of her years," he said. "Measure her legacy by the depth of the love she left behind and the profound impact she made on the people around her.” Carrollton Mayor Steve Babick said Gonzales never lost sight of her goal to make a difference. "Today we honor a hero, a 19-year-old female soldier that with all of her patriotic heart answered the call to serve," Babick said. Brig. Gen. Glenn Henke, commander of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, shared stories from Gonzales' fellow soldiers, describing her as a quick learner whose personality strengthened her unit. "She became a source of laughter and joy. She became the glue of her team," Henke said.

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Parents sue Plano ISD, principal and teacher for $1 million over alleged sexual abuse of daughter

The parents of an8- year-old girl are suing Plano ISD, saying the district failed to prevent longtime 2nd-grade teacher Paul Campbell from sexually abusing their daughter. The suit, which also names Campbell and Brinker Elementary principal Jennifer King as defendants, claims the school knew about an earlier accusation against Campbell but didn’t report it to the state as required, didn’t investigate Campbell, or supervise his actions. “Campbell was allowed to continue to teach at Brinker placing him in a position of authority over second-grade students as a teacher where he could have unfettered access to girls,” the Collin County suit reads.

The parents, listed as John and Jane Doe, say Campbell repeatedly sexually abused their daughter – listed as Janie Doe – when she was his student last year. They’re seeking $1 million in damages. Campbell taught at Brinker Elementary for 28 years before he was arrested on July 8 and charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, a first-degree felony. Police later filed three additional charges of indecency with a child, a second-degree felony, after more alleged victims stepped forward. The Plano ISD school board voted unanimously after Campbell’s arrest to take steps to fire him. He remains at the Collin County Detention Center, records show. The district said in a statement it “cannot comment on pending litigation or confidential personnel and student matters.” It called the alleged conduct “serious, unacceptable and wholly inconsistent with the standards and expectations of Plano ISD.”

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Harris County launches ‘Priority Pass’ in an effort to streamline vehicle registration

The Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office launched an online vehicle registration service, called "Priority Pass," earlier this week. The new online service is designed to speed up vehicle registration for Harris County residents by reducing tax office wait times. According to the tax assessor-collector’s office, Priority Pass allows residents to submit their documents online for automatic verification before going to the tax office in person. After submitting their documents online, residents will receive a barcode. The barcode can then be taken to the tax office, allowing the resident to bypass paperwork that can often result in longer wait times.

The new Priority Pass service is available via MyHarrisCountyTax, which was launched by the office last year as the county's online property tax payment platform. MyHarrisCountyTax also allows residents to set up a property tax prepayment plan. "Priority Pass is the next step in bringing the full range of tax office service onto one platform," the office said in a news release announcing the new program. According to the tax assessor-collector's office, when residents create a MyHarrisCountyTax profile, they can receive due date reminders via email, pay taxes for multiple properties at once, apply for recurring payments, see their bill history and save their payment methods, receipts and documents.

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Mayor targets funding for Spurs’ new arena in hunt to reduce city budget gap

After a flurry of proposals over the last week, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has taken aim at cutting the City of San Antonio’s $158 million budget gap again. In a memo Friday, Jones proposed another vote on the public funding for a downtown arena for the San Antonio Spurs in November. She said now that city residents understand the budget shortfall, which could lead to an increase in property taxes, they should vote on the city funding for the arena. “November would allow city voters to vote clearly informed by what they are paying, what they are receiving in return and whether the latter is good enough,” Jones wrote in a memo to City Council on Friday.

The Spurs’ downtown arena, part of Project Marvel, would cost $1.3 billion and is scheduled to host the team beginning in 2030. Bexar County voters approved using $311 million in hotel tax dollars for the arena in November 2025. City officials said their $489 million in funding — a combination of sales tax revenue from hotels and hotel-related businesses and funds borrowed against projected future property taxes — did not need a public vote. City council members linked their $489 million contribution to the county vote. Now, Jones is saying voters who live in the city should have another bite at the apple because they are residents of both Bexar County and San Antonio. “City voters will pay twice towards the proposed arena, as they will contribute to the county’s $311 million contribution and the city’s $489 million contribution,” Jones said. “Since they pay twice, city voters deserve to vote twice.”

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Gilberto Cárdenas, revered for his advocacy for Chicanos and Latino art, dies at 79

Gilberto Cárdenas, a highly respected sociologist who many considered a great advocate for advancing Latino and Chicano identity through academia and art, has died. Cárdenas died Sunday at his home in Austin, Texas, after a long illness, according to a statement released by his family. He was 79. Born and raised in San Gabriel, California, Cárdenas became deeply entrenched in the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Chicano was a rallying social and political identity embraced by Mexican Americans fighting for equality and civil rights. Cárdenas advocated for the cause with his camera. He documented marches, meetings and other community gatherings.

He also loved to acknowledge Chicano artists in the movement and often swapped his photos for posters, prints and other artworks. He would even save posters that were about to be thrown away because of their potential cultural significance. “Looking at all his accomplishments, he was such a gentle and humble man and really appreciated where he came from,” said Richard Flores, a friend and Mexican American Studies professor at University of Texas at Austin. Cárdenas was always “trying to make a contribution not only to the community but the artists he so loved.” He went on to earn a doctorate at the University of Notre Dame and then was hired by the University of Texas at Austin as a sociology professor. He spent nearly 25 years lecturing on the sociology of immigration. Cárdenas is credited for establishing Mexican American Studies there. In 1999, Cárdenas went back to the University of Notre Dame as a faculty member. In his role as assistant provost, he created the Institute for Latino Studies.

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Interstate 635 construction in Dallas is almost done. What to know

The Interstate 635 East project, also known as Lyndon B. Johnson East, is nearing the end, with most of the roadway now open. The reconstruction of the highway started six years ago, but plans were made long before the crews came in. During this time, North Texas motorists navigated detours, lane closures and constant construction on their commutes. Now, the project is entering its final stretch and transportation officials estimate construction will be completed by the end of the summer. The highway first opened in 1969, originally designed for a much smaller region, and could withstand about 180,000 cars per day.

The Texas Department of Transportation estimates the current traffic volume on I-635 is about 230,000 cars per day. Dallas’ population has significantly grown since the interstate’s construction. The city's population increased from 844,401 in the 1970 U.S. Census to an estimated 1,329,491 as of July 1, 2025, about a 57% increase, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Due to the region’s population increase, the highway often ranks as one of the state’s most congested corridors. As part of TxDOT’s statewide Texas Clear Lanes initiative, the transportation authority wanted to address the busiest roads and improve mobility on major motorways. How much did construction cost? The I-635 East project is one of the largest highway investments in Dallas County, with a budget of $1.74 billion. Public updates have not identified major cost increases beyond the design-build contract value, which requires TxDOT to report the overall amount rather than incremental spending totals. The design-build contract was finalized in 2019, and construction crews broke ground in spring of 2020.

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National Stories

Capital One says it closed Trump Organization's accounts after anti-money laundering probe

Capital One Financial hit back on Friday against a lawsuit over its decision to close the Trump Organization’s bank accounts years ago, stating that it did so after a review by anti-money laundering experts. The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money-laundering concerns to U.S. President Donald Trump’s family business. Capital One is seeking to dismiss the case by casting doubt on claims of illegally debanking — or denying services on religious or political grounds — the Trump Organization. The Trump Organization and Capital One did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Capital One has never accused the Trump Organization of illegal money laundering. But Friday’s filing argues that “documents and Plaintiffs’ own allegations make clear that Capital One closed Plaintiffs’ accounts for anti-money laundering (“AML”) reasons. The closures were the result of months of analysis and a careful review by Capital One’s AML team in accordance with bank policies and regulatory guidance.” Capital One gave notice of its plans to close more than 300 Trump-affiliated bank accounts in March 2021. The Trump Organization and Eric Trump, the president’s son, filed a lawsuit in March 2025 in a Florida federal court, alleging the accounts were closed because of Capital One’s “woke” beliefs and its desire to benefit from the political mood after the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The federal court in Miami has tossed two complaints in the Capital One case, but gave the plaintiffs opportunities each time to submit an amended complaint. Capital One said that the latest version, filed in July, “suffers from the same fundamental flaws as their prior two pleadings.” Capital One said in Friday’s filing that the Trump Organization’s allegations of political pretext were “misguided” and “based on cherry-picked quotations unsupported by the full context” of documents submitted to the court.

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Trump says parameters met for a deal to end Iran war

U.S. President Donald Trump says he will order American forces to hold off on new strikes against Iran, claiming Mideast allies have reached the parameters of a deal to end the 5-month old war. The emerging deal “would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat,” Trump wrote in a Saturday evening social media post. “Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” Trump said. Trump has announced halts to strikes in Iran on several occasions since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, only for things to unravel and fighting to resume again.

Iran’s defense minister said on X that the country was “neither surprised nor passive” following Trump’s announcement and said Iran continues to remain alert in the face of concrete threats from the U.S. A regional official says the proposal announced by Trump over the weekend calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue working out many of the issues that have stymied prior progress on the deal. The official, who is involved in the mediation efforts, said the proposal calls for reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks across the region, including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the Arab Gulf countries and Jordan. The U.S., in exchange, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to export its oil as stated in the tentative ceasefire deal, he said. No deal has been reached yet, but mediation efforts are underway, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media. Trump said that Israel is joining his commitment to end the war by implementing the ceasefire deal. Israel did not publicly comment on the announcement.

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Loudoun County, other Virginia localities consider hitting the brakes on data center development

Loudoun County, ground zero of Data Center Alley and home to over 250 of the power-hungry digital warehouse facilities, is considering a pause on all new data center project applications, officials said this week. “The community has basically been begging us to do something about the unchecked growth of data centers,” County Supervisor Juli Briskman said Thursday. “The communities have been asking us to fight back against these big corporations that have basically been able to run roughshod over the county.” Briskman asked the board to have county staff draft a plan for what a data center pause would entail. The county is currently revisiting its comprehensive plan zoning ordinances regarding data center permitting and zoning. Phase one of the review process concluded in the spring of 2025.

Following that review, supervisors removed “by-right” permitting for data centers and moved it to a conditional use permit application that allows for more public input into the process. In the second phase of the ordinance review, supervisors will examine existing standards for data centers and utility substations in the zoning ordinance, Briskman said. From there, they will determine if amendments are necessary to minimize community impacts while ensuring operational functionality. Briskman said they will also “evaluate provisions related to onsite power generation and energy storage, (and) noise parking standards.” She suggested data center applications pause while review of potential amendments to the comprehensive plan is underway. This would mean no new applications would be considered for months. “I decided it was time that we actually just pumped the brakes, listened to the community, and just put a pause on all of it until we can get our arms around some of these other standards that we’ve been working on,” Briskman said.

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Why Trump won’t just break the Blanche impasse

The irony is that Todd Blanche can’t be confirmed for the very reason that he shouldn’t be confirmed: He is willfully running interference for something tawdry that President Trump is insistent on doing under the guise of Justice Department authority, namely, establishing the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund. An attorney general fit for the job would resign rather than be a part of that. As I’ve been telling you, despite Blanche’s testimony to the contrary, the slush fund is not dead. Moreover, a lot of creativity went into its creation, and because the fund is a raid on the Judgment Fund for paying judgments, awards, and compromise settlements against the government, Blanche was an essential participant.

In essence, the Anti-Weaponization Fund would be underwritten by nearly 2 billion taxpayer dollars filched from the Judgment Fund, which could then be paid out as “compensation” for Capitol riot defendants and other Trump political allies without any specific congressional appropriations. (For good measure, the scheme — camouflaged as a legal settlement of a lawsuit Trump brought against his own administration, for wrongdoing that occurred during his last administration — also included an attempt by Blanche to immunize Trump, Trump’s elder sons, and Trump’s business empire from tax audits.) Needless to say, if a Democratic administration had pulled such a stunt, Republicans would be apoplectic. Consider this: The amount of money involved in the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” dwarfs the $24 million in influence-peddling by what Republicans gleefully labeled the “Biden Crime Family” while devoting much of the last Congress to tracing every penny. The point, however, is that the Blanche nomination is in suspended animation because the president does not want to forfeit the fund. Blanche, of course, is now the acting AG, as well as the Senate-confirmed deputy AG.

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In-N-Out president says ‘heart is broken’ after employee, customers killed in Idaho shooting

In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder said her "heart is broken" after an employee and customers were killed when a gunman opened fire at one of the burger chain’s newest restaurants in Idaho. Three people were killed and seven others injured, some critically, in the Saturday afternoon shooting at the In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, city spokesperson Josh Palmer said. Police found the suspected gunman dead near the restaurant, though Palmer said it was not immediately clear whether the shooter was included in the city’s reported death toll. "We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight," Snyder said in a statement posted to Facebook. "She was taking care of our most important asset — our Customers, and her life was taken by a disgusting human who doesn’t value the lives of others or his own."

Snyder said the gunman fired both on and away from In-N-Out property before ending his own life shortly after killing the employee and customers. "My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed," she wrote. Officials had not released the names, ages or other identifying details of the victims as authorities worked to notify their relatives. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said investigators were also working to identify the suspected shooter and determine a motive. "We believe the threat to the community is over," Hicks said during a news conference. "It was a very chaotic scene." The shooting unfolded at about 2 p.m. in a busy shopping plaza where hundreds of people were in the area, according to Palmer. Video recorded from across the street appeared to show a person dressed in black carrying a long rifle toward a white vehicle. The person opened the driver’s door and then the trunk before reaching inside, prompting the driver recording the scene to leave out of concern that the shooter might be retrieving additional weapons. Multiple victims were taken to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center. A hospital spokesperson said the facility was working with law enforcement and emergency personnel as they responded to the shooting.

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Louisiana AG says state will investigate Fauci after Senate hearing

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill (R) said her state will investigate Dr. Anthony Fauci after a recent fiery Senate hearing where the retired government scientist pleaded the Fifth Amendment in response to questions from Republican lawmakers. In a post on the social platform X on Saturday, Murrill said that “Louisiana and Missouri deposed Dr. Fauci.” “At the time, he claimed to not recall many key details of his own actions and now we are discovering contemporaneous records he kept,” she added. “Louisiana will join Alabama & Florida in investigating Fauci and whether he committed any other offenses that could be pursued in our State courts.”

On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) said he was beginning an investigation into Fauci after the former chief White House medical adviser invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times during a Senate hearing focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. “Fauci’s lack of candor to Congress is unbelievable,” Uthmeier wrote on social media. “My office is launching an investigation into Dr. Fauci. It’s past time we get the truth of what happened during COVID.” Fauci’s Senate hearing on Wednesday turned into an hourslong chance for Republicans to express criticisms, arguments and theories on the response to COVID-19, with Fauci refusing to answer questions. A few days before the hearing, over a thousand pages of Fauci’s personal diary entries and work records were released by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The longtime health official called the action from Paul an attempt at “embarrassing and intimidating” him. The Hill has reached out to an attorney for Fauci for comment.

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In dropping reflecting pool case, Pirro draws Trump’s wrath

Jeanine Pirro faced the cameras on July 2 with characteristic self-assurance to announce the indictment of the 67-year-old ex-Olympian David Hearn for trashing “sacred” government property, President Trump’s highly prized but shoddily renovated Reflecting Pool. “This is not only a priority for the president, but for myself,” said Ms. Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, disclosing felony vandalism charges against Mr. Hearn for touching the lining of the pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. She added: “We will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hearn willfully destroyed property.” This was not the case. Ms. Pirro’s office dramatically reversed course on Friday, not only withdrawing the charge against Mr. Hearn but blasting the Interior Department for the rushed and “botched” renovation, along with U.S. Park Police officials who fed bad information that led her to publicly cite “tremendous evidence” against Mr. Hearn.

In the process, intentionally or not, she skated perilously close to contradicting Mr. Trump — and he noticed. Ms. Pirro’s 20-page filing did not refer to, much less rebuke, Mr. Trump for claiming the damage was caused by left-wing vandals rather than his administration’s missteps. But it raised innate doubts about his assertion that criminals had slashed the pool’s lining with a “knife or blade.” That Ms. Pirro, a former Westchester, N.Y., district attorney and Fox News personality was aiming much of her criticism not at Mr. Trump, but his interior secretary, Doug Burgum, who oversaw the issuance of a no-bid contract to renovate the pool, did not appear to matter much. On Saturday morning, Mr. Trump dashed off a post on Truth Social that made clear he was unhappy with Ms. Pirro, a friend and ally since the 1980s. “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro,” Mr. Trump wrote.

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Lead Stories

Fox News Poll: Talarico leads Paxton by 3 points, Abbott and Hinojosa are neck and neck

President Donald Trump won the Lone Star state by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024, but a new Fox News Poll of Texas registered voters suggests this year's Senate race is far less settled. Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton has yet to fully unify the GOP despite the president’s endorsement in the GOP primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. In addition, more voters are concerned Paxton lacks the character to serve than worry Democratic challenger James Talarico is too extreme, and more Democrats than Republicans are extremely motivated to vote (by 7 points) and extremely interested in the midterms (by 6). Those dynamics give Talarico a 3-point edge over Paxton (51% vs. 48%) in the Senate contest (within the survey’s margin of sampling error).

Talarico's advantage in the race grows to 6 points among both extremely motivated and extremely interested voters (53% vs. 47% in each group). Most independents (68%) and virtually all Democrats support Talarico (98%), while fewer Republicans are unified behind Paxton (89%). In part, that’s because one quarter of non-MAGA Republicans back Talarico (24%). Paxton is the choice among White evangelical Christians, White men without a college degree, rural voters, regular worship attenders, men and voters ages 65 and older. Some of Talarico’s best groups are Black voters, moderates, voters under age 30, Hispanic voters, women and voters with a college degree. "Although Paxton dominated Cornyn in the GOP primary, that bruising contest left scars," said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson. "He has considerable work to do with non-MAGA Republicans and independents, and that undoubtedly requires aggressively tying Talarico to the Democratic Party’s far left." By a 12-point margin, more voters are concerned Paxton lacks the character to serve as a senator than believe Talarico is too extreme (59% vs. 47%). Twice as many Republicans are concerned about Paxton's character as Democrats are that Talarico is too extreme (36% vs. 17%). In the race for governor, incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is favored by 1 point over Democrat Gina Hinojosa.

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Defying Trump, Cornyn uses his lame-duck power

Not long after Senator John Cornyn lost his re-election bid to a right-wing challenger backed by President Trump, the Texas Republican predicted that the remainder of his Senate tenure might be a “pretty bumpy ride” for the president. He warned that he and other lame-duck senators had “some cards to play” and would not hesitate to use them. This week, depending on the metaphor you prefer, Mr. Cornyn either made himself a giant senatorial pothole or laid his hand on the table. By wielding his vote on the Judiciary Committee as leverage, a newly liberated Mr. Cornyn threw Mr. Trump’s choice for attorney general, Todd Blanche, into limbo as the Senate left town for the weekend on Thursday night.

Both he and Senator Thom Tillis — the North Carolina Republican who chose not to seek re-election after Mr. Trump threatened to unseat him — said that they would not advance Mr. Blanche’s nomination unless the Justice Department agreed to narrow an immunity settlement that Mr. Trump reached with the I.R.S. to protect himself and his family. The red line that Mr. Cornyn has drawn is fairly thin. He and Mr. Tillis are not seeking to kill the deal that Mr. Blanche negotiated with Mr. Trump’s personal lawyers, which gave the president, his family and his businesses broad immunity, potentially saving them at least $100 million in penalties and drawing accusations from Democrats of self-dealing. They are merely demanding modifications — in writing. Still, his willingness to dig in his heels against a demand by Mr. Trump at a moment when the president’s popularity is sagging and senators are increasingly frustrated with him is notable. Though Mr. Tillis has been more openly critical of Mr. Trump for months, Mr. Cornyn, a onetime contender for Senate majority leader, had long been a reliable Republican vote who rarely said a critical word about the president.

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With future of U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade in limbo, Texas businesses navigate choppy waters

It's hard to overstate just how much Texas has riding on a successful renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. Mexico and Canada are Texas' No. 1 and No. 2 trading partners, respectively, just as they are for the U.S. as a whole. And that doesn't take into account direct investment in Texas by Mexican and Canadian companies. All that trade and investment means that thousands of Texas jobs depend on the smooth flow of goods and services between the U.S. and its southern and northern neighbors. So, too, does the competitiveness of North America in the world economy as a whole. Since July 1, when the Trump administration announced it would not renew the USMCA and instead put the agreement under annual review, the U.S. has held bilateral trade talks with Mexico but not with Canada.

In the meantime, ratcheting up the pressure, President Donald Trump has announced a new 10% tariff on a fraction of Mexican imports and 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian imports, including cars and trucks. "The problem is not for Washington or Mexico City or Ottawa," said Tony Payan, director of the Claudio X. Gonzalez Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University's Baker Institute. "The problem is for businesses, because a lot of these companies — manufacturers, energy companies — they’ve got long-term plans. They have to plan ahead 5, 10 years. And now they have to learn to live with the uncertainty of investments that may not be covered by the agreement whenever that is ratified, if it all." In 2024, two-way trade between Texas and Mexico came to $281.2 billion, while trade between Texas and Canada came to $69.2 billion. Taken together, that's equivalent to 12% of the state's economy. Texas' main exports to Mexico and Canada are oil and natural gas products – but its manufacturing, particularly of vehicles, depends heavily on parts imported from both countries. Texas' and Mexico's economies have been historically integrated, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't suffer if the USMCA dies. That's even more the case with Texas' ties with Canada. Air Tractor, Inc. is a prime example of a company that has thrived thanks to USMCA. Based in the small North Texas city of Olney, the company makes aircraft for farming and aerial firefighting. It sells to customers throughout the U.S. and in more than 50 countries across the world.

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Appeals court rejects the Trump administration’s expansion of mandatory detention for immigrants

The Trump administration cannot deny immigrants detained inside the United States a chance for release on bond, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. The 2-1 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with a judge appointed by President Donald Trump in the majority, deepened a split between federal appeals courts over the administration’s mandatory detention policy. Four other appeals courts have also rejected it, while the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and Eighth Circuit in St. Louis have sided with the Trump administration. The expanding circuit split increases the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually take up the issue. The administration last month asked the high court to consider it.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it “strongly disagrees with the Ninth Circuit panel and is confident in its legal position regarding mandatory detention.” “President Donald Trump and Secretary Mullin are now enforcing the law as it was actually written to keep America safe,” the statement said. Under previous administrations, most noncitizens without a criminal record who were arrested inside the U.S. were allowed to seek a bond hearing while their immigration cases were pending. Mandatory detention was generally reserved for people arrested at the border. Last July, immigration officials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to immigrants in the U.S. interior. The move — part of the administration’s mass deportation campaign — prompted a deluge of federal lawsuits by immigrants seeking release from custody. Some federal judges who ordered bond hearings blasted the administration for repeatedly violating their orders.

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State Stories

Paxton’s MAGA Inc. bailout & Thune’s crypto stall

While every Republican is still waiting to see how Donald Trump will deploy MAGA Inc.’s nearly $400 million cash hoard in the midterms, three sources told me that the super PAC plans to put at least some of that dough to work in support of Ken Paxton in Texas. MAGA Inc. will be “meaningfully involved” in the Texas Senate race, one of the sources told me. That commitment—the first real insight into how the MAGA Inc. money will be spent—would bring considerable relief to the party’s Senate campaign committees: Trump’s decision to endorse Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in the primary could cost the party hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure that the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general can defeat well-financed Democrat James Talarico. A cash infusion from MAGA Inc. seems like the least Trump could do.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has threatened to bring the Clarity Act, the crypto market regulatory bill, to the floor and force Democrats to vote on it. But after months of negotiations—especially over an ethics provision intended to curb the president and his family’s crypto dealings—Thune still lacks 50 Republican votes, disincentivizing him from putting it on the floor. Sens. Josh Hawley and John Cornyn, who are hearing complaints from local banks, remain undecided. Meanwhile, Sen. Thom Tillis is working with Democrats to shore up the White House ethics provisions. Sen. Mitch McConnell is out of the office. And I’m told there are several other Republicans who aren’t on board yet, either. Thune and other Republicans want a vote before the August recess to pressure Democrats. Hundreds of millions of dollars from pro-crypto super PACs are waiting to be deployed, but most groups have held back their spending while talks continue. Thune is calculating that money will start flowing into races to defeat Democrats if they vote against the bill. The problem, of course, is that he can’t even hold a procedural vote until his own members are prepared to support it.

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Big new power lines could prevent blackouts in Texas, but landowner opposition is fierce

Opponents of new ultra-high-voltage transmission lines voiced their concerns into the wee hours of the morning at a 15-hour-long state capitol hearing on Wednesday and Thursday. Speakers shared their fear over the project’s local impacts, their anger over the proliferation of data centers and their distrust of renewable energy. State regulators and grid managers say that new electric transmission is necessary to maintain Texas grid reliability. But the long night of protest laid bare the challenges ahead for major additions to the energy system. Here are some key takeaways.

The 765 kilovolt transmission lines would be constructed in phases to move more electricity, more efficiently, around fast-growing Texas. The first phase of that larger transmission network, the routing of which is already underway, is called the Permian Basin Reliability Plan. That would create three 765 kilovolt ultra-high-voltage transmission lines running from the central part of the state to West Texas to answer energy shortages due largely to high demand from the oil and gas industry. The lines are bigger and taller than any currently in Texas, reaching a height of 160 feet and occupying a right of way 200 feet wide. At the hearing, state electric utility regulators said they approved the plan for ultra-high-voltage lines because building a few big lines leaves a smaller footprint than building several lower voltage lines to carry the same amount of electricity. “765 is fewer lines,” Thomas Gleason, Executive Director of the Public Utility Commission of Texas told lawmakers. “While each line requires more right of way, in totality, it's actually less right of way.”

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Texas officials tell counties to reinstate some voters flagged by a federal program as potential noncitizens

Election officials across the state should immediately reinstate some voters who were incorrectly flagged as potential noncitizens through a federal program, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office told county officials Wednesday. Christina Adkins, the state elections director, told county officials the state had reviewed Texas Department of Public Safety records confirming the citizenship of some of the 2,724 registered voters who were flagged as potential noncitizens, according to an audio recording of her comments obtained by Votebeat and The Texas Tribune, as well as election officials who heard them. The voters were flagged after the state checked its voter roll through a federal program called Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, used to verify the citizenship of people registered to vote.

Adkins said the state is still working through the data and that she couldn’t yet say how many of the 2,724 people had provided proof of citizenship to DPS and should thus be reinstated if they were already removed from the voter roll. She characterized SAVE as having “some inaccurate information” but added that “most of the data that we got out of SAVE was consistent with what DPS had.” According to election officials, the secretary of state’s office said it plans in the coming days to send voter registrars additional information from DPS showing some of the flagged registered voters had in fact provided proof of citizenship to DPS while registering to vote or obtaining a driver’s license or state ID. There isn’t yet an exact number of how many U.S. citizens’ registrations were actually canceled or how many were canceled in total by counties after being flagged by SAVE, said Kristin Miles, the Bastrop County elections administrator and president of the Texas Association of County Election Officials. “Counties are following appropriate list maintenance procedures under Texas law, and will ensure eligible voters whose registrations were cancelled are reinstated, and that only U.S. citizens remain on the voter rolls,” Miles said in an emailed statement.

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'We'll keep pushing forward': Consumers and businesses brace for expanded Texas THC ban taking effect July 31

New restrictions on several synthetic THC products will take effect across Texas starting Friday, forcing retailers to pull many popular items from their shelves while customers scramble to make final purchases. The change comes after a Texas Supreme Court decision in May that ended a 2021 injunction preventing the Texas Department of State Health Services from enforcing its classification of various hemp-derived THC compounds as Schedule I controlled substances. "Now they rescheduled everything to a Schedule 1 so even if you possess it now it's going to be a crime,” said Jackie Walji, owner of Mellow Monkey in San Antonio. For smoke shops like Mellow Monkey, the impact will be immediate. Customers have been stopping by before Friday to purchase various products before they're banned.

"Most of what we have is going to be gone," said owner Jackie Walji. Walji said the list of prohibited products has expanded over time. "Originally, they said just take off the smokable THCA flower and concentrate. And then how they're saying THCP, Delta-8," Walji said. Delta-10 products are also among those affected by the new enforcement. Not every THC product is disappearing. Hemp-derived Delta-9 products containing no more than 0.3% THC remain legal under state and federal law, prompting retailers to stock up on those items ahead of the deadline. Walji says Mellow Monkey's broader inventory of smoking accessories will help soften the financial blow. "Since we're more of a smoke shop too we have pipes, papers, other things that people can get, so if this was my whole business, a good 95% of this is gone," Walji said.

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Texas approves AI data center co-location next to wind farm, with curtailment caveats

The Public Utility Commission of Texas last week approved a net metering arrangement for a 260-MW AI data center co-located with a wind farm of approximately the same capacity in a case that could serve as a template for other co-located loads in the Lone Star State. The data center is the second one planned for the site, and the developer had argued it should not be subject to the same curtailment requirements as the first because the total load of both – about 525 MW – exceeds the generation resource’s capacity of 265.5 MW. The commission rejected that argument. According to the July 23 order, the data center must be capable of curtailing its full load within 30 minutes during grid emergencies, with physical breaker disconnection if necessary. It is also barred from participating in paid demand response programs tied to the arrangement.

The proceeding represents one of the first major tests of Texas’ SB 6, which became law last year and established new rules for large loads in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ territory, including giving the grid operator the authority to disconnect data centers during grid emergencies. Rather than creating a project-specific exception, commissioners largely adopted ERCOT’s proposed reliability conditions. The order allows the co-location arrangement to move forward while establishing operating requirements for future behind-the-meter projects. Chris Talley, co-founder of GridTracker, wrote in a LinkedIn post following the decision that the order is not a “death blow” to co-location in ERCOT. “It just means that this architecture now essentially requires full backup capacity,” he said. In a follow-up message to Utility Dive, Talley clarified that by “full backup,” he meant resources capable of carrying the load off-grid for a meaningful period of time, rather than simply riding through a short interruption. He cautioned that this was an “untested assumption” and pointed to a pending co-location application from Amazon and Vistra to build a data center campus next to the Comanche Peak nuclear plant, southwest of Fort Worth, as a case to watch.

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San Antonio Mayor Jones warns of deeper cuts ahead as she defends her budget proposals

With San Antonio staring down a $158 million budget deficit, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones devoted much of a town hall Wednesday night to preparing residents for difficult financial decisions ahead — including defending her proposal to ask voters to end the city’s Ready to Work workforce development program early instead of raising property taxes. Speaking to dozens of District 1 residents at Edison High School, Jones argued the city should exhaust every available option before asking taxpayers to pay more, describing a financial outlook she said has worsened in recent weeks. “We’ve got a $158 million budget gap,” Jones said. “For context, if you closed every library, if you closed all of Animal Care Services, if you took all of the money in the general fund out regarding public health, you’d still have to go find another $20 million.”

Jones said after meeting with City Manager Erik Walsh earlier Wednesday, the proposed budget scheduled for release Aug. 13 is expected to include even deeper cuts than council members had previously anticipated, though she declined to identify which programs could face additional reductions before the proposal is unveiled. She added that the city’s next bond program — which funds major capital projects like streets, sidewalks, drainage improvements and parks — is now expected to be significantly smaller than originally projected because property values have not grown as anticipated. “This is how we get after those projects, drainage, in infrastructure projects, parks, etc. In the 2022 bond, we had a $1.2 billion dollar capacity,” she said. “This year, we were expecting ideally something similar, but based on where property values are, we were initially at $600 million. We will now be south of $600 million.” Jones said the combination of a shrinking bond program and widening budget deficit has forced city leaders to reconsider ideas that may have previously been politically untouchable.

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South Texas Builders Association calls for protection from targeted ICE raids

A few minutes after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the crowd inside the Brookhaven Event Center was told to take their seats as the third community meeting of the South Texas Builders Association was set to commence. The crowd slowly filled into the seats on the left and right side of the stage, but a few dozen seats designated for local elected officials remained largely unoccupied. Following a performance by Mariachi Xochipilli and some local folklorico dancers, South Texas Builders Association CEO Mario Guerrero took to the stage and welcomed those in attendance to the meeting titled “Rally the Valley.”

He invited any local elected officials in attendance to sit in the middle section, joining U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, state Rep. Christina Morales, D-Houston, and Texas District 41 Democratic and Republican candidates Julio Salinas and Gary Groves. “Where are our elected officials?” Guerrero asked. “We need to start making better choices as a community. We need to start really opening our eyes and seeing who really cares for us.” He applauded Groves for being in attendance, explaining that he did not expect any Republicans to attend the meeting. At one point both Groves and Salinas, who sat next to each other, shook hands and were met with applause from those in the crowd. “We are not Democratic and we are not Republicans here,” Guerrero continued. “We are builders. Once again, this is not a gathering of politics.” He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to focus on the needs and safety of the men and women who work in construction.

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Tarrant commissioners could slash polling location quantity for Nov. election

Tarrant County commissioners will decide on Tuesday whether to cut back on voting locations for the Nov. 3 general election. The Election Day locations could be cut nearly in half from 316 sites in the last midterm election to 176 this year. Early voting sites might go down from 50 in 2022 to 42 in 2026. In last November’s constitutional amendment election, the county downsized the number of polling locations, citing cost reductions and low turnout in odd year elections. The commissioners will consider the polling location quantity at their 10 a.m. meeting Tuesday in the county administration building, at 100 E. Weatherford St.

Brody Mulligan, who works on Tarrant County-area Democratic campaigns, raised concerns Thursday about the reduced number of voting sites. He said two of his clients — Kevin Burge, who is running in the 24th Congressional District, and Nathan Smith, a candidate for Tarrant County district clerk — would join Tarrant County Young Democrats in suing the county’s election department and commissioners if locations aren’t added. They are concerned about a lack of sites for Tarrant County College’s Northeast campus, UT-Arlington and areas with a high concentration of people, particularly in the southeast and southwest parts of the county, Mulligan said. He expects the midterm election to be of high interest and hopes to avoid litigation by reaching a “reasonable agreement” to restore sites, particularly on Election Day. “Our main concerns here is to alleviate confusion, to alleviate disenfranchisement,” Mulligan said. Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday evening.

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Denton City Council Member and former legislative staffer Jordan Villarreal resigning to focus on 'personal health'

Two months after he was elected, Denton City Council Member Jordan Villarreal announced Thursday that he will resign as the District 1 representative in an email to the mayor and city officials. In the July 30 email, Villarreal said he is planning to step down Sept. 1 and was providing notice so that the city could hold a special election that coincides with the general election in November. “At this time, I must step away from my duties to focus on my personal health,” Villarreal said in the email. “After careful consideration, I believe it is in the best interest of both my well-being and the continued effective representation of my constituents that I transition out of this role in an orderly manner.”

Kayla Herrod, the city’s interim director of marketing and communications, confirmed that the city had received Villarreal’s official resignation. Herrod said that the next step is for the council to hold a special-called meeting to fill Villarreal’s vacancy. Whenever a vacancy on the council occurs, the vacant seat is filled by a special election, held on the first authorized uniform election date following the vacancy, according to the city’s code of ordinances. “Those dates have not yet been confirmed,” Herrod said in an email on Thursday afternoon. Mayor Chris Watts has asked staff to schedule the special-called meeting for Aug. 5 to vote on acceptance of Villarreal’s resignation and to call the election in November to fill his seat. “I enjoyed serving with council member Villarreal albeit for a short time,” Watts said in a statement Thursday. “I support Jordan for doing what he feels is best for his well being. I know from personal experience how difficult that can be. I wish him good health moving forward.”

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Hegseth’s ‘gold standard’ college exam tests middle-school math

The college entrance exam that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth hailed as the nation's new "gold standard," promising to open doors at some of America's most elite institutions, is instead seeing its heaviest use as a remedial high-school graduation test. A USA TODAY investigation found that in Florida, the first state to broadly embrace the exam, the Classic Learning Test has become less a college admissions test than a graduation alternative for struggling students. School officials credit it with boosting graduation rates, while critics say it allows students to earn diplomas without demonstrating the skills – especially the math skills – Florida otherwise requires. Since 2023, high school students who couldn't pass the state's reading and Algebra graduation exams — or earn qualifying SAT or ACT scores — have instead used the newer CLT to receive a diploma. An analysis comparing the CLT, ACT and SAT math sections found the Classic Learning Test has a higher concentration of questions the researchers described as pre-algebra, or middle-school-level math.

If a student struggled with algebra or concepts beyond it, “I can conceive that they would have more success on the CLT because there's a higher proportion of items that come in everything before algebra," said Anna DeJarnette, a University of Cincinnati professor. She was one of five mathematics education experts who conducted the review. Yet two years after Florida started its experiment with the CLT, the nation's elite military academies and several state university systems have added it to their accepted college entrance exams. USA TODAY scoured school board minutes and found officials in at least nine Florida districts attributed a rise in graduation rates to the introduction of the CLT in 2023. At a May 2025 school board meeting, Christopher Bernier, superintendent of Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, told the board the CLT helped boost the district’s graduation rate by seven percentage points after its introduction in 2023. “We’re hopeful that CLT will remain,” he told the board, “because it has been a game changer for some of our kids, who can't seem to manufacture the ACT or SAT score.”

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Bucking Texas decline in vaccination, El Paso public schools record high immunization rates

Last school year, El Paso County kindergarteners had the highest vaccination rates among those in the 10 most populated Texas counties, according to an annual report by the state health department. As the United States faces the worst measles outbreak in more than a quarter century, vaccine exemption rates ticked up for Texas kindergarteners and their immunization coverage fell below 95% in all six school-required vaccines. Measles, a once-eliminated disease, has made a resurgence in recent years because of falling immunization rates. More than 95% of a community needs to be fully vaccinated against measles to achieve herd immunity.

El Paso bucked the state trend with both kindergarten and seventh-grade vaccination rates above 97% for all childhood vaccines. In comparison, Dallas reported kindergarten vaccination rates barely above 90% for measles and polio, and just above 89% for pertussis, also known as whooping cough. Immunization coverage improved for Dallas seventh graders, though measles vaccination remained below the herd immunity threshold. “I believe culture plays an important role in our community’s positive attitude toward vaccination, and that is reflected in the higher vaccination rates we see across the Borderland,” said Dr. Hector Ocaranza, El Paso city-county health authority. Ocaranza said the trust El Pasoans have in healthcare providers combined with strong partnerships with public health organizations helped maintain confidence in childhood immunizations.

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Crypto kiosks linked to $56.8M in losses for Texans, lawmakers examine scams

Texas reported more cryptocurrency kiosk-related losses than any other state in 2025, with Texans losing roughly $56.8 million, according to FBI data. On Thursday, Texas lawmakers met to discuss the effects of financial influences and illicit networks by foreign adversaries, with a focus on cryptocurrency kiosks. Cryptocurrency kiosks are ATM-like electronic devices that allow individuals to exchange cash and cryptocurrency, a digital form of currency. The kiosks have increasingly been used in scams in which criminals persuade victims to withdraw money from their bank accounts and deposit cash into a cryptocurrency kiosk. Across the U.S., the FBI received 10,956 cryptocurrency kiosk complaints in 2024, with reported losses of $246.7 million. In 2025, complaints increased to 13,460 and reported losses rose to nearly $389 million. In the span of one year, there was a 23% increase in complaints and a 58% increase in losses.

Texas accounted for 1,179 of those complaints in 2025, with reported losses totaling $56.8 million. The state’s losses were the highest reported by any state. The Texas Tribune estimates there are 4,000 kiosks across the state in gas stations and convenience stores. On Thursday, the Texas House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs met and heard invited testimony to discuss financial influences from foreign countries and their effect on Texans. Lawmakers quickly pointed to cryptocurrency-related activity. “In my career, I’ve never seen a more efficient, cleaner way to steal money,” said State Representative AJ Louderback, R- Victoria. Kelley Currie, a founding partner of a geopolitical advisory firm, Kilo Alpha Strategies, and a fellow of the Think Tank Atlantic Council, emphasized the magnitude of financial crimes across the globe. “Scamming is now treated by INTERPOL as an industry, a criminal industry in its own right, comparable to drug trafficking and human trafficking in terms of the size of organized crime revenue it generates,” Currie testified.

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County Stories

Leaders of new Fort Bend LULAC chapter say fatal ICE shooting in Houston accelerated its launch

Organizers with Fort Bend County's new chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, said the fatal ICE shooting of a Mexican immigrant in neighboring Harris County accelerated plans to establish the chapter, which is launching with a focus on advocacy and educational scholarships for Hispanic students. "We’re having to take action, be active, because this event has forced us to be active," LULAC Communications Director Chris Fernandez said. "And yes, it’s bittersweet. I feel that it’s something that’s big enough that it affects everyone." Fernandez said the new chapter of the nationwide Latino civil rights organization, Greater Fort Bend Area LULAC Council 22571, is organizing a public vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in August.

The 52-year-old father of three was shot and killed by an officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on July 7 in Houston. He had been living in the United States for decades without legal immigration status, according to his family. The ICE agents involved were not wearing body cameras, and the passengers in Salgado Araujo’s van at the time he was shot have disputed the federal agency’s claims that he tried to run over the officers. JoAnne Gonzales, the president of the new LULAC chapter, made statements on behalf of the chapter and its demands from ICE early in Wednesday’s meeting. "These demands center on use-of-force incidents," Gonzales said, "all the lethal shootings that have occurred and demands for evidence transparency, full transparency and a halt to further funding [ICE] until systemic reforms and constitutional compliances are met." While founding members, including elected officials and candidates from both political parties, attended the inaugural meeting at a Sugar Land Mexican restaurant on Wednesday, much of the discussion centered on expanding college opportunities and scholarships for the county's growing Hispanic student population.

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City Stories

Former 'Teen Mom' star Farrah Abraham files for Austin City Council

Former reality television star Farrah Abraham has filed to run for Austin City Council. Known for her time on MTV's "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom," Abraham filed Monday to run for the District 5 seat in the November election. Current council member Ryan Alter is running for reelection, and union electrician Elizabeth Brink has also filed paperwork to run for the seat. "Raising our voices for South Austin local businesses, safety, and community advocacy," Abraham posted to Facebook on Tuesday, adding, "Ready to represent South Austin residents, champion local shops, and advocate for every neighborhood."

Abraham got her start in 2009 on MTV's "16 and Pregnant," where she documented her journey and birth of her daughter. That same year, she continued her reality television career as an original cast member on "Teen Mom," a spin-off of "16 and Pregnant." She eventually left "Teen Mom" in 2018 during the show's seventh season after an apparent conflict with the show's executive producer. In 2019, she started Enigma Productions in Los Angeles, California. Her daughter is now a teenager.

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National Stories

Trump says he may pull Blanche AG nomination until Sens. Cornyn, Tillis leave office

President Trump says he is willing to pull Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general. The news comes as two key Republicans are withholding their support over concerns about the Justice Department's deal with President Trump to end his IRS lawsuit. Trump said Thursday he was willing to end the nomination, but he was by no means conciliatory in his tone, saying he would keep Blanche on as acting attorney general and renominate him later. In addition, Trump took aim at the two Republican senators withholding their support — John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both of whose support Blanche would need to advance in his nomination in committee. "I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd's name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office," Trump wrote in a social media post.

Both Cornyn and Tillis are leaving Congress in January. Tillis announced his retirement last year, after publicly clashing with Trump over his massive tax-and-spending bill. Cornyn lost his primary this year to a Trump-backed challenger. In his post, Trump bragged that both senators' "political careers have been ended by my action." Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer, has been a contentious pick to lead the Justice Department amid questions about his handling of the Epstein files, the targeting of Trump's political foes and the broader politicization of justice. Tillis and Cornyn this week voiced their opposition to Blanche over an agreement the Justice Department struck to end President Trump's IRS lawsuit over his leaked tax returns. The settlement included the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which Cornyn and Tillis have vocally opposed for weeks. That fund would compensate people who alleged they were unfairly targeted by the government, meaning money could have gone to defendants charged with wrongdoing in the Jan. 6 riots.

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U.S. says Hamas has agreed to broad plan to disarm

Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups agreed to a plan that, if followed, would see the groups disarm and lose power in the Gaza Strip as long as Israel withdraws from the enclave, U.S. officials said. The officials, speaking to reporters Thursday evening, said the agreement is the start of an indefinite, multiphase process to end Hamas’s rule in Gaza and rebuild the enclave. The officials acknowledged many challenges ahead, such as verifying the Palestinian groups’ compliance and ensuring that a skeptical Israeli government doesn’t scuttle any progress. The announcement is the culmination of months of diplomacy between the U.S., Israel, Hamas and Middle East mediators, as well as the Board of Peace created by President Trump to oversee Gaza’s transition. But it is only the first step in a pathway laden with political and military traps.

“What the agreement says matters. What happens next matters even more. Implementation and verification have to be real,” Nickolay Mladenov, the board’s chairman, said in a social-media statement praising the agreement. Trump was far more optimistic in his own social-media post minutes before the briefing. “Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY,” the president wrote. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s negotiating team, said the group agreed to place its weapons in a storage facility overseen by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a Palestinian-run technocratic group charged with the enclave’s political and security transition. “We didn’t say disarmament, we didn’t say handing over the weapons, and we didn’t agree on any Israeli involvement,” Hamad said, adding that the plan is contingent on Israel ending military operations in Gaza and allowing humanitarian aid in.

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Airports, nursing homes and schools brace for disruption without Haitian workers

The Department of Homeland Security alerted employers this week that it had officially ended humanitarian protections for 350,000 Haitian immigrants, triggering mass layoffs that threaten to disrupt summer travel and destabilize an array of essential institutions and industries up and down the East Coast and across the Midwest. Nursing homes terminated hundreds of workers, including nursing assistants, dietary aides and housekeepers, industry and union leaders said. At airports including those in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Boston, contractors terminated scores of Haitian workers, including janitors, cabin cleaners and wheelchair attendants, according to union leaders at Service Employees International Union 32BJ. At Florida schools, landscapers, bus drivers and other staff were fired. And in New York City, dozens of security guards were terminated only to be rehired because of confusion around their eligibility to continue working, union officials said.

The tumult comes about a month after the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump administration permission to cancel the humanitarian program, known as temporary protected status (TPS), potentially stripping permission to live and work in the United States from as many as 1.3 million immigrants from Haiti, Syria and a dozen other countries. The high court said the program for Haitians, one of the largest groups affected, could end on Monday. But attorneys for Haitian TPS holders said the protections should remain in effect until a lower court that had blocked the Trump administration from ending the program formally recognizes the Supreme Court decision. In response to a question about the status of TPS for Haitians, a DHS spokesperson said in a statement that “activist lower court judges are openly defying the Supreme Court on this, but the end result will be the same. Haitians with TPS cannot and will not be able to stay.” Earlier this week, DHS informed employers that it considered the “Haiti TPS designation … terminated, effective” immediately, and businesses have been laying workers off ever since.

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Anthropic said its AI models hacked into other companies’ systems during testing

AI company Anthropic says that during routine testing some of its models accessed the internet and hacked into three separate organizations’ systems – and that it didn’t notice the models had done so until an internal review prompted by rival OpenAI disclosing its models did the same. Anthropic said in an announcement on Thursday that it started a review of its own systems after OpenAI disclosed last week that during a cybersecurity test some of its models escaped their testing environment, accessed the open internet and hacked into AI platform Hugging Face’s systems. Anthropic said it found three instances where its AI models accessed the open internet when they were not supposed to and “gained unauthorized access to the production infrastructure of three different organizations.”

The company said it discovered the incidents while reviewing more than 140,000 evaluations following OpenAI’s disclosure. Like during OpenAI’s tests, normal safety guardrails were removed during Anthropic’s evaluations to assess their models’ full capabilities. Anthropic explained that in the three instances its models were given a fake “capture the flag” challenge, told that the “flag” was hidden on a different machine on the network and that its objective was to break in and retrieve it. Unlike OpenAI’s situation, Anthropic said none of its models deliberately attempted to escape their testing environments. Instead what happened was that the models were not supposed to have access to the open internet but that they were able to due to a misunderstanding between Anthropic and its evaluation partner, the company said in its statement. To break into the three unnamed organizations, the models used basic techniques like “exploiting weak passwords” and finding system points that do not require log ins or tokens, Anthropic said. The most advanced version of its models did at some point recognize it was on the open internet, and stopped itself from continuing, the company said.

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The MAGA media machine is fracturing

Benny Johnson, a right-wing podcaster, was racking up tens of millions of views on YouTube during Donald J. Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign, posting about divisive cultural issues and criticizing Democrats. Things have changed. Views for Mr. Johnson’s YouTube channel are down by millions from the heights of 2024. The surge of attention he received on X has slowed to a trickle. His loyalty to Mr. Trump has become unappealing to some Republicans who are frustrated with the rising cost of living and the president’s decision to start a war with Iran. Other high-profile right-wing influencers are contending with similar shifts of fortune. Dan Bongino, a podcaster and a former deputy director of the F.B.I., has seen his livestream views shrink by about half from their peak in 2024.

Megyn Kelly, a former Fox News host, has found moments of explosive growth, yet that attention has been hard to sustain. The shifts add to a growing body of evidence that suggests the audience for pro-Trump content has fallen from its heights and, for some creators, has reached new lows. Views are dropping for many of Mr. Trump’s greatest allies, while some figures on the right who have taken to criticizing Mr. Trump are showing uneven gains. The shifts threaten to complicate messaging this year for Republican candidates, who have for years relied on a united front of content creators to rile up Republicans and guide them to the polls each election cycle. “The vote is in November, but the heart of the midterms is happening now,” said Ryan Broderick, the founder of Garbage Day, a newsletter about online culture and influence. “A lot of the propaganda that they’re pushing out just isn’t really connecting the way it would have even three or four years ago,” he added.

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Critics say historic sites are endangered by Trump-aligned panel’s plan

For decades, from the highway boom of the 1960s to the recent surge in construction of data centers, federal law has sought to protect America’s historic sites from destruction or disturbance as the push for industrial development complicated efforts to preserve the country’s past. At issue over the years have been burial sites dating back millenniums; earthen structures that have survived a thousand years in the desert; government buildings that evoke the early days of American democracy; and plantation houses that carry the painful history of slavery. Now, a Trump-aligned panel is proposing to overhaul the regulations in ways that would speed up the review of industrial projects by limiting the input of preservationists and the public.

The proposed rules received initial approval from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a federal agency, this month. If adopted, they would, according to proponents, boost the economy by, say, helping to ease the way for commercial projects such as oil and gas drilling. The changes would also, as preservationists note, aid President Trump’s efforts to redesign Washington, including his plans for the National Garden of American Heroes, by limiting public review. A draft of the rule changes that circulated in recent weeks prompted an outcry from preservationists, architects, archaeologists and organizations representing Native American tribes. Though officials have said the draft is still subject to feedback and revisions, lawyers for preservation groups are already preparing for legal action in the event of a major overhaul. “It’s both a scalpel and a bludgeon,” said Greg Werkheiser, a lawyer who specializes in preservation cases. “It cuts out whole swaths of what we are used to in terms of historical preservation over the past 60 years.”

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U.S. weighs $100,000 fee for foreign students wanting to work after graduation

The Trump administration is considering attaching a $100,000 price tag on international students’ ability to work in the U.S. after they graduate from an American university, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that would make it much less attractive for foreigners to study in the U.S. If enacted, the fee would significantly advance President Trump’s efforts to restrict nearly all forms of legal immigration. It would particularly harm universities, which rely on recruiting international students as a reliable source of revenue, as well as top Silicon Valley and Wall Street firms, which disproportionately hire international college graduates to fill technical roles. The fee would be attached to a program called optional practical training, or OPT, which allows international university graduates to work for one to three years on their student visas.

There were roughly 419,000 foreigners working on OPT in 2024, the latest year that data are available. The move, in essence, accomplishes the goal originally set out by the administration’s $100,000 levy on H-1B visas for foreign professionals, which caused a panic in Silicon Valley last year. The government was blocked from collecting the H-1B fee by an appeals court in Boston last week. Though officials originally intended that fee to apply to all H-1B visas, widespread opposition from tech giants led the administration to narrow it to foreign recruits seeking to come to America. Broadly speaking, foreigners moving to the U.S. directly on H-1B visas tend to be recruited by IT and accounting firms, while the top companies in tech and finance generally prefer to recruit from top American universities and convert their employees from student visas to H-1Bs several years into employing them. In that way, the new fee on OPT would more directly target these firms. A DHS spokeswoman said in a statement: “No policies should be considered final until formally announced. At DHS we are always having conversations about how to use all tools in our arsenal to protect the integrity of our legal immigration system.”

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Ohio Haitians lose jobs, face terror — and impossible choices

With Ohio’s Haitian refugees losing their protected status Monday, Springfield’s large population has begun being terminated from their jobs, a pastor who works with the community said on Tuesday. Without legal status, their work permits become invalid. They also face being forced to return to a nation that the International Rescue Committee says is “in the grip of an overwhelming humanitarian crisis.” Right now, gangs control Haiti. Kidnapping, murder, and rape are rampant. And the pastor, Carl Ruby, said one Springfield 12-year-old faces having to return to a place where he saw animals feeding on murdered corpses when he was just five.

“They’re just terrified for their physical safety,” Ruby said during a virtual press conference. “Many of them have already been traumatized… Some of them have been in prison. Some of them have been tortured. Some have been beaten. Some had been raped. Nearly all of them have seen friends or family members killed.” And some of those families — those who have had children since coming to the United States — face an excruciating choice: whether to take their children with them into the violent chaos that is Haiti or leave them behind in a relatively peaceful, prosperous place where their children’s citizenship gives them the right to stay. More than 330,000 Haitians have received temporary-protected status since an earthquake devastated the impoverished Caribbean country in 2010. Once in the United States, their status has been renewed as conditions in Haiti continued to deteriorate. Early last year, Ohio’s then-Attorney General Dave Yost and 27 other Republican state AGs wrote a letter to the Trump administration stressing the word “temporary” in temporary protected status.

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Lead Stories

Nate Schatzline's role in Abbott's office unclear despite high salary

Gov. Greg Abbott’s new senior official advising on election integrity, Nate Schatzline, is among his highest paid employees, even as Schatzline’s duties remain a mystery. Schatzline, a former state lawmaker and consistent 2020 election denier, is making an annual salary of $275,000, according to payroll records. That puts him in the top 10 highest-paid governor's office staffers, and at a higher salary than Abbott himself. Abbott announced earlier this month the Fort Worth Republican would serve as his senior adviser for election integrity, but has yet to specify what his new role entails. Hiring documents reviewed by Hearst Newspapers make little mention of how Schatzline will be expected to help shape state elections policy. The two-page job description says the position is “responsible for providing policy and strategic direction related to legislative and electoral matters,” but doesn’t mention elections again in any of the 18 essential duties.

A spokesperson for Abbott's office did not answer questions about Schatzline's role or whether there were any other applicants for the job. “Governor Abbott appointed Nate Schatzline as Senior Advisor because of his proven conservative record fighting for election security,” said spokesman Andrew Mahaleris. “As the Governor stated: his experience in the Texas House will be a tremendous asset as we protect the voices of Texas voters.” The July 2 announcement of his hiring came just weeks before Secretary of State Jane Nelson stepped down ahead of the high-profile midterm elections, and as Republicans are pushing for stricter voting laws in next year’s legislative session. Schatzline has advocated for closing the state’s GOP primaries and denied the results of the 2020 presidential election. In his resume, he described himself as “a spiritual leader who has given his life to bringing Godly reformation to the Governmental realm.” He listed work experience as a pastor at a Fort Worth megachurch and as president of a nonprofit that mobilizes religious leaders to run for office.

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Why Republicans aren’t funding the Texas Senate race yet

In one of this year’s most competitive Senate races, Republicans are refusing to spend money — so far. That peculiar dynamic is playing out in Texas, where the fate of the Republican nominee, Ken Paxton, will help decide which party controls the U.S. Senate. But Mr. Paxton has struggled to raise cash, and no one has stepped in yet to help him. Mr. Paxton finds himself in a unique situation among Senate candidates, according to interviews with a dozen Republicans with ties to his campaign. Republican donors still hold grudges from a bruising primary. The state, with its 18-plus television markets, is an epically expensive setting. And his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, has proved to be a particularly strong fund-raiser.

Perhaps the most striking piece of Mr. Paxton’s money woes is the high-stakes game of chicken that two of the Republican Party’s biggest money committees, along with their allied donors, are playing. Both of those groups, the Senate Leadership Fund and MAGA Inc., are not so secretly hoping that the other one swoops in to boost Mr. Paxton with tens of millions in spending, the Republicans said. Neither group has reached for its wallet yet. “Somebody is going to have to spend big money,” said Dan Eberhart, an oil executive who is raising contributions for Mr. Paxton. “We’ll see who blinks.” In the primary, Mr. Paxton defeated Senator John Cornyn, a favorite of many of the country’s and state’s largest donors. The Republican nominee still lacks enthusiasm from these contributors, who financed ads in the primary repeatedly calling him a criminal and a womanizer. Their opinions largely haven’t changed, especially with the continuing drumbeat of revelations of Mr. Paxton’s world travels with his girlfriend, the Republicans said. Mr. Paxton is not getting help from Washington, either. National Republican groups are slated to spend tens of millions of dollars this summer and fall in every other top-tier Senate race, including in some states that prominent handicappers think are not as competitive as Texas. They even plan to spend more in noncompetitive Kansas. In most states, Republicans are expected to outspend Democrats — for instance in Ohio, where the G.O.P. commitment totals over $100 million.

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With Cornyn holding up nomination, Todd Blanche won’t get Thursday vote in Senate Judiciary Committee

The Senate Judiciary Committee has abandoned plans to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general Thursday, a significant speed bump that will make it difficult for Republicans to confirm him before the chamber begins its August recess next week. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) held firm Wednesday in his demand that Blanche revise a controversial settlement agreement between President Donald Trump and the IRS. Cornyn, who was defeated for renomination earlier this year by a Trump-backed primary challenger, was explicit on the legal language he needed from Blanche — even providing the Justice Department with a revision to the agreement that would address his concerns — but an agreement could not be reached in time to have the Thursday morning vote.

“We actually sent them a red-line strikeout of what we need, and they just need to make a decision,” Cornyn said earlier Wednesday, adding that he was “trying to make it easy for them.” Just one GOP “no” vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee would effectively sink Blanche’s nomination. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another member of the panel with concerns about the settlement, said he would follow Cornyn’s lead. Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), along with Tillis, met late afternoon in Cornyn’s office to hammer out the issues on Blanche, but with no resolution. “We made it clear that we need the language to move forward with the markup,” Tillis said of the meeting. The vote could still be rescheduled if Cornyn and Tillis are satisfied, though it might not happen in time to get Blanche across the floor before the recess begins at the end of next week. A DOJ official granted anonymity to describe the negotiations said the department sent “new language” to the two senators and remains “in discussion” with them.

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American oil majors trying to get into Venezuela have hit a wall

Seven months after the U.S. deposed strongman Nicolás Maduro, Big Oil has yet to make any big moves in Venezuela. ExxonMobil, Chevron, and other major oil companies are fighting for a small number of the country’s most attractive drilling spots, but some of the talks with Venezuelan leaders recently hit an impasse, according to people familiar with the negotiations. President Trump and his lieutenants had high hopes that big U.S. oil companies would quickly sign investment deals to kick-start production in Venezuela, home to some of the world’s largest reserves. They see the country’s rising oil exports as a boon to U.S. supplies while Iran hobbles shipping lanes in the Middle East that typically carry 20% of the world’s oil and gas.

The administration is also putting pressure on interim President Delcy Rodriguez to boost Venezuela’s production quickly—before the end of Trump’s second term. Among the issues that have handicapped any big deals: Major U.S. oil producers are interested in many of the same prized assets, including fields in eastern Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt and the northeastern state of Monagas—and they want to secure the most favorable fiscal and regulatory terms possible. The devastating earthquake that shook the country last month also slowed the progress. “Few of them are really jumping into the water,” said José Ignacio Hernández, a law professor and consultant at advisory firm Aurora Macro Strategies. “It’s like when you’re trying to sell your house. You have a very successful open house with 100 people attending, but then nobody calls.” The negotiations are largely being led by state-run Petróleos de Venezuela, which is holding separate meetings with companies and making private offerings. Some of the American companies, which are more accustomed to public bidding processes, have requested U.S. officials intervene. So far, the administration has let the process play out without choosing any winners.

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State Stories

Gov. Abbott suggests lowering health insurance costs by nixing state mandates

Gov. Greg Abbott raised the curtain on the third part of his plan to lower insurance costs for Texans. This section focuses on health insurance costs for small businesses and their employees. In conversations with small business owners, Abbott said, he heard time and time again that the employers were having trouble providing health insurance to their workers due to rising premiums. According to the Texas Association of Health Plans, insurance premiums for small businesses in Texas are jumping 15-20% in 2026 — 36-82% above the national average. As a result, only about 38% of the small businesses can afford to offer healthcare coverage to their employees.

Because Texas is one of the most heavily mandated states in the country, the state is one of most expensive for healthcare, says the Texas Association of Health Plans. Texas’ regulations mean health insurance policies in the state exceed what is required by the Affordable Care Act and federal regulations. Abbott is suggesting to nix dozens of those mandates, equating to less coverage for Texans but at a more affordable price for the small businesses they work for. He said at a press conference in Fort Worth on Wednesday that the health insurance policies offered would still cover the necessities. In conversation with local entrepreneurs, Abbott heard from Vicki Cisneros, owner of the Stockyards’s staple Tex-Mex restaurant Los Vaqueros. She told him about 90% of their employees had insurance “not too long ago,” but today, only about 10% have insurance because of the rising cost.

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Texas virtual schools expand as new law opens online opportunities

Several North Texas school districts are launching virtual schools this fall, giving leaders another way to stay competitive at a time when enrollments are dropping statewide, and creating more options for students who want to go to school without actually going to school. Last year, lawmakers loosened the state’s rules around virtual schools, making it easier for school districts to build course programs that are partially or entirely online. Following the change, several North Texas school districts, including Frisco ISD, Arlington ISD and Grand Prairie ISD, are launching virtual school programs with the beginning of the upcoming school year. District leaders say those programs give them more flexibility to meet their students’ needs, and another tool to prop up their enrollments at a time when the number of students in public schools across the state is shrinking.

Last year, Texas lawmakers passed a bill overhauling the state’s framework for virtual schools. Senate Bill 569 makes it easier for public school districts and charter schools to offer individual courses or entire programs online. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, the bill’s author, said it’s intended to replace "a patchwork of outdated virtual learning laws with a clear structure." Among other changes, the bill allows school districts to count students in their virtual and hybrid programs toward their average daily attendance, meaning they receive state funding for those students at the same rate as for in-person students. That provision in the bill was critical in getting Grand Prairie ISD’s new virtual program off the ground, said Felicia Layne, chancellor of the district’s Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute. The new program, called Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute: NEXT, launches this fall. District leaders had discussed the possibility of launching a virtual school for years, Layne said. After schools reopened during the pandemic, some of the district’s students transferred to virtual programs, she said. So district leaders got to work building a virtual program that would allow Grand Prairie ISD students to take some or all of their classes online. The idea was to give students and their families another option for their education and, in doing so, avoid losing those students to other school systems, she said. The district has lost about 3,600 since 2019, and while virtual schools aren’t the only factor driving that decline, Layne said the program is part of a larger strategy geared toward keeping students in the district.

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Flock cameras expand across Bexar County as privacy concerns grow

Automated license-plate readers are spreading across Bexar County, giving police a powerful investigative tool while prompting concerns about mass surveillance, civil rights and documented misuse. Flock Safety cameras record license plates, vehicle descriptions, locations and times. Police use the searchable database to locate stolen vehicles, missing people and vehicles connected to crimes. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office operates 33 cameras. Its public dashboard recently showed more than 750,000 vehicle detections during a 30-day period. Flock cameras are also used by area municipalities and homeowners’ associations. Live Oak has credited the technology with arrests in 16 stolen-vehicle cases, while New Braunfels reported 19 arrests.

But Savannah Kumar, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Texas, told TPR’s The Source that the cameras collect information about everyone, not only suspects. “They’re actually recording the license plate and all of this other accompanying information of every car that’s passing by, logging the movements of every driver regardless of whether they’ve done anything wrong,” Kumar said. Michael Soyfer, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, said misuse is a foreseeable consequence of allowing officers to search the system without judicial supervision. “We’ve found tons of cases of law enforcement officers using these databases to stalk past and potential romantic partners all across the country,” Soyfer said. “They don’t have to go to a judge. They don’t have to prove probable cause.” A Pasadena, Texas, officer resigned after being accused of using the system to monitor a female colleague. In Johnson County, a deputy used the nationwide network while searching for a woman whose family reported her missing after she had self-administered an abortion.

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Texas Capital CEO blasts proxy advisers, vows to renew 'Dexit' push

Texas Capital CEO Rob Holmes intends to renew a campaign to move the company's legal home from Delaware to Texas after shareholders rejected such a proposal earlier this year and has blasted proxy advisory firms that came out against the change for having "too much power." The bank, which is based in Uptown Dallas, asked shareholders to vote on a proposal to "redomicile" in Texas at its annual meeting in April. The move failed to win shareholder approval, with about 45% of votes cast in favor and 55% opposed, according to a regulatory filing. Shareholders cast 18.2 million votes supporting the redomicile and 22 million against it, preventing the company from completing the move to Texas. Proxy advisory firms influenced many investors to oppose the move, Holmes said during a July 23 conference call with analysts to discuss the company's second-quarter financial results.

"I think we would have gotten the vote, had our shareholder base been more retail as opposed to institutional where they listen to irresponsible, uninformed proxy advisers," he said. "And I'll go on the record and say it ... it's a problem, and they have too much power. So we'll do it again, and we look forward to continuing educating our shareholder base, and we look forward to becoming incorporated in the great state of Texas." At the center of the redomiciling debate are the two largest proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis & Co. Large institutional investors such as BlackRock Inc., T. Rowe Price Group Inc. and Dimensional Fund Advisors LP — all shareholders of Texas Capital Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq: TCBI) — often align their votes with the recommendations issued by those firms. Texas Capital's push for reincorporating from Delaware to Texas comes amid a recent influx of reincorporations by other companies including ExxonMobil Holdings Corp., Dell Technologies and Tesla, a trend referred to as "Dexit." The legal domicile of a business is important because it determines tax obligations and legal jurisdiction, among other things. Delaware has long been the country's top destination for incorporation but that has been changing amid growing frustration among corporate leaders with its courts.

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Bee Moorhead: A call to end ICE violence on behalf of Texas faith communities

(Bee Moorhead is executive director of Texas Impact.) As Texans of faith and conscience, we affirm the belief—widely shared and deeply held across the world and throughout history—that all people, regardless of country of origin, are members of the family of God, and that we are called to welcome the stranger. While recognizing the need to maintain our national borders, we oppose policies that dehumanize, criminalize, or endanger our immigrant neighbors. We hold that public policy must protect human life and human dignity, especially the lives of the most vulnerable among us. We call for restoration of trust and an end to enforcement that terrorizes communities. We call on our leaders to reject enforcement practices that treat entire neighborhoods as targets and that make our immigrant neighbors afraid to drive to work, report a crime, or seek help.

We renew our long-standing call for just, humane, and comprehensive immigration reform that keeps families together and honors the dignity of every person. We acknowledge that immigration policy and policy enforcement are under the purview of the federal government. We also assert that state officials can impact federal policy in two ways: first, by intervening with federal officials on behalf of their communities, and second, by shaping incrementally how federal policies are carried out in their state. We believe change is needed at the federal level, and that Texas officials can help. We call on federal authorities to make the following reforms to ICE enforcement operations: Clear, enforced limits on the use of lethal force, and an end to vehicle-based enforcement tactics that predictably escalate to deadly outcomes; An immediate review and restriction of the use of unmarked vehicles and plainclothes agents in routine enforcement stops, which sow confusion and fear and make peaceful compliance nearly impossible; A binding requirement that federal immigration agents wear activated body cameras and visible identification during all enforcement operations; Prompt and humane notification of families when a loved one is injured, detained, or killed, so that no family again learns of a death through social media; Independent oversight of ICE operations and real accountability when agents violate policy or the law.

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Gov. Abbott reappoints all 10 Texas Business Court judges to new terms

Governor Greg Abbott reappointed all 10 Texas Business Court judges to new two-year terms Wednesday. The terms will begin on Sept. 1, the judges' second since the court was created in the 2023 legislative session. “Businesses choose Texas in record numbers because Texas delivers results,” said Abbott in a release. “The Texas Business Court has resolved complex commercial disputes with unmatched speed and expertise. Hundreds of cases already filed and scores resolved prove these judges fuel Texas’ status as the economic engine of America. I have reappointed these skilled judges to protect that success and to ensure that Texas’ business jurisprudence is on steady ground for years to come.”

The Texas Business Court specializes in complex corporate litigation that normal district courts may not have the time or expertise to deal with effectively, and it is currently made up of five divisions each helmed by two experienced jurists. Unlike state district court judges, who are elected, business court judges are appointed by the governor. The inaugural 10 judges were sworn in in September of 2024, and in their first year on the bench, the Texas Business Court saw more than 180 cases filed. The judges are: Andrea K. Bouressa, Bill Whitehill, Melissa Davis Andrews, Patrick K. Sweeten, Marialyn Barnard, Stacy Sharp, Jerry D. Bullard, Brian Stagner, Sofia Adrogué, and Grant Dorfman.

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Texas law shields San Antonio-area data center water usage from public records requests

As data centers rapidly expand across South Texas, KSAT Investigates learned the public cannot find out how much water San Antonio-area data centers are using because of a Texas law that its author says is being interpreted far more broadly than intended. Water is used to cool and produce power used by data centers. Data centers could potentially account for 3% to 9% of Texas’ water use by 2040, according to a report from University of Texas at Austin researchers. A 39-acre plot of land in Cibolo is expected to become home to a new data center. Legacy Investing plans to build a 243,000-square-foot facility on the property, according to the San Antonio Business Journal.

To better understand how much water existing data centers are using, KSAT Investigates filed a public information request with the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) seeking water usage records for 36 data centers in Bexar County over the past three years. SAWS said they could not release data from after the implementation of smart water meters, which would start around 2023, because of a provision in Texas law. That provision is the result of a six-year-old law written by Texas State Representative Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, which he said was meant to protect individuals and families’ water usage data from payday lenders — not corporations or companies. “Data centers are doing tremendous damage to Texas, to our water supply, to air quality,” said Bernal. “We need to know as much as we possibly can.”

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Ken Paxton investigates RGV hospitals over 'birth tourism' claims

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday that his office will investigate two South Texas hospitals for “potentially unlawful birth tourism schemes,” escalating state Republicans’ latest effort to crack down on immigration. The hospitals, Mission Regional Medical Center and Knapp Medical Center, came under fire after photos of Spanish-language billboards advertising their childbirth services, including the email “havemybabyinTEXAS.com,” went viral on social media. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate the claims, and the agency asked Paxton to investigate the South Texas Hospitals earlier this month.

“My office will investigate any suspected illegal birth tourism schemes in Texas, including the operations of two South Texas hospitals that appeared to advertise birth tourism on a billboard near the border,” Paxton said in a release. “My office will continue to hold accountable any entity that knowingly facilitates fraud in our state.” Texas Republicans have ramped up their fight against foreigners coming to the U.S. to give birth since the Supreme Court issued a ruling that protected birthright citizenship. Paxton sued Houston-area center De’Ai Postpartum Care Center in April for allegedly encouraging Chinese nationals to come to Texas to have children, and the state GOP adopted language supporting a ban on commercial surrogacy for foreign nationals in June. It’s not illegal for foreigners to give birth in the U.S., but critics have accused the centers of engaging in visa fraud by facilitating travel for that express purpose. Estimates suggest the practice does occur, but is rare and affects about 10,000 to 26,000 children a year. Some experts note that pregnant foreign nationals may come to the U.S. for higher-quality medical care, not expressly to access citizenship for their children.

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Rush Enterprises ends profit slide as demand improves

Rush Enterprises Inc. broke a three-year streak of falling profit while reporting signs of further improvement on the horizon. Among those signs: Demand for aftermarket parts and service is gradually improving as fleets are driving more miles, and repair activity is starting to pick back up as customers resume spending on vehicle maintenance. “While the recovery remains in early stages, improving freight rates and customer confidence, increased quoting activity and significantly stronger new truck order intake all contributed to better business conditions as the quarter progressed,” CEO and President W.M. “Rusty” Rush said during a Wednesday morning call with investors. “We feel good about the second half of the year.”

On the sales front, the New Braunfels-based commercial truck company is faring better than the market as a whole, which saw a decline in the quarter. Rush’s sales remained relatively flat compared with the second quarter of 2025, with 3,172 Class 8 trucks sold in the U.S. Rush said the company’s diversified business model has been key to navigating the turbulence of the last 16 months. There have been more variables, including tariffs and technology changes, “than I’ve seen” before, he said. The company is doubling down on that diversification strategy by getting into the refrigerated transport business and expanding geographically. Rush entered into a 50-50 joint venture with MCT Cos., a commercial-transport refrigeration business, last week. The move will help establish the New Braunfels company’s presence in the refrigerated transportation market, which the CEO said complements its core dealership operations. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter.

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Joe Rogan warns liberals against trying to turn Texas blue, says it would wreck the state's 'delicate balance'

Podcaster Joe Rogan warned liberals Tuesday that moving to Texas and turning the state blue would ruin the delicate balance for everybody, including liberal Texans. "The liberals that want to turn Texas blue, like, don't. You're going to ruin it," he said. Rogan, a former Californian, has spoken out numerous times about his choice to leave California over its far-left policies, particularly those from the COVID-19 pandemic years. Rogan lamented that many "coastal elites" and "coastal snobs" often "have this idea of it being filled with rednecks and ignorant people and foolish people. It's not that way at all. Especially Austin. Austin is like one of the most, like, liberal, easygoing, progressive cities, but even the progressives here, they’re like, more reasonable."

He specified that liberal Texans, while they shifted somewhat leftward in recent years, are nowhere near the same far-left positions as those of Los Angeles or New York. "There’s this saying about Austin: ‘Keep Austin Weird … and surrounded,’" Rogan said. "And surrounded? What is the ‘and surrounded?’" guest Forrest Galante asked. "Surrounded by red people. Like it’s all red states around you, and it’s this pocket of blue that’s in the center of this red state," Rogan said. "I think that's good for everybody. I think that's good. It's a balance." Rogan warned against liberals fleeing blue states only to vote for the same left-wing policies. He compared the state’s delicate political balance to that of an ecosystem. "You're going to ruin it," he warned. "You're going to ruin it for you too. You don't get it. Balance is important. … You can't kill all the predators because then the deer get overrun, and you're hitting them with cars. And you can't kill all the deer because then there's no food. That's what they did when they were market hunting. Balance. And you need balance with humans, too.

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Miguel Solis: Tom Luce’s odyssey made Texas better

(Miguel Solis is president of The Commit Partnership, and formerly president of the Dallas ISD board of trustees.) Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey has rekindled interest in one of literature’s greatest stories. Caught up in that renewed interest, I'd been rereading Homer's epic. Then I learned that Tom Luce, the noted Texas attorney and public servant, had passed away. I've since been reflecting on Tom's 86-year journey and its epic impact on those of us who were lucky enough to join him in it. Since his passing, many tributes have celebrated Tom's Odyssey-like life, one that moved from chapter to chapter of Texas history the way Odysseus moved from island to island. They should. Few Texans have shaped our state as profoundly. He helped transform public education; advised local, state and federal officials including presidents; stood beside Ross Perot during defining moments including freeing two Electronic Data Systems employees imprisoned in Iran; helped shepherd a 13th century copy of the Magna Carta across the Atlantic; built institutions still shaping education, mental health, biotechnology, workforce development and public policy, and that's just the beginning. Like Odysseus, he had a story for nearly every shore.

I had the privilege of knowing Tom for more than a decade. Our first meeting came out of the blue: He invited me to discuss challenges facing Texas school districts, the first of many such invitations over the years. His questions were thoughtful and pointed, hinting at a bigger vision for state education policy that would position students, and Texas, for success. I'd later come to realize what he was doing: plotting the creation of Texas 2036, a non-partisan policy think tank that has helped shape Texas education for nearly a decade. As the invitations grew, I realized this instinct to build things that would outlast him showed up everywhere. I'd eventually learn where that instinct came from. Raised by a single mother doing her best under difficult circumstances, Tom never embraced the mythology of the self-made man. He spoke often about the teachers, mentors and civic leaders who believed in him early, and the impact this had on his life. I'm sure he also thought often about the kids who never got that same break, whose potential went unclaimed simply because no one showed up in time, and how easily an entire life could tip the other way. Rather than simply expressing gratitude, Tom repaid that debt through a dogged pursuit of better systems, and through conversations, quiet investment and coalition building aimed at solving the systemic issues holding Texans back. My colleague Todd Williams, CEO of Commit and a frequent collaborator of Tom's, described him as “relentlessly committed to systemically making Texas a better place.” His expansive interests were all connected by one question that animated the second half of his life: How can our state remain a place where every child has greater opportunities than the generation before them?

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National Stories

Government report to show how US economy performed amid Iran war

A government report on Thursday will show whether the United States economy held sturdy as an inflation surge took hold over the early months of the Iran war. The fresh data is set to provide gross domestic product (GDP) over three months ending in June, a period that followed a historic global oil shock. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline soared to a price as high as $4.56 a gallon in May, AAA data showed, before easing somewhat after a preliminary peace agreement last month. Annual inflation has climbed to 3.5%, putting it more than percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%. Still, hiring has proven more resilient than many economists feared, despite elevated costs for businesses and shoppers.

Economists expect GDP to have grown at an annualized pace of 1.8% in the second quarter, which would mark a slight slowdown from 2.1% growth in the previous three-month period. Still, the anticipated figure would amount to better performance than 0.5% annualized GDP recorded over final three months of 2025. In recent quarters, a burst of investment in artificial intelligence has accounted for a large share of the nation's economic growth. A surge of AI spending accounted for roughly two-thirds of gross domestic product growth over the first half of 2025, JPMorgan Asset Management found, outpacing the contribution made by hundreds of millions of U.S. consumers. Many of the nation's largest companies have poured funds into the chips and data centers necessary to operate AI. Observers will likely pay close attention to whether that trend held steady in the data to be released on Thursday.

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Redacted Fauci diary entries depict him personally helping Katie Miller

Former White House official and conservative influencer Katie Miller heralded the release of Anthony Fauci’s diaries as a bombshell discovery that outed him as a calculating attention-seeker. “The most disturbing part of Fauci’s diary — is what he decided to memorialize versus what he kept out of his diary,” she wrote in a post on X on Monday. “It’s almost like he knew this diary would one day become public. He wanted to cast himself as the hero, as famous, as the savior.” Katie Miller, who is married to Trump adviser and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, has called for Fauci to be jailed. She derided Fauci’s appearance in front of the Senate Wednesday, questioning why he repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment. And she’s said he caused “decades of harm” to children as a leader of the federal government’s COVID-19 response.

Since-redacted excerpts from Fauci’s diary indicate his relationship with Katie Miller was not always this way. In entries dated to 2020, Fauci’s diary suggests he had a close relationship with Katie Miller, who was Vice President Mike Pence’s communications director at the time and heavily involved in the White House’s COVID-19 response. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a longtime critic of Fauci’s, published more than 1,000 pages of the infectious disease doctor’s diary Saturday. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News that he handed the entries over to Senate Republicans after finding them on government servers. Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases who served as the face of the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response, writes about providing medical advice to Katie and Stephen Miller. He writes that he counseled the family after Katie Miller tested positive for COVID-19 while pregnant in 2020, when Stephen Miller tested positive and when their newborn child experienced a medical episode later that year.

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FIFA plan for Kushner-backed $20 billion operation to run World Cup meets fury from Europe’s UEFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to create a $20 billion company running the World Cup with private investors, including the Kushner family, was announced Tuesday — and immediately attacked by European soccer body UEFA. “It is not FIFA’s to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “None of us are the owners of football.” Infantino’s plans to form a commercial subsidiary, which would be called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), running competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup was first reported by The Times of London. FIFA said in a statement FFE would raise up to $4.2 billion later this year to help fund development programs “based on an initial equity valuation of $20 billion by carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests.”

FIFA is working with J.P. Morgan while intended investors include Thrive Eternal launched by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is a son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The men’s World Cup that finished this month only deepened the political and personal ties between Trump and Infantino, and fueled concerns about those ties, including from UEFA. “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially,” UEFA said Tuesday, responding to the reports of selling stakes in FIFA competitions. FIFA is currently a Swiss-based not-for-profit association of its 211 national member federations worldwide. Those members must approve any plan and would get the chance “to access up to $20 million in one-off capital,” FIFA said.

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Democrats fear viral DSA interview on Fox News will leave a scar

Democrats are worried that widely circulated comments from a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) leader outlining the group’s priorities could become Republican attack fodder as the midterm elections draw closer. The unease from moderate Democrats intensified after Megan Romer, DSA co-chair, was asked a lightning round of questions on Sunday during a Fox News interview about the organization’s platform, answering true to several proposals, including abolishing the Senate and — as a long-term goal — prisons. The moment has also circulated widely online and has been played up on other cable news networks. Democrats say the interview could not have come at a worse time.

They fear Republicans will seize on Romer’s comments in campaign ads, much as President Trump’s 2024 campaign repeatedly highlighted then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s past support for taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for prisoners. The ad — which concluded “Kamala Harris is for they/them, President Trump is for you” — was devastating to Democrats at the time. Now, on the heels of a string of primary victories by DSA candidates in states including New York and Colorado, some Democrats worry that it will have an impact on Democrats across the board. “You now have to argue to voters that you aren’t insane when you want to talk about making groceries cheaper,” said Democratic strategist Steve Schale. “It’s all just off message,” Schale said, adding that Democrats in competitive races will now “have to spend time and research dollars learning how it impacts the race, then you may have to spend limited campaign resources pushing back on the idea that you want to eliminate the presidency or close prisons when you need to be talking about how to make life more affordable.”

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Trump’s support for Graham’s sister stirs GOP backlash in South Carolina

President Donald Trump has put his weight behind Sen. Darline Graham in her bid to succeed her late brother, Lindsey Graham, for a full term. But rather than embracing the president’s endorsed candidate in a whirlwind election less than two weeks away, influential conservative activists in South Carolina say they’re not swayed. Trump’s conservative base could again reject one of his chosen candidates this year — as they did in South Carolina’s GOP gubernatorial primary in June — as his supporters question whether the president is acting with their top priorities in mind. “People are going to be independently minded in this, and I don’t think that Trump is the end all, be all that he used to be,” said CJ Westfall, chairman of the Dorchester County Republican Party.

Many conservative activists say they aren’t sold on Graham because of her lack of a political record, besides her public support for her brother. Trump initially appointed Graham to serve the remaining six months of her brother’s term, then quickly backed her after she unexpectedly decided to seek a full term. A dozen GOP candidates filed to run in the Aug. 11 primary election before this week’s deadline. They include U.S. Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, who have conservative voting records in Congress, and former governor Mark Sanford. The crowded special election is expected to go to an Aug. 25 runoff. And runoff elections, Westfall said, “typically bring out the hard core of the hard core.” Even national Republican operatives sympathetic to Darline Graham, and who were aligned with her brother, are privately conceding that her odds of success in the primary race appear slim. In interviews, more than a dozen South Carolina Republican operatives and activists described three issues working against Graham: She had never held office and is little-known across the state, despite her brother’s high profile.

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Establishment fails to stop rise of democratic socialist in Wisconsin

A democratic socialist is surging in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary race for governor, and establishment figures are showing no signs of stopping her. Polling this week shows that state Rep. Francesca Hong is well-positioned to win the five-way primary on Aug. 11. She had 38 percent of the vote in a survey of likely voters released Wednesday by Marquette University Law School. Behind her were former lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes with 16 percent and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley with 7 percent. Two other candidates — state Sen. Kelda Roys and former state administration secretary Joel Brennan — trailed with 2 percent each. More than a third of those polled were undecided.

Hong also led in a State Navigate poll released Tuesday that showed her with support from 44 percent of likely voters. Crowley had 15 percent, Barnes 14 percent and the other two in the low single digits. Thirteen percent of likely voters were undecided. Democratic socialists have performed well this year in solidly Democratic urban areas, and they hope to expand their reach into swing states that President Donald Trump has won. Hong offers a test case of how progressives can fare in such places, as does Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for Senate in Michigan’s Aug. 4 Democratic primary on a left-wing platform. Establishment Democrats worry that Hong can’t win the general election, but they have not coalesced around a single alternative to try to truncate her rise. The polling shows those challenges would continue even if they did rally behind someone. In the only televised debate of the primary campaign Tuesday, Hong’s opponents took a hands-off approach. None of them used the debate to criticize her, even when moderators left them openings by asking Hong about her past calls to abolish the police. The winner of the Democratic primary contest is expected to face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has a nominal opponent in the Republican primary race.

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Lead Stories

Financial woes weigh on Texas school bond ratings

As Texas public schools gear up for the coming school year, some are facing financial pressures that have led to negative underlying rating actions, while competition for students could heat up with the advent of state-funded private and home school vouchers. A legal battle over a state funding system aimed at addressing inequities between districts with high property values and those with low values is brewing as well. Fitch Ratings reported last week that about 26% of public schools it rates in Texas had their outlooks revised or their underlying ratings downgraded, including some by multiple notches, since January 2025 due largely to deteriorating financial profiles.

"Weaker finances are driven by enrollment pressures and limited and infrequent increases in the state's basic allotment to school districts that has often failed to keep pace with rising labor, benefits, and other operating costs," the rating agency said in a report. "This has resulted in narrowing or negative operating margins and lower reserves. Even districts with a longstanding strong fiscal track record are reporting weaker-than-expected results." Last year, state lawmakers boosted funding by $8.5 billion, including raising the $6,160 per student basic allotment in place since 2019 by $55 per student — a less-than-1% increase seen as inadequate given the surge in inflation over that time period. The Republican-controlled legislature also created a $1 billion Texas Education Freedom Account program that launches with the 2026-27 school year. Nearly 106,660 students received accounts out of more than 274,000 applicants. Gov. Greg Abbott and legislative leaders have alluded to increasing funding for the program in Texas' next biennial budget.

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Floodwaters from devastating Texas storms help delay Corpus Christi water emergency

The same floodwaters that caused widespread devastation across parts of Central and South Texas are providing unexpected relief for Corpus Christi’s strained water supply. Water flowing down the Frio and Nueces rivers is replenishing Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi, prompting city officials to push the projected start of a Level 1 water emergency from September 2027 to September 2028. “The rains have been beneficial to our reservoir levels, to our water supply, and it’s pushing off what we have talked about for well over a year, which is this Level 1 water emergency until September 2028,” Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni told KSAT.

He added that the city recognizes the devastating toll the flooding has taken on communities upstream. “We have sympathy for those regions that were impacted by the floods,” Zanoni added. “We know that persons were in harm’s way, property was, whole communities were. We sympathize with that, and we’re thinking of those individuals in those communities. Just weeks ago, city leaders warned that a Level 1 water emergency could begin as early as September 2027. Earlier forecasts this spring projected the emergency could arrive even sooner, in December 2025, before seasonal rainfall improved reservoir conditions. A Level 1 water emergency is triggered when water supply projections show the city will have only about 180 days of water remaining to meet demand under Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) guidelines.

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ICE arrests surge at airports, opening new front in deportation drive

The Trump administration has begun arresting foreign citizens with expired U.S. visas as they travel through airports, including spouses of Americans, according to documents obtained by The New York Times and interviews with immigration lawyers — a tactic that opens up a vast new pool of people for deportation. Immigration agents in plain clothes have whisked away targets at check-in counters and arrival gates, with enforcement actions in at least 15 airports in recent weeks. Some of the arrests have occurred quietly, while others have happened as angry fellow passengers filmed the encounters. The recent arrests appear to be an expansion of an arrangement between the Transportation Security Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Times reported in December that ICE officers were arresting people with deportation orders at airports with the help of information provided by airlines to the T.S.A.

Now, through a review of Homeland Security Department documents and interviews with lawyers for more than 25 people from more than a dozen countries recently detained at airports, The Times has learned that the program apparently now includes people with expired visas — a much larger group. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants and visitors overstay visas each year. Many with expired visas occupy a legal gray area, as they are awaiting visa extensions or green cards and have been issued work permits. Such individuals were not prioritized for deportation in the past unless they had committed crimes, and they were rarely detained while waiting for visa extensions or green cards. But that has changed under President Trump, whose administration has undertaken a campaign of mass deportation and views all visa overstays as illegal. “This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport,” a spokesperson for the Homeland Security Department said in a statement. The agency did not confirm the expansion of the program.

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OpenAI, Anthropic ask U.S. government to consider slowing down AI

Two of the biggest players in the race to develop artificial intelligence endorsed a letter asking the U.S. government to find a way to slow down the development of the technology should it become too rapid. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and its main rival, Anthropic, which provides the Claude chatbot, endorsed a petition released Tuesday that had been signed by hundreds of employees at the two companies, as well as Google, Meta and other leading companies working on AI. The letter warned that companies could be close to automating the work of AI research, a development that it said could lead the technology to careen out of control. “We request that the U.S. government support an international effort to develop the technical and governance tools needed to deliberately pace the frontier of automated AI development,” the petition said. (The Washington Post has a content partnership with OpenAI.)

Coordinating international agreement to limit AI development would be a gargantuan diplomatic task that has been likened to implementing a nuclear weapons control treaty for software that can be freely distributed through the internet. In the United States and around the world, development of AI is largely unconstrained by regulation. Companies and national governments are investing billions of dollars to build and deploy the best technology they can. That race has become a central part of the geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China. Despite the corporate endorsements and broad range of signatories to Tuesday’s letter, many people in the AI industry and across Silicon Valley argue that the technology should be aggressively pursued to bring about new innovations, cure diseases and help the U.S. maintain its military edge in the coming decades. The letter follows several other tech industry petitions since the 2022 launch of ChatGPT in which prominent AI researchers or executives called for a pause on AI development or warned that AI could wipe out humanity. The previous letters did not lead to major shifts in how companies or governments approached AI development.

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State Stories

With 2 weeks to go, an update on school vouchers

Delia Scott has two dyslexic daughters who need more specialized attention than what she says they were getting at their Katy ISD elementary school. When the state’s voucher program started taking applications in February, Scott seized the chance to send her girls to private school. “I don’t know why everybody isn’t doing this,” says Scott, who works in compliance for a construction company while her husband is a homemaker. “I told at least 10 people about it, whose kids are friends with my kids. Only one parent applied and she got the grant.” The reasons vary as to why everybody is not getting in on the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program. Some people applied and got rejected. Some were approved for voucher money but turned down by the private school they picked. One Houston family moved to be closer to a Catholic school they’d selected for their son but still hasn’t heard if they’ll be bumped up from a waitlist.

Meanwhile, more than half of the state’s public school administrators don’t know how many students they’re going to lose to the voucher program because the comptroller’s office is withholding data from districts where fewer than 30 students accepted vouchers. And the clock is ticking. Houston ISD starts August 10. Fort Bend ISD goes back on August 11. Cypress-Fairbanks and Katy ISDs start August 12, and Spring Branch ISD returns to class on August 13. Scott says she was thrilled to learn that each of her children would receive $16,000 and were accepted to Texas Christian School, where tuition is $9,800 per student per year. The excess can be used for uniforms and some school supplies, but it stays in a protected fund rather than being deposited in the recipient’s bank account. Scott’s children didn’t get the $30,000 top award amount offered to students with disabilities, but hardly anyone did. The dollar figures are based on Individualized Education Plans, so the voucher may go toward speech therapy for one student and tutoring for another. Those who don’t have a child with a disability are eligible for $10,474, and homeschool families can get up to $2,000 per child.

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Willie Nelson joins backlash to ‘water thieving, light polluting’ data centers

Texas music legend Willie Nelson on Tuesday came out against data center development, adding his voice to a growing chorus of bipartisan critics. Nelson, who grew up in Abbott and still owns a home there, wrote in a social media post that the last thing the community needs is a “loud, water thieving, light polluting data center.” “Now our community, like many others, needs to fight against data centers invading our land,” Nelson wrote. His post comes as data centers have emerged as an unexpected flashpoint ahead of November’s midterms. But the message from the country music staple is a sign the backlash is spilling beyond the grassroots activists and rural voters who have been calling for a moratorium.

Polling from the University of Texas at Austin last month found most Texans do not want data centers built in their communities, with opposition especially strong among rural voters. This week, community activists and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller staged a protest outside the Capitol and urged Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session for lawmakers to strip tax breaks for data centers and set rules on where they can be built. Abbott has sought to address the bubbling backlash among voters in deep-red rural Texas by directing state regulators to ensure data centers do not pass on costs for new electrical infrastructure to ratepayers. He has resisted calls to bring lawmakers back to Austin, but has called for them to take action when they reconvene in January. Nelson is a longtime advocate for family farms and a co-founder of Farm Aid, an event that raises money for farms. He’s also a regular supporter of Democratic candidates. "The strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints," he wrote. "It comes from generations of people, open spaces, local businesses and a connection to the land."

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Harris County Jail explores using AI cameras to monitor inmates

Artificial intelligence could soon be used to monitor inmates at the Harris County Jail. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office recently invited companies to submit proposals for an AI-powered camera system capable of analyzing inmates’ behavior and detecting weapons and other contraband. While the sheriff’s office has not yet chosen a vendor, it’s the first step toward bringing the technology into the jail and follows a wider pattern of AI implementation across county government. The jail is a multi-building facility in downtown Houston along the banks of Buffalo Bayou. Its location, and the complexity of its layout, make it difficult for staff to monitor the thousands of inmates who enter and exit each day, said Jason Spencer, a senior policy advisor to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

“There are lots of blind spots and little nooks and crannies throughout the jail,” Spencer said. “So it’s a challenge keeping eyes on every square foot of that building. I don’t know that this kind of technology would fix that entirely, but it seems like it has the potential to help.” Spencer compared what the sheriff’s office is looking for to similar technologies already in use at stadiums and by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. The hope, he said, is that the same technology can be adapted for use in a jail setting. The move comes amid mounting public scrutiny toward AI-powered monitoring systems, such as FLOCK cameras and other license plate readers. But a 1984 Supreme Court ruling found prisoners do not have a right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment, so implementing the technology in a jail setting would be less politically fraught than the ongoing roll-out of license plate readers along streets and highways. “It's not out in the community, and the intent is to enhance the safety of the people who are held in the jail and the people who work there,” Spencer said. “There’s already cameras all over the jail. This seems like a good use of the technology that doesn’t come with any significant privacy concerns.”

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Texas lawmaker introduces bill to protect Mount Cristo Rey from border wall construction

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) has introduced legislation that would prevent the federal government from using eminent domain or federal funding to construct border security infrastructure on or near Mount Cristo Rey, a prominent Catholic pilgrimage site overlooking the border region of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. The Mount Cristo Rey Protection Act comes after the federal government initiated legal action to obtain approximately 14 acres of land near the base of the mountain in Sunland Park, New Mexico. The land is owned by the Diocese of Las Cruces, and the proposed acquisition is intended to support an extension of the barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border. Escobar, a Democrat who represents El Paso in Congress, told NCR the bill is one of several efforts her office is pursuing to prevent construction from affecting the mountain and the religious activities that take place there.

"Mount Cristo Rey is a very special place for my community, for the region, for people of faith, not just in the region, but people of faith who have come to visit and hike to the top," Escobar said in a phone interview. "My constituents have asked me about what I am doing to try to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from, in their eyes and in our eyes, desecrating such a sacred site." The mountain is topped by a 29-foot limestone statue of Jesus Christ, dedicated in October 1939. More than 40,000 people visit the site annually, according to Escobar's office. Pilgrimages traditionally take place on Good Friday and during the Feast of Christ the King, drawing participants from Texas, New Mexico and the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Under the proposed legislation, no federal funds could be used to litigate the government's eminent-domain case concerning the 14.259-acre property. The bill would also prohibit federal funding for roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors or related structures on or near the mountain.

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Travis County hires D.C. law firm to represent José Garza in GOP probe

Travis County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to hire a Washington, D.C.-based law firm to represent District Attorney José Garza in a congressional investigation of his office’s prosecution of noncitizens and interactions with federal immigration authorities.. After discussing the matter in closed session, commissioners voted unanimously to pay Miller & Chevalier up to $60,000 to help Garza respond to a request from the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee for five years of records.

Garza received the demand in a June 23 letter from three committee members, including Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, who accused him of pursuing “pro-crime, pro-illegal immigration policies” that allowed undocumented criminals “to freely operate, terrorize local communities, and reoffend without consequences.” The committee members cited statements Garza made while campaigning in which he pledged to consider the consequences of criminal charges and convictions and avoid imposing excessively harsh sentences.. The letter also accused his office of taking a “soft-on-crime approach” that resulted in the release of at least five non-citizens in 2024. Roy said on social media that Garza’s “dereliction of duty has raised questions about whether repeat offenders, including criminal aliens, are being adequately prosecuted and whether the safety of law-abiding Austin residents is being put first.”

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Lawmakers renew push to close Dilley as number of detained children rises

Members of Congress said Tuesday that more than 500 people were being held at the South Texas facility, including 112 children, as they renewed their months-long push to close it. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio said 96 children were being held at Dilley during a congressional visit in May. He and other lawmakers also raised concerns about detainees’ access to legal information. Tuesday’s visit came less than two weeks after Castro led 110 other House Democrats in a letter urging the Department of Homeland Security to close Dilley and end family detention nationwide. Castro was joined by members of the Congressional Democratic Women’s Caucus, advocates from FWD.us and Families Belong Together, and pediatric critical care physician Dr. Anita Patel. The delegation held a news conference in San Antonio after the tour.

Castro said Tuesday marked his seventh visit to Dilley. He criticized the federal government’s use of CoreCivic, a private prison company, to operate the center under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “We have commodified child imprisonment in our nation,” Castro said. “CoreCivic is a private prison company whose investors include some of the largest asset managers in this country. They are making money. The more kids that are put in Dilley.” Castro attributed the reported increase in detainees to intensified ICE enforcement over the past month. “I believe that is the result of the ICE surge that we’ve seen over the last month or so,” Castro said. “We’ve seen families that have been torn apart on the street and brutality on the street. The result of that is that more families and more children are now imprisoned at Dilley.” Castro also questioned how detainees were being informed about their rights under the Flores Settlement Agreement, which establishes standards for the treatment and release of immigrant children in federal custody.

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‘A deal with the devil’: Religion motivates data center opponents in Texas

When Matt Long stood before the Granbury, Texas, city council zoning meeting back in April to oppose the influx of proposed data centers in Hood County, he likened them to a spiritual abomination. “I’d consider us a Christian city inside a Christian county,” said Long, a member of the county’s development commission who lives near Granbury. “As Christians, do we think that trading 2,100 acres of natural beauty for godless technological complexes is moving us closer to the creation, or further away?” “Do we think that entering into negotiations with Google, Meta and Amazon are closer to making a covenant with God, or making a deal with the devil?” he asked the council. Christians, Long concluded to applause, must stand up against data centers.

Controversy surrounding data center construction has roiled Texas in recent months, fostering a bipartisan coalition of opposition, particularly among rural and suburban residents. With at least 248 planned data center projects and 335 in operation, the state is poised to become a leader in data center development. Much of the opposition focuses on environmental impact and the large amounts of water and power needed by massive facilities that operate AI applications. But opposition has also coalesced around religious appeals from a theologically diverse group of residents, leaders and politicians who see data center development as an affront to their most sacred values. Clayton Tucker, a Democrat running for Texas agriculture commissioner, is a leader in the anti-data center movement. A Catholic, he wonders if data centers are akin to the apple in the Garden of Eden. “If we take a bite of that apple of knowledge, is that what’s going to kick us out of this blue marble of Eden … that we call Earth?” he said. Religion isn’t solely the domain of the opposition. Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, a Republican, said he supports data center construction because “throughout history, Christians have embraced innovations that improve lives, from the printing press to modern medicine.” “We should approach data centers the same way: embracing their benefits while ensuring they’re built responsibly,” Christian said in a statement.

Read this article at Religion News Service and Texas Tribune - Subscribers Only

'Extraordinary life' | Janice McNair, co-founder and senior chair of the Houston Texans, laid to rest

Janice McNair, the co-founder and senior chair of the Houston Texans, has been laid to rest. She died last week at the age of 89. The service was held Friday, July 24, in the sanctuary of St. Luke's United Methodist Church. "Janice lived an extraordinary life rooted in faith, family, philanthropy and football," her obituary read. "A gracious Southern woman and beloved matriarch of the Houston Texans, Janice welcomed everyone she met with her signature warmth, radiant smile and genuine kindness." Serving as pallbearers were D. Cal McNair, her son; Robert D. McNair, her grandson; Calhoun McNair, her grandson; Michael McNair, her grandson; Dr. Judson Suber and Jonathan Suber.

She and her husband, Bob McNair, helped bring the NFL back to Houston and were instrumental in founding the Texans. Through the Houston Texans Foundation and The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, the couple donated more than $500 million to education, medical research and community programs across the city. In 2025, McNair was inducted as the fourth member of the Texans Ring of Honor in recognition of her role in bringing football back to Houston and her lasting impact on the organization and the community. She is survived by her four children, 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

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Texas bet on privatized foster care. EMPOWER tested its limits

Among Nicolette LaRoe is a court-appointed attorney for kids in the child welfare system. But she advocates for them like they're her own. That's why she's so passionate about CJ. “CJ” is how a recent court filing refers to the boy, whose full name and age aren’t disclosed. According to the document, CJ was diagnosed in June 2024 with type of lupus induced by Depakote or divalproex sodium, a medication used to treat epilepsy and other conditions. But caseworkers for EMPOWER — the private nonprofit managing foster care in the Dallas area at the time — didn’t properly document CJ’s medical needs in his case record and authorized the hospital to give the boy divalproex sodium Nov. 26, 2024.

CJ was admitted to the hospital February 19, 2025, with chest pain and pneumonia, according to the filing — conditions believed to be caused by lupus. In the eight months between his diagnosis and his admission to the hospital with lupus-related conditions, the document states, CJ had five different EMPOWER caseworkers assigned to him. His medical needs were miscommunicated in the shuffle. “All the stuff that has happened has been tragic,” LaRoe said in a July interview with KERA News. “And while they were going through all these caseworkers and supervisors and different directors and all this crap, it's like trying to hold jelly in your hand. You can never get a grip on anything.” A KERA News analysis of two years of DFPS corrective plans showed CJ's case wasn't seen as an outlier: EMPOWER’s caseworkers reportedly weren’t showing up to court — and when they were, they were unprepared. Caseworkers dealt with large caseloads, lacked basic training and made simple mistakes that led to negative — and sometimes fatal — outcomes for kids, according to those documents.

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Austinites storm DA José Garza's office to protest APD's fatal shooting of unarmed teen

More than two dozen protesters gathered at Wooldridge Park Tuesday afternoon under an unforgiving sun to demand accountability — and prosecution — for the officers involved in last week's fatal shooting of a teenager identified Tuesday as Anthoneil Williams II. Williams allegedly called police to report a young man brandishing a gun. Officers responded just after 4 a.m. last Friday and fired dozens of rounds into Williams after he lifted up his shirt. Williams was unarmed, carrying only a water bottle. The officers involved in the shooting are on administrative leave, and the incident is under investigation. Williams' friend Ameer Alogaili, 16, said he always "put a smile on everybody's face." Alogaili attended Bohls Middle School and Connally High School with Williams. He said the officers "took a part of me with him" and asked for some accountability.

"[There are] so many families that are suffering right now all because of these cops and them wanting to shoot their guns at a little kid at a park for having a water bottle," he said. "Long live Anthoneil." After remarks, the protesters marched to Travis County District Attorney José Garza's office lobby, storming past metal detectors and chanting "Jail killer cops!" The protest escalated after one demonstrator approached a Travis County Sheriff's deputy at the front desk. After staring down the crowd, the deputy locked himself away in a nearby room as an unidentified protester pounded on the door. Two Travis County Sheriff's deputies responded, pushing the crowd outside and barring the doors after a brief scuffle with demonstrators that was broken up by Anthoneil Williams II's father. The elder Williams pleaded with protesters to fall back as another 10 deputies approached the DA's office.

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Two Wilmer officials arrested following alleged racist confrontation at gas station

Two Wilmer city officials were arrested this month following an investigation into racially charged threats allegedly made at a gas station, according to arrest warrant affidavits obtained Tuesday by The Dallas Morning News. Moses Garcia, 53, elected to the city council in May, was arrested Monday by Wilmer police after he was linked to a July 22 disturbance at a Shell gas station. He faces a terroristic threat charge. Wilmer police allege acting police Chief Jesus Mancillas, 57, attempted to take control of the investigation into Garcia’s actions and interfered with the collection of evidence, according to his affidavit. Wilmer is in Dallas County about 15 miles southeast of Dallas.

Mancillas was appointed as acting chief last week, according to a statement from Wilmer Interim City Administrator Frank Posada, and was expected to provide leadership and oversight as the department addressed ongoing administrative issues. He is accused of inserting himself into an active criminal investigation and preventing the lead detective from performing assigned duties. “I had no knowledge that the Wilmer Police Department was contemplating or carrying out an arrest involving Mr. Mancillas,” Posada said. “He was assisting the city of Wilmer at my request, and I am disappointed by what has occurred.” According to surveillance video footage described in Garcia’s affidavit, Garcia arrived at the gas station in a Tesla and began talking with a man and an employee. In the footage, the group can be seen continuing their conversation until Garcia allegedly calls the man an explicit name. Garcia then begins making statements regarding his influence on Wilmer’s city council, according to the descriptions in the affidavit.

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6 matches, $8.4M in booze: AT&T Stadium broke its record, but did Dallas profit from FIFA?

Take a guess: how many beers and margs do you think were sold at AT&T Stadium during each game of the World Cup? All along, one of the great questions was how much impact the games would have on local bars and restaurants. Projections from the Dallas Sports Commission estimated it would generate up to $2.1 billion for all of North Texas. The state of Texas just released its June mixed beverage gross receipts report, which shows the amount of alcohol every bar or restaurant with a TABC license sold in the month. TABSReport makes it easy to sort through. We looked at the just-released June report for both Dallas and Arlington, and it’s clear that, overall, the World Cup had a financial impact on alcohol sales alone. In some cases, the impact was huge, but don’t get too excited because FIFA kept a lot of that.

While this is just a sliver of the story — just booze in June — it’s something real and substantive, not just figureheads talking. The giant stadium in Arlington hosted six World Cup matches in June (and another three in July, for a total of nine). The stadium sold $8,396,103 in alcohol in June. For comparison, in June of 2025 it sold just $572,605. Previously, during the NFL season, the most it had sold was $8.2 million, making this a new record. (Of course, there would never be six NFL games at the stadium in one month, so it feels like the Cowboys win here.) How many beers and margs is $8.4 million? Let’s say each drink is $20 (beers averaged about $17 and a margarita was $25.50); that’s 419,805 drinks. Over six games, that’s 69,967 drinks per game. Before you get excited for the Cowboys and all that money they just made, it goes to FIFA, the nonprofit that runs the world’s largest soccer tournament. Per its agreement with host cities, it gets all revenue from tickets, concessions, parking and broadcast rights. Host cities pay for security, transportation and most of the Fanfest. Feels a little lopsided, right? Some cities, including Chicago, bowed out of even hosting games because they couldn’t justify the costs versus potential revenue.

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National Stories

Diary entries, a subpoena and an anticipated clash: Dr. Anthony Fauci and Rand Paul’s long-running battle returns to the Hill

Even before the US enacted a national shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci pondered whether he might have testified before Congress more than any other official. As the longtime face of the government’s infectious disease response, he was on Capitol Hill roughly 250 times over the course of his career to discuss threats such as the HIV/AIDS crisis and Ebola. On Wednesday, the retired scientist will notch one more testimony, in what is expected to be a combative hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. The appearance will mark the latest showdown with Sen. Rand Paul, the committee’s chairman, who has long sought to blame the Covid pandemic and shortcomings of the US response on Fauci.

Fauci did not agree to turn up willingly. In June, Paul subpoenaed the 85-year-old former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for his appearance. Internal correspondence shared with CNN shows that Fauci initially declined to appear voluntarily, citing his past clashes with Paul and the senator’s efforts to indict him. “Your request that Dr. Fauci appear before the Committee arises within a context that cannot be ignored — the context of repeated public and absolutely baseless pronouncements by you, a sitting United States Senator, that Dr. Fauci should be prosecuted and jailed,” his lawyers wrote in a letter to Paul. Ahead of the hearing, the committee released more than 1,100 pages of Fauci’s personal diary from 2019 to 2022. Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday night on Fox News that he had recently handed the files over to Paul and Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson after finding them on government servers following an eight-month search.

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DHS stats chief rips Trump’s ‘war on immigrants’ in blistering resignation letter

A top official at the Department of Homeland Security announced his resignation over the weekend in a blistering letter that lashed out at President Donald Trump and excoriated what he described as the administration’s “war on immigrants.” Marc Rosenblum, the former executive director of the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, wrote in a public LinkedIn post on Saturday that he was “sad, and thrilled, to say that yesterday was my last day working at DHS.” Rosenblum joined the Office of Immigration Statistics in 2016, and said he watched the team grow from a “scrappy team of 11” to a staff of 45 prior to Trump’s second term. In the more than 10 years Rosenblum served at the agency, he said, his team expanded its data processing and reporting efforts.

“But it will come as no surprise that I’m thrilled to end my relationship with the current administration,” Rosenblum wrote. “Between the war on immigrants, the war on feds, and the war on facts (not to mention the crazy war in Iran and the brazen corruption), I just need a change.” A representative for DHS told NOTUS that while the department does not comment on personnel decisions, “people are always welcome to their opinion — that doesn’t make it right or factual.” The White House declined to comment. The Trump administration launched expanded immigration enforcement efforts at the beginning of the president’s second term, but critics on both sides of the aisle have requested better data on the impact of those efforts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not release data on either detentions or deportations from April 9 until July 24, 2026, missing multiple semimonthly “Detention Management” reports that typically include arrests, detentions and deportations, according to The Marshall Project. Rosenblum did not address the data-sharing lapses explicitly in his resignation letter — though he described a “challenging and often hostile work environment” that he and others allegedly experienced at DHS. Multiple organizations have taken legal action against the Trump administration, seeking data on immigration enforcement and detention practices. The Oversight Project, a conservative-leaning advocacy group, filed a lawsuit this month against DHS to release the updated data. American Oversight, a nonpartisan watchdog group, filed a lawsuit against the department in June seeking records relating to deaths in immigration custody.

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Iran launches surprise ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East

Iran targeted American forces in the Middle East with ballistic missiles late Tuesday stateside, U.S. Central Command said, raising tensions in the region again after the warring sides had briefly halted hostilities. Centcom in a post on X said that the attack originated from Iran, but all missiles were intercepted. “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.“ While the U.S. military command did not specify where the attacks were aimed at, Axios reported the attack was directed at a U.S. base in Jordan, citing U.S. officials. In a subsequent statement posted on X, Centcom said U.S. and Saudi forces struck “multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites” in eastern Iraq Tuesday stateside, retaliating against more than 30 drone attacks in the past three days by “Iran-aligned terrorists.“

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said the strikes were carried out in coordination with U.S. Central Command, and added the kingdom does not seek escalation, but will respond to any aggression it faces. Riyadh said earlier that drones launched from Iraq by “Iran-affiliated terrorist militias” attempted to target petroleum facilities in Saudi Arabia. The Iran-backed Iraqi Mobilization Forces said in a statement later on Tuesday that at least 20 of its members had been killed in the strikes and 32 had been wounded. Tensions have escalated after a two-day pause in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, sending oil surging, after prices declined for three straight days. U.S. President Donald Trump had set aside plans to escalate the war against Iran amid worries over diminishing stockpiles of Patriot interceptors and other air defense munitions in the Middle East, The New York Times had reported. Trump had dismissed concerns over stockpile depletion.

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Senate votes to confirm Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton will become the next director of national intelligence after the Senate voted to confirm his nomination following a monthslong stalemate. Clayton's nomination was confirmed by a 51-47 party-line vote. Clayton's confirmation comes as senators work to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, a critical national security tool that went dark after Democrats revolted against its extension over concerns over the next DNI.

Following the resignation of previous DNI Tulsi Gabbard in May, President Donald Trump tapped Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting DNI despite his lack of intelligence experience. The move caused all Democrats, with the exception of Sen. John Fetterman, to vote against moving forward with consideration of the FISA authorization despite the fact that some, including Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner, had previously been supportive of FISA reauthorization. Trump's appointment of Pulte as acting DNI also frustrated some Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune, who argued the reauthorization had a bipartisan, bicameral path forward but was derailed due to the timing of Trump's announcement. "There have been timing issues around several things that they've done in the last few weeks," Thune said of the administration in early June. "I'm sure that's the, you know, that's the conclusion Democrats have drawn, but I still think that, not withstanding their feelings on that, that it's irresponsible not to keep this agency going," Thune said.

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Trump, Senate give tearful goodbye to Lindsey Graham

Former Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) received an emotional send-off Wednesday at two memorial services, where political allies and foes, some of whom had shifted back and forth during the South Carolinian’s long career, bid him tribute. “He was a force of nature, and I will miss him greatly,” President Trump said at the latter service at Washington National Cathedral, where the political crowd was dominated by Trump administration officials and global leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump nodded to his friendship with his fellow Republican, which grew from a rivalry when the two were running for the GOP presidential nomination in 2015.

“As you remember, Lindsey and I did not exactly get off to the best of starts, running against each other,” Trump said, recounting how he had publicly given out Graham’s cellphone number at a campaign event in response to a political attack. “His phone totally, I don’t know what he did with it, but it exploded,” the president joked. Graham went on to become one of Trump’s strongest allies in the Senate, a major turn given the South Carolina Republican’s previous alliance with former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who died in 2018 as a firm GOP opponent of Trump. “That was the beginning of a friendship, in a way,” Trump said of the cellphone episode. “But it was Lindsey who had the last laugh, because while I blew up his phone for one day, we became great friends, and Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years. It was not easy.” Earlier in the day, Graham was honored in a memorial service at the Capitol Rotunda, which was attended by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

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New Mexico is divided over what to do with $75 Billion in oil cash

In a beige office park on the edge of town not far from a Walmart, waves of oil-and-gas money are crashing on Jon Clark’s desk. A flood of $7.6 billion arrived in 2024. Followed by an additional $5.3 billion in 2025. This year, Clark, New Mexico’s state investment officer, is projecting $5.4 billion. New Mexico’s oil-and-gas bounty has helped build a $75 billion investment fund that would be the envy of Wall Street. New Mexico has become the second-largest-producing oil state in the country, behind Texas, and soaring crude prices from the U.S. war with Iran are translating into another burst of revenue. The question for the state now: What to do with it?

New Mexico is one of America’s poorest states, and many here in the state capital believe its relatively new oil wealth is its path to stability. That opportunity comes with inherent tension over what to fund now and how much to save for the future. Spending more of the money today will eat into the state’s safety net for the next time crude prices crater or the wells run dry. It isn’t as simple as saving or spending. Some state officials are betting that shelling out on new programs now can help bolster the economy before the next bust. When energy prices were low early this year, about $160 million flowed into the largest bucket of New Mexico’s fund each month from royalties paid by energy companies pumping on publicly owned land. That jumped to $241 million in March after the Iran war sent crude prices higher. More cash is expected to arrive from taxes on oil-and-gas sales. “We’re going to increasingly be part of how the state pays for everything moving forward,” Clark said. “The potential for impact is almost limitless in the long term.”

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Copyright August 05, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved