Lead Stories

Oil prices surge after Trump says U.S. will blockade the Strait of Hormuz

The price of oil surged Sunday night after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would blockade the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks with Iran failed. U.S. crude oil soared 8%, to more than $104 per barrel. International Brent oil jumped more than 7%, to $103 per barrel. Wholesale gas prices also spiked 6%, while heating oil, a proxy for jet fuel prices, jumped 10% in early trading. Stock futures declined sharply. Futures that indicate where the S&P 500 will trade fell 1%, Nasdaq 100 futures slid 1.3%, and Dow futures tumbled more than 500 points. "Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said on Truth Social.

"I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran," Trump added in the post. The Strait of Hormuz is one of most important waterways for oil and other energy products, such as liquefied natural gas. Before the war, hundreds of ships per day passed through it, carrying that energy to the global marketplace. But on most days since the war began Feb. 28, fewer than 10 ships a day have been able pass through. "Reopening the Strait has become the market’s most time-sensitive priority," JPMorgan Chase commodities analysts said Sunday. "The last tanker to clear Hormuz on February 28 is expected to reach its destination around April 20, marking the point at which pre-closure barrels are fully exhausted from the global supply chain." Last week, only 24 ships passed through the strait out to the ocean. On Friday, only two ships passed, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence that was shared with NBC News. Neither were oil or gas tankers. Trump made the announcement early Sunday after Vice President JD Vance, along with Trump's special envoy for peace, Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, flew to Islamabad to hold talks with Iranian regime leaders amid a two-week ceasefire.

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Senate GOP leaders hold off on investing more in John Cornyn, for now

Last week, the GOP's powerful Senate Leadership Fund super PAC announced it was committing $342 million to support a slate of candidates across eight states. Texas, whereU.S. Sen. John Cornyn, is fighting for political survival in a runoff against state Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 26, was not one of them. NationalRepublican leaders' decision to so far hold off in committing more money to the state comes as the Cornyn continues to lag in the polls behind Paxton, ahead of what could be a competitive midterm race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

With President Donald Trump so far declining to endorse in the race – after suggesting he would do so following the primary – some of the the president's supporters have been calling for the party's fundraising arms to forgo investing more into Cornyn's primary campaign when Republicans are facing competitive Democratic challenges elsewhere in November. "RINO/Uniparty Senators like John Cornyn remain in office for decades so when you get a chance to replace them with true American First conservatives you have to seize the opportunity," Alex Muse, a conservative influencer, wrote on X last week. The Senate Leadership Fund, which iscontrolled by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, declined to comment for this story. Alex Latcham, the fund's executive director, told The New York Times last week that he didn’t see Texas as competitive in November, but would reconsider if the dynamics changed.

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U.S. House members could vote this week to boot Tony Gonzales

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales could face a vote to expel him from the House as soon as this week after a growing number of members expressed support for ousting him and Rep. Eric Swalwell of California over new allegations of sexual misconduct, raising the specter of a rare special election in a midterm year. The move to expel Gonzales, a third-term Republican from San Antonio, gained steam after U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Friday that she would file a motion to eject Swalwell, citing a former aide’s allegation of rape reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. On Sunday, Luna said she’d pair that motion with a resolution for Gonzales’ expulsion. House Democrats plan to force the vote on Gonzales if Luna proceeds with her effort against Swalwell, a Democrat, Axios and the New York Times reported, citing two unnamed congressional aides with knowledge of the tentative plan.

By Sunday afternoon, at least five Republicans and five Democrats had expressed support for banishing both men. They include GOP Reps. Mike Lawler of New York and Byron McDonald of Florida and Democratic Reps. Jared Huffman of California and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. “Congress must hold itself to the highest ethical standard, regardless of party,” Lawler wrote on X. “Leadership and members in both parties should have moral clarity and recognize some things are more important than vote margins and party loyalty.” Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, a New Mexico Democrat who chairs the Democratic Women’s Caucus, said the expulsion votes were necessary to show it was unacceptable to "sexually abuse staff" and still run for and serve in elected office. “Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell exploited their staffers’ ideals and commitment to public service as a vulnerability,” Fernández wrote in a statement posted to X. “Instead of being treated with respect, they were preyed upon.” On Sunday night, Fernández posted on X: “There’s already been a resolution announced to expel Swalwell that I will support. I will introduce a resolution to expel Rep. Gonzales.”

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AI is using so much energy that computing firepower is running out

The artificial intelligence gold rush is rapidly drying up the supply of the one resource that AI developers can’t do without: computing power. The sharp capacity crunch has caused consternation among power users, forced companies to scuttle products and led to reliability problems. The issues are a warning sign for the AI boom, as they may limit the utility of powerful new AI tools just as massive amounts of users have begun to rely on them to boost productivity. Over the past few months, demand has exploded for “agentic” AI, autonomous tools that use the technology to independently perform tasks, from writing software code to scheduling house tours for real-estate brokers. Companies have been scrambling to secure the availability of computing capacity needed to serve a growing base of customers who are also significantly increasing their AI use.

“Everyone’s talking about oil, but I think what the world is mainly short of is tokens,” said Ben Pouladian, an engineer and tech investor based in Los Angeles. A token is a unit of measurement in AI to track how much computing resources are being used for a task. “AI is at this point no longer just some chatbot that we ask for a recipe while we stand in front of the fridge. It’s orchestrating tasks, it’s getting smarter,” Pouladian said. All of it points to a classic problem that has popped up in technology booms throughout history, from the 19th-century railroad expansion to the telecom and internet explosion of the early 2000s. Demand is growing far faster than companies are able to access resources and build out infrastructure. Historically, price increases have been among the only ways to address a supply crunch, but such a move could be perilous for frontier AI companies, who are in a ferocious competition to gain users. Hourly rental prices for GPUs, the microchips used to train and run AI models, have surged since the fall. Anthropic, the maker of popular chatbot Claude and viral coding app Claude Code, has been plagued recently by frequent outages. The company has begun metering computing supply to users during peak hours, but the rollout has been marred by customers who have complained that they are reaching the limit far too quickly.

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State Stories

Louie Gohmert: Voting for lies and corruption is not a choice

Despite Ken Paxton’s claims he essentially had crooks conspiring against him in his office just like President Trump, Paxton admitted in Court to all the facts & law specified against him in the pleadings by the whistleblowers he fired and retaliated against. That wasn’t at all like President Trump’s situation. Judge Catherine Mauzy found on April 4, 2025[Case # D-1-GN-20-006861, TX 250th Judicial District Court] just as Paxton admitted, that he retaliated against and fired his top employees for reporting his corruption despite his long, loud claims to the contrary outside of court. Otherwise he’d have had to give a deposition under oath about specifics. Paxton learned from Bill Clinton that with all Paxton had to hide, he could not afford to allow anyone to ever ask him questions under oath.

The trial judge accepted his in-court general admissions and issued judgment based on those admissions for a $6.6 MILLION judgment against Paxton. Right after court, for the benefit of his blind followers who would never read the transcript nor believe media reports, Paxton said publicly it was “a ridiculous judgment that is not based on the facts or the law” and that he would appeal the outrageous judgment. But it was based on facts and law; Paxton had just admitted in front of the judge that day! On May 2, 2025, Paxton appealed the judgment while he continued to publicly protest the unfair judgment he said he would definitely get overturned and supporters and legislators did not need to worry. If he had not appealed in May, the judgment would’ve become final and been presented to the Texas legislature for payment before they recessed at the end of May 2025; and that would’ve made all kinds of news with legislators up in arms against Paxton. Paxton assured them he’d get it reversed on appeal.

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Threats, fines and a quorum break: A Texas lawmaker’s fight to stay in office

For state Rep. Salman Bhojani, the first Muslim elected to the Texas Legislature, the fines he faces for breaking quorum with fellow Democrats last year pale in comparison to the threats that forced his family from their home. They endured online harassment that included hate speech and threats so severe they had to leave. It was almost enough to drive Bhojani out of politics, he said. The key word is "almost." After returning to Texas, where the Legislature approved the Republican-backed congressional redistricting plan that prompted the quorum break, Bhojani said he felt duty-bound to continue in public service. He is seeking a third term representing his North Texas district in November.

"If I'm not going to do it, I don't know who else will do it the way I want to do it and represent my community," he said in an interview Friday alongside his wife, Nima. "Hopefully (the hate speech is) behind us. There is a lot of momentum to change things." The interview, conducted by phone from his suburban home near Fort Worth, came as the House Administration Committee deliberated behind closed doors on how to impose fines totaling $8,354 for Democrats’ unauthorized absence during an August special session. Bhojani left Texas before most members of the House Democratic Caucus boarded a chartered jet to Chicago, denying the chamber a quorum to act on a redistricting plan that aimed to add five Republican-leaning seats. He had traveled to Pakistan, the country where he was born, to be with an aunt he described as a second mother as she faced an illness that would claim her life. Family emergencies, such as illness or death, are typically grounds for an excused absence, but online critics questioned his account. Bhojani released passport and travel records to rebut the claims. Meanwhile, Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French escalated the rhetoric.

Read this article at Austin American-Statesman - Subscribers Only

Wives, daughters scramble as ICE deportations spread across Central Texas

As an ice storm closed in on Central Texas in late January, Bricia, a 43-year-old mother battling endometrial cancer, moved deliberately through her Elgin home, deciding what to pack before the power went out. Pain radiated from her right shoulder, flaring with stress and aggravating skin already raw from radiation treatment. She wanted to lie down. Instead, she kept moving, preparing to flee the cold and the dark. Three months behind on her power bill, she was losing heat and light at the worst possible moment — just months after federal immigration agents detained her husband, the family’s primary breadwinner. In the months since, Bricia and her 21-year-old U.S. citizen daughter have watched their savings evaporate, their business collapse and their home slip toward foreclosure — part of a widening pattern across Central Texas, where a surge in immigration arrests is quietly destabilizing families and pushing many toward financial ruin.

Such stories are becoming increasingly common in Bastrop County, including Elgin, a majority-Hispanic exurb of about 12,000 residents, roughly 30 miles east of downtown Austin. In the “Sausage Capital of Texas,” gravel roads wind past goat and horse pens on properties belonging to immigrant families who commute to the city to work construction or clean homes. Many were drawn to the area decades ago by affordable land and rent. Now, deportations are eroding that stability. Other area residents are also absorbing the financial shock of losing a primary breadwinner. They include a recent college graduate in Camp Swift who is supporting the family after her father’s deportation, and another Elgin mother who is selling pan dulce late into the night, taking on her husband’s work. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in Central and South Texas have climbed to an average of 2,000 arrests per month during the Trump administration, according to a New York Times analysis. About 9 in 10 of those arrested locally are men, the American-Statesman found, leaving women and children to shoulder the economic fallout. ICE did not respond to the Statesman’s requests for comment.

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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s office was told to release trade mission documents. Most are redacted

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's office was instructed by Texas officials to release documents related to a recent trade mission that was conducted to garner business prospects and foreign investments in the county, which includes the fourth-largest city in the United States. But the vast majority of those documents, provided to Houston Public Media in response to a public records request, were heavily redacted. The documents that were released about Hidalgo's trip in October last year — as part of an economic development delegation to Taiwan and Japan — offer little detail about the outgoing county judge's schedule, costs and partnerships secured from the trade mission.

Hidalgo has embarked on three trade missions in the past year with local delegations led by the Greater Houston Partnership, an economic development organization, to expand the county’s international relations. And she's been highly scrutinized for the trips, which resulted in extensive absences from Harris County Commissioners Court meetings — raising questions about her ability to lead during important discussions when she's not in attendance. Hidalgo attended a trade mission to Paris last summer before the trip to Taiwan and Japan. More recently, she joined a local delegation for a trip to The Netherlands and Germany in March, which coincided with calls for her resignation in the aftermath of her quarrel with Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo leaders. The documents about her trip to Taiwan and Japan were requested by Houston Public Media in December. Though county lawyers fought to keep the records concealed, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office in March ordered their release, agreeing only to the redaction of personal contact information.

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Corpus Christi water workshop grows heated over Inner Harbor desalination plan

A city water workshop meant to clarify progress on a proposed Inner Harbor desalination plant instead devolved into a contentious, nearly two-hour exchange among council members, the mayor and residents. No vote was taken during the meeting, but tensions ran high as officials debated not only the desalination project itself, but also the purpose and timing of the workshop. Council members questioned whether the meeting was necessary, noting the full council is already scheduled to meet in the coming days. “We had to expense staff, time, energy,” District 4 Councilwoman Kaylynn Paxson said. “All of us had to stop our schedules … and we’re not actually anti-desal.”

Mayor Paulette Guajardo defended the decision to hold the workshop, saying it was intended to keep the public informed about the status of the project and outstanding issues. “The public knowing where this contract is, what is still missing from it, what we’re waiting on … is important,” Guajardo said. “We address these issues for the public, which is who we work for.” The proposed Inner Harbor desalination plant remains a key part of the city’s long-term water strategy, but major questions persist — including whether city leaders will have enough information to move forward later this month. District 5 Councilman Gil Hernandez expressed skepticism that critical data will be ready in time.

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Former TPPF head, now Heritage Foundation leader, toasted editor of controversial right-wing magazine

At a recent dinner, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts toasted Paul Gottfried, the editor of a magazine that has published writers accused of espousing white supremacism. In his remarks, he spoke against “heritage Americans … [repudiating] their heritage.” He referred to Gottfried as having been “exiled” from conservatism but now being part of an “ascendant” movement. Gottfried is a historian and a self-described paleoconservative who has criticized the mainstream conservative movement for what he says are failures to protect a traditionalist Judeo-Christian view of American life and stop the rise of multiculturalism. Paleoconservatism is a right-wing ideology that seeks to combat internationalism and multiculturalism.

He may be most famous for coining the term “alternative right” in a 2008 speech, in which he castigated conservatives who had “become so terrified by those on their left that they pretend not to notice the stark fact of human cognitive disparities.” “The fact that not everyone enjoys the same genetic precondition for learning is irrelevant for this politically motivated experiment in wishful thinking,” Gottfried said at the time. In his remarks at a recent dinner in honor of Gottfried’s magazine, Chronicles, Roberts praised Gottfried for criticizing “the antidiscrimination regime” and called him “one of the sages of our age.” In 2021, Gottfried took over as editor of Chronicles, a monthly magazine with a stated mission of “defending the traditions and history of America and the West.” The magazine has published many far-right figures, including Sam Francis, a former adviser to Pat Buchanan who used the magazine to praise former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke for defending “the American Way of Life,” and Thomas Fleming, a founding member of the neo-Confederate group the League of the South.

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San Antonio police union pauses contract talks after ‘slap in the face’ pay offer from city

The president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association (SAPOA) said his union is backing away from the negotiating table after a pay offer he described as a “slap in the face.” The union and City of San Antonio have been negotiating a new contract since late January. Both sides have proposed combinations of hourly-rate and percentage-based raises, meaning different ranks would be affected differently. The city presented an offer today that would raise the base wages for the lowest-ranking San Antonio police officers from $65,431 currently to $74,970 in April 2029 — a more than 14% bump in pay. However, the union has proposed raising the same officers’ pay to $82,164 in the same time frame — a more than 25% increase.

In an emailed statement after the negotiation session, SAPOA President Danny Diaz said the city’s counteroffer “devalues our officers and the dangerous work they do every day,” and the union was “pausing further discussions at this time.” In a follow-up phone interview, Diaz told KSAT that officers have been quick to let the union know how they felt. “Our phones have not been quiet,” he said. “They’ve been ringing off the wall. And it’s very loud and clear that that is a slap in the face, what they offered today.” The city said in an emailed statement an “independent survey” of Texas’ largest cities showed the department’s compensation is “already competitive.” “When total compensation — including healthcare, pension, and retiree benefits — is considered, San Antonio ranks in the top three among large Texas cities at all career stages analyzed,” the statement reads. “We are committed to not losing ground and remaining among the top three in total compensation.”

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School vouchers are what we thought they were

What would’ve been school-choice proponents’ triumphant publicity tour after the application period closed on Texas’ shiny new voucher program, in mid-March, was instead consumed by catty finger-pointing between two top state officials over who’s to blame for the state seemingly botching its attempt to religiously discriminate against some program participants. It’s the sort of comedic tragedy that has become all too common in the red empire of Texas: Pass a harmful new policy while prevaricating as to its actual intent, create a pretext to carry out the policy in a clearly discriminatory fashion, invite a costly lawsuit that will ultimately end with the state being forced to comply, muddy the waters over who’s to blame. While pushing the private-school voucher bill through the state House and Senate last year, Republican legislative hands repeatedly insisted, when presented with various theoretical scenarios, that this near-universal “Texas Education Freedom Accounts” program would be open to any and all types of private schools—of all creeds and persuasions.

Religious freedom was to reign supreme. How dare thee even question the universality of this venerable program, Republican legislators inveighed. In predictable fashion, the Texas GOP—lately in the throes of another virulent anti-Muslim bender—hasn’t quite lived up to that promise. In the lead-up to the official voucher rollout, acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock—who is currently in charge of administering the program and was, at the time, trying to win a primary election to hold onto his appointed post—used the administrative process to effectively block certain Islamic schools from participating by alleging such potential applicants were affiliated with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a national civil rights group akin to the NAACP or LULAC, and the Egypt-based transnational organization the Muslim Brotherhood, each of which the state has deemed a “foreign terrorist organization.” (The rule also sought to block schools affiliated with the darned Chinese Communist Party.) The conflation of CAIR with the Muslim Brotherhood and Palestine’s Hamas is a theory that’s long brewed in the right’s more feverish swamps. (CAIR is suing the State of Texas over this designation.) In response, a group of Islamic schools and Muslim families went to court over the discriminatory exclusion from the program: “The exclusion is not based on individualized findings of unlawful conduct by any specific school, but rather on categorical presumptions that Islamic schools are suspect and potentially linked to terrorism by virtue of their religious identity and community associations,” the lawsuit read. A federal judge ordered the state to extend its application deadline to allow for these schools to go through the process.

Read this article at Texas Observer - Subscribers Only

Elon Musk wants to turn 700 acres of Texas wildlife refuge into SpaceX property

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is aiming to acquire 712 acres of land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, amid the protests of environmentalists and activist groups. The proposal would exchange the wildlife refuge land for 692 acres of land in Starbase, SpaceX’s headquarters on the southern tip of Texas. Starbase was officially designated a city in May 2025, after workers living near SpaceX’s rocket launch facility there voted in favor of the measure, according to the Texas Tribune. A draft of the proposed land exchange was published on March 2, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the National Wildlife Refuge in question, asked the public to submit feedback on the proposal, according to Valley Central. SpaceX has not said how it intends to use the land, but the proposal acknowledged it is likely they will develop on that land after acquisition.

“It is reasonably foreseeable that the lands proposed for divestiture will be used for residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure purposes in the near term,” the proposal reads. The South Texas Environmental Justice Network, an environmental advocacy group in the Rio Grande Valley, submitted comments on behalf of 3,392 people opposed to the land exchange, according to their press release. “Rio Grande Valley residents oppose Elon Musk’s colonization of our wildlife, beach, and sacred lands for SpaceX’s dangerous and unnecessary rockets,” said Bekah Hinojosa, the network’s co-founder, in the press release. “We urge the US Fish & Wildlife to listen to our community’s pleas and deny SpaceX’s 712-acre land grab.” The proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the purpose of the land exchange was to “conserve species’ habitats, improve habitat protection, consolidate ownership, and simplify management of refuge lands”. The South Texas Environmental Justice Network also said the 712 acres that SpaceX wants are considered “culturally significant” to the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, a group indigenous to the Rio Grande Valley.

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Patrick Dumont offers rare interview, talks Cuban tension, Mavs' new arena, future with Flagg and more

Foremost in Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont’s thoughts is excitement, hope and what he calls an extraordinary opportunity to build around 19-year-old sensation Cooper Flagg. But as the Mavericks carry a 25-56 record into Sunday’s season finale against Chicago, Dumont also is acutely aware that a state-of-the-franchise discussion is in order – with The Dallas Morning News and by extension, fans. He knows that until earned otherwise, his 27-month tenure as team governor largely will be defined by the night that can’t be erased and the trade that can’t be undone – for which he says fans had every right to hold the franchise and specifically himself accountable. “This team is about the city of Dallas,” he says. “It's about our players doing well and our team winning, and it's about our fans.

“I believe in our accountability. We have to work hard to make things right.” Dumont interviews are rare, as fans have learned since the Miriam Adelson-Dumont families purchased the Mavericks' majority interest from Mark Cuban on Dec. 27, 2023. This one is intentionally timed. Sunday’s game concludes a season that began last October with high expectations but quickly crumbled into the franchise’s second 50-loss season in the last 28 years – a mere two seasons after going to the NBA Finals within Dumont’s first six months as governor. “When expectations aren't met, we really have to take a critical look at everything we're doing,” he says. “We have to reflect and say, 'How do we get better?' “I really believe this is an extremely important offseason for this franchise. We're going to work tirelessly to get things right. We have a lot of work to do.” That’s his segue to the other reason behind the interview’s timing: His plan for filling the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations position. That process, which unofficially began after Nico Harrison’s Nov. 11 dismissal, is about to shift to hyperdrive.

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Phil Garner, popular former Astros player and manager, dies at 76

Phil Garner, the gritty infielder who played for the Houston Astros and later managed the team to its first World Series appearance, has died. He was 76. Garner, a three-time All-Star who was nicknamed “Scrap Iron,” died Saturday night, according to his family. “Phil Garner passed away peacefully last night, April 11, surrounded by family and love after a two-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer,” his family said in a statement to MLB.com. “Phil never lost his signature spark of life he was so well known for or his love for baseball which was with him until the end. Special thanks to the Houston Medical Center, MD Anderson, Baylor St. Luke’s and all the Doctors and Nurses for their excellent care and support.”

The Astros praised Garner for the “tremendous impact” he had on the franchise as both a player and manager, with owner Jim Crane saying “Phil Garner’s contributions to the Houston Astros, the city of Houston and to the game of baseball will not be forgotten.” Former Astros star Lance Berkman, who played for Garner from 2004-07, called him “a blast to be around and a joy to play for.” “Phil was a players’ manager in that he understood high-level competition and how difficult it is to have success in the major leagues,” Berkman said. “He infused the team with his grit and toughness while holding us to the highest standards of professionalism. … Definitely one of my favorites! He will be missed by his many friends, former players and teammates in the baseball community.” Garner, who spent 16 seasons in the major leagues, played for the Astros from 1981-87. The Jefferson City, Tenn., native also played for the Athletics, Pirates, Dodgers and Giants. He was the No. 3 overall pick by Oakland in the 1971 secondary draft out of the University of Tennessee, which retired his No. 18 in 2009.

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Officials: Brownsville, Cameron County, are among Texas’ newest commercial hubs

The transformation taking place in Cameron County and in the City of Brownsville have turned the region into a new energy, aerospace and advancing manufacturing hub in South Texas. And this is credited to the collaboration of a number of players from the public and private sectors. The labor force is getting more skilled, wages are employment are up and people are choosing to a stay closer to home because of better opportunities. Just two of the newest corporations - NextDecade and SpaceX – employ close to 10,000 people altogether and the two entities are planning to hire more people to work. Other companies like Rich’s, a company that sells a variety of frozen products, employs 600 people and is trying to fill close to 50 openings in all areas of work.

During a roundtable discussion held Friday, April 10, at the Texas A&M Engineering and Advance Manufacturing Hub on Texas Highway 48, representatives from the public and private sectors met to hear about today’s educational opportunities and job creation. U.S Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, spoke about the expansion of the Pell Grant program that now includes trade. “We are here to tell you about jobs and about what has been done in Washington, D.C.” he said. “Jobs have been growing by leaps and bounds in the Rio Grande Valley, particularly in Brownsville.” Cornyn said President Donald Trump was exuberant to announce that an oil refinery is going to be built at the Port of Brownsville - the first one in the country in the last 50 years.

Read this article at Rio Grande Guardian - Subscribers Only

Texas Tech University to close gender, sexuality programs

All majors, minors, certificates and graduate degrees that are “centered on” sexual orientation or gender identity must be phased out and canceled, Texas Tech University system chancellor Brandon Creighton told university presidents in a memo Friday. The decree is an escalation of the course content review policies implemented last year and reflects a trend of academic censorship at Texas public institutions. The memo requires that gender and sexuality content be sorted into one of three groups: content that is “centered on” sexual orientation or gender identity, content that “includes” those topics and content that incidentally references them. Provosts must then review courses and programs that fall into the “centered on” category and recommend them for closure by June 15. Programs earmarked for closure must freeze admissions and begin a teach-out plan for currently enrolled students.

Student self-directed study and faculty research are exempt from the rules, though going forward the system will “prioritize recruitment in alignment with this memorandum.” Instruction required for licensures and instruction on “chromosomal variations, Differences of Sex Development (DSDs), and intersex biological conditions” is still allowed; however, professors who teach on those topics may not use them to “advocate for or validate sociological frameworks of fluid gender identities,” the memo said. Creighton’s memo also reinforced rules stating that faculty must recognize a strict gender binary and prohibits the “endorsement of a gender spectrum or fluid gender identities as empirical biological science.” Jen Shelton, an associate professor of English, told The Texas Tribune that the memo feels like a “betrayal.” “The good news is I think the whole university has been betrayed. I think even the provost did not expect it to look like this, because it’s people from the provost’s office who have been coming to us and saying, ‘Don’t worry. This part is all going to be fine,’” Shelton said.

Read this article at Inside Higher Ed - Subscribers Only

Low-tax Texas opens London office to lure jobs and investment

The US state of Texas is putting UK businesses in its crosshairs with the launch this month of a dedicated London office to lure jobs and investment to the low-tax Lone Star State. Texas recently secured approval for the new site, adding to a growing list of international offices from which it can try to draw corporate heavyweights across its borders. It is the latest sign that Texas lobbyists, led by the office of the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, are widening their economic ambitions beyond American borders, having already had success luring jobs and investment from rival US states including California, Delaware and New York. Lobbyists working in the London office are likely to court UK bosses with incentives including new, fast-track business courts and multimillion dollar subsidies. Texas charges neither corporation nor income tax.

Their targets are expected to include the City’s banks and investment houses, as the state aims to build on Dallas’s financial-sector boom, and continue its promotion of the area now known as Y’all Street. Those ambitions have caught the attention of the City of London Corporation. The City’s mayor, Susan Langley, travelled to Dallas in February and discussed how London could tap into excitement over the launch later this year of the state’s first dedicated stock market, the TXSE. “With the launch of the Texas Stock Exchange, new dual-listing opportunities could connect British and Texan firms to fresh capital,” she said in a post on X after the visit. The news comes as London tries to reverse a trend where businesses have been abandoning the UK stock market, choosing either to go private or shift their listings to hubs overseas, including New York. The London office – which will add to Texas’s offices in Mexico and Taiwan – will be led by James Taylor, one of the founders of the Austin-based lobbying and public relations firm Vianovo.

Read this article at The Guardian - Subscribers Only

National Stories

How JD Vance tried and failed to end the war in Iran that he opposed

After more than 16 straight hours of closed-door meetings that stretched into early Sunday morning, Vice President JD Vance ambled into an ornate ballroom in Pakistan and let out a sigh. When he arrived at the lectern to speak to the press, he grimaced. He talked about “shortcomings,” “bad news” and not being “able to make headway.” The United States and Iran did not reach any agreement. Exhausted and frustrated after 21 hours on the ground, Mr. Vance provided few details, took three questions and departed. He did not address whether the two-week cease-fire with Iran would hold or what would happen to the Strait of Hormuz or if President Trump would now follow through with his threat to wipe Iranian civilization off the map.

It was a remarkable conclusion to a high-stakes diplomatic trip for Mr. Vance, who made his opposition known to a full-scale war in Iran. America’s allies and adversaries alike were pinning their hopes on Mr. Vance to find a way out of a conflict that has upended the global economy, frayed alliances and expanded to the wider region. Instead, he left with nothing. He blamed Iran for the failed talks, saying the United States sought a commitment that Iran would not seek a nuclear weapon, and it refused. That it was Mr. Vance who found himself in this position was extraordinary in itself. The man inside Mr. Trump’s inner circle most opposed to the war was tasked with leading the highest-level talks between the United States and Iran in nearly 50 years. Mr. Trump, for his part, was thousands of miles away at the Kaseya Center in Miami, watching a U.F.C. fight alongside Marco Rubio, his secretary of state and national security adviser. For Mr. Vance, the trip represented the highest-profile assignment of his tenure, which has largely been marked by domestic politics. White House officials had hoped he would be spending the months leading up to the midterms traveling the country to boost the Republican Party. Instead, he spent the early part of the week in Hungary campaigning for Prime Minister Viktor Orban and concluded it in Pakistan trying to negotiate the end of a messy and complicated war.

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‘Dark money’ kingpin Leonard Leo revamps operation ahead of midterms

Conservative legal activist Leonard Leo’s “dark money” operation is getting a makeover. The Concord Fund quietly filed articles of termination on Jan. 6 of this year, according to previously unreported Virginia business records. Leo’s Concord Fund, which was previously known as the Judicial Crisis Network, has for years been a key node in a network of nonprofits used to steer tens of millions of dollars each year to conservative political committees and causes. A branch of The Concord Fund remains active in Missouri, where it’s spent millions trying to influence state elections in recent years. It’s unclear why The Concord Fund otherwise terminated its operations. Gary Marx, The Concord Fund’s president, did not respond to emails requesting comment on the organization’s status, and a phone number listed on the group’s latest annual report to the IRS was disconnected.

Leo, a lawyer and businessman, is co-chair of the board of directors for the Federalist Society, which has — until recently — had close ties to President Donald Trump and many prominent Republicans. Other dark money groups with ties to Leo are taking up activities previously undertaken by The Concord Fund. The ultimate source of the money, funneled through nonprofits or donor-advised funds that do not have to disclose their donors, remains obscured. “Because the names change, I think most Americans have no idea what’s going on or how many of these differently named groups are the same through line with Leonard Leo at the sort of center of the spider web,” Lisa Graves, founder and executive director of the left-leaning watchdog group True North Research, told NOTUS. The Concord Fund’s demise — and apparent reimagining — appears to have begun late last year. In December 2025, a few days before The Concord Fund dissolved, another Leo-linked nonprofit called The Lexington Fund registered several alternative names including Judicial Crisis Network and Honest Election Project Action, according to Texas business records.

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Hungary’s Viktor Orban, ally of Trump and Putin, concedes election defeat

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat Sunday in a major election loss that will reverberate in Washington and Moscow and bring an end to the 16-year rule of a self-proclaimed champion of illiberal Christian democracy who is a darling of MAGA-aligned American conservatives, an ally of the Kremlin and a proud antagonist of European Union leaders in Brussels. Orban, 62, who has governed Hungary with increasing authoritarianism since 2010, and his Fidesz party were ousted by Peter Magyar, 45, a center-right, socially conservative member of the European Parliament, and his Tisza Party — in what was arguably the country’s most consequential vote since the end of the communist era. Vice President JD Vance visited Hungary last week to campaign for Orban.

Orban quickly conceded defeat, delivering a short speech at his campaign headquarters in which he called the election result “clear.” With more than 96 percent of the vote counted, Magyar’s party looked set for a landslide victory, on course to claim 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament, five more than the 133 needed for a two-thirds constitutional majority. Orban’s party was on track to win 55. “Today we have worked a miracle, Hungary has written history,” Magyar said, addressing thousands of supporters. “Today truth triumphed over lies. Today Hungarians didn’t ask the question what can the country do for them but what can they do for the country.” Magyar also hailed the projections of a strong majority, which he said “will allow us to have a smooth and peaceful transition.” In his concession speech, Orban thanked voters who backed Fidesz and said the party now needs to focus on rebuilding their communities. “We never give up,” he said. On the bank of the Danube river, a crowd of Tisza supporters erupted in joy as Orban acknowledged what he called a painful defeat. Hungarians turned out in record numbers for the historic vote, which Magyar declared would lead to cardinal change.

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Trump attacks Pope Leo in incendiary social media post

President Donald J. Trump published a lengthy attack on Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, calling the first U.S.-born pope "terrible on Foreign Policy," citing Leo's opposition to the ongoing war in Iran and U.S. military action in Venezuela and stating that his pontificate is hurting the church. "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday night. "I don't want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History."

Trump made similar comments to reporters on Sunday gathered at Joint Base Andrews. Trump's post came shortly after "60 Minutes" aired an interview featuring three U.S. Cardinals – Blase Cupich of Chicago, Joseph Tobin of Newark and Robert McElroy of Washington – who were critical of Trump's foreign policy objectives and his deportation strategies at home. In introducing the "60 Minutes" segment, CBS News journalist Norah O'Donnell said that Leo had become "increasingly outspoken" against the Trump administration's policies, and that the pope has emerged as a voice of moral opposition to the war in Iran and the administration's mass deportation campaign. O'Donnell asked the three cardinals whether they would like to see Leo be even more outspoken on issues that he disagrees with. Tobin said that the pope is "the pastor of the world, he's not a pundit."

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Experts: New accreditation rules threaten academic freedom

Stakes are high as the Trump administration looks to rewrite the rules governing accreditation in the first of two week-long rule-making sessions starting today. The overhaul could dramatically change who is in charge of academic oversight and what they evaluate when determining whether an institution should have access to federal aid. Right-leaning think tanks applaud the changes, released last week in a 151-page draft, calling them an overdue means to ensure campus civil rights compliance, address college costs and ensure institutions are held accountable for their students’ outcomes. But accreditation experts, left-leaning policy analysts and student advocacy groups say the lengthy regulations, while vague and abstruse, pose a major threat to the future of institutional autonomy and America’s status as the crown jewel of global higher education.

Little of what’s included in the draft surprised either side. President Trump and other conservatives have long seen overhauling the accreditation system as a way to reform higher ed more broadly. The draft regulations fulfill their pledges to make it easier for new accreditors to join the market and mandate what standards accreditors must and must not assess. Under Secretary Nicholas Kent has described the upcoming overhaul as “a revolution.” Robert Shireman—a longtime accreditation expert and Democratic appointee on the Education Department’s accreditation advisory committee—said at an Accreditation 101 panel Wednesday that the most important aspect of America’s higher ed oversight system has been the autonomy it provides to colleges and universities, which is “obliterated by these draft regulations.” “With the administration’s release of their draft rules earlier this week, I would characterize those as a cluster bomb being dropped on American higher education,” he said.

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Eric Swalwell ends bid for California governor after sexual misconduct allegations

Rep. Eric Swalwell said Sunday he would withdraw from the California governor’s race in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct that led to a nearly immediate campaign collapse, as staffers quit and prominent Democratic supporters urged him to drop out. “I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” he posted on X. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.” Swalwell was long considered a top contender in a wide-open field with several prominent Democrats and two Republicans ahead of the state’s June 2 nonpartisan primary. But on Friday, his campaign was roiled when CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle published reports in which women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct.

A former Swalwell staffer told CNN the congressman raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and left her bruised and bleeding. Swalwell has strongly denied the allegations. “I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman told CNN of the incident, which she said happened in 2024 in New York City after she had stopped working in Swalwell’s office. “He didn’t stop.” The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday it is investigating the allegation of sexual assault the woman said took place in New York. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office told CNN in a statement Saturday it is “evaluating whether any alleged criminal conduct occurred within” the Bay Area county, where the same woman accused Swalwell of a separate act of sexual misconduct she said took place in 2019. Three other women who spoke with CNN also alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by the Democratic congressman — including Swalwell sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos. Swalwell has denied the women’s allegations.

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What the ‘Real Housewives’ think About Congress’s reality TV drama

On a recent Wednesday at the Capitol, while seven reality television stars with a penchant for explosive confrontations and theatrics paid a visit, one Republican senator angrily confronted another about what he had been saying behind his back. In front of the cameras and with other lawmakers seated around him in a stately hearing room, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky looked Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, now the homeland security secretary, in the eye and dared him to repeat his insult that Mr. Paul was “a snake.” “Today, I’ll give you that chance to clear the record,” Mr. Paul said. “Tell it to my face. If that’s what you believe, tell it to me today.” The women, all current or former “Real Housewives” from various cities who specialize in such antics, were elsewhere, lobbying lawmakers to increase funding for H.I.V. and AIDS research and care. But when Erika Girardi, a 10-year veteran of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” learned of the exchange, she cackled.

“Oh my god,” she said, her eyes widening. “That’s — it’s just like a reunion.” Then, Ms. Girardi, a sometime singer and actress known as Erika Jayne, leaned forward eagerly, like a television viewer on the edge of her seat. “So? What’d he say?” Such is the way of things in the hallowed halls of Congress, where the austere and grave business of legislating has given way to intense tribal politics and made-for-camera clashes. With a reality TV star in the White House and an increasingly bitter fight for control of Congress underway, the blend ofhostility, showmanship and drama President Trump cultivated has made its way to the Capitol. Lawmakers less accustomed to courting television ratings now chase viral moments, test pithy catchphrases and eagerly seek out confrontations to win over would-be donors. “I think Congress isn’t too different from the Bravo universe,” said Representative Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who went to meet the “Housewives” cast members despite, she admitted, having no idea who any of them were. Many congressional hearings remain dry affairs. Some even contain serious discussions of legislative issues. But Mr. Paul’s hostility at the Senate hearing last month was not an outlier, even on that same day.

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Lead Stories

Trump threatens Strait of Hormuz blockade after US-Iran ceasefire talks end without agreement

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would “immediately” begin a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S.-Iran peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. Trump sought to exert strategic control over the waterway responsible for the transportation of 20% of global oil supplies before the war, hoping to take away Iran’s key source of economic leverage in the fighting. The president added that he has “instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”

Trump also said the U.S. was ready to “finish up” Iran at the “appropriate moment,” stressing that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were at the core of the failure to end the war. Face-to-face talks ended earlier Sunday after 21 hours, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire in doubt. U.S. officials said the negotiations collapsed over what they described as Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning a path to a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials blamed the U.S. for the breakdown of the talks without specifying the sticking points. Neither side indicated what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22. Pakistani mediators urged all parties to maintain it. Both said their positions were clear and put the onus on the other side, underscoring how little the gap had narrowed throughout the talks. “We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said after the talks.

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Texas House committee slaps Democrats with nearly $422K in penalties for 2025 quorum break

A committee of the Texas House of Representatives voted late Friday afternoon to impose financial penalties totaling nearly $422,000 on Democratic House members who broke quorum last August to try to prevent the Republican-led Legislature from passing a controversial mid-decade congressional redistricting plan. The GOP-led Committee on House Administration imposed $303,000 in fines on the 50-plus Democratic members for being absent without leave during the first and second special sessions of the 89th Legislature. The committee assessed an additional $118,889.81 penalty to reimburse the Texas Department of Public Safety for expenses incurred in trying to compel those members to return to the chamber. Under House rules, the members being penalized may not use political fundraising in order to pay the fines or reimbursement expenses — in this case more than $8,000 per member.

The committee voted 6-5 along party lines, under a motion by state Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, the committee chair, after taking testimony in executive session for more than six hours. Geren made no statement other than to read out the terms of the motion. Several Democrats on the committee gave closing statements before the final vote. State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, pointed to Republican rhetoric against Democrats during the quorum break — including threats by Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to force the expulsion from office of Democrats who had fled the state. "Americans just like us from both sides of the aisle have been murdered over politics in the past year,” Moody said. “We can’t play any part in bringing that to Texas. If we do, one day, we’ll be sitting in a room like this, talking about the death of someone we worked with, someone we looked in the eye and broke bread with, and yes, sometimes disagreed with. When that happens, no amount of political points will have been worth it."

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‘It’s solid gold’: Some Texas Republicans ramp up criticisms of Muslims to energize primary voters

Running in a contentious race to keep his seat, Sen. John Cornyn put out an ad vowing to fight “radical Islam.” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Cornyn’s opponent in the May 26 runoff, accused his rival of helping “radical Islamic Afghans invade Texas.” Rep. Chip Roy, running to replace Paxton as attorney general in a runoff next month, has alleged without evidence that parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, home to thousands of Muslims, have become what some Texas women believe to be “no-go zones” in which they are “increasingly feeling uncomfortable, as if they are somehow immersed in the Middle East.” Certain Republicans in Texas have made anti-Islamic rhetoric part of their primary campaigns, arguing that Muslims have made the state less safe.

That’s a notable message in the nation’s largest conservative state and one that’s echoed by a handful of Republicans nationally, including members of Congress. Border issues have long animated conservatives – particularly in Texas, which has the longest section of US-Mexico border of any state – and were seen as critical to President Donald Trump’s 2024 victory. Vinny Minchillo, a Republican strategist based in Plano, Texas, said that with illegal immigration hitting lows during Trump’s presidency, it made sense for GOP candidates to drive at another immigration-related concern and that opposition to Sharia law, or Islamic religious law, in particular was a winner in primaries. “It is playing as well as anything I have ever seen with Texas Republican voters,” said Minchillo, who worked on the media team for Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign and Mitt Romney’s 2012 bid.“It’s solid gold.” Muslim leaders living in Texas argue that the ramp-up of rhetoric endangers their communities and spreads misconceptions about Sharia law and about Islam in general.

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Hungarian election tests Trump’s global reach as Orban fights for survival

In an election that has President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin rooting for the same outcome, Hungarians on Sunday will decide the fate of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the self-proclaimed champion of illiberal Christian democracy who is a darling of MAGA-aligned American conservatives, an ally of the Kremlin and a proud antagonist of European Union leaders in Brussels. Orban, 62, who has governed Hungary with increasing authoritarianism since 2010, and his Fidesz party are facing a stiff challenge from Peter Magyar, 45, a center-right, socially conservative member of the European Parliament, and his party Tisza — in what is arguably the country’s most consequential vote since the end of the communist era. Vice President JD Vance visited Hungary last week to campaign for Orban. On a sunny Sunday morning, the turnout in the first hours of voting reached record levels, with more than 16 percent Hungarians having cast their ballots, up from 10 percent in the previous election.

This year’s race is viewed as one of the dirtiest in Hungarian history. Budapest is plastered with posters depicting Magyar as a two-faced puppet of Brussels and Kyiv, while damaging material about the Orban government’s ties to Russia has filled the independent press in recent weeks, culminating in a leak of recorded conversations between Orban and Putin. Orban’s xenophobic nationalism made him a leading critic of immigration in Europe and other leaders followed, making the E.U. far less welcoming of migrants and refugees. He has also been a vocal critic of military and economic aid to Ukraine and often sought to block E.U. sanctions against Russia and thwart efforts to cut reliance on Russian gas and oil. In the election, Orban has tried to stoke fears that Magyar would pull Hungary into Russia’s war in support of Ukraine. Magyar has run on a platform largely focused on domestic issues, accusing Orban of mismanaging Hungary’s weak economy and railing against corruption and cronyism, and lambasting a government procurement system that he says has enriched Orban’s family members and political allies.

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Texas counties receive subpoenas for voters’ records from Department of Homeland Security

At least three Texas counties this week either received or were told they would soon receive administrative subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The department is seeking detailed records about some individual voters, including their registration applications and voter history, though counties don’t yet know which ones. The subpoenas appear to be linked to a series of efforts by the Trump administration to verify the citizenship of registered voters. In December, Texas turned over the state’s voter roll to the Justice Department. The transfer included voters’ identifiable information such as dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial social security numbers. It did not include, however, voters’ registration applications or signatures — the state does not have access to that information, which is kept by county voter registrars.

Lubbock County’s elections administrator, Roxzine Stinson, said she met with a Homeland Security representative who informed her she would soon receive a subpoena seeking additional information for at least 10 voters, and potentially up to 30. Stinson said she’ll seek guidance from the county’s legal department on how to respond. The Homeland Security representative told Stinson “all 254 counties will be contacted,” she said. Election officials in Brazos County received a subpoena by email this week, Trudy Hancock, the county’s elections administrator, confirmed to Votebeat. Hancock said the subpoena specifically requests voter registration records, including voter registration applications, signatures, and voter history, but doesn’t list the names of individual voters. She said she’s asking for legal advice on how to respond “because the request is open-ended.” Suzie Harvey, the election administrator in Montgomery County confirmed she has also received a subpoena that was delivered in person, but similarly to Hancock, it isn’t specific about which voters’ records it’s seeking. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the subpoenas Friday. The Texas Secretary of State’s Office declined to comment on whether it has received a subpoena from DHS but Alicia Pierce, a spokesperson, said the office is aware that some counties are receiving them.

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State Stories

Judge blocks new state rules that ban sale of smokable hemp

Smokable hemp products can be sold in Texas again — at least for now. A Travis County judge granted a temporary restraining order on Friday that blocks enforcement of some of the state's sweeping hemp regulations that took effect March 31. The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) rules changed how THC levels are calculated in a way that effectively prohibited the sale of smokable hemp products like flower and concentrate. Those products accounted for the vast majority of the hemp products sold in Texas, according to the industry and economists who study the hemp market. The DSHS regulations also introduced sharply higher annual fees for hemp retailers of $5,000 per location, which had increased from $150. Manufacturers saw their annual fees rise from $250 to $10,000 per facility.

A group of businesses and industry groups including the Texas Hemp Business Council filed a lawsuit Tuesday, claiming DSHS exceeded its authority and adopted rules that would force hundreds of businesses to close. Travis County Judge Maya Guerra Gamble blocked the new rules that prohibit the sale of smokable hemp. She declined to block implementation of the higher fees. More than 13,000 stores are registered to sell hemp products in Texas, according to data posted on the DSHS website. Almost 800 companies are licensed to manufacture hemp products. During a virtual hearing Friday afternoon, attorneys for the plaintiffs argued the rules were already forcing some businesses to close. "This is actually irreparable harm that is already occurring and is exponentially multiplying like a wave rolling into a beach that gets bigger," attorney Jason Snell said.

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Memorial Hermann reaches deal with BCBSTX to return to in-network

The Memorial Hermann Health System's facilities and physicians are once again in-network for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, according to statements from the two parties. This comes after a stalled-out contract dispute dropped the system from BCBSTX's network at the start of April. "We are pleased that Memorial Hermann Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) have reached a new agreement that enables BCBSTX Commercial and Blue Advantage Marketplace members to have in-network access once again to Memorial Hermann facilities and trusted providers for their care," Memorial Hermann said in a statement.

Prior to reaching an agreement, both sides said they had worked for months to reach a deal, but couldn't settle on terms. Read Memorial Hermann's full statement, released on April 11, below: "We are pleased that Memorial Hermann Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) have reached a new agreement that enables BCBSTX Commercial and Blue Advantage Marketplace members to have in-network access once again to Memorial Hermann facilities and trusted providers for their care. Throughout these negotiations, our priority has been to secure a fair agreement that supports the long-term sustainability of the high-quality care we provide and recognizes the value of our physician network. As always, we stand ready to serve and encourage patients to reach out to their trusted providers to schedule needed care. We remain committed to the Greater Houston community and our mission to improve health through high-quality, accessible and personalized care." Read BCBCTX's full statement, released on April 11, below: "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas?and Memorial Hermann Health System have come to a mutual agreement?that?protects?our members’ access to quality?care at cost-effective prices.? "All BCBSTX members will continue to have access to Memorial Hermann Health System facilities?and hospitals at in-network rates.

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Judge balks at $68M Colony Ridge deal. Did officials do enough to aid residents?

A federal district judge declined to sign off Friday on a settlement between Colony Ridge and the state and federal governments after raising concerns about the lack of relief for customers who were allegedly harmed by the developers. Judge Alfred Bennett repeatedly asked why the $68 million settlement doesn’t include financial compensation for landowners forced into foreclosure after purchasing property in the sprawling community in Liberty County outside Houston. Bennett pointed out that the settlement includes $20 million for law enforcement and immigration enforcement — yet the government’s original lawsuit never mentioned residents’ request for more police activity.

“How did we get from 45 pages of financial transactions that rise to the level of reverse redlining to, ‘Let's spend $20 million to increase immigration enforcement,’” Bennett said, referring to the federal government’s original complaint that contained allegations of predatory lending practices. “How did we get here?” Colony Ridge, the Trump administration and the state of Texas previously agreed to a proposed $68 million settlement in February following a lawsuit initiated by former President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice. The 2023 lawsuit alleged Colony Ridge used unscrupulous and illegal tactics to target Hispanic customers with high-interest loans and misled buyers about infrastructure, including water, sewer and electrical connections. Critics of the settlement say government officials are prioritizing immigration enforcement and politics over restitution. GOP lawmakers have falsely claimed that Colony Ridge is a hotbed of cartel activity, and immigration agents conducted a raid in the community last year after Trump was elected to office.

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Artemis II astronauts reflect on journey to the moon and back during Houston homecoming

The four astronauts of Artemis II mission are back on Earth after a successful journey around the Moon, returning to Houston on Saturday to a warm welcome and emotional reflections. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen landed at Ellington Field, where they spoke publicly for the first time since splashdown. They were greeted with a standing ovation, smiling and embracing the moment after completing a mission that took them farther into space than any humans before. “Twenty-four hours ago, the Earth was that big out the window,” Wiseman said, gesturing to emphasize the distance. “And here we are back at Ellington, at home.”

The crew balanced humor with heartfelt emotion. Hansen joked about finally being separated from his commander after the long journey, drawing laughter from the crowd. But the tone shifted as Wiseman reflected on the personal sacrifices behind the mission, particularly time spent away from loved ones. “Before you launch, it feels like the greatest dream on Earth,” he said. “And when you’re out there, you just want to get back to your family and friends. It’s a special thing to be human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth.” The mission marks a major milestone for NASA, as the crew completed a lunar flyby that officials say will help pave the way for future missions to land astronauts on the Moon. “We are fortunate to be in this agency, at this time, together,” Glover said. Outside the gates, crowds gathered to welcome the astronauts home, underscoring the mission’s impact beyond science and exploration. Koch emphasized the sense of unity the journey inspired. “There is one thing I know,” she said. “Planet Earth — you are a crew.” Hansen closed with a message about shared purpose, telling the audience the astronauts’ journey reflects something larger. “When you look up here, you are not looking at us,” he said. “We are a mirror reflecting you.” The Artemis II crew’s return signals a renewed step toward humanity’s next chapter in lunar exploration — and a reminder of the people behind the mission.

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How Texas college students are helping thousands of undocumented classmates

Obed Valencia wasted no time in his first two years of college. He joined several clubs, made friends, got an internship — he even won a “Most Involved” student award in his first year at Texas A&M San Antonio, he said. “I made the most of it just because I wasn’t sure when would be the last day I would get to experience,” Valencia told The Barbed Wire. That uncertainty stemmed from being a “dreamer,” a term used to describe immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as a child, including those who received protections under the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — or DACA. Valencia moved to the U.S. from Mexico when he was just 4 years old, he told The Barbed Wire. Alongside his friend and fellow student María Andrade, Valencia founded the Dreamer Student Organization on the San Antonio campus in the fall of 2023, which provided support and a safe space to other immigrant students like them.

“We wanted to build a community for students who were undocumented immigrants, or if they were just allies, wanting to help,” Andrade said. With Valencia as president, the Dreamer Student Organization focused on building community, social events, and education on issues facing immigrants in its first year. But things changed in 2025. Since President Trump took office in his second term, the largest immigration crackdown in U.S. history has disappeared parents, killed dozens of people — including American citizens – and spread fear across communities in Texas. In Austin, a mother called police only to find herself and her 5-year-old child, a U.S. citizen, deported to Honduras. A Palestinian woman who protested at Columbia University was held in a Texas ICE detention center for a year, despite being granted bond multiple times. A two-month old baby was deported, along with his family, after being hospitalized for bronchitis in a Texas detention center just hours earlier. Immigrants have also faced financial barriers as the crackdown has swept across the country, where Texas has the most undocumented higher ed students in the country — second only to California. As of June 2025, Inside Higher Edreported there were 57,000 undocumented students enrolled in Texas colleges and universities.

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Matthew Chesnut: How Teach for America helped set up James Talarico’s political rise

(Matthew Chesnut is a high school social studies teacher and journalism adviser from San Antonio and a Teach for America alum. He holds degrees in political science from Texas State University and UT-San Antonio.) Fifteen years ago, in May 2011, dozens of newly inducted Teach for America (TFA) corps members gathered at Trinity University in San Antonio to prepare for a five-week summer training institute, which would be hosted at Rice University in Houston. It was the first time I had ever been selected for anything exclusive—TFA’s acceptance rate was around 15 percent at the time—and I had all the attendant feelings of imposter syndrome. You can briefly see this much thinner, less-hot version of me teaching summer school at Madison High School in Houston in this promotional video that TFA San Antonio still has on their YouTube page. By my account, everyone here dressed well, maintained straight posture, and had impeccable hair. It appeared more like a casting call than teachers’ professional development. I was one of a few born, raised, and educated San Antonians present in a group that represented every corner of the country, many recently credentialed from the nation’s most prestigious institutions. In meeting my new colleagues, I felt compelled to be my city’s ambassador, but as a functional shut-in during leisure hours I was an imperfect one at best.

One of those new colleagues I met that week was a University of Texas grad who, like me, studied government and would be teaching on San Antonio’s West Side. His name was James Talarico. My impression of him from the TFA training sessions was that he was serious but not humorless, carrying himself with a firm, gentle confidence uncommon for a 22-year-old. For the next two years of our corps member commitment, these TFA professional development sessions would be the extent of our acquaintanceship as he and most others would eventually leave San Antonio for greener pastures. It came as little surprise to me that, five years after the conclusion of our time in TFA, we’d see one of our own reach the Texas Legislature. TFA’s recruitment, with its many rounds of interviews and an ostensible audition, promises to field an annual crop of future leaders in education. For most participants, their plans involve this short stint in the classroom before heading off to work in law, campus administration, policymaking, business, or the sprawling tentacles of the nonprofit industrial complex. TFA is less a teacher preparation program than it is a finishing school for future decision-makers in the multilayered technocracy of education policy, one dominated by elites who have historically boosted charter-school expansion. I am a rarity in that I still teach in the city and campus where I did my TFA stint. TFA’s mission is to ensure that its members are among that elite. That includes those in the upper echelons of elected office.

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PGA looks to have tamed its biggest international threat

No, cherished readers, your eyes do not deceive. We here at The Dallas Morning News are devoting yet another cover story to golf — but for very good reasons. Aside from the fact that the Masters tournament takes place today, it may have escaped the notice of North Texans that next year, Frisco will play host to the Professional Golf Association’s Championship. The unstoppable force of professional golf is running headfirst into the unmovable object that is the Dallas-Fort Worth region, which is attracting a growing number of large companies. Just a couple of weeks ago, Eric Prisbell took us inside Arcis’ freshly renovated Cowboys Golf Club, the tip of recreational golf’s multibillion-dollar spear, which is embedding itself in the D-FW economy in multiple ways.

And on Masters Sunday, Prisbell’s deftly-written cover story explores how the PGA is prepping for 2027’s confab — the first men’s major in the region in over 60 years. It’s a given that when it comes to pro sports, economic impact studies should always be taken with a grain of salt. But the PGA’s 660-acre Frisco property is expected to draw 200,000 visitors that are poised to infuse the region with $100 million of activity — demonstrating what Arcis Golf CEO Blake Walker boasts is how “Dallas is to golf as New York is to finance.” Meanwhile, Frisco is part of the booming Collin County story that's seen businesses and individuals flock to the D-FW suburbs. And like recreational golf, the PGA is leaning into the idea that it’s not just stuffy old businessmen hitting the links. As Prisbell explains, the organization’s local district is a combination of golf, dining and retail. The resulting alchemy will produce “direct tax revenues that will benefit not just Frisco, but the state of Texas that come from our hospitality sales and ticket sales and merchandise sales on site — all those are significant in the millions of dollars each,” according to Jason Mengel, the event’s director.

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ACLU and anti-censorship group target UNT over art exhibit removal with mobile billboard

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the National Coalition Against Censorship sent a mobile billboard to the University of North Texas campus Tuesday. The billboard on a truck shows a simple message: “UNT admin censored Marka27’s art.” The billboard is a partnership between the two nonprofits and former Dallas resident turned Brooklyn-based street artist Victor Quiñonez, better known by his street art signature Marka27. Both sides of the billboard include a QR code, which leads to a post penned by Quiñonez on the ACLU Texas website. The mobile billboard is the latest move on the part of Quiñonez and the two advocacy groups in an ongoing critique of the university’s decision to remove Quiñonez’s exhibit “Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá” (“Neither From Here, Nor From There”).

The exhibit might sting a little with its references to incarceration and deportation, but Quiñonez said its bright colors, glowing LED lights and humor are tributes, not condemnations, of America. “I’d decided on the name ‘Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá’ for my exhibition to honor my heritage,” Quiñonez says in his blog. “As immigrants, as Latinos, we are not from here, and we are not from there, because we are from both. “To me, this is a form of empowerment,” he writes. “We can speak authentically to finding a home in the United States as well as maintaining our connections to where we were born or where our ancestors are from. I believe it’s completely possible to love two homelands at the same time.” UNT administrators hadn’t replied to a Denton Record-Chronicle request for an interview or a statement by Tuesday evening.

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Mayor’s attorney urges halt to Corpus Christi removal hearing process

A legal letter submitted on behalf of Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo is urging the City Council to reconsider moving forward with removal hearing procedures under the city charter. The letter, dated April 8, was sent by attorney John Flood to members of the City Council and references Article II, Section 11 of the city charter, which outlines the process for removal or suspension actions. Flood said prior investigations conducted with outside legal counsel and investigators found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing related to earlier allegations raised in a Petition for Removal filed in August 2025. The letter also addresses additional claims filed in March 2026, described as “Articles of Impeachment,” stating those allegations are based on speculation and can be rebutted by existing facts, according to the mayor’s legal team.

Flood is now urging the council to pause the process, warning that moving forward could expose the city to unnecessary litigation and may not meet legal requirements under state law and U.S. constitutional standards. “Over the last couple of months, the city council has taken some steps that really threaten some of the constitutional rights that she holds, that we all hold,” Flood said. Flood also questioned the reasoning behind the council’s decision to advance the petition. “Multiple law enforcement agencies, the FBI, the Texas Rangers, Police Department, District Attorney's office have all concluded that there was no wrongdoing by anyone, much less the mayor,” Flood said. “And so you have to ask yourself, well, then why is this happening? And so it's happening for political reasons, which is an unconstitutional reason.” The letter further states that continuing the proceedings could divert attention from other city priorities, including water planning and municipal operations.

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Dionna Deardorff and Zach Leonard: Families questioning Fort Worth ISD takeover want change, accountability

(Dionna Deardorff is communications director of Families Organized Resisting Takeover, or FORT, a Fort Worth ISD parent advocacy organization. Zach Leonard is president.) Our group, Families Organized Resisting Takeover, or FORT, mobilized when the Texas Education Agency announced its intervention in Fort Worth ISD. Our name is direct, but our mission is not simply resistance. We are parents, educators and community members who believe that real improvement in our schools cannot happen without us. Research from the Harvard Graduate School of Education shows that schools with strong family engagement produce stronger student outcomes. We have stepped up because we are invested. We started FORT to advocate for our children, not to fight others who are also trying to improve student outcomes. Now that the TEA has taken over our district, we are squarely outside of the democratic process. The newly appointed Board of Managers and Superintendent Peter B. Licata do not represent us; they were chosen by and serve at the discretion of the TEA. Voters cannot remove managers if they take extreme actions that run counter to our community’s interests.

The TEA, however, could remove managers who do not vote in accordance with the agency’s directives, as happened in Houston, where four managers who voted against the hand-picked superintendent on some matters were replaced. Therefore, we must demand transparency and accountability from the appointed leadership. FWISD has underperformed academically for decades. We know that, and we want change. Our community has a clear vision for what great schools look like, and it is broader than a test score. We want schools that care about fine arts, libraries, recess and the social and emotional well-being of our children. We want kids who are prepared for life, not just for a standardized test. Literacy is at the center of it all. We cannot ignore that far too many FWISD students are not reading at grade level and that dyslexia often goes unidentified and unsupported. We need leadership that understands the science of reading, invests in real dyslexia intervention and treats literacy as the foundation of quality education. A child who cannot read proficiently by third grade faces a steeper climb in the rest of education and life. We cannot accept that as inevitable.

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'Taylor, Texas is now in the space business': Melagen Labs picks Austin-area city after multi-state search

A New York-based aerospace and defense company has picked Taylor for what is said to be the region's first commercial radiation testing and qualification center. It's another example of Central Texas growing into a hub for the space industry. Melagen Labs on April 8 was approved by the Taylor Economic Development Corp. board for a somewhat unique $4.5 million economic development performance agreement that will help the company cover startup costs here — but there's a plan to pay the money back. It's all with a goal of addressing a shortage of commercial-grade gamma irradiation facilities throughout the country – especially in Texas. The new facility is slated to create a minimum of 16 jobs, according to the deal, but businesses that strike such agreements often handily surpass headcount requirements.

Officials declined to say where the facility will be located because a lease has not yet been finalized. But sources said the facility will be housed at a 51,000-square-foot office-warehouse building at 1901 Industrial Drive that was developed by Houston-based SGRE Capital. Construction on the tenant finish out is expected to begin this year, and the facility is expected to be operational next year, according to an April 10 announcement. It will service aerospace, defense and advanced electronics industries. Melagen is already opening its waitlist to commercial, defense and government customers. "This facility is about more than testing. It's about building the infrastructure layer that enables the next generation of American space and defense programs," Melagen Labs founder and CEO Muhammad Hunain said in a statement. "Taylor, Texas, gave us the partnership and the platform to move fast. We're building one of the most important pieces of national technology infrastructure to come online in years, which will enable commercial and defense partners to accelerate their development for lunar infrastructure, and this is just the beginning of the network we're building."

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Austin warming back up to incentives as economy cools

Incentives such as tax breaks or cash for jobs for expanding companies could play a bigger role in Austin's future as city hall faces budget shortfalls and sobering statistics that show a slowdown. Dangling such carrots in front of Corporate America is a reversal of attitude. In recent years, as Austin boomed despite anything city hall did or didn't do, city leaders believed they didn't need to offer incentives for big companies to grow here. Adjoining counties — especially Williamson County to the north, which has done major incentives deals with Apple, Samsung and others recently — have had a heyday raking in the business investments since. But things have slowed in Austin due to factors such as relatively higher costs and a lack of easily developable land. In 2023, for instance, the Census indicated that more people moved out of Austin than moved in — albeit babies born have kept the city's population total inching forward.

So lately, city leaders have been harkening back to strategies that partly fueled the stout growth of the early 2000s — and that puts incentives for big businesses back into Austin's secret sauce. City leaders have approved three deals in recent months with major corporations. Mayor Kirk Watson recently pointed out to real estate leaders that the city was giving a relative cold shoulder to incentive deals in many recent years. That changed in December when Austin struck a deal with Southwest Airlines to help it bring a crew base to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The deal will award $2,750 to Southwest for every job added in the city over a five-year period, which could result in an estimated maximum incentive payment of $5.5 million. About 2,000 crew members are expected to work and live in Austin by mid-2027. "If we want to be able to fund all the things that this city needs ... we're going to have to grow our economy," Watson said during a luncheon hosted by the Real Estate Council of Austin on March 6. "My theory of watching this over a long time is it used to be OK and a luxury to say we don't need that economic economic development growth. We don't need that growth because it was happening. ... That tax base was growing even as you stood in a political podium and said, 'We don't need that.'" He noted that other cities in Central Texas have been more active in recent years in incentives and striking economic development deals. "I also worry about when the jobs are going someplace else, people are going to go to those jobs," Watson said. "They're not going to just live in downtown Austin and drive to Round Rock."

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Dallas Mavs withdraw claim over Stars’ partnership before trial

The Dallas Mavericks have abandoned their most significant claim to be contested at trial next month in a fight with the Dallas Stars over their shared partnership in the American Airlines Center sports arena. The NBA team Thursday nonsuited a tortious interference claim that remained undecided after a Texas Business Court judge ruled in their favor in seven other issues this month. By abandoning the claim, the Mavs’ lawyer, Chip Babcock of Jackson Walker LLP, said there’s no need to proceed to trial as planned on May 11. A dispute over attorneys’ fees was also to be decided at the trial. “The team just wants to move forward and not have this be more of a distraction than it already has been,” Babcock said Friday. The Stars’ lawyer, Joshua Sandler of Winstead PC, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the impact of the Mavs’ nonsuit on the upcoming trial. On April 2, Judge Bill Whitehill ruled the Mavs can redeem the interest of the Stars for a cash tender of $110 because the hockey team maintained its office outside the city in violation of a 1999 lease agreement. The Stars are represented by Winstead PC.

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National Stories

Gas prices turn the gig worker economy upside down

Jonathan Meyers sat in his Prius on a Wednesday morning and had about three seconds to make a decision on every Lyft and Uber fare that flashed across his phone before another driver snapped it up. He could make $7.02 for a 1.2-mile trip. But the drive to pick up his fare would take around seven minutes. There was also a drive across town for $23.15. The money was better, but he would be on the road for an hour. And there was a 13.2-mile, 53-minute ride to LAX for $35.59. He took it. These days, Meyers’s daily calculus on whether to take a fare includes the rising cost of gasoline—which in Los Angeles can run upward of $6 a gallon.

Gig drivers, food-delivery workers and independent drivers are being hit especially hard at the pump and making split-second calculations and adjustments to their lives and livelihoods. “It changes the way I’ve been selecting rides,” said Meyers, a 61-year-old writer who earns between $1,000 and $1,500 driving up to 60 hours a week for Uber and Lyft. He has stopped taking rides that require him to drive “superlong distances.” He has taken on extra hours driving to make up for what he estimates is a 25% drop in earnings from rides he now turns down, trading off longer drives for shorter ones to save gas. “It’s about conserving gas and also trying to make sure I end up in a neighborhood where I can gas up for a sane price,” he said. Some drivers are turning down longer fares that aren’t worth the gas cost. Others are driving longer hours or sticking to areas where gas prices are cheaper. A few said they are thinking about changing occupations altogether. Joe Davis, an 81-year-old former Uber driver, now runs his own car service in Santa Fe, N.M. He charges $80 to take people to or from the Albuquerque airport, between 60 and 80 miles away, depending on where he is.

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Data centers are spreading around the country. Now, data-center bans are, too

Maine lawmaker Melanie Sachs, a Democrat, thought her state was one of the few places in the nation where data centers weren’t interested in setting up shop. The northeastern-most state in the US — known for its rocky coastline, lobsters and L.L. Bean boots — isn’t exactly Silicon Valley. So when she sponsored a bill earlier this year that would put a temporary ban on new, large data centers, she figured it wouldn’t make a splash. It was only then that they learned about two data centers projects already proposed in different Maine communities. “Once I put the bill in, they started coming out of the woodwork,” Sachs said. “The communities didn’t know anything about it at all. In rural communities, whether it’s Maine or somewhere else, local permitting for these projects is nonexistent.”

In the coming weeks, Maine could be the first state in the nation to pass a temporary moratorium on new data centers — giving it time to study how much electricity and water they use, and how they might impact jobs and the local economy. Similar temporary bans are being proposed in deeply red and blue states alike, including New York, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Vermont. And there are dozens of local bans at the county and municipal level, often in response to a new data center coming into a community. Proponents say these bills are a response to an industry that has been strikingly fast-moving and secretive, providing little opportunity for substantive public input. “It’s really a nonpartisan issue, and I think a lot of it just goes back to how rapidly things have been changing in recent years,” said South Carolina Rep. Steven Long, a Republican who cosponsored a moratorium proposal in his state. “The public policy hasn’t been able to keep up with it.” As big tech companies and the Trump administration pursue an aggressive bid to make the US a leader in artificial intelligence, massive ‘hyperscale’ data centers needed to operate those technologies have proliferated. There are over 4,000 data centers around the US, according to the Data Center Map. Virginia has the largest data center cluster in the world, and there’s a proliferation in Texas and California as well. As data centers expand their footprint, a groundswell of local opposition is following. The Data Center Coalition, a trade group representing big tech companies and data center developers, said in a statement that the industry “provides significant benefits to states and local communities” in the form of local jobs, investment and tax revenue.

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Calls mount for California governor candidate Eric Swalwell to quit after multiple women accuse him of sexual assault – as it happened

Congressman Jimmy Gomez, a Los Angeles Democrat who was the chair of Eric Swalwell’s campaign for the governship of California, resigned from that role on Friday and called on Swalwell to drop out. “Today I learned shocking information about Eric Swalwell containing the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable,” Gomez said in a statement responding to the San Francisco Chronicle report that a former staffer had accused Swalwell of sexual assault. “My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust. I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately,” Gomez wrote. “The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay.”

Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democratic former mayor of Los Angeles who has failed to gain traction in the race for the governor’s office, went further in his statement, calling for Swalwell to also resign from Congress. “Today’s reporting on the horrific allegations that Eric Swalwell abused his position and repeatedly sexually assaulted a staffer is shocking and reprehensible,” Villaraigosa said. “Further, Eric Swalwell’s attempt to silence victims to save his campaign for Governor – a campaign he was unfit to enter given these allegations – is a shameful disgrace to our democracy.” “Now that victims are finally being heard, it has become abundantly clear that Eric Swalwell must withdraw from the governor’s race and immediately resign from Congress,” the former mayor added. “In California, we believe women and no one is above the law.”

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Trump is still trying to DOGE the NIH. Republicans are tired.

White House budget director Russ Vought isn’t done trying to cut the National Institutes of Health’s funding, but Congress isn’t taking him seriously anymore. Vought released a proposal last week to slash the 2027 budget for the world’s largest funder of health research by 10 percent, down from 40 percent last year. It’s unlikely Congress or the agency’s head will listen to him. Lawmakers rejected Vought’s first big cut in the spending bill they passed in February and already promised to reject the smaller one this year. While Vought has succeeded in trimming spending at some other agencies, the NIH has proven a hard target because lawmakers have a symbiotic relationship with the agency.

Most of the money they dole out is returned to their states for disease research, clinical trials and other medical advances — plus photo-ops with researchers boasting about their breakthroughs are a win with voters. The health research agency’s director, Jay Bhattacharya, is expected to defend the budget to Congress, but it’s unclear whether he stands behind cuts to his agency any more than Congress does. While other agencies, like the State Department, defied Congress and implemented Vought’s cost-cutting vision by not spending their budgets last year, Bhattacharya spent every dollar Congress gave him. Vought, considered one of the most powerful budget directors in recent history, held the same position during Trump’s first term. He’s used his second go-around to aggressively wield his budget tools to act as a chokepoint on government spending. But the NIH is likely to illustrate the limits on his power. Bhattacharya’s vision for the agency “doesn’t align” with the budget put forward by Vought, said Sudip Parikh, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest professional society for scientists.

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The Trump ally cracking down on immigration in Washington — and bringing in foreign workers back home

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Andy Harris is one of the most uncompromising advocates of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. On the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland Republican is seen as a hero for securing foreign labor to power his state’s commercial seafood industry. The 69-year-old lawmaker, who chairs the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus and the subcommittee that funds the Department of Agriculture, has leveraged his influence as one of Washington’s most prominent hard-liners to lobby the White House in favor of a robust influx of temporary foreign workers. That meant convincing the Trump administration earlier this year to max out the number of guest workers allowed for the season, helping businesses throughout the country — including seafood producers in his district, who bring in workers from Mexico to hand-pick meat from the region’s blue crabs.

“I’ve been in long enough to know how to get things done, and we got it done,” Harris told Jack Brooks, owner of the J.M. Clayton crab company, on a recent afternoon outside his facility along the Choptank River. It’s not just a parochial priority for Harris, who has grander ambitions to increase the number of seasonal workers who flow in and out of the country. He’s driving a debate within the Republican party about whether the president’s “America First” agenda means aggressively stemming the number of foreigners who enter the United States — both legally and illegally — or helping the U.S. economy with regulated foreign labor. Harris told Brooks he plans to build on his success by working to guarantee longtime H-2B employers get the positions they seek regardless of their luck in a yearly lottery. “We appreciate you out there battling on our behalf, for sure,” Brooks said to Harris. “I know you’re just one guy.”

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Cuba's president says 'we would die' to defend against U.S. invasion

President Miguel Díaz-Canel stood by Cuba’s leadership and didn’t concede a need for any changes to its government amid President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against the communist country. In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in Havana on Thursday, Díaz-Canel said there’s no “justification for the United States to launch a military aggression against Cuba.” “An invasion to Cuba would have costs. ... It would affect the security of Cuba, the United States and of the region,” he saidthrough a translator in his first American broadcast interview. “If that happens, there will be fighting, and there will be a struggle, and we will defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we’ll die, because as our national anthem says, ‘Dying for the homeland is to live,’” the Cuban president said.

“Before making that decision, which is so irrational, there is a logic, that is, the logic of dialogue, to engage in discussions, to debate and try to reach agreements that would move us away from confrontation,” Díaz-Canel said. Welker asked Díaz-Canel whether he was willing to commit to responding to “key demands” from the U.S., including releasing political prisoners, scheduling multiparty elections and recognizing unions and a free press. “Nobody has made those demands to us, and we have established that in respect to our political system or constitutional order, these are issues that are not under negotiations with the United States,” Díaz-Canel answered, adding that those issues are “extensively manipulated.” Welker then pressed Díaz-Canel on the issue of political prisoners, asking whether Cuba would commit to their release and specifically naming Cuban rapper Maykel Osorbo, a Latin Grammy winner who has been in prison since 2021 for writing a protest song after thousands of Cubans took to the streets to protest conditions and shortages during the Covid pandemic.

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Philadelphians aren't taking kindly to sharing sidewalks with delivery robots

Philadelphia residents have been sharing sidewalks with robot delivery drivers for about a month, and they're not thrilled with the change. Uber Eats held a demo March 10 showing off Avride autonomous delivery robots, which officially launched in the city of brotherly love that same week. The robots were described as "the future of delivery," but the humans around them quickly began resenting the automated couriers. In late March, an Uber Eats delivery robot in Philadelphia's Center City neighborhood was kicked multiple times. The second time the autonomous delivery bot was kicked it toppled over, according to WPVI-TV, which noted that the people who attacked the robot put it on its wheels.

The kicking incident occurred just after another viral incident in which someone sat on one of the robots. "When delivery robots are introduced in a new area, it’s quite common to see heightened curiosity from people around them. Some may try to ‘test’ how the robot reacts — for example, by stepping in front of it or attempting to interact with it directly," Avride, the company that makes the robots, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "This is a known and expected phase as people get used to the technology. These few cases of vandalism in Philadelphia did not affect our service area expansion plans. "The robots are designed to respond conservatively. In most cases, they will simply stop and wait if someone approaches or interferes, resuming their route only once the interaction has ended. In practice, these moments are usually brief — people tend to satisfy their curiosity within a minute or so and then move on. At the same time, we do not condone intentional damage or unsafe behavior toward the robots."

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Trump was watching a U.F.C. fight in Miami while Iran talks collapsed

On Saturday evening, as Vice President JD Vance took a podium in Pakistan and said no deal had been reached to end the war in Iran, President Trump was in Miami watching a mixed martial arts fight. Mr. Trump spent several hours orbited by Secretary of State Marco Rubio; a few of his children; some Ultimate Fighting Championship officials; Sergio Gor, the U.S. ambassador to India; the recording artist Vanilla Ice; Dan Bongino, the former deputy director of the F.B.I.; and the manosphere shepherd Joe Rogan. He was surrounded by people, but Mr. Trump was somehow an isolated figure. People mostly circulated around him, checking in with updates and then leaving again. For the most part, Mr. Trump sat and impassively watched blood and saliva sprayed out from the fighters beating each other silly in front of him.

It was unclear whether the president knew that negotiations had failed by the time he entered the arena for the U.F.C. event to a Kid Rock song and thunderous applause. He wasn’t tapping away on his phone — he left that to Mr. Rubio, who at one point leaned over to show the president his screen — and he didn’t betray disappointment or anger. He offered tight smiles for the cameras instead, and a thumbs-up for the winners. In fact, on his way to Florida, Mr. Trump had told reporters that it did not matter to him if a deal with Iran was reached or not: “We win, regardless,” he said. “We’ve defeated them militarily.” Which sounded a lot like everything he had said before negotiations began. The political reality facing Mr. Trump is grim, just as the economic reality facing Americans appears to be getting worse. Inflation is rising. Gas prices are eating into American paychecks, a direct result of a war Mr. Trump ordered. The president has responded to the pressure by attacking his critics and threatening his adversaries.

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Lead Stories

Texas House Republicans struggling to go after quorum-busting Democrats for unpaid fines

Republicans in the Texas House will meet to determine how to shake down Texas Democrats who still haven’t paid fines levied against them for breaking quorum to delay the summer’s redistricting vote. The GOP-controlled House Administration Committee will gather for a public hearing Friday morning, according to a meeting notice. Fort Worth Republican Charlie Geren, who chairs the panel, notified the Democrats of the fines they owe in January. The penalties are for their absence in House chambers during the August special session, which was scheduled at the behest of Texas Governor Greg Abbott to pass a mid-decade redistricting map favoring Republicans ahead of the midterms.

More than 50 of the 62 House Democrats owe $9,200 each in fines or other penalties for fleeing the capital while the session was in progress. The charges include a $7,000 fee for being absent, plus another $2,000 to cover the $125,000 the state spent allegedly staking out Democrats’ homes with Department of Public Safety officers and tracking their movements in order to bring them back to Austin. San Antonio Rep. Josey Garcia even took to wearing disguises to evade DPS. After they returned to the capital, Democrats were placed under constant surveillance to ensure they wouldn’t depart again before the vote was passed. The fines faced by Texas Dems can’t be paid with campaign dollars, meaning members must dig into their own personal funds — all on a $7,200 annual paycheck. Democrats dispute how the penalties were calculated and are exploring legal options for resisting or reducing the fines, according to Democratic State Rep. Ramon Romero, who chairs the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.

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U.S. oil climbs above $100 as U.S.-Iran ceasefire fails to boost tanker traffic via Strait of Hormuz

Oil prices were higher on Friday amid persistent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, with the vital shipping lane still largely closed despite a ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for May delivery gained 2.2% to $100.04 per barrel at around 5:25 a.m. ET, while international benchmark Brent crude futures for June delivery were up 1.7% at $97.59 per barrel. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday warned Iran to "stop now" if it was charging tankers to transit the strait, a move that risks undermining a two-week ceasefire agreement that was contingent on reopening the waterway. Shipping flows through the chokepoint, which handled about 20% of global oil supply before the war, remained severely restricted, keeping markets on edge.

"Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said in a Truth Social post. Trump's top economic advisor Kevin Hassett said Thursday that getting even one oil tanker across the strait would provide a "huge chunk of what's missing." Adrian Beciri, CEO of DUCAT Maritime, a Cyprus-based logistics firm specializing in dry bulk, said the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed and the behavioural attitudes of shipowners and operators are "exactly the same today" as they had been at the peak of the conflict. "Quite frankly speaking, the situation is extremely chaotic. There is no known or established way to transit the Straits of Hormuz. There is even not a clear way to contact the Iranians on how to do it, which seems to be the only way at the moment," Beciri told CNBC's "Europe Early Edition" on Friday.

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Developers pitch data centers’ benefits to Texas lawmakers in committee hearing

Data center developers pitched state lawmakers on the benefits of the industry during the Texas House’s first data center-focused hearing. The Thursday meeting was the House State Affairs Committee’s first on the subject since receiving the interim charge late last month from House Speaker Dustin Burrows. It’s one of several data center-related topics being studied by lawmakers ahead of January, when the elected officials return to Austin for the next legislative session. The committee heard from several data center developers and energy industry officials about the current and projected data center landscape.

Speakers, including developers with North Texas data center projects and representatives from electric companies Oncor and Vistra, touched on subjects such as connecting to the ERCOT power grid, water consumption, workforce development and community involvement during the roughly five-hour meeting. “I think we can see this as the next iteration of, kind of, the oil boom that happened in Texas,” said Haynes Strader, chief development officer at Dallas-based Skybox Datacenters, which has a project in Wichita Falls. As projects across Texas face pushback from residents, the data center industry professionals assured the lawmakers that they were working to be good community partners and would be beneficial to the economy. Lawmakers asked developers and industry representatives about how much water and power the centers require and what types of systems they use to cool their facilities. Many Texans have raised questions about the amount of power and water it takes to keep large data centers up and running.

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Democrats are sticking with embattled ActBlue but exploring other fundraising options

Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue is under fire from Republicans — the subject of inquiries from both the Department of Justice and Congress — and fraught with internal drama in part chronicled this month in the New York Times. The thousands of left-leaning campaigns, party committees and political action committees that use ActBlue’s digital fundraising services are mostly sticking with the company — for now. But some argue that ActBlue’s legal and operational issues necessitate a more diverse digital fundraising strategy. ActBlue, after all, has a de facto monopoly on Democratic digital fundraising: The platform processes billions of dollars in donations every year from millions of individual donors and it’s become the default way left-of-center campaigns raise money online.

“ActBlue has done a tremendous job, and I hope they continue to and I hope this is a blip for them, but I still think we should have a fallback for sure,” said Betsy Hoover, founder of Higher Ground Labs, a venture fund for progressive political technology, and President Barack Obama’s 2012 online organizing director. “In this moment it’s important to not have a single fail point anywhere in our infrastructure, particularly because the Trump administration is running a vengeance campaign and so no one is safe from that.” President Donald Trump singled out ActBlue in an April 2025 presidential memorandum regarding illegal donors and foreign contributions in elections. In Trump’s second term, ActBlue has also faced scrutiny from the Justice Department and Republicans in Congress. Even President Joe Biden’s 2024 presidential campaign reportedly considered ditching ActBlue. (It didn’t.) More recently, a New York Times report indicated ActBlue may have misled Congress in its responses to inquiries in 2023. “We knew ActBlue’s fraud prevention measures were wholly inadequate,” Rep. Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote on X. “Now we know ActBlue likely misled Congress.”ActBlue declined to comment on questions about competition and the investigations. Democratic campaign operative Jack Yao said while he believes the Republican investigations are “blatantly partisan,” he advises his clients to utilize multiple fundraising platforms in part because of the Trump administration’s scrutiny of ActBlue.

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State Stories

Rising Dem Talarico denies anti-cop label after 'culture of violence' comments exposed

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is pushing back on the idea that he supports defunding the police, calling it a "flat-out lie." Republicans are confronting Talarico with resurfaced comments from a 2019 episode of the Trey Blocker Show, in which he suggests that a heavy police presence in schools without sufficient mental health professionals contributes to a "culture of violence." Democrats believe they have a shot at flipping the critical Senate seat blue for the first time in decades. But the GOP hopes to defend its Senate majority by highlighting Talarico's more controversial stances to undermine his moderate appeal. The latest to be unearthed is from the 2019 interview, in which Talarico decried plans to increase police officer presence in schools without also placing more emphasis on mental health.

"We’re all concerned about school safety and recent school shootings, and that concern, in some ways, has been channeled unproductively toward militarizing schools and toward kind of leaning into a culture of violence and adding more law enforcement officials into campuses," he posited. As a solution, Talarico, a former middle school teacher,touted the first bill he introduced as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, which would have mandated a set ratio of mental health workers for every police officer placed in a school. He stressed that "if a crime has been committed, a law has been broken or there’s an immediate danger to students, of course, we want our law enforcement officials to address it," but emphasized that "law enforcement officials shouldn’t be conducting behavior interventions." Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft called the bill "a scary combination of two of James Talarico's favorite things," which he said are "defunding the police and pushing his woke agenda on kids." Kraft told Fox News Digital that "Texans will have the same answer for Talarico at the ballot box that he had for police: 'We don't want you here.'" However, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, characterized the GOP criticisms as a falsehood. "James opposes defunding the police and has a proven track record voting to send billions of dollars to support law enforcement," Ennis told Fox News Digital.

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Democrats push to halt social studies overhaul, citing expert's outside funding

Democrats are raising concerns about one of the outside experts helping overhaul the state’s social studies standards after it was revealed this week that he was paid to consult for a conservative think tank that is trying to influence the outcome. Donald Frazier, a history professor who runs the Texas Center at Schreiner University, received a $70,000 grant for the center from the group, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, in 2024. The next year, Frazier was reappointed by the GOP-led State Board of Education as one of nine content advisers for the overhaul. Democrats on the SBOE called for an investigation this week into whether the foundation was directly imposing its views into the process by paying or influencing an advisor. It said the rewrite process should be halted in the meantime.

“The failure to disclose this funding to the entire SBOE is deeply troubling, raises serious ethical concerns, and casts doubt over the integrity of the entire review process,” the five members wrote in a letter to their colleagues. The incident highlights what appears to be a lack of ethics rules for the panel of content advisers, who have taken on a bigger role in the process this year that will determine what the state's 5.5 million public school students learn about history and major events. The state pays advisers a flat $10,000 stipend for their work, and does not require them to make any financial disclosures. It’s unclear whether others on the panel have received outside funding from groups or individuals with a stake in the outcome. Frazier described the grant as a one-time payment and part of a “consulting” project that his center provided to the foundation’s lobbying strategy on the overhaul. He denied that TPPF has played a role in his own involvement in the overhaul process, and said his work has drawn from his independent thinking and a 250-video series known as “E Pluribus Texas” that he developed prior to the consulting work. “We helped them get some of their Texas thinking fine-tuned,” Frazier said in an interview on Wednesday. “That’s the relationship, it was work-for-hire.”

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Lisa Falkenberg: For this renowned Houston lawyer, beating Meta and Google was a family affair

All great trial lawyers have their thing: sharp elbows and sharper tongues, Shakespearean theatrics, homespun storytelling, superhuman powers of synthesis and, sometimes, a darn-near clairvoyant ability to read the furrows and fidgets in the jury box. Renowned Houston trial lawyer Mark Lanier has nearly all of these. After his epic performance against Meta and Google in a Los Angeles courtroom secured a $6 million verdict last month, news reports credited Lanier’s winning track record, his deft use of props and his pastor’s prowess with parables. (A recent Sunday school class he taught drew about 900 virtually and in person.) The 65-year-old Lubbock native with a bright, toothy smile has something else that few in his profession can boast: two lawyer daughters doing battle with him at the counsel table.

Rachel Lanier, 35, based in Los Angeles, handled the casework and trial prep, and started the case before persuading her father to try it before a jury. Sarah Lanier, 27, who wanted to be a lawyer since the first grade and finally earned her license a little over a year ago, had interned for her father in the past and came on board to handle the five bankers’ boxes of documents and exhibits. “They see things I don’t,” Lanier, 65, says of his daughters. “They bring a value that I’d be a fool to ignore.” About a month into the high-stakes trial testing whether Silicon Valley goliaths can be held liable for harmful social media addiction on their platforms, Mark says his daughter Rachel picked up on something in a psychiatrist’s testimony. The Laniers’ 20-year-old plaintiff, referred to by her initials or her first name, Kaley, to protect her privacy, started using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9 for hours on end, often in the middle of the night when her mother was unaware. She blamed habitual use during childhood for her symptoms of depression, anxiety, social withdrawal and diagnosis of body dysmorphia.

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Bud Kennedy: Dan Patrick blames Republicans for Fort Worth loss. Will that work this fall?

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick thinks he knows why Fort Worth elected a Democrat to the Texas Senate. He knows exactly whom to blame: Republicans. To Patrick, you are a Bad Republican if you don’t vote for any hardline MAGA candidate chosen by the party poobahs or backed by the two West Texas guys who spend their oil billions trying to impose Christian theocracy. On the other hand, if you march to the polls in November and vote for every Republican, even the ones who want the government to round up and deport one-third of the U.S. or prosecute in vitro fertilization as if it’s mass murder, then you are an Official Dan Patrick Good Republican. In recent speeches, including a major appearance in Austin, Patrick has repeatedly blamed Republican voters and a third-place Republican candidate for the party’s Jan. 31 loss in a special election runoff to fill the Fort Worth state Senate seat.

If you’re one of the 21,699 voters who chose one of two Republican candidates in the Nov. 4 special election but then either didn’t show up in the runoff — or, like 1 out of 5 Republicans, outright rejected the party’s candidate — then to Patrick, YOU are the problem. YOU are what’s wrong with the Republican Party, Dan says. Not the party’s choice of flawed candidates. Not its ongoing MAGA lurch. Not its insistence on teaching Bible scripture in public schools and hanging Ten Commandments posters as political force-fields, but not showing living witness for love, grace or Christian faith. Patrick continues to single out Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss’ loss to Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet on Jan. 31 in a Senate district dominated in 2024 by President Donald Trump.

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US withheld Big Bend border barrier plans, lawsuit alleges

Two nonprofits are suing U.S. Customs and Border Protection for information on border wall construction through Texas’ Big Bend region. The Center for Biological Diversity, and Texas Civil Rights Project on Tuesday announced the federal lawsuit that alleges the government withheld public records on construction plans for border barriers through Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park, as well as the surrounding region. “The records at issue document the planning, proposed construction, and stated justifications for a project that will build hundreds of miles of border wall through irreplaceable wilderness along the Rio Grande River,” the 14-page lawsuit says.

“This lawsuit seeks to expose the federal government’s plans to rip away the livelihoods of rural Texas families with a wall that no one here wants,” said Laiken Jordahl, national public lands advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. The Big Bend Border Patrol Sector encompasses over a quarter of the entire 1,954-mile Southwest border with Mexico and is an area that draws eco tourism for its rugged natural beauty, trail hiking, water rapids and outdoor sports. In 2024, Big Bend National Park had over 561,000 visitors and generated $57 million to the local economy, and $63 million in economic output to the region, according to a March 12 letter by the Center for Biological Diversity and 131 other organizations and nonprofits sent to several lawmakers to garner their support for putting a stop to the wall Jordahl appeared on an episode of Border Report Live last month in which he said even if the government amends its original plans and converts to installing technology, instead of physical steel wall barriers, that it would likely hurt eco-tourism because outfitters and sports enthusiasts won’t want to be recorded while enjoying nature. And he says wildlife will still be affected.

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Erica Kouros: What people get wrong about virtual school — and why it matters

(Erica Kouros is the Executive Director of the Digital Academy of Texas and a former brick-and-mortar classroom teacher based in Katy, Texas.) When Katy ISD announced plans to launch a virtual high school this fall, I wasn't shocked. I was gratified — because it confirmed what those of us already working in virtual education have known for years: this is not a trend. This is a transformation. I spent years teaching in traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms in Texas. I loved it. I also watched students fall through the cracks — kids whose talents, circumstances, or schedules simply didn't fit the structure we put them in. When I joined the Digital Academy of Texas, a tuition-free, fully accredited online public school serving students in grades 3–12 statewide, I wasn't walking away from teaching. I was finding students whose potential just needed a different environment to thrive. Katy ISD's entry into full-time virtual education is part of a much larger shift happening across Texas, accelerated by the legislature's passage of Senate Bill 569, which opened the door for districts to expand virtual learning options statewide.

More families are choosing virtual school every year. And with that growth comes a surge of misunderstanding about what virtual school actually is — and isn't. As someone who lives in this community and works in this field every day, I want to address a few of them directly. Claim: Virtual school is a COVID invention. No. Virtual schools have operated in Texas for a quarter century. COVID didn't create them — it introduced millions of families to them for the first time. Many of those families never went back. That's not inertia. That's a preference worth respecting. Claim: Virtual school is not academically serious. Virtual schools offer AP courses, dual enrollment, honors classes, and career and technical education pathways. Our students at the Digital Academy of Texas win national competitions, earn college credits, and enroll in four-year universities. Academic rigor doesn't require a physical building. It requires great teachers and high expectations. We have both. Our curriculum is TEKS-aligned, and students still take the STAAR in person — the same assessment as every other Texas public school student. And as funding has shifted from completion-based to Average Daily Attendance (ADA), virtual schools are now accountable for consistent, day-to-day participation, not just whether a student finishes a course.

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Thomas Graham: Texas is now a national leader in biosciences. Here’s how we keep winning

(Thomas Graham is the CEO of Crosswind Media & Public Relations. He facilitated a discussion with economic development leaders from Texas’s major cities during the recent Texas Healthcare & Bioscience Institute Life Sciences Summit.) Just over three years ago, Texas did something few thought possible. In securing a national investment from the newly launched federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, our state outmaneuvered competitors not just with assets, but with something far more rare: alignment. As The Dallas Morning News reported at the time, Texas “licked partisan politics and regional rivalries” to land one of the most coveted bioscience hubs in the country, which now calls Pegasus Park home. That moment should not be viewed as an exception. It should be understood as a model. Earlier this month, at the Texas Healthcare & Bioscience Institute Life Sciences Summit in Austin, the state’s rising stature as a biosciences powerhouse was on full display. And notably, Dallas continues to lead the way.

When asked to highlight recent developments in the Dallas economic development landscape, the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Kelly Cloud paused and responded with a telling question: “How much time do I have?” It was not a throwaway line. It was a reflection of momentum. From advanced pharmaceutical logistics and cold-chain infrastructure to major expansions from global companies and a deep bench of research institutions, North Texas has become one of the most dynamic life sciences markets in the country. According to the latest statewide data, Texas now ranks among the top states in bioscience investment, with North Texas playing a central role in that rise. But what stood out most in Austin was not any single announcement or statistic. It was the tone of the conversation. Across Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, there was a clear recognition that Texas wins when it acts as one. “We compete, but we also collaborate,” Cloud said, noting that major projects like Eli Lilly’s $6.5 billion investment were pursued by multiple regions but ultimately represent a win for the entire state.

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Texas school district CFOs sound alarm on funding crisis

The numbers coming out of the Texas School Districts’ Perspectives at this year’s Houston Investor Conference were stark. Across four of Texas’s largest school districts, Houston, Dallas, Austin, and Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs, chief financial officers gathered at the event organized by City Controller Chris Hollins’ office. They described a system under financial strain, underfunded by the state and forced into increasingly hard choices about staffing and the future of public education. For HISD, the infrastructure crisis is waiting to be resolved. Dr. James Terry, Chief Finance and Business Services Officer at HISD, said the district is on track to balance its budget this year, a significant turnaround after facing a deficit that once reached $528 million. The progress, however, comes with difficult decisions, including school consolidations tied directly to financial realities.

Additionally, HISD’s $4.4 billion bond proposal failed at the ballot in November 2024. But if HISD were to seek another bond, public support would be crucial to pass one, Terry added. “The bond’s going to have to rise from the people,” Terry told the Defender. “That’s the only way. Somebody’s got to become kind of the hero and say, ‘the school district needs a bond.’” In reality, he added, HISD’s needs far exceed that bond amount. “We have $10 billion worth of need,” he said. “We use duct tape to keep our HVAC systems together. And we’ve got portables. The need truly is there.” Per Terry, most school districts seek a bond every five years. But HISD has not had one since 2012. In a similar move, Eduardo Ramos, Deputy Superintendent of Business Services for Dallas ISD, said his district has also proposed a $6.2 billion bond package for voter approval on the May 2 ballot. This measure, if passed, would become the largest school bond request in Texas history. He said Dallas ISD had spent a year building a facility scoring system that evaluated every building on physical condition and educational relevance, then structured the program across phases to minimize tax rate impact. The bond funds would be used to upgrade safety systems, expand physical education and athletic facilities, and purchase new school buses, among other things.

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Granbury hid data center details, residents’ lawsuit alleges

Four Granbury and Hood County residents are taking legal action over the city’s handling of a data center proposal that has ripped at the fabric of public trust in the idyllic North Texas town along the Brazos River. The lawsuit was filed Monday in Hood County in Texas’ 355th District Court against Granbury Mayor Jim Jarratt, City Manager Chris Coffman, Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Wadley and the members of the Granbury City Council. The suit claims the city violated the Texas Open Meetings Act after Granbury leaders took a tour of a data center in Dallas days before a contentious meeting Jan. 6, where the city council approved the annexation of nearly 2,000 acres that straddle Meadow Wood Road, south of U.S. 377 and north of Paluxy Highway.

On Tuesday, the Granbury City Council voted to rezone the acreage for a data center power plant. At that meeting, Jarratt and Coffman denied that the City Council knew about Dallas-based developer Bilateral Energy LLC’s plans before the annexation request went to the council. Coffman told the Star-Telegram this week that although the city was interested in a data center development he dubbed “Project Patriot” and had spoken with representatives from Bilateral, he said he did not know what company they were with, and the city didn’t formally cinch a deal. The lawsuit, filed by attorney Steven Dias with the firm Dias Hall, seeks a permanent injunction, a temporary restraining order, and a jury trial, in addition to reversing the annexation of the acreage and compensating residents for the loss of property values and the “enjoyment of their homes.”

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Dallas investigating two IT officials who were also employed in Austin at the same time

Two Dallas officials are under investigation for moonlighting at Austin City Hall, according to the inspector general’s office. Employeesfrom the city’s IT department also held jobs in Austin, the office said. Dallas officials began investigating the case in November after the city’s inspector general office received a tip through its whistleblower line. Interim Inspector General Baron Eliason had also notified Austin about the allegations. “City Manager Tolbert directed the IT department to take appropriate action. Officials have found no breach of the Dallas IT system or loss of data, and an outside firm performed an inspection to ensure the system is secure,” a statement from the inspector general’s office said.

The case is now with the Dallas Police Department’s public integrity unit, since the current state law does not give the inspector general the regulatory power to go after criminal cases. The city did not disclose the names of the officials implicated. Austin officials told The News they were still reviewing the case. “This was not related to any known cybersecurity threats or issues with information security,” said Erik Johnson, a city of Austin spokesperson. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Gay Donnell Willis, chair of the ad hoc committee on general investigating and ethics, said while the investigation was still underway, the revelation was “a win for voters.” In November 2024, a year before the inspector general began investigating the issue, residents overwhelmingly voted to separate the inspector general’s office from the city attorney’s supervision and make it independent. The city was also searching for a new inspector general, but officials ended up hiring a former federal official who did not have a background as an attorney, a requirement in the ballot measure voters approved. The executive was later let go. Since then, the former inspector general, Bart Bevers, sued the city for wrongful termination and the city is still looking for a permanent head.

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Attorneys rally at Harris County courthouse as viral judge backs down

All eyes were on a Harris County courtroom Thursday after a judge who recently went viral for his courtroom behavior ordered an attorney to appear before him — but ultimately took no action when that attorney didn’t show up. The controversy centers around Harris County Civil Court Judge Nathan Milliron, who drew widespread attention after videos surfaced showing a tense exchange with an IT worker and attorneys inside his courtroom. Following that incident, attorney James Stafford emailed the judge, urging him to apologize. In response, Milliron ordered Stafford to appear in court at 8 a.m. on April 9. Stafford refused, saying the order was not legally valid. “The email is not a valid order, it has no legal enforcement,” Stafford previously told KPRC 2.

While Stafford did not attend Thursday’s hearing, more than a dozen attorneys — including members of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) — showed up in support and to monitor the situation. KPRC 2’s Jaewon Jung was at the courthouse as events unfolded. At 8:09 a.m., the courtroom doors remained locked, despite the judge’s directive for an 8 a.m. appearance. The courtroom eventually opened around 8:30 a.m. Attorneys said their presence was intentional. “If the judge wanted to do something because Mr. Stafford didn’t show up, we wanted to be here because there are certain procedures that would have to be followed,” said Brent Mayr, president of the HCCLA. No action was taken against Stafford. “It appears that no action is going to be taken, no further action anyway,” said Wade Smith, chair of the organization’s Strike Force Committee. “I think our purpose is largely done.”

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Eyes on the election: Corpus Christi could see entirely new City Council next year

As drought conditions continue to dominate state and local headlines, attention is turning to the Corpus Christi City Council and how it is handling the city’s worsening water situation. “Incumbents are going to have a case that they're going to have to make as to why they should be kept in office with the situation being so dire,” said political analyst Dr. Bill Chriss. Chriss says that for those running for City Council in the upcoming general election, industry experience will play a major role in determining who wins a seat. “Prior connections to city operations and can demonstrate some credibility -- with respect to solving problems. (That person) is going to have a leg up,” he said.

With mounting pressure from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and a recent drop in the city’s credit rating from stable to negative, there is uncertainty surrounding Corpus Christi’s ability to secure water resources in a timely manner. Chriss says voters are looking for stability. “I think we're going to have a relatively high turnout this year because I think people are motivated to vote,” he said. Former Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha has officially announced his run for the District 3 seat. With 12 years leading one of the city’s largest departments, Rocha says his experience sets him apart. “I was the Fire Chief during Hurricane Harvey, during the ice storm, during the water shortages before, during the water boils -- I was part of the executive team making decisions," he said. "I've got experience making decisions, I don't have any problem doing that." Chriss says it is still too early to determine who may have a solid advantage in the general election. He also expects the mayoral race to be a close one.

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California or Texas? Drone shipbuilder narrows field for $3B factory search

A big defense-tech startup that develops autonomous ships for the military is zeroing in on a location to build a shipyard for its naval drones. Austin-based Saronic Technologies Inc. had been looking across the nation for a site to build its primary factory, Port Alpha, which could bring thousands of jobs and an economic impact greater than $3 billion. Sources told the San Francisco Business Times it is seriously considering both Texas and California. The startup met with senior leaders at California Forever, county officials, the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development and other regional stakeholders Monday to discuss potentially establishing Port Alpha in Solano County. The site in question is near Collinsville, part of the 1,400-acre stretch of land along the Sacramento River delta’s industrial waterfront where California Forever wants to build the nation’s largest shipyard.

"We did meet with Saronic, we are in contention for Port Alpha,” Chris Rico, CEO of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, told the Business Times. “It's been reported that it’s down between us and Brownsville, Texas, and it's a potential $3 to $5 billion investment.” Saronic said in a statement to the Business Times that its nationwide search for a location to build Port Alpha “remains active and ongoing." A California Forever spokesperson confirmed that it had met with a “major shipbuilder” to discuss a major new project in Solano County alongside the governor’s office, Cal Poly Maritime Academy, Napa-Solano Building Trades Council and the Solano Economic Development Corporation. “While the details remain part of an active RFP process, the level of engagement reflects growing momentum around a significant economic development opportunity for Solano,” the spokesperson said. Saronic in February filed economic incentive applications in Texas, where it is also looking at the Port of Brownsville in South Texas, near Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch site, Starbase. Those applications detail potential plans for a $3.2 billion project that would create 10,000 jobs in four phases over a 10-year period.

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Cowboys extending lease with City of Arlington to 2055, mayor says

In a meeting with the Star-Telegram editorial board on Thursday, Arlington mayor Jim Ross announced that the city is finalizing a lease extension for the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium to 2055. The original lease signed in 2009 was set to expire in 2039, but that has now been extended out by 16 years. Here is the quote from Mayor Jim Ross to the Star-Telegram: “A huge project that will hit the agenda next week is we’re extending the Cowboys’ lease here in Arlington to 2055. That is a phenomenal deal, because that means the small business around the entertainment district, and everybody else, has now 30 more years of having the Cowboys here in Tarrant County and the Cowboys here in Arlington. We are super stoked about what’s going on, and we have tremendous momentum.”

“We are always working with the city to make great things happen,” Dallas Cowboys senior vice president of communications Tad Carper said. He declined to comment any further citing respect for the review process that is still taking place regarding the extension plan. Effectively, this extension gives AT&T Stadium a lifespan that will last at least 46 years, as long as the Cowboys decide not to tear down and rebuild on the same site. However, the stadium has stood up to the test of time over its first 17 years of existence and is still viewed as one of the marquee venues around the NFL and in the United States. This summer, the venue will host nine matches in the FIFA World Cup, more than any other venue in the tournament. It has also hosted a Super Bowl in 2011, NBA All-Star Weekend in 2010, the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2014, a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2015 and has become the new permanent home of the Cotton Bowl since 2010. In anticipation of the World Cup, the Cowboys made a nine-figure renovation to the stadium to upgrade suite areas and to enhance video boards. The facelift has allowed the venue to bring the high-dollar standard of newer stadiums around the league back to AT&T Stadium.

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Mavericks CEO: Decision on new Dallas stadium site expected by July

The CEO of the Dallas Mavericks confirmed Thursday that the looming deadline is the month of July for the team and the City of Dallas to come to terms on a new home and entertainment complex site for the team. But the NBA Hall of Fame inductee did not tip his hand, which site his bosses prefer. Mavs CEO Rick Welts was the guest of honor at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce at the Hilton Anatole. In a Q&A session with Ollie Chandhok, president and publisher of the Dallas Business Journal, Welts agreed to talk about the future of the organization in limited detail.

"We want to be the team that actually wears Dallas on the jersey and is in Dallas somewhere, right," Chandhok asked as the crowd of business leaders and Dallas-area politicians applauded the question. Welts who, among his 40-plus years of NBA accolades, guided the Golden State Warriors ownership in the development of the Chase Center in San Francisco, confirmed again that the site of the former Valley View Center property in North Dallas (Preston Road and LBJ Freeway) that the Adelson/Dumont families already own, is a potential location for a new 50-acre stadium and entertainment complex. So is the current site of Dallas City Hall, a location he prefers to call the "downtown site." "We love the idea of a downtown site," Welts said. "And, you know, we are on the clock. And whether or not that's going to come to fruition is really going to be where we can get with the city between now and July, and trying to figure out if there's a path forward there." July because the Mavs ownership needs five years to have a new stadium built by 2031, the year their lease ends at the American Airlines Center. They want the Mavs to play in a sports complex the company owns and operates, along with hotels, restaurants, retail space, and an additional performance venue.

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National Stories

White House warns staff not to place bets on prediction markets amid Iran War

The day after President Trump announced a sudden pause of strikes against Iran last month, the White House warned staff against improperly leveraging their positions to place well-timed bets in futures markets. The warning came in a staff-wide email from the White House Management Office on March 24, according to people familiar with the matter. The day before, Trump had announced the pause via Truth Social. About 15 minutes before the sudden shift in policy, a mysterious flurry of activity kicked off in the futures markets. More than $760 million worth of oil futures contracts changed hands in less than two minutes, according to Dow Jones Market Data. More recently, three accounts on Polymarket earned more than $600,000 by correctly betting on the timing of this week’s Iranian cease-fire. Critics of the president, including many Democrats, promptly inferred that someone was profiting from advance knowledge of the policy shift.

The White House confirmed the authenticity of the warning, with Trump spokesman Davis Ingle telling The Wall Street Journal that “the only special interest that will ever guide President Trump is the best interest of the American people.” There is no evidence of leaks or that anyone within the administration is using inside information for well-timed bets. But federal employees and the politically connected now face a new temptation in the form of crypto-based prediction markets. Prediction markets allow users to bet on everything from sports to world events, and cash out, anonymously. Ethics rules already prohibit executive workers from gambling while on federal property, and there are rules on the books barring the use of government information for private gain. A senior administration official who received the email described the warning as a timely “refresher” given the fact that suspicious monster bets in futures markets are “hot in the news.”

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DNC panel rejects AIPAC-specific resolution, advances broader measure condemning dark money

A Democratic National Committee (DNC) panel voted on Thursday to reject a resolution condemning “the growing influence” of dark money and corporate-backed outside spending in Democratic races, particularly the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). At the DNC’s spring meeting in New Orleans this week, the resolutions committee voted to kill the push, which would have been nonbinding, as scrutiny over the pro-Israel lobby grows amid the midterms. “The use of massive outside spending to support or oppose candidates based on their positions regarding international conflicts or foreign governments raises concerns about undue influence over democratic debate and policymaking, potentially constraining elected officials’ ability to represent the views of their constituents,” reads the resolution, submitted by Florida DNC member Allison Minnerly, pointing out AIPAC in particular for spending some $14 million in the Illinois Democratic primaries last month.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), who was once an AIPAC donor, condemned the group after the primaries — joining a growing number of Democrats once supportive of AIPAC who have turned on the political powerhouse over its involvement in elections this year. While the panel on Thursday voted to recommend a broader resolution condemning the influence of dark money in the 2026 Democratic primary elections, it did not specifically call for AIPAC contributions to be rejected, though the attitude was largely implied. The resolution calls for “robust” campaign finance transparency and says the DNC “reaffirms its commitment to campaign finance practices that align with the Party’s core values.” It further adds that the aspects of the resolution “shall inform the development of the 2028 Democratic Party Platform.”

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Trump attacks Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly over Iran War criticism

President Trump on Thursday assailed Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and two other leading conservative podcasters who oppose the war in Iran in a blistering 482-word Truth Social post that insulted his critics in starkly personal terms. The president reserved some of his sharpest attacks for Candace Owens and Alex Jones, two conspiracy-minded conservatives who in recent days have called for Mr. Trump to be removed from office. The president had faced weeks of criticism from all four media figures, but had largely ignored them until Thursday. “They have one thing in common, Low IQs,” the president said of the four media figures. “They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too!”

Mr. Trump set off a fresh round of criticism from the group with a profane post on Easter Sunday in which he declared that Iran would be “living in Hell” if it did not move to open the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping route that has been shut down during the war. Mr. Carlson, who appeared particularly bothered by the Easter statement, described Mr. Trump’s threats to Iran as “evil” and called on members of the Trump administration to stand up to him. “Now is time to say no, absolutely not, and say it directly to the president: No,” Mr. Carlson said on his podcast. On Tuesday, after Mr. Trump threatened to wipe out the Iranian civilization, Mr. Jones posted that Mr. Trump sounded “like an unhinged super villain from a Marvel comic movie.” Ms. Kelly asked: “Can’t he just behave like a normal human?” In his post on Thursday, Mr. Trump described Mr. Carlson as a “broken man,” saying he has “never been the same” since his dismissal from Fox News in 2023. He revived a long-running feud with Ms. Kelly over a question she asked during a debate in 2015 regarding statements he had made about women, writing that she had treated him “nastily.”

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Trump once talked tough with China. Now he’s playing nice.

When Pentagon officials last fall briefed President Trump on a draft of a bureaucratic defense strategy document, it framed China the same way it had for a decade: as the top security threat facing the U.S. Trump balked and ordered his Pentagon deputy to rewrite it, according to three officials familiar with the exchange. When the administration’s revised National Defense Strategy published in January, it offered instead a conciliatory tone toward Beijing. “President Trump seeks a stable peace, fair trade, and respectful relations with China,” an unclassified version of the document declares.

While every administration crafts its own defense strategy, Trump’s second is making the unusual move of discarding a policy that was formulated by his first. That bipartisan approach sanctioned by Trump 1.0 characterized China as the most consequential U.S. adversary. The Trump 2.0 framework is instead a seismic shift in U.S. policy, trade practices and rhetoric toward Beijing driven by a new mantra: Don’t rock the boat. Since Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the South Korean city of Busan in October, the administration has paused hefty tariffs planned on Beijing’s most prized industries; abandoned plans to penalize Chinese companies determined to be security risks to the U.S.; curbed investigations into Beijing-linked hackers; waved through Chinese investment in the U.S. with little scrutiny; and told officials to tone down their comments on China, current and former U.S. officials familiar with the changes said.

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Red states are pausing their gas taxes to blunt the impact of Trump’s Iran war

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced Wednesday that he would temporarily suspend his state’s gas tax, making it the latest red state to take action to lower prices at the pump after oil costs skyrocketed amid the war in Iran. “I am declaring a gas tax holiday to give Hoosiers relief from the pain at the pump from high gas prices. Affordability is my top priority,” Braun said in a press release. Gas prices in Indiana hit an average of $4.14 per gallon on Wednesday. Braun said his emergency declaration to suspend the 7% usage tax on fuel for 30 days is expected to save residents a combined $50 million, according to IndyStar. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a state House bill into law March 20 that suspended the collection of motor fuel excise tax until May 19.

“Hardworking Georgians know best how to spend their money, not the government,” Kemp said in a press release. “That’s why I’m proud to sign these bills and, along with the General Assembly, deliver meaningful tax relief on top of the other measures we’ve taken in recent years. Because we budget conservatively, we can take steps like these that actually deliver on affordability issues for families in our state.” Utah also reduced the state’s gas tax by 6 cents per gallon, lowering it from 38 cents to 32 cents starting July 1 until the end of this year. “Utah is choosing an abundance mindset,” Gov. Spencer Cox said prior to signing the tax cut into law. “That means we don’t wait for problems to hit families at the pump or communities in a dry year. We build the partnerships and the infrastructure that keep life affordable and our state resilient. We owe our kids a future that is reliable, affordable, and firmly in our hands.”

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Trump posts graphic video of deadly hammer attack in Florida, putting renewed focus on immigration debate

An undocumented Haitian man has been charged with murder after repeatedly striking a woman with a hammer outside a convenience store in Florida last week, the latest immigration case thrust into the national spotlight by President Donald Trump. Rolbert Joachin, 40, is in custody and accused by authorities of killing the woman, who has not been publicly identified, during an interaction at a gas station in Fort Myers on April 2, according to court documents. The victim was working as a store clerk at the gas station, according to the documents. A man who knew the victim told CNN affiliate WBBH she was a member of the Bangladeshi community in Fort Myers.

In a post on Truth Social Thursday evening, Trump shared shocking surveillance footage of the killing, calling it the result of immigration policies under former President Joe Biden and reiterated inflammatory rhetoric associating immigrants with crime. Trump’s amplification of the video is the latest in a yearslong campaign to use certain killings as apparent evidence for stricter border enforcement. “The video of her brutal slaying is one of the most vicious things you will ever see,” Trump said in his post, referring to the suspect as an “animal” and criticizing humanitarian protections previously granted for Haitians. Gruesome video of the interaction, also shared online by the Department of Homeland Security, shows a man repeatedly hitting the hood and sides of a car parked in the gas station’s parking lot with an object – an apparent hammer – in his hand.

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David Zaslav’s $886 million Warner sale pay day under fire from proxy advisor suggesting shareholders vote “no”

The influential shareholder proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services recommended that Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders reject the golden parachute pay packages for CEO David Zaslav and other top executives at the company, noting the “extraordinary” nature of the agreements. But ISS also urged shareholders to approve WBD’s sale to Paramount Skydance, writing that “the proposed transaction is the result of a competitive sales process and public bidding war between NFLX and PSKY, which provides shareholders comfort that the proposed deal is the best available.”

With regard to the golden parachutes, shareholders have an advisory vote, meaning that even if they reject it, the payments may still go through. That said, companies are often responsive to shareholder concerns around pay. ISS notes that the cash severance for top executives other than Zaslav are “reasonable,” in both their size and in the fact that they are “double trigger,” meaning that two things have to happen in order for them to receive the payments: a sale triggering a change in control, and the executive leaving for “good reason” or terminated without cause. Instead, ISS focuses on Zaslav’s potential $886 million payout, a big chunk of which is composed of what ISS calls a “problematic” excise tax gross-up approved by the board last month. “Excise tax gross-ups represent an extraordinary cost that are inconsistent with common market practice, and most companies have eliminated such entitlements as a matter of good governance,” ISS writes in its recommendation. “The value disclosed in the golden parachute table for CEO Zaslav at over $886 million represents one of the highest golden parachute estimates ever observed,” though the proxy notes that this value may decline depending on merger timing.

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‘Hard to not feel scammed’: World Cup fans say FIFA misled them with ticket allocations, seat maps

World Cup ticket buyers are accusing FIFA of “misleading” them with stadium maps that misrepresented the potential location of seats they were purchasing. Throughout the fall and winter, FIFA sold more than 3 million tickets to the 2026 World Cup. It priced the tickets in four categories, with each category corresponding to a range of sections at each stadium, per color-coded maps embedded in the ticketing portal and published online. The maps appeared to suggest that Category 1 tickets, the most expensive, could yield seats anywhere in a stadium’s lower bowl or, at some venues, in prime 200-level sections. But last week, when FIFA converted tickets to specific seats in specific sections, many fans received unfavorable placements, in corners or behind a goal. Some Category 1 ticket holders were placed in sections that, at one point, were color-coded as Category 2. And seat-selection maps on FIFA’s ticketing portal and resale site show nothing available in the most coveted sections — a strong indication, fans suspect, that no seats in those sections have actually been assigned to Category 1 buyers for at least some of the World Cup’s 104 games.

Separate maps, meanwhile, suggest that many of those lower-level sideline sections supposedly within Category 1 are actually being reserved for hospitality packages. “A lot of people feel misled, or confused, or maybe just generally let down about the way seats were assigned,” Jordan Likover, one of the many aggrieved fans, told The Athletic. He said he scored Category 1 tickets in FIFA’s third lottery phase, but the seat assignments he received last week for two matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, were in sections assigned to Category 2 at the time of his purchase. “You can’t change the rules of the game after someone’s played,” he said. “Like, people paid expecting to be seated in one place. And then when they were assigned [seats], it’s changed.” FIFA, in an emailed response to a variety of questions, told The Athletic that its “indicative category maps” were “to help fans understand where their seats could be located within a stadium. These maps were designed to provide guidance rather than the exact seat layout, and reflect the general extent of each ticket category within the stadium.” It did not say why those maps did not reflect the hospitality allocations.

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Lead Stories

Data center opponents put Ken Paxton in bind ahead of Senate runoff

Last month, county commissioners in Fayette County, a deeply Republican area between Houston and Austin, approved a resolution opposing the development of data centers after word spread that tech companies were targeting the area. The push from cities and counties across Texas to slow the flood of data center development comes as Texas Republican leaders are heralding their arrival as another economic boom, putting pressure on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in ahead of his runoff next month with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. As the state's top lawyer, Paxton has been asked to weigh in on whether municipalities have the power to hold up data projects, pitting the Republican between top tech companies and their GOP supporters, including Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump, and the rural Texans who have long supported him.

In conservative Hood County in North Texas, close to Paxton's home base, a flood of applications for the construction of data centers has drawn opposition among residents who worry the facilities, which require large volumes of water and electricity and often stretch across thousands of acres, will deplete the region's water supplies and drive up power prices. "The concern most people have is this new type of development is going faster than the speed of information coming to the public," said state Rep. David Cook, a Mansfield Republican. "People are looking for assurances that our water and power supplies are not going to be wiped out here." Hood County commissioners narrowly voted down a moratorium on data center construction in February but have, alongside other counties, sought Paxton's opinion on whether they can take such action. That followed a request from state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, for Paxton to uphold state law he says denies municipalities the ability to block data centers. Paxton declined to comment for this story.

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Patrick to Cornyn, Paxton: Unite after GOP runoff or risk November win by Talarico for Senate

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Wednesday that Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton must unite behind the winner of their runoff or risk handing the prize to Democrat James Talarico. “I'm making this challenge today,” Patrick said. “John Cornyn, if you lose, you need to endorse Ken Paxton and get your voters to support Ken Paxton. And Ken Paxton, if you lose, you need to endorse John Cornyn and get your voters to support John Cornyn.” His blunt warning: “Get over it, and come together as one.” If Republicans stay home in November, Patrick said, Talarico will win the general election for Senate. His remarks came during a keynote speech at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Summit, a gathering of conservative leaders organized by the influential think tank.

It underscores the stakes of the May 26 runoff that has grown increasingly personal and divisive, with Cornyn and Paxton trading attacks that risk splintering Republican voters. Patrick’s message reflects a broader concern among GOP leaders that even a small drop in turnout or lingering resentment from the losing side could open a path for Democrats, making a typically safe Republican seat more competitive. “It troubles me,” Patrick said of the intraparty barrage, especially on TV and in social media. “I've run tough campaigns on policy, but I've never run a campaign on personally attacking anyone. And I'm not blaming Cornyn, I'm not blaming Paxton.” Patrick cited January’s special election for a Tarrant County state Senate seat as evidence of what happens when Republicans don’t back their nominee after campaigning against each other. Democrat Taylor Rehmet won the seat that had been held by Republicans for decades after Republican John Huffman did not endorse fellow Republican Leigh Wambsganss in the runoff.

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Trump allies, U.S. officials fear Iran victory lap is premature

President Trump’s declaration of “total victory” in Iran left some close allies and several senior aides worried Wednesday that he is overstating what is a fragile cease-fire with Tehran, which remains capable of blocking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and attacking U.S. forces in the region. The president has been advised on the risks that could cause the cease-fire to crater and warned that Iran still retains dangerous military capabilities, according to multiple officials. More than half of Iran’s missile launchers have been destroyed, but a substantial number remain mostly buried deep underground, according to another U.S. official. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also retains dozens of small boats that can threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the official said, even as strikes have sunk more than 90% of Iran’s regular Navy.

So far, those warnings haven’t tempered the administration’s insistence that it has the upper hand ahead of talks, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a press conference calling the five-week operation a “military triumph.” Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that Iran’s ability to build ballistic missiles and long-range drones had been set back by years, its naval mines mostly destroyed and its air forces “operationally irrelevant.” In a separate press conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military achieved “every single objective, on plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one.” Officials and military experts say Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities are indeed battered. But, they noted, Tehran still has significant capability. “It’s a variant of the “d” word,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Iran has certainly been defanged, the regime’s capabilities have been degraded, but there’s a smaller group of things that have been fully destroyed.” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said: “Iran’s ballistic missiles are destroyed, their production facilities are demolished, their navy is underwater, their proxies are weakened, and their dreams of possessing a nuclear weapon are gone.”

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Does a swirl of vouchers and closures represent a spiral for Texas schools?

As financial pressures force North Texas school districts to consider closing schools, public education advocates are sounding the alarm that vouchers could exacerbate the issue. Keller would join a growing number of North Texas ISDs planning to close schools, as well as those that have already shuttered campuses. Fort Worth ISD will close 18 schools through 2028, while inner-ring suburbs like Richardson have already closed several campuses. Ahead of the 2025-2026 school year, Frisco ISD closed John Staley Middle School, and McKinney ISD plans to close three elementary schools ahead of the 2026-2027 school year. With Keller joining the fray, it’s clear that once-fast-growing outer-ring suburban school districts are now facing the same financial issues as the urban schools many of their families moved to avoid.

During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, lawmakers advanced a $8.5 billion funding package for public schools with the passage of House Bill 2. The legislation included the first per-student funding increase — an additional $55 per student — since 2019. But Texas still trails the national per-pupil funding average by roughly $4,000, according to the Texas State Teachers’ Association, and the bill includes strict requirements on how the funds can be spent. “Despite what the state says, we got an increase in the basic allotment of $55, and that nowhere covers the inflationary costs that not only KISD has incurred, but virtually every other school district in Texas,” Birt said. Districts’ financial woes largely come down to a single factor: enrollment. In the 2026 school year, statewide enrollment fell below five million students, the first decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, translating to the year-over-year (YOY) loss of over 76,000 students, according to TEA data analyzed by Texas 2036. According to another analysis of TEA data led by the Texas A&M Private Enterprise Center, more than half of Texas’ 1,000 school districts have seen enrollment declines in the last decade. Districts’ financial woes largely come down to a single factor: enrollment. In the 2026 school year, statewide enrollment fell below five million students, the first decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, translating to the year-over-year (YOY) loss of over 76,000 students, according to TEA data analyzed by Texas 2036. According to another analysis of TEA data led by the Texas A&M Private Enterprise Center, more than half of Texas’ 1,000 school districts have seen enrollment declines in the last decade.

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State Stories

Vic Fertitta, patriarch of Fertitta hospitality legacy, dies at 90

Joseph Victor “Vic” Fertitta Jr., a longtime Galveston restaurateur and an influential figure in the island’s tourism industry, died Wednesday morning, his family said. He was 90. “On behalf of the Fertitta family, it is with profound sadness that I share the passing of my father, Vic Fertitta,” Tilman Fertitta, the CEO of Landry’s and U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, said in a statement. “Vic was larger than life — not just in stature, but in his heart and welcoming spirit. He never met a person he didn’t greet warmly.” To many on the island, Fertitta wasn’t just a businessman. He was a fixture — the kind of man who could hold court with a story, make a stranger feel like family and, in the process, help shape the modern identity of Galveston’s tourism economy.

Fertitta’s legacy was defined not only by business success, but by the way he treated people — a trait that shaped both his family and the generations who followed him into the hospitality industry, Tilman Fertitta said. Vic Fertitta spent his entire life on Galveston Island, building a reputation rooted in service, relationships and an unwavering commitment to the community he loved, Tilman Fertitta said. Tilman Fertitta described his father as the foundation of the family — a steady presence whose influence extended far beyond business ventures and into the lives of those around him. “He was a great father, a wonderful grandfather, a loving husband,” Fertitta said. “He will be deeply missed — not only by me and my brothers, Jay and Todd, but by our entire family and his many friends on the Island and beyond.” Those who knew him best say his greatest pride was never the success that followed, but the foundation he laid. “He was a family man,” said Steve Greenberg, a friend of more than 60 years. “He was loved by his family and by everyone that knew him. He loved Galveston. That was his biggest legacy.”

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John Cornyn: President Trump’s resolve is on display in Operation Epic Fury

Iran has been the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror for decades. If we want to have fewer wars and a more peaceful, less dangerous world, a defanged Iranian regime is in everyone’s interest. Building on Operation Midnight Hammer last summer, President Donald Trump is serving America and the world with his actions toward Iran in Operation Epic Fury, and he deserves our support in this endeavor. Trump understands the art of the deal better than any modern head of state. Iran has prevented most shipping vessels from traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, precipitating a global energy crisis and proving its ambitions to undermine the economic security of all Western nations. In response, Trump has applied his resolute techniques to address the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz while negotiating an end to the operation on terms that put America first.

Legacy news outlets unfairly and prematurely decried some of Trump’s public posturing. But our president was doing what any shrewd businessman would do to bring a deal together: Apply credible pressure. By issuing a dramatic threat to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump was displaying masterful deal-making skills. He understands that the way to win over a bully is not to give in, but to stand up to him. Now, after largely decimating Iran’s military capabilities, President Trump has secured a two-week ceasefire that will allow oil tankers to once again pass through the Strait of Hormuz while he continues to negotiate to eliminate the threat Iran poses to the West. Operation Epic Fury has been extremely successful at mitigating the threat Iran poses to the security of the U.S. and our allies. More than 13,000 targets have been struck, including Iranian ballistic missile sites, ballistic missile and drone manufacturing facilities, weapons production and storage bunkers, and surface-to-air missile facilities. Iran has lost many of its missile launchers, and missile attacks have fallen by 90%. Iran’s navy is largely decimated, with more than 155 vessels have been damaged or destroyed. Operation Epic Fury is not a solution in search of a problem, or a benevolent undertaking for the sake of democracy-building around the world. Rather, this operation aims to ensure safety and stability for Americans and our allies by neutralizing one of the most significant threats to global security. The Islamic Republic of Iran supports proxy terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as the Houthis in Yemen, who have been active in attacking shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

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Nearly $1 billion in data center construction slated south of Dallas

Two data center firms are expected to spend nearly a billion dollars to add to their growing presence south of Dallas, according to state filings. Kansas-based QTS Realty Trust plans to build a two-story data center with an office at 1341 Sunrise Road in southern Dallas County. The estimated construction costs are $290 million. Work is expected to start in September and finish in December 2027, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The project will add to QTS’ holdings in the area. The firm announced plans last year for two new data centers near the border of Wilmer and Lancaster. Construction costs for the project were an estimated $650 million. QTS’ new project would be right next door to Stream Data Centers’ 77-acre hyperscale campus in Lancaster.

“QTS is invested in Texas, with data center campuses in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Irving, San Antonio and now Wilmer. We look forward to expanding our footprint to meet growing demand from our customers in the market,” the firm said in a statement. DataBank is expected to begin interior work on its DFW 10 and DFW 11 data centers on Stainback Road in Red Oak. The firm plans to fill out both two-story buildings with data rack containment, tenant storage and office space. The Dallas-based firm is expected to spend $301 million on the DFW 10 interior build-out. The project was registered with state officials in mid-March. The estimated completion date is January 2027. DataBank will spend an estimated $315 million on the DFW 11 additions. The project was registered March 30 and construction is expected to finish March 2027. The work is part of DataBank’s previously announced 480-megawatt campus on nearly 300 acres in Ellis County.

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Offshore drilling royalties deliver historic funding boost to Jefferson County coastline projects

Jefferson County this year received more offshore oil revenue than ever before, money earmarked for coastal restoration projects to protect wetlands, reduce erosion and strengthen hurricane defenses. County Judge Jeff Branick spoke with 12News Tuesday afternoon. He said the county will receive about $1.6 million from federal offshore oil and gas royalties for 2025 under the Gulf of America Energy Security Act. That’s the county’s part of a record $460.9 million distributed to Gulf Coast states and local governments. Judge Branick said the money can only be used for coastal conservation and plays a critical role in protecting one of Texas’ most environmentally and economically important regions.

“This is a huge shot in the arm,” Branick said. “It allows us to do more than we could with property taxes alone.” Over the past decade, the county has received more than $9.5 million through the program and used it to fund large-scale coastal protection efforts. Among the most significant is the McFaddin Beach and dune restoration project, a 17-mile effort designed to prevent saltwater intrusion into sensitive wetlands. Those wetlands serve as vital habitat for fish, shrimp and crabs and act as a natural buffer against hurricane storm surge. Branick said the county’s 138,000 acres of marshland also support one of the most productive seafood industries on the Texas coast. Funds from offshore royalties are typically combined with grants and partnerships with state and federal agencies, as well as conservation groups, to finance projects such as rebuilding dunes, restoring marshes, constructing oyster reefs and improving water flow to sustain vegetation. Branick said the county still has about $160 million in coastal projects awaiting funding, including efforts to restore the Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge and expand shoreline protection along key waterways. The amount of revenue counties receive each year depends largely on offshore lease sales and energy prices, with higher prices generating larger royalty payments. While offshore drilling remains controversial among environmental advocates, Branick said the funding helps offset its impacts by investing directly in conservation and resilience projects. “We rely on this to protect our coast,” he said. “It’s about making sure our natural resources and our economy can continue to thrive.”

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Texas lawmakers hold hearing on ‘epidemic' of social services fraud as state increases scrutiny

Texas policymakers spent almost eight hours discussing how to reduce fraud in social services programs, as state and federal pressure grow. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard from several state officials and more than 50 members of the public during an interim committee hearing Wednesday. The committee was tasked by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in January to “explore and recommend ways to prevent fraud and abuse” in programs like Medicaid. “We are dealing today with a health care epidemic, but not from a disease or virus,” said committee chair Sen. Lois Kolkhorst. “We’re examining [a] nationwide epidemic of fraud in health care.” She said with fraud “scandals” in Minnesota and California drawing national attention, Texas needs to examine its own system and see how it “measures up to other states.”

Texas has one of the lowest Medicaid error rates in the country, according to Kolkhorst. “We’re better,” she said. “But do we need to improve? Absolutely.” Sen. Molly Cook, a committee member and an emergency room nurse, said she’s concerned about focusing on something the state is already doing well at. “Rather than focusing on things that we seem to be struggling with as a state,” Cook said. “Issues we should be tackling, like corporate health insurance holding Texans hostage, big pharma cartels driving up the prices for everyday Texans, and the lack of mental health services that we desperately need across the state.” Cook said the Texas Medicaid program mainly serves pregnant people, children and people with disabilities who have complex medical needs. That’s because Texas is one of the few states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid. “The effects will be devastating,” she said. “If [people with severe disabilities] do not have home assistance, their options are homelessness or jail.”

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Travis County votes to withhold 9% of Tesla's tax rebate for insufficient documentation

The Travis County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to withhold 9% of Tesla's tax rebate for 2020-2022 for “partial noncompliance with certain provisions” in the company's economic incentive deal with the county. “The big takeaway is we are holding Tesla accountable,” Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea said at the meeting. The deal, which was finalized in 2020, offers Tesla up to 80% off the largest portion of its county tax bill in exchange for spurring economic growth in the region.

The agreement requires Tesla to create at least 5,001 total new jobs, ensure at least half of all Gigafactory employees are Travis County residents and pay employees a living wage, among other stipulations. In 2020, the county estimated the deal would result in $14 million in savings for Tesla over the first 10 years of the agreement. Travis County Judge Andy Brown said while Tesla fulfilled many requirements of the contract, the company did not provide sufficient documentation to show it was complying with the “Green Building Program” section of the contract, which required Tesla to build the Gigafactory in an “environmentally conscientious manner” and strive to achieve zero emission energy ratings. Brown said the company also didn’t provide sufficient documentation to prove it followed certain construction site safety rules or paid minimum wages for contracted food and janitorial workers.

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Rabies cases rise in Hays County as CDC pauses some testing nationwide

A spike in rabies cases continues to climb in Hays County with a total of 12 confirmed rabies cases just this year — the most in Central Texas. At the same time, a recent pause on certain rabies testing by the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) raised questions about whether local testing could be impacted. “The CDC has paused testing for rabies and some other viruses as of late March early April. However, our state and local health departments have picked up the void and there will be no changes in testing in the state of Texas,” said Lauren Foye, Executive Director of Prevent A Litter of Central Texas or ‘PALS’. The spike is something that raises concerns for local pet owners.

“I’ve heard about it. I just didn’t really know about the extent about how bad it’s been getting lately,” said Hays County resident and pet owner Danielle Deegan. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) tells KXAN the federal pause only applies to human rabies testing — and should not affect animal testing conducted through state labs. But local veterinarians say even without testing disruptions the rise in cases is a reminder for pet owners to stay proactive. “Even if we’re still testing, we want to prevent the exposure in the first place. We’re trying to slow down the cases of rabies in Hays County and surrounding areas. So the first offense, as always, is vaccinate your pets so that you’re not exposed to them,” said Foye.

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Texas interfaith coalition speaks up for Muslims’ religious freedom

As Republican elected leaders in Texas seek to limit the activities of Muslim organizations, an interfaith coalition has issued a plea to defend Muslim neighbors and their religious freedom. The open letter was created by George A. Mason and Nancy Kasten of Faith Commons, along with the Clergy League for Emergency Action and Response of Dallas/Fort Worth, also known as CLEAR DFW. What prompted the letter is escalating attacks on Muslims and Muslim organizations, including an April 6 demand from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that a Dallas-based Islamic mediation group provide his office with documentation to prove they are not unlawfully acting as a court and imposing Sharia Law.

Fighting the alleged imposition of Muslim judicial practices — which are not applicable in any U.S. court — is a key talking point of Republican politicians this year. Paxton and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are among the key perpetrators of this warning. In a press release Monday, Paxton alleged the Islamic Tribunal — which issues mediations in internal disputes involving Texas Muslims — is operating a court system outside state and federal law. Many religious bodies — from Methodists to Mormons — offer services to mediate or even adjudicate internal disputes and disciplinary matters. Paxton’s declaration only targets Muslims. “Anyone or any entity that seeks to subvert the codified state and federal laws of this country will be stopped dead in their tracks,” Paxton said. “If the Islamic Tribunal is undermining the rule of law or misleading Texans about the legal authority it claims to hold, my office will ensure its operation is shut down. This is America, and we will not be governed by Sharia Law.” Earlier, Gov. Abbott instructed local and state officials in Dallas and Collin counties to investigate the Islamic Tribunal and other Islamic mediation groups.

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Fort Worth City Council discusses first responders workers' comp issues

Just months after injured Fort Worth firefighter Caleb Halvorson's workers' compensation battle sparked outrage and questions about how North Texas cities treat first responders, the City of Fort Worth addressed concerns at a council meeting. Halvorson was part of a crew responding to a two-alarm house fire on the city's historic Southside last September, when the home's garage collapsed around him, leaving him crushed beneath debris and his body covered in burns. Halvorson is home now, recovering, still in therapy, and facing additional surgeries. But his case drew widespread attention after his family took to social media, alleging that workers' compensation had denied and delayed parts of his care. He said that while he's getting the care he needs now, it's been a "horrible, agonizing" process.

After Halvorson's story became public, more than two dozen first responders came forward with similar accounts. On Tuesday morning, Fort Worth's director of human resources presented a 20-page overview of how the system is supposed to work, saying the goal is to treat employees with dignity and respect, and to provide high-quality medical care when first responders are injured in the line of duty. "Workers' compensation is in place to ensure employees who are, injured or become ill as a result of their work, that they receive treatment on timely care and in some situations, compensation, for their situations," said Director of Human Resources Kristen Smith. Fort Worth City Councilmember Charlie Lauersdorf said he doesn't believe there is ill intent when it comes to the workers' comp system, but that it's become clear to him that something has to change. "There's been more and more and more stories," Lauersdorf said at the meeting. "Thirty plus first responders have come directly to me."

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Stephens Greth Foundation gifts $100 million to UT Southwestern and Children’s Health

The Stephens Greth Foundation has gifted $100 million to UT Southwestern Medical Center, Southwestern Medical Foundation, and Children’s Health to support the construction of the $5 billion pediatric joint-campus between the two systems. The facility is slated to open in 2031. “The Stephens Greth Foundation’s extraordinary generosity will have a profound and lasting impact on the future of pediatric health care in Texas,” UT Southwestern President Daniel K. Podolsky said. “This commitment will shape the future of pediatric care in Texas, advance innovative research, and enable us to train the next generation of caregivers—all to deliver the highest standard of care for children and families of all communities of North Texas and beyond.” The new campus, set to be across from UT Southwestern’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital in the Medical District, will feature a tower at the new Moody Children’s Hospital that is currently under construction.

“Building a brand new, state-of-the-art pediatric hospital from the ground up in Dallas, where we’ve lived for over 30 years, to benefit the children of our community is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” said Lyndal Stephens Greth, director and executive chairman of the foundation. “For our family, there was never really a question. We felt called to be a part of it—to be a part of helping every child have access to the level of care and support that can truly change their life.” The Stephens Greth Tower will connect to Clements University Hospital via a skybridge. This bridge will link the expanding Maternal Fetal Health Center to Moody Children’s Hospital on the new campus. The integration will enable immediate access to pediatric specialists and the NICU. Formed in 2024, the Stephens Greth Foundation originated out of the sale of Endeavor Energy Resources, founded by the late Autry Stephens. “My father had a sincere compassion and a strong sense of responsibility to others,” his daughter Lyndel said. “He cared deeply about community and creating opportunities that could make a lasting difference. Those values continue to guide our work today.” The new campus between UT Southwestern and Children’s will span more than 4.9 million square feet, including 552 beds across the three towers at Moody Children’s Hospital. The commitment from the Stephens Greth Foundation is the fourth record-setting gift of $100 million or more.

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Son of U.S. agriculture secretary named Texas A&M Head Yell Leader

Luke Rollins, son of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, will serve as the Texas A&M Head Yell Leader for the 2026-27 academic year, according to the university. He will lead a five-man Yell team, which serves as the school's top spirit leaders and lead crowds of Aggie fans in "yells," or chants, during athletic games and other events. Luke Rollins, a junior studying mechanical engineering, is a fourth-generation Texas A&M student, following in the footsteps of his mother, who served as the school's first female student body president in 1994, according to the university.

She previously served under President Donald Trump in 2018 before co-founding the America First Policy Institute, a group that helped lay the groundwork for his second term in office, The Associated Press reported. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Head Yell Leaders are selected through an application process that includes a resume review, essay and an interview panel with former Yell Leaders, according to a release from the university.

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Kevin Lawrence: License plate readers help law enforcement save lives

(Kevin has served as the Executive Director since 2010 and the Deputy Executive Director from 2000 to 2010 of Texas Municipal Police Association.) In 2025, 28,229 Texas children were reported missing. Among them, 62 were confirmed serious abductions that required AMBER alerts. For law enforcement, these cases turn a routine day into a race against time. When a child is missing, a human trafficking victim is moved across county lines, or a suspect flees the scene of a deadly hit and run, every minute matters. That’s why Texas law enforcement must have access to every responsible, effective tool available to protect our communities, including one of the most valuable resources in recent years - License Plate Reader (LPR) technology.

LPR systems use cameras to capture license plates on public roadways, helping officers identify vehicles associated with reported crimes in real time. When a detected license plate corresponds with an entry in a wanted vehicle database, including stolen vehicles or AMBER Alert suspects, officers receive an immediate notification, allowing them to act quickly when it matters most. In human trafficking or kidnapping cases, victims can be quickly transported through countless jurisdictions. Traditional investigative methods can quickly become obsolete, reliant entirely on interviews and witness accounts. With LPR technology, law enforcement officers can identify suspect vehicles, track routes, and ultimately find and recover victims far faster than they could without this modern tool. Across the country, license plate readers are being used in thousands of communities to solve serious crimes from sex trafficking to fatal DWI incidents. And while Texas is a tough-on-crime state committed to seeking justice for victims and punishing criminals, some state and municipal leaders are questioning the need for law enforcement to use LPRs.

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Conroe ISD cuts some programs as dropping enrollment creates $8M budget shortfall

Conroe ISD is working to mitigate an $8 million budget deficit as the district faces its first decline in enrollment in almost 10 years. The district isn't reducing staff but is making cuts to programs such as Communities in Schools, its Japanese language program and its instructional coaches model to save money, Conroe ISD officials said this week. Other districts across the Houston region are facing similar shortfalls, forcing school closures and layoffs. Superintendent David Vinson said while Conroe ISD remains strong, it is not “immune to these statewide trends" in a February email to staff obtained by the Chronicle.

“This year, we have seen a slight dip in enrollment, and our projections for the Fall of 2026 suggest static growth. In the Texas funding model, our resources are tied directly to the number of students in our classrooms. As a result, we are proactively planning to work our way out of a potential financial deficit budget,” Vinson said in the email. Vinson told staff in his email that the plan to cut costs does not include layoffs or school closures, adding that the district isn’t just looking to “reduce” but rather to “rethink” how it operates. “Above all else, I want to reassure you that your position with us is secure,” the email states. The district is eliminating its instruction coaches model, moving those employees to other positions, said Andrew Stewart, the district's public information officer. Instructional coaches are specialized campus- and district-level educators who enhance teaching quality and student achievement by mentoring teachers, modeling best practices and providing curriculum support.

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National Stories

Inside the ‘crisis of confidence’ at the Investment Company Institute

Eric Pan, the CEO of the Investment Company Institute, has created a “toxic” work environment and stoked a “crisis of confidence” within the organization, according to anonymous letters sent to the organization’s board of directors and NOTUS interviews with five sources with direct knowledge of the workplace. The sources say these accusations, which the Investment Company Institute denies, have roiled the Washington lobbying powerhouse that represents the interests of the asset management industry and whose member companies include financial giants such as Fidelity, Vanguard, Morgan Stanley and BlackRock. Investment Company Institute members collectively manage more than $37.7 trillion in assets.

“The environment at ICI has become toxic due to Eric’s personal behavior and overall management. Staff across ICI report that he is arrogant, condescending, prone to lashing out, and routinely conducts combative interrogations of employees at all levels of the organizations,” one of the previously unreported letters, dated February 2026, reads. The letter goes on to say that “[Pan’s] behavior is irreparably harming the reputation and effectiveness of ICI at a time of historic opportunity in Washington for the industry” and urges the board “to review Eric’s leadership, including interviews with Washington ICI constituents at member companies and law firms.” Erica Richardson, Pan’s chief of staff and chief strategic communications officer at the Investment Company Institute, denied the allegations. “Attacks from anonymous sources on ICI management and our company culture are patently false and not supported by facts or any on the record sources. There is no basis for these spurious claims,” Richardson told NOTUS.

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Trump vents at NATO but avoids rupture after meeting with alliance’s leader

President Donald Trump appeared to hold back on Wednesday from taking dramatic action to reshape the U.S. relationship with NATO after a high-stakes meeting with its top leader, postponing for now the reckoning he has promised over Europe’s cautious approach to his war on Iran. The White House said in advance of the meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Trumpwas planning to discuss the possibility of the United States exiting the alliance, a threat to the organization that for generations has been at the core of how the U.S. protects itself and its partners. But a Trump post on social media hours after the meeting made no mention of a pullout and simply repeated the president’s complaints about the alliance. “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” Trump wrote.

Trump, long a NATO skeptic, has been especially angry at alliance members in recent weeks for declining to take part in his attack on Iran, saying they had flunked his test of whether they would support the U.S. in a time of military need. He has said repeatedly that Europeans would soon find out his response. Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister who has pursued such a deferential approach to Trump that last year he called the president “daddy,” has cheered the Iran war. But the campaign has strained Trump’s relations with European members of the alliance, who say the attack on Iran was both a violation of international law and bad strategy. Rising anti-American sentiment among their own voters is further limiting their appetite to defer to Washington. “He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point,” Rutte told CNN after the meeting. “But at the same time, I was also able to point to the fact that the large majority of European nations has been helpful with basing, with logistics, with overflights, with making sure that they live up to the commitments.”

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At David Sacks’s behest, White House barrels forward on industry-friendly AI policy

At a recent gathering of tech executives and lawmakers, David Sacks pitched artificial intelligence as a driving force of the U.S. economy. Building data centers that run AI models is creating thousands of jobs, lifting wages for blue-collar workers and boosting gross domestic product, said Sacks, the face of the Trump administration’s AI strategy. Addressing a proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) to ban new data centers that run AI models, Sacks told the audience at the Hill & Valley Forum: “Just think about all the damage that would do to our economic growth.” The comments from the venture capitalist help explain President Trump’s company-friendly AI approach. Sacks and other advisers have brushed aside mounting concerns about AI, arguing that the economic benefits of the technology will make it more popular. Last year, Sacks said, “we’ve got to let the private sector cook.”

Some advisers to the president have acknowledged the unpopularity of AI, but the administration plans to continue emphasizing ahead of the midterms the importance of winning the tech race with China rather than address concerns about issues including job losses, White House officials said. The administration’s discussions about AI haven’t focused on job losses due to a belief that the technology will contribute to a booming economy with plentiful opportunities, the officials said. That approach is stoking concern among some Trump allies, such as former adviser Steve Bannon, who warned it risks political blowback in November. Nearly 75% of Americans think the government isn’t doing enough to regulate AI, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. “They’re totally out of touch with the American people on this issue,” Bannon said in an interview. He said AI has risen to be a top priority, along with immigration, for listeners of his “War Room” podcast. The White House referenced issues linked to some voter concerns in a recent framework it published to guide AI legislation in Congress, but didn’t mention job loss. Few lawmakers and lobbyists expect a potential bill based on the framework to impose meaningful guardrails on companies, many of which donated to Trump’s inauguration and White House ballroom and promised sizable domestic investments.

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Pentagon-Vatican meeting latest flash point in Trump's clash with religious leaders

On Wednesday (April 8), Vice President JD Vance stood in front of Air Force Two in Budapest and was confronted with the latest chapter in an emerging, global drama: rising tensions between the U.S. military and religious leaders. Standing on the tarmac in Hungary, where the vice president spoke at an electoral rally for that country’s president, Viktor Orbán, Vance was asked by a reporter about a Free Press article that had been rapidly spreading online. The report, which cites unnamed Vatican officials, alleges military leaders invited then-Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. Cardinal Christophe Pierre to the Pentagon for a meeting in January. The cleric was, according to The Free Press, reportedly dressed down by officials, who insisted the Catholic Church take the U.S. government’s side in military matters. In response, Vance initially said he did not know who Pierre was, before reversing course after being reminded of the cleric’s former role as nuncio.

The vice president then explained he had not seen the report, and wanted to speak with Pierre — who resigned his nuncio post in March — and administration officials to discern “what actually happened” before commenting further. Religion News Service has been unable to independently confirm many of the details of the story, including the claim that a military official invoked the Avignon Papacy during the Pentagon meeting — a bleak era of church history when the 14th-century French monarchy exerted significant power over the papacy. But in a statement sent to RNS on Wednesday afternoon, a Department of Defense official confirmed the meeting occurred, while disputing The Free Press’ assessment. “The Free Press’s characterization of the meeting is highly exaggerated and distorted,” the statement read. “The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion. We have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy See.”

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With 100 days under his belt, how’s Mamdani doing?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani won City Hall on a pledge to make New York City more livable and affordable. His promises of a rent freeze for stabilized tenants, no-cost universal childcare, and fast and free buses resonated with more than a million voters — and created giant expectations in a city hungry for change. It’ll take more than 100 days to transform New York City’s housing, transit and public safety, but the democratic socialist has found unlikely allies. Mamdani met with President Donald Trump — who has called him “my little Communist” — for the second time in February, where Trump was receptive to the mayor’s pitch for federal money for a massive, previously abandoned housing development plan for the Sunnyside Yards in Queens. (He also persuaded the president to release students and others detained by ICE.)

In Albany, Gov. Kathy Hochul provided state money for a free childcare pilot — but has refused Mamdani’s push to raise taxes on the wealthy. The new mayor has faced challenges in his pivot from campaign to governing, from a gaping budget hole that threatens his affordability agenda to subzero temperatures that left 19 New Yorkers dead of hypothermia. In a city that can swiftly turn on its mayors, Mamdani’s popularity appears to have dipped since a late February poll from Siena University had his approval rating at 63%. A Marist Poll released this week found the mayor’s approval at 48% — although 60% of polled New Yorkers felt he was fulfilling his campaign promises, and 56% said the city was moving in the right direction. “I will always leave the grades to New Yorkers themselves,” the mayor said when asked about the most recent poll. The first few months of the Mamdani’s mayoralty were a crucial answer to critics who said the 34-year-old was all flash and no substance, said Tess McCrae, chief operating officer for political consultants The Parkside Group. “I think he has a lot of goodwill from most New Yorkers and I don’t think he’s abused that good will,” McCrae said. “He hasn’t gotten the free buses or the tent poles that were so much a part of his campaign, but I think most people understand that takes time.”

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GOP ads using Klan imagery target Black voters in crucial redistricting contest

Nearly everyone in the sanctuary at Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Temple raised a hand when Gaylene Kanoyton asked who had seen “the mailers.” The primarily Black audience at a town hall this week knew what she was referring to — ads using images of Klansmen in white hoods to warn against voting for Virginia’s redistricting amendment and others falsely suggesting that former president Barack Obama and Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) want them to vote “no” on redrawing the state’s political map to favor Democrats. “It’s a lot of confusion,” Kanoyton, president of the Hampton branch of the NAACP, said in an interview. “It’s no different than when I was coming up and they tried to scare people out of voting.”

Democrats, redistricting advocates and the NAACP are working to dispel what they call a disinformation campaign targeting African American and elderly voters ahead of Virginia’s April 21 referendum. Polling and early voting so far suggest a close contest — prompting both sides of the redistricting campaign to pour in tens of millions of dollars. The state’s maps are pivotal in Democrats’ national efforts to push back against a Republican-initiated gerrymandering fight that could influence which party controls Congress. If voters reject the new maps, Republicans at the national level would probably see a net increase in favorable seats ahead of this year’s midterms. A Republican-aligned political action committee in Virginia called Democracy and Justice has used images and language from the civil rights movement to raise fears of gerrymandering, long wielded to marginalize Black political power. And the group’s ads recycle old statements against gerrymandering from both Spanberger and Obama, the nation’s first Black president, to suggest that they oppose the referendum.

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U.S. cadets were stuck in the Persian Gulf after Trump bombed Iran

When the United States dropped its first bomb on Iran in the early morning of Feb. 28, approximately half a dozen American cadets were in the Persian Gulf, working on U.S.-flagged ships, unaware their home country had started a war that would put them in immediate danger. Five privately owned vessels flying American flags that work closely with the U.S. military were in the Persian Gulf the day the conflict began in the Middle East. Aboard two of them were students from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a federal service academy that trains officers to serve in the U.S. armed forces, the U.S. Merchant Marine and the transportation industry, NOTUS has learned. Breaking from past precedent, the Department of Defense did not give any kind of warning or hint to the vessels, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy or the Department of Transportation that the U.S. was going to strike the region, three sources close to the situation told NOTUS.

The Department of Transportation oversees the academy and the privately owned vessels enrolled in the Maritime Security Program and the Tanker Security Program, which allow the U.S. military to use private vessels in times of emergency. “Nobody told them. They were caught unawares,” one source close to the situation told NOTUS, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the matter. “It was very strange that [officials] weren’t even given a whiff, weren’t even given an indication.” These five U.S.-flagged private vessels are ships that work with the U.S. military and are usually given some kind of preparatory warning in the event of a major conflict, the sources familiar with the situation said. The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a central tension point from the moment the war with Iran began, and U.S. flagged vessels quickly became potential military targets, with one taking a hit in the early days of the conflict. The Pentagon’s lack of communication has frustrated both Transportation Department officials and the private companies that own the vessels. The Defense Department did not respond to NOTUS’ request for comment.

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Lead Stories

The US and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire, with talks ahead to bridge the gulf between them. Here’s what to know

After a month and a half of spiraling conflict in the Middle East, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday – less than two hours before US President Donald Trump’s deadline, after which he had promised to wipe out a “whole civilization.” That threat, which critics warned could be a war crime if carried out, appears to have been staved off for now at the 11th hour. But there remains a gulf between the two countries, who each portrayed the temporary truce as a victory for their nations. The ceasefire is a starting point for further negotiations, and it remains to be seen what final terms may be included in a proposal to definitively end a war that has upended the Middle East and caused a historic global oil disruption.

Trump announced the ceasefire in a Truth Social post, saying it was made on the condition that Iran agree to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows. The ceasefire had been mediated by Pakistan’s prime minister and its military chief, he said. Iran had put forth a 10-point proposal, which the US views as “a workable basis on which to negotiate,” Trump added. The next two weeks will allow a final agreement to be drawn up, he said. In an interview with AFP news agency Tuesday, Trump described the deal as “total and complete victory.” But he would not say whether he would fulfill his prior threats to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure if Tehran reneged on the agreement, only saying: “You’re going to have to see.” And in a later Truth Social post just past midnight, he said the US would be “helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” adding: “Big money will be made.”

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Analysis: Democrats lost in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s old district. They still had one of their best election nights in recent memory

At this point, it’s not really news that Democrats are doing very well in special elections and other races held since the 2024 presidential contest. Their recent track record is abundantly clear. But even by their recent standards, Tuesday was a very good night – one of their best of the Trump era, in fact. In one swing state, Georgia, they notched their best Trump-era overperformance in a special congressional election, across more than three dozen races. And in Wisconsin, arguably the nation’s top swing state, the Democratic-aligned state Supreme Court candidate sailed to victory by a huge margin.

Perhaps Tuesday’s most-watched contest was the special election for former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 14th District in Georgia. Greene, after all, has refashioned herself as a Trump critic of late, and there was some question whether the Iran war might hurt Republicans. While it’s difficult to isolate the causes, the results certainly weren’t encouraging for the GOP. Republican Clay Fuller won the race, as expected, in a district that President Donald Trump won by 37 points in 2024. But with nearly all the vote in, Fuller was winning by less than 12 points. That’s a 25-point overperformance for the Democratic candidate, Shawn Harris. That would make it Democrats’ biggest special election overperformance since Trump first took office in 2017, according to data compiled by CNN. Their previous best was a 23-point overperformance in Florida’s 1st District last year.

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Wisconsin city passes nation’s first anti-data center referendum

A small Wisconsin city home to a data center project backed by President Donald Trump voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to restrict future data centers, in a first-of-its-kind referendum that backers said could offer a blueprint for AI infrastructure opponents around the country. Voters in the Milwaukee suburb of Port Washington approved the measure by a roughly 2-to-1 margin, according to unofficial results. City residents who sponsored the voter initiative said it marks an escalation of tactics to oppose the massive facilities needed to power artificial intelligence and could inspire activists in other towns to follow suit.

“This is really setting a precedent,” Christine Le Jeune, founder of the nonprofit Great Lakes Neighbors United, said in an interview Tuesday evening. “This is something that other communities can look to.” At least three other communities around the country are set to vote on similar ballot measures targeting data center projects later this year. And in Ohio, data center opponents are seeking to place an initiative on the statewide ballot that would ban new construction of certain large data centers. The Port Washington referendum doesn’t actually derail the city’s controversial data center campus — a $15 billion, 1.3-gigawatt facility from tech giants OpenAI and Oracle that’s one of multiple “Stargate” AI megaprojects the companies are planning with the Trump administration’s support. Instead, it takes aim at future projects by requiring city leaders to obtain voter approval before awarding developers lucrative tax incentives.

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What spending probes at DHS reveal about Kristi Noem’s time in office

On a Monday in mid-March, a group of Department of Homeland Security investigators entered the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters and headed up to the eighth floor, past two access-controlled doors, and to an office near the administrator’s. The agents roped off the area, copied notebooks left on the desk, and put stacks of documents and equipment in boxes. That workspace belonged to an influential figure at DHS who had been integral to overseeing much of FEMA’s day-to-day operations — including decisions on grants and awards that are now part of an Office of Inspector General review of contracts issued under then-Secretary Kristi L. Noem’s leadership, according to several current and former DHS officials, including two with knowledge of the headquarters search. Kara Voorhies joined DHS early in Trump’s second term and worked closely with Noem’s top aide, Corey Lewandowski, as a contractor.

Both held unusual roles at DHS that stationed them at the top echelons of the agency and put them at the center of some of its most controversial and consequential moves over the past year. Last June, Noem demanded that DHS headquarters approve all contracts worth more than $100,000, giving top officials significant control over everyday spending and creating major delays. Noem’s successor, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, has swiftly scrapped that rule and said leadership should review contracts valued at more than $25 million, a cap that he called “appropriate.” Among the awards that have come under public scrutiny are a $1 billion contract fast-tracked to a pro-Trump donor last year; a $200 million contract to purchase two private jets for Noem and other top officials to use for travel; and another $200 million contract, for ads that Noem starred in last year. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said that the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is conducting a probe of “potential wrongdoing by Lewandowski and Noem in connection with DHS contracts.” He said he is also aware of information indicating that the DHS Office of Inspector General is investigating the handling of grants and contracts by Noem, Lewandowski and others.

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State Stories

Texas considers required reading list for schools, which includes the Bible

Texas education officials are considering sweeping changes to English and social studies instruction that would put readings from the Bible on a new state-required reading list for millions of public school students. The changes would also bring a U.S. and Texas centric lens to history, with less emphasis on world history, a shift some historians and progressive groups have opposed. The Texas State Board of Education, an elected board with a 10-to-5 Republican majority, was meeting on Tuesday to consider the proposals, which could shape instruction for a generation of students. Texas is home to 5.4 million public school students, about 11 percent of the total U.S. public school population. The hotly debated reading list drew hours of public testimony, from teachers, students, parents, politicians and religious groups.

A draft of the list, proposed by the Texas Education Agency, outlines more than 200 texts, with widely recognized classics such as “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle for kindergartners, “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle for seventh graders and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech for eighth graders. But it also includes passages from the Bible in middle and high school, raising questions about the separation of church and state. A second proposed list, from Will Hickman, a Republican member of the state board, would require fewer books overall and include biblical passages starting in elementary school. Supporters say the Bible excerpts, which include the story of David and Goliath from the Old Testament and a meditation on love from First Corinthians, have important literary value. Critics asked the board to dial back the biblical passages, arguing that they belong in a comparative religion class, or not at all. The board is weighing broader questions about which books — and which authors — qualify as essential reading, and how much flexibility to give to teachers to select additional texts of their choosing.

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Dallas GOP chair could be ousted over return to joint elections

Dallas County's Republican Party chair announced Monday in a statement that he could be voted out as the local party leader for agreeing to hold joint elections for upcoming runoffs. Allen West indicated in his weekly newsletter that party members are unhappy that he signed an amended contract with the county election department to hold joint Republican and Democratic voting in May. West decided to abandon separate, precinct-based voting and return to joint, countywide voting after last month's chaotic primary elections that confused thousands of voters, which set off a chain of legal action in local and state courts.

"The wise and prudent individual understands when you say, 'Hey, let's just say we did it. We will learn from what happened, and we will move on,' " West said. "You don't go back to the well again, because I think that you could expose yourself to — like I said — some very serious legal ramifications and litigation." He said holding another election that confuses voters from both parties opens up the Republican Party to potential risks, including disenfranchisement accusations. West was reelected as chair one month ago in that messy primary election. "I'm not resigning and I'm not changing my mind about signing the amended contract," he said. "But I don't have any problems if people want to bring a motion to vacate — even though I was just reelected for another two-year term in March. That's fine. But I believe it's the right decision and I'm not going to kowtow to 35 or some odd people that just want to have their way."

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Texas AG to ‘leverage’ DOGE data to investigate ‘dozens’ of Medicaid providers for potential fraud

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating “dozens” of Medicaid providers for alleged fraud – based on data released by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. A DOGE team recently released U.S. Department of Health and Human Services claims data to “detect Medicaid fraud.” “Based on this data, the Office of the Attorney General has launched numerous new investigations that target Medicaid providers,” Paxton’s office said in a statement Tuesday. “These investigations will leverage DOGE’s newly released data, the OAG’s internal claims data, and other investigative tools, including Civil Investigative Demands where appropriate in anticipation of litigation.”

The investigations target home health and occupational therapy providers – as well as “entities that potentially committed fraud related to COVID-19 treatments.” The release does not specify which providers, or how many, the office is investigating. Paxton’s office did not immediately respond to KERA’s request for comment. The investigations continue a growing trend of state officials and agencies focusing on alleged Medicaid fraud and abuse. Paxton’s office recently filed several cases against providers and health care organizations related to potential Medicaid fraud – including a lawsuit filed in February against a Dallas doctor and Children’s Health for allegedly submitting Medicaid claims related to gender-affirming care for minors. The Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee has a public hearing scheduled Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. to “explore and recommend ways to prevent fraud and abuse” in programs like Medicaid. It’s one of the interim charges Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick assigned to the committee in January.

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Corpus Christi lakefront no more! Property values sink as water disappears

Falling water levels at Lake Corpus Christi are reshaping more than the shoreline. They are beginning to drag down property values in surrounding communities. What used to be a short walk to the water from her home is now a much longer distance for Indian Point resident and realtor Sabra Herschap. She says the lack of water is directly impacting demand for lakefront homes. “ The beauty of living on the Lake is the water, and that’s the number one factor why people buy out here, and as you can see, we’re not going to get a lot of buyers with the water. This is considered two water lots, and I’ve seen the water of course, all the way up to our bulkhead right here, and it has not been this low since I believe 1958.”

Herschap says the slowdown is already showing up in the numbers, with more listings seeing price reductions and fewer buyers willing to commit. “ I have seen a lot of prices drop. It’s just been incredibly difficult to encourage people that hate the lake is going to be back next summer, because we don’t know when the lake is going to be back.” Homes that once advertised waterfront access are now sitting farther from the shoreline. In nearby Lake City, more properties are hitting the market and staying there longer, signaling a shift toward a buyer’s market. “Back in the day, you would have fiesta Marina with the dances, and they would do their short-term rentals. The lake was up. People were out skiing. And you just can’t sell that package right now.” Just a few miles away in Mathis, Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Sabas Encinia Jr. says the broader economy remains stable despite the lake’s decline. “ Mathis isn’t just about the lake, obviously, we would like the lake full. We would have more visitors. But, overall, in doing some retail numbers, we are still overachieving.” Encinia says the focus is on diversifying beyond lake-driven tourism to maintain growth even as water levels remain low.

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Susman Godfrey pushes back on Trump's EO push

More than a dozen legal groups representing corporate general counsel, smaller law firms, former judges and law professors filed federal court briefs late last week supporting Texas-based Susman Godfrey and three other corporate law firms that are the targets of punishing executive orders issued in the spring by President Donald Trump. The friend-of-the-court briefs signed by 21 law professors at Texas law schools, 23 small law firm lawyers in Texas and at least nine prominent Texas litigation boutiques asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to uphold four lower court rulings that said the presidential executive orders that declared the law firms as threats to national security unconstitutional.

General Counsels United, an organization comprised of 800 current and former corporate chief legal officers, told the federal appellate judges that the executive orders against Susman Godfrey, Perkins Coie, WilmerHale and Jenner Block are “inflicting concrete and present harm” to U.S. businesses in their dealings with their own lawyers. Perkins Coie has offices in Dallas and Austin. The brief states that Trump’s executive orders are “impacting their ability to hire or retain the targeted law firms” and impeding “the willingness of other companies and law firms to challenge or defend against federal action.” “Current general counsels face a significant constraint that makes public commentary difficult: speaking publicly about the orders’ impact on their companies risks inviting the very federal retaliation they are describing,” GCs United argues. At least 10 Texas-based law firms — including Aldous Law, Carrington Coleman, Crain Brogdon, Lynn Pinker, Nachawati Law Group, Waters Kraus and Sommerman, McCaffity, Quesada & Geisler, all of Dallas — joined an amicus brief filed on behalf of 842 law firms stating that the executive orders are an “undisguised retaliation for representations that the firms, or former partners of the firms, have undertaken or may be planning to undertake.”

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Dr. Peggy Smith continues to serve teen health needs in Houston for more than 50 years

As Women's History Month comes to an end, ABC13 introduces a woman who's been passionate about teen health for more than 50 years. She was hired in 1972 to close the first teen health clinic in Houston, but after seeing the need, she's fought not only to keep it open but also to expand it to now seven locations in our area. ABC13 took a tour of one clinic located in the Third Ward on Cullen. It's also where we met Dr. Peggy B. Smith. She's the director of Baylor's Teen Health clinic and knows these walls well, with more than 54 years of experience as a professor in the OBGYN department. She explained how this is where her passion for health care started.

"This population has no voice, you know that. So, I immediately started looking at ways to continue the funding, expand the mission, and provide meaningful ways to provide health care to uninsured youth 13 to 24 years of age. For about 30 years, we did a lot of maternity," Smith said. With a lot of preventive health care, Smith said, they're providing access to things like contraception. Dr. Smith said that, over the years, their research has shown that all their services have been working. She said they were able to reduce the teen pregnancy rate, and eventually it led to expansion. They now offer a wide range of health care services, and they've expanded their clinic locations throughout the inner city. "I was looking at the statistic today, and one of our clinic sites, 43% of the population in that neighborhood don't have a medical provider, which translates, they may have been born at a hospital, maybe public or private, but the opportunity to really see a PCP or having a primary care physician does not exist," Smith said.

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Rising fuel costs threaten Texas trucking industry and consumer prices

The ongoing war in Iran is having economic impacts at home, with gas prices rising more than 30% since the start of the conflict and diesel prices climbing above $5 per gallon, putting pressure on Southeast Texas truckers and the broader supply chain. Despite Southeast Texas sitting below state and national averages at $7.76 per gallon for gasoline, diesel prices remain significantly higher — a concern for the local trucking industry that depends on fuel to keep goods moving. At Lamar State College Orange, instructors say the rising fuel costs are already creating challenges for the next generation of truck drivers and could soon impact consumers’ wallets.

The commercial driver’s license, or CDL, course at the college trains students using industry-standard trucks while preparing them for careers in transportation. But program leaders say rising diesel costs are pushing the industry into uncertain territory. “I can remember buying diesel for 99 cents a gallon, and now we're over five dollars a gallon,” said Carl Cormier, CDL program director at Lamar State College Orange, who has more than 30 years of experience in the trucking industry. Cormier said higher fuel costs will likely drive up the price of everyday goods. “Imagine these companies, or these independent owners and operators having to put fuel in their trucks and spending between $5 to $8 a gallon, so that entails it's going to end up bringing the cost of our food, clothing and all these things are starting, the prices can start driving up,” Cormier said. He added that trucking companies will have little choice but to pass the added costs on to consumers.

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Cornyn and Moran: The Working Families Tax Cut Act prescribes real remedies for health care

We hear from Texans every day who have rightfully grown weary of our health care system. Wait times are too long, bills are too high, and Congress often seems too little too late on plans to fix it. But last year, President Trump and Congressional Republicans secured meaningful health care reforms through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act that will improve health care access and affordability for Texans and all Americans. First and foremost, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act delivered historic wins for rural communities. This landmark legislation established the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a $50 billion initiative that represents the single largest investment in rural health care in more than two decades. Texas received $281 million this fiscal year through the RHTP – the most of any state in the nation. The Lone Star State is expected to receive similar amounts annually over the next four years.

These resources will provide a vital safety net for rural communities, particularly in places like East Texas, home to multiple health systems that deliver exceptional care. We will visit with health care professionals at the UT Tyler Health Science Center later this week to discuss how RHTP funding would improve operations throughout East Texas. Bold strides are already being made with the establishment of the UT Tyler School of Medicine, and RHTP funding will only accelerate these efforts, whether through modernizing infrastructure or bolstering recruitment and retention. For smaller providers, RHTP funding could mean the difference between closing and staying afloat. The good news is that local providers who know their communities best will have flexibility in determining how funds are spent. The benefits to the Piney Woods don’t stop there. Families who live outside the hustle and bustle of city life can rest assured knowing that the Working Families Tax Cuts Act prioritized telehealth as another cost-saving, convenient option. Working parents with busy schedules, seniors with mobility challenges, and folks with compromised immune systems all benefit from receiving care from home. And rural patients can connect with doctors without driving hours to the nearest hospital. By permanently allowing patients with high-deductible health plans access to telehealth services without first having to meet their deductibles, Republicans ensured remote care remains a lasting option for Texans.

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Granbury approves data center power plant, despite resident pleas

After hearing comments from dozens of concerned residents, and against the advice of the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission, the Granbury City Council at its meeting on April 7 agreed to rezone a roughly 2,000 acre parcel of land so that developers can build a power plant for a future data center. In January, the City Council approved the annexation of that land, which straddles Meadow Wood Road, south of U.S. 377 and north of Paluxy Highway. In July 2025, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved an emissions permit submitted by Dallas-based developer Bilateral Energy LLC to build eight simple-cycle power turbines and 87 linear generators at 1225 Meadow Wood Road, which is in the center of that parcel.

Bilateral’s website describes the company as “powering data centers, empowering the grid” and advertises “private power infrastructure” for AI data centers. The City Council has maintained that they only learned of the power plant at the meeting in January, but residents say they don’t believe it as questions about transparency and trust have rippled through the idyllic town on the winding banks of the Brazos River. The Granbury City Council chambers was nearly overflowing with people Tuesday evening as residents came out to speak on the agenda items and voice their disapproval and disappointment. The two items up for discussion at Tuesday’s concurrent meeting of the City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission were additions to two of the city’s zoning ordinance articles to add standards for data centers, and the rezoning request, which asked the city to change allowed future uses at the 2,000 acre site to purely industrial and to change the current zoning at the site to industrial use.

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Taylor Sheridan will create a Battle of the Alamo film for new Texas museum

Taylor Sheridan will remember the Alamo for a new museum in San Antonio. The Fort Worth-raised filmmaker is making a film about the Battle of the Alamo for the new Alamo Visitor Center and Museum in the South Texas city. The nearly 160,000-square-foot facility will feature event spaces, a cafe, a rooftop terrace, a gift shop and a 4D theater. It’s the 4D theater where Sheridan comes into play, according to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. “Once I saw the plan for the theater, I knew there was only one screenwriter, film producer, and director in the world to make this film for the Alamo Museum – Taylor Sheridan,” Patrick said in a statement on Tuesday, April 7. “Over the last decade, Taylor has told the story of the American west – the people, the land, the depth, and the history – in a way no other filmmaker has. In addition to his amazing film portfolio, Taylor is a native Texan who knows and loves our state and its history.”

Patrick said he contacted Sheridan about the historic project, and “despite his incredible schedule,” was met with an enthusiastic yes. “The Alamo is the very bedrock Texas was founded upon. To chronicle the sacrifice made by the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives defending the Alamo is an honor I eagerly accept,” Sheridan said in a statement. Patrick continued that this is an amazing gift from Sheridan and “a big win for Texas.” “[Sheridan] has agreed to join us in telling the story of the Battle of the Alamo for the millions who will visit the Alamo in the years to come,” Patrick said. “I am reaching out to the Board of the Alamo Trust, who is managing the Alamo restoration plan, and I know they will be as excited as I am about this opportunity.” Originally, the museum was expected to open in late 2027. However, the San Antonio Express-News reported in February that the opening had been pushed to spring 2028. No casting or production information has been released for the new project. But there is already an Alamo connection to a current Sheridan project: “Landman” star Billy Bob Thornton previously starred as Davy Crockett in John Lee Hancock’s 2004 feature film “The Alamo.”

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Texas Rangers launch criminal investigation into Camp Mystic

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Tuesday that the Texas Rangers have launched a criminal investigation into Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors were killed during a catastrophic flash flood on July 4. The Texas Department of State Health Services, which also is investigating the Hill Country camp, has received more than 600 complaints and requests to not renew Camp Mystic's state license this year, Patrick said in a letter to the state agency. "You should not renew or approve a camp license for Camp Mystic, or any other camp the same operators intend to run, until your investigation, and all criminal and legislative investigations are complete and necessary corrective actions are taken," he wrote.

"With many questions remaining unanswered surrounding the deaths of 27 young girls, parents and Texans deserve to have all issues resolved prior to Camp Mystic and/or their operators being allowed to welcome children back into their care this summer," he added. Camp Mystic submitted a license renewal application to DSHS on March 30 seeking approval to reopen its Cypress Lake camp this summer, a portion of the retreat that did not flood on July 4. The camp's current license expired March 31. Camp Mystic has drawn intense scrutiny and criticism since the July 4 flash flood killed 25 children and two counselors staying at its original Guadalupe River camp on the south fork of the river near Hunt, about 18 miles southwest of Kerrville. Richard "Dick" Eastland, 70, one of Camp Mystic's executive directors, also was killed as he tried to rescue campers from the high waters. His vehicle was carried away by the current and crashed into a tree. The DSHS said it will investigate potential violations of laws and rules governing youth camps. The Texas Rangers, an arm of Texas Department of Public Safety, said it's assisting DSHS "regarding complaints of neglect by Camp Mystic." Patrick said in his letter to DSHS that the Texas Rangers are conducting a criminal investigation, though the DSHS's investigation is administrative. Patrick didn't elaborate.

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Austin ISD to make ‘deeper cuts’ to close projected $180M shortfall

Austin school leaders on Tuesday floated “deeper cuts” to close a projected $180 million budget deficit ahead of next school year that could impact campuses. The multi-million-dollar budget shortfall is what district leaders expect next school year if they make no changes to the budget – even with the expected cost-savings from closing 10 campuses. “We have been very thoughtful to protect the classroom. We do our best to fend off the changes that impact budget,” Superintendent Matias Segura said. “We are no longer in a position to protect all things.”

District leaders identified more than a dozen potential areas to reduce spending, including staffing cuts. The district estimates it could save $23 million by eliminating funding tied to vacant positions at the department level, $6 million if it adjusts elementary campus staffing and another $16 million if it adjusts secondary campus teacher staffing. The district also discussed reducing employee stipends, including stipends that go to special education teachers (an estimated $5.7 million in cost savings) and potentially reducing or eliminating academic programs. Segura told board members the substantial increase in the district’s budget deficit is due to changes in property values and a drop in enrollment. Segura highlighted changes in federal immigration policy, specifically, as a major factor in enrollment changes. “What is different this time is families are leaving, and no new families are coming,” Segura said.

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Why the SBC hasn’t intervened in Houston megachurch Second Baptist’s civil war

The Southern Baptist Convention has spent decades encouraging its participating churches to operate “through democratic processes” while touting the responsibility individuals have in shaping ministry. But the SBC has remained silent as one of the convention’s largest megachurches — Houston’s Second Baptist — faces a crisis over its members’ loss of voting rights. Current and former church members known as the Jeremiah Counsel say a group of members were misled by Second Baptist’s leaders into approving bylaws in 2023 that stripped them of their voice. The bylaws placed the church’s future in the hands of the new “ministry leadership team,” including the senior pastor and his appointees — not the church’s 94,000-member congregation.

The Jeremiah Counsel accused Second Baptist of sacrificing its democratic values and filed a lawsuit that is scheduled for trial in Harris County in late July. The dispute highlights a broader tension in the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. with 47,000 churches. While the SBC prides itself on its commitment to democratic principles, it also values church autonomy as a core tenet, giving churches wide leeway in how they handle their internal affairs. What happens when those two philosophies collide at a Southern Baptist megachurch? So far, not much. Second Baptist's new bylaws might not disqualify the church from being part of the convention, but they do stray from centuries of Baptist tradition, said Doug Weaver, a professor of historical studies at Baylor University who teaches Baptist history and Pentecostalism. “What can make the Baptist vision effective is that it allows everybody to have equal voice, equal responsibility,” Weaver said.

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National Stories

Liberal judge cruises to landslide victory in Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Chris Taylor, a Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge, won a seat on the state Supreme Court in a quiet election Tuesday she was widely expected to dominate. Taylor, who ran as a liberal candidate, defeated a conservative appeals court judge, Maria Lazar, increasing the court’s liberal majority to 5-2. The Associated Press called the race at 9:36 p.m. Tuesday with Taylor in a clear lead. It was the fourth consecutive victory for Democratic-backed Supreme Court candidates in Wisconsin, just a year after Elon Musk, Turning Point Action and other national donors attempted to flip the court in the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. Conservative donors spent more than $100 million in 2025 backing candidate Brad Schimel, who lost to now-Justice Susan Crawford.

This year’s election drew far fewer dollars and eyeballs. Taylor, a former attorney for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin who later served as a state assemblymember and as a Dane County Circuit Court judge, raised more than $5.8 million since last year, according to campaign filings, compared to $983,000 by Lazar. Early voting dropped almost 60% from the 2025 race, while absentee ballots decreased by almost 50%. Slipping turnout reflected voters’ limited attention to this year’s election. More than 60% of a sample of registered voters in mid-March told the Marquette Law School Poll that they hadn’t heard enough to have an opinion about either candidate. Voters’ lack of familiarity with Taylor and Lazar led political strategists on both sides to believe the election was anyone’s for the taking, despite Taylor’s large fundraising advantage.

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USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins sent Easter email to staff touting 'Jesus' and 'God'

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent USDA staff an Easter email that emphasized the story of Jesus being crucified and resurrected, a message that some Christians said alienated them for its overt religiosity. “Happy Easter — He is Risen indeed,” Rollins wrote in the email sent on Good Friday, which CNBC has reviewed and was first to report. “From the foot of the Cross on Good Friday to the stone rolled away from the now empty tomb, sin has been destroyed,” Rollins wrote. “Jesus has been raised from the dead. And God has granted each of us victory and new life. And where there is life — risen life — there is hope.”

The email included an illustration of a round stone rolled away from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, with the words “Christ is Risen” written above the image. A USDA staffer who spoke to CNBC said the email was offensive to them as a devout Christian, and as a department employee who works “with people of other faiths, Muslims, Hindus.” The staffer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were worried about retaliation, said other USDA employees also were offended by Rollins’ message. “People are not on board for her sort of brand from a Christian nationalist perspective,” the staffer said. “It misses the mark from a lot of angles.” “I find it blasphemous, actually, because it’s contrasting Jesus’ message,” they said.

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Did Trump accidentally do something woke for global health?

A surprising quirk of the Trump administration is that every so often, it tries so hard to be anti-woke that it accidentally does something woke. See, for example, the efforts of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who oversaw USAID’s demise — directives that have contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people — and who stood at the White House beside the president of Kenya a few months ago, railing against what he called the “NGO industrial complex.” Now, I don’t know who taught Rubio that progressive catchphrase, but I doubt that he got it from INCITE!, the radical feminist collective that popularized a variation of the term in an anthology that examined the role of nonprofits in undermining social progress. In the two decades that followed, the idea of a nonprofit or — as they’re often known in international contexts — NGO “industrial complex” grew into a snarky self-critique for much of that sector’s left-leaning young workforce.

By the time Teen Vogue used the term in 2022, the phrase also hinted at an enduring related criticism of USAID’s tendency to primarily fund Western nonprofits rather than local governments and organizations in recipient countries. In an unexpected twist, this term has found its way into the vocabulary of a very Republican secretary of state, now reflecting a preference for funding foreign governments over non-governmental organizations (NGOs). “If we’re trying to help countries, help the country,” Rubio said in his remarks in December announcing a new $1.6 billion bilateral aid deal between the US State Department and Kenya. “Don’t help the NGO to go in and find a new line of business.” Whatever one thinks of Rubio, he has a point. As part of the “America First Global Health Strategy” announced last year, the Trump administration has embraced an approach to foreign aid that more left-leaning reformists have been talking about for years, a concept known as localization, or the idea that giving aid directly to local governments and organizations — not Western nonprofits — is the best and most cost-effective way to strengthen global aid overall and global health systems especially. In recent months, the US has negotiated dozens of deals between the State Department and African governments, which are set to collectively receive billions of dollars that they can spend as they see fit.

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The Trump administration is fighting a losing battle against local energy laws

The Trump administration’s latest attempt to dismantle a local energy law could test whether President Donald Trump’s energy agenda can endure mounting legal headwinds. The Justice Department asked a federal judge last week to deem Morris Township, New Jersey’s 2022 ban on gas-powered and other nonelectric appliances in new apartments unlawful. The lawsuit is the latest effort by the administration to dismantle state and local environmental laws that it argues are “overly restrictive” — a campaign it started exactly a year ago with an executive order. Over the past year, federal courts have regularly handed the administration and aligned industry groups losses, largely protecting local policy from the president’s oil and gas agenda.

Federal judges ruled in two separate cases last week that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act — the federal law Trump’s team is citing to claim that Morris Township’s gas hookup ban is unlawful — does not preclude local and state governments from regulating energy consumption. The law gives the federal government power to regulate energy efficiency and labeling, but local and state governments can set their own standards for energy use, a judge in one of those cases ruled. “The government is making the same arguments that all of these other cases have made using that same reasoning … that’s ultimately not been successful in other jurisdictions,” Vincent Nolette, who works on city-level climate change policies at the Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Law, told NOTUS. “There’s good reason to think that a judge would continue to interpret EPCA as not preempting these local building laws.” The Justice Department’s environmental suits have mostly focused on Democratic-leaning cities and states, attacking everything from climate superfund laws to local attempts to file litigation against oil and gas companies. Previous targets have included New York, Vermont, Michigan and Hawaii. The administration filed another lawsuit over a gas ban against two solidly blue California cities.

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The Iran war is hitting California harder than any other state

The last South Korea-bound oil tanker to sail through the Strait of Hormuz dropped off its cargoes late last month. That is a grim omen for California, which relies on the Asian nation for jet fuel shipped 6,000 miles across the Pacific. The reverberations of the Iran war are poised to hit California harder than other states. That is because California imports roughly 75% of its crude oil, almost one-third of which comes from the Middle East. It also gets jet fuel and gasoline from countries whose refineries depend on the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. With the Hormuz still closed, South Korea and India—two of California’s biggest fuel suppliers—are dramatically slowing exports, threatening to squeeze the Golden State’s energy supplies. This month, South Korea is set to ship about half the jet fuel it normally sends to California, according to market intelligence firm Vortexa.

“If it’s not resolved soon, it’s going to get super tight,” said Andy Walz, who runs Chevron’s oil refining, pipeline and chemicals business. California’s coffers are sufficient to meet demand for refined products like jet fuel and gasoline in April, but a shortfall is likely to emerge over the following months, Walz said. Asian refineries are working through their existing inventories, and some countries including Japan and South Korea are releasing strategic oil reserves as a buffer. “At some point, those things are going to be gone,” Walz added. The price of gasoline is often a political flashpoint in California. Prices at the pump on Tuesday averaged $5.93 a gallon, more than $1.75 above the national average. The state has higher-than-average gasoline taxes and fuel-standard requirements that add about $1.10 to the price of a gallon of gas, estimates Ryan Cummings, a researcher at Stanford University’s Institute for Economic Policy Research. California wasn’t always an island in the energy market. Chevron and other oil companies blame the state’s energy policies and policymakers’ push to spur a transition away from fossil fuels for a huge drop in oil production and refinery shutdowns.

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Abortion clinics are closing nationwide. Could urgent care help fill the gap?

Providing abortions was the last thing Shawn Brown thought she'd be doing when she opened an urgent care clinic in Marquette, a small port town on the remote shores of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. But she also wasn't expecting the Planned Parenthood in Marquette to shut down last spring. Roughly 1,100 patients relied on that clinic each year for cancer screenings, IUD insertions, and medication abortions. Now the area has no other in-person resource for abortions. "It's a 500-mile stretch of no access," Brown said. So the doctor, who describes herself as "individually pro-life," added medication abortions to Marquette Medical Urgent Care's already busy practice, which treats a steady flow of kids with the flu, college students with migraines, and tourists with skiing injuries.

At least 38 abortion clinics shut down last year in states where they're still legal, according to data collected by I Need an A, a project supported by a number of nonprofits that helps people find abortion options. Even states that recently passed constitutional amendments protecting abortion rights, such as Michigan, have had clinics close since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. And as rural hospitals shutter labor and delivery units, patients are losing access to pregnancy care. "You cannot have a high-risk pregnancy up here," Brown said. "It's a scary place." Now communities are coming up with alternatives, such as Brown's urgent care clinic. The idea that urgent cares "could be an untapped solution to closures for abortion clinics across the country is really exciting," said Kimi Chernoby, the chief operating and legal officer at FemInEM, a national nonprofit that works to improve professional training and patient outcomes for women in emergency medicine. One patient at the Marquette urgent care on a recent day was a woman who requested NPR identify her by her first initial, A, so she could talk candidly about a sensitive medical decision. She drove more than an hour on snowy backroads while her kids were in day care to get to her appointment.

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Delta, WestJet and other airlines announce higher baggage fees and fuel surcharges

More airlines are tacking extra fees and surcharges onto already rising ticket prices, hoping to recoup costs as the war in Iran causes fuel costs to surge. Delta Air Lines announced on Tuesday it would start charging $10 more to check a bag on U.S. domestic flights, following similar baggage-fee increases last week by United Airlines and JetBlue. WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, said on Tuesday that it would add fuel surcharges of up to 60 Canadian dollars, or about $43, to some flights, a day after Air Canada, the country’s largest, rolled out 50 dollar fuel surcharge for flights to warm weather destinations. Porter Airlines, a smaller Canadian carrier, began adding a temporary fuel surcharge of 40 dollars on award flights in late March.

“Fuel is the largest contributor to airline operating costs, and a temporary surcharge helps us manage the recent surge in fuel prices,” WestJet said in a statement, noting that fuel typically accounts for about 20 percent of an airline’s costs. The carrier also said it would temporarily cut some lower-demand flight routes. Since the war in Iran began on Feb. 28, U.S. jet fuel costs have climbed more than 87 percent, to $4.69 a gallon on Monday, according to Argus Media. “When fuel prices rise, airlines don’t just absorb the hit — they pass it along, often in ways that are less obvious than a higher ticket price,” said Sara Rathner, a travel and credit card expert at the personal finance website NerdWallet. “Bag fees, seat selection costs and new surcharges can quietly inflate the cost of a trip.” Airfares — both domestic and international — have also jumped since the war started, according to an analysis of economy round-trip tickets by the travel search engine Kayak: On March 30, an average international trip cost $998, compared with $774 on Feb. 23, and a domestic U.S. trip cost $350, compared with $336 on Feb. 23.

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Lead Stories

Hopes fade for deal with Iran ahead of Tuesday-night deadline

Negotiators are pessimistic Iran will bend to meet President Trump’s demand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before his Tuesday-night deadline, paving the way for the U.S. to target Iranian bridges and power plants in a fresh escalation of the war. Twice in his second term, Trump set a deadline for a deal with Iran, said he would bomb the country if its leaders didn’t comply, then followed through with military operations. Now, as everyone from Vice President JD Vance to top Middle Eastern spy chiefs push for a last-ditch cease-fire, Iranian officials are telling mediators they expect the same pattern to play out again, U.S. officials and mediators said. Trump also could extend the deadline, something he has also done multiple times already. Some U.S. officials say there is too large a gap to narrow between the U.S. and Iranian positions before Trump’s 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have told mediators that they expect the U.S. will continue to attack targets in their war-torn country and Israel to keep conducting airstrikes to take out senior Iranian officials—even if negotiations with the U.S. move forward, Arab officials familiar with the matter said. Iran was “negotiating, we think, in good faith,” Trump told reporters Monday at the White House, but if not the U.S. would be “blowing everything up.” Some U.S. officials said Trump has privately been less hopeful that Iran will make a deal, expecting to issue final orders for strikes Tuesday evening—though they note his assessment could change based on how talks play out overnight. “Only President Trump knows what he will do, and the entire world will find out tomorrow night if bridges and electric plants are annihilated,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly. Hopes for a deal soured Monday morning after Iran rejected a U.S. cease-fire proposal, claiming Washington sought maximalist concessions, including on its nuclear work. Trump later told reporters Tehran’s counter wasn’t enough to secure an agreement. Both countries were once again in the familiar position of staring down a deal, deadline extension—or more war.

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A ragtag Wisconsin group is leading America’s first anti-data center referendum

A small Wisconsin city upended by a data center backed by President Donald Trump is set to vote Tuesday on a referendum that could reshape grassroots resistance to AI projects nationwide. The vote in Port Washington, a lakeside town of roughly 12,000 people just north of Milwaukee, appears to be the first time any U.S. municipality will go to the ballot to kneecap data center development. It marks an aggressive new tactic in an escalating movement to oppose the hulking artificial intelligence factories — and offers a potential blueprint for other small towns challenging Big Tech. “I’m not aware of another ballot referendum that has been taken directly to the voters yet,” said Brad Tietz, state policy director for the Data Center Coalition, which represents tech companies and developers.

“If this trend continues and grows, it’s going to have significant consequences for our economic competitiveness [and] our national security. I don’t think that can be understated.” The vote comes as companies descend on Middle America to build the data centers, which are major priorities for the White House and the U.S. tech sector but the object of scorn for roughly 3 in 10 U.S. voters who, according to a recent POLITICO poll, say they would oppose a facility being built in their area. At least three other U.S. cities are gearing up for referendums of their own this year, in a growing trend that pits grassroots organizers against some of the world’s richest companies. If it passes Tuesday, the referendum won’t actually derail the proposed $15 billion, 1.3-gigawatt data center campus from OpenAI and Oracle, one of multiple “Stargate” AI infrastructure megaprojects that the companies are planning with Trump’s support. Rather, it would allow residents to potentially obstruct future projects by requiring city leaders to obtain voter approval before awarding developers lucrative tax incentives. The backers, a group of roughly a dozen Port Washington residents who formed a nonprofit in October to organize against the project, placed the measure on the ballot after connecting on Facebook and protesting at city council meetings. Organizers said that it took roughly 10 days to collect the approximately 1,000 signatures needed to qualify their measure.

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Mike Miles' charter network to expand HISD-style reforms to more districts

As more Texas school districts face the threat of a state takeover, they are turning to a charter network founded by Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles to try to avoid it. At least seven school districts — Edgewood, Everman, Hempstead, Killeen, San Antonio, Texarkana and Waco ISDs — are moving to partner with Third Future Schools to turn around 12 schools, according to school district board documents and announcements. Wichita Falls ISD is expanding its existing partnership to two additional schools and Midland ISD to one more school. Those partnerships would add 15 schools to the charter network’s portfolio, doubling its national footprint.

The growth comes as districts across Texas face pressure to improve struggling campuses or risk a state takeover that strips elected school boards of control. Third Future Schools, based in Colorado, was founded by Miles before Texas appointed him in 2023 to lead Houston ISD following the state’s takeover of the district for low performance at one high school. Now, as more districts face similar consequences tied to repeated low ratings, they are turning to the charter network he built. At the center of those partnerships is an instructional model Miles has said mirrors the New Education System he implemented in HISD. "The NES model (and the model used by Third Future Schools) developed by Mike Miles is the only proven instructional methodology that has been able to consistently turn around failing campuses quickly," Miles co-wrote in a July proposal to improve instruction at International Leadership of Texas, a charter school network.

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Corpus Christi water crisis spurs stampede on South Texas aquifers

Dwindling levels in this region’s main reservoirs have triggered a rush on local aquifers as cities, towns, chemical plants and ranchers drill for water. The nearby city of Corpus Christi faces a looming catastrophe from the imminent depletion of water supplies that sustain 500,000 people and one of Texas’s main industrial complexes. Recent emergency groundwater projects have pushed off the timeline to disaster by months, officials said last week. But locals fear they may threaten the water supplies of rural towns and residents who have historically relied on their own small wells. “People like me are probably gonna be running out of water,” said Bruce Mumme, a retired chemical plant worker who lives on family land in rural Jim Wells County, about 40 miles outside Corpus Christi. “Then this property and house is useless.”

Last fall, after the city of Corpus Christi first began pumping millions of gallons per day from the Evangeline Aquifer, towns and landowners across this area saw water levels in their wells drop. Mumme lost access to water for three days while he waited for workers to come lower his pump, which he said cost thousands of dollars. After that experience, he paid $30,000 to add another well on his property, for backup. He’s not the only one. The region’s largest industrial water users are also drilling wells, according to officials. In Nueces County, where Corpus Christi is located, newly planned pumping projects alone could add up to over 1,000 percent of what the state water plan considers a sustainable rate of withdrawal from aquifers. In March, Corpus Christi began pumping millions more gallons per day from its wellfield on the western banks of the Nueces River, about 15 miles outside the city, after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott waived permitting processes for the project in a bid to avert a water shortage. Across the river, drill rigs are turning at the city’s eastern wellfield. “I’ve done a lot of big projects in my career,” said Rik Allbritton, an operations manager for Weisinger Inc. with 40 years drilling experience, as a rig roared behind him at the eastern wellfield last Tuesday. “This is on the bigger side.”

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State Stories

Fort Worth asks landowner to remove data center use from zoning request

Developers hoping to get 184 acres of land in west Fort Worth rezoned for industrial and multifamily residential use will not be able to use the land for a data center, as growing concern from residents has prompted the city to pump the brakes on several data center developments. A zoning application filed by Fort Worth-based construction company Westwood Professional Services, for land owned by the John Henry Dean & Shirley Lawson Foundation and the Dallas-based developer Standridge Companies, requests that the Fort Worth Zoning Commission rezone two parcels of land at the northwest corner of FM 1187 and Interstate 20. The land is in Fort Worth’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, with the developer hoping to get the land annexed by the City Council after the Zoning Commission decides on the zoning case.

The Fort Worth Zoning Commission at its meeting on Wednesday will decide whether to recommend that those two parcels be zoned for intensive commercial development on one parcel and a planned development with intensive commercial, light industrial and dense residential use on the other. Data centers are included in the usage types for the second parcel of land, but according to Fort Worth District 3 council member Michael Crain — who represents the land developers want to rezone — they have agreed to remove that classification from their zoning request. “I asked the owners’ representative to formally request removal of all data center uses from this site,” Crain wrote in an April 3 Facebook post that includes a letter written by Westwood to the Zoning Commission. Crain told the Star-Telegram that the request came directly from him. In that letter, Westwood says that the landowners are requesting for the item to be continued to the May 13 Zoning Commission meeting and that data centers be removed from allowed uses on the site. The move comes as a cluster of data center developments in North Texas are causing concern and anger among residents. On March 31, the Fort Worth City Council decided to hold off on voting on a major tax agreement for a data center that would be built in the fast-growing suburbs of West Fort Worth near Benbrook. Before that, the City Council postponed votes on another data center that would be built on the other side of town, near Forest Hill and Everman. Residents and city leaders say developers and the city of Fort Worth have not been forthcoming about how the data center would impact them. Following these delays, and increasing questions from other council members, Crain has asked city staff to complete an informal report on data centers.

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Nurses may no longer qualify for higher student loan limits. It could worsen Texas’ nursing shortage

A potential change to federal policy could limit how much students can borrow for different degree programs – a KERA listener wants to know how that could affect health disparities in Texas. The U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rule going into effect in July would narrow which programs can be considered “professional degrees,” which come with a higher student loan borrowing limit of $200,000. Under the proposed rule, which hasn’t been finalized, nurses aren’t eligible – meaning they can only borrow $100,000, or up to $20,500 per year. Teneisha Howard, president of the Metroplex Black Nurses Association and a nursing professional development specialist, said the rule is misaligned with the “reality of our health care needs” given the looming nursing shortage in Texas.

“We’re going to see the gap we have been working so hard to close open back up tremendously at a rate that we might never be able to close it,” she said. The concept of “professional degrees” was introduced as part of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The definition is used by DOE to determine which programs should qualify for higher loan limits because the requirements for practice require more than a typical bachelor’s degree. “It’s important to acknowledge that nurses were never on the list to begin with,” said Serena Bumpus, the CEO of the Texas Nurses Association. “[DOE] just didn’t have any controls essentially around who was getting the higher limits.” Prior regulation treated the list of professional degrees as non-exhaustive, leaning on the phrase “including, but not limited to.” However, the federal tax and spending bill passed last year required DOE to identify which programs will be eligible for higher federal student loan limits. Under the draft rule, there would be 11 fields that could receive a professional degree – including medicine, law and theology. Ten of the fields were part of the Higher Education Act definition from the 1960s – but clinical psychology was added to the list during the negotiation process which concluded late last year. In a statement to KERA, a DOE spokesperson said the change is “currently subject to ongoing rulemaking.”

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'ShamWow Guy' spent $300,000 of his own cash in Texas congressional race for just 3,000 votes

An ill-fated run for Congress in Texas’ 31st District cost long-shot candidate Offer Vince Shlomi — better known as the “ShamWow Guy” — more than $300,000 of his own money. What’s worse, for all the cash he poured in, the former TV pitchman landed less than 3,000 votes. Not only did Shlomi end his Republican primary bid in sixth place, but federal finance reports show that of the campaign’s $326,589 total receipts, $300,700 came from personal loans obtained by Shlomi, while another $22,270 were drawn from his personal savings. Indeed, the campaign raked in just $1,284 in donations from people who weren’t Shlomi himself. $300,000 for 3,000 votes? He might as well have gone door-to-door and paid people $100 to vote for him (which is illegal, but still).

Further, it appears Shlomi may incur additional expense from suing the Texas Republican Party for dropping his “ShamWow” nickname from the ballot. In social media posts, he attributed his paltry 2,791-vote total to the nickname being left off the ballot in an attempt by unnamed Republicans in Name Only, or RINOS, to rig the contest. (Shlomi calls them “rhinos” but give him a break, he specializes in absorbent towels.) In his defense, we all know him as the “ShamWow Guy.” That is, if we’ve even heard of him at all. Some might also remember Shlomi from an infomercial for another product called the Slap Chop, for which his tag line was, “You’re gonna love my nuts.” That kind of pedigree doesn’t exactly scream “congressional material,” but in this topsy-turvy Idiocracy world, sure why not? However, the ShamWow was Shlomi’s magnum opus, his Mona Lisa, his Sistine Chapel.

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Paxton probes Dallas Islamic mediation group, accuses it of imposing ‘sharia law’

Attorney General Ken Paxton is demanding documents from a Dallas-based Islamic mediation group he accused of unlawfully acting as a court and imposing “sharia law.” In a press release Monday, Paxton alleged the religious organization — which issues rulings in disputes involving Texas Muslims — implies it has governmental authority, acting outside of First Amendment protections that allow religious institutions to govern themselves. The attorney general announced his office has sent the Islamic Tribunal a request to examine documents, to determine if the organization is engaged in illegal activity. “Anyone or any entity that seeks to subvert the codified state and federal laws of this country will be stopped dead in their tracks,” Paxton said.

“If the Islamic Tribunal is undermining the rule of law or misleading Texans about the legal authority it claims to hold, my office will ensure its operation is shut down. This is America, and we will not be governed by sharia law.” Paxton's legal action comes after Gov. Greg Abbott instructed local and state officials in Dallas and Collin counties to investigate the Islamic Tribunal and other Islamic mediation groups in November. Abbott called them "Sharia courts" trying to supersede Texas law. A spokesperson with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office told KERA News at the time neither the governor nor any law enforcement agency had contacted the DA's office about Islamic mediation groups. The Islamic Tribunal has since updated its website to emphasize that its practices are strictly spiritual — it does not practice law, function as a court, issue legally binding decisions or provide legal advice. The group describes itself as providing voluntary, faith-based religious guidance for individuals and families for divorces and other issues.

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Is fracking in Texas endangering a day care's children?

In early December, drilling resumed near Mother’s Heart Learning Center. Newly installed gas wells dot property at 2020 S. Watson Road, less than one mile from the day care. One day in December, the sound of fracking machinery was so cacophonous that children couldn’t play outdoors. For gas companies and stakeholders, the project is poised to be an economic windfall. But many Arlington residents and experts say it could come at the expense of the community — especially its children. In January 2025, the Arlington City Council unanimously approved a permit allowing French oil and gas company TotalEnergies to install 10 new gas wells in East Arlington, which has a heavy concentration of Black and Latinx residents. It marked the first time in over a decade that the city council approved a permit for a new drill site after years of community opposition.

Named Maverick, the new site also lies near three schools — Johns Elementary, Adams Elementary and Thornton Elementary. Five wells owned by the same company already occupy the plot of land near the new drilling site, which the company has owned since 2008. Hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — is used to extract gas by pumping pressurized water, sand and chemicals into bedrock. Texas policymakers have lauded the activity as a boon to local communities, garnering $2.48 billion in state tax revenue in 2025, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Arlington is choked with hundreds of these gas wells. The city, which sits atop the Barnett Shale, is a modern-day Golconda. But fracking has drawn sharp criticism from health experts, who say it could be linked to severe conditions like preterm births, congenital anomalies, lung diseases and childhood cancers. Ingrid Kelley, 69, has grown tired of the gas wells sprouting throughout North Texas. Several sit less than a mile from her house in East Arlington, and a pungent lingering scent of sulfur and something else that she can only describe as “rotten” has settled into her neighborhood. She fears what might happen to her 4-year-old grandson, who lives with her and attends Mother’s Heart Learning Center. “I can’t project and trace what all is going to affect him and all those that live around there and all those that are around these sites,” she said. “It’s very hard to project what’s going to happen, how many people are going to have increased cancer risk, respiratory disease, cardiac disease — all the things that go along with being premature or having congenital heart disease that affect you the rest of your life.”

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Holley Digby: The power of showing up

(Holley Digby is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Director of Mental Health and Wellness for Communities In Schools of South Central Texas.) All three of my children had an incredible fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Kaufman. For many students, the impact of having him lasted well beyond fifth grade. He’s even invited former students back as seniors to speak to his class. This is something both the seniors and current students seem to find incredibly meaningful. When my now-teenagers see him around town, he always stops and asks about school. And without fail, he’ll throw in a sarcastic comment about whichever sibling isn’t there. Maybe something like, “So...is your brother still out making trouble?” Recently, he sent an email inviting families to participate in a celebration for Carl Schurz Elementary’s 100th birthday. And because it was Mr. Kaufman, there were far more teenagers back at their elementary school than I would have expected.

It’s become a bit of a joke in our house to refer to “a Mr. Kaufman sighting,” which really just means someone saw him out in the wild, and we’re all waiting to hear what sarcastic for funny thing he said. Yes, he’s funny. But the real impact was the relationship. He knew his students. He paid attention. He made school feel a little less heavy. I’m always impressed that he remembers names and the small details. For my oldest, the running joke was pencils. When Jack was little, he just never seemed to have one, and every time Mr. Kaufman found a pencil on the floor, he’d point and call out, “Jack! Get it! A pencil!” Motivating students doesn’t start with a curriculum or counseling goals; it starts with the relationship. And while not every student will have a Mr. Kaufman, every student benefits from having adults who take the time to truly know them. One of the things I’m most proud of in my work in schools is how much relationships with students and their families are prioritized. That’s really at the core of Communities In Schools. It shows up in everyday moments, like asking a student about their day, asking about their grades, or simply taking the time to truly know them.

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Golden Pass launches in East Texas at ‘right time’ for Iran war

Terry Fritz bought her light blue lakefront house more than two years ago, as the now-hulking liquefied natural gas facility took shape across the street. Golden Pass LNG, owned by QatarEnergy and Houston oil behemoth Exxon Mobil, started commercial production last week and expects to ship its first cargo in the coming months. The water that laps against it is the same that added real estate appeal to the line of neighboring pillar-raised homes and vacation rentals. Fritz, 70, said she didn’t mind Golden Pass. The gas processing and export facility was relatively quiet, she said. Unlike the refineries down the road in Port Arthur, she couldn’t smell the gas being piped in and, at night, the flares and lights made it look like she lived near a little city.

“They do what they need to do,” Fritz said of companies operating nearby, like Exxon. “And if it keeps the gas lower than it is in California, then it’s nice.” The facility’s launch, under construction since 2019, marks a critical moment for both the U.S. and global industry. It is the latest project along the Gulf Coast to come online and strengthen America’s role as lead exporter while natural gas markets elsewhere reel from the Iran war. “Golden Pass is hitting the market at the right time,” said James West, head of energy and power at Melius Research. Demand for U.S. LNG has skyrocketed as a result of the war in Iran. An Iranian airstrike to a QatarEnergy LNG facility at the Ras Laffan industrial hub in Qatar in March knocked out as much as 17% of the country’s current supply for the next five years, according to the company. LNG is considered one of the cleanest fuel sources on the market. It is the supercooled liquid form of natural gas, which makes it easier to pipe into ships to send to gas-favoring markets in Europe and Asia. The U.S. is the world’s largest exporter of LNG, and a favorite of the Trump administration, which restarted export permitting after a yearlong pause to the process during the Biden administration. The war in Iran showed that U.S. LNG is safe from a vulnerable choke point — the Strait of Hormuz — that cargoes from Qatar LNG are not, West said.

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Austin City Council wants a say in the future of 10 closing Austin ISD schools

Austincity council leaders want more say in the future of parks and public spaces at the campuses Austin Independent School District plans to close this year. Two resolutions that Austin City Council approved in March seek to shore up a consistent parkland condemnation process and to start discussions on partnership or acquisition opportunities to find new use for closed school campuses. The city and Austin ISD have jointly owned several parcels of land on campuses for decades. The partnership formally allows the public to use the park space outside school hours and splits maintenance costs between the two entities.

The imminent closure this summer of 10 Austin ISD campuses — and the district’s ongoing efforts to find new uses for the properties — prompted city council’s interest in creating more defined rules for city and school district joint property agreements. Superintendent Matias Segura said Friday he welcomed a more defined process for working with the city but AISD needs to take the lead indetermining how closeddistrict properties will be used in the future. “Which property lends itself to community hub, which lends itself to a repurpose for early childhood center, which lends itself to workforce housing — that’s the process that we need to own,” Segura said. One city council resolution directed the city manager to develop a standard process for when the city would give up its rights to property it jointly owns with other public entities, like AISD, and how the city would be compensated. In the past, council members haven’t always been made aware of when the city was being asked to give up its stake in a park that it jointly owned with Austin ISD, said Councilman Ryan Alter. This is important to Alter who hopes to increase the number of Austinites with a park in walking distance.About 70% of city residents can walk to a park, but Alter hopes100% of residents eventually will be able to. Austin ISD parks play a role in that number, but there’s a not a defined process for what factors the city should consider during condemnation procedures, he said.

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Elon Musk insists banks working on SpaceX IPO must buy Grok subscriptions

Banks and other firms that want to work on SpaceX’s initial public offering (IPO) are being required to buy subscriptions to the Grok AI service, The New York Times reported today. Elon Musk “is requiring banks, law firms, auditors and other advisers working on the IPO to buy subscriptions to Grok, his artificial intelligence chatbot that is part of SpaceX,” the NYT wrote, citing anonymous sources who are familiar with the confidential negotiations. “Some of the banks have agreed to spend tens of millions on the chatbot and they have already started integrating Grok into their IT systems.” SpaceX reportedly filed IPO paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week. The IPO filing came two months after SpaceX purchased xAI, the Musk company that produces Grok. xAI purchased the X social network in March 2025.

While Grok is known to individual Internet users because of the chatbot’s integration with X, the AI technology also comes in business and enterprise versions offered by xAI. Grok could benefit from the SpaceX IPO process at a time when it is the subject of investigations and lawsuits for generating nude images of real people and child sexual abuse material. According to the NYT sources, “Mr. Musk insisted that [banks] purchase the chatbot services,” and “asked the banks to advertise on X, his social media site that is also owned by SpaceX, but was less adamant about that request.” “For now, five banks are expected to work on the [SpaceX initial public] offering—Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley. The law firms Gibson Dunn and Davis Polk are also advising on the deal,” the NYT wrote. We contacted SpaceX today and will update this article if it provides any comment.

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UTRGV secures seats for students in St. Mary‘s law program

A new partnership between St. Mary’s University and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has secured a long-awaited Legal Education Hub in the Rio Grande Valley. St. Mary’s President Winston Erevelles visited the Valley last week to sign a memorandum of understanding alongside UTRGV President Guy Bailey. The agreement secures at least five spots for students in the region in St. Mary’s School of Law’s Online Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Legal Studies programs. The move answers a decades-long plea by state Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez, D-Weslaco, who filed legislation for at least the last eight years asking for the creation of a public law school in the Rio Grande Valley, as reported by The Texas Tribune. “So many kids from the Valley who go to law school, go to St. Mary’s,” Bailey said. “But this is going to really help ambitious kids who really can’t afford to leave home for a variety of reasons.”

As the only institution with a law school in South Texas, St. Mary’s serves a large number of Rio Grande Valley students, Erevelles said. Each year, about 5% of incoming law students are from the Valley, but many of them might not end up returning home to practice, creating a shortage of lawyers in the region. “In the Rio Grande Valley, you’ve got roughly about one attorney for every 800 residents,” Erevelles said. “Now if you compare that to Bexar County or other Texas metropolitan areas, that number varies between one for every 100 residents or one for every 300 residents.” The St. Mary’s online law program is highly competitive and selective, Erevelles said. It currently welcomes about 2% of all applicants for its available 25 seats. So setting aside a minimum of five spots for Valley residents means allocating 20% of the total space. To qualify, students must be accepted and enrolled in the St. Mary’s online J.D. or M.L.S. program, provide proof of residency in the counties of Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy or Starr and complete the UTRGV Hub student registration process.

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Most charges against Millsap ISD, former faculty dismissed in alleged child abuse case

A lawsuit filed against Millsap ISD, its former superintendent, an elementary school principal and two former educators regarding the alleged abuse of autistic children has been almost entirely dismissed, court records show. Former Millsap ISD superintendent Edie Martin and two former educators -- Jennifer Dale, 44, and Paxton Kendal Bean, 25 -- were arrested in March 2025 after a video of a February incident showed educators allegedly abusing an autistic child in a classroom. Martin resigned as Millsap ISD's superintendent after her arrest.

The lawsuit, filed in June 2025, named Millsap ISD, Martin, Dale, Bean and the principal of Millsap Elementary School, where the alleged abuse happened, Roxie Carter, court documents show. Carter was not criminally charged. Nearly all of the charges against the defendants were dismissed at the request of the defendants, citing legal standards and Texas law against claims of assault, battery and negligent discipline amongst other charges. Additionally, qualified immunity was granted in part for Bean and in full for Dale. However, records show the court found Bean is not entitled to qualified immunity for claims that she pulled one of the victim's by the ear, punched them in the "calm down" room, and struck another child. The document goes onto state that Martin reported both Dale and Bean within two weeks of hearing about the abuse and an investigation followed immediately afterwards, which led to the plaintiffs' allegations that there was a failure to report to be dismissed. All of the dismissed claims were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they can't be brought up in court again, except for the right to bodily integrity claim against Dean, records show.

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'Cicada' COVID variant confirmed in 25 states, including Texas

A new COVID-19 variant is spreading across the United States — and health experts say it can evade the immunity built up from vaccines and previous infections. The variant, officially known as BA.3.2, has been nicknamed "cicada" because it stayed largely undetected — or underground — since it was first identified in June 2025, much like the insect it's named after. As of Feb. 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed cases in at least 25 states, including Texas. The CDC used nasal swabs, clinical samples and wastewater surveillance samples to track where the variant has spread across the country.

According to Dr. Greg Newman, Medical Director at Hillcrest Convenient Care in Waco, the cicada variant has mutated in a way that makes it harder for your body to fight off — even if you've been vaccinated or previously infected. "It's mutated several of the what's called spike proteins, and that kind of helps it avoid some of the initial defenses of our immune system," Dr. Newman said. Experts say the mutation makes cicada highly transmissible and capable of evading immunity built from earlier strains of the virus. Dr. Newman says the symptoms of the cicada variant are similar to what COVID patients have experienced in recent years — and resemble a mix between the flu and a common cold. Symptoms include: Sore throat, headache, body aches, fever, cough, and occasional loss of taste or smell.

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City Stories

Unions, Democratic groups spend in NEISD school board races

Heated races are shaping up for two positions on the North East ISD school board this May, where partisan interests are again spending money to help their chosen candidates. Unlike past years, where conservative groups dominated the conversation, this time candidates backed by labor unions and local Democrats are the ones bringing in big money. Campaign finance reports covering Jan. 1 through March 23 were due last Thursday, offering the only look at money raised and spent before early voting starts on April 20. They indicated that a PAC aligned with teachers’ unions, called the Bexar County Federation of Teachers Committee on Political Education, spent about $2,300 helping forensic accountant Michael Adam Wulczyn and former congressional staffer Caprice Garcia.

The PAC received a sizable contribution from the North East Bexar County Democrats, which has also endorsed Wulczyn and Garcia, and kicked off its own campaign to influence local school board races this past weekend. Wulczyn is challenging District 3 trustee Diane Sciba Villarreal — one of two members who got help from the now-dissolved Parents United for Freedom PAC when she first ran in 2022. Sciba Villarreal reported no money raised and spent as of March 23, while Wulczyn brought in a total of about $2,400. Meanwhile, Garcia is one of two candidates running to replace District 7 incumbent Marsha Landry, who also got money from conservative groups in 2022, but isn’t seeking reelection. Last week’s campaign finance reports indicated that Garcia got about $1,800 worth of help from the Bexar County Champions for Public Education PAC, which formed two years ago to oppose conservative influences in NEISD school board races. She brought in a total of $6,000, including $2,500 from a plumbers’ union. Her opponent, real estate agent Cheryl “Cheri” Ann Eltinger, reported raising about $1,400 in the same span, and listed Landry as her campaign treasurer. Of the many Bexar County-area school districts, none has experienced more tension over its approach to parental rights, library materials, health education and other hot-button issues than NEISD. The seven-member board was once divided evenly between those backed by conservative groups and those supported by the teachers’ union and other left-leaning groups, but the latter won races for all five seats on the ballot in 2024.

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National Stories

The man who watches Trump all day, every day

The psychological demands of Aaron Rupar’s work are immense. He counts himself lucky to have remained more or less healthy after a decade in his job. “I certainly wouldn’t say that I’m like a model of mental health,” says the father-of-two from Minnesota. “But for the most part, especially considering what I do and how much time I spend doing it, I think I’ve been able to emerge relatively unscathed.” Rupar works from his spare room in his Minneapolis house. His job is to watch President Trump. All day, every day. Spread over two laptop screens, Rupar, 42, follows the frenetic schedule of the president, from the meandering speeches to the impromptu press conferences, the middle-of-the-night social media rants to the sudden interviews on TV.

Rupar is a one-man news agency, running accounts with a million followers on X and another 930,000 on BlueSky. He also writes a Substack with 274,000 subscribers. A small fraction of those subscribers pay $50 per year, his main source of income. He sees it as his duty to keep the world informed of almost everything Trump and members of his administration say and do. He clips videos of Trump’s noteworthy remarks and shares them instantly on social media, monitoring 12 different TV channels simultaneously. His clips bounce back and forth across the internet. “I’ve certainly had some days over the years that have been 18-20 hours of pretty much nonstop work,” he says. “I remember he gave some sort of speech to the Korean legislature that started at my time, like four in the morning, that I woke up for. I’d been working till midnight the night previous. So that’s not super uncommon.” Rupar started clipping Trump in 2017. He has a strong claim to have watched more of the president’s appearances than anyone else.

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Gulf funds agree to back Paramount’s $81 billion takeover of Warner

Paramount has received signed equity commitments of close to $24 billion from three sovereign-wealth funds led by Saudi Arabia to help back its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to people familiar with the matter. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has agreed to provide roughly $10 billion of the nearly $24 billion to Paramount, run by David Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. The agreements with investors also include Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Co., the people said. The agreements by the Middle East funds coincide with the region’s increased economic and political unrest caused by the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran.

In February, Paramount announced its deal to buy Warner Discovery, home to HBO, CNN and Harry Potter, for $81 billion. The deal is pending regulatory review in Europe, and Paramount executives have told employees to prepare to close as soon as the end of July, according to other people familiar with the situation. The commitments by the Gulf investors will help offset the cost for the Ellisons and RedBird Capital Partners, which is also backing the deal. As part of its deal, Paramount has said any equity syndication wouldn’t affect the transaction closing because the Ellison family would cover the entire amount if needed. The Gulf investors won’t have voting rights in the new Paramount-Warner entity, and the deal isn’t expected to trigger a mandatory review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or Cfius, people familiar with the matter said. Because each entity will own far less than 25% of the combined company, executives don’t expect the funds’ involvement to spark a review by the Federal Communications Commission either, the people said.

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Trump says God supports U.S. cause in Iran war as he threatens wider bombing

As President Donald Trump renews his threats to bomb “the entire country” of Iran, he is offering a new justification for the costly five-week conflict with no clear end in sight: God himself wants the United States to do it. Trump said Monday that he believed God supports the United States’ actions in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, a widening conflict that has killed thousands in the Middle East,wounded many more and left 13 U.S. service members dead. “I do, because God is good,” Trump said in response to a Washington Post reporter’s question during a White House news briefing. “And God wants to see people taken care of.” Trump’s comments mark a shift in how he is describing the war. After offering conflicting explanations for U.S. involvement — including whether his goal is regime change — he has begun in recent days to cast the conflict in religious terms as he raises the possibility of broader strikes.

The president earlier Monday threatened to bomb the country’s power and transportation infrastructure until it resembles the “stone ages.” He claimed that such actions are welcomed by Iranian people who want their government overthrown and who, he said, are begging the U.S. to “please keep bombing.” Trump did not answer a question about whether he has sought God’s direction as the conflict has escalated. But he suggested that the Almighty supports U.S. action, even if God is grieved by the violence. “God doesn’t like what’s happening. I don’t like what’s happening,” Trump continued. “Everyone says I enjoy it. I don’t enjoy this. I don’t enjoy it.” He went on to tout that he “ended eight wars” earlier in his term, a reference he has frequently made to brokering peace deals between India and Pakistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and others. “That makes me much happier than what we’re doing right now,” the president said. Trump, who identifies as a Christian but does not claim to regularly pray or read the Bible, has invoked faith at times in his second term, including suggesting that his political return and survival after an assassination attempt carried a larger purpose. The language has echoed that of some of his supporters, who have cast him as a figure protected or chosen by God.

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Trump threatens to jail unspecified reporter over airmen rescue leaks

President Donald Trump threatened to jail a journalist as part of a hunt for the “leaker” behind initial reports Friday that a second Air Force officer from a downed US fighter jet was missing. The public revelation complicated the administration’s military rescue efforts in Iran, Trump said at a White House press conference on Monday, which officials were trying to keep quiet following the successful recovery of the first airman on Friday. “We’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘National security, give it up or go to jail,’” Trump said, as he detailed the two separate rescues of the crew members shot down over Iran last week. “The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say.”

Trump did not specify which media outlet he was referring to, and the White House official declined to answer questions about his remarks. Iranian media had first reported the downed plane, sparking widespread discussion online about the fate of the crew before any major US outlet had published the news. “An investigation is underway,” a White House official told CNN. Several outlets, including CNN, reported last week on the missing airmen and the US military’s subsequent efforts to find and rescue them. The second Air Force officer was ultimately recovered early Sunday in a high-risk mission that CIA Director John Ratcliffe described Monday as “comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.” During the press conference, Trump said that the revelation of a second missing crew member had alerted the Iranian military and sparked their competing efforts to try to find him first.

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Trump’s new DHS secretary floats a plan to punish airports in sanctuary cities

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Monday that the Trump administration was looking at pulling customs officers from airports in so-called sanctuary cities, a move that would effectively cancel international flights to most of the country’s largest travel hubs. Mullin pitched the move as explicit retaliation for those cities’ decisions to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, saying, “We need to focus on cities that want to work with us.” “I believe sanctuary cities are not lawful. I don’t think they’re able to do that,” Mullin told Fox News host Bret Baier during a sit-down interview that aired Monday, his first as a Cabinet secretary. “So we’re going to take a hard look at this.”

Sanctuary cities limit their cooperation with federal immigration agents in connection to the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants. Major cities with these policies include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco. When asked if he was serious about pulling customs officers from those airports, Mullin responded, “Well, we’re going to have to start prioritizing things at some point.” The threat comes as DHS remains shut down, thanks to a funding lapse that began on Feb. 14 when Democratic lawmakers demanded new restrictions on immigration enforcement in exchange for their votes to fund the department. “Democrats are wanting to defund Customs and Border Patrol,” Mullin said on Fox News. “Who processes those individuals when they walk off the plane? So I’m going to have to be forced to make hard decisions.” The Senate eventually passed a bill that funded most of DHS through September, excluding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection.

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AP says it will offer buyouts as part of pivot away from newspaper-focused history

The Associated Press, one of the world’s oldest and most influential news organizations, said Monday it is offering buyouts to an unspecified number of its U.S.-based journalists as part of an acceleration away from the focus on newspapers and their print journalism that sustained the company since the mid-1800s. The News Media Guild, the union that represents AP journalists, said more than 120 of the staff members it represents received buyout offers on Monday. The news organization is becoming more focused on visual journalism and developing new revenue sources, particularly through companies investing in artificial intelligence, to cope with the economic collapse of many legacy news outlets. Once the lion’s share of AP’s revenue, big newspaper companies now account for 10% of its income.

“We’re not a newspaper company and we haven’t been for quite some time,” Julie Pace, executive editor and senior vice president of the AP, said in an interview. Despite changes – the company has doubled the number of video journalists it employs in the United States since 2022 – remnants of a staffing structure built largely to provide stories to newspapers and broadcasters in individual states have remained. That has its roots well back in American history; the AP was started in the mid-19th century by New York newspapers looking to share the costs of reporting outside their immediate territory. The number of AP journalists who will lose jobs is murky, in part intentionally. The AP does not say how many journalists it employs, though it has a large international presence as well as its U.S. staff. Pace said the AP’s goal is to reduce its global staff by less than 5%. Since buyouts are being offered now to only U.S. journalists, it stands to reason that the cut among that workforce will be more than 5%. Whether there are layoffs depends on how many people take the offer, Pace said. “The AP employs hundreds of talented journalists who are willing and able to adjust to the changing media landscape,” the union said in a statement. “However, the company refuses to offer them appropriate training and tools. Instead, AP continues to get rid of experienced staff and flirt with artificial intelligence — ignoring the opportunity to differentiate AP news stories as ones that are and always will be created by human journalists.”

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Trump Administration plans sweeping changes to accreditation

The Trump administration wants the agencies that oversee colleges and universities to set minimum standards for student achievement, protect viewpoint diversity and consider cost efficiency in their evaluation of institutions, among other changes unveiled Monday. That last provision would help to “provide relief for students and taxpayers who have suffered from increasing tuition by allowing greater institutional flexibility to control costs,” according to a nine-page summary of the Education Department’s 151-page proposal. An advisory committee will consider the administration’s proposed revisions to the rules that govern accreditors in two rounds of weeklong meetings that begin April 13. Those meetings are the next step in the department’s rule-making process. Any changes still will be subject to public comment.

Trump officials have signaled for the last year that they see overhauling accreditation as key to their plans to reform higher education over all. The draft changes released Monday outline how exactly they plan to rework the system, which is critical to how colleges access billions in federal student aid. As expected, the department wants to make it easier for new accreditors to gain federal recognition and to require accreditors to ensure colleges and universities are complying with federal laws, “including the prohibition of preferential treatment based on protected characteristics, such as race-based scholarships or programs, and preferential hiring or promotion practices.” The administration also would “direct accrediting agencies to refrain from interfering with institutional governance decisions that fall within the rightful purview of state governments, boards of trustees, or similar governing bodies, limiting their role to advisory purposes only.”

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Lead Stories

Trump warns Iran he could strike ‘every power plant,’ in WSJ interview

President Trump threatened to destroy all of Iran’s power plants if the country’s leaders don’t agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening, ratcheting up pressure on Tehran. “If they don’t come through, if they want to keep it closed, they’re going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country,” Trump said in an eight-minute interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. The comments came hours after U.S. forces rescued an American aviator trapped in Iran. Trump in recent days has repeatedly escalated his threats against the country, which has resisted his demands and appears determined to carry out a war of attrition. An administration official said the events of the weekend have animated the president and made him eager to apply even more pressure on the Iranians as he seeks a deal.

Trump warned during his address last week that he planned to hit Iran hard over the next two to three weeks. Now entering its sixth week, the conflict was initially forecast to last four to six weeks by the Trump administration. In response to Trump’s threats, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on social media that the only viable path was to step back from further escalation. “Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living hell for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn,” he said. Behind the scenes negotiations to reach a cease-fire hit a dead end on Friday, mediators said, but back channel efforts continued over the weekend between mediators from regional countries and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Monday marks the end of a 10-day deadline Trump gave Iran last month to make a deal and open the Strait of Hormuz. The deadlines themselves have been a moving target. In the interview, Trump moved it to Tuesday, and on Sunday afternoon, without elaboration, Trump posted “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!”

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Tony Gonzales sought sex from subordinate years before 2024 scandal, texts show

Late on a June night in 2020, amid a nail-biter of a GOP primary runoff, then-congressional candidate Tony Gonzales quickly turned a conversation with his campaign’s political director from casual to intimate. Gonzales texted that she was a “smart girl" in response to frustrations she had expressed about dating. He used a diamond emoji to convey that she was special and shouldn't "settle." Then, he asked when she normally went to sleep. Next, he asked what she would wear to bed. Soon, it was “What kind of panties do you wear?” Within hours, the married Navy veteran from San Antonio was asking for nude photos and describing how he wanted to have sex with her and have her "squeeze my balls." At the end of the night, after she replied “Nope” to yet another request for a photo, he replied, “47 nos is about my limit.”

The next day, the father of six again asked for a picture. And again the day after. “I know what I want and won’t stop until I get it,” he said in a text on June 15, 2020. She responded with a facepalm emoji. “You better do that in Congress,” she said. “And take me with you.” The previously-unreported messages — and hundreds of others obtained by the San Antonio Express-News — show the congressman pursued a sexual relationship with a subordinate years before his 2024 affair with a married congressional staffer who later committed suicide. That later liaison, with Regina Santos-Aviles – along with lewd texts that Gonzales sent to her – was made public this year by the San Antonio Express-News, provoking a furor that led House Republican leaders to disown Gonzales and force him to abandon his campaign for a fourth term. He will serve out the remainder of his term through January.

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Lesley Briones: The next storm is coming. FEMA must be ready to answer the call

Last Fourth of July, families across the Texas Hill Country woke in the dark to the sound of rushing water as the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in under an hour. By morning, entire neighborhoods were underwater, homes that families had built over lifetimes were destroyed, and more than 130 Texans were dead. When desperate survivors called for assistance, no one picked up. The Department of Homeland Security let funding lapse for the federal aid hotline, and roughly 40,000 calls went unanswered over five days. To make it worse, the Trump administration also ended FEMA's door-to-door canvassing program, leaving families to navigate online forms with spotty cell phone service. Three months later, less than a fifth of flood survivors had been deemed eligible for aid.

As a proud Texan and American, I am outraged for the families in the Hill Country. And as a Harris County commissioner, I’m terrified of what will happen (or not) with FEMA when the next storm hits Houston. We have an inkling of how that would go because the people of New Orleans lived a similar story 20 years ago, after the federal government cut key disaster programs and replaced experienced FEMA leaders with political appointees. After Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the consequences were catastrophic — tens of thousands were stranded, hospitals went without resources, and chaos reigned. The lessons of Katrina came at an enormous cost, and Congress took those lessons seriously by passing the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, which specifically prohibited DHS from undermining FEMA's mission. It was a promise that this nation would never again be caught unprepared. The Trump administration has now broken that promise. They have already slashed FEMA's workforce by roughly 20%. Contracts for experienced disaster response teams are not being renewed. And despite bipartisan outrage from leaders in states like Missouri and North Carolina — where botched responses to tornadoes and floods left communities without help — DHS has only doubled down, ordering the agency to reduce its workforce by roughly half, with more than 10,000 additional positions slated for elimination in the coming months.

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Texas goes solo on psychedelic drug research due to private sector's skepticism

The Texas Legislature's decision last year to invest $50 million in taxpayer money on a clinical trial for the powerful hallucinogen ibogaine came amid a rising tide of enthusiasm around psychedelics. Former Gov. Rick Perry extolled its benefits for the treatment of drug addiction and other mental health issues, saying he took ibogaine to overcome anxiety and insomnia caused by head injuries sustained in his youth. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. suggested in June thatfederal approval for the drugs would come within 12 months. Ten months later, the Trump administration has shown little progress on that front. And Texas' Republican-backed effort to get the schedule one narcotic, which carries the same penalties as heroin, approved for medical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, appears to be in turmoil.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced last week that drug companies and state officials have been unable to come to terms on what was supposed to be a lucrative public-private partnership to get ibogaine into U.S. pharmacies. They said the state's ibogaine research would go ahead without the drug companies, which were supposed to match the state's $50 million investment and share a portion of whatever revenues they earned from ibogaine with the Texas government. "We intend to fully fund this program," the House and Senate leaders said, without disclosing what the total budget may be. But in pressing ahead on the clinical trials, which are set to take place at University of Texas facilities in Houston and Galveston, Texas is taking a big risk. Getting a drug approved by the FDAis a years-long process that often results in failure. In 2024, the FDA declined to approve the use of MDMA for mental health treatment after two decades of work by the drug company Lykos Therapeutics. In addition, taking ibogaine carries significantcardiac risk. Patients who travel to Mexico for treatment typically do so in a medical clinic with a heart monitor, the sort of drug therapy the FDA does not typically approve, said Katharine Neill Harris, a drug policy fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

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State Stories

ICE inspection finds 49 deficiencies at El Paso’s Camp East Montana following migrant deaths

An Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) inspection is raising new questions about conditions inside the nation's largest immigrant detention facility. The feds opened Camp East Montana last year, down in El Paso. Since mid-December, at least three migrants have died while in custody there and FOX 4 is learning that the detention site was recently cited for dozens of deficiencies.

Camp East Montana sits on Fort Bliss in El Paso. A report describes the detention center failures in some of the most basic parts of detention operations. From medical care to safety. Now DHS suggests a new contractor will help turn things around. A three-day federal inspection, by ICE's own team, over two days, in February found 49 deficiencies inside the massive detention facility. The report cites problems with medical care, security, staffing, suicide watch checks, tuberculosis isolation and documentation of force incidents. Among the most serious finding failures are tied to use of force and restraints. Since mid-December, at least three detainees have died in custody there. The inspection happened before ICE replaced the original contractor. DHS says a new company will run East Montana with promises, moving forward of better medical support, more staff and tighter oversight.

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Energy Dome, NUAI eye CO2 battery for Texas AI data center

Energy Dome, an Italian maker of CO2 batteries designed to store renewable energy for up to 24 hours, has signed a pact to deploy its technology at New Era Energy & Digital Inc’s AI data centee project under development in Odessa, Texas. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) setting a framework to consider how Energy Dome’s product will back NUAI’s planned deployment of large-scale power capacity to meet the energy demand of its AI-optimised hub. The initiative is aimed at boosting speed to power, cutting dependence on constrained grid interconnection timelines, ensuring the high levels of availability required for mission-critical data centre operations and supporting lower-emissions power generation, a statement says.

The CO2 battery is planned for NUAI’s Texas Critical Data Centers LLC (TCDC). The project, spanning 438 acres in Ector County, will be built in multiple phases, targeting an overall capacity of more than 1 GW over time. Google-backed and Milan-based Energy Dome applies a thermodynamic process with a modular, site-independent approach in which CO2 warms up, evaporates and expands, turning a turbine to generate electricity. The technology uses only water, steel and CO2.

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Why electric big rigs and self-driving semis are flocking to Texas highways

The heavy duty cabless autonomous truck pulls out of a lot onto a quiet street outside a North Austin brewery, flexing its ability to maneuver alongside other vehicles on a public street before turning around, coming back and parking. Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli, whose company built the truck, and other leaders in autonomous and electric trucking say such big rigs soon could be a common sight across Texas. “I’m quite comfortable with the trajectory of the regulatory environment,” he said. “With the environment today, we and other players in industry will be able to deploy tens and maybe hundreds of vehicles.”

Stockholm-based Einride, which became the first company to operate an autonomous truck on a public road in 2019, says it already operates one of the world’s largest electric heavy-duty fleets. Now, the company is putting its self-driving trucks on the road across the U.S. In late March, it received approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to operate its autonomous big rig in Austin — where Einride has U.S. headquarters — after receiving similar approvals for deployments in Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina and Tennessee. A week earlier, it announced that it’s turning a 41-mile stretch of the Texas 130 toll road between San Antonio and Austin into an autonomous freight corridor in partnership with SH 130 Concession Co. Charli said the company is aiming to start testing by the end of this year, then gradually increase testing before moving to commercial operations. Its trucks will join a still-relatively small fleet of electric vehicles operating in Texas. Now, there are only about 250 heavy duty EVs on the road, according to data from the North Central Texas Council of Governments. But that number could grow rapidly.

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CPS Energy to tackle $50 million budget shortfall later in 2026

CPS Energy won’t ask for a rate increase yet, but that means the public utility is looking at a $50 million funding gap through the beginning of 2027 after its board of trustees approved its budget on March 30. The electricity provider moved the budget forward after scrutiny from San Antonio City Council last month and will look at multiple strategies for addressing the $50 million funding gap. The current budget does not include a rate increase, officials said, but rate increases are still on the table in future years as the utility makes large infrastructure investments. CPS Energy had proposed a budget earlier this year that ran between February 2026 and January 2027 with plans to discuss filling that $50 million shortfall by increasing rates for customers. But the utility was cautioned by city council members, who were concerned that, by approving such a budget, the utility intended to propose a rate increase without their approval.

The City of San Antonio owns CPS Energy and rate changes require a city council vote. The utility met with council members on March 4 to discuss the budget and their rates. The budget hasn’t changed since then, but CPS Energy’s explanation satisfied Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, who voted to approve it this week. “When we had this briefing last month, the exact verbiage was this budget assumes a rate increase. With everything our neighbors are facing, the assumption that a rate increase was the only thing that would close the gap was jarring,” she said. “I certainly appreciate CPS Energy coming before the owners, city council, to explain that.” Jones added that the budget now does not assume a rate increase. Instead, the utility will look at other ways of addressing the $50 million gap later this year. “There is a gap of revenues relative to expenditures that we will work to close. There are many ways that you could go forward to doing that,” said Cory Kuchinsky, CPS Energy’s chief financial officer. “That is for a future discussion we’ll be more prepared to have once we get through the summer months and we see ultimately how that revenue picture will manifest.”

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Texas is changing its social studies curriculum. Critics say it's too state-centric

The Texas State Board of Education is in the process of rewriting the K-12 social studies curriculum. The new standards would shape teachers’ lesson plans and textbooks for more than 5.5 million students in Texas. Last year, the board adopted a new framework to teach social studies. Some of the major changes include teaching events in chronological order, emphasizing Texas and U.S. history and deemphasizing world history. But the process of rewriting the curriculum has been contentious. Some people involved have been critical of how historical events are presented, the amount of content teachers are expected to cover in each grade and the Texas-centric approach. Meghan Dougherty was part of a workgroup that provided feedback on the curriculum. She said this is an approach that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the country.

"It's a huge shift. Teachers are gonna have to learn all new content," Dougherty said. "Any lesson plans that they currently have are going to be thrown out." The State Board of Education has appointed nine content advisers to review drafts, provide feedback and make recommendations to the board on the new state standards. Some advocacy groups have raised concerns about some content advisers having a right-wing bias. Dougherty said she is also concerned that most of the appointed advisers do not have experience teaching K-12. "They're writing topics that are being taken as standards for kindergartners and first graders when they really don't even have a good understanding of the cognitive and developmental abilities of 6-year-olds," she said. Dougherty said that while using chronological order makes sense on the surface, the curriculum jumps from ancient history to Texas history. She said jumping around topics will make it hard for younger kids to get a good grasp of history and connect abstract ideas to the present.

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How much money do college athletes in Texas make? Public universities won’t say

As the first college basketball season under a new era of student-athlete compensation comes to a close, March Madness has been marred by concerns about what player compensation means for competition. And it's nearly impossible to get a clear picture of how much money student-athletes in Texas made over the past year, further muddying the picture. Starting last July, schools across the country were permitted to pay their athletes a total of $20.5 million per year in revenue-sharing as part of a multibillion-dollar settlement reached in lawsuits against the NCAA. Since 2021, student-athletes also have been allowed to secure Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals with private entities.

Houston Public Media submitted a set of public records requests to 11 schools in the state for information about financial compensation of student-athletes. We requested per-player pay on an individual level as well as per-team financials on an aggregate level. The 11 schools — including competitors in the men's or women's NCAA basketball tournament like the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin), Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston (UH), Prairie View A&M University, Stephen F. Austin University and the University of Texas at San Antonio — refused to turn over the information. It's an unusual level of secrecy for financial information held by a public institution, and it comes as policymakers and athletic administrators ask existential questions about the changing nature of college sports. Daniel Libit is an investigative and enterprise reporter for Sportico, a digital news outlet covering sports, and a self-described "evangelist of all things transparency as it relates to college sports."

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Lawsuit against Starr County brought by woman charged with murder for abortion pending

After a federal judge dismissed some of the claims in a lawsuit against Starr County officials brought by a woman who was wrongfully arrested following reports of a self-induced abortion. Lizelle Gonzalez was arrested on April 7, 2022 and charged with murder for a self-induced abortion. She was released on bond on April 9, 2022, and Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez released a statement shortly after stating that his office was dropping an indictment against Gonzalez. Since then, attorneys representing Gonzalez, who went by Herrera at the time of her arrest, filed a lawsuit against Ramirez, Assistant District Attorney Alexandria Barrera, and Sheriff Rene Fuentes, and Starr County on March 28, 2024 seeking damages that in the aggregate, exceed $1 million, as well as punitive damages.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton granted summary judgment on the claims against the individual defendants, Ramirez, Barrera and Fuentes, but has yet to rule on the claims against the county. “We’re still in the process of trying to figure out what our plan is going forward with the county, as well as any appellate issues we may have,” Cecilia Garza, one of Gonzalez’s attorneys, said Thursday. “But since we do have claims against the county pending, we only have one appeal. So any appeal would come after finalization with the pending county causes of action.” The motion for summary judgement was signed on Tuesday. Garza said that an appeal will depend on whether Tipton rules in the claims against the county. Garza explained that Tipton essentially ruled that the individual defendants have immunity. “Although we respectfully disagree with the court’s findings, his ruling was that these defendants have immunity, but claims will proceed to the next step as to the county,” she said.

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How new Texas billionaire Thomas Powell grew a $6.7 billion Houston business

When Powell Industries first opened its doors in Houston, in 1947, it was just a metal-working shop, producing products such as portable hammocks, clothesline poles and cattle guards. Nearly 80 years later, the company has grown alongside the city, and has diversified its businessto focus on designing and manufacturing equipment and systems for electrical infrastructure. Today, Powell Industries has about 3,000 employees around the world. Its longtime CEO, Thomas Powell, has recently become a billionaire.The company's market capitalization is about $6.7 billion, and last month, after its stock soared over the past five years, Powell Industries announced that its board had approved a three-for-one stock split, that will take effectMonday, April 6.

Powell Industries was founded in 1947 by William E. Powell. His son Thomas Powell, who started working at the company in 1964, became its chairman and CEO in 1984. Thomas Powell served as the company's CEO until 2008, then returned twice as interim CEO before retiring from that post in 2016. He retired as chairman in 2019, and as a director in 2022. Thomas Powell now lives in Giddings in central Texas, according to Forbes, and remains a major shareholder in the company, which went public in 1974. Last month, he was named to the Forbes World Billionaires list for the first time, with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion as of April 2. Powell Industries began to specialize in electrical infrastructure by the 1960s. The company says on its website that it introduced its first power control room in 1968 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in a project for Union Carbide, now a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. In 1984, it developed its first medium voltage breaker. Today, the company says, it is focused on "designing, manufacturing and packaging equipment and systems for the distribution and control of electrical energy," for industrial customers such as refineries and petrochemical plants.

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UTD students say campus speech feels ‘sterilized’ after SJP suspension

On Monday, March 30, about 40 to 50 people gathered at North Point Park, steps from the University of Texas at Dallas, for a press conference. Speakers—an imam, organizers, a lawyer—took turns at a makeshift podium, decrying the university’s suspension of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organization. For UTD students, the ban signals deeper issues with campus expression. “We’ve got real freedom-of-speech problems,” says Thaden Hill, a UTD undergrad. “You can feel it in the air. It’s sterilized.” Another student, Pari Sarangdevot, describes a disconnect between what the school stands for and what its students are actually experiencing. “That a university that prides itself on fostering the next generation of leaders and being innovative is letting such censorship and anti-student life happen on campus is just really saddening,” she says.

SJP, active at UTD for over a decade, has been banned from campus until February 7, 2027. A notice was sent at the beginning of September, stating that the student organization violated community standards. This suspension follows a months-long disciplinary process tied to a protest during the Spring 2025 commencement ceremony. Organizers say this has only accelerated their efforts—they’ve since rebranded as SJP Dallas, extending their reach beyond the campus. “We knew UTD’s stance on Palestine,” says student organizer Aisha Ahmed. “This was coming. Now we’re a full community group—and growing.” Tensions around student expression at UTD have been building, with students pointing to a series of decisions they say have reshaped how freely they feel they can speak on campus. In June 2025, UTD shut down its school publication The Mercury, after its editor, Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez, was fired over pro-Palestine coverage. He and other students then launched The Retrograde without university funding.

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Reading to stop family detainment

A few feet away from the metal fencing surrounding the South Texas Family Residential Center (which is commonly referred to as Dilley ICE Detention Center) are several stuffed teddy bears and books. Everything one would need for a children’s story time. Only this story time is symbolic, and a call to action for the children just a few yards away being held in the Texas detention center. On Thursday, April 2, a group of national leaders and organizations arrived at Dilley Detention Center for an event they are calling “Read Them Home: End Family Detention.” Organized by a coalition of groups including the 10 Steps Campaign, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, SEIU, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance, this campaign is raising awareness about the families and children held in places like Dilley, while also advocating for the full end of family detention at Dilley and beyond.

It was a strategic launch day, timed with International Children’s Book Day. In addition to holding their vigil just outside Dilley Detention Center, there is a virtual reading challenge that will go on for thirty days. Some of the authors that took part in the virtual event on Thursday included Glennon Doyle, Ilana Glazer, and Greg Foley. The delegation in Dilley, which held their vigil as close as possible to the detention center, included 10 Steps founder Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia state representative and best-selling author. The PBS resident librarian, and the current host of their program Reading Rainbow Mychal “The Libarian” Threets was also at Dilley with community and labor leaders. The Texas Signal spoke with Rosa Lozano, the Director of Immigration Campaigns, for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, who was on the ground in Dilley as well with her organization. Lozano described arriving at the detention center and seeing the barren landscape as “heavy.” Dilley Detention Center is operated by the private prison group Core Civic and is located next to a state prison (Dolph Briscoe Unit).

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J.J. Spaun survives wild-weather weekend to win Valero Texas Open

Rain jackets, not green jackets, were the order of the day at the Valero Texas Open, where defending U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun won a battle with the elements to notch a one-stroke win at the last PGA Tour event before the Masters. Spaun followed his birdie on the 16th hole with a huge drive on the par-4 17th and holed an eagle putt to seal the one-stroke win over a trio of pursuers. Spaun finished with a 17-under-par 271. Robert MacIntyre’s 15 under led the field when third-round play resumed Sunday, but the Scotsman recorded only one birdie through the first 14 holes of the final round, before mounting a late charge with a birdie on 15 and matching Spaun’s eagle on 17. He settled for par on the final hole, however, to finish a stroke below Spaun. England’s Matt Wallace and American Michael Kim also finished a shot behind Spaun at 16-under 272.

The Texas Open isn’t the brightest star in the PGA’s tournament constellation, but it dangles an exquisite prize for its winner: the last spot in the Masters Tournament for a player who has not yet qualified. Spaun’s invitation was already securely in hand. But for Wallace and American Andrew Putnam, who each had turns atop the leaderboard, missing their chance at a first-ever Masters made Sunday’s wind and cold rain even more bitter. It was the second Texas Open win for Spaun. His 2022 victory clinched his first Masters invitation. “It means a lot to come back and win here at a place that’s been so great to me,” Spaun told NBC. Spaun said he’s trying to dial down the pressure he had put on himself this year in the wake of his breakthrough victory at last year’s U.S. Open. “There’s just so much that comes with winning big events like that, like a U.S. Open or any other major,” Spaun said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself this year to start the year, and a lot of expectations. It’s the complete opposite of the mantra I had all year last year that really helped me, so I tried to get back to that.”

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Priest accused of coercing congregants for sex in Texas could have single trial for charges from three separate accusers

Prosecutors say Anthony Odiong exploited his parishioners’ emotional dependency to engage in sexual conduct with them A Roman Catholic priest with ties to Texas and south-east Louisiana and criminally charged with abusing his position as a clergyman to pursue sex with three spiritually vulnerable female congregants faces being taken to trial on all of those cases at once. The Texas district attorney’s office prosecuting Anthony Odiong filed a motion seeking to consolidate the three cases in late March, ahead of a trial date that the Guardian understands has tentatively been set for 4 May. Prepared by McLennan county first assistant district attorney Ryan Calvert, the motion notes that Texas state law allows “a defendant [to] be prosecuted in a single criminal action” if the crimes alleged “are connected or … are the repeated commission of the same or similar offenses”.

And Calvert’s motion maintains that each of the three cases pending against Odiong involves his “exploiting his parishioners’ emotional dependency upon him as a spiritual adviser and engaging in sexual conduct with them”, conduct which Texas law classifies as a felony. Odiong can object to Calvert’s motion in favor of being tried on each case individually. His defense attorney, Gerald Villarrial, declined to comment. Calvert’s three-page motion marked the latest substantial turn in a high-stakes prosecution that authorities in the community of Waco, Texas, undertook after the Guardian in February 2024 published a report on women who accused Odiong of sexual coercion, unwanted touching and abusive financial control while on the clock as a Catholic priest. The defendant ultimately was charged with five counts of sexual assault in the first degree and two such counts in the second-degree stemming from encounters with three women. He could receive a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted of any of the first-degree charges.q

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National Stories

Stephen Miller is still pursuing his immigration agenda, but more quietly

It was May 2025, a few months into the second Trump administration, and Stephen Miller, the right-wing populist powering the White House crackdown on immigration, was clearly frustrated. President Trump had talked about arresting “the worst of the worst” of undocumented immigrants — the rapists, killers and other criminals he had emphasized during the previous year’s campaign. Mr. Miller, however, had long pushed for removing anyone who had entered the country illegally. So when Mr. Miller arrived one day last spring at the headquarters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for an update from agency leaders, an official raised a question on many agents’ minds: Who exactly should they be going after? Mr. Miller was unequivocal, according to three people with knowledge of the meeting. Agents should not limit themselves to dangerous criminals.

Instead, they should stop people with the lowest level of reasonable suspicion, and detain anyone in the country illegally, with warrantless arrests. His message was clear: Push the limits. Eight months later, Mr. Miller did something startling — he backpedaled. His demands had helped set in motion militarized operations on the streets of Democratic-run cities, intensified by immigration agents killing two U.S. citizens protesting in Minneapolis. After initially denouncing one of the slain protesters, an intensive care nurse, as a would-be assassin, Mr. Miller offered a rare concession that immigration authorities might have made a mistake. Now, Mr. Miller, 40, one of the most influential presidential advisers in recent memory and an unabashed champion of Mr. Trump’s hard-line immigrant crackdown, is at a crossroads. He faces questions about how aggressively he can continue to drive the deportation campaign, and how much appetite his party and the country have for tactics that proved successful in helping to boost arrests of immigrants but reignited a polarizing debate over what it means to be American. The administration has toned down its immigration strategy. Federal agents have drawn down from the streets of major cities, and Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary who had become the face of the policy, is out. Mr. Miller even pulled back his public appearances for a time.

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A harrowing race against time to find a downed U.S. airman in Iran

The two crew members ejected from their fighter jet just seconds after it was hit by Iranian fire. The F-15E Strike Eagle, the first fighter jet lost to enemy fire in the war, crashed violently to the ground. The Air Force officers were deep in hostile territory on Friday morning, alone and armed only with pistols. The plane’s pilot was in “constant communication” with his unit and rescued about six hours later by a force that included attack planes and helicopters that came under heavy fire, military officials said. But the aircraft’s weapons systems officer was missing. In the chaos of the ejection — a violent, lifesaving maneuver — he had become separated from the pilot, setting off a vast search that became the primary focus for the U.S. military troops and C.I.A. officers across the entire theater for two days.

This account of the weapons officer’s fight for survival and rescue is based on interviews with about a dozen current and former military and administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operation. Surveillance planes and drones combed the area near where the plane had crashed but could not find the weapons officer or any signs that he was alive, a military official briefed on the rescue said. The military described him as “status unknown,” the official said. On the ground in Iran, the downed officer’s mission boiled down to two words: evasion and survival. Surrounded by potential enemies, he hiked up a 7,000-foot ridgeline and wedged himself into a crevice where he hoped he would be safe until American forces found him, U.S. military officials said. U.S. Central Command was preparing a statement that the plane had gone down and the pilot had been rescued. But just as they were about to release the statement — about 14 hours after the fighter jet was hit — U.S. officials got a lock on the weapons officer’s location via a beacon he was carrying.

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NASA's Artemis II crew readies for Monday's lunar flyby. Here's what you need to know

The crew of NASA's Artemis II will make its closest approach to the moon Monday afternoon after launching from Kennedy Space Center last week. It marks a critical milestone of the agency's Orion space capsule, sending humans on a mission to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. As the capsule loops around the moon, the astronauts will reach farther into space than humans have ever ventured. The Orion spacecraft is now in the lunar sphere of influence, meaning the moon's gravity has more pull on the vehicle than the Earth. At 1:46 p.m. ET, the crew will surpass the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, which was set by the Apollo 13 mission at 248,655 statute miles from Earth. At 2:45 p.m., the crew will begin making observations of the surface of the moon during the flyby.

As the vehicle circles the far side of the moon, communication back to Earth is expected tobe blocked for about 40 minutes. At 7:02 p.m., the crew is expected to have reached the mission's maximum distance from Earth at 252,760 statute miles. The flyby is scheduled to conclude at 9:20 p.m., and then the crew will be on its way home, with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, Calif., on Friday at 8:07 p.m. During the Artemis II flyby, the crew will pass over two previous human lunar landing sites — Apollo 12 and 14. During the lunar flyby, the closest Orion will come to the surface of the moon is 4,070 miles. From that distance, the crew will have a unique vantage point of the moon as a full disc — and the ability to take observations never before seen by human eyes. NASA scientists have identified about 35 geological features for the crew to observe. Working in pairs, they will take photos of the sites and describe them in real time to scientists at Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. "They're going to be absolutely buzzing," said Artemis II lunar science lead Kelsey Young on Sunday. The team will monitor the observations and provide guidance to the crew. "The science team will get to work right away, kind of synthesizing those [observations], and then we'll actually downlink the rest of the descriptions overnight, in advance of a crew conference we'll have the following morning to continue the science discussion."

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FCC eyes changes to live sports broadcast rules amid fan frustration

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is opening the door to a rewrite of its rules for local blackout restrictions on live sports, a move that could be the first step in a potential shakeup of the broadcasting landscape for pro leagues and their media partners. The FCC announced in February it is seeking public comment on “consumer experience” with live sports viewing, noting the rising cost of subscription services and pointing out what it called a “fragmented” modern media landscape. The department’s move comes as polls and social media feedback consistently show fans are increasingly annoyed with the cost and hassle of paywalled subscription services required to view games. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, are suggesting Congress do more to curb the leverage top leagues have long held over when making deals on media rights.

“The thing that’s getting lost in some of this discussion is the broader economics of sports,” one media consultant specializing in streaming told The Hill this week. “The leagues are pretty clearly not interested in doing what’s best for fans. And why would they [be] when people continue to pay to see games on all of these services?” Today, it is more expensive than ever to watch live sports events, particularly marquee events like the NFL playoffs or the NCAA March Madness tournament. Major streamers like YouTubeTV and Roku have largely replaced traditional cable bundles, while more media companies like Disney, Paramount and Comcast have launched direct-to-consumer streaming services largely with pro and college sports coverage in mind. No league is more profitable for major media conglomerates than the NFL, which raked in more than $110 billion with its most recent broadcast rights deal.

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Democratic candidate recruitment is booming, even in Republican districts

Democrats say a recruitment effort to find candidates in Republican strongholds has paid off — even in often-overlooked races down the ballot. In a handful of key states this year, Democrats are running an uncommonly broad field of state legislative candidates, challenging Republicans in races that had often gone unopposed in recent elections. The data, compiled by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, show that in states like Texas and North Carolina, the party has recruited a candidate to run in every state House and Senate district up for election this year. Other states have more Democratic candidates running than any time in recent history. “There’s no question that state Democrats are breaking recruitment records across the country,” Heather Williams, DLCC president, said in an interview. “We’re hitting these markers in all of these important states.”

The success in recruiting at the state legislative level is another force behind the wave of Democratic candidates this election, many of them motivated by an animus toward President Donald Trump. It’s also the product of a party that — eyeing the president’s low approval ratings and mindful that out-of-power parties traditionally do well in midterm elections — says it’s made a conscious effort to recruit candidates in places it previously hadn’t, eager to take maximum advantage of a favorable political climate should the fall’s election go its way. Democrats have taken a similar approach in U.S. House, Senate and gubernatorial races, challenging in places like rural North Carolina, deep red Mississippi or heavily conservative Oklahoma. “The work we’ve been able to do in states is demonstrating that it’s not just in Democratic districts or even toss-up districts that we should be able to run candidates,” Williams said. “It’s in every corner of the country.” Even candidates recruited by the party establishment don’t always run serious campaigns, of course, much less win on Election Day. And many of them running in Republican-heavy districts aren’t guaranteed to receive substantial support from a party with limited resources, leaving them vulnerable to blow-out defeats even in a strong year for Democrats.

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Notice anything different about Jim Jordan? That’s because he’s probably angling for leadership

If Republicans lose their majority in November — and it’s widely expected they will — Speaker Mike Johnson will likely step away from leadership, and many members believe that House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan is laying the groundwork to take Johnson’s place. Jordan ran for the speaker’s gavel in 2023 as a conservative firebrand, with a brash, unapologetic style — and rubbed many of his colleagues the wrong way. NOTUS spoke with over two dozen lawmakers, congressional aides, outside advisers and lobbyists — who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about Jordan — and nearly all of them said there are signs Jordan is preparing for a potential leadership bid by making inroads with the moderate and establishment wings of the party. “He’s done a really good job kind of broadening his base of support,” said one moderate Republican. “He’s gone out of his way to help people and build relationships.”

Jordan has undertaken a near-total rebrand in the past three years. He has traveled the country from coast to coast campaigning for members and candidates who don’t align with him. After former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster in 2023, when Jordan became Republicans’ nominee for a time, his colleagues had hundreds of questions for him. But one in particular got to the heart of why a handful of members would take issue with him leading their conference — and why, after three failed votes, Jordan dropped out of the race. A member asked Jordan at the time why the conference should believe — after years of refusing to help or fundraise for members who did not agree with him — that he would suddenly be helpful. “It wasn’t my job to help you then,” Jordan responded, according to two sources in the room. His response epitomized why so many were reluctant to support his bid for any leadership position at all. They didn’t see Jordan as a team player. For years after he first came to Congress in 2007, Jordan made a name for himself by leading efforts to stifle leadership and, at one point, famously refused to help anybody who wasn’t aligned with the hardline Freedom Caucus that he founded.

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Your Amazon orders may cost more now. Here’s what changed.

Amazon customers will be hit with an extra charge later this month as the e-commerce giant increases fees in response to higher costs caused by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The Seattle-based company notified customers it will be adding a 3.5% fuel and logistics-related surcharge “to recover a portion of the actual cost increases we’re experiencing.” Advertisement Article continues below this ad The announcement comes as the war creates shipping complications and drives up gasoline prices and costs for food and other essential goods. Major shippers including UPS and FedEx also have increased their fuel surcharge rates, as the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel has skyrocketed. The U.S. Postal Service also is introducing a limited-time 8% surcharge on shipping services starting April 26 and running through Jan. 17.

Amazon’s increase takes effect April 17 in the U.S. and Canada for goods from third-party sellers that use its Fulfillment by Amazon services. For those sellers, the company handles packing, shipping, customer service and returns. The charge also will be added to international sales from the U.S. to Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Starting May 2, it will apply to the Buy with Prime program, through which Prime members receive faster shipping on products from partnering third-party websites. The surcharge will be applied on sales in the U.S. and Canada. “Due to the work we have already done together to lower costs, this surcharge is meaningfully lower than other major carriers,” Amazon said. In 2024, Amazon subsidiary Amazon Fresh slashed costs up to 30% on 4,000 weekly rotating grocery items to help reduce inflation-related price bumps.

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Copyright April 13, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved