Lead Stories

Trump’s school choice push adds to momentum in statehouses

More than a dozen states in the past two years have launched or expanded programs that allow families to use taxpayer dollars to send their students to private schools. Now, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress want to supercharge those efforts. Trump in January issued an executive order directing several federal agencies to allow states, tribes and military families to tap into federal money for so-called school choice opportunities. Those can come in the form of education savings accounts, voucher programs, tax credits or scholarships. Trump’s order also aims to expand access to public charter schools, which are free from some of the rules that apply to traditional public schools. Meanwhile in Congress, 24 Republican senators have signed on to legislation that would provide $10 billion in annual tax credits to individuals and corporations who make charitable contributions to organizations that provide private-school scholarships. A Nebraska Republican introduced a companion measure in the House.

Already this year, Idaho, Tennessee and Wyoming have approved school choice programs, and bills are advancing in Kansas, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. A bill in Mississippi died before advancing. Most of the measures still in play would open programs to all families regardless of income, though some states would cap the total amount of money available. Supporters of school choice say it gives parents control of their kids’ education — and an escape hatch if they are dissatisfied with their local public school. Many conservatives, religious institutions and private schools are in favor of school choice, along with some people of color who live in districts with underperforming public schools. “Every child is different. They learn in different environments. There are just so many factors, that I believe that parents should be the ones that make the decision on where their child is going to do the best and have the most success,” said Indiana Republican state Sen. Linda Rogers. A former educator, Rogers has sponsored a bill in her state that would provide additional money to charter schools, which are considered to be a form of school choice. Opponents, including teachers unions, public school professionals and many rural lawmakers of both parties, say such measures undermine traditional public schools by shifting money away from them. “When we start to take from public schools, we’re hurting our kids, our lower-income kids. They will not prosper from this legislation,” Tennessee Democratic state Rep. Ronnie Glynn said during the floor debate on a far-reaching voucher bill in his state.

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Burying Austin's power lines would cost $50 billion (and is pretty much impossible)

Two years ago, after Austin's lush urban tree canopy froze and downed power lines – leaving hundreds of thousands without power – the city resolved to look into a simple solution: burying the power lines. Now, a new city-commissioned study shows that would be damn near impossible. The draft study from consulting firm 1898 & Co. found that burying Austin Energy's network of overhead power lines would cost $50 billion. Cost aside, burying the lines wouldn't be possible in the vast majority of Austin's neighborhoods because of the city's rocky, limestone-laden topsoil and environmental concerns. The report, which was commissioned after blackouts in 2023 left nearly 400,000 Austinites without power, does "not recommend undertaking a system-wide effort to convert existing overhead lines to underground at this time," citing costs and environmental risk.

The Kansas City-based firm didn't rule out the possibility entirely, though, suggesting the city bury some portions of the lines that aren't in environmentally sensitive areas. But the report found 70% of the city is in an environmentally sensitive area. "The cost required for a given underground conversion project in Austin makes it difficult to justify when compared to other alternatives," the report states. Austin's craggy soil would make it difficult to bury lines the mandatory depth of roughly 4 feet, particularly west of I-35. Relocating the lines of telecommunications providers, which typically piggyback off Austin Energy's power lines, would further complicate burial efforts. The study notes that some cities, particularly hurricane-prone cities like Tampa, Florida, have successfully buried some of their critical infrastructure like power lines. In light of the costs and environmental concerns, the consultant recommended Austin take that piecemeal approach.

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State Stories

Texas jail board begins appointing agencies for jail deaths

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards posted on March 24 its first list of third-party law enforcement agencies to investigate deaths of people in county jails. The list’s publication comes after a Star-Telegram investigation found that the commission had not been following state law requiring it to make the appointments for the last seven years. Posted to the Reports page of the commission’s website, the list includes appointments for nine deaths in county jails in Texas since March 1. In accordance with the section of the Texas Government Code that governs the commission, “the following Law Enforcement Agencies have been appointed by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards to conduct an investigation of a death that occurred in a county jail,” reads the heading text included with the list.

The Star-Telegram reached out to Brandon Wood, the commission’s executive director, but did not receive a response. The publication of the list is “a step in the right direction toward transparency in an inherently opaque system that’s designed to protect sheriffs and jails,” according to Krishnaveni Gundu, executive director of Texas Jail Project, an advocacy group. “We look forward to seeing a more comprehensive list of all deaths that are currently under investigation by an independent law enforcement agency,” she said. Dean Malone, a lawyer on the subject from Dallas who notified the Star-Telegram of the list’s publication, called it “a good start,” but said some of the appointments on it are “problematic.” “For example, why would a Bexar County constable be appointed to investigate a Bexar County jail death?” he said in an email exchange. “Families of those who die in Texas jails deserve transparency. They also deserve investigations by agencies which do not appear to be connected to the county at issue.”

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Austin borrower sues Education Department after monthly student loan payments increase by over 300%

An Austin lawyer is suing the U.S. Department of Education for preventing borrowers from repaying their federal student loans based on their income. Ashley Morgan, 35, has been enrolled in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan for the last eight years but when she tried to recertify her income last month, she couldn't. She said that without warning the Education Department removed the income recertification forms and applications for IDR plans from studentaid.gov. As a result of losing access to this type of plan, she said, her monthly student loan payments more than quadrupled from $507 to $2,463. "This lawsuit seeks to hold the Department of Education accountable for pulling the rug out from under a student loan borrower and removing her option to repay her loans pursuant to an income-driven repayment plan," Morgan's court filing states.

Morgan said she reached out to the Education Department, her loan service provider and her congressional representatives. She also filed written complaints with the Office of Federal Student Aid and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. When none of those options resolved the issue, she filed the federal lawsuit last week against the department and Secretary Linda McMahon. Morgan's lawsuit argues that the department ran afoul of regulations it must follow by removing access to forms for IDR plans. "By taking down the forms for recertifying income and for applying for income-based repayment, they have effectively stopped borrowers from being able to access any type of income-based repayment,” she said. “And that’s a violation of the duties that are set forth by Congress and the Higher Education Act.” The Education Department halted access to income-driven repayment plans in February after a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling striking down the Biden-era Saving on a Valuable Education Plan. Eight million borrowers were on the SAVE Plan, but millions of others on different plans – like Morgan – have also been affected. Morgan's lawsuit argues the department is applying the Eighth Circuit's ruling on the SAVE Plan too broadly.

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Sara Stevenson: Texas bills could remove protections for librarians

(Sara Stevenson is a former school librarian residing in Austin.) This Texas legislative session, multiple stand-alone bills have been filed that would make it easier to prosecute educators for the books available in classrooms and school libraries. State Sen. Mayes Middleton’s Senate Bill 412 is among many that would allow parents or anyone living in a district to call the police to investigate a librarian over a so-called “bad” library book. Libraries and librarians have always defended First Amendment rights, which include the freedom to read. In the last school library censorship case to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, (Island Trees School District vs. Pico, 1982), the court ruled in favor of the high school students and their First Amendment rights to access information.

All nine of the so-called “filthy” books the school board had previously removed went back on the shelves. One book was Slaughterhouse-Five by acclaimed author Kurt Vonnegut. The ruling opinion differentiated between library books and assigned texts, pointing out that library books are optional. Libraries must be protected as places for “voluntary inquiry.” Last session state Rep. Jared Patterson’s House Bill 900 passed into law. It restricted librarians and booksellers from purchasing books the state identifies as “harmful material.” Because the bill’s definitions of “sexually explicit” and “sexually relevant” were so vague, and because the bill required library vendors to rate every book before selling it, the law was challenged in court. Two separate judges ruled parts of the bill unconstitutional. Even so, school districts have adjusted library acquisition protocols in order to comply with the new law. The history of affirmative defenses for educators begins in 1973 in section 43.24 of the Texas Penal code. Affirmative defenses protect educators from arrest and frivolous lawsuits over books or materials judged obscene by anyone in the community. Removing these defenses can have serious consequences.

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Forgotten in jail without a lawyer: How a Texas town fails poor defendants

Fernando Padron was stuck in a South Texas jail cell. Accused of stealing credit cards that he used to buy diapers, a bike and other goods for his family, he had not been brought into court or spoken to a lawyer. He did not hear anything about his case for nine months. Finally, in March 2023, prosecutors charged him with a misdemeanor and he was released. But his ordeal had just begun. Over the next two years he would be arrested repeatedly in connection with the theft. He was pressured into a seemingly improper plea deal in one court, only to be charged again in another. At one point, he was in jail for six months before officials involved in his case realized he was there. Padron, 27, is a U.S. citizen with no prior convictions, and his offense was minor enough that elsewhere in Texas he might not have been jailed at all. But he was in the dysfunctional Maverick County court system, where basic tenets of American justice often do not apply.

Officials here openly acknowledge that poor defendants accused of minor crimes are rarely provided lawyers. And people regularly spend months behind bars without charges filed against them, much longer than state law allows. Last year alone, at least a dozen people were held too long uncharged after arrests for minor nonviolent crimes, interviews and records reviewed by The New York Times show. Some defendants seem to have been forgotten in jail. Two men were released after The Times asked about them, half a year after their sentences had been completed. “The county is not at the level that it should have been for years,” conceded Maverick County Judge Ramsey English Cantú, who oversees misdemeanor court. He said he had been trying to “revamp” and “rebuild” the local justice system since he was elected in 2022. “It’s been a challenge for me,” he added. “But at the end of the day it is unjust.” Under the U.S. Constitution, people facing jail time are entitled to a lawyer — paid for by the government if they cannot afford their own — and a fair and efficient court process. But these protections are tenuous, especially in rural parts of America, studies have shown. In Texas, one of the states that spend the least on indigent defense, The Times found recent examples of people held beyond deadlines without charges or lawyers in six rural counties.

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Amid debate on birthright citizenship, Texans in Congress discuss how they became citizens

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar was born in Houston with something neither of his parents had: U.S. citizenship. His automatic status as a newborn American citizen came courtesy of the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 and overruled the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision that excluded U.S.-born African Americans from citizenship. The amendment says anyone born in the United States “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” is considered a citizen of the United States and the state in which they live. “After the Civil War, we said we all want to be Americans,” said Casar, a second-term Austin Democrat. “Doesn’t matter if you’re immigrant, native-born, Black, brown or white. If you’re born in this country, you’re American.”

President Donald Trump signed an executive order shortly after taking office ending automatic citizenship for people born in the country unless at least one parent has citizenship or lawful permanent resident status. U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, R-Woodville, has introduced legislation along the same lines, a bill with 56 Republican co-sponsors, including 12 from Texas. “My parents and grandparents were proud American citizens, and through my Birthright Citizenship Act, I am working to ensure this principle is upheld — reserving citizenship for the children of American citizens and those who follow our immigration laws, as intended,” Babin said in a statement. Given the national debate over birthright citizenship, The Dallas Morning News reached out to members of the Texas delegation to ask, in person or via email to their offices, how they acquired citizenship and their position on limiting birthright citizenship. Those who did not respond included Republican U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington of Lubbock, Lance Gooden of Terrell and Michael McCaul of Austin. Democratic U.S. Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, Henry Cuellar of Laredo, Veronica Escobar of El Paso and Lizzie Fletcher of Houston did not respond.

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‘Striking close to home’: Zoning bills tackling Texas affordable housing crisis evoke emotion

As part of a potential slate of solutions to Texas’ housing affordability crisis, state senators recently examined a bill authorizing the use of small auxiliary residences behind a larger main house. Effectively, the bill would pave the way for more starter homes in existing neighborhoods. Retired Arlington attorney David Schwarte, a representative of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition, told the Senate Local Government Committee accessory dwelling units would “kill single family zoning” by allowing two homes on lots zoned for one. Peter Stuckmann of McKinney, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, said auxiliary residences offer early access to entry-level housing and at least some element of relief for students who fear homeownership is decades away.

The testimony on a lower floor of the Capitol encapsulated just a small portion of what has become perhaps one of the most impassioned debates of the 89th legislative session, encompassing such emotional themes as access to housing and the sanctity of neighborhoods. “When you talk about housing, you’re striking close to home — literally,” said Cullum Clark, director of the George W. Bush-SMU Economic Initiative in Dallas. Few disagree that home prices have soared to unmanageable levels in Texas, in part because of the state’s prolonged economic boom, which has fostered population growth. Median home prices in Texas rose by 40% between 2013 and 2019, the Texas comptroller’s office said in a recent study, citing data from Texas A&M Research Center. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, chair of the Senate Local Government Committee, jolted a recent meeting by reporting that the median age for first-time home buyers is now 54. More than a dozen bills are under consideration, including Senate Bill 15 that cleared the Senate March 19 as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority measures to permit smaller homes in new neighborhoods.

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Incendiary devices found at Austin Tesla showroom; FBI issued weekend alert

Incendiary devices were found Monday morning at a Tesla Inc. showroom in Austin that’s been targeted by protesters in recent days. The Austin Police Department said officers responding to an 8:04 a.m. call to the showroom on North U.S. 183 found “suspicious devices.” They were determined to be incendiary by the department’s bomb squad and removed without incident. Incendiary devices, according to the Department of Justice, refers to weapons or munitions designed to start fires or cause burns or respiratory injury through flames or heat. No arrests had been reported by Monday afternoon and police said the investigation was continuing.

Discovery of the devices comes as Tesla vehicles, showrooms, storage lots and charging stations nationwide are increasingly being targeted by vandalism, protests and attacks in response to mounting frustration over CEO Elon Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration and his leadership of its budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. This weekend, the FBI issued an alert advising Americans to “exercise vigilance” and stay on the “look out for suspicious activity” when in proximity to a Tesla dealership or “Tesla-related entities.” It said earlier this month that incidents targeting the Austin-based company had been recorded in at least nine states since Trump’s inauguration in January. They include arson, gunfire and graffiti. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged people in South Carolina, Colorado and Oregon for alleged involvement in violent incidents targeting Tesla. Last week, President Donald Trump said the U.S. is treating such crimes as acts of domestic terrorism, suggesting on Friday that suspects should be arrested and shipped to a notoriously violent foreign prison to serve decadeslong sentences. His administration has come to the defense of the company and Musk in other ways, as well. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged Fox News viewers to buy Tesla stock and Trump recently announced he would buy a Tesla and checked out various models with Musk in a staged event at the White House.

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Texas AG opens investigation into East Plano Islamic Center development

Attorney General Ken Paxton is opening an investigation into a proposed development in North Texas aimed at supporting the area’s Muslim community, claiming potential violations of Texas consumer protection laws. The East Plano Islamic Center, one of the largest mosques in the area, is planning the development in Josephine, Texas, roughly 40 miles northeast of Dallas. Paxton issued a Civil Investigative Demand into the corporate entity involved with the project, Community Capital Partners. "Under my watch, there will be zero tolerance for any person or entity that breaks Texas law,” said Paxton. “My office has an open and ongoing investigation into EPIC City, which has raised a number of concerns, and this CID will help ensure that any potential violation of state law is uncovered.”

It comes after Gov. Greg Abbott announced on X “a dozen state agencies are looking into” the East Plano Islamic Center’s proposed 402-acre development, which he alleged had “serious legal issues.” The governor did not provide evidence of his claim. Abbott also referred to "foreign adversaries” in his tweet, but did not elaborate. KERA News reached out to his office for clarity on both claims. The project, referred to as "EPIC City," includes a new mosque, more than 1,000 single and multi-family homes, a K-12 faith-based school, senior housing, an outreach center, commercial developments, sports facilities, and a community college. KERA News reached to the East Plano Islamic Center and will update this story with any comment.

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National Stories

Speaker Mike Johnson floats eliminating federal courts as GOP ramps up attacks on judges

Facing pressure from his right flank to take on judges who have ruled against President Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday floated the possibility of Congress eliminating some federal courts. It’s the latest attack from Republicans on the federal judiciary, as courts have blocked a series of actions taken by the Trump administration. In addition to funding threats, Trump and his conservative allies have called for the impeachment of certain federal judges who have ruled against him, most notably U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who attempted to halt Trump from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants. “We do have the authority over the federal courts, as you know. We can eliminate an entire district court. We have power of funding over the courts and all these other things,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday. “But desperate times call for desperate measures, and Congress is going to act.”

Johnson, a former constitutional attorney, later clarified that he was making a point about Congress’ “broad authority” over the “creation, maintenance and the governance” of the courts. Article III of the Constitution established the Supreme Court but gave Congress the power to “ordain and establish” lower federal courts. Congress has eliminated courts in the past. In 1913, for example, Congress abolished the Commerce Court and its judges were redistributed to the federal appeals court, according to Congress.gov. And in 1982, Congress passed legislation abolishing the Article III Court of Claims and U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, and established the Article I Court of Federal Claims and the Article III U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who plans to hold a hearing focused on Boasberg and district judges next week, said he’s speaking with GOP appropriators about what he called “legislative remedies.” “We got money, spending, the appropriations process to help try to address some of this,” Jordan said, without adding further details. Attempts to defund courts will be a major flashpoint in bipartisan funding negotiations for the next fiscal year. But Republicans are a long way from making good on these threats.

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Lead Stories

Trump officials shared war planning in unclassified chat with journalist

Top officials in the Trump administration discussed highly sensitive military planning using an unclassified chat application that mistakenly included a journalist, the White House acknowledged Monday, a development that swiftly drew criticism from Democrats and Washington’s national security establishment. Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said the message thread revealed in an extraordinary report by the Atlantic’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, “appears to be authentic,” and that administration officials were “reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.” The “inadvertent number” belonged to Goldberg, whose article details a robust policy discussion that occurred in the lead-up to a March 15 military operation targeting Yemen’s Houthi militants.

Goldberg reported being added to the group chat, which occurred on the encrypted messaging platform Signal, by President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz. Other participants appeared to include Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and several other senior aides, the Atlantic article says. Hughes, the National Security Council spokesman, characterized the discussion as “a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials” executing Trump’s national security strategy. But the disclosure immediately raised questions about how the administration has discussed classified national security matters and whether anyone will be disciplined. Senior Trump administration officials have warned in recent days that they will investigate unauthorized leaks to journalists, citing reporting in a number of publications. Several of them also for years criticized the handling of classified information by Democrats in other cases.

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Cornyn, Cruz ask US Supreme Court to hear MQS's case against Texas ethics watchdog

Texas' U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are supporting a conservative activist and political website publisher's effort to have his case against the Texas Ethics Commission heard in the nation's highest court. The Republican senators filed a friend-of-the-court brief Friday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Michael Quinn Sullivan's 10-year-old lawsuit challenging a $10,000 fine levied against him in 2014 by the Texas ethics watchdog. The commission unanimously found that Sullivan, then the president of conservative advocacy group Empower Texans, failed to register as a lobbyist while he worked to influence GOP lawmakers' votes in the state House and Senate. The senators are urging the high court's justices to consider the constitutionality of Texas’ laws requiring lobbyist registration and fees.

“No American should be unfairly penalized for or restricted from respectfully engaging with their elected representatives, and I urge the U.S. Supreme Court to address this issue,” Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general and state Supreme Court justice who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, told the American-Statesman in a statement. Sullivan appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in January after the Texas Supreme Court in June declined to review two state appeals courts’ decisions upholding the fines. In a two-year investigation, the Texas Ethics Commission unanimously found Sullivan was a "professional lobbyist" who had “direct contact with members of the Texas Legislature and their staffs to influence the outcome of bills, nominations and other matters that were subject to legislative action." In his petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sullivan argues that the Texas Ethics Commission should have less power to regulate political advocacy.

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Trade war explodes across world at pace not seen in decades

Barriers to open trade are rising across the world at a pace unseen in decades, a cascade of protectionism that harks back to the isolationist fervor that swept the globe in the 1930s and worsened the Great Depression. It isn’t just President Trump’s extensive new tariffs, which have set off a barrage of retaliatory measures across Europe, China and Canada targeting hundreds of U.S. goods. Even before Trump retook the White House, many countries were increasing trade barriers, often against China, as they tried to beat back a flood of electric cars, steel and other manufactured goods pressuring their homegrown industries. Now those efforts are proliferating as countries brace for a new wave of goods redirected across the globe by the U.S.’s rising tariff shield. The European Union said this month it plans to toughen measures to protect its steel and aluminum producers from imports diverted from the U.S. by Trump’s 25% tariffs on those two metals.

Economists and historians say the flurry of recent moves suggest the world could be heading toward the largest, broadest surge in protectionist activity since the U.S. Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 touched off a global retreat behind tariff walls that lasted until after World War II. Economists don’t think the world is headed for anything like the Depression of the 1930s, or a rerun of that decade’s collapse in global trade. Average tariff rates globally are still much lower than in the 1930s and 1940s. But they do warn of lasting damage, both economically and diplomatically, as tariffs and other hurdles to trade increase. Among the risks: slower growth, higher inflation and a collapse in global cooperation that further fractures longstanding alliances. The World Trade Organization, which traces its roots to the post-World War II accord among advanced nations to curb the beggar-thy-neighbor policies of the 1930s, has largely lost its relevance as an arbiter of disputes and cheerleader for integration. Trump, who says free trade has allowed other countries to take American jobs and industries, is poised to take his trade fight to a whole new level, risking a much bigger retaliatory onslaught. He has said he wants to tariff imports of semiconductors, drugs and cars and is set to debut a plan on April 2 to hit major U.S. trading partners with “reciprocal” levies linked to tariffs, taxes and other perceived impediments to U.S. commerce.

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U.S. infrastructure improves, but cuts may imperil progress, report says

Increased federal spending in recent years has helped to improve U.S. ports, roads, parks, public transit and levees, according to a report released on Tuesday by the American Society of Civil Engineers. But that progress could stagnate if those investments, some of which were put on hold after President Trump took office in January, aren’t sustained. Overall, the group gave the nation’s infrastructure a C grade, a mediocre rating but the best the country has received since the group’s first report card in 1998. Most infrastructure, including aviation, waterways and schools, earned a C or D grade; ports and rail did better. The group also projected a $3.7 trillion infrastructure funding shortfall over the next decade.

“The report card demonstrates the crucial need for the new administration and Congress to continue sustained investment in infrastructure,” Darren Olson, the chairman of the society’s committee on America’s infrastructure, said on a call with reporters. “Better infrastructure is an efficient investment of taxpayer dollars that results in a stronger economy and prioritizes American jobs.” The report, which is now released every four years, has long noted that the United States spends too little on infrastructure. But that started to change in 2021, the group said, thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which authorized $1.2 trillion in funding under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. That investment is showing results, with grades having improved since the last report, in 2021, for nearly half the 18 categories that the group tracks. But in January, Mr. Trump froze much of the funding under that law and another aimed at addressing climate change, pending a review by his agencies. That halted a variety of programs, including those intended to help schools, farmers and small businesses.

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State Stories

Ethics filings offer never-before-seen peek into Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta's financials

As Houston billionaire businessman Tilman Fertitta awaits confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, newly filed ethics documents offer a unique insight into the diverse holdings of one of the richest people in Houston. The filings with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics show that Fertitta earns a salary of around $1.8 million a year in his day job as the head of Fertitta Entertainment, the conglomerate that serves as an umbrella for his companies including the Landry's Inc. the restaurant group and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. In addition to core holdings such as restaurants, real estate and sports teams, Fertitta generates millions of dollars in income from investments each year, while carrying some hefty liabilities. Here's some highlights from the recent filing, which contain ranges, not specific values. For the purposes of this report, the lowest value was used in calculations, and so the true totals can be expected to be higher.

Fertitta reported annual dividends of at least $5 million as owner of Fertitta Entertainment, which was valued at more than $50 million. And he reported dividends of more than $6 million courtesy of his investments in publicly traded companies including Wynn Resorts, the luxury casino chain. Interest on Fertitta's holdings brought in at least $430,006, according to the disclosure, and Fertitta realized capital gains of at least $100,202. Fertitta's reported investments, which run the gamut from real estate to software to sports, gaming and entertainment, are worth at least $279 million, the disclosure shows. Notable positions include stakes of at least $50 million in Wynn Resorts and DraftKings, the sports betting company based in Massachusetts. Fertitta also has at least $25 million invested in Tegna Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett, and Penn Entertainment, a gaming company that runs a casino loyalty program. Fertitta's report also shows significant liabilities, of at least $540 million, including more than $250 million in mortgages on several investment properties. He owes at least $80 million on several business aircraft loans, the form shows, and at least $100 million on yacht-related loans. All things considered, however, Fertitta is in a reasonable position to carry more than half a billion dollars' worth of debt: his net worth stands at about $10.9 billion this month, according to Forbes' real-time billionaires list.

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Tilman Fertitta would step down from UH System board as ambassador to Italy

Tilman J. Fertitta will resign from the University of Houston System Board of Regents if confirmed as U.S. ambassador to San Marino and Italy, ending a decade-long chairmanship and 16-year board tenure that oversaw massive athletic, financial, and academic advancements at the main campus. The billionaire businessman's decision was announced through a letter to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, where Fertitta also said he would step down as CEO of Landry's, Inc. and the 600 dining, gaming and entertainment locations the company has grown to include. He said he will not relinquish his ownership interest in the Rockets NBA franchise. A school spokesman says UH has not received a letter or notice of formal resignation and "it would be premature to comment further at this time."

Fertitta has long been an influential part of the University of Houston System, where he attended the main campus' Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Gov. Rick Perry appointed him in 2009 for a six-year term on the system's Board of Regents, which oversees four universities in southeast Texas, and he was reappointed by Gov. Greg Abbott again in 2015 and 2021. He has been chairman since 2014. For one year after his resignation at UH, Fertitta said he "will not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter involving specific parties in which I know that entity is a party or represents a party, unless I am first authorized to participate." Fertitta was named the wealthiest person in Houston last year, according to Forbes, and was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino several months later. His nomination was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations earlier this month, but has yet to receive a hearing.

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Lawmaker kills bill to get rid of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

A state lawmaker has decided he will not move forward with a controversial bill he filed to eliminate the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and transfer its responsibilities to three other agencies. In a statement released Monday, state Rep. Pat Curry (R-Waco) acknowledged House Bill 4938 "might have ruffled some feathers," and added he filed it to foster discussions with TPWD commissioners about proposed regulations of the state's deer-breeding industry. "I felt filing the bill was necessary to get the agency's attention after discussions over proposed regulations on deer breeders had failed," Curry said, adding he had received complaints about regulations from concerned constituents, landowners and deer breeders. "These proposed regulations, all in the name of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) threaten to infringe upon our private property and small business owner rights."

As of August 2024, more than 380 cases of fatal CWD had so far been reported in Texas, a record for a yearlong total already. TPWD has taken sweeping measures to prevent the spread of CWD, sparking criticism from Curry among others. The self-proclaimed rancher, farmer, deer hunter, fisherman and small business owner on Monday also cleared up his affiliation with the deer-breeding industry. "I am NOT a licensed deer breeder, nor have I ever profited from any such venture," Curry said. "My only interest in filing this bill is to protect my constituents, landowners, and the deer breeding industry, which provides over $9 billion to the Texas economy each year." Curry also pledged to work with TPWD "to protect and improve this critical agency by ensuring transparency, clarity, and accountability" when it comes to deer-breeding regulations and other matters.

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Baylor grad seeks to hold the line against Trump’s executive overreach

The road to opposing President Donald Trump’s executive overreach runs straight out of Waco, Texas. That’s the hometown of Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, the legal advocacy group that is leading the charge in federal court against Trump’s blizzard of executive orders — and winning. Her Washington-based organization has filed about 30 lawsuits against the Trump administration in the past eight weeks. Perryman’s political education began by watching what Republicans Karl Rove and Tom DeLay did to her home Congressional district in Central Texas, she recently told Texas Monthly. While the antics of Rove and DeLay may seem mild compared to the Trump era of the Republican Party, they were a wake-up call to Perryman as a future litigator.

“We saw the use of culture-war tactics … the misrepresentation of the nature of reproductive health care and academic freedom — the ability to read and think and engage with ideas,” she told Texas Monthly. “There was also an attempt to misappropriate religion. I saw the opposition impose a narrow and rigid religiosity. Those are all parts of the playbook.” In the runup to the 2024 presidential election, she and her staff of lawyers took seriously the threat of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation-funded playbook for a second Trump administration. And they began crafting their own ideas on how to stop Project 2025 if Trump were elected and began implementing it, she told Huffington Post recently. “A big reason this organization has been so adept at countering Trump in court is because it spent the last 18 months gaming out legal strategies for responding to countless policy plans laid out in Project 2025, the far-right policy blueprint that the Heritage Foundation put together in preparation for a second Trump presidency,” the news outlet reported. “Democracy Forward staff indexed the entire 900-page policy playbook, broke it down into different categories, put it in a spreadsheet and meticulously laid out what legal actions they should prepare to take based on how the Trump administration was likely to proceed with various policies, whether it be through executive orders, statutes or regulations.

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Dallas Morning News Editorial: Will this bill finally get cellphones banned in Texas classrooms?

Here’s an experience most adults are familiar with: You’re focused on a task or a conversation when the phone in your pocket buzzes. Snap! Your focus is broken, and even if you choose to ignore the noise, that momentary lapse throws you off. If that’s all it takes to distract an adult, how can we expect kids to be focused on learning when they have the same devices with them all the time? House Bill 1481, filed by 26-year-old Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, would require Texas public school districts and charter schools to adopt policies that prevent the use of “personal wireless communication devices during instructional time.” Cellphones and other internet-enabled devices that aren’t provided by the school for instructional purposes would be covered under the bill. Each district would have to ensure that classrooms have a secure, out-of-sight area for storing devices during class time. It’s likely the bill’s language will be refined as it moves through the legislative process.

There are many people who oppose phone bans, and there’s myriad reasons they do. A statewide phone ban in schools will be an experiment, and you can expect some hiccups. But the expected benefits outweigh the concerns. There’s no question that the unhealthy relationship most students have with their devices leads to class disruptions and lost focus. If it’s possible to at least limit the damage done to the kids, it’s worth a shot. Passing this bill is some of the most important work lawmakers can do this session. Even now, most districts don’t allow students to use phones in class. But enforcing such policies is a problem. The teachers who try spend too much time getting students to put them away. The more lax ones get a reputation for being “cool” even though the distractions mean students get less out of that class. Either way, that’s lost time students should spend learning. At campuses like those in Richardson ISD that have gone phone-free, the benefits have been clear. More person-to-person interactions, increased instruction time, less cyberbullying, fewer discipline instances and in some cases, even better teacher retention. One note of caution is that lawmakers should help schools meet the requirements under this proposal. We assume that creating a “secure, out-of-sight area” in every classroom will cost some amount of money. And if legislators plan to start funneling money into private schools, it should think about how this proposed statewide policy would apply to those schools.

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More than 80 bills filed on LGBTQ issues in Texas Legislature reveal lawmakers' focus

Republicans in the Legislature filed more than 80 bills that would affect LGBTQ Texans, including many focused on public schools that would impact students, teachers and staff. Sex education and gender identity are a particular focus. Republican lawmakers filed a range of bills to ban teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity, limit the ability of teachers and students to discuss sex and gender outside the classroom, outlaw support for gender transitions and protect employees who refer to transgender students by their biological sex. With so many other legislative priorities to tackle in the remaining 10 weeks of session, it’s likely only a few of these proposals will receive significant consideration inside the Capitol.

But the vast number of bills filed signals Republicans intend to do more on LGBTQ issues after banning gender-affirming care for minors and barring transgender people from competing in college athletics based on their gender identity instead of their biological sex in 2023. Advocates see parental rights bills as common-sense legislation that’s most likely to pass. Many of the proposed policies align with the Republican Party of Texas platform and reflect the goals of conservative grassroots activists. “Sexual orientation and gender identity policies, they’re not about allowing people to learn and live as they choose,” said Jonathan Covey, policy director of Texas Values, a Christian public policy advocacy group. “They’re used in a coercive way to force those people who don’t agree with them to go along with a radical ideology, and schools are actually a major front in this campaign.” Johnathan Gooch, a spokesman for the LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Texas, said he’s seeing “more and more extreme” bills filed each session, likening the influx to President Donald Trump’s flood-the-zone strategy of governance. “The hope is that it will overwhelm people, and people will just surrender and throw their hands up in the air,” Gooch said. One Republican House bill proposes a ban on human sexuality instruction from prekindergarten through eighth grade. Others would ban such instruction from pre-K through 12th grade.

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Judge: Texas A&M can’t ban drag shows on campus

Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas ruled that a campus drag ban at Texas A&M is unconstitutional. As a result of the ruling an upcoming drag show known as “Draggieland” will proceed on Thursday, March 27. In February, Texas A&M regents announced that they were banning drag shows on all state campuses. The resolution had passed during a special meeting unanimously after executive orders targeting diversity, equity, inclusion programs on colleges were announced by the Trump White House. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression filed a lawsuit against the drag ban on behalf of the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council, who is sponsoring Draggieland. Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his office was defending the A&M board in the lawsuit. He also referred to drag shows as “offensive and obscene.”

Rosenthal, who was appointed by George H.W. Bush, noted in her ruling that A&M’s ban was a blatant violation of the First Amendment. “The Board, and some members of the A&M community, are offended by the Draggieland performance,” wrote Rosenthal. “To ban the performance from taking place on campus because it offends some members of the campus community is precisely what the First Amendment prohibits.” In a statement after the ruling, an attorney for FIRE applauded Rosenthal’s decision and described it as a “victory” for the First Amendment. “State officials should stop trying to score political points at the expense of students’ First Amendment rights,” said attorney Adam Steinbaugh. The Queer Empowerment Council of Texas A&M also said they were “overjoyed” with the decision. “While this fight isn’t over, we are going to appreciate the joy we get to bring by putting on the best show that we can do,” they said in a statement. Draggieland is set to take place Thursday at Rudder Theater.

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Section 504 protections come under threat from Texas lawsuit

When Adrienne Haynes’ oldest son, Nathan, was in elementary school, he struggled academically. In the morning, he’d be a bundle of energy. But at a certain point in the day, he’d hit a wall, and he’d have a hard time staying focused, or even just staying awake. Eventually, Nathan was diagnosed with ADHD, and Haynes had him put on medication to help manage the symptoms. The drugs helped, she said, but school was still a challenge. It wasn’t that he wasn’t capable, she said. He just wasn’t keeping up. “The teachers would always say, ‘He can do the work, he can do the work,’” she said. “But at the end of the day, he wasn’t performing.” The struggle continued until Nathan reached fourth grade. One day, his teacher pulled Haynes aside and suggested she look into having him placed on a 504 Plan, which would give him accommodations and other support that might help him do better in school.

Today, Nathan is a graduating senior at South Hills High School in the Fort Worth Independent School District. Haynes doubts he would have gotten this far without the extra support his 504 Plan guarantees — accommodations like extra time to work on assignments and tests, the ability to move to another room while he’s working and the ability to have a teacher read assignment instructions and test questions to him verbally. But disability rights advocates say those protections are under threat from a multi-state lawsuit, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, that seeks to overturn the federal law that guarantees them. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits employers and organizations that receive federal funding from discriminating against people with disabilities. It requires school districts to ensure that students with disabilities have access to a “free and appropriate public education” — that is, instruction that’s designed to prepare them for employment, further education and living independently. About 1.6 million students nationwide, including about 400,000 in Texas and 4,356 in Fort Worth ISD, get services under Section 504. Paxton, joined by attorneys general for 16 other states, sued the Biden administration last year, asking courts to declare Section 504 unconstitutional. Last month, the plaintiffs released a status report saying that the 17 states weren’t seeking to have Section 504 thrown out in its entirety. But the plaintiffs also wrote that they weren’t amending or dropping the suit. Advocates say the status report doesn’t mean anything substantial, and that the lawsuit still represents an attack on the rights of disabled Americans. The lawsuit is paused for now. The parties have been ordered to file another joint status report by April 21.

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Legislature considering new bill to create special account for 'Ike Dike'

A new bill before the Texas House of Representatives would create a special account in the state's treasury for the Coastal Texas Project, the complicated, near-mythical flood-control system better known as the 'Ike Dike.' Representatives discussed the bill during a House Committee on Natural Resources hearing earlier this week, Houston Public Media reported. Under the name Gulf Coast Protection Account, the new account would be administered by the General Land Office. The Ike Dike is a joint project between the federal government, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Gulf Coast Protection District, which the legislature created in 2021 to oversee coastal projects.

The latest cost estimate for the project is $57 billion, which would be split 65-35 between the federal government and the state. Although the State of Texas approved $550 million during the 2023 legislative session, adding to a previously approved $400 billion, that year Congress rejected U.S. Rep. Randy Weber's (R-Galveston) request to include $100 million for the project in the next federal budget. The new bill is nearly identical to one author Dennis Paul (R-Houston) introduced during the 2023 session. It passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott, who called it too vague. (Paul's District 129 consists of part of Pasadena, Friendswood, and a healthy chunk of the Clear Lake area.) "Unfortunately, the bill's text would require the deposit of any federal money the State receives for coastal protection into an account that can be spent only on a small portion of the Gulf Coast, if at all," read Abbott's veto proclamation (italics the governor's). "I look forward to working with the author on enacting language that will achieve its intended purpose."

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Texas may need more energy to treat Permian wastewater than most states use

As Texas stares down a water shortfall, its leaders are looking at vast volumes of brown, briny oil field wastewater as a possible source of future supply. They don’t have many other options. But extracting clean water from this toxic slurry will require enormous amounts of energy, new demand that comes as Texas already is fighting to keep up with the rapidly growing power demands of a high-tech industrial buildout. At current efficiency levels, treating all the effluent of the West Texas oil field would require up to 26 gigawatts of power, more than the total generation capacity of most U.S. states. Even if operators achieved their ambitious target efficiencies, the Permian Basin would still need an additional 5 gigawatts, enough to power about 5 million average American homes.

“It’s just more power needed when we’re already stressed,” said Doug Robison, a longtime fracking executive whose new company, Natura Resources, plans to use small nuclear reactors to treat the wastewater. “We need to add water back into the state’s supply.” Leaders in Texas are scrambling to head off water shortages predicted by the year 2030 with few new water sources to tap. Meanwhile, wastewater volumes in Texas’ Permian Basin, the nation’s most productive oil field, have increased sharply in recent years to a staggering 25 million barrels, or about a billion gallons, per day, according to findings that a state-funded research group, the Texas Produced Water Consortium, will present to lawmakers this month. “It’s a lot of water,” said Shane Walker, director of the Consortium at Texas Tech University. “Instead of just throw it away, we could treat it and recover some.”

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State lawmakers considering legislation to improve law enforcement protocols and response to mass shootings at schools

State lawmakers are considering legislation to improve the emergency response to active shooters at schools. On Wednesday, the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs heard testimony on House Bill 33, which aims to address gaps in response to police failures during the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. An 18-year-old gunman freely entered the school and holed up in a classroom, where he killed 19 students and two teachers. Freshman State Rep. Don McLaughlin (R-Uvalde), who was the mayor of Uvalde when the shooting happened, introduced the bill, which he calls the "Uvalde Strong Act." As mayor, McLaughlin witnessed the chaos and botched response in Uvalde firsthand.

"The shooter remained inside a classroom full of students while nearly 400 officers from just about every law enforcement agency stood outside, unsure how to act," McLaughlin said. "Tragically, students and teachers died waiting to be rescued." Officers treated the incident as a barricaded suspect rather than an active shooter. For 70-plus minutes, they waited in hallways and outside the school before going into the classroom where they eventually shot and killed the gunman. "I witnessed the confusion, the delay and the tragic cost of hesitation when every second counted," McLaughlin said. "We must overhaul our approach to school safety and active shooter situations. We cannot afford to repeat the catastrophic mistakes made during the response." HB 33 requires school districts to meet annually with state and local law enforcement to plan for active shooter situations and other emergencies. It also mandates that law enforcement agencies convene annually for active shooter training exercises.

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Pam Bondi warns Rep. Jasmine Crockett to 'tread carefully' over call for Elon Musk to be 'taken down'

Attorney General Pam Bondi warned Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to "tread very carefully," days after the Democrat got attention from Trump allies for suggesting Elon Musk should be "taken down." "She is an elected public official, so she needs to tread very carefully because nothing will happen to Elon Musk, and we are going to fight to protect all the Tesla owners throughout this country," Bondi vowed on this week's "Sunday Morning Futures." She reiterated her previous pledge that widespread violence against Tesla owners and dealerships — which have seen electric vehicles engulfed in flames and defaced with hostile imagery — will "come to a stop."

Crockett's under-fire remarks came during a nationwide call with the Tesla Takedown movement, a self-described "peaceful protest platform" calling for Tesla owners to sell their vehicles and for all to dump their stock in the EV provider. "On March 29, it’s my birthday," Crockett told the group in reference to an upcoming "Global Day of Action" intended to hit back at the company. "All I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down," she added. "I have learned, as I serve on the DOGE Oversight committee, that there is only one language that the people that are in charge understand right now, and that language is money."

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City Stories

San Antonio races to shore up 'social safety net' under Trump

In a Hail-Mary attempt to protect the “social safety net” of one of the poorest large cities in the country, San Antonio’s City Council is punting plans to take a hard look at the way the city funds local nonprofits. San Antonio saw a proliferation of nonprofits set up shop during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide services like mental health, housing and nutritional assistance to the community. As pandemic relief dollars started to dry up, this year city leaders envisioned starting to pare down its support to those groups — until the budget-slashing start to President Donald Trump’s administration threatened to freeze federal grants that many local nonprofits rely on.

Against that backdrop, the City Council agreed Wednesday to put off planned changes, and extend the existing competitive nonprofit grants for at least eight months. “Obviously there’s a tremendous amount of impact currently being absorbed by actions at the federal level … particularly in vulnerable communities and cities with a higher proportion of vulnerable communities, like San Antonio,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said at Wednesday’s council meeting. “There is no alternative for us other than to ensure that there is an adequate social safety net in this community,” he said. “Otherwise, all other priorities begin to break down.” Just a month ago, the city’s Department of Human Services, which administers the grants to nonprofits, came before the council proposing changes for the coming year’s nonprofit grants, such as adjusting the funding priorities, issuing longer contract terms and raising the minimum grant award, which would mean fewer grants to go around.

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National Stories

Trump pledges auto, pharma tariffs in ‘near future,’ sowing more trade confusion

President Donald Trump on Monday said he will soon announce tariffs targeting automobiles, pharmaceuticals and other industries, signaling his plans to pile more sweeping duties on top of his forthcoming “reciprocal tariffs.” “We’ll be announcing cars very shortly,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting. “We already announced steel, as you know, and aluminum.” “We’ll be announcing pharmaceuticals at some point,” he said, “because we have to have pharmaceuticals.” “So we’ll be announcing some of these things in the very near future, not the long future, the very near future,” Trump said. Trump at another White House event later Monday added the lumber and semiconductor industries to his list, saying tariffs on those two sectors would come “down the road.”

Yet even as he piled on new sectors for potential tariffs, Trump said at the same event that he “may give a lot of countries breaks” on the reciprocal tariffs, which are set to take effect April 2. When pressed for clarification on whether sectoral tariffs will also start that day, Trump initially said, “Yeah, it’s going to be everything.” Then he said, “but not all tariffs are included that day.” He also hinted that tariffs on autos may be announced before the reciprocal tariffs kick off. “We’ll be announcing that fairly soon over the next few days, probably, and then April 2 comes, that’ll be reciprocal tariffs,” he said. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the White House was likely to exclude industry-specific tariffs from the April 2 batch, despite Trump’s suggestion a week earlier that both types of tariffs would start the same day.

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Lobbyist and government contractor bought JD Vance’s home gor $170,000 over asking price

A government contractor and lobbyist who served in President Donald Trump’s first administration bought Vice President JD Vance’s Virginia home in an above-market deal, a sale his spokesperson says was based on the market. A company registered in Nevada named 9 EDR LLC, with Christopher Garcia listed as its managing member, purchased Vance’s home in Alexandria, Virginia on March 14 for $1.9 million—about $170,000 over the asking price, according to government records and real estate listings.

Garcia served as a political appointee in Trump’s Commerce Department from 2017 to 2018—The Washington Post reported at the time that he left after being denied a permanent security clearance, a report a spokesperson for Garcia told Forbes was “categorically false.” Garcia is now the CEO of Health Supply US, which has received $179 million in government contracts, primarily from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security for personal protective equipment. Garcia is also a consultant for the Livingston Group, a government relations firm, where he helps “clients in navigating complex domestic and international business and policy arenas,” although Senate records show he has not registered as a lobbyist since 2021. A spokesperson for Garcia told Forbes that the purchase was an arm’s-length transaction and the offer was based solely on market factors, adding that Garcia has no relationship with the seller and there was never any direct communication between the two. A spokesperson for Vance did not respond to a request for comment.

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Takeaways from federal appeals court hearing on Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act

The Justice Department pressed a federal appeals court on Monday to lift a judge’s temporary block against President Donald Trump’s use of a sweeping wartime authority to quickly deport alleged members of a Venezuelan gang. The nearly hour-long hearing before the US DC Circuit Court of Appeals was the latest front in what has become a bitter fight between the administration and the targets of a proclamation Trump signed earlier this month invoking the Alien Enemies Act to summarily remove them from the US. It’s unclear how the three-judge panel considering the Trump administration’s request to put on hold a pair of lower-court orders will rule, or how quickly that ruling will come. Two members of the panel – one liberal, one conservative – peppered attorneys for both sides with a series of questions on various issues central to the case, including whether the individuals subject to Trump’s proclamation lacked any due process rights that would give them a chance to defend against claims that they are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua – and what the appropriate place for such complaints to be raised is. But one member of the panel – Judge Karen Henderson, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush – did not ask any questions during the proceedings. Here are the key takeaways from the appeals court hearing:

Judge Patricia Millett, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, was the most active member of the panel on Monday, starting her line of questioning before Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign could even finish his opening arguments. Throughout the hearing, Millett voiced her concern with how Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act deprived those targeted by the president with any due process rights to challenge the government’s allegation that they’re members of the gang. Judge Justin Walker, who was put on the bench by Trump during his first term, appeared to agree that the individuals challenging the president’s use of the Alien Enemies Act deserved a chance to challenge their removal under the act, but seemed less persuaded that the wholesale challenge to Trump’s proclamation could be brought and reviewed by the federal court in Washington under the Administrative Procedure Act. Instead, Walker repeatedly indicated that he believed the individuals singled out for deportation under the AEA should be able to funnel their removal challenges through habeas complaints brought in the district courts where they’re being detained. The argument is one also being pushed the Trump administration. At one point the judge said that the claims being raised by some migrants that they’re not members of Tren de Aragua can be made – just in the “right” court and “the right court is in Texas, not here.”

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USPS head Louis DeJoy steps down as Trump officials consider Postal Service overhaul

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is stepping down, the head of the country's mail service confirmed in a statement on Monday. Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino is set to head the U.S. Postal Service until the USPS governing board names a successor. "I believe strongly that the organization is well positioned and capable of carrying forward and fully implementing the many strategies and initiatives that comprise our transformation and modernization," DeJoy said in the statement released Monday evening, which referred to his "intention to retire." Last month, he asked the USPS Board of Governors in a letter to start a search for a new postmaster general. DeJoy's exit comes after he agreed this month to allow the DOGE team of President Trump's billionaire adviser Elon Musk to help find "further efficiencies" at USPS.

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23andMe has filed for bankruptcy. What could happen to users' genetic data?

Over the weekend, genetic testing and biotechnology company 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Founded in 2006, the company became popular with millions of Americans who sent in samples of saliva with the promise of learning about their ancestry and genetic health predispositions. However, following a class-action settlement from a data breach, the resignation of the entire board of independent directors, layoffs and its drug development division closure, the firm has experienced business troubles and said it may be looking for a buyer. "The Company intends to continue operating its business in the ordinary course throughout the sale process," 23andMe said in a statement this week. "There are no changes to the way the Company stores, manages, or protects customer data."

23andMe directed ABC News to its statement in a request for comment as well as to an open letter to its customers. The bankruptcy filing has led to concerns over what will happen to the personal and genetic information of 23andMe's more than 15 million consumers worldwide. "I don't think they ever built sufficient consent into people sending them information, saying, 'We'll do our best to protect it, but we can't promise,"' Dr. Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told ABC News. "So, what you might have thought was safe and secure is clearly not, as the bankruptcy is making clear now, but hasn't been from the beginning," he added. Anya Prince, a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law with research interests in health and genetic privacy, said what happens to the data 23andMe collects is covered by the company's privacy policy. In the event of a bankruptcy or sale, a user's 23andMe data can go to a new company or be sold in bankruptcy, Prince noted.

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Greenlanders unite to fend off the US as Trump seeks control of the Arctic island

Lisa Sólrun Christiansen gets up at 4 a.m. most days and gets to work knitting thick wool sweaters coveted by buyers around the world for their warmth and colorful patterns celebrating Greenland’s traditional Inuit culture. Her morning routine includes a quick check of the news, but these days the ritual shatters her peace because of all the stories about U.S. President Donald Trump’s designs on her homeland. “I get overwhelmed,’’ Christiansen said earlier this month as she looked out to sea, where impossibly blue icebergs floated just offshore. The daughter of Inuit and Danish parents, Christiansen, 57, cherishes Greenland. It is a source of immense family pride that her father, an artist and teacher, designed the red-and-white Greenlandic flag. “On his deathbed he talked a lot about the flag, and he said that the flag is not his, it’s the people’s,” she said. “And there’s one sentence I keep thinking about. He said, ‘I hope the flag will unite the Greenlandic people.’’’

Greenlanders are increasingly worried that their homeland, a self-governing region of Denmark, has become a pawn in the competition between the U.S., Russia and China as global warming opens up access to the Arctic. They fear Trump’s aim to take control of Greenland, which holds rich mineral deposits and straddles strategic air and sea routes, may block their path toward independence. Those fears were heightened Sunday when Usha Vance, the wife of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, announced she would visit Greenland later this week to attend the national dogsled race. Separately, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will visit a U.S. military base in northern Greenland. The announcement inflamed tensions sparked earlier this month when Trump reiterated his desire to annex Greenland just two days after Greenlanders elected a new parliament opposed to becoming part of the U.S. Trump even made a veiled reference to the possibility of military pressure, noting the U.S. bases in Greenland and musing that “maybe you’ll see more and more soldiers go there.” News of the visit drew an immediate backlash from local politicians, who described it as a display of U.S. power at a time they are trying to form a government.

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Some US embassies in Europe post warnings to would-be visa seekers: Watch your step

Some U.S. embassies in European nations are taking to social media with pointed warnings to would-be visitors: Watch your step. Embassies in at least 17 countries have put up posts featuring images of administration figures, including President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, warning those seeking visas that engaging in behavior deemed harmful by the government could get deported. In a post put up by the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia, the message reads: “When you apply to enter the United States and you get a visa, you are a guest. Now, if you are in this country to promote Hamas, to promote terrorist organizations, to participate in vandalism, to participate in acts of rebellion and riots on campus, we never would have let you in if we had known that. You lied to us. You’re out.”

Another post put up by the U.S. Embassy in Budapest has a quote from Rubio, saying, “We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety.” The posts come at time when the Trump administration is clamping down on those with visas, like international students or professors, who have taken part in protests on university campuses around the conflict in Gaza in support of Palestinians and against Israel’s military actions. That’s included taking visas away and putting the visa holders in immigration detention, and blocking people from entering the country. Among the cases is that of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University. At a regular briefing Monday, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce called the warnings “reasonable.” “Follow the law, behave yourselves, be a good visitor and you’ll be fine,” Bruce said. “It’s a visa. It’s not an entitlement. A visa and a green card are not birthrights. These are privileges you’re granted ... because of what you present to the United States.”

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Lead Stories

Dan Patrick has a clear warning for state agencies in Texas after THC, lottery issues

Lt. Gov Dan Patrick isn’t declaring war on the Texas bureaucracy quite like President Donald Trump has with the federal government. Still, it is clear his frustration is growing on two key fronts: the lottery and THC retailers. Weeks after blasting the Texas Lottery Commission for overstepping its authority on how it regulates the sale of lottery tickets, the Houston Republican was taking state health officials to task for allowing for a proliferation of THC retailers — something he said the Legislature never intended when they passed a 2019 law legalizing hemp sales. In both cases, Patrick dusted off his old broadcasting skills from his tenure at KHOU in Houston. He did his own social media investigations to show problems he saw with the lottery sales and THC retailers, for which he partly holds state agencies responsible.

Patrick told me he "absolutely" believes Texas bureaucrats are taking too many liberties and not following the Legislature's intent on important issues. Given that the Legislature typically meets just once every two years, he said there can be 12 to 18 months where “agencies kind of go their own way.” His message to state agencies is for them to be more proactive and reach out to the Legislature when they see abnormalities, like a shocking surge in lottery sales or a jaw-dropping surge in THC businesses opening up. “Part of those issues are when agencies don’t communicate with the Legislature,” Patrick said. “There was no input to us that ‘we might have a problem here.’” The agencies are just part of the issue. In the case of the surge in THC products, state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, said a lot of the blame has to be on an industry that is exploiting loopholes to get around the intent of the Legislature. At their press conference, Patrick and Perry both said the THC products being sold in Texas are often far more harmful to people than the industry is letting on. Reporter Isaac Yu has much more on what has happened over the last two years that has lawmakers vowing to shut down THC retailers statewide. “We’re going to ban your stores,” Patrick said.

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Texas aims to make it harder for city governments to borrow money

Texas lawmakers are proposing a host of ideas to make it tougher for local governments to borrow money — the natural next step in a yearslong effort to take greater control of spending at the municipal level. If successful, bond elections like the ones San Antonio has used to finance hundreds of major projects in recent years will require two-thirds support from voters instead of a simple majority. They would also have to appear on a November ballot, instead of May, as the city has done in recent years. Gov. Greg Abbott set the wheels in motion for such changes in this year’s State of the State address, which are now laid out in House Bill 2736. Unlike some other revenue-limiting measures the state has approved in recent years, it would apply to all political subdivisions, including cities and counties of all sizes, as well as school districts.

“This is a very important taxpayer protection that ensures that a small minority of voters are not responsible for massive tax increases,” said James Quintero, policy director for the right-leaning Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Taxpayer Protection Project, which is supporting the bill. A bond program allows a municipal government to issue debt to finance large projects, using just a portion of their property tax revenues to repay the loan over time. Often, cities are leveraging their future growth, since tax revenues rise as more people move into the community and home values increase. In a city like San Antonio, where the average resident’s income is relatively low compared to other cities, city leaders say bond programs have been a helpful tool to finance community priorities while keeping the individual tax burden relatively low. The city’s 2022 bond program, for example, is expected to finance 183 projects totaling $1.2 billion, while keeping the debt service portion of residents’ tax bills the same as they were before.

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Democrats flip the script, eyeing debt limit to block Trump’s agenda

Democrats in Congress are considering forcing a showdown over the debt limit to rein in President Donald Trump’s vast plans to reshape the U.S. economy and remake the federal government. For 30 years, Republicans have used the threat of a national default to make Democrats negotiate over GOP demands. But as America hurtles once again toward a potential debt crisis, Democrats see an opportunity to turn the tables to cut off Trump’s agenda and take the debt limit off the table in future legislative battles. Last week, the national debt hit the legal limit of $31.4 trillion. (The debt limit does not directly cut spending, but it bars the country from borrowing more money to pay for spending Congress has already approved.) Unless Congress acts to lift or suspend the cap, Trump’s Treasury Department will be forced to stop borrowing sometime this spring. That could trigger a calamitous default, probably tanking the U.S. economy and causing a global crisis.

Republicans control both chambers of Congress as well as the White House and could lift the debt limit on their own. But internal divisions over spending block that path. As the House GOP huddles this week at Trump’s golf resort in Doral to try to resolve their differences, Republican leaders recognize they are likely to need Democratic votes to raise the debt limit — and Democrats know it. “It’s inevitable that they’re going to need us,” Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Massachusetts) told The Washington Post. The question for Democrats is what they want in exchange. It’s a stark role reversal in Washington. Republicans have been weaponizing the debt limit since at least 1995, when House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) threatened to let the government default unless President Bill Clinton gave in to his budget demands. Gingrich ultimately backed down, but House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) picked up the cudgel in 2011, pushing the nation to the brink of a catastrophe that roiled financial markets. The country was two days from default when Boehner cut a deal with President Barack Obama to raise the debt limit and slash spending. Since then, Republicans have repeatedly held the debt limit hostage to secure their demands, including in 2023, when they forced President Joe Biden to claw back investments in the Internal Revenue Service.

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White House narrows April 2 tariffs

The White House is narrowing its approach to tariffs set to take effect on April 2, likely omitting a set of industry-specific tariffs while applying reciprocal levies on a targeted set of nations that account for the bulk of foreign trade with the U.S. President Trump has declared his April 2 deadline to be “Liberation Day” for the U.S., when he will put in place what is called reciprocal tariffs that seek to equalize U.S. tariffs with the duties charged by trading partners, as well as tariffs on sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors he repeatedly said would be enacted on that day. Those sector-specific tariffs, however, are now not likely to be announced on April 2, said an administration official, who said the White House is still planning to unveil the reciprocal -tariff action on that day, though planning remains fluid. The shift was earlier reported by Bloomberg.

The fate of the sectoral tariffs, as well as tariffs on Canada and Mexico that Trump said were justified by fentanyl trafficking, remains uncertain. The White House didn’t respond to requests for comment on if or when any of those tariffs are still planned to go into effect. The focus of the reciprocal action now looks to be more targeted than originally thought, according to people with knowledge of the planning, though it will still hit countries that account for most of the U.S.’s imports. The administration is now focusing on applying tariffs to about 15% of nations with persistent trade imbalances with the U.S.—a so-called “dirty 15,” as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent put it last week. Those nations, which Bessent said account for most of the U.S.’s foreign trade, will be especially hard-hit with higher tariffs, said people with knowledge of the matter, though other nations could be given more modest tariffs as well. Targeted nations are expected to be close to those laid out by the U.S. trade representative in a Federal Register notice last month, which directed commenters to focus on nations with trade imbalances with the U.S., such as the G-20 nations and Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Vietnam and more, said a person with knowledge of the plans.

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State Stories

This bill could help answer a key question about Texas water shortages

Lynn Smith has big plans for the Rolling Plains Groundwater Conservation District. He wants to build massive ponds to help stormwater seep into the Seymour Aquifer, which spans the eastern edge of the Panhandle and where water levels have been declining for decades from overpumping. “We're hoping to store enough water that we can take as much water out of our aquifer as we want,” Smith said. But that effort will require millions of dollars he doesn’t have. A new bill from state Rep. Cody Harris, a Palestine Republican, could help fund the research required to get such a project off the ground – and begin to answer key questions about the state’s drought-stricken future. House Bill 1400, which passed unanimously out of committee last week, would create a new groundwater science and research fund to help groundwater managers like Smith study the aquifers that supply half of Texas’ water.

Many communities in Texas rely entirely on groundwater. San Antonio — the state’s second most populous city — gets all of its water from aquifers. In rural Texas, 99% of drinking water comes from below ground. And yet the officials tasked with managing that groundwater are often operating in the dark, without localized data or modeling to inform exactly how much they can pump before the water runs out. “In most cases across the state, we don't really have a good idea of how much water is actually available to permit or to pump,” said Vanessa Puig-Williams, the director of the Texas Water Program at the Environmental Defense Fund. The state knows with some precision how much water is in its aquifers overall. What is less clear is how much of that water is recoverable. Because water is contained within rock and sand, only between 25% and 75% of the water in an aquifer can be pumped to the surface. But groundwater districts need much more granular data, Puig-Williams said.

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Texas farmers struggle as U.S. denies Mexico’s water request over treaty shortfalls

Facing worsening drought conditions and a dwindling water supply, South Texas farmers have been caught in the middle of a growing water dispute between the U.S. and Mexico. The United States denied Mexico’s request for a special delivery of Colorado River water on Thursday, citing Mexico’s ongoing failure to meet its obligations under an 80-year-old water-sharing treaty between the two countries. This marks the first time the U.S. has formally refused a non-treaty water request from Mexico, according to the Western Hemisphere Affairs division of the U.S Department of State. “Mexico's continued shortfalls in its water deliveries under the 1944 water-sharing treaty are decimating American agriculture – particularly farmers in the Rio Grande valley,” the federal agency said via a social media post on Thursday.

The lack of water in the Rio Grande Valley has already had serious consequences for Texas agriculture, with irrigation cutbacks threatening crops, livestock and livelihoods. The region suffered an economic impact of nearly $1 billion in 2023 due to the ongoing water shortage, according to Texas A&M AgriLife. This eventually led to the 2024 closure of Texas’ last sugar mill, which operated in the RGV for more than 50 years. Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico delivers the U.S. water from the Rio Grande, while the U.S. gives water to Mexico from the Colorado River. But Mexico, like Texas, is also grappling with severe drought conditions. By the end of 2024, more than half the Rio Grande and Bravo River Basin was in moderate to exceptional drought, according to data from the North American Drought Monitor (NADM). Mexican officials argue that they simply don’t have the water to spare. “There’s been less water. That’s part of the problem,” Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters on Thursday. For years now, Mexico has failed to hold up its end of the agreement. Mexico is required to deliver 1,750,000 acre-feet (AF) of water over a five-year cycle, at an average of 350,000 AF annually.

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Texas parents, advocates say special education funding boosts are needed now. Here's why.

As many school districts across the state are grappling with budget deficits, Sarah Hardin feels constant concern about any funding-based service reductions for her daughter, Annie. “In the world of advocating for people with disabilities, you hear, ‘No, that’s not in our budget,’” Hardin said. Hardin, whose 13-year-old daughter has Down syndrome, has been pleased with the services and inclusive environment her Port Neches-area school district has provided Annie. But she worries that, as districts around Texas make difficult budget decisions, quality services could become less available for many special education students. “Parents feel like money being pulled out of our public schools will be taken from special education,” said Hardin, who is the executive director of Arc of Greater Beaumont, a nonprofit that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Hardin was among a group of parents and advocates who gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday to push lawmakers to invest in special education services for students and close the gap on a widely reported $2 billion funding gulf between state and local spending on schools. The funding gap is putting “tremendous strain” on Texas’ public schools, said Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo, director of public policy and advocacy at Arc of Texas. “For too long, students with disabilities in Texas have been shortchanged by a system that has failed to provide them with the funding they need to succeed,” Gonzalez Saucedo said. Rep. Steve Toth, R-Conroe, spoke alongside the families, urging lawmakers this legislative session to prioritize funding for special education students. In 2023, Toth, who has spoken about his own challenges with dyslexia, authored the Beckley Wilson Act, or House Bill 3828, which tightened reporting requirements and clarified needed services for students with dyslexia.

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Rajasi Agarwal: Bible-infused lessons in Texas schools ignore the law and hurt students like me

(Rajasi Agarwal is a ninth grader at Westlake High School.) Starting this fall, a Bible-influenced curriculum approved by the State Board of Education last November will be allowed in Texas public elementary schools. The lessons could reach as many as 7,000 schools and 2 million K-5 students. As a second-generation Hindu teenager in Texas public schools, I find this curriculum worrying. Minority students can feel socially ostracized. Adding lessons that emphasize one religious tradition will increase social alienation for those who don’t identify with that faith. Secular education, which has contributed to maintaining peace in classrooms, is being threatened. Young students rarely understand religious differences between themselves and their peers, in my experience. When a particular tradition — whether a place of worship or dietary restriction — is presented as "correct" or "better," those outside that tradition feel demeaned. Public elementary schools should not teach about the Bible. Period.

The First Amendment mandates the separation of church and state, and the Fourteenth Amendment requires individual states to comply with all other Amendments. The Bible is a religious text. Public schools are state funded. Texas should not be endorsing religious material in elementary schools. Schools are not religion-free, but teachers must remain impartial during instructional periods. Student-led activities during free periods, like my school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes club, are protected. A Bible-infused school curriculum, however, sanctions religious expression in class by teachers and the school. In the case of Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a Pennsylvania school district’s mandatory Bible readings were unconstitutional, even though individual students were allowed to opt out in rare cases.

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Vaccinations are injected with politics as measles spreads in West Texas

The number of measles cases in Texas continues to climb. On Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 309 confirmed measles cases. Forty of the patients have been hospitalized. The West Texas outbreak has grown so vast that the number of cases in Texas in the last three months has surpassed the 2024 CDC count of measles cases for the entire nation. One fact stands out — almost everyone infected with measles is unvaccinated. Meanwhile, in New Mexico, where the measles outbreak has spread, the case count is much lower than in Texas. In New Mexico, it’s more difficult to obtain a vaccine exemption, and the state has a higher vaccination rate. Nevertheless, Texas lawmakers are considering bills that would make it even easier to opt out of getting vaccinated. All of those bills are supported by the political action committee Texans for Vaccine Choice.

The organization has so much high regard in Republican circles that on Feb. 11, on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives, it was given special recognition. "This afternoon I have the distinct pleasure to honor, welcome and celebrate Texans for Vaccine Choice on 10 years of advocacy," said Republican State Rep. Mitch Little of District 65 in East Texas. Little led the celebration of the anti-vaccine PAC. "With the assistance and advocacy of liberty-loving residents of our great state, Texans for Vaccine Choice is now a widely recognized organization. Please join me in congratulating them on 10 years of service," Little said. As the representatives were celebrating Texans for Vaccine Choice, the West Texas measles outbreak was well under way. It was on Feb. 6 that the Texas Department of State Health Services issued an alert that there were six cases of measles in Gaines County in West Texas. Three weeks later, DSHS reported the outbreak had bloomed to 124 confirmed cases and one fatality, a 6-year-old girl. And the number of cases continue to grow due to the high number of unvaccinated people in the area.

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Large crowd turns out for César Chávez March in San Antonio

Thousands turned out on Saturday morning to participate in the 29th Annual César Chávez March in San Antonio. Before starting, the crowd was entertained with music, dancing and guest speakers. Teresa Chavez Delgado talked to the crowd about the legacy of her grandfather. “He was more than a labor leader, he was a beacon of hope, a voice for the voiceless and a champion for justice. He believed in the inherent dignity of every human being, especially those who toiled in the field, the Campesinos,” she said.

Marcher Daniel De Osio is VP for Communication workers of America in San Antonio. “So, we’re here in remembrance of César Chávez and carrying on his teachings and his movement of being for the American worker, being for the Hispanic people and making sure that everybody has equal rights and equal rights in working and labor,” he told TPR. The marchers moved from the corner of Guadalupe and Brazos Streets through downtown and ended at Hemisfair Civic Park, where there were more speeches, music and food.

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Dallas-Fort Worth hospitals stay vigilant amid potential terror threat

Hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are staying vigilant following a social media report about a potential terror threat against health care facilities. The American Hospital Association and the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center issued a joint bulletin Thursday about the post, which reports a possible coordinated threat against hospitals in mid-tier American cities. The groups also said the bulletin was shared “out of an abundance of caution,” even as the information could not be verified at this time. “However, this widely viewed post may encourage others to engage in malicious activity directed toward the health sector, so threats of this nature should be taken seriously,” the bulletin said.

Stephen Love, president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, told The Dallas Morning News Friday that the group takes all threats seriously and that its members maintain great communications with local law enforcement. The council represents 90 hospitals in the region. “We have good security at our hospitals, but everyone here in the North Texas area is being vigilant just in case,” he said. Love added that health care systems in the U.S. have seen cyber attacks, but an unsubstantiated threat of this nature was “not something we deal with every day.” “We have normal security. We have practices in place. We want our patients, families and our staff to be safe,” he said.

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Ted Cruz slams Jasmine Crockett and other Democrats for anti-Tesla rhetoric

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized Democrats for encouraging protests and boycotts of electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla over CEO Elon Musk’s high-profile role in President Donald Trump’s administration. On his Friday podcast, Cruz took issue with Democrats wanting to hurt an American business. He highlighted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz welcoming a drop in Tesla stock. Cruz pointed to U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, participating in a “Tesla Takedown” session that encouraged people to protest the automaker. Cruz played a clip from the Daily Show during which audience members cheered news footage of Teslas that had been shot up or set ablaze.

“Every one of these people knows they’re not just talking about declining to purchase this product,” Cruz said. “They are cheering on Molotov cocktails, violent firebombing and firing guns. And I’ll tell you, somebody is going to be killed.” In his first two months back in the White House, Trump has been pressing forward with an aggressive agenda that includes the work of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency that supporters say is rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies. Critics have taken issue with Musk and his team’s access to sensitive information, the cuts they’ve pushed across various agencies and his potential conflicts of interest. Democrats have been trying to find their footing since Republicans won the presidency, along with majorities in the House and Senate. Left-leaning activities have focused on Musk’s business interests as a key pressure point. Crockett joined a “Tesla Takedown” call in which organizers promoted March 29 as a day of Tesla protests. That happens to be Crockett’s birthday.

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett says Democrats must show more fight

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is urging Democrats to be more ferocious in their fight to resist President Donald Trump’s policies. “You’ve just got to be honest, and you’ve got to be blunt,” Crockett said during a recording for Sunday’s edition of Lone Star Politics, a show produced by KXAS-TV (NBC5) and The Dallas Morning News. “The old way of doing politics has always been to find the perfect way to say it and to make sure that you say it diplomatically. The reality is that we’re dealing with an administration that is lawless and disrespectful.” Crockett, a Dallas Democrat, said it was a mistake to be “nice, friendly and kind” or “looking for a sense of normalcy, when we literally are living in a time that is anything but normal.”

“We’ve got to get comfortable with letting our hair down a little bit,” Crockett said. Crockett’s remarks reflect the growing debate in the Democratic Party on how to best counter Trump and rebound from the 2024 political season that featured Republicans winning control of the White House and both branches of Congress. Democrats, who polls show are unpopular with most Americans, are grappling not only with Trump but also with how to better craft a message and agenda that will lead to winning elections. Crockett, known for her biting criticism and viral feuds with Republicans, contends that Americans want fighters, not status quo politicians. Since she took office in 2023, Crockett has had viral clashes with Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Elon Musk, who is heading the Department of Government Efficiency. “We have to be comfortable with being rightfully outraged in this moment, and I think that there are so many that are not OK with being rightfully outraged, because we are the representatives and so we are supposed to carry ourselves in a different way,” Crockett said. “I won’t necessarily disagree with that, but what I will say is that it is hard for people to believe you if they feel like you can’t feel them. And I think that what they get from me is that they always feel like, ‘Oh, she understands and she feels our pain.’”

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Hundreds march for LGBTQ rights in Dallas

Several hundred people crowded into the parking lot between Cathedral of Hope and Resource Center on Sunday afternoon for a short rally before pouring out onto Cedar Springs Road and marching to The Crossroads. The March for Queer & Trans Liberation, organized by a coalition of more than 20 local organizations with GLAAD’s Texas representative and communications director for Texas Latino Pride Jacob Reyes, was held in response to the ongoing wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation and policies coming out of Washington, D.C., and state Capitols around the country, including Austin where Texas lawmakers this session have introduced a record number — 205 — of anti-LGBTQ bills, especially focusing on anti-trans efforts.

In explaining the reasons last week for the march, Cece Cox, CEO for Resource Center which was one of the orgqnizations behind the march said, “The Queer & Trans Liberation March sends a message to all in Dallas and across Texas that when we stand up and show up for our communities, we move closer to reclaiming justice.’

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Houston U.S. postal workers say privatizing agency would harm rural communities

U.S. Postal Service workers and community members gathered in front of a north Houston Post Office Sunday afternoon to protest against a government proposal to privatize the USPS. Drivers traveling down Aldine Bender Road Sunday may have spotted a sea of protesters wearing red as part of a national protest movement organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in response to President Donald Trump's proposal to move the U.S. Postal Service under the control of the Commerce Department. Trump has also said he would look at privatizing the self-financing agency, which reported $9.5 billion in losses for the 2024 budget year that it attributed to factors outside of management's control.

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a letter to Congress last week that he plans to partner with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to cut 10,000 agency jobs and billions of dollars from its budget, The Associated Press reported. DeJoy also proposed dismantling the Postal Regulatory Commission, which works to "ensure transparency and accountability of the USPS to foster a vital and efficient universal mail system," according to its website. U.S. Rep. Al Green, a staunch supporter of Houston-area postal workers, assured protesters during a speech Sunday that he would not support privatizing the agency and would challenge DeJoy's recent suggestions. Despite calls from Trump to privatize the agency, Green said the decision is up to Congress. "DOGE did not create the Postal Service. DOGE did not create the Postal Regulatory Commission," he said. "It cannot eliminate either of these." Green, in part, blamed the agency's financial struggles and occasional slow delivery times on DeJoy and his 10-year Delivering for America plan to modernize the USPS. He said that, like local police and fire departments, the postal service should not be expected to make a profit to have value.

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The Texas border is the new frontier of film

In the movie The In Between, set in Eagle Pass, a group of five athletic high school boys jog down a dirt road. To their left is a thick brush of reeds that line the Rio Grande. To their right is the steel border wall, looming ominously. “Hey, the Border Patrol, dude!” one says as a car approaches. “He’s like, ‘What the heck?’” another says as they step aside to allow the unmistakable green-and-white pickup to pass. Later, on the Mexican side, a group of elementary-aged boys sit on a branch overlooking the river. “How cool to get across,” one says in Spanish, “When you cross this bridge here, you can see turtles in the water.” The Piedras Negras boys look to the sky in awe as a pair of military helicopters fly over, drowning out the sound of birds and insects. “So cool,” one says before they all jump into the river to swim.

After The In Between screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival in October, an audience member told director Roberta “Robie” Flores that these scenes had caused her to seize up, bracing herself for impending tragedy. To Flores’ surprise, another spectator had the same reaction in Mexico at the Morelia Film Festival. For viewers from the border, scenes like these do not invoke the same tension or sense of dread. They depict a normal part of growing up here: in other words, not much. The high schoolers laugh and continue running. The younger kids swim until it’s time to go home. “Isn’t it funny?” the audience member in Morelia asked Flores. “Our expectation of the border is so ingrained that the whole time I was just waiting for something bad to happen. And then it didn’t, and then you took us to a carne asada. I really needed that.” For Flores, those reactions were gratifying. “That was so beautiful to hear because this is what we’re trying to do,” she said during my recent Zoom interview with her and her brother and producer Alex Flores. “Our plan worked.” In stark contrast to dramatic border thrillers like Sicario, where a cartel shootout breaks out on the El Paso international bridge in broad daylight, boredom is often the worst-case scenario for people who actually live along the border, at least on the U.S. side. And a flurry of new films is now correcting the record.

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National Stories

Trump administration cancels contract providing lawyers to kids in immigration courts

The Trump administration has again stopped payments to attorneys representing unaccompanied minors in immigration courts. This time, the lawyers were notified the contract was terminated. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ordered attorneys to stop work under the contract on Friday. It was the second time in just over a month. The contract affects more than 26,000 children who have been described as some of the most vulnerable in the nation. “Particularly at a time when the administration is expediting removal proceedings that force people through our nation’s deportation system at an alarming rate, legal services for vulnerable children are more crucial than ever,” said Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, in a statement. Acacia is the contractor holder for the services.

The department paused the contract last month under the direction of the cost-cutting entity known as DOGE. The money was restored the same week. This time the contract, which was set to either expire or be renewed, has been partially terminated. It wasn’t clear if attorneys will be reimbursed for the children they already represent. Jonathan Ryan, managing attorney for Advokato, a subcontracting legal nonprofit, described the Trump administration’s strategy as attacking kids on two sides. “It's a pincer move to first step up the enforcement and increase the deportation activities against these children, while simultaneously removing the defense attorneys that they would need in order to preserve any of their rights in that process,” he said. Ryan said most attorneys with current child clients will continue their work even with the possibility of not being paid, but the move cuts them off from future children in immigration detention. The termination came as the administration moves to put unaccompanied minors on a “Rocket Docket” to deportation, said the Acacia Center's news release. It is a fast track to danger.

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DHS revokes legal protections for 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans

The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it will revoke legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, setting them up for potential deportation in about a month. The order applies to about 532,000 people from the four countries who came to the United States since October 2022. They arrived with financial sponsors and were given two-year permits to live and work in the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they will lose their legal status on April 24, or 30 days after the publication of the notice in the Federal Register. The new policy impacts people who are already in the U.S. and who came under the humanitarian parole program. It follows an earlier Trump administration decision to end what it called the "broad abuse" of the humanitarian parole, a long-standing legal tool presidents have used to allow people from countries where there's war or political instability to enter and temporarily live in the U.S.

During his campaign President Donald Trump promised to deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally, and as president he has been also ending legal pathways for immigrants to come to the U.S. and to stay. DHS said parolees without a lawful basis to stay in the U.S. "must depart" before their parole termination date. "Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status," DHS said. Before the new order, the beneficiaries of the program could stay in the U.S. until their parole expires, although the administration had stopped processing their applications for asylum, visas and other requests that might allow them to remain longer. The administration decision has already been challenged in federal courts. A group of American citizens and immigrants sued the Trump administration for ending humanitarian parole and are seeking to reinstate the programs for the four nationalities. Lawyers and activists raised their voices to denounce the government's decision. Friday's action is "going to cause needless chaos and heartbreak for families and communities across the country," said Karen Tumlin, founder and director of Justice Action Center, one of the organizations that filed the lawsuit at the end of February. She called it "reckless, cruel and counterproductive." The Biden administration allowed up to 30,000 people a month from the four countries to come to the United States for two years with eligibility to work. It persuaded Mexico to take back the same number from those countries because the U.S. could deport few, if any, to their homes.

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Number of women who are state lawmakers inches up to a record high

Women will for the first time make up a majority of state legislators in Colorado and New Mexico next year, but at least 13 states saw losses in female representation after the November election, according to a count released Thursday by the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics. While women will fill a record number of state legislative seats in 2025, the overall uptick will be slight, filling about a third of legislative seats. Races in some states are still being called. “We certainly would like to see a faster rate of change and more significant increases in each election cycle to get us to a place where parity in state legislatures is less novel and more normal,” said Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the CAWP, which is a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

As of Wednesday, at least 2,450 women will serve in state legislatures, representing 33.2% of the seats nationwide. The previous record was set in 2024 with 2,431 women, according to the CAWP. The number of Republican women, at least 851, will break the previous record of 815 state lawmakers set in 2024. “But still, Republican women are very underrepresented compared to Democratic women,” Debbie Walsh, director of the CAWP, said. By the most recent count, 19 states will have increased the number of women in their state legislatures, according to the CAWP. The most notable increases were in New Mexico and Colorado where women will for the first time make up a majority of lawmakers. In New Mexico, voters sent an 11 additional women to the chambers. Colorado had previously attained gender parity in 2023 and is set to tip over to a slight female majority in the upcoming year. The states follow Nevada, which was the first in the country to see a female majority in the legislature following elections in 2018. Next year, women will make up almost 62% of state lawmakers in Nevada, far exceeding parity. Women in California’s Senate will make up the chamber’s majority for the first time in 2025 as well. Women also made notable gains in South Dakota, increasing its total number by at least nine. At least thirteen states emerged from the election with fewer female lawmakers than before, with the most significant loss occurring in South Carolina. Earlier this year, the only three Republican women in the South Carolina Senate lost their primaries after they stopped a total abortion ban from passing. Next year, only two women, who are Democrats, will be in the 46-member Senate. No other state in the country will have fewer women in its upper chamber, according to the CAWP. Women make up 55% of the state’s registered voters.

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Former Utah Rep. Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to the US House, has died

Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love of Utah, a daughter of Haitian immigrants who became the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died Sunday. She was 49. Love’s family posted news of her death on Love’s X account. She had undergone recent treatment for brain cancer and received immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial at Duke University’s brain tumor center. Her daughter said earlier this month that the former lawmaker was no longer responding to treatment. Love died at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, according to a statement posted by the family.

“With grateful hearts filled to overflowing for the profound influence of Mia on our lives, we want you to know that she passed away peacefully,” her family said. “We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences.” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox referred to Love as a “true friend” and said her legacy of service inspired all who knew her. Love entered politics in 2003 after winning a seat on the city council in Saratoga Springs, a growing community about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. She later became the city’s mayor. In 2012, Love narrowly lost a bid for the House against the Democratic incumbent, former Rep. Jim Matheson, in a district that covers a string of Salt Lake City suburbs. She ran again two years later and defeated first-time candidate Doug Owens by about 7,500 votes. Love didn’t emphasize her race during her campaigns, but she acknowledged the significance of her election after her 2014 victory. She said her win defied naysayers who had suggested that a Black, Republican, Mormon woman couldn’t win a congressional seat in overwhelmingly white Utah.

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‘Deport every person under the sun’: ICE detains Cubans during immigration appointments

Federal authorities in South Florida have recently detained at least 18 Cubans during scheduled immigration appointments, local attorneys say, highlighting that a group that has historically enjoyed special immigration benefits is not immune to the Trump administration’s intensified mass deportation efforts. In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Cubans who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border have received I-220A forms, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement document that records someone’s release from custody subject to certain conditions. That paperwork does not confer lawful status.

Federal judges have ruled it can’t be used to apply for green cards under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, which lets Cuban nationals get permanent residency a year and a day after touching U.S. soil. Cubans with I-220As must instead seek asylum or find an alternative path to stay in the United States, like a family-based green-card petition. It’s Cubans with I-220As, primarily women, whom ICE has detained at regular check-ins in the agency’s field office in Miramar, attorneys say. Their detentions mark another way in which the experiences of newly arrived Cubans are different from previous generations that widely enjoyed special treatment in the federal immigration system. Under the Biden administration, ICE primarily focused on detaining public safety and national security threats. As long as they did not have criminal records, Cubans with I-220As were not taken into custody. That appears to have changed under the Trump administration. “They were always vulnerable. It’s just somebody has decided to take action,” said Miami immigration attorney Mark Prada. “It’s all discretion and priority decisions. And right now the priority is to deport every person under the sun.”

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IRS nears deal with ICE to share addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants

The Internal Revenue Service is nearing an agreement to allow immigration officials to use tax data to confirm the names and addresses of people suspected of being in the country illegally, according to four people familiar with the matter, culminating weeks of negotiations over using the tax system to support President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Under the agreement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement could submit names and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants to the IRS to cross-reference with confidential taxpayer databases, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of professional reprisals. Normally, personal tax information — even an individual’s name and address — is considered confidential and closely guarded within the IRS. Unlawfully disclosing tax data carries civil and criminal penalties.

However, tax information may be shared with other federal law enforcement under certain, limited conditions — and typically with approval from a court. It would be unusual, if not unprecedented, for taxpayer privacy law exceptions to be used to justify cooperation with immigration enforcement, the people said. The proposed agreement has alarmed career officials at the IRS, the people said, who worry that the arrangement risks abusing a narrow and seldom-used section of privacy law that’s meant to help investigators build criminal cases, not enforce criminal penalties. According to portions of a draft of the agreement obtained by The Washington Post, ICE access to tax data would be limited to confirming the addresses of immigrants with final removal orders. Requests could be submitted only by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem or acting ICE director Todd Lyons, the memo says, and must include the name and address of each taxpayer, the date of their order for removal and other identifying information that would allow the IRS to verify the taxpayer’s identity. The agreement would authorize data verification for people “subject to criminal investigation” for violating immigration law. Representatives for the Treasury Department and DHS, the parent agencies of the IRS and ICE, respectively, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Universities sprint from ‘We will not cower’ to appeasing Trump

When University of Michigan President Santa Ono sat down for breakfast earlier this month with a group of lawmakers from his home state, the message was clear: The school was ready to play ball with Trump’s Washington. It was time for universities to “wake up” and start addressing the reasons why they have lost so much trust, Ono told the bipartisan group in a hotel conference room near the Capitol, according to people with knowledge of the meeting. Ono added that universities should listen to their most “vocal critics.” University leaders, pinned between liberal faculty and the Trump administration, are quietly trying to make friends in Washington amid widespread concerns about research budgets, student aid and the White House’s quest to push academia to the right. During his election campaign, President Trump vowed “to reclaim our once great educational institutions from the radical Left,” and he has moved quickly to target diversity, equity and inclusion programs, alleged antisemitism and anything perceived as “woke.” He has threatened to pull funding from universities that don’t comply.

Columbia University, which came under scrutiny for its handling of pro-Palestinian protests last year, gave in on Friday to a far-reaching list of Trump’s demands after he revoked $400 million in federal funding. Other schools closely watched the days of tense negotiations. Behind the scenes, Columbia officials have had a presence in D.C. in recent weeks, too, often asking lawmakers how to restore confidence in the university, according to people familiar with the meetings. University presidents have poured into Washington this year to meet with lawmakers and try to shore up support. Some schools have handed out talking points about the value of research funding and endowments to high-profile alumni. And they’re hiring new help: More than 50 colleges and universities, including big-name institutions like Harvard, Columbia and Yale, have hired new lobbyists since Trump was re-elected, disclosures show. Stanford University tapped former Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, among others. Duke University and Wake Forest University have hired Richard Burr, a former Republican Senator. Harvard and Nashville-based Vanderbilt University have sought out Ballard Partners, whose principal Brian Ballard is known for his close connections to Trump’s circle.

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Lead Stories

Why Sen. John Cornyn is keeping his cool amid buzz of a primary challenge from Ken Paxton

After meeting with three small-business owners at an Austin burger joint, which also sells soft-serve ice cream, who they discussed their hope to keep the soon-to-be-expired tax cuts from 2017, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn couldn't resist taking part in a time-honored political tradition. The four-term Republican senator from Texas tied on a store apron, which already had his name tag fastened to it, and joined store owner Robert Mayfield for a lesson on how to fill a cone, twirl the top of the soft-serve into a curl and dip it into the chocolate or fruit-flavored syrup. The finished products by the one-time waiter at a Steak and Ale restaurant were more than passable, nearly as pretty as the cones prepared by the owner of Wally's Burger Express on Mesa Drive in Northwest Austin. But Cornyn, 73, kept his modesty.

"I think I'll keep my day job," Cornyn deadpanned as he made his way through the bank of TV cameras and the scrum of reporters who crammed into the kitchen to witness the ice cream work. The event Thursday afternoon, after the lunch rush hour, wasn't a campaign stop. But because Cornyn must face Texas Republican primary voters in less than 11 months if he, indeed, wants to keep his day job, there couldn't help but be a sniff of politics in the early spring air. After making the case that the tax cuts enacted by Donald Trump during his first term as president must be extended if the business owners he had just met with are to prosper, Cornyn emphatically told reporters that he will seek a fifth six-year term in 2026. "I am running for reelection," he said. And as he announced his future political plan, the Republican who is seen as Cornyn's strongest primary rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, was 1,516 miles away at the White House to watch Trump sign an executive order to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

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Uncertain about future funding, San Antonio's largest ISD may expand class sizes

Unsure about future state funding for public education, San Antonio’s largest school district is looking at a long menu of cost-saving measures — including larger class sizes — in hopes of fending off layoffs or school closures. The Northside Independent School District board got an update on the financial outlook last week and will resume discussions Tuesday, with the start of early voting in a heavily contested school board election less than a month away. Not knowing if the Legislature will approve more funding for public schools and a separate bill designating $1 billion for private school vouchers, the district is looking to trim tens of millions of dollars from a $96 million deficit in its current budget. In February, Superintendent John Craft said the district needs to find $70 million in savings in its $1 billion spending plan. He was more upbeat last week, hopeful state lawmakers will provide teacher pay increases and up to $30 million more for the district to spend outside salaries. But it’s not likely to increase the $6,160-per-student basic allotment as much as public education advocates would like to address inflation, he told trustees.

“There is definitely a concerted effort to try to propose or infuse about $8.2 billion into public education,” he said. “We’re still going to find ourselves in a position of having to reduce somewhere between 4 to 7 percent of our annual operating budget.” The district has found nearly $40 million in potential savings, including a $10 million cut in central office expenses; $6 million reduction in overtime and compensatory pay; and $4 million from elimination of programming and positions initially funded with federal pandemic-relief dollars that have expired. Another $19 million in reduced costs is projected from larger class sizes. Student-teacher ratios will expand from 22:1 to 25:1 for pre-K; 23:1 to 25:1 for kindergarten through fourth grade; 23:1 to 25.25 for grades 6-8; and 24.7:1 to 26.5:1 for grades 9-12. Since the fall, the district has had a targeted hiring freeze, except in high-demand slots such as special education, math, English, bus drivers and custodians. Departments are tasked with reducing expenses by 10% or more.

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SpaceX positioned to secure billions in new federal contracts under Trump

Within the Trump administration’s Defense Department, Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocketry is being trumpeted as the nifty new way the Pentagon could move military cargo rapidly around the globe. In the Commerce Department, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service will now be fully eligible for the federal government’s $42 billion rural broadband push, after being largely shut out during the Biden era. At NASA, after repeated nudges by Mr. Musk, the agency is being squeezed to turn its focus to Mars, allowing SpaceX to pursue federal contracts to deliver the first humans to the distant planet. And at the Federal Aviation Administration and the White House itself, Starlink satellite dishes have recently been installed, to expand federal government internet access. Mr. Musk, as the architect of a group he called the Department of Government Efficiency, has taken a chain saw to the apparatus of governing, spurring chaos and dread by pushing out some 100,000 federal workers and shutting down various agencies, though the government has not been consistent in explaining the expanse of his power.

But in selected spots across the government, SpaceX is positioning itself to see billions of dollars in new federal contracts or other support, a dozen current and former federal officials said in interviews with The New York Times. The boost in federal spending for SpaceX will come in part as a result of actions by President Trump and Mr. Musk’s allies and employees who now hold government positions. The company will also benefit from policies under the current Trump administration that prioritize hiring commercial space vendors for everything from communications systems to satellite fabrication, areas in which SpaceX now dominates. Already, some SpaceX employees, temporarily working at the F.A.A., were given official permission to take actions that might steer new work to Mr. Musk’s company. The new contracts across government will come in addition to the billions of dollars in new business that SpaceX could rake in by securing permission from the Trump administration to expand its use of federally owned property.

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Depressed Democrats find hope at Bernie Sanders rallies

When President Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk began to drastically downsize the federal government, Sen. Bernie Sanders called his top adviser, Faiz Shakir, and suggested they hit the road. “I have a feeling that people are pretty angry out there,” he said. They initially reserved a space at their first stop of Omaha, Neb., that could hold 800 people, but had to move to a bigger venue so 3,400 could attend. As the tour headed farther west this past week, the political independent who caucuses with Democrats said he was shocked by crowds that exceeded even his 2020 presidential campaign rallies. About 15,000 people showed up to see him in Tempe on Thursday night, filling the arena and an overflow room, with thousands more waiting outside. “That is insane, I’m not running for anything,” said the Vermont senator and two-time presidential candidate in an interview. “People are outraged and they’re frightened and they want to fight back. And this is one form of beginning the struggle to fight back.”

As Democrats tussle with each other on Capitol Hill and struggle to find a strategy to combat Trump’s fast-moving agenda, Sanders is stepping into the void and pitching his prescription for how they can start winning again. The Democratic caucus might look dead on its feet in Washington, but in Arizona voters are fired up, at least for a night. And colleagues are starting to borrow from his playbook. With the words “FIGHT OLIGARCHY” projected all over the hockey arena, Sanders and his progressive protégé Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) railed Thursday against Trump and Musk. It was a vintage Sanders performance, complete with his surveying the crowd for examples of people living paycheck to paycheck and calling for free college and universal healthcare. But Sanders was angrier and had a longer list of what he deemed as threats—as well as a ripe new target in Musk. Addressing Trump, Sanders said: “I’m not going to allow you and your friend Mr. Musk and the other billionaires to wreak havoc on the working families of this country.”

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Chuck Schumer rejects calls to step down as Senate Democratic leader

A defiant Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed that he won’t step aside as the chamber’s top Democrat, rejecting calls from some House colleagues and liberal advocates critical of his move to help pass a Republican funding bill. “Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer said in a pretaped interview that aired Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” Schumer told moderator Kristen Welker he knew there “would be a lot of controversy” when he cast his vote to prevent a shutdown. But he maintains that while the GOP’s six-month bill was “certainly bad,” a shutdown “would be 15 or 20 times worse.”

“Under a shutdown, the executive branch has sole power to determine what is ‘essential.’ And they can determine without any court supervision. The courts have ruled it’s solely up to the executive what to shut down,” he said, warning that the Trump administration “would eviscerate the federal government.” “On Day 2, they could say, ‘Oh, SNAP? Feeding hungry children? Not essential.’ On Day 4, ‘Mass transit? All transit? Aid to the states? Not essential. We’re cutting it.’ On Day 6, ‘Medicaid? We’ll cut that by 20%, 30%, 50%, 80%. We’ll go after Social Security. We’ll go after the veterans.’ Their goal is to just eviscerate the federal government so they can give more taxes, and their tax cuts ... to their billionaire class over there,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve. And I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was. People disagree.” It’s up to Democratic senators to choose their leader, and none of them have called on Schumer to quit a post that he has held for more than eight years. But some have entertained questions about whether it’s time for a re-examination. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., told a constituent at a town hall last week that “we’re going to have future conversations about all the Democratic leadership.”

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State Stories

Ken Paxton's impeachment trial cost taxpayers $5M, state auditor says

State auditors have officially estimated the cost to taxpayers for the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton at over $5 million. The state’s cost has been a major talking point for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other hardline conservatives who argued the bribery and abuse of office case against Paxton was improperly and unfairly carried out.Paxton was impeached in late 2023 by the GOP-run Texas House but acquitted by the more conservative Senate months later. Patrick, who leads the Senate, called for the audit about a year ago and in a statement Friday accused former House Speaker Dade Phelan of “hiding” documents showing the cost of impeachment. The new speaker, Dustin Burrows, disclosed the records “almost immediately” upon taking office. Patrick said he turned them over to the auditor’s office earlier this month, adding the report’s estimate was “exactly as expected.”

“What a complete waste of money! The House’s total was more than 10 times the Senate’s expenditures,” Patrick said. “Now that taxpayers have the facts about how former Speaker Dade Phelan frivolously wasted taxpayer funds for an ill-fated political gambit, we can put this shameful epoch of our state’s history behind us.” Burrows, a former Phelan ally, narrowly won the speakership this year after bitterness over the impeachment and a failed school voucher bill turned much of the GOP-led chamber against Phelan. Phelan’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he has previously defended the decision to prosecute the case and accused the Senate of acting based on politics. He wrote in an op-ed in his hometown newspaper, the Beaumont Enterprise, that “the fix was in from the start.” Aside from Patrick, state Reps. Steve Toth and Brian Harrison had also requested the audit.

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Here's why Trump highlighted Texas in dismantling Department of Education

Flanked by rows of children sitting in traditional school desks, President Donald Trump on Thursday gave Texas a shout-out as he prepared to sign an executive order aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. The top three elected officials in Texas state government — Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton — looked on as Trump signed the order in the White House’s East Room to begin shuttering the 45-year-old federal department. Trump vowed the move would mean "states that run very, very well, including a big state like Texas" could have education on par with the top-performing countries in the world. “We want to return our students to the states,” Trump said. “Some of the governors are so happy about this. They want education to come back to them, to come back to the states and they’re going to do a phenomenal job.”

Texas ranks in the bottom half of U.S. states for best quality education, coming in at No. 29 in 2024, according to U.S. News & World Report. The federal government doesn’t set academic curriculums, an authority that already falls under states and local school districts. Trump also praised Abbott and Paxton among a slate of other Republican governors and leaders who joined him for the signing ceremony. And he called Patrick his friend and said he had “been a great friend of ours.” All three Texans touted their visit to the White House on their social media platforms, including a selfie by Patrick of the three Texas officials. Texas has long played a major role in shaping national education policy. Texas was among the early adopters of charter schools in 1995. President George W. Bush, a former Texas governor, passed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 to increase education access for disadvantaged students. Many of the education priorities of Texas’ leaders, such as school vouchers, are now mirrored in Trump’s top school issues at the federal level.

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Matt Hall: Investment in local schools rests on Capitol front porch

(Matthew Hall is the Director of Strategy and Partnerships and the Senior Regional Advocacy Director for Raise Your Hand Texas in Fort Worth.) Our former mayor, Betsy Price, describes Fort Worth as a community of front porches, a phrase that really resonates with me as an advocate for our public schools. We are stronger together, and that sense of community is evident in and vital to the success of our local public school teachers and students. The city of Fort Worth and Tarrant County combined boast 16 public school districts, which teach more than 370,000 students and employ thousands of professional teachers. Fort Worth has a strong civic ecosystem. The community understands the importance of strong, well-funded public schools. Everyone from city hall to business leaders, philanthropists, employers, parents, and voters is committed to owning our public schools’ success, and it’s time for the state to join us.

I’m heartened by state leaders’ recent public commitments to give teachers a pay raise. Teachers are strongly linked to significant increases in high school graduation rates, college completion, and salary earnings. Quality teachers impact students well beyond their academic growth, supporting students’ physical, social, and emotional health, too. We should support teacher retention through increased compensation and benefits of at least $15,000. Teacher recruitment and education pathway preparation are also worthy focus areas for state lawmakers. Investing in our teachers matters. Support for our youngest Texans is vital, too, if we aim to thrive as a state for generations to come. Texas lawmakers can and should commit to fully funding full-day pre-K and expanding opportunities for early childhood education. In recent years, local schools in and around the Metroplex and all across our state have been asked to do more with less, driven by a lack of state investment in our schools, students, and teachers. It’s simply not sustainable. Districts from Fort Worth ISD to Northwest ISD, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw to Aledo ISD are all facing budget deficits, compounded by inflation, and driving tough choices in the years ahead. When we invest in our public schools, we invest in the future of Texas. The business community understands the importance of this investment with their workforce needs. The long-term viability of our economy is inextricably linked to the strength and ability of our public schools to deliver quality education to every child who walks through their doors. Despite robust state budget surpluses, the Texas Legislature last updated its funding formulas for public schools in 2019, meaning the basic allotment that drives how much the state provides to our public schools has not increased since then.

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The Texans don't have to pay rent most years, thanks to a late negotiating win in the early 2000s

As county leaders and officials with Bob McNair’s nascent football team were closing in on a deal for a new football stadium in the early 2000s, the Texans landed a late concession that would prove to be a financial triumph for years to come. The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, a joint city-county venture responsible for financing all of Houston’s major sports stadiums, would take out bonds to build the new football facility for the Texans and Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. It would pay off the debt over several decades, mostly with money from increased taxes on rental cars and hotel rooms. The tenants would each pay $1.5 million a year in rent that would go toward the bonds as well, and contribute some money from the events they hosted, including taxes on parking and tickets. But there was a late snag in the negotiations: Financial analysts approving the framework wanted the tenants to guarantee more money. To address that snag, the Texans agreed to pay a higher rent, upping their annual payment from $1.5 million to $4 million over the course of the 30-year contract.

In exchange, the team would get a major tax break. Instead of paying taxes on parking and ticket sales, it would receive rebates from the sports authority – and the rebates would not be capped. They were in addition to a rebate on local sales taxes for all NFL-related transactions. These concessions have proved costly for local officials – and a boon to the Texans. From 2002 through 2023, the rebates have totaled roughly $58.9 million in today’s dollars, adjusting for inflation. The sales tax rebates have added another $58.5 million to the team’s coffers, helping to wipe out – nearly entirely – the rent the team agreed to pay over two decades ago. As the Texans consider whether to push for public money to build a new football stadium, a Houston Chronicle analysis shows the team’s current lease agreement with the county has dramatically benefited the team and its billionaire owners, saving them over $100 million when compared to their Houston professional sports peers, the Astros and the Rockets. Meanwhile, the Texans, the Rodeo and Harris County have started negotiating a new lease as the original 30-year deal nears its end point in 2032 – a process that could significantly alter the operating framework at NRG Park.

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Home environment plays a big role in suicide risk for Houston LGBTQ youth, experts say

More than 40% of LGBTQ youth in Texas considered suicide last year according to a recently released survey, a number that advocates at one Houston-area youth center called far from surprising. The Trevor Project, the largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to LGBTQ youth suicide prevention, surveyed over 18,000 youth across all states last year. Around 42% of Texas respondents said they seriously considered suicide in the past year, which was slightly higher than the national average of 39%. Around 13% of Texas respondents also said they attempted suicide, according to the report. The portions of Texas youth who said they experience anxiety or depression were even higher, at 66% and 55%, respectively. Rates of depression and anxiety were high among other Southern states as well, the report found.

More than 70% of respondents in Mississippi reported experiencing anxiety last year, and nearly 60% of respondents in Tennessee reported depression. "Similar to previous research, these data reinforce that LGBTQ+ youth are not disproportionately impacted by suicide because of who they are, but rather, because of how they are mistreated, stigmatized and discriminated against," said The Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black in an emailed statement. At Tony’s Place, a Houston-area drop-in center that connects LGBTQ youth with everything from mental health support to hot meals, Executive Director Carrie Rai said a large number of her young clients have run away from home out of fear they will not be accepted. “The numbers are absolutely not surprising,” Rai said. “They very much reflect what we see in the clients we serve.”

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Texas program makes ‘big time’ hunting accessible while raising millions for conservation

People flock to Texas for its world-renowned hunting, but many of the guided experiences for exotic species come with a steep price tag. Big Time Texas Hunts has made it a little more affordable for lucky lottery winners. For nearly three decades, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has conducted drawings for people to win these kinds of hunts while also raising funds to support wildlife conservation in the state. Big Time Texas Hunts, created in the late 1990s, has grown in popularity year over year with more than 154,000 entries purchased last season for a chance to win one of the 10 guided hunts.

The program has had more than 450 winners since its inception, and the entry fees for the drawings raised more than $21.3 million in its first 27 seasons. The latest season raised more than $1.3 million, marking the fourth consecutive year with sales exceeding $1 million. “Revenue generated from the sale of entries cover the cost of next year’s hunts, provides funding for wildlife habitat work and improves the quality of public hunts across the state,” said Kevin Mote, TPWD’s private lands and public hunting program director. The Texas Legislature authorizes how much of the revenue from programs like Big Time Texas Hunts can be used by the department. Efforts supported by the program have included desert bighorn sheep restoration, planting food plots, native grass reseeding, feral hog traps, controlling invasive species like giant cane and purchasing new equipment like accessible hunting blinds for people with disabilities. Multiple types of hunts and experiences are offered, including the new Trans-Pecos Aoudad Adventure, a free-range hunt for a mature male ram in the Chihuahuan Desert.

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Dallas Morning News Editorial: Texas GOP wants control of downtown Dallas. Thanks, but no thanks

Here we go again with Big Brother in Austin. It’s been a worrisome theme that has only expanded as the GOP has shifted from a party of small-government conservatives to do-as-we-say populists. Two bills now afloat in the Texas House and Senate could, as we read them, hand over control of public improvement districts in downtown Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio to the powers that be in the capitol. Sponsored by state Rep. Jeff Leach, an Allen Republican, and state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, the bills represent a power grab for state government at the expense of private interests and local governments that should manage their own affairs.

Here we go again with Big Brother in Austin. It’s been a worrisome theme that has only expanded as the GOP has shifted from a party of small-government conservatives to do-as-we-say populists. Two bills now afloat in the Texas House and Senate could, as we read them, hand over control of public improvement districts in downtown Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio to the powers that be in the capitol. Sponsored by state Rep. Jeff Leach, an Allen Republican, and state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, the bills represent a power grab for state government at the expense of private interests and local governments that should manage their own affairs. Instead of having the district managed by a nonprofit as it currently is in Dallas, a “managed organization” run by a board of three state and four local appointees would be in control. Two of the local appointees would arise from the 10 largest landholders in the district. Who knows what corporation, sovereign wealth fund or other faraway entity might someday hold those keys?

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Ex-Gateway Church leaders dismissed from tithing fraud lawsuit

Former Gateway Church elder Tom Lane this week was dismissed from a federal lawsuit against the church that alleges the church misused tithing funds meant for missionary work. Related:A timeline of Robert Morris, Gateway Church and the child sex abuse scandal Lane is the second former Gateway leader to be dismissed from the lawsuit. Earlier this month, former elder Kevin Grove was dismissed from the suit, while Gateway founder Robert Morris has petitioned the court to be removed from the suit. Morris, the church itself and founding elder Steve Dulin, who left the church last year, remain listed as defendants in the case.

Both Grove and Lane were dismissed from the lawsuit at the request of the plaintiffs, who are former Gateway church members. The suit alleges that church elders misused money donated to the church by congregants, as 15% of the church’s tithes were supposed to be used for foreign missionary work, according to the suit. They were removed from the lawsuit without prejudice, meaning a lawsuit against them could be re-filed in the future. The lawsuit, originally filed in October, alleges that the church and its former leaders misrepresented how tithes, or donations made to the church by parishioners, would be used. The lawsuit also alleges Morris offered congregants a “money back guarantee” on their tithes and was obligated to pay back donations to upset congregants. The suit asked for a jury trial, compensation for lawyer fees and relief in excess of $1 million. In a petition filed in late February, Morris' lawyers argued that the church never entered into a contract with congregants regarding paying back tithes. The filing also argued the former members of the church did not have enough facts to support a plausible claim of fraud.

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Texas Rangers have the best baseball player in the state

When Corey Seager signed with the Texas Rangers, it was with the understanding he would be given the space to do things his way, not that much different from when the Miami Heat added free agent LeBron James. Because Seager is one of the best hitters, and shortstops, in baseball, the Rangers agreed, even if they were unaware of exactly what “his way” means. This is not uncommon in free agency; the Heat famously agreed to a long list of “his way” details in order to sign LeBron. The Dallas Mavericks were not so fond of the “his way” with Luka Doncic, so they traded him. Turns out, “his way” for Seager includes a pre-game routine that is pretty much separate from his teammates — he hits on his own before first pitch, in an indoor batting cage. He can also be hard to find sometimes for team employees. Where is he? No one knows. Off doing his own thing.

This sort of behavior is not even that uncommon any more in baseball. Between the influx of personal trainers, personal coaches and personal nutritionists, baseball is numb to the player whose routine is not that of his team’s. What the Rangers have learned is that when the game starts, the results are Hall of Fame production, and once the game ends, it’s Class A Ball obscurity that has almost no equal in this market, or this era of present-day sports. Corey Seager is the invisible face of the Texas Rangers. Seager is set to begin his fourth season with the Rangers, and there is a decent chance that, unless you are a loyal and die-hard fan of the team, you may not even know who he is. Of the many great players who currently work in the area, none is more of an enigma than Seager, the man who powered the team to its first World Series championship all the while often projecting an image that he’d rather be anywhere other than here.

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USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins cuts funds to food banks. They must now rely on donors.

The Tarrant Area Food Bank is turning to local support now that it faces a combined deficit of $4.2 million due to the ending of federal food-assistance programs. That equates to 2.5 million meals for families across North Texas. The nonprofit acts as a regional clearinghouse for donated food serving Fort Worth and 13 surrounding counties. It is responsible for distributing a mix of fresh, frozen and shelf-stable products to a network of hunger-relief charities and social services organizations. The Trump administration is freezing over $1 billion in pandemic-era spending for schools and food banks, six months before the programs were scheduled to end. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced March 10 that it is cutting the initiatives. The programs cut were Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which help schools and food banks pay for food sourced from local farmers, respectively.

Julie Butner, president and CEO of Tarrant Area Food Bank, said the organization has been able to maintain balanced supply and distribution through the local food purchase agreement. The food bank also received supplemental food purchasing assistance from the Commodity Credit Corp., the government agency created to protect farm income and prices. These services, which help make up 30% of the food bank’s purchasing budget, have been axed. According to a USDA spokesperson, the programs are being cut in an effort to bring nutrition programs out of “the COVID era.” “With 16 robust nutrition programs in place, USDA remains focused on its core mission: strengthening food security, supporting agricultural markets, and ensuring access to nutritious food,” the spokesperson said. “Unlike the Biden Administration, which funneled billions in (Commodity Credit Corp.) funds into short-term programs with no plan for longevity, USDA is prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact.”

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Houston City Controller Chris Hollins proposes naming part of downtown street after Sylvester Turner

Houston City Controller Chris Hollins this week proposed two ways for the city to honor the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. and former Mayor Sylvester Turner, who died in early March at the age of 70. One of Hollins’ proposals to honor Turner, which came during his financial report to the city council, was actually met Thursday, when Turner’s portrait was hung at City Hall, joining his predecessors after a 15-month long absence. “The portrait gallery downstairs that depicts every past mayor in Houston’s history has stood without Mayor Turner’s portrait for nearly 15 months,” Hollins said at Wednesday’s meeting.

“While it shouldn’t have taken Mayor Turner’s passing to cure that deficiency, we should not let another unnecessary moment pass before affording the simple and deserved dignity to his family and to the citizens of Houston.” In response to Hollins' request, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city was waiting on the family to decide what photo they would like to submit of Turner. “It might be good for you to do your due diligence and see it’s not a city hold up at all,” Whitmire said to Hollins. Hollins also called on the support of the city and the public to rename the downtown stretch of Bagby Street to Sylvester Turner Avenue.

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North Texas parents speak out on arrests, alleged child abuse in Millsap ISD

The Millsap Independent School District board of trustees considered a separation agreement with Superintendent Edie Martin after she and two educators were arrested this week in connection with the alleged abuse of special education students. The board discussed a separation agreement in a closed session during a special meeting on Friday, March 21, but did not take action on it, according to the Weatherford Democrat. The news outlet reported that Board Vice President Jon Hartman announced the board would meet again on Monday night to discuss terminating Martin’s contract and placing her on administrative leave among other actions. The Star-Telegram has reached out to Millsap ISD for further comment.

Before board members started their closed session, they heard from about a dozen parents and community members who said they were frustrated and outraged by the district’s handling of alleged abuse against at least three students. The Star-Telegram had reported on an incident involving one of the students after parent Carissa Kozak Cornelius posted a video on Facebook that she said showed a teacher attempting to slap her 10-year-old son, who has autism and is nonverbal, and a teacher’s aide throwing a toy at him. The teacher, 44-year-old Jennifer Dale, and the aide, 25-year-old Paxton Bean, both face charges of official oppression, which refers to when a public servant intentionally subjects someone to mistreatment; denies or impedes someone “in the exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power, or immunity”; or subjects someone to sexual harassment. Bean also faces a charge of injury to a child with intentional bodily injury. Martin faces a charge of failure to report with the intent to conceal, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.

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County Stories

Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia announces retirement after nearly 30 years in office

After serving the public for decades, Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia has decided to hang up his gavel. The decision closes out decades of public service, including nearly 30 years as county judge. “I am thankful that the people of Chambers County have put their trust in me for the past three decades and I am proud of what we, as a county and a people, have accomplished,” said Sylvia in a news release. Getting elected to the Chambers County Commissioners Court kicked off Sylvia’s career in public service in 1993. Sylvia was appointed as county judge in 1997 following the death of judge Oscar Nelson. Eventually, his constituents elected him to the position in 1998.

“Serving this county has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Sylvia. “Second only to being a husband, father and grandfather.” The county’s population has more than doubled during Sylvia’s time in office, from 25,000 residents to more than 55,000 to date. Additionally, the number of county employees increased from 300 to 650, and the county’s budget grew from $8.5 million in 1993 to $75.7 million today. “I have worked every day to leave the county a better place than I found it and I am confident that we have paved a foundation for continued positive growth,” he said. Sylvia will retire on Dec. 31. 2026.

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National Stories

As the Left looks to 2028, it waits on Ocasio-Cortez’s big decision

For the last decade, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been running for president, planning a run for president or pushing former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to adopt more progressive policies. But now, as Democrats find their legal and fund-raising institutions under attack from the Trump administration, their base voters furious at their congressional leadership and their party’s popularity at a generational low, progressives are also staring down the prospect of a post-Bernie future. A movement politician with a large and devoted base of supporters, the 83-year-old Mr. Sanders has signaled that he does not intend to run for president again. The question now is who will lead the network he built from scratch into the next presidential election and beyond. Interviews with nearly 20 progressive Democrats about the left wing’s future revealed a faction that sees the ideas Mr. Sanders has championed — reducing the power of billionaires, increasing the minimum wage, focusing more on the plight of workers — as core to the next generation of mainstream Democratic politics.

Though there is little agreement about who will emerge to guide progressives into a post-Sanders era, virtually everyone interviewed said there was one clear leader for the job: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. And it just so happened that Mr. Sanders and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez spent three days last week on a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour through Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. In Denver, they drew 34,000 people, what Sanders aides said was the largest crowd of his career. Neither has so much as obliquely referred to the torch-passing nature of their trip, and in an interview, Mr. Sanders declined to answer questions about whether Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, would inherit his mantle. But the subtext of their travels appears clear. She is what’s next — if she wants it. “Alexandria has been doing an extraordinary job in the House,” Mr. Sanders said. “You can’t sit back. You can’t wallow in despair. You’ve got to stand up, fight back and get involved in every way that you can. There’s nobody I know who can do that better than Alexandria.”

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They helped Trump take back the White House. The rewards have come swiftly.

David Bailey, a longtime Bitcoin investor and evangelist, had tempered expectations in early 2024 when he first pitched Donald Trump’s campaign on the political upside of embracing cryptocurrency. Even after Trump pledged over the summer to make the US a Bitcoin haven and the industry spent tens of millions of dollars supporting his presidential bid, Bailey suspected Trump’s overture might be a fleeting appeal for crypto voters rather than a lasting commitment. Yet since returning to office, Trump has upended the federal government’s wary stance toward cryptocurrency just as he said he would. Earlier this month, he signed an executive order directing the Federal Reserve to hold Bitcoin alongside gold—a move long sought by crypto advocates and once considered improbable.

“If a year ago you put me into hypnosis and said, ‘Describe to me your deepest dreams of what could happen,’ this would be straight-up fantasy,” said Bailey, who owns the Bitcoin conference where Trump first stepped out as a pro-crypto candidate. “I never would have believed it could happen.” Trump’s return to power was achieved in part through an unorthodox coalition-building strategy. He courted groups who might’ve been overlooked by Republican candidates, like Bitcoin enthusiasts, making direct appeals with policy promises tailored to specific audiences. For those who played along, the rewards have come swiftly. The Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina, for instance, had reliably voted Democratic in presidential elections for decades. But an eight-year pursuit by Trump for the battleground state’s predominant native group – culminating with his promise last fall to grant the tribe much-coveted federal recognition – appeared to resonate at the ballot box. In Lumbee-rich Robeson County, where Barack Obama twice won handily, Trump secured a 28-point victory, his largest margin across three races.

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The biggest auto losers in Trump’s trade war so far: Luxury brands

The BMW 3 Series once topped the list of the world’s bestselling premium cars. Today, the sporty sedan finds itself on a less-desirable list: tariff victim. About a dozen foreign-made models, including the sporty, relatively affordable BMW 3, are ensnared in President Trump’s trade war. That is because the German sedans made in a Mexican factory don’t meet the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free-trade agreement rules that won many automakers a brief reprieve from new 25% tariffs that went into effect earlier this month. The 3 Series until recently has only been subject to a 2.5% duty when imported into the U.S. BMW told its dealers that the car, with a sticker price of around $47,000, is now subject to a 27.5% tariff, potentially adding more than $10,000 to the price tag.

For now, BMW won’t stick customers with the added cost. The carmaker will fully absorb the extra 25% duty until May 1, BMW’s North American division told dealers. Tom DeFelice III, who co-owns the Circle BMW in Eatontown, N.J., said the company’s pledge to absorb tariffs is a relief—at least for a while. “It gives us tremendous certainty for the next two months,” he said. “Who knows what happens after that?” A sporty version of the 3 Series was used in a chase scene from a “Mission Impossible” movie. The model was so popular it accounted for more than 40% of BMW’s total sales before SUVs gained more favor over sedans in recent years. In 2019, BMW opened its new Mexican plant where the 3 Series is assembled, spending more than $1 billion on the factory. A year later, the Trump-negotiated USMCA took effect, requiring that a certain percentage of a vehicle’s parts come from North America, among other rules. A BMW spokesman declined to comment on any possible adjustments to production or imports. The company has an assembly plant in Spartanburg, S.C., where it makes SUVs, but it probably doesn’t have the room to shift 3 Series output there, said Stephen Reitman, a Bernstein analyst. Shipping in cars from Europe could be another option, he said.

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Trump revokes security clearance for Joe Biden and entire family, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and other political foes

President Trump issued a memo Friday rescinding the security clearances of more than a dozen individuals, including former President Joe Biden and his entire family, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton. “I have determined that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to access classified information,” Trump wrote in the memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies, before naming those he’s barring from receiving classified information. The list includes his three past presidential election opponents — Clinton, Biden and Harris — as well as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James. “Any other member of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s family” will also be impacted by the memo. Former Biden administration officials Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan and Lisa Monaco are also on the list, as is anti-Trump Republicans Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney.

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Judge slams Social Security chief for agency shutdown ‘threats’ after ruling barring DOGE access

A federal judge reprimanded Social Security Administration acting commissioner Lee Dudek on Friday for “making threats about shutting down operations” at the agency. Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander responded in two letters to counsel, hours apart, to claims that Dudek made in various media interviews that a temporary restraining order barring Department of Government Efficiency affiliates from accessing certain data “applies to almost all SSA employees.” Hollander called that assertion “inaccurate,” and later, “patently incorrect.” The court order “expressly applies only to SSA employees working on the DOGE agenda,” Hollander wrote in the second letter. “It has no bearing on ordinary operations at SSA. In fact, if others at SSA are involved with DOGE, as Mr. Dudek seems to claim, then I was misled by counsel for the government.”

Dudek reversed his stance late Friday, after the judge’s first letter. In a written statement, Dudek pointed to the court’s “clarifying guidance.” “Therefore, I am not shutting down the agency,” he said. “SSA employees and their work will continue under the TRO.” On Thursday, Hollander temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing individuals’ personal data at the Social Security Administration. Dudek said in interviews afterward that the ruling may require him to cut off access to all the agency’s employees. “Everything in this agency is [personally identifiable information],” Dudek told The Washington Post on Friday. “Unless I get clarification, I’ll just start to shut it down. I don’t have much of a choice here.” In her ruling, Hollander barred Social Security Administration employees including Dudek from granting the DOGE team access to information that can be used to identify individuals. DOGE is not a Cabinet department, and its leader, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, is considered a special government employee.

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Pope Francis leaves hospital after first public appearance in five weeks

Pope Francis left Rome's Gemelli hospital on Sunday following a five-week stay to be treated for pneumonia, making his first public appearance since February 14 by waving to well-wishers from a balcony moments before he was discharged. Francis, 88, went to hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that became the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. A car carrying Francis left the hospital shortly after noon on Sunday, and was accompanied through Rome by a convoy of police vehicles towards the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

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USDA grant funded research into all-natural menstrual products, not trans menstrual cycles

Statement: A $600,000 federal grant went to study “menstrual cycles in transgender men.” It’s "that time of the month" — time for false claims about federal spending.Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has worked to cancel federal spending related to transgender issues, sometimes mischaracterizing programs. The latest example comes from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, a Texas attorney who founded and led the America First Policy Institute, a think tank promoting President Donald Trump’s policies. "CANCELLED: $600,000 grant to study ‘menstrual cycles in transgender men,’" Rollins said March 7 on X, formerly Twitter. Rollins, who was sworn in Feb. 13, thanked the American Principles Project, a conservative political advocacy group, that flagged the grant in its database of grants promoting "woke gender ideology."The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, X account reposted her statement, and Fox News and social media posts echoed it.

However, the grant-funded study wasn’t about the menstrual cycles of transgender men, who are people assigned female at birth but who identify as men. The grant funded the research and development of feminine hygiene products that use natural fibers such as cotton, wool and hemp. The project summary included one sentence noting that along with women and girls, transgender men might also menstruate, but it did not say transgender men were the project’s focus. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the three-year, $600,000 grant to study feminine hygiene product materials to Southern University and A&M College, a historically black university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in April 2024. The project sought to research feminine hygiene products made with natural fibers including cotton, wool and hemp, developing patents for products using those natural fibers and evaluating them in comparison with synthetic products. The focus on natural fibers might stem from concerns about heavy metals and toxic chemicals that researchers have found in common menstrual products. It is unclear whether the presence of these chemicals is linked to negative health effects.The Southern University project envisioned workshops "to educate young women and adolescent girls about menstruation, methods for managing menstruation, and how to create their own reusable feminine hygiene sanitary products using alternative natural fibers."Researchers wanted to source materials from Louisiana farmers and planned to use the grant to establish a fiber processing center at the university. The grant project summary mentioned transgender men just once: "It is also important to recognize that transgender men and people with masculine gender identities, intersex and non-binary persons may also menstruate."Southern University’s Agricultural Research and Extension Center disputed Rollins’ characterization of the grant.

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George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight from Houston who became a beloved champion, dies at 76

George Foreman became the heavyweight champion of the world in his 20s, only to lose his belt to Muhammad Ali in perhaps the most memorable fight in boxing history. A full 20 years later in 1994, the 45-year-old Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship, throwing one perfect combination to steal Michael Moorer’s title in an epic upset. Few fighters ever had more big moments than Big George Foreman — and even after he finally left the ring, he was only getting started. The fearsome heavyweight from Houston, who lost the "Rumble in the Jungle" to Ali before his inspiring second act as a surprising champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. Foreman was 76.

Foreman’s family announced his death on social media, not saying how or where he died. "A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote. "A humanitarian, an Olympian and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family." A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist who inspired fear and awe as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt. Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening.

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Lead Stories

RFK Jr. reportedly had a call with Texans helping distribute unproven measles remedies

The measles outbreak underway across West Texas and New Mexico has intensified, sickening 228 people, and killing two, a child and an adult. Amid the worsening public health emergency, a local historian in Seminole, Texas, Tina Siemens, has been helping a holistic medicine clinic raise money to distribute unproven remedies to families affected by the outbreak. The same activist told Mother Jones that she had a phone call last week with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to understand the unique health challenges in the Mennonite community. Siemens said she had been working with a clinic called Veritas Wellness in Lubbock, Texas, to distribute medications, including Vitamin C, cod liver oil, and the inhaled steroid budesonide. Last week, an online fundraiser appeared to collect donations that it says will be “used to defray the cost of essential vitamins, supplements, and medicines necessary to treat children enduring complications from the measles virus and other illnesses.”

The fundraiser’s website says the funds will go to Tina Siemens and it lists its creator as Brian Hooker, a biologist and the chief scientific officer of Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine advocacy group that Kennedy helmed until he ran for president. On March 2, Kennedy penned an op-ed for Fox News in which he appeared to endorse the measles vaccines, writing that the shots “not only protect individual children from measles but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons.” Yet in an interview last week, Kennedy claimed, without citing research, that treating measles with steroids, antibiotics, and cod liver oil yielded “very, very good results.” Cod liver oil contains Vitamin A, which is often used in much higher concentrations to prevent complications from the disease, including blindness. There is no credible evidence that cod liver oil itself can treat or prevent measles. Neither the US Department of Health and Human Services nor Veritas immediately responded to a request for comment for this story. Siemens told Mother Jones she had been motivated to help in part because she believed that local Mennonite families had been unfairly blamed for causing the outbreak because some of them chose not to vaccinate their children against measles.

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‘Try actually fighting’: Democrats face voters’ fury at town halls

Democratic lawmakers have faced eruptions of anger at town hall meetings across the country this week, as constituents have coupled their fury over President Donald Trump’s actions with deep frustration over what they see as a feckless Democratic response. Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego were told to “fight dirtier” and “get in the mud” with Republicans. “We want you to show some of the backbone and strategic brilliance that Mitch McConnell would have in the minority,” a man told Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey. “They should try actually fighting for once. They should try to actually be the opposition party,” an attendee groused to CNN at a town hall held by Illinois Rep. Sean Casten.

The sharp criticism from voters comes as Democrats are out of power across all levels of the federal government and lacking a clear leader, exposing deep divisions along ideological and tactical lines over the party’s direction. The schism emerging within the party on the heels of a contentious government funding fight has prevented the caucus from uniting behind a single strategy to counter Trump and attempt to make political inroads ahead of next year’s midterm elections. The tension between Democratic lawmakers and their voters spilled into public view days after the Republican-led House and Senate narrowly averted a shutdown by approving a short-term government spending measure — with the help of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine others in his caucus who cleared a pathway for the bill. Eager to avoid embarrassment as Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk slash federal spending and remake the federal government, Republican leaders told the party’s House members not to hold town hall meetings during this week’s congressional recess. Most Republicans heeded those calls. Those who didn’t — Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood and Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman, among them — faced heckling and pointed questions, including some from Republican voters, at their events.

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Candidate for Sylvester Turner's seat hit with lawsuit over alleged unpaid fees

Isaiah Martin, who recently launched a bid to represent Texas' 18th Congressional district, is facing a lawsuit against him and his past campaign for failing to compensate a D.C.-based tech company for their services. The suit, filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that Martin and his congressional campaign breached a contract with Grassroots Analytics, which assists with fundraising, campaigns and candidates. Grassroots Analytics asserts that it "performed its material obligations under the Agreement," but Martin's campaign "refused to pay amounts owed." According to the filing, Martin's camp signed the contract with the company in July 2023, ahead of his official announcement for the congressional seat in September of the same year.

Martin's campaign agreed to pay Grassroots Analytics 9 percent of the total funds raised, excluding contributions from political action committees, house parties, state parties, unions, labor organizations, immediate family, and in-kind donations, according to court documents. The agreement stipulated that invoices must be paid within 15 days of receipt, with a 5 percent late fee for payments made 6-15 days late, and a 10 percent fee for payments delayed by more than 15 days. Additionally, the contract outlined that the company would be reimbursed for any pass-through expenses at actual cost, and the prevailing party in any breach of contract case would be entitled to recover attorney's fees and other related costs. The company provided text messaging campaigns and fundraising services for Martin's campaign and used third-party Scale to Win—which offers texting and calling tools for grassroots fundraising and organizing—to assist with the text message roll out. Scale to Win subsequently invoiced Grassroots Analytics $200,833 for its assistance, according to the court documents. Grassroots Analytics submitted invoices in December 2023 to Martin's camp for Scale to Win and the company's services. The two invoices totaled $200,833 and $24,608, respectively, and were due on receipt.

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Pentagon set up briefing for Musk on potential war with China

The Pentagon was scheduled on Friday to brief Elon Musk on the U.S. military’s plan for any war that might break out with China, two U.S. officials said on Thursday. Another official said the briefing would be China focused, without providing additional details. A fourth official confirmed Mr. Musk was to be at the Pentagon on Friday, but offered no details. Hours after news of the planned meeting was published by The New York Times, Pentagon officials and President Trump denied that the session would be about military plans involving China. “China will not even be mentioned or discussed,” Mr. Trump said in a late-night social media post. It was not clear if the briefing for Mr. Musk would go ahead as originally planned.

But providing Mr. Musk access to some of the nation’s most closely guarded military secrets would be a dramatic expansion of his already extensive role as an adviser to Mr. Trump and leader of his effort to slash spending and purge the government of people and policies they oppose. It would also bring into sharp relief the questions about Mr. Musk’s conflicts of interest as he ranges widely across the federal bureaucracy while continuing to run businesses that are major government contractors. In this case, Mr. Musk, the billionaire chief executive of both SpaceX and Tesla, is a leading supplier to the Pentagon and has extensive financial interests in China. Pentagon war plans, known in military jargon as O-plans or operational plans, are among the military’s most closely guarded secrets. If a foreign country were to learn how the United States planned to fight a war against them, it could reinforce its defenses and address its weaknesses, making the plans far less likely to succeed.

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State Stories

State Senate gives initial passage to Texas property ban for residents from China, Russia

The Texas Senate gave initial passage to a bill Wednesday that would ban residents of — and organizations based in — China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from owning property in Texas. The bill’s passage comes as many Asian community groups have decried the proposal from Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, as discriminatory. The bill now heads to the House, where a similar proposal has also been filed. The nations targeted in the ban are derived from annual threat assessment reports by the Director of National Intelligence. China, Iran, North Korea and Russia are the only countries listed as hostile nations in the most recent federal threat assessment reports. This is the second time Kolkhorst has proposed a property ban linked to hostile nations.

Her previous attempt in 2023 passed the Senate but never came up for a vote in the House. A key change in the bill from Kolkhorst’s previous bill is that it would not ban citizens of those countries from owning property in Texas as long as their primary home is not in a banned country. “We’ve had some that say that has weakened the bill. Not at all,” Kolkhorst said prior to the vote. “I think that it has made it stronger and constitutional, more constitutional.” With a larger and more conservative majority in the House, Kolkhorst’s bill is seen as having a greater chance of becoming law this year. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made the proposal a priority bill this session, designated by a low bill number – Senate Bill 17. The bill passed 24-7, with four Democrats, including Dallas Sen. Royce West, joining Republicans in favor of the bill. It will require another vote before it heads to the House, though the margins rarely change. No senators spoke against the bill, but Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, said that it could have unintended consequences of putting the state between the private property rights of those involved in a land sale. Perry voted for the bill.

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Irving leaders drop casino, nightclub portions of Las Vegas Sands zoning proposal

The Irving City Council early Friday morning obliged an abrupt request from Las Vegas Sand Corp. the day before, passing a version of a proposed zoning ordinance that stripped out permissions for gambling for the casino giant’s proposed “destination resort” near the former Texas Stadium site. The votes bookend a public process that kicked off in mid-January, though the Sands Corp. plans did not garner much of the public’s attention until late February when the zoning proposal went before the City Council. More than 170 people signed up to speak before the early Friday vote, with every speaker either criticizing Sands Corp.’s proposal or the city’s process. The tenor of their remarks differed from those earlier in the week — many viewed the company’s decision to withdraw the gambling and nightclub elements from the zoning proposal during a Thursday afternoon work session as a victory, though concerns remained that those parts could return later.

The future of the resort proposal remained uncertain. During the work session hours before the vote, Mark Boekenheide, the Sands Corp. executive who oversees the company’s global real estate footprint, did not say the company was abandoning the project but emphasized that casino gaming was essential to move that plan forward. “I cannot commit to building a four million square foot project and spend four billion dollars — the economics will not work without a casino piece,” Boekenheide told City Council members during the work session, adding the Sands Corp. may consider building hotels without the zoning amendment or the legalization of gambling. Boekenheide said Sand Corp.’s pivot was partly due to the concerns raised by speakers during a heated Monday planning and zoning meeting. That meeting’s public comment period began in the afternoon and ran into early Tuesday morning, culminating in a narrow 5-4 vote to recommend that the City Council approve the amendment with the gaming portion included. Another factor, he explained, was the uncertainty of when or if gambling would be legalized in Texas. The Texas Legislature would need to vote to send a constitutional amendment to voters state-wide for consideration. The amended zoning proposals with no gambling portion passed in two separate 6-3 votes.

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'Don't do the shots,' say parents of West Texas child who died of measles

The parents of a West Texas child who died from complications of measles spoke out against vaccination, saying they believe measles can improve immunity and prevent cancer. The 6-year-old girl died at a Lubbock hospital Feb. 25, about three weeks after she developed measles, her father previously said in an interview with The Atlantic. The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed the following day that the girl, who was unvaccinated, had died from complications of the highly contagious virus. Her father said she died of pneumonia, which the CDC lists as the leading cause of death for children who contract measles.

Her death is the first in an ongoing outbreak in West Texas, which as of a Tuesday has grown to 279 cases with 36 hospitalizations. The girl belonged to a Seminole, Texas, community of Christian Mennonites, who have been hit particularly hard by the outbreak. Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization formerly led by now-U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spoke with the girl's parents in an on-camera interview released Monday. Measles are "not as bad as they're making it out to be," the mother said through a translator. She and her husband used Low German, a dialect spoken in Mennonite communities, at points throughout the interview. "Don't do the shot," the girl's parents said during the interview. They said they believe contracting measles strengthens the immune system in the long run and makes a person less likely to develop cancer. But measles can wipe out "immune memory" and make it more difficult for the immune system to fight future infections, a Harvard Medical School professor and immune system researcher told NPR. There is no evidence that contracting measles will prevent cancer in the future.

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Sid Miller says Texas could profit from end of Parks and Wildlife Department

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is confident his department can take on the many duties of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, should it ever go away. On Thursday, State Rep. Pat Curry (R-Waco) filed a bill to abolish TPWD and transfer its duties to three other state agencies: the General Land Office, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Safety. The TDA would take over duties related to native plants, wildlife, or the conservation or management of native plants or wildlife, including hunting and fishing. In an interview with CBS Austin, Miller said taking on the obligations would be no problem. "It wouldn't be anything for us to absorb it," Miller told the outlet, noting the TDA previously absorbed the Office of Rural Health Care and the Office of Rural Economic Development. "We already do biosecurity for the state," Miller added. "We have the ability to pull trucks over and go through them and inspect them for biohazards, invasive species, plants, diseases."

Under the new law, the General Land Office would take over duties related to regulating parks, natural areas, wildlife management areas, fish hatcheries, historic sites, or other public land. The Department of Public Safety would take over duties related to law enforcement, such as game wardens, enforcement of water safety, and regulation of boating vessels." While Miller told the outlet he doesn't endorse the bill, he said there are some benefits to the proposal. "There is a lot of cost savings by consolidation," Miller added. "You have a legal team instead of two legal teams. One IT department instead of two IT departments..." The new bill has not been as well received among other officials in the state. Bosque County Sheriff Trace Hendricks, whose jurisdiction neighbors Waco, spoke out against the bill on Facebook. Calling TPWD a "vital arm of Texas law enforcement," Hendricks wrote: "Their role goes far beyond chasing poachers. Our game wardens assist in many of our investigations, they provide back up to our county deputies and city officers on a frequent basis. They teach our children hunter's safety, water safety, first aid and much much more." In an interview with KWTX, Curry said he wants to ease TPWD's rules and enforcement around deer breeding. "The intent of this bill is really to start a conversation and get a conversation going with the commission on let's work together with the legislature on some of these rules instead of letting rules stomp on the rights of landowners and small business and legislatures," Curry said.

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Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards enters race for Texas’ 18th Congressional District

Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards has joined the contest to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner as the representative for Texas' 18th Congressional District. She becomes the second major candidate to enter the race in less than a week, following acting Houston County Attorney Christian Menefee. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to call a special election to fill the seat vacated by Turner, who died March 5 at age 70. Edwards announced her candidacy across the street from Saint Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Houston's Fifth Ward, at the same location where she announced her first run for the seat in June 2023. "The reason we are standing back here today again is because my commitment to serving the residents of the 18th Congressional District remains unchanged," Edwards said. "My roots here are deep. My mother attended Carver High School in Acres Homes. My parents first met at (Texas Southern University) and then, of course, got married. I was born and raised in this district."

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Trump administration awards first contract to resume border wall construction in Texas

The Trump administration has awarded its first new border wall construction contract to close gaps between existing barriers in Texas that were left unfinished when former President Joe Biden took office. U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded California-based Granite Construction Co. a $70 million contract on Saturday to build seven miles of walls in Hidalgo County in an area mostly between Pharr and Donna. The South Texas location has been key for President Donald Trump. In January 2021, his last visit to Texas during his first term in office, Trump toured the area where parts of the wall were complete but gaping holes remained on both sides. Trump returned with Gov. Greg Abbott to almost the exact same site later in 2021 to blast the Biden administration for leaving the unfinished wall “rotting and rusting.”

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Spurs partner is lending a hand to Elon Musk's DOGE cost-cutting crusade

A partner in the San Antonio Spurs is working with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, the unofficial agency that is spearheading mass layoffs of federal employees and deep spending cuts for the Trump administration. Joe Gebbia is the billionaire co-founder of Airbnb and is described as a close friend of Musk’s. He is a board member of Tesla Inc., where Musk is CEO. Gebbia joined the Spurs investor group as a “strategic partner" in January 2022, the NBA franchise said at the time. Last week, he accompanied Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to watch the Austin Spurs, a Spurs-owned team that plays in the NBA's developmental league.

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Texas top leadership attends executive order signing to dismantle US Department of Education

President Donald Trump signed an executive order for U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon to complete "all necessary steps to facilitate the closure" of the agency with Texas leadership in attendance. "Here at the White House with @GregAbbott_TX and @KenPaxtonTX," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick posted on X with a selfie of the three elected officials smiling Thursday afternoon. That post followed another by Patrick earlier that afternoon: "I’ve been in meetings at the White House all day and just went into the East Room for the Executive Order signing to close the Department of Education. Thanks to President @realDonaldTrump for returning education decisions back to the states and local communities where they belong."

“Governor Abbott supports President Trump’s efforts to decrease federal bureaucracy and return control of education back to the states, where it should belong," a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement Thursday, ahead of a social media post where Abbott expressed support for the order. Trump's signature closely follows the agency's announcement to halve its workforce driven by a reduction in force. All divisions were impacted, according to a March 11 announcement, and laid-off employees are scheduled to begin administrative leave March 21. Roughly 600 employees already voluntarily resigned, with 259 employees accepting deferred resignations and 313 accepting voluntary separation incentive payments. The department started with 4,133 employees when Trump was inaugurated, according to the agency. Following the announcement, its workforce will be about 2,183 employees.

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Houston ISD Board of Managers approves new teacher evaluation system ahead of expected pay-for-performance system

Houston ISD's Board of Managers greenlit a new teacher evaluation system Thursday ahead of the district's expected upcoming shift to pay for performance. Trista Bishop-Watt, from Houstonians for Great Public Schools, hopes the Teacher Excellence Sywill help retain effective teachers. "TES includes key evidence-based components, including measures focused on student growth and a rigorous evaluator certification process to ensure consistency and fairness," she said. The system follows feedback rounds from around 3,000 people, including the District Advisory Committee, all campus shared decision-making committees and teacher focus groups, according to a statement from HISD Deputy Chief of Academics Alyssa Murray. Over 75 focus groups provided feedback on the rubric for planning and professionalism, Distinguished Teacher Review and student learning objectives for subjects without tests, according to district documents.

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Texas Congresswoman invites DHS head to visit ‘victimized’ South Texas border

Republican U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz has invited Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to visit her South Texas border district to view an area she says has been “victimized” by lax border security under the Biden administration. “With your confirmation, many of my constituents are now breathing a sigh of relief. These communities have been terrorized over the past four years by a constant flow of drug smuggling and human trafficking,” De La Cruz wrote in a March 13 letter to Noem. “I would like to extend an invitation to South Texas where you can hear from the families, farmers and Border Patrol agents victimized by President Biden’s open-border policies,” De La Cruz wrote.

Since Donald Trump took office, encounters by Border Patrol of migrants illegally crossing into the Rio Grande Valley has dropped substantially. Data released last week from February found Border Patrol agents came across just 1,285 people crossing in between legal ports of entry in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, down 89% from 11,951 encounters in February 2024, according to CBP data.

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Despite cuts for food pantries, Ag secretary Rollins finds relief funds for South Texas border farmers, ranchers

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins came to the Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday with federal relief funds and promises that the Trump administration will get tough with Mexico to pay the water it owes the United States. Rollins announced that South Texas farmers and ranchers were getting a $280 million federal block grant to help those who have been affected by water shortages. The funds will be administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture and are part of $10 billion in direct payments to agricultural producers announced Tuesday through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, she told Border Report. “This is real. It is today and we are here to fight for the farmers and the ranchers of this area of the country,” Rollins said.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued a statement Wednesday, thanking Rollins. “This is a helping hand, not a handout, and it is a necessary one,” he said. “I want to personally thank Secretary Rollins for her leadership in ensuring our hardworking farmers and ranchers receive the assistance they need as quickly as possible.” Rollins took part in a roundtable discussion with local farmers and ranchers in the border town of San Juan on Wednesday and was joined by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, both Texas Republicans. Cruz says the federal funds are a “special carve out” just for farmers and ranchers affected in South Texas. But he says it is only a “short-term solution.” Long term, he says Mexico needs to pay the water it owes South Texas into the Rio Grande under a 1944 international water treaty. “Nothing is more important than water. We are facing a water crisis in South Texas and it is a water crisis that is man-made . It is a water crisis that is a direct result of Mexico’s refusal to abide by their treaty obligations,” Cruz said.

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Crusoe begins construction on second phase of Abilene data center campus, will add six buildings

Crusoe has begun construction on the second phase of its data center conglomeration on the Lancium Clean Campus in Abilene, Texas. Expected to be completed in mid-2026, phase two adds six additional buildings, bringing the total facility to eight buildings, approximately four million square feet, and a total power capacity of 1.2GW. The company first began constructing the AI data center in Abilene in June 2024. The initial phase, comprising two buildings at 980,000 square feet and 200MW+, is expected to be energized in the first half of 2025.

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Greenpeace ordered to pay Dallas-based Dakota Access Pipeline operator $667 million in case that could destroy the group

Greenpeace must pay the oil company that operates the Dakota Access Pipeline $667 million in damages for defaming it, a North Dakota jury decided Wednesday — a massive financial blow to the group that environmentalists say could chill future advocacy. The case, heard at the Morton County courthouse in Mandan, North Dakota, centered on Greenpeace’s involvement in the protests over the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which became a cultural flash point in the United States nearly eight years ago. The protests lasted for months, drawing thousands of people to a site in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Dallas-based Energy Transfer, which runs the nearly 1,200-mile pipeline that carries oil from the Bakken fields in western North Dakota to Illinois, accused Greenpeace of inciting the protests and encouraging violence to damage the company’s reputation.

Greenpeace, whose spokesperson confirmed the verdict, has said it played little role in the demonstrations. Major environmental groups have described the lawsuit as an intimidation tactic, intended to stifle free speech and their attempts to stop new oil and gas drilling. Greenpeace plans to appeal, the spokesperson said. “What we saw over these three weeks was Energy Transfer’s blatant disregard for the voices of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. And while they also tried to distort the truth about Greenpeace’s role in the protests, we instead reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to non-violence in every action we take,” said Deepa Padmanabha, senior legal counsel for Greenpeace USA. She added: “We should all be concerned about the future of the First Amendment, and lawsuits like this aimed at destroying our rights to peaceful protest and free speech.” Energy Transfer, whose lawyers confirmed the damage amount, has said its lawsuit is about Greenpeace not following the law — not an attack on freedom of expression. “While we are pleased that Greenpeace has been held accountable for their actions against us, this win is really for the people of Mandan and throughout North Dakota who had to live through the daily harassment and disruptions caused by the protesters who were funded and trained by Greenpeace,” said Vicki Granado, a spokeswoman for Energy Transfer. “It is also a win for all law-abiding Americans who understand the difference between the right to free speech and breaking the law.” Greenpeace has said that a verdict in favor of Energy Transfer would be likely to mean the end of its 50-year-old affiliate in the United States, Greenpeace USA. In 2023, the most recent year for which the group’s tax records were available, it had roughly $40 million in revenue and 191 employees.

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A Texas robotics company gets approval to search for MH370 in a new part of the Indian Ocean

Malaysia’s government has given final approval for a Texas-based marine robotics company to renew the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean more than a decade ago. Cabinet ministers agreed to terms and conditions for a “no-find, no-fee” contract with Texas-based Ocean Infinity to resume the seabed search operation at a new 15,000-square-kilometer (5,800-square-mile) site in the ocean, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said in a statement Wednesday. Ocean Infinity will be paid $70 million only if wreckage is discovered. The Boeing 777 plane vanished from radar shortly after taking off on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people, mostly Chinese nationals, on a flight from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Beijing. Satellite data showed the plane turned from its flight path and headed south to the far-southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed.

An expensive multinational search failed to turn up any clues to its location, although debris washed ashore on the east African coast and Indian Ocean islands. A private search in 2018 by Ocean Infinity also found nothing. The final approval for a new search came three months after Malaysia gave the nod in principle to plans for a fresh search. Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Punkett earlier this year reportedly said the company had improved its technology since 2018. He has said the firm is working with many experts to analyze data and had narrowed the search area to the most likely site. Loke said his ministry will ink a contract with Ocean Infinity soon but didn’t provide details on the terms. The firm has reportedly sent a search vessel to the site and indicated that January-April is the best period for the search. “The government is committed to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of the passengers of flight MH370,” he said in a statement.

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Farms are disappearing in Central Texas. Can chefs save them before it’s too late?

Losing farmland in Central Texas is a big, urgent problem. The City of Austin reported that Travis County lost 16.8 acres of farmland every day from 2012 to 2017, or a 5% decrease in total land. Since 2017, that has accelerated to an 11% decrease in acreage. Despite a demand for local food in Austin, the city’s report notes, only about 0.06% of food consumed in Travis County is produced locally. “Prime farmland is disappearing at a rate that is astonishing,” said Erin Flynn of Green Gate Farms in Central Texas. “This affects you. You just don’t know it’s affecting you.” Preserving farmland is not a hopeless endeavor. But it’s hard to get people to care about the struggles of farmers. The pressure for change may start with a group of people who have superstar status in today’s culture: chefs.

“Young farmers will come to me and say, ‘I can’t afford land in Austin. I’m gonna move out to the country and that’s gonna solve all my troubles. I’ll be able to get a lot of land,’” Flynn said. “What they don’t realize is that they can’t protect the land around them.” Furthermore, logistics like delivering to restaurants becomes more difficult, making it harder to sell produce. “Farmers need job security,” Flynn said. “When people are farming, they need to know that where they’re farming is protected. I should be able to go to my city council member and say, ‘A gravel mine is not the highest and best use of this prime farmland that is right near the river.’” Another example of losing farmland to developers is Springdale Farms. Located in East Austin, Eden East was a lauded open-air restaurant located on the farm, where diners could see the vegetables they were about to eat. Sonya Cote was the chef, and her husband David Barrows took over as head farmer from the farm’s co-founders. In 2018, the land owners sold to a development company called StoryBuilt that planned to turn the farm into a mixed-use development. Cote and Barrows struck a deal with the developers to farm part of the land and have the restaurant as an anchor tenant. However, after razing the farm, StoryBuilt went bankrupt during construction. Springdale Farm went from organic vegetable beds to a concrete-covered hole in the ground, tied up in a legal quagmire — with no end in sight. Cote and Barrows ended up filling 18 dump trucks with soil to take out to property they purchased in Bastrop in an attempt to preserve the work they put into the land.

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National Stories

Karl Rove: Americans can’t stand the Democrats. So why are 2026 polls still competitive?

If many Democrats weren’t already in a foul mood, recent polling might make them go bonkers. A March 9 CNN survey gave the Democratic Party a 29% favorable, 54% unfavorable rating, the lowest approval rating the party has gotten from CNN this century. The Republican Party was at 36% favorable, 48% unfavorable. Much of the dissatisfaction with Democrats comes from progressives angry that their party hasn’t fought President Trump harder. Fifty-seven percent of Democratic respondents told CNN that their party should “mainly work to stop” the GOP agenda, while 42% think Democrats should “mainly work with the Republicans” to get some Democratic ideas into legislation. The Democrats who just want to fight are enraged at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. They wanted to shut down the federal government rather than pass a continuing resolution that funds it through this fiscal year. That would have been stupid. Mr. Schumer saved Democrats from being blamed for causing a shutdown.

Republicans dream of the day leftists like New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib take control of the other party. But more than enough mainstream Democrats remain to keep that from happening. Sensible Democrats recognize their party is already viewed as out of touch. That problem is acute for Democrats in places they need to win next year to flip the House. In a Navigator Research survey for the House Democratic Caucus, 55% of voters in 62 battleground districts said Democrats are “more focused on helping other people than people like me.” Only 27% said Democrats were focused on helping people like them. Just 39% percent of voters in swing districts believe Democrats have the right priorities and 42% think Democrats share their values. Only 39% think Democrats value work. It’s easy to see why these voters trust the GOP more on inflation by 7 points and the economy by 5. Still, the generic ballot in the Navigator poll was tight, with 42% favoring Democrats and 40% Republicans. Therein lies the GOP’s challenge. Americans think the Democrats are terrible, but it’s still a horse race. In part this is because 2024 was much closer than the Republican ebullience today might make you think. The GOP won only a 2.8-point margin in total votes across House races, leaving them with a slim five-seat margin. A 2- or 3-point swing in the vote next year would give Democrats a healthy House margin.

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Meet Elon Musk’s top lieutenant who oversees DOGE

Elon Musk declared last month that the federal government was engaged in “utterly insane” activity, claiming without evidence that it had distributed $100 billion to people without Social Security numbers. Two days after Mr. Musk’s comments, one of his key lieutenants, Steve Davis, began pressing the Social Security Administration for information. Mr. Davis called the agency’s leaders to insist they give a young engineer from Mr. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency access to databases that contained sensitive information about Americans. Mr. Davis’s demand was “unprecedented,” Tiffany Flick, a former Social Security official, said in a sworn statement this month for a lawsuit filed by federal employees trying to block access to the data. She added that she could feel Mr. Davis grow impatient in the hours before the DOGE engineer was eventually permitted to investigate “the general myth of supposed widespread Social Security fraud.”

Deploying staff into federal agencies is just one task that Mr. Davis has carried out recently for Mr. Musk, as the world’s richest man continues an all-out effort to reshape the U.S. government. At every turn, Mr. Davis has backed his boss, laying the groundwork for cost cutting during the presidential transition, slashing diversity initiatives, meeting lawmakers and helping to send a governmentwide “Fork in the Road” email that urged workers to resign. Those actions demonstrate how Mr. Davis, 45, has effectively become the day-to-day leader of DOGE. He has more power than Amy Gleason, the Trump administration’s acting DOGE administrator, two people close to the effort said, adding that Ms. Gleason has sometimes been in the dark about Mr. Davis’s decisions. How Mr. Davis got to this position is hardly a secret. For more than 20 years, the engineer has devoted himself to fulfilling Mr. Musk’s desires, following the billionaire to his various companies, including the rocket maker SpaceX and the social media platform X. Mr. Davis wholeheartedly believes Mr. Musk will bring about humanity’s progress, according to interviews with 22 friends, former colleagues and government officials.

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Trump’s new guidance doesn’t legalize segregation. Here’s what changed.

When the government entity that manages federal buildings ordered agencies to drop a long-standing clause from new contracts, it prompted some concern that the Trump administration was trying to legalize segregation. The clause, banned by the General Services Administration last month, prohibits maintaining or using segregated facilities. It made explicit what the Civil Rights Act of 1964 already outlaws — discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex and other identity traits. Dropping that language in the contracts doesn’t change the fact that segregation is illegal in the United States. But the directive is still symbolic, legal experts say. Here’s what to know about the change.

The memo issued by the General Services Administration, first reported by NPR, directs civilian agencies to drop from new contracts and solicitations several provisions in the Federal Acquisition Regulation that it said “are not consistent with the direction of the President.” The FAR, as it is known, is the set of rules executive agencies use to write contracts for supplies and services. One of the banned clauses prohibited contractors from maintaining or providing “segregated facilities,” including work areas, restrooms, restaurants and housing facilities, in any of its establishments. The clause also barred contractors’ employees from performing services where segregated facilities are maintained. The GSA memo says these changes were made to ensure compliance with Trump’s Jan. 21 executive order calling for an end to “illegal discrimination” and the restoration of “merit-based opportunity.” Stephanie Joseph, a GSA spokesperson, said the Civil Rights Act of 1964 remains law but “having additional duplicative regulations in the FAR places unnecessary burden on American companies from doing business with the federal government.”

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European military powers work on 5-10 year plan to replace US in NATO

Europe’s biggest military powers are drawing up plans to take on greater responsibilities for the continent’s defence from the US, including a pitch to the Trump administration for a managed transfer over the next five to 10 years. The discussions are an attempt to avoid the chaos of a unilateral US withdrawal from Nato, a fear sparked by President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to weaken or walk away from the transatlantic alliance that has protected Europe for almost eight decades. The UK, France, Germany and the Nordics are among the countries engaged in the informal but structured discussions, according to four European officials involved. Their aim is to come up with a plan to shift the financial and military burden to European capitals and present it to the US ahead of Nato’s annual leaders’ summit in The Hague in June.

The proposal would include firm commitments on increasing European defence spending and building up military capabilities, in an effort to convince Trump to agree to a gradual handover that would allow the US to focus more on Asia. The US, which spends more on defence than all other Nato allies combined, is indispensable to European security. In addition to its nuclear deterrent, which is committed to the defence of Europe with several European air forces carrying US nuclear weapons, it provides military capabilities that continental allies do not possess, runs air, naval and troop bases and has 80,000 troops stationed in Europe. Countries including Germany, France and the UK have moved to increase their defence spending or accelerate already planned increases since Trump’s election, while the EU has rolled out initiatives for its member states to speed up increased military investments. It would take an estimated five to 10 years of that increased spending to raise European capabilities to a level where they could replace most US competences, the officials said, not including the US nuclear deterrent.

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Lutnick urges Fox News viewers to buy Tesla stock, raising ethics questions

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged Fox News viewers Wednesday night to buy Tesla stock, an apparent violation of federal ethics rules that prohibit officials from endorsing products or businesses. His promotion of Tesla was the latest move by a Trump administration official to bolster support for Elon Musk’s car company as it becomes a target for voters upset about the sweeping, unprecedented cuts Musk is leading across the federal government through the U.S. DOGE Service. “I think if you want to learn something on this show tonight, buy Tesla. It’s unbelievable that this guy’s stock is this cheap. It’ll never be this cheap again,” Lutnick said on Fox News. With only a few exceptions, the Code of Federal Regulations prohibits executive branch employees from using their public office “for the endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise.”

Employees are also generally barred from giving preferential treatment to an individual or organization. Those ethical rules, along with the tenet that officials shouldn’t use their public office for private gain, are central to American democratic norms, advocates for ethics in government said. Lutnick’s comments could be interpreted as attempting to aid in enriching Musk, and they add to a growing perception that “the Trump administration is trying to help Elon Musk,” said Jordan Libowitz, spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “And whether or not that is true … that’s the kind of thing that you would want them to avoid because you don’t want the White House to be seen as playing favorites,” Libowitz said. Tesla has faced a declining stock price, consumer boycotts and investor frustration since DOGE began its efforts to dismantle the federal bureaucracy with dramatic job and budget cuts. Peaceful protesters have demonstrated at dozens of Tesla facilities across the United States and Europe, and Tesla cars and lots have been targeted with violence in a string of recent incidents. As Musk’s alliance with Trump has drawn criticism, Trump and his allies have moved to push conservative support Musk’s way. Last week, Trump showcased Tesla vehicles on the White House’s South Lawn and announced he was purchasing one for himself as he stood in solidarity with Musk, Trump’s biggest donor of the 2024 election cycle.

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Wes Moore’s star is rising as Democrats look for a comeback

When Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) took the stage at the annual Gridiron Club dinner Saturday night, he mockingly made mention of the thing Democrats have been buzzing about for months: his presidential ambitions. “If I actually wanted to be president, I wouldn’t do any of this,” Moore said. “Instead, I would take my case directly to the people who are in charge of our democracy: the Kremlin.” The comment, made at a dinner where the motto is “singe not burn” and journalists mingle with lawmakers from both parties, got a rousing reaction from Democrats. Moore’s political prospects have only gained steam in the party in recent months, as Democrats desperately try to find someone to lead them out of the wilderness, to save them.

Lately, the 46-year-old’s name is among the first to come up in conversation. “Wes Moore is the Captain America of Democratic politics,” said Jamal Simmons, a prominent party strategist who worked for former Vice President Kamala Harris. “He’s a veteran, an athlete and a Rhodes Scholar who still connects with everyday people. “He’s the best of us but doesn’t act like he’s better than any of us,” Simmons said. As they seek to rebuild — and in some ways, reinvent — their party, Democrats have been testing the waters on a number of potential candidates for 2028. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now a mayoral candidate for New York City, are admired for their bullishness. Democrats find Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro interesting for their appeal in the swingiest of swing states. Moore, many Democrats think, is worthy of the spotlight because of his authenticity and his appeal to a wide swath of voters. “Look at his Instagram,” one Democratic strategist said. “He is us.” There he is, throwing his hands in the air, spinning around, and rooting for the Baltimore Ravens. In another frame he’s wishing his mom a happy birthday. And then there are the reels of his workouts and the images of Moore — a former collegiate wide receiver — playing football with the University of Maryland football team. John Ronquillo, the director of the Institute for Public Leadership and a professor at the University of Maryland, said Moore has “given us a master class on how to draw attention to oneself.”

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London’s Heathrow Airport shuts down due to power outage, triggering global travel chaos

London’s Heathrow Airport is completely shut down because of a power outage due to a large fire nearby, causing massive disruption at one of the world’s busiest travel hubs. The fire is now under control. • Heathrow’s closure is expected to affect more than 1,300 flights. An airline analytics firm estimated that “upwards of 145,000” passengers could be impacted, and Heathrow is warning of significant disruption in the coming days. Trains around Heathrow have also been disrupted. • The cause of the fire is still under investigation, it said. The UK’s energy minister said there was “no suggestion” of foul play. The large blaze near Heathrow will be a “prolonged incident” with disruption for residents in the area expected to increase, according to the London Fire Brigade.

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Lead Stories

Stagflation? Fed sees higher inflation and an economy growing by less than 2% this year

Federal Reserve officials slashed their economic outlook in the latest projections released Wednesday, seeing the U.S. economy growing at a pace lower than 2%. The rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee downgraded its collective outlook for economic growth to 1.7%, down from the last projection of 2.1% in December. In the meantime, officials hiked their inflation outlook, seeing core prices growing at a 2.8% annual pace, up from the previous estimate of 2.5%. The moves suggested the central bank sees the risk of a stagflation scenario, where inflation rises as economic growth slows. In a statement, the FOMC noted the “uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased,” adding that the Fed is “attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate.”

Fears of an economic slowdown and inflation reacceleration have increased significantly as President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs on key U.S. trading partners are expected to raise prices of goods and services and dent consumer spending. “Inflation has started to move up now. We think partly in response to tariffs and there may be a delay in further progress over the course of this year,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. “Overall, it’s a solid picture. The survey data both household and businesses show significant large rising uncertainty and significant concerns about downside risks.” For now, the Fed still expects to make two rate cuts for the remainder of 2025, according to the median projection, even as the inflation outlook was raised. The so-called dot plot indicated that 19 FOMC members, both voters and nonvoters, see the benchmark fed funds rate at 3.9% by the end of this year, equivalent to a target range of 3.75% to 4%. The central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged in a range between 4.25%-4.5% on Wednesday. Still, their view has leaned more hawkish in their rate projection, with four members seeing no rate changes in 2025. At the January meeting, just one official foresaw no changes in interest rates this year.

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Judges threatened with impeachment, bombs for ruling against Trump agenda

Federal judges who have ruled against the Trump administration this year are confronting a wave of threats, potentially compromising their personal safety and the independence of the judiciary. The sister of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett received a bomb threat earlier this month, and lower court judges who hit pause on some of President Trump's efforts to dismantle federal agencies and programs have been singled out on social media. Republican lawmakers close to the president even have proposed impeachment proceedings against a few of those judges, who serve for life. Elon Musk, who oversees the Department of Government Efficiency making cuts to federal agencies, himself has repeatedly posted on social media about impeaching judges who delay or block parts of Trump's agenda.

Efforts to undermine the judiciary come at the same time the Trump administration has moved to fire lawyers inside the Justice Department and the Pentagon, penalize private law firms who represented clients Trump does not like, and to back away from participation in the activities of the American Bar Association. Judge Richard Sullivan, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, said in his lifetime four federal judges have been killed in retaliation for their work on the bench. "This is not hypothetical," Sullivan, who leads a Judicial Conference panel on security issues, told reporters in a news conference this week. The Judicial Conference is a representative body of federal judges that frames policies for courts. "It's real. It's happened before. We have to be certain that it doesn't happen again," he said. The Federal Judges Association, a voluntary group of more than 1,000 judges across the nation, said the judiciary plays a "critical role in preserving democracy and a law-abiding society."

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Texas’ 1.2 million English-learning students at risk amid layoffs

Statewide and national child advocates are sounding the alarm on impacts to emergent bilingual students, one group among many who have been left with less academic support and resources after mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education. Almost half of staff at the federal department were recently cut as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to reduce staff across multiple federal agencies. The U.S. Department of Education cuts have resulted in the disbandment of the department’s Office of Language Acquisition, which provides support to English-learning, emergent bilingual students. This student population is among the fastest-growing in Texas with 20% of students statewide — about 1.2 million — identified as emergent bilingual, according to the Texas Education Agency. The apparent elimination of federal oversight for these students, advocates say, could prompt them to fall behind academically, disengage from school and face lower graduation rates.

“One of the things that a lot of people don’t understand is that while immigration may have partly something to do with this, we are a Latino state in many ways. We are a legal immigration hub in many ways. We have a lot of children here that are American citizens, that are still bi-language learners,” said Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk, during a virtual press conference on Wednesday, March 19. “This decision effectively eliminates federal leadership, educator support and resources designed to help emergent bilingual kids succeed in school,” he added. According to Children at Risk, a Texas research and advocacy nonprofit focused on improving children’s quality of life, Texas’ emergent bilingual student population grew by 49% from 2013 to 2023. The Texas state director of Emgage, a group of organizations dedicated to politically empowering Muslim American communities, shared a story of an emergent bilingual student who received support through middle and high school and graduated speaking fluent English. He is now working full-time and attending college to obtain his bachelor’s degree. Jida Nabulsi, the state director, said many emergent bilingual students don’t realize they have the same opportunities as this student to open doors for themselves.

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Texas THC retailers should close as proposed ban looms, Lt. Gov. Patrick warns

Sellers of gummies, vapes, drinks and other retail products containing synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol — or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — should shut their doors “voluntarily” or the state would be doing it for them, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warned Wednesday. Hours later, the Texas Senate approved its bill creating a total ban on the products in a 24-7 vote, sending it to the House. Patrick said he would push the Legislature into multiple special sessions beyond the June 2 end date if that’s what it takes to rid Texas of nearly 8,300 retailers operating in shops, gas stations and other outlets under state agriculture laws. Only Gov. Greg Abbott can call a special session.

“We’re going to ban your stores before we leave here for good, whether it’s in May or July or August,” Patrick said during a news conference. “This is a poison in our public and we, as a Legislature — our number one responsibility is life and death issues.” His remarks come a day after a video surfaced of Patrick going into a THC shop near a middle school in South Austin — the latest in a growing series of personal investigations the powerful lieutenant governor is doing this session. A shop employee is heard asking for his identification as the store requires customers to be at least 21. Those in the industry are pushing back on Patrick’s efforts. “Concerns about semi-synthetic THC can be directly addressed through regulatory enforcement and by legalizing natural cannabis,” Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, said in a statement. “It is Texas' commitment to prohibition that has created this market for converted cannabinoids in the first place.”

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State Stories

She won Lotto Texas jackpot but state isn't yet handing over the $83.5M: 'I'm just angry'

The person who purchased the winning ticket for the $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot in the Feb. 17 drawing came forward to collect her prize Tuesday but was sent away empty-handed because of the mushrooming controversy over the use of third-party vendors who broker ticket sales through smartphone apps. The person, who spoke with the American-Statesman on the condition that her name not be used because of privacy concern, said she did nothing illegal or wrong when she purchased $20 worth of tickets using a phone app she has used on and off to buy Lotto and scratch-off tickets. Still, her payment is being held up pending the outcome of an investigation by the Texas Rangers. "I've gone through frustration and being sad and stressed," she said in an interview that included her lawyer, Randy Howry of Austin. "And now I'm just angry."

Just days before the drawing that would change the winner's life, lottery Executive Director Ryan Mindell and members of the lottery's governing board were excoriated during a Texas Senate Finance Committee hearing because third-party operators, called courier companies, had bypassed the state's prohibition of selling game tickets by telephone. Mindell at the time told the Senate panel that he had no authority over the companies, because they were legally making in-person purchases from licensed lottery retailers. Still, several committee members said the companies could be used by unscrupulous buyers who might be underage or otherwise ineligible to play the Texas Lottery. The members were especially upset that a courier company was used to make a bulk purchase totaling more than $25 million to buy up more than 99% of the possible number combinations to win a $95 million Lotto Texas jackpot in April 2023. Although the bulk purchase did not go through an app, Mindell was told that he should have suspected that the massive purchase of tickets could have involved a money launderer who was using the state-run lottery to legitimize profits from illicit enterprises.

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How bogged down are Harris County courts? This Houston man was jailed for 18 years without a trial

Last spring, as local officials were taking a closer look at the thousands of inmates in the Harris County Jail, they discovered something shocking: a man who had been locked up for 18 years without a trial. Edric Wilson, who is now 47, was accused of murdering the great-aunt of Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen back in 2006. He also faced a separate aggravated assault charge involving a different victim from earlier that year. Both cases then languished for nearly two decades, winding their way through six district attorneys’ administrations, three judges and six court-appointed defense lawyers. Finally, on Aug. 30, 2024, Harris County prosecutors dismissed the murder charge against Wilson after concluding that the key piece of evidence linking him to the woman’s death, a DNA test result, was far weaker than they’d originally believed. He pleaded guilty to the unrelated aggravated assault charge and was released on parole last month.

“I think there were failures at every level,” said Sean Teare, who was sworn in as Harris County District Attorney a few months after Wilson’s charges were resolved. “It’s a tragic case, and the thing that it spells out is, people can fall through the cracks.” Authorities declined to comment on whether the murder investigation might be reopened. Members of the Osteen family declined to comment. Wilson is one of about 230 people who county staffers identified last year had been in the Harris County Jail for more than 1,000 days. That number has since gone up, county data shows. Along with another 1,350 who have been behind bars for at least a year, the group is a major driver of the Houston region’s ongoing jail population crisis, and it shows no signs of shrinking. “A broken, ineffective, slow system doesn't benefit anyone, including victims,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a previous interview with the Houston Chronicle. “People deserve their day in court, and if cases are prosecuted fully, we should hold people accountable … but people are just getting stuck here.”

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South San ISD adopts controversial Bible-infused curriculum

South San Antonio Independent School District is switching to a controversial, Bible-infused curriculum next year — but not before setting up a committee to vet the learning materials for "inappropriate" content. The South San ISD board of managers unanimously approved the purchase of the state-written lessons and textbooks known collectively as Bluebonnet Learning on Monday, at the district’s second meeting since being taken over by the Texas Education Agency. South San’s new superintendent, Saul Hinojosa, recommended adopting the curriculum to address the district’s historically poor performance on standardized testing compared to the rest of the state, region and city. He said Bluebonnet Learning will help close those gaps in academic outcomes.

“I know there’s some concern as you read out there of this particular curriculum, but we are going to have some safeguards by formulating a committee that’s going to consist of teachers, parents and board members that will audit the curriculum,” he said. “If there’s anything we feel is inappropriate, we will have the ability to pull that out and change that little piece.” South San is one of the few San Antonio school systems to approve the widely debated curriculum since it was narrowly approved by eight of the 15 members of the State Board of Education in November. Harlandale ISD voted to adopt it at a December board meeting. Other local school districts, including East Central, Edgewood, Judson and Southwest ISDs, have approved portions of the curriculum. Bluebonnet Learning was created through House Bill 1605, which directed the Texas Education Agency to develop textbooks that align with state standards. The curriculum is free to access online, and school district are paid $60 per student to adopt it — $40 for using its instructional materials and $20 to cover printing the Bluebonnet textbooks.

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Police, firefighters’ unions stay out of San Antonio mayor’s race — for now

The city’s deep-pocketed police and firefighters’ unions are staying out of the race to replace Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who is term-limited from seeking reelection — at least until voters narrow the crowded field of 27 contenders on May 3. With that many candidates, a runoff election is widely expected. The San Antonio Police Officers’ Association and the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association could decide to endorse one of the top two vote-getters who makes it to the June 7 runoff. “At this point in time, with several candidates that could literally step in and have a profound impact on our community right out of the gate, we think that it’s better to let the community kind of pare that list down before we weigh in,” said Joe Jones, president of the firefighters’ union.

Those vying for the mayor’s seat include Council Members Manny Peláez, John Courage, Melissa Cabello Havrda and Adriana Rocha Garcia, and former Councilman Clayton Perry. Other major candidates include tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano, former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, and former U.S. Air Force Undersecretary Gina Ortiz Jones. All 10 council seats are up for election and those who are elected, or reelected, will serve a four-year term instead of a two-year one, the result of a city charter amendment that voters approved last fall. The new mayor and council will also earn substantially more, with the next mayor taking home $87,800 annually (up from $61,725) and council members earning $70,200 (from $45,722). The next mayor and City Council will vote on new labor contracts with both unions, starting with the San Antonio Police Officers’ Association. Its collective bargaining agreement with the city expires on Sept. 30, 2026, while the contract the City Council approved with the firefighters’ union last September runs through September 2027.

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Google to set sail in 35-story downtown Austin tower near Lady Bird Lake this year

After several delays over the past couple of years, Google Inc. has confirmed it will finally be moving into the high-profile, 35-story sail-shaped tower in downtown Austin this year. “We look forward to opening our new Austin office at 601 W 2nd this year that deepens our longstanding commitment to Texas and the local community," Ryan Lamont, a Google spokesperson, said via email Tuesday. Six years ago, Google signed a lease for the entire building overlooking Lady Bird Lake. Completed in 2022, the building — one of the newest and most recognizable on Austin's skyline — is leased to Google through 2038. But the sail-shaped tower has sat empty due to the new world order that has defined the office market since the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in remote and hybrid work. Work-from-home has led to rising vacancy rates in many office buildings, both in Austin and around the country.

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Bob Sanborn and Caroline Roberts: Texas can't afford to leave half a million young people behind

(Bob Sanborn is the president and CEO of Children at Risk, a Texas-based, nonpartisan research and advocacy group. Caroline Roberts is the group's general counsel and senior director of policy.) The future of Texas' economy is at risk, yet the solution is hiding in plain sight. Nearly 500,000 Texans between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither working nor in school. That's roughly equivalent to the population of Lubbock and Waco combined. These young people, whom advocates call Opportunity Youth and Young Adults, represent both our greatest challenge and our greatest potential for economic growth. This challenge is particularly urgent given the ever-changing demands of our workforce. Gov. Greg Abbott announced that expanding career training is an emergency item for this legislative session. The governor highlighted that by 2030, more than 60% of jobs in Texas will require some form of post-secondary education or training. Yet as it is now, less than 40% of Texas students attain a degree or workforce training within six years of graduating from high school. This skills gap threatens to leave even more young Texans behind while employers struggle to fill critical positions. Texas is failing thousands of young people who need a bridge to opportunity. Almost half of disconnected youth in Texas lack health insurance, and 1 in 4 rely on SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps.

We have the tools to make a difference. The Texas Workforce Commission is investing $80 million in youth programs for 2025. These funds can be used to help young people get back on a career or education pathway. While this money represents a significant commitment, we are not making the most of these resources. Why? Because we lack basic transparency about how these funds are being used and what results they're achieving. Three straightforward policy changes in Senate Bill 1143, authored by Sen. Ce´sar Blanco, D-El Paso, and its companion, HB 3173, authored by Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, could transform how we serve these young Texans. First, Texas must track and report how workforce development funds are being allocated for young adults. Without transparency, we have no way to measure program effectiveness or make necessary improvements. You can't improve what you don't measure, and right now, we're flying blind on program effectiveness. Second, local workforce boards must develop specific strategies for engaging opportunity youth, complete with clear goals and performance measures. This is not just about accountability, but ensuring that successful programs can be replicated across our state.

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AI rush has TPG-backed intersect in talks on Texas data centers

Intersect Power, a clean-energy developer backed by private equity firm TPG Inc., is in talks with technology companies to build two enormous data center sites in Texas, the latest sign that the race to develop artificial intelligence continues to heat up. Intersect is marketing two locations in the Texas panhandle, one capable of supporting a three-gigawatt data center and another that could host a one-gigawatt facility, Intersect Chief Executive Officer Sheldon Kimber said in an interview. Intersect is in talks about the sites with big hyperscalers who want to train AI models, he said, declining to name the companies.

A gigawatt is typically enough to power 250,000 homes in Texas. “It’s the Disneyland of energy,” he said of the state. The wind and the sun in Texas can power the sites about 70% of the time, he said, with the grid or an on-site plant fueled by natural gas able to provide the rest. “We’re essentially going to be building microgrids that interact with the grid, and at a gigawatt scale.” Remote areas of the US, including parts of Texas, are attracting attention from the world’s biggest tech firms as they pursue the electricity generation and space they need to build data centers that power AI. Intersect partnered with Google and TPG Rise Climate in December to develop the facilities alongside new clean-energy sources. With data centers and other large loads taking up an increasing amount of grid interconnections, developers will need to build more and more of their own power, according to Kimber. “We see the potential for truly off-grid data centers where the onsite gas fills in for the role of the grid in firming the onsite renewables,” he said.

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John Soriano and Chad Engelland: Why Irving must say no to casino plan

(John Soriano, Ph.D., is assistant professor of economics, and Chad Engelland, Ph.D., is professor of philosophy at the University of Dallas, which is adjacent to the site of the proposed casino. Both live with their families in south Irving.) A striking contrast occurred at last Friday’s Town Hall in Irving, where more than 500 residents showed their opposition to the behemoth casino resort that the Las Vegas Sands Corp. is seeking to bring to Irving. A crucial step in bringing that casino a stone’s throw away from where our children live and go to school is an upcoming vote by the Irving City Council on whether to rezone the land formerly occupied by Texas Stadium for a casino resort. After an hour of fielding angry question after question, the Sands’ spokesman asked from the mic for a member of his team to bring him some water. No one did. The questions continued. The Rev. John Bayer, a Cistercian monk and a member of the monastery that would be a neighbor to the casino resort, noticed the omission and brought him a glass of water. Despite his fervent opposition to the development, Father John recognized the human needs of that man, and in bringing him a glass of water, offered a small representation of what we believe Irving actually stands for. It’s the opposite of what the Sands Corp. plans to do to Irving.

We call on the Irving City Council to recognize the human needs of the community its members represent. We are deeply concerned that the casino will yield social ills without the economic benefits it supposedly promises. Irving residents need economic development that prioritizes the goods of the community: safety, good jobs, family-friendly gatherings, and excellent education, including the nationally recognized University of Dallas, where we teach in the shadow of the proposed casino site. This piece of land is an opportunity to augment, not diminish, Irving’s many virtues. Yet casinos directly caused 8.6% of property crime and 12.5% of violent crime in counties where they operate, according to the most rigorous and comprehensive study on casinos and crime, conducted by economists Earl Grinols and David Mustard and published in The Review of Economics and Statistics. Their research examined a 19-year period when casino operations expanded from just one state (Nevada) to 29 states — making their findings directly relevant to Texas, which has potential casino gambling on its doorstep. These crime increases included assault, rape, robbery, larceny, burglary and auto theft. Even more concerning, they found crime spilled beyond casino borders into neighboring counties, proving that what happens in casinos definitely doesn’t stay there and poses a direct threat to the families in our community. A likely primary culprit behind these alarming statistics? Gambling addictions that progressively breed financial desperation and ultimately drive people to criminal behavior, argue the authors.

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Coppell schools sued over alleged ‘woke,’ illegal ‘CRT’ efforts, Texas AG Paxton says

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Coppell ISD, arguing school officials broke state law by teaching students critical race theory and pushing “woke ideology.” On Wednesday, Paxton’s office announced the lawsuit with agency officials referring to a hidden-camera recording that appeared to show a Coppell school administrator evading the state’s “prohibitions on the use of CRT in state policies and curricula.” “Texas children deserve to receive the best education in the world, not have woke ideology forced upon them,” Paxton said in a statement. “My lawsuit aims to put an immediate end to this illegal and hateful curriculum and immediately stop the blatant refusal to follow state law by certain officials at Coppell ISD.” Coppell ISD officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment over phone and email. The school district is on spring break.

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State Senate gives initial passage to Texas property ban for residents from China, Russia

The Texas Senate gave initial passage to a bill Wednesday that would ban residents of and organizations based in China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from owning property in Texas. The bill’s passage comes as many Asian community groups have decried the proposal from Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, as discriminatory. The bill now heads to the House, where a similar proposal has also been filed. The nations targeted in the ban are derived from annual threat assessment reports by the Director of National Intelligence. China, Iran, North Korea and Russia are the only countries listed as hostile nations in the most recent federal threat assessment reports. This is the second time Kolkhorst has proposed a property ban linked to hostile nations.

Her previous attempt in 2023 passed the Senate but never came up for a vote in the House. A key change in the bill from Kolkhorst’s previous bill is that it would not ban citizens of those countries from owning property in Texas as long as their primary home is not in a banned country. “We’ve had some that say that has weakened the bill. Not at all,” Kolkhorst said prior to the vote. “I think that it has made it stronger and constitutional, more constitutional.” With a larger and more conservative majority in the House, Kolkhorst’s bill is seen as having a greater chance of becoming law this year. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made the proposal a priority bill this session designated by a low bill number – Senate Bill 17. The bill passed 24-7, with four Democrats, including Dallas Sen. Royce West, joining Republicans in favor of the bill. It will require another vote before it heads to the House, though the margins rarely change. No senators spoke against the bill, but Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, said that it could have unintended consequences of putting the state between the private property rights of those involved in a land sale. Perry voted for the bill.

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Why TCU football is the key to future conference realignment

The chaos of realignment in college athletics has calmed, but every athletic director across the country is preparing for the next round of movement. That includes new TCU athletic director Mike Buddie, who has plenty of experience with realignment after he led the efforts to get Army West Point into the American Athletic Conference. With all the talk of potential super conferences and the SEC and Big 10 commanding more power in the College Football Playoff, it’s Buddie’s desire to have TCU in the best possible position whenever conferences like the Big Ten are ready to expand again. “(TCU) is unique,” Buddie said. “Because it’s in a destination city, because we’re playing at a Power Four level, how do we set ourselves apart from everybody else in our league so when the next iteration of college football armageddon we have a chair when the music stops?”

Buddie doesn’t just want TCU to have a safe landing spot when the next wave of realignment hits, he also wants the Horned Frogs to be in a position of power. “We want a chair with Ohio State, we want a chair with Alabama,” Buddie said. “Nobody knows what that looks like. From our standpoint we’re rallying the troops, we’re getting our donors together, we’re getting our loyal supporters together.” An all-in approach is necessary as the Horned Frogs could easily find themselves battling some of their in-state rivals if a spot in the Big Ten ever comes available. As for why TCU would be interested in making a potential move, it’s simple in Buddie’s eyes. “I think we owe it to our kids to compete at the highest level,” Buddie said. “Right now we are at the highest level, but as the Big Ten and SEC start to creep further away, we want to lasso them. That revenue gap continues to grow and that’s an opportunity we want to be a part of.” TCU will be able to sell its premiere location in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, but it’ll take more than location and money to put the Horned Frogs in the best position for the future.

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National Stories

The 1960s ‘chicken tax’ shows the lasting impact of tariffs

Nothing is more American than the pickup truck. One big reason why: the “chicken tax.” The U.S. has imposed a 25% tariff on imported trucks ever since President Lyndon Johnson hit back at European levies on American poultry in 1963, less than two weeks after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. As the Trump administration pursues a barrage of new tariffs, the longstanding tax on pickup trucks bears witness to the power of high duties to reshape global trade, competition and industry over decades, with effects far exceeding their original purpose. Like today’s tensions, the dispute that became known as the “chicken war” was punctuated by worries about the trade deficit, accusations of protectionism and threats to cut Europe loose from America’s defense umbrella. Back then, though, Washington favored lower import duties and imposed the chicken tax only after more than a year of fruitless diplomacy.

Johnson’s trade representative “emphasized that the tariff increases weren’t necessarily permanent and could be canceled” as soon as Europe cut its poultry levies, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time. Since becoming president, Donald Trump has introduced a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, a 25% tax on many goods imported from Mexico and Canada and an additional 20% duty on Chinese products. He has said he would give details of further wide-ranging tariffs, including a potential 25% levy on all light-vehicle imports, on April 2. Some lessons from the 1960s auto tariff are consistent with the current White House’s America-first agenda, others less so. Thanks in large part to the chicken tax, virtually all pickup trucks sold in the U.S. are built in North America, and most of them by American brands. General Motors, Ford and RAM owner Stellantis sold 80% of all light trucks in the U.S. last year. Ad campaigns have also helped cement American brand loyalty among truck buyers.

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Trump releases JFK assassination files

The Trump administration on Tuesday released more than 30,000 pages of previously classified or censored documents relating to the death of former President John F. Kennedy, potentially providing answers to decades-old questions that helped make the 1963 assassination an emblem of distrust in government. Donald Trump had said last year on the campaign trail he would disclose those documents if elected, and on Monday said most of the 80,000 remaining pages would be released in full. “You’ve got a lot of reading,” he told reporters while visiting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Lawyers from the Justice Department’s national-security division were tapped to review hundreds of documents each, which they did late into the night on Monday, in preparation for the release, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, said officials were working to unseal additional documents still covered by grand jury and other secrecy laws.

The Warren Commission in 1964 found that Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, who acted alone. In the years since, a raft of alternate theories have bubbled up, including whether the U.S. government itself killed him. Some have suggested Kennedy’s vice president, Lyndon Johnson, worked with the Central Intelligence Agency and the mafia to eliminate a president who was skeptical about U.S. involvement in Vietnam. No evidence has substantiated those claims, but the CIA withheld from the commission key information about its own operations, fueling those suspicions. The latest release, made public by the National Archives, contains at least 31,000 pages of digitized paper documents going back to the 1960s. Some have faded typewritten text and handwritten notes; others contain faint classified “SECRET” markings. The documents appeared to address a range of topics, from a trip Oswald took to Finland, to a $210 rent reminder for a CIA safe house in Maryland, to the financing of covert operations. One March 1993 memo shows the CIA arranged for two Washington Post reporters to interview Yuri Nosenko, a former KGB agent, about his knowledge of Oswald when he lived in the Soviet Union. “The POST reimbursed Nosenko for expenses and paid him a $250 consulting fee,” the memo said.

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Israeli strikes across Gaza hit multiple homes, killing at least 58 Palestinians, medics say

Israeli strikes killed at least 58 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to three hospitals. The strikes hit multiple homes in the middle of the night, killing men, women and children as they slept. Hours later, the Israeli military restored a blockade on northern Gaza, including Gaza City, that it had maintained for most of the war. It warned residents against using the main highway to enter or leave the north and said only passage to the south would be allowed on the coastal road. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to what remains of their homes in the north after a ceasefire took hold in January. Israel resumed heavy strikes across Gaza on Tuesday, shattering the truce that had facilitated the release of more than two dozen hostages. Israel blamed the renewed fighting on Hamas because the militant group rejected a new proposal that departed from their signed agreement. The Trump administration, which took credit for helping to broker the ceasefire, has voiced full support for Israel. More than 400 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday alone, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

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4 more progressive groups pressure Schumer to ‘stand up’ or resign as leader

Liberal youth groups are piling onto Chuck Schumer, urging the Senate minority leader in a new letter to fight more aggressively against President Donald Trump or resign as leader. “Chuck Schumer, your leadership is failing to meet the moment,” reads the memo, which was first shared with POLITICO. “Gen Z voters want leaders with a backbone who will stand up to billionaires and fight for working people. But it’s not just us. You have lost the trust of millions of voters and many of your colleagues in Congress.” The sideswipe against Schumer is the latest sign of mounting pressure he is facing from within his party after voting last week for a GOP stopgap funding bill.

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) became the first Democrat in the House on Tuesday to openly suggest that Schumer should call it quits as minority leader. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) also said “yes” when asked if he should retire or resign. The liberal organization Indivisible has called for Schumer to leave his leadership post as well. The letter by youth organizations demanded that Schumer “Obstruct the MAGA agenda with every tool you have” and “Stand beside us at protests.” It was signed by the Sunrise Movement, College Democrats of America, United We Dream Action and Voters of Tomorrow. Schumer has sought to quell the rising dissent within his party, arguing that he took a difficult vote because it represented the best of two bad options. Failing to prevent a government shutdown, he said, would have given Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk more power.

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‘Captain Canada’ takes on Trump

Snow plows rumbled and salt trucks spewed de-icing pellets onto Toronto’s streets, barely visible under two feet of snow. A stocky man brandished a comically small red shovel as he helped dig out a car trapped at an intersection. The helping hand was provided by Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province and its largest economy, who came to the rescue of drivers trapped in the January 2022 snowstorm, even giving a few of them rides home. Some residents criticized the gesture as having the patina of a public relations stunt, but the “little red shovel” moment captured Mr. Ford’s essence: the Everyman who, despite lacking some of the polish of other politicians, still gets the job done. Mr. Ford has lately been leading the charge against a different kind of storm that has rolled into Canada: President Trump’s threats to the country’s economy and his desire to make it the 51st state.

Mr. Ford, 60, has thrust himself into the public spotlight, aggressively defending Canada’s sovereignty, economy and honor, earning him the moniker “Captain Canada” among some Canadians at a moment when the country feels betrayed by the United States and has responded with fury. “It’s like a family member stabbing you right in the heart,” Mr. Ford told reporters after Mr. Trump began threatening tariffs on Canada. The premier has taken to wearing a “Canada Is Not For Sale” baseball cap and a “Never 51” hockey jersey, both alluding to Mr. Trump’s repeated statehood declarations. He has pulled American alcohol off liquor store shelves — Ontario is one of the largest buyers of U.S. spirits — and canceled the government’s contract with Starlink, an internet company owned by Elon Musk, Mr. Trump’s billionaire ally. Mr. Ford, whose office said he was unavailable for an interview, also briefly imposed a 25 percent surcharge on the electricity that Ontario supplies to Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Those tactics have caught Mr. Trump’s attention. “There’s a very strong man in Canada,” Mr. Trump told reporters last week, referring to Mr. Ford, who retreated on the surcharge after speaking with Trump administration officials who offered to meet their Canadian counterparts to discuss the tariff standoff.

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Pentagon's DEI purge erases Colin Powell, Tuskegee Airmen, but not this group

Links to “Notable Graves” of Black, Latino and female veterans were scrubbed from Arlington National Cemetery’s website. Among the notables who were disappeared: Gen. Colin Powell, the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later secretary of state. Also banished to digital oblivion was Ira Hayes, a Native American who was among six Marines seen raising the American flag at Iwo Jima in 1945 in one of the most iconic photos from the war. Articles about the famed Navajo Code Talkers, who used their tribal language for secret Allied communications during World Wars I and II, were taken down as well. The list goes on.

Yet the Pentagon's ongoing purge of words and images celebrating diversity in the military has spared — at least for now — a roster of Texas-born Hispanic heroes who are buried in military cemeteries in San Antonio and showcased in an online Veterans Legacy Memorial. Why? That online honor roll and the two cemeteries are part of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the VA has not moved against diversity, equity and inclusion with anything like the intensity shown by the Department of Defense. The websites from which Powell, the Navajo Code Talkers and other illustrious minorities were deleted are operated by the DoD or military service branches. Arlington National Cemetery and its website are run by the Army. The VA is a separate cabinet-level department, and that distinction has offered at least temporary protection for minorities honored on VA websites. Among the best-known of those showcased in the gallery is Army Gen. Richard Cavazos, the nation’s first Hispanic four-star general. Cavazos, a decorated veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, was born to Mexican American parents in Kingsville. President Joe Biden awarded him the Medal of Honor posthumously in December.

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Child tax credits, long a liberal priority, find favor in Republican states

Cash would flow directly into the hands of Ohio parents under a proposal from Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. As part of multibillion-dollar budget negotiations this session, Ohio lawmakers will consider the new refundable tax credit worth up to $1,000 per young child, to be paid for by an increase in tobacco taxes. In neighboring Indiana, the state Senate approved a bipartisan plan to give a $500 refundable tax credit to families with an infant. If passed, the measures would mark the first time a Republican-controlled state has implemented a refundable child tax credit. Advocates view that type of credit as key because it delivers cash even to poor families with little or no income tax liability.

State interest in creating or expanding child tax credits boomed after the pandemic-era expansion of the federal child tax credit delivered cash directly to millions. That move quickly lifted millions of children out of poverty. But the expanded tax credit expired in 2021 — leading to a doubling in the nation’s childhood poverty rate in 2022. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have some child tax credit programs. But so far, all 11 states with refundable credits are led by Democratic governors and legislatures. “Obviously, it’s great to see more places are interested in it, but I think it really comes down to the design of them and who’s included and who’s excluded,” said Megan Curran, policy director at Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy. “That’s going to determine how effective they are at the end of the day,” In Indiana, lawmakers want to include parents who recently adopted a child or those with children under the age of 1. Even those with no income could qualify for the refundable credit. As proposed, eligibility would top out for families with an adjusted gross income that’s 720% of the federal poverty level — about $191,000 for a family of three. The legislation’s Republican sponsor, state Sen. Greg Walker, said the program could be expanded over time to include older children. “I think it’s — pardon the pun — a baby step to introduce a credit for a newborn,” he said. “I don’t think anyone disputes … all the costs associated with bringing a new baby into the world.”

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Lead Stories

‘Too many women have suffered’ under Texas abortion ban, Fort Worth Republican says

Clarifying the state’s abortion ban to save mothers’ lives is the “most important” legislation filed by one North Texas lawmaker, he said of his 24-year career. Texas must spell out the circumstances under which doctors can provide abortions, Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, said Tuesday at a press event alongside religious leaders inside the Capitol. Medical professionals and advocates have repeatedly said language in the state’s current abortion ban is unclear, making doctors uncertain when they’re legally allowed to provide medically necessary abortion care. “Too many women have suffered. Too many have died,” Geren said. “If one has died it’s too many, and more have. I have friends whose wives can no longer conceive because of the problems they went through with their first pregnancy and the delay that doctors face in addressing the problems.”

Geren and Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, filed similar versions of what’s known as the Life of the Mother Act on Friday. The bills have garnered an unusual amount of agreement and support for such a hotly contested issue. Geren joined female faith leaders Tuesday from across the state who want the law clarified. Pastor Danielle Ayers of Justice at Friendship-West in Dallas said “pregnancy and motherhood are sacred.” The bills are a “step in the right direction to restore full body autonomy to women because our bodies belong to us and not anyone else,” Ayers said. Hughes and Geren have been strong anti-abortion voices in the Legislature. Hughes is considered a leader in the state’s anti-abortion legislation, in part because he authored the state’s six-week abortion ban in 2021, known as the Texas Heartbeat Act. The clarification proposal “is the most important bill that I’ve ever carried,” Geren said, vowing to get it to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. The Tarrant County lawmaker said he told Abbott: “If I ever make you mad this session and you have to veto something, veto everything else. But you leave this one alone.”

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Slower economic growth is likely ahead with risk of a recession rising, according to the CNBC Fed Survey

Respondents to the March CNBC Fed Survey have raised the risk of recession to the highest level in six months, cut their growth forecast for 2025 and hiked their inflation outlook. Much of the change appears to stem from concern over fiscal policies from the Trump administration, especially tariffs, which are now seen by them as the top threat to the U.S. economy, replacing inflation. The outlook for the S&P 500 declined for the first time since September. The 32 survey respondents, who include fund managers, strategists and analysts, raised the probability of recession to 36% from 23% in January. The January number had dropped to a three-year low and looked to have reflected initial optimism following the election of President Donald Trump. But like many consumer and business surveys, the recession probability now shows considerable concern about the outlook.

“We’ve had an abundance of discussions with investors who are increasingly concerned the Trump agenda has gone off the rails due to trade policy,” said Barry Knapp of Ironsides Macroeconomics. “Consequently, the economic risks of something more insidious than a soft patch are growing.” “The degree of policy volatility is unprecedented,? said John Donaldson, director of fixed income at Haverford Trust. The average GDP forecast for 2025 declined to 1.7% from 2.4%, a sharp markdown that ended consecutive increases in the three prior surveys dating back to September. Gross domestic product is forecast to bounce back to 2.1% in 2026, in line with prior forecasts. “The risks to consumers’ spending are skewed to the downside,” said Neil Dutta, head of economic research at Renaissance Macro Research. “Alongside a frozen housing market and less spending across state and local governments, there is meaningful downside to current estimates of 2025 GDP.”

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Court records detail investigation leading to Texas AG abortion arrests

After two people were arrested and charged Monday with unlawfully performing abortions and practicing medicine without a license, new court documents obtained Tuesday paint a clearer picture of some of the first abortion-related arrests in the U.S. since federal protections for the procedure were overturned. Authorities on Monday arrested Maria Margarita Rojas, 49, who owns several Houston-area clinics, and Jose Cendan Ley, 29, and charged them with the second- and third-degree felonies. Their arrests are believed to be the first made under Texas House Bill 1280, a trigger law that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade in June 2022 and bans abortions except when a pregnant person could die without one.

Another employee of Rojas' was arrested March 8 for practicing medicine without a license, the attorney general's office announced Tuesday. The staff member — nurse practitioner Rubildo Labanino Matos, 54, whose license is on probation — was not charged with violating Texas' abortion laws. He was released from jail March 9, according to court records. The unlawful abortion allegations stem from one anonymous complaint submitted to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in January, according to a lawsuit the attorney general's office filed against Rojas on Monday afternoon. Three-term Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton's office is prosecuting the case after being asked for help by Republican Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore. The woman who tipped off HHSC claimed that two women terminated their pregnancies "not for any medical complications," but "for irresponsibility of not wanting to protect themselves using birth control," the lawsuit from Paxton's office states. She alleged that in 2023, a woman who was three months pregnant had an abortion, and in January 2025, another who was eight weeks pregnant terminated her pregnancy. Both procedures allegedly took place at the Clinica Latinoamericana, also known as the Maternal and Child Healthcare and Research Center, LLC, in Waller, a northwestern Houston suburb.

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Trump aides prep new tariffs on imports worth trillions for ‘Liberation Day’

White House aides are preparing to impose new tariffs on most imports on April 2, laying the groundwork for an escalation in global economic hostilities that President Donald Trump has called “Liberation Day.” Through his first two months in office, the president has raised tariffs on roughly $800 billion in imports from China, Mexico and Canada, although estimates vary widely. These tariffs have sent the stock market careening and raised the risks of a U.S. recession, while inviting retaliation against domestic industries by trade partners. Despite the blowback, senior Trump advisers are now publicly pledging to create a new tariff regime that would impose new duties on trade with most countries that trade with the United States. A person familiar with internal planning, speaking on the condition of anonymity to reflect private deliberations, confirmed administration officials are preparing tariffs on “trillions” of dollars in imports.

The potential to more than double the scope of Trump’s tariffs has alarmed economists and some congressional Republicans, while other White House allies are concerned about the logistical challenges of a complicated new import tax regime. The precise nature of these new duties has spurred extensive discussions at the highest levels of the administration, with Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House aide Peter Navarro and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent all playing a role in the talks, the person familiar with the plans said. “The last two months have already hurt American businesses and consumers, but the April 2 deadline seriously could make all of that look like a tempest in a teapot,” said Joseph Politano, an economic policy analyst at Apricitas Economics. “We don’t know exactly what they’re going to do, but from what they’re saying, it sounds functionally like new tariffs on all U.S. imports.” The internal preparations suggest Trump remains unbowed in his push to upend the global trade order, despite deepening unease among allies on Capitol Hill and Wall Street and outright fury from overseas. Trump has said the tariffs are necessary to encourage companies to move production back to the U.S. and force concessions from foreign trading partners, but the fallout has rattled investors and consumers, leading to declines in several key economic indicators. “It’s a liberation day for our country because we’re going to be getting back a lot of the wealth that we so foolishly gave up to other countries, including friend and foe,” Trump told reporters on Monday.

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State Stories

Texas is already facing water shortages. Here’s the big choice lawmakers face in finding a solution

Texas lawmakers agree now is the time to invest billions into the state’s water infrastructure. But a rift is emerging over whether to pump most of the money into costly projects to secure“new” water, like desalination plants or pipelines from other states, or into the more mundane work of repair, like shoring up Houston’s leaky pipes that lose billions of gallons a year. Proposals in the House and Senate would carve out $1 billion annually from the state’s tax revenue for water supply and infrastructure. A bill filed by state Sen. Charles Perry, a Lubbock Republican who has been the leading voice on water issues, would require that 80% of the funding go to new water supply projects, like buying reserves from other states and piping it into Texas or constructing plants to make seawater drinkable.

Legislation filed by state Rep. Cody Harris, a Republican from East Texas where the state’s water reserves are most plentiful, would give state regulators total flexibility in allocating the funding to new projects or aging infrastructure. Texas 2036, a nonpartisan think tank, has estimated that Texas will need to spend $154 billion on water infrastructure over the next 50 years. The sum includes $59 billion to access new water supplies and another $95 billion to fix deteriorating drinking water systems and broken wastewater infrastructure. How much the legislature allocates to each need will be “the crux of the policy conversation,” said Jeremy Mazur, the director of infrastructure and natural resources policy for Texas 2036. “Whether or not this emphasis on water supply development goes too far when we compare that to the need to fix our aging and deteriorating systems.” Water experts have unanimously praised the measures, emphasizing how desperately the funding is needed as parts of the state – like the Rio Grande Valley – already face dire shortages. The state’s water supplies and needs vary widely by region. West Texas, which relies primarily on groundwater, has seen agriculture and a booming oil and gas industry deplete those reserves. As Central and North Texas have swelled in population, rivers and aquifers are being stressed.

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Christian Menefee endorsed by some of state's top Democrats in congressional campaign's first day

In his congressional campaign’s first 24 hours, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee has raised contributions from more than 5,000 supporters and garnered endorsements from some of the state’s top Democratic leaders. Menefee’s team announced Monday it had collected $100,000 from 2,000 donors in the six hours after unrolling his candidacy to represent Texas’ 18th congressional district. On Tuesday, the campaign announced it had raised more than $200,000 from more 5,000 donors. The average donation was around $40, his campaign said. Also on Tuesday, his team unveiled endorsements from former U.S. Reps. Beto O’Rourke and Colin Allred, Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Lesley Briones, and Houston Controller Chris Hollins, along with several Houston City Council members.

“The enthusiasm we’re seeing in the first few hours is a clear message that people want bold, progressive leadership in Washington,” Menefee said in a Monday statement. “This momentum sends a powerful signal that we’re ready to challenge the status quo and lead Texas’s 18th District into a new era of leadership that prioritizes the needs of working families.” The agility of Menefee’s fundraising was described by University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus using one word: “Stunning.” There’s a premium on raising money early, Rottinghaus added — it indicates not only power, but a sophisticated campaign operation. “It demonstrates that he’s the one to set the tone,” Rottinghaus said. Menefee is vying to replace former Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died March 5. Turner had just started his first term in Congress replacing his longtime friend U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died in July after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Menefee has the backing of Jackson Lee’s daughter, Erica Lee Carter, who is also serving as Menefee’s campaign chairwoman.

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Tony Buzbee exits Diddy lawsuit as court reveals he's not allowed to practice

Prominent Houston-based trial lawyer Tony Buzbee has withdrawn as an attorney in the ongoing monthslong legal battle involving rapper mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. The notice, filed Monday night, stated that Buzbee was withdrawing from the lawsuit after the judge ordered him to explain why he failed to disclose that he’s not admitted to practice in the Southern District of New York. Per the court document, Buzbee moved to withdraw his appearance "until such time as he is admitted to practice" in the district. Buzbee's client will continue to be represented by the remaining counsel on the case from Curis Law. Buzbee signed off on the filing.

Buzbee withdrew after U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams issued an order for Buzbee to file a letter explaining why he failed to notify the court about the issue earlier and propose next steps to rectify it. In Abrams' order, the judge says Buzbee was warned about his admittance to practice in a parallel case, and did not address it in court. Abrams could reject Buzbee's motion and request the attorney explain why he didn't disclose such information. "A grievance was filed by Shawn Carter against me alleging I was practicing law in the Southern District of New York without formal admission. Until that's sorted out I'm going to let my colleagues who are formally admitted push those cases while I continue to march on the New York State cases," Buzbee told Chron. "We also will be filling cases in Nevada and California very soon."

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University of Houston-Victoria could move under Texas A&M System with lawmaker approval

Texas lawmakers may soon consider transferring the University of Houston-Victoria to the Texas A&M University System. State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, who filed the bill with Sen. Paul Bettencourt last week, told The Texas Tribune that the switch would better serve the area's workforce and industries. If passed and signed into law, Texas A&M would take on the school as its 12th university. The UH System would decrease its oversight to three universities, all of them in the greater Houston area. UH officials did not shut down the idea.

"The University of Houston System has always been deeply committed to the success of our students and the communities we serve through our four universities," a university system statement said. “With the proposed transfer of the University of Houston-Victoria to the Texas A&M University System, we recognize that the academic programs offered by the TAMU System, specifically in the areas of agribusiness and agricultural economics, may be better aligned to support the Victoria region’s economic growth and local workforce needs." This is the second time lawmakers have attempted to move the Victoria university under the Texas A&M System's umbrella. An attempt in 2011 was not successful without the UH System's support. UH leaders reaffirmed their commitment to UH-Victoria students and said that they would work closely with Kolkhorst, state leaders and Texas A&M leadership as legislation potentially proceeds. Outgoing Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp, who is from the Victoria area, said the A&M System would also help facilitate the move.

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Pentagon deploys Navy destroyer to Texas-Mexico border to combat drug cartels

The Pentagon has deployed a U.S. Navy destroyer to the Gulf Coast near the Texas-Mexico border, making good on a promise Vice President J.D. Vance made two weeks ago in Eagle Pass to ramp up the nation’s military presence to help combat Mexican drug cartels. “Drone technology that the cartels are using requires, unfortunately, a military response and military support,” Vance said after he toured the border from the sky in a Black Hawk helicopter formation. The Pentagon hasn’t detailed how the USS Gravely will be used, other than to say it will support the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard in both U.S. and international waters.

“Gravely’s sea-going capacity improves our ability to protect the United States’ territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, U.S. Northern Command. The destroyer, equipped with dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles, last year spent 9-months near the Red Sea where launched defensive strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen, according to the U.S. Navy. The military show of force aimed at the cartels comes on the heels of Trump signing an executive order designating six Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Earlier this month, in his address to Congress, he made it abundantly clear that it is time for a more aggressive military approach to those gangs. “The cartels are waging war on America, and it’s time for America to wage war on the cartels,” Trump told Congress. U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, has long been an advocate of pushing the Mexican government to do more to crack down on the cartels or allow the U.S. to work with the Mexican military to disrupt and destroy their operations. Crenshaw earlier this year told me he envisions an arrangement similar to the U.S. operations in Colombia, where U.S. Special Forces assist their Colombian counterparts in combating cartels.

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Nasdaq CEO on opening new Dallas headquarters: ‘It’s time'

The Nasdaq on Tuesday unveiled a new regional headquarters that will be located in Dallas, becoming the latest elite financial institution tapping into a “Texas miracle” of pro-business sentiment and strong regional growth. In a statement, the world’s second-largest exchange (based on a market capitalization) said the Dallas hub will serve Nasdaq clients and the community at large, while being a “premium convening space to celebrate the leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators that call the Lone Star State home.” “We have a lot of revenue here in Texas,” Adena Friedman, Nasdaq chair and CEO, told The Dallas Morning News in an interview conducted on the sidelines of a luncheon honoring Dallas entrepreneur Ross Perot Jr.

Friedman cited the hundreds of companies that trade on the market, many of which are either based or have a strong presence in the Lone Star State, such as Texas Instruments. However, the booming regional economy, combined with Nasdaq’s own evolving business model, made the timing right to deepen its roots in Texas, Friedman added. “We’ve reflected on the fact we have 800 clients here ... on the fact we have 200 companies listed here,” Friedman said. “We have a presence in California. Obviously have a presence in New York. ... But it’s time for us to kind of put a real presence here that we can grow and expand over time.” The news comes after the New York Stock Exchange announced a similar move in February and as the upstart Texas Stock Exchange gets closer to launching. “It should be no surprise that there’s so much interest in bringing the capital markets to Texas. The leadership of Gov. Abbott and our state Legislature to drive population and economic growth have created a pro-business environment that is the economic envy of the world,” the Texas Stock Exchange said in a statement.

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Nathan Johnson files legislation to pave way for casino gambling referendum.

Last week was the deadline to file bills in Austin, and state Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) filed a senate joint resolution that would allow voters to weigh in on whether Texas should allow casino gambling. “Where there is a disconnect between what the Legislature will do and what the voters want, the issue may best be decided directly by voters. I filed SJR 82 to give the voters the right to decide this one. I sincerely hope my colleagues in the Senate feel the same way,” Johnson said in a statement. “Polls consistently show that more than 80 percent of Texans want the right to vote to decide this issue. It makes sense for the Legislature to let that happen.” The lawmaker says that doesn’t authorize casino gambling outright, but allows voters to change the state constitution’s 150-year-old ban on gambling and also impose regulation around gaming, sports betting, and the state lottery.

Johnson says that lifting the ban on gambling would also provide more funding for the state to address other needs, like property tax reductions, teacher pay raises and education funding, water infrastructure, and more. He says the state is missing out on revenue from Texans who spend money at casinos in neighboring states, as well as illegal gambling that happens within the state. “The state of Texas receives no benefit from this economic activity, nor do we effectively regulate it to protect consumers. I’m putting to the voters whether we should change that.” Casino gambling has been considered by the Legislature before. There were at least five pieces of legislation filed by both Democrats and Republicans in the last session alone. And while a House effort to move gambling along was declared “dead on arrival” earlier this year, momentum could be building for a different outcome. Earlier this month, the Irving City Council voted to consider rezoning a 182-acre tract of land owned almost entirely by a company connected to Las Vegas Sands Corp. (owned by Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson). The zoning, if adopted, would allow everything from casino gambling and hotels to “an arena with a minimum of 15,000 seats.”

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SpaceX to build $280 million semiconductor facility expansion in Texas

SpaceX is making a sizeable investment in its operations near the Texas capital, according to a Wednesday release from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott announced the state will be chipping in with a $17.3-million grant to supplement an expansion of the American space technology company's semiconductor research and development and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop, Texas. The grant comes courtesy of the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, a funding stream created by the governor's 2023 Texas CHIPS Act, which incentivizes the development of semiconductor manufacturing in the state through public grants. "Texas connects the nation and the world with the most advanced technologies manufactured right here in our great state," Abbott wrote.

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The future of higher ed is in Austin

Grayson Oliver came to the University of Texas at Austin three years ago as a freshman. A closeted queer kid from a small, conservative community near Fort Worth, he was one in the long line of students who’ve flocked to this quintessential college town, for decades considered a mecca for slackers, misfits and artists. And, like many students before him, Oliver blossomed on campus: He came out, joined student government and found a close circle of friends. It was a sunny winter day when we spoke—crop-top weather in February—and all around Oliver, students lounged on a grassy quad, headphones over their ears, scrolling. But the bucolic scene belied an underlying malaise at Texas’ flagship university, Oliver told me, a pervasive atmosphere of anxiety and confusion. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now,” he said. “It’s sad, and it’s hard.”

Austin is still in many ways an exemplar of American college culture, but in a way that runs counter to the free-spirited experimentation that’s been the norm in higher education. As a public university, UT-Austin is under the control of the state legislature. In an effectively one-party state like Texas, that means it’s under the thumb of Republicans, who are bent on changing what they see as woke college campuses. At the behest of the legislature, UT shuttered its diversity, equity and inclusion programs a full year before Donald Trump returned to the White House. (More than a dozen states have since passed similar laws.) Scores of staff members, some of them with decades of service to the university, lost their jobs. Long-standing traditions, such as the bilingual graduation ceremony for students from Spanish-speaking families, were canceled. The administration defunded, at the state’s behest, the Asian/Asian American Faculty and Staff Association, a mentorship program for Black and Hispanic women and another that helped undocumented students negotiate the college experience. One of the 10 biggest universities in the country no longer has a dedicated center supporting LGBTQ students. Student-run groups have attempted to pick up the slack, but because they’re banned from receiving any university funding, they’ve found themselves scrambling for resources. “We’re losing so many programs,” says Elizabeth Tomoloju, a junior from Dallas. “Students are a lot more careful about what they say and do, because they don’t know what’s allowed anymore.”

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After funding freeze, refugee dollars flowing to Texas again but program's fate uncertain

After a six-week federal funding freeze that decimated refugee services in Texas, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday released $47 million to the state’s refugee services designee. The health department, which includes the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, stopped sending such reimbursements to states across the country in early February. For reasons that remain unclear, the pause continued in Texas even after all other states started receiving reimbursements again. That prompted a lawsuit from the Catholic Charities of Fort Worth, which runs the nonprofit Texas Office for Refugees, the designee that distributes reimbursements to the state’s 29 refugee services providers. At a hearing in the case last Friday, a Justice Department lawyer announced that the agency had completed an unspecified type of review of the nonprofit office and of Catholic Charities – a process that had apparently delayed the release of funds – and would soon send money to cover the requested reimbursements.

“I was very glad it happened, so that we can continue our work,” said Simone Talma-Flowers, executive director of Interfaith Action of Central Texas, the largest local provider of English-language learning programs for refugees. “We can continue serving refugees, teaching English language instruction, youth, mentoring, health and wellness. This is all very good news for us.” Neither Catholic Charities nor the Texas Office for Refugee responded to a request for comment. While leaders of other Texas refugee service providers are relieved, they also say it’s going to take a long time to recover from the furloughs, layoffs and other cost-cutting measures they had to use to get by. They also are bracing for an even bigger challenge. On Friday, the same day as the court hearing, the Trump administration published a policy letter saying it plans to stop sending reimbursements to the Texas Office for Refugees and other state designees in October when the new federal budget cycle begins. That would affect Texas and 13 other states, where designees exist because the state government has chosen not to accept federal dollars intended to support refugees. Anjum Malik, executive director of Austin-based refugee service provider Global Impact Initiative, said the letter adds to the sense of ongoing uncertainty that has already taken rooted within many organizations.

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Federal jury in San Antonio convicts two men in connection with deadly 2022 tractor-trailer incident

A federal jury in San Antonio on Tuesday found two men guilty in connection to the deadliest human smuggling incident in modern U.S. history. Fifty-three migrants, including six children, died in a stifling tractor-trailer on June 27, 2022. Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Ortega may spend the rest of their lives in prison for those deaths, which took place in the back of a tractor-trailer without air conditioning in the South Texas sun. The two men who were a part of a human smuggling network will be sentenced on June 27, exactly three years after the incident.

Dozens of men, women and children from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and other nations were found trapped in the tractor-trailer on Quintana Road in southwest San Antonio in 2022. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said at the time that a worker at a nearby facility heard a person crying for help and found the trailer with numerous dead inside. San Antonino Fire Chief Charles Hood said they were hot to the touch and suffering from heat exhaustion. “No signs of water in the vehicle, it was a refrigerated tractor-trailer, but there was no visible working AC unit on that rig,” he added. Temperatures in San Antonio at the time regularly exceeded 100 degrees. San Antonio has seen migrant smuggling attempts unravel many times over the past decade, but this was especially egregious, said San Antonio immigration attorney Jonathan Ryan.

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Are new religious displays coming to Texas schools? Here's how the Senate is paving a way.

The Texas Senate advanced its bid to herald religion in public schools Tuesday with its passage of a bill to allow districts to carve out time for in-school prayer and by giving its initial approval to a separate proposal that would require all campuses to post of copy of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The two measures, identified as priorities by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, continue efforts by the Republican-controlled Senate to confront the long-established separation of church and state, especially within public education. Patrick, who presides over the Senate, praised the upper chamber's swift approval of Senate Bill 11, the proposal by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, to allow time for prayer in schools.

“Religious freedom is a bedrock principle upon which America was founded, recognizing our rights come directly from God, not the government,” Patrick said in a statement. SB 11 gives districts the option to schedule time each school day to pray or read “the Bible and other religious texts.” Employees and students wishing to participate will be required to sign a form acknowledging that they are voluntarily taking part in the activity and waive their right sue the district related to the prayer time. The bill also prohibits the district from broadcasting a prayer or reading religious text over the loudspeaker. Middleton said SB 11 is intended to support personal religious liberties. “What that consent form allows is free exercise of the individual’s right to exercise their faith,” Middleton said.

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National Stories

Chief Justice John Roberts rebukes Trump after president calls for US judge's impeachment

The growing clash between President Donald Trump and the judiciary took a major turn Tuesday as Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rebuked Trump's call for the impeachment of a federal judge. “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said in a rare public statement. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.” Trump on Tuesday called for the impeachment of a federal judge who tried to stop the Republican administration from deporting hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members via the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law last used during World War II.

Trump, in a social media post, referred to Chief U.S. Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C., who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, as a "Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge" and "a troublemaker and agitator." Unlike himself, Trump argued, Boasberg did not win all seven battleground states in the 2024 White House election en route to an "OVERWHELMING MANDATE" that the president said was centered on his promise to fight illegal immigration. "I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" Trump said in his post on Truth Social. "WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY." Trump responded to Roberts' statement in a Fox News interview aired Tuesday night. "Well, he didn't mention my name in the statement. I just saw it quickly," Trump said. "But many people have called for the impeachment of this judge. I don't know who the judge is, but he's radical left." Asked by Fox News' Laura Ingraham whether he would defy a court order, Trump said: "No, you can't do that. However, we have bad judges. We have very bad judges, and these are judges that shouldn't be allowed.”

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Tesla board members, executive sell off over $100 million of stock in recent weeks

As Tesla stock has fallen in recent weeks, members of the board and an executive at Elon Musk's company have been selling off millions of dollars in stock, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Together, four top officers at the company have offloaded over $100 million in shares since early February. Last week, longtime Musk ally James Murdoch -- the estranged son of Fox boss Rupert Murdoch and a board member since 2017 -- became the latest to do so, exercising a stock option and selling shares worth approximately $13 million, according to an SEC filing. The sale took place on March 10, coinciding with the stock's largest single-day decline in five years.

According to one filing, the shares were sold "to cover the exercise price relating to the exercise of stock options to purchase 531,787 shares, which are scheduled to expire in 2025." Elon Musk's brother, Kimbal Musk, who also sits on the board, unloaded 75,000 shares worth approximately $27 million last month, according to a filing. The chairman of the board, Robyn Denholm, has offloaded more than $75 million dollars worth of shares in two transactions in the past five weeks, federal filings show. The selloffs made by Denholm came as part of a predetermined sales plan. A number of board members and executives made similar moves in November and December. But the recent sales come at a tumultuous time for Tesla, with the stock falling nearly 50% from a peak in mid-December. The company's shares have suffered most of those losses since President Donald Trump took office and Musk began his controversial governmental cost-cutting efforts as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.

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Trump Administration weighing major cuts to funding for domestic HIV prevention

The Health and Human Services Department is weighing plans to drastically cut the federal government’s funding for domestic HIV prevention, according to people familiar with the matter. The plans could be announced as soon as within a day, the people said, but they haven’t been finalized and could be pulled back or adjusted. The discussions come as the Trump administration is preparing for deep cuts of personnel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of a reorganization of the agency, people familiar with the planning said. The cuts and reorganization would take advantage of a weakness of the agency’s legal underpinnings: No single law outlines its purposes and authorizes its many programs. The CDC has a department dedicated to the prevention of HIV and other infectious diseases. The department funds state and local surveillance programs for HIV, syringe services and community-outreach initiatives.

The agency spent about $1.3 billion on the prevention of HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis in the 2023 fiscal year, the agency said on its website. About three-quarters of the CDC’s funds to address the infectious diseases go to grants and cooperative agreements with organizations outside the agency, the CDC has said. That includes money for state and local health departments and nonprofits working to prevent HIV or respond to outbreaks. Among the programs that could be scaled back or eliminated is the CDC’s PrEP initiative, which launched last fall as a pilot program and provides free pre-exposure prophylaxis, medication that helps prevent HIV, according to Mitchell Warren, executive director of HIV prevention organization AVAC. “One of the greatest lessons in public health is you can’t end epidemics with treatment alone. Without prevention, we are going to be fighting the virus with one hand behind our back,” said Warren, who also noted that cuts to domestic HIV prevention would conflict with President Trump’s 2019 pledge to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. The Health Department said it is following the administration’s guidance and taking a careful look at all divisions to see where there is overlap that could be streamlined to support the president’s broader efforts to restructure the federal government. “No final decision on streamlining CDC’s HIV Prevention Division has been made,” a department spokesman said.

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Judge says dismantling of USAID was unconstitutional, orders Musk to restore access for employees

The judge ordered a pause on any efforts to shut down USAID. Elon Musk's attempt to unilaterally dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development likely violated the United States Constitution, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ordered Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to immediately give USAID employees access to their "email, payment, security notification, and all other electronic systems," and ordered a pause on any efforts to shut down USAID. Judge Chuang wrote that Musk's takeover "usurped the authority of the public's elected representatives in Congress to make decisions on whether, when, and how to eliminate a federal government agency, and of Officers of the United States duly appointed under the Constitution to exercise the authority entrusted to them."

While Judge Chuang rebuked Musk's role within the Trump administration, the exact implications of the decision on the operations of USAID are unclear. DOGE and Musk were also ordered to submit a written agreement within two weeks that ensures USAID can reoccupy its former headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. The foreign aid agency was among the first government agencies DOGE slashed in its effort to scale back or dismantle much of the federal government. The Trump administration has laid off thousands of employees, revoked funding for more than 80% of its programs, and shed its Washington, D.C. headquarters. Critics of the Trump administration say its efforts to nullify the agency will cripple American influence overseas and carry devastating effects for some of the most vulnerable populations in the world, which relied on U.S. funding for health care, food, and other basic needs.

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Federal judge blocks Trump effort to ban transgender troops from military service

A federal judge in Washington D.C. has issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration over its attempt to ban transgender troops from serving in the U.S. military. Tuesday's decision by U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes temporarily blocks the Department of Defense from carrying through with a policy directive designed to remove transgender service members from the military. In a sweeping and at times strongly worded opinion, Reyes pushed back against the administration effort, writing that the ban violated the constitutional rights of transgender troops. "Indeed, the cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed — some risking their lives – to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them," Reyes wrote.

The preliminary injunction is the latest example of a federal court moving to pause or block efforts by President Trump to enact his agenda through executive action. The steady cascade of orders against the president has raised fears among Trump critics that the administration may in time choose to defy a federal court decision and spark a potential constitutional crisis. Trump has pledged to adhere to court decisions, saying he would appeal rulings where judges have sided against the administration. At the same time, he has been openly critical of federal judges who have ruled against him. There are about 1.3 million military service personnel. The Defense Department has told NPR that an estimated 4,240 active duty service members, or less than 1% of forces, have gender dysphoria. But others have put the number higher. Palm Center, a research institute that advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion within the U.S. military, estimated in 2018 that the number of transgender troops was about 14,700. The challenge was brought by six transgender service members and two prospective service members in response to a Jan. 27 executive order that sought to bar transgender troops from serving in the military and directed the Pentagon to release a plan for carrying it out within 30 days.

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Republican Tudor Dixon praises Trump as she eyes 2026 run for governor or Senate in key battleground

Business executive, conservative commentator and 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon says she's seriously mulling another run for statewide office in 2026 in her home state of Michigan. But Dixon says she hasn't decided whether she'll bid for the Great Lakes battleground state's open Senate seat or governor's office. "I want to do the most good for our beloved state. That's why I'm considering a run for governor or U.S. Senate," Dixon announced Tuesday in a statement on social media. "Both races present unique opportunities and different ways to benefit Michigan."

Dixon said that she "will decide soon where my experience and talents would most benefit the state we love so dearly." In her statement, Dixon praised President Donald Trump, emphasizing that he "is leading the way nationally." "He is delivering on his promises to secure the border, bring manufacturing jobs home and boost energy independence," she argued. "I am committed to standing with President Trump to deliver on the America First agenda here in Michigan. Trump's endorsement of Dixon in the summer of 2022 helped boost her to the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Dixon went on to lose by ten points to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who secured a second term steering Michigan. Whitmer is now term-limited and prevented from running for re-election in 2026.

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NASA’s Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally return home after more than nine months in space

NASA’s Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore — who gained international attention as their planned short stay in space stretched into a more than nine-month, politically fraught mission — are finally home. Williams and Wilmore, alongside NASA’s Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, safely splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida at 5:57 p.m. ET Tuesday. The crew’s highly anticipated return came after the crew climbed aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and departed the International Space Station at 1:05 a.m. ET Tuesday.

The quartet are part of the Crew-9 mission, a routine staff rotation jointly operated by NASA and SpaceX. The Crew-9 capsule launched to the space station in September with Hague and Gorbunov riding alongside two empty seats reserved for Williams and Wilmore, who had been on the orbiting laboratory since last June, when their original ride — a Boeing Starliner spacecraft — malfunctioned. Safely reaching Earth concluded a trip that, for Williams and Wilmore, has garnered broad interest because of the unexpected nature of their extended stay in orbit and the dramatic turn of events that prevented them from returning home aboard the Boeing Starliner vehicle. “Welcome home to the Crew-9 astronauts — NASA’s Nick Hague, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Your dedication and unwavering commitment to space exploration inspires us all,” Boeing Space shared on social platform X after the crew returned home.

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Lead Stories

Houston-area midwife and 1 worker arrested in first criminal case under Texas abortion ban

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday announced the arrest of a Houston-area midwife for allegedly performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine illegally, marking the first criminal case to be filed under the state’s abortion ban. Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, is accused of illegally operating a network of clinics in the Northwest Houston area, according to a statement from Paxton’s office. A person who worked for Rojas, Jose Ley, was also arrested and is expected to face the same charges as Rojas, according to court records. Rojas is accused of performing an abortion on a person, identified as "E.G.," on two separate days in March, court records show. She is also accused of performing an abortion on another person in Harris County earlier this year, the documents state. She could not immediately be reached for comment.

Rojas was taken into custody in Waller County in early March on the charge of illegally practicing medicine, but she was rebooked Monday with the performance of an illegal abortion charge added, county jail records show. Both Rojas and Ley are being held with a bond total of $700,000, court records show. Employees who picked up the phone Monday afternoon at Rojas’ clinic locations in Waller and Harris counties were not aware of her arrest. When asked whether abortions are performed at the Cypress location, a staffer who declined to give their name said, “No. Not at all. That’s all a lie.” Illegally performing an abortion is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while practicing medicine without a license is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. Under a separate law, Paxton can seek at least $100,000 in civil penalties for every illegal abortion someone is found to have helped provide. “In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state’s pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,” Paxton said in the release. “Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.”

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Powell contends with double threat of economic chaos and political hostility

Not long ago, it looked like Jerome Powell’s final test as Federal Reserve chair would be to stick the soft landing. Now, with about one year left in his term, he faces a serious complication: navigating a trade war that threatens to push prices up while weakening the economy. During a seven-year tenure that included Donald Trump’s first trade war, a pandemic, historic inflation and high-profile bank failures, Powell’s final act also unfolds with an imperative to preserve the institution’s apolitical DNA that protects its autonomy in setting interest rates. Fed policymakers are alternately referred to as inflation-fighting “hawks” or labor-market defending “doves.” Right now, Powell looks more like a duck—calm on the surface while constantly paddling beneath murky waters. Inflation fell over the past two years as supply-chain bottlenecks eased and workforce participation rose. Now, tailwinds are becoming potential headwinds. Falling immigration and cuts to federal contracts risk hitting labor supply and demand. Dramatically raising tariffs could create an uncomfortable combination of weaker or even stagnant growth and higher prices.

Powell’s 18 colleagues who participate in monetary policy meetings have shifted their outlook. A few doves have become hawks, and vice versa. At least one has an eye on possibly succeeding Powell next year. The Fed cut interest rates by 1 percentage point last year after lifting them to a two-decade high to combat higher prices. Inflation declined to around 2.5% in January from a recent peak of 7.2% in 2022. Officials are set to hold rates steady at their meeting this week. Ahead of the latest trade-related swoon, acquaintances have tried to congratulate Powell on achieving a soft landing, even if for a brief time. The Fed chair has been too superstitious to agree. At a congressional hearing last month, he would only say that the economy had avoided a recession. “I call that a soft landing,” Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.) told him. “I don’t know why you don’t take the credit.” Trump’s latest trade war makes that tricky. When prices go up but growth falters, officials must choose between cushioning demand by lowering rates or preventing price increases by keeping rates higher. “If the Fed does cut interest rates now, it’s only really going to be because the economy is getting much worse,” said Dario Perkins, an economist at GlobalData TS Lombard.

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Schumer is doing damage control. It isn’t working.

Chuck Schumer is in damage-control mode. It isn’t going great. The Senate minority leader and his aides in recent days have been talking privately with liberal groups in an apparent effort to ease tensions after sparking a civil war in the Democratic Party over a stopgap funding bill, according to five people familiar with the conversations. They were granted anonymity to describe them in a frank manner, and some of the discussions were confirmed by Schumer himself on Monday to POLITICO. The outreach by Schumer and his team included officials at Indivisible. The pro-Democratic organization called for him to step down from his leadership position on Saturday over what it saw as his unwillingness to resist President Donald Trump. Schumer enraged Democrats across the party on Friday by voting for a GOP bill to prevent a government shutdown.

Schumer spoke with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin, the people said, and he and his staff have been in communication with the group’s local leaders in New York, as well. The minority leader is in a perilous position in the party, drawing furious backlash from Democrats after his vote last week. While maneuvering privately to repair relationships, he postponed scheduled book tour events this week, with a spokesperson citing “security concerns.” The events would have taken him to heavily Democratic cities, including Baltimore and Washington, and activists had made plans to protest them. Schumer’s team tried to persuade the New York leaders at Indivisible not to immediately sign onto a statewide letter that called for Schumer to quit his position as minority leader, said one of the people familiar with the discussions. Schumer spoke to the New York Indivisible officials on Sunday. They called for him to step down as minority leader anyway on Monday. “The goal was to get Sen. Schumer in front of Indivisible group leaders before they made any decisions on anything,” said a second person familiar with the meeting.

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With his national profile on the rise, is a White House run in Greg Abbott’s future?

From his strategic partnership with President Donald Trump to his headline-grabbing border policies, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is riding a wave of Republican popularity that has raised his national profile and could put a 2028 White House campaign within reach — if he wants it. Few Republican governors have Abbott’s national stature, and for the past decade Abbott has basked in praise from Trump, who devoted part of his Jan. 20 inaugural speeches to lauding him as the “leader of the pack” among the nation’s governors. At the least, Abbott will have the choice to run for president or stay as governor in the nation’s most important and prosperous Republican state. Either way, he can strongly influence GOP politics on a national scale. “That’s something that really came to mind when I saw Trump praise Abbott during that second inaugural speech,” said Aaron Kall, a University of Michigan political scientist and author of the book Debating the Donald.

“Abbott and Trump are similar. A lot of the governor’s actions are designed to solicit media attention on a larger, national stage. That suggests the potential for seeking something beyond being governor of Texas, and it will be a wide-open race in 2028,” Kall said. Abbott is, for now, focused on his future in Texas, his chief political consultant Dave Carney, said. “The governor has been consistent that he has the second-best job in the country, and he loves what he’s doing and he’s going to run for reelection,” Carney said. “That’s what he’s focused on, Texas. He told the president when he [Trump] was a candidate that he has no interest in going to Washington.” Even so, speculation about Abbott’s future persists. Abbott and Trump see eye-to-eye on immigration, border security and reducing government regulation, providing common ground for one of the governor’s newest objectives — federal reimbursement for $11 billion spent on state border-security efforts during the Biden administration. Abbott has made several treks to Washington to rally support for the payout.

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State Stories

Drew Springer: Lottery scandal confirms need for gaming commission

If we Texans pride ourselves on anything, it’s that we believe in common sense. And if there is anywhere common sense is lacking, it’s in the unfolding scandals surrounding the Texas Lottery Commission. As a former Texas senator and representative who proudly served the people of the Lone Star State, I’ve watched with alarm as the lottery scandal has exploded. Recent revelations about courier services evidently exploiting loopholes, suspicious bulk ticket purchases and questionable multimillion-dollar jackpot wins represent a failure of oversight that should concern every Texan. Generally, I am not a fan of government regulation. All too often, it stifles healthy entrepreneurial risk-taking and innovation. But for private enterprise to work, there must be basic frameworks of legal rules and enough government oversight to protect the public. The Texas Lottery Commission’s sudden about-face — claiming it now has authority it denied having for years — is too little, too late.

The Texas Legislature has an opportunity to create a Texas Gaming Commission. This commission would be fully funded by legal and licensed operators through a gaming tax and operator fees, a policy I worked on the last session in the Senate. This commission would offer exactly what’s needed: robust oversight of gaming activities such as the lottery, bingo, and limited casino gaming and sports betting as well, all with real law enforcement power. The commission would have the power to go after illegal gaming as a statewide agency for things like 8-liners, which in 2022 the Texas Second Court of Appeals ruled were illegal, and gambling on dogfights. Had such a commission been in place, courier services could never have operated in legal gray areas for so many years. The new commission would ensure proper accountability while preventing the institutional paralysis we’ve witnessed. Most importantly, the commission would have clear licensing authority and enforcement tools that the current Lottery Commission either lacks or refuses to use. A gaming commission that oversees audit, enforcement and investigations could have identified and stopped the problems before they spiraled into scandals requiring legislative hearings.

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With Christian Menefee running for U.S. Congress, what happens to the Harris County attorney seat?

When Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee filed to run in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner in Congress, he effectively opened up an opportunity for another official to take his position at the county. The reason: a Texas law that prevents certain county and city officials from running for one seat while holding another elected position. If a local elected official who serves a term longer than two years wants to run for another position, the official has to wait until a year and 30 days before the election to announce their next campaign. If they announce a campaign any earlier than that, they have to resign from their current seat.

Menefee’s congressional campaign filing on Saturday and his announcement on Monday both effectively triggered the law, meaning he automatically resigned as county attorney. He recently won another term as county attorney in November. The position will be filled through a Harris County Commissioners Court vote. Until then, the law requires Menefee to remain the acting county attorney, a spokesperson for his office wrote in a text to a reporter. The person who replaces him will remain in the role until the next election to fill the position in November 2026, the spokesperson said. The position will also be up for grabs in November 2028 to get the slot back on its regularly scheduled election cycle. Menefee acknowledged his resignation in his bio on X where he calls himself the "former" Harris County attorney. "The County Attorney's office is filled with talented, selfless public servants," Menefee wrote in a statement. "It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve alongside them. I knew when I decided to run, the office would remain in good hands. I have no doubt that the office will continue to provide the same level of service to the county and its residents moving forward." County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s spokesperson Tami Frazier said the commissioners will hold a special meeting on March 27 at 10 a.m., but it’s unclear whether officials will vote to replace Menefee during the meeting.

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Why some North Texas Republicans are against school vouchers

Hollie Plemons took her seat before a panel of lawmakers in Austin to make her conservative case against school vouchers. “This is going against everything that a Texas Republican is,” said Plemons, a mother of three and Tarrant County GOP precinct chair from Fort Worth who has been outspoken in her opposition. She was one of hundreds in a marathon hearing on March 11 to testify before the House Public Education committee as they considered House Bill 3, the House’s version of an education savings accounts program, a voucher-of-sort that supporters say would give parents more choice in their child’s education. A similar proposal passed in the Texas Senate on Feb. 5. The details are different, but both would let parents use state dollars for their child’s private or home schooled education.

The issue has historically been a tension point for Texas Republicans, facing opposition from some within the party, particularly among rural House members who have feared for their local public schools. As the legislation is debated there are also Republicans — like Plemons — whose opposition stems from what they see as a breach of traditional Republican principles opposing government subsidies and supporting small government. This is despite support for vouchers from many in the Republican Party’s upper-most ranks. “In a way, for these conservatives, vouchers are big government,” said University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus. “Vouchers are basically setting the table for winners and losers. That’s something that many conservatives, fiscal conservatives, are adamantly against.” Plemons said she’s been attacked by Republican groups and called a Democrat, communist and Marxist for her stance. “I’m none of those, but the bill is,” she said. Dallas County GOP Chair Allen West mulled the idea of “school choice” in a recent post on the local party’s website. The former Texas GOP chair ran against Abbott for governor in 2021, challenging him from the right. “I do not think we have a very clear understanding of what ‘school choice’ means,” the post reads. “When I hear people use language such as ‘universal school choice,’ well, it sends chills down my spine because of the word ‘universal,’ which was also used to describe Obamacare as “universal healthcare.” West addresses the Senate’s proposal, saying it goes against a party platform item that calls for funding that follows a child with “no strings attached” and opposes “regulations on homeschooling or the curriculum of private or religious schools.” “Instead of issuing a voucher, why not enable Flexible Education Savings Accounts that are tax credits, not vouchers?” West said in the post.

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UNT targeted by Trump administration in civil rights probe

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said it is investigating the University of North Texas and nearly four dozen other schools for engaging in “race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.” The department said Friday it believes the 45 universities are violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by being involved with a relatively small project that aims to promote racial diversity at business schools. The investigation is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to rid institutions of “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs. The target of the investigation is “The PhD Project,” an organization that “purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a PhD and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants,” according to the Department of Education. Rice University is also on the list.

UNT said in a statement to the Star-Telegram that it is not involved with The PhD Project. “The University of North Texas has received formal notice of the investigations and is fully cooperating. UNT is not affiliated with The PhD Project,” the statement said. The Department of Education also said it is investigating six universities for allegedly “awarding impermissible race-based scholarships and one university for allegedly administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race.” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that the department is working to “reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination.” “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment,” McMahon said. In January, The PhD Project’s “about us” section on its website said the organization was founded in 1994 with the “goal of diversifying corporate America by diversifying the role models in the front of classrooms,” according to internet archives. It also included how the organization has helped increase “the number of historically underrepresented business professors in the U.S., from 294 in 1994 to over 1,700 today,” which was first reported by the Texas Tribune.

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Bradford William Davis: Who cares if Trump’s ag chief is from Fort Worth when she slashes food-bank funding?

One month before Brooke Rollins pulled $2 million from Fort Worth dinner tables, the city she threatened to starve honored her ascension. The downtown office building became a red, white and blue beacon commemorating Rollins as the new U.S. secretary of agriculture and the first Cowtown native to join a presidential cabinet. Mayor Mattie Parker, who once said there was no one “more qualified and prepared to lead the Department of Agriculture,” called attention to the “historic moment for our city.” After Rollins boasted that she was “putting the American farmer first,” the cuts siphoned money that the Tarrant Area Food Bank used to purchase produce from local farmers (and feeding Parker’s constituents.) The food bank’s president and CEO, Julie Buntner, told the Star-Telegram on Friday that the funding allowed her organization to reduce reliance on shipping food from other states or countries but “grow it right here locally, and bring it directly into our grocery stores, and into our local food bank.”

Rollins touted her work with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, “to streamline USDA operations by cutting wasteful spending.” Rollins bragged about DOGE identifying and canceling a $600,000 grant for scientists studying menstrual health because the research might benefit some transgender people. She proudly scrapped a $397,000 federal grant to Agroecology Commons, a California nonprofit that incubates young farmers — something Rollins also said was a priority just two weeks ago — because the nonprofit welcomes minorities and queer people to its program. Flaunting your million-dollar hair clippers while hiding your billion-dollar buzzsaw feels like sleight of hand, but I can grimly appreciate her indirect admissions. First: Some Americans don’t deserve healthy lives. Second: What you call dinner, Rollins sees as waste. I like Rollins’ confessions. I love her timing. Our secretary of agriculture is slashing access to American-grown produce just as American consumers are increasingly pessimistic about rising costs. Economists are just as convinced that President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs on Mexican and Canadian products will raise prices at the grocery store. Yet the Trump administration insists its trade war will ultimately benefit American farmers, promising them that “nobody is going to be able to compete with you.”

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Feds ordered to pay Catholic Charities Fort Worth millions in blocked refugee funds

The federal government has until March 18 to pay Catholic Charities Fort Worth millions in grant funds that have been withheld since January. A federal judge on March 14 ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to release $47 million that became entangled in the Trump administration’s restructuring of federal programs. The grants were allocated to pay for organizations that partner with Catholic Charities Fort Worth, such as the Texas Office for Refugees, which provides resettlement services to people fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries. Catholic Charities Fort Worth sued HHS and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy earlier this month, alleging the federal government had unlawfully frozen the funding. The pause led to thousands of refugees losing their cash payment benefits, which resulted in evictions and other hardships, the organization said, as well as the possibility of having to lay off almost almost half of its staff across Texas.

On March 10, Catholic Charities Fort Worth filed a WARN Act notice that it would lay off 169 of its approximately 400 employees in Texas effective Friday. The 1989 Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification Act is meant to protect workers and their families by requiring employers to give 60-day notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. In a joint statement on Friday, Michael Iglio, CEO of Catholic Charities Fort Worth, and Jeff Demers, state refugee coordinator of Texas Office of Refugees, said the U.S. District Court in Washington ordered the funds to be released during a status conference on the lawsuit on Friday. “The withholding of these essential funds led to significant challenges, including widespread layoffs and the disruption of vital services for more than 100,000 across 29 partner agencies throughout Texas,” they said. “The anticipated release of these funds marks a pivotal step toward restoring and enhancing the support systems that empower individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency and build successful lives within our communities.” HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Catholic Charities Fort Worth has administered the state’s refugee resettlement services since 2016, when Gov. Greg Abbott pulled Texas from the federal program.

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Cops, not social media vigilantes, responsible for busting sex predators, Montgomery County DA says

The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office is asking residents to let police investigate child sex predators and avoid engaging in online vigilantism. Self-described "pedophile hunters" have become increasingly common on social media. Users, often posing as minors online, typically goad alleged sex offenders into meeting them at public places where they are recorded in a video posted online. One such video recently went viral and has sparked criticism from Montgomery County residents who accused officials of failing to prosecute a man who the creator alleged agreed to meet him at a book store while posing as a minor. But Mike Holley, first assistant at the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, said that kind of social media-based vigilantism can do more harm than good.

"No one wants to protect children more than we do in Montgomery County. Nobody, full stop," Holley said. "But it has to be done the right way ... There's a huge knowledge gap between how the general public and legal professionals understand crime. We can't for example, use a confession that was given without the proper statutory warnings." Although the Houston Chronicle will not share the video in question as the individual in it has not been charged with a crime, Holley noted that they are still under investigation and said charges may be filed at a future date. Holley said another concern officials have when it comes to online "pedophile hunters" is public safety. Individuals accused of crimes against children are often erratic, dangerous and potentially armed, he said. He pointed to a case in Michigan where a vigilante was shot and killed by a man who he had accused of agreeing to meet with a 15-year-old girl. "We don't want to encourage that type of behavior because it can end in tears, frankly," Holley said. "When you meet up with one of these individuals in public anything can and does happen. When we do it, it's in a very controlled way so that bystanders are safe and that other individuals, including the suspect, are safe."

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At the border, a migrant evangelization ministry on pause

Back in December, a group of migrants, released just hours before from detention centers or Customs and Border Protection processing, sat beside a large photo of Nazareth in the sanctuary of Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville, ready to participate in Wednesday night worship. After a dinner of spaghetti, pizza and Coca-Cola prepared by women from this Southern Baptist church, the Rev. Carlos Navarro hoped they could turn their attention to Jesus. The group of 15 migrants joined about 40 regular congregants for a Bible study and worship service in a sanctuary decked out with Christmas decorations, images of Israel and declarations in Spanish that “Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Church.” In a sermon on Psalm 140, a prayer for protection from the evildoers, Navarro told the newly arrived migrants and his congregants to rely on God for protection against evil people surrounding them, whether bosses or family members.

“When God wants to protect me because he knows that there is something that could happen, he takes away that person that I am sure had something planned against me. Deliver us Lord from all evil,” he preached in Spanish before encouraging the migrants to accept Jesus in a silent prayer. Where the “government sees a threat, a problem, society sees a danger with people that they don’t know, we see an opportunity to share the Gospel,” Navarro, a 64-year-old Guatemalan immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1982 and a decade later became pastor of the West Brownsville church, told RNS in English in December. In 2017, Navarro began Ministerio Golán, a ministry of Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville named after the biblical Golan Heights — a nod to the congregation’s devotion to Israel. Since then, the church has worked with government authorities, who would tell Navarro when they were releasing migrants from their custody. The church would briefly host them for food, supplies and evangelization before dropping them off to sleep at the airport, on their way to their final destinations in the U.S. But now, with President Donald Trump having shut down the Biden-era app that allowed migrants to make appointments to seek asylum and curtailed other asylum opportunities, the Baptist church is only serving the slow trickle of unaccompanied minors released from the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services after their 18th birthday, as well as six migrant families who have chosen to stay in Brownsville, hearing there won’t be work in other U.S. cities. “The word ‘migrants’ will be forgotten soon,” said Navarro in a March 5 phone call with RNS, describing the recent shuttering of migrant services along the border.

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TAMUSA's esports partnership with the Port is shaping San Antonio

San Antonio college student Esmy Infante wasn’t always a diehard video game fan. The Texas A&M-San Antonio senior said they decided to enroll at the university after attending a gaming event hosted by the school. They started exploring the growing world of esports once in college, spurred on by friends who also attended the Southside university. Infante is now a team captain for TAMUSA’s Overwatch team, a multiplayer first-person shooter video game, and ranked within the top 1% of Overwatch players in the country. They won one of just five Student Leadership Awards from the National Association of Collegiate Esports in 2024. Esports, or electronic sports, refers to organized, multiplayer video game competitions. These competitions can take place both online and in person, often attracting large audiences and offering significant prizes. Popular esports video games include titles like League of Legends, Fortnite, Dota 2 and Mario Super Smash Bros.

Infante said competitive gaming has become a big part of their life, allowing them to meet people from all over the state and represent their school. Last month, Infante was just one of the dozens of Texas A&M students from across the state who competed in the inaugural A&M System Showdown at the Boeing Center at the Tech Port’s state-of-the-art LAN gaming facility. TAMUSA hosted teams representing Texas A&M campuses in College Station, Corpus Christi, Texarkana and Commerce. Teams competed in an array of games, including Overwatch, Mario Super Smash Bros, League of Legends and even online chess, Infante said. TAMUSA placed first in Super Smash Bros for independent players, second for Super Smash Bros for crew play, and second for Overwatch to win first overall out of six competing campuses. The unique, growing partnership between Tech Port and TAMUSA is transforming San Antonio into a Texas esports hub, said Aaron Jaggers, head esports coach and assistant director of recreation at TAMUSA. Five years ago, Jagger’s position at the university didn’t even exist. As esports have surged in popularity, high schools, colleges and universities have recognized that adding esports programs gives them a competitive edge over schools without teams. TAMUSA’s unique position both as a newer A&M campus and in geographic proximity to the Tech Port has equated to it having arguably the strongest esports program in the A&M system, Jaggers said. Of the 70 competitors in the A&M System Showdown, about a quarter of them were from TAMUSA.

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How Texas students, teachers could be impacted by a school discipline overhaul

Texas teachers have made it clear that student behavior can be a problem. In a poll cited by the state’s 2023 Teacher Vacancy Task Force report, nearly half of educators cited discipline and safe working conditions as a top concern. That motivated school administrators and lawmakers to propose changes to the state’s discipline rules. The most prominent bill aimed at addressing misbehavior is House Bill 6. As the session goes on, other legislation likely will be discussed as well. Among the voices pushing for change is a group of district officials that formed the Student Behavior Management Coalition. They say more must be done to ensure disruptive students don’t detract from other children’s experiences and safety in school.

However, some education advocates are concerned that Texas is swinging back toward zero-tolerance policies that were in place years ago. That approach disproportionately removed children of color and those with disabilities from class, data repeatedly showed. Here are some of the changes being proposed: About a decade ago, Texas’ public schools suspended more than 100,000 students in pre-K through second grade. Faced with this data, lawmakers in 2017 banned out-of-school suspensions for these littlest learners, except for serious offenses such as if they brought a gun to class. HB 6 would allow those children to be kicked out of class for “conduct that results in repeated or significant disruption to the classroom.” Some education advocates are concerned that this would essentially reverse the ban because young children are frequently disruptive and the bill language is vague by not defining what is “significant.”

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Dallas gets meeting with Saks Global over downtown Neiman

A Dallas city official is set to get time with Saks Global as the date for the closure of the downtown Neiman Marcus nears. Dallas city manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert is slated to have a conversation with the department store, according to a statement by Saks Global. “We’ve always been open to speaking with the city manager of Dallas, and we look forward to doing so next week,” the company said in an email. “Our plans for the Dallas downtown store have not changed.” Last week, Tolbert signed a letter addressed to Richard Baker, executive chairman of Saks Global, that requested a meeting in the next 10 days, according to a copy of the document obtained by The Dallas Morning News. It also included others on a downtown consortium seeking to preserve the store.

“At our in-person meeting with you, we will be prepared to discuss an opportunity that you will find 1) financially beneficial to your company, 2) beneficial to the Neiman Marcus brand equity and the continued support, loyalty and goodwill with your Texas clientele, and 3) creative and doable,” the letter said. The talk will be the latest in a series of efforts that have centered around the downtown Neiman Marcus store, which has had a presence in the city’s core for over a century. The site is set to close at the end of this month after a dispute between the company and a landlord, a challenge that the consortium worked to address. However, Saks Global has said repeatedly that it plans to close the store. “Our decision to close the Neiman Marcus Downtown Dallas store is final and we are moving forward as such,” Saks Global said in a statement about two weeks ago.

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University of Texas System chief says schools will not sponsor, host drag shows. Here's why

The University of Texas System will no longer allow its institutions, including UT in Austin, to sponsor or host drag shows, Chairman Kevin Eltife said in a statement shared with the American-Statesman. Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare on Thursday urged the University of Texas System's board of regents to ban drag shows after complaining about an event at the University of Texas at Arlington that featured a drag performer. O'Hare cited a Jan. 20 executive order from President Donald Trump, which banned the use of federal funds in promoting "gender ideology," as the basis for the drag show ban. "As an alumnus of UT-Austin, I care about the reputation of the UT System," he said in his letter to the board of regents. "It is imperative the UT System leads in Texas and across the nation as a System prioritizing academics and student dignity."

A day later, Chairman Kevin Eltife released a statement through a spokesperson saying the UT System wouldn't allow drag shows at its campuses. The system's board did not vote to adopt a new policy, as the Texas A&M University System did. Eltife said the board will consider further action if needed, but that all system institutions are expected to follow federal, state and local laws and executive orders. There is no current federal or state executive order explicitly banning drag shows. The Texas A&M System's board on Feb. 28 unanimously passed a resolution banning drag shows at its 11 campuses, citing Trump's "gender ideology" executive order. It said drag shows, which the board views as "hostile" to women, are not in line with the system's values. LGBTQ groups deny that the shows are hostile to women, instead defining the shows as artistic presentations of exaggerated gender expression that originated in the queer community.

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National Stories

Ceasefire shatters as Israel pounds Gaza with wave of deadly strikes

Gaza’s fragile ceasefire shattered early Tuesday as Israel carried out what it described as “extensive strikes” on Hamas targets, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to use “increasing military strength” against the militant group, and Defense Minister Israel Katz declaring: “Tonight we returned to fighting in Gaza.” Hamas accused Israel of overturning the nearly two-month-long ceasefire agreement and “putting the captives in Gaza at risk of an unknown fate.” Israel accused Hamas of “repeatedly” refusing to release hostages and rejecting mediation offers.

Israel’s attack has killed over 320 people and wounded hundreds more, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. A doctor told CNN the scenes at one Gaza City hospital were “nothing close to anything I’ve experienced before” and that the majority of cases she had seen were children. Israel consulted the Trump administration before the Gaza strikes. “Hamas, the Houthis, all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.

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From France comes a call for Trump's America to return Lady Liberty. Here's why it won't happen

Hey, America: Give the Statue of Liberty back to France. So says a French politician who is making headlines in his country for suggesting that the U.S. is no longer worthy of the monument, which was a gift from France nearly 140 years ago. Raphaël Glucksmann, as a member of the European Parliament and co-president of a small left-wing party in France, can’t claim to speak for all of his compatriots. But his assertion in a speech this weekend that some Americans “have chosen to switch to the side of the tyrants” reflects the broad shockwaves that U.S. President Donald Trump’s seismic shifts in foreign and domestic policy are triggering in France and elsewhere in Europe. “Give us back the Statue of Liberty,” Glucksmann told supporters of his Public Place party, who applauded and whistled, on Sunday. “It was our gift to you. But apparently you despise her. So she will be happy here with us,” Glucksmann said. The White House brushed back on the comments Monday, saying France instead should still be “grateful” for U.S. support during World War I and World War II. Glucksmann, in turn, then shot back that French gratitude for Americans’ wartime sacrifices is “eternal,” but added: “If the free world no longer interests your government, then we will take up the torch, here in Europe.” “No one, of course, will come and steal the Statue of Liberty,” he wrote in X posts. “The statue is yours. But what it embodies belongs to everyone.”

Can France claim it back? Dream on. UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural arm that has the statue on its list of World Heritage treasures, notes that the iconic monument is U.S. government property. It was initially envisaged as a monumental gesture of French-American friendship to mark the 100th anniversary of the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. But a war that erupted in 1870 between France and German states led by Prussia diverted the energies of the monument’s designer, French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi. The gift also took time to be funded, with a decision made that the French would pay for the statue and Americans would cover the costs of its pedestal. Transported in 350 pieces from France, the statue was officially unveiled on Oct. 28, 1886. Is France’s government offering asylum to Lady Liberty? No. French-U.S. relations would have to drop off a cliff before Glucksmann found support from French President Emmanuel Macron’s government. For the moment, the French president is treading a fine line — trying to work with Trump and temper some of his policy shifts on the one hand, but also pushing back hard against some White House decisions, notably Trump’s tariff hikes.

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Trump picks Fed Governor Michelle Bowman to replace Michael Barr as Fed’s supervision head

President Donald Trump announced Monday he has chosen Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman to take over the central bank’s top supervisory role. The announcement comes after Michael Barr resigned from his role as the Fed’s vice chair for supervision, though he remains a Fed governor. In January, when Barr announced that he would step down, he said in a statement that “the risk of a dispute over the position could be a distraction from our mission. In the current environment, I’ve determined that I would be more effective in serving the American people from my role as governor.” The elevation of Bowman gives Trump someone seen as more friendly to the banking industry in the top oversight role at the Fed. Bowman, a former bank executive and state regulator in Kansas, joined the central bank during Trump’s first term.

Bowman is expected to take a lighter approach to the regulation of small banks in particular. “I am pleased to announce that Michelle ‘Miki’ Bowman will be the Federal Reserve’s new Vice Chair of Supervision,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Miki has been serving honorably on the Fed’s Board of Governors since 2018, and has great expertise dealing with Inflation, Regulation, and Banking. Our Economy has been mismanaged for the past four years, and it is time for a change. Miki has the ‘know-how’ to get it done. I am confident we will achieve Economic heights never before seen in our Nation’s History.” Bowman takes over a role that Fed Chair Jerome Powell is not a big fan of. During Congressional testimony in February, Powell said that he thought the creation of the vice chair for supervision had created “volatility” for the central bank. The position was introduced as part of regulatory reforms after the 2008 financial crisis. Bank stocks have outperformed the broader market since Trump’s election, likely in part because of expectations for lighter regulation on the sector.

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Trump administration aims to eliminate E.P.A.’s scientific research arm

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate its scientific research arm, firing as many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists, according to documents reviewed by Democrats on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. The strategy is part of large-scale layoffs, known as a “reduction in force,” being planned by the Trump administration, which is intent on shrinking the federal work force. Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the E.P.A., has said he wants to eliminate 65 percent of the agency’s budget. That would be a drastic reduction — one that experts said could hamper clean water and wastewater improvements, air quality monitoring, the cleanup of toxic industrial sites, and other parts of the agency’s mission. The E.P.A.’s plan, which was presented to White House officials on Friday for review, calls for dissolving the agency’s largest department, the Office of Research and Development, and purging up to 75 percent of the people who work there.

The remaining staff members would be placed elsewhere within the E.P.A. “to provide increased oversight and align with administration priorities,” according to the language shared with The New York Times by staff members who work for Democrats on the House science committee. Molly Vaseliou, a spokeswoman for the E.P.A., said in a statement that the agency “is taking exciting steps as we enter the next phase of organizational improvements” and stressed that changes had not been finalized. “We are committed to enhancing our ability to deliver clean air, water and land for all Americans,” she said, adding, “While no decisions have been made yet, we are actively listening to employees at all levels to gather ideas on how to increase efficiency and ensure the E.P.A. is as up to date and effective as ever.” Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the science committee, said that without the Office of Research and Development, the E.P.A. would not be able to meet its legal obligation to use the “best available science” when writing regulations and considering policy. She also said that the office was created by congressional statute and that dissolving it would be illegal.

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Trump to release 80,000 pages of JFK files on Tuesday

President Trump announced he will release 80,000 pages of unredacted files Tuesday about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, after promising on the campaign trail to declassify the documents. “While we’re here, I thought it would be appropriate — we are, tomorrow, announcing and giving all of the Kennedy files. So, people have been waiting for decades for this, and I’ve instructed my people … lots of different people, [Director of National Intelligence] Tulsi Gabbard, that they must be released tomorrow,” the president told reporters while touring the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. “You got a lot of reading. I don’t believe we’re going to redact anything. I said, ‘just don’t redact, you can’t redact,’” the president said, adding it will be about 80,000 pages that he described as “interesting.” He said he has “heard about them” when asked if he has seen what’s in the files; he added, “I’m not doing summaries, you’ll write your own summary.” Trump in January signed an executive order directing the release of federal government documents related to the assassinations of Kennedy, former Attorney General Robert F .Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

The order instructed the director of national intelligence and attorney general to present a plan within 15 days for the “full and complete release of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.” Trump promised during his 2024 campaign to declassify the remaining government documents about the John F. Kennedy assassination, which has remained a point of public interest for decades after Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald. Conspiracies have persisted about CIA involvement or the existence of another shooter. “I said during the campaign I’d do it, and I’m a man of my word,” Trump said Monday. Trump made the same pledge during his first term, but he ultimately kept some documents under wraps amid intelligence concerns. The last large dump of documents was in 2022, when the National Archives released nearly 13,000 new files related to the assassination. Congress passed legislation in 1992 requiring all remaining government records about the John F. Kennedy assassination to be released by October 2017, unless they posed certain risks to national defense or intelligence, and both Trump and former President Biden issued extensions to keep certain documents private.

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Record number of Americans working more than one job

At least 5 percent of the American workforce has a second job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In a release earlier this month, the BLS reported that a record high of approximately 8.9 million Americans stated they work multiple jobs. That is the highest rate since the Great Recession in April 2009. A March report from the Federal Bank of St. Louis revealed that 50.2 percent of multiple job holders in 2024 had a college degree, which is a 9.1 percent increase from 2019.

“If you’re going to try to have some semblance of a traditional life with kids, and a house and transportation, [it] takes a lot of money to do that,” Carolyn McClanahan, certified financial planner, told CNBC. “If employers are seeing soft demand for labor and cutting hours, that’s another reason why people are taking on additional jobs to fill the week and to fill their bank accounts,” Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told the outlet. The data comes less than a year after a July 2024 Bankrate survey showed that the share of people with side hustles dropped from 2023 — with 36 percent of adults reporting a second job compared to 39 percent the year before. But, even as inflation seemingly cools, 32 percent of those with a second gig say they believe extra work will always be needed to make ends meet, according to the poll.

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Who is the judge stopping Trump’s deportations, and what comes next?

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants without due process under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law previously invoked only during wartime. Three flights containing more than 200 deportees landed in El Salvador after Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia gave his verbal order to return them to the United States on Saturday. The Justice Department argued Monday that none left the United States after his written ruling came through and that, in any case, the court had no jurisdiction once the aircraft flew over international waters. Here’s what to know about the judge in the case, what might happen next, and how the dispute fits into Trump supporters’ attacks on the courts and critics’ concerns over a constitutional crisis that could result if President Donald Trump refuses to comply with orders from the judicial branch.

James E. Boasberg is a former homicide prosecutor who has served 23 years as a judge in Washington, appointed by presidents of both parties. He took over as chief judge of the high-profile federal trial court in the nation’s capital in March 2023, where he oversaw disputes over grand jury investigations involving former president Donald Trump, including claims of executive privilege over then-Vice President Mike Pence’s testimony before a grand jury. His rulings were upheld by an appellate panel. A native Washingtonian, the 6-foot, 6-inch Boasberg played basketball for St. Albans School and Yale College, where he graduated with undergraduate and law degrees. He earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Oxford. Boasberg, 62, who goes by Jeb, has a history of bipartisan support. President George W. Bush appointed him in 2002 to the D.C. Superior Court, which oversees criminal and civil matters in the District, and President Barack Obama named him in 2011 to U.S. District Court. A law school housemate of Trump-nominated Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, Boasberg has been noted as a feeder judge whose law clerks have been picked for similar posts at the Supreme Court. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. named Boasberg presiding judge of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court from January 2020 to May 2021. Glenn Kirschner, Boasberg’s supervisor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, recalled assigning him the toughest homicide cases. He called Boasberg “a singularly remarkable prosecutor. I say that because he never lost a murder case. And because he would never tell anybody he never lost a murder case. It wasn’t in his identity to talk about himself or his accomplishments.”

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Trump administration moves to reinstate thousands of probationary workers

The Trump administration has moved to reinstate at least 24,000 federal probationary employees fired in the president’s push to shrink the government, according to filings in one of two cases in which a federal judge ruled the terminations illegal. The records filed in federal court in Maryland late Monday span 18 agencies and mark the most comprehensive accounting to date of sweeping firings in recent months, which the administration has repeatedly declined to detail. Most of the reinstated employees were placed on paid administrative leave, according to declarations from officials at the agencies. Others were fully reinstated with pay, or reinstated without pay if they had been on unpaid leave before their termination, according to filings. The officials asserted that offering all of the employees their jobs back would sow chaos, particularly when an appeals court might later allow the terminations to move forward. But they indicated they were nonetheless trying to comply with judicial orders.

U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar had given the Trump administration until Monday to send out the job offers to fired probationary employees and until 7 p.m. to submit a comprehensive report to the court documenting their compliance — a deadline that came just as Justice Department lawyers fought in an entirely separate immigration case in D.C. federal court over the extent to which they had to comply with a judicial order there. The administration is facing an array of legal challenges on a wide range of issues, including the ongoing effort led by Trump adviser Elon Musk to slash the federal workforce. The Maryland ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought by 20 Democratic attorneys general in early March alleging that the Trump administration had illegally terminated tens of thousands of probationary workers across 18 federal agencies. The states argued those firings were conducted in an opaque way that has overwhelmed state government support systems for unemployed workers and caused economic harm. That harm would have been mitigated, the states argued, if the Trump administration had given them a 60-day notice — a warning they said in court papers is required of the federal government during mass layoffs. The lawsuit, filed by 19 states and the District of Columbia, claimed that the workers’ termination letters falsely said they were fired for performance issues when, according to lead plaintiff and Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, “the firings were clearly part of the administration’s attempt to restructure and downsize the entire federal government.”

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Lead Stories

Texas Republicans want to curb shareholder lawsuits, like the one that blocked Elon Musk's $50B check

Elon Musk began moving his companies to Texas after a Delaware judge blocked a more than $50 billion pay package for the Tesla CEO last year. Now Texas Republicans, who have welcomed the billionaire with open arms, are pushing legislation that business law experts say would make that court outcome next to impossible here. Their proposal, a priority of House Speaker Dustin Burrows, would make it significantly harder for shareholders to file lawsuits in Texas against publicly traded companies, like the one that spurred Musk to ditch Delaware and urge other companies to file suit. RELATED: Elon Musk moved Tesla and SpaceX to Texas. They could test the state’s new business courts Shareholders could only bring so-called derivative claims that allege wrongdoing by executives if they held a 3% stake in the company, which for Tesla, would shrink the eligible pool to only a handful of big financial firms.

But the legislation would go far beyond the billionaire Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO. It would insulate all corporate directors and officers from most shareholder claims brought in the state’s new business courts, unless it could be proven that they committed fraud or knowingly broke the law. And the changes would shield executive’s emails, texts and other communications from shareholder inspection in most cases. The bill would mark a significant expansion of protections for corporations in the state’s new court system that launched just last year and is a key piece of Gov. Greg Abbott’s effort to convince more businesses to incorporate in the state. The Republican governor has yet to comment on the proposal. State Rep. Morgan Meyer, a Dallas Republican who authored the bill, told a House judicial committee this month that the changes will shield businesses from “meritless, distracting lawsuits” and allow companies to “flourish, create new Texas jobs and contribute to Texas' soaring economy.” The changes would only apply to publicly traded corporations or companies that opt into the new rules via the court.

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Five years into COVID, more Texans are avoiding vaccines – for everything

Round Rock family physician Dr. Tina Philip keeps having the same conversation with patients these days. She encourages them to get vaccinated for COVID and flu. They say no. "I’ve even had patients that, you know, previously would get the flu vaccine every year, and then now they’re like, ‘Nah, I’m just not going to do any of that anymore,'" Philip said. At the end of 2021, 77% of Travis County residents aged 5 and up had gotten at least one dose of the COVID vaccine — many of them after eagerly waiting in line for a shot that could bring a bit of normalcy back to their lives. But as of this month, only 23% of adults had received the latest shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Likewise, the CDC reports, flu vaccination rates have tracked steadily downward since 2019. More kindergartners are opting out of school vaccine requirements, and state lawmakers are trying to make it even easier to do so.

Dr. Claire Bocchini, an infectious disease specialist with Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, said vaccine hesitancy was rising even before COVID-19 emerged – but the pandemic exacerbated the trend. "With the COVID vaccine generating so much media attention and misinformation online via social media, I think that we did see a rise of vaccine hesitancy in general," Bocchini said. KUT News received more than 200 responses to a survey this month about attitudes toward vaccines. Many respondents said their education about the COVID-19 vaccine had reinforced the importance of immunizations to protect themselves and the community. But others, like Austin resident Alicia Giangiacomo, said they had become more skeptical following the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Giangiacomo said she never got the vaccine, partly because she was never required to, and partly because she was nervous about how quickly it was developed.

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Trump has a plan to remake the economy. But he’s not explaining it very well.

President Donald Trump acknowledges that his economic plan is causing short-term pain while the nation advances to a new “Golden Age.” But administration officials have been much less clear about what that destination will look like — and how long it will take to get there. The president talks about reindustrializing the Midwest while his treasury secretary emphasizes weaning Americans from an unhealthy reliance on government spending. Trump’s commerce secretary is keen to balance the federal budget. His top White House economic adviser touts the virtues of tax cuts and “massive deregulation.” Amid signs of investor unease, the Trump administration insists it aims to help Main Street, not Wall Street. But so far, the administration’s discordant chorus is not satisfying either one. The erratic pace and tone of Trump 2.0 is taking a toll on the stable economy the president inherited, denting growth prospects and leaving Americans more downbeat than they have been in years.

On Friday, a closely watched consumer confidence index sank to its lowest level since November 2022, when inflation was near a 40-year high. The stock market, meanwhile, is losing altitude, as investors fear that the president means what he says about using tariffs to reverse decades of globalization. “It is a bit of a muddle right now, what they mean. Each of the economic spokespeople speaks in different ways. And I’m not even saying they’re speaking in different ways about the same thing. They’re just speaking about different things,” said economist Glenn Hubbard, who was President George W. Bush’s top economic adviser. “It’s unsettling.” Trump’s voice, of course, is the loudest and most authoritative. The president describes his objectives using a salesman’s best-case superlatives. His economic plan will produce “the highest quality of life” and make the country “the wealthiest and healthiest” of any in the world, he told Congress this month. Trump has left it to his aides, particularly Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to articulate a more complete description of his economic overhaul.

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Job seekers hit wall of salary deflation

It used to pay to switch jobs. Now it doesn’t. The salary difference between those who stay in their roles and those who change jobs has collapsed to its lowest level in 10 years, according to the latest federal data. Job stayers increased their wages by about 4.6% in January and February. Meanwhile, those who switched jobs received only slightly more at 4.8%. That gap has narrowed considerably since the start of 2023, when job switchers could fetch an average salary bump of 7.7%, compared with job stayers’ 5.5%. “We’re not in a recession obviously, but things are not as good as before,” says Yongseok Shin, a professor of economics at Washington University in St. Louis. “People are responding by staying put.” Keith Sims runs Indianapolis recruiting firm Integrity Resource Management and places teams of five to 40 people in software implementation with big companies such as Panasonic. Many offers are coming in low these days.

“We’re seeing wages be off from expectations most of the time,” he says. Kim Vandrilla, 42, had been working as a creative director for a major consumer brand up until this past fall when she was laid off. She was making more than $200,000. During her job hunt, she is finding the same role listed for $140,000 to $160,000. “And that’s at the high end of the range,” she says. “My first role as a creative director was for $175,000, and that was in 2017.” Even in the tech industry, where not so long ago workers bounced around for big raises with ease, more people are hanging on to the job they have. Workers who negotiated their salaries during the pandemic when the sector drove big pay increases, especially at high-growth tech firms, aren’t likely to find a new job for more money than they are already making. “There’s little incentive for those folks to go out and look for a new job,” says Zuhayeer Musa, co-founder of Levels.fyi, a platform for salary data.

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State Stories

Central Texas town, counties prepare for future water demand as growth continues

For three years, no one has been able to swim in the clear, cool waters of Jacob's Well, a popular artesian spring in Hays County with the second-largest submerged cave in Texas. That's because the drought and overpumping of the Trinity Aquifer have reduced its flow to a trickle, said David Baker, founder of the nonprofit Watershed Association that is dedicated to water preservation. "It's sad to see something so beautiful impacted to the point where it's not as vibrant as it was," he said. Central Texas is among the fastest-growing places in the country. Along with the growing population, water-intensive businesses in Central Texas such as artificial intelligence, data centers and semiconductor manufacturing plants also are booming. Suburban cities in Hays, Williamson, Bastrop and Travis counties are trying to find ways to make sure everyone has the water they need.

Many of those suburbs rely on at least one of three aquifers in Central Texas — the Trinity, Carrizo-Wilcox and the Edwards — along with Lake Travis and other area lakes for their water. At least one city official said their town will run out of water for new development in a few years if no new sources are developed. Other officials say they have their cities' water needs met until 2040 or 2050. But some water experts, such as groundwater conservation managers and geologists, say they have doubts about promising residents water very far into the future. One water district in Hays County has "no expectation" that the Trinity Aquifer can sustain the growth the county is experiencing in the long term, said Charlie Flatten, its general manager. "Projections show that by 2036, Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District allocations will have reached the limit of the total available groundwater as modeled by the Texas Water Development Board," Flatten said. "Diversification of our supplies will require a long-term effort by local and state leadership to secure and deliver water." The western Williamson County town of Liberty Hill, which relies on water from Lake Travis and the Trinity Aquifer, could run out of water for new development in a few years if it doesn't make plans to acquire more sources, said Zach Stein, a water resource project manager at HDR Engineering, during a City Council meeting in February. "The city needs to develop more than five times the current water supply volume by 2050," Stein said. Stein said Liberty Hill's population of about 12,000 is predicted to grow by 12% annually for the next 10 years.

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Solar and wind generation continue to grow

Texas continues to be a leader in both solar and wind generation. Solar is now the fastest-growing source of electricity in the United States, according to data released by our partners at Climate Central. Texas generated the second most electricity from solar energy in 2024, behind California. What’s better is that Texas led the country in wind-generated electricity. In all, the United States generated a record 756,621 gigawatt-hours from both solar and wind last calendar year. That’s enough to power the equivalent of more than 70,000,000 average American homes. Solar and wind combine to account for a record 17% of the total generation in the U.S. in 2024. It’s also tripled the amount generated in 2015.

Texas is generating more clean energy sources now, with solar and wind accounting for 30% of the state’s electric power. That’s good news for the environment. Those with solar panels are likely saving more money on their electric bill because of the green energy solution. Texas is the leader in green wind energy generation with 28% of all the wind power in the U.S. last year. The numbers show the Lone Star State’s wind generation was 124.936 gigawatt hours in 2024. The country as a whole generated 453,454 gigawatt hours. That’s almost triple the wind power generated by the second biggest wind energy-producing state, Iowa. There, wind energy accounted for 63% of all electricity generated which is the largest share of total in-state electricity generation than any other state. Oklahoma is third, Kansas fourth and Illinois fifth. California was tenth in wind generation. As a matter of reference, one gigawatt hour of power can power as many as 725,000 homes for a year.

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Hospital bollard bill, sparked by KXAN, to get Senate hearing

A bill aimed at making Texas hospitals safer is now officially set to have a public hearing on Tuesday. Senate Bill 660 was filed in direct response to a series of KXAN investigations into the deadly crash at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center more than a year ago. It is one of more than 400 similar incidents our team uncovered over the past decade. The bill would require crash-tested barriers, called bollards, at most hospital entrances. Without a state or federal requirement, KXAN found a patchwork system where some hospitals are protected while others are left vulnerable. “We talk a lot about patient safety,” Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chair Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, told KXAN this month. “You certainly don’t want to have to think about walking out of an ER, or being close to an ER, and having someone crash through it.”

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Can Austin clean up 'Dirty Sixth' Street? How the city hopes to reinvent the iconic strip

On a Friday night in February on East Sixth Street, a steely-eyed bar doorman rushed around a crowd agitating on the sidewalk and whipped a flashlight above his shoulder. He flicked it on and off toward the street where on-duty Austin police officers were on patrol. A fight was brewing. As a tiff among a group of women turned physical, at least half a dozen officers rushed in. About half of them worked to yank the women off each other while the rest cordoned off the scene with outstretched arms. Police slammed one of the women to the ground and swiftly ushered her away in handcuffs. It was one of four fights that broke out that night on Austin’s most infamous street, nicknamed “Dirty Sixth” years ago by locals. Such melees are the main feature of a YouTube channel dedicated to street fights that has almost 90,000 subscribers.

A major new initiative aims to change that. Late last year, the Austin Police Department quietly rolled out a pilot program to reopen East Sixth Street to car traffic between Red River and Brazos streets on weekend evenings. The thinking was that breaking up the large crowds that congregate in the streets would reduce violence and the need for such intense police presence. The move was provocative not just because it sought to reverse a decades-old practice — the street has been regularly shuttered on weekends since the 90s — but because past city leaders deemed it unfeasible as recently as a few years ago. Preliminary statistics from the first two months of 2025 suggest that the change has led to a decrease in violence — including at the hands of police officers — as well as injuries to officers and arrests. While initially billed as a temporary pilot program that would end in March, the city decided to continue on given the promising statistics. But fundamentally transforming a street that for decades has largely served a young and working-class night-time crowd — and cultivated a reputation among locals as the stepchild of downtown Austin — is no easy lift. Leaders have tried and failed to do it for decades. Experts say a successful overhaul will require a full embrace of nearly everyone who touches East Sixth Street: business owners, visitors, law enforcement, investors, local elected leaders and other city officials. It's a massive task that will play out in the coming months and years.

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Adrian Lopez: Parents need access to child care to maintain employment

(Adrian Lopez has more than 25 years of community and economic development experience. He has dedicated his career to public service, working in City, County, Council of Governments, nonprofits, local housing authorities and currently as the CEO for Workforce Solutions Alamo – leading one of the 28 workforce boards in the State of Texas.) For many parents in Workforce Solutions Alamo’s 13-county region, child care is not a luxury, it is a requirement for employment. Their ability to work can rely on the availability of affordable, high-quality care for their children. When parents find it difficult to find affordable child care, it can then cause challenges that affect their ability to maintain consistent employment, pursue education or engage in job training. The ripple effect of inadequate child care extends beyond families as employers face higher turnover rates, productivity losses or are unable to fill roles. Today, there are more than 29,000 jobs available in the Alamo Region. Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA) works directly with 620 child care centers in this area to provide scholarships to families, however, the current demand exceeds capacity. Although there are 14,781 children receiving early education through these centers, we still have another 4,058 children who remain on the waitlist, leaving many families struggling to find the support they need to care for their children while they work, attend school or pursue job training.

o address the high demand for financial assistance and reduce waitlists, we must seek out ways to continue to invest in programs like WSA’s Child Care Services that support working families. Lawmakers can create funding strategies and economic incentives to strengthen our state’s child care system. By establishing additional funding streams, such as tax credits for employers and subsidies for extended-hour care, we can make child care more accessible and affordable. Reducing operational costs for providers and offering business incentives can also encourage more centers to open and operate sustainably. To address the shortage of child care in certain areas designated as child care deserts, we can create “Child Care Opportunity Zones.” By offering financial incentives, like expedited regulations and tax credits, we can attract investment and development in these underserved communities. Many child care providers, particularly in rural areas, struggle to access the capital they need to operate or expand. Creating a child care capital access program or loan guarantee program could help address this issue. Prioritizing loans under $100,000 would be especially beneficial for smaller centers. In addition, a rural child care fund could support the creation of childcare co-ops in underserved rural communities, providing families with more local and affordable options.

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Under Brooke Rollins, USDA cuts funding to Texas food banks for buying from local farms and ranches

Texas farmers are taking yet another hit from President Donald Trump’s administration during the early weeks of his second term in the White House. The administration has already cut foreign aid programs that have left farm exports stalled at ports like in Houston, and tariffs have rattled farmers already struggling through drought and diseases like the bird flu outbreak. Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has eliminated a pair of programs with about $2 billion that helped community food banks and schools buy fresh food from farms and ranches. In a Fox News interview, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins called the programs “nonessential” and “an effort by the left to continue spending taxpayer dollars that was not necessary.”

However, the cut will have real impacts in Texas, according to reporter Tom Orsborn. The nonprofit San Antonio Food Bank stands to lose about $3 million just because of the cuts to one program called the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program. Cuts to that program and the Local Food for Schools program, combined, will cost Texas about $200 million used to buy locally grown food, according to research from Reuters. Texas Agriculture Commission Sid Miller, a Republican and big Trump advocate, is a big supporter of farm-to-school and farm-to-food-bank programs but said he understands why the Trump administration is re-evaluating the federal programs. “I support a fair and consistent approach, which is precisely what the Trump Administration is implementing,” Miller said. “This is not a final decision—it’s a reassessment. There’s always room for refinement, and we may see a revised version of the policy down the road that is even better for agriculture producers.” As for the bigger picture for farmers, Rollins, a Texas native, earlier this week acknowledged that things have been “a little bit bumpy,” but she said in the long term they will benefit from greater prosperity from all of the moves Trump has been making. “I believe in President Trump’s vision,” Rollins said.

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Houston Congressman Al Green calls for hearing after postmaster labels USPS watchdog 'unnecessary'

Allegations that the U.S. Postal Service’s watchdog agency has outlived its usefulness have sparked a call from U.S. Rep. Al Green for a congressional hearing. It came after U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy criticized the Postal Regulatory Commission, labelling it a "burdensome" agency responsible for inflicting $50 billion in damages on the USPS. Green, writing in a letter to fellow lawmakers Friday, urged Congress to formally hear the matter before DeJoy allows Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to allow the PRC to be "extinguished or marginalized.”

"Postmaster DeJoy recently sent you a letter claiming that the PRC, which was designed to oversee the actions of the USPS and protect Americans, is a barrier to a more efficient and effective postal service and is unnecessary. He has further indicated that he will work with DOGE to eliminate inefficiencies," Green wrote. "I propose that Congress hold a hearing before its watchdog is DOGEd." The PRC, established under the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, is comprised of five commissioners appointed by the president who serve six-year terms. Only three of the five may be of the same political party as the president, according to the act. The PRC's mission is to "ensure transparency and accountability of the USPS to foster a vital and efficient universal mail system," according to the commission's website. DeJoy, also writing to congressional leaders, wrote in a Thursday letter that the commission held antiquated views regarding the role of the USPS and that it stood in the way of efforts to improve the country's mail system. The postmaster's letter came a little over a month after the PRC issued an advisory opinion that found significant flaws in the Delivering for America plan, a 10-year blueprint passed under the Biden administration aimed at modernizing the USPS.

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Lawmakers file bills to create Texas Cyber Command

Matagorda County Judge Bobby Seiferman is used to handling emergencies as his county sits in hurricane alley, but he and his colleagues faced a different type of emergency at the beginning of 2025. “Everything was knocked out,” Seiferman explained. “So the county clerk was down. You couldn’t file deeds — you couldn’t close on any property.” His county of a little more than 36,000 people was hit by a cyberattack. It started when an employee in the county jail clicked on something in the early hours of Jan. 24 that triggered the attack. Later that day by breakfast time, Seiferman said the Department of Information Resources (DIR), the Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Emergency Management, and the FBI were on the ground helping with the attack.

Five weeks after the attack, Seiferman said 90% of his county was back and still working on bringing all services back to full power. “These sorts of things affect so many people,” Seiferman explained. His county is part of a growing list of government entities being targeted in the state of Texas. He said he received a call from another Texas city asking for a copy of his county’s emergency declaration because they were going through its own cyberattack. A spokesperson for DIR said the agency “blocks more than a billion cybersecurity intrusion attempts on the State of Texas network every day.” According to a cybersecurity report filed by the agency in 2024, there is a growing trend over the past two years where, “Texas water systems experienced several significant cyberattacks, highlighting the vulnerability of the state’s critical infrastructure and potential dangers of cyberattacks on these systems.” DIR delivers technology solutions to Texas state agencies. Part of their responsibility is also cybersecurity. A spokesperson for the agency said, “The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) takes our role in assisting other government organizations with cybersecurity incidents very seriously and strives to protect the information entrusted to us by organizations who have been impacted. With its booming technology industry, critical infrastructure, and many government agencies, Texas is a prime target for cyberattacks.”

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Tony Quesada: Could ‘toilet to tap’ water work for San Antonio like it will for El Paso?

(Tony Quesada is an Express News columnist.) As I occasionally check in with the news where I grew up, I took particular interest in an item with potential long-term application where I live now. El Paso Water, a city-owned utility akin to San Antonio Water System, recently broke ground on a $295 million advanced water purification facility. This facility, called the Pure Water Center, will further treat water taken from the discharge of an existing sewage treatment plant and send it to city’s potable water supply. The Pure Water Center is projected to produce up to 10 million gallons per day — roughly 9% of El Paso’s typical total water demand. The idea of converting water that people flushed into water people drink — sometimes referred to as “toilet to tap” — carries a certain “ick” factor. But El Paso residents appear to have gotten over that a while ago, as El Paso Water Communications Manager Christina Montoya-Halter explained to news outlets there three years ago while the advanced purification facility was on the drawing board. She cited a survey then showing that 80% of El Pasoans supported the idea of advanced purification.

“El Pasoans know that we live in the desert. They know that water is an important issue for us,” Montoya-Halter said. “We have to look at these other sources. So they are understanding, and they accept these other sources.” And with the technology having evolved to a point that it can yield potable water at utility-scale, a lot of eyes are on West Texas’ Sun City. It’s been reported that Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., are moving toward following El Paso’s lead, as are some Texas communities, including ones in the Hill Country. San Antonio likely wouldn’t be compelled to consider advanced purification for many years. With the addition of tens of millions of gallons per day flowing here from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in Central Texas through the Vista Ridge Pipeline, which came on line nearly five years ago, San Antonio likely has plenty of runway before it would need to approach the idea. But the kind of growth — San Antonio’s population has doubled in the past 30 years — that spurred the $2.8 billion investment in Vista Ridge could bring us there sooner than we’d like to hope.

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Kelley Shannon: Shining a light on government brings together Texans of all kinds

(Kelley Shannon is the executive director of the nonprofit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.) What unites Texans of all political persuasions is the nonpartisan principle that our government must operate in the sunlight. We have the right — and responsibility — to keep watch on how tax money is spent and how public officials make decisions. But it takes access to information to do it. Our state transparency laws envision citizens having power over government. Every legislative session, updates and improvements are needed so that the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act function as intended. The Texas Sunshine Coalition, representing 16 organizations with varying interests, works to protect the public’s right to know. Supporters of the coalition testified this month before a key Texas House committee on enhancing public information laws. As we embark on national Sunshine Week (March 16-22) and call attention to open government, let’s embrace these bipartisan sunshine proposals in the Texas Legislature:

Enforcement. When governments don’t respond to information requestors or don’t provide all the releasable records, common sense enforcement is necessary in the Public Information Act. Requestors deserve a solid system for filing complaints with the attorney general, and government officials found to have acted wrongly should face consequences such as additional open government training. Senate Bill 919 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and HB 4219 by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, would achieve this. If a requestor must file a lawsuit to force release of information, there should be a way to recover attorneys’ fees if the requestor prevails. Texas appellate court decisions have made that difficult, allowing governments to hand over records at the last minute — often after costly litigation — and avoid paying legal fees. Those who successfully sue a government to obtain information need to recover attorneys’ fees or, as Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, recently pointed out, “that’s not a fair fight.” Pending legislation would clarify legal fee provisions. SB 824 by Middleton, HB 2248 by Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, and SB 1291 by Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, address the issue. User friendly Initiatives. Legislative proposals to help citizens and governments better use and carry out the Public Information Act include requiring that the attorney general’s office operates a toll-free open government hotline; ensuring that the government official or outside legal counsel who responds to citizens’ requests completes open government training; and allowing for mediation between a requestor and a government. These are contained in SB 1294 and SB 1295 by Johnson and SB 1130 by Middleton.

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SXSW transforms in 2026: Music weekend gone, half-price badges available now

The South by Southwest Conference and Festival is undergoing a dramatic transformation. With dwindling band numbers and a surge in Film interest, the event will present a trimmed-down schedule that eliminates a dedicated music weekend in 2026. SXSW is also offering a lifeline to cash-strapped, would-be attendees with unprecedented early bird discounts slashing badge prices in half for a limited time. Is the Music fest, once the headliner, now more like the opening act that nobody quite remembers? They used to pack in 2,000 bands, in a chaotic symphony of sound. In 2025, that number was 1,012. 35% were international acts, representing their countries with pride, and often sponsored in part by government ministries.

The Film and TV Fest, once the awkward sibling shoved into the corner, has suddenly become the cool kid everyone wants to hang out with. Thanks in part to Penske Corp. — 50% owners of SXSW since 2021 and Hollywood heavyweights who own your favorite film industry and music mags — the Film fest now feels like the VIP lounge. Suddenly, everyone's clamoring for screen time, not stage time. Next year, the festival and conference will run from Thursday March 12 to Wednesday March 18, ditching the second music-centric weekend. The fest is also offering deep early bird discounts at sxsw.com through March 31. You can snag a Platinum pass for a $1,135. Interactive badges are going for $785, Film and Television for $700. And $475 for a music badge. Walk up prices this year were wallet whopping: Platinum $2,295, Interactive $1,695, Film and Television badges $1,395, Music badges $995). Worth noting: For the last several years, badges for each track granted secondary access to other festival tracks. Next year, the Platinum pass is the only badge that will grant access to all festival tracks.

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'Not a raging wildfire': Crabapple Fire near Fredericksburg 55% contained

Paul Hannemann, a 73-year-old volunteer firefighter, returned home around 1 a.m. Sunday covered in a black layer of soot, a result of the hours he spent fighting the raging Crabapple Fire that had consumed an estimated 9,500 acres northeast of Fredericksburg. His wife, Janalee, met him with relief. Hannemann’s phone had died around 11 p.m., leaving his wife unable to track his location. Early Sunday, the firefighter brought the stench of smoke to their home in the heart of Fredericksburg, about eight miles away from where the wildfire began on Crabapple Road. “I don't know if he sat down in our den last night or was just walking through, the smoke smell was still there,” Janalee said. "That smoke is just overwhelming, the smell,” she said.

Paul Hannemann, a 73-year-old volunteer firefighter, returned home around 1 a.m. Sunday covered in a black layer of soot, a result of the hours he spent fighting the raging Crabapple Fire that had consumed an estimated 9,500 acres northeast of Fredericksburg. His wife, Janalee, met him with relief. Hannemann’s phone had died around 11 p.m., leaving his wife unable to track his location. Early Sunday, the firefighter brought the stench of smoke to their home in the heart of Fredericksburg, about eight miles away from where the wildfire began on Crabapple Road. “I don't know if he sat down in our den last night or was just walking through, the smoke smell was still there,” Janalee said. "That smoke is just overwhelming, the smell,” she said.

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National Stories

As Musk’s business empire falters, Trump summons a wave of conservative support

President Donald Trump sat at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Before him was Elon Musk. In an expansive mood, Trump offered a favor: Was there anything the administration could do for the car company Musk leads, Tesla? Nothing immediately came to mind for Musk during the early 2020 meeting, details of which have not been previously reported. But last week, Trump appeared to deliver a fantastic favor to the billionaire tech entrepreneur, the biggest donor of the 2024 election cycle and his closest ally. In an unprecedented event — part news conference, part infomercial — the president showcased Tesla vehicles on a White House driveway and announced that he had selected one of them — a cherry red Model S — for himself. The event sparked a wave of conservative support for Tesla, a company facing a plummeting stock price, investor frustration, consumer boycotts and sometimes violent protests at facilities across the country.

As Tesla shareholders press Musk to return his attention to the firm that made him the world’s richest person, the event also highlighted how Musk’s deepening alliance with Trump has been boon and burden to his expansive business empire. Trump and his deputies are threatening those who vandalize Teslas, saying they will classify anti-Tesla protesters as domestic terrorists. “If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a Friday interview on Fox Business. “And if you’re funding this, we’re coming after you. We’re going to find out who you are.” Meanwhile, Republican politicians and MAGA influencers are urging their supporters to purchase Musk’s EVs. Gesturing at a Tesla in a Friday X post, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said: “This may be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” The campaign has triggered an uptick in searches for “Buy a Tesla” in many traditionally red states, according to Google Trends data, and Tesla’s stock has rebounded slightly. But it risks alienating the liberal customers who spawned its early success. And as Tesla falters, some of its executives have eyed opportunities outside the company in recent days, according to a person familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

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Trump administration deports hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador despite court ruling

Hundreds of mostly Venezuelan alleged gang members were deported from the United States to a prison in El Salvador on Sunday, with the Trump administration invoking wartime powers to speed up removals despite a court ruling halting the move. In the latest dramatic showdown between the White House and the judiciary, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s ability to use the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act on Saturday evening, and verbally ordered any planes in the air carrying some of those migrants to turn back to the US. US District Judge James Boasberg said the temporary restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days “or until further order of the court.” One person familiar with the matter said the planes were already in the air at the time of the judge’s ruling.

“Particularly given the plaintiffs’ information, unrebutted by the government, that flights are actively departing and planning to depart, I do not believe that I’m able to wait any longer,” said US District Judge James Boasberg during the hearing. “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States.” But on Sunday night, President Donald Trump defended his use of the Act, telling reporters on board Air Force One: “I can tell you this, these were bad people. That was a bad group of, as I say, hombres.” Previous use of the Aliens Enemies Act has taken place during times of war, but Trump argued that “this was a time of war” and an “invasion” of migrants and criminals – repeating his past claims about the Biden administration’s handling of immigration. When asked whether his government had violated the judge’s order, Trump replied: “You’d have to speak to the lawyers about that.”

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DOGE cuts reach key nuclear scientists, bomb engineers and safety experts

They handled the secure transport of nuclear materials — dangerous, demanding work that requires rigorous training. Four of them took the Trump administration’s offer of a buyout and left the National Nuclear Security Administration. A half-dozen staff members left a unit in the agency that builds reactors for nuclear submarines. And a biochemist and engineer who had recently joined the agency as head of the team that enforces safety and environmental standards at a Texas plant that assembles nuclear warheads was fired. In the past six weeks, the agency, just one relatively small outpost in a federal work force that President Trump and his top adviser Elon Musk aim to drastically pare down, has lost a huge cadre of scientists, engineers, safety experts, project officers, accountants and lawyers — all in the midst of its most ambitious endeavors in a generation.

The nuclear agency, chronically understaffed but critically important, is the busiest it has been since the Cold War. It not only manages the nation’s 3,748 nuclear bombs and warheads, it is modernizing that arsenal — a $20-billion-a-year effort that will arm a new fleet of nuclear submarines, bomber jets and land-based missiles. Since the last year of the first Trump administration, the agency has been desperately trying to build up its staff to handle the added workload. Though it was still hundreds of employees short of what it had said it needed, it had edged up to about 2,000 workers by January. Now, with the Trump administration’s buyouts and firings, the agency’s trajectory has gone from one of painstaking growth to retraction. More than 130 employees took the government’s offer of a payout to resign, according to internal agency documents obtained by The New York Times that have not previously been reported. Those departures, together with those of about 27 workers who were caught up in a mass firing and not rehired, wiped out most of the recent staffing gains.

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Trump says Putin talks will discuss Russia and Ukraine ‘dividing up certain assets’

President Donald Trump said late Sunday that negotiators in Washington and Moscow have begun discussing the division of assets between Russia and Ukraine in an effort to bring to an end the three-year-long war between the two countries. The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and that the conversation would discuss "dividing up certain assets," including land and power plants. “I think we have a lot of it already discussed by both sides — Ukraine and Russia,” Trump said. “We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance.”

The talks expected to get underway Tuesday will see Trump attempt to win Putin’s support for a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine after their delegates met in Saudi Arabia last week, but which Putin said needed to meet crucial demands made by the Kremlin. Putin and his officials have repeatedly indicated that they want to cement Russia's land grabs during the three-year war and stop Kyiv from ever joining NATO. Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reiterated those goals Monday, telling Russian outlet Izvestia that Russia will seek "iron-clad security guarantees” to ensure Kyiv’s exclusion from NATO in any peace deal and Ukraine's neutrality regarding the bloc. Pressure has been mounting on Russia to cede to Trump's demands after Ukraine accepted the ceasefire proposal last week, though Grushko's comments Monday made no reference to the ceasefire proposal.

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Trumps takes jab at Biden over 'autopen signature' following concerning report over who ran the White House

President Donald Trump trolled former President Joe Biden in a social media post on Sunday, highlighting the controversy surrounding his alleged "autopen signatures" during his presidency. On Truth Social, Trump posted three images side-by-side – his official portrait from his first term, a picture of Biden's autopen and then finally his official portrait for his second term. Trump then pinned the post. "The person who was the real President during the Biden years was the person who controlled the Autopen!" Trump wrote in another post on his account.

"The man was grossly incompetent. All you have to do is take a look, he signs by autopen. Who was signing all this stuff by autopen? Who would think to sign important documents by autopen?" Trump asked reporters. "These are major documents you're signing, you're proud to sign, yet you have your signature on something and in 300 years, they say ‘oh look.’ Can you imagine everything was signing by autopen? Almost everything. Nobody has ever heard of such a thing. It should have never happened," Trump continued. The post sparked a firestorm on social media with many backing Trump as Democrats have faced backlash over accusations that they dismissed Biden's health concerns and engaged in a cover-up throughout the end of his term. "President Trump JUST POSTED the AUTOPEN that ran the White House from 2021-2025 next to his portraits," one X user commented.

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Survivors pick through ruins after monster storm kills 39 across U.S.

The inclement weather was supposed to pass around midnight late Friday, so Christopher Mattox figured his trailer home in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was safe. When his wife, Dolores, asked whether he was worried, he recalled responding: “No, baby, I sleep real good when it storms.” Lounging in his flannel pajamas and sipping a Pepsi, Mattox flicked on the news. Then came the sound of hail pounding his roof. Suddenly, the three-bedroom mobile home shook, and Mattox gripped his mattress. Mirrors and his TV were flung across the room as the home tipped a few inches off its base. “It felt like I was literally on a carpet ride,” Mattox, 68, told The Washington Post. When the tornado passed a few seconds later, Mattox’s home was destroyed. He shined a flashlight through a shattered window to make out dismantled mobile home parts littering his neighborhood’s gravel. Mattox heard his neighbors calling for help, but he could barely move himself.

A flurry of questions swirled in his mind: Where am I going to live? What am I going to do next? How do I move on from losing everything? Survivors have been asking similar questions in more than a half-dozen states after a monster storm system spawned tornadoes that pulverized homes, dust storms that caused freeway pileups, and fires that scorched hundreds of structures over the weekend. At least 39 people have been killed. The storms were caused by two strong low-pressure systems — one that tracked across the Plains on Friday and another in the Deep South on Saturday. The systems drew unseasonably warm and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico, causing high levels of atmospheric instability, which is thunderstorm fuel. In Oklahoma, low humidity and gusts of wind powerful enough to overturn tractor-trailers sparked fires. Four people died in the state and 142 were injured, authorities said, in incidents related to fires and high winds.

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Lead Stories

Trump’s New World Order tests the dollar

President Trump has launched an unprecedented challenge to a geopolitical order that has prevailed for decades. One potential victim: the U.S. dollar. In just weeks, a steep increase in tariffs and uncertainty over trade have sparked fears that U.S. growth will slow. At the same time, major shifts in U.S. foreign policy have led to a surge in optimism about the European economy—driving the dollar down sharply against the euro, sending stocks in Europe to records and spurring the biggest jump in German bond yields since just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The WSJ Dollar Index has declined seven of the past nine weeks, nearly erasing gains made since the Nov. 5 election. Such financial upheaval, if sustained, could have ramifications for everything from global investment flows to the direction of trans-Atlantic tourism. For generations, U.S. political leaders have generally embraced the dollar’s primacy in the global financial system, in part because it has led to cheaper government borrowing. The country’s spending on defense has helped bolster that position by driving up the budget deficit, financed in large part by foreign investors, who hold about a third of U.S. debt.

Now, though, Trump and some of his advisers are making it clear that they want to expend fewer resources protecting allies. And they are saying they want a weaker currency to boost domestic manufacturing, by making goods cheaper to foreign buyers. “When you look at these policies in a macro way, they have a method to them,” said Lloyd Blankfein, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs. “The risk to the markets is dislocation in the short term. But I think our republic will be better off if we spend a few thousand dollars more for a car in return for having a workforce that can make things and can afford what they make.” Many on Wall Street, however, fear the downside of such changes. A weaker dollar would make imports more expensive, boosting inflation and making it harder for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. Outflows from U.S. assets that depress the dollar could also drive down stock prices and lead to higher U.S. borrowing costs. Few believe that a huge decline in the dollar is imminent, partly because U.S. interest rates are higher than almost anywhere else in the developed world, promising continued foreign investment.

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Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children, and it’s getting worse

Almost 1 million Texas children and teens went without health insurance at some point in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. Many of them live in Houston, which has a higher rate of uninsured children than any other major metropolitan area in the nation. Overall, Texas has the worst coverage rate for kids in the country, with nearly 12% going uninsured in 2023 — up from nearly 11% in 2022. The Dallas metro area had the second-highest rate of uninsured children while San Antonio was third in the nation. A number of issues are driving the numbers. But the fact that many uninsured Texas children are actually eligible for public insurance exposes what experts say are alarming gaps in the state’s enrollment and outreach system — gaps that can limit health care access for low-income kids and endanger their health.

Among the issues is a backlog of thousands of families who applied for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP. For most of 2024, the average waiting time for a decision by the state was well over two months, which triggered a federal probe under the Biden administration. The application process remains tedious and confusing, requiring families to sometimes round up dozens of documents to prove they’re eligible. Some give up. The state has booted more than 1 million children from Medicaid since it began reviewing recipients’ eligibility again in 2023, after a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many were dropped not because they were ineligible, but for procedural reasons, such as their parents’ failure to submit a renewal packet. Texas lawmakers also have rejected or stalled proposals that typically help more children access CHIP or Medicaid. A 2023 state House bill would have streamlined Medicaid and CHIP enrollment for children by relying on information already verified via other state benefit programs, such as food assistance. Despite bipartisan support, the bill failed to advance. It’s been introduced again in this year’s session. Texas has shunned broad proposals enacted by other states, such as expanding Medicaid for low-income adults. Research shows Medicaid expansion has a “welcome-mat” effect for children, with parents on Medicaid more likely to sign up their eligible children as well.

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Democratic anger over 'Schumer surrender' shows party's deep divisions on how to take on Trump

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faces a moment of turmoil after retreating from his initial threat to block a six-month government funding bill written by Republicans, a move that infuriated fellow Democrats in the House and liberal advocates — and raised questions about his effectiveness as party leader. Schumer, who has served as the Democrats’ leader in the Senate for eight years, has typically managed to find consensus within his party. But he now finds himself on the defensive in one of the first major legislative fights of the second Trump administration, even drawing rebukes from longtime allies. In an extraordinary move, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, called on Senate Democrats to defy him and reject the GOP bill, while continuing to push for a shorter-term bill, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, to keep the government funded ahead of a midnight deadline.

“Democratic senators should listen to the women,” Pelosi said in a statement. “Appropriations leaders Rosa DeLauro and Patty Murray have eloquently presented the case that we must have a better choice: a four-week funding extension to keep [the] government open and negotiate a bipartisan agreement. America has experienced a Trump shutdown before — but this damaging legislation only makes matters worse.” House Democratic leaders returned to Washington on Friday from a retreat in Leesburg, Virginia, to urge their Senate colleagues to vote against the funding bill. Asked if it was time for new leadership in the Senate, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Schumer's fellow New York Democrat, responded: "Next question." Highlighting the party’s identity crisis, liberals erupted with anger after Schumer announced Thursday he would vote to advance the GOP bill, with the co-founder of the activist group Indivisible, Ezra Levin, labeling it the “Schumer surrender” and urging Democratic senators to defy him.

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Houston congressman hints at challenging John Cornyn for reelection in 2026

U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt isn’t being shy about building a statewide profile as he positions himself to run for higher office. Hunt, a Houston Republican in his second term in office, just started running statewide ads on conservative talk radio shows trying to introduce him to potential future voters. “I’m Wesley Hunt and I’m calling on all Texans to continue supporting our great president,” Hunt says in the ad, which is paid for by a political action committee he controls called Hellfire PAC. “As Texans we fight for what’s right. And with President Trump at the helm, there’s no stopping America.”

Hunt, 43, makes no mention about what office he might try to run for in 2026, but he’s one of the names being floated in GOP circles as a potential challenger to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. While the 2026 election seems far off, the primary elections are in March less than a year away. That means the first absentee ballots will be going out in 10 months. When I asked Hunt about why he's running the ads and if it were for a potential Senate run, he would only say he wanted to promote Trump's successes. Cornyn, 73, has already declared he is running for reelection. Two weeks ago he hosted a campaign fundraising kickoff in Washington, D.C. and has another big fundraiser planned on Monday in Houston. “I look forward to again working hand in glove with President Trump to implement his agenda,” Cornyn told Punchbowl News after the D.C. fundraiser. Hunt’s radio ads make clear he’ll be leaning into his own relationship with Trump if he gets into the race officially. In the 30-second ads, he tells listeners he was the “first congressman to endorse President Trump in 2022.”

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Large wildfire near Fredericksburg declared a disaster, evacuations underway.

A large 8,640-acre wildfire northeast of Fredericksburg has been declared a disaster and is prompting evacuations as the fire crossed Highway 16 and is heading east toward FM 1631, officials said Saturday afternoon. “Anyone in the path should evacuate immediately,” officials posted on social media about 4 p.m.

In a 10 p.m. update Saturday night, officials reported that the fire was zero contained. They reported the fire is generally still moving east to southeast and is located between Lower Crabapple and FM1631. “Thankfully, the wind has subsided in the Texas Hill Country and our crews are working to stop the forward progress of the Crabapple Fire,” Fredericksburg Fire Chief Lynn Bizzell said. “Our team will continue work throughout the night, including monitoring FM1631 to make sure the fire doesn’t progress.” Currently, there are two known road closures: state Hwy. 16 North from the Fredericksburg city limits to Eckert Road as well as Lower Crabapple from Eckert Road into Fredericksburg. As a precautionary effort, Central Texas Electric has cut the power to the fire affected area. Gillespie County Judge Daniel Jones has issued a declaration of disaster, which allows for officials to evacuate, close roads, and control ingress/egress as needed. For those that have been misplaced, a shelter is available through the Red Cross at Zion Lutheran Church at 426 W Main St in Fredericksburg. City officials are asking everyone to avoid the area. “People in the area should listen to crews on the ground about evacuations and prepare to evacuate,” officials said about 4 p.m.. “Anyone between Highway 16 North and FM 1631 and between Ranch Road 1323 and Ranch Road 2721 should be prepared to evacuate.”

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State Stories

Deadly crash on I-35 in N. Austin: What we know about fatal semi-truck collision

A deadly semitrailer crash Thursday on Interstate 35 in North Austin has spurred a series of questions from the public and news media. Some of those should be answered Saturday afternoon when the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the collision, is expected to hold a news conference. One person has been arrested in the collision that killed five people, including an infant and a child, and injured at least a dozen others. At least 17 vehicles were involved and the crash occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on southbound I-35 near Parmer Lane, police initially said. An Austin police officer later wrote in an affidavit that 19 vehicles were involved. Semitruck driver Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, was charged with several counts of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in connection to the crash. It was confirmed Saturday that he worked was driving a load for Amazon but worked for a Dallas-based transport company.

Police responded about 11:21 p.m. Thursday to the 12900 block of North Interstate 35 southbound, according to the affidavit. A 2016 Volvo 18-wheeler — believed to have been driven by Araya — in the center lane failed to brake as traffic slowed. The truck then crashed into several other motorists, police say, killing five and injuring a dozen. Araya was reportedly the only person in the truck. He told authorities at the scene that a car cut him off and that he tried to stop but the brakes "did not activate," police wrote in the affidavit. A total of 17 people were hurt in the crash, five of them fatally. In the affidavit, police say the injuries range from "major" to "life threatening." They were transported to several different local hospitals, according to Austin-Travis County Emergency Management Services. The victims have not yet been identified but police say two minors, including an infant and child, and three adults were killed.

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Here's how Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar's departure may influence state politics

Glenn Hegar might be about to start a food fight, or at least the political equivalent of one. It's not that the three-term Republican state comptroller is a troublemaker. It's just that he's vacating a powerful statewide elective office that a lot of other people might want to fill. Hegar, 54, was recently named the sole finalist in the national search to replace retiring Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. By law, the Texas A&M board of regents had to name a finalist for the position before actually offering the job. Barring a lightning strike that nobody sees coming, Hegar will leave office soon after Sharp ends his 14-year run as Aggie-in-chief sometime in June. Just hours after the regents announced their final pick for the system's top job, Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick announced her candidacy for comptroller in the 2026 election cycle.

Not long after, former state Sen. Don Huffines said he'd be running as well. The buzz around the Capitol is that a lawmaker or two are also interested in the job that's often to referred to as the chief financial officer of the state. But we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. Once the comptroller's office becomes vacant, it will be up to Gov. Greg Abbott to name a replacement to serve out the remainder of Hegar's four-year term. Technically, that appointment would require Senate confirmation. However, the regular session of the Legislature will have ended before Hegar steps aside, so senators won't weigh in unless Abbott calls a special session. If Craddick and Huffines, both Republicans, are the only announced candidates when the office becomes vacant, it wouldn't be terribly surprising if the governor names Craddick to the post since Huffines challenged Abbott in the 2022 GOP primary and had few nice things to say about the incumbent who was seeking a third term. A Craddick appointment would mean a vacancy in the three-member Railroad Commission, and it would be up to Abbott to fill that post temporarily. Craddick's six-year term ends in 2028, but the appointee's term would end in 2026. A special election would need to be called next year to fill the final two years left in the term.

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Late Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner laid to rest in heartfelt ceremony

Saturday afternoon, politicians and loved ones alike flocked to The Church Without Walls to say one final goodbye to late former mayor and Houston area congressman Sylvester Turner. Attendees, many donned in blue—Turner's favorite color—rose to their feet as an honor guard led Turner's American flag-wrapped casket into the crowded congregation. Members of Turner's closest circle, including his daughter Ashley Paige Turner Captain, her husband Jimmy and children, sat near the pulpit, which was adorned on either side with bouquets of white roses.

"Sylvester Turner was Acres Home born, grown and owned," said Dr. Samuel J. Gilbert II, pastor at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church. "He will always be remembered by where he came from." Gilbert II shared a story about advice Turner received when he was preparing to retire after 27 years of service in the Texas House of Representatives. The advice was simple yet powerful: "If you’ve got gas in your car, don’t park your car." Before the services began, a video played featuring remarks from the late mayor and congressman. In it, Turner’s voice could be heard recalling an important lesson: "As long as there is work to do, there is a job for us to do." The video highlighted his years of leadership and dedication to public service. "The other day Turner ran out of gas, and the Lord said park your car and come on up," Gilbert II said.

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Keller school board calls off plan to split district

The Keller school district announced March 14 that it has abandoned a plan to split the district in half using U.S. 377 as the dividing line. The proposal was revealed in January and met with stiff opposition from residents, especially those living west of 377, the area colloquially known as the “Alliance Independent School District.” The plan divided a tight-knit community that has always been proud of its schools. It prompted state legislation, lawsuits, criminal complaints, a student walkout and the loss of a superintendent who was on the job just over a year. Neighborhoods rallied against the plan. A parody Alliance ISD Facebook page was launched, a resident sold snarky sweatshirts and mugs about the other side of the tracks and residents wrapped gold ribbons around trees to show support for a unified district.

School board president Charles Randklev and interim superintendent Cory Wilson announced the decision Friday afternoon in an email to district residents. They did not say who made the decision. Two board members, Chelsea Kelly and Joni Shaw Smith, said they were unaware of the news until the email went out. Randklev and Wilson wrote in their email that the district did not have resources to go through with the plan because of the high costs to distribute $700 million worth of bond debt between the two districts. Dividing the debt would “require tens of millions in additional funding — resources we simply do not have. This added financial burden would not best serve the Keller ISD students and community.” Randklev shared the email in a Facebook post. “To be clear and despite false innuendos, our District and School Board have always been motivated and driven to find solutions to the unprecedented challenges our district and many others are facing,” he wrote.

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Glenn Rogers: Austin’s plan to silence local government

Apologies to Abraham Lincoln, but instead of “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” Texas now has a government of a few megadonors, by a few megadonors and for a few megadonors. In the Texas Legislature, representative government is on life support, and we need true grassroots local government input more than ever. Stopping an Austin power-grab disguised as a ban on lobbyists is a good place to start. Traditionally, conservative Republicans stood for limited government, both federal and state, and for local control. While state leaders rail about the growth of our federal government, our state government continues to expand at an alarming rate as the voices closest to the people, including county, city, school and other political subdivisions, are increasingly silenced. This demise of taxpayer-funded representative government has been financed primarily by a few wealthy opportunists who control state elected officials at the highest level through money and intimidation.

As many sources, including me, have reported, the two most powerful people in Texas are unelected donors Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. As an exercise to prove this point, readers might ponder the following questions with particular attention to their own elected officials. Have they ever accepted money from Dunn, Wilks or one of their allied organizations? Have they donated money to one of these allied organizations? Have they ever voted with a Dunn-Wilks allied organization to avoid a primary challenge? The number of Republican legislators who can honestly say “no” to all three of these questions is rapidly trending toward zero. With this many donor-compliant members, it is more important than ever that local grassroots government continues to have a voice. Lobbying is often depicted as a group of people sliding money under the table, paying for expensive meals and trips. The public’s image of all lobbyists is sleazy and dishonest, with the sole objective of buying influence. But that’s a caricature. While glaringly imperfect, lobbying simply means advocating. For example, the Texas Farm Bureau Agfund advocates (lobbies) for more than 500,000 farm and ranch member families. Very few of these rural citizens would have the time or financial resources to advocate for themselves at the state Capitol. The Agfund isn’t engaging in corruption, but democracy. The ominous term “taxpayer-funded lobbying” is defined as a governmental agency seeking to influence another governmental body. Typically, in Texas, this happens when smaller governments, without paid intergovernmental staff, use lobbyists to advocate for their needs with the Texas Legislature. School boards, cities, counties and several other different types of local political subdivisions use lobbyists (primarily through associations) to bring specific local needs to the attention of legislators, to encourage the Legislature to act in a way that improves the lives of local citizens, and to maintain meaningful professional relationships between the local and state governments. Undoubtedly, there are groups that lobby for positions I personally oppose, in a democracy, they have a right to do so. Which would be worse: hundreds of lobbying groups representing various interests (a swamp) or concentrated legislative influence primarily to please only a few billionaires (a cesspool)?

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Ken Paxton opinion says state IDs cannot be changed to accommodate transgender Texans

In a written opinion issued Friday, Attorney General Ken Paxton questioned the validity of court orders directing state agencies to change a person’s biological sex on driver’s licenses, birth certificates and other identification documents. Identification previously changed under court orders sought by transgender Texans should be reissued with the original sex designation, the nonbinding opinion said. The Texas Department of Public Safety requested the opinion in September, about a month after it stopped accepting court orders to change gender markers on driver’s licenses. The Department of State Health Services also stopped allowing gender changes on birth certificates unless the hospital made an error. In a 19-page opinion to DPS Director Freeman Martin, Paxton said the public safety agency has had “exclusive discretion” to issue corrected licenses with “the quantum of proof necessary” since 1968.

“Birth certificates are no different,” the opinion said. “For the last century, DSHS has been singlehandedly charged with ensuring ‘uniform observance … and … maintenance of a perfect system of registration.’” The attorney general concluded that district courts lack the authority to force DPS and the health department to amend documents. “The Transportation Code as well as the Health and Safety Code contain no provision for judicial review over the contents of driver’s licenses or birth certificates,” he wrote. “Neither can DPS or DSHS change a person’s ‘sex’ designation without supporting evidence that, as a matter of law, cannot exist on the facts you describe.” Paxton said such court orders direct the agencies “to violate the very laws they are bound to obey.” “The resulting orders are void,” he said. “State agencies must immediately correct any unlawfully altered driver’s licenses or birth certificates that were changed pursuant to such orders.”

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Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee files to replace Sylvester Turner in U.S. Congress

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee is vying to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner in Congress, according to a Federal Election Commission document filed Saturday evening by Menefee’s campaign. The filing comes hours after Turner’s funeral in west Houston. Menefee will run as a Democrat. Turner, who had just recently taken the seat replacing his longtime friend U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, died March 5 following “enduring health complications,” according to a statement from his family. He was 70, and had previously served two terms as Houston’s mayor, as well as 27 years in the Texas House. Jackson Lee died in July following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Menefee has been the county attorney for more than four years. Neither Menefee, his campaign treasurer nor a representative for his office could be reached for comment late Saturday evening. Before Turner was elected to the 18th Congressional District, he told the Houston Chronicle editorial board he didn’t want to hold the position for more than two terms. Instead, he said, he wanted to be “a bridge from where we are right now” and pass the reins over to a new generation of leaders. Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to call a special election to fill Turner’s seat. The law requires a race to be held within two months on a Tuesday or a Saturday if Abbott calls an emergency election. Otherwise, the race to fill the seat will happen in May.

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Former councilman Reed Williams to challenge Rep. Marc LaHood

The newest member of San Antonio’s state House delegation, state Rep. Marc LaHood, (R-San Antonio) has barely been on the job three months, but he’s already drawn his first high-profile challenger. Former San Antonio Councilman Reed Williams filed a treasurer’s report on March 7 to begin raising money for a campaign in House District 121, which won’t be on the ballot until 2026. Though Williams has run for office before as a Republican, he said he’s since realized how little he has in common with today’s GOP, and is instead running under the banner of the Democratic Party. “I believe that the Democratic Party right now is a lot bigger tent,” he told the San Antonio Report. Williams’ move comes as a growing number of local Republicans have grown so frustrated with their party’s rightward march that they’re willing to team up with Democrats to try to stop it.

LaHood won the seat last year after defeating then-state Rep. Steve Allison (R-Alamo Heights) in the Republican primary — part of an expensive effort among conservative groups seeking to root out Republicans who oppose school vouchers. Across the state, 11 candidates endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott ousted GOP incumbents. After his primary loss, Allison, along with former GOP state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, took the unusual step of endorsing the Democrat running against LaHood, who lost 52.6% to 47.4%. “It’s kind of disturbing,” Williams said of that race. “Because [Allison] took one vote different, they spent [$1 million] just moving him out of the way and putting somebody else in there.” Williams said he plans to help fund his own campaign with personal resources. At the state Capitol, major policy discussions in the House have been slow to start this session.

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Mayor Whitmire’s efficiency study is making its rounds in Austin. Will it help Houston’s wish list?

As Houston Mayor John Whitmire passed his first year in office, the former dean of the Texas Senate stumbled upon a surprise — the connections in Austin he touted throughout his campaign weren’t getting him as far as he thought. The city’s budget deficit under his leadership has grown to around $320 million, largely due to a denied appeal in a lawsuit that requires the city to put millions more toward streets and drainage. Whitmire has pitched going to lawmakers to supplement the city’s wallet with state funding. But so far, his connections haven’t always paid off. “Nobody works as hard as we do,” Whitmire said in a December interview as he spoke about how lawmakers didn’t think Houston needed the money it was asking for. “The people saying that, they don’t even stop to consider we got a tougher revenue cap than any big city. We're growing rapidly. We are the life growth of the state of Texas. How Houston goes is how the state goes.”

The trouble, political experts say, is the Republican legislature’s dismissive view of the state’s large cities, which lean Democratic. Now, Whitmire and his team, led by Chief of Staff Chris Newport and Deputy Chief of Staff Steven David, are trying to make Houston stand out among other blue cities to help its financial case as its deficit grows. The key, they hope, lies with a new city-commissioned study by the Houston accounting firm Ernst & Young that analyzed the efficiency of every city department. The goal is to cut unnecessary costs and make every tax dollar count. City officials hope to show lawmakers that they’re doing their part to weed out waste. David and Newport last Wednesday presented the study’s findings to the House’s “Delivery of Government Efficiency” committee in a pitch to receive financial help. The mayor’s office noted the city’s work on the study has been done preceded the committee, and started well before its creation.

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Mother of newborn tests positive for measles at Lubbock hospital, others exposed

The mother of a newborn has tested positive for measles at a Lubbock hospital, according to reporting first published by NBC. Staff was unaware the mother, who gave birth at University Medical Center Children’s Hospital Wednesday, had the disease until after she was admitted to the hospital, NBC reported. A total of 259 people have been infected with measles in Texas since January, according to The Texas Department of State Health Services. One person, a school-aged child who was not vaccinated, has died.

An unspecified number of mothers and newborns were exposed to the virus at UMC, according to NBC. A hospital spokesperson told NBC they could not put an exact number on how many people at the facility were at risk for measles. The news came just before UMC, which has been on the front lines of Texas’ measles outbreak, introduced new policies meant to help curb the spread of the disease. The hospital announced a temporary masking mandate Thursday, which it said will help protect immunocompromised or other at-risk patients. “To protect our patients, visitors, and staff amid rising measles cases in surrounding communities, UMC is implementing a temporary masking requirement in the 1st and 2nd floor common areas of the children’s hospital,” the hospital wrote on Facebook. “The health and safety of our patients, especially our newborn and immunocompromised populations, remain our top priority.”

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City of Austin launches campaign to hire laid-off federal workers

Austin city leaders are aiming to hire thousands of federal workers who were laid off by the Trump administration. Earlier this week, the city launched the “Get Hired in Austin" campaign in an effort to fill more than 2,000 job openings. The campaign was introduced at a time when tens of thousands of federal government employees are being laid off or fired as part of efforts by the Trump administration to downsize the federal workforce. “We are currently hiring for many vacancies at various skill levels and areas of expertise,” Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax said in a Tuesday news release. "With so many dedicated public servants looking for work where they can make a difference, it only makes sense to let them know the City of Austin is a rewarding option.”

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Former State Rep. Geanie Morrison weighs in on UHV’s move to Texas A&M System

A long-debated higher education transition in Texas may soon become a reality. The effort to transfer the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) to the Texas A&M University System, which failed over a decade ago, is now gaining momentum with strong backing from state and local leaders. One key figure in the original push, former State Rep. Geanie Morrison, who represented District 30, was involved in a similar effort back in 2011. That attempt did not pass, but now, with renewed legislative support, the transfer could officially move forward. Supporters of the transition cite expanded academic opportunities and long-term benefits for students and the local workforce. Morrison, a longtime advocate for the move, believes this shift will provide UHV with additional resources, particularly in agriculture-focused programs.

“The Texas A&M System offers exceptional programs, particularly in agribusiness and agricultural economics, that will directly benefit our students and strengthen our regional economy.” Morrison said. With the bill now filed, supporters say this move marks a new era for UHV. If approved, the transfer will position the university within a system known for its expertise in agricultural and engineering education, further aligning UHV’s academic offerings with the needs of the region. As the process moves forward, state leaders and education officials will continue discussions to ensure a smooth transition. If finalized, UHV will become the 12th higher education institution within the Texas A&M University System.

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San Antonio has entered the worst drought category possible. Any rain soon?

The ongoing South Texas drought is becoming unrelenting. Since the start of 2025, San Antonio has recorded just 1.77 inches of rain, which is only 36% of the average rainfall through this point in the year. When you go back to last year, the numbers get even worse. Since last August, San Antonio has only recorded 5.99 inches of rain, which is more than 13 inches below average for that time frame. Because of this, a large portion of South Texas has now been placed into exceptional drought, the highest category of drought assessed by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The latest data shows exceptional drought in 55% of Bexar County, which covers the central through southern portions of the county, including downtown San Antonio.

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Feds look to seize $1M Texas mansion from dead drug smuggler's wife

The federal government is aiming to seize a $1 million Brownsville mansion from a dead drug smuggler's wife, according to a civil forfeiture lawsuit. The house was purchased by Juan De Dios Gomez-Gonzalez and his wife — Maria Guadalupe Ramos Castro — in February 2013 for $330,000. Today, the home and the one-acre lot it sits on are worth about $1 million, a ValleyCentral.com report states, citing Cameron County Appraisal District records. According to the forfeiture suit, filed by federal prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Brownsville, Gomez-Gonzalez was the head of a drug trafficking organization "responsible for importing large quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States" and "transporting illegal drug proceeds from the United States into Mexico" from 2009 until his death in 2023.

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Current, former Gateway members react to church founder’s indictment on child sex charges

“You’re still the great ‘I Am.’ I’m still within your hands,” worship leader Austin Benjamin sang at the beginning of Gateway Church’s Saturday service. Much of the auditorium’s balcony was empty, but on the first floor, chairs were almost full. A row of people young and old stood in front of the stage, lifting their hands and swaying. The Southlake megachurch held its first weekend service on March 15 since its founder and former senior pastor Robert Morris was indicted Wednesday on sexual crimes to a child charges. Morris, a celebrity televangelist who founded Gateway in 2000, was charged with five counts of indecent or lewd acts to a child and faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted on all charges, according to the Oklahoma attorney general. Cindy Clemishire publicly accused Morris in June of sexually abusing her from the ages of 12-17.

Morris has not responded to letters and at least five phone calls from The Dallas Morning News since June seeking comment. The News called three phone numbers listed in public records for Morris on Wednesday and left voicemails at two of them and did not receive a response. At Gateway on Saturday, turquoise light bathed the room as worship leaders urged the audience to focus on God. At a quiet moment near the end of worship, Anna Byrd, kneeling on the stage, filled each word with emotion. “Just to feel you here is everything,” she sang. “It’s all about you, all about you,” she repeated, her voice joined by a driving drumbeat as she stood again. Worship was followed by a ritual that’s become unusually common at Gateway — a leader, during announcements, addressed a new development in the scandal surrounding the church and its past. Nic Lesmeister, executive pastor of global outreach at Gateway, acknowledged that congregants may have seen media coverage about Morris. “I’m sure that stirred up a lot of emotion for you. It stirred up a lot of emotion for us,” he said. “Reliving our challenging history can be, at times, odd. We don’t know what to do with our emotions.” Lesmeister highlighted that Gateway is not involved in the investigation that led to Morris’ indictment and said the church doesn’t plan to “continually update” congregants on the court proceedings going forward.

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National Stories

Vance discusses Elon Musk's 'mistakes' and 'incremental progress' on the economy in NBC News interview

Vice President JD Vance acknowledged Friday that Elon Musk has made “mistakes” while executing mass firings of federal employees and emphasized that he believes there are “a lot of good people who work in the government.” “Elon himself has said that sometimes you do something, you make a mistake, and then you undo the mistake. I’m accepting of mistakes,” Vance said in an interview with NBC News. “I also think you have to quickly correct those mistakes. But I’m also very aware of the fact that there are a lot of good people who work in the government — a lot of people who are doing a very good job. And we want to try to preserve as much of what works in government as possible, while eliminating what doesn’t work.”

Vance’s gentler tone represented a contrast from the chainsaw approach that Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, has taken as he leads President Donald Trump’s initiative to slash federal spending and reorient the federal bureaucracy. The firings of thousands of government employees has been the centerpiece of Musk’s work over the first seven weeks of Trump’s second White House administration, with the cuts yielding lawsuits and pushback from judges. Musk has broadly characterized federal workers as "fraudsters" who can’t be trusted to do their jobs. “I think some people clearly are collecting a check and not doing a job,” Vance said when asked about such comments from Musk. “Now, how many people is that? I don’t know, in a 3 million-strong federal workforce, whether it’s a few thousand or much larger than that.” “However big the problem is, it is a problem when people are living off the generosity of the American taxpayer in a civil service job and not doing the people’s business," he added. "That doesn’t distract or detract from the fact that you do have a lot of great civil servants who are doing important work. But I think most of those great civil servants would say we want to be empowered to do our job. We don’t want the person who doesn’t show up five days a week to make it harder for us to do what we need to do.”

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At least 32 dead in massive US storm after new fatalities reported in Kansas and Mississippi

Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the U.S., wiping out schools and toppling semitractor-trailers in several states, part of a monster storm that has killed at least 32 people as more severe weather was expected late Saturday. The number of fatalities increased after the Kansas Highway Patrol reported eight people died in a highway pileup caused by a dust storm in Sherman County on Friday. At least 50 vehicles were involved. In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves announced that six people died in three counties and three more people were missing. There were 29 injuries across the state, he added in a nighttime post on the social platform X. Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state as scattered twisters overnight killed at least 12, authorities said. The deaths included a man whose home was ripped apart by a tornado.

“It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field,” said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, describing the scene that confronted rescuers. “The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls.” AP correspondent Julie Walker reports well over a dozen deaths in a monster storm across the US. Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing people trapped in their homes Friday night found five bodies scattered in the debris outside what remained of his aunt’s house in hard-hit Wayne County, Missouri. “It was a very rough deal last night,” he said the following day, surrounded by uprooted trees and splintered homes. “It’s really disturbing for what happened to the people, the casualties last night.”

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How MAHA Moms and RFK Jr. are spooking food companies

A federal health roundtable last week ended with an unusual twist: a White House video featuring Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others struggling to pronounce ingredients found in pantry items from Pop-Tarts to Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies. “Carrageenan, riboflavin, monosodium glutamate and 20 others that I can’t pronounce,” said Kennedy. Education Secretary Linda McMahon took a stab at saying sodium stearoyl lactylate. “It doesn’t sound good. Polysorbate 80, that stuff’s really bad,” said Claire Guernsey, the wife of a senior Trump administration health policy adviser and a “MAHA mom.” The minute-long video capped a week of meetings for Kennedy with food executives and mothers who have championed his Make America Healthy Again agenda—events where he pledged an overhaul of the ingredients found in American grocery products.

It is an early sign of the pressure that food manufacturers face as the nation’s top health official and his supporters try to bend a major U.S. industry by swaying public opinion. Kennedy campaigned for president on a vow to strip chemicals from the food supply, blaming them for a wide range of health problems. Since Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump in August, the president has largely embraced the MAHA movement and directed a commission to develop a strategy for tackling chronic disease. The White House posted the video on its social-media feed following a closed-door MAHA Moms Roundtable, a gathering that included Trump cabinet members and administration staff. The meeting covered topics including food additives, infant formula and screen time, according to the White House, an agenda viewed by The Wall Street Journal and people in attendance. The food influencer Vani Hari, also known as the Food Babe, collaborated with the White House on the video. At the meeting, she presented a list of ingredients in U.S. foods that she said aren’t used in similar products overseas. “This hypocritical double standard has to stop today,” she said.

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'Bloody Saturday' at Voice of America and other U.S.-funded networks

Journalists showed up at the Voice of America today to broadcast their programs only to be told they had been locked out: Federal officials had embarked on indefinite mass suspensions. All full-time staffers at the Voice of America and the Office for Cuba Broadcasting, which runs Radio and Television Martí, were affected — more than 1,000 employees. The move followed a late Friday night edict from President Trump that its parent agency, called the U.S. Agency for Global Media, must eliminate all activities that are not required by law. In addition, under the leadership of Trump appointees, the agency has severed all contracts for the privately incorporated international broadcasters it funds, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

The termination notices for grants for the funded networks, two of which were reviewed by NPR, carried the signature of Trump's senior adviser Kari Lake, whom he placed at USAGM, not the agency's acting chief executive. Lake does not appear in her current job to have the statutory authority to carry out that termination. "I am deeply saddened that for the 1st time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced," the network's director, Michael Abramowitz, said in a statement posted on his personal Facebook account. "VOA needs thoughtful reform and we have made progress in that regard. But today's action will leave Voice of America unable to carry out its vital mission." He wrote that he was among those 1,300 journalists, producers and support staff put on leave. Grant Turner, the former chief financial officer at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, called it "Bloody Saturday" for the agency and its networks.

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Pope Francis, showing plans to stay on, starts new Catholic reform process

Pope Francis approved a new three-year process to consider reforms for the global Catholic Church, the Vatican said on Saturday, in a sign the 88-year-old pontiff plans to continue on as pope despite his ongoing battle with double pneumonia. Francis has extended the work of the Synod of Bishops, a signature initiative of his 12-year papacy, which has discussed reforms such as the possibility of women serving as Catholic deacons and better inclusion of LGBTQ people in the Church. The synod, which held an inconclusive Vatican summit of bishops on the future of the Church last October, will now hold consultations with Catholics across the world for the next three years, before hosting a new summit in 2028.

Francis approved the new process for reforms on Tuesday from Rome's Gemelli hospital, where he is being treated, the Vatican said on Saturday. The pope has been in hospital for more than a month and his prolonged public absence has stoked speculation that he could choose to follow his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign from the papacy. His friends and biographers have insisted, however, that he has no plans to step down. The approval of a new three-year process indicated he wants to continue on, despite his age and the possibility he might face a long, fraught road to recovery from pneumonia, given his age and other medical conditions. "The Holy Father ... is helping push the renewal of the Church toward a new missionary impulse," Cardinal Mario Grech, the official leading the reform process, told the Vatican's media outlet. "This is truly a sign of hope."

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Trump demands unprecedented control at Columbia, alarming scholars and speech groups

The Trump administration brushed aside decades of precedent when it ordered Columbia University to oust the leadership of an academic department, a demand seen as a direct attack on academic freedom and a warning of what’s to come for other colleges facing federal scrutiny. Federal officials told the university it must immediately place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under “academic receivership for a minimum of five years.” The demand was among several described as conditions for receiving federal funding, including $400 million already pulled over allegations of antisemitism. Across academia, it was seen as a stunning intrusion. “It’s an escalation of a kind that is unheard of,” said Joan Scott, a historian and member of the academic freedom committee of the American Association of University Professors. “Even during the McCarthy period in the United States, this was not done.”

President Donald Trump has been threatening to withhold federal funding from colleges that do not get in line with his agenda, from transgender athletes’ participating in women’s sports to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. On Friday, his administration announced investigations into 52 universities as part of his DEI crackdown. But he has held particular fervor for Columbia, the Ivy League campus where a massive pro-Palestinian protest movement began with a tent encampment last spring. Officials continued to ratchet up pressure on the school Friday, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche saying the Justice Department is investigating whether it hid students sought by the U.S. over their roles in the demonstrations. Trump and other officials have accused the protesters as being “pro-Hamas,” referring to the militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The letter also demands that Columbia ban masks on campus meant to conceal the wearer’s identity “or intimidate others,” adopt a new definition of antisemitism, abolish its current process for disciplining students and deliver a plan to ”reform undergraduate admissions, international recruiting, and graduate admissions practices.” The letter “obliterates the boundary between institutional autonomy and federal control,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. For generations, the federal government has given colleges space to manage their own affairs, within the constraints of federal law. The Supreme Court has long treated academic freedom as an extension of the First Amendment. Higher education leaders say autonomy is what sets America’s colleges apart and makes them a destination for top international scholars.

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Judge blocks Trump after he invokes wartime Alien Enemies Act to speed up deportations

A federal judge barred President Donald Trump on Saturday from using a wartime powers act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members without a hearing, ordering the administration to turn around any planes that had already taken off after the Alien Enemies Act quietly went into effect. Trump signed a proclamation Friday to deploy the act for the first time since World War II to swiftly remove Venezuelans allegedly involved in the transnational gang known as Tren de Aragua. The act has been used only three times before to bar citizens of hostile enemy governments from the United States, and only during a declared war. The White House kept the proclamation under wraps until after advocates for immigrants sued Saturday, fearing he was already sweeping immigrants out of the country. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, the chief judge in the District of Columbia, quickly blocked officials from deporting Venezuelans under the proclamation, starting with five men facing imminent deportation and then expanding it later in the day to anyone in custody who might be subject to the proclamation.

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Trump targets two national monuments in California for elimination

President Donald Trump plans to eliminate two massive national monuments in California established by former president Joe Biden, the White House confirmed Saturday. Less than a week before leaving office, Biden signed proclamations establishing the 624,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California and the 224,000-acre Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in northern California. Native American tribes that consider these landscapes sacred had urged Biden to put them off-limits to drilling, mining, clean-energy development and other industrial activity. The plan to repeal the proclamations, first reported by the New York Times, underscores how Trump has sought to dismantle Biden’s sweeping environmental legacy. The Environmental Protection Agency this week began the process of undoing Biden’s most consequential climate regulations, including rules aimed at speeding the nation’s shift to electric vehicles and slashing planet-warming emissions from power plants.

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Lead Stories

Greg Abbott cites debunked claim that public schools catered to ‘furries’ in latest voucher push

Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday resurrected debunked rumors that public schools were putting litter boxes in classrooms for students dressed as cats, amplifying right-wing criticism of some educators as he pushes for a statewide private school voucher program. The Texas Republican told a gathering of pastors at a Baptist church in Austin that the so-called furries trend is “alive and well” in communities across the state, and that lawmakers needed to ban it. He endorsed newly filed legislation by state Rep. Stan Gerdes called the “Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education (F.U.R.R.I.E.S) Act,” which would prohibit any “non-human behavior” by a student, “including presenting himself or herself … as anything other than a human being” by wearing animal ears or barking, meowing or hissing. The bill includes exceptions for sports mascots or kids in school plays.

Gerdes’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bill didn’t have any immediate cosponsors. Abbott’s remarks appeared to call back unfounded rumors from 2022 that public schools across the country were catering to students who identified as animals. In one instance, the GOP chair in Williamson County falsely claimed Round Rock schools were lowering cafeteria tables for furries. “In some small rural sections of school districts in the state of Texas, they have in their schools, what are called furries. Y'all know what this is?” Abbott asked the crowd, which responded with a smattering of “yeahs.” “Kids go to school dressed up as cats with litter boxes in their classrooms,” Abbott said. Abbott referenced two rural school districts but did not name them in his address to the Texas Pastors Policy Conference. When asked about the claims, his office sent a statement saying he has “heard from countless parents growing frustrated at the quality of schools, the substance of what is taught, and failures of ISDs leading to an unwelcoming learning environment for their children. “The Governor recommends concerned parents report any potential issues to the Texas Education Agency for investigation,” said Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesman for the governor. The governor has ratcheted up his criticism of public schools in recent weeks as he pitches a program allowing public money to be spent on private education, which the governor has made his signature policy push this session. The governor has cast private school vouchers as an option for parents turned off by what he called “the pervasive woke leftist agenda that's being forced on our kids in our public schools.”

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Many Americans see Trump's actions on economy as too erratic, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

A majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump is being too “erratic” in his moves to shake up the U.S. economy, as his imposition of tariffs against some of the nation's top trading partners hammers stock markets, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found. Some 57% of respondents, including one in three Republicans, said the president’s policies have been unsteady as his efforts to tax imports have set off a global trade war, according to the two-day poll that closed on Wednesday. Americans instead want Trump to continue to focus on combating high prices even as there are growing concerns his policies will drive costs up, not down, the poll found.

Trump’s imposition of tariffs on allies such as Canada and Mexico and his refusal to rule out a recession has spooked U.S. markets. The S&P 500 has lost more than $3 trillion in value since its all-time peak last month. In response, the White House has said that some short-term economic pain might be necessary for Trump to implement his trade agenda, which is intended to drive manufacturing back to the U.S. Wall Street has been shaken by some of Trump's whipsaw policy reversals. On Tuesday, Trump announced more severe tariffs on Canadian metals – causing stocks to fall - and then dropped the threat later that day after Canada made a concession. Overall, 44% of respondents said they approved of the job Trump was doing as president, unchanged from a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted March 3-4. He got particularly weak marks on the issue of the cost of living, where just 32% of respondents approved of his performance.

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Texas leaders want to crack down on squatters. Their bill would make it easier to evict any renter

Ahead of this year’s legislative session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked state lawmakers to look for ways to “secure Texas” against the plight of people illegally occupying residential spaces. Gov. Greg Abbott also promised to tackle "the increasing problem that we face in the state caused by squatters.” But the legislation that emerged has little, if anything, to do with what housing experts typically think of as squatting. Instead, it would radically transform the eviction process for millions of Texas renters, making it easier for landlords to evict them, often without notice or a legal proceeding. Tenant advocates, judges and lawyers have raised the alarm about House Bill 32, calling it a Trojan Horse that would strip tenants of their due process rights and erode judicial authority.

“The presumption here is that landlords have the correct case and any defense that a tenant has is false,” said Ben Martin, research director at the nonprofit Texas Housers. “It makes the eviction process in Texas, once and for all, a rubber stamp for landlords.” Under current law, landlords have to give tenants a three-day notice to vacate before they begin eviction proceedings. Once an eviction is filed, every case is scheduled for a hearing before a justice of the peace. But the proposed law would eliminate the requirement to provide a notice to vacate when a landlord is evicting a tenant for any reason other than falling behind on rent. If a tenant was accused of smoking in a non-designated area, for instance, a landlord could file immediately to evict them, which becomes part of the tenant’s rental history. Tenants who fall behind on rent would still receive a notice to vacate. But in both instances, if a landlord asserts there are “no genuinely disputed facts” in the case, they could request a summary judgment, meaning the eviction case would be decided without a trial. HB 32, authored by state Rep. Angie Chen Button of Richardson, appears to have emerged from an interim charge issued by Patrick, who leads the Texas Senate. In a hearing last year, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, invited property owners to share “squatter horror stories” and promised to help property owners “come and take it back.”

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Immigration accounts for entire US population growth for first time: Survey

Immigration was the sole driver of the United States' population growth in a single year for the first time since records began, a new study released Wednesday said. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute (MPI) looked at U.S. Census Bureau data for 2022-2023, the latest available, finding that falling American birthrates factored into the change. The findings come at a time when immigration, particularly illegal immigration, is a key focus of the current White House administration. While plans for mass deportations are being carried out, the other obstacle — a collapsing fertility rate — has been far more vexing for officials, both in the U.S. and other developed nations suffering from the same dynamic. The U.S. immigrant population grew by 1.6 million between 2022 and 2023 to 47.8 million, according to the MPI analysis, with immigrants now representing a 14.3 percent share of the overall population—the highest ever. The Census Bureau started collecting data in 1850 and has tracked immigrant arrivals through the boom in the early 1900s, the bust in middle of the century, and then a steady rise from the 1970s onward.

In 2023, birth rates among American women reached a record low for those aged between 20 and 24, while the rate also dropped overall for the larger group of 20-39 year olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The shift has been noted in other reporting in recent months, including from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), which found that more immigrants were entering the workforce than American-born workers because of an aging population and the declining birthrate. Immigrants made up around 18 percent of the total workforce in 2023, the last year for which complete data is available. In a separate study, the nonpartisan Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) looked at estimates from January 2025, finding an even larger rise in the immigrant population. It now stands at around 15.8 percent, according to the CIS analysis. Among the largest nationalities represented in the U.S. immigrant population in 2023 were Mexicans at 23 percent, followed by Indians (6 percent) and Chinese (5 percent).

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State Stories

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick lays out second round of Texas Senate priorities. Here's the list.

Two months into the 89th Texas legislative session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced a second slate of priority bills he hopes the Senate will approve this session as lawmakers in the upper chamber continue to pass bills at a "breakneck pace." Patrick, the three-term Republican who presides over the state Senate, announced the first 25 of his top 40 priorities in late January, with many of those bills buttressing the conservative culture-war agenda the lieutenant governor has championed alongside Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump. Ten of Patrick's 40 priorities have already passed out of the Senate, including three items on his new list released Thursday. Six of those bills had not yet been filed. Patrick said he hopes all 40 of them will head to the House by mid-April for consideration. "We are moving rapidly to ensure all these bills, which reflect the will of the conservative majority of Texans, have ample time to pass the Texas House and arrive at Gov. Abbott’s desk to be signed into law," Patrick said in a statement.

Patrick's second round of priority bills include a teacher pay bill that would give educators a raise of up to $10,000 and boost funding for the Teacher Incentive Allotment program, which is meant to reward high-performing teachers. SB 26 passed unanimously late last month. The Senate has also passed a proposed ban on lottery courier services, which act as a physical proxy for a lotto player who buys a ticket online. The practice has recently been thrust into the spotlight after a courier sold the winning ticket for an $83.5 million jackpot in February, drawing scrutiny from Patrick who has pointed to a longstanding Texas law that bans lottery sales via telephone. The lieutenant governor's priority list also includes legislation that have not yet been filed, including a proposal for business tax relief and a pair of apparently abortion-related bills. SB 31 is dubbed the "Life of the Mother Act" and could be related to calls from Abbott and Republican leaders to clarify the state's wide-ranging abortion ban to protect mothers at risk of death.

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Baylor is scaling back class size, research plans fearing Trump cuts could cost university $80M

Uncertainty over health research funding is prompting the elite Baylor College of Medicine to scale back plans to expand the university’s research efforts and to reduce its incoming graduate school class size by about 15 students. The developments reflect the anxiety that has gripped the Texas Medical Center in recent weeks, as the Trump administration seeks to slash research funding and broadly target language that falls under the banner of diversity, equity and inclusion. A judge blocked the research funding cuts from taking effect earlier this week, but university officials are still bracing for future reductions. Baylor College of Medicine, which received the most National Institutes of Health grant funding in the state last year ($326 million), would be among the hardest hit. Dr. Paul Klotman, Baylor’s president and CEO, estimates that the university could lose as much as $80 million if the NIH follows through with the significant cut it ordered earlier this year. The cuts also threaten Baylor’s investments in the Texas Medical Center’s new biomedical campus, Helix Park.

“We’ll basically have to cease recruitment,” said Klotman. “We'll just slow the entire research engine down. It's no longer 65 miles an hour; it’s 35 miles an hour.” The funding concerns extend to faculty members at medical center institutions who are managing NIH-funded projects or applying for new grants. Executive actions have snarled the grant review process, forcing committees to cancel or reschedule meetings in which they normally assess new grant submissions or award funding. The NIH also has started canceling grants en masse because they do not meet “agency priorities,” including grants related to gender identity and diversity in the workforce, according to the science journal Nature. In addition to Baylor, other large research universities have reduced class sizes and cut back spending in other areas. “This entire environment has a profound effect not only on the bottom line and the research portfolio at every academic institution, but also the life’s work and livelihood and morale of the hundreds of thousands of federally funded investigators,” said Heather Pierce, senior director for science policy and regulatory counsel at the Association of American Medical Colleges.

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Girl deported with parents to Mexico while trying to reach Houston for brain cancer treatment

A 10-year-old girl on her way to Houston for brain cancer treatment last month was deported to Mexico along with other members of her family, according to the Texas Civil Rights Project. The girl was born in the United States, but her parents are both Mexican nationals who had been living in the United States for more than 10 years, according to the group. When they were stopped in February, the parents were given a choice to leave the country with or without their children, the group said. The family's story was first reported by NBC News. The Texas Civil Rights Project didn't respond to a request for comment on Thursday. In a statement late Thursday, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol called the NBC report "inaccurate" but didn't provide any details to dispute the article.

"For privacy reasons, we cannot comment on the specifics of this case," an agency spokesman said. In a statement, Texas Civil Right Project president Rochelle Garza called the case an example of the notorious family separation policies from President Donald Trump's first term in office "We witnessed devastating family separations during Trump’s first administration, causing irreversible harm to the children forced to endure these policies," Garza said. "Now, we are seeing these dangerous tactics resurface, and we must act before another generation suffers these injustices.” The group used pseudonyms to refer to the family in a press release. NBC News wrote it wasn't releasing the names of the family because they were "deported to an area in Mexico that is known for kidnapping U.S. citizens."

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Texas workers are miserable. Here’s what one survey found.

While Texas has long been considered one of the nation's top states for business, workers in the state are among the nation's most miserable, a new study finds. The state's workforce is the 12th-most miserable in the nation, according to a ranking from Final Round AI, maker of an AI interview virtual assistant, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The analysis focused on four factors: average hours worked, average wages, fatal work injury rates and the rate of nonfatal work injuries and illnesses causing missed workdays. "Not all factors that contribute to a worker’s happiness can be quantified, but paying workers well, providing a good work-life balance and making sure their health is prioritized goes a long way to alleviating a lot of the stress in their lives, allowing them to perform their best when they are at work," said Michael Guan, CEO of Final Round AI.

Mississippi has the most miserable workers in the nation, the company concluded, standing out for having the lowest average wage in the nation, at $47,570 per year, and the 6th-highest rate of workplace fatalities. Wyoming had the second-unhappiest workforce, with 15.14 fatal injuries per 100,000 employees in 2023, according to BLS data. West Virginia ranked third in this context. By contrast, New York has the happiest workforce in the nation, thanks to a combination of relatively high wages, relatively low hours worked and relatively few workplace fatalities. Texas scored second-worst in the nation, the study found, when it came to workload. On average, workers in the state put in 36.5 hours a week. Texas also has middling wages, with an annual average of $61,240. And in 2023, the most recent data available, the state saw 3.94 fatalities for every 100,000 workers, according to the BLS data. The state's overall score in Final Round AI's ranking was 42.8 out of 100, compared to 30.2 for Mississippi and 79.7 for New York. Guan suggested that when workers are unhappy, that can take a toll on the overall business climate. “Happy workers are better workers as they will work harder, smarter, and make fewer mistakes while working," he said. "Having happy workers is also a glowing recommendation for your company."

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Texas reports players and administrators had roles in sports gambling violations

According to an open documents request obtained by the Austin-American Statesmen, the University of Texas self-reported five members of its school for impermissible sports gambling. The bets were placed on the daily fantasy app PrizePicks with the group making $14,885.76. The NCAA bans athletes, coaches and any athletics staff members from betting on sports whether it’s intercollegiate, amateur or professional. Of the five individuals reported two played on the football team, one was an athletic department employee, a student assistant and one was associated with but not a player for the tennis program. One of the football players was reinstated and was required to pay the value of his winnings to the charity of his choice. The second received no punishment because he had left the school and quit college football.

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U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales has a plan to rally centrists on Capitol Hill

After narrowly surviving the Texas GOP’s efforts to purge its moderates in the primary last year, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-San Antonio) has a new plan to promote his centrist values on Capitol Hill. Gonzales, 44, has regularly butted heads with Congress’ conservative wing, which exercised tremendous influence in D.C. after Republicans took control of the House in 2022. When lawmakers returned after the November election, however, Gonzales took over chairing the GOP’s Congressional Hispanic Conference (CHC) — which added members as Hispanic voters swung hard toward the Republican Party. Republicans have a razor-thin 218-214 majority in the House, setting the stage for Gonzales’ CHC to be a deciding factor in any legislative priorities they intend to pass without Democrats’ help.

“We’ve seen what [conservative groups] have been able to do as a bloc,” Gonzales said in a March 10 interview with the San Antonio Report. Going forward, “the Congressional Hispanic Conference is going to have a seat at the table.” Last month the CHC previewed that approach in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), calling on Congressional Republicans to support President Donald Trump’s border security and immigration efforts, while also preserving elements of the social safety net — like SNAP food stamp benefits and Pell Grant funding for college students with financial need — that have been singled out for cuts in the GOP’s ongoing spending fight. “Hispanic Americans stood with us because we stood up for them on the issues that matter,” eight of the CHC’s members said in the letter. “… They are closely watching to see if we will govern in a way that honors their values and delivers results.” Though the 11-member CHC is still smaller than some of the other caucuses on the Hill, Gonzales said it still has plenty of potential to be influential. The Trump administration is quite proud of the inroads its made with Hispanic voters, and Gonzales, who represents the largest stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, was already recently invited to join Vice President J.D. Vance on a trip to Del Rio and Eagle Pass.

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FEMA withholds millions to repay San Antonio for migrant aid

The Trump administration is temporarily withholding millions of dollars in reimbursements for expenses the city of San Antonio incurred for its now-shuttered Migrant Resource Center as the agency reviews how the money was spent — and compiles the names of immigrants the facility served. Cities and organizations that operated migrant assistance centers around the U.S., including Catholic Charities of San Antonio, were notified this week of the decision to freeze reimbursement payments. Catholic Charities ran the day-to-day operations of the center on San Pedro Avenue. The city paid for security and janitorial services, as well as to lease the site.

The Department of Homeland Security has “significant concerns” that federal grants used to address a surge of migration under former President Joe Biden were used for “illegal activities,” acting Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Cameron Hamilton wrote in a noncompliance letter obtained by the Associated Press. While it doesn’t explicitly threaten criminal prosecution, the letter raises concerns that recipients of grants from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program may have violated U.S. Criminal Code Section 1324, a felony offense against bringing people across the border illegally or transporting them within the U.S. Recipients were asked to provide names and contact information for migrants served, and “a detailed and descriptive list of specific services provided” within 30 days. Funding will be withheld during the review, the letter says. San Antonio has spent $35.9 million on migrant operations, City Manager Erik Walsh said in a Wednesday memo to Mayor Ron Nirenberg and the City Council.

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Texas House colleagues celebrate life of Sylvester Turner in chamber where he once served

Although he served eight years as Houston's mayor and most recently started his first term in Congress, which was cut short by his death, former state Rep. Sylvester Turner was remembered Thursday with mixture of reverence and laughter on the floor of the Texas House where he had served for 27 years. "When Congressman Turner got up to speak, this chamber was as quiet as it is right now," said House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Republican who served one term alongside the late Democrat. "It's not this quiet for everyone, but when he spoke, everybody wanted to know what he had to say. He still remains the most gifted orator that I knew in the chamber." The body of Turner — a Harvard-educated lawyer who represented a working-class majority Black district in Houston from 1989 until becoming mayor in January 2016 — returned to the House to lie in honor until Friday. Turner, who was elected to Congress in November, had served only two months in Congress before he died March 4 at 70 years old.

Turner's casket arrived at the Texas Capitol before 11 a.m. Thursday and was carried by a military honor guard up the stairs to the west entrance, the side that is home to the House. Inside, several legislative staff members and many in the lobby lined the walls as the flag-draped casket made its way to the main stairwell leading to the House chamber. The service members in full dress uniform marched in step up the two flights of stairs with the casket and carried it to its place beneath the speaker's rostrum. Once there, uniformed sentries stood guard. One at the end of the casket that was covered by the flag's stars, the other at the end cloaked by the stripes. After a private gathering for Turner's family, friends and some of his colleagues, the chamber's doors swung open and a ceremony to honor his life and service began at noon. State Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston, who with 52 years of seniority is the House's longest-serving Democrat, served as mistress of ceremonies.

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Does Gen Z even know SXSW is a music festival? Does it matter?

“South By Southwest was a music festival!?” That’s what one of my Gen-Z co-workers said when she heard me and another co-worker reminiscing about all the shows (and cruel hangovers) we caught during the festival back in our 20s. They were everywhere. In downtown Austin, out on the Drag, on the eastside. I’ve even found myself at a show hosted at a mansion on the Colorado River 30 miles northwest of Sixth Street. At 33, my body occasionally tells me it’s in a transitional phase, between young and old. But hearing someone act shocked that the main draw for SXSW was once music makes me feel like I’ve already earned the senior discount at Denny’s. In Gen-Z’s defense, music is definitely not the focus of SXSW anymore, and hasn’t been for a while. This has led a lot of people to declare the festival dead or over, but this is cyclical. Back in 2011, an article in TechCrunch opined whether calling SXSW passé was itself passé. The festival’s not what it used to be, but it’s a cultural force, and as far as institutions in Texas go, its gravity can’t be ignored.

SXSW was founded by Roland Swenson, Louis Jay Meyers, Louis Black, and Nick Barbaro in 1987 as a music and media conference and had roughly 700 attendees that year. By 1994, the festival added interactive and film and had 4,550 total registrants. In 2018, attendance grew to 308,970. “South By took off in part because the New Music Seminar up in New York was a headache,” said Alan Berg, founder of the Arts+Labor, a creative video production agency. Berg is president of the board of directors for the Society for the Preservation of Texas Music. “You’re trying to get around this giant city, you can’t park to unload your gear,” Berg told The Barbed Wire “It’s expensive to get there. It’s expensive to stay there, and nobody’s having any fun.” The main draw for Austin was that in the ‘80s it was small and, during the University of Texas’ spring break, the city would be more empty than usual during one of the few times of the year when the weather is actually perfect. “That’s how they got the clubs to sign on. They said, ‘We’re gonna put people in here when the students are out of town,’” Berg said. Berg went to the first SXSW in ‘87, and thought it was just a cool event to catch some bands. In ‘94 though, he saw a seismic shift. “That was a watershed year. They brought Johnny Cash in as a keynote speaker and sort of ratcheted it up a level,” he said. “Here’s this major star that everybody knew and there’s sort of a ripple effect from that.” Those early days were mostly about music discovery and in some ways catered to the music industry’s apparatus. There’s a laundry list of artists who caught a big break at the festival — Odd Future, John Mayer, The White Stripes, Spoon, and Amy Winehouse are a few. Adele played to an empty room.

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Proposed Texas laws target proliferation of AI-generated child pornography

Legislation fighting the proliferation of AI-generated child pornography has unanimous support in the Texas Senate as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle target what they call one of the most insidious trends in artificial intelligence. Senate Bill 20 by Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, was approved 31-0 Wednesday and sent to the Texas House. It would ban the possession of obscene images and other visual material that appears to depict minors — including computer-generated material and AI, cartoons, and animation that depict artificially created child characters or depict an actual child. “As Texas enters the digital age, our state must be very careful about our approach to artificial intelligence,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement. “With the proliferation of AI-generated pornography, steps must be taken to protect Texans, and specifically children, from harmful computer-generated content and the crimes that arise from it.”

Patrick, a Republican, has made the issue a priority for the Texas Senate. Under SB 20, violations would be a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine, with harsher penalties available for repeat offenders. Texas law does not explicitly ban obscene materials that appear to depict a child if there is no identifiable child, said Flores, who chairs the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice. It’s time, he said, for Texas to join the 37 states, run by Democrats and Republicans, with similar laws. “It is not uncommon for the law to have to catch up with technology,” Flores said Wednesday. “Technology has allowed the creation of this material to be easier, quicker and more prevalent than ever before.” SB 20 is the leading edge of a package of House and Senate bills that strike at the intersection of AI and child porn. “It is horrific how common this is becoming, that it is spreading,” said Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, who was vice-chair of a Senate AI task force before the legislative session began. “In terms of critical items for this session, I don’t think there can be anything that is higher on our list of priorities than protecting our children.”

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In wake of Robert Morris allegations, Texas lawmakers push to end NDAs in sex abuse cases

Four North Texas lawmakers are proposing to abolish nondisclosure agreements in child sexual abuse settlements, which often force victims to stay silent for the rest of their lives about their abuse. The bills are awaiting hearings in House and Senate committees. Leading the fight to do away with NDAs — often signed as part of an agreement to settle sexual abuse lawsuits — is Plano Republican Rep. Jeff Leach, whose House committee last year heard Oklahoma resident Cindy Clemishire, 55, tell of her abuse as a child by Southlake megachurch pastor Robert Morris, then a traveling evangelist. According to her testimony in the October public hearing at the state Capitol, Clemishire first came forward at age 17, but nothing happened to Morris. When she sued in 2005 to collect money to cover her counseling expenses, she was offered $25,000 to settle and sign a nondisclosure agreement, Clemishire testified.

Her refusal to sign the NDA, she said, gave her the strength to survive the trauma as an adult because she was allowed to talk about it. “I’m sitting here today because I did not accept that offer and refused to sign an NDA saying I couldn’t speak about my life,” she told the committee. Healing, she said, “is a lifelong journey, and to tell someone they cannot speak of that ever again, I don’t know how that could ever be in the best interest of a victim.” Morris, 63, was founder and senior pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake when Clemishire made her allegations public in media interviews last summer. Morris resigned a few days later and was indicted Wednesday in Oklahoma on five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child in connection with Clemishire’s allegations, the Oklahoma attorney general announced. Leach has filed House Bill 748, which would render “void and unenforceable” any nondisclosure agreement that prohibits victims of child sexual abuse to report the abuse to law enforcement or talk about it publicly or privately. Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, has identical legislation in the Senate. Similar proposals also have been filed by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, and Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield.

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Restricting Texas colleges with more oversight is focus of priority bill

Texas colleges and universities could face more oversight — including over who is hired, what is taught and how they are following the law — under a wide-ranging priority bill filed Thursday. The Senate proposal would give governor-appointed boards of regents more power to overturn decisions made by campus leaders and review curriculum. The bill also would reduce the role of faculty senates and create a new office to investigate concerns at state schools. Introduced by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, Senate Bill 37 is of one Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top 40 priorities. Patrick has long said he wants to roll back the “woke left” that is rampant on college campuses. “By reaffirming the authority of the Board of Regents, SB 37 clearly defines university governance roles while increasing transparency in policies, hiring, curriculum, and financial decisions,” Creighton said in a statement.

“With taxpayer dollars and students’ futures at stake, universities must operate with accountability,” he added. Others saw the bill as “an attack on faculty’s role in governance in colleges and universities,” the University of Texas at Austin chapter of the American Association of University Professors said in a statement. “Shared governance is one of AAUP’s top priorities and central to the protection of academic freedom and faculty’s status as professionals,” the statement read. In a statement, the Texas Conference of AAUP said the legislature is “attempting to micromanage and overregulate universities that are already thriving.” The group noted that Gov. Greg Abbott bragged about Texas leading the nation in top research universities on social media Thursday. The state recently significantly expanded the number of schools reaching tier 1 status. “This happens because we have top-notch faculty,” AAUP’s statement read. Under the bill, governing boards would have expanded authority that includes the ability to overrule decisions made by school administrators. The boards would have to send annual reports to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House and each state lawmaker on their hiring, curriculum and other issues.

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Gateway Church founder Robert Morris indicted on child sex abuse charges in Oklahoma

Robert Preston Morris, the founder of Gateway Church, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office said Wednesday. Morris, 63, resigned from his position as senior pastor of Gateway in June, several days after Cindy Clemishire publicly alleged he sexually abused her from the ages of 12 to 17 in the 1980s. Clemishire told The Dallas Morning News that Morris met her family after visiting their church in Oklahoma while he was a traveling preacher. At the time the alleged abuse began, Morris was 21 years old, married and had a young child.

When Clemishire first publicly alleged Morris abused her, legal experts told The News the statute of limitations for a criminal case against him may have expired. In a Wednesday news release, the Oklahoma Attorney General said that was not the case, as “Morris was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time,” according to the release. “After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child,” Clemishire told The News on Wednesday. “Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable,” she said. “My family and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who have worked tirelessly to make this day possible and remain hopeful that justice will ultimately prevail.” Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond briefly represented Clemishire in 2007, when she sought a lawsuit against Morris. “There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” Drummond said in the Wednesday news release. “This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done.”

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City Stories

City of Dallas breaks silence on new Mavs arena, vows to keep team ‘where they belong’

Behind-the-scenes dialogue between the Mavericks and the city of Dallas about potential sites for a new arena has intensified in recent days. It’s also no longer behind the scenes. “The Mavericks have called the City of Dallas home for the last 45 years,” City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said Tuesday in a statement to The Dallas Morning News. “We are committed to the long-term relationship we have established with them and are working closely with team officials to keep them in Dallas — where they belong.” Tolbert’s remarks come as the city of Irving considers rezoning that could pave the way for an arena, destination resort — and potentially a casino — on 182 acres primarily owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp., whose COO is Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont.

On Tuesday, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts emphasized to The News that the franchise, first and foremost, is focused on building an arena in Dallas. He characterized Mayor Eric Johnson, Tolbert and other city officials as extremely enthusiastic and encouraging. The most immediate goal, Welts said, is within 12 months identifying and securing a 30-to-50-acre site for an arena and “full-blown entertainment district.” “What we’re saying to the city is we want to exhaust every possible option in the city of Dallas before considering pivoting to another location in the Metroplex,” he said. “That’s our commitment. That’s our desire. That’s the outcome we want, to be doing this project in the city of Dallas.” Earlier Tuesday, Welts expressed the same goals and sentiments during a conference call with the 28-member Dallas Mavericks Advisory Council, composed of a diverse cross-section of North Texas community and business leaders. City of Dallas officials and the Mavericks declined to divulge potential arena/entertainment district properties, largely because doing so could drive up the price for securing potential sites.

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National Stories

Senate works to avert partial government shutdown ahead of midnight deadline

The Senate finds itself on Friday in a familiar position, working to avoid a partial government shutdown with just hours to spare as Democrats confront two painful options: allowing passage of a bill they believe gives President Donald Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or voting no and letting a funding lapse ensue. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration about the options before them, but late Thursday made clear he will not allow a government shutdown. His move gives Democrats room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to come up for a vote as soon as Friday. A procedural vote Friday will provide a first test of whether the package has the 60 votes needed to advance, ahead of final voting likely later in the day. At least eight Democrats will need to join with Republicans to move the funding package forward.

“While the CR still is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse,” Schumer said. Congress has been unable to pass the annual appropriations bills designed to fund the government, so they’ve resorted to passing short-term extensions instead. The legislation before the Senate marks the third such continuing resolution for the current fiscal year, now nearly half over. The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September. It would trim non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increase defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion. The Republican-led House passed the spending bill on Tuesday and then adjourned. The move left senators with a decision to either take it or leave it. And while Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, GOP leadership made clear that option was a non-starter. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and others used their floor time Thursday to make the case that any blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on Democrats.

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Egg prices are rapidly falling so far in March

Egg prices have fallen sharply so far in March on some progress in ending a shortage, giving consumers some much-needed relief with the supermarket staple. The cost of white large shell eggs declined to $6.85 per dozen, on average, last week, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That represents a decline of $1.20 per dozen, and a 15% pull back the USDA’s prior update on Feb. 28. “Demand for shell eggs continues to fade into the new month as no significant outbreaks of HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] have been detected in nearly two weeks,” the USDA wrote in its March 7 weekly update. “This respite has provided an opportunity for production to make progress in reducing recent shell egg shortages.”

Egg prices have become a key pressure point for consumers that are tired of sticky inflation and worried about more potential price increases due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on a wide array of imports. While it is still unknown the full ramifications of the duties on Canada, China and Mexico, stocks have so far pulled back in 2025 on concern the moves could further raise prices of goods and tip a sagging economy into a recession. To be sure, the price of eggs have still skyrocketed more than 170% from a year ago, USDA data shows. The rise has spurred an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into allegations of anticompetitive practices from some of the largest egg producers in the country. Firms including Cal-Maine Foods have touted a crushing avian flu outbreak, which has forced the culling of millions of egg-laying hens, as the major catalyst for the rise in egg prices. “The primary reason for the drop is actions taken by the administration’s Department of Justice to investigate the companies for possible antitrust violations,” said Joe Maxwell, president of Farm Action Fund, told CNBC. “The dominant firms have so much control over the market that they can increase prices and lower prices almost at will.”

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Democrats plan nationwide blitz of town halls in Republican districts

The Democratic Party is planning an extensive series of town halls in Republican-held districts in all 50 states to draw attention to the Republican leadership’s recent warning that G.O.P. lawmakers should avoid such open forums. The initial wave of what Democrats are branding “People’s Town Halls” is planned to target nine House Republicans in battleground districts, from Arizona to Pennsylvania, who Democrats believe will be vulnerable in the 2026 midterm elections. The incursions into Republican territory come as the Democratic Party tries to find its political footing after a turbulent first 50 days of President Trump’s second term, and as Republicans control every facet of the federal government — and are exercising their power aggressively. Party officials said the first nine town halls were just the start, with the goal of eventually holding events across the country to highlight some of the less popular proposals pressed by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress.

The effort seeks to capitalize on private advice this month from Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the House Republican campaign arm, that G.O.P. lawmakers stop having in-person town halls after some devolved into shouting matches. “If they won’t talk to their own voters, then Democrats will,” Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement to The New York Times. “That’s why we’ll be hosting People’s Town Halls in all 50 states across the country, starting now with vulnerable G.O.P.-held target districts.” This weekend, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the 2024 Democratic nominee for vice president, is set to headline two of the events, which have previously been announced. The idea of Democrats’ hosting town halls in Republican districts began with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has already held five such town halls, drawing thousands of people. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is expected to join him for at least one event. Separately, Representative Ro Khanna of California has announced plans to hold events this weekend in the districts of three California Republicans, all of whom are in battleground seats. And Representative Maxwell Frost, Democrat of Florida, said this week that he was also planning to hold town halls in Republican districts.

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Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona dies at 77

Longtime Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., a leading progressive voice on the environment and climate change, died Thursday from “complications of his cancer treatment,” his office announced in a statement. He was 77. First elected to Congress in 2002, Grijalva won re-election 11 times. He rose to become chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, a post he held from 2015 to 2019, and most recently was the top Democrat on the committee. He also was the longest-serving co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, from 2009 to 2019, in addition to being a senior member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

"He was steadfast in his commitment to produce lasting change through environmental policies — as he would say, 'It’s for the babies.' He led the Natural Resources Committee without fear of repercussion, but with an urgency of the consequences of inaction," his staff said in a statement. "His strong belief was that no matter where you’re from, one truth unites us all: everyone deserves the freedom to live a healthy life, and every child deserves a safe and fair chance at their future," the statement said. Grijalva is the second House Democrat to die in office this month. First-term Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, suddenly died March 5 after he attended President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress the night before. The Republican majority in the House has been extremely tight this Congress. Grijalva's death means

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Elon Musk made visit to U.S. spy agency

Elon Musk visited the National Security Agency on Wednesday, current and former U.S. officials said, meeting with leadership a week after saying the intelligence and cybersecurity outfit needed an overhaul. The discussion with the NSA, Musk’s first known visit to an intelligence agency, centered on staff reductions and operations, officials said, with one describing it as a “positive” conversation. Musk is leading the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of government and align every agency’s mission with the president’s “America First” vision. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has been leading the Trump administration’s effort to shrink the federal government. It isn’t clear whether Musk inquired about specific intelligence or military operations, one of the officials said. The visit came a day before the deadline for federal agencies to submit reorganization plans.

In a statement, an NSA spokesman confirmed that Musk met with NSA chief Gen. Timothy Haugh. A spokesman for DOGE didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The NSA, housed at Fort Meade in Maryland, is, like other U.S. government organizations, under Musk’s microscope. Posting to his social-media site X, Musk wrote last week that “The NSA needs an overhaul.” He didn’t specify exactly what reforms he sought, but U.S. intelligence officials have long expected Musk’s attention to turn to the broader community and are bracing for swift changes. Musk’s quiet trip is another sign of the central role he plays in the Trump administration. The world’s richest man has free rein to visit one of the most storied and secretive U.S. intelligence agencies, making clear he wields outsize power for someone who coyly called himself “tech support” during a cabinet meeting in February. The NSA director also leads U.S. Cyber Command, which falls under the Defense Department and is likewise located at Fort Meade. Musk says one of his main missions of DOGE is to improve on government computer systems. “Many of these systems are extremely old. They don’t communicate. There are a lot of mistakes in the systems. The software doesn’t work,” he said during the February cabinet meeting. But his most visible changes have been a swift reduction in the federal workforce, closing the U.S. Agency for International Development and downsizing other parts of government.

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Trump's economic troubles put Republicans on the defensive

President Donald Trump's full-speed-ahead approach to making radical change has forced his allies to fight from a defensive posture — explaining his plans after they have been executed — and raised alarms in his Republican Party that it could all end in a wreck. The concerns are particularly acute when it comes to the economy, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average having lost about 7% of its value this month and many economists projecting either slower growth or a coming recession. Those fears haven't deterred Trump from continuing to impose tariffs on foes and friends — which figure to raise prices on U.S. consumers — and slash federal government jobs, grants and contracts. "There are worries," said a person who has been involved in discussions about the economy with White House officials. Those effects on the markets and the economy are felt immediately, while policies aimed at spurring growth — including cutting taxes and regulations — will take much longer to implement, this person said.

Privately, officials at the White House's National Economic Council have indicated fears that it could be difficult to rebound quickly from a downturn, two people familiar with internal White House discussions said. A second person who speaks frequently to administration officials said the White House is trying to take a long view of the economic tremors. But that approach comes with significant risk — both to the economy and to Republicans' political standing — if the turnaround doesn't happen. Many of those administration officials think tariffs aren't sound policy — and won't ultimately be enacted for any extended period of time — but, this person said, Trump "doesn't want to talk to them right now." The White House didn't respond to a request for comment. The dark economic clouds are forcing Trump administration officials into the awkward position of explaining why a president who promised to boost the economy simply by winning election now faces falling stock prices, job losses that he incurred with unilateral cuts to government agencies and mounting predictions of a sluggish economy. "This was always part of the plan," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday on Fox News, perhaps forgetting Trump's campaign trail promises. "The president is so focused on — not the short term. ... He truly wants to fix America." That's a different sentiment from what Trump expressed on the campaign trail as he asked for votes.

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Judges order Trump officials to offer jobs back to thousands of fired workers

Two federal judges on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to immediately offer jobs back to thousands of fired probationary workers as they imposed separate, broad roadblocks on the administration’s efforts. The rulings — in Maryland and California — mark the most significant challenge so far to Trump’s campaign to shrink and reshape the sprawling, 2.3-million-person bureaucracy. Trump would now have to appeal and win in two, separate legal cases — or seek Supreme Court involvement — to get his workforce reduction effort back on course. In Maryland, U.S. District Court Judge James K. Bredar required 18 federal agencies to rehire any probationary employees they had terminated since Jan. 20, when Trump took office, and to submit reports to the judge by March 17, outlining compliance with his order and naming each reinstated employee.

His ruling came in response to a multistate lawsuit accusing the federal government of illegally terminating tens of thousands of probationary workers, arguing those firings were conducted in an opaque way that has overwhelmed state government support systems for unemployed workers and caused economic harm. Hours earlier in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge William Alsup said at a court hearing that the Office of Personnel Management — which serves as the federal government’s human resources agency — had no legal authority to direct the mass firings in conference calls and written communications last month. He added that individual agencies could downsize their staffs by following the steps laid out in the federal Reduction in Force Act, a process that administration officials have already put in motion. The government’s effort to cut its workforce, championed by Trump’s billionaire adviser Elon Musk, has sparked mounting legal and administrative challenges across the country. The lawsuit in federal district court in Maryland came from a cohort of 20 Democratic attorneys general nationwide. They argued that the Trump administration had falsely categorized mass layoffs as terminations based on poor individual performance — which gave the government much more leniency to swiftly fire people — when they were actually a Reduction in Force, part of the administration’s plan to restructure and downsize the entire federal government.

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Lead Stories

Texas farmers, a key Trump constituency, raise the alarm over growing trade war

In early February, the Texas Farm Bureau defended President Donald Trump as he moved to enact tariffs on foreign goods coming into the United States, saying they trusted him to "protect the interests of farm and ranch families." But now, after more rounds of tariffs and counter tariffs by nations including China, Canada and the European Union have started to hit demand for U.S. agriculture goods overseas, Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening acknowledged his members are growing anxious. "We understand that's his negotiating tool, but at the same time tariffs can be hard on agriculture," he said. "If you're in a good spot you can withstand this, but you worry about the producer who has only been in this five or ten years and doesn’t have a lot of equity built up. Those are the operations that could be in trouble."

Texas farmers, already struggling from drought and low commodity prices, are on the front line of a growing trade war between the United States and its longtime trading partners. And as a key Trump constituency, their discomfort is likely to be of particular concern to a White House that has already gone back and forth over enacting tariffs. Cotton, a staple for farmers in West Texas, hit its lowest price in four years earlier this month after China announced a 15% retaliatory tariff on a number of U.S. agricultural goods. China, the largest buyer of grain sorghum in the world, has also virtually stopped buying the crop from Texas farms, Boening said. And it's looking increasingly likely that Mexico, a major buyer of U.S. rice, a big crop in East Texas, will be turning to farms in South America if Trump goes ahead on his threat to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada on April 2, S&P Global Intelligence, a research firm, reported earlier this month. Lobbyists for the farm bureau have been reaching out to the administration and members of Congress from Texas to warn them of the immediate risks posed to farmers by a trade war.

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Signs of weakness are showing up in spending on everything from basics to luxuries

American consumers have had a lot to fret about so far this year, between never-ending tariff headlines, stubborn inflation and most recently, fresh fears about a recession. These concerns seem to be hitting spending by both rich and poor, across necessities and luxuries, all at once. Take low-income consumers: At an interview at the Economic Club of Chicago in late February, Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon said “budget-pressured” customers are showing stressed behaviors: They are buying smaller pack sizes at the end of the month because their “money runs out before the month is gone.” McDonald’s said in its most recent earnings call that the fast-food industry has had a “sluggish start” to the year, in part because of weak demand from low-income consumers. Across the U.S. fast-food industry, sales to low-income guests were down by a double-digit percentage in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier, according to McDonald’s.

Things don’t look much better on the higher end. American consumers’ spending on the luxury market, which includes high-end department stores and online platforms, fell 9.3% in February from a year earlier, worse than the 5.9% decline in January, according to Citi’s analysis of its credit-card transactions data. Costco, whose membership-fee-paying customer base skews higher-income, said last week that demand has shifted toward lower-cost proteins such as ground beef and poultry. Its members are still spending but are being “very choiceful” about where they spend, Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip said. He said consumers could become even pickier if they see more inflation from tariffs. Department stores are seeing signs of penny-pinching all around, too. On Tuesday, Kohl’s CEO Ashley Buchanan said consumers making less than $50,000 a year are “pretty constrained” on discretionary spending, but added that “it’s also pretty challenging” for those making less than $100,000. The company gave a much weaker sales forecast for the full year than Wall Street expected, causing its share price to plunge 24% on Tuesday. Last week, Macy’s CEO Tony Spring said the “affluent customer that’s shopping [at] Macy’s is just as uncertain and as confused and concerned by what’s transpiring.”

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Texas measles outbreak grows, while New York and California report new cases

Los Angeles County in California, Suffolk County in New York and Howard County in Maryland detected their first confirmed cases of measles this year, while Oklahoma reported two possible cases, local health authorities said this week. The spread of the highly infectious disease comes as an outbreak of more than 200 cases has continued to grow in Texas, and as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned health-care workers and potential travelers to “be vigilant” ahead of spring and summer travel. Health officials in Los Angeles County — the most populous county in the United States — reported a case Tuesday in a resident who may have been exposed onboard a China Airlines flight that landed at Los Angeles International Airport on March 5. The New York state health department announced on Tuesday its first known case of measles outside New York City this year. The patient, who is under 5 years old, lives in Suffolk County on Long Island.

In Howard County, just west of Baltimore, health authorities on Sunday reported a confirmed case in a resident who recently traveled abroad and was at Washington Dulles International Airport on March 5. Two individuals in Oklahoma reported symptoms consistent with measles and had potential exposure to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, the Oklahoma Health Department said Tuesday. It praised the individuals for “immediately excluding themselves from public settings.” “With measles outbreaks happening both in the United States and internationally, this recent case in our county highlights how important it is for anyone who has not been immunized to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine,” Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County health officer, said in a news release. “Measles spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, and a person infected with measles can pass it on to others before they feel sick or have symptoms.” In Canada, at least 146 confirmed cases have been detected this year up to March 6, along with 22 probable cases.

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Private school vouchers: Ohio’s richest families access scholarships

Nearly 20% of state spending on private school vouchers goes to families at the top income brackets in the state – people who make six- and seven-figure salaries or more, a recent state report shows. Ohio has five scholarship programs to assist families with tuition at private schools. In recent decades, public spending on private schools has skyrocketed, including last year, when the state spent just short of $1 billion on private school vouchers. Last year was the first when families of all incomes could qualify for at least a partial scholarship under a voucher program known as EdChoice-Expansion. About 19% of the EdChoice-Expansion state payments during the 2023-2024 school year went to families with incomes of 451% or higher of the federal poverty level, according to the report by the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission.

EdChoice-Expansion amounts are determined by a family’s income level relative to federal poverty rates. For a family of four, 451% is $140,712 a year. For context, the median annual income of a household in Ohio was $69,680 between 2019 and 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The per capita income was $39,455. Ohio is poorer than most other states. The national average household income is $78,538 and per capita income is $43,289. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t people in higher tax brackets in the Buckeye State. According to the LSC report sent to state lawmakers Nov. 12, just under 35,000 students were from families of incomes of 451% or higher -- about 39% of all scholarships awarded. About 86,800 students used EdChoice-Expansion vouchers last year, an increase from the previous year of 22,600, the report states.

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State Stories

'We have beef': New York steakhouse owner says he'll sue after Dan Patrick eats a 'Texas' strip

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took to X Tuesday evening to tout the first-ever "Texas Strip" served with "Gulf of America shrimp," a move which one New York steakhouse owner said he'll be taking the state to court over. Patrick's Texas-themed dinner, which cost $99, came after he announced plans to introduce a resolution in the Texas Senate to officially rename the popular steak cut after the Lone Star State. Rebranding the New York strip as the "Texas" strip, he said, would help the state's cattle ranchers market their beef across the nation. While Patrick said Texas' cattle industry "sure liked the idea," Todd Shapiro, owner of the War Room Tavern in Albany, New York, said he will file a lawsuit in the coming weeks over the proposed name change.

"We have a big beef with your lieutenant governor," Shapiro said. "They're trying to take away something that's part of our heritage. People grew up having a New York strip. People all over the country, they eat a New York strip. It's part of the New York culture." According to the Little Cattle Company, a Texas-based beef supplier, the New York strip got its name in the late 19th century after it was added to the menu at Delmonico's, an upscale New York City restaurant that still exists today. Bob's Steak and Chop House, where Patrick said he was served the "Texas" strip, still refers to it as the New York strip on its website. Bob's also doesn't source its beef from Texas, which is the largest produce of beef of any U.S. state, according to a 2022 report from the United States Department of Agriculture. Beef served at its locations, which range from Texas to Arizona, is purchased through "the Chicago-based Stock Yards Meat Packing Company," according to the website for Bob's Steak and Chop House. But Patrick said Texas should benefit from the cut's branding, not "liberal" New York. "Liberal New York shouldn’t get the credit for our hard-working ranchers," Patrick said in a late February post on X. "We promote the Texas brand on everything made or grown in Texas because it benefits our economy and jobs."

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Here's why the Austin store that sold $83.5M Lotto winning ticket is under investigation

The Austin retailer that sold the winning ticket for last month's $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot is under investigation for unspecified violations of the Texas Lottery Commission's rules, and several other retailers that have worked with so-called courier companies have lost their licenses to sell tickets. Lottery Executive Director Ryan Mindell made the revelations Tuesday to the legislative panel with direct oversight over the agency that operates the state-run games of chance, which bring in about $2 billion annually to the treasury. "I have opened enforcement investigations against all of the known retailers affiliated with couriers and we have discovered and are pursuing (lottery license) revocations based on violations to existing rules or statutes," Mindell told the House Licensing and Administrations Procedures Committee.

Mindell and the board that oversees the lottery have come under stinging criticism from lawmakers this year over the agency's acceptance of lottery couriers, or third-party operators that offer smartphone apps to players who wish to purchase game tickets online as a workaround to the state statute that forbids using a telephone for the direct sale of tickets. The Senate has passed legislation to outlaw courier companies in Texas, and a separate proposal to ban the bulk purchase of lottery tickets is awaiting the chamber's consideration. The House has yet to act on either bill, or on long-shot legislation that would abolish the lottery altogether. Despite repeated claims to lawmakers by Mindell that he lacks authority to regulate couriers, last month he took steps to effectively put them out of business in Texas. Under his proposal that still awaits formal ratification by the Lottery Commission, retailers that do business with couriers face losing their state license. The Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers, a trade organization that represents third-party ticket buyers Jackpocket, Jackpot.com and Lotto.com, has endorsed the legislation to ban bulk purchasing. And it supports a separate proposal, House Bill 3201, to allow couriers to operate in the Texas provided that they are licensed and regulated by the state.

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'Transformational': Texas Senate Bill 568 would overhaul special education funding

As a Texas public school student in the 1960s, Brent Hagenbuch was the only second grader in his class who couldn’t read. He said he had fallen behind and was at risk of sliding further. But then his father, a firefighter with a high school education, worked with Hagenbuch's teacher to find an expert doing early research on dyslexia, a learning disorder that affects reading and writing. The diagnosis was life-altering. After learning skills to adapt, Hagenbuch went on to graduate as his high school's valedictorian, attend the Naval Academy and Stanford University, and run a successful business. Now, a Republican state senator from Denton, Hagenbuch recounted his story Tuesday to his colleagues on the Senate Committee on Education K-16 in support of a proposal that proponents have called “transformational” for special education funding in Texas.

Senate Bill 568, by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, would overhaul the formulas Texas uses to budget for its 775,000 students with disabilities, increasing overall funding, offsetting schools’ costs for initial evaluations and adding new grants and teacher incentives. The proposal is “great,” Hagenbuch said, "because this provides help to so many more kids who need it. I think they have to catch them early, or they lose their confidence." Hagenbuch told the American-Statesman about a neighbor his age growing up who he believed had dyslexia but whose parents refused to seek a diagnosis for him. The boy didn't graduate from high school. "I think that would have been me" without treatment, he said, choking up. In the Tuesday education committee hearing, Bettencourt said his 57-page proposal would help boost the state's underfunded special education programs. “This is a groundbreaking special education bill ... that I think will lead to stunningly better outcomes for a number of our 775,000 school children with disabilities," Bettencourt said.

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What ever happened to ethics reform?

In the early 1970s, Texas experienced one of the most explosive political scandals in its history. House Speaker Gus Mutscher was convicted, and several other top state officials were implicated for their roles in a bribery scheme in which they received profitable stocks from Houston banker Frank Sharp in exchange for passing favorable legislation in Austin. This saga, which became known as the Sharpstown scandal, toppled the Texas ruling class of conservative Democrats—including the speaker, governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. It also ushered in a brief but forceful era of progressive reform, led by a coalition of Republicans and liberal Dems, centered on cleaning up state government. The resulting laws formed the bedrock of open government and ethics regulations in modern Texas government—from disclosure of campaign financing and paid lobbying to the state’s open records and open meetings laws—which have helped let some sunlight into the backrooms of power.

Fast forward 50 years to the latest battle for the Texas House speakership, in which a bloc of self-proclaimed conservative reformers invoked the Sharpstown reckoning in their crusade to take down Republican Speaker Dade Phelan and root out an alleged cabal of corrupted “RINOs” who they claim have conspired with lobbyists and Democrats to control the chamber at the expense of the GOP grassroots. “The problem then (as now) was the transactional system of loyalty and compromise the Speaker had created,” state Representative Mitch Little, a first-term conservative who became a ringleader of the “reform” bloc, said in a lengthy post on social media titled “Sharpstown 2.0.” This crew released a series of demands for a GOP speaker who had support from a GOP majority and commitments to procedural reforms in the chamber—such as banning the longtime practice of appointing some Democrats to chair committees. They rallied around North Texas Republican Representative David Cook as their chosen insurgent and stirred up enough discontent to force Phelan to back out of his bid to retain the gavel. But Phelan was quickly replaced by one of his top lieutenants, Lubbock state Representative Dustin Burrows. This, the right-wing bloc argued, was evidence of a new Sharpstown-esque scandal involving the speakership and a bank. Phelan and Burrows, you see, had both been top lieutenants under the ill-fated and brief speakership of Dennis Bonnen, who was brought down by the tactics of the same right-wing groups sounding the alarm now.

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Monty Bennett is the secret mastermind behind Dallas charter school group

Last week in The Cedars, a group of about 40 local education advocates and community leaders gathered for the launch of a new nonprofit. They were there at the invitation of the Dallas Education Collective (DEC), which was making its public debut in the offices of the Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL), whose founder and CEO, Alan Cohen, had signed on as an advisor for the new group. While it’s not unusual for CPAL to lend its gathering space to another like-minded nonprofit, this March 4 event would raise eyebrows as some of the people in attendance later learned important details about DEC’s origins. Lynn McBee, a former mayoral candidate and leader of philanthropic efforts too numerous to recount, was in attendance. As a longtime supporter of public education, she also had agreed to serve as an advisor to DEC, and she gave remarks in support of the new group. The person who had convened the gathering was Nakia Douglas, the newly hired executive director of the Dallas Education Collaborative. He had previously served as the founding principal of DISD’s Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, in southern Dallas. Douglas is a respected figure in Dallas education circles, which is why Cohen, who was not in attendance, let DEC use CPAL’s meeting space.

Neither the Dallas Morning News, Dallas Observer, nor KERA News covered the event. In fact, the only media organization that covered DEC’s launch was the Dallas Express. Bennett is a wealthy hotelier and Republican donor who has worked for years to direct tax dollars toward private schools. His latest effort focuses on Princeton ISD, north of Dallas. Texas Monthly published a story last year about the Princeton matter. The subhead neatly sums it up: “Monty Bennett is trying to get a Collin County school board to adopt a scheme that would let students across the state attend private academies on the taxpayer’s dime.” Bennett tried to do the same thing in Wimberley. Bennett’s interest doesn’t end with education. He was behind the shadowy Dallas HERO Initiative, which last fall put forward three controversial ballot propositions, successfully passed two, and upended traditional Dallas politics in the process. The short version is that Dallas now has the impossible task of hiring 900 additional police officers, throwing the city’s finances into chaos, and is now open to lawsuits for things like not dispersing homeless people quickly enough. Dallas HERO has threatened to sue the city for just that reason. But Bennett’s efforts to reshape Dallas began years ago, when he began secretly funding a network of advocacy groups—such as Keep Dallas Safe and Dallas Justice Now—that have sought to influence local elections and political discourse. He has amplified those groups in the Express, without disclosing his relationship to them. Bennett also once paid a company to hire actors to stage a fake protest outside of D Magazine’s office that was covered only by the Express. So when the Express was the only outlet to cover the launch of DEC, that was a major clue that Bennett was involved. IRS and Texas Secretary of State filings confirm this.

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Dallas mayor tells Congress the private sector, not government, is key to affordable homes

Government can best address high housing costs by getting out of the private sector’s way, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson testified Wednesday before a U.S. Senate committee. “The most effective way to bring down housing prices is to encourage the private sector to increase homebuilding throughout the United States, but particularly in cities like Dallas, where we see unprecedented demand for our existing housing stock because of our economic growth and success,” Johnson said. Johnson appeared before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs alongside a Harvard University economist who has studied housing markets, an official with a major mortgage lender and the head of a group that advocates for affordable housing for low-income people.

Johnson left the Democratic party for the GOP in 2023, and his testimony fit with Republican efforts to shift the conversation about how to promote affordable housing. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the committee chairman, emphasized the need to cut government regulations to make homebuilding easier. Get the latest politics news from North Texas and beyond. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the committee, said a nationwide shortage of housing is driving up rents and pushing home ownership out of reach for average Americans. Warren criticized Housing Secretary Scott Turner and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, saying they have frozen affordable housing development projects across the country and proposed deep cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s workforce. “These actions will make it harder, not easier, for families to access housing, and they will raise housing costs,” she said. “If the federal government is going to be a good partner to local communities to address the housing crisis, we need a well resourced and well staffed HUD.”

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U.S. Education Department to lay off all Dallas employees amid widespread national cuts

The U.S. Department of Education will lay off all employees at its Dallas office, the department said Wednesday morning. The Dallas office is just one of the regional offices getting eliminated as part of national cuts to the agency. Other affected offices include San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, according to NBC. The Education Department announced plans Tuesday to lay off over 1,300 of its more than 4,000 employees as part of a reorganization that’s seen as a prelude to President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency. Even before the layoffs, the Education Department was among the smallest Cabinet-level agencies. Its workforce included 3,100 people in Washington and an additional 1,100 at regional offices across the country, according to a department website.

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Judge rules in Fort Worth lawsuit over Airbnb-type rentals

The city of Fort Worth prevailed in a lawsuit challenging its rules on short-term rentals like those listed on Airbnb and VRBO. Short-term rental operators sued the city in June 2023 alleging the rules violated their property rights. But a Tarrant County District Court judge on Thursday ruled that Fort Worth had the authority to make that regulation. The ruling comes just over two years after the City Council passed new zoning rules prohibiting short-term rentals in single family neighborhoods. The city’s rules also require operators to register and pay all applicable taxes. Members of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition, a group opposing the proliferation of short-term rentals, celebrated the decision. “These unstaffed mini-hotels are completely incompatible with the nature and character of residential neighborhoods. They supplant long-term residents with a revolving door of strangers,” said the group’s co-founder, David Schwarte, in a statement.

He also said short-term rentals threaten neighborhood security and the sense of community that leads people to buy homes in residential neighborhoods. Lauren Brady, president of the Fort Worth Short-Term Rental Alliance, declined to comment Tuesday on the court’s decision, saying she needed to brief the other plaintiffs before speaking publicly. “The City of Fort Worth appreciates the Court’s ruling in the short-term rental litigation, which reinforces the City’s authority to regulate STRs,” said city spokesperson Reyne Telles, adding the decision is significant not only for Fort Worth, but other cities around Texas facing similar challenges to their regulations. “The ruling underscores the City’s commitment to maintaining the character of its neighborhoods and ensuring a balanced approach to land use,” Telles said. “Fort Worth will continue to defend its position in any appeal and remains dedicated to policies that protect residents and support responsible short-term rental practices.”

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Dallas-Fort Worth no longer leads U.S. in population gain

Dallas-Fort Worth no longer leads the country’s metro areas in population gain, according to numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau released March 13. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area, home to an estimated 8.3 million people as of July 2024, had held the growth title after it gained nearly 153,000 residents between July 2022 and July 2023. DFW gained more new people the following year — almost 178,000 between July 2023 and July 2024 —but the region lagged behind the New York and Houston metropolitan areas in numeric growth.

The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area gained the most people between July 2023 and July 2024: just over 213,000. The Houston area added the second most — 198,000. No other Texas metro areas ranked in the top 10. Dallas-Fort Worth has grown from 7.6 million in 2020 to 8.3 million in July 2024. Tarrant County added just under 33,000 people between July 2023 and July 2024, the population gain ranking 10th among U.S. counties. Harris County gained the most new people: just under 106,000. Collin County added the fourth most, 47,000 and Montgomery County near Houston gained just over 34,000, the ninth most. Dallas-Fort Worth grew 2.18% between July 2023 and July 2024, down from 2.41% between July 2022 and July 2023. Two metro areas in Texas ranked among the 10 fastest growing in the country: Midland and Odessa, neighboring areas that each grew by 2.8%, according to the new census estimates. But even as growth slows, Dallas-Fort Worth, the nation’s fourth largest metro, is gaining on Chicago, the third largest metro, with a population of 9.4 million. In the past two years, DFW has added 231,000 more residents than Chicago, which grew by 71,000 in 2024 and 28,000 in 2023. Looking at individual counties, Kaufman County outside Dallas saw the second fastest growth, jumping by 6%, lagging behind only Dawson County in Georgia, which saw 6.4% growth. Liberty County outside Houston grew the sixth fastest (5.4%), Montgomery County in the Houston suburbs grew the seventh fastest (4.8%) and Caldwell County south of Austin grew the ninth fastest (4.6%).

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Gov. Greg Abbott awards Round Rock semiconductor supplier $2M in Texas CHIPS Act funding

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott awarded a $2 million Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund to Round Rock-based semiconductor supplier KoMiCo Technology. Abbott announced Thursday that KoMiCo would receive the fourth TSIF grant for its facility in Round Rock, located at 201 Michel Angelo Way, just past North Austin. According to Abbott, the funding will support the creation of 70 new jobs and a $36 million capital investment. “Texas is leading the American resurgence in semiconductor manufacturing and making strategic investments to secure critical domestic supply chains,” Abbott said in the statement Thursday. “KoMiCo’s $36 million investment to expand their clean room capacity and production lines in Round Rock supports increased chip production right here in Texas." KoMiCo, a wholly owned subsidiary of South Korea-based KoMiCo Ltd., works with global chipmakers on semiconductor equipment parts cleaning, coating and repair.

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FEMA launches review of migrant shelter aid, suggesting smuggling laws were violated

The Trump administration has launched a review of organizations that provide temporary housing and other aid to migrants, suggesting they may have violated a law used to prosecute smugglers. The Department of Homeland Security has “significant concerns” that federal grants used to address a surge of migration under former President Joe Biden were used for illegal activities, wrote Cameron Hamilton, acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. His letter, dated Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press, asks recipients of grants from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program to provide names and contact information for migrants served and “a detailed and descriptive list of specific services provided” within 30 days. The letter says funding will be withheld during the review.

While it doesn’t explicitly threaten criminal prosecution, it raises concerns that recipients may have violated U.S. Criminal Code Section 1324, a felony offense against bringing people across the border illegally or transporting them within the United States. It also says executive officers must sign sworn statements that they have no knowledge or suspicions of anyone in their organizations violating the smuggling law. FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday. The demand appears to be a new salvo against organizations that provide food, housing and travel aid to people who cross the border. Migrants often arrive exhausted, low on money and unsure how to navigate on their own through bus stations and airports. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who was at odds with the Biden administration over immigration and is closely aligned with the Trump White House, took a similar tack against migrant aid groups but was blocked in court.

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A transgender congresswoman was called ‘Mr.’ by a Texas Rep. Keith Self. This was her response

A United States House Foreign Affairs committee meeting came to a sudden halt Tuesday after an exchange over gender titles between a Republican legislator from Texas and a transgender Democratic committee member. In the hearing, chairman of the committee Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, recognized Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., by saying: "I now recognize the representative from Delaware: Mr. McBride," a video of the hearing on Instagram posted by ABC News shows. She countered with "Thank you, Madame Chair." McBride is the first transgender person elected to Congress.

Affairs committee meeting After the exchange between the two, Rep. Bill Keating, D-Massachusetts, asked Self, "Can you repeat your introduction again please?" Self replied "Yes, we have set the standard on the floor of the House and I'm simply ... " Keating asked "What is that standard Mr. Chairman? Would you repeat what you just said when you introduced a duly elected representative from the United States of America please." Self said "I will. The representative from Delaware, Mr. McBride." Keating told Self he was "out of order. Mr. Chairman, have you no decency? I mean I've come to know you a little bit but this is not decent." Self tried to continue the hearing but Keating said, "You will not continue it with me unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way." Self picked up the gavel and adjourned the hearing.

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Bill targeting squatters gets pushback at Texas Capitol hearing

A bipartisan bill framed as a way to crack down on squatters received pushback from dozens of housing advocates, local officials and some Democratic lawmakers Wednesday in a public hearing at the Texas Capitol. House Bill 32 by Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson, also received support from individuals who spoke on behalf of the Texas Apartment Association before the House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence. Button said the bill, a priority of House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, is aimed at speeding the eviction of squatters after she had read about difficulties with a process that could take months. “This legislation aims to make the eviction process timely, fair and predictable, balancing the rights of property owners and residents while improving the overall stability and safety of our community,” Button told the committee.

HB 32 proposes significant changes to the eviction process, including new methods for notifying tenants of eviction citations, an express track allowing landlords to win eviction without a hearing and a quicker process for trials. More than 80 witnesses registered to speak in opposition to the bill, while at least 24 signed up in support. Opponents said they feared the proposed change would eliminate due process for tenants and could lead to an increase in homelessness. Andrew Sommerman, a Dallas County commissioner, testified against the bill on behalf of the Commissioners Court. Sommerman said he was concerned about a provision requiring local governments that give money to organizations providing legal assistance or advice to tenants to provide equal funds to pay for relocation services for tenants.

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National Stories

Democrats look to save face in shutdown battle

Senate Democrats say privately that they will not allow the government to shut down on Saturday, despite growing pressure from activists and liberal lawmakers who want them to kill a GOP-crafted six-month stopgap spending bill. Senate Democratic sources say Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is giving plenty of room to centrists in his caucus to vote for the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) if doing so is the only way to avoid a government shutdown at week’s end. And one Democratic senator familiar with the internal deliberations said Senate Democrats will ultimately vote to keep the government open, despite the rumblings of liberals within their caucus who are heaping scorn on the House-passed funding bill.

Still, the private assurances don’t rule out the possibility that something unexpected could happen to change the political calculus. Schumer on Wednesday said Democrats would insist on voting on a month-long CR to give congressional negotiators more time to reach a deal on an omnibus spending package. And he threatened that there are not enough votes to pass the House-approved funding bill. But Democrats familiar with internal deliberations say that maneuver is designed to save face. They say the Democratic leader is giving members of his caucus space to vote how they see fit on the House-passed bill — recognizing it’s probably the only way to avoid a shutdown. So far, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has been the most outspoken Democratic senator about the need to avoid a shutdown. “Now it’s a CR that we all agree we don’t like — but for me we can’t ever allow the government to shut down,” he told CNN Wednesday, echoing comments he made earlier in the week.

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As Trump steamrolls ahead, Democrats see a growing 'heartbeat' of resistance

In an interview on MSNBC, Faiz Shakir, a senior advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders, described "thousands and thousands" of people showing up to recent rallies held by the Vermont senator in Republican-held congressional districts. Shakir said the crowds were "angry and frustrated" with Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's apparent grip on government spending, and "urging Democrats to stand up and do something." "In my mind," he said, "I have Bernie Sanders holding a stethoscope up to the Democratic Party and saying, 'Hey, listen to this: the heartbeat of America.'" Shakir's remarks reflected a growing sentiment among Democrats, progressive protesters and others displeased with the way President Trump has steamrolled back into office and over long-standing Democratic norms. Shaking off an earlier sense of resignation that had dampened protest in the days following Trump's return to power, they are finding their voices, landing on new resistance strategies focused on what they see as Trump's most egregious overreaches, and delivering those messages to receptive audiences at town halls, rallies, marches and street protests.

On Friday, hundreds of scientists marched in Los Angeles at a "Stand Up for Science" event, part of a larger nationwide day of protest against Trump policies that have slashed federal funding for scientific research and threatened agencies dedicated to weather forecasting and environmental protection. On Saturday, the arrest of Columbia University student and Palestinian protest organizer Mahmoud Khalil by federal immigration officers, despite his facing no criminal charges and being a green card holder, sparked protests in New York and around the country. On Sunday, Trump was again on everyone's mind as Democratic lawmakers joined thousands of others for a march to commemorate the 60th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," when law enforcement brutalized voting rights activists in Selma, Ala., in 1965. "At this moment, faced with trouble on every side, we’ve got to press on,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. Still, the resistance seems in some ways to be ratcheting up, and has clearly started to reach — and aggravate — the White House. For weeks now, activists have been targeting Musk, the world's richest man and head of Trump's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, by going after his bottom line. They have called for a boycott of Tesla, Musk's electric automaker, and staged protests outside Tesla showrooms and dealerships. Partly as a result, the automaker's sales and stock price have plunged. Trump blasted those efforts Tuesday as somehow illegal, and said he would buy a Tesla as a "show of confidence and support" for Musk. "Elon Musk is 'putting it on the line' in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World's great automakers, and Elon's 'baby,' in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for."

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U.S. budget deficit surged in February, passing $1 trillion for year-to-date record

The U.S. debt and deficit problem worsened during President Donald Trump’s first month in office, as the budget shortfall for February passed the $1 trillion mark even though the fiscal year is not yet at the halfway point. Government spending eased slightly on a monthly basis though it still far outpaced revenue, according to a Treasury Department statement Wednesday. The deficit totaled just over $307 billion for the month, nearly 2½ times what it was in January and 3.7% higher than February 2024. Receipts and expenditures set records for the month, a Treasury spokesman said. For the year, the deficit totaled $1.15 trillion through the first five months of fiscal 2025. The total is about $318 billion more than the same span in 2024, or roughly 38% higher, and set a record for the period.

Net costs to finance the $36.2 trillion national debt edged lower to $74 billion for the month. However, the total net interest payments year to date rose to $396 billion, just behind national defense and health. Social Security and Medicare are the largest costs in the U.S. budget. The deficit swelled in the final three years of former President Joe Biden’s term, growing from $1.38 trillion to $1.83 trillion. Trump has made getting the government’s fiscal house in order a priority since taking office. Since taking over, he created the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk. The advisory board has spearheaded job cuts across multiple departments in addition to early retirement incentives. A Treasury spokesman said there were no apparent impacts yet from the DOGE efforts but referred further comment to the Musk-led panel. At the same time, Trump wants to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, spearheaded during his first administration. While Trump has touted growth that the tax reductions would bring, multiple think tanks say renewing the act also would add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

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DOGE makes its latest errors harder to find

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has repeatedly posted error-filled data that inflated its success at saving taxpayer money. But after a series of news reports called out those mistakes, the group changed its tactics. It began making its new mistakes harder to find, leaving its already secretive activities even less transparent than before. Mr. Musk’s group posted a new set of claims to its website on March 2, saying it had saved taxpayers $10 billion by terminating 3,489 federal grants. Previously when it posted new claims, DOGE, Mr. Musk’s government-restructuring effort, had included identifying details about the cuts it took credit for. That allowed the public to fact-check its work by comparing its figures with federal spending databases and talking to the groups whose funding had been cut. This time, it did not include those details. A White House official said that was done for security purposes.

The result was that the group’s new claims appeared impossible to check. The New York Times, at first, found a way around the group’s obfuscation. That is because Mr. Musk’s group had briefly embedded the federal identification numbers of these grants in the publicly available source code. The Times used those numbers to match DOGE’s claims with reality, and to discover that they contained the same kind of errors that it had made in the past. Mr. Musk’s group later removed those identifiers from the code, and posted more batches of claims that could not be verified at all. That shift was a major step back from one of Mr. Musk’s core promises about his group: that it would be “maximally transparent.” The website is the only place where this very powerful group has given a public accounting of its work. That accounting is still incomplete: It itemizes only a fraction of the money that the group claims to have saved, $115 billion as of Wednesday. But it is extremely valuable, providing a window into the group’s priorities, and revealing its struggles with the machinery and terminology of government.

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Trump official tasked with defending DOGE cuts posted fashion influencer videos from her office

As the Office of Personnel Management oversaw the layoffs of thousands of federal workers and pressed others to justify their positions, the agency’s chief spokesperson repeatedly used her office for a side hustle: aspiring Instagram fashion influencer. In at least a dozen videos filmed in her OPM office, political appointee McLaurine Pinover modeled her outfit choices for the day, while directing followers from her Instagram account to a website that could earn her commissions on clothing sales. On the same day OPM sent a government-wide memo pressing federal officials to identify barriers they faced in their work to “swiftly terminate poor performing employees,” Pinover posted a video blowing a kiss to the camera with the caption “work look” and the hashtag #dcinfluencer. Her Instagram account linked to a site where viewers could buy the $475 purple skirt she wore in the video.

One watchdog group said her videos could run afoul of rules restricting the use of government property for personal benefit because, while in the workplace, she was using a website that pays content creators commissions from the clothing brands they promote. Former OPM staffers during the Biden administration also told CNN that they were offended by Pinover posting as a fashion influencer on government property while defending mass layoffs of federal workers – at a time when top Trump administration officials have accused career employees of being lazy and wasteful. “Your number one job as a leader is to protect and support your people,” said Jack Miller, who preceded Pinover as the politically appointed OPM communications director under President Joe Biden. “So instead of fighting tooth and nail to keep your team, we’re posting fashion videos. It’s absurd.” Pinover, who started her job at the federal government’s human resources agency in January, has issued numerous statements backing the Trump administration’s moves to lay off probationary employees and offer buyouts to tens of thousands of others.

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Vaccinating poultry could help cut soaring egg prices but US remains hesitant

Vaccines could be a key means of suppressing bird flu and avoiding the slaughter of millions of chickens, which is blamed for egg prices averaging nearly $6 a dozen. But the move has been delayed in part because of concerns it could jeopardize chicken exports worth billions of dollars a year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced plans to spend $100 million to study bird flu vaccines to fight the disease in concert with meat chicken, egg and turkey groups. That’s part of a larger $1 billion effort to invest in more protections to keep the virus off farms that President Donald Trump believes will help lower egg prices. Chicken meat producers remain the most resistant to vaccines because of concerns they could harm meat exports, which totaled nearly $4.7 billion last year. Egg and turkey producers sell most of their products in the U.S. and have been hit hardest by the virus.

Without a new policy including vaccines, the government will continue to slaughter every flock with a bird flu infection to limit the spread of the disease. Those deaths have totaled over 166 million birds in the U.S. since 2022. Most birds killed are egg-laying chickens, and the death of so many hens is the main reason egg prices keep rising. The average price per dozen has hit $5.90, and in some part of the country, it is far higher. Poultry veterinarian Simon Shane, who runs www.Egg-News.com, said the government is hesitant to use vaccines and change its policy of killing birds largely because of the meat chicken industry’s opposition. “Basically this is a political issue, and this only came to a head because eggs are at $8 to $9 a dozen, and it’s embarrassing the government — embarrassing the present administration,” Shane said. Before using vaccinations, the government must decide how to devise an effective system and monitor for outbreaks within vaccinated flocks that might not show any symptoms, said John Clifford, the USDA’s former longtime chief veterinary officer, who now works with a poultry industry export group. Once that is figured out, the industry can negotiate with countries to minimize trade problems. “What the industry wants is the ability to develop the strategic plan to share that with the trading partners and then find out what kind of impact that that will have on trade,” Clifford said.

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Rubio could face an unfriendly reception from close G7 allies over Trump's policies

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio may be walking into unusually unfriendly territory this week when he meets his counterparts from the Group of 7 industrialized democracies — strong American allies stunned by President Donald Trump’s actions against them. Just hours after Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs kicked in — prompting responses from the European Union and Canada and threatening to ignite full-scale trade wars with close U.S. partners — Rubio arrived at the scenic Quebec town of La Malbaie on the St. Lawrence River for two days of talks starting Thursday with the top diplomats of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. All of them have been angered by the new American president’s policies. Rubio will likely be hearing a litany of complaints about Trump’s decisions from once-friendly, like-minded countries in the G7 — notably host Canada, to which Trump has arguably been most antagonistic with persistent talk of it becoming the 51st U.S. state, additional tariffs and repeated insults against its leadership.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, the official host who will see each participant separately, said that “in every single meeting, I will raise the issue of tariffs to coordinate a response with the Europeans and to put pressure on the Americans.” “The only constant in this unjustifiable trade war seems to be President Trump’s talk of annexing our country through economic coercion,” Joly said Wednesday. “Yesterday, he called our border a fictional line and repeated his disrespectful 51st state rhetoric.” Rubio downplayed Trump’s “51st state” comments, saying Wednesday that the president was only expressing what he thought would be a good idea. The G7 grouping “is not a meeting about how we’re going to take over Canada,” Rubio said, noting that they would focus on Ukraine issues and other common topics.

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Lead Stories

European Union retaliates against Trump’s tariffs as trade war escalates

The European Union hit back Wednesday at President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, unveiling a two-stage retaliation that would cover billions of dollars’ worth of products. The U.S. decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum to 25 percent for global imports took effect Wednesday, the latest salvo in Trump’s ongoing campaign to reshape the U.S. trading relationship with the rest of the world. The E.U. executive branch, the European Commission, said its response would cover roughly $28 billion in U.S. exports. Starting April 1, the bloc will reimpose tariffs dating to Trump’s first term, including on products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles and bourbon. It will then place extra measures on more than $19 billion in products in mid-April after consulting with E.U. member states. “We deeply regret this measure,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement Wednesday. “Jobs are at stake, prices up, nobody needs that.”

European leaders have warned for month they would swiftly hit back against potential tariffs, even as they emphasized that a trade war would hurt both sides and tried to negotiate an off-ramp with the Trump administration. The E.U. said Wednesday that its response will come in two stages. During Trump’s first term, the bloc had raised tariffs on a variety of products in response to U.S. measures, which were later suspended after negotiations during the Biden administration. The pause on tariffs will now be allowed to expire on April 1, reimposing the higher E.U. levies on products including jeans and boats. During Trump’s first term, the E.U. chose tariffs designed for maximum political impact, targeting industries based in the home states of Republican leaders, including bourbon from Kentucky, the state represented by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. E.U. diplomats have indicated there would be a similar approach going forward. In retaliation for new U.S. tariffs that will affect products such as cookware that contain steel and aluminum, the E.U. said it would impose tariffs on more than $19 billion worth of extra products, in a tit-for-tat move that could further inflame the trade war.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott touts a new ally in his school voucher push

As state House members began debating a school voucher plan on Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott appeared more optimistic than ever that his signature legislation would finally pass the chamber where it has died repeatedly. The difference from past sessions — when a coalition of House Democrats and rural Republicans blocked the bill — is the new speaker now leading the House, Dustin Burrows, Abbott said. “We’ve been down this pathway before, but have never been so close to getting this passed,” the governor told a crowd of supporters in Austin. “And the reason is, because we have not had a speaker willing to step up and stand for school choice.”

For the first time in years, Abbott and a Texas House speaker are aligned, at least publicly, on his vision to send public dollars to families for private education. Burrows took over this year for former House Speaker Dade Phelan, who declined in 2023 to publicly back a voucher plan and later dropped his bid for reelection after Abbott helped unseat several of his former supporters. Burrows, a Lubbock Republican and former Phelan ally, appeared alongside Abbott last month in San Antonio, and he joined the governor again on Tuesday to address a crowd of supporters at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank in Austin. “These are your elected representatives who are about to make school choice a reality in Texas, something that's been fought for for 30, 40, 50 years — and it's going to happen,” Burrows said. “It's a big day, a monumental day.”

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How voucher vendors could make millions from ‘school choice’ in Texas

In August 2024, the business magazine Inc. released its annual list of the top 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the United States. At 815th, a burgeoning upstart called ClassWallet cracked the list’s top 20 percent for the third straight year. By expanding its operations managing school voucher programs for states across the country, earnings for the Florida company grew by 610 percent over the previous three years. Founded in 2014, ClassWallet now has more than 200 employees and has contracts to administer school vouchers and other educational programs in 18 states through its “digital wallet” platform. Indeed, managing school vouchers has become a big business. And, as Governor Greg Abbott and the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature gear up to pass their own program this session, private companies like ClassWallet are descending on the Capitol to lobby for the vouchers legislation and the lucrative contracts it could generate. This comes as other states have drawn scrutiny over myriad problems with the private contractors, including ClassWallet, they’ve hired to administer their voucher programs.

Senate Bill 2, which sailed through the upper chamber early last month, is a universal school voucher proposal that would give students $10,000 a year to attend private school or $2,000 for homeschooling. Lawmakers have initially set aside $1 billion in funding for the Texas school voucher program in 2027, though the Senate bill’s fiscal analysis says the program’s net cost could balloon to $3.8 billion by 2030. The bill stipulates that up to 5 percent of appropriated funds may go to pay up to five outside vendors like ClassWallet, which the legislation calls “certified educational assistance organizations” (CEAOs), to act as middlemen between the state, parents, and private schools by processing program applications and voucher payments. If the bill were to pass, these private companies could soon be reeling in tens and even hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars per year. These private vendors could, under the bill, be tasked with managing a complex application process, connecting parents with private schools and education vendors, accepting payments, and “verify[ing] that program funding is used only for approved education-related expenses.” “They’re a for-profit pass-through, which just means the state appropriates dollars, the vendor holds it, they reserve a small fee for themselves, and then they pass it on to the consumer,” Josh Cowen, education policy professor at Michigan State University and author of the book The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers, told the Texas Observer.

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Wall Street left dazed and confused as Trump jolts markets again

It was just after 10 a.m., a half hour after the opening bell, and the S&P 500 Index had started to steady from the fear-induced selloff that swept across Wall Street on Monday. Then President Donald Trump took to Truth Social and fired off another broadside in his trade spat with Canada, jolting traders and sending stocks lurching downward again. “No one is blinking on the trade war yet and that’s troubling to our clients,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. “The market thought Trump was bluffing. Now we’re living through the difficulties of it.”

Just 50 days into Trump’s second presidency, a new reality seems to be settling in: The billionaire reality star who has promoted his own gospel of wealth — and during his first term predictably watched the stock market as a barometer of his success — isn’t concerned this time around. In fact, it seems like he may be willing to sacrifice the bull market — and, in the short-term, even the growth of the economy itself — to upend a global order he says has served America poorly for decades. “Senior leaders are talking about transition periods and that is making people very nervous,” R.J. Grant, global head of equity trading at Stifel Nicolaus. “It seems like there’s going to be more pain before we have better growth again. This is all bleeding into the market.” It’s made for a dizzying spell for traders who’d ridden the artificial-intelligence euphoria and swelling corporate profits to one of the strongest runs since the 1990s internet boom.

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State Stories

Texas leaders want to crack down on squatters. Their bill would make it easier to evict any renter

Ahead of this year’s legislative session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked state lawmakers to look for ways to “secure Texas” against the plight of people illegally occupying residential spaces. Gov. Greg Abbott also promised to tackle "the increasing problem that we face in the state caused by squatters.” But the legislation that emerged has little, if anything, to do with what housing experts typically think of as squatting. Instead, it would radically transform the eviction process for millions of Texas renters, making it easier for landlords to evict them, often without notice or a legal proceeding. Tenant advocates, judges and lawyers have raised the alarm about House Bill 32, calling it a Trojan Horse that would strip tenants of their due process rights and erode judicial authority.

“The presumption here is that landlords have the correct case and any defense that a tenant has is false,” said Ben Martin, research director at the nonprofit Texas Housers. “It makes the eviction process in Texas, once and for all, a rubber stamp for landlords.” Under current law, landlords have to give tenants a three-day notice to vacate before they begin eviction proceedings. Once an eviction is filed, every case is scheduled for a hearing before a justice of the peace. But the proposed law would eliminate the requirement to provide a notice to vacate when a landlord is evicting a tenant for any reason other than falling behind on rent. If a tenant was accused of smoking in a non-designated area, for instance, a landlord could file immediately to evict them, which becomes part of the tenant’s rental history. Tenants who fall behind on rent would still receive a notice to vacate. But in both instances, if a landlord asserts there are “no genuinely disputed facts” in the case, they could request a summary judgment, meaning the eviction case would be decided without a trial.

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HISD to give principals up to $11K for limiting loss of thousands of students to charter schools

Houston ISD is giving some principals stipends of up to $11,250 next month for limiting enrollment declines on their campuses, resources that experts say would be better spent addressing the issues that are prompting families to leave in the first place. Facing a projected loss of millions in state funding, HISD introduced retention and re-engagement stipends before the 2024-25 academic year for eligible principals and some staff members at early childhood centers and elementary and middle schools. To earn them, the district wrote that eligible employees would be required to recruit additional middle school students or keep a certain number of pre-K or fifth-grade students from leaving the district in fall 2024.

"Historical data predicts that without targeted efforts, over 10,000 students currently enrolled with HISD will leave us for charters by August 2024. ... We will work together to change this trajectory for SY 24-25 with aligned incentives, data resources, and targeted goals for ECCs, elementaries, and middle schools," the district wrote. Middle schools, for example, were eligible for up to $22,500 in retention stipends and $30,000 in re-engagement stipends, according to the district rules. If schools qualified, the stipends would be split in two, with up to half going to the principal and the remainder going to a small team of selected staff members. After obtaining fall enrollment data, HISD reported that staff at 35 schools qualified for the awards for retaining approximately 4,000 more students than expected. The district will provide an average of $2,600 in April to each eligible staff member who helped recruit and retain students, according to a spokesperson. An HISD spokesperson said the district launched the incentives to engage educators in outreach efforts, recognize the time and effort required to recruit additional students and reward employees who significantly improved enrollment.

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Army Corps projects like Houston Ship Channel expansion uncertain under GOP spending bill

The future of Army Corps projects along the Texas Gulf Coast, like the overhaul of flood control systems around Houston and the widening of the Houston Ship Channel, are in question after House Republicans on Tuesday passed a stopgap funding bill to keep the government open through September. Their bill calls for reducing the Army Corps of Engineers' construction budget by $1.4 billion, a 44% cut. In addition, the White House would assume control over which projects get funded, decisions that are currently made by Congress. The bill nows moves to the U.S. Senate, where Republicans must win over at least seven Democrats to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to consider the measure. To avoid a government shutdown, Congress must pass a spending bill by the end of Friday.

Public officials and contractors in Texas are scrambling to figure out what the possible Army Corps cuts could mean for their projects, said Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston. "It's anyones guess what the Trump administration will do, but that’s a huge part of the problem. It’s the chaos and uncertainty continuously coming out of this administration," she said. "The port project is hugely important not only to our regional economy but our national security." A spokeswoman for Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, denied the $1.4 billion reduction in Army Corps spending was a "cut," saying the department's previous year's budget had been inflated due to the injection of funds from other legislation. "These funds were expended for a one-time purpose. So, no, House Republicans are not cutting any funds for the Army Corps of Engineers," he said. The continuing resolution passed by House Republicans on Tuesday calls for a $13 billion reduction in non-defense spending and a $6 billion increase in defense spending — relatively small amounts considering the $6.8 trillion federal budget. It passed in a narrow 217-213 vote, with the Texas delegation split along party lines.

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Lesley Briones: Harris County commissioner: With spring break and the Houston Rodeo, measles risk is 'growing by the day'

(Lesley Briones is the Harris County commissioner for Precinct 4.) I have spent the last 15 years worrying whether my three daughters are OK. Since they were born, every fever, every fall, and every call from school has sent a jolt of fear through me. I know I’m not alone: For all parents, keeping our children safe is our most basic instinct. That’s why the return of measles is so terrifying. This highly contagious virus is particularly devastating to kids. And even though we eliminated it 25 years ago, it’s making a deadly comeback in Texas. As of Friday, 200 cases have been identified since late January, and that number is climbing. One unvaccinated child has died, and doctors in Lubbock are treating babies struggling to breathe. Before the vaccine was widely available in 1963, parents lived with the constant fear of outbreaks, knowing the virus could lead to severe complications or death. In the early 20th century, measles killed thousands of Americans each year.

The outbreak is spreading now, as spring break travel is ramping up and the Houston Rodeo is drawing millions of visitors. That means the risk of transmission in our community is growing by the day. Experts are now warning unvaccinated people in our community — including babies who aren’t eligible for the measles vaccine until they reach 12 to 15 months — to avoid large crowds. It is unacceptable that parents of young babies — who should be enjoying their first months and introducing them to the world — are now forced to live in fear of a virus that their grandparents defeated. It’s even more unacceptable that this virus is being enabled by an equally dangerous threat: misinformation. Vaccine misinformation has been spreading for years, and during the COVID pandemic it exploded. Social media became a breeding ground for confusion; a single misleading post can reach millions before the truth has a chance to catch up. Well-intentioned parents, overwhelmed with conflicting messages, started questioning long-settled science. And instead of turning to doctors, scientists and public health experts, they were pulled into echo chambers that magnified their doubts, turning concern into fear. Misinformation spreads like a virus. And as it has climbed, so has vaccine hesitancy. The truth is that the measles vaccine isn’t new. It’s not experimental. It has been around for more than 60 years, and it has saved millions of lives. The science is not in question. The only question is whether we will act in time to stop further spread. My daughters, husband and I are all vaccinated and will feel safe enjoying the Houston Rodeo and spring break festivities. If you or your child hasn’t had the MMR vaccine, now is the time. Harris County Public Health and your primary care provider can help. If you’re unsure whether you were vaccinated as a child, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend getting vaccinated.

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Voter-approved effort to move Dallas elections to November heads to Austin

When voters head to the polls in May to elect the next slate of Dallas city council members, it may be for the last time. Last month, state Rep. Rafael Anchia and state Sen. Nathan Johnson, both Dallas lawmakers, filed identical bills that could clear the way for city elections to move from May to November. Last November, nearly 67 percent of Dallas voters approved Proposition D, which changed the city’s charter by eliminating the mention of any specific date and merely saying that city elections will be held in accordance with state law and city resolution. That the matter made it onto the ballot last fall was a bit of a miracle. During several points of the charter review process, it appeared that the effort had died. It was quashed a couple of times—first at the Charter Review Commission and then again in early meetings and briefings with the Council, before being resurrected at the last minute. Advocates pointed to the city’s low turnout in May elections.

The previous bond election and the last city council and mayoral elections attracted between 6 and 7 percent of Dallas’ registered voters. In 2019, with nine candidates on the ballot for mayor, the city had its best turnout in some time: 12 percent, with 80,871 of the city’s then 651,697 registered voters turning out. To actually move the elections to November, the lawmakers in Austin will need to approve it. If all goes as planned and two-thirds of both chambers of the Texas Legislature approve the bill, Dallas’ elections would be moved to November in odd-numbered years. This would mean that the next city election after the upcoming May election would likely happen in November 2027, when ostensibly more people might vote. It also means that the next mayor of Dallas will probably be elected on a November ballot. You can read the bill here. Johnson’s bill is now in the hands of the Senate State Affairs Committee, and Anchia’s is waiting for a committee assignment.

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Frank C. Davis III: Helping Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities must be a priority

(Frank C. Davis III is chairman of the board of directors for Evergreen Life Services, a Texas nonprofit serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a Dallas resident.) As Texans, we pride ourselves on being leaders in many areas, from our robust economy and thriving industries to our attractive quality of life that has brought people from all over the world to take part in what many refer to as the “Texas Miracle.” However, there’s one critical area where our great state is falling woefully behind: the care and support of our fellow Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In recent years, the issue of funding for group home caregivers serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities has become a critical conversation within the Texas Legislature. Group homes, which provide residential support for individuals with such disabilities, play an essential role in fostering independence, safety and dignity for some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens. However, many of these facilities face significant funding challenges in paying their caregivers, undermining their ability to provide the highest quality of care.

The state-mandated reimbursement rate of $10.60 an hour for group homes direct care workers is extremely low. Large state-run institutions have been given a minimum mandated reimbursement rate of $17.71 (scheduled to increase to above $19 in September) to take care of the same individuals, according to an analysis by the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute. For families who want to keep their loved ones in their local communities by using smaller group homes, wage parity is critical. Providing an adequate wage rate for direct care workers is not just a moral imperative, it is also a wise investment that can lead to numerous benefits for individuals with disabilities, their families and our entire state. A primary benefit of adequately funding group homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers is the better opportunity to retain staff who promote independence and dignity among residents. For many individuals, living in a group home provides a sense of autonomy that they might not experience in more institutionalized settings or at home with family members. Group homes and day programs are designed to create an environment where residents can participate in daily activities, such as cooking, cleaning and making personal decisions, to the extent of their ability. Proper funding ensures that these homes have the necessary staff resources and programs to help individuals develop skills that increase their independence. Adequate pay for essential caregivers is critical for maintaining a safe and high-quality environment for residents. As a result of the current low wage rate, many group homes struggle with insufficient staffing levels for full bed capacity. With an appropriate minimum wage rate of $17.50 an hour, a consensus base wage rate agreed by the Private Providers Association of Texas, group homes can hire and keep well-trained staff who will provide the level of care that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities require.

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‘I wish they didn’t do that’: Southwest flyers unhappy airline dropping free bag policy

It was a quiet Tuesday morning at Dallas Love Field, the birthplace and headquarters of Southwest Airlines, as travelers meandered in to check their bags. Some customers were unaware of Tuesday’s news that soon the service would no longer be free. Many others said they had learned of the change through social media only hours before their flights. Southwest on Tuesday announced it would end its famed free checked bag policy in May, and customers of the airline are not happy about the change. Jeff Whitacre and his wife, Becca, of Waco were flying out of Love Field on Tuesday for a spring break vacation with their four daughters. With a large number of bags, Jeff Whitacre said the two free bag policy has made family trips less expensive.

“We love the the two bag policy. It’s been really helpful,” Jeff Whitacre said. “I understand why the change, but it’ll make trips like this a little bit more expensive than they have been in the past.” Becca Whitacre said her family is not happy about the reversal of the policy. “We love Southwest for their excellent customer service, and we love Southwest for the bag policy,” Becca Whitacre said. “So we would love if they would change their mind on that.” In an email CEO Bob Jordan sent to customers Tuesday morning announcing the change, the airline said it will still focus on delivering friendly customer service. “We recognize these changes may be a disappointment to some, but know we’re committed to building a Southwest that will continue to offer you low fares, convenient flights to destinations you want and a travel experience that is rewarding,” the email read.

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City of Dallas breaks silence on new Mavs arena, vows to keep team ‘where they belong’

Behind-the-scenes dialogue between the Mavericks and the city of Dallas about potential sites for a new arena has intensified in recent days. It’s also no longer behind the scenes. “The Mavericks have called the City of Dallas home for the last 45 years,” City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said Tuesday in a statement to The Dallas Morning News. “We are committed to the long-term relationship we have established with them and are working closely with team officials to keep them in Dallas — where they belong.” Tolbert’s remarks come as the city of Irving considers rezoning that could pave the way for an arena, destination resort — and potentially a casino — on 182 acres primarily owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp., whose COO is Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont.

On Tuesday, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts emphasized to The News that the franchise, first and foremost, is focused on building an arena in Dallas. He characterized Mayor Eric Johnson, Tolbert and other city officials as extremely enthusiastic and encouraging. The most immediate goal, Welts said, is within 12 months identifying and securing a 30-to-50-acre site for an arena and “full-blown entertainment district.” “What we’re saying to the city is we want to exhaust every possible option in the city of Dallas before considering pivoting to another location in the Metroplex,” he said. “That’s our commitment. That’s our desire. That’s the outcome we want, to be doing this project in the city of Dallas.” Earlier Tuesday, Welts expressed the same goals and sentiments during a conference call with the 28-member Dallas Mavericks Advisory Council, composed of a diverse cross-section of North Texas community and business leaders.

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Infowars writer ‘brutally murdered’ in Texas, Alex Jones says

A writer for Alex Jones' conspiracy site Infowars was killed late Sunday near his apartment in Austin. On his show Monday, Jones said the staff member, 36-year-old Jamie White, was “brutally murdered” outside his home, a few miles from the Infowars office. Austin police later confirmed White was shot and killed outside the Chandelier Apartments. “We sent some people over this morning when he didn’t answer the phone, because he was always here early, loves to work, loves to fight tyranny, loves to promote freedom,” Jones said. “When they got to the apartment complex, there was yellow tape everywhere and blood all over the parking lot.” In a statement, Austin police said detectives believe the gunmen were burglarizing White’s vehicle when he interrupted them. The suspects fled the scene and no arrests have been made.

During his show, Jones blamed White’s death on budget cuts made to the Austin Police Department, the Democratic party, former President Joe Biden and Travis County District Attorney José P. Garza, whom he likened to billionaire philanthropist, investor and Democratic donor George Soros. “We pledge that Jamie’s tragic death will not be in vain, and those responsible for this senseless violence will be brought to justice,” Jones said in a statement. On Tuesday, the district attorney’s office expressed condolences for White’s family and said it was committed to finding those responsible for his death. “Our hearts go out to the family of Jamie White. It is shameful, but not surprising, that Alex Jones is trying to exploit the victims’ death for political gain,” the office said in a written statement. “However, we will not let Jones distract us from our work in seeking justice for Mr. White and supporting the Austin Police Department in its investigation."

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Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell resigns to take role with Trump administration

Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell resigned Tuesday to take a position with the Trump administration. Gravell will serve in the U.S. Small Business Administration, a Cabinet-level agency created in 1953 as a resource for small-business owners and entrepreneurs. He will be responsible for representing the interests of businesses in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. "It is a great honor to serve as the voice for the 4.5 million small businesses that make the South-Central region of the United States their home," Gravell said in his announcement. "Growing up at 1402 East Main Street in Round Rock, Texas, I never could have imagined that one day I would have the opportunity to serve the United States. This is truly an honor, but I will never forget where I came from." Gravell made the announcement shortly before the county's Commissioners Court meeting. Afterward, he was sworn into his new position by 425th District Judge Betsy Lambeth.

Gravell became county judge in January 2019. Under his tenure, Williamson County "welcomed more than 12,500 new small businesses and saw the expansion of major corporations such as Apple, Samsung and Kalahari," according to county officials. Gravell also signed the county's first-ever international economic mutual cooperation agreement with Korea-Trade Investment Promotion Agency in 2023. Before becoming county judge, Gravell served Williamson County as a justice of the peace in its third precinct. He was appointed to that position in 2013. Commissioners will meet again for a special session Friday to accept Gravell’s resignation and to discuss how to fill the vacancy until an election in November 2026.

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Texas girl who died of measles 'just kept getting sicker,' father says

A child who died of complications of measles in a West Texas outbreak of the virus was just 6 years old, according to her father, who spoke with The Atlantic. The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Feb. 26 that an unvaccinated child had died due to complications of measles at a hospital in Lubbock after testing positive for the virus. It is the first death in the outbreak, which as of today's update has spread to 223 cases in Texas and 30 just across the border in New Mexico. Texas DSHS and Covenant Health said the child was school-aged and was not a resident of Lubbock County but did not provide any further information, citing privacy laws.

Tom Bartlett, an Austin-based journalist with The Atlantic, encountered the child's father while reporting on the outbreak in Seminole, he wrote in an article published Tuesday. The small town in Gaines County, where the outbreak began, had a population of about 7,231 in 2023. A local man told Bartlett that the child was a member of nearby congregation of Mennonites, a Christian sect that has been hit hard by the measles outbreak in rural areas. When Bartlett arrived at the church, he was greeted by a man in the driveway. "I asked him if he knew the family," Bartlett wrote. "His voice broke slightly as he answered. 'That’s our kid,' he said." The 28-year-old man, identified only as "Peter," declined to provide his daughter's name or the family's last name. Family and community members were gathering inside the church to pay respects in a viewing for the 6-year-old. The girl was sick with measles for three weeks before she died on Feb. 25, according to Peter. A local hospital sent them home with cough medicine, Peter said: "They don’t want to help us. They say, ‘It’s just normal; go home.'" The hospital declined to comment, The Atlantic reported. She continued to get worse and the family took her back to a hospital, where her heart rate and blood pressure dropped and she was placed on a ventilator. The girl died of pneumonia, which the CDC identifies as the most common cause of death for children who contract measles. "She just kept getting sicker and sicker," Peter told The Atlantic.

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SCOTUS allows climate lawsuits against Texas oil companies to proceed

Lawsuits seeking billions of dollars from Texas-based Exxon Mobil, Chevron and other large oil companies can move forward after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied to hear a request by a coalition of 19 Republican states to block the litigation. States led by Democrats, including California and New Jersey, are claiming the companies sold products that drove up carbon dioxide emissions, despite warnings from scientists that began in the 1950s and were later confirmed by their own research. The ruling marked another setback for the oil sector and its Republican allies in their longstanding efforts to block the litigation, which argues companies should pay billions of dollars in damages to states impacted by climate change and move to dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

“This desperate sideshow was just another attempt to bail out Big Oil from standing trial for their climate lies,” Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, said in a statement. “Now these states can continue advancing their efforts to present the evidence of Big Oil’s climate deception in court and hold these companies accountable.” A spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s largest lobbying group, called the climate lawsuits “nothing more than a distraction from important issues and waste of taxpayer resources. “We’re disappointed that the Supreme Court has declined recent opportunities to provide clarity on the important legal issues raised in these cases. But ultimately, climate policy is an issue for Congress to debate, not the court system,” he said. Exxon and Chevron did not respond to a request for comment. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the ruling, arguing the court had wrongly rejected hearing a lawsuit, “involving nearly half the States in the nation, which alleges serious constitutional violations.” In January, the Supreme Court denied a similar request for a hearing by oil companies seeking to block climate litigation brought by the city of Honolulu. Texas was among the 16 states that filed a brief in support of the oil sector, arguing the lawsuit threatened to “imperil access to affordable energy and inculpate every State and every person on the planet.”

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Ex-Keller superintendent will work 3 months, be paid for 12

Former Keller Superintendent Tracy Johnson, who voluntarily resigned her position effective Jan. 31, will advise the school board and interim superintendent Cory Wilson through March 31. After that, she will remain a paid employee of the district, but “shall have no duties or requirement to remain available.” Johnson is also free to live outside the district and accept other employment during her term as superintendent emeritus, which runs through the end of the year, according to her separation agreement obtained by the Star-Telegram through an open records request. In return, Johnson agreed not to speak out against or “disparage” any current or past Keller district employee, board member or attorney, nor will she speak against the district itself. She also agreed to cooperate with any litigation that arises as a result of acts that occurred during her tenure.

While on the payroll, Johnson will report to school board president Charles Randklev. She will continue receiving her $275,000 annual salary and benefits through Dec. 31. In addition to her salary, in February Johnson received $124,400 for unused sick leave and vacation time and a lump-sum payment of $49,105 as part of her separation agreement. Johnson, whose contract with the school district began in December 2023 and was set to run through 2027, stepped down in January due to a disagreement with school board members over a proposal to split the Keller school district in half. The plan has been met with widespread public criticism. Johnson confirmed her acceptance of the separation agreement in a letter dated Jan. 31. In that letter, she said serving the Keller school district was her “greatest pleasure,” and she expressed pride in the work she and her team did to eliminate $48 million in expenses from the district’s budget. Keller has a $35 million shortfall in its general fund and expects to be $9.4 million over budget for the 2025-26 school year unless further cuts are made.

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How Southwestern Seminary is bouncing back from financial catastrophe

Over the past six years, we have spilt buckets of digital ink here bringing you the saga of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. I’m writing today not in the format of a news story but in the more personal format of an analysis piece, to bring some good news — finally — about this bastion of theological education for the Southern Baptist Convention. At long last, there appears to be hope, as enrollment has stabilized and imminent financial catastrophe — that’s not hyperbole — has been averted. I am not a dispassionate observer to these events, even though my connections are distant. I am a former student and staff member at Southwestern Seminary and was a small part of the team in the Russell Dilday years who promoted the school and helped raise funding for endowment and operations.

The fundraising campaign at that time, in the late 1980s, was called Upward 90. It was the second successful campaign of the Dilday years that endowed 12 faculty chairs and built several new buildings and launched new programs. In 1990, Christianity Today released a poll of its readers ranking the effectiveness of American seminaries, and Southwestern Seminary was ranked No. 1 among the top 33 graduate theological schools in the nation. Thirty years later, the seminary was a shadow of its former self in both size and reputation. Before we get into the details of all that has transpired since then, here’s one important fact: Had Southwestern officials who came after the Dilday era — and even after the era of his successor, Ken Hemphill — simply left the endowment to grow through earnings and not added another dollar to it, it would be valued today at double what it is. But that’s not what happened. Instead, after the Dilday and Hemphill administrations, the seminary embarked upon a 21-year slide into financial precarity and enrollment losses unprecedented in the Southern Baptist Convention. That led to a cumulative two-decade deficit of $140 million. My quest for the past year has been to tell the story of how this came to be and how it has been addressed. My research has included conversations with insiders both on and off campus, digging through two decades of financial reports with help from skillful accountants and lawyers, reading everything the seminary has published on the matter, and visits to campus.

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Mayra Guillén, sister of Vanessa Guillén, eyeing a challenge to Houston Rep. Al Green

Mayra Guillén, the older sister of U.S. Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén who was killed at Fort Cavazos near Killeen in 2020, plans to make her political debut by launching a challenge against longtime U.S. Rep. Al Green of Houston. Guillén, who has never held public office, has become an outspoken advocate for reforming the military’s handling of sexual harassment and assault cases since her sister’s death. In 2021, she founded an advocacy group called the I am Vanessa Guillén Foundation. The family’s push resulted in a number of new laws passed by Congress in 2021 and 2022 that are meant to make the military’s process of investigating harassment and assault more fair. Guillén, who has previously been supportive of President Donald Trump on social media, didn’t say whether she will run as a Republican or a Democrat. But she’ll likely face an uphill battle. Green, a Democrat, has represented Houston’s south side in Congress since 2005 and ran unopposed last election in the heavily blue district. Guillén announced her run after Green’s interrupted President Donald Trump’s address last week. Green was later censured by the majority Republican chamber.

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Why Southwest reneged on free checked bags, its ‘most important feature’

Southwest Airlines stunned customers on Tuesday by announcing a sudden shift: charging passengers for checked bags, a first in its more than 50-year history and the latest in a series of radical changes to turn a profit. But less than six months ago, the Dallas-based carrier ? the largest airline in the U.S. by annual domestic passengers ? insisted the longstanding policy would remain a staple of its business operations. It was only September at its investor day when Southwest unveiled sweeping return-to-profitability moves, reforming key aspects of the airline’s one-size-fits all policies. The most notable was the implementation of assigned seating, but free checked bags remained untouched.

“Extensive research reinforces Southwest’s bags fly free policy remains the most important feature by far in setting Southwest apart from other airlines,” the company said in a Sept. 26 release announcing the changes. “Based on Southwest’s research, the Company believes that any change in the current policy that provides every Customer two free checked bags would drive down demand and far outweigh any revenue gains created by imposing and collecting bag fees,” it continued. So what changed? In a Tuesday morning presentation at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference, president and CEO Bob Jordan elaborated on the decision to implement bag fees for nonpremium flyers. “In contrast to our previous analysis, actual customer booking behavior through our new booking channels ... did not show that we are getting the same benefit from our bundled offering with free bags, which has led us to update the assumptions,” he said. After news of the baggage fees broke, flyers at Southwest’s hub at Dallas Love Field spoke with The Dallas Morning News and voiced their disappointment, adding the bag policy was part of why they chose the carrier in the first place.

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County Stories

Tarrant sheriff say failure to report jail death was error

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office blamed a “clerical error” for its failure to comply with a state law requiring it to file a report with the Texas Attorney General’s Office on the death of a man in the county jail. Charles Stephen Johnson died after a suicide attempt in the jail on Feb. 8. Monday marked 30 days since his death, the time limit set by state law for a sheriff’s office to file a report with the AG’s Office. But as of early Tuesday morning, the AG’s Custodial Death Report database did not contain any records pertaining to Johnson’s death. In a statement sent to the Star-Telegram, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office said it corrected the error as soon as it was made aware of it on Tuesday. A supervisor had thought Johnson’s report was filed on Feb. 21, when another report for Kimberly Phillips was submitted to the AG’s Office. Phillips died in Sheriff’s Office custody on Feb. 18.

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National Stories

Ontario premier threatens to ‘shut off electricity completely’ for US if trade war escalates

President Donald Trump may have delayed most – though not all – of the tariffs he had imposed on Canada and Mexico, but that hasn’t stopped America’s northern neighbors from responding forcefully in retaliation. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said at a press conference that he would move forward with a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to three US states starting Monday, warning that he will turn off access if the United States adds new tariffs on Canadian goods. “If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely,” Ford told reporters. “Believe me when I say I do not want to do this, I feel terrible for the American people, because it’s not the American people who started this trade war. It’s one person who’s responsible. That’s President Trump.”

Ford on Monday said the 25% surcharge “will cost families and businesses” in New York, Minnesota and Michigan and add around “$100 per month to the bills of hardworking Americans.” But it would also hurt Canada’s energy industry, in turn. Canada, which is far more dependent on US exports than America is on Canadian goods, risks plunging into a recession if the trade war escalates. As the saying goes: no one wins in a trade war. Along with his threat to cut electricity off completely, Ford said he may raise the 25% surcharge if US tariffs escalate. Trump has threatened to do just that: On Friday, he said he would levy dairy and lumber tariffs on Canada, matching dollar-for-dollar the duties Canada places on US goods. And Trump on Sunday said tariffs on Canada and Mexico could rise from the threatened 25% level if the countries don’t make good on their promises to help reduce the amount of fentanyl crossing over the boarder into America. Last week, the Ontario premier claimed he would shut off power to the US “with a smile on [his] face” if Trump continued to levy tariffs on Canadian exports.

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Education Department to slash half its workforce

The Education Department will begin cutting more than 1,300 people from its workforce and terminating some of its office leases across the country this week, as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to cull the size of the U.S. government’s smallest Cabinet agency. An agency official told reporters Tuesday that the job cuts being finalized over the coming weeks are expected to affect roughly half of the agency’s workforce. The official said the department, which employs about 4,130 people, focused on cutting teams whose operations are redundant or not necessary to serve its core functions. But they also cast the announcement as another step in remaking the agency ahead of the president’s still-unreleased executive order to dismantle it.

“Today’s RIF reflects our commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement about the reduction in force posted to social media. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department,” she said. “This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.” The agency said the cuts would not affect the work of its Federal Student Aid office and civil rights investigators, or how the department distributes federal funding for low-income and disabled students. “We have a department now that exists largely to oversee contractors, add strings, and in many cases, do duplicative efforts across the department,” the official said. Employees affected by Tuesday’s announced force reduction will have 90 days until they are actually terminated and will receive full pay and benefits during this time, in addition to severance pay.

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Senate Democrats appear ready to back down in government shutdown fight

Senate Democrats say the six-month government funding resolution that passed the House Tuesday is a “horrible” bill, but there’s growing sentiment within the Senate Democratic conference that it would be too risky to block the legislation and risk a government shutdown that could drag on for weeks. Senate Democrats battled behind closed doors Tuesday over how to handle the House bill, with a number of Democrats — especially those in swing states — arguing that a government shutdown must be avoided, even if it means reluctantly voting for a House GOP-drafted bill. Several centrists warned that there’s no clear end game for ending a government shutdown if Democrats defeat the House-passed measure, which would increase defense spending by $6 billion, boost funding for border security and cut non-defense programs by $13 billion.

The bill passed the House 217-213 Tuesday afternoon with only one Democrat voting in favor. But the political calculus is different for Democrats in the Senate because their votes will be needed to avoid a shutdown. Senate Republicans control 53 seats and would need at least eight Democratic votes to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a staunch fiscal conservative, says he would vote against the stopgap measure for not doing enough to cut the deficit. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said he will vote to keep the government open, even if he’s not a fan of the House-passed funding stopgap. “I’ve been very clear, I’m not going vote or withhold my vote that’s going to shut down the government,” Fetterman told The Hill. “For me, if the Democrats think that they want to burn the village down to save it, that’s terrible optics and that’s going to have serious impacts for millions and millions of people,” he warned. “I’m never going to vote for that kind of chaos.”

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L.A. has big plans to rebuild after the fires. Good luck getting insurance.

In her pop-art decorated office in the heart of Beverly Hills, real-estate broker Rochelle Maize got an early look at who would control the future of the Pacific Palisades. It was eight days after the wildfires broke out—before Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had appointed a recovery czar, before rebuilding plans had been drawn. Fires still burned, and the air was putrid with the ashes of thousands of torched homes. Even then, the power of California’s insurance companies was becoming evident to Maize. Her clients buy and sell mansions in crown-jewel neighborhoods where listings bottom out around the single-digit millions. Many pay in cash. But after the Palisades fire, deals in the area kept falling through. One client wanted to go ahead with a seven-figure purchase, risk be damned, even if he had to be self-insured—meaning he would proceed without a policy. It’s in a great area, Maize recalled the client saying. I’m just willing to take the risk. She thought that was crazy.

The question for Los Angeles isn’t so much how to rebuild the Palisades, a coastal community that is home to some 21,000 people, but who pays if it burns again. “Writing new policies doesn’t make any sense at this time,” State Farm General, California’s largest property insurer, wrote Tuesday to the state insurance commissioner. To shore up its finances, the company is seeking permission for a 22% rate increase for 1.2 million homeowners. The state’s fire-recovery dilemma was aired at a recent meeting on the third floor of an office building in Oakland, Calif. Insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara convened executives from State Farm and Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit advocacy group. By then, the scale of damage from the January wildfires was more clear, around $250 billion. Lara began the meeting by lamenting a state law dating back to former President Ronald Reagan’s second term, known as Proposition 103. It was intended to make insurance more affordable by limiting rate increases. Disastrous wildfires, floods and earthquakes followed in the decades since. The law allows insurance premiums to go up no more than 6.9% for homeowners without a public hearing. “I face the task of regulating an insurance market operating under outdated regulations that have not been significantly reformed since the passage of Prop 103 in 1988,” Lara said at the meeting. “This outdated regulatory structure has hindered insurers from actively reflecting the true cost of doing business in California.”

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USDA, led by Secretary Brooke Rollins, cuts over $1 billion in funding for schools, local food purchases

The U.S. Agriculture Department has cut two federal programs that spent over $1 billion annually to help schools and food banks buy food from local farms and ranches, the agency has confirmed to Reuters. The School Nutrition Association, which represents cafeteria workers and directors nationwide, said in a news release that the USDA cut the $660 million Local Food for Schools program for 2025. The USDA said in an email that it had notified states, territories and tribes that the money for fiscal year 2025, “is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification.” It said the programs created under the previous administration “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.

The USDA programs were instituted in 2021 by President Joe Biden’s administration. They were designed to help local food banks and schools purchase food from nearby farmers and suppliers. “This program will strengthen the food system for schools and childcare institutions by helping to build a fair, competitive and resilient local food chain,” reads a statement still on the USDA website for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program as of Tuesday. More than 40 states signed up to participate in the programs during Biden’s administration. Several Republican-led states — including Utah, Iowa, South Carolina and Mississippi — praised the federal funding. “The Utah State Board of Education is excited to expand markets for our state’s farmers and offer more nutritious, locally-produced foods to our students,” state superintendent Sydnee Dickson said in December 2022.

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Red flag laws are increasingly being used to protect gun owners in crisis

Adriana Pentz’s brother could be alive today. In 2017, Luc-John Pentz was 30 years old and starting to struggle, burdened by life’s stressors and trying to cope by leaning heavily on alcohol. Adriana soon found out he had purchased a gun months earlier. Of her three siblings, she had the most in common with Luc growing up — they were both academically driven and competitive swimmers. They remained close into adulthood, with Luc supporting her when she became a mother. So, when she noticed his behavior starting to shift, she was immediately troubled. “I was scared when I found out that he had a gun,” she said. “I know that it offered him a sense of security, a sense of protection, which he felt like he needed at that particular point. But my siblings and my mom didn’t feel comfortable that he was not in a good place, and we knew he had something at home that was dangerous.”

Her brother died by suicide May 23, 2017, in the woods near his home in Wallingford, Connecticut. What Adriana Pentz didn’t know at the time was that Connecticut had a law that would have allowed her, her family or police officers to petition a civil court to seize his gun when it was clear he was a potential harm to himself or others. In 1999, Connecticut became the first state in the country to pass what is commonly known as a red flag law, which allows family members, law enforcement and sometimes health care workers, friends and co-workers to file what is often called an extreme risk protection order. After considering evidence and hearing from both the petitioner and the gun owner, a judge may temporarily take a person’s weapon if they deem the gun owner to be a potential danger to themselves or the community. Orders usually last one year. Now, 21 states and the District of Columbia have such laws. Voters in Maine will decide in November whether to join that list. The use of extreme risk protection orders has surged in recent years, with petitions filed across states that have such laws jumping by 59% in 2023 over the previous year, according to data collected by Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control research and advocacy group. But the laws’ effectiveness relies on their implementation, supporters say: Law enforcement and judges must be trained properly and the public needs to be aware that the law exists.

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Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud

Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Security on Monday while describing federal benefit programs as rife with fraud, suggesting they will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending. The billionaire entrepreneur, who is advising President Donald Trump, suggested that $500 billion to $700 billion in waste needed to be cut. “Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk told the Fox Business Network. “That’s the big one to eliminate.” The comments on the popular program and other benefits provided to Americans could rattle politicians on both sides of the aisle as Musk works to downsize the federal government, especially as he already faces blowback for his chainsaw-wielding approach to laying off workers and slashing programs.

Musk’s estimate for the level of fraud in entitlements far outpaces figures from watchdogs like Social Security’s inspector general, who previously said there was $71.8 billion in improper payments from fiscal years 2015 through 2022. That’s less than 1% of benefits paid out during that time period. Musk also said there were “20 million people who are definitely dead marked as alive in the Social Security database.” However, the leader of the agency has rejected claims about widespread payments to dead people. “These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits,” said Lee Dudek, Social Security’s acting commissioner. The interview with Fox Business was a reminder of Musk’s deep skepticism and even hostility toward the program, which provides monthly benefits to retirees and some children. Trump has promised to defend Social Security from cuts, but Musk has described it as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” and the administration is shutting down some of the agency’s offices.

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Copyright March 26, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved