January 9, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Trump suffers day of significant Republican defections on House and Senate votes

Significant numbers of Republicans joined with Democrats in voting against President Donald Trump’s interests on high-profile pieces of legislation Thursday, suggesting his party’s unyielding loyalty to this point in his term has started to splinter. Earlier in the day, the Senate advanced a bipartisan measure intended to block the Trump administration from conducting further military action in Venezuela. Five Republicans joined every Democratic senator in advancing the resolution, following the White House’s capture of Venezuela’s president, without explicit permission from Congress. The resolution is expected to get a chilly reception in the House if it passes the Senate, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) unlikely to bring it to the floor. But it gave Senate Republicans an opportunity to come out against continued military action in Venezuela — which Trump and some administration officials have refused to rule out — without congressional approval.

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Trump survived House votes to overturn two of his vetoes, which requires two-thirds of the chamber, but at least two dozen Republicans voted with Democrats to defy his will, demonstrating a greater willingness than seen last year to buck their party’s president. Thirty-five Republican lawmakers voted to override Trump’s veto of the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, a bill meant to aid a decades-old Colorado water project, while 24 Republicans voted to negate Trump’s veto of the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, which codifies tribal land rights in Florida. After those votes, House Democrats, with help from Republicans, passed a bill to extend expired enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, a measure opposed by both Trump and Johnson. Seventeen Republicans supported the measure, which would need to pass the Senate before becoming law. Lawmakers voting against their party’s president is common in midterm election years, particularly for vulnerable lawmakers who represent swing districts. Yet the repeated rebukes of the president, and the number of lawmakers defecting, are unusual. And they represent a continued challenge for GOP leaders with limited majorities, who are struggling to corral their colleagues behind the president’s agenda. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) said the five Republican senators who joined with Democrats to advance the war powers resolution Thursday were part of a broader trend.

Wary of investing in Venezuela, Big Oil heads to the White House

President Trump’s sweeping claims last weekend that U.S. energy companies would “spend billions of dollars” and “take back the oil” in Venezuela blindsided American executives, who were far from ready to commit to an investment binge in the South American country. In the wake of the president’s remarks, administration officials have rushed to assess companies’ appetite for pumping more of Venezuela’s oil — and what it would take for them to follow through. Executives from many of those firms have been invited to the White House on Friday for an audience with Mr. Trump. They will have to strike a delicate balance of appeasing the president, who frequently expresses fondness for their industry, without making expensive pledges that could take decades to pan out and risk making them the face of a legally questionable endeavor by the White House. Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Trump suggested on social media on Friday that big oil companies would invest “at least” $100 billion.

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While some smaller operators are eager for a slice of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, thought to be the world’s largest, oil giants like Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips that have deep pockets, vast expertise and, crucially, experience in that country have privately expressed reservations about committing the kind of money it would take to meaningfully boost Venezuelan oil production, according to six people with knowledge of their thinking. Some oil companies have discussed the possibility of seeking some form of financial guarantee from the federal government before agreeing to establish or expand production in Venezuela, two of the people said. Political uncertainty in the United States and Venezuela is another major obstacle, as oil investments often are measured in decades, and companies would need to be confident that any deal would last long enough for them to make a decent profit. That hurdle is especially high in this case. Venezuela has in the past seized assets that foreign companies valued in the tens of billions of dollars. Exxon and ConocoPhillips, which were among those firms, are still pursuing substantial claims against Venezuela’s government.

Jon Lindsay, the longest-serving Harris County judge, dies at 90

Former Harris County Judge Jon Lindsay died on Wednesday morning. He was 90 years old. No information was immediately available regarding his cause of death. Lindsay, who served a record 20 years as Harris County's chief executive, had a transformational effect on the county on issues ranging from transportation to health care. Sign up for the Hello, Houston! daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox. Lindsay was elected Harris County judge in 1974 as a moderate Republican, defeating incumbent Democrat Bill Elliot. At the time of Lindsay's first election, Democrats dominated Harris County Commissioners Court.

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Jon Lindsay is, in my mind, the person most responsible for putting Harris County on a very sound financial footing and bringing it into the modern age," said Ed Emmett, one of Lindsay's successors, who now serves as a fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Emmett said he considered the construction of the Harris County toll road system to be Lindsay's greatest accomplishment in office. "I know some people still don’t like toll roads," Emmett said, "but if you didn’t have those toll roads, we wouldn’t have the county road system that we have, and the property taxes would be a whole lot higher." Flood control was another high priority for Lindsay, according his immediate successor as county judge, Robert Eckels, whose father served with Lindsay as a county commissioner. "It was a series of parks, working with the commissioner to build the parks in the flood zone areas," Eckels said. "It's Collins Park. It's Meyer Park. It's part of flood control to be acquiring land for park purposes that would also serve flood control purposes.”

Trump administration lashes out at Minn. officials, takes over ICE shooting probe

Minnesota officials and federal authorities escalated their dispute Thursday over an immigration officer’s fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis, with state leaders saying the Trump administration was blocking local agents from an FBI investigation into the killing and preventing them from accessing evidence. The move, a day after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, ignited protests there, outrage across the country and sharp disagreements between the Trump administration and local and state authorities about what happened. On Thursday, Border Patrol agents were involved in a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, when trying to apprehend an alleged undocumented immigrant in a traffic stop.

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The administration has repeatedly defended the ICE officer in Minneapolis and said he was protecting himself when Good threatened him with her vehicle. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday called Good’s death “a tragedy of her own making.” Minnesota leaders have excoriated these claims, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) denouncing what he called a “garbage narrative” and “bull----” from the administration. Gov. Tim Walz (D) said it is “very, very difficult” to believe a federal probe into the ICE shooting that excludes state investigators will lead to “a fair outcome.” “I say that only because people in positions of power have already passed judgment,” Walz said at a news conference Thursday. Video from the scene raises doubts about some parts of the administration’s portrayals of the shooting. Footage showed that while the vehicle did move toward the ICE agent as he stood in front of it, he was able to move aside and fire at least two of his three shots from the side, according to a Washington Post analysis.

State Stories

Dallas police chief pushes back after Abbott remarks on AT&T exit

Dallas police Chief Daniel Comeaux said Thursday that Gov. Greg Abbott was off base in blaming AT&T’s planned move from downtown on city leaders’ public safety decisions, saying instead that conditions were improving from stepped-up patrols and renewed focus on the area. “It’s not a true depiction of what’s going on in Dallas,” Comeaux said of Abbott’s remarks in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. “Crime is down, recruiting is at an all-time high, and our retention is better this year for officers. The morale is up.” The pushback — paired with an unsigned department statement issued Thursday touting increased patrols, the work of its downtown task force and a new focus on a downtown patrol division — sharpens how AT&T’s planned headquarters move to Plano is being pulled into a broader fight over public safety and homelessness downtown.

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It may also signal a dispute over local control. Abbott, who is ramping up his campaign for a fourth term, said the state could take a closer look at the city’s prior decisions relating to police funding. An Abbott spokesperson, Andrew Mahaleris, declined to comment Thursday on the chief’s statement and deferred to the governor’s Tuesday remarks. The responses are the latest in a clash set off by Abbott’s comments blaming Dallas leadership for AT&T’s decision at a political event in Fort Worth, where he accepted endorsements from Republican elected officials in Tarrant County and a number of Texas police unions, including the Dallas Police Association. City and police spokespeople on Wednesday declined to rebut Abbott, instead pointing back to the city’s earlier statement that AT&T’s decision was a change in corporate preference rather than an indictment of Dallas. An AT&T spokesperson also declined Wednesday to comment on Abbott’s remarks or say whether public safety was a factor in the company’s decision.

Emotional testimony marks restart of Uvalde officer trial

After two days dominated by legal arguments and procedural disputes, the child-endangerment trial of a former Uvalde school district police officer shifted Thursday to emotional accounts that laid bare the human toll of the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers. Before jurors heard that testimony, Presiding Judge Sid Harle excluded the account of a key prosecution witness, ruling that jurors must disregard testimony from former Robb Elementary teacher Stephanie Hale.

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Hale had told the court she saw the gunman on the south side of Robb Elementary School, placing him closer to the defendant, former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales, than had been previously disclosed to investigators. Defense attorneys objected, arguing the new details had not been shared earlier. Speaking outside the presence of the jury, Harle emphasized that the ruling was procedural and not a judgment of Hale’s credibility. “You did absolutely nothing wrong,” the judge told her. “This is not on you. Memories change with traumatic events.” With Hale’s testimony excluded, jurors then heard emotional accounts from two educators whose testimony focused on their personal experiences on May 24, 2022. They did not speak directly to Gonzales’ actions or decision-making as the first officer on the scene.

Democrats Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico set first Senate debate

The first debate in Texas’ Democratic Senate primary is now on the calendar. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin will meet Jan. 24, as both seek to broaden their appeal ahead of early voting. The details: Texas AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education convention, Georgetown, Texas at 2 p.m. The contrast: Crockett has positioned herself as the race’s proven progressive, saying Democrats must mobilize alienated left-leaning voters who often sit out elections. Talarico has emphasized electability, citing his record of flipping a Republican district and saying Democrats need a nominee who can compete statewide.

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The stakes: The Democratic nominee will face the winner of a three-way Republican primary among Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston. Labor’s role: The debate comes before the AFL-CIO’s political arm votes on statewide endorsements, giving the candidates a high-profile chance to appeal to organized labor, long influential in Democratic campaigns. Texas AFL-CIO President Leonard Aguilar said the debate at the convention will focus on “issues that matter to Texas workers” and help union members decide who to support in the March 3 Democratic primary. Early voting begins Feb. 17 How to watch it: The one-hour debate will stream on Nexstar Media Group’s local station websites and smart TV apps. Moderators: Gromer Jeffers Jr., political writer, The Dallas Morning News and Daniel Marin, anchor, KXAN-TV, Austin.

Southlake Republican booted off ballot for Texas House. She alleges conspiracy.

A Republican from Southlake running for the Texas House has been deemed ineligible to appear on the March primary ballot because she used the wrong form to file her candidacy. Zee Wilcox, one of three Republicans in the House District 98 race, said Thursday she has appealed the decision made by Tarrant County GOP Chair Tim Davis. She also accused Davis of spreading false information about her and is alleging a conspiracy to stymie her run. House District 98 covers Colleyville, Grapevine, Keller and Westlake, as well as parts of Euless and Southlake. The other two GOP candidates are Armin Mizani, who is mayor of Keller, and Fred Tate, a Colleyville businessman. The district is currently represented by Giovanni Capriglione, a Southlake Republican who isn’t seeking reelection.

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Wilcox filed to run for office on Dec. 8, the last day to do so. She said her $750 filing fee was cashed and the application was notarized and accepted. But, she said, she was informed Dec. 16 that a precinct chair was challenging her candidacy, in part because Wilcox used a form for federal candidates instead of one for state offices. According to emails shared with the Star-Telegram, Wilcox asked for an opportunity to fix the issue and sought confirmation that she would appear on the ballot when early voting begins Feb. 17. Wilcox said she did not receive a reply. This week, Davis — a lawyer who was elected GOP chair in November — sent Wilcox an email saying he was declaring her ineligible to run in the primary, as her application “does not comply with the statutory requirements for a state house candidate.” Now she is asking the Texas Secretary of State’s Office to weigh in on the matter. Wilcox has also sent Davis a cease and desist letter demanding that he not share “false, misleading, or materially incomplete statements” about her candidacy. He responded to her by email saying “I haven’t made any false statement and your demands are baseless.”

RodeoHouston reveals 2026 lineup starring Lizzo, Lainey Wilson, and Creed

After months of social media anticipation, educated guessing, wishing, and internet sleuthing, the lineup for this year’s RodeoHouston concert series has been revealed. It’s a year of homegrown talent making bucket list appearances, intriguing debuts, reliable stunners, and millennial nostalgia. While the lineup announcement is always huge news in Houston — taking over social media feeds for days of discourse — it was New York City that got the first real taste of rodeo vibes this week. On the afternoon of Wednesday, January 7, 2026 debut performer Russell Dickerson played live onstage in Manhattan’s Times Square. RodeoHouston invaded the Big Apple with denim-clad dancers and Howdy, the rodeo’s own bow-legged mascot, mingling with New Yorkers heading home from work.

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It was an auspicious way for Houston’s month-long legacy event to make a splash on an international stage. Seeing the rodeo logo in Times Square must have been a sight for expat Houstonians. Too bad Howdy didn’t bring funnel cakes, fried Oreos, and carnival games to round out the experience. “We strive to bring Houston the very best in live entertainment, and the 2026 lineup raises that standard once again,” Chris Boleman, president and CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, said in a statement. “From chart-topping newcomers to artists making their long-awaited return after nearly 20 years, this year’s lineup is truly a reflection of both our Western roots and the vibrant footprint of the Houston community.” Kicking off on Monday, March 2, with Riley Green leading the charge, the lineup will feature a total of nine new artists making their RodeoHouston debuts, including Dickerson, Lizzo, Forrest Frank, Megan Moroney, Creed, Shaboozey, Pepe Aguilar, Red Clay Strays, and Koe Wetzel.

San Antonio pauses rainbow sidewalks due to joint lawsuit by Pride SA and Texas Conservative Liberty Forum

The City of San Antonio is temporarily stopping its plans to paint 6-foot rainbow sidewalks along Main Avenue due to a joint lawsuit filed against the city by the organizer of the pride parade and a conservative group. The suit, filed by Pride San Antonio and Texas Conservative Liberty Forum, asks for a temporary restraining order to prevent the city from: removing the rainbow crosswalk that was installed in 2018; painting rainbow sidewalks along Main Avenue; and using any city funds for the process. San Antonio's City Attorney Andy Segovia said in a statement that "the suit claims the work on the crosswalk and sidewalks require a Council vote to authorize the work."

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“City Council authorized public works funds in its approval of the FY 2026 budget and those funds are being used for both activities,” Segovia said. “A preliminary hearing is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. The City believes the Plaintiffs’ suit is without merit. The City is pausing the work in progress on painting of the sidewalks given the litigation." The sidewalk installation is expected to cost about $170,000 according to a city memo earlier this week. On Thursday, San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh sent a memo to council members saying the city was contacted by local attorney Justin Nichols — who represents both groups. “He intends to file suit on behalf of both entities seeking to enjoin the removal of the painted crosswalks and to prevent the painting of sidewalks. In addition, we have Council members raising concerns about the painting of sidewalks,” Walsh said. “Consequently, I have put a pause on the painting of the sidewalks until we have the opportunity to brief the Council in an Executive Session and to continue working with the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and the community on implementation. We will maintain our schedule for removing the painted crosswalk.”

Texas governor threatens state takeover of Houston elections

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) threatened Houston with a state takeover of its elections on Thursday — an escalation of long-simmering GOP threats to gain control of voting in the fourth-largest city in the United States. “They should be stripped of operating elections and state officials should take over. Potential legal charges should also be considered,” Abbott wrote on social media, calling Harris County a “repeat violator of election integrity.” Abbott was reacting after a complaint by a GOP state lawmaker alleged voters were unlawfully registered using commercial post office box addresses. But elections in Harris County, home to Houston, have been a top focus of Texas Republicans for years.

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In a comment to Democracy Docket, Lesley Briones, a Democrat who serves on the five-member county governing body known as commissioners court, pushed back on Abbott’s claims. “Harris County is committed to the integrity of our voter rolls and has been diligent about following the law — a fact that has been acknowledged by the Texas Secretary of State. Governor Abbott either doesn’t understand this issue, or he is intentionally misrepresenting the law in his continued efforts to undermine our democracy and erode our voting rights,” she said. “Texans deserve better. Harris County is dedicated to operating with the fairness, transparency, and excellence our democracy deserves.” In 2023, Texas passed a measure allowing the state to order “administrative oversight” of local elections offices. The law applies only to counties with a population of more than four million – in other words, just Harris County. Republicans now appear to be taking steps to activate their oversight mechanism for the first time. Under the law, administrative oversight could be ordered by Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, a former Republican state senator who was appointed by Abbott in 2023. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R), the author of the state takeover legislation, submitted a complaint to the Secretary of State’s office in November, alleging more than 100 voter registrations were found at Houston UPS locations.

Renowned architect Steven Holl writes letter advocating for the preservation and reuse of Dallas City Hall

Today, Dallas City Hall’s concrete surfaces bear the marks of deferred maintenance. Estimates for necessary upgrades range from $152 million to $345 million, prompting the Texas city to rethink where it houses its municipal offices and weigh whether to repair, sell, or demolish the building. A vote passed by the Dallas City Council in November permitted the exploration of alternatives to the City Hall building. Per the resolution, city officials have been asked to determine costs to occupy office space elsewhere, bring in outside consultants to review deferred maintenance cost estimates, and study how the site could be redeveloped to spur economic growth. Some preservationists and opponents view this uncertainty as a threat for the building. The debate continues in 2026. Yesterday, Steven Holl penned a note to Mayor Eric Johnson and the citizens of Dallas about the building. He shared the text below and the above sketch with AN for publication. The text below the sketch reads: “Save Dallas City Hall—a public horizontal architecture and public landscape in a city of commerce.”

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Holl’s letter reads in full: The Dallas City Hall opened in 1978, during the same year that its architect I. M. Pei opened the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. These modern monumental public buildings mark an optimism of our culture in time by one of its leading architects. They should be preserved as examples of architecture culture for America’s future generations. Of course, a 50-year-old building (with neglected maintenance) needs upgrading, such as advanced geothermal cooling and heating systems. However, to tear down this landmark public architecture today would be a crime. “Adaptive Reuse” is the current trend (preventing landfill waste) and this building could be re-programmed and adapted, preserving the inspiring space, light, and geometry of I. M. Pei. Designed in 1968 as a symbol of optimism and renewal after the tragic assassination of JFK in Dallas, this architecture is culturally very significant and important. With hope for architecture, Steven

DHS shows off new border buoys in Rio Grande

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the Rio Grande on Wednesday to show off new water buoy barriers that the agency has started installing in the Rio Grande. Noem says 500 miles of new border buoys have started going in the river, beginning in Brownsville, Texas, to deter illegal immigration from Mexico. ”These barriers will make it much harder for illegal aliens to drug smugglers and human traffickers to cross the river and other waterways where they will be deployed,” Noem said during her day-long visit. Seventeen miles are being built in Brownsville at a cost of $96 million. The first buoys were put in Tuesday, and Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks told Border Report that over 90% of the buoys will be put in Texas.

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The Department of Homeland Security on Jan. 7, 2026, unveiled new water buoy barriers that the agency has started installing in the Rio Grande. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report) On Wednesday, Noem took Border Report and other reporters to a remote area to show off the new structures, part of what DHS calls a “Smart Wall” system. ”A nation with no borders is no nation at all,” Noem said as she stood before a giant cylinder, one of the buoys. The new federal buoys are different from those put in the river by the State of Texas in 2023 in Eagle Pass. Banks says the new federal buoys are “better.” They are much bigger — 15 feet long for each buoy. And they are cylindrical, not round. Banks says these new buoys float better and have fibre optic sensing technology to detect if someone is trying to cross over it, or if wildlife are stuck in it. ”As you try to climb up on the buoys they roll backwards preventing you to climb on them, and we’ve also found that using the more cylindrical instead of the circular, we get better flotation, which helps us maintain better control of the buoys,” Banks said.

Significant changes in Texas A&M's curriculum mirror Texas Tech's approach to race and gender courses

A major policy shift at Texas A&M University is sending ripples through higher education statewide--including right here in Lubbock at Texas Tech. Faculty at Texas A&M were recently told that roughly 200 courses in the College of Arts and Sciences could be altered, reassigned, or removed from the core curriculum due to new system-wide restrictions on how race, gender, and related topics can be discussed in certain classes. The changes come just days before classes begin, after students had already registered. While the situation is unfolding in College Station, similar policies are already affecting campuses within the Texas Tech University System.

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The changes stem from a policy approved by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents in November, requiring administrators to approve courses that could be seen as advocating “race and gender ideology,” particularly in introductory and core curriculum classes. Since then, emails obtained by The Texas Tribune show: An introductory sociology course on race and ethnicity was canceled, a communications course was renumbered to remove core credit and a philosophy professor was told to remove certain readings--including Plato--or be reassigned University officials say exemptions can be requested if race or gender topics are deemed essential to a course, but those approvals are still pending, leaving students and faculty uncertain as the semester begins.

Robbye Kirkpatrick: Texas students need to acquire a deeper understanding of financial literacy

(Robbye Kirkpatrick is a co-founder of Texas TransformED, a statewide education coalition; a small-business owner; a real estate investor; and a mother of four children who attended Texas public schools.) Texas students graduate into a world of credit cards, rent, taxes, insurance and student loans, yet far too many leave high school without receiving practical instruction in how money works. We expect young adults to navigate complex financial systems on day one, but we rarely give them the tools to do so with confidence. That is beginning to change, and Texas now stands at a critical crossroads. In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 27 into law, requiring all Texas high school students to complete a stand-alone personal financial literacy course. This is a real win for families, employers and communities across the state. But as Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills are drafted for implementation in the 2026-27 school year, the question is not whether students will take a financial literacy course. It is what kind of course they will take.

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These essential knowledge and skills matter. They determine what can be taught, tested, funded, scheduled and even outsourced. The decisions being made now will shape whether this course becomes a compliance exercise or a transformational learning experience. Will students complete worksheets on budgeting and credit card payoff schedules, or will they engage in applied projects that lead to real mastery? Will they read about finances in a textbook, or will they use real-world tools that mirror how adults actually manage money, build assets and create opportunity? True financial literacy must include banking, budgeting, credit and debt, taxes, insurance, investing, entrepreneurship, ownership structures, retirement planning and long-term wealth creation. These are not advanced or elite concepts. They are foundational skills for economic mobility in today’s Texas. This matters deeply because approximately 60% of Texas public school students are considered economically disadvantaged. For these students, training focused solely on expense tracking is not enough. Many students lack exposure to income growth, asset ownership and investing, which are the engines that built Texas into the eighth-largest economy in the world. From small businesses and real estate to energy, health care, technology and agriculture, Texas was built by individuals who understood ownership and long-term value creation.

Lina Hidalgo says it's too early to consider ousting treasurer

It's too early to consider removing Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt from office or reducing her duties following her arrest, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Thursday. The embattled treasurer was arrested and charged with misdemeanor burglary of a vehicle Dec. 28. She was previously charged with driving under the influence and twice violated her bond conditions. Wyatt, in both instances, blew above the limit into an ignition interlock device that a judge ordered be installed in her vehicle following her DWI offense. "It's a very concerning situation. Of course, the allegations are concerning. But the fact of the matter is, voters elected Treasurer Wyatt," Hidalgo said. "A lot of elected officials cope with things in different ways, but as far as a revision of her duties or any kind of removal — not right now, we need to wait and see what the court says." Commissioners discussed potentially reassigning duties Wyatt's office is responsible for in executive session, which is not open to the public. While the details of their discussion were not made public, commissioners did not take action on the item.

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Critical minerals recycler lands $11.5M federal grant to open big Briggs plant

An Austin-based recycler of critical materials and minerals has received an $11.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as it works to open a facility in Briggs by the end of this year. The company on Jan. 5 announced that MELT Technologies LP, which does business as Amermin, received the grant from the DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management to sustainably refine and produce critical materials and minerals in the United States, with a focus on tungsten carbide. CEO Ryan McAdams said in a statement the funding will enable the company to increase output of tungsten carbide by 300% through the expansion of its carbide reclamation facility, and ultimately reduce domestic reliance on foreign countries like China, which produces 83% of the world's tungsten supply.

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“We appreciate the DOE’s confidence in Amermin to establish a reliable domestic source of critical materials and minerals, addressing important supply chain and national security issues,” McAdams said. "We know that America’s future depends on access to critical materials, and together we are charting a new path in American innovation.” McAdams founded Amermin in his garage in 2017, and it grew to $13 million in revenue in 2023. It takes waste generated by industries like oil, gas and aerospace and then refines it into critical materials not primarily found in the United States — essentially returning them to the domestic supply chain. Among customers it has named in the past are Firefly Aerospace Inc., and energy, oil and gas giants like Halliburton Co., Schlumberger NV and Baker Hughes Co. Amermin in 2024 broke ground on the 75-acre property at 419 County Road 218 in Briggs, a small town in Burnet County north of Austin that is home to Firefly's Rocket Ranch. Amermin is aiming to open by the second quarter of this year. Officials previously said it will include two 22,000-square-foot buildings that will employ roughly 50 to 75 people. Over the next decade, the campus could have up to 10 similarly sized buildings and 850 employees.

Kate Greer: Texas is taking steps toward fixing its early childhood education system

(Kate Greer is a policy consultant and founding partner at Magnolia Bay Group.) High-quality, affordable, early childhood programs aren’t just nice to have. They support working parents, enhance child development in critical early years, and ultimately grow the economy. Texas has long recognized the importance of a strong education and workforce system, but our state’s approach to early childhood has been fragmented and inefficient. Parents, providers and policymakers alike often grapple with three basic questions: How many Texas children need early childhood care? How many seats are currently available? And what is the value (price and quality) of those seats? In a state that prides itself on big thinking, high returns on investment, and family-oriented solutions, this gap in accountability is notable. Earlier this week, Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to state agency leaders emphasizing the need to strengthen oversight in child care programs, making clear that taxpayer dollars must be protected and used for their intended purpose. His message underscores a simple truth: Public investment works only when governance is clear, coordinated and focused on results.

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This letter complements important steps that the Texas Legislature took toward addressing our state’s child care system last year. First, legislators created the Quad Agency Initiative, a process to better align regulations across the four state agencies that touch child care. Second, lawmakers formed the governor’s task force on the governance of early childhood education and care, a focused opportunity to address the broader governance and operational challenges of the overall system. These combined reforms matter more than they sound. Right now, for instance, a provider is monitored separately by multiple agencies — each leveraging slightly different standards for safety, staffing or recordkeeping. That wastes time and money without guaranteeing higher quality. The Quad Agency Initiative can help resolve these conflicts, reduce unnecessary burdens and allow providers to spend more time focused on children’s learning and well-being. The workforce stakes are also high. Parents cannot reliably participate in the economy if they lack affordable and quality care in which they have confidence. Businesses across Texas, from oil fields to tech hubs, feel the strain when families don’t have stable, accessible options. Early childhood programs are as much an economic competitiveness issue about the workforce of today as they are an education issue preparing the workforce of tomorrow. Without them, Texas risks leaving both talent and opportunity on the table. Currently, early childhood education and care in Texas comes in a “mixed-delivery” format that includes small businesses, homes, Head Start programs, and public and private schools. This constellation of providers is a strength, as families deserve choice across all parts of the Lone Star State. But choice without coherence creates chaos. Taking a step back to look at the overall system’s alignment and outcomes through the governor’s task force will ensure design choices are intentional and results-driven to meet Texas’ needs. Ultimately, this legislative interim stands to transform the way early learning and care programs work in Texas, allowing families to find high-quality care for their children that promotes a strong education foundation and encourages more consistent workforce participation. Texas has taken important first steps toward building an early childhood system worthy of its families. But recognizing the opportunity for improvement is just the beginning. Now it must finish the job by creating clear leadership and governance structures, more seamlessly tackling regulatory hiccups and ensuring every household has access to care that allows families and our economy to thrive.

He offered UT a $100,000 endowment for Hispanic scholars. Texas Exes denied it

Daniel Acosta was the top pharmacy class graduate at the University of Texas in 1968. After pursuing his doctorate in Kansas, he returned to the Forty Acres as the inaugural director of the College of Pharmacy. He taught from 1974 to 1996 as the college's second Hispanic professor and went on to become a dean at the University of Cincinnati and the deputy director of the Federal Drug Administration’s Toxicology Center. “I was a poor Chicano boy from El Paso,” Acosta said. “I made my name in toxicology at the University of Texas.” When Acosta returned to Austin after his retirement, it was important for him to give back, particularly to other Mexican-American Texans who didn’t always see themselves represented in academia. At UT, he saw that the College of Pharmacy’s faculty remained predominantly white, though UT is now designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution with more than a quarter of students identifying as Hispanic.

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After more than four years of trying to create a scholarship with the College of Pharmacy to help more Latino scholars become professors at UT, the university and Texas Exes, a nonprofit run by UT alumni, declined to accept his $100,000 endowment in November. The reason for the rejection — his scholarship’s focus on diversity, Acosta said in an interview with the American-Statesman. “There has been no progress at all in trying to bring in more Hispanic faculty at the College of Pharmacy,” Acosta said. “How could that happen in a state that has shown a significant rise in Hispanics and at a university that now has a student body of over (25)% Hispanic?” The College of Pharmacy is the only unit where the percentage of Hispanic faculty members significantly decreased from 2017 to 2025, even as the number of total faculty members dropped by a quarter, according to UT’s data. In 2017, 16.8% of faculty members, or 50 people, at the college were Hispanic, but by 2025, it was only 6.7%, or 27 people. The percentage of Hispanic residents in Austin is more than five times that size. “In a minority-majority state, to have so few professors of color, what signal is that sending to our kids?” he added.

Jonathan Fombonne named new Harris County attorney

Jonathan Fombonne, first assistant county attorney to Christian Menefee, was named Harris County attorney Thursday. The appointment came more than nine months after Menefee technically resigned to run for Congressional District 18. Fombonne has served as Menefee’s right-hand man since February 2021. Before joining the county attorney’s office, Fombonne was a partner at Kirkland and Ellis, LLP, where he specialized in complex commercial litigation, according to his LinkedIn. "Thank you for the trust you placed me. I appreciate the vote of confidence and the chance to serve as Harris County attorney. I'm grateful for it. I take this job very seriously," Fombonne said. "I see the county attorney's job as being a practical partner to this court, helping you understand the legal landscape, finding solutions to legal problems, raising issues when we need to and staying out of the way when we don't."

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Fombonne will lead the office until voters elect a new county attorney in November. Menefee, who was the first Black Harris County attorney and the youngest person elected to the position, was first elected in 2020 and again in 2024. Whoever voters choose to succeed him in November will occupy the office for the remainder of his term before another election is held in 2028. Although he technically resigned in March, he remained in the position as a "holdover" — an elected official who, despite resigning, continues to hold office as officials search for a replacement — until Fombonne's appointment Thursday. The holdover provision was included in Texas’ 1876 Constitution, and provided a carve-out intended to prevent vacancies from disrupting government services and functions. Commissioners also passed a resolution honoring Menefee's more-than five years of service leading the county attorney's office. A host of elected officials, community members and organizers attended Thursday's meeting to voice their support and gratitude for Menefee's leadership. Menefee, who was first elected at 32, was credited with bringing a novel offensive approach to the county attorney's office, which previously operated as a little-known office on the periphery of the political spotlight.

National Stories

Trump orders Fannie and Freddie to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds

President Trump said he was ordering the two big government-controlled mortgage finance firms to start buying bonds backed by mortgages, his latest bid to make it easier for Americans to buy a home. In a post on social media on Thursday, Mr. Trump said he was directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy up to $200 billion in mortgage-backed bonds. While his announcement was short on details, bond investors reacted quickly to the potential for giant government purchases of mortgage bonds. After the statement, the difference between the interest rates on mortgage bonds and Treasuries narrowed by 0.1 percentage points, a sharp move in that market and an early indication that the initiative could have some effect on the mortgage market.

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Some analysts questioned the extent of the impact on consumer mortgage rates over time, given that those rates are influenced by a number of factors, including Federal Reserve policy. Mr. Trump’s announcement is part of a recent effort by the White House to show it is responding to the public’s concerns about the cost of living and specifically the issue of housing affordability. It is an issue that could dog Republicans in this year’s midterm elections. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said he wanted Congress to bar big Wall Street firms from buying more single-family homes to operate as rental properties. Some housing experts have said institutional buyers of single-family homes have driven up home prices and led to higher rents in some communities. Mr. Trump is also said to be considering asking Congress to permit home buyers to take money out of their retirement savings to pay for down payments.

Minneapolis Public Schools cancels class Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 after ICE shooting

Minneapolis Public Schools announced classes will be canceled on Thursday, Jan. 8, and Friday, Jan. 9, with no e-learning being offered. School officials say they made the decision "out of an abundance of caution" due to safety concerns related to incidents all around the city. This comes after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman during an enforcement operation. All district-sponsored programs, including activities, athletics, Community Education and adult education will also be canceled. Minneapolis Public Schools say it will continue collaborating with the City of Minneapolis and other partners on emergency preparedness response.

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CBS abruptly ousts 'Evening News' senior producer just days into broadcast revamp

CBS News dismissed one of the top producers of its marquee evening newscast just days into a major revamp. A source confirmed with Fox News Digital that Javier Guzman, who was promoted to senior broadcast producer for "CBS Evening News" in August, was pulled off the program Wednesday. According to his LinkedIn page, Guzman joined the "CBS Evening News" in 2018. It remains unclear why Guzman was abruptly removed. Neither Guzman nor CBS News immediately responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

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"CBS Evening News" has been undergoing an overhaul led by network editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who tapped "CBS Mornings" co-host Tony Dokoupil to take over the anchor desk. Dokoupil made his debut on Saturday during a special breaking news edition of the program covering President Donald Trump's actions in Venezuela and the dramatic capture of Nicolás Maduro. The official relaunch of "CBS Evening News" was set for Jan. 5. The rollout of the revamped broadcast has had some hiccups. During Monday's newscast, Dokoupil experienced technical difficulties and became flustered between what was in the teleprompter and the images appearing on-screen. "First day, first day, big problems here," Dokoupil acknowledged to viewers. Liberal critics also swiped at the anchor when he concluded Tuesday's broadcast from Miami by offering a "salute" to Secretary of State Marco Rubio while wrapping a light-hearted segment about Rubio's various roles in the Trump administration from his hometown. "Marco Rubio, we salute you. You’re the ultimate Florida man," Dokoupil told Rubio, with Floridians dining behind him.

An eventful first week in his job for CBS News' Tony Dokoupil, maybe not as intended

No one can say Tony Dokoupil is slipping into his new job as “CBS Evening News” anchor unnoticed. In a week, he’s issued a veritable manifesto for how he intends to fulfill the role, cast subtle shade on saintly predecessor Walter Cronkite, had an unexpected debut dominated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and posted a cringeworthy video of people mispronouncing his name. If attention is currency in trying to revive a television institution fallen on hard times, Dokoupil has earned some. The jury is out on whether it’s the kind he needs. The 45-year-old Dokoupil, a “CBS Mornings” host since 2019, inherited the chair once occupied by Cronkite, Dan Rather, Katie Couric, Scott Pelley and Norah O’Donnell. He was supposed to have started Monday with a two-week tour around the country, but his first broadcast instead came Saturday after the U.S. military action in Venezuela.

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An estimated 27 million to 29 million people watched the “CBS Evening News” each night in Cronkite’s last full year as anchor in 1980, the most popular of the three broadcast evening newscasts. The show is now entrenched at No. 3. And with news habits far different now, its nightly audience of 4.04 million people last year was a little more than half of what David Muir gets at ABC. In video and printed messages posted last week, Dokoupil said he hoped to earn back the trust that many people have lost in legacy media institutions. “On too many stories, the press missed the story,” he said. “Because we’ve taken into account the perspective of advocates, and not the average American, or we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you.” He said his promise to viewers is that “you come first. Not advertisers. Not politicians. Not corporate interests. And, yes, that does include the corporate owners of CBS. I report for you.” It was unclear where Dokoupil felt the analysis by “elites” led the country astray. He broadcast from Miami on Tuesday, beginning his nationwide tour a day late, and wasn’t available for comment, CBS said.

Musk's Grok chatbot restricts image generation after global backlash to sexualized deepfakes

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is preventing most users from generating or editing any images after a global backlash that erupted after it started spewing sexualized deepfakes of people. The chatbot, which is accessed through Musk’s social media platform X, has in the past few weeks been granting a wave of what researchers say are malicious user requests to modify images, including putting women in bikinis or in sexually explicit positions. Researchers have warned that in a few cases, some images appeared to depict children. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and opened investigations into the platform.

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On Friday, Grok was responding to image altering requests with the message: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.” While subscriber numbers for Grok aren’t publicly available, there was a noticeable decline in the number of explicit deepfakes that Grok is now generating compared with days earlier. The European Union has slammed Grok for “illegal” and “appalling” behavior, while officials in France, India, Malaysia and a Brazilian lawmaker have called for investigations. Related Stories Musk's AI chatbot faces global backlash over sexualized images of women and children These are the key AI players on the cover of Time's 'Architects of AI' magazine Disney invests $1B in OpenAI in deal to bring characters like Mickey Mouse to Sora AI video tool

As Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point pushes into high schools, dissension follows

In the months after the conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated, the college-focused organization he left behind, Turning Point USA, has expanded its reach into hundreds of high schools, rousing gripes and accolades along the way. In a suburban Milwaukee high school, a straight-A senior was suspended after removing a poster advertising Club America, Turning Point’s high school branch. In Northern California, students demanded a Club America chapter shut down after its inaugural meeting in December included remarks from a Republican official on L.G.B.T.Q. issues that rankled some parents and students alike. And in Houston, the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, celebrated a Club America chapter that had drawn the ire of a high school student’s mother. All of this friction has surfaced in both liberal- and conservative-run states and in urban and rural districts, as teens and their parents grapple with the confrontational politics that were Mr. Kirk’s hallmark.

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“People are outraged,” said Rachel Ortiz, a parent in Northern California. “There’s a reason Charlie Kirk didn’t debate high school kids. He did it with college kids, who are adults.” Turning Point USA, founded in 2012, aimed its activism at teenagers with the July launch of Club America, calling it the “leading movement for freedom-loving American values,” such as capitalism and limited government. But Mr. Kirk’s death supercharged the effort; the number of Club America chapters has more than doubled since then, rising to over 3,000 from about 1,200, Nick Cocca, the Club America enterprise director for Turning Point USA, said in an interview. Public officials, past and present, in Texas, Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma have pushed the expansion, vowing to discipline school administrators who try to block the organizations. “Any school that stands in the way of a Club America program in their school should be reported immediately to the Texas Education Agency, where I expect meaningful disciplinary action,” Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, said during a news conference on Dec. 8 in which he and the state’s lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, vowed to help Turning Point bring a chapter to every Texas high school. Mr. Patrick had already pledged $1 million of his campaign funds to the effort.

Mamdani’s first sit-down as mayor

Way back in March of 2025, when Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani was at 1% in the Democratic primary polls, he promised THE CITY’s FAQ NYC his very first sit-down interview as mayor. On Thursday afternoon, Mayor Mamdani made good on that promise joining, talking hosts Christina Greer and Harry Siegel in City Hall’s Blue Room for a wide-ranging conversation. He talked about what would happen if an ICE agent here committed a murder like the one he said took place on Wednesday in Minneapolis: "If you violate the law, then you have to be held to account. And there’s no amount of mischaracterizations of what we all saw happen in Minneapolis that can tell us to believe anything other than our own eyes. And the horror of what we saw is not just in that murder. It’s also knowing that this is just a glimpse into what has been a year of cruelty."

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And Mamdani responded to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s appearance in New York this morning, where she said the new mayor and the NYPD “have not been productive” partners: "What I want my NYPD to do, and what I would also say my entirety of city government to do, is to follow the law. And the law here in New York City includes our sanctuary city policies. Going beyond NYPD, this extends to New Yorkers knowing that ICE agents don’t have the right to enter into a school unless they put forward a judicial warrant signed by a judge. It extends to any city property, in addition to properties that are owned or operated by city contractors. And for a long time, City Hall was not clear about the rights that New Yorkers had in those instances. And I’m unsurprised to hear that this would be described as being unproductive when, in fact, it is just being clear about the fact that we do not want our city government, our city officials, public servants, to be operating in violation to these laws." The interview closed with the new mayor’s message to the significant majority of Jewish New Yorkers who polls show have been largely unconvinced so far by Mamdani’s messaging: "For many New Yorkers, including many Jewish New Yorkers, rhetoric rings hollow when they hear it from politicians. And what’s so exciting to me is that I now say these things as the mayor, which means I can also do these things. You know, we were sitting at this exact table when we spoke about the Williamsburg Bridge bump, and I was sitting here, and I was saying, ‘Well, this is something I’ve been asked about, how quickly could we do it?’ And my Deputy Mayor for Operation said we could do it tomorrow. So we did it tomorrow. And to me, that also comes back to the heart of — when you talk about taking on the scourge of antisemitism across the five boroughs of New York City. I’ve talked about adding additional investments to hate crime prevention programs. Now, as the mayor, I can do it. And that is something that I think many are waiting for — to see, is it right to believe? Is it right to hope? And we’re going to show them that it is."

Federal immigration officers shoot and wound 2 people in Portland, Oregon, authorities say

Federal immigration agents shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland on Thursday, a day after an officer fatally shot a woman in Minnesota, authorities said. The shooting drew hundreds of protesters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building at night, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield vowed to investigate “whether any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority” and refer criminal charges to the prosecutor’s office if warranted. The Department of Homeland Security said the vehicle’s passenger was “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” who was involved in a recent shooting in the city.

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When agents identified themselves to the occupants during a “targeted vehicle stop” in the afternoon, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a statement. “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot,” it said. “The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.” There was no immediate independent corroboration of that account or of any gang affiliation of the vehicle’s occupants. During prior shootings involving agents from President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns in U.S. cities, including the fatal one Wednesday in Minneapolis, video evidence has cast doubt on the administration’s characterizations of what prompted the shootings. Trump and his allies have consistently blamed the Tren de Aragua gang for being at the root of violence and drug dealing in some U.S. cities. The Portland shooting escalates tensions in a city that has long had a contentious relationship with Trump, including due to his recent failed effort to deploy National Guard troops there. The city saw long-running nightly protests outside the ICE building.

Copyright January 09, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved