June 24, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Texas water officials seek more funding as crisis worsens, costs soar: ‘This is not going to stop’

Texas water officials pleaded with members of the Texas House Natural Resources committee on Tuesday to provide more funding for water supply projects as project costs skyrocket. Despite the Texas Legislature allocating increased funding to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) in 2013, and again last year, water experts are concerned about a lack of funding available for local governments to undertake needed water infrastructure projects. In 2013, the Legislature passed House Bill 4, which created the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). This fund had an initial investment of $2 billion and provided communities with low-interest financing to address state water plan projects. Examples of these projects include building new pipelines and conservation efforts.

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The plan was to use that initial investment as the base of an endowment to build a sustainable fund — funneling $27 billion towards water infrastructure projects for 50 years. However, Temple McKinnon, water supply planning director for TWDB, says their drafted 2027 five-year State Water Plan far exceeds current funding. “It’s an ongoing challenge. We do our absolute best to essentially squeeze as much capacity as we can out of our financial assistance programs, but there is growing demand as evidenced very clearly by the kind of new $174 billion price tag for the State Water Plan,” McKinnon told lawmakers Tuesday. McKinnon clarified that increased costs are attributed to a wide range of factors, including inflationary pressure, labor costs, and materials. Last year, the Texas legislature passed a constitutional amendment to dedicate $1 billion a year towards water infrastructure from 2027 through 2047. The voters of Texas confirmed their support with a constitutional amendment referendum. However, the first funds won’t likely be granted until at least 2028.

After clashes, Senate Republicans prepare to talk it out with Trump

President Donald Trump has clashed with Senate Republicans repeatedly in recent months, demanding they pass legislation that they say doesn’t have enough votes and striking an agreement to end the war with Iran that many of them have criticized. On Wednesday, they’ll have a chance to work out their differences — or air their grievances — face to face. Trump is set to join Senate Republicans for lunch in the Capitol, his first meeting with the entire conference since they had breakfast at the White House in November. Trump’s relationship with some Senate Republicans has deteriorated in the intervening months — not least because he helped to defeat two of their own in GOP primaries.

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Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) both lost their primaries last month after Trump endorsed their opponents. Neither has spoken to the president since he helped end their political careers — but both said they plan to attend Wednesday’s lunch. Cornyn has lamented what he described as the recent feuding between Trump and Senate Republicans. “The main question I would like to ask the president is: Do you want to win the midterms?” Cornyn told reporters. “A bunch of infighting among Republicans isn’t conducive to winning. And if we do want to win, I think we’re going to have to change our behavior.” Trump infuriated Senate Republicans last month by reaching an agreement with the Justice Department to create a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people, including Trump’s political allies, who claim they were wrongly prosecuted during the Biden administration. Some Republican senators said they feared it could reward people convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The administration eventually backed down, but Trump has created more headaches for his party. Last week, he directed Jay Clayton, his nominee for director of national intelligence, not to appear for his Senate confirmation hearing. That move undercut a Republican plan to renew a major surveillance law.

A landmark housing bill passed Congress. Home builders fear it will fizzle.

Congress on Tuesday passed its most-ambitious housing legislation since the 1980s, a package of more than 50 provisions aimed at making it easier to build homes and make housing more affordable. The House passed the bill 358-32 with broad bipartisan support a day after the Senate voted 85-5 to approve the measure. President Trump is expected to sign it into law as soon as Wednesday. Home builders and developers are responding mostly with a shrug. The legislation offers no new funding for affordable-housing projects. And it is up against economic headwinds that are keeping builders from expanding the housing stock, such as elevated mortgage rates and higher construction and materials costs. Ultimately, the bill exposes the limits of the federal government’s ability to increase housing supply. Congress doesn’t have the authority to change the local zoning regulations and building codes that actually determine what gets built in America and that have bogged down new-housing development for decades.

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Builders, scarred by the years of local bottlenecks that have delayed and killed their projects, fear that Congress’s new legislation could meet the same fate when cities and towns try to implement it. “All of this has to be administered at the state and local levels,” said Ed Brady, president and chief executive of the Home Builders Institute. “It’s going to take some time for this to actually filter down, if at all.” Still, the bill known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is at least a step in the right direction and sends the correct signals, according to housing economists. It includes measures speeding up federal environmental reviews for certain housing projects, removing restrictions on building manufactured homes, and tying cities’ federal funding to their housing production. Aaron Pechota, the executive vice president of development at NRP Group, said there are bits and pieces of the legislation that could make a difference, such as easing the limits on what banks can invest in public-welfare projects including affordable housing. He added that eliminating federal environmental reviews would save months on certain projects. “This is like ordering an appetizer,” Pechota said. “It’s not going to fill you up; it’s not going to be a complete meal.”

Three Mamdani-backed candidates win Democratic primaries in New York

Progressive allies of Zohran Mamdani swept through New York’s primaries Tuesday, handing defeats to mainstream Democrats in deep-blue congressional districts and boosting the New York City mayor’s standing as a kingmaker in the party. Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander ousted incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in a race that centered on Israel and the war in Gaza. State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez and community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier, members of the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated Democratic candidates endorsed by establishment leaders. The victories of Lander, Avila Chevalier and Valdez—all endorsed by Mamdani—highlight the mayor’s expanding influence within the Democratic Party and demonstrate how the DSA has leveraged his popularity to help elect more of its candidates. The victories will likely add to Mamdani’s list of allies inside the New York delegation to Washington. In the predominantly blue city, the winners in the Democratic primaries are heavily favored in the November general elections.

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In another closely watched race, New York Assemblyman Micah Lasher, 44 years old, won the primary to succeed retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler in one of New York’s wealthiest districts, representing parts of Manhattan. Lasher beat out a crowded field of challengers for the 12th Congressional District, including fellow state Assemblyman Alex Bores; Jack Schlossberg, a grandson of President John F. Kennedy; and George Conway, the ex-husband of former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who ran as the most vocal advocate of impeaching the president. Mamdani, who lives in the district and didn’t endorse a candidate in this race, declined to say who he voted for. Lasher had 39% of the vote compared with Bores’s 35%, according to the Associated Press. The Democratic primaries marked Mamdani’s first foray into making endorsements for congressional candidates since he became mayor. The mayor made high-profile campaign appearances with Lander, Avila Chevalier and Valdez and appeared in a splashy television ad with them that aired during the NBA Finals. He also expended political capital, backing upstart candidates and upsetting some Democratic Party leaders in the process. All of the candidates endorsed by Mamdani have called for the dismantling of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and want additional housing and other measures to make life affordable for working families. They are also highly critical of the Israeli government and the war in Gaza.

State Stories

Ashley Etienne and Dallas Jones: 5 ways Texas Democrats can shore up the Black vote

(Ashley Etienne is the CEO of Etienne & Saint, a strategic communications firm. She was the communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Dallas S. Jones, a Democratic strategist and public affairs consultant with more than 20 years experience, is the president and CEO of Elite Change Inc.) There’s no doubt that the race between scandal-plagued Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico offers Texas Democrats their best chance in decades to flip a Senate seat — but the Democratic Party faces a quiet crisis of Black disillusionment and disengagement that threatens electoral victories here and across the country. As the home of the nation’s largest Black electorate, Texas is the perfect place to address this growing tension. From the shores of Galveston, where Juneteenth was born, to towering figures like U.S. Reps. Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland and Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas has long been at the heart of the Black movement toward a more perfect union. For decades, Black voters have been the unshakeable foundation of the Democratic coalition. But dangerous cracks have begun to form. In 2020, 15% of Black men in Texas voted for Trump. By 2024, that support more than doubled to 34%. Meanwhile, Black women are exhausted.

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Too many feel undervalued by a party that depends on their loyalty and labor but ignores their voices and contributions. In 2024, 92% of Black women voted for Harris, even though 35% felt neither party looked out for them — a sentiment reinforced by the sidelining of Harris after 2024 and Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the 2026 primary. Adding insult to injury, the Texas Democratic Party’s 2026 convention, which is being held this weekend in Corpus Christi, fails to feature any Black woman as a keynote speaker. This neglect is a serious hazard. Black women are not just another voting bloc. They are the backbone of Black organizing in Texas. When they are energized, turnout surges, but when they are disillusioned, the entire coalition collapses. To his credit, Talarico knows this. To win, Talarico must not only expand the Democratic coalition, but also strengthen its fracturing core. That begins with placing Black voters at the center of both his campaign strategy and his governing vision. To do that, he must offer a new blueprint for Black engagement that sheds outdated tactics and shallow assumptions. First, discard the monolith myth. From the Black cowboys in rural West Texas to those boys tipping on 44s in Houston to the Jack and Jill moms in the bougie suburbs of Dallas, Black voters hold diverse economic, social and cultural motivations. Talarico must honor these nuances to effectively mobilize them. Second, step outside of the Black church. Young people and low-propensity voters simply aren’t there. Third, build a modern narrative ecosystem that engages voters where they actually are and uses voices they trust. That means working with young Black community leaders, content creators on social media and others. Fourth, center the message on Black power, not party loyalty or ancestral obligation. Too many Black voters have heard that same tired argument for years from Democrats, but their lives remain unchanged. Fifth, build lasting grassroots infrastructure. End the vicious cycle where organizers are laid off and datasets freeze after Election Day. Making Texas competitive long term requires year-round investment to build political infrastructure, ongoing Black-led field operations and consistent voter drives. Georgia proved this works, which is why it’s a battlefield state.

NHL exploring Texas expansion in Houston or Austin with billionaire Dan Friedkin and family

The NHL is exploring potential expansion in Texas in either Houston or Austin under an agreement with billionaire Dan Friedkin and his family, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday. Bettman said the Board of Governors executive committee endorsed a term sheet agreed to with the Friedkins over the next six months. The total investment required between an expansion fee and the cost to build a new arena in one of those cities would amount to $3.5 billion, according to Bettman, who said discussions over the past two years largely revolved around Houston before Austin joined the conversation. “That’s part of the process is to determine what would be best, both for the league and for Dan Friedkin and family,” Bettman said. “Both cities will require a new arena. It may be more feasible in one place than the other. And as we dig a little deeper and do the due diligence, we’ll figure out which makes the most sense.”

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Friedkin is chairman and CEO of the Friedkin Group with a net worth of $6.4 billion, according to Forbes. The Houston-based consortium has investments in the automotive industry, entertainment, hospitality and sports, including stakes in European soccer clubs Everton and AS Roma. No board vote was taken. That would only come if the sides involved move forward with an agreement. While there is no guarantee the NHL adds a 33rd team, the move is a first step toward becoming the largest professional sports league in North America, surpassing the NFL. Bettman has said officials were listening to expressions of interest from prospective owners in places like Houston and Atlanta but until now not yet engaged in a formal path toward expansion. “There was an update on Atlanta, there was an update on Arizona and there was an update on South Texas,” Bettman said. “But neither Arizona nor Atlanta are quite as far along in the process as the Friedkin opportunities.”

Shooter sentenced to 100 years in Prairieland ICE terrorism case; others get max

Eight defendants from North Texas received the maximum possible sentences Tuesday for their roles in a domestic terrorism case in which they were found guilty of charges including rioting and attempted murder of a police officer at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado. Attorneys and families of the defendants said an appeal will be filed. The defendants, whom federal prosecutors described as antifa operatives, were convicted after a 12-day trial in March and were sentenced in hearings with two judges in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth on Tuesday morning. Benjamin Hanil Song, the defendant who was convicted of attempted murder for shooting and wounding an Alvarado police lieutenant during the July 4, 2025, incident, received a 100-year federal prison sentence.

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Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years, and Elizabeth Soto and Meagan Morris were each sentenced to 50 years. Those four defendants were sentenced by Judge Mark Pittman, who oversaw the trial, and four others — Autumn Hill, also known as Cameron Arnold; Zachary Evetts; Savanna Batten; and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada — were sentenced by Chief District Judge Reed O’Connor. Batten, Evetts and Hill received 50-year sentences. The defendants sentenced to 50 years or more were all convicted of providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to use and carry an explosive, and using and carrying explosives during a riot. Sanchez-Estrada, the only defendant not present at the detention center on the night of the shooting, was found guilty of corruptly concealing a document and conspiracy to conceal documents. He was sentenced to 30 years.

Ryan Patrick: The Mob Statute corporations are using against trial lawyers

(Ryan Patrick is CEO of Texans for Lawsuit Reform.) In Texas and across the country, commercial vehicle operators have become litigation targets. Billboards along Texas freeways are crowded with 12-foot-tall scowling lawyers, arms folded, asking if you’ve been injured by a semi-truck. Search online for a business alongside the words "injured", “accident”, or “lawyer,” and the advertising machinery becomes visible immediately: paid results populate the top of the page, each one a law firm with a financial stake in your next accident. This is not just opportunism; it is a nationwide infrastructure. In most states, personal injury billboard lawyers have created a claim origination assembly line, deploying the same data-driven acquisition strategies as any sophisticated services startup. For years, when there was a commercial vehicle accident, the standard corporate response was to settle. Cases large and small settled not because a claim was valid, but because the math said to. Defense costs and jury unpredictability made litigation feel like a losing game even when a case was defensible.

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In big cities, this era is largely over, and businesses are fighting back. Since 2024, companies and insurers have filed dozens of RICO lawsuits across the country, not challenging individual claims but attacking the networks that are built to manufacture and inflate litigation. Since the 1970s, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act has been used to dismantle corrupt organizations like the mob, giving prosecutors a way to target criminal enterprises and private parties a way to protect their business interests. Now, insurers and companies, historically defendants in litigation, are turning RICO against corrupt personal injury law firms, case runners, and affiliated medical providers who are accused of fabricating and inflating claims. The companies going on the offensive are varied. FedEx recently sued a New York personal injury firm over allegations it ran a coordinated scheme involving doctors and clinics to stage and exaggerate vehicle crashes. In 2025, Uber filed a series of RICO lawsuits in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City, alleging networks of attorneys and medical providers manufactured accidents and systematically inflated settlement values. Closer to home, insurer Allstate filed a RICO lawsuit against a Houston-based medical network alleging fraudulent billing, kickbacks, and unnecessary treatments for auto accident victims. The list goes on.

Texas board gives preliminary OK to reading list with Bible passages

The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a proposed reading list with Bible materials. The list includes 13 biblical readings, with at least one Bible passage or story in every grade except kindergarten. The reading list would be required for Texas public school students starting with the 2030-31 school year. The debate over the reading list continues a yearslong battle over what role religion should have in the classroom. This week, the board is also considering changing social studies standards to emphasize American and Texas history over world cultures and geography.

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The vote on the reading list came after the board heard hours of public testimony Monday at the meeting in Austin, which drew people from across the state. Advocates for the list emphasized the historical value of biblical texts, especially to American history. They argued that Texas’ reading list should honor the United States’ “Judeo-Christian” roots. “America and Texas have been a Christian nation and a Christian state forever,” Republican board member Brandon Hall said at the meeting. “The proportion of the impact [Christians have] had is why they are included. There are other faiths that are represented, but they've had a minimal impact, especially in our founding and our culture and laws leading up to this point.” During Tuesday's meeting, the board pared the required reading list down, removing several titles from elementary school grades. Board member Will Hickman, R-Houston, said he and other board members had heard concerns from the public that the list was too extensive and would demand too much of the school year. Hickman, who proposed some of the cuts, said streamlining the list would allow districts to select more of their own titles locally.

New report shows affordable childcare is hard to find in Texas

More than half of Texas counties are considered childcare deserts, and according to a new report from the Texas Women's Foundation, the lack of access to childcare is hurting the state's economy. NTX Now's Miranda Suarez and Ron Corning sat down with Karen Hughes White, the foundation's president and CEO, to breakdown the report's findings. Women play an important role in Texas's economy, but a variety of barriers are getting harder to overcome. "Women comprise 46% of workforce here in Texas, but there are key barriers to women's ability to participate fully, consistently, and productively in the workforce that essentially are getting worse," White said.

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She also said women are enrolling in higher education at 1.5 times the rate of Texas men, and population trends predict women will be more than 50% of the Texas population by 2040. "Texas and Texas employers have some work to do to be ready to support women in the workforce, and in return to support a really resilient and strong economy here across the state," White said. There are three main barriers when it comes to finding childcare in Texas: access, affordability, and quality-related issues, which White describes as "a crisis." "What we've learned on the affordability front is that center-based infant care in Texas costs more than $11,000 a year, and that actually is more than a full year of tuition at an in-state university," White said. And while the cost of childcare is high, the availability is low. "Over half of Texas counties are considered what's called childcare deserts," she said. "That's defined as when there are three or more children available for each licensed slot. It's more than nearly 112,000 Texas children lacking access within any kind of reasonable driving distance." White says finding a solution to make childcare more accessible is economically imperative. "Investing in childcare is not just a social mandate, but it's a market aligned strategy that supports workforce participation, economic resilience, and economic growth," she said. "It's an economic infrastructure issue — not a women's issue and not a family's issue."

New report highlights economic impact of GM’s Arlington assembly plant

New economic data from General Motors shows that the SUV assembly plant in Arlington is supporting local jobs and economic growth in Texas, with its direct gross domestic product topping $2 billion. The Arlington assembly plant at 2525 E. Abram St. employs about 5,200 workers, and is one of the region’s major employers. The plant runs 24 hours a day, six days a week, producing almost one vehicle per minute, according to previous Star-Telegram reporting. Additionally, GM says that every $10 produced by the Arlington plant results in $21 in “total economic activity in Texas.” In June 2023, GM invested $500 million into the Arlington plant.

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“At Arlington Assembly, we know our work matters beyond our plant walls,” said plant director Satya Veerapaneni. “We are proud of what we build and proud of the role our team plays in Texas. For Arlington, this is more than a headline. It is about the people who work here, the suppliers who grow with us and the communities that benefit when advanced manufacturing stays strong.” Arlington Mayor Jim Ross says General Motors is a part of the city’s history. The assembly plant opened in 1954. “General Motors is deeply woven into the fabric of Arlington’s history and economy. For decades, this plant has provided thousands of good-paying jobs for our residents, and our community takes immense pride in knowing that these world-class vehicles are built right here in the heart of The American Dream City,” Ross said. There are about 13,000 General Motors employees in Texas, according to GM officials.

'Those who reach for the stars do so from the great state of Texas' | Axiom Space makes Texas its legal home

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Axiom Space leadership announced Tuesday that the commercial human space exploration company has changed its legal domicile from Delaware to Texas. The move aligns the company’s legal home with its operational headquarters in Houston, where it has been based since its founding in 2016. “Texas has been the launchpad of spaceflight since its inception,” Abbott said. “We welcome Axiom Space's decision to make Texas its legal residence and look forward to the progress they will achieve in our state.” Axiom Space employs approximately 700 people, the majority of whom are based in Texas. The move highlights a booming aerospace sector which includes NASA, SpaceX and other major players in the industry. According to state data, Texas is home to more than 150,000 aerospace workers, and NASA's Johnson Space Center alone generates more than $9.8 billion in annual economic output.

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The state has also ramped up its financial commitments to the industry, establishing the Space Exploration & Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) in 2023. Axiom Space was recently awarded a $5.5 million SEARF grant to advance its orbital computing capabilities. “Texas has demonstrated, consistently and deliberately, that it wants innovative companies to thrive here and has built the policy and regulatory framework accordingly," said Dr. Jonathan Cirtain, Axiom Space CEO and President. "For Axiom Space, establishing Texas as both our operational and legal home puts us squarely in a state that understands our mission, supports our industry, and shares in what we are working to achieve.” Axiom Space is a human space exploration company building space infrastructure and delivering technology-driven solutions. The company is the principal provider of commercial human spaceflight services and is developing advanced spacesuits for future lunar missions. Across its first four private astronaut missions to the International Space Station (ISS), the company has flown 14 astronauts representing 11 nations. Axiom Space is currently building Axiom Station — the commercial successor to the ISS — to provide a permanent platform for microgravity research, technology testing, and orbital manufacturing. Final assembly of the station modules is taking place at its facility at the Houston Spaceport.

Chad West: I won’t vote to leave Dallas City Hall for a vague promise

(Chad West represents District 1 on the Dallas City Council, which includes north Oak Cliff.) Dallas City Hall couldn’t be more divided, and it seems we are turning our fractured working relationships into a sea of trouble all around our city. I appreciate the patience afforded to me by my Oak Cliff constituents who have attended meetings, emailed, called and texted me about the possibility of moving out of City Hall. Their feedback has solidified my thinking that this matter is part financial, part cultural and part planning. From day one, I have steadfastly supported gathering all the necessary financial data needed for council to make an informed financial decision on whether to move to another location in the central business district or to stay put in City Hall and finally invest in its restoration. I will continue to take votes that lead us to the apples-to-apples cost comparison we must have to make a sound decision.

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I accept the assessments of AECOM and other experts that have provided the City Council with four phased repair plans, including cost estimates, for City Hall repairs. My conclusion is that it will cost more to stay in City Hall and renovate it than to move into a new building. But the inevitable higher cost of staying is not a deal-breaker for remaining at 1500 Marilla St. I voted in favor of moving forward with gathering a cost analysis because our residents deserve to be fully informed of what’s at stake. That can only happen if we let CBRE finish its work of gathering lease-to-own costs. I believe it was my fiduciary duty to vote in favor of letting the city manager see this analysis completed. I’m dismayed that some of my council colleagues have consistently voted against fact-finding. Further, some outside of City Hall have appointed themselves experts who have deluged us with flimsy financial numbers that are closer to fantasy than reality. The city’s part of the process hasn’t been perfect, but I don’t fault the experts we have hired for their work thus far gathering phased repair estimates. In this case, I score the point in favor of moving.

Delta to cancel two nonstop routes from Austin in October

Delta Air Lines will cancel two nonstop routes from Austin in October. Flights from AUS to Memphis and New Orleans will end Oct. 5 “to better align with demand,” according to an airline spokesperson. Delta is reaching out to affected customers and apologized for any inconvenience. Southwest Airlines currently operates the AUS-New Orleans route and will launch its own flights to Memphis beginning Oct. 1. While regularly scheduled service on the two routes will end, Delta still plans to operate select flights during high-demand football weekends, when the Texas Longhorns play at LSU and when Ole Miss plays in Austin.

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Delta has launched six new routes from Austin this year. Year-round service to Columbus and Kansas City began on June 7, while seasonal flights to Asheville, Bozeman and Kalispell began on June 13. The airline will also launch a new route from AUS to Phoenix on July 7, followed by service to San Jose, California, on Oct. 6. The airline has seen expansive growth at AUS in recent months, with a 15% increase in passenger totals in 2025 compared with 2024. The airline opened a permanent flight attendant base in October.

HISD's Mike Miles went a year without required certification or waiver

Houston ISD waited nearly a full school year to seek a state waiver, allowing appointed Superintendent Mike Miles to lead the district for 11 months without a required superintendent certification, state records show, even after the district’s state-appointed board authorized administrators to apply for one the previous June. The Texas Education Agency approved the waiver on June 4, the last day of the 2025-2026 school year, making it retroactive to cover the months Miles had already served without an active certification or a waiver. The new waiver covers three school years, starting with the 2025-26 school year. Nearly all of the state's 1,000 traditional public school superintendents hold the superintendent certification required by state law to lead school districts.

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A small number receive waivers for up to three years from the state, often while they work toward certification or when districts face unusual hiring circumstances. In Miles’ case, HISD applied for his waiver after most of the school year had passed, and his application did not lay out a clear path for him to obtain the credential. While the state has approved a handful of other waivers in recent years — including some for other state-appointed superintendents — few came as late in the school year and almost all of them included detailed plans to obtain certification. “Approving a waiver for a school year on the last day of that school year inverts the logic of this rule, and waivers are supposed to authorize something before it happens,” said Texas Tech University professor Jacob Kirksey. “So, a retroactive grant raises some basic accountability questions rather than answering them.” In a statement, the TEA said Miles’ waiver covers the entire school year and that the agency has “broad discretion” under Texas Education Code to grant waivers. State law permits retroactive waivers. "This is an existing practice that is not unique to HISD," according to a Texas Education Agency statement.

Givens, Creuzot clash over transition to Dallas County DA’s office

The transition to Dallas County's next district attorney is turning into a public feud over how the handoff is being managed. Amber Givens says she has encountered delays, silence and resistance from incumbent John Creuzot. His office disputes that, saying it has been working steadily to answer her requests and prepare for an orderly transition. The disagreement between the two Democrats escalated last week when Givens complained on Facebook about what she called delays obtaining information about the office, and she released an email detailing her concerns.

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A county commissioner who has been copied on emails between Givens and the district attorney's office said he believes the dispute stems more from miscommunication than a lack of cooperation. Givens, who began preparing for a possible January 2027 transition months earlier than is typical, said she has resorted to filing public information requests to obtain records from the district attorney's office. A spokesperson for Creuzot said the office is working to respond to her requests while balancing its regular workload. Givens recently turned to social media to air her frustrations, posting an email she sent to a top official in Creuzot’s office in which she complained she’s had to wait a month or more for some documents. “I am sharing this May 29, 2026, email I sent to Mr. Paul Hamilton because I have tremendous respect for the truth,” Givens wrote in a June 16 Facebook post. “For the people of Dallas County, transparency matters. This email reflects my experience with the current administration regarding transition-related matters and outlines the concerns I raised after nearly two months of attempting to obtain information necessary for a successful transition, beginning on April 1, 2026.”

Scott Ruskan, who saved lives at Camp Mystic, to be honored at ESPYs

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer credited with helping save the lives of 165 people who were trapped at Camp Mystic during last year's Kerr County flood will be honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the ESPY Awards. Petty Officer Scott Ruskan will be among the honorees at the annual ESPY Awards on July 15, ESPN executives said. Ruskan had finished his training about six months before the rescue mission to Camp Mystic, the Coast Guard said. He was part of a four-person flight crew but reportedly was the only first responder rescuing campers on the ground at the time. Much of Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls on the Guadalupe River, was flooded when the river rose, and 25 campers and two counselors died.

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ESPN said Ruskan's crew made "a deliberate call" to leave Ruskan on the ground so the helicopter could carry more children per trip at Camp Mystic, which at the time reported 200 girls were trapped. "For three hours, with no radio and no cell service, he was the only trained responder on site — setting up triage, organizing safe zones, carrying children barefoot in the dark and comforting each one before moving to the next," ESPN said. "What set him apart was that he was the only person who stayed behind — voluntarily grounded — so others could be lifted out to safety." Ruskan, a former college track/cross country athlete who attended Ryder University, received the Legion of Merit award by President Trump during the State of the Union address in February. He was reunited there with Milly Cate McClymond, one of the girls he rescued.

Guinness World Records: “Gangster Granny” becomes oldest crowdsurfer

Pauline Kana, aka “Gangster Granny” became the oldest person to crowdsurf at a concert in Texas last month. Kana, 99, wore a red-and-white T-shirt with her face on it and the message “Old’s Cool” as the crowd propelled her on a stretcher at country-rock musician Brantley Gilbert’s concert in Bellville. Kana’s grandson Ross Smith spearheaded the effort to help his grandmother accomplish the feat and make it into the Guinness World Records.

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A TikTok video shows people in the crowd raising their arms and enthusiastically moving the 99-year-old through the crowd. Kana held her right arm up and smiled. After Kana’s crowdsurfing adventure, Gilbert brought Kana and Smith on stage. Under Smith’s account, the duo has been posting for years and garnered nearly 25 million followers on TikTok and four million followers on Instagram. Smith’s social media accounts chronicle his adventures with his grandma, and feature her acting in skits and holding cheeky signs such as “Size Matters” at a wrestling match and “Race if you think I’m sexy,” at a NASCAR race.

Environmental challenges adding up on South Texas border

The head of an environmental nonprofit organization says the South Texas border region is being hit by numerous environmental challenges, from border buoys installed in the Rio Grande to a liquid natural gas export facility in the Brownsville port. In this episode of Border Report Live, Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, tells South Texas correspondent Sandra Sanchez and host Rudy Mireles about several lawsuits her group is involved with to try to stop what they believe are “environmental disasters.” Hinojosa says her group opposes the 12-foot-long buoys that are currently being installed in the Rio Grande, starting in Brownsville, Texas. Over 15 miles of buoys have been put in, as well as 245 miles of new border wall being built, much of it in South Texas. She says numerous recent reports predict that the buoys and border wall could cause flooding on river borderlands.

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In response to safety questions about the buoys, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told Border Report: “CBP is deploying waterborne barriers in the Rio Grande River to meet operational requirements for securing the border. Waterborne barriers are cylindrical floating buoys utilizing expanded foam that is fully cured before being deployed in riverine locations. The design requirements for these barriers, as specified to CBP contractors, are to withstand a 100-year flood event, consistent with standards used for border wall construction.” The South Texas Environmental Justice Network has also joined the Center for Biological Diversity, and Save RGV in filing a lawsuit against land swaps proposed by SpaceX with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service involving over 700 acres of wildlife habitat that the company wants to acquire to expand its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The lawsuit alleges the Fish and Wildlife Service violated the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 by reducing the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The lawsuit also alleges that by approving the transfer, the Service also violated the National Historic Preservation Act by giving away hundreds of acres of a National Historic Landmark. The group also filed a lawsuit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to stop the LNG export terminal at the Brownsville shipping channel. But last week, a D.C. Circuit Court ruled “that the Rio Grande LNG Terminal is not inconsistent with the public interest under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, and the Rio Bravo Pipeline Project is required by the public convenience and necessity.”

National Stories

People fired over Charlie Kirk posts get big payouts for First Amendment retaliation

By the time Maria Ruhtenberg was fired from her job last September for posting about Charlie Kirk's assassination, few people even knew what she had written. The posts and comments she had made on Facebook were only visible to her friends. Just one person, a Facebook friend she barely knew, complained to her employer. "I don't even know how we became Facebook friends, honestly," said Ruhtenberg. After the conservative activist was shot, Ruhtenberg wrote things like "live by the sword, die by the sword" and "you reap what you sow" and that she disagreed with Kirk's views about the Second Amendment. Ruhtenberg also said that "whoever shot [Kirk] should go to prison."

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Two days after that complaint, a right-wing outlet in Iowa emailed Ruhtenberg's employer to ask for a comment about her posts. The next day, she was terminated, less than five days after her initial post. Ruhtenberg had spent 15 years as a public defender for the state of Iowa. Ruhtenberg appealed her termination with the state and got her job back in November. The civil service decision that restored Ruhtenberg's job noted that only the single complaint and the media inquiry raised concerns about her conduct. State public defender Jeff Wright testified during the appeals proceedings that Ruhtenberg was fired because her posts were perceived as condoning violence. Ruhtenberg then sued the state and Wright in federal court for First Amendment retaliation. In May, they settled and Ruhtenberg was awarded $125,000 in damages. The Iowa public defender's office and Wright did not respond to a request for comment. Nine months after Kirk's assassination, cases like Ruhtenberg's continue to be resolved in favor of people who suffered consequences for their social media activity about Kirk. While many of these plaintiffs have settled with six-figure payouts, they are still grappling, to different degrees, with the aftermath of their firings.

Factory job cuts in June neared financial crisis and Covid levels, S&P says

Job cuts at U.S. factories ran near their highest levels since the end of the global financial crisis in 2009 and the Covid-19 pandemic as worries grew over global demand and rising costs, S&P Global reported Tuesday. Though the firm’s manufacturing index ran better than expected for June, it came largely from an inventory rebuild and despite sharp job cuts that were the most since 2009 — excluding the massive labor reductions at the onset of the Covid crisis in 2020. “While there is better news from the manufacturing sector, we remain concerned as factory growth continues to be temporarily buoyed by inventory building amid supply fears. Supply delays grew more widespread in June,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

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Manufacturers have indicated job cuts for three of the past four months as they seek to reduce head count over costs and demand concerns. “Most worrying was the further fall in employment, notably in the manufacturing sector,” Williamson said. “Factory job cuts are running at the highest since 2009 if the pandemic is excluded, reflecting concerns over the sustainability of the recent upturn in demand alongside worries over the escalating cost of raw materials.” Despite the worries of manufacturing cuts, the jobs picture has been largely solid this year, with strong gains in four of the five months. Manufacturing employment has risen by 23,000 in 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Broadly, the S&P manufacturing “flash” reading for its purchase managers index came in at 55.7, up narrowly from May and better than the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 54.8. The reading represents the percentage share of companies reporting growth for the month. On the services side, the flash PMI was at 51.3, also up slightly on the month and slightly better than the consensus forecast for 51.

In symbolic vote, Congress directs Trump to remove forces from Iran war

A bipartisan majority in Congress has voted in favor of a war powers resolution to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran. The Senate voted 50 to 48 on Tuesday afternoon, with four Republicans joining Democrats in support. They were Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski.

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The measure, which is not legally binding and will not be sent to the White House for a signature, was approved by the House earlier this month. "Today, Congress stood up to Donald Trump and voted to end his costly, unnecessary, and devastating war with Iran," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement after the vote. "The message from the only branch of government with the power to declare war is unmistakable: the Trump administration must withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities in Iran." Tuesday's vote comes at a moment when the U.S. and Iran are engaged in delicate negotiations to permanently end the conflict, the initial terms of which have been broadly criticized by members of both parties. President Trump criticized the resolution after it passed, writing on Truth Social that "Four Republican Losers voted with the Dumocrats, and Iran asked my people, 'what does that all mean?' These Senators have just made my job more difficult, but I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done!"

ODNI under Pulte fires 6 staff, sends 45 back to home agencies

Just over 50 career and political intelligence staff at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have been removed from their roles since Bill Pulte became the agency's acting director, Friday. Six career and political intelligence staff were terminated and 45 were sent back to their home agencies, according to three sources familiar with the personnel moves. Pulte has been asking deputies and other directors for suggestions about cuts. Some of the ODNI deputies pushed for more cuts, but Pulte said that the 51 was enough for now, one of the sources said. One source characterized the cuts as thoughtful and methodical. No staffers have been removed from the counterterrorism group. No further firings are planned for now, two of the sources said.

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The cuts follow hundreds of staff reductions last year by former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down last week. Last year's planned downsizing sought to bring the office's headcount from 2,000 to around 1,300. President Trump has pushed for further cuts, directing Pulte to "execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office" in a Truth Social post earlier this month. The office is charged with overseeing the country's intelligence agencies and helping them coordinate with each other. It was created in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which investigators widely believe was preceded by a failure of intelligence agencies to share information. Since then, Gabbard and some lawmakers have argued the ODNI has become bloated and has added more bureaucracy to the intelligence community — worsening a problem it was created in part to resolve.

A look inside the welcome bags planned for white South African refugees

In the coming weeks, the United States plans to provide a welcome gift to white South Africans entering the United States as refugees. They will get an Android tablet, an American flag and copies of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. They will also receive a packet of literature that provides a sanitized, Trump-approved view of American and South African history, one that criticizes racial equity and civil rights laws and promotes claims of discrimination against white people. The welcome bags include a report commissioned by Mr. Trump during his first term that downplays the role of slavery in the country’s founding, and a children’s book accusing South Africa’s government of “favoring the Black population.”

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The gifts would be the latest step by the Trump administration to welcome the white minority in South Africa, even as the president maintains a ban on refugees fleeing from war and persecution everywhere else in the world. The proposal for the bags is still being finalized. Mr. Trump’s aides have planned to give them to a group of South African Afrikaners who enter the United States in the coming weeks, according to government documents obtained by The New York Times and an official familiar with the matter. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been announced. It is not clear how much the bags cost, or how much of the cost was being paid by taxpayers. It is unusual for the government to provide welcome gifts of this kind to refugees. Alex J. Adams, who leads the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, a government agency that helps refugees, welcomes the Afrikaners in a letter tucked into the welcome bag.

Maryland Senate president defeats Democratic primary challenger amid redistricting anger

Maryland state Senate President Bill Ferguson won his Democratic primary, The Associated Press projected, defeating his first primary challenger in 12 years despite some backlash over his position on redistricting. Ferguson won amid an anti-establishment wave in Democratic politics this year. His challenger, Army veteran and community activist Bobby LaPin, sought to paint him as an incumbent who had forgotten about the needs of his district since he became the top legislative leader in Maryland. But Ferguson, who represents the state’s 46th Senate District, campaigned on his record, touting the improvements he helped fund for south Baltimore schools and the first-in-the-nation digital ad tax he sponsored in Maryland.

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In an interview this month, Ferguson called the primary challenge “a blessing in disguise” and an opportunity “to think through about how best to communicate with voters about the things that I’ve been able to deliver over the years.” LaPin, a small-business owner who launched his campaign late last year, made waves in the south and southeast Baltimore district with near-daily videos he posted about the race on Instagram. He previously promoted his sailing business and his community activism on the social media account, and he surpassed 100,000 followers during the campaign. LaPin also sought to capitalize on anger from some in his party against Ferguson, who defied a push from national Democrats and Gov. Wes Moore last year to redraw Maryland’s congressional districts. Moore and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., favored pushing a new map that would give Democrats total control of the state’s eight House districts, rather than the current 7-1 advantage Maryland Democrats enjoy in the congressional delegation.

Rural emergency care is struggling to keep up with ICE detention demand

Emergency responders sped out of a Pennsylvania immigrant detention center on a recent Saturday morning, sirens blaring as they drove past more than 20 protesters demanding the lockup’s closure. It was the Moshannon Valley EMS crew’s second run to the Geo Group-owned site that day. The number of detained immigrants the crew serves has grown by 44% since President Donald Trump returned to office. The Moshannon Valley Processing Center now holds nearly 1,700 people, according to the Deportation Data Project — a population more than half the size of the town. The nonprofit has responded to 43 calls at the detention center since October, EMS chief Fred Ferguson said during a recent interview in the back of one of Moshannon Valley’s five ambulances.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement hasn’t paid them for any of those calls yet, he said. “We have to have some faith that someone’s going to do the right thing and compensate us for the work that’s provided,” Ferguson said. “But you have to be hesitant as well.” Like many providers of rural health and emergency care, the Moshannon Valley EMS is stretched thin. Staffers sometimes have to come into work when they’re off duty. Between gas, wear-and-tear and staff wages, just driving an ambulance out of the station costs around $800, Ferguson said. “We are used to doing more with less,” he said. Rural emergency services across the country face a demand they can’t readily meet at times as ICE scales up its detention capacity. First responders already dealing with few resources and long drives to hospitals are handling expanded populations. The migrants themselves are left waiting for emergency care for urgent medical needs, according to records of 440 calls to 911 from detention centers in rural areas of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Georgia, Indiana and Texas.

Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace will hit the reset button in Cyprus

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace is set to convene at a Cyprus resort on June 30 to “adjust its strategy,” an official familiar with the matter told POLITICO. Two senior EU officials, involved in the arrangements for the gathering and granted anonymity to speak freely, confirmed the meeting will take place on the Mediterranean island next week and last two or three days. The goal is to “reset” after “the Iran war has completely shifted the attention in the last several months,” said one of the officials. The meeting will be attended by representatives from the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza — a committee of Palestinian technocrats tasked with replacing Hamas in governing the Gaza Strip — and the Office of Nikolay Mladenov, the former Bulgarian diplomat Trump appointed as his high representative for Gaza, according to the officials.

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Cyprus, which is in line with the EU’s position, will attend as an observer. “Cyprus is not a co-organizer of the event, and it is not taking place at a political level. Cyprus was chosen by the executive committee,” explained one of the officials. Trump set up the Washington-led Board of Peace to oversee the reconstruction and governance of the Gaza Strip. The group held its first meeting in February but has made little progress due to funding issues, logistical hurdles and questions regarding its international and legal legitimacy. Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza remains dire: In a recent strike, Israeli forces killed six people, including two children and an Al Jazeera cameraman. Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people in Israel, a large majority of whom were civilians, and taking 251 hostages. The attack prompted a major Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, many of them civilians, displaced 90 percent of Gaza’s population and destroyed wide areas. The ceasefire brokered by Trump in October 2025 led to the release of the remaining 20 Israeli hostages.

Copyright June 24, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved