February 11, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Without explanation, FAA closes El Paso and New Mexico airspace for 10 days, cites national defense

The Federal Aviation Administration issued unexplained notices late Tuesday closing airspace over El Paso and a large patch of southern New Mexico west of Santa Teresa for 10 days. El Paso International Airport is closed to all flights, the city said. The orders close off all air travel in the affected area, which could cause massive disruption in the nation’s 23rd largest city. “THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) CLASSIFIES THE AIRSPACE DEFINED IN THIS NOTAM AS ‘NTL DEFENSE AIRSPACE’. PILOTS WHO DO NOT ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PROC MAY BE INTERCEPTED, DETAINED AND INTERVIEWED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT/SECURITY PERSONNEL,” the notices said.

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“THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MAY USE DEADLY FORCE AGAINST THE AIRBORNE ACFT, IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT POSES AN IMMINENT SECURITY THREAT,” the notice continued. The notices, known as Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, took effect at 11:30 p.m. Mountain Time Tuesday, and expire at 11:30 p.m. Feb. 20. The El Paso city government issued an advisory early Wednesday that flights at El Paso International Airport are canceled. “The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM. The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations (including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST),” the city said in a news release. “Airport staff has reached out to the FAA, and we are pending additional guidance. In the meanwhile, commercial airlines operating out of El Paso are being informed of the restriction, which appears to be security related. Travelers are encouraged to contact their airlines to get the latest information on their flight status.” Closing off airspace over a major U.S. city is a rare action, and officials with the Federal Aviation Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions from El Paso Matters on the reasons for the action.

Sid Miller accused of spending taxpayer dollars to boost his campaign

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s Republican opponent has accused the politician of misusing taxpayer dollars to prop up his reelection campaign. In a complaint filed Tuesday, Nate Sheets – who is challenging Miller in the Republican primary – asked the state attorney general’s office to look into a series of social media advertisements that the Department of Agriculture paid to launch on Feb. 3, two weeks before the start of early voting. The ads, which have run on Facebook and Instagram, all begin with the slogan “TDA is in…” and prominently feature Miller’s name or likeness. “Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller grew up on a Texas farm,” the caption of one Facebook post reads. “Today, he works hard every day, not just supporting our farmers, but also our fishermen and the entire seafood industry through our Texas Gulf Seafood program.” Below the text is an image of Miller framed by a dock at sunset, and the slogan “TDA is in the Gulf.”

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Sheets’ campaign called the timing of the ads “especially suspect” in a news release about the complaint. “Sid Miller couldn’t raise the money to run a real campaign, so Texas taxpayers are now footing the bill,” Sheets said in a news release Tuesday. “Every Texan has effectively been made a donor to his re-election. That’s an abuse of public trust.” Each of the more than 60 ads has cost the agency between $100 and $600 as of Tuesday, totaling at least $6,000, per Meta’s ad portal. Each is targeted to reach one million social media users, and they have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times so far. Miller, who is seeking a fourth term, called the complaint “groundless” and “desperate.” “The Texas Department of Agriculture is laser-focused on boosting our state's ag powerhouse and protecting consumers,” Miller wrote in an email statement to Hearst Newspapers. “As its leader, it's my duty to highlight our team's non-stop, round-the-clock heroics 365 days a year. I'll keep promoting our agency's programs, whether my opponent likes it or not."

Abbott breaks with Trump over president's call to nationalize elections

President Donald Trump's call to nationalize elections in some areas of the U.S. is exposing a rare public split with one of his closest political allies. At a recent campaign event in Houston in which he touted the endorsement of several labor unions, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was asked directly about Trump's suggestions to nationalize elections. "Listen, my understanding of the United States Constitution, uh, and that is elections for state positions are to be conducted by states, and I don’t think we should deviate from that," Abbott said. Trump's comments have reignited a debate over who controls U.S. elections, placing constitutional limits, partisan tensions and practical realities into sharp focus.

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While the Republican president frames federal intervention as a response to election integrity concerns, legal experts and even some allies warn the Constitution gives states primary authority over elections, making any attempt to nationalize the process both legally fraught and logistically complex. Trump has discussed the idea at least twice this month, first in an appearance on former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino's podcast on Feb. 2. "The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over. ... We should take over the voting in at least ... 15 places.’ The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting," Trump said. Then two days later, in anexclusive interview with NBC News, Trump denied his use of the word "nationalize" but added to his initial remarks. "I didn't say national. I said there are some areas in our country that are extremely corrupt," Trump said. "They have very corrupt elections. Take a look at Detroit. Take a look at Philadelphia. Take a look at Atlanta. There are some areas that are unbelievably corrupt. I could give you plenty more, too. I say that we cannot have corrupt elections if we have to, if they don’t straighten out."

House blows open gates on tariff war

The House is now going to have open season on President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Trump suffered a serious political blow Tuesday night when the House voted down a rule blocking members from offering resolutions to end the numerous tariffs the president has levied since returning to office. GOP Reps. Don Bacon (Neb.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Kevin Kiley (Calif.) voted with all Democrats against the rule, despite heavy lobbying from Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership team and the White House’s legislative affairs operation. The White House was driving this process, mostly because Trump doesn’t want intraparty division. The GOP leadership knew it couldn’t win this vote, despite the pressure from administration officials.

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With that vote, members will have effectively unfettered ability to force up or down votes on the president’s global trade agenda. This will start today. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) plans to offer a resolution terminating any tariffs imposed on Canada via a Trump executive order in February 2025. These resolutions are privileged, meaning House GOP leaders must schedule a vote now that Johnson’s effort to block them has failed. Democrats need to wait 15 days from the introduction of such resolutions and forcing a floor vote. If the House approves any resolution, it gets a floor vote in the Senate due to its privileged status. There are a few implications to consider here. Trump’s loss was a loss for Johnson, too. The White House wanted Johnson to include the tariff provision in the rule. If you align yourself that closely with Trump and he loses a vote, so do you. Also, it’s never good for a speaker to lose votes. This will reignite debate over Trump’s lame-duck status. Trump acknowledged Tuesday that there won’t be a second reconciliation package, quashing the hopes of House GOP leaders in particular.

State Stories

Southwest Airlines shakes up board

Two members of the Southwest Airlines Co. board will step down at the end of February in the latest sign of a pullback by activist investor Elliott Investment Management. David Cush and Gregg Saretsky both informed the Dallas-based carrier on Feb. 10 of their impending resignations, according to a federal filing. In connection with their departures, expected to take effect Feb. 23, Southwest (NYSE: LUV) announced the board intends to reduce its size from 13 members to 11.

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Neither resignation "is due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices," according to the filing. Both Cush and Saretsky joined the board in 2024 after Southwest and Florida-based activist investment Elliott reached a deal to avert a proxy fight. The agreement expanded the board to 13 seats and included the appointment of six new members, including five Elliott nominees. Cush and Saretsky were both part of Elliott's slate.

San Antonio Express-News Editorial: In bruising Texas House 121 GOP primary, Marc LaHood gets the nod

The vast amount of money flooding into the GOP primary for Texas House District 121 has tainted this race with a major ick factor. The competition between state Rep. Marc LaHood and challenger David McArthur is not a battle of competing conservative philosophies and ideas, but a proxy for influential lobbyists in Austin, namely Texans for Lawsuit Reform and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Our recommendation goes to LaHood, a trial attorney seeking his second term to represent this North Side district that includes Alamo Heights.

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We have fierce disagreements with LaHood, particularly on abortion rights, school vouchers and the House impeachment of disgraced Attorney General Ken Paxton. But he has never declined a meeting request, always takes our questions (respect for that), works well with others and demonstrates flashes of independence. Some of that independence is why LaHood faces a challenge from McArthur, a former oil and gas executive who worked for the George W. Bush administration and has received massive support from Texans for Lawsuit Reform, commonly known as TLR. McArthur’s top issue is tort reform. While he regurgitated TLR’s talking points about tort reform being good for business, he was painfully vague on other issues in Austin. If our interview were a comprehensive exam, it was as if McArthur only prepared for one question. The issue here is LaHood’s vote against a slew of TLR priorities at the end of last session. These included limiting economic damages to plaintiffs, reducing liability for trucking companies after accidents and limiting litigation against developers. LaHood, a defense attorney who also practices personal injury law, said he opposed the TLR bills because they would limit a plaintiff’s ability to hold bad actors accountable for damages. He has, unsurprisingly, received significant support from the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. The advertising in this race has been brutal, and LaHood’s ads have been painfully sloppy. While he is wrong on so-called education savings accounts (vouchers), LaHood had far better command of other state issues than McArthur. Both expressed an openness to increasing public school finance and improving oversight of voucher spending. The winner will face Democrat Zack Dunn, a Bexar County prosecutor.

Texas Republicans target Sharia Law as threat to Texas in campaign messaging for 2026 primaries

Congressman Chip Roy, R-Texas, brought down his gavel Tuesday afternoon to start a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill. In his opening statement to the committee, of which he is the chairman, the Texas congressman said there is a growing movement to overthrow the county’s legal system and its Constitution. A movement he said is most prevalent in Texas. “If Texas falls, so does the nation,” Roy said. Roy was talking about Sharia Law, a set of values and commandments of Islam. Roy said Sharia Law fails to provide due process, treats non-Muslims as second-class citizens, and “prescribes barbaric punishments.”

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Roy’s comments on Tuesday add to the growing trend among Texas Republican candidates who have attacked Sharia Law this campaign season. High-profile candidates running for U.S. Senate, Governor, Texas Attorney General, and state Senate and House races, have placed Sharia Law in their sights, vowing to fight against it and the alleged rise of radical Islam. Political scientists attribute one big reason for the increase in the anti-Sharia messaging to the March primary election, while Muslim advocate groups say the attacks are fanning the flames of hate against Muslim Americans. The Islamic Networks Group (ING) is an organization that says its mission is to advance respectful engagement of other cultures. It defines Sharia as “the values, code of conduct, and religious commandments or sacred laws” that provides guidance to Muslims in various aspects of their personal life. ING credits distrust of Sharia in America to Islamic states that have huddud, or criminal, laws. They are specific punishments for certain crimes. “Unfortunately, the misapplication of these laws by the Taliban or other contemporary groups or governments generally contradict both the letter and spirit of Sharia and have given it a bad name,” ING wrote on its website. The Council of American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, sent a letter to Roy’s subcommittee members ahead of Tuesday saying the hearing misrepresented Sharia.

Austin American-Statesman Editorial: In Senate bid, Talarico models the leadership this moment demands

These are not normal times. Masked immigration enforcement agents are confronting people in the streets. Artificial intelligence is poised to disrupt the economy and the workforce in ways we barely understand, and social media platforms have become so effective at sustaining our attention through outrage that we struggle to talk across our differences. Confidence in political institutions is cratering. That makes the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate more than simply a contest between two compelling candidates. The race for the seat held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn, locked in his own bruising primary battle, is a test of what kind of leadership Texans need in a moment defined by instability, uncertainty and a widening trust gap between the public and those who govern. In our view, the best Democratic contender to meet this moment is state Rep. James Talarico.

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He and his primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, both offer serious choices to voters, but Talarico’s approach reflects a conviction that political leaders should focus on building trust in a deeply divided moment. The Austin-area lawmaker and former public school teacher practices a form of leadership grounded in persuasion and moral clarity. He speaks forcefully about feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger and protecting the vulnerable — not as slogans, but as ethical obligations that should guide public policy. “Politics is just another word for how we treat our neighbors, and we should treat each other a lot better than this,” Talarico told our Editorial Board. “So I do think we can take on this broken system and chart a new kind of politics that's not rooted in division, not rooted in fear and hate, but something that's rooted in hope and service and in love.” A Presbyterian seminarian, Talarico is animated by his faith but also firm in his commitment to the separation of church and state. He recognizes that an erosion of that wall undermines the fairness of government and the integrity of religion alike.

Houston Chronicle Editorial: Don’t just vote for him because he’s young. Christian Menefee wins fights more than Al Green.

Normally, newly elected members of Congress get sworn in as part of a cohort, a freshman class who learn the ropes together. When former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee got to Washington, D.C., that didn’t happen. “I came in in a special election so none of that existed,” he told the editorial board. “My orientation was 15 minutes and then I’m told, ‘You know you’re giving a speech on the floor tonight?’”

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But Menefee, 37, not only has to find his feet in Washington, D.C. but also find a victory in the newly redrawn Congressional District 18. He’s campaigning every spare moment he has. “Good news is because of my work as county attorney, I’m finding that when I’m moving around the new 18th, people know who I am,” said Menefee. His primary challenger, Rep. Al Green, 78, knows people will be familiar with him, too. The longtime incumbent of the 9th was drawn out of his district and has been campaigning to show his new constituents that he still has the fight and vigor to continue being the outspoken advocate who was the first to present articles of impeachment against Donald Trump during his first term — a move that alienated some fellow Democrats at the time but that shows his willingness to be bold. In the past, we endorsed Green several times, citing his reliable Democratic representation that brought back millions to his district for important infrastructure projects.

Public Utility Commission of Texas to study water usage at data centers as they expand across state

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) plans to conduct a survey to study the water use of data centers and virtual currency mining facilities as they expand across the state. State Rep. Armando Walle, a north Harris County Democrat, authored a rider in the state's 2026-2027 budget to direct the commission to conduct the study. "It's important that we know and have transparency about how much water is being used and how much energy is being used by these large scale emerging technology centers," he said. With an influx of these facilities coming to the state, Walle said he wants to find solutions for Texans and determine how much natural resources are being used.

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"There’s a lot of opportunity here. There's a favorable business climate, regulatory climate. But we also know that we have to be good stewards of our natural resources," Walle said. "Water and energy is a huge factor for us and we need to be able to preserve our water source, whether it's for urban communities or whether it’s for agricultural communities." Luisa Venegoni, chief of staff to the executive director at PUCT, presented plans for the study to commissioners during their meeting Friday. She said the goal of the study is to provide data for its statewide planning work. Questions about direct water use, technology used and indirect water use will be included. The survey will launch in the spring, and facilities will have six weeks to respond. The commission will share that data with the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. During the commission's meeting last week, Commissioner Kathleen Jackson urged data centers to cooperate and elaborate on their answers. "We are only as good as the data we receive," she said. Commissioner Courtney K. Hjaltman said data centers support modern technology, but it's also important to understand their impact. "Texans, regulators and the legislature really needs to have an understanding of data centers, really needs to understand the water they’re using, so that we can plan and create the Texas we want," she said.

Buddhist monks on a peace walk return to Fort Worth

In late October, 19 Buddhist monks from the Huong Ð?o Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth set out on a “Walk for Peace” to Washington, D.C. Today, some 2,300 miles and 110 days later, they are due to arrive at the Capitol. They will return to Fort Worth on Valentine’s Day, having met with local dignitaries and others and sharing their message of peace along the way. Their return will include a homecoming walk from downtown Fort Worth, starting around 8 a.m., and will proceed six miles to the Center. The monks are hoping for company and have invited the public to join them. They’ll have a map of the route coming soon.

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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport marks 2025 as third busiest year

A total of about 21.67 million passengers departed and arrived at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2025, marking the year as the third busiest for the airport. Passenger traffic marked 2024 as the airport’s second busiest year, following 2023 and 2022’s record-breaking totals. The busiest airline for the airport was Southwest Airlines, with 8.9 million passengers, similar to 2024. Southwest Airlines officials recently announced plans to expand at ABIA, backed by a $5.5 million economic incentive deal between the airline and the city of Austin.

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The airport is currently undergoing a multiyear expansion program designed to upgrade facilities and increase capacity to address the record-breaking passenger traffic in recent years. The expansion program includes several projects, such as a new baggage handling system, facilities and passenger gates, various airfield upgrades, and the construction of new taxiways and a second terminal. In 2025, officials broke ground on a new parking garage with 7,000 spaces opening in two phases, as well as broke ground on the Atrium Infill project.

Cy-Fair ISD’s banned textbook chapters restored

The newly elected progressive trustees at Cypress-Fairbanks ISD did what they said they would do when they were on the campaign trail last fall and, in a split vote Monday night, agreed to restore textbook chapters that were banned in 2024. With less than two months on the job, new trustees Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane and Kendra Camarena joined board president Julie Hinaman in voting to add back 13 chapters to health science, biology and environmental science books that a previous conservative-majority board said delved too deeply into controversial topics like vaccines, climate change and cultural diversity. Supporters of the new trustees said when the book chapters were censored that they were concerned their kids weren’t going to learn about important topics like infectious diseases, and that lack of knowledge could harm them as they enter college.

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Trustees Todd LeCompte, Justin Ray and Christine Kalmbach voted against restoring the chapters, which was not surprising since all three voted to ban the chapters in May 2024. Kalmbach questioned whether the new board members reviewed the content thoroughly or were just supporting it because it was suggested that they do so by community members. “The curriculum writers in Cy-Fair who provided the replaced content, it met the Texas Essential Knowledge Skills. The students did not miss out on anything,” Kalmbach said, suggesting that the matter be tabled. “I’m very sad that our district is considering doing this rather than following through on our job as board members to review the content.” Five speakers addressed the board in support of reinstating the chapters. CFISD parent Ginger Mitcham Patel, a nurse practitioner, was among them. “These [banned] textbooks were approved by the state and the [School Health Advisory Committee],” she said. “I served on the SHAC committee, read these textbooks cover to cover and made the informed recommendation to use them in their entirety.”

Tracy Benson: The proven science that keeps carbon capture and storage safe and sustaining industrial jobs

Tracy Benson is interim dean of the College of Engineering at Lamar University.) When I explain carbon capture and storage to my students, I start with a map of Southeast Texas. I point to the refineries and the power facilities, and then to the thick layers of rock below that have securely contained natural resources for millions of years. That map tells the story of why the Golden Triangle is uniquely suited to be an internationally-recognized hub for the safe capture and storage of carbon emissions. In the Golden Triangle, carbon capture and storage (CCS) from industrial facilities follows the same practical application of geology, engineering, and industrial systems that this region has understood for generations. As these projects are planned and begin to come online, we are seeing well-established science applied to meet demands of a changing global economy. That context matters, because the conversation around CCS often skips past the fundamentals.

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Southeast Texas has long been a place where complex industrial challenges are managed safely and at scale. From deep subsurface operations to high-pressure systems, the region’s skilled workforce has built a trusted reputation for precision and discipline. CCS draws on them same technical expertise that has supported the region’s economy for decades, while positioning local industry for what comes next. Why are manufacturers and power generators so interested in capturing and storing carbon emissions? Around the world, customers are setting clearer expectations for how goods are produced. Manufacturers, utilities, and industrial operators are increasingly asked to lower emissions and make products in more efficient ways. Companies are pursuing carbon capture not because it is fashionable, but because it is becoming a condition of competitiveness. Without the infrastructure, it could put our industries and our port at a severe disadvantage. In the classroom, we focus on proven engineering concepts that keep this process safe for our community. There are reasonable questions, and they deserve clear answers. The geology beneath Southeast Texas is among the most studied in the country. Thick rock formations have trapped fluids securely for millions of years.

What happens when a far-right Twitter troll runs for office? Meet Bo French.

For a brief moment last summer, it looked like Bo French had finally gone too far. At the time, French was a ringleader of the far-right political apparatus that had taken control of Tarrant County, one of the last urban strongholds in America not run by Democrats. As chairman of the Republican Party there, French pledged to “make Tarrant County inhospitable for Democrats” and cultivated a certain persona: an edgy provocateur who wasn’t afraid to call his enemies “gay” and “retarded” on social media. Plenty of people found his rhetoric sickening, but his allies in the GOP remained conspicuously silent. Then, last June, French asked his X followers to vote on the “bigger threat to America”: Jews or Muslims. It had apparently been fine when the chairman was insulting women, immigrants, Muslims, and Black people, or variants thereof. But for Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and other Republicans, this was the one bigotry (antisemitism) they couldn’t appear to abide. It was time for Bo to go. Patrick called for French’s resignation, writing on X, “antisemitism and religious bigotry have no place in Texas.” Eight minutes before Patrick’s post, French posted on X to apologize, writing that “some people clearly misunderstood the intent” of the poll, which he deleted. “Antisemitism has no place in the Republican Party, and if you disagree with me, get out,” he wrote.

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But he didn’t resign. In November, French left on his own terms, announcing that he would seek the nomination for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, the state’s oil and gas regulator. He’s on the GOP’s statewide ticket, alongside Patrick and Governor Greg Abbott. How much is the Texas GOP willing to stomach from him now? The answer so far is, quite a lot. In late January, French was scheduled to appear alongside Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and GOP Chairman Abraham George at a political rally held at a fancy hunting ranch in Llano. He didn’t show up—it’s unclear why, and he didn’t respond to an interview request. But the emcee, political activist and commentator Luke Macias, favorably contrasted French with the incumbent, Jim Wright, who, according to some inscrutable DEI matrix, had overseen the Railroad Commission’s transformation into the “ninth-most DEI-enforcing state agency in the state of Texas.” French and Patrick still share the same demanding patron, far-right billionaire Tim Dunn. The Midland oilman gave both politicians a nice payday last year from one of his PACs, the Texas Freedom Fund for the Advancement of Justice. French received an in-kind donation of advertising worth $150,000. French does tweet about the railroad commissioner race. He regularly attacks Wright, who has performed his duties like almost every other railroad commissioner in the last couple decades—that is, by faithfully catering to the needs of fossil fuel companies.

Ed Young says Trump is not a racist

President Donald Trump is not a racist, according to Southern Baptist megachurch pastor Ed Young of Dallas. On Saturday, Feb. 7, the pastor of multicampus Fellowship Church based in Grapevine, Texas, posted a set of four slides on Facebook addressing the controversy over Trump posting on Truth Social a video that includes images of former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as monkeys — an age-old racist trope. That video, which sparked outrage nationwide, appeared on Trump’s Truth Social profile in the middle of the night last Thursday. Trump has been known to post outrageous content to social media in the night so it was generally accepted that he had posted it himself.

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Initially White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said there was no problem here: “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the king of the jungle and Democrats as characters fromThe Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.” In reality, there are no monkeys in The Lion King and the images of the Obamas bear no resemblance to any scene from the blockbuster film. Even some Republican elected officials publicly denounced the video, but Ed Young doubled down in support of the president. His series and white text on black background slides said: “Our voices are loud at times and very quiet at other times. Shared opinions and judgments on social media have been loud concerning the post shared yesterday from President Trump. “I’ve learned that a staffer posted a video which had been forwarded to him/her and they didn’t take time to review it before sharing. That is irresponsible and unprofessional. Now, the words are loud accusing the President of racism and much more.

Austin Film Commission celebrates 40 years of helping local moviemaking

Austin is such a great town for filmmakers that sometimes it’s hard to remember all the reasons it’s become one of the most important centers of the movie business. Luckily, the Austin Film Commission has teamed up with one of the most iconic and constant parts of that film scene for a new video that lays out all those facts and figures. As part of the celebration of the office’s 40th anniversary, AFC has recorded a new promotional video starring Texas Film Awards 2026 honoree Sonny Carl Davis (The Whole Shootin’ Match, Buck Alamo). Austin Film Commission Senior Director of Film Marketing Brian Gannon said, “Austin’s production history is filled with so many iconic feature films and television series. We have such great resources available to filmmakers in Austin and wanted to find a unique way to present that, why not do it the way our industry knows best: visually.”

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Directed by Cody Ground, filmed at Austin Studios (one of the many studio facilities in the area) and produced by Arts+Labor (one of a huge number of local production companies), the short video emulates the legendary commercial Davis filmed with Richard Linklater for the Fire Ted Cruz PAC. However, this time it’s a much more cheerful topic, highlighting not just the history of the state’s film industry but also its future, especially in the light of both the state and the city of Austin strengthening their incentive programs. Gannon said, “We are so proud to collaborate with Arts+Labor and Sonny Carl Davis to tell this [100% made in] Austin story. This promo celebrates the 40 years of work done by the Austin Film Commission and all the amazing cast, crew, and local businesses that helped put Austin on the map. Austin continues to flourish and is the perfect place for your next production – from diverse locations to seasoned crew and cost saving incentives to the amazing hospitality.” Catch the promo video below, complete with Davis’ inimitable rascally charm. Watch out for appearances by other familiar figures including John Merriman (I’ve Got Issues, Sister Aimee) and former state senator turned actor Hector Uribe (Tejano).

Hood County rejects moratorium on new data centers, large developments despite pushback

Hood County Commissioners voted Tuesday against a plan to pause all new large industrial developments as residents raised concerns about more data centers headed to the county. Commissioners rejected the six-month moratorium on new industrial permits, including data centers and factories, 3-2. County Judge Ron Massingill and commissioners Kevin Andrews and Jack Wilson voted no. However, commissioners Nannette Samuelson and Dave Eagle argue current rules are too outdated to protect Lake Granbury's watershed from potential pollution and noise.

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Supporters say the moratorium would have allowed the county to update development laws, ensuring modern growth doesn't come at the environment's expense. At the forefront of those discussions is the proposed Comanche Circle data center which spans 2,100-acres. During a Jan. 13 meeting, commissioners voted to conditionally approve the concept plan submitted by Sailfish Investments late last year. The county believed the plan lacked information regarding utilities and energy usage, telling Sailfish to submit an updated plan addressing the concerns. Sailfish has until Feb. 27 to submit its revised concept plan. During the Jan. 29 special meeting, Ryan Hughes, managing partner at Sailfish Investors, argued Sailfish had done everything by the books and accused the county of "rewriting the steps."

Rep. McCaul questions ICE director about Minneapolis operations after fatal shootings

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) pressed Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership this week about escalating tensions in Minneapolis following the fatal shootings of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti. During a congressional hearing, McCaul questioned acting ICE Director Todd Lyons about the agency’s operations in the city and whether recent leadership changes have helped calm unrest. McCaul pointed to what he described as years of border security failures and criticized sanctuary city policies in Minneapolis, saying local officials had previously declined to honor ICE detainers on individuals identified as dangerous felons. Lyons confirmed that ICE detainers had not been honored at the local level.

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The Texas congressman also cited a rise in assaults and threats against ICE officers, calling it a “perfect storm” that contributed to heightened tensions on the ground. He argued that ICE agents are trained for targeted enforcement operations, not crowd control, and said previous tactics may have escalated the situation. After the shootings, President Donald Trump removed Agent Greg Bevino from overseeing the operation and assigned border czar Tom Homan to take charge. McCaul praised the move, describing Homan as a “consummate professional.” Lyons told lawmakers that since Homan assumed control, ICE has shifted to “targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operations,” working more closely with local authorities. He said protests have “subsided” and described a “de-escalation” in the city. In one recent incident, local law enforcement arrested 54 protesters without ICE officers directly engaging. McCaul asked whether Homan’s approach in Minneapolis could serve as a national model. Although the hearing time expired before a full response, Lyons indicated support for the strategy.

Arlington votes to reshape city’s anti-discrimination code, removing LGBTQ+ protections

The Arlington City Council Tuesday, Feb. 10 approved a proposed anti-discrimination ordinance that, many believe, in effect leaves the city’s minority residents without any protection against discrimination. The vote follows the council’s vote in December not to reinstate the city’s original nondiscrimination protections passed in 2021, after suspending that ordinance in September, 2025, due to concerns over federal funds. Republicans in Austin and in Washington, D.C., threatened to withhold federal funding for any city that did not rescind so-called “DEI” policies. DeeJay Johannessen, the CEO of HELP Center for LGBTQ Health who was instrumental in getting the city council to pass the original ordinance in 2021 and has been working to get protections reinstated since September, said in a press release supporters are “deeply disappointed” by the vote.

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“Though described as progress, the ordinance fails to provide meaningful local protections and in fact dismantles all of Arlington’s existing anti-discrimination laws,” according to a press release from HELP following the vote. The press release explains that the measure approved tonight by the council “replaces Arlington’s duty to protect with a ‘meet and refer’ model, eliminating the city’s responsibility to investigate or resolve discrimination complaints.” The ordinance leaves “residents, workers, visitors and businesses … without local recourse” and instead directs those who feel they have been discriminated against to “outside agencies that are often overburdened and inaccessible. Every protected class in Arlington loses meaningful local protection under this framework.” The new ordinance, according to the press release, “limits city involvement to providing a website or phone number to victims of discrimination.” Johannessen pointed to a statement by Council member Rebecca Boxall, saying that it “underscores the central problem. She said, ‘We aren’t taking anything away. The previous ordinance did not have any enforcement, and neither does this one.’ “Yet she opposed reinstating the prior ordinance because she argued it lacked enforcement,” Johannessen said, “and then voted for one she acknowledges also has none. That contradiction is difficult to reconcile.” Two council members — Nikkie Hunter, who represents District 3, and Bowie Hogg, who represents District 7 — voted against the ordinance containing the new code.

CAIR urges comptroller to allow Muslim schools to access TEFA program

The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Texas chapter is urging the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to stop excluding Muslim schools from the state’s new education savings account program. The program, known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts, gives families public money to pay for educational expenses such as private school tuition and homeschooling costs. The comptroller’s office began taking applications last month from schools looking to participate in the school voucher-like program.

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Not all private schools have been able to access the $1 billion program. The Houston Chronicle reported last week that more than a dozen Islamic schools across the state had been shut out of the program over ties to CAIR, an advocacy group that Gov. Greg Abbott has designated as a foreign terrorist group. In a statement, Imran Ghani, executive director of CAIR-Houston, said the move effectively blocks Muslim families from accessing the program to send their children to schools that align with their values, as adherents of other faiths are able to do. “Government inaction that disproportionately excludes an entire religious community is no different than an explicit ban, and courts have made that clear for decades,” Ghani said. “Texas officials must correct this immediately, or they will be complicit in violating the fundamental principles of religious freedom and equal protection.”

National Stories

Trump administration fails to indict Democrats involved in 'illegal orders' video

The Trump administration tried and failed Tuesday to indict Democratic lawmakers over a video urging members of the military and intelligence communities not to comply with unlawful orders, three sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. Six Democrats participated in the video, and some had said they would not cooperate with the Justice Department’s probe into their involvement. The indictment, pursued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, led by Trump appointee Jeanine Pirro, is the latest example of the Justice Department’s targeting the president's perceived political opponents. The government attorneys assigned to the case are political appointees, not career Justice Department prosecutors, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

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A Justice Department spokesman and a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. The FBI had sought interviews with the six members of Congress who appeared in the video, which was posted to social media in November: Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. The lawmakers, all of whom served in the military or in intelligence roles, said in the video that the Trump administration was pitting members of the military and the intelligence communities “against American citizens.” They then pointed out that public servants can refuse illegal orders. “Now, more than ever, the American people need you,” the lawmakers say in the video. “Don’t give up the ship."

Members of Congress are fleeing the job at a historically high rate

Some feel they’ve hit an appropriate retirement age. Others want to tend to their health or their families. Yet more are leaving because they don’t like the workplace. Add it all together, and members of Congress are heading for the exit at a historically high rate ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with two more House Republicans adding themselves to a growing roster just last week. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., announced Wednesday that he was retiring from Congress, while Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., announced Friday that he wouldn’t run for re-election, either. Loudermilk said he wants “to spend more dedicated time with my family,” while Amodei said it was “the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch.”

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The latest retirements mean 60 members of Congress have decided not to run for re-election this year — 51 House members and nine senators. It’s the most retirements from both chambers combined this century, according to historical data from the Brookings Institution’s Vital Statistics on Congress. That includes lawmakers who are retiring from political life altogether and those leaving their seats to run for other offices, but it doesn’t include members who have resigned or died during the current Congress. The number of House departures is inching closer to a recent high in 2018, when 52 lawmakers didn’t run for re-election. And, as in 2018, which was a bruising election year for the GOP, more House Republicans are heading for the exits than Democrats. Lawmakers can choose to retire for a variety of reasons, including the personal — health issues or long commutes to Washington infringing on time with family — and the political, from chasing opportunities to run for higher offices to weighing the unappealing prospect of being relegated to the minority. And on top of it all, Congress can simply be a frustrating place to work.

A 14-year-old girl described being zip-tied during Idaho raid, sparking fresh questions about ICE tactics

When Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue described the October raid on a popular community horse racing venue here, he hailed the detention of 105 undocumented immigrants and flatly rejected allegations that agents used zip ties to restrain some of the dozens of children present. Then he was presented with photographic evidence. Images obtained by CBS News appear to show the zip ties and bruised wrists of Anabel Romero's 14-year-old daughter SueHey, a U.S. citizen who was tending to her 6- and 8-year-old siblings when the agents descended on the crowd in military-style gear and herded them into a confined area. "God bless her. I'm sorry she went through that," said Donahue, a self-proclaimed cowboy who participated in the raid on horseback.

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"But law enforcement is not evil because we contained everybody and detained them until we sorted it out. That's not evil." Mistreatment of children during a militarized police action that involved armored vehicles and flashbang grenades has sparked fresh questions about tactics being employed nationwide in the name of the Trump administration's wave of immigration sweeps. On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal civil rights lawsuit highlighting the mistreatment of families attending the weekend recreation event at La Catedral Arena, many of whom were American citizens of Hispanic descent. The incident in this small agricultural community about an hour outside of Boise has largely been overshadowed in the national headlines by the immigration surge in Minnesota, where the tactics used by federal immigration agents on children have attracted widespread scrutiny. In one instance, a family alleged that agents deployed tear gas that landed under a car with six children inside. One viral image showed 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was wearing a hat with bunny ears and carrying a Spiderman backpack as he was being detained.

Even a decade of unintentional shootings could not slow America’s top pistol maker

In 2010, a group of weapons technicians gathered at the training academy of SIG Sauer Inc. for a routine test referred to as the “shake and bake.” The technicians, a mix of military and law enforcement professionals, had reached the final round of a course certifying them to repair SIG firearms. To graduate, they needed to strip a couple of dozen pistols, all from the gunmaker’s P226 DAK line, down to their screws and springs. They would scramble the parts in a bin, then set about reassembling each gun from scratch. The test began as usual; the technicians rebuilt the guns without issue. But when they pulled the triggers, the weapons, which had functioned properly beforehand, no longer worked. Two former instructors who were present told me the technicians had reassembled their guns correctly. (

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(These instructors asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional retribution.) That suggested the problem lay with the weapons. Identical guns should have interchangeable parts. When they don’t, it can indicate poor manufacturing. That same year, SIG’s chief executive officer and president, Ron Cohen, sat for an interview with the magazine Management Today. Cohen had staged a dramatic turnaround at the New Hampshire-based company. When he’d taken charge five years earlier, it had recently become independent of its iconic German parent, SIG Sauer GmbH. It was sputtering, eking out tiny margins on guns still built with parts from Germany. But under Cohen’s stewardship, sales had tripled, and the company had added product lines and hundreds of employees. In the interview, Cohen extolled the company’s transformation. He compared SIG to Mercedes-Benz, then mused about what it might cost to continue expanding: “How do you grow Mercedes to be four times bigger while not losing your edge of being the quality leader? How do you grow without losing those parts of you?” Over the next 15 years, SIG surged to the front of a fiercely competitive U.S. pistol market and edged out industry heavyweights for government contracts. But while business grew, so did claims of shoddy manufacturing.

Man detained for questioning in Nancy Guthrie case is released

A man who was detained during a traffic stop by investigators looking into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has been released after questioning. In an interview early Wednesday, the man said he had not heard about Nancy Guthrie but hopes that she is found safe. “I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it,” he said, speaking on the doorstep of his wife and mother-in-law’s home in Rio Rico, Ariz. The F.B.I. and the Pima County, Ariz., Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday had carried out a “court-authorized search” related to the investigation in Rio Rico, Ariz., about an hour’s drive south of Tucson, Ariz., the county sheriff, Chris Nanos, said in a statement. As of 1:20 a.m. local time on Wednesday, the department had not yet confirmed that it had released the person it had detained for questioning. But a spokeswoman, Angelica Carrillo, said investigators had “completed their search of a property in Rio Rico.”

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Investigators questioned the man after he was detained during a traffic stop south of Tucson, more than 10 days into the search for the 84-year-old mother of the “Today” host Savannah Guthrie. Outside a home in Rio Rico, a woman said the man was her son-in-law and that investigators had broken down her door and were searching the house. She said her son-in-law had been delivering food when he was stopped by the police. She insisted that the masked figure in a newly released surveillance video was not him. The footage, released earlier, shows a masked person on Nancy Guthrie’s porch around the time that she is believed to have vanished from her neighborhood near Tucson early on Feb. 1. The person is wearing a ski mask, gloves and a backpack, and appears to be armed with a pistol. Cable news pundits and true crime enthusiasts have spent more than a week analyzing the scant details of Ms. Guthrie’s case as they have trickled out. The authorities said early on that they were investigating the disappearance as a kidnapping, and Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have released a series of videos pleading with whoever is involved to reach out to them. They said they were prepared to listen to ransom demands. It was not yet clear whether the authorities believe the person being questioned is the same person in the video, according to a second law enforcement official familiar with the case. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share details.

March for Life rally, national shrine, CUA among infection sites for confirmed measles cases in DC

The March for Life rally, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and several buildings at The Catholic University of America were among infection sites for confirmed measles cases in the District of Columbia, the capital city's health department said Feb. 7.

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DC Health said sites where people may have been exposed to the measles virus include: — Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Wednesday, Jan. 21, from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; National March for Life Rally and Concert, Friday, Jan. 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; The Catholic University of America, Garvey Hall, Saturday, Jan. 24, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 25, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.; CUA, Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center, Saturday, Jan. 24 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; CUA, St. Vincent de Paul Chapel, Sunday, Jan. 25, from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Other sites include the city's Metro system, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Union Station Amtrak Concourse and the Children's National Medical Center emergency department. The Pontifical Academy for Life in 2017 issued updated moral considerations on vaccinations, telling Catholic parents they should vaccinate their children for the good of their children and the community, and they can do so with a "clear conscience."

Activist investor pushes Warner to walk away from Netflix deal

Activist investor Ancora Holdings has built a roughly $200 million stake in Warner Bros. Discovery and is planning to oppose Warner’s deal to sell its movie and television studios and HBO Max streaming service to Netflix, according to people familiar with the matter. Ancora, which could announce its position as soon as Wednesday, believes that Warner failed to adequately engage with David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance PSKY 1.50%increase; green up pointing triangle after it made a rival all-cash offer for the entire business, including its cable-network group, at $30 a share, the people said. The arrival of an activist, even with a small stake in the company, will add yet another dose of uncertainty and drama to an already drawn-out fight for the Hollywood studio.

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Netflix has signed a $72 billion deal, but Paramount, which is bidding nearly $78 billion for the whole company, has gone straight to shareholders and threatened to wage a board fight at the same time. Ancora, a roughly $11 billion fund that has a history of lobbying in the middle of deals, emailed Warner Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav on Tuesday to say that it is considering launching its own proxy fight if Warner’s board doesn’t negotiate the best deal for shareholders with Paramount, the people added. Warner has a market value of roughly $69 billion as of Tuesday, making Ancora’s stake in the company less than 1%. But Ancora plans to continue buying Warner shares, the people familiar with the matter added, and, even with a small stake, it adds a voice that could help rally other investors around opposing the Netflix transaction. Many shareholders remain on the fence over which deal is better and are anticipating the offers could be revised further. A shareholder vote is expected next month.

D.C. grand jury declines to indict six Democratic lawmakers

A federal grand jury in D.C. refused the Justice Department’s attempts to indict six Democratic lawmakers over their comments to military service members — the latest rebuke of the Trump administration’s push to prosecute the president’s foes, according to two people familiar with the matter. Federal prosecutors last year launched an investigation into the lawmakers — all of whom served in the military or with intelligence agencies — after they released a short video advising current military members to reject “illegal orders.” The lawmakers include Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain and astronaut from Arizona, and Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst from Michigan, both of whom sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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They have criticized the administration’s attempts to deploy the National Guard to cities run by Democratic officials and conduct strikes on alleged drug traffickers’ boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. It is exceedingly rare for grand juries to reject indictments, in part because prosecutors only need to convince a majority of grand jurors that there is a probable cause that a crime was committed — a relatively low threshold. But the Justice Department’s campaign to target President Donald Trump’s perceived adversaries has repeatedly been rebuffed by grand juries and judges, including in its efforts to prosecute former FBI director James B. Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D). The other lawmakers in the video whom the grand jury rejected to indict include Democratic Reps. Jason Crow (Colorado), a former Army Ranger; Chrissy Houlahan (Pennsylvania), a former Air Force officer; Chris Deluzio (Pennsylvania), a former Navy officer; and Maggie Goodlander (New Hampshire), a Navy veteran. The lawmakers have denounced the investigations.

Copyright February 11, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved