April 29, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Camp Mystic owners defend safeguards put in place after deadly floods

Family members who own and operate Camp Mystic expressed deep sorrow on Tuesday as they testified about their actions during last summer's deadly floods, which left 25 campers and two counselors dead. But they also defended their work to better prepare for such emergencies going forward, even as some lawmakers said they should no longer be permitted to continue operating the facility. "I think about the night of the flood every moment of every day. We tried our hardest that night, and it wasn't enough to save your daughters," said Edward Eastland, a camp director whose father had run Camp Mystic for several decades before dying in the flooding trying to rescue children. "Every moment of every day is hard. And yet that pain feels like nothing compared to what you're going through. To talk openly about our pain feels like I'm insulting you."

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Eastland, along with his wife Mary Liz, and bothers Britt and Richard, were questioned for nearly three hours by a special Texas House and Senate committee investigating the tragedy. On Monday, the panel's investigative team laid out a minute-by-minute timeline of the storm and highlighted numerous missteps and lost opportunities to get every child in the all-girls Christian camp to safety. The panel was expected to hear from parents of the children who have died, as well from state regulators, later in Tuesday's hearing. Each member of the Eastland family said they are still grappling with grief and guilt with the help of therapy and prayer. They told the panel that they had done the best the could under horrendous and frightening circumstances, the likes of which they had never experienced, despite growing in the part of the Hill Country often called "flash flood alley" and being associated with Camp Mystic for much of their lives. State Sen. Lois Kolkorst, R-Brenham, questioned whether the family members are yet psychologically able to adequately care for the hundreds of children who would return to their camp. Others on the panel were more direct.

UAE exit weakens OPEC+ power over oil market but group to stay together, sources say

OPEC and its allies will lose some of their power over the oil market when the United Arab Emirates leaves the group on May 1, but the rest of the producer alliance is likely to stick together ?and continue to coordinate on oil supply policy, OPEC+ delegates and analysts said on Tuesday. The UAE is the fourth-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and said it would quit the ?group on Tuesday after nearly 60 years as a member. That will free Abu Dhabi from the oil production targets imposed by OPEC and its allies to balance supply and demand. The UAE's exit came as a shock, said five OPEC+ sources, who asked not to be named as they are not allowed to speak to the press.

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The exit would complicate OPEC+'s efforts to balance the market through adjustments to supply because the group would have control over less of global production, four of the five sources said. The UAE will become the largest oil producer to depart ?OPEC, a heavy blow to the organization and its de facto leader Saudi Arabia. Abu Dhabi pumped around 3.4 million barrels per day (bpd) or about 3% of the world's crude supply before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran ?forced it and other Middle East Gulf producers to curb shipments and shut down some production. OPEC and the Saudi government communication office did not immediately reply to a request for ?comment. Once outside OPEC, the UAE will join the ranks of independent oil producers that pump at will, such as the United States and Brazil. For now, there is not much the UAE can do to increase production or exports due to ?the effective closure of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. If and when shipping recovers to pre-war levels, the UAE could increase output to the country's capacity of 5 million bpd of crude oil and liquids. There has been tension between the ?UAE and Saudi Arabia over the Emiratis' production quota, which stands at 3.5 million bpd. The UAE has asked for a bigger quota to reflect the fact that it had expanded capacity as part of a $150 billion investment program.

It’s all falling apart for House GOP this week

The wheels are coming off the House Republican Conference. In a week that was supposed to set the tone for a furious period of election-year legislating, Speaker Mike Johnson’s House GOP majority is once again the epitome of discord and dysfunction. It’s not really clear how House Republicans will get through the next few days. Johnson’s leadership team may lose yet another big rule vote. There’s constant grumbling inside House Republican leadership circles as people snipe at one another. Senate Republicans are furious with their House GOP counterparts. The White House seems fed up with the chaotic House GOP conference too. Plus, the stakes couldn’t be higher, politically and policy-wise.

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After a Rules Committee hearing that stretched from Monday to Tuesday, House GOP leadership plans to go to the floor today with a blueprint for debating several key bills. These include a FISA Section 702 renewal; a farm bill; legislation allowing the year-round sale of E15 ethanol fuel; and a budget resolution to fund ICE and Border Patrol. But that GOP-drafted rule looks destined to fail, another potentially devastating misstep for Johnson and his top lieutenants. And then what? Will Johnson keep the House in over the weekend? Will Johnson cancel the upcoming week-long May recess? Will Johnson have to punt to the Senate to ensure that the nation’s most critical foreign surveillance program doesn’t expire? House Republicans want to portray themselves as the “grownups” in Washington ahead of what’s expected to be a difficult midterm election. But at this point, they look like amateurs — and their majority is in deep trouble. The legislative morass. Despite months of internal discussions, House Republicans can’t agree among themselves about how to move forward on extending FISA Section 702, a critical surveillance authority that expires Thursday.

Albright leaves hundreds of cases for busy colleagues to finish

Judge Alan Albright, after spending years making his Texas courtroom a national hub for patent litigation, is leaving behind one of the longest backlogs of cases of any federal judge for his colleagues to see through when he leaves the bench at the end of August. The Western District of Texas had 129 civil cases pending for three years or longer, as of last September—and 70% belonged to Albright. He also accounted for 63% of the 706 civil motions that were ripe for a decision for six months or longer but hadn’t been resolved. Albright had 446 undecided motions as of September 2025, nearly twice that of any other district judge in the three states that make up the Fifth Circuit. Albright’s judicial colleagues in Austin, Robert Pitman and David Ezra, had none. “He has a huge docket that now the other judges are going to have,” said Lee Yeakel, who was a judge in the Western District of Texas until 2023, “because it’s not going to go down appreciably by the end of August, no matter how hard he works.”

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The former patent litigator revealed April 21 he’ll step down after eight years and return to practicing law as an attorney. He said he held off on the announcement until the Senate confirmed judicial nominations in Austin and Waco, two divisions in the district where he hears cases, rather than create another opening. His list of undecided cases highlights the struggles Albright was having on the bench—and a growing disinterest toward cases that are outside of his patent wheelhouse. Last December, he issued an order referring all criminal matters and many civil matters to a magistrate judge to make recommendations for Albright to review. He held onto only habeas corpus petitions, ex parte applications for temporary restraining orders, and patent cases. “There will be a significant adjustment,” after Albright leaves,” Ezra, a senior judge who maintains a full docket, said in an interview. Together, Ezra will tackle Albright’s caseload with Pitman and Andrew Davis, a former Lehotsky Keller Cohn partner who is on his way to Austin following his confirmation in the Senate on April 20. Other judges in the district have volunteered to chip in, Chief Judge Alia Moses said. It’s unclear how quickly the White House will move to replace him. “We’re going to make every effort to minimize the disruptions and get matters resolved as quickly as possible,” Ezra said.

State Stories

Only 3 Texas summer camps approved to open as licensing deadline nears

Only three Texas summer camps have received licenses to operate this summer, as camps race to navigate a slate of strict new laws enacted following last year's catastrophic Hill Country floods. The deadline is nearing, with camps across the state scheduled to open in one month. Camp leaders said they are growing anxious about the tight timeline but remain optimistic the licensing process will be completed in time. “Everyone wants camps to open, and everyone wants safe camps,” said Eddie Walker, executive director of Mt. Lebanon Camp in Cedar Hill, one of the largest faith-based camps in the state. “But the process is challenging this year.”

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State lawmakers last year passed a flurry of laws following the July flood that killed 27 children and counselors at Camp Mystic, an all-girls’ camp in Hill Country. Parents of the girls, who became known as “Heaven’s 27,” pushed for reforms that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Under the new laws, camps are required to install emergency warning and public address systems, provide mandatory safety training to campers and distribute emergency plans to families. Some must build new cabins and move existing cabins out of dangerous floodplains, as designated by Federal Emergency Management Agency maps. Camps must outline safety and compliance details in thorough emergency plans. Unlike previous years, camps are now required to submit those plans to the Department of State Health Services, which is responsible for issuing licenses to both day and overnight camps. Texas state Rep. Wes Virdell, who represents Kerr County, which assumed the brunt of flood devastation, said he has heard from numerous camps struggling to meet the state's new requirements. Like other critics, Virdell worried the laws would financially cripple decades-old camps and create an unrealistic timeline for them to comply. "Ultimately, legislators passed a sloppy bill that is now causing massive trouble for camps across Texas," said Virdell, a Republican. "This was an egregious overreach by lawmakers."

Meet the small-town Texas mayor whose vision is reshaping how cities like Dallas govern — and who controls their decisions

In February, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit accusing Dallas officials of failing to adequately fund the city’s police department and violating a voter-approved measure requiring it to hire up to 900 new officers. “I filed this lawsuit to ensure that the City of Dallas fully funds law enforcement, upholds public safety, and is accountable to its constituents,” Paxton said in a news release demanding that the city adhere to a 2024 change in its charter. “When voters demand more funding for law enforcement, local officials must immediately comply.” The reason Paxton could pursue such action, the reason the Dallas city charter even requires hiring more officers, was due in large part to a man named Art Martinez de Vara. A private attorney with a law practice based in Houston and a tiny South Texas town called Von Ormy, Martinez de Vara was one of the driving forces behind the changes in the charter that opened Dallas up to such a lawsuit in the first place.

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Martinez de Vara’s personal website lists him as a state historian, an anthropologist and an attorney, in that order. He’s also the mayor of Von Ormy, a community of 1,100 people. But over the past two decades, Martinez de Vara has been much more than that. He has made a name for himself in Texas conservative circles as the architect behind the formation of a handful of small towns with austere — nearly nonexistent — local governments. His push for limited-government concepts is not out of the norm in Texas, a state that has long worn that badge with pride. But the so-called “liberty city” experiment, in which communities agree to lean governments, little to no taxation and scant regulation, never grew into a large-scale movement. So in recent years, Martinez de Vara and other limited-government advocates have taken a different tack: They’ve ramped up efforts to restrict local governments’ ability to decide how they spend their money and which policies they can adopt. That’s what happened in Dallas. Two years ago, Martinez de Vara joined a coalition of power players associated with a nonprofit called Dallas HERO, a group funded in part by Republican megadonor and Dallas-area hotelier Monty Bennett.

Pharr mayor, AT&T rep clash at heated meeting

Normally, mayors and city commissioners do not comment during public testimony at commission meetings. They let the public have their say without responding. But Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez felt he had to comment after listening to AT&T representative Mario Barragan criticize a proposed amendment to a City of Pharr’s ordinance. Hernandez said: “The only truthful statement you made was your name and who you represent. The rest of it was all fluff. But you're entitled to your opinion.” In his remarks, Barragan said: “Good afternoon commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to speak again. Mario Barragan, director of external legislative affairs for AT&T in South Texas. Mayor and commissioners, as you're already aware, AT&T remains opposed to this ordinance and the proposed amendment because we have raised concerns that have gone unaddressed."

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“Through this ordinance and proposed amendment, the city is using its regulatory authority to compel private parties to support a government-owned network by shifting costs onto builders, businesses, renters and families, ultimately families in Pharr. At the same time, private providers are left trying to compete in the market where the city is writing the rules to benefit its own network. This government overreach discourages private investment, undermines competition and leaves consumers with fewer choices, less innovation and higher costs. In short, this is not good for Pharr residents." “As we have stated previously, this ordinance conflicts with state and federal law and goes far beyond ordinary development standards and uses the permitting and occupancy process to advantage the city's broadband operation over competitors. If the city truly wants greater connectivity and more investment for its residents, the answer is to adopt lawful, balanced policies that encourage all providers to compete. We respectfully ask that you work with us and other community organizations that have raised similar concerns on a balanced approach that expands connectivity without undermining competition or shifting costs onto the public. Thank you.”

City of Austin will push for new driverless vehicle legislation

Austin leaders plan to ask state lawmakers to pass new rules for autonomous vehicles driving on Texas roads. The city’s legislative recommendations, including higher fees for safety violations and a new digital system for law enforcement to ticket AVs, were sparked in part by videos and reports of a Waymo blocking first responders after a mass shooting on Sixth Street in March. The city is also recommending autonomous vehicles stay out of a 1,000-foot radius for an hour during serious emergencies. The Austin Police Department already issues geofencing alerts to AV companies during some big events and emergencies, but complaints KXAN obtained from first responders show there have been issues with AVs still driving in those areas.

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Austin’s recommendations are detailed in the Mobility Committee’s Wednesday meeting materials. Some of the committee’s recommendations appear to already be reflected in Texas law or are already occurring at some level within the city. A posted copy of the city’s presentation recommends the city hold regular meetings with AV companies on how they are working to improve their systems. APD officials said the department’s officers and other first responders have regularly been meeting with Waymo while it has been operating in the city, including a meeting that happened after the mass shooting to discuss a Waymo blocking an ambulance. The presentation also includes a legislative recommendation to “ensure the [Texas Department of Motor Vehicles] has the authority to immediately limit [and] restrict operations in fatal or serious injury crashes.” State lawmakers already passed a law last legislative session allowing the DMV to do just that. Starting on May 28, the DMV will have authority to restrict an AV operator, if an investigation finds its vehicle has caused, or is likely to cause, serious bodily injury.

Trump’s new tool to speed up wall construction may be a trap for Texas landowners

As President Donald Trump’s second administration rushes to wall off the Texas border, landowners along the Rio Grande are being pushed to let construction begin on their property before the federal government purchases or condemns it. Owners of real estate on the border are receiving letters from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) offering a signing bonus of up to $5,000 to let government contractors survey their property and begin wall construction. In copies of the letters obtained by the Texas Observer, CBP promises to negotiate with landowners to purchase their real estate at a later date. They include a warning that if property owners don’t agree to the signing bonus or quickly sell, the government will file a lawsuit to condemn their property. It’s a new tactic. Past administrations, including Trump’s first, simply sought to survey land as the initial step, according to documents reviewed by the Observer and multiple attorneys, with the government taking landowners to court who refused access. Property owners often received only $100 at this step.

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Negotiations over and possible condemnation of the land itself, using eminent domain, would come later and take place before construction began. In property condemnation proceedings, construction may still begin partway through the process thanks to the feds’ “quick take” power, but a court ultimately decides appropriate compensation. The letters being sent to landowners this year are “very different” than before, said Carlos E. Flores, a Laredo attorney who has represented landowners facing condemnation lawsuits for the border wall. “These actually give permission by the landowner to allow for construction operations on the property,” he said. “Theoretically if a person were to sign one of these [agreements], the government could come in, do measurements and build the wall.” The famed Big Bend national and state parks aside, nearly all the land along the Texas-Mexico border is privately owned. This has slowed down past presidential administrations’ wall-building efforts in the state, and most of the Texas border remains unfenced—though the Rio Grande Valley in deep South Texas hosts significant wall stretches and could soon see itself entirely divorced from its river. Last year, Congress appropriated an unprecedented $46.5 billion for border barrier construction, including both 30-foot-tall steel fencing and river buoys, and the Trump administration has already awarded contracts for wall construction in Texas, despite having purchased very little property.

Hemp industry in court to argue for an extended pause on intoxicating hemp ban

The Texas hemp industry has two-and-a-half days to extend the judicial pause against new Department of State Health Services (DSHS) rules which essentially ban smokable intoxicating hemp. The rules originated from a Gov. Greg Abbott executive order issued in September 2025, but the fight over hemp started much earlier. Last spring, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 3 attempting to ban hemp containing any amount of THC. Eventually, SB 3 made it to Abbott’s desk — where he vetoed it at the last minute. Instead he ordered the legislature to take a less restrictive approach during a pair of special sessions — and when they failed to do so, instructed state agencies to take actions like DSHS’ through an executive order.

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The change became official on March 31. Previously, hemp was defined as a cannabis plant with less than 0.3% total THC. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Delta-9 THC, commonly just known as THC, is a naturally-occurring chemical compound which grants users the “high” feeling. While 0.3% is not enough THC to make smokers feel any significant effects, Tetrahydrocannabinol Acid (THCA) could legally be found at any limit. When the THCA is exposed to heat (like being smoked), it decarboxylates — turning about 88% of the THCA into THC. Additionally, the industry is challenging a rule change dramatically increasing the fees for hemp producers and hemp retailers. Previously, hemp stores needed to pay a $150 fee to DSHS for their annual license. Under the new rules, they will have to pay $5,000. Similarly, hemp manufacturers currently have to pay $250 in license fees per facility. Under the new rules, they will be required to pay $10,000. On April 10, Travis County District Court Judge Maya Guerra Gamble granted the hemp industry at temporary restraining order to prevent an enforcement of the new rules. The order was later extended until May 1, the day after the two-and-a-half day hearing is set to end. The Hemp industry, represented by the Texas Hemp Business Council, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America and several Texas-based hemp companies, is asking Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle to grant a permanent injunction against the new rules until the full case is heard.

DART tries to close commuting gap in car-centric Dallas

Not everyone can afford a car, and not everyone wants one. That places more of the burden on Dallas Area Rapid Transit, North Texas’ largest public transportation agency, to manage the challenge of providing reliable service for the ninth largest city in the United States and its suburbs. DART covers more than 700 square miles across 13 cities. Its network includes 93 miles of light rail, the new 26-mile Silver Line regional rail, 83 bus routes with more than 7,000 stops, 31 GoLink microtransit zones, paratransit, the Trinity Railway Express, and the Dallas Streetcar system. These services carried about 56 million trips last year, or roughly 171,000 boardings on a typical weekday. DART aims to put about 74% of residents in its coverage area within a half-mile of service. Core riders remain low-income residents, many of them people of color, who lack cars and rely on transit for jobs, school and everyday needs.

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But financial pressures are weighing on the agency. DART relies heavily on a dedicated 1% sales tax from its member cities, which provides nearly two-thirds of its revenue. Its long range financial plan shows that earlier rail expansion and the Silver Line project left the agency with significant debt obligations into the 2030s, constraining how much new service it can add. “We just have to provide more service, but more service is expensive,” said Nadine Lee, who served as DART CEO until April. “Our revenues are not growing at the same pace, and there is constant pressure to spend less money.” This spring, residents in Addison, Highland Park and University Park will vote on whether to withdraw from DART, a sign of the agency’s central role and the strain in some member cities over how service and sales-tax contributions line up. DART rider surveys consistently point to three priorities, which Lee summarized as security, cleanliness and reliability. Under a 10-year, $2.5 billion program called DART Transform, DART is replacing vehicles and upgrading stations and safety systems. It reports violent crime is down and missed trips have fallen from about 15% of runs when Lee arrived to less than 1% today. But as Dallas grows, gaps in access and opportunity become clearer. Transportation is a necessity across North Texas, and the region is struggling to build a system that works for the people who depend on it most.

Deadline nears for Texans to weigh in on future of state agencies

Texas residents have the opportunity to share ideas for improving agencies that serve families. The Texas Sunset process evaluates the performances of state agencies to determine if they should continue, be restructured or even abolished. Currently, the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission is reviewing the operations of 16 agencies and seeking input from the public. Diana Forester, director of health policy for the group Texans Care for Children, said they are proposing changes for the Department of Family and Protective Services, the Health and Human Services Commission and State Health Services.

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"Right now there's some gaps in major children's mental health services," Forester explained. "Texas covers the most basic care and the most intensive care. When children are already eligible for health coverage, we want to make sure that they're able to sign up and stay covered." She added their goal is to make sure Texans who are eligible for benefits get the coverage they need. Recommendations can be made through April 30, via a public input form on the commission’s website. Commission members will propose changes to lawmakers during next year’s legislative session. Forester stressed anyone has the opportunity to submit their ideas to the state government. "Texans could share (their) experiences accessing services or navigating the eligibility process for Medicaid or SNAP, challenges you or your organization face when working with state systems," Forester outlined. "Then, ideas for improved coordination, efficiency or accountability." Other agencies under review this year include the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and the Texas Workforce Commission. Most state agencies are reviewed every 12 years.

Temple residents seeking to recall Mayor and City Council members over data concerns

A dispute over data centers moving into Temple has led a group to begin collecting signatures to recall the mayor and two members of City Council. Over the past several months, the City of Temple has approved two Rowan Digital Infrastructure data centers, and another one is working its way through the public hearing process. Some residents of Temple fear these centers are popping up too fast, and don’t like the way City Council is pushing them through. “They’re not listening to the people and they’re not doing basic due diligence, like, what’s the impact this is going to have on our community,” asked Joe Royer, one of the leaders of Temple Stands Together. In a statement released to FOX 44, the city disagrees with Royer and says they have done their due diligence.

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“The City Council considers a wide range of factors when reviewing items for its consideration – including annexation requests, zoning cases, and potential development or incentive agreements. These factors include the impact to both existing infrastructure and the effect on future infrastructure planning, proposed economic impact, availability of current and future resources, alignment with the City’s future development plan, and how the matter may affect the future of the city and its residents,” wrote the City of Temple. Along with Temple, Rowan Digital Infrastructure also spoke about the work they’re doing to integrate into the community. “Rowan is a sustainable data developer, which means that we approach development with that lens every decision we make, and that includes power and water,” said Nathaniel Brown, the Director of Public Relations & Strategic Communications for Rowan. In a City Council meeting on April 16th, Royer along with dozens of other concerned residents voiced their concerns to City Council members about the partnership with Rowan. Representatives from Rowan were also present to answer any questions residents had. The meeting went on for over seven hours, due to the number of public comments, and ended with City Council unanimously voting to approve a development agreement with Rowan on another data center.

The U.S. wants to ban China’s high-tech cars, but they’re already here in El Paso

Just 5 miles from the U.S. border, a bustling commercial strip here offers the buzzy Chinese car brands currently blocked from the American market. A Geely dealership features the all-electric EX2, a sleek compact that starts at only around $20,000. A bulky hybrid pickup truck sits next to a charger outside a BYD dealership. Great Wall Motors boasts some beefy gas-powered sport-utility vehicles, one advertised with the slogan “Be More Tank.” Luis Hernandez, a Geely salesman, said he has poached many longtime Ford and Chevrolet owners attracted to the affordable sticker prices and whiz-bang Chinese technology. He recently sold two Geely Emgrand sedans, which start at around $17,000, to a Mexican family for their two daughters to commute to college in El Paso, where the sleekest Chinese cars are now attracting attention.

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“If they were allowed to be sold in the United States,” Hernandez boasted of the Chinese models, “they would destroy the American car market.” U.S. automotive executives don’t entirely disagree. Without a clear plan to deal with Chinese competitors, some of them said in interviews, the arrival of affordable, high-tech Chinese cars could upend a U.S. industry that contributes $1.3 trillion to the economy each year. “I’m telling you, it is very difficult—not to say impossible—to compete,” said Hyundai Motor Chief Executive José Muñoz. “We cannot compete at the same price as the Chinese in the market where we operate. Otherwise, we will be losing money.” So far, the many Chinese car companies that want to expand into the U.S. have been kept at bay. The U.S. has applied sky-high tariffs to vehicles imported from China, and regulations make it nearly impossible for such vehicles purchased in Mexico to be registered in the U.S. A trio of senators has urged the Trump administration this month to ban Chinese vehicles sold and registered in Mexico and Canada from entering the country; several dozen House lawmakers sent a similar letter this week.

Alex Jones files motion to stop Infowars licensing deal with the Onion

Alex Jones, the embattled Austin-based conspiracist who was ordered to pay $1.4 billion to the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, filed an emergency motion Monday in an effort to stymie an attempt to turn control of Infowars over to satirical news outlet the Onion. Jones had told his millions of viewers on his web-based show Infowars that the shooting never took place, was a false flag operation, and that the grieving parents were crisis actors. He would later admit he was wrong about the shooting. His accusations caused numerous online attacks on the families, according to court testimony. Global Tetrahedron, the company behind the Onion, filed a motion to approve an agreement with the court-appointed receiver of Free Speech Systems, Jones’ former company, in a state district court in Travis County to license the logos, trademarks, domain and properties associated with Jones’ media property Infowars.

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Under the deal, War Is Over LLC — an affiliate of Global Tetrahedron — would pay $81,000 per month to license Infowars.com and related intellectual property, according to court records obtained by the Austin American-Statesman. The proposal is backed by families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, who won defamation judgments against Jones and his Austin-based company. It is the second attempt by the Onion to take control of InfoWars. A bankruptcy court blocked an earlier offer. Jones filed an emergency motion for a temporary pause with the 3rd Court of Appeals. In court documents he says The Onion wants to destroy the value of Free Speech Systems, the umbrella company, and mislead his audience, citing new coverage and the comments of Onion executives. “The licensee’s intentions are clear and, remarkably, reflect its stated desire — destroy the value of the FSS assets,” read the motion. The Onion recently announced that Tim Heidecker, comedian, director, Second City alum and longtime Adult Swim showrunner, would steer the new iteration of Infowars. Jones lashed out online after the news, making demonstrably false allegations against Heidecker. The motion argues that the district court cannot rule on the agreement while the issue is before the appeals court, where it has been for the last three months. It also argues the agreement is void because ultimate authority rests with the bankruptcy court for the Southern District of Texas, which has a stay on collections.

Fort Worth ISD board unanimously votes to cut dozens more staff positions

Fort Worth school district’s Board of Managers voted on Tuesday to implement another reduction in force despite overwhelming, often aggressive pushback from parents and community members during a marathon board meeting that included over six hours of public comments. Tuesday’s approved cuts impact staff members in the departments of Talent Management, Communications and Community Partnerships and Financial Services. The board voted unanimously to approve the reduction in force. Most of the cuts are related to positions that assist Early Language Learners.

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The staff cuts come after days of intense debate and passionate difference of opinion from parents and education leaders across Fort Worth who argue the district would be worse off with less ESL, speech therapy and bilingual-related staffers. Superintendent Peter Licata said there will not be any less ESL, ELL, or emergent bilingual instruction, and argued it would actually be stronger. The board also voted to close International Newcomer Academy, the district’s only campuses designated for immigrant and refugee students new to the country. More than 130 people signed up to address the board during a public comment session that took so long the board paused for a five-minute recess halfway through to change microphone batteries. Most who spoke complained about how the district has not shared a plan on how students who require ELL instruction will continue to do so after staff cuts. “While overall district enrollment has declined, the emergent bilingual enrollment has continued to increase,” said Alice Garcia, the district’s emergent bilingual director. “Our students who are learning English are not disappearing. They are arriving, many as newcomers, immigrants, refugees, often with interrupted education, significant resilience and a strong desire to belong and succeed.”

Texas inmate James Broadnax denied clemency as execution nears

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has denied clemency to James Broadnax, closing one of the final paths available to halt his Thursday execution. The vote against recommending clemency or reprieve was unanimous, according to a memo obtained Tuesday by The Dallas Morning News. The decision comes two days before Broadnax, 37, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in Huntsville.

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Clemency in Texas is historically rare for death row inmates, with only three cases since the penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to data tracked by the Death Penalty Information Center. Texas governors can't issue a pardon, commutation, or reprieve without a written recommendation from the board, but they do have the authority to grant a one-time reprieve of execution. In 2018, Gov. Greg Abbott commuted Thomas ?“Bart” Whitaker’s death sentence to life without parole. He listed several reasons, including the surviving victim’s opposition to execution and the fact that the man who killed the victims did not receive the death penalty. Broadnax raised the latter in his own appeals. In June 2008, court documents say Broadnax and his cousin, Demarius Cummings, set out to rob Matthew Butler and Stephen Swan outside their music studio in Garland. By the time they left, Butler, 28, and Swan, 26, were dead, and the cousins had taken only $2 and a 1995 Ford. Broadnax and Cummings were both 19 at the time. The cousins were convicted of capital murder in separate trials. Broadnax, who was tried as the shooter, was sentenced to death, while Cummings, who was tried as his accomplice, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But on March 11, Cummings signed a written declaration stating it was he who shot Swan and Butler, not Broadnax. Cummings wrote that he persuaded his cousin to take the blame based on the circumstances of their criminal records.

Austin ISD to pause additional school closures, advance rezoning amid $181M budget shortfall

Austin ISD is planning to hold off on future school closures while moving forward with adopting new attendance boundaries. District officials discussed potential changes for the 2027-28 school year as AISD faces a $181 million budget shortfall and considers potential staff layoffs for fiscal year 2026-27. AISD Superintendent Matias Segura confirmed his decision to pause additional school closures in a letter posted to the district's website April 26. “I am very much committed to moving forward the boundary process but have concerns around taking on consolidations,” Segura said at an April 23 board meeting. In November, the AISD board of trustees voted to close 10 campuses this summer to address declining enrollment and mounting budgetary concerns.

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Weeks before the board’s vote, AISD scaled back its initial plans to rezone students districtwide along with closing Maplewood, Bryker Woods and Palm elementaries amid community pushback and a district investigation. The district opened an investigation after community members shared concerns about district officials leading the school consolidation process. In an online update from January, Segura said the district's internal investigation determined "that the integrity of the process was maintained throughout the entire process." Segura said the district would resume its rezoning work and consider future school closures this fall. Going forward, AISD will focus on strengthening the district's special education services while improving student achievement at low-performing schools with turnaround plans, Segura said in an online update. Additionally, AISD will work to stabilize its budget, support families impacted by school closures next school year, improve declining enrollment and advance its 2022 bond projects. "Given the challenges we have taken on recently, I cannot put additional strain on our community that might detract from this strong progress," Segura states in his letter.

National Stories

Budget airlines pitch Trump administration on $2.5 billion relief plan

A group of budget airlines including Frontier and Avelo is seeking $2.5 billion in government assistance in exchange for warrants that could convert into equity stakes in the companies. The Association of Value Airlines said Monday that it asked the administration to consider creating a $2.5 billion pool that budget carriers could draw from because they have been disproportionately affected by the run-up in fuel prices. The estimate assumed jet-fuel prices would remain above $4 a gallon on average for the rest of the year, according to people familiar with the matter. The group called it “a necessary and targeted measure to stabilize operations and keep airfares affordable.” The Wall Street Journal earlier reported on the group’s request.

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Conversations about a potential economic aid package are expected to continue in the coming days, the people said. Low-cost airlines have been heartened by President Trump’s statements in the Oval Office on Thursday that he likes “having a lot of airlines, so it’s competitive.” The White House is aware of the budget airline group’s outreach to the Transportation Department and is monitoring the health of the U.S. aviation industry, a spokesman said. The request comes as the administration is separately considering extending a lifeline to Spirit Airlines to help it avoid liquidation. Spirit is in its own negotiations to receive a loan of up to $500 million in return for warrants that could give the U.S. government a significant stake in the low-cost carrier, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The budget carriers’ latest request represents an escalation from one made earlier this month. They had requested lawmakers approve a temporary holiday from certain taxes on airline tickets.

Trump tells aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran

President Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, U.S. officials said, targeting the regime’s coffers in a high-risk bid to compel a nuclear capitulation Tehran has long refused. In recent meetings, including a Monday discussion in the Situation Room, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports. He assessed that his other options—resume bombing or walk away from the conflict—carried more risk than maintaining the blockade, officials said. Yet continuing the blockade also prolongs a conflict that has driven up gas prices, hurt Trump’s poll numbers and further darkened Republicans’ prospects in the midterm elections. It has also caused the lowest number of transits through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began.

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Since ending the major bombing campaign in an April 7 cease-fire, Trump has repeatedly walked back from escalating the conflict, opening space for diplomacy after earlier threatening to destroy the entirety of Iranian civilization. But he still wants to tighten the grip on the regime until it caves to his key demand: dismantling all of Iran’s nuclear work. On Monday, Trump told aides that Iran’s three-step offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and save nuclear talks for the final phase proved Tehran wasn’t negotiating in good faith, The Wall Street Journal reported. For now, Trump is comfortable with an indefinite blockade, which he wrote Tuesday on Truth Social is pushing Iran toward a “State of Collapse.” A senior U.S. official said the blockade is demonstrably crushing Iran’s economy—it is straining to store its unsold oil—and sparked fresh outreach by the regime to Washington. Trump’s decision represents a new phase of sorts of the war and highlights the fact that the president, who always seeks a quick and salable victory, is devoid of a silver bullet. Unilaterally stopping the fight offers a quick exit to the conflict and relief to the U.S. and global economies. But Iran’s proposal last weekend would have allowed Tehran to set the terms of that off-ramp.

In first electoral test, Mamdani's magic fails

Carl Wilson is on track to win the special election to the City Council district representing the West Village, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and other parts of the west side of Manhattan on Tuesday, with a strong lead over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s choice for the seat. After one round of ranked-choice voting tabulations, Wilson led his closest rival, Lindsey Boylan, who rose to prominence as the first person to publicly accuse former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, her onetime boss, of sexual harassment, by a commanding 43% to 25%, with more than 93% of ballots counted. “I stand here tonight deeply honored to be your next Council member for District 3,” Wilson told jubilant supporters at his watch party at the bar Vers in Hell’s Kitchen. Around 10 p.m., Boylan told supporters at the Chelsea Bell she had “called Carl to congratulate him on winning this race.”

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Council Speaker Julie Menin celebrated Wilson’s victory, which pitted Mamdani against the Manhattan Democratic establishment. “Tonight, we had a resounding victory by electing Carl Wilson as our next City Council Member,” Menin said in a social media post. Election officials will keep counting ranked ballots until a candidate crosses 50% of votes. Wilson will be sworn in to the City Council after the results are ratified, but will need to win the June 23 Democratic primary and the November general election in order to serve a full four-year term. Wilson defeated Boylan despite her significant name recognition heading into the special election, which was declared when Councilmember Erik Bottcher vacated the seat in January upon his election to the state Senate. It was Boylan’s third run for office, after failed bids for Congress and Manhattan borough president in 2020 and 2021. Wilson had been Bottcher’s chief of staff. The special election became a proxy war between the city’s democratic socialist faction, headed by Mayor Mamdani, and the Democratic establishment. Wilson was endorsed by all four of his immediate predecessors, including former Council speakers Christine Quinn and Corey Johnson, and several of the district’s political clubs.

Trump administration mandates enhanced security checks for immigration applicants

The Trump administration is subjecting broad categories of immigrants applying for legal immigration benefits to enhanced security checks, and is pausing some cases while the changes are implemented, according to internal government documents obtained by CBS News. Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services distributed internal guidance instructing its officers to resubmit pending applications for different immigration benefits, including asylum, green cards and U.S. citizenship, to enhanced FBI background checks, the documents show. Officers were directed to refrain from approving any pending cases that have not undergone the expanded background checks.

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USCIS has long used FBI databases to vet immigration applications for potential national security or public safety concerns. But the documents indicate the enhanced security screenings were prompted by the FBI's decision to grant USCIS greater access to its criminal history database, as part of an executive order by President Trump in February. That order directed the Justice Department, which oversees the FBI, to provide USCIS access to its criminal history database "to the maximum extent permitted by law" to identify criminal actors. "Such criminal actors may include foreign nationals with criminal histories who have entered or remained in the United States in violation of the immigration laws of the United States or who otherwise seek to violate the criminal laws of the United States," the president said in his order.

Prosecutions of Trump’s foes add to GOP’s headaches in midterms

Republicans hoping their party’s standard-bearer will stay focused on voters’ priorities heading into the November midterms caught no relief on Tuesday as the Trump administration announced charges against former FBI director James B. Comey and an aide to former chief medical adviser Anthony S. Fauci, as well as a review of Disney’s broadcast licenses. The latest instances of turning government power against President Donald Trump’s critics and pursuing years-old grievances added to frustrations felt by Republicans who say the president isn’t doing enough to address the signature issues that won him a second term. Two-thirds of Americans said Trump hasn’t paid enough attention to the country’s most important problems in a CNN survey conducted late last month, up from 52 percent in February 2025 and higher than at any point in his first term.

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“No Republican wants to run on ‘I stand with Donald Trump’s retribution tour’” while gas prices are so high, said Barrett Marson, a GOP strategist in Arizona. “There is no doubt that the vast majority of non-MAGA voters want Trump to focus on anything but his personal animus toward a wide variety of people.” The White House said the Comey prosecution has no bearing on Trump’s efforts to bring down costs — moves that include signing a tax-cut bill, adding discounted drugs to a government-run portal, expanding domestic beef production, releasing oil reserves and easing restrictions on tankers moving fuel between U.S. ports. “The idea that President Trump and his Cabinet agencies cannot execute multiple actions simultaneously is so laughably false,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. “The insinuation that a grand jury returning an indictment is mutually exclusive with the administration’s strong efforts on the economy is objectively false.”

King Charles promotes US-UK unity in speech to Congress amid Iran tensions

Britain's King Charles told the U.S. Congress on Tuesday that despite an age of uncertainty and conflict in Europe and the Middle East, the UK and the U.S. will always be staunch allies united in defending democracy, at a time of deep divisions between the two long-time allies over ?the war with Iran. "Whatever our differences, whatever disagreements we may have, we stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm, and to salute the courage of those who daily risk ?their lives in the service of our countries," Charles told U.S. lawmakers during a rare speech to a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives, and after a prolonged standing ovation at his entrance with Queen Camilla.

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In a speech that Buckingham Palace said beforehand would not be political, Charles also made references to President Donald Trump's criticism of NATO, highlighted the importance of continued U.S. help for Ukraine in its war with Russia, the dangers of isolationism, and even a call for the safeguarding of nature, an important issue to the king for most of his life. Trump has been ?highly critical of NATO and European allies, most recently over their reluctance to provide military help in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Trump has also been ambivalent about prolonged U.S. financial and military aid to Ukraine. Charles referred to the ?September 11, 2001, attacks, saying, "we answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder through two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan ?and moments that have defined our shared security today. Mr. Speaker, that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine, and her most courageous people."

Trump State Department puts president's face on America250 passports

The State Department is rolling out limited-edition U.S. passports to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. The new passport designs, obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, prominently feature President Donald Trump's image on the inside cover. Mock-ups show Trump's image surrounded by the text of the Declaration of Independence and American flag along with the president's signature in gold. Another page features the famous painting of the founding fathers at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The passports, which are set to be released this summer, are part of the Trump administration’s broader "America250" celebration, which also includes a Grand Prix race on the National Mall in August and a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn in June.

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"As the United States celebrates America's 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports to commemorate this historic occasion," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital. Featuring customized artwork and enhanced imagery, Pigott maintains the identification booklets will include the "same security features that make the U.S. Passport the most secure documents in the world." The cover of the commemorative U.S. passports has been slightly altered with the words "United States of America" enlarged and placed at the top of the passport, above the crest. The back cover will feature an American flag with "250" centered between the 13 stars featured on the 1777 version of the flag. A State Department official told Fox News Digital that the new designs will be available for "any American citizen" who applies for a passport when the rollout happens and will continue for as long as there is availability. The passports will only be available at the Washington Passport Agency, the official detailed. The launch is expected to coincide with the 250th Anniversary in July, the official confirmed to Fox News Digital. Americans all over the country are preparing for the major kickoff this summer of a nationwide celebration that's been years in the making.

Where the GOP-labor relationship goes after Chavez-DeRemer’s exit

Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s exit as Labor secretary last week amid a wave of misconduct allegations is raising questions about the fledgling coalition between Republicans and labor. The next moves from the administration and from Republicans more broadly will determine whether the political alliance and appeal to union workers that boosted President Trump in 2024 has fizzled out, or if it has just been dialed back to a slow burn that gradually builds into broader GOP embrace of pro-labor positions. After talking to several people on both sides of the labor issue in recent days — some of whom asked not to be named to speak candidly — it is clear that Trump has an opportunity to make a big symbolic gesture in naming Chavez-DeRemer’s replacement, if he wants to. Trump’s nomination of Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor was seen as a major signal of his warming to unions and the labor movement, and a win for the “New Right” populist faction of the GOP that takes a more pro-worker, protectionist view of labor.

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The one-term moderate was one of only three House Republicans to co-sponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act that was championed by Democrats. The Teamsters supported the pick, and the AFL-CIO was “encouraged” by her confirmation. The National Right to Work Committee, which has long aligned with Republicans and battled unions, opposed her nomination. The nomination, though, was largely symbolic. Now-Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling, who until last week was the deputy secretary, was reportedly running the bulk of the day-to-day operations. Many contentious labor issues are before the National Labor Relations Board rather than subject to the DOL. Sohrab Ahmari, the U.S. editor at UnHerd and a prominent voice on the New Right, expressed disappointment last week that Chavez-DeRemer didn’t do more on labor policy during her time as secretary beyond “giving her social-media staffers free rein to post ‘based and red-pilled’ memes on X featuring blond-haired, squared-jawed men in Fifties-style outfits, accompanied by calls to ‘BUILD YOUR HOMELAND’S FUTURE.’” “Trump’s labor policy has been more libertarian and pro-business than George W. Bush’s,” Ahmari argued in his piece last week. Others who supported Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination, though, don’t see it as quite that dire, and think the Trump administration has been friendlier to labor than Republicans past, even if it hasn’t issued the kind of sweeping policies that could be expected from a Democratic administration.

Copyright April 29, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved