February 18, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Paxton surviving cash dump in Texas Senate primary

The GOP establishment spent more than $60 million to kneecap Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign. It didn’t work. Over the last six months, D.C. Republicans unleashed a tidal wave of TV ads boosting Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Those ads reminded Lone Star State voters about Paxton’s messy divorce, controversial impeachment proceedings and a slew of corruption scandals involving the longtime pol. But Paxton is entering the final weeks ahead of the March 3 Senate GOP primary just as he began it — the front-runner. And Paxton is convinced that he’s going to end Cornyn’s Senate career soon.

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“My numbers look as good as they ever have. This is going to be a good race for me,” Paxton told us this week after an early voting kickoff event. “Now, John Cornyn’s at risk of finishing third. He may finish third. That’s where he’s at. He is in serious trouble of not even making a runoff.” Here’s the crazy part: Paxton didn’t air TV ads of his own until mid-February. He held just a few public campaign events and barely responded to the pro-Cornyn onslaught. “I don’t want to give their attacks dignity,” Paxton said. Cornyn’s fundraising dwarfs Paxton’s. YetPaxton enters any runoff in the pole position because those faceoffs draw the kind of smaller, more conservative electorate in which he thrives. Senate Republicans have been sounding the alarm for months that Paxton can’t win a general election. Senate GOP leaders say the reasons Paxton is so beloved by the far-right — his hardline conservatism — make him uniquely vulnerable against a Democratic opponent in the fall.

Hunt files police report against Cornyn campaign staffer over alleged family 'doxxing' incident

Rep. Wesley Hunt, who is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Texas, filed a police report on Tuesday after a senior campaign staffer for one of his GOP opponents posted a 2016 provisional ballot that included personal information about Hunt and his family. The document included the last four digits of Hunt's Social Security number, his driver's license ID number and a home address. Matt Mackowiak, who serves as the communications director for Sen. John Cornyn's re-election campaign for U.S. Senate, posted the unredacted documents on his X account last Friday. Cornyn's campaign account then reposted the now-deleted images. Sources from the Hunt campaign told Fox News Digital that when asked by a law enforcement officer if he would like to press charges, Hunt said yes.

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Harris County Constable Mark Herman's office confirmed a report had been filed. A source from the Hunt campaign told Fox News Digital that law enforcement officials intend to subpoena X to retrieve the deleted post which showed Hunt's personal information. Hunt accused Mackowiak and the Cornyn campaign of "doxxing" his family in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The tragic situation involving Savannah Guthrie is a painful reminder of how vulnerable our family truly is," Hunt told Fox News Digital. "They should never be put in harm's way. And yet, that's exactly what happened to my family." "Despite knowing how dangerous and irresponsible it is to doxx someone’s family, the Cornyn campaign did it to mine," Hunt added. "What happened to my family members should never happen to anyone." Hunt also said Cornyn had not reached out since the post was published.

Tony Gonzales had affair with aide who set herself on fire, ex-staffer says

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales engaged in a romantic relationship with an aide who died last year by setting herself on fire outside her Uvalde home, according to a text message and people close to the aide and her family. A former staffer in Gonzales' district office who worked closely with the aide, Regina Ann "Regi" Santos-Aviles, said she told him they had an affair in 2024, and that she spiraled into a depression after her husband discovered the relationship and Gonzales abruptly cut her off. He also shared with the San Antonio Express-News a screenshot of a text message from Santos-Aviles in which she acknowledged having an “affair with our boss.”

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The staffer, who asked not to be named, citing a fear of retaliation, faulted Gonzales' office for failing to intervene, saying he warned the congressman's district director months before Santos-Aviles' death that he was concerned about her well-being. He described her as his “best friend” and said their families knew each other. Gonzales, a Republican representing Texas' 23rd Congressional District, is currently seeking reelection in a contested primary. He and his staff did not respond to a list of detailed questions submitted by the Express-News. A lawyer for Santos-Aviles' husband said her romantic relationship with the congressman was an open secret, and that he does not believe it played a role in her death. Authorities have said there was no evidence of foul play in Santos-Aviles’ death. Both she and Gonzales were married to other people at the time of the alleged affair. Santos-Aviles, 35, was Gonzales’ regional district director in Uvalde and the mother of an 8-year-old boy. She died Sept. 14, 2025. The former staffer, 24, contemplated going public about the affair as early as November, but was afraid he would lose his job, he said. He said this week that he stopped coming to work for months after Santos-Aviles’ suicide and felt he could no longer "sell (Gonzales') message and his ideals." He resigned last month, moved to Los Angeles and now works for two local Democratic campaigns. He said he had not been paid or promised any compensation by any of Gonzales’ primary opponents.

Trump wants the Fed to cut rates. Kevin Warsh has bigger plans.

For more than a decade, Kevin Warsh has advocated reining in the Federal Reserve’s pivotal role in the nation’s financial markets. Now, as President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Fed, he may finally get the chance to do that, aided by a Treasury secretary with the same goal. And Wall Street is obsessed with finding out what comes next — ?bracing for the possibility of extensive market disruptions. Warsh has bemoaned the Fed’s purchase of trillions of dollars in U.S. government debt and bundled mortgages after both the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 pandemic, a process that kept longer-term interest rates down to boost the economy and flooded banks with cash reserves. That policy, he says, has distorted the market and enriched Wall Street rather than ordinary Americans by propping up stocks and bonds, which are overwhelmingly owned by the wealthy.

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But any effort to significantly reduce those holdings runs the risk of spiking interest rates and rattling the funding markets that underpin the financial system. So, to pull off any reform, he knows he will have to proceed with a lot of caution. “The transition to what I think is a more prudent system will take time, deliberation and an excess of communication with the public and the institutions in the banking system itself,” Warsh said last year at an event hosted by Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where he is a visiting fellow. The dangers for Warsh run in multiple directions. Any turbulence that pushes up longer-term rates would clash with Trump’s goal of decreasing borrowing costs for the government and lowering mortgage rates. And Warsh will have to convince his colleagues on the Fed’s rate-setting committee to back any changes he’s proposing, which is no guarantee. Speculation about the path of future Fed policy is heating up as the president is eager to juice both the housing market and the broader economy in the run-up to the elections, with polls showing that voters are souring on his handling of pocketbook issues.

State Stories

Rick Perry to Texas GOP: stick with John Cornyn in Senate primary

Texas Republicans risk losing clout if they dump Sen. John Cornyn for a political newcomer in Washington, former Gov. Rick Perry warned Tuesday. “A rookie can’t get that done,” Perry said, arguing that Cornyn’s seniority helped secure $11 billion for border reimbursements and gives Texas leverage that would disappear with a first-term senator. Perry joined Cornyn at a Mexican restaurant in Austin to rally supporters on the first day of early voting, underscoring the establishment muscle lining up behind the four-term senator. Cornyn faces a bitter March 3 primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton, a favorite of many grassroots conservatives and fans of President Donald Trump. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston also is running as a Trump-aligned alternative without Paxton’s baggage.

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Dozens of Cornyn supporters, some proudly displaying their “I voted early” stickers, turned out to shake hands and show support. He was joined by members of the Border Patrol union, including its president, Paul Perez, who vouched for Cornyn’s work on border security. Cornyn said Texas and the country have been thriving under Republican leadership in Washington, with the border secure, crime down, the economy growing and inflation “on the run.” That progress, he said, would be at risk if Paxton tops the GOP ticket in November. “We will have an Election Day massacre,” Cornyn said. “Republicans up and down the ticket will pay the price of having an albatross like our corrupt attorney general hung around their necks.” A Paxton nomination would put the Senate seat at risk, help Democrats flip House seats and threaten Trump’s agenda, even raising the prospect of another impeachment fight, Cornyn said. All three candidates have sought to position themselves close to Trump, making heavy use of photos showing them next to the president. Cornyn rejected attacks from Paxton and Hunt that he hasn’t been supportive of the conservative movement and Trump. Cornyn pointed to his work in the Senate confirming Trump’s judicial nominees and getting the president’s tax cuts passed.

Greg Abbott embraces 'Governor Hot Wheels' nickname in new campaign strategy

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this week moved to reclaim an insulting nickname by officially changing his reelection campaign’s handle on social media platform X to “@GovHotWheels_TX.” The nickname stems from Abbott’s use of wheelchair. While some of the Republican governor’s detractors have used the insult online for years, it got widespread media attention last spring after U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, drew criticism for using it to mock him during one of her public appearances. Abbott lost his ability to walk after a tree fell on him while on a jog in 1984. Although the governor’s said he’d do anything to be able to walk again, he’s faced criticism using his time a Texas Supreme Court justice and state attorney general to make it harder for Texans to win lawsuits similar to the one he filed after his injury.

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Abbott reportedly received a half-million-dollar legal settlement after his injury that guarantees him a six-figure yearly income for the rest of his life. Abbott’s embrace of the “Governor Hot Wheels” nickname has been brewing for a while. The governor joked about the insult online mere days after Crockett publicly made it. And, on Valentine’s Day, his campaign account posted a virtual card signed “Governor Hot Wheels.” The rebranding comes as Abbott seeks an unprecedented fourth term in office. If he wins in November’s general election, he’ll go down as the longest-serving governor in Texas’ history. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, is the heavy favorite to emerge from the crowded Democratic primary and challenge Abbott on the ballot.

University of Texas to vote on how race, gender can be discussed in classrooms

The University of Texas System Board of Regents will meet Wednesday during its quarterly meeting to discuss a policy that will decide how universities are allowed to teach “controversial topics” like race, gender and LGBTQ areas of study. The University of Texas System, which includes University of Texas at Arlington and UT Dallas, decided to vote on guidance on teaching such topics after the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents passed a similar ordinance late last year. Professors at A&M are now required to have their course syllabuses reviewed by department heads. Several A&M syllabuses have been rejected for including course content related to race and gender theory, the Star-Telegram previously reported.

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One professor’s syllabus was rejected for including readings from Plato. Another had his class canceled just days before the spring semester for failing to submit his syllabus for review. According to the UT Board of Regents meeting agenda, university leaders believe the guidance will “foster classroom cultures of trust in which all students feel free to voice their questions and beliefs, especially when those perspectives might conflict with those of the instructor or other students.” The guidance would also prohibit professors from including course material that is not considered “relevant” to the course. “In the classroom, instructors must be careful stewards of their pedagogical responsibilities and classroom authorities and must endeavor to create a classroom culture of trust,” the ordinance reads. “Instructors must not attempt to coerce, indoctrinate, harass, or belittle students, especially in addressing controversial subjects and areas where people of good faith can hold differing convictions.”

‘Only 8 of 31’: Texas Legislature missed most kids behavioral health recommendations, report finds

Of more than 30 recommendations a state council developed for the Texas Legislature on improving children’s behavioral health, lawmakers made progress on eight, according to a recent report. The Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council released the Children’s Behavioral Health Strategic Plan in December 2024. Texans Care for Children, an advocacy organization, found that lawmakers took steps last year to partially or fully implement less than a third of the recommendations in the plan. “We know that six percent of Texas youth are entering the foster care system due to unmet mental health services or care,” said Muna Javaid, senior policy associate for child protection with Texans Care for Children.

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“To avoid institutionalization or youth entering the juvenile justice system or the foster system, the more that we support and fund these community-based services, the less likely that that will be the outcome.” Javaid said one of the most concerning issues the report found was related to funding for the Youth Empowerment Services, or YES, waiver – a Medicaid program designed to help Texas “children and youth with serious mental, emotional and behavioral difficulties.” YES waiver services are meant to keep children in their homes and communities, instead of an institutional setting like a residential treatment center or inpatient facility. Among other things, the 2024 strategic plan recommended giving the Texas Health and Human Services Commission funding to increase rates for the YES waiver program and address administrative barriers. Instead, Javaid said, the legislature cut $1.3 million from the YES waiver.

Plano offers $20M in incentives for AT&T's new billion-dollar HQ

Plano is calling AT&T, and the Collin County suburb is prepared to shell out $20 million in incentives — and a lengthy property tax rebate — to the telecom giant for its new multibillion-dollar global headquarters. The package deal represents the largest incentive package the city has offered to a private employer to date. Plano City Council members are scheduled to vote on the incentives at their Feb. 23 meeting. AT&T must spend a minimum of $1.4 billion in construction costs on the project. The firm must build a minimum of 2 million square feet of office, amenity and retail space at the site, eventually employ 10,000 full-time workers at the property and occupy the planned headquarters for 25 years, according to city documents.

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The firm will also receive a 65% real property tax rebate on improvements made at the site over 25 years starting in 2030. AT&T did not comment on the proposal Tuesday afternoon. Half the grant is intended to offset the cost of redevelopment at the site. The $20 million will leave a balance of nearly $36.8 million available for future projects in the city’s economic development fund, according to city documents. AT&T must meet certain benchmarks to receive the grants and rebates. AT&T CEO John Stankey announced in early January that the Fortune 500 company would build its new home on 54 acres at 5400 Legacy Drive in Plano. The company is targeting partial occupancy at the new building as early as the second half of 2028. Dallas investment firm NexPoint owns 215 acres where AT&T plans to build its new home. The site includes the former Electronic Data Systems headquarters, H. Ross Perot Sr.’s information technology company that was founded in the 1960s. Plano Mayor John Muns and other city leaders have lauded AT&T’s move as another chapter in Plano’s success story. The corporate relocation build’s on the suburb’s long history of attracting large businesses, from Toyota Motor North America to JCPenney. “AT&T’s relocation represents a powerful reinvestment in the Legacy business district, building on an extraordinary foundation that has driven growth in Plano and our region for decades,” Muns said in a statement in January.

Judge declares mistrial for 9 people arrested in connection with July 'ambush' of North Texas ICE facility

A federal judge declared a mistrial during jury selection in the federal case against nine people charged in connection with a July ambush on a North Texas ICE detention facility in Alvarado, and all 75 prospective jurors have been released. The ruling came after U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who is presiding over the case, saw that defense attorney MarQuetta Clayton was wearing a T-shirt with images of protesters on it underneath her dark blazer while questioning potential jurors. Upon noticing the shirt, the judge said he would consider a mistrial in the case and would do some legal research to determine if Clayton was violating any court rules. "I'm left with no other choice," Pittman said, noting that he was unsure if the wardrobe selection was a calculated move on the part of the attorney. "I'm really surprised an attorney would do this."

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According to a conversation Pittman had in open court with Clayton, her shirt featured protest images from the Civil Rights Movement, including depictions of Martin Luther King Jr. and Shirley Chisholm. Pittman ruled that the court prohibits lawyers -- or anyone else involved in the case -- from wearing clothing with political messages. "Even if it is something as admirable as civil rights or the D-Day landing," the judge said. Clayton's shirt was not the only problem the judge had with her presentation to jurors. At one point, she held up a visual aid depicting various kinds of protest and activism, from orderly to riotous, and asked jurors their thoughts on those topics. The judge stopped her and noted that she had not cleared using that visual aid with him, or the prosecutors. It was a few minutes later that he noticed her shirt and asked the potential jurors to step out of the courtroom while he addressed the lawyers about whether the jury pool was now tainted.

Austin ISD can now run its special education program without state oversight

Austin ISD can now run its special education services on its own, after three years under state oversight. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath sent a letter on Tuesday to AISD Superintendent Matias Segura saying he was removing the two monitors appointed by the state to oversee AISD's special education program. The oversight began in 2023 when AISD trustees agreed for the district's special education services to undergo state monitoring after a TEA investigation found AISD was not complying with state mandates. The investigation also found a backlog of more than 600 special education evaluations that help determine if a student has a disability and create a plan to help them. The school district has 45 school days to complete an evaluation once a parent has given consent.

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Additionally, the TEA had found 40 instances of the district not complying with special education requirements. The district agreed to the state oversight in 2023 to avoid a state-appointed conservator managing the district's special education department. Superintendent Matias Segura said the district has been working for almost three years along with TEA monitors to make sure the district complies with state laws. "We were charged with completing 99 tasks, with virtually zero room for failure," he said. In February of 2024, the district completed all 1,159 evaluations that were overdue from the 2022-2023 school year, but had to clear the remaining backlog. To comply with the TEA order, AISD had to have no overdue evaluations by December of 2025. Segura said the other tasks included completing more than 10,000 evaluations to make sure students with disabilities receive personalized support; establishing district-wide standards for every campus to guarantee that students have access to the same resources; hosting more than 100 family engagement sessions to ensure families feel informed; and launching a new digital management platform to help report student's services.

Irving to consider calling off DART withdrawal election as transit agency weighs key changes

Irving officials said they’ll discuss the withdrawal election that would determine the future of Dallas Area Rapid Transit services in the city at their Feb. 26 council meeting. It comes after DART got the green light on a major funding boost from the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Regional Transportation Council, which leads transportation policy and planning in the area. Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer and Council Member Dennis Webb expressed support for the transit system in a letter to the Regional Transportation Council. “The City of Irving believes in the value of a strong regional transit system and applauds the efforts of all stakeholders who have come together to propose a path forward that maintains our regional mobility partnership," the pair wrote.

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The Irving City Council also voted unanimously to express support for a proposed DART governance model, in addition to calling for legislative action to implement it. The resolution supports reforms which would “provide no less than one vote per city and a weighted vote for cities who make up a larger portion of the DART service population.” DART and its member cities considering breaking away had a whirlwind week, as some of them may be considering calling off withdrawal elections. DART has been barreling toward a scenario where voters in up to six cities choose to leave the public transit system. Plano, Irving, Highland Park, University Park, Farmers Branch and Addison have all called elections to determine the future of DART in their cities, with leadership citing poor return on investment as a key motivation. But on Feb. 9, after potentially striking a deal with DART, the Plano City Council deferred a decision on an alternative microtransit option through Via. The next day, the agency’s Committee of the Whole voted in favor of a proposal that would alter DART's governance and funding models as an olive branch to frustrated member cities. Under the proposed model, millions of dollars in sales tax contributions would be given back to the cities over the course of multiple years. The full DART Board will hold a special meeting Feb. 20 to vote on the proposal. On Feb. 11, the Dallas City Council moved to reduce the city’s voting power on the DART board, giving up its majority.

Dallas attorneys target race involving controversial former judge

A group of seasoned Dallas defense attorneys have mounted an unprecedented effort to block a former misdemeanor judge’s return to the bench, saying her history of sanctions makes her unfit to serve. Etta J. Mullin, who previously presided over two Dallas County misdemeanor criminal courts, is now running in the March 3 Democratic primary for the 195th District Court against incumbent Judge Hector Garza. No Republicans filed for the seat. In a letter sent to the nearly 800 Dallas County Democratic precinct chairs, the attorneys urged support for Garza and described Mullin’s record as disqualifying for the 195th, which handles felony criminal cases. “This is not a matter of political disagreement or competing judicial philosophies,” the letter states. “It is a matter of documented judicial misconduct.”

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Mullin didn’t respond to messages from The Dallas Morning News seeking comment. Attorney Bruce Anton, who helped organize the letter, said the coordinated push reflects broad concern within the defense bar. “I don’t want to see her on the bench ever again,” he said. “It’s frightening to me.” Anton, who also serves as a Democratic Party precinct chair, said that since getting the first 50 signatures, more lawyers have offered to sign. The group consists of former judges, prosecutors and presidents of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, with experience ranging from five to 56 years. Twice sanctioned by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Mullin’s record includes these findings: In 2015, the commission issued a 29-page public reprimand, the harshest sanction available, finding she repeatedly failed to show the “dignity, patience and courtesy expected of a Texas judge.” The panel cited incidents that included ordering a bailiff to handcuff a prosecutor who was eight months pregnant to a chair to prevent the woman from going to get something to eat, leaving the bench without explanation, delaying and resetting cases without cause and forcing lawyers and defendants to spend “inordinate amounts of time — hours and sometimes days — in her courtroom” on matters that could take minutes. In 2022, the commission issued a second public reprimand, citing three specific cases in which she made attorneys and defendants wait for unreasonable amounts of time, set hearings for them with little or no notice, and revoked defendants’ bonds without good reason.

Two-month-old Dilley detainee Juan Nicolás rushed to hospital with bronchitis

Juan Nicolás, the 2-month-old baby detained at Dilley’s South Texas Family Residential Center, was rushed to the hospital Monday evening after a prolonged illness, according to a social media post by Univision-affiliated reporter Lidia Terrazas. The child’s mother has since confirmed that the baby has bronchitis, Terrazas reports. Despite the diagnosis, the baby has already been released from the hospital and is back in the detention facility located approximately an hour southwest of San Antonio, according to Terrazas’ video. Early Saturday morning, the baby had a health emergency in which he was choking on its own vomit and suffered respiratory issues as a result, U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro confirmed in a video shared Monday on social media.

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However, the congressman added that there were no medical personnel in the family detention center in the early morning hours. Nicolás was given an aspirator to assist with his respiratory issues, Terrazas reports. However, his condition worsened again Monday evening, and he was rushed to the hospital, though at the time the reason and his condition were unknown, she added. Terrazas had to wait more than 12 hours for an update on the infant’s condition from his mother, though Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials assured her that his condition was “stable.” Though Nicolás reportedly has bronchitis, he’s already been discharged from the hospital and returned to detention in Dilley, Terrazas reports. “During my last conversation with the baby’s mom, she said that he had an episode where he was not responsive, which she described as extremely scary,” Terrazas stated in the video.

Federal officials say ICE won’t move into Northwest Side office building in San Antonio

The Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not moving into a Northwest Side office building, following questions about a potential federal presence at the site. A DHS spokesperson told Texas Public Radio that ICE has no plans to open a detention facility at the Landmark One building, located at 15727 Anthem Parkway near Interstate 10 and Loop 1604. “We have no new detention centers to announce at this time,” the spokesperson said in a statement to TPR. The agency declined to discuss specific office locations, citing safety concerns and saying ICE personnel have faced increased threats and assaults.

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The spokesperson added that the agency is continuing to expand detention space nationwide as part of its broader enforcement efforts. “Every day, DHS is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe,” the statement said. “It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space.” The owner of the Landmark One building also confirmed that ICE will not be leasing space there. The ownership group told KSAT that federal officials toured the property in recent months, but there are no lease negotiations underway. While ICE will not be moving into the Northwest Side office building, the agency has recently expanded its presence elsewhere in San Antonio. ICE earlier acquired a detention facility on the city’s East Side. Federal officials said the site would be used to hold immigrants in custody while they await immigration proceedings or removal. The expansion drew concern from immigrant advocacy groups and some local leaders, who called for greater transparency about the facility and its operations.

Could Dallas City Hall be preserved? Discussions underway with its future in limbo

The city of Dallas' designation committee is set to discuss preservation criteria for landmarking City Hall, which — if approved by city council — could make it difficult to demolish or alter the building. A landmark designation is ultimately decided by the city council and, according to the city code, it would set certain preservation criteria on a property. Dallas City Hall is on the agenda for Wednesday's committee meeting. Landmark Commissioner Reagan Rothenberger told KERA that designation criteria would ensure preservation standards guided long-term care and repairs of a building like City Hall. After the full Landmark Commission's recommendation, Rothenberger said the ordinance approving the criteria goes to the Plan Commission and then to City Council. The landmark designation discussion is happening as the city expects to receive an updated repair cost study on City Hall.

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The study is conducted by the Dallas Economic Development Corporation and AECOM, which did the initial study 10 years ago. That report is expected to be delivered to the Finance Committee next week. AECOM's study, published in 2018, looked at repair costs in 2016. The study found repairs estimated to cost nearly $19 million and replacements just under $93 million. However, it did not include water-infiltration assessments, engineering reviews, code compliance requirements, or addressing the removal of unknown hazardous materials. But nearly ten years later, City Hall repairs had a wider range. City staff said cost estimates were from $152 million to more than $300 million as of late last year. Sarah Crain, Preservation Dallas Executive Director, said she wants to see the full assessment from experts that gives a more precise look at what repairs will actually cost. Those updated repair costs, expected later this month, could impact whether the city of Dallas stays at 1500 Marilla Street or moves to a high-rise in downtown. "But, at the end of the day, if they do choose to stay in the building, then we at Preservation Dallas are committed to working with them on how we make a strategic and comprehensive maintenance plan that likely spans quite a few years," Crain said.

High-profile endorsements help Alex Mealer, Briscoe Cain lead crowded GOP primary field in redrawn TX-9

Early voting starts Tuesday for the March 3 primary election. One of the most hotly contested races in the Houston region is in the redrawn 9th Congressional District. It stretches from east of downtown across eastern Harris County and northeast through Liberty County. Republican state lawmakers redrew the district last year to try to flip the Democratic-held seat. While the GOP primary field is crowded, two candidates have emerged as the strongest contenders: former 2022 Harris County judge candidate Alex Mealer and state Rep. Briscoe Cain. President Donald Trump may have given Mealer a big boost with primary voters when he endorsed her on his Truth Social platform Monday evening. That counters Cain’s biggest endorsement, which came from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

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Prior to last year’s congressional redistricting, Texas’ 9th had been a solidly Democratic district, covering southern Houston along with portions of Fort Bend and Brazoria counties. Republican state lawmakers drew U.S. Rep. Al Green, who has represented the 9th District for close to 20 years, into the 18th Congressional District. The new TX-9 was drawn to combine much of the former 29th Congressional District — another heavily Democratic district, represented by U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia — with portions of the 36th Congressional District, represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Babin. Last week, six of the nine Republican candidates for the new 9th Congressional District gathered on stage at the Dayton Community Center in Liberty County. When the candidates introduced themselves, Mealer spoke of her experience as an Army officer who defused bombs in Afghanistan. After leaving the service, she moved to Houston with her husband, a fellow West Point graduate, to take jobs in the oil and gas industry and raise a family. "When suddenly Texas didn’t feel like Texas much longer," Mealer said. "In Harris County, we had, after the Beto wave, the most progressive form of government in the entire country. So, I raised my hand to run against [Harris County Judge] Lina Hidalgo, because, quite simply, government was everywhere I didn’t want it to be.” Mealer lost that race, narrowly, and unsuccessfully contested the results. In that campaign, she argued that the government needed to get back to its core functions, such as infrastructure. She said that's still one of her top priorities as a candidate for Congress, particularly with regard to the Port of Houston.

National Stories

Europeans quietly press U.S. lawmakers for clues on the midterms

On stage, top leaders at this weekend’s Munich Security Conference focused on the war in Ukraine and Europe’s changing relationship with President Trump. But in hallway chats and private meetings in stuffy hotel rooms, Europeans wanted to discuss something else: how coming U.S. elections could affect trans-Atlantic ties. At the annual gathering of national security elites in Germany, Europeans peppered their guests on the prospects of Democrats retaking one of the two houses of Congress during midterm elections this November, deeply interested in whether those results would either empower or check Trump’s assertive foreign policy. They also sought reassurances from Democrats that at least one American political party clung onto the historical alliance in the same way they did. “They are largely checking in asking, ‘We’re still good, right?’” said Sen. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.), one of at least six Democratic rumored presidential hopefuls who attended the Munich Security Conference this weekend.

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“But it’s not just Europeans to Democrats, it’s also Democrats to Europeans.” Lawmakers, expecting to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine or Trump’s aims to acquire Greenland, found themselves also fielding detailed questions on the midterm election map, including Senate races in battleground states such as North Carolina, Georgia and Alaska. They also asked whether domestic issues, such as the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, could cost Republicans in November and ultimately in 2028. “A lot of our conversations are bipartisan, but then when the meeting breaks up, they go, ‘So are you guys going to win? Who’s going to take the House? How’s Alaska looking?’” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.), a frequent attendee of the annual conference. “I don’t think I have ever been asked as many detailed questions about the Senate map as I have this year.” Many took note that potential 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls appeared on public panels and private meetings to offer their visions for reviving trans-Atlantic relations and a global order European leaders say the U.S. has fractured—perhaps even ended. Some officials pointed to the irony of Europeans and Americans discussing the state of their rocky relationship over Valentine’s Day weekend.

How Maryland Democrats are thwarting Wes Moore’s political ambitions

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s national political ambitions could be stymied by Democrats in his own backyard. The governor’s power play to redraw the state’s congressional lines and snare Democrats a single House seat has earned him accolades from progressive activists and party leaders in Washington, raising his profile as he weighs a 2028 presidential run. But Moore also has been outmaneuvered at times by members of own party, particularly those in the Maryland Senate where his gerrymander blitz is facing an unceremonious death. The redistricting gambit is one of the first big political tests Moore has faced that has national implications and could elevate him further within the party — or expose weaknesses as he positions himself as a counterweight to President Donald Trump.

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Critics say Moore hasn’t been aggressive enough in using bare-knuckle tactics to push through his agenda. Supporters say the first-term governor is focused on redistricting because he sees it as vital to his future national ambitions. Some national Democrats question whether Moore can lead the nation if he fails to bend lawmakers in a solidly blue state with a Democratic-controlled Legislature to enact his policy priorities. POLITICO spoke to almost two dozen state and federal lawmakers and Democratic strategists for this story. David Turner, Moore’s senior adviser and communications director, said the governor spearheading Maryland’s redistricting effort is not about furthering his political career. “Anyone who thinks this is about national ambitions isn’t paying enough attention to the damage being done in 2026,” he said. “The Governor has been clear: at a time when other states are discussing mid-decade redistricting, Maryland needs to as well.”

DHS spokeswoman who became a face of Trump deportation campaign steps down

The Department of Homeland Security’s top spokesperson is leaving the Trump administration, officials said Tuesday, a departure that comes amid falling public approval ratings for the president’s mass deportation agenda. Tricia McLaughlin, whose regular Fox News appearances made hera face of the administration’s hard-line immigration agenda, is leaving just over a year into Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem’s tenure leading the agency. The move comes after DHS and the White House have scrambled to tamp down public outrage over the killings of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last month. McLaughlin informed colleagues Tuesday of her departure. She had begun planning to leave in December but extended her stay to help the administration deal with the fallout of the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, according to people briefed on her exit. Politico first reported on McLaughlin’s departure.

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Confirming McLaughlin’s decision in a post on X on Tuesday, Noem cited her “exceptional dedication, tenacity, and professionalism” and said she “has played an instrumental role in advancing our mission to secure the homeland and keep Americans safe.” In a statement, McLaughlin thanked Noem and President Donald Trump, saying she is “immensely proud of the team we built and the historic accomplishments achieved by this Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.” McLaughlin said she will be replaced by her deputy, Lauren Bis, and DHS’s public affairs team is adding Katie Zacharia, a frequent Fox News guest. Noem’s chief spokeswoman built a reputation as a fierce defender of the administration’s handling of immigration and ofthe secretary’s leadership, frequently sparring with reporters on social media and appearing on cable news programs. But her forceful pronouncements have drawn criticism from Democrats and immigrant rights groups, who point to incidents in which statements she made were later contradicted in court or in video footage recorded by witnesses.

Uber to invest over $100 million in autonomous vehicle charging amid robotaxi push

Uber Technologies said on Wednesday it would invest more than $100 million to develop autonomous vehicle charging hubs, underscoring the ride-hailing company's latest push to scale up self-driving operations.The move includes building DC fast charging stations at its autonomous depots where Uber runs day-to-day fleet operations, and at pit stops throughout priority cities. Uber has made autonomous vehicles a key strategic priority, partnering with more than 20 firms across the world on self-driving freight, delivery and taxi services, as it races to secure market share and fight competition from companies such as Tesla .

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The charging expansion will begin in the U.S. in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Dallas before moving to more cities over time.The company is also partnering with chargepoint operators in global markets to set up "utilization guarantee agreements", including with EVgo in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, Electra in Paris and Madrid, and Hubber and Ionity in London.These agreements are expected to support the rollout of hundreds of new chargers across these cities, and in places where charging is needed the most.Earlier this month, Uber backed its capital-intensive, early-stage autonomous vehicle strategy and said it was committing capital to vehicle partners to secure early supply and speed up deployments as its platform has a structural advantage. Uber currently offers robotaxis on its ride-hailing platform in four U.S. cities, as well as in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. It has partnered with robotaxi firms, including Alphabet's Waymo and China's WeRide, for autonomous vehicle fleet operations.

U.S. Air Force VIP fleet being repainted in Trump's preferred palette, sources say

The Kennedy-era paint colors on the exterior of aircraft in the U.S. Air Force presidential and VIP fleet are being replaced with a new design in President Trump's preferred palette. The new colors will appear on planes including the donated Qatari jet and two planes Boeing is converting to serve as Air Force One, sources told CBS News. Some of the blue and white aircraft are already being repainted in dark navy blue, deep red and gold as they come in for scheduled due repairs and maintenance, the officials said. The classic robin's egg blue color scheme of the current fleet dates back to the Kennedy administration. The new red, dark blue and white paint job is being required for Air Force One jets as well as others in the executive fleet, including the new 747-8i from Qatar and C-32 aircraft, an Air Force spokesperson said.

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Mr. Trump in his first term rolled out a model airplane with the paint colors he wanted for Air Force One, but President Joe Biden canceled that paint design for the VC-25Bs, the Defense Department's version of the Boeing 747 airliner. The new paint requirement includes the smaller C-32 aircraft, which carry high-priority personnel such as the first lady or top cabinet officials, and serve as Air Force Two when the vice president is aboard. Contractor L3 Harris has been upgrading the Air Force Two planes at its plant in Greenville, Texas. Boeing continues to work on a new generation of Air Force One planes in a deal signed in 2018. Meanwhile, the plane donated by Qatar that the Air Force is refurbishing is expected to be ready for use as Air Force One no later than this summer. The first C-32 has been painted and is expected to be delivered to the Air Force in the next few months. The War Zone, a defense news and analysis website, reported on images of the C-32 painted in the new color scheme.

Democrats plot protests for Trump’s State of the Union address

House Democrats are plotting a range of moves to broadcast their defiance of President Trump during his State of the Union address to Congress next week. Trump’s speech marks a significant flashpoint as it comes amid a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, with the White House and Democrats locked in an impasse over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection after immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minnesota. While some Democrats are making a quieter stand by skipping the high-profile event, others are prepared to walk out mid-speech and bring guests to underscore their arguments about the real-world impact of Trump’s policies.

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“The only question for me is which of his disgusting lines prompts me to get up and leave, because at some point I will,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told Axios. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) told The Hill via text message that he’s “thinking” about protesting during Trump’s speech, though he didn’t share specifics on what exactly he’ll do. “I don’t have details to share but this President is not above (the) law, his massive corruption, unconstitutional actions, his insults to our allies and despicable acts at Epstein’s island must be protested,” he said Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) said in an emailed statement she will be bringing one of her constituents, “who is a small business owner of a nonprofit daycare and advocate for the Affordable Care Act,” as her guest. “With the address likely to be divisive, I believe it’s important to have a guest in the room who has the pulse of what the American people really care about: affordable childcare and healthcare for all,” she said.

Noem's use of Coast Guard resources strains her relationship with the military branch, sources say

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s relationship with U.S. Coast Guard officials has become strained throughout her first year leading the department, according to two U.S. officials, a Coast Guard official and a former Coast Guard official. The tensions between Noem and the only branch of the U.S. military overseen by DHS stem from some early decisions she made that rankled Coast Guard officials, including a verbal directive to shift Coast Guard resources from a search-and-rescue mission to find a missing service member, the sources said. Noem’s leadership at DHS has created a specific split in the Coast Guard. Many rank-and-file members are motivated by her approach, in which she showcases their work by joining them on operations and visiting their ships. Some more senior officials, however, see that approach as taking away from the Coast Guard’s traditional missions.

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The dynamic with more senior officials has only worsened in recent months as Noem oversaw a tenfold increase in the use of the Coast Guard's aircraft for immigrant deportations, which has strained its limited resources, the sources said. The increase was captured in data compiled by ICE Flight Monitor, a nonprofit group that tracks deportation flights. “It puts so much stress on the wing,” the Coast Guard official said, referring to the branch’s aviation units. Noem’s focus on meeting the Trump administration’s deportation quotas appears poised to further impact Coast Guard operations in the coming months, according to new guidance recently issued to Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento this year. Based on DHS priorities, the air station, which is among those responsible for a majority of deportation flights, has designated its first priority to be the transport of detained immigrants on its C-27 aircraft within the U.S., according to multiple U.S. officials familiar with the orders.

How Florida systematized its cooperation with ICE

Gaming control commissions and departments of lottery services often conjure images of slot machines, casinos and sports betting. In Florida, they are part of a patchwork system of departments and local agencies now working with the Trump administration to target undocumented immigrants across the state. Those partnerships illustrate how expansive the Trump administration wants to be in growing its ranks of immigration enforcement.More than a thousand law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have signed 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They include wildlife and fishery departments, attorneys general offices, police departments and university public safety departments.

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These partnerships allow them to take actions, such as identifying and detaining who they suspect to be undocumented immigrants, effectively serving as what ICE has called “force multiplier[s].” “They’re not leaving any stone unturned here,” Adriel Orozco, a senior policy counsel at the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit legal, research and advocacy organization, told NOTUS. “[They are] really trying to get whatever sort of law enforcement-focused components of other departments and agencies to support immigration enforcement.” It’s a matter of pride for the Trump administration. “287(g) is critical to having the enforcement we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country,” a spokesperson for ICE said in a statement to NOTUS. “We have had tremendous success when local law enforcement work with us including 40,000 arrests in Florida.”

Communities fight ICE detention centers, but have few tools to stop them

Outrage erupted last month when Oklahoma City residents learned of plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration processing facility. Making matters worse was the secrecy of the federal government: City leaders received no communication from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aside from a mandated disclosure related to historic preservation. Planning a major development without city input is antithetical to the in-depth, sometimes arcane permitting, planning and zoning process in Oklahoma City. Mayor David Holt, a former Republican state senator, said those land use decisions are among the most crucial of any municipal government. “For any entity to be able to open a detention center in our communities, potentially next to neighborhoods or schools, regardless of your views on immigration policy or enforcement, is very challenging, because that’s a very high-impact use, and that’s the kind of thing that we would expect to talk about,” he told Stateline.

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Communities across the country are facing similar prospects as ICE undertakes a massive expansion fueled in large part by the record $45 billion approved for increased immigration detention by Congress last summer. During President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE is holding a record number of detainees — more than 70,000 as of January — across its own facilities as well as in contracted local jails and private prisons. ICE documents from last week show plans for acquiring and renovating 16 processing sites that hold up to 1,500 people each and eight detention centers that hold up to 10,000 each, for a total capacity of 92,600 beds. The agency also has plans for some 150 new leases and office expansions across the country, Wired reported. But ICE’s plans to convert industrial buildings — often warehouses — into new detention facilities have recently faced fierce opposition over humanitarian and economic concerns. From Utah to Texas to Georgia, local governments have sought to block these massive facilities. But with limited legal authority, city and state officials have turned to the court of public opinion to deter private developers and the federal government. Holt, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization representing the more than 1,400 leaders of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, said cities have little legal recourse over the ICE facilities.

Copyright February 18, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved