April 21, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

What we learned from a secret deposition of Ken Paxton

In 2019, hostile attorneys questioned Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton about his conduct as a lawyer: Had he turned over a former client’s communications to an attorney suing that client? Paxton acknowledged that he had, one of the nuggets in an old deposition, viewed by The Wall Street Journal, that sheds new light on his legal behavior, past business dealings and blind trust that has shielded his rapidly expanded assets. Paxton, a prominent conservative firebrand, is seeking to unseat Sen. John Cornyn in an ugly Republican primary showdown set for a May runoff. Cornyn has sought to showcase past Paxton controversies, including abuse-of-office accusations by top aides, an impeachment and later acquittal and securities-fraud charges resolved with a pretrial deal. Paxton denied wrongdoing in each of the situations and has accused Cornyn of not adequately supporting President Trump’s agenda. Paxton’s campaign and lawyer protested the Journal’s reporting on the deposition, calling it out of context and a violation of a court order.

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A spokesman for Paxton, Nick Maddux, called the Journal’s reporting “blatant lies” but didn’t offer specifics. “The Wall Street Journal has spent the last year bending over backward to be an extension of the Cornyn campaign, but this one takes the cake,” Maddux said. Paxton, in his second term, was made to sit for the six-hour questioning for a lawsuit involving a falling-out between two of his former friends. Charles Loper III, trustee of Paxton’s blind trust, sued Byron Cook, a former business associate, claiming fraud by Unity Resources, an energy investment company. Paxton wasn’t a defendant in the suit, but was Unity’s former lawyer, board member and investor. The deposition marked a rare instance of Paxton being made to answer questions under oath. It remained effectively sealed when the case’s judge, a donor to Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, delayed ruling on its sealing for more than four years until the case was settled in 2023. Attorneys pressed Paxton on having given Unity records to his own attorney Mitch Little—who was also representing Loper in suing Unity—but not to Unity itself. “I’m sure I did,” Paxton said of giving the communications to Little, saying that he had done so to see if they were privileged. Legal ethics experts declined to read the deposition because it is under a protective order, but said giving former client communications to anyone—especially someone suing the client—is a violation of attorney-client privilege. And, records belong to the client and can’t be withheld, they said. “That’s a violation on his part on two counts,” said Randy Johnston, a Dallas lawyer specializing in legal malpractice.

Paxton sues ActBlue, alleging it allowed illegal donations to Democrat

Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the national Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue on Monday, accusing it of allowing fraudulent and foreign donations through its system. The suit alleges the platform – which raised more than half a million dollars in the first three months of this year – knowingly permitted untraceable prepaid cards and “straw donations,” and misled investigators about safeguards meant to block illegal contributions. Leaders at the platform, which has processed more than $16 billion in donations since it launched in 2004, denied any wrongdoing and called the suit “a thinly veiled attempt to distract from Ken Paxton’s numerous legal and ethical issues ahead of next month’s runoff.” Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn are in a heated GOP runoff May 26, with the winner taking on Democratic nominee James Talarico in November.

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Foreign political donations are barred in American elections, and Paxton suggested those who favor candidates supported by ActBlue are complicit in efforts to circumvent laws and ethics around secret donations. “The radical left has relied on ActBlue as a way to funnel foreign donations and dark money into their political campaigns to subvert our laws,” Paxton said in a statement. “ActBlue…has blatantly ignored state law that prohibits deceptive practices.”ActBlue spokesperson De'Andra Roberts-LaBoo disputed that, saying: “Our platform has done more than any other, regardless of party, to prevent improper donations and protect donors. Full stop.” The filing in Tarrant County is the latest in a string of legal actions by Paxton on partisan and consumer protection issues.

Trump says he’s ‘highly unlikely’ to extend fragile Iran ceasefire as clock ticks down

President Donald Trump said that it’s “highly unlikely” he will extend the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire, which is set to end on Wednesday. The 2-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was reached on April 7, and went into effect the following day. Trump told Bloomberg on Monday that the ceasefire expires “Wednesday evening Washington time” and it’s “highly unlikely that I’d extend it” if no deal is reached with Iran before then. “I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. We’ve got all the time in the world,” Trump also told Bloomberg. He said Iran “desperately” wants the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened, but “I’m not opening it until a deal is signed.” A U.S. delegation planned to travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday for another round of face-to-face peace talks with Iran, a source familiar with the plans told Fox News Digital.

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The White House said this weekend that Vice President JD Vance will lead the delegation, joined by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law. Trump told Bloomberg that the negotiations will take place “either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.” “There’s going to be a meeting. They want a meeting, and they should want a meeting. And it can work out well,” Trump also said to Bloomberg about Iran.

Stock of Rick Perry-backed Fermi sinks as CEO exits

Fermi Inc. plunged more than 20% Monday after a management shakeup that included the abrupt departure of its chief executive officer, potentially threatening its plans to build the world’s biggest private power grid for a data-center campus. The company co-founded by former US Energy Secretary Rick Perry is developing an AI campus in Texas that would initially be powered by natural gas, with plans to add as many as four nuclear reactors. But Fermi has been dogged by challenges in recent months, including the loss of a key anchor tenant for the site. Those issues have now been compounded by the exit of co-founder and CEO Toby Neugebauer, along with the company’s chief financial officer. Changes at the top indicate “there was friction between customers and Mr. Neugebauer, and negotiations could be simpler going forward,” Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst Stephen Gengaro said in a note.

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Fermi is seeking to capitalize on booming power demand from data centers running artificial intelligence. Initial designs for its Project Matador site near Amarillo called for delivering as much as 11 gigawatts of gas, nuclear and solar power. In March, the company said it secured additional land to expand that to as much as 17 gigawatts. Lining up tenants will be critical to keeping the project on track. Fermi said in December that a potential user had terminated a $150 million deal. Fermi shares tumbled as much as 23% on Monday, the most intraday since March 30 when the company said on an earnings conference call that it still hadn’t signed up customers. Fermi slumped 69% as of Friday since last year’s initial public offering, reducing the company’s market value to about $4.1 billion. “Fermi’s ability to ink a contract from hyperscalers who are scrambling to secure scarce available power has been perplexing,” Gengaro wrote in the research note. “Some potential customers could be taking a ‘prove-it-to-me’ approach to Fermi’s power campus.”

State Stories

Roy unveils immigration bill dubbed ‘MAMDANI Act’

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) on Monday introduced an immigration bill he dubbed the “MAMDANI Act.” The Measures Against Marxism’s Dangerous Adherents and Noxious Islamists Act proposes amending the Immigration and Nationality Act, which dictates federal immigration law, to allow for the deportation, denaturalization, denial of citizenship or entry to any migrant that is a member of a socialist party, communist party, the Chinese Communist Party or Islamic fundamentalist party. It also proposes imposing such restrictions on any migrant who “advocates” for socialism, communism, Marxism or Islamic fundamentalism, a sweeping term that includes “writing, districting, circulating, printing, displaying, possessing, or publishing any written, electronic, or printed matter” in support of those ideologies, according to the bill’s text.

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The acronym for the bill is a reference to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), a democratic socialist who was born in Uganda and moved to the city as a child. Mamdani, who is Muslim, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. The Hill has reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment. In a press release, Roy asked why the U.S. continues “to import people who hate us?” in reference to those who support the ideologies targeted by his bill. “Not just for the last six years, but for the last 60 years, our immigration system has been cynically used to disadvantage American workers’ competitiveness in favor of mass-importing the third world,” added the Texas Republican, who is running for state Attorney General. “This has not just led to higher crime and lower wages, but also the promulgation of hostile ideologies fundamentally opposed to American values.” “By targeting the Red-Green Alliance, this legislation deploys new tools to fight back against the Marxist and Islamist advance that has devastated Europe and has now arrived on our doorstep, especially in my home state of Texas,” he added. Under the bill, migrants who can establish that their advocacy for one of the listed ideologies occurred before they turned 14 years old are exempt from the restrictions. As for those deemed part of an “Islamic fundamentalist party,” the bill lists the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State, the Al-Nour Party, Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab as falling under that category. There were an estimated 3.45 million Muslims in the U.S. as of 2017, according to the Pew Research Center. Back in October, Roy introduced the Sharia-Free America Act, which proposes preventing foreign nationals who observe Sharia law from entering the U.S. or remaining in the country.

Richard Flowers, Houston's celebrity event planner, dies at 75

Richard Flowers had a magic touch, an unmatched eye for detail and a serendipitous last name for his chosen profession. Flowers, who became one of Houston’s most prolific event planners, died Friday morning. He was 75. Today, his business, the Events Company, is synonymous with many of the city’s toniest gatherings. It grew out of humble beginnings. Flowers got his start in the oil fields of East Texas and later moved to Houston as a partner of an oil and gas exploration venture. The year 1990 brought reinvention when Flowers became a flower shop owner. One day, Lynn Wyatt walked in. She asked if he would help her with decor for the Houston Ballet Ball. Flowers accepted, and the rest is history.

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“I could walk into a ballroom or any event, and immediately tell that the room was created by none other than Richard Flowers,” Wyatt said. “From the light to the flowers to the table settings, you knew right away it had to be Richard Flowers.” Flowers meticulously planned Wyatt’s Truman Capote-themed, black-and-white 80th birthday bash, which doubled as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s 2015 Grand Gala Ball. The party was attended by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, actor Shirley MacLaine and then-Oscar de la Renta creative director Peter Copping, who also designed her dress, and was covered by Vanity Fair and Town & Country. Wyatt appeared at Flowers' side in February, when Houston Ballet Ball 2026 honored him, the Events Company and Houston First Corporation for their respective decades-long contributions to the professional dance organization. “Richard had one of the most creative minds that I’ve ever known,” Wyatt said. “He also became one of my dearest friends in life.” Stanton Welch, artistic director of Houston Ballet, met Flowers through Wyatt. Upon arriving in Houston in 2003 for his current role and attending various fundraising events across the state, whenever Welch inquired about the planner behind some of the more elaborate gatherings, the name that was often mentioned was the same.

Hutto data center developer withdraws rezoning request, effectively ending the project

The developer of a proposed data center in Hutto has withdrawn its rezoning application with the city, effectively ceasing the project. Zydeco Development had requested the city rezone a parcel of land to allow for "heavy industrial" development for its proposed data center. The site, located on Ed Schmidt Boulevard, is currently zoned for "multi-family residential" development. Zydeco's request would have required the city to change both its future land use map and comprehensive plan. Howard Koontz, the director of development services for Hutto, recommended the city deny Zydeco's application at a public meeting on April 7.

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"Our comprehensive plan reflects the community's vision for how Hutto should grow, and that vision guides how we evaluate every item that comes before us," Koontz said. "As submitted, this proposal was not consistent with that vision. Thoughtful planning is a priority for the city, and we remain open to continued dialogue." Several community members also opposed Zydeco's rezoning request, raising concerns about noise, impacts on the local power grid and possible long-term risks associated with having a data center near residential neighborhoods. Organizing through a Facebook group called "Stop the Hutto Data Center," these community members had been working to file a formal protest within the Texas Local Government Code against Zydeco and its rezoning request. If that protest was successful, Zydeco's application would have required a three-fourths supermajority vote from the Hutto City Council to move forward, rather than the usual simple majority. "This is what happens when neighbors work together and get organized," said Katie Martin, co-organizer of the group, in an email to KUT. "We will continue to be vigilant so that no other developer tries something like this in the future. We also hope to share what we’ve learned with other communities facing similar challenges. But for now, we are celebrating the success of our efforts!" KUT News reached out to Zydeco for comment, but has not heard back. It's estimated that Texas could have more data centers than anywhere in the world by 2030, and state lawmakers look to be gearing up to tackle the topic during the 2027 legislative session. Here are four takeaways from their most recent meeting.

Harris County has a higher rate of tuberculosis than the state and the nation, report finds

Harris County leads the state in rates of tuberculosis, and has nearly double the rate of active cases compared to the rest of the county, according to a new report from Harris County Public Health released Monday. Tuberculosis, an airborne disease that affects the lungs and other parts of the body. In 1900, the disease was a leading cause of death, with 194 deaths per 100,000 people. Although tuberculosis may seem like a disease of the past, Harris County reported a rate of 5.5 active cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 people in 2024, the most recent year of data.

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"Tuberculosis is a serious but preventable disease, and this report helps us better understand where and how it is impacting our community," Dr. Jo Ann Monroy, with the HCPH Office of Epidemiology, Surveillance and Emerging Diseases, said via a statement. "Our goal is to use this data to guide action, improve access to care, and protect the health of all Harris County community members." Texas had a tuberculosis rate of 4.1 per 100,000 in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Of the lower 48 states, only California and New York had higher rates — Alaska and Hawaii surpassed them all, according to the CDC. The nationwide rate of tuberculosis cases was 3.0 — nearly half that of Harris County. In 2022, the most recent year on record for the Texas Department of State Health Services, Harris County had more cases of tuberculosis than any other county. Though the rates of tuberculosis have remained stable in recent years — and are far below the rates in previous centuries — the fact that it still remains in Texas and Harris County is remarkable. Since the 1950s, the United States has had an effective treatment of the disease, which has significantly lowered rates. However, the disease still pervades across the globe. The World Health Organization reported 10.8 million people developed tuberculosis in 2023, 1.25 million of whom died.

Leadership shakeups at UT continue as LBJ School dean departs for Duke

In another leadership change at the top of a University of Texas college, Dean JR DeShazo will leave the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the end of this academic year. DeShazo has led the LBJ School for five years. Starting July 1, DeShazo will lead the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University as dean, UT officials announced Monday in an email. DeShazo — one of the longest serving leaders at UT — is one of several deans to leave in the past year. More than one-third of UT’s dean positions — 7 of 18 leaders — are currently in flux. He leaves at the conclusion of his contracted term, and it is unclear whether Provost William Inboden decided to offer him a renewal. Per the university’s policy, UT leaders have until the end of a dean's six year appointment to evaluate their performance.

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When a dean’s term is up, top UT leadership can then choose whether to offer a contract renewal or find new leadership, according to the current policy. UT faculty members described DeShazo Monday as an excellent, thoughtful leader who made the LBJ School stronger. “I’m shocked, and I’m devastated,” said Kate Weaver, who has worked at the LBJ School for 17 years as a professor and associate dean. “He’s the best dean I’ve ever seen. He’s just utterly transformed the school.” As dean, DeShazo doubled the LBJ School’s degree offerings from three to six and launched the college’s first undergraduate degree. He also increased enrollment, grew research activity and supported alumni and current students in job placement as opportunities for work among federal agencies have declined. DeShazo declined to comment. University spokesperson Mike Rosen did not respond to questions about DeShazo’s departure.

NY comptroller urges eXp shareholders to reject Texas reincorporation

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is calling on eXp Realty shareholders to block the company’s plan to move its state of incorporation from Delaware to Texas, arguing that the brokerage should address internal culture issues rather than seek a more favorable home base. The pushback comes after allegations of sexual assault and related shareholder litigation put the cloud-based brokerage under intense scrutiny, according to the New York Times. DiNapoli framed the brokerage’s move as an attempt to sidestep accountability. eXp, one of the largest residential brokerages in the country, has faced three separate lawsuits tied to conference and recruiting-event conduct. Two filed in California in 2023 and another filed in Florida last year saw women allege the company enabled a pattern of drugging and rape around those events.

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The allegations largely center on two former agents — Michael Bjorkman and David Golden — who were reportedly high earners generating significant revenue for the firm. The lawsuits allege the company allowed them to remain affiliated with eXp well after leadership was alerted to complaints about them. The controversy spilled into corporate governance when two shareholder pension funds filed suit in Delaware, where eXp’s parent company is incorporated. The complaint accuses the company of risking investor value through a “purposeful decision to ignore reports of criminal abuse.” After a judge allowed that case to go forward, eXp founder and chief executive officer Glenn Sanford announced the company would reincorporate in Texas, which is widely viewed as a friendlier jurisdiction for companies facing shareholder challenges than Delaware, long the default for corporate domiciles. In a statement urging shareholders to vote down the move, DiNapoli said investors have an obligation to hold eXp accountable. That includes the New York State Common Retirement Fund, which held nearly 27,000 shares of eXp’s parent company at last glance.

Nancy Saustad, who raised millions of dollars for KERA, has died

As a fundraiser, Nancy Saustad’s biggest projects ranged from a new home for public broadcasting in North Texas to a new habitat for elephants and giraffes at the Dallas Zoo. The former chief philanthropy officer for KERA and lifelong North Texan died Sunday from ovarian cancer. She was 61. “I think more than anything else, I think we just all remember her with a great deal of gratitude,” said KERA President and CEO Nico Leone. “We're fortunate to have known her, fortunate to work with her, and incredibly grateful for everything she did, not just for KERA, but for so many organizations in the community.”

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Her development efforts helped make it possible for KERA to break ground on a new headquarters at a time when other public TV and radio stations were forced to make cuts amid a loss of federal funding. Prior to joining KERA, she raised money to help bring the Dallas Zoo's “Giants of the Savanna” habitat to life. The 11-acre exhibit was first to make space for various species of African animals like elephants, zebras and impalas. Without a doubt, those were her proudest professional accomplishments, her husband, David Carl Saustad, said. Outside of work, she loved animals, art and skiing in Colorado. “But I would think her favorite title would have been mother, for sure. There was nothing that would stop her from doing anything for her kids.," Saustad said. "She would stop whatever she was doing to give them her ultimate attention because even though she loved her work, mother was her first priority, always.”

Inside the push for a business-savvy candidate for north Fort Worth City Council seat

The question to Mayor Mattie Parker was succinct: Why all the fervor around a May 2 special election for a far north Fort Worth City Council seat? First-time candidates Chris Jamieson and Alicia Ortiz are vying to fill the unexpired term of Alan Blaylock, who is running for the Texas House. The race has featured a slew of high-profile endorsements for Jamieson, including from Mayor Parker and County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, and the city’s two public safety associations. And he’s gotten campaign donations from some traditional heavyweight supporters in Fort Worth law offices and the Alliance development area. Ortiz, who served as district director for former City Council member Cary Moon, said she’s been shut out of contributions she might have secured, had the mayor and other traditional city leaders not gotten so heavily involved.

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“I feel for her,” Moon said of Ortiz. “She’s run into a juggernaut.” Parker and Ramirez confirmed to the Report that they led an informal group that began searching for a business-savvy candidate after Blaylock announced he was leaving the seat. Parker said she had an interest in ensuring continuity in the office — one of four council districts that cover the fast-growing and sprawling Interstate 35W corridor north of Loop 820 — after Blaylock’s departure. “I have so much respect for council member Blaylock; I had a vested interest in helping find a great candidate,” Parker said. Jamieson, 47, an entrepreneur and homeowner association president in north Fort Worth, was little known in local political circles before he filed to run. Parker said she appreciated Jamieson’s business background and lack of partisan history. The search turned to Jamieson after better-known prospect Travis Clegg, a business development executive for the Westwood Professional Services design and engineering firm, decided against running, the mayor, Ramirez and Clegg confirmed. “Travis was my first person,” Parker said. Once he declined, “then we kind of pivoted.”

Georgetown election begins to decide if city will stop managing water for neighboring areas

Early voting has begun for Georgetown's May 2 election that will determine if the city will sell a portion of its public water system to a new, private water provider. The city has said it wants to sell parts of the water system that extend into neighboring cities, so it can better plan for future growth and manage rising costs. "The City of Georgetown Water Utility was created to serve city residents," Mayor Josh Schroeder said in a press release in February. "Today, our water service territory extends far outside of our city limits into the ETJs of several neighboring communities. The proposed sale would significantly reduce our long-term needs and expenses as both water and infrastructure become increasingly expensive for all Texas cities."

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About 40% of Georgetown's water utility customers currently live outside the city. Those customers in Florence, Liberty Hill and Salado joined the utility's service area after the city acquired the Chisholm Trail Special Utility District in 2014. These areas are expected to rapidly develop in the coming years, and right now, Georgetown is legally obligated to provide water to residents and businesses that request service in those areas. City leaders said the utility can save hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming decades if they can sell these portions of its water service area and consequently reduce water and infrastructure needs. "The proposed sale will help stabilize rates for Georgetown residents and businesses long-term," Schroeder said. National Utility Infrastructure is the city's "preferred buyer" of the water service area it plans to put up for sale. “NUI has proven experience and the financial resources needed to secure water, build new infrastructure and stabilize rates for customers in the transferred area," City Manager David Morgan said. The city said it is prepared to provide water to NUI for up to 10 years while it establishes a water supply. "We are confident all customers will be in good hands," Morgan said. If the sale is approved by voters on May 2, the Texas Public Utility Commission would also need to give its approval before the project moved forward. That process, city leaders said, could take up to two years. Water customers of Georgetown can determine if they are eligible to vote on the sale by using the city's interactive "Address Lookup" map. If they live within city limits, they are eligible.

Dallas-Fort Worth leads nation in corporate HQ relocations

Dallas-Fort Worth ranked No. 1 in the nation last year for corporate headquarter relocations and continues to dominate longer-term as company mobility accelerates overall, according to a new analysis by CBRE. DFW had the most net interstate or international HQ relocations in 2025, with 11, followed by Miami, with 8, according to the report from the Dallas-based commercial real estate services firm that moved its own headquarters to Big D from California a few years back. DFW tacked on an additional seven intrastate or intra-metro HQ moves. Dallas-Fort Worth has secured more than 100 headquarters relocations since 2018, the most of any metropolitan area in the now seven-year timeframe tracked by CBRE. The company counted 725 public headquarters announcements from 2018 to 2025 from company disclosures and news sources. The data revealed relocation patterns, corporate motivations and evolving real estate strategies, CBRE said. Companies are increasingly using intra-metro strategies, weighing benefits of various submarkets within the same region, as return-to-office and hybrid work change location priorities and drive demand for more flexible, efficient footprints, CBRE’s report notes.

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The Onion says it's finally acquired Alex Jones' Austin-based Infowars

Alex Jones' Infowars, a decades-long source of conspiracy theories, has been acquired by The Onion. The satirical media outlet said Monday it finally acquired the controversial show hosted by Jones after roughly 18 months of back and forth in a Texas bankruptcy court. Jones was sued for defamation by victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, which killed 20 children and six adults, for referring to them as "crisis actors." Courts in Texas and Connecticut ordered the conspiracy theorist to liquidate his assets to pay back roughly $1.5 billion in liability. The Onion CEO Ben Collins told journalist Pablo Torre that the company would follow through on its plans to take over the show, while also sharing profits with victims of the Sandy Hook massacre.

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"We want them to be able to get paid for real at some point with actual human dollars as part of this process," he said. "We have taken over the Infowars studio and the IP and the website and all of that stuff." Collins said the transition would be finalized "within a couple of days." KUT News reached out to The Onion and Jones' bankruptcy attorney for confirmation on the sale but hasn't yet heard back. Jones teased the acquisition last month on a podcast. "We've beaten so many attacks," Jones said. "But, finally, we're shutting down in the middle of next month." Jones' assets are being sold off in a Texas bankruptcy court, including the South Austin studio that hosts Infowars and any equipment used to produce content for the website. Jones tried to block the sale of Infowars to The Onion in 2024, and last year, a judge rejected his attempt to throw out the defamation judgment. Since then, Free Speech Systems, the Infowars parent company, has been slowly selling off property to pay plaintiffs over the last few months. Collins told Torre he plans on continuing programming as Infowars with some rebranding and reshuffling. The site plans to replace the "o" in "Infowars" with The Onion's logo, and Collins said the show will bring on comedian Tim Heidecker as a potential replacement host.

BGCT executive wants another study of relationship to Baylor

The Baptist General Convention of Texas announced April 17 it will launch another study of the relationship between the BGCT and Baylor University. This follows a recent dialogue that concluded in 2023 without any changes proposed. Baylor’s relationship to the BGCT has been a regular item of concern since the university’s regents in 1991 declared themselves a self-perpetuating board. Before then, the BGCT had total control of naming university trustees. Since then, the state convention nominates only 25% of trustees in consultation with the current board.

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Today, the BGCT contributes only 0.001% of Baylor’s $995.8 million annual budget but controls 25% of the board. Some Baylor insiders think that’s not fair and want to eliminate the BGCT’s role entirely. But the BGCT wants to exert more influence — especially over matters of human sexuality. The latest study has been sparked by Baylor administrators allowing a student group to bring two gay Christian speakers to campus next week for an event that will counter the Turning Point USA rally the administration also approved. BGCT leaders have not raised concerns about the far-right TPUSA event but have focused instead on the “All Are Neighbors” event planned in response. They first expressed those concerns the previous Friday afternoon. Texas Baptists Executive Director Julio Guarneri told the Baptist Standard he had “conversations” with Baylor leadership, the chair of the BGCT Institutional Relations Committee, the chair of the Texas Baptists Executive Board and “several Texas Baptists pastors.” “Hosting speakers who are Christian, identify as gay and practice LGBTQ advocacy at a university-approved event is inconsistent with the convention’s long-standing views on biblical sexuality,” Guarneri said. “It is likely that the viewpoints to be shared at this event and others may not represent either BGCT’s or Baylor’s official positions, and convention messengers have made it clear that the traditional view of biblical sexuality is a matter of fellowship and harmonious cooperation.”

County Stories

Bexar County judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez resigns under agreement that dismisses charges, imposes lifetime ban

Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez resigned Monday under an agreement that dismisses criminal charges stemming from a late 2024 courtroom incident and permanently bars her from serving as a judge in Texas. The charges stem from a December 2024 incident in which Gonzalez was accused of having defense attorney Elizabeth Russell handcuffed and placed in a jury box after Russell objected to a plea from her client in a domestic violence case. The argument escalated, and Gonzalez ordered bailiffs to detain Russell. Gonzalez was indicted in January on charges of official oppression and unlawful restraint and later turned herself in. The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office recused itself from the case, and a special prosecutor was appointed.

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Gonzalez was suspended without pay by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct and later lost her bid for reelection in the March primary. Her opponent, Alicia Perez, won 65% of the vote for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13. The charges were dismissed under the agreement. Special prosecutor Brian Cromeens of DeWitt County said dismissing the charges was “in the interest of justice.” Gonzalez did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the agreement. The unlawful restraint charge is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The official oppression charge is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. Gonzalez presided over a court that specializes in domestic violence cases and includes programs that combine treatment and strict supervision.

National Stories

Virginia voters to decide whether to allow a new Democratic-drawn map for the midterms

Virginia voters on Tuesday will decide the fate of a constitutional amendment that would pave the way for a new congressional map designed to allow Democrats to pick up as many as four seats in this year’s midterm elections. The special election marks the latest fight in the mid-decade redistricting war that has unfolded across the country as both parties vie for control of the narrowly divided House. Under the proposed map in Virginia, Democrats would be in position to hold up to 10 of the state’s 11 districts, rather than the current six. Virginia Democrats have framed their aggressive effort as a response to President Donald Trump pressuring GOP-led states to redraw their district lines last summer. Republicans have accused Democrats of a power grab after winning full control of Virginia’s government in last fall’s elections.

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While Democrats have maintained a clear spending advantage, Tuesday’s contest is shaping up to be close. Virginia has leaned Democratic in recent elections, with Gov. Abigail Spanberger winning by 15 points in November and then-Vice President Kamala Harris carrying the state by 6 points in 2024. But Democrats have acknowledged the messaging challenges they have faced as the party that had previously opposed such partisan gerrymandering moves. And a springtime special election where only the redistricting referendum is appearing on the ballot makes turnout unpredictable. The constitutional amendment seeks to temporarily bypass the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission — which voters overwhelmingly approved a few years ago — to enact a new congressional map for the rest of the decade. It would also return mapmaking duties to the commission after the 2030 census.

House braces for next wave of potential expulsions focused on Cherfilus-McCormick, Mills

House lawmakers are bracing for the next wave of expulsions. Former Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) avoided the boot only by quitting their seats in the face of allegations of sexual misconduct with staffers. Now, the expulsion battle is poised to enter its second round, as lawmakers in both parties eye plans to remove Florida Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D) and Cory Mills (R), who are both accused of violating campaign finance laws, among other offenses. “If they’re doing this s---, then they need to go,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said. The debate is set to erupt Tuesday, when the Ethics Committee is scheduled to make its disciplinary recommendations in the case of Cherfilus-McCormick, who is accused of stealing millions of dollars in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to help finance her campaign. The Justice Department filed federal charges last November, and an Ethics subcommittee earlier this month found she violated 25 rules of congressional standards.

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Cherfilus-McCormick has denied any wrongdoing, saying she’s the victim of a partisan witch hunt by the Trump administration. But even many Democrats are ready to push her out the door given the Ethics findings. “The Ethics Committee has the material,” Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) said. “So I think it needs to move quickly.” “We’re moving if the Ethics Committee brings it to the floor,” echoed another Democratic lawmaker, who requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. Yet those same Democrats are also demanding the expulsion of Mills, who is the subject of a separate Ethics investigation into allegations of “dating violence,” campaign finance violations and using his perch in Congress to steer business to the weapons and defense companies he continues to operate. (He has denied the charges.) The Democrats are arguing the importance of parity: Like offenses demand like consequences. But the unspoken political dynamic underlying the debate is that, in a House with razor-thin margins, neither party wants to advantage the other by expelling only one of their own — a concern that’s generated support for the idea of pairing the removals. That was the case with Swalwell and Gonzales, and now it’s the case with Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills.

Apple taps John Ternus as CEO to replace Tim Cook, who will become chairman

Apple said on Monday that John Ternus is succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, with Cook assuming the role of executive chairman on Sept. 1. Ternus, a senior vice president of hardware engineering, will join Apple’s board of directors when he becomes chief. Apple’s nonexecutive chairman Arthur Levinson will become the iPhone maker’s lead independent director at that time. “Cook will continue in his role as CEO through the summer as he works closely with Ternus on a smooth transition,” Apple said in a press release. The company said in a filing that the board made the appointment on Friday.

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It’s the first CEO transition for Apple since Cook, now 65, succeeded Steve Jobs at the helm in 2011, shortly before Jobs’ death. Ternus will become Apple’s eighth CEO. “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said in a statement. “I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world.” Apple also said that Johny Srouji will become chief hardware officer, taking over for Ternus in an expanded role. Srouji, who most recently served as the company’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, will also lead hardware engineering. Apple’s market cap increased by more than 20-fold on Cook’s watch, closing on Monday at $4 trillion. Cook took home $74.6 million in total compensation last year, including a $3 million base salary and millions more in stock awards, according to recent regulatory filings. Forbes estimates his net worth at close to $3 billion.

Trump is quietly seeking allies to fix Gaza, says Norway

Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is quietly engaging with international partners including the EU and the Palestinian Authority to stabilize Gaza and prepare for post-conflict governance, Norway’s foreign minister told POLITICO. The U.S. president set up the Washington-led Board of Peace, which held its first meeting in February, as the main vehicle for overseeing reconstruction and governance of the Gaza Strip. But Norway’s Espen Barth Eide, who was in Brussels on Monday for back-to-back events focused on the Israeli-Hamas conflict, said the Board of Peace is increasingly liaising with international institutions that have long experience in Gaza — including the Palestinian Authority.

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“The Americans who have been tasked with the Board of Peace … are also discovering that the established institutions are quite useful. The World Bank, the [United Nations], different agencies actually have a lot of experience,” he said in an interview at Norway’s representation to the EU. Trump’s administration has kept the Palestinian Authority somewhat at arm’s length in plans to govern Gaza, notably denying entry to the United States to anyone holding a Palestinian Authority passport. But chief EU diplomat Kaja Kallas welcomed Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Brussels as a special guest — and Eide said that relations between Mustafa and the Board of Peace were better than they publicly appeared. “The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority tells me that the conversation with the U.S. has been going much better, and that there is practical cooperation,” he said, adding that Trump’s plan for the governance of Gaza includes a long-term role for the Palestinian Authority after it has carried out reforms.

Dan Hannan: Donald Trump is losing his mind

(Daniel Hannan is a member of the House of Lords and a former Conservative MEP.) Imagine it was someone other than President Donald Trump. Suppose a different leader were posting deranged rants in the small hours, insulting the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics, threatening entire civilizations with annihilation, and comparing himself to God. What would be the reaction? We all know the answer. Both parties would be rushing to bundle him out of office before he did irreversible harm to the republic. Yet, as we all also know, different rules apply to Trump. Democrats, having had their fingers burned by two failed impeachment attempts, are reluctant to try again, for they know that there is no surer way to boost his support. Republicans, who privately despair at the electoral damage he is doing, let alone the constitutional damage, are paralyzed by fear of upsetting their primary voters.

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Harold Macmillan, the suave British postwar leader, liked to quip that there were three institutions that no sensible man challenged: the Brigade of Guards, the National Union of Mineworkers, and the Roman Catholic Church. Yet Trump, in one of his nocturnal forays, decided to conjure a fight with the Bishop of Rome out of thin air, calling him “WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy,” and adding that “if I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” The president, whom critics accuse of having a God-complex, then followed up with an image of himself as Jesus healing the sick. This image was offensive, not only to Catholics, but to almost every practicing Christian and, come to that, to almost every Muslim. The Iranian ayatollahs used one of the Lego videos with which they have been trolling the president to condemn what they sincerely saw as blasphemy. They were not alone. CatholicVote.org, which turned out millions of voters for Trump in three successive elections, condemned the post as impious. At the same time, according to its president, Kelsey Reinhardt, “President Trump’s post insulting Pope Leo crossed again a line of decorum.”

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will resign amid misconduct allegations

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Donald Trump’s labor secretary, is resigning from her position amid professional misconduct allegations, becoming the third Cabinet member to depart during Trump’s second term. White House communications director Steven Cheung posted on X on Monday that Chavez-DeRemer would leave the Cabinet to take a position in the private sector, though he did not say where she was going. Cheung said the deputy labor secretary, Keith Sonderling, would become the acting head of the agency. Accusations that Chavez-DeRemer had engaged in misconduct, including personal travel during taxpayer-funded trips, surfaced in a complaint filed with the Labor Department’s inspector general that was first reported by the New York Post. The complaint led to the suspension of several top aides and surfaced sexual misconduct allegations against Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Shawn DeRemer.

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Chavez-DeRemer, in her own post, wrote on X: “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration and work for the greatest President of my lifetime.” She said that she is “looking forward to what the future has in store as I depart for the private sector.” The Labor Department referred The Post to Chavez-DeRemer’s post on X. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chavez-DeRemer’s resignation follows a New York Times report from last week that she and her top aides, as well as her father and husband, sent personal messages to young staffers, which has been under investigation by Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito. The outlet also reported that Chavez-DeRemer and her aide asked employees to bring them wine during work trips. D’Esposito told his employees in an email after news of the investigation broke that the office “takes all allegations of fraud, waste, abuse and misconduct seriously” and that the complaint against Chavez-DeRemer “was likely to be of interest to our many stakeholders.”

Uncertainty reigns at DOJ in the aftermath of Bondi’s departure

Since President Donald Trump tapped Todd Blanche, his former defense attorney, to temporarily lead the Justice Department this month, the message from those familiar with the president’s thinking has remained consistent: A permanent shot at the job of attorney general is Blanche’s to lose. But that hasn’t stopped a frenzied competition to push other candidates for what has become one of the most important Cabinet-level posts in the president’s plans for his second term. And the uncertainty around top leadership roles has prompted concern from some in a department already struggling with claims of politicization and the abandonment of long-held norms over the lengths to which Trump’s next pick may go to impress him. Following Trump’s decision to fire Blanche’s predecessor, Pam Bondi, various factions of the president’s MAGA coalition have rallied around figures like Harmeet K. Dhillon, currently head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Jeanine Pirro, the sharp-tongued former Fox News host and current U.S. attorney in D.C., as alternatives.

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Neither Dhillon nor Pirro has been so forward as to openly suggest an interest in the job. But both have taken steps in recent days that are viewed by insiders as efforts to raise their profile and jockey for the president’s attention. Blanche, meanwhile, has quickly moved to leave his own mark on the Justice Department’s downtown Washington headquarters in his new role, pushing out Bondi’s top spokespeople and installing a key ally in a top deputy position. Others within Trump’s orbit have seized on the department’s shake-up to push their own favored candidates for influential jobs. Some have urged Dhillon and Ed Martin — the president’s pardon attorney and a veteran of Trump’s “Stop the Steal” effort, with whom Blanche has clashed in the past — for top spots, according to multiple people familiar with those efforts. Those people, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer candid assessments of current dynamics. Trump has given no indication of when, or if, he intends to formally nominate a permanent replacement for Bondi. Either option carries risks: Nominating Blanche could result in a fiery confirmation fight, but leaving him as an unconfirmed attorney general gives him less stature and legitimacy.

Copyright April 21, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved