March 31, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

U.S. gas prices hit $4 a gallon on average

Gasoline in the United States crossed an average of $4 a gallon on Tuesday,a threshold it hadn’t reached since August 2022, continuing a series of nearly uninterrupted increases since the Middle East war began that are chipping away at the spending power of American consumers. Since the end of February, the average cost of regular gasoline has jumped 35 percent, according to data from the AAA motor club. Seeing gasoline at more than $4 a gallon — when it was below $3 a month ago — could push American drivers to change their spending habits. “We have this obsession with gas prices because they dictate a lot of ‘Can we drive? Can we do things we enjoy?’ And now some of that is at risk,” said Patrick De Haan, an analyst at GasBuddy, which also tracks fuel prices. “As we get to a month of increases and prices are much higher,” he added, “the amount of pressure on Americans’ budgets and their spending is going to ramp up.”

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For President Trump, who not long ago was boasting about how prices had fallen since he was re-elected in 2024, the highly visible reminder of the war’s consequences is a political burden. “It is the biggest headache for whoever happens to be in power when something like this happens,” said Kate Gordon, a former senior adviser in the Department of Energy who is now chief executive of California Forward, a nonprofit business group. Presidents have little control over gas prices, she added, but this is an unusual circumstance. “Usually, a hurricane hits the gulf and gas prices go up, and then whoever’s in power gets blamed for it,” Ms. Gordon said, referring to the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Trump is “going to get blamed anyway because he’s in power, but also he made the decision to go to war in Iran.” Although the United States isn’t dependent on oil exports from the Middle East — where attacks during the war have hit production and storage facilities — domestic prices have nevertheless surged because of how interconnected global energy markets are. Gas last eclipsed $4 a gallon after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Mark Cuban says he regrets decision to sell Mavs to Miriam Adelson

It’s been over two years since Mark Cuban sold his majority stake of the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont. Since then, Cuban has had a change of heart, but not about the sale itself, he said in the latest episode of Intersections, a podcast hosted by former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and entrepreneur Kyle Waldrep. “I don’t regret selling. I regret who I sold to,” Cuban said in a teaser clip released Monday. “I made a lot of mistakes in the process, and I’ll leave it at that.” The franchise has experienced a significant amount of transition over the last two seasons, including an NBA Finals run, former general manager Nico Harrison’s decision to trade Luka Doncic, his subsequent firing and new leadership changes throughout basketball and business operations.

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Adelson, controlling shareholder of the Las Vegas Sands, paid $3.5 billion for majority control of the Mavericks in December 2023 with Dumont serving as the team’s governor and final decision-maker. Cuban told Waldrep and Leppert he sold the team he owned for 23 years because of the “big emotional commitment” attached to ownership and his reluctance to the thought of his growing children wanting to work for the team. “I didn’t want that for them. It can be abusive, a lot,” Cuban said. “If fans don’t like what you’re doing or if the team’s not doing well, you’re the worst human being on the planet, and they treat you that way.” Fans have voiced their displeasure for the team’s underwhelming performance throughout the season, most notably during the first 11 games of the season before Harrison’s firing. Since then, the home crowd has remained loyal with its support despite another year with more losses than wins. The Mavericks were recently eliminated from playoff contention and will spend a second consecutive year in the NBA draft lottery, just two years removed from being a championship contender around Doncic.

GOP’s DHS funding battle turns up the heat on House-Senate Republican civil war

Republicans in the House and Senate are in a battle over how to move forward with funding the Department of Homeland Security after the two chambers took diametrically opposed paths last week in approving bills to fund the embattled DHS. The standoff has left both sides bickering, and there’s a tinge of bitterness, among House Republicans who were surprised by the Senate bill and thought they were being jammed; and Senate Republicans miffed at the House GOP’s outright rejection of their measure. Brian Darling, a GOP strategist and former Senate aide, said the Senate is “trying to bully the House into passing something they don’t want to pass.” “It was a last-minute that they passed in three in the morning through [unanimous consent] and threw it over to the House, expecting that the House would have no choice but to pass the bill and the House said no,” he said.

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Senate Republicans are ready to move on from the 45-day standoff by passing as much Homeland Security funding by regular order and taking care of ICE and Border Patrol through a budget reconciliation package, which could avoid a Democratic filibuster. They think the House had the votes to pass the Senate measure, though Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would have had to have depended on Democrats to get it through his chamber. “I think we sent the bill over there because it was set up so that if some Republicans wanted to vote no, they could have voted no but ultimately we think it would have passed,” Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Monday. The bill passed by the Senate funded much of DHS, but did not include money for Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of the Border Patrol. The measure’s passage appeared to take many House Republicans by surprise, and they reacted with anger at the end of last week. Johnson quickly signaled he had no intention of moving the bill.

Trump tells aides he’s willing to end war without reopening Hormuz

President Trump told aides he’s willing to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, administration officials said, likely extending Tehran’s firm grip on the waterway and leaving a complex operation to reopen it for a later date. In recent days, Trump and his aides assessed that a mission to pry open the chokepoint would push the conflict beyond his timeline of four to six weeks. He decided that the U.S. should achieve its main goals of hobbling Iran’s navy and its missile stocks and wind down current hostilities while pressuring Tehran diplomatically to resume the free flow of trade. If that fails, Washington would press allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead on reopening the strait, the officials said. There are also military options the president could decide on, but they aren’t his immediate priority, they said.

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Over the past month, Trump has expressed various opinions in public on how to handle the strait, part of a larger pattern of giving conflicting goals and objectives of the war overall. He has at times threatened to bomb civilian energy infrastructure if the waterway isn’t reopened by a certain date. On other occasions, he has played down the importance of the strait to the U.S. and said its closure is a problem for other nations to solve. The longer the strait remains closed, the more it will roil the global economy and boost gas prices. Multiple countries, including U.S. allies, are reeling from the downturn in energy supply that once flowed freely through the chokepoint. Industries that rely on items such as fertilizer to grow food or helium to make computer chips are suffering from shortages. Without a swift return to safe passages, Tehran will continue to threaten world trade until the U.S. and its partners either negotiate a deal or forcibly end the crisis, analysts say. Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert and vice president at the Brookings Institution in Washington, called ending military operations before the strait is open “unbelievably irresponsible.” The U.S. and Israel started the war together and can’t walk away from the fallout, Maloney said. “Energy markets are inherently global, and there is no possibility of insulating the U.S. from the economic damage that is already occurring and will become exponentially worse if the closure of the strait continues.”

State Stories

Nathan Moran: Character and trust should matter to conservatives

I've only been in Congress for three years, but it is easy to see that trust is one thing we need a whole lot more of--trust that our motives are right, even when we don't get it right; trust that we will serve the people instead of serving ourselves; and trust that we each possess the personal character and integrity that has made Texas great for generations. Unfortunately, trust in Congress is dwindling by the day. Why? Because voters have watched time and again politicians who put the preservation of power and position ahead of principles and the people--simply because it serves the interests of their own personal ambitions. And, unfortunately, we have rewarded such behavior with re-election, overlooking depth of character because we are drawn in by the show at the surface. The unending scandals and unethical behavior that seem commonplace today are incongruent with the "wisdom to discern" and "virtue to pursue" that James Madison made clear we needed in those we elect.

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So, what's the answer? We The People should do our best to elect men and women to public office who have character, integrity, wisdom, and virtue (or, at the very least, strive to attain it). As Reagan put it, "If we have the integrity to do what is right, freedom will not only survive, it will triumph." So, we should not ignore the integrity of those we elect, nor should we divorce our personal ethical creed from our political vote. If we do, then those we elect will continue to act in their own self-interest, causing more distrust in our government and leading to a greater decline in our personal freedom. I have never endorsed in a Republican primary--from the top of the ticket to the bottom. But, I am compelled in this moment to deviate once from this policy. President Trump needs a U.S. Senator from Texas with both the character and competency to help him finish the job he was hired to do. He needs someone he can trust. And, in my opinion, that man is John Cornyn. John is a man of integrity; a statesman legislator; a steady leader and influencer among his Senate peers; and one who has selflessly dedicated his life to his family and to public service at the local, state, and federal level.

CPAC cheers question on impeachment hearings for President Trump

It sounded like a simple question. Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference, teed up the audience Friday with a question about impeachment against President Donald Trump. “How many of you would like to see impeachment hearings?” the conservative activist asked on stage in Grapevine. Surprisingly, the question drew loud cheers. “No,” Schlapp said, shaking his head, “That was the wrong answer.” He repeated the question a second time, receiving a mixture of applause and boos. Schlapp laughed and joked that they needed to bring in coffee for participants. The viral clip has been viewed millions of times on X and other social media outlets. Attendees did get one answer correct, at least according to Schlapp. Asking if they agreed Republicans must keep their House majority, he drew loud cheers.

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The midterm election was a hot topic at the influential conservative gathering, which wrapped up Sunday. Participants and speakers alike warned Democrats would dismantle Republican victories on immigration and tax policy. Trump skipped the conference for the first time in a decade, but he remains wildly popular among conservatives, evident by the numerous Trump chants and branded apparel at the conference. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in March found Trump’s approval rating fell to 36%, the lowest number since he returned to the White House in January 2025. But a February Associated Press/NORC poll showed 86% of conservatives said they approved of the president’s job performance.

Student shoots teacher at Hill Country College Preparatory, authorities say; suspect dead

Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Bulverde has been secured after a student shot a teacher Monday morning, according to an update from the Comal County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say a 15-year-old male student shot a female teacher on campus. The unidentified teacher was taken to a San Antonio hospital, but her condition has not yet been released. Deputies say the student turned the gun on himself after shooting his teacher and died at the scene. No other injuries were reported. Law enforcement said the situation was contained, with no ongoing threat to students or staff. The campus was still on lockdown Monday afternoon as investigators continued to process the scene. Officials with San Antonio's field office said it was assisting in the investigation.

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Students and staff were transported by bus to Bulverde Middle School to be reunited with parents. Officials say only individuals listed as authorized in school records were allowed to pick up students and needed to present a valid photo ID. "Our focus now is on supporting those affected and continuing to keep our community safe. I want everybody to know our thoughts and prayers are with the teacher and her family," said Comal County Sheriff Mark Reynolds. The sheriff couldn't say whether the shooting happened inside or outside the school. Reynolds addressed one reporter's question regarding who the gun was registered to. “During the reunification process, that student’s parents and kinfolks were in the reunification line and so that’s partly-part of our investigation and some of the questions were of where the firearm came from.” Reynolds noted investigators are speaking with the teenaged gunman's parents and those who witnessed the shooting. order to "allow time for our families and staff to process and begin healing." She said counselors would be available Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mammen Family Public Library (131 Bulverde Crossing).

30 miles of pipe could change Corpus Christi’s water future

Corpus Christi is taking a major step toward securing its water future, and it’s happening in the middle of a ranch outside Sinton. City Manager Peter Zanoni was on the Welder Ranch in San Patricio County as the first shipment of massive 48-inch pipes arrived. The pipes, transported by 18-wheelers from South Carolina, will be used to build 30-miles worth of connecting pipeline from this Evangeline water well field to the Mary Rhodes pipeline. City Manager Peter Zanoni says these deliveries mark the beginning of a steady flow of materials that will continue for months. “Shipments will be coming in like this all the way through early September with about 90 percent of all the pipe coming in by July this year,” Zanoni said.

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The Evangeline water project is a $400 million investment aimed at boosting the city’s long-term water supply. Once complete, the system is expected to deliver up to 24 million gallons of water per day. Zanoni says the timeline is aggressive, with water expected to start flowing in about 21 months. “With 24 million gallons a day ultimately in about 21 months from November this year, this will be a tremendous boost to our water security,” he said. The project is moving forward despite ongoing opposition from the city of Sinton, which continues to contest the development. Sinton City Manager John Hobson has told 3 News in the past that he knows this project can't be stopped. That's why construction and design are pushing ahead as Corpus Christi faces increasing pressure to secure reliable water sources for future growth. 3News was the only media outlet on site as the first pipes arrived, marking a significant milestone in one of the region’s most critical infrastructure projects.

FluxPoint Energy enters race to build first new U.S. uranium conversion plant in nearly 70 years

A new Texas-based startup has launched an effort to build what would be the first U.S. uranium conversion facility in more than seven decades to restore a domestic capability it says has become “an unacceptable chokepoint” in America’s nuclear fuel supply chain. FluxPoint Energy made its public debut this week at CERAWeek by S&P Global, announcing plans to convert uranium oxide into uranium hexafluoride (UF6) at a Texas facility. Headquartered in Houston and McLean, Virginia, the company was founded by Mike Chilton, an industry veteran who has more than 30 years of experience in uranium processing and nuclear fuel development. “America cannot lead in nuclear energy while relying on foreign-controlled fuel processing,” said Chilton, FluxPoint’s Founder and CEO. “FluxPoint was created to restore a critical piece of our nation’s energy infrastructure—ensuring that U.S. reactors have access to a secure, domestic fuel supply.”

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The nuclear fuel cycle typically includes four steps from mine to reactor: uranium is mined, converted, enriched, and fabricated into fuel. Nuclear plant operators typically purchase the yellowcake, then separately purchase conversion services, enrichment services, and fuel fabrication services from different vendors along the chain. In conversion, yellowcake (U3O8) arrives at a processing facility in 55-gallon drums, is reacted with fluorine to produce uranium hexafluoride (UF6), and exits as a gas before being cooled, liquefied, and drained into 14-ton cylinders that solidify over five days and are shipped to enrichment plants. At enrichment plants, the concentration of the fissile isotope uranium-235 is increased to the level required for reactor fuel. The U.S. has just one commercial conversion facility: Metropolis Works in southern Illinois. As previously reported by POWER, Honeywell idled the plant in 2017 amid a global oversupply of UF6 and restarted it in 2023.

Tarrant County GOP removes delegates who opposed Keller ISD split

Several Republicans who thought they were delegates to the Texas GOP convention in Houston this summer discovered that they were kicked off of the list. Barbara Brewer, who repeatedly spoke out against an attempt to split the Keller school district last year, and Zee Wilcox, who sued Tarrant GOP chair Tim Davis after she was removed from the House District 98 primary ballot, were among those whose names were taken off of the list by the Tarrant County Republican Party. “I’m trying to hold the board accountable,” Brewer said, referring to the Keller school board. “Every time we think we’re moving forward, [Tarrant GOP officials] are doing something like this.” Brewer said when she learned that she was no longer a delegate, she questioned the reasoning behind it.

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Tarrant GOP chair Tim Davis did not respond to an email or return a phone call Monday seeking comment. Laura Oakley, executive director of the Tarrant County GOP, said the people who were not chosen as delegates openly supported Democrats, which is why they were not on the list. “No state delegate candidates were removed,” she said. “The only ones who were denied were the ones that didn’t meet the criteria.” Brewer said she followed all the procedures, including voting in the Republican primary and attending her precinct convention. “The only way to remove a delegate is for someone in the precinct to challenge that, and that didn’t happen,” she said. Brewer said that when she protested her removal, people attending the Senate District 9 convention spoke in opposition of Brewer and began reading Facebook posts concerning the proposed Keller school district split.

Voting rights groups sue Texas over alleged illegal voter purge

A group of voting and civil rights organizations is suing Texas, saying the state used flawed data and unfair methods to flag and potentially remove eligible voters from its rolls. The lawsuit, filed by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and other organizations, challenges a voter review process launched by the Texas Secretary of State's Office in October 2025. At the time, Secretary of State Jane Nelson said her office had compared the state's voter registration list of more than 18 million registered voters against a federal immigration database — the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE system — and identified 2,724 registered voters as potential noncitizens. Counties were then directed to investigate those voters' eligibility.

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It's unclear whether any voters have been removed from the rolls as a result of the state's findings. The Texas Secretary of State's Office declined to comment on Monday. The groups behind the lawsuit argue the state of Texas relied on outdated or unreliable data that can wrongly flag people — especially naturalized U.S. citizens — as noncitizens. A 2025 report from the Brennan Center for Justice found the SAVE database can contain incomplete information and warned that states using it to maintain voter rolls raises concerns about accuracy and privacy, including the risk that eligible voters could be wrongly removed. The lawsuit also alleges the state didn't double-check its own records, like driver's license data, which could confirm whether someone is a U.S. citizen. "Voter purge efforts relying upon faulty citizenship data and conducted outside of the requirements established by Congress risk regulating American citizens born abroad to a second-class status where their right to vote is neither protected nor guaranteed," the lawsuit read.

Harris County judge grabs internet's attention after confrontation with IT technician

A Harris County judge is drawing widespread criticism, not for a court ruling, but for how he spoke to a courthouse staffer. Video that circulated widely online over the weekend shows Judge Nathan Milliron in a tense exchange with an IT worker who had come to assist with a computer issue in the courtroom. In the video, you can see the judge getting terse as the IT technician seemed to joke that the computer issue was a "false alarm." "No, it wasn't a false alarm," the judge said, who then admonished the staffer, "Don't joke around. I'm serious about this. It was happening. Get out of my courtroom!"

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After telling the staffer to get out of his courtroom, the judge can be seen commenting to himself, "Jesus Christ, sick and tired of this (expletive) today." Judge Milliron, who has served on the bench since January 2025, declined to comment on the incident when approached in the courtroom on Monday. He also did not allow cameras inside his courtroom, where he was presiding over proceedings in the 215th District Court. The Harris County District Court Administration confirms that the IT staffer works for that department. Several judges, speaking off camera, described him as helpful and well-liked. They told ABC13 that the young man is called upon often to help judges with a variety of technical issues in their courtrooms, and always strives to just do the job. Retired judge Mike Schneider did not comment directly on the incident, but emphasized that judges are expected to meet a higher standard of behavior. "Judges are required to be patient, dignified, and courteous to everyone. Witnesses, lawyers, anyone in their official capacity," Schneider said.

Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt’s burglary case to be presented to grand jury

Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt's misdemeanor burglary charge will go before a grand jury, shutting off certain parts of the high-profile case from public view. Wyatt’s case has lingered in court for longer than two months. In January, a probable cause hearing to determine whether enough evidence existed was delayed because a brief winter storm temporarily closed the downtown Houston courthouse. The hearing — which was set to go before Judge Shannon Baldwin in Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 — was again rescheduled last week. Chris Downey, an attorney representing Wyatt, said that the Harris County District Attorney’s Office wanted additional time to go through evidence in the case. Recent court records indicate that evidence will now be presented to a grand jury.

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The district attorney’s office did not say when the case is set to go before a grand jury, an often uncommon occurrence for misdemeanor cases. The probable cause hearing is set to take place in the Harris County Criminal Justice Center on April 7. “The role of grand juries is especially important in cases involving elected officials,” Rafael Lemaitre, a spokesperson for the DA’s office, said. “They provide independent, community-driven oversight and ensure prosecutors have probable cause that a crime was committed before any charges move forward.” Wyatt, 55, was arrested in December on a burglary charge and accused of breaking into another person's vehicle in a restaurant parking lot with the intent to commit theft. Prosecutors said several people watched as Wyatt searched through items inside a vehicle that wasn’t hers.

In El Paso, two Catholic sisters follow detained immigrants wherever ICE takes them

On their spreadsheets, down the list on their prayer table and off their tongues after a long day of ministry roll the names — of the man who is slowly but unsteadily regaining his grip on reality after being deported to Cuba, of the woman facing deportation to Brazil after more than a year in detention fighting for asylum, of the son whose mother fell to the floor screaming “take me instead” as he was detained at immigration court. Carlos was the name that launched Scalabrinian Sisters Leticia Gutiérrez Valderrama and Elisete Signor’s pastoral response to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Gutiérrez Valderrama met Carlos on a trip last year to witness the increased immigration agent presence at immigration court, and he looked “like he had won the lottery,” she recalled, when she offered to accompany him. “He was the instrument for us to develop the ministry accompanying migrants at the courts,” Gutiérrez Valderrama told parishioners at a volunteer recruitment event at St. Francis of Assisi Parish on March 5.

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There are still days at the immigration court when federal agents, waiting to potentially detain people after court, are staked out by the elevators or leaning on the atrium railing behind family members who nervously await their loved ones. But now, Gutiérrez Valderrama or her court volunteers are always there to sit with them. With the help of about 30 volunteers, since June of last year, the ministry begun by the two sisters has accompanied more than 1,000 people in immigration court, and they’ve accompanied about 300 people in immigration detention each year. When the immigrants finish, if the agents are there, the volunteers are afforded a short time to prepare them to face possible detention — they provide Sharpies to write families’ numbers on their bodies, prompt them to make a plan for their car and childcare and ask if they will share their information so another team can visit them in detention and support their families. Though faith groups across the country are accompanying immigrants in court and detention centers, the integrated system built by the Scalabrinian sisters in the Diocese of El Paso is rare.

Lawsuit against Prosper ISD requests the removal of board leaders, alleging mismanagement, sexual abuse

A lawsuit filed against Prosper ISD requests the removal of board leaders, according to court documents. The lawsuit, filed by two realtors who reside within Prosper ISD, specifically calls for the removal of Board President Bill Beavers, Vice President Dena Dixon, Board Secretary Thomas Van Wolfe, Trustee Jorden Dial, and Trustee David Webb. Court documents say the named board members did not investigate irregularities on a construction contract that cost the district at least $50 to $75 million. The filing claims the contract was investigated by a third-party, which offered to pursue charges at no cost to the district. The lawsuit alleges that Beavers and the board's attorney, Haley Turner, took no action to continue the investigation.

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The documents go on to state that in 2022, the board allegedly did not investigate a school bus driver's sexual assault of students, leading to several related incidents later on. The suit says the board was kept in the dark about the bus driver incident until media reports began to share details of the federal lawsuit. It goes on to detail how Superintendent Holly Ferguson and the board "failed to investigate and reform, but rewarded the person responsible for concealment," sharing details of Ferguson's contract extensions and pay raises. The documents say zero administrators were disciplined and zero reforms were implemented, leading to "the predictable result," and shared three separate "failures to report or prevent sexual abuse of students," between August of 2023 and May 2025. When WFAA reached out to Prosper ISD for comment, a spokesperson says, "Filing a lawsuit is something anyone can do. It does not mean the claims made are accurate or substantiated. Prosper ISD will respond to this matter through the appropriate legal channels at the appropriate time." The district added in part, "...we will not stand by silently while dedicated public servants are attacked on social media based on unverified allegations against 5 members of the Board of Trustees," and ended their statement with "We ask our community to let the legal process work as intended before drawing conclusions from a social media post."

Texas routs Michigan to make Final Four for 2nd straight year

In mid-February, Texas women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer questioned if his team had heart. On Monday, he told the heavily pro-Longhorn crowd at Dickies Arena that his players were "Texas tough." After a two-decade drought ended last season, the Longhorns are going to the Final Four for the second year in a row. No. 1 seed Texas continued what has been a dominant run to the national semifinals with a 77-41 victory over No. 2 seed Michigan. The 36-point margin tied the third-largest ever in the women's Elite Eight.

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The Longhorns have won 12 games in a row and now look to add a national championship to the SEC tournament title they won on March 8. They will face fellow No. 1 seed UCLA on Friday in Phoenix (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). No. 1 seeds UConn and South Carolina meet in the other semifinal. It is the second time the Final Four features the same teams in back-to-back years (the other was 1995 and 1996) and the fifth time all four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the women's Final Four. "I'm proud to be included in that group," Schaefer said. "There's going to be four really elite teams with a bunch of really elite players and some great coaches." Last season, the Longhorns reached the national semifinals for the first time since 2003, a breakthrough for Schaefer, then in his fifth year in charge of the program. They are going back after dominating the Wolverines from start to finish in the Fort Worth Regional 3.

Defending the most vulnerable in San Marcos

Juan Miguel Arredondo believes there’s a spirit of solidarity in San Marcos that sets his Central Texas college town apart, even as right-wing culture warriors seek to force a wedge between neighbors. “When there’s a crisis, Superman isn’t coming,” Arredondo, 34, told the Texas Observer during a phone interview late last year. “We have to save ourselves, and so that’s what we do.” A fifth-generation native of the region, Arredondo served on the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District from 2015 to 2023, and he was again elected to the board in 2024 after a year spent working as the chief of staff for state Representative Erin Zweiner, an outspoken progressive legislator and member of the LGBTQ Caucus. In addition, he’s president and CEO of the United Way of Hays and Caldwell Counties. Beyond those achievements, he’s also the only openly gay member of the San Marcos school board. Arredondo came out publicly in 2017 during Pride month, about two years into his first term.

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“I had one of my biggest supporters call me, compliment me on my bravery, and then immediately pivot to say, ‘It’s just so unfortunate that you’ll never get reelected,’” he recalled. “That was the first experience, right out of the gate, of folks’ perceptions of what it means to be queer or gay or LGBTQ in Texas.” Time has disproved that prediction. In 2024, his election was uncontested. Now, when Republican operatives arrive to propose book bans or attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the local schools, Arredondo’s firm but kind presence helps remind his fellow trustees what’s at stake for some of the most marginalized students. “It does not escape me that my colleagues have to have those conversations with an openly gay man next to them, and I think that’s incredibly important because we’re not talking about this in the abstract.” Meanwhile, San Marcos and its families face challenges that are more substantial, and more dire, than a trans student using their preferred pronouns or anything found between the covers of a hardback. “Not once has a family been in crisis because of transgender bathrooms,” Arredondo told the Observer. “It’s families not being able to afford rent or put food on the table, issues with unemployment or lack of access to jobs that pay living wages.”

Port of Galveston approves $2.4 billion, 20-year master plan

With the Port of Galveston becoming the fourth busiest cruise homeport in the country, local officials on the island are planning to transform the port over the next 20 years. A newly approved 20-year strategic master plan for the Port of Galveston involves adding new cruise terminals, hotels, and a pedestrian greenbelt to the port over the next two decades. Galveston Wharves Board officials, who operate the port, predict a $2.4 billion investment in the projects. According to Galveston Wharves Board officials, the Port of Galveston has moved almost 3.6 million passengers and 2.9 million tons of cargo annually in recent years. Port director and CEO Rodger Rees said that, with global growth in cruising, officials are predicting the port could almost double its cruise passenger numbers over the next 15 years.

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"We now have 46 million people that live within eight hours of this port," Rees said. To meet growing needs at the port, the 20-year plan includes building up to three new cruise terminals, on-site parking garages, and increasing cargo capacity from 3 million tons a year to more than 5 million tons over the next five to 10 years. The plan also includes adding a maritime park, walkways along the waterfront, retail space, up to three hotels near the cruise terminals, and multifamily units along Harborside Drive intended for nearby hospital and port workers. Port officials were originally following a master plan approved in 2019; however, progress came faster than expected. In six years, the port had two new cruise terminals, an internal roadway, expanded cargo facilities, and progress with industrial development on Pelican Island. "We were building our fourth cruise terminal when we were not supposed to have that done until 2030, so what we did was we decided to go ahead and upgrade and do a new master plan," Rees said.

Multiple pros withdraw from Valero Texas Open

This week marks the last chance for PGA Tour players to get some reps before The Masters or their final chance to make it in at the 11th hour. It's a strong field headlined by the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Aberg in San Antonio, and there have been some changes after three players withdrew on Monday. Pierceson Coody, who withdrew from last week's Houston Open, pulled out with the same back injury that has ended any hopes of making his Masters debut. The grandson of 1971 Green Jacket winner, Charles, finished the week ranked 52nd in the world with only the top 50 qualifying.

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Coody has been replaced in the field by Taylor Moore. Nicolai Hojgaard, who was one of four players to qualify for The Masters via the world's top 50, has also pulled out of the Texas Open following his runner-up finish in Houston. He has been replaced by Joel Dahmen. There was yet another WD on Monday with Germany's Matti Schmid being replaced by Sam Ryder. Both Ryder and Dahmen managed to get into the Valspar Championship two weeks ago via the alternates list, too. And later in the day, Gary Woodland withdrew from the event too. These latest withdrawals followed multiple field changes over the weekend, which saw Ryan Gerard, Isaiah Salinda and Aaron Wise all pull out. Matt Kuchar, Justin Lower, Bronson Burgoon and Ryan Palmer were added to the field. The Valero Texas Open is the final route for Masters hopefuls to qualify for Augusta National, with only the winner earning a tee time next Thursday. Brian Harman is the defending champion this week at TPC San Antonio after the left-handed 2023 Open champion won his fourth PGA Tour title here last time out.

National Stories

Iran sets giant oil tanker ablaze off Dubai after Trump warnings

Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump ?that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had ?been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged. Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump ?that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had ?been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged. Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump ?that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.

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Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had ?been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged. Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump ?that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had ?been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged.

Trump urging Congress to come back from recess to fund DHS as shutdown drags on, White House says

President Donald Trump is encouraging Congress to cut short its two-week recess and return to Washington to fund the Department of Homeland Security amid its ongoing partial shutdown, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday. Lawmakers left the Capitol last week with no deal to fund the department, extending what is already the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. "Has he told leadership that they should cancel recess and come back?" ABC News White House Correspondent Karen Travers asked Leavitt during Monday's press briefing. "He's said it repeatedly," Leavitt said, adding that the president has said "he'll host a big Easter dinner here at the White House if Congress will come back and fight the Democrats on this issue, which we should do, because, again, [the] Democrat Party is in the wrong here."

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Although Trump last week publicly called for Congress to cancel recess, he has not publicly called for lawmakers to return to Washington since they left town Friday. ABC News has reached out to the White House for comment on Leavitt's remarks. More than 40 days into the funding impasse, there was a glimmer of progress last week when the Senate, in the early hours of Friday morning, passed a bill to fund most of DHS except for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. But House Republicans rejected the Senate bill, instead passing its own legislation that would fund the entire agency for 60 days. The House and Senate ultimately left town with no compromise, and are currently scheduled to be out for recess until mid-April. Amid the gridlock on Capitol Hill, and as lines and turmoil grew at some of the nation's busiest airports, Trump on Friday signed a memorandum directing DHS to work with the White House budget office to pay employees at the Transportation Security Administration. Some TSA officers received their first paychecks in more than a month on Monday, workers told ABC News.

Trump plans presidential library skyscraper with two gold statues of himself

President Donald Trump shared the first images of his planned presidential library in downtown Miami, posting a short video Monday night that depicts a skyscraper that appears to be about 50 stories tall and filled with reconstructions of parts of the White House, military vehicles and at least two gold statues of Trump. The 100-second video, which Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, offers a series of views of the planned Donald J. Trump Presidential Library, represented as a gleaming glass and gold structure that would dwarf nearby buildings, topped by a red-white-and-blue spire. The video, which appears to have been created at least partially using images generated by artificial intelligence, shows a library that would be replete with memorabilia, images and messages from Trump’s presidency.

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Visitors are depicted navigating a golden escalator — harkening back to the escalator ride that Trump took to the lobby of Trump Tower in 2015 when he announced his campaign for the presidency. It also appears to depict visitors perusing recreations of the Oval Office, parts of the West Wing and Trump’s planned White House ballroom; walking around a plane that appears to be Air Force One, fighter jets and a helicopter inside the building; and attending a party on the skyscraper’s patio. Spokespeople for the Trump library project did not immediately respond to questions about the video. Presidents typically set up post-presidential libraries that are used to house their records and archives. The organizations also serve as highly curated museums, touting the president’s record and offering their interpretation of events that unfolded during their tenures and are funded by private donations. Trump’s planned library would be notably different than his predecessors’ facilities, particularly in its size and scope. Politico reported in December that Trump’s allies were considering a 47-story high-rise building in honor of Trump’s election as the 47th president. The building would tower over other presidential libraries; former president Barack Obama’s planned library in Chicago, which is nearing completion, is 225 feet tall at its highest point. Trump has repeatedly denigrated Obama’s library design.

Members of Jan. 6 mob sue police who fended off Capitol attack

Members of the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 are suing the federal government for tens of millions of dollars in damages, claiming that the “indiscriminate” use of force by police officers repelling the attack caused them physical and emotional injuries. The lawsuit, filed in Florida, takes aim at the conduct of Capitol Police and Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, whose outnumbered officers fended off the mob for hours while members of Congress fled. Among the lead plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit: A.J. Fischer, a member of the Proud Boys who was charged with assault before his case was erased by President Donald Trump’s sweeping pardon. He sued along with Patrick and Marie Sullivan, who described being present in the crowd that day, pelted with pepper balls and afflicted by chemical spray.

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The Sullivans were not criminally charged for their conduct on Jan. 6. Fischer and the Sullivans are looking to represent a class of plaintiffs that includes dozens of others present that day on the Capitol’s West Front, the scene of the most violent confrontations between rioters and police. Among those the lawsuit identifies as eligible to join the class, if a federal judge signs off, are others convicted of felony assaults: Dominic Pezzola, a Proud Boy who ignited the breach of the Capitol itself when he smashed a window with a stolen riot shield and Christopher Worell, a Proud Boy who unleashed pepper spray at a line of police officers. Also on the list, pro-Trump livestreamer Anthime Gionet, who is better known by his moniker “Baked Alaska,” who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count. Fischer and his allies say the Capitol and D.C. police uncorked a wanton barrage of non-lethal munitions on the crowd, firing recklessly at protesters who were not among those causing chaos or violence.

After Pope's remark, White House defends praying for US troops

The White House on Monday defended praying for US troops engaged in the Iran war after Pope Leo XIV warned that God rejects the prayers "of those who wage war." "I don't think there is anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our servicemembers and those who are serving our country overseas," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in response to a question about the pontiff's comments. With the conflict in the Middle East stretching into its second month, Pope Leo said during his Palm Sunday homily: "This is our God... A God who refuses war... who does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war."

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Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, has repeatedly condemned the war and called for dialogue. But the 70-year-old pontiff has been cautious in his statements since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that started the war on February 28, refraining from naming any party in his condemnations and appeals for peace. Leavitt and other members of the Trump administration have made an conspicuous display of their Christian faith. At the start of the press conference, she said her team had just finished a "little loud prayer" before the briefing began. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also used quasi-religious language to frame the conflict with Iran, offering a prayer last week at the Pentagon in which he said, "Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. In response to the pope's comments, Leavitt -- who is Catholic, along with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio -- said the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian values. Leaders and troops have prayed "during the most turbulent times in our nation's history, and if you talk to many servicemembers they will tell you they appreciate the prayers," she added. "In fact, I think it's a very noble thing to do." Last week, the pope called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, saying more than a million people had been forced to flee their homes and urging the warring parties to hold talks.

The unlikely ensemble leading Trump’s hunt for 2020 election fraud

When a former CIA officer and a Venezuelan fixer flew to Palm Beach, Fla., two years ago to brief top Trump campaign officials on how Caracas had manipulated the 2020 election, their ideas were dismissed as fantastical. Nearly six years after Donald Trump lost that election, these and other once-fringe theories have gained new traction inside the White House, drawing in top officials at the Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and intelligence agencies, according to U.S. officials and others involved in the effort. Senior officials across the Trump administration are now hunting for an array of evidence to support Trump’s claim that he defeated Joe Biden—and to bolster the case for new election laws as the president urges Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. That effort is now unfolding on multiple fronts. Attorney General Pam Bondi last week quietly authorized Dan Bishop, a U.S. attorney in North Carolina, to pursue election-related probes across the country, according to a copy of the order reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

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Bishop, a former congressman who voted against certifying Biden’s 2020 win, will also examine voter-roll data the Justice Department has been collecting from states in an effort to determine whether noncitizens have illegally registered or cast ballots, a department official said. In Atlanta, FBI agents have sifted through thousands of paper ballots confiscated from the main election office there. Federal officials have also seized voting machines in Puerto Rico, locking them in a basement of an intelligence campus in Bethesda, Md., at the behest of the office of Trump’s intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter. At the center of many of the efforts is Kurt Olsen, a campaign lawyer who was heavily involved in Trump’s failed “Stop the Steal” fight in 2020 and was tapped to lead the new push at the White House last fall. In recent weeks, Olsen has briefed Trump on a range of allegations, pushed the president to declassify a swath of documents, and asked for up to $10 million in funding to pursue his mandate, administration officials familiar with the efforts said. He has traveled to Florida to meet with Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney in Miami. The probes into alleged improprieties in the 2020 election range from foreign interference to duplicate, fraudulent and missing ballots in states Trump lost. Olsen spends much of his time at the Justice Department, according to administration officials, as prosecutors pursue criminal investigations on the topic in Atlanta, Phoenix and elsewhere, according to people familiar with the matter.

DeSantis signs bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport for Trump

Gov. Ron DeSantis wasted little time signing a bill that will rename Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald Trump. A little more than a year after the two clashed over the Republican presidential nomination, DeSantis on Monday signed legislation (HB 919) delivered to him earlier in the day, which dubs the West Palm Beach airport as “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.” DeSantis didn’t hold a public bill signing event as he continues to mend fences with Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago Club sits east of the airport.

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Trump’s son Eric Trump praised the signing on X, where he thanked DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, bill sponsor Rep. Meg Weinberger, R-Palm Beach Gardens, and “the overwhelming majority in the Florida House!” The House voted 81-30 along party lines in support of the bill. The Senate vote was 25-11, also along party lines. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, called the measure a misdirection of priorities by state lawmakers. “Instead of working across the aisle with us to advance those bills, Republican leaders decided to prioritize wasting five million of your taxpayer dollars on renaming an airport after the President,” Driskell wrote in a statement on Monday.

Copyright March 31, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved