May 1, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

U.S. debt tops 100% of GDP

The U.S. national debt now exceeds 100% of gross domestic product, crossing a once-unthinkable threshold, on the way toward breaking the record set in the wake of World War II. As of March 31, the country’s publicly held debt was $31.265 trillion, while GDP over the preceding year was $31.216 trillion, according to data released Thursday. That puts the ratio at 100.2%, compared with 99.5% when the last fiscal year ended Sept. 30. That figure will likely climb for the foreseeable future because the federal government is running historically large annual deficits of nearly 6% of GDP, which add to the debt. The government is spending $1.33 for every dollar it collects in revenue, and the budget deficit this year is projected at $1.9 trillion. That is little changed from 2025 as Republicans’ tax cuts kick in before their spending cuts take effect. The final tally will depend on Iran war spending, tariff refunds and the strength of the economy.

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By itself, the milestone doesn’t mean much. There isn’t a special level where debt goes from problematic to catastrophic. And the ratio might bounce around in coming quarters as tax receipts come in, tariff refunds go out and GDP fluctuates in response to inflation and revisions. Still, the triple-digit mark is a potent symbol of the fiscal stresses on the U.S. that have been building for decades. Lawmakers in both parties have expressed alarm but given priority to tax cuts and spending increases with clearer short-term political benefits. “We’re headed toward uncharted territory,” said Marc Goldwein, senior vice president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “There’s no magic of 100% vs. 99%, but it’s a scary place to be.” The debt-to-GDP ratio is economists’ preferred metric for how much the country’s borrowing weighs on the economy. As it rises, debt consumes resources that could be used more productively elsewhere. The government also becomes more sensitive to interest rates as debt grows. One in seven dollars of federal spending now goes to interest. A 0.1 percentage-point interest-rate increase would cost $379 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Camp Mystic withdraws 2026 license application, will not operate this summer

Camp Mystic announced Wednesday it is withdrawing its application for a 2026 summer camp license, effectively ending the possibility of the camp operating this summer under any circumstances. The announcement came one day after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called publicly on the Eastland family to withdraw the application and cancel the season, and two days after 13 hours of testimony before the joint General Investigating Committee on the July 4, 2025, flood produced overwhelming legislative and public pressure to close the camp. “No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy,” the camp said in a statement released Wednesday.

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The withdrawal resolves — at least for this summer — the regulatory standoff that dominated Tuesday’s hearing, in which the Texas Department of State Health Services disclosed a potential loophole under the Administrative Procedure Act that could have allowed Camp Mystic to continue operating even if its license was denied or revoked. By withdrawing the application, the camp removes that legal pathway entirely. The statement acknowledged the pressure of the past two days directly. “This decision is intended to remove any doubt that Camp Mystic has heard the concerns expressed by grieving families, members of the Texas House and Senate investigating committees and citizens across our state. Respect for those voices requires that we step back now.” The camp also acknowledged the more than 800 girls who had signed up to attend the Cypress Lake campus this summer. “Our special bond with our Camp Mystic families does not change or end with this announcement. We love each of you.”

These oil giants had written off Venezuela. Now they are taking a second look.

Rising above the din of voices in the lobby of the J.W. Marriott in Caracas is an unusual sound: Spanish spoken with a Texas twang. Engineers, lawyers and other emissaries of the U.S. oil industry have flocked to the heavily guarded hotel to pitch their Venezuelan counterparts on plans to revive the country’s rundown oil fields. Dozens have met with a receptive Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s acting president. One small Texas operator was recently heard boasting that his company is nimble enough to get oil flowing faster than the oil giants. Even Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and other oil companies that just months ago deemed Venezuela too risky for business have come back to town for a second look. “It was unmistakable, the sense of impending opportunity,” said Jon Hughes, the chief executive of boutique energy investment bank Petrie Partners, who visited the bustling hotel last week.

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“There were so many Americans meeting with so many Venezuelans. Both sides are engaged in a constructive way, with a shared vision of making things function better and getting production up.” The U.S. Embassy has even set up camp at the J.W. Marriott—to escape the black mold that overran its building after years of disrepair. More visitors are likely on the way: American Airlines on Thursday offered the first direct U.S. commercial flight to Venezuela’s capital city in seven years, out of Miami. In recent weeks, both Exxon and Conoco have met with Venezuelan officials and sent technical teams to the Latin American country. Exxon’s team inspected the Cerro Negro heavy-oil project that it operated before 2007 when Hugo Chávez’s government nationalized much of the country’s energy infrastructure. Conoco is also trying to assess oil-and-gas opportunities. Neither company has committed capital to projects in the country—but the fact that they appear more open to the idea is a far cry from their position just three months ago. A sharp rise in oil prices and the government’s moves to change laws in favor of foreign investors have softened their opposition, according to people close to the companies.

Jeffries lays out more targets for gerrymanders in response to GOP’s renewed push

The Supreme Court decision has given Republicans a big opportunity to gerrymander more seats as they look to keep House control. But Jeffries insisted Republicans’ options for redraws before the midterms are limited given the calendar. And he stressed that Democrats would be aggressive in their counterefforts. “Republicans have concluded that they need to cheat to win, and the Supreme Court conservatives have decided to aid and abet their scheme. Democrats are going to fight back with every tool available,” Jeffries said. Some Democrats in the immediate aftermath of the Callais ruling raised the possibility of diluting majority-minority districts to help draw more seats favoring Democrats — even in states like California, where the party already stands to gain up to five seats after voters approved a new congressional map last fall.

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Jeffries didn’t give a direct answer when asked whether blue states should look to split up those seats to draw more Democratic-leaning seats overall. “We’re looking at every opportunity to ensure that communities of color will continue to have the chance to elect the candidate of their choice in districts that have traditionally been covered by the Voting Rights Act,” he said, “while at the same time doing what is necessary, as occurred in California, to decisively respond to efforts by Republicans to gerrymander congressional maps.” Democratic governors in several of the states Jeffries highlighted for potential new maps slammed the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights act on Wednesday. Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to plow ahead with efforts to redraw New York’s maps ahead of 2028. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, whose effort to draw out the sole Republican representing his state in the 2026 election flamed out this year, said in a statement that “until we have national redistricting reform, every state should stay part of the conversation.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called the ruling “voter suppression that will silence Black and brown voters,” adding that “the magnitude of this decision cannot be understated.”

State Stories

Texas radio personality Chad Hasty dies at 43.

Texas lost a beloved voice on Thursday morning. Chad Hasty, a West Texas institution and Lubbock radio personality, died at age 43, according to longtime employer KFYO. The Grand Prairie native and Texas Tech alumnus was a fixture in Lubbock radio for decades, joining KFYO in 2003. "We are stunned and heartbroken by the sudden passing of our beloved KFYO family member, Chad Hasty," Townsquare Media Lubbock Market President Dan Endom said. "Chad was not only a brilliant on-air host, but an even better friend. Our deepest condolences go out to Jennifer and his baby girl, Ava. It's hard to imagine not seeing his welcoming presence roaming the halls of Townsquare Media Lubbock."

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It didn't take long after the news broke for condolences to begin pouring in from multiple influential Texans. Quorum Report Editor Scott Braddock on X remembered Hasty's "heart as big as Texas," with multiple responders noting what a substantial loss this is for the state. State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) noted Hasty's ability to keep leaders accountable and conversations grounded in reality, making the region a better place. State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock), also speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, shared a photo and lengthy post remembering Hasty. "Chad wasn't just a broadcaster, he was one of the very best to ever cover the people, policy, and politics shaping the Texas Legislature and our state," he said in the X post. "He asked the right questions, gave fair room for debate, and, most importantly, he made sure Texans stayed informed." According to Hasty's biography on the KFYO website, he launched his first show in 2006 and incorporated in his career a variety of topics including politics, sports, "cigars and anything else that's on the listeners' minds." In his honor, KYFO will air a special edition of The Chad Hasty Show at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Regional Transportation Council joins lawsuit in hope to rehire fired director, protect staffing decisions

Members of the Regional Transportation Council are looking to rehire longtime transportation director Michael Morris who was fired Tuesday. To do that, the group decided Thursday to allocate $5 million for legal expenses as it joins a lawsuit filed by Denton County officials over hiring decisions. The choice to sue the North Central Texas Council of Governments came during an emergency meeting in Arlington. RTC members said the suit is intended to change the Metropolitan Planning Organization structure in North Texas. The group would have the ability to hire and fire transportation department staffers, instead of the council of governments as its CEO Todd Little maintains. A proposed agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation still under negotiation would be similar to those used in other Texas metro areas, officials said.

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Morris was fired by Little — weeks before the FIFA World Cup games in Arlington start in June. “We just voted today that the Regional Transportation Council is going to intervene in the lawsuit … to ensure that our regional (decisions) here in transportation, our interests, are protected and taken care of,” Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said. “The RTC is the policy-making entity for transportation here in North Texas and for someone to come in and unilaterally make a decision to get rid of an individual that has over four decades of institutional knowledge — we’re owed at least an explanation,” Ross said. Denton County Judge Andy Eads said he was encouraged by the transportation council’s strong show of support to address “the overreach” of the council of governments board of directors. Eads said the RTC’s actions “reinforces what we have maintained from the beginning.”

Greater Edwards Aquifer Authority report sounds the alarm over proposed data centers in Texas

A new report from the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance is sounding the alarm about the proliferation of proposed AI data centers in the state. The report summarizes data center operations, growth, and impacts, along with a review of national and international efforts to respond to data center challenges and a summary of recommendations. Rachel Hanes is policy director for the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. She says Texas could be in dire straits if action is not taken soon. “It's going to have very large impacts on our water supplies, on our energy supplies and public health, our coffers, our local government regulations and authorities and budgets,” she told TPR. More than 20 sprawling data centers that house and cool a massive collection of computer equipment are in the San Antonio area, and more are on the drawing board.

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Among the recommendations in the report for local governments, regional entities, and utilities is to adopt policies that could serve as guardrails against the adverse impacts of data center development. These include policies to improve data gathering and state and local planning; allocate costs fairly; improve and expand local regulatory tools; limit incompatible land uses; improve transparency; limit detrimental energy and water use; and limit increases in pollution and public health impacts. The report also recommends data center operators adopt measures to limit potable water use; reduce demand on local water supplies; limit fossil-fuel energy generation and its public health impacts. “We really encourage people to take a holistic view of the industry and use it as an opportunity to better prepare the state for generations to come, whatever the next high growth and high impact," Hanes said. Pacifico Energy and other energy companies are rushing to build private power plants across the Lone Star State. Hanes says at present state agencies are not adequately prepared to deal with the influx of AI data centers and that could lead to major consequences for natural resources and communities.

Republic National laying off 1,903 Texas workers amid sale talks

Republic National Distributing Co. is planning mass layoffs in Texas ahead of a potential sale. The struggling alcohol distributor notified the Texas Workforce Commission that it expects to lay off 1,903 employees throughout Texas, including 372 workers at its Schertz office, 164 at its Austin office and 689 at its Grand Prairie headquarters. Republic National has said it employs about 10,000 people across operations in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Elsewhere, reports indicate that the company plans to lay off 925 employees in Florida, 428 in Virginia, 451 in South Carolina, 320 in Colorado, 211 in Arizona and 318 in Maryland.

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Amid a recent string of troubles, the nation’s second-largest wine and spirits distributor is in talks to sell 11 of its markets, including Texas, to Chicago-based Reyes Beverage Group, the nation’s largest beer distributor. In addition to Texas, Reyes has proposed buying Republic National’s Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C., markets, according to a spokesperson for the Texas-based distributor. Talks for six of those markets have been going on since at least January. “The Company understands that Reyes or its affiliate intends to extend offers of employment to many of the Company’s employees at or reporting to the facilities included in the transaction,” the WARN letter reads. “In addition, certain corporate and other employees may continue to be employed by the Company, including to provide transition services. However, we are providing this notice to you at this time since there is no guarantee that Reyes will provide employees with an offer of employment, as discussions remain ongoing, and it is not yet known who will be needed to continue employment with the Company.”

FCC orders ABC stations, including Houston’s KTRK, to re-apply for broadcast license amid political squabble

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered several television stations owned by Disney to re-file for their broadcasting licenses within 30 days, amidst a squabble over ABC content. That includes Houston-based KTRK. On Tuesday, the FCC issued an order saying Disney may have violated the Communications Act of 1934 and FCC rules, "including the agency's prohibition on unlawful discrimination." As part of the order, eight television stations, including KTRK, must file for their license renewal by May 28. The order comes amid a political fight over a joke made by Jimmy Kimmel, a late-night comedian whose show airs on ABC, which is owned by Disney. Kimmel referred to First Lady Melania Trump as looking like an "expectant widow.” President Donald Trump called for Kimmel to be fired for the joke.

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A representative for KTRK, which is also referred to as ABC 13, declined to comment for the station. A spokesperson for Disney, speaking on behalf of all eight stations, said the company stood by its content. "We are confident that the record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate." The broadcast licenses for each of the stations were originally scheduled for renewal between 2028 and 2031. The FCC and its chair, Brendan Carr, had previously been at odds with Disney after Kimmel made a joke about the assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk in September. Kimmel was briefly suspended from his role by Disney, after Carr called for reining in broadcasters while speaking on a podcast. The FCC also made headlines in Texas when Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico was set to appear on CBS's late-night program hosted by Stephen Colbert. Carr had called for ending an exception for talk shows to provide equal time commitments to candidates in a political race. Citing that guideline, which was not official policy, CBS allegedly blocked Colbert from airing the interview on the network.

'Texas got it wrong': At James Broadnax execution, a mixture of agony and closure

At 19 years old, James Broadnax participated in a merciless, arbitrary crime that took the lives of two loved and innocent men. In taped interviews that would trail his life like a shadow, he boasted about it from jail. He asked the state to kill him; not because he was remorseful, but because his past had been so agonizing, he had no desire to find out if the future would hold more or less of the same. At 37 years old, Broadnax believed he’d transformed on death row, where he taught classes on peacekeeping and mentored youth to keep them off the path to incarceration. He found God, got married and asked for forgiveness. He wanted to do so much with his life, that a friend in his unit said if it came down to it, and only one of them could get clemency, he’d pick Broadnax every time.

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For years, county, state and federal courts ruled that neither Broadnax’s evolution nor his claims of an unfair trial were grounds for absolution. On Thursday evening, Broadnax was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, home of the prison system’s death chamber. He was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. His wife, Tiana Broadnax, wailed from the other side of the glass. Seeing him on the gurney and covered in a white sheet, she screamed repeatedly, “I love you” and “I’m sorry.” Broadnax used his final statement to tell his wife he loved her, and to ask, one last time, for the families to forgive him. “No matter what you think of me, Texas got it wrong,” he said of his case. “Let this be the moment that sparks the revolution.” Much of Broadnax’s family believes his death was a grave injustice, while those closest to the victims — with one unforeseen exception — hoped to see a long delayed sentence finally carried out.

TEA appoints 7-member board of managers, names Sandi Massey superintendent of Beaumont ISD

The Texas Education Agency appointed a seven-member Board of Managers and named a new superintendent Wednesday to lead the Beaumont Independent School District, marking a major step in the state's takeover of the district. Commissioner Mike Morath named Sandi Massey as the district's new superintendent. Massey, who previously served as Chief of Schools in Houston, brings more than three decades of experience across Texas public school systems, according to a news release from the TEA. She began work Wednesday under a 21-day interim contract, pending formal approval from the newly appointed Board of Managers. "For more than a decade, persistent academic struggles have held students back from reaching their full potential," Morath said in a statement. "Today's actions reaffirm our commitment to the children of Beaumont, by putting them first."

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Morath appointed the following seven community members to the Board of Managers: Desmond Bridges Sr., a Beaumont native and West Brook High School graduate with more than 22 years in education and administration, and the parent of a current BISD student. Darrian Graves, a youth pastor and former Beaumont journalist who volunteers with multiple community organizations and is a BISD parent. Elias Ibarra, a Central High School honor graduate, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, educator and local business owner with three children in the district. Laurie Leister, a BISD graduate whose professional background spans real estate, city planning and county government, and a mother of five BISD graduates. Arthur Louis Jr., an educator and community leader with degrees in education and educational administration who has spent decades coaching, teaching and mentoring students. Daniel Parker, a parent of BISD graduates and commercial lender with 30 years of experience in financial services. Jeff Wheeler, a West Brook High School graduate and business leader with more than 14 years in marketing and corporate relations.

Can Texas A&M’s new president ease the political pressure?

Texas A&M regents are expected to vote next week on the flagship's third permanent president in five years — a high rate of turnover that may have led them to favor a sole finalist with insider and political know-how over a more traditional academic candidate, according to experts on college leadership. Longtime administrator Susan Ballabina could be named Texas A&M University's next president during a special board meeting Wednesday. While some faculty hoped for a former professor to shield them from what they call attacks on academic freedom, experts say the regents chose Ballabina to bring stability to the office after political pressures toppled the prior presidents. "To have a president that can build trust among the faculty is just simply not a priority," said Jorge Burmicky, assistant professor of higher education leadership and policy studies at Howard University. "A president that can deal with the politics, the system-wide expectations, is far more important."

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With over 30 years in administrative positions, Ballabina's resume does not include any classroom teaching, according to records obtained by the Houston Chronicle. She is the second recent pick to arrive at a high-profile Texas presidency without going through the ranks as professor: Last year, the University of Texas chose James E. Davis, a lawyer, to lead the flagship. Texas A&M University System officials did not respond to a request for comment. System leaders previously cited Ballabina's leadership style and "unparalleled knowledge" as reasons for her selection. They also issued a press release boasting an "unprecedented level of support" for Ballabina, including a joint letter signed by the leaders of five of A&M's most influential cultural and alumni groups, including the Texas A&M Foundation, 12th Man Foundation, the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Foundation and the Association of Former Students. "As Texas A&M approaches its 150th year, this is a moment that calls for experienced, principled and steady leadership," the joint letter said. "We are confident Dr. Ballabina has the experience, character and commitment needed to lead Texas A&M into its next chapter while preserving the traditions, values and sense of purpose that have long defined this institution."

Texas uncertified teacher hires fall as veterans return to classroom

Last year, state lawmakers passed new rules clamping down on the number of uncertified teachers working in Texas schools and created programs designed to help districts put more well-prepared educators in classrooms. A year later, new data suggests those efforts are beginning to pay off. The state saw more experienced teachers returning to the classroom after leaving the profession years before and a small but substantial decline in the number of uncertified teachers hired for the current school year, according to data released by the Texas Education Agency. Nearly half of the roughly 44,000 teachers hired to teach in Texas public schools this year were experienced educators, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said at a State Board of Education meeting in March. About 42% of those teachers were coming back to the classroom after leaving earlier in their careers, and another 6% were teachers who came to Texas from out of state.

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The number of teachers returning to the classroom is a good sign for Texas schools, Morath said. Those teachers aren’t untrained new hires, he said, but skilled veteran educators who are “maybe a little rusty.” They may be teachers who spent years in the classroom when they were in their 20s, then switched careers or dropped out of the workforce to raise a family, and then decided to return to teaching years later, he said. In 2015, state lawmakers loosened teacher certification requirements to help school districts deal with teacher shortages in career and technical education programs. A post-pandemic teacher shortage led more school leaders turned to uncertified teachers to fill the gap. In two years, the number of new uncertified teachers hired in Texas schools more than tripled, climbing from 4,285 in the 2020-21 school year to 14,170 in the 2022-23 school year. By the 2023-24 school year, about a third of all newly hired teachers in the state lacked certification, according to TEA data. Last year, Texas lawmakers re-tightened those rules and provided funding to help. By the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, districts must have no uncertified teachers working in math, science, social studies or reading, although districts may apply for a two-year extension.

‘I know how to win’: Former Texas Democrats executive running to be party leader

Last year, Monique Alcala was fired as executive director of the Texas Democratic Party after Kendall Scudder became the party’s new leader. Now, Alcala is running against him in an election that will be settled at the party’s state convention in June. Alcala, a 15-year veteran of political campaigns at the local, state and national level, said she’s running to make sure Democrats capitalize on a crucial election year. “We have a huge opportunity for us here in 2026,” Alcala told Capital Tonight. “We have a real opportunity to flip the state and win statewide.” Earlier this month, three dozen Texas Democrats wrote an open letter calling on Scudder not to seek reelection this year, accusing him of a “hostile work environment” and operational failures.

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Days later, more than 800 Texas Democrats wrote a dueling letter that backed Scudder and said the party needed more time to assess his leadership. Scudder brushed off the criticisms and filed for re-election, saying he was focused on helping the party win in November — noting a $30 million commitment he secured to target key races and a full slate of candidates for every congressional and state house race in Texas. Alcala filed her candidacy on Friday, the deadline to jump into the race, promising “real change, not more empty promises or missed opportunities.” Alcala said she would return to the work she had been doing as the party’s executive director. That includes building infrastructure to aid local parties and strategic partners, like the campaign arm of Texas House Democrats, in winning legislative races. She also criticized the party’s current leadership, saying they had lackluster fundraising. “It’s a far cry from the millions of dollars that it’s going to take to defeat Greg Abbott, John Cornyn or Ken Paxton,” she said. Alcala said she would focus on lessons she learned during her career in battleground states to help Democrats win in Texas, including running coordinated campaigns that would help the party’s candidates from the top of the ballot to the bottom. She also said she would focus on keeping employees on staff who had experience in organizing and running elections — a criticism that has been lobbed at Scudder by his opponents. “This is about building infrastructure on the ground when it comes to the TDP,” Alcala said. “We need people that are working at TDP that are leading TDP that know how to build coalitions but also know how to have hard conversations about how to move the organization forward.”

Bud Kennedy: Will James Talarico turn Texas blue? Not so fast — poll trend favors GOP

The news is good for Texas Democrats. Unless you actually read it. Austin Democrat James Talarico has a thin lead in polls over U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for his Senate seat and a wider lead if Attorney General Ken Paxton is the Republican nominee. Democratic candidates Gina Hinojosa and runoff favorite Vikki Goodwin are already closer to Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick than Democrats Lupe Valdez and Michael Collier were back in 2018. That was the year when bottle-rocket Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke’s challenge to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz lifted Democrats within range of a statewide victory for the first time since 1994. Another bad sign for Republicans: Voters are now more intensely worried about money than they were in 2018.

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Three times as many voters in the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll now say their family is worse off. Inflation and the economy combined are now the No. 1 issue for 24% of voters. And Texas voters have even lost our bravado. By 47%-42%, voters now say the state is on the wrong track. That should all add up to a close election in November. But when you read on, there is one big problem for Texas Democrats: They’re Democrats. Even though Texas voters are completely unhappy with their leaders, the state and their family situation, they are also more conservative now than in the 2018 poll. Back then, those voters polled mostly said they were Republicans, 46%-43%. That 3-point margin was what U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Paxton won by that fall in the closest races on the ticket. Now, based on the poll, Texas is 50% Republican and 40% Democrat. The baked-in winning margin for Republicans is now 10%. Not 3%. In the new poll, 43% of Texas voters have a favorable view of the Republican Party. Back in 2018, that number was 35%. Meanwhile, 50% of Texas voters now have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party.

$20M state grant to fuel semiconductor expansion in Sugar Land, create 500 jobs

Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $20.8 million grant from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund to Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. to expand its manufacturing operations in Sugar Land. The project represents more than $279 million in total capital investment and is expected to create 500 jobs. Abbott said the expansion strengthens Texas’ role in advanced manufacturing and semiconductor production. “Texas is leading America’s resurgence in advanced manufacturing,” Abbott said in a statement. “This investment … will create hundreds of high-skilled jobs and advance our state’s leadership in innovation and semiconductor manufacturing.”

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AOI, founded in Houston in 1997, designs and manufactures fiber-optic networking products. The Sugar Land expansion will increase production of semiconductor chips and optical transceivers used in high-speed data infrastructure. Company leaders say the investment will help meet growing demand tied to artificial intelligence and data centers. “We are proud to partner with the State of Texas to expand our homegrown manufacturing,” said Stefan Murry, AOI’s chief financial and strategy officer. “This investment helps us increase production, create high-quality jobs, and help define the future of AI data center infrastructure.” State Sen. Joan Huffman, who sponsored the Texas CHIPS Act, said the funding supports continued semiconductor growth across the state and strengthens the Houston region as a manufacturing hub. State Rep. Suleman Lalani added the investment highlights Sugar Land’s growing role in next-generation technology and economic development. The Texas CHIPS Act, signed into law in 2023, created the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, which provides grants to boost semiconductor research, design and manufacturing across the state. The program is administered through the governor’s office to encourage industry expansion and support workforce development.

First lawsuit filed against San Antonio’s CPS Energy after recent home explosions

The first lawsuit has been filed against city-owned utility CPS Energy following the explosions of two homes last week in Northwest San Antonio, KSAT reports. The joint lawsuit against CPS Energy was filed by Monday by Jose Ochoa and Mayte Terrie Reeves in Bexar County District Court. The couple, whose home was the second to blow up in the 1500 Block of Preston Hollow on April 21, allege that a natural gas leak from a CPS Energy line created a “gas cloud” inside their home, causing the blast, the station reports. Ochoa and Reeves both sustained permanent physical injuries due to the explosion and are seeking $1 million each in damages, according to KSAT.

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The lawsuit also alleges CPS Energy failed to maintain its system, equip and train its employees and inspect the work performed near the residences. A CPS Energy spokeswoman told KSAT its officials don’t comment on active litigation. Five people, including a child, were injured during the string of explosions last week. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause. The federal agency’s preliminary report is expected within the next 30 days.

Corpus Christi Harbor Island water project faces setback after $140M loan denial

The Nueces River Authority says its Harbor Island desalination loan ranked 13th, missing funding as only top 9–10 projects were approved. Corpus Christi’s water development plans hit a major setback after a $140 million low-interest loan for the Harbor Island desalination plant was denied. The Nueces River Authority applied for the loan earlier this year through the Texas Water Development Board. John Chisholm, deputy executive director of the Nueces River Authority, said the denial caught him by surprise. "This was the first year that they're telling me they had more projects, more value of projects than they have money available," he said. Chisholm said state officials received applications totaling about $4.2 billion, with demand outpacing available funding. "They were only able to fund like the first nine or ten, and we scored 13th. So we were out of the money," he said.

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Chisholm said the denial comes as communities across Texas compete for limited water resources. "We're not alone," he said. "You know, our fellow Texans all over are in the same spot. Um, I think there's a great water, you know, North Texas, Central Texas, uh, West Texas as well. So I think that says a lot that there's a lot of projects and a lot of need in Texas right now." Corpus Christi At-Large councilman Roland Barrera, who opposed the Harbor Island project, said there was still to many unanswered questions. "Without even understanding the cost of facility is. The cost to convey is upward of a million dollars. The resources they'll have to provide to get electricity out there," he said. Political analyst Dr. Bill Chriss said with more regions across Texas drawing from the same well, Corpus Christi could have a harder time landing major water projects. "Because this is an emergency that requires immediate response not building something that could produce water for us in five to 10 years," he said. Chisholm said the project is too important to abandon. He said the Nueces River Authority is now looking to private investors and potential federal support.

National Stories

Congress votes to reopen key parts of DHS without ICE funding

Congress voted to reopen key parts of the Department of Homeland Security — including the Transportation Security Administration — Thursday after weeks of GOP infighting that prolonged a record shutdown of the critical agency. President Donald Trump promptly signed the bill to fund the department, which went unfunded for 75 days, into law. In the end, House GOP leaders conceded in a weeks-long DHS funding fight in a major retreat by Speaker Mike Johnson as he faced a growing revolt from centrists in his party, multiple sources told CNN. The House abruptly passed the package — which includes no money for federal immigration enforcement, in a major win for Democrats — by a voice vote Thursday afternoon.

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The move brings an end to a historic shutdown that led to long lines at airports across the country and comes just before paychecks were about to stall out once again for DHS employees. Johnson decided to move forward after a private leadership meeting earlier Thursday where the team agreed they had little choice but to move the bill — with their own members warning the situation was untenable. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former House member, had also repeatedly warned that he was almost out of money. And GOP leaders knew that the deteriorating DHS situation would only further underscore their party’s diminishing ability to govern in a House rife with divisions and infighting. Conservative hardliners — who had contributed to holding up the bill for weeks — eventually admitted they had no leverage left in the fight. GOP Rep. Andy Harris, who leads the House’s ultraconservative bloc, told reporters that “you really can’t stop anything from passing” if dozens of Democrats are also going to help.

Louisiana governor postpones House primaries after Supreme Court ruling

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday postponed his state’s May 16 primaries for the House, one day after the Supreme Court struck down the state’s congressional map as an “unconstitutional racial gerrymander.” “Allowing elections to proceed under an unconstitutional map would undermine the integrity of our system and violate the rights of our voters,” the Republican governor said in a news release accompanying an executive order he signed prohibiting the state from conducting House elections under its current map. “This executive order ensures we uphold the rule of law while giving the Legislature the time it needs to pass a fair and lawful congressional map.” Primaries for other offices in Louisiana will go ahead on May 16, state officials said.

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President Donald Trump lauded Landry for “moving so quickly to fix the Unconstitutionality of Louisiana’s Congressional Maps.’’ The Supreme Court decision invalidating Louisiana’s congressional map limits the use of race in drawing congressional districts and could lead to further redistricting nationwide, especially in Southern states. In a 6-3 decision, the court’s conservative majority found that Louisiana should not have been forced to draw a congressional map with a second Black-majority district to comply with the Voting Rights Act. Democrats denounced the decision to postpone the House primaries, saying changing the rules this close to the election – early voting was set to start Saturday – would create chaos and disenfranchise voters. “Louisianans have already cast absentee ballots, early voting was set to begin this weekend, and now those votes won’t count. That is unacceptable,” Rep. Cleo Fields, whose Black-majority district was at the heart of the Supreme Court case, said on social media.

Immigrants file suit over Trump’s Catch-22 biometric data policy

A group of detained immigrants have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration over a catch-22 biometric data policy that they allege has blocked them from obtaining legal status. A 19-year-old from Venezuela detained for over a year is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed Thursday against the Department of Homeland Security. At issue is a December policy change barring immigrants in detention from getting their fingerprints and photos taken for visa and other deportation-protection applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, denies applications of people who don’t attend their biometric screenings, which the lawsuit claims puts the immigrants in an impossible situation.

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Other plaintiffs, such as a 22-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman from Mexico, are seeking visas they say they qualify for as victims of crime. The man applied for a visa meant to protect victims of human trafficking because he said his father abused him after bringing him to the U.S. as a minor. The woman claims to be a victim of domestic violence and stalking from the father of her children. She has spent nearly a year in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention in Kentucky, according to the complaint. Attorneys from Democracy Forward, the National Immigration Project and the National Immigrant Justice Center are representing the immigrants in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaint argues the policy violates the detainees’ due process. “In its zeal to block paths for lawful immigration, the Trump-Vance administration has yet again set up an unlawful trap for noncitizens, creating a system where people are required to meet a condition for relief and then blocking them from ever meeting it,” Democracy Forward CEO Skye Perryman said in a statement. Another lawsuit against this policy led to DHS agreeing in March to transport the mother of a U.S. citizen who had been in detention for more than eight months to her biometrics-collection appointment as part of her application for a green card. USCIS is facing a mounting number of lawsuits over its processing freeze on applications from immigrant nationals of countries on President Donald Trump’s travel ban list.

House votes to renew foreign spy program and creates pathway to end DHS shutdown

The Republican-controlled House voted Wednesday to renew a powerful foreign surveillance program and passed a Senate-approved measure that would jump-start the process to fund ICE and the Border Patrol for the rest of President Donald Trump’s term. The House voted 235-191 to extend the critical spy program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which expires this week. Lawmakers later voted 215-211 along party lines to pass the GOP budget resolution previously approved by the Senate after a revolt by House Republicans over an unrelated farm bill delayed final passage by more than five hours. Asked to describe the chaotic day in one word, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., replied: “S---show.”

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The successful budget vote could unlock the GOP support needed to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down for a record 74 days because of Democrats’ demands for reforms to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics. Wednesday was one of the more tumultuous days in the House in recent memory. Earlier, a handful of conservative hard-liners blocked a key procedural vote, preventing several of Trump’s legislative priorities from coming to the floor. The difficulty in passing even routine motions highlighted, again, the challenges of the GOP's narrow 217-212 majority as the 2026 midterm elections approach. In that vote series, Johnson and his team could be seen on the floor desperately trying to persuade the rabble-rousers — including Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo. — to flip their no votes to yes. After two hours of arm-twisting and cajoling in public view, Johnson's efforts proved successful, and the House passed the rule 216-210. In addition to the Republican budget and the renewal of FISA, the rule also advanced the farm bill, which sets agriculture policy for the next five years, on its way to a final vote.

Republicans want Tennessee’s last Democratic House District

The Supreme Court’s blow to the Voting Rights Act had barely landed on Wednesday when Senator Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, called on lawmakers to eliminate the last Democratic-held House seat in the state. Taking to social media shortly after the Wednesday morning ruling, Ms. Blackburn, the favorite to become the state’s next governor, urged the legislature to hastily adopt a new congressional map that would put Memphis, a majority Black city, in Republican hands. The chorus quickly grew. Her opponent in the gubernatorial primary, Representative John Rose, declared that the Democratic-led city “deserves Republican representation in Congress.” State Senator Brent Taylor, of nearby Shelby County, asked on X, “Got any ideas on who would make a great Republican congressman from West TN?”

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By Thursday morning, President Trump said on Truth Social that Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, had assured him in a call that he would “work hard” to get Republicans “one extra seat” in Tennessee, “and help save our country.” A spokeswoman for Mr. Lee did not respond to questions about the conversation, and it remains unclear whether a new map will be approved before the midterm elections. But for some Democrats, the eager chatter was the realization of fears that have percolated since 2022, when Republicans carved a Nashville-area seat long held by Democrats into three Republican districts. “Memphis could be like Nashville,” said Representative Steve Cohen, a Democrat who has held the Memphis seat since 2007. “Thrown off the political map.” Mr. Cohen said he had been in touch with voting rights lawyers and would try to stop any redistricting effort. The Supreme Court ruling, which raises the bar for finding congressional maps racially discriminatory under the Voting Rights Act, was not unexpected. But it still set off a scramble across the South, as conservatives saw a new opportunity to break up districts with large numbers of Black voters who remain loyal to Democrats. Tennessee was not always as reliably ruby red. As recently as 2008, it had a Democratic governor, Phil Bredesen, and five Democrats in its congressional delegation. But as the state’s electorate became increasingly disillusioned with the Democratic Party during the Obama years, the number of Democrats it sent to Congress dwindled.

Trump’s border wall expansion just bulldozed an ancient tribal site

President Donald Trump’s expansion of the wall along the southern border with Mexico has damaged a rare Native American archaeological site in the Arizona desert, area residents said Thursday, as the administration moves to rapidly build hundreds of miles of additional barriers in a $46.5 billion project. The aggressive expansion project — funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill — is erecting three miles of wall a week, introducing barriers in parts of Texas that did not previously have them, as well as a second wall in much of California, Arizona and New Mexico. The construction is not abiding by environmental laws and other protections, alarming advocates, national park staff and Native Americans.

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In Arizona, construction crews ran heavy machinery through and destroyed a roughly 60-to-70-foot swath of an intaglio, a more than 200-foot-long ground etching that looks like a fish and is thought to be at least 1,000 years old, said Richard Martynec, a retired archaeologist who now volunteers his time surveying the area. Satellite imagery from Friday shows a disturbance crossing the intaglio area. Lorraine Marquez Eiler, an elder of the Hia-ced O’odham Indigenous people, said the damage happened last week. “If someone came to Washington and started destroying all the different sites that people in the United States revere, it’s the same thing for us,” Marquez Eiler said. “Those things were made by our ancestors, and it’s hitting home. … For me, it’s an emotional subject,” she added.

Trump taps Nicole Saphier for surgeon general after pulling Casey Means nomination

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will nominate Dr. Nicole Saphier as the next U.S. surgeon general after pulling his previous pick, Dr. Casey Means, whose confirmation process in the Senate stalled for months. Saphier is a breast radiologist and was previously a Fox News contributor. She is listed as the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center-Monmouth and the author of several books. That includes one book that critiques the U.S.’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing that political agendas often overshadowed scientific guidance. “Nicole is a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment while tirelessly advocating to increase early cancer detection and prevention, while at the same time working with men and women on all other forms of cancer diagnoses and treatments,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday.

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“She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans,” Trump continued. Means was nominated at the recommendation of her close ally Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her nomination had stalled in the Senate for more than two months over concerns about her controversial stances on vaccines, birth control, pesticides and psychedelics. Her brother, Calley Means, is a senior White House adviser. Trump on Thursday also blasted Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., accusing him of standing in the way of Means’ nomination “I nominated Casey, a strong MAHA Warrior, at the recommendation of Secretary Kennedy, who understands the MAHA Movement better than anyone, with perhaps the possible exception of ME!” Trump wrote, adding: “Casey, thank you for your service to our Nation!”

After Janet Mills' departure, more Democrats begin to rally around Graham Platner's Senate campaign

Gov. Janet Mills' decision to end her U.S. Senate campaign on Thursday dramatically changed the dynamics of a race with major national implications. Within hours, many prominent Democrats in Maine as well as national party leaders rallied behind Graham Platner, the Hancock County oysterman and populist who is now the presumptive nominee. But Platner said the governor's decision doesn't change how he's running his populist and anti-establishment campaign to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins this fall. "The race has never been about me or really about one person," Platner said. "It's about a movement of working Mainers who are fed up with being robbed by billionaires and the politicians who own them. We are now taking back our power. That is what this campaign is."

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Platner was speaking a little more than two hours after Mills announced she was suspending her campaign. He was joined by nearly two dozen elected officials — most them Democratic members of the Legislature — for what had been planned as a fairly routine endorsement event. But the landscape had changed. So Platner started by thanking Mills for her lengthy career in public service — as prosecutor, attorney general and now two terms as governor — and by saying that her decision reflects their shared commitment to a singular goal: unseating Collins this November. "I look forward to working closely with her between now and November to do just that, to defeat Susan Collins and turn this seat blue again," Platner said. A Marine Corps veteran who farms oysters near his home in Sullivan, Platner has been leading in almost every poll for months over Mills and the third Democratic contender, David Costello of Brunswick. And there were plenty of other signs that the Mills campaign was struggling to find traction in a race that's a top priority for the national parties.

Sheinbaum defies US demand to extradite Mexican officials on drug charges

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denounced the U.S. prosecution of a sitting Mexican governor and other officials on drug trafficking charges as "political," and said Thursday that Mexico would not comply with Washington's demands that the accused be arrested and extradited to the United States. "We are not permitting a foreign government to say what is the future of Mexico," said a defiant Sheinbaum, who repeatedly assailed U.S. "meddling" in the incendiary case. U.S. authorities have not submitted "compelling proof" to justify the arrests and detentions of anyone in Mexico, Sheinbaum said. Sheinbaum's stance puts Mexico on a likely collision course with Trump, who says Sheinbaum's government hasn't done enough to crack down on cartels.

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Sheinbaum's comments came a day after the unsealing of a bombshell indictment in federal court in New York accusing 10 current and former Mexican officials of drug trafficking, arms offenses and links to the notorious Sinaloa cartel co-founded by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. Topping the list of accused is Rubén Rocha Moya, governor of the northwestern Sinaloa state. Rocha Moya and others named have denied the charges, calling them an attempt to subvert Mexico's sovereignty. The indictment presents Sheinbaum with one of her biggest challenges yet. In standing firm against the U.S. action, she risks being seen as shielding drug traffickers and their political allies. Sheinbaum faced "a terrifying Hamlet-like dilemma: to yield or not, with disastrous consequences in either case," Jorge Castañeda, a former Mexican foreign minister, wrote in El Proceso magazine. Sheinbaum's response risks "sounding like a defense of corrupt governments," said Carlos Pérez Ricart, a professor of international relations at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics. Pérez said he agreed with Sheinbaum's plan to have Mexican authorities evaluate the evidence against the Sinaloa officials, which he said appeared "strong." Still, he said, she was correct to view the U.S. indictment in political terms. "There's no doubt the United States is weaponizing its prosecutorial powers to serve a political agenda," he said.

Copyright May 02, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved