June 10, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

House passes $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement for 3 years

A bill to provide nearly $70 billion for immigration enforcement narrowly passed the House on Tuesday and now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature, bolstering the administration’s deportation agenda for the remainder of his time in the White House. Republicans used their majority to get the bill over the finish line, funding a pair of Homeland Security agencies through the next three years. The bill passed by a vote of 214-212, over the objections of Democrats. Trump is expected to sign it into law on Wednesday. The White House says the bill will provide $38 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion for the Border Patrol and another $5 billion to cover unforeseen costs. It frontloads routine annual funding, ensuring a virtually uninterrupted flow of money as the Trump administration seeks to deport some 1 million people per year.

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Speaker Mike Johnson needed near-perfect attendance and unity on his side to complete weeks of action. The legislation got sidetracked over $1 billion for White House security, including for Trump’s new ballroom, and a $1.8 billion fund to compensate his allies who claim they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted. Those proposals proved politically toxic and were scrapped. Now, the bill is focused entirely on immigration enforcement, a topic that Republicans have treated as a defining issue between the two major political parties and one they hope will carry them to victory in this year’s midterm elections. “It’s long overdue,” said Johnson, R-La., of the bill. “We have to fund border security and immigration enforcement, and it’s sad that Republicans have to do it on our own.” But Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas called it a “slush fund for ICE.”

Congress’ watchdog finds major lapses in oversight at El Paso ICE facility

Congress’ watchdog identified serious oversight problems at the country’s largest immigration detention center, including unsanitary conditions and inadequate tuberculosis screenings and health assessments. A new Government Accountability Office report follows an Immigration and Customs Enforcement inspection that found dozens of safety violations at Camp East Montana. Three immigrants have died at the tent detention center near the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso, Texas, since it opened in August. City officials also reported two cases of tuberculosis and 18 COVID-19 cases earlier this year, The Texas Tribune reported. “ICE did not identify these issues because it did not inspect the facility prior to housing detained noncitizens there, as required by ICE policy,” the report states. “After the facility opened, ICE reported additional problems, including gaps in medical services, the loss of a loaded firearm, and unsanitary conditions, among other issues.”

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In March, the Trump administration dumped the contractor it had hired to run the facility, Acquisition Logistics LLC, which didn’t have experience operating detention centers before landing the $1.3 billion contract. ICE repeatedly warned the contractor about problems, including a document in February that said evidence associated with the homicide of Geraldo Lunas Campos was missing or destroyed, according to the GAO report. ICE’s investigation of Campos’ death is on hold because of an ongoing criminal investigation. A security guard at the detention center also lost a loaded gun in January that hadn’t been found as of March. ICE documented the contractor’s inadequate weapon control. Democratic lawmakers Sens. Jack Reed (Rhode Island), Gary Peters (Michigan), and Dick Durbin (Illinois) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (Mississippi) requested the report from GAO. Durbin called the report damning. “We now know even more details of how dangerous and irresponsible the Trump Administration’s mass deportation campaign truly is,” he said in a statement. “Not only is the Administration often wrongly detaining people, those detained are experiencing conditions that shock the conscience.”

Judge delays showdown over City Hall's future after council member complaints over relocation plans

Dallas' high-stakes debate over City Hall hit a legal roadblock Tuesday after a judge sided with council members seeking to delay a vote on the building's future. State District Judge Eric Moyé ruled that Dallas failed to provide adequate public notice for several agenda items tied to City Hall relocation and redevelopment plans, forcing the city to postpone Wednesday's special council meeting. Moyé said two agenda items involving the potential relocation of city operations were too vague to satisfy the Texas Open Meetings Act because they did not adequately explain how the proposals could affect the public. A third item involving redevelopment of the City Hall site was too broad, he said.

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“There's virtually nothing that the city could not do in this context, including sale of the property to anyone for any price,” Moyé said from the bench. The judge found that only one agenda item, authorizing repairs to City Hall, provided sufficient notice. But he issued a temporary restraining order that blocked action on all four. The lawsuit was filed by council members Paula Blackmon, Adam Bazaldua and Cara Mendelsohn, who accused city leaders of trying to “ram through this momentous decision” without adequate public notice or council review. Mendelsohn withdrew from the lawsuit hours before the hearing. The court fight unfolded as city officials released a new financial analysis that suggests relocating City Hall would cost less over the long term than repairing the aging downtown landmark. The ruling came a day before council members were scheduled to consider measures that could advance plans to relocate City Hall, redevelop the 12-acre downtown property and continue evaluating alternatives to the aging building.

Trump previews fall strategy with baseless claims of California vote fraud

For President Trump, any Democratic election victory is suspicious on its face. Even, apparently, in one of the most liberal cities in America. “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media on Monday. “3rd World Nation.” On election night last Tuesday, Mr. Pratt — the reality-television personality and Trump-endorsed Republican — led the progressive city councilwoman Nithya Raman for second place to advance to November’s mayoral runoff, behind the incumbent, Mayor Karen Bass, who is also a Democrat. But as election officials spent the following week counting late-arriving mail ballots, which were disproportionately from Democrats, Ms. Raman edged ahead of Mr. Pratt. On Monday evening, The Associated Press said that she had indeed prevailed.

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Such fleeting Republican leads are common enough to have a name — the “red mirage” — yet Mr. Trump, as he did in his own 2020 loss, cast the slow count as proof of theft. By baselessly framing Ms. Raman’s rise as a Democratic scam, Mr. Trump extended his long-running project to erode public faith in elections — and gave an unusually clear preview of how he could greet any disappointing results for his party in November, when control of Congress is at stake. He has been anything but subtle about his desire to limit the ability of Democrats to vote by mail, implying, with no evidence, that simply choosing that widely used means of casting a ballot is inherently suspect. Addressing a gathering of Republican lawmakers in March, he said the way to hold their majority was to pass a strict voter identification law cracking down on mail ballots. “It’ll guarantee the midterms,” he told them, warning that failure would bring “big trouble.” Privately, according to one senior adviser, he has pressed aides to find ways to “stop them stealing it from us.” What is striking so far is how little of this has survived contact with reality. Voting legislation he has championed, the SAVE Act, cleared the House but stalled in the Senate, where Republicans lack the votes to break a Democratic filibuster. Among other things, the bill would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and would compel states to share voter rolls with the federal government.

State Stories

Dallas CFO says repairing City Hall could mean tax hikes, service cuts

Dallas’ top financial official has outlined an analysis that favors relocating City Hall over repairing the aging downtown building. Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland suggested relocation as the less costly long-term option in materials prepared for a special City Council meeting that is now delayed. A Dallas County state district court judge granted a request from two City Council members to postpone Wednesday's special meeting to discuss moving operations out of City Hall. It's unclear when the meeting on a City Hall vote will be rescheduled.

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The council members argued the public didn’t receive adequate notice and the city hadn't followed its financial policies ahead of one of the biggest decisions Dallas has faced in decades. Ireland's presentation says an estimated decade-long effort to repair and modernize the nearly 50-year-old I.M. Pei-designed building would come at a steep cost. Financing the work with debt would crowd out future spending on streets, parks, housing and economic development, while paying cash would likely require property tax increases, deep service cuts or both, the presentation said. The analysis arrives as Dallas weighs one of the most consequential decisions it has faced in decades. City leaders are deciding whether to invest hundreds of millions in City Hall repairs or pursue alternatives that could relocate government operations and redevelop one of downtown’s largest publicly owned properties.

'We don't do this to your people': San Antonio leaders call on Mamdani to protect Spurs fans after NYC assaults

San Antonio Spurs fans celebrating their team's Game 3 victory over the New York Knicks were harassed and assaulted following Monday night's NBA Finals matchup at Madison Square Garden, prompting condemnation from San Antonio leaders and warnings for fans traveling to New York. The New York Police Department said a 39-year-old Spurs fan was attacked and robbed of his jersey while walking back to his hotel after the Spurs' 115-111 win. Police said a group surrounded the man in Midtown, punched and kicked him, and stole his black Spurs No. 21 jersey. The man suffered cuts and bruises and was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Videos circulating on social media also showed other Spurs fans being harassed and assaulted in the hours after the game.

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NYPD says it is investigating the incidents. Asked about the incidents Tuesday, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said rivalries should never cross the line into violence. "We're just playing a game out there, and I am all for passion, but to the respect of each other, it's unacceptable," he said. Actor and longtime Knicks fan Ben Stiller also condemned the incidents, writing on social media: "Being a Knick fan doesn't mean being disrespectful to Spurs fans in any way ... we get caught up during the games but we gotta show respect to our fellow humans." New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared Stiller's post, writing: "Couldn't agree more. We'll win this series on the court (even if the refs refuse to call a flagrant on Wemby), not by targeting, harassing, or attacking Spurs fans. Texas State Sen. Roland Gutierrez posted a video urging Mamdani to do more to protect Spurs fans. "We don't do this to your people," Gutierrez said. "These folks went up there to enjoy themselves, just like your folks come down here to enjoy themselves."

Texas cattle association urges vigilance, not panic, over screwworm outbreak

The leader of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the largest and oldest organization of its kind, urged ranchers to report suspected cases quickly and not panic as Texas responds to an outbreak of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that can infect livestock and wildlife. Stephen Diebel, president of the Fort Worth-based Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, was among the speakers at a gathering on Monday at the newly opened Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville, where researchers study pests including New World screwworm. "The quicker we report, the quicker we have solutions," he said. "A really big component of this is landowner communication and communication with our agencies."

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He said state and federal officials have a plan in place that has worked before. New World screwworm was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s using a sterile-fly program. The current strategy similarly relies on monitoring and reporting infested animals and releasing millions of sterile flies to disrupt screwworm reproduction. Diebel said reporting suspected cases quickly is critical to making that strategy work. The emphasis on reporting comes after Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller suggested some ranchers might be reluctant to report infestations because of the quarantine restrictions that follow a confirmed case. During Tuesday's briefing, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins rebuked Miller's remarks, calling them "dangerous" and stressing that reporting suspected cases is critical to containing the parasite. Federal officials say rapid reporting is critical to stopping the flesh-eating parasite from becoming established in Texas. Miller suggested some ranchers may hesitate to report cases because of quarantine restrictions. Diebel said the industry can carry on during the outbreak.

How much oversight should the state have over local ordinances? Texas legislators weigh impact of 2023 law

In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed a sweeping regulatory measure designed to prevent cities and counties from adopting local ordinances that conflict with various sections of state law. Three years later, there is confusion about what local governments can and cannot do under the law, advocates told state lawmakers June 4. House Bill 2127, a 2023 state law deemed the “Death Star” bill, barred local officials from enacting or enforcing rules that go beyond state statute in broad areas, including agriculture, finance, labor and property law. The measure impacts all of Texas’ 1,200-plus cities and towns. At the time, some legislators and other proponents of the bill said it would ensure consistency among Texas cities, citing ordinances passed by “liberal blue cities” that they said made it hard to run a business. Opponents of HB 2127, including some local leaders, said the law would prevent cities from addressing residents’ needs while undermining local worker safety provisions and nondiscrimination ordinances.

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The cities of Houston, San Antonio and El Paso challenged the law in court shortly after its passage in 2023, arguing it was too vague and broad. The law was deemed unconstitutional but allowed to take effect, Community Impact reported. In 2025, a group of Dallas residents sued their city over dozens of ordinances that they said conflict with state law, and that case remained in court as of press time. During the June 4 hearing, the law’s critics said it has had a “chilling effect” on some local actions, while those who support the law expressed concerns that cities have not removed ordinances that are preempted by the state. The Texas House Governmental Oversight Committee heard invited and public testimony on HB 2127 as lawmakers considered whether changes should be made to clarify the law or adjust how it is enforced. The next state legislative session begins in January. Rep. Cody Vasut, an Angleton Republican who chairs the committee, said HB 2127 was meant to help local governments prioritize “local issues” and provide certainty for local business owners. “The main principle of the bill was to get local government to focus back on local issues,” Vasut said June 4. “When something is regulated by the state, we have a ‘one size fits all’ [policy] for business, so that people can do business freely and predictably here.”

Hays County backs off data center pause amid water, legal concerns

Hays County has pulled back — again — on a plan to temporarily suspend approvals for data centers and other water-intensive large-scale developments. The back-and-forth comes as Hays and other counties across the state are looking for ways to manage the rapid growth of data centers and their impact on local water supplies and other issues.

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On Tuesday, Hays County commissioners tabled a decision on a proposed 180-day pause on approvals for industrial projects in unincorporated areas over fears it would open the county to a possible lawsuit. Just a day earlier, County Judge Ruben Becerra had “guaranteed” it would be decided Tuesday. In February, the commission tabled a 30-day moratorium proposal, also because of legal concerns. “We want to do this right,” Gregg Cox, a Hays County assistant district attorney, told commissioners Tuesday. “And we want to do it where it is legally defensible in court in case the lawyers for these developers come after us like they did in Hill County.” Hill County, a rural county south of Fort Worth, was forced to rescind its one-year data center moratorium last week after a developer sued for more than $100 million in damages. The developer said Hill County “exceeded its lawful powers.” Other rural counties, including Hood and Van Zandt, have faced fierce opposition from state lawmakers and the state attorney general’s office for attempting temporary bans or moratoriums.

Thousands of vaccines, medication destroyed as Houston Pets Alive loses power after vandalism

The nonprofit Houston Pets Alive was without power most of Monday, causing a major disruption to its operations and destroying thousands of vaccines and vital pet medications. The building where the group leases space was vandalized in the early hours of Monday, according to Executive Director Shannon Parker. Due to the heat in the facility, 70-to-75 animals had to be quickly relocated causing logistical strain for the staff. The power was restored by CenterPoint in the late afternoon Monday, but operations are still coming back together after the urgent event. "We have power now, but most people don't understand what goes into it. It may seem like only one day with no power, but the logistics, the planning and the communications when you have live animals in the building, it is more than one thinks," she said.

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Staff members arrived around 7 a.m. Monday to find their space without power. As Parker arrived on the property around 7:30 a.m., they discovered that someone pried open their electric boxes and cut wires. A large six-inch metal pole was sawed through in the parking lot as well. The electrician who assisted them believes the vandals were seeking copper wiring, but Parker said the building is older and their wire is aluminum. Pictures on the group's Instagram page show power lines cut and the pole sawed in two. Due to the heat in the building, 50 cats and 15 dogs were placed with foster families and other rescue groups. Parker said as they continue to clean up melted ice from the freezers and sort the many donations that came in Monday, they will begin accepting the animals back on Wednesday. Even with the power on, the group still faces challenges going forward, especially with the clean up and the destruction of the vaccines and medications. The organization hoped its main clinic refrigerator remained cool enough to save the vaccines. However, three more refrigerators with vaccines and pet medication were lost. "It is in the thousands of vaccines lost. All of the medications that have to be refrigerated are gone, about 10 to 12 large bottles of refrigerated medications," she said.

Ken Paxton accuses James Talarico of flip-flopping on transgender care

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico says he opposes gender-reassignment surgery for minors, an apparent move to neutralize GOP attacks on him based on past votes. Talarico was asked on a podcast about accusations that he is too liberal to represent Texas in the Senate and that he is "pro sex surgery for minors." Talarico pushed back. "I oppose gender-reassignment surgeries for minors," the four-term Texas House member from Austin said. The comments appear to be at odds with a vote Talarico took in 2023 against legislation outlawing "procedures and treatments for gender transitioning" for children regardless of whether parent and doctors believe such treatments would be live-saving.

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Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton accused Talarico of flip-flopping. “This is just the latest example of Talarico masquerading as a moderate when the truth is he’s the most radical Democrat to ever run statewide in Texas history,” Paxton, the three-term Texas attorney general, said in a news release. “(Talarico) has proven he will lie time and time again because he knows his radical policies are extreme and completely out-of-touch with the people of Texas.” Talarico's spokesman said he opposed the 2023 bill, known as SB 14, because it went far beyond just banning such surgical procedures for children younger than 18. "He voted against SB 14 because it did more than ban gender reassignment surgeries for minors – it stripped critical healthcare away from Texas children suffering from rare genetic diseases that have nothing to do with being transgender,"said JT Ennis, Talarico's communications director. "It’s why he supported amendments to fix the bill while banning these surgeries – amendments that were ultimately shot down." Some of those failed amendments would have kept the ban on gender-reassignment surgery for minors but still allow minors to access to treatment for rare genetic disorders, such as some "born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development," Talarico's camp noted.

Tarrant commissioners call proposed honor for LGBTQ+ Health a ‘political stunt’

Tarrant County commissioners declined to commend the HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health’s 30 years of service with a resolution at their meeting Tuesday. Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare said the proposal was an organized political stunt. Two of the Republicans who voted against the recognition said they could not in good faith associate the county seal with the HIV prevention organization due to their promotion of gender-affirming care and certain holidays like National Kink Day. The resolution was proposed by Democratic Commissioner Alisa Simmons to celebrate the organization’s three decades of work to stop the spread of HIV and other transmissible diseases. The HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health was founded in 1994 by two Catholic nuns and the mother of an AIDS victim, according to the drafted resolution. In Tarrant County, resolutions are a formal statement of recognition, congratulations or honor. They do not equate to policy or law.

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Other resolutions passed on Tuesday included a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, recognition of Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County for delivering the 30 million meals and recognition of Mayor William Tate for 50 years of service to the city of Grapevine. The drafted resolution states the county commends the HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health “for its outstanding service, compassionate care, and enduring contributions to the health, dignity, and wellness of the people of Tarrant County.” Krause, O’Hare and fellow Republican Manny Ramirez voted against the resolution. Democrat Commissioner Roderick Miles and Simmons voted in favor. O’Hare said the resolution was a political stunt organized by Simmons, before telling her “all that you ever do here in political theater.” O’Hare said he could go on and on about what the HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health has promoted, but he specifically named National Kink Day, International Non-Binary People’s Day, Polyamory Day and a fundraiser for out of state travel for healthcare. “This court is focused on cutting taxes, improving county services, strong public safety and bettering the lives of our citizens,” O’Hare said. “It’s not the business of this court to put the county’s name and seal behind a divisive social agenda that glorifies a group that supports transitioning children.”

Dallas advocacy group urges fall tax election to help pay for childcare

A Dallas advocacy group is calling for a countywide tax to fund childcare – and get more parents back into the workforce. The relatively new Dallas Childcare Works coalition wants Dallas County commissioners to place a 3% childcare property tax on November’s ballot. If voters approve, it would generate $132 million for scholarships to help cash-strapped parents pay for childcare, and therefore, return to jobs outside the home. The Texas Women’s Foundation and Every Texan on Tuesday jointly released a white paper declaring a childcare crisis for Dallas and Texas. The report argues that without funding assistance to help pay for childcare, thousands of Texas women — and at least 6,900 mothers in Dallas County who would hold salaried jobs — aren’t able to work because they’re caring for a child or children at home.

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That has a cascading and negative effect, according to Coda Rayo-Garza, senior researcher of the study. “Texas's female labor force is growing faster than its male labor force, ” Rayo-Garza said. “Women are increasingly the ones sustaining that workforce expansion.” She said women are also outpacing men in educational attainment, so employers are not just leaning on women for skilled, educated talent — they “depend on mothers to meet workforce demands and drive growth.” But the crisis is worsening, she said, not improving, because childcare costs so much. The research reveals a minimum-wage employee would need to work 37 weeks, 40 hours a week, to pay for a year of childcare. At roughly $11,000 a year for one child, that’s more than a year’s tuition at a state university. During Tuesday’s presentation, Hillary Evans, vice president of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, said “nearly 19,000 work-willing parents are not able to enter the labor force due to these childcare barriers,” adding that thousands of parents miss work because of childcare issues.

Texas AG Ken Paxton opens investigation into FIFA over 2026 World Cup ticket sales

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into FIFA over allegations that soccer fans were misled about the location and quality of seats purchased for matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The move comes just days before World Cup matches are set to begin. Arlington and Houston, two of the tournament’s host cities, are scheduled to host their first matches on Sunday. Paxton announced the investigation Tuesday, saying his office received complaints from fans who claim the seats they ultimately received didn’t match up to how the seats were represented at the time of purchase.

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“I will work to ensure that FIFA is engaging in ethical and honest business practices so that Texas fans are treated fairly,” Paxton said in a statement. “Sports have a unique power to bring people together, and FIFA must understand that Texans take their competition—and their consumer rights—seriously.” According to the attorney general’s office, some fans purchased “Category 1” tickets expecting premium views of the field. Complaints allege FIFA later changed seating maps, moving those seats into sections with less desirable sightlines. Paxton said the investigation will determine whether FIFA violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a state consumer protection law, by misrepresenting ticket categories or seat locations during the sales process. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, is the international governing body for soccer and oversees the World Cup. Tickets for the 2026 tournament are selling for thousands of dollars, with some seats for the July 19 championship match in New Jersey selling for more than $10,000 under FIFA’s dynamic pricing model. A FIFA spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Austin burger chain P. Terry's will start sharing profits, ownership with employees

Austin-based fast food chain P. Terry's Burger Stand is moving to employee ownership and creating a profit-sharing program for workers. Kathy and Patrick Terry, the husband-wife duo who founded the chain, announced they're creating an employee ownership trust in a video on social media Tuesday. An employee ownership trust holds company shares for employees and "ensures that the company prioritizes employee benefit as part of its core purpose," according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The move will affect 1,800 workers across 38 locations, according to a press release from Common Trust, a company that works with businesses on employee ownership models.

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The profit-sharing program is open to employees who have worked at P. Terry's for at least two years. The company said eligible workers will split 5% of operating income starting this year, "with plans to increase that amount to as much as 20% over time." "From the very beginning, we have always believed that taking care of people and building a great business are not competing ideas," Kathy Terry said in the video. "So this transition is the most honest expression of that belief we've ever made." The Terrys said they don't have plans to leave the company. "This move is made to preserve the core values of P. Terry's for future generations," Kathy said. P. Terry's opened its first location in Austin in 2005. The chain is known for its charitable efforts, which have spanned donating profits to help July 2025 flood victims to organizing "Giving Back Days" in support of nonprofits across Texas.

UT leads 10-state push to fill semiconductor jobs

The University of Texas is leading a semiconductor project across 10 states that will prepare students to fill 29,000 new jobs by 2030, rising to meet the significant expansion of a high-demand industry. The project — the National Network for Microelectronics Education South — seeks to “build a stronger, more connected semiconductor workforce” by fixing a common disconnect between students, employers and colleges. Funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Commerce, UT’s Texas Institute for Electronics, or TIE, is charged with leading a coordinated strategy among southern states to ensure new jobs don’t go unfilled — and that the country can produce the chips it needs.

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“We’re not worrying about whether or not those jobs will exist, they’re here, but the real question is, are we going to be able to fill them,” said Alyssa Reinhart, director of workforce development with TIE. “We’re making semiconductors more visible and navigable for people who’ve never had that clear way in. We’re also aligning training with what employers actually need.” Semiconductor manufacturing produces computer chips that power electronics, from iPhones to cars and defense technology. The Semiconductor Industry Association projects there will be 115,000 new industry jobs across the country by 2030, but association officials estimate more than half could go unfilled. The southern region where UT’s project will take place is expected to house one-third of those new jobs, including 29,000 new positions. “These technologies are moving rapidly. The skills needed to advance them also have to keep pace across the industry,” said Raja Swaminathan, corporate vice president of AMD, a semiconductor manufacturing company. “The demand for talent is already real.” With 104 partners — including 32 semiconductor companies — UT will streamline access to those jobs by ensuring training and programs are directly aligned with employer needs and that more people know about available job opportunities.

National Stories

The fading fun of Trump 2.0

New York Knicks fans in Madison Square Garden received President Trump, a longtime fan and once one of their own, the same way they welcomed the visiting San Antonio Spurs ahead of Game Three of the NBA Finals. A chorus of boos rained down when the president appeared on the jumbotron saluting from a private box during the national anthem. It wasn’t unexpected given New York City is a liberal enclave. But it comes as Trump’s grip on the culture shows signs of slipping. “It is ridiculous that he is coming to this game,” said ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith in complaining about the tightened security and lengthy lines Trump’s presence created around the stadium. “If it causes the New York Knicks to lose tonight, I’m blaming him.” The celebratory air that Trump brought to the party has dissipated ever since his cultural cachet hit its zenith around his second inauguration. Country music superstar Carrie Underwood sang at the ceremony after rapper Snoop Dogg performed at a ball days before it.

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Podcasters and influencers, who propelled him into office, cheered him unabashedly while professional athletes celebrated big plays with “the Trump shuffle.” Now Trump’s influence in entertainment circles shows signs of waning. Several artists recently pulled out from a semiquincentennial concert series—organized by the Trump-aligned group Freedom 250—over concerns about its political ties. Trump’s takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hit a wall. A judge last month ordered his name stripped from it and halted his plan to close it for renovation. The snag prompted the president to retreat and say he would turn the center over to Congress. Trump’s setbacks on the culture front come amid a dip in his approval ratings and growing concerns over his handling of the economy. Several high-profile podcasting allies have turned on Trump over the war in Iran and his administration’s handling of the Epstein files, among other issues. “I can’t imagine going out there singing ‘Easy like Sunday morning’ basically at a MAGA rally when I look at what’s going on,” said Brent Carter, the co-lead singer of the funk and soul group the Commodores. The band originally signed on to perform at the Freedom 250 concert series and pulled out, Carter said, after seeing backlash online. Trump still has several high-wattage events on his summer calendar, namely an Ultimate Fighting Championship match in a massive structure on the South Lawn set for his 80th birthday Sunday. He has also arranged for a Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar race on the streets of downtown Washington, D.C.

Takeaways from the primaries in Maine and South Carolina

Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic primary for Senate after weathering allegations about his past, formally setting up the November bout for a seat that could be pivotal in determining which party controls the Senate. The liberal upstart will face longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a closely watched race that will show whether the Democratic and independent voters whom Platner has courted will overlook his baggage in the general election. In Maine, as well as South Carolina, Republicans competed in crowded congressional and gubernatorial races. Backing from President Donald Trump elevated some GOP candidates over prominent politicians, including Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina), who did not make it out of her primary race. Here are the top takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:

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Platner advanced to the November election despite revelations about his past resurfacing throughout his campaign — including about a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol that he later had covered with another design and allegations of troubling conduct in former relationships with women. Political insiders were watching the margin closely to see whether there would be a protest vote for Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who appeared on the ballot despite suspending her campaign in April. She had about 20 percent of the vote when the Associated Press called the race Tuesday night. Collins, the incumbent who is seeking a sixth Senate term, ran unopposed in the Republican primary. She will try to keep her winning streak alive in a state where Trump lost to Vice President Kamala Harris by nearly seven points. Some Democrats are questioning Platner’s general-election odds. They once saw the oyster farmer as the party’s best shot at unseating Collins because he had cultivated a strong base with his populist, antiestablishment pitch. But his recent spate of bad publicity has added a dose of anxiety. Republicans are hoping a former Maine governor returning to the political scene this year as a House candidate with Trump’s endorsement will help them flip a pro-Trump district held by a Democrat. Paul LePage, who is known for his brash rhetoric and served two terms as governor, ran unopposed in the Republican primary for Maine’s 2nd District, which favored Trump three times. The district is represented by Rep. Jared Golden (D), who is not seeking reelection.

Trump wanted to star at the World Cup, but politics may spoil the party

Donald Trump thought he’d miss out on the chance to stride the globe’s biggest sporting stage, lamenting in 2018, when the US won the right to co-host this year’s World Cup finals, that “I won’t be here” owing to presidential term limits. But the historic political comeback that made him only the second president to win two nonconsecutive terms bought him political extra time and a role in the massive soccer extravaganza. Trump has always had a flair for inserting himself into the global zeitgeist. So he seized his chance.

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He proudly displayed a gleaming replica World Cup that complemented the golden decor of his Oval Office; he welcomed soccer supremo Gianni Infantino into his global MAGA orbit; and after presenting Chelsea with the trophy in a FIFA club tournament in the US last year, he celebrated with the team like he’d scored the winning goal. But the 2026 World Cup finals that open on Thursday may serve to highlight the discord of his politics more than his enthusiasm for the beautiful game. While Trump may be looking for a new chance to promote his global ubiquity, many overseas critics are likely to be alienated by contributions that epitomize the turbulence and discord of his second term. The finals come at a moment when Trump’s political star is waning due to growing unpopularity at home and reverses overseas. Infantino’s award of an inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to Trump — after his friend was passed over for the Nobel version — now looks awkward after the president launched military strikes against another World Cup qualifying nation, Iran.

Willy Rice, Florida pastor and abuse crisis skeptic, elected SBC president

A Florida pastor who has argued that the nation’s largest Protestant denomination has become too woke and liberal was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday (June 9). Willy Rice, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, received 5,217 votes — 57% of the votes cast. His opponent, Josh Powell, lead pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church in South Carolina, received 3,821 votes, or 42%. Rice’s election is a triumph for critics who claim that the denomination has lost its way in recent years. He has alleged that the SBC’s sexual abuse crisis was more hoax than reality and said that the denomination’s leaders had followed the culture more than the Bible.

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The two candidates were similar. Both are conservative. Both are in favor of a ban on churches with women pastors. Both are fans of missionary work and are lifelong Southern Baptists. Both claimed that concerns that the SBC had a sexual abuse crisis were overblown. But they offered disparate views of the state of the convention during a lunchtime forum, held a few hours before the election, during the SBC’s gathering at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando this week. “I’m afraid, you know, if we are not careful, we’re going to hug ourselves to death,” Rice told the audience at the forum, hosted by Baptist21, a group of younger pastors. “All we are going to do is talk about how great we are. We are going to wake up one day and be Kodak or Blockbuster.” Rice told attendees that Southern Baptist leaders were led astray by what he called a “cultural riptide” on issues of race, social justice and politics. That led to what he said were bad decisions that have undermined trust in the SBC’s leadership. He defended those who say the SBC has lost its way.

Trump officials lay out aggressive timeline to build triumphal arch

Federal officials are laying more groundwork to begin construction on President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot-tall triumphal arch, sharing additional documents that detail the project’s scope and an aggressive timetable for potentially completing work before Trump’s term ends. According to National Park Service documents posted this month, the administration envisions 20 hours per day of construction on the arch, year-round, in hopes of completing the project within two to three years. Construction experts said that timeline — which would involve two 10-hour daily shifts — is unusually aggressive for a nonemergency project. The arch also would be built with concrete clad in granite, unlike the nearby Lincoln Memorial and other monuments that were constructed with natural stone like marble and limestone — another way to expedite its construction, experts said.

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“He’s obviously in a hurry to try to get this all done before he leaves office,” said Matthew Bell, a University of Maryland architecture professor, commenting on the timeline and materials. “Most of the major monuments in D.C. are stone.” The Park Service said the project would require large cranes, including one that may be 320 feet tall and another that could be as high as 300 feet. The planned site for the arch is on a flight path to nearby Reagan National Airport, where planes can sometimes fly at around 500 feet of altitude, raising concerns about safety. The Federal Aviation Administration has said it is reviewing whether the arch’s planned height would present risks to airplanes transiting the area, concluding in a preliminary report last week that the arch would need red blinking lights to alert planes at night. An FAA spokesperson said Tuesday that the agency was still conducting a full study on the project. FAA, Transportation and Interior Department spokespeople did not respond to questions about whether the additional height of the cranes would pose further risk. The White House declined to comment on the Park Service documents. Officials said they planned to begin construction as soon as all approvals are received.

Nevada is set to have one of nation’s premier races for governor as Democrats seek to reclaim seat

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, will face Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford in a battle to hold onto his seat in November, setting up what is considered one of the most competitive governor’s races in the country. Both won their party’s nominations Tuesday as Nevada held primaries for several key offices, including a swing congressional seat in the Las Vegas area where the GOP nominated Marty O’Donnell, a composer known for writing the soundtrack to the video game “Halo,” to face Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in November. The voting came as Nevada grapples with an affordable housing shortage, exploding energy demand from data centers and federal cuts to key state programs.

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The state has a closed primary, meaning only registered Democrats and Republicans voted in party contests after an effort to open them failed in 2024. Several primaries featured matchups between candidates backed by party leaders and political outsiders promising change. Come November, the governor’s race is considered one of the most competitive in the country, and holding on to the 3rd Congressional District is considered crucial for Democrats’ hope of retaking the U.S. House. Lomardo is considered one of the most vulnerable governors in the country this fall as both parties expect Democrats to do well nationwide. Ford, who had the backing of the Democratic congressional delegation and former Vice President Kamala Harris, beat Alexis Hill, a county commissioner in northern Nevada, in his party’s primary. Ford and Hill focused their campaigns on affordability, as the state continues to see a shortage of affordable housing, some of the highest gas prices in the country and cuts to federal healthcare and food assistance programs. Ford argued that both the governor and President Donald Trump are responsible for Nevadans’ economic woes. At his victory party, he promised to lower costs for families.

Nithya Raman: progressive who bested Spencer Pratt eyes Hollywood ending

On election night, Nithya Raman seemed as if she was prepared to lose the second spot in the Los Angeles mayoral race to the reality TV star Spencer Pratt, whose viral campaign appeared on track to upend the contest. “Many thousands of votes will be counted in the days ahead, and we may not get an answer we like. But regardless of what happens next, nobody can take away what all of us have built together,” Raman, a progressive Democrat who sits on the LA city council, told her supporters. Now in a twist fit for Hollywood, it is Raman who will be advancing to the November election to face off against her one-time political ally, incumbent mayor Karen Bass, for the chance to lead the second-largest city in the US. It was a shake-up in a race that has been defined by the unexpected. Raman rocked the Los Angeles political establishment in February when she threw her hat in the ring hours ahead of the deadline and just weeks after endorsing Bass in her re-election campaign.

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Raman, an urban planner, said she had felt a call for change across the entire city from Angelenos, and that the city was at a “breaking point”: unable to manage the basics and adequately respond to homelessness and a housing shortage. Media outlets were quick to draw parallels between Raman and and New York’s Zohran Mamdani, another democratic socialist. Given Raman’s political history, she was instantly one of the most recognizable candidates in the race. She had a high profile since winning her first election in 2020, when she unexpectedly defeated an incumbent Democrat endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. But as the race unfolded, it was Pratt’s campaign that grabbed headlines. Pratt, best known as the bad boyfriend on MTV’s The Hills, lost his home in last year’s deadly Los Angeles wildfires. He became one of the most visible and vocal critics of the city’s response to the disaster and Bass’s leadership, arguing the city did not do enough to prepare for the fire and was falling short in helping residents with recovery. In January, he launched his campaign for mayor, putting wildfire frustrations front and center, while also harnessing anger over longstanding issues in the city, including the cost-of-living crisis and an enduring homelessness emergency. Polling has found that the majority of Los Angeles residents feel the city is headed in the wrong direction. Los Angeles remains one of the most expensive cities in the US, and is short 270,000 affordable housing units.

Black Democrats are scrambling to find someone to run against Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Black Democrats in Florida and Washington are infuriated with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Two weeks after Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) announced she will be seeking reelection in Florida’s new 20th Congressional District, four Black Democratic candidates competing in the race are hoping to stop her from winning the nomination in a district that has historically been represented by a Black lawmaker. Democrats were surprised by the senior Democrat’s move, which followed Gov. Ron DeSantis signing legislation that redrew the state’s congressional maps in an effort to bolster Republicans’ chances to pick up seats in the 2026 midterms. Wasserman Schultz’s current district was effectively eliminated.

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In a four-hour meeting on Monday in Pompano Beach, the four candidates — former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, rapper Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus McCormick and activist Elijah Manley — voted 3-1 to consolidate behind one candidate to defeat Wasserman Schultz. “It was a long conversation,” Manley — who declined to say who voted against consolidating — told NOTUS. “We had to get real, egos had to be put aside.” “We had to be honest with ourselves, you know, maybe the math is not mathing with all of us in the race,” Manley added. He told NOTUS that the candidates cross-examined each other during the meeting, with each having to explain what their strengths and weaknesses were. The candidates did not decide who they would back in the Aug. 18 primary, but Holness said he expects candidates to make a decision by “no later than Wednesday morning” because some candidates are considering filing for different congressional races or potentially for statewide offices, and they might need a few days “to get our paperwork to Tallahassee to finalize what we’re doing.” He did not name which candidates are considering those options.

Copyright June 10, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved