July 8, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Ken Paxton vowed to crack down on “illegal voting.” He may have violated Texas election law.

Two weeks before this year’s primary elections, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the creation of a tip line for the public to report people or groups suspected of voter fraud. “Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of a thriving republic, and with the authority granted to my office by the Legislature, we will stop at nothing to uncover and stop any illegal voting activity,” Paxton said in a February news release announcing the tip line. The announcement linked to guidance from his office about election laws in Texas, which included a requirement to be a U.S. citizen, a prohibition on collecting mail ballots on behalf of others and a warning that “it is illegal to misrepresent your residence on election records or to establish a residence for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election.”

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“You must register to vote using the address where you reside,” the attorney general’s guidance stated. Despite his own warnings, Paxton appears to have used an address where he did not live while voting in six elections in the past two years, including in May’s runoff that made him the Republican nominee for U.S. senator, according to records obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. State Sen. Angela Paxton said in a 2025 divorce filing that Paxton, whom she accused of adultery, moved out of their Collin County home a year earlier. But Paxton continues to list the home’s address in the northern Dallas suburb on his voter registration. Angela Paxton declined to be interviewed. A source close to the Paxtons said the attorney general has not moved back into the home since leaving. It is unclear where Paxton has lived for the past two years, but reporting by ProPublica and the Tribune has linked him to a home in neighboring Denton County since February. Three election lawyers told the news organizations that Paxton may have violated the same Texas laws his office cautioned about in its news release. ProPublica and the Tribune reached out to Paxton’s campaign on June 3, 15 and 25, asking why he remained registered to vote in Collin County when he appeared to no longer live there and about his connection to the Denton County property.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's son speaks on ICE deadly shooting in Houston

The son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer in Houston, issued a statement on social media Tuesday night, saying "my father did not deserve this." Earlier that morning, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot the Mexican citizen in the city's Magnolia Park neighborhood after he allegedly refused multiple commands and tried to run over an officer in his car, an agency spokesperson said. They alleged Araujo was trying to evade arrest during a "targeted enforcement operation." "My father, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a hardworking Mexican man, was the man killed this morning by ICE in the East End," Ronaldo Salgado said on Facebook.

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"My father has been in this country for nearly 35 years, working in construction to provide for myself, my two brothers, and my mother. He was in the process of obtaining his work permit through the legal process. He was on his way to work, picking up his workers. My father did not deserve this. Please respect my family's privacy during this time. There are a lot of videos and pictures out there of my father's final moments that I do not wish to see." Araujo's death has been followed by calls for an investigation into the shooting by advocates, local leaders and community members. Some have compared the shooting to Renee Good's death in Minneapolis when an ICE officer shot at her for allegedly attempting to drive over him in her car. Salgado said he will speak Wednesday at 10 a.m. at a news conference at the Greater Coalition for Justice at 150 West Parker Road in Houston.

Reitz slated to be next US Attorney in Texas’ Southern District

Aaron Reitz, a former Trump administration official and top lawyer for the state of Texas, is set to be the next US attorney for the Southern District of Texas. Reitz has been chosen to lead the office, sources familiar with the move told Bloomberg Law on Tuesday. He will replace current acting US Attorney John Marck, who was confirmed June 24 as a federal judge in McAllen, Texas. The Southern District of Texas is anchored by Houston and includes a large area covering the state’s southern border. Reitz, a partner at Hance Scarborough LLP in Austin, didn’t respond to a request for comment

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Gov. Greg Abbott directs state agency to investigate South Texas hospital over birth tourism

Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday directed the state’s health and human services commission to investigate whether a South Texas medical facility is advertising to attract international patients who want to give birth in the U.S. “American citizenship is not for sale and Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism,” Abbott said in the letter addressed to Stephanie Muth, the executive commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The commission has referred the matter to the agency's inspector general, said spokesman James Rivera.

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Birth tourism is the idea that pregnant women are traveling to the U.S. to give birth so their children receive U.S. citizenship. The letter asks the commission to look into Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, Texas, after reports surfaced on social media last week that the medical facility ran advertisements in Spanish showing how much it would cost to deliver a baby at the hospital. Kathleen Avila, spokesperson for Mission Regional Medical Center, said in an email Tuesday that to eliminate any “unintended misunderstanding,” the advertising material is no longer being used. The hospital will cooperate with local and state officials, she added. “Like hospitals across the country and throughout the region, we share information about the healthcare services we provide,” Avila said. “We do not support or facilitate any unlawful activity and work to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.”

State Stories

Petition seeks removal of Cheryl Bean from school board after offensive posts

More than 1,100 people have signed a petition seeking the resignation of a Texas House candidate as the chair of a fine arts charter school after she posted a racially coded meme last week. On July 1, Republican Cheryl Bean posted on Facebook an AI-generated illustration of WNBA player Sophie Cunningham on a boat with her Indiana Fever teammates, posing similarly to the “Washington Crossing the Delaware” painting. In the image, Cunningham is pointing forward, referencing a June 22 game when she pointed dramatically at Phoenix Mercury player DeWanna Bonner after a physical altercation with Cunningham’s teammate Caitlin Clark. Bean is running for House District 94 and is the board chair of the Texas Center for Arts and Academics, which governs two public charter schools, one in Fort Worth.

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By 11:30 a.m. July 1 the post was deleted. Bean did not respond to questions from the Star Telegram. The petition on change.org was started on July 5. The petition cites a pattern of offensive posts from Bean. “When the individual serving as Board Chair publicly shares or amplifies content that many members of the community reasonably perceive as discriminatory or demeaning toward protected groups, confidence in the Board’s ability to provide fair, inclusive, and ethical leadership is compromised,” the petition said. It continued: ”For these reasons, we respectfully call upon Cheryl Bean to resign as Chair of the Texas Center for Arts + Academics Board of Directors and from the Board entirely. If she chooses not to resign, we call upon the TCAA Board of Directors to take appropriate action to remove her from her position as Chair and from the Board entirely, and to ensure its leadership reflects the standards of respect, accountability, integrity, and inclusion expected by the students, families, educators, and community it serves.”

Defense lawyer charged with murder after fatal shooting in Houston

A criminal defense attorney was charged Monday with murder after he told authorities he shot a former client during a confrontation, according to court records. Michael Driver, 45, is accused of shooting Jesse Reyes in the 1600 block of Vassar Street in Boulevard Oaks on June 27. Driver called police to report the shooting and flagged down officers arriving at the home. Driver told police that he shot Reyes, 48, whom he described as his roommate and body guard, during a fight, court records show. Three veteran defense attorneys representing Driver — Dick DeGuerin, Jed Silverman and Neal Davis — characterized the shooting as self-defense.

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Driver previously represented Reyes in a criminal case stemming from allegations that Reyes wielded a gun during a March home break-in, Davis said. Driver withdrew from the case in May, court records show. Reyes, a tattoo artist, also lived at the Vassar Street property, according to his financial affidavit. The two men had been friends for several years when they got into an argument at the home, Davis said, adding that Reyes owned the weapon, not Driver. Jules Johnson, the attorney who took over Reyes' case, said his client appeared dismayed by Driver's decision to step down. Driver is due in court Wednesday. Driver is the brother of a Harris County prosecutor, Stephen Driver, who is running for a criminal court judicial seat as a Republican. Harris County prosecutors previously recused themselves from handling a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge against Michael Driver in 2019 after disclosing that he had a relative in their office. The case was later dismissed. The state is expected to hand the case over to Fort Bend County prosecutors to handle in their place because of the same conflict. Ahead of that decision, prosecutors filed paperwork to hold a hearing to deny Michael Driver's bail, citing his criminal history that consists of three misdemeanor charges from May 2023 in Austin.

'There's no path to fix this' | State lawmakers gearing up for new attempt to ban consumable THC products

State lawmakers appear to be gearing up to take another run at cracking down on THC in consumable hemp products. The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met on Tuesday to listen to testimony about THC, mental health and homelessness services. THC is the chemical in marijuana that gets users high. Small amounts of it are in consumable hemp, which has become a booming industry in this state. The 2025 legislative session was dominated by a monthslong fight over efforts to rein in the industry. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wanted to ban the sale of consumable hemp products with THC. State lawmakers passed a bill doing so, but Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed it, citing concerns about its constitutionality, and put it on the call for both special sessions. However, state lawmakers could not agree on what to do, so they gaveled out in September without taking any action.

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On Tuesday, State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who carried Senate Bill 3 in 2025, said he does not believe there is a path to regulate THC other than to truly eliminate it. Hemp products are widely sold across Texas in a range of forms, from oils to edibles, often marketed for health and wellness. Perry said he plans to file a bill to ban the products in 2027. "I don't want to see another family with a kid in the basement that's not articulate because they drank a THC beverage, or they smoked something from a vape that they didn't know what was in it, or it's 100 times what it was supposed to be,” Perry said. “There's nothing good from this stuff. There's no virtue in it." Perry said he is at the point where he does not believe taxpayers can't afford the cost of the issues he says come from THC. “We're at our breaking point financially. I'm at my breaking point from a conscience level,” Perry said. “I don't know, as a society, how we can allow this stuff to perpetuate itself in the name of profit. I don't know how these industries live with themselves, or look at themselves in the mirror every day, knowing what they're doing.”

Data center dismay: 800 residents back petition to remove Granbury city officials

Citizens of Granbury presented a petition with over 800 signatures to Granbury City Council members Tuesday night, calling for a vote of confidence to remove the city manager and city attorney. The petition came on the heels of a controversy regarding the rezoning of the Knox Ranch land to industrial for a data center. City Manager Chris Coffman and City Attorney Jeremy SoRelle were unaware of the petition until it was presented at the meeting. Jacob Herbold, a resident of Granbury and organizer of the petition said it does not only call for the removal of Coffman and SoRelle but also of all council members but Angela Parker. They are requesting the removal because of the City Council members’ choice to vote yes on the rezoning of the Knox Ranch land.

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Herbold said that they knew that Coffman wasn’t being transparent about what the land would be used for, and they still voted yes. Daniel Piatt, the first of the citizens presenting the petition to speak, noted some of the concerns in the petition regarding “documented contradictions” about the Knox Ranch annexation and Project Patriot. In January the city annexed Knox Ranch, which straddles Meadow Road. Piatt said that when the land was originally annexed in January the city acted like it didn’t know what it would be used for, but then documents showed that Coffman had been working with the Project Patriot. The Project Patriot is a power plant/data center project from the Dallas-based Bilateral Energy LLC. In July, Bilateral Energy received a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to build the power plant, according to previous Star-Telegeram reporting.

Holley Digby: How students can thrive even during the summer

(Holley Digby is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Director of Mental Health and Wellness for Communities In Schools of South Central Texas.) My office is on the first floor directly below the Mill Street Youth Center. During the school year, the building is relatively quiet until about 4 p.m. when school lets out. But come summer, the building comes alive. I don’t know all of their summer programming, but judging by the steady parade of footsteps, laughter and the occasional enthusiastic thud, I can confidently say they aren’t spending the day in a quiet game of bridge. And I absolutely love it! The extra energy overhead is a reminder of something I see throughout our community this time of year: children attending camps, participating in programs, building friendships, learning new skill, and simply enjoying being kids. When my children were young, our summers were filled with camps, swim team, Schlitterbahn and the constant search for missing goggles. Those months brought plenty of fun and freedom and were wonderful years full of adventures and connection. But like many families, we also experienced the challenges that come with summer – long days, less structure, and the loss of routines, opportunities, and resources that school naturally provides.

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This week, I was reminded just how much support and structure school provides for many students and families when a mother from one of our local elementary schools called to discuss her daughter. She shared that during the school year, her daughter received counseling services through Communities In Schools, had made tremendous progress, and she was worried about her losing that momentum over the summer. As we talked, it became clear that her daughter’s progress had been shaped by a network of support and experiences at school. A counselor had taught her strategies for managing stress and anxiety. Teachers encouraged her growth. Daily routines provided predictability, and opportunities to interact with peers helped her practice social skills and build confidence. Together, these experiences helped to create the positive momentum her mother feared might fade over the summer. Her concern was that all of those supports would suddenly pause for the summer. As we talked through ways to help maintain that momentum, I was reminded how fortunate we are to live in a community rich with resources and opportunities for families. Whether a family needs a summer camp, counseling services, food assistance or help meeting basic needs, our community is fortunate to have organizations working to support children and families all year long.

Texas Gov. Abbott creates 'teacher-driven' commission to improve public education

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is creating a new commission meant to guide public education in the state. The Texas Classroom Commission will be made up of current and retired teachers and tasked with developing recommendations ahead of the 2027 legislative session for classroom instruction, teacher support and educational outcomes. “Texas teachers know what their students need to succeed," Abbott said in a statement announcing the new commission Tuesday. “The Texas Classroom Commission will bring together exemplary public school educators to identify innovative solutions that help students succeed, improve the learning environment in classrooms, and strengthen our schools."

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Abbott named former Dallas and Richardson ISD math educator Courtney Boswell MacDonald to run the “teacher-led initiative.” She currently chairs the State Board for Educator Certification. Abbott said the goal of putting teachers at the center of shaping the future of public education will “ build on Texas’ success and ensure our state becomes the national leader in the education of our kids..” In a statement, Mary Lynn Pruneda, director of education and workforce policy at the research policy group Texas 2036, called the commission a “critical opportunity to learn from and partner with educators” to get more students reading and doing math at grade level. Recent results from the state’s standardized STAAR tests showed high schoolers made gains across subjects, but reading scores for students in middle and elementary schools have stalled.

Who pays for Brownsville's industrial and tech boom?

In 2014, SpaceX moved to Cameron County, Texas, seeking low-cost land, a skilled workforce, and a strategic Gulf Coast location. In return, the county, historically one of the poorest in the nation, gave Elon Musk, the world’s first trillionaire, a 10-year property tax abatement. Now, another technology company, the Austin-based Saronic Technologies, which will manufacture AI-powered autonomous warships for the U.S. Navy, is seeking a 95 percent property tax abatement over 20 years in exchange for setting up a $3.2 billion shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, called Port Alpha. The rapid expansion of industry in the region, including liquid natural gas pipelines, the SpaceX Super Heavy rocket testing site, a proposed oil refinery, autonomous warships, and other military defense production, is taking a toll on the environment and quality of life, say residents.

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Residents are also questioning whether multi-billion-dollar companies should be receiving tax breaks in a region where many households are barely getting by. This growing concern was reflected in two contentious hearings last month over the Saronic tax abatement. At the final hearing on June 16, residents filled the Cameron County Commissioners' courtroom to give public comment ahead of the commissioners' vote. At least 40 people submitted written statements expressing their disapproval or testified at the hearing against the tax abatement. Several questioned subsidizing companies that profit from the war industry and whether handing out a tax break to Saronic, recently valued at $9.25 billion, which received a $392 million contract from the U.S. Navy was necessary. “Does a company worth billions of dollars really need a tax abatement?” a resident, Desto Huerta, said at the hearing. “These corporations don’t do anything but exploit the land, its workers, and your constituents. The least they can do is pay their fair share of taxes.”

Season 3 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is its best

They got me again. Every summer since America’s Sweethearts first dropped on Netflix, I think to myself, eh, maybe I’ll watch that. Maybe I’ll be too busy reading a book or something. But eventually, I find myself engulfed in the DCC charm offensive, obsessively clicking “Next Episode” and fully absorbed in who is and isn’t making the iconic squad. There are times you can actually feel the emotional manipulation (scoring Savanna’s segment about her nearly life-long goal of becoming a DCC to The Monkees’ “Daydream Believer” practically guarantees she’s headed for hurt), but I love the ride regardless. Books can wait when Emily A.’s fate hangs in the balance. I do agree with some critics’ complaints that this season’s structure followed the past two’s a little too rigidly. And I always struggle to buy that creator Greg Whitely has the control he claims. But it simply does not matter when the stars of your show have this much charisma and talent.

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Which leads me to why I think season 3 is actually America’s Sweethearts’ best: The cheerleaders don’t have to prove themselves anymore. If season 1 set out to convince viewers that Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are elite athletes that deserve more respect, and season 2 set out to prove that those athletes deserved their 400 percent pay increase (and then some!), season 3 is finally free to revel in the interpersonal dynamics of the most famous cheerleading squad on the planet. It could almost be a hang show if it weren’t for the insane rigors of DCC life. The steep increase in fame has also shifted things for better and for worse. It was notable to me in Whitely’s interview with D Magazine last month that the season 3 auditions were the first ones held after America’s Sweethearts’ debut. (There’s a great discussion between Kleine and former DCC Kat about the difference between the old CMT show veterans and the “new Netflix girls.”) The exposure flooded the talent pool with less typical DCC hopefuls (cruise performers, bendy TikTok stars), setting up a dichotomy of collegiate dancers versus technical dancers that I would have loved to have seen explored more. But instead, we have to focus on the bummer fact that the internet is now obsessing over training camp cuts and microscopic performance flaws, while being generally weird about a group of attractive young women. Jenna, who had one of my favorite comeback girl stories ever, says, “It’s as if you take all of your deepest insecurities and thousands of people are like, ‘Agree! Agree! Agree!'” One upside of fame, however, is that some cheerleaders (at least the ones heavily featured on the show) are able to ditch demanding 9-to-5 jobs in favor of filming a few brand deals a week. DCC director Kelli Finglass, who admits the organization used to fight the pursuit of influencerhood, says it “has shifted the whole culture of the program.” Good!

Advocates say Judson hair policy could be discriminatory against Black students

The board of trustees for the Judson Independent School District approved a change to the district dress code at the end of June that advocates say could be discriminatory against Black students. Judson’s dress code has been updated to say, “Hair must be neat and clean” and that “Hairstyles and/or hair colors that are considered by school administration to be distracting and/or disruptive to the educational environment are prohibited.” The policy previously said, “Student hairstyles must be groomed appropriately and may not be a distraction to the educational environment.”

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Advocates with both Texas Appleseed and the Intercultural Development Research Association said the policy is vague and open to subjective interpretation that could lead school administrators to punish Black hairstyles like locs. “What are we defining as neat and clean, and who specifically within the district is making this determination?” asked Princess Jefferson, a fellow with Texas Appleseed. “Is it other people of color, is it other Black people specifically? Because if the answer is no, then once again we are putting, particularly Black students, in a position where the cultural characteristics of our hair are wildly unrepresented and unconsidered.” Judson ISD serves a higher number of Black students than many Bexar County school districts. About 21% of Judson students are Black, according to state data. Census records show that about 8% of people in Bexar County are Black. Before the board voted on the policy change, IDRA sent an email to trustee Laura Stanford raising concerns.

Democrat Gina Hinojosa wants to send $1,500 to every Texas household

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Austin Democrat running against Gov. Greg Abbott, made her first major economic pitch Tuesday, saying she would push to send a $1,500 check to every Texas household if elected in November. Hinojosa billed the proposal as relief for Texans struggling to make ends meet. She said she would issue a proclamation declaring affordability an emergency on her first day in office and call on lawmakers to approve pulling $17 billion from the nearly $27 billion in the state’s rainy day fund to spend on the checks. “People are struggling. People need help. It’s an emergency situation,” Hinojosa said in an interview, pointing to statistics showing the state leads the nation in bankruptcies and rates of uninsured.

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“My agenda is to put money in your pocket. Texans know how to spend money better than the government. That’s our money. It’s there. It should go to Texans.” The announcement comes as Democrats have focused on affordability in the run-up to the midterms, which are expected to be bruising for Republicans as voters have soured on President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy. Public polling has shown Hinojosa within single digits of Abbott, even as many voters say they are still unfamiliar with her. Abbott's campaign did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. It’s not the first time a politician has made promises for the rainy day fund, which draws money from excess oil and gas taxes. Tapping into the reserve fund requires the support of two-thirds of lawmakers in the House and Senate, both of which are controlled by Republicans — and likely to remain in GOP hands. The Legislature has mostly dipped into the ballooning fund to pay for water projects, disaster relief and public education, according to the Comptroller. Hinojosa argues there is more than enough money in the fund to send some back to taxpayers. The state’s reserves have grown from $6 billion in 2013, the year before Abbott took office, to an expected $27 billion by the end of this fiscal year. The Comptroller’s office has projected the fund to grow by at least $2.5 billion per year, as well.

S.A. clergy call on elected officials to ensure free, fair elections

A coalition of San Antonio faith leaders is calling on local elected officials to ensure all voters have access to the polls in the upcoming midterm elections. Leaders from the Archdiocese of San Antonio, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Temple Beth-El, Masjid Bilal Ibn Rabah of San Antonio and other congregations, demanded “free and fair elections” as the Trump administration tries to remake local and federal elections. “Every eligible voter should be able to vote,” said Brother Chris Markert, a bishop’s associate at the Southwestern Texas Synod, which is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “Every voter should be confident that their vote will be counted, and no one should have to approach the ballot box under the shadow of coercion, fear, disruption, intimidation or violence.”

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“To be very clear, this is not about partisanship,” Markert said. “It is about peace, truth and protecting the public trust.” The news conference, staged near San Fernando Cathedral downtown, was one of many held Tuesday as part of “Faith in Us,” a national clergy initiative formed in Minnesota last month to protect immigrants and voter access. Earlier this year, the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement in that state. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens during the crackdown. Clergy across the country are calling on elected officials and elections administrators to sign a letter opposing efforts “to prevent eligible voters from voting and that dilute voter’s power to choose their elected leaders.” San Antonio-area faith leaders and their congregants will ask Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, City Council members, Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and County Commissioners to sign, said Bee Moorhead, executive director of Texas Impact, an interfaith public policy organization. They also want Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew to sign.

Austin could become a 'Book Safe Harbor' as censorship fights escalate

As book bans surge across Texas and the country, Austin’s Library Commission is urging the City Council to take a formal stand against censorship by declaring the city a “Book Safe Harbor,” a move supporters say could strengthen protections for what remains on public library shelves. The proposal lands amid an intensifying political fight over who decides what people, especially children, can read. In Texas, battles over books have transformed school board meetings, county commissioners courts and the state Capitol into recurring flashpoints over race, gender identity and sexuality. That fight reached new ground this year when Texas lawmakers passed SB 13, shifting some power over public school library collections away from librarians and toward elected school board members and parents, a change critics say could accelerate book removals.

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While schools have been the front line of the battle, advocates warn public libraries could be next. For example, in 2025, Texas House advanced HB 3225, which would have limited kids’ access to sexually explicit books in public libraries. While the bill didn’t ultimately pass, censorship efforts are driving a growing push for “Book Safe Harbors” local ordinances meant to preserve access to books. Austin’s Library Commission passed their recommendation Monday, urging the Austin City Council to consider designating the city a Book Safe Harbor. The goal is to “defend the right to read at an ordinance level,” said Liz Garton Scanlon, an Austin-based children’s book author who is part of the Texas leadership team of Authors Against Book Bans. After the organization encouraged the creation of Book Safe Harbors in local municipalities, Garton Scanlon brought the idea to the Library Commission. Book bans weren’t on her radar when she began writing children’s books 20 years ago, but over the past five years, she has observed the issue intensifying dramatically. She said one of her most popular books, All the World, ended up on a Pennsylvania challenge list, though the effort to ban it was ultimately unsuccessful.

National Stories

How redistricting squeezed House Democrats’ fundraising

Redistricting already reshaped the House map for the 2026 midterms. But for House Democrats, it means fewer incumbents are paying dues to the party’s campaign arm, and some are worried it could cause a cash crunch. Every year, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee designates a group of vulnerable Democrats as “Frontliners,” giving them extra financial support to help them retain their seats, as well as debate-preparation help and legislative and communications guidance. Unlike other members of the caucus, this group is also exempt from paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in dues to the DCCC because they’re expected to devote most of their resources to their own reelection campaigns. After the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act by making racially drawn districts illegal this spring, state Republicans raced to remove majority-Black districts. Those efforts pushed some Democrats into red districts, lowering their chances of being reelected.

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On top of that, the mid-cycle redistricting crunch has bulked up the number of Frontliners and other non-dues-paying members, multiple sources told NOTUS. Louisiana Rep. Cleo Fields is still undecided about whether he will run in what is now a Republican-leaning district after state lawmakers eliminated his district. But he has stopped paying his dues to the campaign arm, even after fulfilling more than a third of his $275,000 quota. “Conditions have changed. The district has changed, obviously, which means that I got to, you know, focus a lot more on self,” he told NOTUS about paying dues. One Frontliner, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, told NOTUS that “the field [of vulnerable members] is spreading thinner, thinner, and so now the dues that members pay here, you know, don’t go directly to frontliners like me. They go to the DCCC to decide what they do with that.” Initially, Democratic leaders designated 26 Frontliners. That list dwindled to 21 after Maine Rep. Jared Golden’s decided not to seek reelection and California voters approved a ballot measure to redraw the state’s maps to counter Republicans’ redistricting efforts in Texas.

NATO unveils billions in arms deals to prove its firepower as Trump again demands Greenland

President Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted that the United States should be in control of Greenland rather than NATO ally Denmark, renewing tensions in Europe even as the trans-Atlantic military alliance was announcing billions in arms deals at a summit in an attempt to appease the mercurial U.S. leader. Trump called the semiautonomous island “an important part” for the United States, as he repeated the false claim that it’s surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships and said he won’t let Greenland be threatened. “That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

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The NATO alliance was founded on the principle that its 32 members will defend each others’ territory and not threaten to seize it. At the summit, European countries and the alliance’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte, were already working overtime to address another longstanding Trump complaint: that European allies do not spend enough on their own defense. Separately, Trump announced that the U.S. will lift sanctions on Turkey that were issued after Ankara purchased a Russian missile defense system that led to the country being kicked out of the F-35 fighter jet program — in a nod to his warm ties with summit host Erdogan. Turkey’s purchase in 2019 of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems sparked years of tensions, despite the warm personal relationship between Trump and Erdogan dating back to the U.S. president’s first term. Legal hurdles remain before Turkey could be fully admitted back to the U.S. F-35 program, but the removal of sanctions issued under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act would help ease that process. Regaining access to the F-35s is a top goal of Erdogan.

Trump’s biggest roadblock to selling jets to Turkey may be Republican lawmakers

Congress is already pushing back on President Donald Trump’s plans to lift sanctions on Turkey and potentially sell the country F-35 fighter jets. Lawmakers from both parties warned Tuesday that Turkey’s possession of the S-400 Russian air defense system still poses the security concerns that prompted Congress to restrict F-35 transfers so long as Turkey possesses the system. The opposition is also being fueled by past clashes between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government and countries that have diaspora communities in the U.S. — and allies on Capitol Hill — including Israel, Greece, Cyprus and Armenia.

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“If used in proximity to the F-35,” Turkey’s S-400 “could reveal to Russia how our stealth technology works,” Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California) said in a statement to NOTUS. Lifting the sanctions “would be tantamount to handing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin the blueprints to our technology.” Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, a member of the House Republican Israel Caucus, said the F-35 transfer ban must remain in force so long as Ankara retains the S-400. “Selling one of America’s most advanced fighter jets to Turkey is not in the best interest of the United States,” Lawler said in a statement to NOTUS. “It risks compromising critical technology and sends the wrong message to our allies in Europe and the Middle East.” Lawler had already released a bipartisan letter last week with five other Republicans opposing Turkey’s return to the program.

Trump orders halt to US trade with Spain over NATO spending, Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an immediate halt to all trade with NATO ally Spain, escalating tensions over defence spending and the Iran war, despite European Union rules requiring trade negotiations to be conducted as a single bloc. During a NATO summit in Ankara, ?which European leaders had hoped would put a lid on rifts within the military alliance, Trump instead ?reignited the dispute with Spain. He also irked another NATO ally Denmark by reiterating that his ?country should control Greenland. Denmark promised to defend every inch of its territory.

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It was the second time Trump has ?instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt commerce with Spain over its refusal to commit to NATO's new defence spending ?target of 5% of GDP. However, after his first such promise in March, trade between the two countries continued normally. "Spain doesn't agree to anything, and you shouldn't carry them," Trump told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who later tried to soothe the tension by saying ?that Spain "made a huge step last year" raising its spending to 2%, although he added that "there are still issues ?we have to solve". "I don't want to do any trade with them, alright?" Trump said, turning to Bessent, who replied: "Yes, sir." Trump ?then added, "Take ?it immediately. Don't even talk to them. They're hopeless. They're bad people ... They make so much money with us, and we're going to see that they make a lot less." The office of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who leads a minority leftist government, said in a statement it was treating Trump's statements as "business as usual" and did not ?intend to change the "excellent" relations ?it enjoyed with Washington. It pointed ?out that Spain had a trade deficit with the U.S. and that economic ties were forged by private companies rather than governments, adding that as part of the customs ?and trade union, individual EU members could not be singled out. Trump has repeatedly expressed ?frustration with Spain ?after Sanchez, a Socialist, refused to let the U.S. use its airspace or bases on its territory for the Iran war. Washington jointly operates with Madrid two key military bases in southern Spain for naval and air operations. Spain is the ?world's ?largest olive oil exporter and also sells auto parts, steel, and chemicals ?to the United States, although analysts consider it to be less vulnerable to Trump's threats of economic punishment than other European economies.

Measles outbreak confirmed at Arizona immigration detention center

Federal officials have confirmed seven active cases of measles at an Arizona immigration detention center, prompting quarantines and restrictions on visitation. The measles outbreak affects the Florence Detention Center, which includes Florence Service Processing Center and short-term holding facility Florence Staging Facility, an unnamed spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a Tuesday email to the Arizona Daily Star. Both facilities are run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which also handles medical and mental health care there. "ICE Health Services Corps immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected," the statement said. "All non-legal in-person visitation is currently suspended to protect the health and safety of the detainees, the staff, and the community."

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Several ICE detainees suspected of coming in contact with someone with measles were held in quarantine last week at Eloy Detention Center, but no cases have been confirmed there, according to a spokesman for CoreCivic, the private for-profit prison company that operates both Eloy and the Florence Correctional Center. "CoreCivic follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measles protocols, including testing, quarantine, and monitoring procedures for individuals who may have been exposed prior to their arrival at our facilities, including our Eloy Detention Center and Central Arizona Florence Correctional Complex," CoreCivic spokesman Ryan Gustin said in an email. "Based on the results of these protocols, we can report that there are currently no confirmed measles cases at either of these facilities." Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Arizona, conducted an unannounced oversight visit to Eloy July 2 and reported hearing from staff that several detainees were in isolation for possible measles exposure.

World Cup Daily recap: Argentina, Messi produce late magic; Switzerland sneak past Colombia

The quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are now set, as the final two spots were decided Tuesday. The day began with Argentina embarking on a remarkable comeback against Egypt, fighting back from two goals down to win 3-2. In the late game, Colombia fell to Switzerland in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.

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Here’s who could replace Platner if he drops out of Maine Senate race

All eyes have turned to a handful of Maine Democrats who could take the mantle as Graham Platner, the party’s current Senate nominee, faces growing pressure to withdraw from the marquee race over a sexual assault allegation. The latest allegation, which adds to a string of other controversies around the political newcomer’s bid, prompted the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm and other former backers of Platner, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), to withdraw their support and call for Platner to step aside. If Platner drops out by Monday, Maine’s Democratic Party could still field a new candidate ahead of November, even though the primary has passed. The state party would then have until July 27 to choose its replacement candidate. Here’s a look at some of the Maine Democrats floated as potential replacements for Platner:

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Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation logger who was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, is openly considering a bid to replace Platner. Jackson filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to form a Senate exploratory committee on Tuesday. He previously told the Bangor Daily News he believes he is the “best person” to fill Platner’s shoes. Platner, however, endorsed Jackson in the governor’s race, which could become a liability for Jackson should he choose to run for the upper chamber. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Nirav Shah, who finished second to Democratic nominee Hannah Pingree, a former Maine House speaker, in the governor’s race, offered himself for consideration in a Tuesday social media post. Shenna Bellows, who as secretary of state will likely be front-and-center for procedural changes if Platner drops out, is another potential contender. A former state senator and executive director for the Maine branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Bellows has served as the state’s top election official since 2021. She was heavily involved in ballot initiatives around same-day voter registration and marriage equality — and she’s the first woman to hold the office in Maine.

McConnell speaks to Republican leaders as speculation swirls about his health, remains hospitalized

The Senate’s top two Republicans have spoken individually to Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, according to aides, as the former GOP leader remains in the hospital more than three weeks after being admitted for undisclosed health issues. Aides to McConnell have declined to release any information about his condition, fueling speculation about his prognosis and whether he will be healthy enough to be at the Capitol when the Senate returns to Washington next week after a two-week recess. McConnell, 84, is retiring at the end of his term in January. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he had spoken with McConnell by phone on Monday and that the two had a “lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security.”

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As leader, Thune is generally kept up to date on illnesses and absences in his conference as he has to navigate vote counts and his narrow 53-47 majority. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 Senate Republican, had a 20-minute conversation with McConnell on Tuesday, according to a spokeswoman. The two discussed Senate races ahead of the midterm elections, the Supreme Court and other topics, the statement said. “Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate,” said Barrasso spokeswoman Kate Noyes. Another McConnell ally, Republican strategist Scott Jennings, posted on X that he had also talked to McConnell for 20 minutes on Tuesday, and that “he’s still recovering in the hospital.” Jennings said they spoke about politics, foreign policy “and even a little bit of Senate history.”

Copyright July 08, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved