September 17, 2025: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

What to expect from the most extraordinary Fed meeting yet

Federal Reserve officials are convening this week for a pivotal meeting under unprecedented circumstances. At 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, central bankers are expected to announce their first interest rate cut since December to support America’s slowing labor market, with the hopes that President Donald Trump’s expansive tariffs might have only a limited impact on inflation. But there’s an elephant in the room as officials debate about the US economy: Trump’s aggressive effort to reshape the Fed’s top ranks. On Monday, the Senate confirmed Stephen Miran, Trump’s top economic adviser, to serve on the Fed’s Board of Governors to complete a vacated term that expires at the end of January, but could be extended. Miran has said he won’t commit to resigning when his term ends if a permanent successor hasn’t been named.

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After being sworn in on Tuesday morning, Miran is able to cast a vote at this week’s Fed policy meeting. Fed Governor Lisa Cook, whom Trump tried to fire in late August, will also cast a vote at this week’s meeting. An appeals court on Monday rejected Trump’s attempt to fire Cook while her lawsuit challenging Trump’s removal order moves forward. Cook is the first Fed governor ever to be subject to a firing attempt. The latest Fed meeting is extraordinary, not just because central bankers are finally pivoting their strategy on interest rates, but also because of the latest developments implicating the Fed’s powerful board — all while the Trump administration continues to pile pressure on the politically independent central bank. Mounting signs of labor market weakness are a key reason why the Fed is lowering borrowing costs for the first time in nine months, coupled with Fed officials’ growing belief that tariff inflation may be short lived. Job growth during the summer was anemic: Employers added an average of about 29,000 jobs in the three months ending in August, according to Labor Department data, slightly higher than July’s average, which was the weakest three-month pace since 2010, outside of the pandemic.

Prosecutors say alleged Charlie Kirk gunman wrote: ‘I had enough of his hatred’

The man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week in Utah admitted to killing him, telling people that the right-wing figure was propagating hate and saying he seized a chance to take him out, according to court documents filed Tuesday. Prosecutors wrote in the court papers that Tyler Robinson, 22, targeted Kirk because of his “belief or perception regarding Charlie Kirk’s political expression.” Robinson was formally charged Tuesday with aggravated murder and six other counts, and prosecutors quickly declared they would seek the death penalty in the case. Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot in the neck during an appearance on the campus of Utah Valley University on Wednesday. His death prompted a sweeping manhunt in Utah that ended late the next day, when Robinson surrendered at a sheriff’s office hundreds of miles from the Utah Valley University campus.

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In the court filing, prosecutors said Robinson had criticized Kirk both before and after the shooting. Officials allege that following Kirk’s death, Robinson confessed to people around him, said he had planned the attack in advance and initially hoped to elude capture. After the attack, prosecutors said, Robinson’s roommate found a note under his keyboard stating: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” Hours after he was charged, Robinson appeared virtually for a brief court hearing. He spoke only to say his own name and appeared impassive throughout the proceeding, while Judge Tony F. Graf detailed the charges. Graf said Robinson would remain held without bail and be given a court-appointed attorney. Robinson appeared on video from a special housing unit at a local jail wearing a bulky suicide-prevention smock. The court papers filed Tuesday in Utah revealed details about the investigation into Kirk’s killing. Prosecutors said Robinson had confessed separately to his father and roommate, both of whom responded by asking why he killed Kirk. “I had enough of his hatred,” Robinson wrote to his roommate in a text message, according to the court filing. “Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Texas troopers are doubling their salaries under Greg Abbott's border operation

Border crossings in Texas have fallen to record lows this year. But even as demand for enforcement has dropped, state troopers dispatched to Gov. Greg Abbott’s border crackdown, Operation Lone Star, continue to rake in millions in overtime. The Department of Public Safety is on track to spend about $77 million on Lone Star overtime this year, according to data obtained by Hearst Newspapers. That would surpass what it spent in 2023, when crossings peaked and troopers were arresting thousands of migrants on trespassing and other state charges. As of June, roughly 1 in 10 troopers were on track to double their annual pay through overtime. Ten brought home $10,000 or more on average in overtime each month, and 124 pulled in at least one monthly overtime payment of $10,000. While not all of that was from OLS, the crackdown now accounts for about a third of the agency’s total overtime spending annually.

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Some DPS officers are racking up so much overtime that they’re on duty nearly every day for weeks on end – a trend that experts warn can be dangerous and affect a person’s judgment in sensitive situations. Working long shifts for days on end “can impact all kinds of things — physical and mental health, anger and other types of challenges in the field,” said Karen Amendola, the chief behavioral scientist at National Policing Institute who has studied overtime and its effect on officer health and performance. More than a dozen troopers made over $200,000 last year when factoring in overtime, roughly equal to the starting salary for top public health doctors in the state. Two lieutenants netted more than $300,000. One of them, Lt. Kevin A. King, brought home $344,196 — nearly as much as former DPS Director Steve McCraw. Overtime accounted for two-thirds of King’s haul, and OLS shifts specifically about $93,000, according to DPS. Residents in Eagle Pass, the epicenter of Operation Lone Star, say state troopers are less visible than they were a year ago. A city park that DPS commandeered during the height of the crackdown reopened months ago and was virtually empty on a recent afternoon. The only state troopers in the area appeared to be patrolling the highways. “There used to be a DPS every five miles. Now you won’t see them. They’re all gone,” said Jessie Fuentes, who runs a kayaking business in Eagle Pass and has been an outspoken critic of the crackdown. “The count of vehicles you would see on the highway or the streets, it’s not present here.”

Andrew White, son of former Texas governor, indicates potential bid to challenge Abbott

Andrew White, the son of a former Texas governor, said he is considering a challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection bid next year. “It’s time for a change,” White, 53, wrote Tuesday afternoon on X. “Gov Abbott's culture war is failing our schools, hospitals and infrastructure. Our leaders' incompetence led to my son almost dying in the 4th of July flood. This is personal for me, like it is for so many other Texans. We need leaders who work to prevent tragedies, not just show up after.” White, a Houston-area businessman, previously ran for governor in 2018 but lost in the Democratic primary runoff to Lupe Valdez. Abbott defeated Valdez that year in the general election to win a second term as governor. White is the son of the late Gov. Mark White, who served from 1983-87. The Houston Chronicle reported that White has filed initial paperwork to run, including filing campaign treasurer forms. He said he expects to make a decision next week.

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State Stories

Texas Rep. James Talarico ‘not taking instructions or orders’ from national Democratic Party in run for Senate

State Rep. James Talarico, a 36-year-old candidate for U.S. Senate, is embracing the "wilderness" state of the Democratic Party. "I think we’re leaderless right now, and that may feel a little scary to some Democrats, but I actually think it’s an opportunity," he told Houston Public Media. "Everyone’s saying the Democratic Party’s in the wilderness. That’s certainly true, but the wilderness is a place where new leaders, new ideas, new movements can come forth." Talarico, who held campaign rallies on Friday in Fort Bend County and on Saturday in Houston, is one of those new leaders in his party. His visibility has been on the rise in recent months after a steady stream of viral moments on the Texas House floor, an appearance on Joe Rogan's top-rated podcast and his role in the Democratic quorum break to raise awareness of Texas Republicans' move to redistrict mid-decade at the request of President Donald Trump.

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Officially launching his Senate bid last Tuesday, Talarico had been mulling the idea over for months. He's entering an increasingly crowded Democratic primary and will have to run against former Congressman and former NFL linebacker Colin Allred. Talarico told Houston Public Media he and Allred discussed his potential run. "I talked to Colin at the beginning of the summer and told him my interest in this race before he got into it and told him it was nothing against him," he said. "I have great respect and love for Colin Allred – I campaigned vigorously for him last time – but I feel like I’ve got some skills and some experiences to really speak to this moment, and I feel the need to do this for our state and our country." In an interview with CBS, Allred said he welcomes "anybody into the race." Democrats have an uphill battle to win the seat long held by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican who is facing a primary challenge from the right in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Texas hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate in more than 30 years. When asked about the lessons from Allred's 2024 loss, Talarico spoke candidly about how Democrats need a new approach. "I think we have to show up everywhere," Talarico said. "We have to run an aggressive, authentic, unorthodox campaign. The old strategies aren’t going to work in Texas. We have to run a race that’s surprising, that is exciting and that can energize people who don’t typically show up in a midterm." To do that, Talarico said he won't be waiting on the national Democratic Party, adding Texans are going to be the ones who save themselves.

Colin Allred touts support from Black elected leaders as Democratic Senate race heats up

Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred on Tuesday touted support from 12 Black congressional and Texas House members, signaling that he hopes Black voters will help propel him to the Democratic Senate nomination. Allred is expected to face a tough fight for the nomination from state Rep. James Talarico of Austin, who entered the contest last week to significant fanfare. A spokesman for Talarico’s campaign said the Austin Democrat raised $1 million in the first 12 hours after he entered the race. The list of Allred backers includes U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth and the dean of the North Texas delegation to Congress. Veasey was an early supporter of Allred and six other Congressional Black Caucus members announced their support of Allred last week.

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Endorsing Allred Tuesday were Democratic state Reps. Toni Rose and Venton Jones of Dallas, and Rhetta Andrews Bowers of Rowlett. Outside of the Dallas area, Allred scored the support of state Reps. Alma Allen of Houston and Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, has not endorsed Allred and is considering a run for Senate. The candidate who emerges with the Democratic Party’s nomination will face the winner of the GOP race that features incumbent John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “I have watched Colin stand up and fight against the broken system in Washington to deliver for working Texans,” Veasey said in a statement. “I’ve been proud to work with Colin to deliver for our region by expanding care for veterans, making historic infrastructure investments, and working to make healthcare more affordable.” Allred’s pronounced outreach to Black voters is a departure from his 2024 Senate campaign against Republican Ted Cruz, where in the primary and general election he stressed his bipartisan credentials and his ability to produce results in a fractured Congress.

Travis County is raising property taxes to pay for past and future floods

The Travis County Commissioners Court has approved a 9.12% property tax rate increase. All four county commissioners and Travis County Judge Andy Brown supported the increase, which they say is necessary after the county zeroed out its savings account responding to catastrophic flooding this summer. So far, the county has spent just over $21 million cleaning up flood debris and setting up emergency services, according to Travis County spokesperson Hector Nieto. The tax increase is expected to generate $42 million in additional revenue. It will cost the average homeowner — someone with a home valued around $515,000 — an additional $200 a year.

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Commissioners held a mandatory public hearing on the tax increase Tuesday. Only one community member, Robert Ruggiero, signed up to speak. “I am a retired veteran on social security,” he said. “The increased tax rate would increase my county tax by an additional $200. Although that may seem a trivial sum to you … it is not so for me. I am deeply concerned about being taxed out of my home.” Ruggiero said he wished the public could vote on the tax increase. Under normal circumstances, a tax rate hike this large would require voter approval, but because of state and federal emergency declarations called after the July 5 flood, the county is allowed to raise taxes beyond the 3.5% cap without voter approval. The $42 million in new tax dollars will be used to refill the county’s savings account and prepare for future natural disasters, including flooding or wildfires. But county officials haven’t released a breakdown of how the funds will be spent. Commissioner Margaret Gomez said some funding should be prioritized for the neighborhoods around Onion Creek, which have flooded consistently over the past century. The most recent major flood happened on Halloween in 2013, when heavy storms pushed the creek up to 41 feet and damaged hundreds of homes in the Dove Springs neighborhood.

Federal judge rules against conservationists who sued SpaceX

U.S. district judge in Washington D.C. has ruled against conservation groups suing the Federal Aviation Administration over what the plaintiffs claimed was the FAA’s inadequate analysis of environmental impacts in grant permission for expanded Starship operations at Boca Chica/Starbase. The national and local environmental organizations filing the lawsuit include the American Bird Conservancy, Center for Biological Diversity, Save RGV, and the Surfrider Foundation, who accused the FAA of “failing to fully analyze and mitigate the environmental harms resulting from the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy launch program at Boca Chica.” SpaceX received permission from the FAA in 2022 for up to five Starship launches per year from Boca Chica. The suit against the agency was filed on the heels of a Starship’s first orbital flight attempt on April 20, 2023, which resulted in the concrete launch pad being shattered and pieces strewn for hundreds of feet in all directions.

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‘No longer a student’: Texas State expels student after mocking Charlie Kirk’s death

Texas State University confirmed the individual who appeared to be mocking Charlie Kirk’s death in a video during a memorial on Monday is “no longer a student at TXST.” This action comes after the university acknowledged in a Tuesday statement that it will identify the individual in the “disturbing video that was taken at an event,” Texas State President Dr. Kelly Damphousse said. In a video posted on X on Monday, the alleged student was heard saying, “Charlie Kirk got hit in the neck b****.” Texas State acknowledged the incident the next day and said in the statement that university officials are taking “immediate steps to identify the individual in the video.” The statement continued to say behavior that “trivializes or promotes violence is reprehensible” and “violates the values of TXST.”

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“If this individual is found to be affiliated with TXST, appropriate action will be taken,” the statement said. In a later update on Tuesday, Damphousse posted on X that the university has identified the student from Monday’s event. Damphousse said in the statement that he will “not tolerate behavior that mocks, trivializes, or promotes violence on our campuses.” The statement also said that individual is no longer a student at Texas State. You can read the full statement from Texas State here. On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott responded to the video on social media urging the university to expel that individual who appeared to imitate the conservative activist’s death. “Hey Texas State. This conduct is not accepted at our schools. Expel this student immediately. Mocking assassination must have consequences,” Abbott said in a post on X. Kirk was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. However, this isn’t the first incident that a student mocked Kirk’s death during a memorial at a Texas university.

Harris County Democrats postpone largest annual event amid Hilton strike

The Harris County Democratic Party has postponed its gala at the Hilton Americas-Houston because of an ongoing labor strike at the hotel. The party’s largest annual gathering was scheduled for Sept. 20 and was expected to draw 1,400 Democrats and feature a keynote address by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), but party leaders canceled the event to avoid crossing a picket line, HCDP chair Mike Doyle said at a Saturday news conference. The gala is rescheduled for Jan. 31, but only if Hilton leaders “respond appropriately and negotiate appropriately” with striking workers, Doyle told the Chronicle.

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“This was not a decision we took lightly,” Doyle said, noting that the party would “absolutely” take a financial hit from postponing its largest annual fundraiser. “But it was an easy call, given what’s at stake.” Workers at Houston’s Hilton Americas have been on strike since Labor Day, calling for a $23 minimum wage and better benefits. The strike, which historians believe is Texas' first hotel workers' strike in modern history, is scheduled to last through noon on Sept. 20. The postponement could impact the hotel’s business, especially if gala attendees cancel their hotel room reservations. Doyle said a “large number” of Democrats had booked hotel rooms and that he expected many would cancel their reservations, though each attendee would make his or her own decision. The party has long hosted its gala at the Hilton, in part because the hotel recognizes its workers’ union, Doyle said. He said the party would prefer to hold the gala there in January, but he did not rule out the possibility of seeking another host hotel. Democrats from Houston city council members to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) have expressed support for the striking workers, and other labor unions have called for solidarity. Mayor John Whitmire also postponed his Sept. 25 State of the City address at the Hilton, urging hotel leaders to negotiate in good faith.

After ‘puzzling’ spike in homicides, Fort Worth leaders look to new police chief

Cody Scott’s father is grateful to God for giving him one last chance to talk to his son. As their cars pulled up alongside each other in traffic on Monday, Aug. 18, they rolled their windows down. Jeffrey Scott told Cody he was returning from Oklahoma and that he’d see him at the house later. Within the hour, Cody Scott was shot multiple times as he drove. The 32-year-old father died the next day in the intensive care unit at John Peter Smith Hospital, one of 57 people to be killed in homicides in Fort Worth so far this year. Cody Scott’s killing is part of a worrisome trend: According to the city’s quarterly crime report for April through June, there were 43 homicides in the first half of 2025, up from 31 during the first six months of the previous year. However, despite that 39% increase in homicides, overall crimes tracked in the report decreased 13% in the first half of this year, and crimes against persons — including other violent crimes like assaults and sex offenses — are down 12%.

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The uptick in homicides comes as the Fort Worth Police Department is in a period of transition. Former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia has been hired to lead the department, replacing Chief Neil Noakes, who retired in May. Garcia’s first day of work will be Wednesday, Sept. 17. While the rise in homicides may seem alarming, Interim Chief Robert Alldredge told the Star-Telegram in an August interview, the statistic doesn’t accurately reflect the department’s “robust” violent crime strategy. He pointed out that the department has an 83% clearance rate for homicides, which means offenders are being caught “pretty quickly” after the crimes. A 29-year-old local country singer has been charged with murder in connection with Cody Scott’s death. Alldredge said there’s no one factor to point the finger at when discussing why homicides increase. He also noted that the number of homicides is trending lower than 2020-2022, when there were more than 100 killings per year.

Abbott names former chief of federal cyber command, a Texan, to run new unit at home

The former commander of the federal agency on the front line against high-stakes cyberattacks is coming home to Texas to lead the newest state agency with the same mission, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday. The Texas Cyber Command, created by lawmakers earlier this year as a priority of the Republican governor, will be led by Timothy James “TJ” White — a retired U.S. Navy vice admiral and former head of the U.S. National Cyber Mission Force, known as U.S. Cyber Command — whose expertise in military cybersecurity and homeland security is critical in a time of growing threats, Abbott said. White, of Boerne, who now owns a cybersecurity company in Austin, is “the leader we need,” Abbott said. White’s term is set to expire Feb. 1, 2027. “Our state is under constant attack by cyber criminals, attacks that occur thousands of times every single second of every single day,” Abbott said in a news release. ”Texas needs strong cybersecurity experts to lead our fight against these attacks, often from hostile foreign adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran.”

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Texas ranks among the nation’s top targets for cyberattacks, and cybersecurity concerns fueled billions of dollars in requests from state agencies for the current cycle to help combat attacks. “Texas public entities are alluring targets for cyber threat actors who are using increasingly sophisticated tactics, techniques, and procedures; never-before-seen tools; and exploitative technologies,” reads the State of Texas Cybersecurity Strategic Plan 2024-2029, a recent report by the Texas Department of Information Resources, which oversaw cybersecurity until the command went into effect on Sept. 1. “As we increasingly rely on digital systems and interconnected technologies, the opportunity for attack increases, presenting cyber threat actors with ample opportunity to exploit both known and unprecedented vulnerabilities,” White is founder of OneNetworkConnection, LLC, in Austin. He served in the Navy from 1983 until his honorable discharge 2020. During that time he served as commander of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, the U.S. 10th Fleet and the U.S. Navy Space Command, as well as commander of the U.S. Cyber Command. “Admiral White and the Texas Cyber Command will serve as essential assets to prevent and protect against cyber breaches to keep Texans safe,” Abbott said in his statement. Southlake GOP Rep. Giovanni Capriglione carried the bill creating the agency along with Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound.

Daniel Vermeer: Texas’ power grid holds strong, thanks to wind and solar

(Daniel Vermeer is an associate professor at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.) This summer’s record-breaking heat around the country has exposed a major vulnerability in the U.S. economy: our outdated electricity grid. From factory slowdowns to data center outages, the cost of unreliable power is mounting. The Atlantic Council estimates that extreme heat alone could shave more than half a percentage point off our gross domestic product by 2030. For business leaders, the energy grid is an operational and financial risk. But it also represents a massive investment opportunity. While much public conversation suggests renewables aren’t reliable enough, the data tells a different story. In the middle of last summer’s brutal Texas heat wave, wind and solar combined to supply nearly 40% of the state’s electricity on several peak-demand days, and the grid never buckled.

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The state’s grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, credited the system’s reliability to a surge of new batteries, improved forecasting for renewable energy generation and new ancillary services to support the grid. What may have sounded fanciful a decade ago in the capital of oil and gas is now one of our best examples of disruptive energy innovation. The real threat to energy reliability isn’t renewable energy — it’s a grid that hasn’t adapted to how that energy is generated, stored and used. Solar panels and wind turbines are variable but not inherently unreliable. Their output rises and falls with the weather, but the swings are predictable and manageable. Modern tools such as lithium-ion batteries can store the power and inject it into the grid as conditions change. Demand response programs reward large electricity users for scaling back usage during spikes, offsetting the need to build more generation. Where these tools are in place, renewables already dominate the supply stack without blackouts. California is a telling case. Since 2020, the state has added about 12 gigawatts of battery storage — enough to power 400 auto factories or hospitals for four hours. In 2023, the California Independent System Operator managed the hottest September on record without issuing a single Flex Alert, a public call to conserve power during peak periods.

Dr. Phil’s Merit Street Media starts defense of bankruptcy case in Dallas court

Two and a half months after a Fort Worth-based media startup backed by celebrity psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw abruptly shuttered and filed for bankruptcy protections, a highly anticipated legal hearing expected to decide the fate of the venture’s Chapter 11 petition began Tuesday at a federal courthouse in downtown Dallas. Based on attorneys’ opening statements, the trial, like the high-stakes financial drama it aims to resolve, will be contentious. “This case was not filed in good faith,” said Mark Moore, a Dallas-based lawyer representing Trinity Broadcasting Network, McGraw’s former distribution partner. “This case was filed as an artifice to reach a purpose.” Moments later, James Ducayet, a Chicago-based lawyer representing McGraw’s Merit Street Media, acknowledged the obvious rancor between the parties while arguing that a Chapter 11 proceeding remained the best mechanism to ensure the venture’s massive debts could be paid.

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“The reality is that this motion to dismiss or convert has kind of taken on a life of its own, and that’s unfortunate,” he said. The legal drama dates to early July, when Merit Street Media — McGraw’s troubled, year-old broadcast channel — abruptly filed for bankruptcy protections, claiming it owed hundreds of millions of dollars to creditors. Merit Street also simultaneously filed a suit against Trinity, the world’s largest Christian broadcaster, alleging the venture failed largely because the network had reneged on its partnership obligations. In the filing, Merit Street called TBN’s production services “comically dysfunctional.” Days later in mid-July, McGraw publicly unveiled an entirely new media venture, called Envoy, that would feature content from talk show host Steve Harvey and “citizen journalists.” The heated bankruptcy case centers around the legitimacy of Merit Street’s petition for Chapter 11 protections, which generally allow for an organization to reorganize its own finances. While representatives for McGraw’s troubled entity claim the Chapter 11 attempt was an above-board, necessary attempt to make financial amends, Trinity and Professional Bull Riders argue the bankruptcy filing was a ploy by McGraw to protect his own interests as he pursued a new media venture.

Judge tosses First Amendment claim in racial discrimination suit over Tarrant County precinct maps

A federal judge dismissed a group of Tarrant County residents’ claim that the county's new precinct map disenfranchises them and denied the group’s request to temporarily prevent the county from implementing the new map. The group's other constitutional claims — which also allege racial discrimination against Black and Latino voters — will still proceed. In a lawsuit over Tarrant County’s rare mid-decade redistricting effort, voters who would be affected by the new map allege the map disenfranchises them under the First Amendment. But U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, based in Fort Worth, ruled Friday he has no authority to decide that issue. It’s a political question of partisan gerrymandering, O’Connor wrote, agreeing with the county’s argument in its motion to dismiss last month.

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The plaintiffs also allege certain voters affected by the redistricting will now have to wait six years to vote for their commissioner instead of the usual four. While true, O’Connor ruled that's not a valid claim to make under the First Amendment. Just because the redistricting will cause a two-year postponement in voting for some people doesn’t mean their right to vote is unconstitutionally burdened, he wrote. “Plaintiffs will have an opportunity to exercise their vote for Commissioner in 2028—they are not voiceless,” O’Connor wrote. “And they are only delayed participation in the County Commissioner election—all other state and national elections remain available to them in 2026.” The ruling still leaves in place the plaintiffs' claims that the two-year delay is racially discriminatory under Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. But because he found the plaintiffs likely won’t succeed in proving any of those claims, O’Connor denied their motion for a preliminary injunction that would have temporarily prevented the maps from going into effect. The plaintiffs immediately appealed the ruling. KERA News reached out to their attorneys and those for Tarrant County for comment and will update this story with any response.

Tarrant’s Democratic commissioners break quorum over ‘destructive’ tax rate

Tarrant County commissioners were unable to pass a tax rate on Tuesday due to the absence of the two Democrats on the court, who said the proposed rate cut goes too far. Roderick Miles, of Fort Worth, and Alisa Simmons, of Arlington, were intentionally absent from the meeting. State law requires at least four commissioners present to levy taxes. In response, County Judge Tim O’Hare, a Southlake Republican, made targeted cuts to the Democrats’ budgets. On a 3-2 vote Sept. 3, the commissioners gave initial approval to a rate of 18.62 cents, lower than the so-called “no new revenue” rate of 18.66 cents. That is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of revenue in 2026 from properties that were on the rolls in 2025. If the Commissioners Court fails to approve a tax rate by Oct. 1, the no new revenue tax rate of 18.66 cents will automatically be put in place.

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A member of Miles’s staff passed out a statement about the proposed tax rate while the Republicans conferred with the county attorney. Miles said the court is neglecting its obligations to the community. Miles said the proposed rate fails to reflect the “urgent and growing needs” of the community. “We are called to provide safe streets, strong public health, and the infrastructure that sustains daily life,” he said. “To ignore these responsibilities for the sake of political convenience is to shortchange not just today’s residents but generations to come.” Simmons, who was posting on her official X account, said in a statement that her absence is a legal and necessary act of conscience. “For taxpayers, today’s outcome ensures property owners still receive a tax cut without the county judge forcing an even deeper, more destructive rate,” Simmons said. With the proposed tax rate of 18.62 cents, the owner of a single family home at the average value of $358,000 would pay $533.28 in county taxes, which is $3.72 less than last year’s bill for a home of the same value. If the no new revenue rate of 18.66 cents is imposed, the same homeowner would pay $1.15 more.

'Evil MoPac' app shows Austin drivers if MoPac tolls are worth it

A new smartphone app is promising to make sense of MoPac's unpredictable toll lanes by showing drivers how much each minute of time saved will actually cost. Tolls on the MoPac Express Lanes rise or fall based on demand with the goal of keeping traffic moving at least 45 mph. The cost can range from 65 cents to more than $10 during the busiest times of day. Drivers who pay by mail face an even steeper charge. The app, called Evil MoPac, launched Tuesday and gets its name from a partnership with the satirical social media account of a self-described "pro-gridlock activist." Alan Farmer said he built the app after enduring years of commutes from Southwest Austin to the Domain. "Twice a day having to deal with the terrible that is MoPac in the toll lane," he said. "Many days, the toll lane helped me get home quicker, but at a decent cost." Some days it was worth it for him. Other days it wasn't.

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Now, Farmer works from home, so he doesn't face the dilemma. But he realized the decision of whether to shell out is still a daily conundrum for thousands of Austin commuters. So he sought "to create a tool that would help me not second guess whether I was getting into the toll lane on a good day or a bad day," Farmer said. "I ended up creating an app that would potentially help other people." The Evil MoPac app pulls in toll prices from the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and divides them by travel-time data from mapping company TomTom. Users can set a maximum amount they're willing to pay per minute saved — the default setting is $1 per minute — and the app will say if the express lanes are worth it. During a mid-day test drive on the toll lanes from Cesar Chavez to U.S. 183 and back, the estimates were close. The app predicted a couple minutes saved at a low cost. One trip ran slightly longer than expected because a truck was driving slowly in the express lane. Toll data is pulled about every 2 minutes. Travel time data is updated every five minutes. So sudden factors like a slow-moving vehicle can affect estimates. After building the app, Farmer reached out to the anonymously run Evil MoPac account to gain some visibility. "I thought it would be an interesting branding partnership just to have at least a launching point for the app," he said.

Dallas’ tech talent surge and what it means for the office market

Despite a national slowdown in tech hiring, Dallas is defying the trend. Between 2021 and 2024, the DFW market posted the fastest tech talent growth of any large market in the U.S. and Canada, a new CBRE report shows. The study also ranks North America’s tech talent markets by their appeal to both employers and workers. This year, Dallas landed at No. 8 overall—up one spot from 2023. Amid shifting dynamics in the tech sector—including a 50 percent jump in AI-skilled workers and a decline in tech manufacturing jobs—the report underscores the implications for commercial real estate, both nationally and in DFW. Tech employment growth has cooled, adding 64,140 jobs in 2024—a 1.1 percent increase, compared with 3.6 percent in 2023 and 7 percent in 2022. CBRE partly credits the slowdown to employers redeploying and upskilling existing teams for AI. That said, despite decline in the high-tech sector, AI-related jobs grew at the highest rate and quantity. In fact, 20 percent of available tech jobs in the U.S. are now AI-related. Amid what tech pioneer Dave Copps calls a “Cambrian era” for AI, the most in-demand talent today is AI software and hardware developers. DFW counts about 20,000 AI engineers across software, hardware, and systems—on par with Boston and Los Angeles.

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While tech accounts for the largest share of AI talent in the U.S., professional and business services and financial services are also drawing from a strong pool of AI-skilled workers. DFW stands out here, thanks to its high concentration of professional and business services. The industry overall still struggles with representation. Tech remains predominantly White, Asian, and male, with Hispanic, Black, and female employees underrepresented. CBRE notes that Canada’s tech workforce is more diverse than that of the U.S. DFW is cited repeatedly in CBRE’s report as a standout market. It was one of only four metros last year to produce more tech jobs than tech-degree graduates. The region’s tech talent workforce reached 227,220 in 2024—a 26 percent increase since 2021—second only to New York in total jobs added during that span. On the education front, DFW ranked among the top 10 markets for tech degree completions in 2023 with 9,065 graduates. Between 2020 and 2023, the region posted the steepest proportional increase in completions—nearly 30 percent—among those top markets. DFW also led the nation in growth of its college-educated 20-something population from 2018 to 2023 and ranked sixth for its 30-something cohort. On CBRE’s tech talent scorecard, Austin edged Dallas at No. 5. But Dallas maintains advantages: lower average office rents ($32.20 per square foot versus Austin’s $48.70) and a larger AI talent base (19,000 versus 12,000).

City Stories

Houston mental health supports come in all forms

Mental wellness has always been critical for human survival and thriving. Still, for Black people—navigating generations of systemic racism, cultural erasure and everyday stressors—it is a matter of both healing and liberation. The need for accessible mental health support is immense, and Houston is home to a growing network of individuals and organizations dedicated to meeting that need. From counseling and yoga to grassroots community circles and cultural healing spaces, Houstonians are building environments where wellness is not a privilege, but a right. Dr. Nic Hardy, a Houston-area psychotherapist and founder of Hardy Behavioral Health, stresses that while counseling is essential, it is not the only pathway to mental wellness. “Being connected to a healthy community via relationships within the family, friends, whatever it is, we have to do life in community,” said Hardy. “Healthy relationships do wonders.”

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Hardy also emphasizes physical activity as mental medicine. “They say movement is medicine. The more you can get moving, the more you can get outside, get some sunlight… these small, simple things, when done consistently, have a profound effect on our mental health,” shared Hardy. Community is also at the core of the ALLICE Collective, founded by Dr. Allison Bates. Understanding the barriers many face—such as lack of insurance, high deductibles or the stigma around therapy—the ALLICE Collective offers alternatives that make wellness accessible. “We have our free community support groups,” said Bates. “We have a co-ed group on the first Saturdays, our Black men’s group on the third Saturdays and our women’s group on the fourth Saturdays. Then we also have low-cost counseling services, youth wellness initiatives and parenting workshops.” For Bates, it’s not always about the therapy room. “It’s about the community. It’s about the energy. I always tell people you don’t necessarily need counseling at all times, but you do need community, and you do need spaces where you can be vulnerable and express yourself and heal,” she added. Through events like Dear Mama, recently held at the Blue Triangle Community Center, the ALLICE Collective provides conversation, advice, access to healthcare providers and most importantly, a safe space.

National Stories

Bondi prompts broad backlash after saying she’ll target ‘hate speech’

Attorney General Pam Bondi provoked a broad backlash this week after announcing she would “absolutely target” protesters engaging in “hate speech” — and claiming she had authority to investigate businesses that refused to print memorial vigil posters for the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The comments by Ms. Bondi on Monday appeared to reflect a broader effort by the Trump administration to punish anyone who has celebrated Mr. Kirk’s killing or even people who denounced his killing but continued to criticize his political stances. It is not clear under what authority Ms. Bondi planned to bring “hate speech” cases when the First Amendment provides sweeping protections for free speech that does not directly incite violence. She seemed to back away from a broad interpretation of her remarks on Tuesday morning, writing on social media that “hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. It’s a crime.”

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Ms. Bondi was roundly pilloried for her initial remarks by a slew of conservative pundits, authors and lawmakers on social media within minutes of delivering them on two right-wing media outlets, after avoiding expansive public discussion beyond expressing outrage over the killing and support for Mr. Kirk’s young family. Many of her critics pointed to a May 2024 social media post by Mr. Kirk himself, laying out clearly that while “ugly speech,” “gross speech” and “evil speech” existed, there was no such thing as hate speech under the Constitution. “Someone needs to explain to Ms. Bondi that so-called ‘hate speech,’ repulsive though it may be, is protected by the First Amendment,” Brit Hume, the longtime Fox News host, wrote on social media. “She should know this,” he added. Ms. Bondi’s comments came as other top Trump administration officials — among them Vice President JD Vance — have called on ordinary people across the country to seek vengeance against those who have criticized Mr. Kirk by calling their employers in an effort to get them fired. The naming-and-shaming campaign has led to countless people from various walks of life — teachers, medical personnel and members of the armed forces — being dismissed from their jobs or placed on suspension. While some Republicans have called out violence committed by people on both sides of the nation’s left-right binary, the president and many in his administration have blamed the violence solely on their opponents.

The two-speed economy is back as low-income Americans give up gains

There are two economies in the U.S. right now, and they are moving in different directions. For high earners and many older Americans, the economy looks robust. They are still spending like gangbusters, and their 401(k) accounts and homes have soared in value. They nabbed 3% mortgages when rates were low. Some might worry about AI eventually coming for their jobs, but for now their positions look relatively secure. For many others, momentum has stalled or reversed. The big wage growth experienced by low-income workers during the pandemic has petered out. Those workers are curbing their spending and in some cases are struggling to find jobs. Unemployment for Black Americans and many young people has jumped. Home prices and rents have risen sharply, making housing increasingly unaffordable. The divided fortunes of rich and poor in the U.S. may sound like an old story. Yet in recent years, workers on the low end of the spectrum began modestly narrowing the gap, as acute labor shortages enabled them to switch jobs and bargain hard for better wages.

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Now the gulf is widening again. For much of the past few years, wages for the bottom third of U.S. earners grew at a faster rate than for the top third, Bank of America data show. But since the start of the year, top earners have pulled far ahead. “As the unemployment rate has slowly crept up, and job growth has fallen more sharply, wage growth has moderated, but particularly for low-wage workers,” said Arin Dube, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. “This is disappointing news for those who were hoping the reversal in wage inequality would be a more permanent feature of the American landscape.” In August, annual wage and salary growth fell to 0.9% for the bottom third, the smallest gain since 2016, the Bank of America data show. The top third saw growth of 3.6% year over year, the most since November 2021. That divergence was echoed in year-over-year spending growth in August, with household spending rising just 0.3% for the low-income group and 2.2% for higher-income households. The cooling labor market is probably fueling much of that divergence, said David Tinsley, senior economist at the Bank of America Institute. Federal job data and Bank of America’s internal figures suggest that the softening job market is affecting lower-income households more than other groups, Tinsley said.

The Democratic Party is in fits over Mamdani's bid for NYC mayor. Republicans are loving it

Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen stood before Iowa Democrats over the weekend and blasted his party’s leadership as “spineless” for refusing to endorse Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor. “Many Democratic members of the Senate and the House representing New York have stayed on the sidelines,” Van Hollen said. “That kind of spineless politics is what people are sick of. They need to get behind him and get behind him now.” It was another jab in an ongoing rift within the party over Mamdani’s campaign. Democratic leaders in Washington and moderate Democrats on the ballot this fall are actively distancing themselves from Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, while progressives rally behind him, noting Mamdani’s economic populism and youthful charisma have generated tremendous support from grassroots activists well beyond New York.

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Meanwhile, Republicans, including President Donald Trump, are watching with delight and sometimes piling on, linking Mamdani and his far-left policies to the Democratic brand. That’s been the case in New Jersey and Virginia, the only states holding elections for governor this year, and GOP officials have signaled that the strategy will continue well into next year’s high-stakes midterm elections. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani on Sunday, declaring in a New York Times opinion piece that “New York needs leaders who will put aside differences, stand up and fight back against Mr. Trump.” Trump responded Monday in a social media post where he inaccurately described Mamdani as a communist and implied federal funding could be withheld from the city if Mamdani is elected. “This is a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City,” Trump wrote. “Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!”

Fired C.D.C. director to testify about her clash with Kennedy

Susan Monarez, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who was ousted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amid a dispute over vaccine policy, will tell her story during a Senate hearing on Wednesday that promises to be a referendum on Mr. Kennedy’s leadership. Dr. Monarez will appear before the Senate health committee along with Dr. Deb Houry, the C.D.C.’s former chief medical officer, one of three top agency officials who quit after concluding they could no longer work for Mr. Kennedy. Wednesday’s hearing will expose a rocky time at the nation’s public health agency, which long has been a target of Mr. Kennedy. At a recent Senate hearing, he defended his shake-up of the agency, saying: “We are the sickest country in the world. That’s why we have to fire people at C.D.C. They did not do their job. This was their job to keep us healthy. “ In prepared testimony, Dr. Monarez and Dr. Houry accused Mr. Kennedy of disregarding science and endangering Americans’ health.

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The hearing also comes on the eve of a two-day meeting of the C.D.C.’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or A.C.I.P — an expert panel at the heart of Dr. Monarez’s conflict with Mr. Kennedy. Earlier this year, Mr. Kennedy fired all 17 of the committee’s members and replaced them with some who share his skepticism of vaccines. In her prepared testimony, Dr. Monarez said she lost her job for “holding the line on scientific integrity” after refusing Mr. Kennedy’s demands to fire top C.D.C. vaccine officials and accept without question the recommendation of the newly reconstituted immunization advisory committee. She said she told Mr. Kennedy that “if he believed he could not trust me, he could fire me.” Dr. Houry said Mr. Kennedy “repeatedly censored C.D.C. science, politicized our processes and stripped agency leaders of the ability to protect the health of the American people.” A spokesman for Mr. Kennedy, Andrew Nixon, disputed their accounts. He said Dr. Monarez was fired because she “acted maliciously to undermine the president’s agenda” and that the health secretary “is focused on restoring public trust in the C.D.C. by ensuring transparency, accountability, and diverse scientific input.”

Senators grill Patel in combative hearing: 5 takeaways

FBI Director Kash Patel struck a combative tone in a Tuesday hearing that included multiple shouting matches with Democratic lawmakers and a prediction that President Trump “will cut you loose.” The appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee was Patel’s first sitting with lawmakers since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the Justice Department’s compliance with a House subpoena demanding the Epstein files. While he faced some tough questions from the GOP side of the dais on the Epstein files, it was exchanges with Democrats that resulted in two heated outbursts. In one notable exchange, Patel lit into Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a frequent target of the president, calling him “the biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate” and “a political buffoon at best.”

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Patel denied the central allegations of a recently filed lawsuit, saying he did not take cues from President Trump in deciding to fire several top agents, including a career agent who led the FBI on an acting basis before he was confirmed. Patel’s statements contrast with allegations from Brian Driscoll, who says he was told his firing last month was because “the FBI tried to put the president in jail, and he hasn’t forgotten it.” Driscoll indicated he believes Patel’s reference to his superiors meant the Justice Department and the White House, and according to the suit, Patel did not deny it. But Patel offered a different account when confronted by lawmakers. “I don’t receive directions to do that,” he said, adding “I make the decisions. “Any termination at the FBI was a decision that I made based on the evidence that I have as a director of the FBI. That’s my job, and I don’t shy away from it. And as you stated, those were allegations, and that is ongoing litigation. They’ll have their day in court. So will we,” Patel said.

The Commerce Secretary, a gilded hotel and claims of a secret plan

For nearly a century, the Pierre has stood as a symbol of opulence overlooking Central Park. Inspired by the Palace of Versailles, it was home to some of the most wealthy and powerful people in one of the most gilded ZIP codes in America. But by 2023, its stately carpets were fraying, the elevators were breaking down, and the front desk often stood empty. In the minds of its well-heeled residents, the Pierre was falling apart. Then, a relative newcomer to this landmark on New York’s Upper East Side brought hope to his disgruntled neighbors with an idea for fixing up the place. Howard Lutnick, the owner of the Pierre’s penthouse and a billionaire who would soon become President Trump’s commerce secretary, urged the co-op’s board of directors to hire a new manager for the building. As it happened, Mr. Lutnick at the time ran Newmark Group, a real estate firm, which the board soon retained for advice on how to revamp the property. But two years after he emerged as a would-be savior, Mr. Lutnick is being blamed by some of his neighbors for instigating a takeover of their beloved building.

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The board, under the guidance of Newmark, has reached the final stages of negotiations to sell the Pierre for roughly $2 billion. The Khashoggis, a prominent Saudi family, would provide at least some of the funding for the purchase, while the Dorchester Collection, a luxury hotel company owned by the sultanate of Brunei, would most likely manage the building after an extensive renovation, two people familiar with the deal said. If this sale happens, all of the Pierre’s residents could be forced to move out, including Michael Eisner, the former chief of Disney; Tory Burch, the fashion designer; and Shari Redstone, who recently sold her company, Paramount. Princess Firyal of Jordan also owns an apartment there. Mr. Lutnick, 64, is a relatively recent arrival to the Pierre, a former bond trader who bought his penthouse in 2017. He has never moved in. Many other residents, by contrast, hail from an older generation of New York’s elite, including the producer of the film “Raging Bull” and the former chief executive of Coca-Cola. Some have poured out their anger and dismay over the building’s condition and the possible sale in reams of group emails, many of which were obtained by The New York Times. “I am an 84-year-old widow with no family and have just redone my apartment at great expense,” Tina Beriro, who has lived in her apartment overlooking Central Park for two decades, wrote in one message. “To find new accommodations and go through the trauma, exhaustion and money involved in a move would seriously affect my health, well-being, and finances.” The Pierre is a rare breed of co-op. It has a mix of both permanent residents and overnight guests, who can book a room for the night or host a wedding in one of its grand ballrooms or rotunda.

At prayer vigils for Charlie Kirk, supporters are called to political and spiritual fight

As he sat behind a microphone for nearly two hours in the White House complex on Monday (Sept. 15), Vice President JD Vance’s face hung with visible emotion. As the guest host of Charlie Kirk’s podcast, he talked with a series of White House officials as they told stories about Kirk, the right-wing activist who was killed by an assassin’s bullet last week while speaking at a college in Utah. But as the vice president began to draw the episode to a close, the tone shifted from mournful reflection to righteous indignation. Vance recited a version of the Apostle’s Creed, saying it was the “most important truth” Kirk uttered during his career. Vance then spent several minutes railing against the “far left,” suggesting it was a source of political violence, even as the motive for Kirk’s shooting remains unknown. The vice president encouraged listeners, who numbered at least in the hundreds of thousands over the course of the broadcast, to complain to the employers of anyone they saw “celebrating Charlie’s murder.”

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Remembrances for Kirk, including at the U.S. Capitol and the White House, have similarly mixed religion with a bellicose brand of right-wing politics, as Kirk, an evangelical Christian who aligned himself with forms of Christian nationalism, often did. As family members, elected officials, faith leaders and fans of Kirk mourned him over the past week, many were defiant — and some, angry. At Sunday worship at Dream City Church in Phoenix, close to one of Kirk’s homes and the headquarters of his campus organization, Turning Point USA , the service was titled “Freedom Day in America,” an apparent echo of the “Freedom Night in America” events Kirk frequently hosted at the church. The church’s pastor, Luke Barnett, played an audio clip for the congregation in which a version of Kirk’s voice, cloned by artificial intelligence, responded to a prompt asking what he would say in the wake of his own death. “America is worth it,” the AI Kirk said in the clip, which has gone viral online. “Free speech is worth it. Fighting for the unborn, for families, for sanity in a culture gone mad. It is all worth it. So dry your tears, pick up your cross, and get back in the fight.” Earlier in the service, Barnett compared Kirk to the Apostle Paul, saying the activist “lived his life” like the biblical figure. Later, Tommy Barnett, Luke’s father and co-pastor, responded to a question about people criticizing Kirk by likening the activist to Jesus Christ himself. “They did the same thing to Jesus,” Tommy Barnett said. “Just imagine what they called him. Just imagine what they did to him.”

Movie star and visionary Robert Redford has died at age 89

Movie star and film visionary Robert Redford died at his home in Utah on Tuesday. He was 89 years old. Inevitably, one word comes up when discussing Robert Redford: golden. Redford gleamed through more than 80 movies, many of them classics. His life included decades of activism and founding the Sundance Institute that profoundly shaped decades of independent film. Fittingly, Redford's history started in Los Angeles. His working-class family was the only white one on their mostly Mexican block. As a kid, Redford often misbehaved in school. "I was constantly at the blackboard, either being punished for things I'd done wrong, and having to do repetitions of math up on the board, or I was drawing, telling a story," he told NPR in 2003.

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Redford dreamed of becoming an artist. He attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, on a baseball scholarship. He then worked on an oil rig to save up enough money to study painting in Europe for a year. When he came back to the U.S. to enroll in art school, at the Pratt Institute in New York, it was Redford's own beauty that took up all the air in the room, says film critic Carrie Rickey. "They said when he walked into the cafeteria, you could drop a pin because everyone was looking at him," she says, recalling her interviews with people who knew Redford as a student. "I think he was profoundly ambivalent about his looks and wanted to communicate that." Redford found his way into the theater through an interest in set design, and he was soon starring on Broadway in Neil Simon's hit Barefoot in the Park, alongside actress Elizabeth Ashley. He reprised his role in the 1967 movie, this time alongside Jane Fonda. Along the way, Redford appeared in a number of the era's best television shows, such as Playhouse 90, Route 66 and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and he memorably played Death in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone. But Redford got his big break when Paul Newman and writer William Goldman campaigned for Redford to co-star in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, over the studio's objections. (Executives found Redford's looks generic, according to Goldman, and attempted to cast better-known actors, such as Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen and Warren Beatty.) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid turned out to be the most successful film of 1969, and it led to a string of other hits: The Sting, The Way We Were, All The President's Men and Jeremiah Johnson, which remained one of the actor's personal favorites. But Redford longed for a career behind the camera. He experimented with distributing documentaries directly to college film societies in the early 1970s. His debut film as a director in 1980, Ordinary People, won Redford an Oscar for best director and best picture (infamously beating Martin Scorsese and Raging Bull).

Copyright September 17, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved