March 25, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Trump and Republican National Committee lean toward Dallas for unusual 2026 GOP midterm convention

President Trump and the Republican National Committee are strongly considering Dallas as the site of an unusual midterm convention later this year, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. Republicans are working to finalize the plan as they seek to rally their voters in the face of political headwinds. Some details must still be finalized, including the exact dates, and officials said formal paperwork still needed to be signed. But Trump advisers who are looking to parade their candidates and rally the base are close to settling on Dallas over other options, which had included Las Vegas, according to the people, who were granted anonymity to share private planning information. The party is targeting a date after Labor Day to try to maximize early-voting momentum.

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Political parties typically hold conventions once every four years, only when nominating a presidential candidate and formalizing their platform. But Mr. Trump has pushed for a major gathering before this year’s midterm elections to motivate his supporters at what is expected to effectively amount to a major rally for the party. Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Republican National Committee, said in a statement that “while there has been speculation in the media about the location and date, no contracts have been signed.” “The upcoming Midterm Convention is happening because of President Trump’s leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to the America First movement,” she said. The R.N.C. took steps at its winter meeting to clear the way for a convention-style event this year. Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, said this month at the party’s retreat in Florida, “I can’t wait for the midterm convention that we’re going to have before early voting starts in the fall where we parade all of our stars across the stage and we talk about all the great things we’ve done for the American people.” He added, “This is a midterm like none other.”

City Council votes 5-3 to advance removal process for Mayor Guajardo; mayor responds

The Corpus Christi City Council voted Tuesday to move forward with setting a meeting to discuss procedural steps tied to a petition seeking the removal of Mayor Paulette Guajardo. In a 5-3 vote, council members agreed to set an agenda item and date to review preliminary and procedural matters required for a potential removal hearing. That next meeting is expected to take place April 14. The vote does not remove the mayor but rather advances the process under city procedures. Council members Carolyn Vaughn, Eric Cantu, Gil Hernandez, Kaylynn Paxson and Sylvia Campos voted in favor of moving the petition forward, while Roland Barrera, Everett Roy and Mark Scott voted against it. The petition, originally filed in August 2025 by six residents and backed by three council members, is tied to concerns over the mayor’s response in the Homewood Suites investigation.

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The vote followed hours of public comment at City Hall, with residents weighing in both support and disapproval of the effort to remove the mayor. “It’s unfortunate that we have a process in place where five or six people you know can sign a piece of paper to remove a mayor or a council member,” Mayor Guajardo said. Councilman Mark Scott is among those who voted against advancing the petition. “Especially after we have spent four or five hundred thousand dollars investigating that issue, and to have found that there’s nothing there,” Scott said. Scott added that the council should focus on more pressing concerns, such as the region’s water crisis. “I don’t know that council, after all this money we have spent, should be the ones to initiate a request to the ethics commission. I just assume getting back to work on water, which is what the citizens want us to do,” Scott said.

Paxton asks Abbott to replace 'incompetent loser' acting comptroller

Texas AG Ken Paxton is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to replace the acting comptroller, who he called an "incompetent loser," over a letter regarding Paxton's handling of a case related to Islamic schools in the state. Paxton said in his Tuesday statement that Abbott ought to remove Kelly Hancock and put Don Huffines, who won the recent GOP primary for the seat, in his place until the general election. What they're saying: "Kelly Hancock is a Never Trumper and an incompetent loser who's an embarrassment to the position of Chief Clerk that he holds," Paxton said in a Tuesday night post to X, formerly Twitter. "To protect Texans' tax dollars, I am officially calling for Governor Abbott to immediately replace him with the person Texans actually voted for to be Comptroller, Don Huffines. Kelly Hancock was rejected by Texans because he failed to do his job. He failed to take me down during impeachment, and his career is over. It's time for him to be fired."

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Hancock was Abbott's pick for comptroller, but fell short of the Republican nomination for the role on March 3, when Huffines, a candidate further to the right than Abbott on the political compass, won by a wide margin. Huffines is set to represent the GOP in the general election in November. Don Huffines, a former Texas state senator currently campaigning for state comptroller, is facing scrutiny over his family’s 2023 purchase of the New Mexico ranch formerly owned by convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. What we don't know: Neither Hancock nor Abbott released a response to Paxton's request at the time of publishing. Paxton's charged comments came after Hancock sent a letter to his office that, among other things, took jabs at his handling of a case related to Islam in Texas. Hancock's letter puts a large amount of blame on Paxton for an Islamic school in Houston being temporarily eligible for the new state school voucher program. He asked Paxton to highlight the school's alleged ties to a group GOP leaders have labeled as terror-aligned, take steps to strip the school's corporate charter, and take further action against the allegedly terror-related Muslim Brotherhood group.

Saudi leader is said to push Trump to continue Iran war in recent calls

Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been pushing President Trump to continue the war against Iran, arguing that the U.S.-Israeli military campaign presents a “historic opportunity” to remake the Middle East, according topeople briefed by American officials on the conversations. In a series of conversations over the last week, Prince Mohammed has conveyed to Mr. Trump that he must press toward the destruction of Iran’s hard-line government, the people familiar with the conversations said. Prince Mohammed, the people familiar with the discussions said, has argued that Iran poses a long-term threat to the Gulf that can only be eliminated by getting rid of the government.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel also views Iran as a long-term threat, but analysts say Israeli officials would probably view a failed Iranian state that is too caught up in internal turmoil to menace Israel as a win, while Saudi Arabia views a failed state in Iran as a grave and direct security threat. But senior officials in both the Saudi and American governments worry that if the conflict drags on, Iran could deliver ever more punishing attacks on Saudi oil installations and the United States could be stuck in an endless war. In public, Mr. Trump has swung wildly between suggesting that the war could end soon and signaling it would escalate. On Monday, the president posted on social media that his administration and Iran had held “productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities,” though Iran disputed the idea that negotiations were underway.

State Stories

‘It’s go time’: New FWISD leaders share message of urgency to put students first

The new, state-appointed superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District — alongside other district and city leaders — shared a message of urgency and transparency with a student-first approach on Tuesday morning. Shortly after Texas Education Agency officials announced Superintendent Peter Licata has assumed the leadership position during a state takeover, alongside nine state appointees for the Board of Managers, he addressed the media to emphasize his focus on meeting children’s basic needs so they are prepared to learn, while noting his plans to be accessible and transparent during his tenure in Fort Worth ISD. Licata, who most recently served as superintendent of Broward County Public Schools in Florida, also shared plans for professional development and accountability for teachers. “This is an opportunity for me to bring my skill set to a place that deserves the best,” he said.

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Students testing at grade-level proficiency is “the lowest form of acceptance,” he said, noting that he wants students to excel above that level. Licata called the Fort Worth school district’s performance data “depressing” and “offensive.” Licata acknowledged there would be “upper-level changes and reduction immediately,” and a new organizational chart for district administrators is underway. He doesn’t anticipate the staffing changes will be noticeable on campuses “right now.” Principals will be more hands-on, staying outside of their office during the school day and worrying about paperwork later, Licata said. Teacher vacancies will be filled, and observations of teachers will have “real-time feedback” to make sure they are maximizing a lesson to its full potential, he said. “We’re going to put our best generals in our toughest battles, and we’re going to reward them for it,” Licata said. During the press conference at Reby Cary Youth Library in east Fort Worth, Mayor Mattie Parker also presented four members of the Board of Managers: Luis Galindo, Courtney Lewis, Rosa Marie Berdeja and Pete Geren.

After 20 years of resistance, Trump is walling off the Rio Grande Valley

About 10 miles upstream from the mouth of the Rio Grande, along a quiet bend of the river near a historic Civil War battle site, Mexican fishermen in overalls casting their nets into the water are a familiar sight. Brown pelicans sometimes follow fishing boats hoping to catch a snack. The sound of water splashing along the riverbank from the wake of a boat is oddly comforting. But these days, as far as the eye can see along the natural border, small white buoys are sporadically placed marking a “restricted area” and declaring the river as property of the federal Department of Defense, part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to militarize the region. Small signs are wrapped around the buoys here, east of the border city of Brownsville. And these warning signs are only one small indicator of the vast change about to sweep through the river. More than a year into Trump’s second stint in the White House, fast-paced border barrier construction has been steadily proceeding through areas of the Rio Grande Valley both on land and in the river itself.

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Last year, Congress appropriated nearly $47 billion for border barrier construction, encompassing both 30-foot-tall steel fencing and river barrier made up of larger orange buoys to deter crossers, and including surveillance technology. This is a historic investment in finishing the barrier in the Valley—which spans about 150 miles by car and 275 river-miles from Cameron County upriver through Hidalgo and Starr Counties and currently hosts disconnected stretches of both federal- and state-built border fencing. It’s a region that’s historically been difficult for wall-building presidents to conquer due to varying terrain and the fact that the riverfront land is held by private landowners often with complicated claims dating back centuries. But the Trump administration’s present plans to add another 90 or so miles of new and replacement wall would finish sealing off the region from the Brownsville Ship Channel all the way up to Falcon Dam, completing the job that George W. Bush and Barack Obama started. From trucks loaded up with the orange buoys—measuring 15 feet long and 4 to 5 feet wide—driving through the pothole-ridden streets of Southmost in Brownsville to shipments of steel border wall bollard panels hauled down Valley highways, the rapid spending of these taxpayer dollars is displayed all around the region.

Southern Dallas selected by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company for high-tech tunnel

A major southern Dallas development has been selected for a high-profile infrastructure project led by Elon Musk’s tunneling venture, The Boring Company, according to a newly released announcement. The University Hills development has been chosen to host a mile-long underground tunnel, known as the “University Hills Loop,” which will connect the community directly to the University of North Texas Dallas DART Station. The project was selected from 487 submissions as part of the company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” with 16 finalists competing nationwide. University Hills joins two other winning proposals — in New Orleans and Baltimore — announced by The Boring Company on social media.

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The loop is an underground tunnel where electric vehicles travel at high speeds, allowing riders to bypass surface traffic. The concept is designed to improve connectivity and reduce congestion. University Hills is a 280-acre, $1 billion mixed-use development led by Hoque Global. Plans include hundreds of homes, multiple phases of development and a walkable town center. The tunnel would create a direct, multi-modal link between the development and the broader North Texas transit network. “It is an honor to be recognized … as the winning project,” Hoque Global CEO and Founder Mike Hoque said in the release. He added the project highlights how “emerging infrastructure solutions can strengthen access to transit, jobs, and opportunity.” “UNT Dallas is pleased that this innovative tunnel will increase access to and from our campus and the region. It symbolizes the continued growth of southern Dallas through technology, collaboration and forward-thinking and will strengthen the community surrounding the university," said UNT Dallas President Dr. Warren von Eschenbach.

DART CEO Nadine Lee is resigning

Nadine Lee, who was hired as CEO of Dallas Area Rapid Transit in 2021, told the transit agency’s board Tuesday night that she will not renew her contract. “I have informed the board that I will not be seeking an extension to my contract,” Lee said in an interview with D Magazine. “I will be leaving at a time to be determined.” Being the CEO of a large transit agency was never going to be easy. But running one like DART, a regional provider for 13 member cities that shuttles hundreds of thousands of daily riders, is especially difficult. Nothing proved that more than the last 18 months or so. First, Lee and her executive team narrowly avoided state legislation that she contended would have “killed” the system. After the session ended last year, Lee led the agency through a revolt by nearly half of its member cities that sought to claw back a portion of the sales tax revenue that accounts for the majority of DART’s funding. Six of those cities scheduled withdrawal elections for May.

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But in February, the improbable happened: Thanks to a great deal of persuasion and flexibility, DART struck a deal that prompted three cities—Plano, Irving, and Farmers Branch—to cancel those elections. (University Park, Highland Park, and Addison will have measures to withdraw on their May ballots.) Why now? Lee says that the days of transit and city leaders staying in the same job for decades are a thing of the past. “I actually just came from a conference with transit CEOs across the country, and I think all of us acknowledged that the average tenure of a CEO in transit is five to seven years,” Lee says. “It used to be that it was 10 to 20 years.” Lee was hired away from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority nearly five years ago, where she oversaw METRO’s $2.1 billion Better Bus Initiative. She also helped develop bus rapid transit projects in Denver. To understand why she’s leaving, Lee says, it’s important to remember why she was hired in the first place. At the time of her hiring, DART had spent the better part of three decades building one of the largest light rail systems in the country. It wanted to redesign its bus system to improve frequency and reliability. At the time, the Silver Line rail from Plano to DFW Airport and a since-scuttled downtown D2 subway link were the last vestiges of the rail build-out that preceded her.

Texas Hill Country wine executive arrested on DWI, weapon charges

A prominent Texas Hill Country wine executive was arrested Saturday and charged with driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon, jail records show. John Rivenburgh, who grew up in San Antonio, is listed as a past president and "member at large" for Texas Wine Growers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting "the integrity of Texas Wine by making wines solely from grapes grown in the Terroir of Texas." According to his biography page, "You can't throw a rock, or shall we say a wine bottle, in the Texas wine world without hitting a winery or vineyard that Rivenburgh has been of influence." Rivenburgh has also served as a delegate for the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, as well as served in two presidencies under Texas Hill Country Wineries.

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From January 2015 to December 2021, he was a member of the Texas Wine Advisory Council for the the Texas Department of Agriculture, where he was "very active in leading legislation to advance and protect the Texas wine industry." Currently, the Texas Hill Country wine executive's "Rivenburgh Wine" brand includes the Wine Incubator, Kerrville Hills Winery, and Hill Country Spirits, his LinkedIn page says. The Kerrville Police Department arrested Rivenburgh on-site Saturday, charging him with DWI after authorities found his blood-alcohol level to be 0.15% — nearly twice the legal limit in Texas. He was booked into Kerrville's main jail, where he was held on a $3,500 surety bond for his DWI charge and a $1,500 surety bond for his unlawful weapon charge.

Pete Hegseth’s pastor says he wants James Talarico to die

The pastor from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s home church in Tennessee said last week on a podcast that he wants James Talarico to die, referring to the Texas Democratic state representative and Presbyterian seminarian who regularly discusses his Christian faith in his current bid for U.S. Senate. Brooks Potteiger, an evangelical pastor who has been described as Hegseth’s closest spiritual adviser, repeatedly attacked Talarico on the podcast “Reformation Red Pill.” The show is hosted by Joshua Haymes, a former pastoral intern at Potteiger’s church. After referring to the Texas Democrat as “a wolf,” a “demon,” and “a snake,” the two talked about what they hope becomes of Talarico. “First and foremost, we pray that a man like this would be cut to the heart,” Haymes said. He said he puts Talarico in the category of “public enemies,” or those you “are not called to love.”

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“This is where you have imprecatory psalms. This is where you pray strongly,” he said. “The psalmist is not shy. God, destroy them. Make them as dung on the ground.” “I pray that God kills him,” Haymes said. “Ultimately, that means killing his heart and raising him up to new life in Christ.” Potteiger concurred. “Right, right,” he said. “We want him crucified with Christ.” Haymes repeated that he wants “death and new life” for Talarico. “And if it would not be within God’s will to do so, stop him by any means necessary,” he said. At one point, the podcast host said Talarico “is the kind of guy you pray imprecatory psalms against. And I mean that actually.” An imprecatory psalm is a biblical song or prayer that invokes God’s judgment, curses or destruction upon enemies. “Yep,” Potteiger said in response.

Wait times at IAH shrink after day of TSA delays

ICE officers patrolled Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport for a second day Tuesday morning as security screening wait times exceeded four hours again during the sixth week of the partial government shutdown. By Tuesday evening, travelers at Bush Airport saw some relief as wait times shrunk to less than 20 minutes, while Hobby Airport consistently stayed under 10 minutes, according to the Houston Airport System. TSA worker staffing levels have dropped due to a pay freeze during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has dragged into day 38. Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints at Bush Airport were again reduced to two terminals — A and E — and TSA PreCheck and CLEAR were closed for a second straight day. Some ICE officers helped direct passengers through security screening while others stood to watch or patrol.

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Bush Airport notched the longest TSA waits in the entire country during each of the past two days, according to the New York Times and CNN. More than 400 TSA agents have quit since the shutdown began, DHS confirmed Monday. AP reported that figure reached at least 458 on Tuesday. There are only enough TSA agents to staff a third to half of the airport's 37 screening lines, said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System, in a video message on Tuesday. "I want you to know we see it," he said. "We see the families arriving early and waiting for hours. We see missed flights. We see missed moments, weddings, vacation, time with loved ones. I see the frustration in the eyes of the airport employees."

Lake Worth ISD names acting superintendent amid state takeover

Following the resignation of its superintendent amid an imminent takeover by the Texas Education Agency, Lake Worth ISD has named a new acting superintendent. The district's assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. Trent Dowd has been appointed to serve in the role. Dowd will remain in the position until the TEA commissioner names a new superintendent. In a statement, Dowd said he is honored to serve as acting superintendent and emphasized that the district "will remain steadfast in its mission and vision, keeping students at the center of every decision." The previous superintendent, Mark Ramirez, announced his resignation at a board meeting in early March. His last day was March 13, less than a year after he joined the district in May of 2025.

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In December of last year, the TEA announced it would be taking over operations of the district after all but one of its campuses received failing grades. In a letter to Lake Worth ISD's superintendent and board of trustees in December, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath wrote that he was ordering the appointment of a board of managers and a conservator to oversee the district after TEA conducted an analysis of district data and vetted its systems, leadership and student results. "Unacceptable academic performance in a single year represents significant academic weakness – typically less than one-third of students in those campuses reach grade level and less than one-half of students on those campuses demonstrate a year’s worth of academic growth," Morath wrote. "When that unacceptable performance continues for multiple years, the children in those campuses develop significant academic gaps. Multi-year unacceptable ratings represent a school district’s most fundamental mission failure and a complete inability to take necessary action to provide a high quality education for students."

Connally ISD, now under state control, cancels bond plans as it seeks to shrink its footprint

Connally ISD is moving forward with consolidating its elementary school campuses after canceling a $5.9 million bond election for May that would have helped with the transition. Connally ISD trustees called the bond election on Feb. 12 during a special meeting, then voted two weeks later to cancel it based on new projections of enrollment and savings from the school consolidation. The consolidation plan comes after a drop in elementary enrollment and the failure of three bond elections meant to replace the aging Connally Elementary School. The district is also in the process of being taken over by a state-appointed board and conservator due to years of failing grades at two campuses.

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The plan, which conservator Andrew Kim supports, will close Connally Elementary School at 300 Cadet Way. Its fourth- and fifth-graders will be moved to Connally Primary School, about two miles north in Elm Mott, which now houses grades first through third. Connally Primary School will also be the new home for grades prekindergarten through kindergarten, which now attend the Connally Early Childhood Center next to Connally Elementary. That facility will continue to house day care programs. The $5.9 million bond would have included funds to enhance and expand the Elm Mott campus, adding portable buildings, repairing and adding roads, replacing school buses and replacing some heating and air conditioning units. But continuing elementary enrollment decline could make some of those improvements unnecessary. For now, the early childhood center and elementary school have a combined 459 students and the primary school has 437, which would mean a combined elementary population of about 900. The primary school campus has a capacity of about 800 students.

LaGuardia crash ‘the very kind of catastrophe’ Rep. Doggett fears could happen in Austin

When asked about the fatal crash between a plane and fire truck at LaGuardia Airport, Congressman Lloyd Doggett minced no words in his response: “It’s the very kind of catastrophe that I fear we could have here in Austin.” Doggett has long worried air traffic controller staffing shortages in Austin could leave our city susceptible to something similar. For years, we have spoken to Doggett about those shortages and his push to get those positions filled.

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Air traffic controllers are not hired by the airports themselves but rather are federal positions. They are therefore outside of the purview of AUS. “With only half of the number of air traffic controllers for which we are certified {at AUS} … very same situation as LaGuardia this morning in terms of a shortage,” Doggett told KXAN. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed that general concern in a news conference in New York on Monday. Duffy said LaGuardia’s air traffic control tower is well-staffed, only four vacancies short of their goal. He also said six or seven people are in training. Still, he urged Congress to move forward with additional funding for air traffic control. “We are modernizing our system. But we can’t fully modernize it until Congress gives us additional money. It’s not a partisan issue. Both Democrats and Republicans agree, but they have to have the will to finish the funding,” he said. Meanwhile, Doggett says Austin has more than two dozen trainees in the pipeline, a significant step in the right direction, but one that won’t be an immediate fix. “Some of these trainees take up to two years to get trained and some of them don’t make it, and so I’m hopeful that this situation is to be corrected but I’m concerned that we’re in the same air traffic control situation as LaGuardia,” Doggett said.

Top HISD official hired to lead Fort Worth ISD in new takeover

A top Houston ISD official is joining Fort Worth ISD as second-in-command as the Texas Education Agency prepares to take over the North Texas school district. Daniel Soliz, an HISD area division chief, announced Tuesday he was "humbled and honored" to join as "deputy superintendent, chief of schools," hours after the TEA appointed a new superintendent to lead Fort Worth ISD. Soliz's appointment signals Fort Worth ISD will likely implement many of the reforms HISD has adopted since its state takeover in 2023.

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Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced in December that Fort Worth would lose its democratically elected school board and its hired superintendent because of years of failing ratings at a single campus. With more than 70,000 students, Fort Worth ISD is the second-largest district to undergo a takeover. HISD is the largest. "Together, under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata, we will improve outcomes for all students," Soliz wrote on LinkedIn. Some of Fort Worth's business leaders toured Houston schools in December with HISD's state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles. They said then that they felt encouraged by HISD's approach to instruction. "The bold systemic changes led by Superintendent Miles are positively changing the trajectory of the lives of children," visiting Fort Worth business chambers said in a joint statement in December. "We are inspired by and appreciative of the thousands of educational leaders in Houston who are implementing new practices elevating the standards for all students."

Water in this Austin suburb comes out brown, leaving residents with high bills and ruined appliances

Tyler Croft started having water problems right away after he and his wife moved to the Austin’s Colony neighborhood in far East Austin two years ago. First, it was the dishwasher. Cups and plates came out caked in white residue. Then, they noticed the taste; it was chalky and bitter. Once, while grabbing a glass of water, Croft turned on the tap and it came out brown. “That was the first sign that we knew we had to get something installed,” Croft said. He installed a water softener system under the kitchen sink. Then, after he noticed his skin was getting dry and his newborn daughter started developing eczema, he put filters on the showerheads. Next came a bigger water softener system out in the garage.

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All told, Croft said he’s spent about $5,000 on softener and filtration systems to make the water in his home “acceptable.” That’s on top of the cost of the water itself. Water issues in the neighborhood have persisted for decades. Residents have long complained of bad tastes, ruined appliances and high water bills. People in the Austin’s Colony neighborhood are outside of the service area for Austin Water. Instead, they are served by a for-profit company called Texas Water Utilities (TWU). The company serves small pockets across 32 counties in Texas — neighborhoods similar to Austin’s Colony that are just outside a city’s service area. Before turning on the tap, the company charges Austin’s Colony residents a $59.39 base fee for water — more than seven times the cost of Austin Water’s base fee — and a $79.19 base fee for sewer services. Croft showed KUT News his water bill from February. The total came out to $221.79. The cost of the water he actually used was less than $40.

National Stories

The DHS deal is on the rocks

Senate leaders are hitting more snags as they try to reach a deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. Senate Democrats are demanding additional concessions after Republicans struggled to get President Donald Trump on board with a framework for the potential agreement — one that the president hasn’t even yet publicly endorsed. Senate Republicans claim Democrats are moving the goalposts on a proposed deal to fund all of DHS except for ICE’s enforcement operations. GOP leaders say the proposal already includes some changes both parties agreed on in January, such as tens of millions of dollars of additional funding for body cameras and other concessions.

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“I didn’t go down there and spend two hours with the president to get him to where a deal was, to only have it changed” by Democrats, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said. “We can’t function that way.” Democrats insist their position hasn’t changed. Any immigration enforcement funding must include new restrictions. Chief among these are a ban on face masks for federal agents and changes to warrant procedures, they said. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are already making preparations for the second step of the process — a party-line reconciliation bill that would fund ICE enforcement and a whole host of other GOP priorities, including elements of the SAVE America Act. GOP members of the Senate Budget Committee held a meeting Tuesday night to begin gaming it out, even as some Senate Republicans are skeptical it’ll actually work. DHS latest. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that Democrats would send a counteroffer with additional reforms to ICE. As of this morning, that counteroffer hasn’t been sent yet.

Jury finds Meta liable in case over child sexual exploitation on its platforms

A jury on Tuesday found Meta violated New Mexico law in a case accusing it of failing to warn users about the dangers of its platforms and protect children from sexual predators. The jury found Meta liable on all counts, including for willfully engaging in “unfair and deceptive” and “unconscionable” trade practices, and ordered the company to pay $375 million in damages. Meta for years has faced concerns about risks to kids and teens on its platforms from parents, whistleblowers, advocates and lawmakers. Tuesday’s decision marks the first time the company has been held accountable in a jury trial for those issues. A Meta spokesperson said the company “respectfully” disagrees and plans to appeal the decision.

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New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023 for allegedly creating a “breeding ground” for child predators on Facebook and Instagram, claims that the company denies. The jury’s award was smaller than the billions in damages New Mexico had sought, but a later portion of the case to be presented directly to the judge could also force Meta to make changes to its platforms and pay additional penalties. The case is part of a wave of legal pressure Meta and other social media platforms are facing over the safety of young users. As jurors in New Mexico state court delivered a verdict, jurors in Los Angeles are considering a separate case against Meta and YouTube accusing them of intentionally creating addictive features that harmed a young woman’s mental health. Social media giants are also facing hundreds of other cases from individuals, school districts and state attorneys general — some of which are set to go to trial later this year. Closing arguments on Monday followed a six-week trial that included testimony from Meta executives and former employees-turned-whistleblowers. Details from the attorney general’s undercover investigation into child sexual exploitation on Meta’s platforms, which led to three arrests, were also discussed in the courtroom.

Trader made nearly $1 million on Polymarket with remarkably accurate Iran bets

A trader made nearly $1 million since 2024 from dozens of well-timed Polymarket bets that correctly predicted US and Israeli military actions against Iran, according to an analysis shared with CNN. The bettor won a staggering 93% of their five-figure wagers about Iran, even though the events they predicted were unannounced military operations. The trader had a pattern of prescient bets, including hours before Israeli strikes in October 2024 during its tit-for-tat conflict with Iran, hours before US airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, and hours before the joint US-Israeli surprise attack in February, which started the current war.

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The findings from Bubblemaps, an analytics company that tracks blockchain transactions, highlight the rising concerns about the potential for insider trading on some prediction markets, where users can wager on everything from sports to elections to warfare. “All of this is strong signaling of insider activity, based on the amount they made, the markets they bet on, the timing of their trades, the success rates of these trades, and the fact that they are connected on-chain,” Bubblemaps CEO Nick Vaiman told CNN. “This is pretty suspicious in my book.” It isn’t clear whether the trader flagged by Bubblemaps is an insider, and the accounts they used are anonymous and can’t be publicly traced to a specific person. The bets were placed on Polymarket’s international site, which is out of the reach of US regulations. Polymarket didn’t respond to CNN’s multiple requests for comment.

Democrats flip Florida state House district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

Democrats delivered a blow to Florida Republicans and flipped a state House seat in President Trump’s backyard, according to Decision Desk HQ. Democrat Emily Gregory, a health fitness small business owner, defeated Trump-backed Republican Jon Maples, a financial adviser, in a race for the open Florida District 87 state House seat, which includes part of Palm Beach County and the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort. As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Gregory garnered just more than 51 percent of the vote, while Maples had just less than 49 percent backing with more than 95 percent of the vote in. Gregory and Maples faced off in the contest after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) tapped Republican Mike Caruso in August to become the county clerk and comptroller. Trump voted by mail in Tuesday’s election.

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Although Caruso last won the seat by double digits and Trump won the district by roughly 9 percentage points in 2024, former Vice President Kamala Harris did win Palm Beach County by less than a point in the last presidential election. The district is shared by Reps. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) and Brian Mast (R-Fla.) in Congress. National groups and figures waded into the race before the special election, including Trump. Rep. Byron Donalds (R), a candidate for Florida governor, appeared alongside Maples during the campaign, while Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) also backed the financial adviser. Meanwhile, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) backed Gregory, and retired Lt. Col. Alex Vindman — a candidate for Senate in the Sunshine State — held a virtual fundraiser for Gregory while Frankel endorsed the Democratic candidate. DLCC Chair Heather Williams applauded Gregory’s win in a Tuesday social media post. “Mar-a-Lago’s state House district just flipped from red to blue, which should have Republicans worried about their chances this November,” she said. “A Trump +11 district in his own backyard shouldn’t be in play for Democrats, but tonight proves Republicans are vulnerable everywhere.” This isn’t the first win for Florida Democrats in the last few months. In December, Florida Democrats notched a win when Democrat Eileen Higgins beat Republican Emilio Gonzalez to become the first Democratic Miami mayor in decades.

AIPAC is shaking up its political operation

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is quietly searching for a new general counsel and director of political operations, according to private communications reviewed by NOTUS. A position description, marked “CONFIDENTIAL” and dated March 2026, was shared with at least one potential candidate by Allison Rosner, the managing director at the Washington executive recruitment firm Major, Lindsey & Africa, which AIPAC has hired to conduct the search. The powerful pro-Israel advocacy group is looking for someone “capable of enabling assertive yet compliant political engagement while safeguarding the Organization against unnecessary legal or reputational risk,” according to the executive summary of the role. It’s “not a traditional general counsel role.”

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The environment is “closely scrutinized.” And “political sophistication” is a must — especially as the bipartisan organization is facing waning influence among Democrats. Philip Friedman, AIPAC’s current general counsel and director of political operations, is retiring after more than 30 years with the organization, a source familiar with his plans told NOTUS. AIPAC declined to comment Tuesday on personnel matters and its job search. Friedman earned around $708,000 from AIPAC and affiliated organizations between October 2023 and September 2024, according to the group’s latest nonprofit tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service. The job description simply said compensation is “commensurate with experience.” AIPAC had 24 job openings on its website as of Tuesday afternoon — none of which are for the general counsel and director of political operations role. AIPAC has long boosted politicians on both sides of the aisle who support a strong relationship between Israel and the United States — and unapologetically attacks those who question it. But the organization is facing significant political turbulence.

Democrats’ quest for relatable white dudes finds new candidates

As the world waits to find out if Texas state Rep. James Talarico is the next Jon Ossoff or just another Beto O’Rourke, Democrats’ quest for relatable white dudes continues. Of course, whether Talarico can make a go of it in the Texas Senate race is mostly out of his hands right now. He’s very glib but very green, and if the Republicans can free themselves from the quagmire of a primary and end up keeping Sen. John Cornyn, it will be hard for Talarico to outrun his past positions and cringey rhetoric — the stuff about the nonbinary God, the moral imperative to reduce meat consumption for climate change, etc. The only available counterattack for Talarico against Cornyn would be to say that he’s too close to President Trump, which would actually help reunite the GOP and motivate base voters after a primary in which Cornyn’s rival, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, has been attacking him for being insufficiently close to Trump.

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A race with Cornyn looks like a dead end. If it’s Paxton, there’s a path for Talarico to win against a radical candidate who even his supporters know is an ethical nightmare. Would it be worth $150 million to Democrats to keep that path open when then the party is short on cash with lots of other races to run? Only thence would come the young pastor’s time of testing. There are other notable contestants in the party’s Star Search for the youngish, white males who can lend credibility to the claim that Democrats are capable of reaching out beyond their electoral sweet spots of college-educated women and Black voters. The trick is finding candidates who are both relatable to the voters who Democrats very much need to add to their coalition and who the base will actually accept. Democrats don’t need any more Tim Walz fiascos. The Minnesota governor delighted Democratic women as a kind of Howard Cunningham character. He looked like an old sourpuss, but right below the surface he was just bursting with love (and progressive policies). This, of course, hit a false note with the very voters the Harris campaign needed to reach. Real outreach requires risk, but the Walz pick was tokenism of the same kind that Republicans often do with Black candidates: nonthreatening and uncomplicated.

North Carolina Senate leader and architect of state's conservative transformation Phil Berger concedes primary loss

North Carolina government's most influential politician, Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger, conceded the primary race for his seat to Sam Page on Tuesday, shaking the power structure in the ninth-largest state and likely soon ending Berger's preeminence as the state's top conservative architect. Berger had trailed Page, the Rockingham County sheriff, in their March 3 primary by only 23 votes. He has been Senate leader since 2011 when Republicans took full control over the General Assembly for the first time in 140 years. President Donald Trump had endorsed Berger for reelection, praising him for his policy accomplishments. Trump's endorsement came several weeks after the legislature redrew the state's U.S. House district map in an attempt to flip a Democratic seat as part of the president's redistricting campaign to retain GOP control of the U.S. House in this year's midterm elections.

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Unofficial results on primary election night showed Page leading Berger by just two votes out of more than 26,000 counted in the 26th Senate District that includes part of Greensboro and neighboring areas. Page's lead expanded as elections boards in the two counties composing the district reviewed provisional, absentee and other ballots. Later recounts were conducted and Berger's campaign filed formal protests yet to be resolved. But Berger gave up after a hand recount of a small portion of the ballots Tuesday morning showed no change in Page's razor-thin lead. Page will now advance to the November general election in the GOP-leaning district. He said Berger called him Tuesday to concede. "I thank him for wishing me the best moving forward," Page said in a statement. "Now it's time for our community to come together and focus on winning in November." Page was outspent by Berger's campaign by more than 50-to-1 through mid-February. That doesn't include several million dollars that a pro-Berger independent expenditure group spent on mailers and advertising.

Copyright March 26, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved