January 13, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Cornyn rakes in record fundraising ahead of Texas primary

Sen. John Cornyn raised $7 million during the fourth quarter of his reelection campaign — the highest total of his career as the Republican fights a bitter primary challenge. The fundraising report, shared first with POLITICO, shows Cornyn has more than $15 million in cash on hand, including money raised through his two joint fundraising committees. It represents more than twice as much as he raised in the third quarter of 2025. The four-term incumbent is up against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Polls show a tight race between Paxton and Cornyn, with Hunt in third, ahead of the early March primary.

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Cornyn has poured money into attacking Paxton, a conservative firebrand who has wide backing from the MAGA base in Texas but has significant political and personal baggage. Paxton has faced multiple state and federal investigations and his wife filed for divorce last summer. “Texans understand that President Trump’s legislative agenda and the Senate Republican majority are at risk unless Sen. Cornyn is the nominee,” said Andy Hemming, Cornyn’s campaign manager, in a statement. “We are executing our plan to win this race, and we will win.” Paxton and Hunt have not yet released their own latest fundraising hauls. The race is expected to go to a runoff in late May.

Trump is trying to change how the midterm elections are conducted

Five years ago, President Donald Trump pressured Republican county election officials, state lawmakers and members of Congress to find him votes after he lost his reelection bid. Now, he’s seeking to change the rules before ballots are cast. Trump, openly fearful that aCongress controlled by Democrats could investigate him, impeach him and stymie his agenda, is using every tool he can find to try to influence the 2026 midterm elections and, if his party loses, sow doubt in their validity. Many of these endeavorsgo far beyond typical political persuasion, challenging long-established democratic norms. They include unprecedented demands that Republican state lawmakers redraw congressional districts beforethe constitutionally required 10-year schedule, the prosecution of political opponents, a push to toughenvoter registration rules and attempts to end the use of voting machines and mail ballots.

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The administration has gutted the role of the nation’s cybersecurity agency in protecting elections; stocked the Justice Department, Homeland Security Department and FBI from top to bottomwith officials who have denied the legitimacyof the 2020 election; given a White House audience to people who, like the president, promote the lie that he won the 2020 election; sued over state and local election policies that Trump opposes; and called for a new census that excludes noncitizens. The wide-ranging efforts seek to expand on some of the strategies he and his advisers and allies used to try to reverse the 2020 results that culminated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “I’m concerned about chaos and uncertainty in the administration of the 2026 election,” said Nathaniel Persily, a Stanford Law School professor who specializes in democracyand elections-related law. “There is a kind of avalanche of potential changes that are being proposed, and it’s at a time when people have lost trust in the election infrastructure and everybody’s on edge.” In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the administration is focused on ensuring that only citizens vote and criticized Democratic-run states for how they maintain their voter rolls. “President Trump’s only motivation is doing what’s best for the American people and ensuring each of their votes count,” Jackson said.

Trump has complained about Pam Bondi repeatedly to aides

President Trump has complained to aides repeatedly in recent weeks about Attorney General Pam Bondi, describing her as weak and an ineffective enforcer of his agenda, administration officials and other people familiar with his complaints said. The criticisms appear to be part of an intense campaign by Trump to pressure the Justice Department to more aggressively pursue his priorities, some of the officials said. Trump has previously criticized Bondi at times but his vocal concerns about his attorney general have grown more frequent in recent months, officials said. This month, Trump has talked with allies about how he could appoint special counsels at the Justice Department because he is so frustrated with what he sees as the slow progress of its work, people familiar with the matter said.

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Chief among his grievances is what he sees as Bondi’s failure to quickly and effectively prosecute the investigators who had pursued him for years, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, the officials and others familiar with his complaints said. Both criminal cases were dismissed in November by a judge who said the Trump aide who secured the indictment had been improperly appointed to her post. Trump has wanted to see the cases continue quickly. A Justice Department investigation into another of Trump’s antagonists, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, became public on Sunday night. Powell, whom Trump has publicly berated and pressured to lower interest rates, disclosed that the Justice Department was pursuing a criminal investigation over his testimony last summer about the central bank’s building-renovation project. Trump has also complained frequently that Bondi’s handling of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has created months of political and personal headaches for him, officials familiar with the complaints said. When White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair that Bondi “whiffed” on her handling of the files, Trump told staff that he agreed with Wiles, two officials said.

Over 700 Texas private schools, pre-K providers approved for education savings account program

As of early January, 775 private schools and pre-K providers had been approved to accept education savings accounts for the 2026-27 school year. (Community Impact staff) Hundreds of Texas private schools have been approved to participate in the state’s new education savings account program, per a map released by the state comptroller’s office in early January. Under the $1 billion program, known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts, eligible families will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to a private school or homeschool them beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

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As of press time, 775 private schools and prekindergarten providers had been approved to accept education savings accounts, or ESAs. There are over 1,300 accredited private schools in the state, according to the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. About 87% of all approved private schools will offer pre-K services, with some schools serving a range of grades and others catering to pre-K students only. Roughly 450 schools will serve students in kindergarten through fifth grade, middle school or high school, the map shows. The majority of approved schools are located in and around Texas’ largest cities, with: 233 schools in the Houston area, 195 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 94 schools in the San Antonio area, 70 schools in the Austin area, 38 schools in South Texas, 37 schools in East Texas, 35 schools in the Rio Grande Valley, 25 schools near Bryan-College Station and Waco, 22 schools in West Texas, 11 schools in the El Paso area, 9 schools in the Panhandle, and 6 schools near Wichita Falls and Sherman. The interactive website lists contact information for each approved private school. There are also sections for details about each school’s offerings and academic performance, although that information had not been published as of press time. Other approved educational service providers, such as tutors and behavioral or speech therapists, will also be listed online. The map will be updated as more schools and providers are accepted into the program, the comptroller’s office said.

State Stories

Texas Democrats call for an investigation into Elon Musk’s X

Texas House Democrats on Monday dared Attorney General Ken Paxton to take on Elon Musk. Led by Rep. Mihaela Plesa of Dallas, more than 40 Democrats demanded an inquiry into allegations that Musk’s social media platform X has been used to churn out explicit, sexualized images without consent. That move sets up a politically charged test for Paxton, who is running for Senate, potentially pitting the Republican against a powerful conservative figure, key national GOP donor and major presence in Texas. Paxton’s office did not respond to messages seeking comment. Paxton has long emphasized his tough stance on child exploitation and big tech, including lawsuits against major technology companies.

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Plesa said she became concerned with Grok, Musk’s chatbot tool, after encountering a sexualized image of Renee Good, the Minnesota woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last week. “I was horrified when I saw what I saw on X, and I’m sure that parents are horrified to see this, too,” she said. Grok is an artificial intelligence chatbot built into X, able to generate text and images in response to user prompts. It is accessible through an app, a website and an account on X. In recent weeks, some X users have used it to craft sexualized images of women and minors. Musk has at times appeared to delight in the tool, asking it to create an image of himself in a bikini recently. In a post last week, Musk said accounts trying to use Grok to create images of undressed children would suffer “consequences.” The company also said in a statement on X that it would remove illegal content depicting children and permanently suspend accounts that asked Grok to make such images. Plesa said those assurances fall short without clear enforcement and legal accountability at the state level.

Pete Hegseth gives fiery ‘warrior’ speech to Lockheed Martin workers in Fort Worth

In fiery remarks at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter aircraft plant in Fort Worth, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke Monday of prioritizing defense spending, saying it was imperative to rebuild the “arsenal of freedom” by getting advanced weapon systems into the hands of the military. Last week, President Donald Trump said the defense budget will increase by more than 50% in 2027, rising to $1.5 trillion. At Lockheed Martin, Hegseth said that money will be spent re-establishing America’s military might, stressing that the administration is looking to unleash the country’s defense resources in the preservation of peace.

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But Hegseth cautioned that defense contracts will be granted to companies based on their ability to deliver a superior product quickly, and he promised that large and small manufacturers will compete for those contracts on an equal playing field. “We ultimately don’t care what the name is on the side of the missile or the plane,” Hegseth said, before adding that he hopes Lockheed Martin wins “a lot” of new defense contracts, pointing to the company’s decades-long track record of success, which goes back to World War II. Speaking on the factory floor in front of a newly finished F-35, Hegseth thanked the roughly 1,000 plant employees in attendance for their contributions in providing weapons for America’s military. Hegseth received a warm reception from the crowd, who cheered many of the secretary’s points, including his remarks about social issues.

Uvalde teacher who survived class shooting testifies he saw 'black shadow with a gun'

A teacher who survived the 2022 shooting inside a Robb Elementary school classroom in Uvalde, Texas, told a jury Monday the attack began with a “black shadow” with a gun walking inside and that he prayed for the attack to be over after being shot along with his students. Arnulfo Reyes’ testimony came on the fifth day of the trial for Adrian Gonzales, a former Uvalde schools police officer who was among the first law enforcement responders to the scene. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment as prosecutors allege he did nothing to stop the gunman in the first moments of the attack. The gunman killed 19 students and two teachers. Reyes was shot on the arm and back and said he was taunted by 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos.

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“I looked at my door and that’s when I saw him ... a black shadow. The black shadow was holding a gun. I just saw the fire come out of the gun,” Reyes testified. “He shot at me and hit me in my arm. That’s when I fell to the ground.” “When I fell, he came around and he shot the kids,” he said. Reyes said Ramos turned back around and shot him in the back. He prayed “and I gave myself to the Lord ... and waited for everything to be over.” Reyes said the gunman at one point walked into the adjoining classroom, where he said he heard a student say, “Officer, we’re in here,” before he heard more shooting. Reyes said Ramos also taunted him while he tried to pretend he was dead. Reyes was a teacher in Room 111. None of the children in his classroom survived. Just before Reyes testified, the court watched the surveillance video of Ramos entering the school and start shooting. The judge had warned the courtroom the images and sounds would be graphic.

Northwest ISD trustee drops out of Republican primary for North Texas House seat

A Northwest school district trustee is exiting the race for a North Texas state House district, he announced Monday. Steve Sprowls, who has served on the board since 2017, was one of two candidates running for House District 93 in the Republican primary. He was set to face Fort Worth City Council Member Alan Blaylock. House District 93 is currently represented by Rep. Nate Schatzline, a Fort Worth Republican who isn’t seeking reelection, after being invited to join the National Faith Advisory Board. The House district includes Blue Mound and Haslet, as well as portions of Fort Worth and Saginaw. Sprowls, a former board president, has criticized Schatzline for not adequately supporting public education while in Austin.

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In a Facebook post announcing that he is withdrawing from the House race, Sprowls wrote that “for the last four years, Texas House District 93 has suffered from a representative in Austin who was more concerned with self-interest than service.” Sprowls said he was running to fight for stronger schools, lower taxes, better infrastructure and economic growth. “I’ve been laser focused on this mission because I wanted our community to elect new leadership,” Sprowls said. “The threat of continuing down the same path was too great to ignore. But the dynamics of this race have shifted, and that threat no longer exists. Our family motto is, ‘Serve a purpose greater than yourself,’ and it’s become clear that my purpose currently exists closer to home. Therefore, I am suspending my campaign for Texas House.” Sprowls thanked his supporters in the statement. “I know this may be disappointing, but I am not going away,” he said. “I will continue to serve our community, fight for our values, and work to deliver real results for our families.” In an interview late Monday, Sprowls said that he’d entered the race prepared to challenge Schatzline for the House seat, but the race shifted when Blaylock emerged as his opponent instead. Sprowls tried to feel out the new scene and stay optimistic, he said. “It just became obvious that I was going to struggle to get the votes that I needed in March,” Sprowls said. Senior operations analyst Ericka Lomick from Fort Worth is running in the Democratic primary. Since Blaylock is now running unopposed, the candidates will face off in the Nov. 3 general election. Tarrant County GOP Chair Tim Davis said in a Jan. 8 Facebook post that Sprowls had filed a challenge to Blaylock’s candidacy, but the challenge was denied. Sprowls sued, and an appellate court dismissed the lawsuit, siding with the county party, Davis said.

Judge sides with ousted Southlake Republican in House candidacy fight — for now

A North Texas judge on Monday sided with Southlake Republican candidate Zee Wilcox, whose candidacy for a state House district is in question. Judge Don Cosby, who presides over the 67th District Court, granted a temporary restraining order requested by Wilcox in her challenge of Tarrant County GOP chair Tim Davis’ decision that she is ineligible. Wilcox is one of three Republicans vying for House District 98 in the March 3 primary, with early voting starting Feb. 17. The district, currently represented by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, spans Colleyville, Grapevine, Keller and Westlake, as well as parts of Euless and Southlake. Wilcox, who runs a small health and beauty business, sued Davis on Friday. She returns to court later this week.

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“This case has never been about me alone,” Wilcox said in a Facebook post, cheering Monday’s outcome in court. “It’s about whether everyday Texans still get a real choice — or whether insiders get to decide for them behind closed doors. “THEY TRIED TO PUSH ME OFF THE BALLOT. I PUSHED BACK,” Wilcox wrote. The candidacy challenge contends that Wilcox used the wrong form to file for office in December and left off information that was required. Wilcox was notified of the issue on Dec. 16 and has said she responded and offered to fix any error, but didn’t receive a reply. She was informed in a Jan. 7 email from Davis that he was declaring her “ineligible for the Republican primary ballot.” In a Facebook post on Jan. 8, Davis said Wilcox filed for a state office using a federal form. The temporary restraining order issued Monday states that — for the time being — Davis cannot remove Wilcox from the primary ballot, alter her status as a candidate or notify the Texas Secretary of State’s office that Wilcox is ineligible or should be excluded from the ballot.

Texas official asks lawmakers to protect ag industry from data centers

As the AI and data industry continues to boom around the nation — becoming a substantive drive for the economy — a Texas official is sounding the alarm to protect vital resources for the agricultural industry before it's too late. On Monday, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller unveiled a plan to protect the state and the nation’s prime farm and ranchland from the rapid spread of data centers. The focal point of his plan is create federal or state-designated Agriculture Freedom Zones (AFZs) to safeguard vital food production while still supporting growth in technology and innovation. “The unchecked spread of data centers onto prime farm and ranchland is a real and growing threat to our food supply,” Miller said.

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“But America also needs data, innovation, and technology infrastructure to stay competitive. America will continue to lead the world in both agricultural production and technology innovation, but only if we do it the right way. AFZs are the tool we need to protect vital farmland while supporting technological advancement." In essence, Miller’s plan would steer data centers and other resource-intensive projects, including renewable energy installations and urban expansion, toward land that is less suitable for agriculture through targeted tax incentives. Under the framework, states would nominate eligible areas such as for consideration: Marginal land, Brownfields, Arid regions, Or locations with existing grid access. If approved by state authorities or federal agencies, these zones could qualify for property or other state tax incentives.

Environmental experts say Texas data centers come with uncertainty

Texas is home to approximately 400 data centers — some currently operational, others still under construction and a number that are still in the planning stages. Experts say the boom comes with a lot of uncertainty. What they're saying: "Data centers are a relatively large power demand in a small area, something like, you know, 100 or 200 megawatts of power. That's more than a small city or a small town would be consuming itself," said Carey King, a research scientist with the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. Over the past year, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has received more than 200 gigawatts worth of large load interconnection requests, approximately 73% of which are from data centers. That has led to questions about whether the state’s grid is up to the task of supplying power to the facilities.

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In a recent report from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages about 90 percent of the state's grid, it was warned that rising demand from new AI and crypto data centers, as well as a swiftly growing population, could be a challenge. "Many of us who suffered through winter storm Uri still have PTSD over, you know, fears that the grid won't be able to meet demand," said Luke Metzger, the executive director of Environment Texas, a local nonprofit working to safeguard the state’s natural environment. That’s not the only question. King points out that there is also a question of whether all the proposed data centers will actually be built. He says if they don’t end up materializing, it could spell trouble for anyone making investment decisions based on the projections. And if infrastructure is built to accommodate the needs of projects that never come to fruition, those costs could be passed off to consumers in the form of higher rates. Experts say these speculative data center projects have led to uncertainty around how much power will actually be needed to meet the demands of the state’s data centers.

Latest defendant in ICE Alvarado shooting helped delete digital evidence, court records allege

A woman arrested last week in connection with a July 4 shooting incident outside an ICE detention center in Alvarado is accused of helping delete messages and removing people from group chats, according to court records reviewed by KERA News. Lucy Fowlkes, 23, was arrested in Weatherford last Monday. She was charged with two counts of hindering prosecution of terrorism, Johnson County Jail records show. Her bond is set at $10 million. A recent criminal complaint claims Fowlkes was involved in group chats with other defendants who were arrested the night of the alleged shooting and in the following weeks through the encrypted messaging app Signal.

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Fowlkes allegedly called two codefendants and sent multiple messages to others hours after the shooting, directing them to delete "digital evidence," according to the complaint. The complaint also alleges she instructed others to remove the names of defendants from group chats. The complaint alleges these deleted messages contained evidence of planning the incidents outside the Prairieland Detention Center as well as planning of helping one codefendant, Benjamin Song, evade arrest and, "by extension, hinder prosecution of terrorism." Eleven people dressed in black gathered outside the detention center July 4 to set off fireworks before correctional officers inside called 911, according to court records. An Alvarado officer arrived at the scene a few minutes later and that's when court documents claim someone began shooting the officer from nearby woods. The officer was shot once in the neck and has since recovered. Since then, 19 people have been arrested in connection to what happened that night. Eleven people were arrested that night and in the following days. Song was arrested by the FBI July 15 after being on the run for a week. Both prosecutors and codefendants point to Song as the shooter.

Ken Paxton accuses major grocery chains of using pesticides on organic produce

Attorney General Ken Paxton plans to investigate grocery stores for spraying their organic produce with pesticides and not telling their customers about it, according to his office. Paxton accused "major grocery chains" of spraying organic fruits and vegetables with Produce Maxx, a federally-approved antimicrobial pesticide with high concentrations of chlorine, before selling them to consumers. He said federal law requires organic produce be rinsed after it's sprayed with chlorine and suggested the current practice may be against the law. Paxton did not say which grocery chains are suspected of using pesticide on organic produce in the news release issued Monday. The Chronicle has requested the information from his office.

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“Many Texans choose organic produce specifically to avoid harmful pesticides,” Paxton said in the release. “It’s not only wrong for grocers to mislead consumers about chemicals being sprayed on their food—it may very well be illegal. There should be no shortcuts when it comes to food safety, and my office will ensure that Texas consumers are not misled about the state of the produce they purchase.” Paxton said thousands of stores in the U.S. mist their produce with pesticides to "control bacteria and extend shelf life" but alleged that businesses hide pesticide containers from customers and use no signs or warning labels to notify them. He demanded grocery stores that continue using pesticides to hang up signs and instruct customers to rinse their food.

Kate Rogers compares her legal fight to the battle of the Alamo

Kate Rogers, the former president and CEO of Alamo Trust Inc., said Davy Crockett and the historic defenders of the Alamo would have supported her after she was forced out from leading the restoration of the San Antonio battlefield and old Spanish mission. “It just feels so fundamentally un-American,” Rogers said during an interview on TPR’s "The Source" on Monday. “Tyranny was the exact thing they were fighting against,” she said. Rogers is suing Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and others claiming her right to free speech was violated because she was essentially fired for writing in her doctoral dissertation that a complete history should be included in telling the story of the Alamo.

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Rogers was forced out of her job after Texas’ Republican leadership focused on language from her doctoral dissertation to argue she was “incompatible” with the state’s preferred, battle-centered narrative of the Alamo. Rogers resigned in October 2025 after Patrick publicly demanded her departure and Buckingham condemned a separate Alamo social media post as “woke.” Speaking on TPR’s "The Source" Rogers described a lifelong connection to the shrine that began with family trips. “I still have a picture … of my sister and I when we were little on one of the many trips … my father took us to go see the Alamo,” she said, describing her father as a West Point graduate and five-tour Vietnam veteran. She said she later learned an even deeper tie: “I did not know until I started working there that I actually am a descendant.” She traced her family lineage to one of the original Canary Island settler families in San Antonio. Rogers said her ancestor Maria Jesus Delgado “was nine and she was here during the siege of the Alamo” and left an account in a Tejano recollections book. Rogers’ resignation followed a cascade of political blowback that began with an Indigenous Peoples Day/Columbus Day post on the Alamo’s official channels.

Dallas ended 2025 with fifth straight drop in overall violent crime

Violent crime fell for the fifth year in a row last year in Dallas, police officials said Monday, including the city’s lowest homicide count since 2015. Dallas’ figures, presented to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, mirror a broader national trend, with homicides down across most major U.S. cities in 2025, according to aggregated police data. Police Maj. Andre Taylor, who oversees the department’s violent crime efforts, told council members reports of violent crime were down 12% overall in 2025 compared with the year before — a decline he credited to a mix of strategy, technology and focus on wanted offenders.

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Department data shows police tallied 141 homicides in 2025 — the lowest since 2015, when it counted 136. Taylor also said aggravated assault reports citywide were down by 12% in 2025 compared with the year before. The discussion highlighted a gap between the city’s improving crime totals and what residents tell their council members they’re living with. Most members of the committee praised the results, with the discussion pivoting to concerns about reports of random gunfire. After the committee’s chair, Cara Mendelsohn, asked members to weigh in on what they were hearing in their districts about random gunfire, council member Maxie Johnson said the year-end totals on violent crime did not match what his constituents are experiencing in his south Oak Cliff district. “We need real results,” Johnson said. “I can’t continue to just give data and say this is happening when our experience is saying something totally different.”

National Stories

Global central bankers unite in defense of Fed Chair Jerome Powell

Global central bankers issued a statement Tuesday defending U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell following the launch of a criminal investigation into the central bank chief. "We stand in full solidarity with the Federal Reserve System and its Chair Jerome H. Powell," central bank chiefs including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, said in a joint statement. "The independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve. It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability," they added. Powell has served with "integrity, focused on his mandate and an unwavering commitment to the public interest," the statement said.

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"To us, he is a respected colleague who is held in the highest regard by all who have worked with him." Other signatories to the statement included the central bank chiefs of Brazil, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, Australia, and Canada. The message of solidarity with Powell comes after the Fed chief issued a statement on Sunday evening confirming that federal prosecutors had launched a criminal investigation into the $2.5 billion renovation of the central bank's headquarters in Washington, D.C., and his related testimony to Congress. Powell, who has come under sustained pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to lower interest rates, said the probe was the result of the president's frustration to cut rates as quickly and as much as he wanted. "The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President," Powell said in a video statement tweeted by the Fed's X account. Powell warned that the outcome of the investigation will determine the future of the central bank's decisions. "This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation," Powell said.

NIL lobbying surges as Congress stalls on SCORE Act

As college football players sign lucrative name, image and likeness (NIL) deals in January, money has also flowed behind the scenes to Washington, D.C., where college sports organizations are lobbying Congress over the future of NIL policy. Disclosures show at least 65 university-related clients and 15 Division I collegiate athletic conferences have reported lobbying activity tied to NIL policy or the SCORE Act, legislation aimed at establishing federal standards for college athletics related to NIL deals. The lobbying effort has extended well beyond campuses and conferences, with filings showing activity from all five major professional players associations, along with labor unions, media groups, advertising groups and other organizations with financial stakes in the evolving college sports landscape. Altogether, more than 100 unique organizations have reported lobbying activity related to NIL policy or the SCORE Act.

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Among conferences, the largest players accounted for the bulk of reported spending. The Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference and Southeastern Conference combined to spend more than $1.5 million on lobbying in 2025, with one reporting quarter still remaining. The SEC, the largest spender among the group, disclosed roughly $600,000 in lobbying expenditures, all through Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. The ACC and Big Ten each reported more than $400,000 in lobbying activity during the year, with the ACC retaining DLA Piper and the Big Ten relying primarily on Cassidy & Associates. The Big 12, by comparison, lagged behind its peers, disclosing roughly $160,000 in lobbying activity. Smaller Division I conferences, in contrast to their larger counterparts, have taken a more coordinated and lower-cost approach. Ten mid-major leagues, including the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Southern Conference, registered around the same time through the same lobbying firm, Alignment Government Strategies. The ten conferences later reported relatively modest lobbying expenditures, generally in the low five figures. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has also maintained a significant federal lobbying presence around NIL policy. Filings show the NCAA disclosed roughly $1.3 million in lobbying expenditures across the first three quarters of 2025 alone, working with multiple firms alongside its in-house lobbying operation. The SCORE Act was pulled from the House floor in December amid concerns about vote support, despite backing from the White House to pass a bill related to NIL and college sports. President Trump signed an executive order titled "Saving College Sports" in July, which stated that college sports is "under unprecedented threat."

Trump orders Iran trade embargo — with 25% tariff on any country that violates

President Trump announced a trade embargo against Iran Monday as members of Congress implored him to take immediate action to stop the killing of anti-government protesters. “Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This Order is final and conclusive. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” The trade action comes at a critical decision-making point for Trump as he weighs military force and diplomacy. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and key National Security Council officials huddled on Friday to prepare a “suite of options” — including military strikes — to present to Trump in the coming days, according to a source familiar with the talks.

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“One thing President Trump is very good at is always keeping all of his options on the table and airstrikes would be one of the many, many options on the table for the commander in chief,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. Iran, the anti-American theocracy, already is heavily sanctioned by the US government, but the tariffs threaten much more economic pain after the local current’s collapse sparked the ongoing unrest. Iran’s top trading partner is China, according to the World Bank, accounting for more than a quarter of its imports and exports. Other major trading partners include Iraq, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and India. It was not immediately clear how strictly Trump would enforce the policy. His move to penalize countries that import Russian oil — in an effort to end Moscow’s Ukraine invasion — has been inconsistently applied. At least 544 people have been killed in Iran during the anti-government protests, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, of whom 496 were protesters and 48 were security personnel.

Trump floats 1-year, 10% credit card interest rate cap — what that could mean for your money

President Donald Trump’s call for a temporary 10% cap on credit card interest rates, if implemented, could have significant impacts — both positive and negative — for borrowers. “Effective January 20, 2026, I, as President of the United States, am calling for a one year cap on Credit Card Interest Rates of 10%,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. The president did not provide details on how his plan would come to fruition or how he planned to make credit card issuers comply. It is also unclear whether Trump’s proposal would pertain to new or existing balances. A White House official told CNBC that additional details on the president’s proposal would be forthcoming.

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“A credit card rate cap is enormously popular with Americans,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. “That’s why we’ve seen big names on both sides of the aisle propose credit card rate caps in recent years, including President Trump, who also floated the idea while on the campaign trail in 2024.” Currently, about 175 million people in the U.S. have credit cards, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. While some pay off the balance each month, roughly 60% of credit card users have revolving debt, the New York Fed said. That means they pay interest charges on the balances they carry from month to month. About 61% of cardholders with credit card balances have been in debt for at least a year, up from 53% in late 2024, according to a new Bankrate survey. The average credit card interest rate in the U.S. fell to 23.79% in January, marking the lowest level since March 2023 and continuing several months of declines, according to LendingTree. If there were a rate cap, “there’s no question that it would be a really, really big deal for credit cardholders,” Schulz said.

E.P.A. to stop considering lives saved by limiting air pollution

Under President Trump, the E.P.A. plans to stop tallying gains from the health benefits caused by curbing two of the most widespread deadly air pollutants, fine particulate matter and ozone, when regulating industry, according to internal agency emails and documents reviewed by The New York Times. It’s a seismic shift that runs counter to the E.P.A.’s mission statement, which says the agency’s core responsibility is to protect human health and the environment, environmental law experts said. The change could make it easier to repeal limits on these pollutants from coal-burning power plants, oil refineries, steel mills and other industrial facilities across the country, the emails and documents show. That would most likely lower costs for companies while resulting in dirtier air.

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Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, refers to particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Ozone is a smog-causing gas that forms when nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds are emitted from power plants, factories and vehicles and mix in the air on hot, sunny days. Long-term exposure to both pollutants is linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, and premature death. Even moderate exposure to PM2.5 can damage the lungs about as much as smoking. Under the Biden administration, the E.P.A. tightened the amount of PM2.5 that could be emitted by industrial facilities. It estimated that the rule would prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths and 290,000 lost workdays in 2032 alone. For every $1 spent on reducing PM2.5, the agency said, there could be as much as $77 in health benefits. But the Trump administration contends that these estimates are doubtful and said the E.P.A. would no longer take health effects into account in the cost-benefit analyses necessary for clean-air regulations, according to the documents. Instead, the agency would estimate only the costs to businesses of complying with the rules.

FBI says it has found no video of Border Patrol agent shooting 2 people in Oregon

The FBI said in a court document made public Monday that it had found no surveillance or other video of a Border Patrol agent shooting and wounding two people in a pickup truck during an immigration enforcement operation in Portland, Oregon, last week. Agents told investigators that one of their colleagues opened fire Thursday after the driver put the truck in reverse and repeatedly slammed into an unoccupied car the agents had rented, smashing its headlights and knocking off its front bumper. The agents said they feared for their own safety and that of the public, the document said.

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The FBI has interviewed four of the six agents on the scene, the document said. It did not identify the agent who fired the shots. The shooting, which came one day after a federal agent shot and killed a driver in Minneapolis, prompted protests over federal agents’ aggressive tactics during immigration enforcement operations. The Department of Homeland Security has said the two people in the truck entered the U.S. illegally and were affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. None of the six agents was recording body camera footage, and investigators have uncovered no surveillance or other video footage of the shooting, FBI Special Agent Daniel Jeffreys wrote in an affidavit supporting aggravated assault and property damage charges against the driver, Luis David Nino-Moncada. The truck drove away after the shooting, which occurred in the parking lot of a medical office building. Nino-Moncada called 911 after arriving at an apartment complex several minutes away. He was placed in FBI custody after being treated for a gunshot wound to the arm and abdomen.

OnlyFans stars and TikTok influencers are 'dominating' visas for their 'extraordinary ability'

It was once popular for international music stars and actors to stay in the U.S. for their jobs and careers. Today, the notion is attracting a new type of "talent." OnlyFans stars, TikTok influencers and popular content creators are applying for O-1 visas to work in this country. The visas are intended for an individual who possesses "extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements," according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

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A U.S. employer, U.S. agent or foreign employer through a U.S. agent needs to file on the person's behalf, along with required evidence, the USCIS also says. Pennsylvania-based immigration attorney Raymond Lahoud told Fox News Digital, "O-1B visas have been dominated by influencers and content creators." He added, "We see applicants who appear on various platforms with millions of followers and earning millions of dollars." "If a potential non-immigrant who is the world's most famous OnlyFans star meets the O-1B requirements, who am I to judge? We're getting that visa," he added. He said the rise in the number of creators seeking visas is somewhat of a recent phenomenon. "During the pandemic, the films were recording, the influencers were posting and the entire globe was at home reading or watching," said Lahoud. A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "O-1 visa issuances for FY 2024 and FY 2025 remained steady at approximately 20,000."

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