August 9, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Trump rebukes Greg Abbott’s Texas data center crackdown: ‘Mistake’

President Donald Trump has criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to pause approvals for new data centers, calling the move a “mistake” as the state weighs concerns over the industry’s growing demands for electricity and water. The president made the comments in a nearly hourlong interview with Punchbowl News released Friday, just days after the Republican governor ordered a pause on approvals for data centers seeking connections to the Texas electric grid, as reported by The Texas Tribune. "I saw Texas the other day sort of is against data centers,” Trump said. “I think it’s a mistake. And I’m not taking positions, I just think it’s a mistake, because there are other communities that want it. When a community wants it, it means a lot of money is going to come into that community.”

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He later described data centers as “tremendously important for the economics,” adding that the industry “could be bigger than oil” for Texas. Data centers have become a growing source of concern in communities across the country. Facilities supporting cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) require large amounts of electricity and often significant quantities of water for cooling. Critics have also raised concerns about noise, pressure on power grids, rising electricity costs, and the environmental impacts associated with meeting growing energy demand. Newsweek contacted Abbott on Saturday via email for comment. On Monday, Abbott announced that Texas would halt approvals for proposed data centers seeking connections to the state grid while regulators conduct a comprehensive audit. The review will examine developers’ expected electricity and water consumption, cooling systems, tax incentives, ownership and efforts to mitigate impacts on surrounding communities. Abbott said projects that fail to meet the state’s requirements should be denied connections to the grid. Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris told Newsweek in an emailed statement on Friday that the governor’s pause was aimed at protecting Texas’ power grid and water supply amid surging demand.

New Texas Amazon data center stokes worry it would be the most polluting power plant in the U.S.

Amazon is investing in a large-scale natural-gas-burning power plant as part of a huge data center in Texas, the company confirmed on Friday, a facility that could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States. Amazon and other tech giants are racing to build enough data centers to keep up with surging demand for artificial intelligence services, and to secure the electricity to power them. A company spokeswoman said in a statement that its planned data center, in Pecos County, would be “powered by new on-site generation that won’t raise electricity costs for Texas families.” The new gas-burning plant, if built to specifications, would be permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, regulatory records show, more planet-warming gases than any other power plant in the country.

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Amazon has been struggling to meet its promise that it would effectively eliminate its planet-warming emissions by 2040 as part of the Climate Pledge, a voluntary agreement among companies that Amazon co-founded several years ago. Emissions from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas is the main driver of global warming, which is dangerously heating the planet. Amazon’s emissions have gone up each of the past several years. And the Seattle-based tech giant has acknowledged that rising emissions from A.I. data centers could get in the way of its climate goals. “The world looks different now than when we co-founded the climate pledge,” said Margaret Callahan, an Amazon spokeswoman. Still, “our commitment hasn’t changed,” she said. The Texas project seemed to epitomize the difficulty in meeting the goal. Artificial intelligence data centers require immense amounts of energy to run the trillions of calculations needed to create A.I. systems and services. And the scale and urgency of their energy demands is fast exhausting the electricity-generating capacity of the nation’s power grid.

Hugging Face hack marks start of dangerous AI cyber era and many firms 'don't even know it'

Cybersecurity executives are ready to close the book on the now-infamous Hugging Face artificial intelligence hacking incident and start talking solutions. “We need to chill the hype a little bit,” said Lior Div, CEO and cofounder of agentic security startup 7AI. “Can AI find vulnerabilities fast? The answer is yes. We’ve already proven it.” Last month, AI agents operating with OpenAI cyber models broke out of a training environment to hack Hugging Face, an open-source AI platform developers use to collaborate, test and share tools. The breach sent shockwaves across tech and signaled that the moment cybersecurity experts had warned about since Anthropic’s Mythos debut had finally arrived.

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Over the last four months, cybersecurity vendors have faced mounting pressure to deliver security stacks that can outpace adversaries as hackers leverage agentic AI to expose vulnerabilities and condense attacks into seconds and minutes. While the Hugging Face hack sparked widespread debate over AI accountability, it also challenged previous notions about the limits of AI for defenders. For instance, AI agents took matters into their own hands and went to extreme lengths to accomplish their goal. As the industry grapples with the new agentic cyber reality, leaders agree that Hugging Face deserves the attention, but these incidents are unavoidable and it’s time to act. “What we’re talking about is whether we can govern and secure the capability, and that’s the reality that everybody’s waking up to today,” said CrowdStrike president Mike Sentonas. At the annual Black Hat cybersecurity conference this week, OpenAI revealed that agents created an internal message board to share vulnerabilities and exploits in the weeks leading up to the Hugging Face attack. The autonomous agents then delegated tasks for the attack to reach the Internet and complete an evaluation. Even after OpenAI discovered and stopped the planned attack, the agents were able to recreate their work and succeed.

Corpus Christi Mayor suspended 30 days, reprimanded for conduct ‘beneath’ office

Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo has been suspended from office for 30 days and formally reprimanded following a four-day hearing over a petition seeking her removal. The council's decision Friday does not remove Guajardo from office. Instead, she will serve a 30-day suspension, with the penalties running concurrently, and receive a formal reprimand for conduct described as beneath the dignity of the mayor's office. During a special City Council meeting Friday, the council formally voted to reprimand Guajardo and suspend her from office for 30 days. Under Article II, Section 5 of the Corpus Christi City Charter, District 4 Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Kaylynn Paxson will assume the responsibilities of the mayor during the suspension.

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The ruling comes after days of testimony and deliberation surrounding the petition against Guajardo. The city says municipal services, emergency operations and daily city business will continue without interruption during the suspension. 3NEWS reporter Natalia Osuna was at City Hall throughout the hearing and spoke with council members following the final decision. During the fourth and final day, a key issue was whether council members could serve as both judges and witnesses in the proceedings. Mayor Guajardo’s attorney, John Flood, attempted to call Councilmember Sylvia Campos and Councilmember Gil Hernandez to the witness stand, but the petitioners’ attorney objected. The council sustained the objection, and neither council member testified. Hernandez said he believed the evidence presented during the hearing was enough to support the charges against Guajardo. “I tried to keep an open mind until I saw it and was able to hear it, and there was no doubt in my mind that she was guilty and all these charges, and there was no other way to see it for me,” Hernandez said. Campos said council members had differing opinions on whether the evidence warranted removal. “Some council members felt that there was enough for removal, others didn't,” Campos said. “Ultimately, I think it is what was ultimately decided — a 30-day suspension and a reprimand.”

Hunter Biden says Joe Biden’s cancer has spread further and is ‘very painful’

Former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread further, his son Hunter Biden said in a BBC interview, offering a stark update on the 83-year-old’s health. “It’s really, really hard, and it’s really sad to watch... I wish he would complain more, because it’s not good,” Hunter Biden said in the interview. “The cancer has spread, is metastasized into his bones and further. It’s very painful. It’s very debilitating in many respects, but he’s still out there. He’s still doing his thing... he so believes in this country.” Joe Biden was diagnosed in May 2025 with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The former president later underwent hormone treatment and a course of radiation therapy.

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In the wide-ranging BBC interview, Hunter Biden also discussed his father’s decision to pardon him in the final weeks of his presidency, saying he remains deeply grateful for the move. “I am the most privileged person, as it relates to that, that there could possibly be,” Hunter Biden said. “I was one of one, and I’m eternally grateful for it.” Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon to his son in December 2024, reversing earlier pledges that he would not use his presidential powers to intervene in Hunter Biden’s federal criminal cases. The pardon covered his convictions on federal gun and tax charges.

State Stories

Poll: Hinojosa leads Abbott in Congressional District 15

The Democratic Party nominee for governor of Texas, Gina Hinojosa, is more favorable than Gov. Greg Abbott in Congressional District 15, according to a new opinion poll. The House Majority PAC poll gives Hinojosa a 52 percent to 47 percent lead over he general election opponent. President Trump won the district by 15 points in 2024. Hinojosa, a Rio Grande Valley native, said the poll findings show a powerful trend among Latino voters supporting her campaign. She noted that a Fox News poll showed her trailing Abbott by just one point across the whole state. That is within the margin of error.

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“Our campaign is getting stronger by the day because my plan is simple: save public schools and put money in your pocket by ending the Greg Abbott Corruption Tax,” Hinojosa told the Rio Grande Guardian. “For 12 years, working Texans have suffered from Abbott’s record of putting his billionaire donors before working Texans: $1 billion drained from public schools, skyrocketing costs, and data centers siphoning our resources after getting the most generous tax dollar giveaway in the country. As I travel the state, Republicans, Independents, and Democrats are taking a stand to rebuild the American Dream in Texas with an economy that works for the people, not the billionaires.” Hinojosa was in Laredo recently to unveil her economic platform. The plan includes issuing all Texas households “$1,500 Corruption Tax Refund” checks to provide relief for working families and “account for the cost of Greg Abbott’s corruption.” Congressional District 15 includes parts of Hidalgo and Aransas counties, alongside the full counties of Bee, Brooks, DeWitt, Goliad, Gonzales, Jim Wells, and Lavaca, plus portions of Regugio and San Patricio counties.

When a Texas school police officer got ‘riled up’ over a defiant teen

Officer Marc Laue was seething. Minutes earlier, while patrolling the hallways of Judson High School in Converse, Texas, he had confronted a 15-year-old accused of pushing an assistant principal. The teenager, Jeremiah Johnson, cursed at the officer and walked away. Officer Laue grabbed repeatedly at Jeremiah’s arms and backpack, body camera footage of the encounter shows. When the boy pushed away, the officer wrapped his arms around him and took him to the floor. Now Jeremiah was handcuffed in the school’s cramped police office. As another officer tried to lower Jeremiah into a chair, Officer Laue rammed his fists into the boy’s belly. “Sit the fuck down!” Officer Laue shouted.

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Since 2022, when a gunman killed 21 people at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas has spent billions of dollars installing police officers at public schools. Under state law, officers are supposed to stay out of “routine student discipline.” But over the past few years, they have used physical force in thousands of cases, including to stop seemingly minor misbehavior. The incident at Judson High offers an extraordinary glimpse into a confrontation gone wrong. What makes it so unusual is that the student and the officer, as well as a teacher, discussed it with a reporter. The 33-minute episode, from November 2023, was also captured on body camera footage, which was reviewed by The New York Times and The San Antonio Express-News. The case underscores a concern that has been raised by parents and advocates since schools began stationing law enforcement on their campuses: that officers might clash with vulnerable students, derailing their lives. Ian Adams, a professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina who reviewed the footage for The Times and The Express-News, called it “horrific.” The way Officer Laue shoved his fists into Jeremiah, Mr. Adams said, went beyond the bounds of “normal policing.”

Can a Tejano star restore Dems’ power in South Texas?

Bobby Pulido descended a staircase bedecked in flowers to face the quinceañara in her shimmering blue ball gown. Her magnificent hoop skirt swayed as the Tejano star-turned-South Texas Democratic congressional candidate launched into a rendition of “Hermoso Cariño.” It was Pulido’s second quince of four that night, part of a marathon run of birthdays, weddings, and even baptisms that have become the cornerstone of his campaign trail strategy. He finished with his hit song “Desvelado,” led the birthday girl by the hand around the dance floor, and gifted her a pink “Make Quinceañaras Great Again” hat. After 30 years of performing across the United States and Mexico, the two-time Latin Grammy winner officially announced in September 2025 his bid to run for the 15th Congressional District, a newly remodeled majority-Latino South Texas district that’s anchored in McAllen and stretches north all the way to New Braunfels outside San Antonio. Republican Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz flipped that then-open seat back in 2022 and held onto it in 2024 despite it being one of Dems’ top targets in the state.

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The conservative Blue Dog Democrats PAC poured nearly $1 million into Pulido’s primary race, betting that the strength of his name recognition, cultural influence, and deep roots throughout the Rio Grande Valley would help to win back the seat after a Trump-fueled wave among Hispanic voters in 2024. In March, he easily defeated the more progressive yet little-known Ada Cuellar, an emergency physician with a law degree who largely self-funded her bid. His slogan, “Not team red. Not team blue. Team you,” anchors Pulido as the Democrats’ familiar, moderate champion to reclaim the 15th from De La Cruz. He’s determined to podcast, sing, and dance his way to Congress, brushing off every scandal that seeks to poison his good-vibes campaign. De La Cruz is the first Republican and Latina to represent the district, thanks to GOP gerrymandering that set up her successful run in 2022 as the 15th was redrawn to be much redder, prompting the incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez to move to a neighboring district. But, in Texas Republicans’ bid to deliver five more House seats to Trump in yet another round of redistricting last year, the district has since been redrawn yet again, putting her on relatively more uncertain ground. “Eighty percent of that district she hasn’t represented in the last two two election cycles. They really don’t know her,” said Jon Taylor, a professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio. “She’s as much of a challenger—a non-incumbent—as an incumbent.”

Mary Ellen Klas: These Texas builders backed Trump. They’ve had enough

(Mary Ellen Klas is a politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. A former capital bureau chief for the Miami Herald, she has covered politics and government for more than three decades.) President Donald Trump has always liked to boast about the loyalty of his voters. But in South Texas, where the construction industry is being battered by immigration raids, industry leaders are starting to defect from the Republican Party. It’s a remarkable shift in political allegiance in a region that Trump dominated in 2024. It should be a flashing red light for the GOP, said long-time Republican Massey Villarreal, president and CEO of Houston-based consulting firm Precision Task Group. He recalled that when immigrants were surging across the border during the Biden administration, “You would see these ‘Trump trains’ in South Texas with half a mile of trucks with Trump flags on them. Today, there’s the same thing, but the flag is now ‘F-- Trump,’” he told me. Trump’s approval in Texas is at an all-time low, at 43%, according to the Texas Politics Project, with 52% of the state voters unhappy with this performance.

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The anger at the president and his policies started welling up in Texas border towns last year, after masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began detaining workers at construction sites. In December, Mario Guerrero, executive director of the South Texas Builders Association, called a meeting of local businesses to air their concerns. He also erected a chain-link fence around his company’s construction site because, he told NBC News, federal agents told him if the general public couldn’t enter the site, they wouldn’t either. But in the months that followed, ICE raids at construction sites intensified. By July, workers were being apprehended so often that crews stopped showing up for work. Then, early one morning in Houston, as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 35-year Houston resident, was picking up his building crew, masked ICE agents in an unmarked car approached him from behind. Salgado stopped his van. An ICE officer approached on the passenger side and shot him. ICE called it “active self-defense,” but witnesses disputed that claim. Many questions remain unanswered. But the incident, along with the detention of a Catholic nun who was apprehended while walking to church in McAllen in June, prompted South Texas to turn its anger into activism.

Newly appointed U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz touts Trump policies in Valley visit

Less than a month after being sworn in as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Texas, Aaron Reitz was in the Rio Grande Valley visiting two of the seven court divisions in his jurisdiction. Following a two-day visit to the Brownsville Division earlier this week, Reitz paid a visit to the McAllen Division at Bentsen Tower. He said that he didn’t frequent the Rio Grande Valley until he started working in state government first as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s deputy attorney general for Legal Strategy from 2020 to 2023. Those visits became more frequent when he worked as Senator Ted Cruz’s chief of staff.

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Since being appointed, Reitz said that he anticipates visiting the area at least once a month. “Not only do we have a lot of our lawyers down here, but just the cases that are coming out of this region — the volume is extreme,” Reitz said Wednesday during a sitdown interview with MyRGV.com. “Just the issues that are of a priority to this administration are a lot. Whether it’s national security, cartels, border security, illegal immigration, the whole nine yards, you can find a mix of all of those issues right here in the Valley. So I expect I’ll be here quite a bit.” Reitz is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. While there, he was president of the Texas Federalist Society as well as editor in chief of the Texas Review of Law & Politics. Prior to law school, Reitz served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps which included tours in Afghanistan. Before being sworn in, Reitz had recently sought the Republican nomination for Texas Attorney General — earning the endorsement from the former Texas AG, but coming up short during the March 3 primary election.

Trump pardons former Plano mayor Jack Harvard decades after conviction

Jack Harvard revs up the engine on his Polaris Ranger, fills up a bucket of feed — the price has gone up again — and rides around his nearly 1,000 acres of rocky grassland at the top of the rolling Hill Country. He’s got African porcupines, giraffes, red stags and zebras to feed in the broiling July heat. His hundreds of animals from several corners of the world roam the land, racing across fields and down cliff sides, as far as the eye can see. He’s a long way from Plano. He led the suburb through its growth spurt as mayor for eight years in the 1980s.

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Now he rules a new kingdom, a former drive-through safari he’s built into a breeding ranch for exotic and endangered animals with the help of his wife, four daughters and their kids. “This is Jack’s legacy, for his children and grandchildren,” his wife, Nancy, said in the back of the Polaris. She’s brought a bag of carrots to feed Bob, their giraffe. It was here, on these rolling hills in Bosque County, that Harvard received the call he said he never expected. Nearly three decades after the former Plano mayor went to federal prison for banking crimes, President Donald Trump quietly pardoned him July 3. Harvard says he was wrongly convicted 30 years ago. “I don't think I ever did anything illegal,” Harvard said in one of a series of recent interviews with The Dallas Morning News. Trump’s pardon revisits crimes Harvard insists he is innocent of, but the prosecutor who helped convict him says he was rightly found guilty for. Now almost 80 years old, Harvard said the unexpected pardon has lifted a burden he has carried since the 1990s.

Fort Worth Councilman Michael Crain’s lawsuit against former business partner dismissed

A Texas business court judge ruled in favor of Will Northern in the lawsuit filed by Michael Crain, his former business partner in real estate firm Northern Crain. On Aug. 6, Judge Jerry Bullard of the Texas Business Court Eighth Division in Fort Worth dismissed a lawsuit filed by Crain in June 2025 alleging Northern improperly used Northern Crain companies’ confidential information, resources and personnel for a “potentially lucrative business venture.” In the lawsuit, Crain said Northern and others acted without Crain’s knowledge or consent to exclude him and the jointly owned firm from the business transaction involving the Woodhaven Country Club property.

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According to the ruling, all of Crain’s claims against Northern have been dismissed. The court ruled that Crain does not have ownership of Northern Crain and did not when he filed the suit. The lawsuit was dismissed before a jury trial which was set to begin later this month, according to a news release from Northern and his attorneys. Under “Texas Shootout buy-sell options” Crain was ordered to sell his interest in Northern Crain back to Northern. “In my opinion, Michael Crain used the Courts in an attempt to profit from the Woodhaven redevelopment project in which he had no interest, he invested no time, money or effort,” Northern said in a statement to the Fort Worth Report. Crain, who represents District 3 on Fort Worth City Council, said he would appeal the ruling. “First and foremost, we believe the court lacked jurisdiction over the matter,” Crain said in a statement. “Rather than hearing evidence on the underlying facts or the merits of our claims, the case was resolved through procedural ruling based on a record we believe was incomplete and, in some respect, inaccurate.” On Friday, Northern also said there had been progress in the development of Woodhaven, a former golf course that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crescendo Development, the company Northern is using to redevelop the neighborhood, is working with housing development company Blue Ridge Cascade on a mixed-used project at the site. Meetings with residents in the neighborhood will continue.

Judge orders Trump administration to pay $765,000 owed to Estrella del Paso

The Trump administration by Friday must pay millions of dollars to Estrella del Paso and other legal aid organizations that represent unaccompanied migrant children, a federal judge ordered Thursday. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguín of Oakland, California, ordered the government to release $65 million in payments it has withheld since December by 1 p.m. MDT Friday, including about $765,000 it owes Estrella del Paso. She also ordered the government to file by 2 p.m. MDT a declaration saying it has done so. “We are incredibly grateful for the court’s decision to order the payment of our outstanding invoices by noon PST tomorrow. The court saw clearly the government’s attempt to evade the injunction,” Melissa M. Lopez, executive director of Estrella del Paso, said in a statement to El Paso Matters.

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The government had argued that the organizations weren’t properly filing invoices and providing information requested, while the legal aid organizations said the government was withholding payments in an attempt to force them to turn over confidential information about the migrant children they represent. Estrella del Paso — a ministry of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso — on Friday shut down its legal aid program for unaccompanied children, laying off 13 employees and cutting off services to any new minor clients, citing the lack of payments from the government and the expiration of its contract with the government. It is unclear whether Estrella or the other organizations that brought the lawsuit against the government will be able to continue providing legal services to the unaccompanied minor children. That’s because the government’s contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, which subcontracts with the other providers, ended Friday. The legal aid organizations in court documents said that no bridge contract has been identified and no cases have been transferred to any other legal provider since Friday. About 24,000 cases are pending, according to court records. “Unfortunately, today’s decision does not restore the critical legal services to children that lapsed on July 31,” Lopez said. “We await the government’s update as to the steps being taken to ensure unaccompanied children receive the services they are legally entitled to receive.

Crosby ISD ends partnership with East Harris County nonprofit, Muslim humanitarian agency

On July 31, Crosby ISD posted a statement on Facebook announcing the termination of its partnership with the East Harris County Empowerment Council. The statement was published the day before the district's annual back-to-school bash, an event in which the council had helped students and parents receive school supplies and interact with local businesses ahead of the new school year. The council had also donated funds, food and student support to Crosby ISD in some capacity since 2008.

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The district's statement also said that the council's partner organization, Islamic Relief USA, would no longer be allowed to donate or volunteer at the event. According to the council's CEO Terence Narcisse, the two organizations began working together in 2021, providing aid after the Texas winter storm. "They provided around $15,000 in gift cards to East Harris County families that were impacted by the storm to help replace groceries and different things like that," Narcisse said. "Since that time, they have given us cash grants, in-kind supplies, essential supplies and support, food boxes, and a variety of types of support." Narcisse said the council works with a variety of faith-based organizations, and that its relationship with Islamic Relief USA is a strictly formal partnership. "We don't look at this relationship in a particular light," he added. "We see it as no different than if the Catholic Diocese of [Galveston-Houston] wanted to give us a grand."

Harlingen commission can’t void data center water contract, attorney says

The city commission does not have authority to nullify a WaterWorks agreement potentially providing 4.7 million gallons a day of sewer water, while offering potable water as a backup, to a proposed 1,800-acre data center just outside of the city limits, City Attorney Mark Sossi told commissioners. In a meeting, commissioners voted to deny a motion requesting commissioners vote to nullify the September 2025 agreement with RGV Property Group, with Commissioners Frank Morales and Delia Cavazos-Gamez casting dissenting votes.

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The agreement is part of a project of Eneus Energy, a company that has proposed the development of a 1,780-acre data center just outside the Harlingen city limits near Valley International Airport. In an interview, Sossi, noting the WaterWorks board stands as a semi-autonomous board, said the city commission’s authority is limited to setting water rates and approving wholesale water contracts, such as agreements supplying water to the cities of Palm Valley, Primera and Combes. Meanwhile, the WaterWorks agreement is considered a commercial contract that would basically sell treated sewer water while offering potable water as a backup, he said. During a meeting Wednesday, City Commissioner Michael Mezmar noted Gov. Greg Abbott this week directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to conduct comprehensive audits before the state allows data center projects to move forward.

Toddler Annelise Camp in Texas brain-death dispute was taken off life support

A 2-year-old girl whose parents sued a Texas hospital to prevent it from testing if she was brain-dead after she drowned in a hotel pool on Memorial Day has been removed from life support and died, her family said this week. Annelise Camp “is now with Jesus,” her parents Johnston and Joy Camp said in a statement, weeks after a judge granted a temporary injunction in their favor. “While our hearts are broken, we trust in His perfect love, His faithfulness, and His promises.” The family had long said she still showed signs of life and wanted more time for her to recover and explore treatment. Breathing tubes were removed from Annelise on Monday, her grandfather Steve Camp posted online. “When this procedure was done, she passed very quickly.” A church service for Annelise is scheduled for next Wednesday in Houston. The Texas Right to Life organization supported the family’s case.

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Annelise was discovered unconscious in the hotel pool and was brought to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Several days later, her parents petitioned the judge, requesting that she not be tested for brain death as advised by doctors. Court documents said Annelise’s heart was beating, although she was dependent on a ventilator, The Texas Tribune reported. The Camps also asked that Annelise be transferred to another hospital to explore other treatment options. However, Texas Children’s stated it wanted to conduct testing to determine next steps in her medical care and that it had no imminent plans to end care for Annelise. Texas Children’s officials said in court documents they had contacted medical facilities to ask about accepting Annelise, but 35 of the 36 have declined and the one pending hospital said it needed her to undergo brain death testing to consider transfer, the Tribune reported. The Camps eventually were able to transfer Annelise to a hospital in Louisiana. A state legislator, Rep. Steve Toth, told The New York Times that Annelise was brought back to Texas about a week ago and had been treated at Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. Messages seeking comment were sent to Roth and the hospital.

How North Texas council meetings became heated political spectacles

In McKinney, the faces of those turned away Tuesday from City Hall by the fire marshal pressed against the glass doors of the council chambers, peering in to catch a glimpse. Listening to the council meeting on their phones, they banged on the glass in reaction to the more than four hours of public comment before the council unanimously approved the site plan for a proposed mosque just before midnight. The lobby, overflow room and parking lot had filled before Mayor Bill Cox hit the gavel. The item had been placed on the meeting’s consent agenda, which is typically for “non-controversial or housekeeping items required by law.” But the meeting became about much more than the placement of buildings, turning into a rowdy disagreement over American values, identity and Islam.

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It’s been a familiar scene over the long, hot summer at city halls across North Texas. Once sleepy local meetings about zoning and contracts have erupted into crowded, angry spectacles, galvanized on social media. As the demographics of the suburbs change, some meetings have become proxy wars for cultural and social issues that cities cannot directly address. Other meetings, centered on local issues with national resonance, have brought attention to city governance this summer. North Texans packed City Halls and county buildings to protest data centers and defend voting access as midterm elections approach. Now local leaders are tightening meeting rules and removing disruptive speakers while wrestling with how to restore order without stifling dissent. Former McKinney Mayor George Fuller, who served for eight years up until last summer, views the meeting conduct as “very sad political theater.” He said Rep. Keith Self, R-McKinney, who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting and took to X to alert his followers about the proposed mosque, “should be ashamed” for using the forum to score points with voters. “There were residents there with very legitimate concerns, traffic and whatnot, and their comments and their voices were diluted by all these people coming in from outside our community to spread their bigotry and racism and fear,” he said. “That undermines our local community's voice.”

National Stories

Israel rejects Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, Netanyahu says

Israel will not accept the 15-point plan for Gaza set out by President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday. “I want to clarify this: Israel rejects the 15-point document. I have heard people saying, ‘You didn’t say that.’ So here I am saying it again,” he told a Cabinet meeting, referring to the peace plan set out by Trump last year. “The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed,” he added. Trump, who last month touted a breakthrough in his Gaza peace plan, said that Hamas has agreed to lay down arms. However, the Board of Peace’s proposal calls for a phased withdrawal of Israel’s troops from Gaza alongside the disarmament of Hamas. Netanyahu said that Israeli forces are not going anywhere until Hamas completely disarms first.

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“When I say Hamas must be disarmed, I mean heavy weapons, lighter weapons, all weapons. We are talking about genuine disarmament, not a fictitious one,” Netanyahu said Sunday. Hamas had last month said that it would disarm but only after Israel withdraws completely and stops all hostilities. The group also said that laying down its heavy weapons would come later in the process, conditional on the establishment of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu, meanwhile, reaffirmed that “as long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state.” The leader is currently facing a domestic political battle for survival ahead of elections set for October, with the status of the Gaza and Iran conflicts likely to prove pivotal. The explicit rejection of the peace plan, frequently touted by Trump as a key foreign policy achievement, also comes after months of growing tensions between the White House and Israel’s leadership over Iran. The White House did not immediately comment on the remarks.

Horse racing’s Triple Crown may no longer be worth chasing

The chase for horse racing’s iconic Triple Crown is at risk of extinction. This week, the operators of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes said they would launch a six-race series beginning next year with a $5 million prize pool attached. That leaves the Preakness Stakes, the other major race for 3-year-olds, that has traditionally been run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes, on the outside looking in. The exclusion of the Triple Crown’s middle jewel comes after three of the last five Kentucky Derby winners skipped the Preakness, including in each of the past two years. The 14-day turnaround has become too tight for some trainers who prefer to give their horses more time to rest and recover after a race. Of the 95 horses who have run in the Kentucky Derby in the past five years, only 13 entered the starting gate for the Preakness.

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Moments after Golden Tempo’s victory in this year’s Derby, trainer Cherie DeVaux was asked if she would run in the Preakness. “We’re not here for ourselves. We’re not here for our egos. We’re here for the horse,” DeVaux said. A few days later, DeVaux said that Golden Tempo would skip the Preakness and await the Belmont Stakes. The decision paid off as Golden Tempo went on to win that race five weeks later. “I do think that we made the right decision, I don’t think we’d have the same horse if we did run back in two weeks,” DeVaux said after the victory. After the Derby and the Belmont, the new “Thoroughbred Championship Series” includes existing races throughout the summer and wraps up with a newly created race at Churchill Downs in September. In addition to the purse money awarded in each race, a points system will be used to pay out bonuses from a $5 million prize pool based on the final standings. A spokesman for the New York Racing Association, which operates the Belmont Stakes, said that future changes to the schedule are possible.

Window closes for Ohio GOP to replace Rep. Max Miller on the ballot

Rep. Max Miller, the embattled Ohio Republican who faces accusations of domestic violence from his ex-wife, appears almost certain to remain on the ballot in November after a key deadline in the process to replace him passed Saturday. Miller, who denies any wrongdoing, has resisted growing calls to drop his bid for a third term and resign from Congress. Under Ohio law, the deadline to fill a vacancy for the November general election is Monday at 4 p.m. But there are earlier steps in the process that seemingly would have necessitated Miller withdrawing already.

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Most notably, the leaders of the local Republican parties in all four counties that are part of the district must meet to choose the replacement nominee. The statute requires that the chairperson from the most populous county provide at least two days’ notice to participants to convene the meeting. That means Miller would have had to withdraw his candidacy by Saturday to leave enough time for the selection process before Monday’s deadline. He did not. A spokesperson for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who oversees elections in the state, said the office could not confirm that interpretation of the law because of the potential for litigation. If Miller were to end his campaign after Monday, his name could still be removed from the ballot until 70 days before the November election — that deadline is Aug. 25 — but there would be no Republican nominee for the office. Some Republican officials, fearful of putting a conservative-leaning seat at risk as the GOP fights to hold its narrow House majority, have maneuvered to pressure Miller to drop out of the race. Withdrawing after he won the Republican nomination for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District would have allowed local GOP officials to select a replacement.

Trump moving forward with attempt to fire Lisa Cook after Supreme Court setback: Sources

President Donald Trump is moving forward with his attempt to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud, sources say, in a move that is likely to spark a new legal battle over the independence of the central bank. In a letter this week, the White House notified Cook that the president was "considering" removing her from her role on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and demanded that she respond to the allegations within three weeks, sources familiar with the letter told ABC News. The move follows a Supreme Court ruling in June that upheld limits on the president's attempt to remove members of the Federal Reserve stemming from the institution's historical independence.

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In a 5-4 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts said Cook was entitled to notice and an opportunity to respond to the allegations before she is removed "for cause." But the Supreme Court did not take a position on the underlying allegations against Cook and effectively left the door open for Trump to attempt to remove her. "Only after Cook has had the opportunity to respond to the charges made against her ... may a final decision be made," Roberts wrote. "And only then can the courts assess the validity and sufficiency of such charges." Following the decision, Trump signaled on social media that he would "take appropriate action immediately" to remove Cook from her position. "The Cook Lawsuit, having to do with her suitability in sitting on the Board of the Federal Reserve, was sent back by the Supreme Court on a strictly procedural basis, we will take appropriate action immediately to make sure that someone who has committed wrongdoing will not be making vital decisions concerning the Welfare of the United States of America!" Trump wrote on June 29.

Judge dismisses Reflecting Pool vandalism case against former Olympian David Hearn

A federal judge has dismissed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism criminal case against former Olympian David Hearn, according to an order filed on Thursday. In his order granting in part the Department of Justice's request to dismiss the case, Associate Judge Todd Edelman said he would wait to determine whether to grant the dismissal with prejudice -- effectively blocking the government from trying to charge Hearn again for the same alleged crime in the future -- after hearing more arguments from the government and Hearn's attorneys. Edelman has set forth a filing schedule for both parties and said he would schedule a hearing for oral argument at some point when all submissions are made.

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The Justice Department moved last week to dismiss the criminal case against Hearn, acknowledging the damage to the pool "was the result of flawed installation by the contractor." U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's motion sought to dismiss the case without prejudice, which could still leave Hearn exposed to a future indictment. Attorneys for Hearn filed a motion this week seeking to have the indictment against him dismissed with prejudice, citing "exceptional facts and circumstances." "Defying both decency and common sense, the government proceeded to indict Mr. Hearn before it had obtained or evaluated the information necessary to establish a good-faith basis for the charge," the filing stated. "The Court should not leave the defendant subject to the possibility of renewed prosecution," the filing stated. Hearn, a former U.S. Olympic canoeist, pleaded not guilty to a felony destruction of property charge last month after Pirro's office accused him of "forcefully and violently" ripping up parts of the pool floor. Pirro's office said in its filing seeking to drop the case that it only learned of evidence pointing to "a rushed and flawed installation process" after Hearn had been indicted by a grand jury. President Donald Trump this week blasted Pirro's move to drop the case, saying she "choked" and "folded like an umbrella," and continued to push allegations that vandals were responsible for cutting and tearing the pool lining.

A judge rules that a law regulating some guns can't be enforced

A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday struck down a 1930s law that imposed regulations on firearm suppressors and guns that are considered the most dangerous, more than a year after President Donald Trump signed a bill eliminating taxes on those items. The ruling could allow firearm owners to purchase firearm suppressors — known as silencers — short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and other certain firearms without registration, while also removing a layer of background checks. Last year, Republicans eliminated a $200 tax on those devices under Trump’s massive tax and spending cut bill.

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The regulations are required under the National Firearms Act, passed in the 1930s in response to concerns about mafia violence. Groups that support gun restrictions said the law still has important safety protections and criticized the ruling as reckless. U.S. District Judge James Hendrix said because there were no longer taxes under the act, the regulation should not continue either. “No longer can the challenged NFA provisions be justified — as they have been for nearly 90 years — under Congress’s taxing power,” Hendrix wrote. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which enforces the regulations, did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The National Firearms Act has been in effect since 1934 and establishes key differences and regulates firearms considered the most dangerous. Because the act implemented a tax on the item, the registration was often used to ensure the tax was paid, gun rights groups said.

WNBA commissioner stresses integrity, respect on topic of transgender athletes in league-wide memo

In a memo sent to team presidents, general managers and coaches Friday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert advised the league’s leaders on their approach to the topic of transgender participation in women’s sports. The commissioner stressed approaching it with integrity and respect, without specifically defining the league’s stance. The issue has dominated conversation around the WNBA in the wake of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s recent comments in favor of excluding trans athletes from women’s sports. Engelbert listed three guiding principles for the league in the discussion but did not clarify whether or not trans athletes are allowed to play in the WNBA.

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“First, we will always approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the long-standing values of our league,” she wrote in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Athletic. “Second, our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained. Lastly, preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition will always remain among the league’s highest priorities.” There is no mention of trans athletes in the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, although the document does state that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” Engelbert wrote in the memo that the league has a previously scheduled meeting of a task force of presidents and GMs in the coming week that will address this conversation and other league issues. In the wake of Cunningham’s comments and the subsequent rallies that have followed the Indiana Fever at road games, the commissioner acknowledged that she expects “this topic will continue to receive significant attention.” She praised team leadership for their response to increasing questions and invited them to continue reaching out to her with questions and perspectives.

Copyright August 09, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved