April 23, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Houston City Council revises HPD-ICE policy change after threat from Texas governor

In a 13-4 vote on Wednesday, the Houston City Council revised a measure intended to limit the police department's coordination with federal immigration enforcement. Only two weeks earlier, the city council approved an ordinance prohibiting officers from detaining people or prolonging traffic stops due to civil immigration warrants issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office threatened to revoke about $114 million in public safety grants unless Mayor John Whitmire reversed the measure. Attorney General Ken Paxton also launched a lawsuit seeking to stop the ordinance. Whitmire said the city faced a "crisis situation" as the potential loss of funding would affect a wide range of initiatives, including police overtime.

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“We have no alternative for Houston to survive, prepare for FIFA, patrol these neighborhoods, deal with sound ordinances … across this great city,” Whitmire said. Under the revision, City Attorney Arturo Michel said, police officers will still be expected to not detain people or prolong traffic stops solely due to civil immigration warrants. Officers should "comply with the Fourth Amendment," Michel told Houston Public Media. "A person can be detained for the time needed to conduct the state law criminal investigation. So, in that sense, the original ordinance — that purpose remains the same." On Wednesday, Whitmire framed the revision as necessary to maintain a working relationship with the state government. Before the meeting, his office passed out papers to city council members outlining the more than $260 million in appropriations from the Texas Legislature to Houston in 2025. He said the change “reinforces the Fourth Amendment and protects our funding.” "Austin is listening," Whitmire said. "Austin is watching."

The Congressional GOP’s $153 mil fall ad blitz includes $14 mil in South Texas

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Speaker Mike Johnson-aligned super PAC, is booking $153 million-plus in its first wave of fall ad buys, a massive investment as House Republicans seek to save their endangered majority. This is CLF’s largest-ever initial reservation. It will span 38 media markets across broadcast, cable, streaming and digital. The planned reservations sketch out a roadmap of how top House Republicans see the House battleground with 194 days to go until Election Day. Which incumbents need the most protection? Which Democratic targets are the easiest to knock out? The biggest spends: $13.9 million in South Texas; $20.4 million in Michigan; $18.6 million in New York City; and $12.6 million in Central California.

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These early reservations lock in lower rates before the airwaves get crowded with candidates, committees and other advertisers. They’re also subject to change. CLF will make additional rounds of ad buys as more seats come into play and will likely slash some from this first round. “This initial reserve reflects the reality that this cycle, again, will be fought on a narrow map,” CLF President Chris Winkelman said. We estimate the CLF buys cover roughly 30 districts. Let’s run through them. Offense. A whopping $11.9 million is reserved across two markets that cover the Texas 34th District of Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Gonzalez’s Gulf Coast seat got tougher for him following GOP-controlled redistricting last year. — Another $2 million is slotted in Laredo, Texas, home of Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, another top GOP target. House Majority PAC, the Democratic super PAC, is reserving a whopping $272 million in ads, the Wall Street Journal reported this morning. Roughly 80% of HMP’s buy is offensive, the WSJ reported. One big takeaway. The list of GOP reservations is roughly evenly split between offensive and defensive, with a tad more defense. In some places, it’s hard to know exactly which members the buys are intended to target. The New York City media market, for example, covers the districts of Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Nellie Pou (D-N.J.). In others, it’s easy to see what’s happening. The $2.9 million set aside for Harrisburg, Pa., can only be for Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.).

More than 42,600 students with a disability, including their siblings, accepted into Texas Education Freedom Account program

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts announced every single student in the top priority tier who applied to be in the state’s new education savings account will be awarded money for the next school year. The top priority tier includes children who have a qualifying disability and live in a household with an income level at or below 500% of the federal poverty level. The program rules allow the siblings of students who were accepted into the program to also be looped in. The Comptroller’s office said the number of children in the top priority tier, including their siblings, totaled 42,644. All of those children will be notified this week that they will be awarded money in the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) program. The program provides public dollars to families to help offset the costs of sending kids to private school or home schooling services.

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The state legislature allocated $1 billion for the program’s first year. Students with a disability can each receive up to $30,000 per year in the program. Other students going to private school will receive $10,474 for the upcoming school year, and students who will be homeschooled are eligible to receive $2,000 a year. “School choice funds being distributed to Texas families paves the way for Texas to become the No. 1 state for education,” said Governor Greg Abbott in a news release. “These accounts will give parents the freedom to choose the best learning environment for their children, regardless of their income or location.” There are still additional slots open in the TEFA program for the next school year. The Comptroller’s office will now move on to applicants in the next priority tier which include students in a household with an annual income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. However, there are more applicants in the second priority tier than available dollars in the program. That means the Comptroller’s office, along with an independent agency, will conduct a lottery next week to see who will be awarded the remaining dollars. The lottery will also assign waitlist numbers for the remaining applicants who did not get a spot in the program.

Senate GOP rams through blueprint to bankroll ICE, Border Patrol through end of Trump era

Senate Republicans pushed their immigration funding plan forward early Thursday, adopting a budget blueprint after an all-night vote series that sets up billions for ICE and Border Patrol while sidelining Democrats. Senate Republicans adopted their budget resolution, which tees up funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, and effectively cuts congressional Democrats out of the process entirely. It’s the first major step toward unlocking the budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are diving into once again after Democrats refused to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without stringent reforms. Despite Republicans largely being on the same page on the approach, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against the budget blueprint.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., panned Republicans for moving to spend billions in taxpayer dollars rather than addressing rising costs. "America is crying out for relief from high costs, and you're here adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody — two groups — Border Patrol and ICE, that nobody respects in this country," Schumer said. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., countered that ICE and Border Patrol agents weren't the problem, "Democrats are." "Today’s Democrats are a rogue and radical party," Barrasso said. "You deserve better than reckless Democrat hostage-taking. You deserve the tools and support from Congress necessary to carry out the mission Congress has given you. Our country depends on you."

State Stories

Texas Democratic Party chair responds to calls for him to step aside

Kendall Scudder is undaunted by calls for him to step aside and let someone else take the helm of the Texas Democratic Party — so much so that he’s already filed for reelection and said he’s looking forward to continuing the work he’s done in his first year. “In just a year, we’ve created financial solvency for the state party, we’ve recruited a Democrat for every state and federal office in Texas, we flipped a seat in the Texas Senate, we outvoted Republicans in the primary,” he told Capital Tonight. “Democrats need to be focused right now on the prize at hand, and that’s November.” Scudder, who was elected chairman last March, came under fire Friday after dozens of Texas Democrats accused him of managing the party poorly and creating a “hostile work environment.” In the letter signed by a congressional candidate and former party staffers, the group asked Scudder to step aside and let someone else lead the party.

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On Monday, an opposing letter with nearly 800 initial signatures backed Scudder, saying a change in direction could undermine the progress the party had made during his tenure, including a $30 million commitment to fund Democratic campaigns in this year’s midterms. That letter, signed by state lawmakers and members of the party’s executive committee, also said more time was needed to assess Scudder’s stewardship of the party. Scudder said the letter calling for his dismissal came from “disgruntled former staffers” who did not like the changes he was implementing. He said a vast majority of party members, donors and stakeholders across the state agreed with him. “I’m sorry that 24 people feel that way,” he said, noting that several of the signatories were anonymous. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of people around the state that are ready to move in a new direction.” Scudder’s detractors said the state party was not prepared to help voters in Dallas and Williamson counties during the March primaries after Republicans forced those municipalities to use precinct voting on Election Day, causing mass confusion and leading hundreds to be turned away from the polls.

‘Stop threatening to defund our police’: Dallas leaders push back on Abbott’s threats

Dallas leaders gathered Wednesday morning to push back on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s threat to withhold public safety funding over city policies governing police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. On April 16, Abbott’s office sent letters to officials in Dallas and Austin saying the cities may not receive millions in state and federal funding if they do not repeal policies governing local police departments’ role in immigration enforcement. Houston received a similar letter earlier in the week, in which Abbott’s office threatened to withhold $110 million in public safety funding if a recent city council-approved ordinance restricting officers’ cooperation with federal immigration agents is not repealed.

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Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux has said DPD officers will not conduct immigration investigations and told the Community Police Oversight Board in October that he had refused a $25 million partnership with ICE to detain undocumented Dallasites. City council members affirmed that decision at a contentious November meeting that hosted over 70 public speakers. One of the press conference’s first speakers, Democratic state Rep. Rafael Anchía, opened his remarks with a message for Abbott. “First thing I want to say is something directly to Gov. Greg Abbott: stop playing politics with the public safety of the people of Dallas,” Anchía said. “Also, stop threatening to defund our police, and that is really the main message here today.” The letter to Dallas threatens $32.1 million in state funding and also said the city may “imperil” over $50 million in federal public safety grants for the World Cup this summer if it does not change its policies. “The governor is characterizing DPD’s local policy as interference with immigration enforcement, but that characterization is false. General Order 315.04 is a commonsense measure that provides clear guidance on stops, detentions and arrests,” Democratic state Rep. Venton Jones said. “It does not violate state law, it does not prohibit cooperation with federal authorities. What it does do is that it protects constitutional rights, it builds community trust and it reduces liability.”

Fort Worth ISD eyes more staff cuts, school closure for refugee campus

More staff cuts and the closing of another school is slated for the Fort Worth Independent School District as new leadership continues to shake up district operations amid a state takeover. District staff in the departments of Talent Management, Communications and Community Partnerships and Financial Services are positioned to be impacted by a reduction in force, pending a Board of Managers vote at its April 28 meeting. The meeting agenda, posted Wednesday evening, also shows staff at the International Newcomer Academy campus being impacted by the reduction in force after district leaders announced the campus’ proposed closure during a community meeting on Tuesday night; the school in southeast Fort Worth serves refugee and immigrant students in sixth through ninth grade.

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Tuesday’s meeting will be the second time in a month that the Board of Managers votes on staff cuts and restructuring decisions. “This program change is part of the ongoing efforts to address the decrease in student enrollment, improve efficiency, and redirect resources to positively impact students. This restructuring will result in changes to a number of positions within the district,” school district records state. As of Wednesday, there were 15 employees listed on the district’s webpage for the Communications and Community Partnerships Department, including coordinators, directors and specialists. The webpage also listed one vacant position for a web coordinator for marketing and creative communications. The Financial Services Department webpage shows six employees while the Talent Management Department webpage lists about 50 employees. A separate agenda item for the Tuesday meeting also notes the proposed closing of the International Newcomer Academy for June of this year, as an update to the district’s facility master plan that includes more than 18 school closures districtwide through 2029. The Board of Managers will also discuss Peter Licata’s superintendent contract.

Deputy Chief of Staff Pat Wallace exits Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ office

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has parted ways with her deputy chief of staff, Pat Wallace. Wallace was previously the longtime chief of staff for former Councilman Manny Pelaez (D8), who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2025. She was also the mayor’s most seasoned City Hall navigator in an office that’s experienced much turnover. Wallace worked in Jones’ office for about seven months, and alerted colleagues Wednesday afternoon that she’s leaving May 1. “I’m thankful for Pat’s contributions while on my team and for her many years of service to the City of San Antonio,” Jones said in a statement. “Her willingness to mentor young staffers was invaluable, and she played a critical role in ensuring appointments to boards and commissions reflected the diversity and depth of talent and lived experiences in our city.”

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Hood County County commissioner says Granbury officials mislead public about data center

Hood County Commissioner Nannette Samuelson has accused the Granbury city manager and other city officials of deception and misrepresenting facts concerning power a plant designed for a future data center on over 2,000 acres annexed by the city in January. Samuelson, who has been critical of a growing number of proposed data centers in her precinct, said during a specially-called commissioners court meeting Tuesday afternoon that the county received documents in June 2025 from Granbury’s economic development department describing the power plant project, called Project Horizon (now Project Patriot), from Dallas-based Bilateral Energy LLC. In July, Bilateral Energy received a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to build the power plant.

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As she spoke, Samuelson displayed the documents on the screen. “I put this agenda item on here because the public needs to know the sequence of events regarding Project Patriot,” she said. She pointed to wording found in the document, “Bilateral Energy, powering the future of Granbury, a data center campus and power generation development.” On April 7, the council voted to rezone roughly 2,000 acres that straddle Meadow Wood Road, south of U.S. 377 and north of Paluxy Highway to allow industrial development, which includes power plants and data centers. During that meeting City Manager Chris Coffman and Mayor Jim Jarratt denied knowing about Bilateral Energy’s plans before the land was annexed. When asked about Samuelson’s accusations, Coffman said in a text message to the Star-Telegram, “As you know, this matter is under litigation and no comments are advised by legal counsel.”

Joint Base San Antonio lands nuclear reactor, a first for a Texas military base

Joint Base San Antonio will be the first military base in Texas to be powered by its own nuclear reactor. The Pentagon said Wednesday it selected Antares Nuclear Inc. of Torrance, Calif., to build a prototype nuclear microreactor on the base as part of its Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program. Sources said several sites across JBSA are under consideration for the reactor, which the company said is about the size of an F-250 pickup and could be operational by 2028. Though some other microreactor projects are on the drawing board across the state, it could be the first reactor built in Texas in 33 years.

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“It’s a huge win for Joint Base San Antonio, but also for our city, for our state,” said Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody, a co-chair of the county’s Military Transformation Task Force, adding that JBSA has “critical and essential missions that require certainty in their power source.” “That is addressed with this nuclear microreactor,” he said. “Beyond that, this gives us and CPS an opportunity to really explore the possibility for commercial nuclear production and leveraging this microreactor into something bigger for our community over the mid to long term.” CPS Energy, San Antonio’s city-owned utility, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Government efforts to expand the nation’s nuclear industry have accelerated under President Donald Trump, who signed four executive orders last year to speed up regulatory approvals, expand testing, develop a domestic supply chain and call for reactors on military installations to strengthen national security. One of the orders said advanced computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence and mission critical resources at federal installations and national laboratories “demands reliable, high-density power sources that cannot be disrupted by external threats or grid failures.”

Why did former President Bill Clinton interrupt a Cowboys press conference?

Never a dull day in Frisco with the Dallas Cowboys. Roughly 25 minutes into Wednesday’s pre-draft press conference at The Star, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones interrupted a reporter while he was asking a question to notify him that a special guest was walking in. “Here’s our president coming through right here to say hello to us,” Jones said. As the crowd of reporters turned around, former President Bill Clinton walked in amid a sea of U.S. Secret Service agents. The 79-year-old 42nd president of the U.S. walked straight into the press conference room. “I’ve always wanted to be here,” Clinton said as he walked in. Jerry Jones stood from his seat at the press conference and almost fell off the stage, stumbling his way over, to shake Clinton’s hand. Fortunately, he recovered and did not hit the ground. A big smile hit his face afterward as he reunited with a fellow Arkansas native.

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“Let me tell you something,” Jones said. “This guy was recently named the second-most American to have started with very little and have accomplished a lot. Look at it, it’s in Forbes. There’s a great story about him in Forbes. But he’s been a wonderful not only president but a friend over the years. I’m really happy to have you here today.” “I’m glad to see you,” Clinton said. “Have a good draft day.” The two exchanged more pleasantries over the course of three minutes before Jones followed Clinton out to have lunch at the Cowboys’ in-house club restaurant. Here is the full video of the interaction. When the Dallas Cowboys won their three Super Bowls under Jones in the 1990s, Clinton was in office for all of the White House visits that ensued. Throughout the years, they have shared an affinity for Arkansas Razorbacks athletics and once again shared a memory in the press conference room about Jones’ playing days at the university in the 1960s. Clinton departed the facility after roughly an hourlong meeting with Jones.

University responds to TPUSA’s blaming Baylor for student-only event, denying media access

Turning Point USA announced that it will only allow Baylor students to attend Wednesday night’s event in Waco Hall. TPUSA sent out an email in the late afternoon that attendance for the “This is The Turning Point” tour, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., would be limited to Baylor students only after originally being marketed for the broader community. “We made every effort to open this event to the broader Waco community, but unfortunately, the administration has denied our attempts to do so,” the email reads. “We reserved Waco Hall, a venue large enough to be able to accommodate the broader community, because we know how important Baylor University is to Waco, and we strongly believe this is the wrong decision by school administrators.”

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A statement from Vice President for Student Life Dr. Sharra Hynes emphasized the original agreement set between Baylor and TPUSA. “The University was very clear with event organizers from the beginning that the event would be for students, faculty and staff only, with the addition of 125 invited guests from the organizing group(s),” the statement reads. The original ticket request website included a location for general attendees on a waitlist basis, but according to Hynes’ statement, it was not previously approved by the university. In the email, TPUSA said “over 1/20th” of the Baylor student body reserved tickets for the event, with an additional 4,500 reserved by the broader community. Waco Hall has a seating capacity of 2,200 people, per Baylor’s website. Recent stops on the tour include George Washington University, Ohio State University and the University of Georgia, which made national headlines after CEO Erika Kirk canceled her appearance due to security concerns. Additionally, TPUSA’s stop in Georgia took place in Akins Ford Arena, which has a capacity of 8,500. According to Baptist News Global, only around 1,000 were in attendance. According to The Lantern, Ohio’s student publication, only about 850 students gathered for Ohio State’s leg of the tour at a venue that accommodates up to 1,700. Earlier today, TPUSA denied all press passes to the event, citing it was a “closed event.” The Lariat, KWTX, the Waco Bridge and The Waco Tribune-Herald were among outlets denied passes. A university spokesperson told The Lariat that the event is exclusively a TPUSA event, not a Baylor one. Additionally, all denied media passes were decided by TPUSA members, not the university. “Baylor University had absolutely no role in that process,” they said over email.

As contract negotiations drag on, Texas Starbucks workers have learned the power of organizing

Victoria Hernandez, 23, was brought into work at the Blanco Road San Antonio Starbucks location in August 2025. She’d begun working for the company at 17, while still in high school, dutifully weathering the often thankless rush of caffeine-seeking customers for just $10 an hour—even throughout COVID. Soon, Hernandez was helping the $115-billion company open up new stores and train employees. Since December 2021, Starbucks workers began unionizing nationwide—demanding an end to understaffing, pay raises, and an end to union-busting practices—but the stores she worked at hadn’t joined in the organizing wave. Using common union-busting tactics, managers had told her that union workers would get less benefits and were “just trying to stir up trouble.” She said management thought she could help tamp down organizing at the Blanco Road location.

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Things didn’t go that way. Less than three months later, in mid-November, Hernandez was leading her coworkers in a strike at the store as part of a national “Red Cup Rebellion” after negotiations between Starbucks Workers United and the company broke down. “I made connections with my other coworkers … and it made me realize this is actually empowering and unifies us,” Hernandez said. “I was very excited for the opportunity to show that you can exercise your right and it should be normal to organize your workplace and show your strength as a worker.” In Texas, workers at 29 Starbucks stores have unionized since June 2022. Nationally, that figure stands at 582, out of nearly 17,000 nationwide, according to a spokesperson at Starbucks Workers United. It’s the fastest-growing union campaign in modern history, part of an organizing wave that’s recently halted organized labor’s statistical decline nationwide and even, in Texas, reversed the downward trend. But forming a union is just the first step in using federal labor law to improve working conditions, and the next step—collective bargaining—has proceeded at a glacial pace as the company stonewalls workers. Nearly five years in, a first contract is still nowhere in sight, though the corporation did agree in 2024 to work on a framework that would cover all union stores and negotiations did resume earlier this month.

How Frisco became ground zero for wave of hate against Indian Americans

They arrived with cameras and agendas, filming shoppers at Costco and at the town’s Hindu temple, stopping strangers to ask where they were born. Online, they mocked a predominantly Indian boy scout troop and derided the names of Indian city council candidates. The Dallas suburb, they warned, was being invaded. Saahas Kaul watched all of this unfold on social media, perplexed. Kaul grew up in Frisco, playing high school soccer and attending Sunday school at the temple. Frisco was his home. In all of his years, he had never witnessed the sort of coordinated hatred now shaking the city. “I was in shock. For a lot of us, it felt like this came out of nowhere,” Kaul, 22, said. “This was not the Frisco I knew.”

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A relentless campaign, waged largely by influencers, has placed Frisco at the center of a bitter national debate over identity and immigration, community and belonging. City Council meetings, once devoted to navigating budget and zoning issues, have transformed into a sort of stage, where speakers warn of an “Indian takeover” and unleash racist tirades that later find audiences on platforms such as X. Those messages have been further amplified by national political figures and allies of President Donald Trump, including political strategist Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, who alleged without evidence that Indians were committing widespread visa fraud. The tumult has left Indian Americans like Kaul grappling with their place in a city they helped make one of the fastest-growing and thriving suburbs in the country. Frisco’s Asian population has soared in recent decades, from 2% of the city’s population in 2000 to one-third in 2026. Recent weeks have been baffling, painful and alarming, Indian American residents said in interviews with The Dallas Morning News. Some feel nervous to run errands or go to the grocery store for fear of being harassed or recorded without their permission. Others said they were unafraid, but that family members feared for their safety. Several said they worry the hate-filled discourse may breed violence.

Court: Adrian Garcia to remain in office despite illegal appointment

resilience board was illegal, but he won’t be forced to resign from Commissioners Court, an appeals court ruled April 16. The decision came after Mark Goloby and Richard Vega, the Republican nominee facing Garcia in November, sued Harris County in August 2024 alleging Garcia's 2021 appointment to the Gulf Coast Protection District constituted a "conflicting loyalty," and should by law trigger an automatic resignation from Commissioners Court. Harris County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne argued in court that Garcia’s appointment was illegal to begin with and therefore void from the start.

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The First Court of Appeals agreed, ruling the move violated a “common law incompatibility” prohibiting officials from appointing themselves to other offices. Therefore, Garcia’s appointment was ”void and did not affect his resignation as a county commissioner,” according to the court’s opinion. Vega said in a statement that he plans to appeal the decision to the Texas Supreme Court. “Our legal team is examining this matter at the highest level of the state judiciary, and we intend to continue forward with this process because we believe strongly that we have a legitimate case on behalf of the people of Harris County,” he said. A spokesperson for Garcia's campaign said the lawsuit was nothing more than an attempt to overrule the will of Precinct 2 voters. "Republicans have tried for years to unseat Commissioner Adrian Garcia," Grant Martin said. "After losing again and again at the ballot box, they’re now wasting taxpayer dollars by filing frivolous lawsuits. Voters know and trust Commissioner Garcia's steady, responsible leadership – and they will continue to keep him in office."

‘Unusual’ appointments put GOP candidates in high-profile positions in Fort Bend County

Two Republican nominees for elected offices have been placed in high-ranking interim roles in Fort Bend County. Trever Nehls, the GOP nominee for Texas’ 22nd Congressional District — a seat currently held by his twin brother, U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls — was recently named chief of staff for interim Fort Bend County Judge Daniel Wong. Wong was appointed earlier this month by a Republican district court judge who ordered that embattled County Judge KP George, who was convicted of felony money laundering last month, be removed from office in response to a civil lawsuit filed by a resident. Both Wong and Trever Nehls will be on the general election ballot in November, with Wong seeking the county judge position on a full-time basis.

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Craig Goodman, an associate professor of political science at Texas A&M University-Victoria, called the two appointments “unusual.” "To see someone who's seeking a congressional seat and having to introduce himself to a bunch of voters, decide to take on this responsibility working for an interim county judge, it's definitely not something I've ever seen before," Goodman said. Nehls, a former Fort Bend County constable, is looking to succeed his identical twin brother, Troy Nehls, as the next representative of Texas' 22nd Congressional District, centered in Fort Bend and Brazoria counties. The heavily Republican district also includes parts of Harris, Matagorda and Wharton counties. Trever Nehls called his appointment as Wong’s chief of staff an honor. "My focus will be on ensuring that the judge's vision is carried out effectively across the county government," Nehls said in a statement, "with a commitment to professionalism, coordination and results that benefit the community."

County Stories

Inmate found dead in Bexar County jail cell from apparent suicide, says sheriff's office

A male inmate in his 20s was found dead inside a Bexar County jail Tuesday in what authorities say appears to be a suicide, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. The inmate was discovered unresponsive during routine security checks conducted by a BCSO supervisor, the agency said. On-site medical personnel responded immediately and attempted to save his life. San Antonio Fire Department emergency responders arrived at the jail, where they pronounced the man dead. Officials said early indications suggest the death was a suicide and that all jail policies and procedures appear to have been followed. The man’s identity has not been released pending notification of his family. Authorities said additional details will be provided once that process is complete. This inmate's death marks the second death at the jail in 2026, and the 88th inmate death since 2020. In February, Tammy Suzette Hovland, 59, died weeks after she was attacked by her cellmate during a psychosis episode at the jail. During that same month, the Bexar County Jail passed its annual compliance review — a benchmark it struggled to stay in compliance with in both 2025 and 2024.

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Tarrant County Jail inmate, who was found unresponsive in cell, dies at hospital

A 36-year-old Tarrant County Jail inmate died Sunday after three days of imprisonment, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The man, identified by the medical examiner’s office as John Barr, was found unresponsive in his cell. Lifesaving measures were administered by medical staff from JPS Correctional Health. Barr was then taken to JPS Hospital in Fort Worth, where he died, according to a news release from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. Barr arrived at the Tarrant County Jail on April 16 and had been arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety on a parole violation, officials said. Deaths in the jail are investigated by Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office jail staff, the TCSO Criminal Investigations Division, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, an outside law enforcement agency, JPS medical staff, the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, according to the release.

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National Stories

Air war in Iran gives way to crippling stalemate in Hormuz

The conflict with Iran has entered a damaging new phase—a crippling limbo between war and peace that leaves the Strait of Hormuz closed and the prospect of escalation looming. The missiles and bombs that the U.S. and Israel rained down on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory salvos might have stopped with President Trump’s indefinite extension of a cease-fire. But the battle for control of the strait, one of the most important conduits of global commerce, is raging, leaving commodity traders on edge and helping push international oil prices above $100 a barrel on Wednesday. Iranian forces attacked three cargo ships on Wednesday, said people familiar with the fighting. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy sought to keep Iran from exporting oil—the country’s main revenue source—or receiving supplies.

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Arab mediators working to restart talks between the two sides said they feared the situation would deteriorate. Iran’s negotiating team has toughened its tone since deciding at the last minute to skip talks this week in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, vowing not to return to the table until the blockade is lifted, mediators said. “Diplomacy is a tool for securing national interests and security,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Wednesday. “This cease-fire is inherently unstable,” said Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran project at International Crisis Group. “At sea, neither Washington nor Tehran is de-escalating so much as testing the limits of coercion. As long as the double blockade stays in place, every interdiction, warning shot or ship seizure becomes a possible trigger for a wider relapse into conflict.” Trump said Tuesday on social media that the blockade would remain in place to keep pressure on Iran until talks between the two countries end. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said it would keep the strait closed to what it calls hostile shipping.

Trump administration in advanced talks for Spirit Airlines rescue package, sources say

The Trump administration is in advanced talks for a financing package for Spirit Airlines as the carrier is facing the risk of a liquidation, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal could include $500 million in financing from the government, which could provide a path to give the government an equity stake in the carrier, said the people, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks. The senior financing would put the government ahead of other stakeholders in the airline, one of the people said. The iconic discounter Spirit has been challenged for years by rising costs, changing consumer tastes, an engine recall and a court-blocked plan to be acquired by JetBlue Airways two years ago. The surge in fuel prices since the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran in February has added to Spirit’s challenges.

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“Spirit Airlines would be on a much firmer financial footing had the Biden administration not recklessly blocked the airline’s merger with JetBlue,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to CNBC. “The Trump administration continues to monitor the situation and overall health of the U.S. aviation industry that millions of Americans rely on every day for essential travel and their livelihoods.” Spirit had been facing a potentially imminent liquidation, people familiar with the matter told CNBC last week, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters that had not yet been made public. The Dania Beach, Florida-based carrier in August filed for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a year, after it struggled to increase revenue to cover rising costs. President Donald Trump hinted at potential government aid on Tuesday, telling CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” “Spirit’s in trouble, and I’d love somebody to buy Spirit. It’s 14,000 jobs, and maybe the federal government should help that one out.” The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the talks were in an advanced stage.

F.B.I. said to have investigated Times reporter after article on Patel’s girlfriend

The F.B.I. began investigating a New York Times reporter last month after she wrote about the bureau’s director, Kash Patel, using bureau personnel to provide his girlfriend with government security and transportation, according to a person briefed on the matter. Agents interviewed the girlfriend, queried databases for information on the reporter, Elizabeth Williamson, and recommended moving forward to determine whether Ms. Williamson broke federal stalking laws, the person said. Those actions prompted concerns among some Justice Department officials who saw the inquiry as retaliation for an article that Mr. Patel and his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, did not like, and who determined there was no legal basis to proceed with the investigation, according to the person briefed on the matter.

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In response to questions from The Times this week, the F.B.I. said that “while investigators were concerned about how the aggressive reporting techniques crossed lines of stalking,” the F.B.I. is not pursuing a case. The scrutiny of Ms. Williamson is an example of the Trump administration examining whether to criminalize routine news gathering practices that are widely considered protected by the First Amendment. Journalists are more often caught up in criminal investigations as potential witnesses when the authorities are trying to determine who leaked them classified information. In preparing the article about Mr. Patel and Ms. Wilkins, Ms. Williamson followed normal procedures for a journalist working on a story, which typically involve reaching out to the subject and seeking a variety of perspectives. In this case, Ms. Williamson contacted numerous people who had worked with or knew Ms. Wilkins.

Protein-maxxing, GLP-1s have US farmers betting on peas and lentils

Aaron Smith, a fifth-generation pea and lentil farmer in northern Idaho, says the dizzying rise of GLP-1 medications and a social media-fueled protein craze may be his farm’s only path to profit this year. The farm economy has been pummeled ?by low crop prices caused by a grain oversupply, tit-for-tat tariffs triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and skyrocketing prices of fertilizer and diesel. But pulses - which include ?peas, lentils and chickpeas - have been a bright spot due to rising demand for protein-infused foods beyond traditional sources like meat, poultry and fish.

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Growers of the protein-rich crops see planting them as a way to weather an agricultural economy that has been in a yearslong downward spiral. U.S. farmers are facing the fourth straight year of low-to-negative profit margins despite near-record government payouts, and farm bankruptcies increased by 46% from 2024 to 2025, court records show. “We’ve been waiting for this moment to happen,” Smith ?said, noting that he is swapping wheat acres for pulses this year with prices of the former so low. "This can be a gamechanger.” These foods are at the center of an innovation boom that ?has taken off since the pandemic, led in part by social media influencers, some of whom are making dubious claims that raise concerns that this is another ?fad-driven diet due to expire. Still, planted acres of yellow peas have risen 55% over the past 15 years, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. At the same time, U.S. yellow pea exports dropped 81% ?between 2021 and 2025, according to U.S. Customs data, showing that the additional crops are being consumed in the U.S., experts said.

Pentagon abruptly says Navy Secretary John Phelan is departing

Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his job, the Pentagon abruptly announced Wednesday, the first head of a military service to depart during President Donald Trump’s second term but just the latest top defense leader to step down or be ousted. No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the Navy’s top civilian official, coming as the sea service has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and is targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the war. Another Trump loyalist is taking over as acting head of the Navy: Undersecretary Hung Cao, a 25-year Navy combat veteran who ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and House in Virginia. Phelan’s departure is the latest in a series of shakeups of top leadership at the Pentagon, coming just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George. Hegseth also has fired several other top generals, admirals and defense leaders since taking office last year.

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The firings began in February 2025, when Hegseth removed military leaders, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer, and Gen. Jim Slife, the No. 2 leader at the Air Force. Trump also fired Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Showing how sudden the latest move was, Phelan had addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals on Tuesday at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington and spoke with reporters about his agenda. He also hosted the leaders of the House Armed Services Committee to discuss the Navy’s budget request and efforts to build more ships, according to a social media post from his office. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a post on X that Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately.” Phelan had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service before Trump nominated him for secretary in late 2024. He was seen as an outsider being brought in to shake up the Navy.

Former congressman Devin Nunes departs as CEO of Trump media company

Former congressman Devin Nunes is leaving Trump Media & Technology, which operates the social media platform Truth Social, after more than four years as its chief executive. Nunes announced his departure from the company in a lengthy statement Tuesday night, saying he planned to focus on his role as chairman of Trump’s intelligence advisory board — which advises on U.S. security matters — and other ventures. President Donald Trump controls a majority of shares in the publicly traded company. Nunes, a Republican and staunch Trump supporter, announced his resignation from his California congressional seat in December 2021, a few months before Truth Social was publicly launched.

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Trump started the social media platform as an alternative to Facebook and Twitter, which had banned Trump from posting after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Facebook and Twitter have since reinstated Trump’s accounts, but the president has almost exclusively posted on Truth Social during his second term. Still, Trump Media so far has not lived up to its vast ambitions. At its founding, it had planned to compete with tech giants, from Amazon Web Services to Disney+. In projections shown to investors and included in Securities and Exchange Commission filings in 2021, the company said it might have 81 million users and $3.6 billion in revenue by 2026. Instead, the company has lost money since it went public, despite a spike in its stock prices before Trump was elected to a second term in November 2024. It lost about $58 million in 2023, about $400 million in 2024 and about $712 million last year, according to its financial filings. The company said in a past filing that it expected to continue to incur “operating losses and negative cash flows” as it worked to expand its user base but that it anticipated growth would come from “the overall appeal of the Truth Social Platform.”

Copyright April 23, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved