June 12, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

John Cornyn offers blunt talk for fellow Republicans on his way out

Don’t expect to see Sen. John Cornyn at the state Republican convention this week in Houston after losing the GOP runoff last month to Attorney General Ken Paxton. “I might have to miss it this year,” Cornyn told The Dallas Morning News. In a blunt assessment, Cornyn said the state party is dysfunctional, as evidenced by the small slice of the electorate who voted in the May 26 runoff. And the four-term senator offered a warning for the Texas GOP as it seeks to defeat Democrats like Paxton’s opponent, state Rep. James Talarico of Austin.

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“They need to decide: Do you want to actually win or are you putting on a performance to the keyboard warriors on social media?” Cornyn said. “The simple fact is that unless you can win elections you can't govern and you become irrelevant and it seems to me that's the path they're headed on right now.” As the Senate wrapped up its work for the week, Cornyn, 74, said Republicans remain vulnerable on the economy, citing high gas prices and stubborn inflation driven in part by the conflict with Iran. “Standards of living are going down all across the country,” Cornyn said. “While I support the president's efforts to pacify the Iranian regime, the fact that we're not talking about or focused on the things that most people care about at election time, kitchen table issues…is a problem.” Speaking to reporters Thursday, Cornyn weighed in on a series of political and policy issues.

SpaceX finalizes IPO price at $135 a share in world’s largest public offering

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker, officially finalized its initial public offering price to become the world’s largest stock market debut, in a testament to the tech mogul’s influence and people’s belief in his business vision. On Thursday, SpaceX confirmed its I.P.O. price was set at $135 a share and that it would sell more than 555 million shares, according to a company statement. That means SpaceX would raise around $75 billion from its offering, putting its valuation at $1.77 trillion. With those numbers, SpaceX would shatter an I.P.O. record previously set by Saudi Aramco. Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company was valued at $1.7 trillion and raised more than $29 billion when it went public in 2019. SpaceX will begin trading publicly on Friday under the ticker symbol SPCX.

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A SpaceX spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. SpaceX’s long journey to the stock market has been accompanied by many superlatives. Apart from being the biggest-ever I.P.O., SpaceX is also the most dominant space company from the world’s richest man. And it would become the benchmark for a wave of other offerings, which are all expected to unleash an avalanche of wealth across Silicon Valley and Wall Street, creating influential new titans in the process. Anthropic, the artificial intelligence start-up that makes the Claude chatbot, and its ChatGPT-making rival, OpenAI, have both confidentially filed to go public in recent days. Each company has a valuation approaching $1 trillion. If Anthropic and OpenAI successfully pull off public offerings, it would mean another milestone: Three-trillion-dollar companies reaching the stock market for the first time. A defining trait of the offerings is that they are likely to make those who are already wealthy even wealthier. At $135 a share, the SpaceX stake controlled by Mr. Musk would be worth more than $860 billion. (He cannot sell some of the SpaceX shares he controls until the company hits various operational milestones, according to the firm’s filings.) And a slight increase in the company’s share price in its first days of trading — perhaps as soon as Friday — could turn Mr. Musk, 54, into the world’s first trillionaire.

U.S.-Iran peace memorandum could be signed on Sunday in Geneva, source says

A memorandum between the United States and Iran to halt the war in ?the Gulf could be signed as soon as Sunday, a Western source told Reuters on Friday, with Geneva emerging as the likeliest venue. The source said language in ?the memorandum was still being finalised and Iran was sticking to its position that the deal must also end fighting in Lebanon, where Israel has been battling against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. The aim was to finalise the wording by Saturday so the agreement could be signed by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf. No venue had been established but Geneva was emerging as the likeliest. Trump said on Thursday ?he was calling off new strikes on Iran because the deal was now ready. "We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," Trump told reporters in the ?White House on Thursday.

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But the terms of the deal as described on Friday by Iranian officials appear to offer Tehran much of what ?it has demanded so far, with Trump appearing to win little of what he has sought, beyond the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran shut after he ordered attacks in ?February. A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Friday that the draft would waive sanctions on Iran's oil, unfreeze billions of dollars of its funds, and require a cessation of hostilities on all ?fronts, including in Lebanon. Nuclear issues would be set aside for later talks. Washington wants a deal to ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon; Iran says it is not seeking one. The waiving of sanctions, unfreezing of Iranian assets and halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon are essential Iranian demands. The source made no mention of what Iran might offer in return. There was no immediate response from the United States. Iran's Mehr news agency ?said the terms also included other key U.S. concessions, including a commitment to withdraw its forces from around Iran and present a plan for rebuilding the shattered Iranian economy. "The United States ?and its allies must submit plans for Iran’s reconstruction worth at least $300 billion," the Mehr report said.

Harris County flood director resigns amid Harvey project delays

Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Tina Petersen resigned Thursday amid concerns about her handling of and communication about a federal grant program with strict deadlines. Her decision to step down came after commissioners for a second time in recent weeks discussed her job performance in a closed session Thursday morning, and as hundreds of millions of dollars in Hurricane Harvey recovery aid remain in limbo, tied up in projects that are projected to miss state or federal spending deadlines. Commissioners did not immediately name a successor, but County Judge Lina Hidalgo said they plan to appoint Petersen's replacement at a meeting June 25.

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"It’s always difficult to make personnel changes, especially at the highest levels of county government," Hidalgo said. "This was not an easy process, but I believe it is the right decision. I look forward to appointing Dr. Petersen’s successor at the next business court." Commissioners learned in January about delays in the program, sparking criticism from some court members who felt they were not adequately informed about the risk of losing federal funds. Petersen said in a letter that she "plan(s) to continue to be available to implement a transition plan." "It has been an honor to serve the residents of Harris County and this team," Petersen wrote. "While I am confident in this organization and the work we have underway, it is clear to me that conversations about my role have become a distraction." The flood control district recently unveiled a plan that officials say is a viable solution to some of the issues, but Commissioner Tom Ramsey said Thursday morning he felt the plan came far too late.

State Stories

Regional Transportation Council approves new TxDOT agreement

Regional Transportation Council members on Thursday approved the signing of an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation, a key document in a lingering dispute with the North Central Texas Council of Governments executive board. In a 41-4 vote, RTC members requested that executive board members sign a Metropolitan Planning Organization agreement to remain the body’s fiscal agent. Outgoing chair Rick Bailey, a Johnson County commissioner, immediately signed the agreement after the vote. The issue stems from the recent firing of North Texas transportation director Michael Morris by Todd Little, council of governments executive director. The NCTCOG board claims Little had the authority to fire Morris, although two state district judges upheld the assertion that the RTC is the policy-making body for North Texas transportation funding decisions. Morris was later reinstated.

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Rob Walters, an attorney for the transportation council, said the independent policy-making body is recognized as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for North Texas because it received federal government certification in 2025 as it has every four years since 1995. Walters said the council regularly approves transportation funding decisions that go directly to implementing agencies without approvals by the council of governments executive board, which pays the organization’s bills. In addition, the RTC “is the only entity in the region” that meets federal requirements on voting authority by transit entities, TxDOT representation, fair-share allocation of voting weights and membership from policy officials within the designated area, according to the RTC agenda. In Texas, the NCTCOG executive board can’t be designated as both the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the fiscal agent at the same time, Walters said. NCTCOG leadership contends in the April 6 lawsuit that the executive board is the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The executive board was accused of overreach in its duties as the council’s fiscal agent, according to the lawsuit by Denton County.

SpaceX seeks more Texas tax breaks, says Terafab could go elsewhere without them

Last week, SpaceX was awarded tax breaks by a rural Texas county for its massive Terafab chip manufacturing factory. Now, the Elon Musk-led company wants more — and says it will consider moving the project out of Texas if it doesn’t get them. An entity called TeraFab AI LLC has filed for exemptions under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation program, which provides a 10-year reduction in property taxes that help fund the operations of local school districts. The applications were filed Monday with the Texas Comptroller for tax breaks from Anderson-Shiro Consolidated Independent School District and Iola Independent School District. Both operate near the site in Grimes County where SpaceX is planning to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant on thousands of acres it’s been making deals to acquire.

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Beyond seeking tax breaks, the TeraFab AI applications reveal new details about the project. They lay out plans for up to four construction phases with the first starting this year. For phase one, investment in property improvement, machinery and equipment is estimated to reach $10.37 billion by 2029, according to a document filed with the application to Anderson Shiro CISD. The application to Iola ISD lists a $6.43 billion investment for its first phase. Total investment is expected to range from $55 billion to $119 billion for the initial four phases, with further expansion possible. The applications call for creation of 4,234 jobs and tout benefits for the state through the project’s long-term economic impact and tax revenue. The numbers differ from those laid out in SpaceX’s economic development agreement with Grimes County. The Starbase-based company, which has not yet signed that deal, would only be required to complete a capital investment of $5 billion and create 1,800 jobs to receive total county tax relief. Nathan Jensen, a professor in the department of government at the University of Texas at Austin, noted that details to verify compliance with the Grimes County deal are slim and that there is a clause that allows SpaceX to challenge its tax appraisal. In what Jensen describes as a “shocking oversight,” the agreement documents don’t specify wage standards for jobs created.

Former GOP official says he won't vote for Paxton in ad

As Texas Republicans meet for their state convention in Houston to project unity after heated primaries, the former top Republican elected official in the state’s biggest red county will take over local radio airwaves with one message: “I won’t vote for Ken Paxton.” The one-minute ad featuring former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley will be blasted on conservative airwaves in Houston on Friday and Saturday during the GOP’s state convention. The pro-James Talarico super PAC, Lone Star Rising, spent around $5,000 for an initial ad run during the convention but will continue to air the spot throughout the campaign season. In the ad, Whitley — who continues to identify as a Republican — notes his 16-year tenure as the top county executive in “the largest red county in America.”

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“I supported the rule of law and stood for faith and family. I still believe in those conservative values,” Whitley says. “Ken Paxton has spent years embarrassing Texas. He’s known for scandal, indictment, infidelity and putting his own interests ahead of Texans. That’s exactly why I cannot support Ken Paxton.” Whitley adds that he’s not alone, noting that 60 Republican members of the Texas House impeached Paxton in 2023 for abusing his office to benefit a donor, who helped Paxton’s alleged mistress secure a job. Paxton was later acquitted by the Texas Senate. “This November, I’ll proudly support conservative candidates on the ballot,” Whitley says in the ad. “But I won’t vote for Ken Paxton.” The Republican adds: “Being a conservative is about character, integrity and accountability. If you still believe those values matter, don’t vote for Ken Paxton.” Whitley, who is seen as a member of the more traditional, business-friendly wing of the GOP, has broken with his party in the past. In 2022, he supported Mike Collier, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, over Republican Dan Patrick. Patrick won that election.

Appeals court rules in favor of former Rep. Pickett in lawsuit against city’s environmental franchise fee on trash bills

The Texas 8th Court of Appeals Tuesday upheld a lower court’s decision that the city of El Paso’s environmental franchise fee tacked on to residential water bills is an illegal tax. The court ruling Tuesday creates the possibility that the city could have to refund some of the tens of millions of dollars collected since the levy went into effect in 2015. The case was brought by former state Rep. Joe Pickett in a lawsuit against the city. “The opinion says it’s an illegal fee, and so I’m entitled to ask for a refund, and so if I’m entitled to ask for one, everybody in El Paso that pays a garbage and water bill is entitled to ask for a refund,” Pickett told El Paso Matters.

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City officials in an email statement to El Paso Matters said they’re reviewing the decision “and evaluating all of our legal options at this time.” The city has incurred about $30,000 in outside counsel fees on the case, officials said. If the city wants to challenge the latest ruling, it could appeal to the Texas Supreme Court. The city appealed District Court Judge Patrick Garcia’s August 2024 ruling that the fee was unconstitutional and should be discontinued based on the lawsuit first filed by Pickett in October 2020. The appeals court and trial court sided with Pickett that the $6 franchise fee is an illegal tax and not lawful “because the city used it primarily to raise general revenue rather than to cover the actual costs associated with garbage trucks’ wear and tear on city streets,” the opinion by Chief Justice Maria Salas Mendoza states.

An old well gushed waste, not oil, in a small West Texas town

An old oil well sprang back to life under the parking lot of the First Baptist Church of Grandfalls in April. Over the next eight days, more than 1.5 million gallons of toxic wastewater flowed out of the earth, according to state records. The state regulator, the Railroad Commission, spent $1.49 million plugging the leak and another $1.16 million disposing of the wastewater back underground. By early June, crews had stopped the flow and plugged the wellbore. Wastewater, fortunately, did not enter the church. The imminent threat passed. But questions linger for the church’s pastor and Permian Basin residents. Why do old wells in the area keep blowing out? What will happen if the next leak isn’t under a parking lot, but a house or school? The Permian Basin’s oil and gas wells generate prodigious quantities of wastewater, known as produced water. This salty, toxic liquid is pumped underground into injection wells, increasing underground pressure.

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This pressure is finding its way to the surface through old wells that burst and spew wastewater aboveground. The Railroad Commission requested injection wells within a five-mile radius of Grandfalls to stop pumping waste underground while the leak was being plugged. Agency spokesperson Bryce Dubee said that the old well underneath the parking lot is still under investigation. When David Tucker stepped in as the interim pastor at First Baptist last summer, his biggest concern was replacing an aging air conditioning unit. But once the leak sprang, Tucker, an oil and gas industry veteran, was uniquely qualified to help. He hopes the incident can lead to change. “This was kind of a good thing because it brought attention to what’s happening,” he said, referring to the spate of oilfield leaks and geysers in the Permian Basin. Tucker praised the Railroad Commission’s quick response but said the agency needs more resources to address the problem. “They’re trying to do a good job. But they don’t have the money to do it. They’re overwhelmed,” he said. “The state needs to turn loose some more money to start funding this.” Dubee, the RRC spokesperson, said the agency’s State Managed Plugging program “remains focused on addressing the well in Grandfalls.”

After election confusion, New Braunfels voters set to pick next mayor

In May, New Braunfels residents thought they had elected a new mayor, after challenger Michael French captured more votes than incumbent Neal Linnartz and two other challengers in the city's primary election. City officials declared French the winner — only to backtrack the next day, saying they had learned that the city's charter was at odds with Texas law and a runoff would be required between French and Linnartz, the top two finishers in the primary. The weeks that followed have brought unwanted and often embarrassing headlines to the Comal County city, with some residents — and French himself — accusing city officials of trying to thwart the will of the voters. The New Braunfels City Council's decision to fire City Attorney Valeria Acevedo over the election confusion also drew criticism from some in the community.

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Against that backdrop, the city's voters on Saturday will give a definitive answer on who will be next mayor, as Linnartz and French square off in the much-debated runoff election. French, a former military intelligence analyst, said he's confident he will win the runoff election. He took 3,667 votes, or 49.18%, to 2,852 votes, or 39.25%, for Linnartz in the primary. “We won the New Braunfels way, which in reality was the wrong way, so we will win again the Texas way,” French said. Linnartz did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The confusion over the primary election was rooted in the New Braunfels city charter. The city charter says that in mayoral races, the candidate that receives the most votes is the winner, even if they don't receive more than 50% of the votes. French received 49.18% of the primary votes, and city officials declared him the winner. However, that was at odds with the Texas Constitution, which requires a runoff in a race for a seat on a governing body with a term of more than two years. The New Braunfels mayor serves a three-year term. State law supersedes local rules, forcing city officials to backtrack and announce plans for a runoff. In the wake of the primary, Acevedo, the city attorney, said in a written statement that the Texas Constitution "clearly requires a majority vote for offices with terms longer than two years. Once this conflict was fully analyzed, it became clear that proceeding to a runoff is the legally required path forward.”

Bexar County constable says office halted ICE partnership before training began

A Bexar County constable’s office that was among the first local agencies to sign up for an expanded federal immigration enforcement partnership never completed the training required to implement the program after opposition emerged from both the public and county officials, according to Precinct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodich. The 287(g) program, established through the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1996, allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to train and authorize state and local law enforcement officers to assist with certain immigration enforcement functions. Agencies that do not operate jails, such as constables’ offices and municipal police departments, participate through what is known as the “task force model,” the most expansive version of the program.

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The model allows trained officers to assist with certain immigration enforcement functions during routine law enforcement encounters. Earlier this year, the San Antonio Report reported that Bexar County’s Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Balcones Heights Police Department and several smaller municipal agencies had entered task force model agreements as federal officials pushed to rapidly expand the program nationwide. Vojvodich said his office signed the memorandum of agreement in January and was preparing to move forward with training before deciding to stop the process. “We stopped it at that point in time because we had seen multiple people on Commissioners Court speaking against the program,” he said. “And to go further forward with the training and the reimbursement, we would have had to have Commissioners Court approval, and we knew we weren’t going to get that.” In addition, Vojvodich cited large community turnout in opposition of Immigration enforcement efforts as a signal of the dwindling possibility of approval.

Texas AG warns Big 12 against Brendan Sorsby related sanctions

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned the Big 12 athletic conference against taking legal action against Texas Tech University over quarterback Brendan Sorsby's sports betting scandal, according to conference Commissioner Brett Yormark. Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate against Democrat James Talarico, sent a letter to the Big 12 on Thursday that reportedly warned any action against Texas Tech could violate state and federal antitrust law and "would expose the Conference to substantial liability." "Should the Big 12 seek to sanction Texas Tech for acting consistent with the Order, Texas Tech will pursue all legal avenues to protect its interests," the letter said. In a statement, Yormak said "all options remain on the table" and the conference is "taking time with our legal counsel to understand the concerns of the state and will meet again with the full Board next week."

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The legal fight over Sorsby's eligibility has plunged college sports into chaos this week. On Monday, a Texas state district judge issued Sorsby an injunction against the NCAA that will allow him to play most of the upcoming season, despite an admission that he made at least $90,000 in sports bets while playing for Indiana University and Cincinnati. Yormak said the ruling led to “great concern amongst our membership,” and set up the possibility of sanctions against Texas Tech, which is part of the conference. At the center of the legal fight is Fort Worth oil billionaire Cody Campbell, who has spent millions of dollars recruiting athletes to Texas Tech and has defended Sorsby's right to play. Also supporting is Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, one of the lawyers who represented the quarterback in his lawsuit against the NCAA. Earlier this week, Burrows wrote on Facebook that the ruling represented "a fair and balanced outcome." "The judge’s decision includes consequences while allowing a young man to continue pursuing his education, his athletic career, and his future," he wrote. "I wish Brendan continued success in his recovery and on the field."

‘God forbid I’m excited’: Mayor who fought Spurs arena deal says it’s OK to be a fan and a skeptic

For many San Antonians, any questions about the need for a new $1.3 billion Spurs arena went out the window the day the team launched into the NBA Finals. But one high-profile San Antonian who’s been fighting the arena deal since day one is still wrestling with the roughly $800 million in public funding the arena leans on — at a time when the city faces a ballooning budget deficit. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones was one of the few holdouts on a contract that most of the city and county’s elected leaders considered their only leverage to prevent the emotional and economic hardship of losing the Spurs to another city. Now as the NBA basketball team steps into the national spotlight, Jones is still trying to convince San Antonians that it’s possible for her to be both a fan and a shrewd negotiator.

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Despite her public feuds with the team’s owners and fans over the past year, Jones said Wednesday that she’s been getting into the spirit for the playoffs, wearing her Spurs shirt to work, accepting tickets to sit courtside at Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and cracking jokes with Charles Barkley on ESPN. “God forbid I’m excited,” Jones said of the critics scrutinizing her visible fandom. Once the playoffs are over, however, Jones said she believes taxpayers will still hold city leaders accountable for cuts to city services and potential tax increases coming down the pipeline. “I think we have to cheer hard for the team, and be cognizant of [the fact that] they will very likely be champions — I’m knocking on wood — and the day afterwards, we will still have a $131 million budget gap going into [fiscal year] 2028,” Jones said in an interview Wednesday — before the Spurs’ crushing defeat in Game 4 against the Knicks. Though San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, it’s facing an unusual decline in property tax revenue this year as home values cool, residential and business exemptions are expanded and many high-value properties remain in reinvestment zones that effectively keep them off the tax rolls. City officials are proposing their first tax rate increase in 33 years to cover expenses that are rising faster than revenue.

Veteran Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Karley Swindel cut from roster, won’t return for fifth season

Longtime Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Karley Swindel won't be returning for a fifth season after being shockingly cut from the roster. Rumors recently began circulating online that Swindel, 26, didn't make the squad for the upcoming season. She appeared to confirm the news when she reposted a video of herself in the Dallas Cowboys uniform that included "#JusticeForKarley" via her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, June 9. That same day, the Instagram account @dcc_updates shared an "update" on the situation. "Veterans were reportedly not allowed to go to Karley in the stands after the announcements," the message that was later posted to Reddit read. "They had to stay on the field and were told to pull it together for photos."

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Marissa Leschber, a fellow DCC squad member and one of Swindel's close friends, denied the claim, which was later shared by @dcc_updates as well. "This is not true!" Leschber, 26, wrote in response. "Many of us immediately went to be with Karley and our staff members were very respectful and understanding of the gravity of the situation while still trying to show support for the new rookie candidates." Swindel earned a coveted spot on the NFL's most iconic cheerleading team in 2022, and she opened up about how it felt to realize one of her lifelong dreams. "I am so excited to officially say I am a DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADER. I remember locking eyes with the DCC when I was 5 years old at Texas Stadium. I knew in that moment, I wanted to be them one day," she wrote via Facebook at the time, per KFDM.

Fort Worth ISD hit hard by principal turnover following TEA takeover of district

Fort Worth ISD has named new leaders at dozens of its campuses in recent weeks after a string of principals announced their plans to leave their jobs following the uncertainty of the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of the district, with several other principal positions still open. District leaders see the turnover as an opportunity to appoint new principals who can spark academic progress at some of Fort Worth ISD’s longest-struggling campuses. A number of principals left on their own accord. Numerous others were not retained by new state-appointed district leadership. The district named 19 principals for the recently-created Elevate Network, a group of schools handpicked by Superintendent Peter Licata and his team because of persistent underwhelming academic performance.

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Of the 19 campuses, 12 will have new principals. Five of those 12 are new to the district, a spokesperson previously told the Star-Telegram. Since then, the district has named new principals at more than 20 other campuses as well. Nearly a dozen other principals have announced their decision to leave the district following the end of the 2025-26 school year. Several sources told the Star-Telegram they expect even more principal and teaching turnover following the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of the district, especially during the summer as current faculty and staff look for new jobs. While Fort Worth ISD leadership remains confident a district-wide principal shakeup can jumpstart some of its stagnant campuses, some education leaders warn that constant leadership turnover can do more harm than good. Others are concerned that long-time district employees no longer wish to work within the district and are instead opting for jobs at neighboring districts.

Buc-ee’s visit goes viral as World Cup fans visit Texas

Europeans visiting Texas for the 2026 World Cup are getting a taste of what the Lone Star State is all about: Buc-ee’s, long drives and hot summers. One German fan’s wide-eyed reaction to the famous mega-gas station went viral this week. Freddy, who posts on X as @FreddyLA7, has been documenting his trip ahead of his team's opening match in Houston. “DUDE LMAO THIS IS A GAS STATION,” he wrote, garnering nearly 23 millions views by Thursday afternoon.

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Later, he posted a photo of his late-night meal with the caption: “Dinner from Buc-ee’s at 1am??” Texans on X welcomed Freddy’s familiar enthusiasm for the mega-chain. “It is a gas station. And yet it is so much more,” one user wrote, adding a teary-eyed GIF. Another replied with a picture of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s famous 1959 visit to an American supermarket. “Europeans seeing their first Buc ee’s be like: Why does this gas station have its own economy? ??,” someone else wrote. A fellow World Cup visitor from Scotland, posting on X as @shaunvlog, had a similar reaction after visiting Buc-ee’s. “A place like this could ONLY exist in America and I LOVE it,” he wrote. In a follow up post, he called Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets "intoxicatingly good." Texans replied to their posts with suggestions for their next stops. “Buc-ee’s. Brisket and HEB. Hopefully you’re able to checkout Austin. Great vibe," one wrote. Buc-ee’s, the Texas-born gas station and convenience store known for brisket, snacks, merch and clean restrooms, has become part of the state’s World Cup pitch. In North Texas, Trinity Metro is running visitor shuttles that include a stop at Buc-ee’s near Texas Motor Speedway. The agency describes it as a “legendary Texas mega-travel center." And Buc-ee's isn't exactly next door to the stadium. The closest location, near Texas Motor Speedway, is over 30 miles from Dallas Stadium, FIFA’s temporary name for AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Travis County judge weighs whether to move Camp Mystic lawsuits behind closed doors and out of public courtrooms

A Travis County judge on Wednesday weighed whether lawsuits filed by Camp Mystic families should be resolved outside of court. The camp and its owners are facing multiple wrongful death lawsuits after 27 campers and counselors died when floodwaters swept through the Kerr County camp in the early morning hours of July 4, 2025. The lawsuits accuse Camp Mystic of failing to protect their daughters. The families are fighting to get their day in court against the camp's operators. Camp Mystic lawyers are making the case for their motion to compel arbitration, which would take the proceedings behind closed doors and out of the public eye into private arbitration, not in a public courtroom.

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At issue here are the participation agreements that all the parents signed when registering their daughters for Camp Mystic last summer. Those agreements included a “binding” arbitration clause, which Camp Mystic’s lawyers say was legally valid, so they argue these lawsuits should be resolved outside the courtroom and with arbitration. The agreement highlights the risks associated with summer camp, including "the risk of 'floods,' risks caused by 'errors of judgment,' and those caused by 'careless conduct,' which the agreements warn 'in extraordinary cases, may be serious,'" according to court documents. “I understand this is an incredibly serious case. I understand that there is a lot here,” said Joshua Fiveson, an attorney representing Camp Mystic. “That does not change the legal framework, and the question is whether or not a contract was formed. It was.” Attorneys for the families who lost loved ones say the arbitration waiver they signed was on the parents' behalf, but not on the behalf of the children who died, though Camp Mystic's attorneys said they believe the agreement covered the children. While there is case law that says family members can't waive their minor children's right to seek legal recourse in personal injury cases, Camp Mystic's attorneys say no right is being waived by compelled arbitration; it is just moving it to a different legal venue.

National Stories

Senate Democrats’ political fortunes have improved. ‘It didn’t happen by accident,’ Schumer says.

Chuck Schumer has served as a punching bag for angry Democrats for more than a year — taking flak on everything from his 2026 recruiting to his handling of government funding talks. But with about five months until the midterm elections, the Senate minority leader is gently starting to punch back — pointing out how some of his bets are paying off as his party moves within striking distance of taking back the majority in November. “There’s no victory lap to take in June,” he said in an interview in his Capitol office suite. But he ticked through moves he oversaw in the past year — from leading opposition to GOP safety-net cuts to picking shutdown fights over health care and immigration enforcement funding and orchestrating national intervention in several Senate primaries — that he argued have strengthened Democrats’ hand for the midterms and beyond.

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“We made a lot of strategic decisions that got us to this place — it didn’t happen by accident,” Schumer said. “I knew from the beginning that if we recruited strong candidates, found paths to victory, focused on the issues the American people cared about, and forced … the Republicans, to carry Trump’s water, we’d be in much better shape, and that has happened.” Schumer’s confidence comes after an at times rocky year for the minority leader: His decision to help advance a GOP government funding bill in March 2025 fueled a wave of calls from progressive groups and House Democrats for him to step down as Senate Democratic leader. Criticism crested again after eight members of his caucus broke from Schumer to help reopen most of the government after a record shutdown in November. Polling has shown eroding favorability and approval ratings for Schumer — even in his home state of New York, where he has been elected to the Senate five times. He’s maintained support among the Senate Democrats who elected him leader, though some have dodged the subject of his future.

Trump and allies are working on plan to ‘expunge’ impeachments

President Trump and his allies have discussed pushing lawmakers to pass a resolution aimed at voiding his first-term impeachments, according to people familiar with the matter. The resolution would allow Trump to claim a symbolic victory on a matter that has dogged him since his first term, part of a broader effort to burnish his presidential legacy. It would have little legal significance, however, because the Constitution provides no procedure for undoing an impeachment, according to experts. “It should be done because I did nothing wrong,” Trump said when asked about the resolution in a phone call this week with The Wall Street Journal. “It was a rigged deal—it was a whole rigged situation.”

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Any move to attempt to erase the two impeachments, in 2019 and 2021, would open up a debate about Trump’s past behavior in office, forcing GOP lawmakers to relitigate charges of abuse of power, obstruction of Congress and inciting an insurrection. Facing the prospect of losing their majority in the House, Republicans are trying to shift focus to the economy and high costs, the issues that voters care about most. The measure likely wouldn’t be considered until after the November election, the people familiar with the matter said. Even then, it would be difficult to garner the votes needed to pass, according to several House Republican lawmakers. Trump has posted news clips about voiding the impeachments on his Truth Social account. But this week, he played down his own role in the effort. “If they want to do it, I’m honored by it,” the president said. A Democratic-led House of Representatives in December 2019 approved articles of impeachment for allegations related to Trump’s efforts to press Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, then a Democratic candidate for president. Shortly before Trump left office in January 2021, the House passed an article of impeachment for “incitement of insurrection” over accusations he pushed supporters to storm the Capitol.

Hunter Biden defends Graham Platner on Newsom podcast

Exclusive Hunter Biden defends Graham Platner on Newsom podcast The California governor’s latest provocative podcast guest argues Platner’s appeal will outweigh the scandals surrounding him. Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen, leave court after his guilty plea in his trail on tax evasion in Los Angeles, California, on September 5, 2024. Hunter Biden defended Graham Platner on Gov. Gavin Newsom's podcast. | ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images By Jeremy B. White 06/11/2026 07:00 PM EDT Hunter Biden thinks Graham Platner is getting a raw deal. The former president’s son defended Platner’s besieged Senate candidacy during an appearance on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast, according to a clip shared first with POLITICO, seeking to rebut a cascade of criticism surrounding allegations about his treatment of ex-girlfriends and his tattoo of a symbol associated with Nazis. He suggested that most Americans would fail a “show me your phone” test of their past behavior. “If that’s the standard by which we are going to judge people, particularly people in elected office,” Biden told Newsom, “then I don’t think we’re going to have many people in elected office.”

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Both Biden and Platner have been giving their party headaches. Some Democrats have fumed that the scandal-marred Biden’s public re-emergence could damage their political prospects, while others are increasingly concerned that Platner could cost them a vital Senate seat in Maine after convincingly winning his primary on Tuesday. But Newsom does not share those qualms about giving Biden a platform. The Democratic governor’s choice of podcast guests has infuriated his allies before: He hosted MAGA strategist Steve Bannon and late Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, brushing off complaints that he didn’t adequately challenge Bannon and echoed Kirk’s position on trans athletes. Platner has denied being violent toward women and has denied knowing the tattoo, which he has since covered up, was related to Nazis. His defenders have argued his progressive policies and personal appeal will win over voters who are unfazed by the drumbeat of damaging revelations. “I have not heard anything in any way that would say to me that he is an abusive, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, or racist person,” Biden said of Platner. “I have heard this from Graham Platner, though, that he thinks we should all have free health care. I have heard this from Graham Platner also, that he thinks that we have to radically change our politics. I have heard this from Graham Platner, that working people are getting fucking screwed.”

The World cup kicks off with two goals, three red cards and one epic fiesta

The first ever World Cup to be hosted across three countries was always going to be a delicate balancing act. All games are not created equal. So how do you divvy up the biggest spectacle in sports among three continental powers? It took FIFA more than a year to figure it out. And while the U.S. ended up with the lion’s share of the matches, Canada was left with slim pickings. But when it came time to select a host for the official opening of the 2026 World Cup, there was only one right answer. FIFA came to the place where it knew soccer heritage ran deepest: the hulking Estadio Azteca. On Thursday afternoon, in the steamy heat of the Mexican capital, this hallowed stadium became the first to host matches at three different World Cups. In 1970, it saw Pelé lift the trophy. Sixteen years later, it was Diego Maradona’s turn here.

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Now, it has also launched the biggest World Cup in history. In the first of 104 games to be held over the next five weeks, Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in front of more than 80,000 home fans. “Come what may,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said before kickoff, “it will be a celebration that endures for decades.” The supporters who packed the stands on Thursday would have signed up for it. After an opening ceremony that featured Mexican movie star Salma Hayek and Colombian pop star Shakira, they transformed into a wall of noise during Mexico’s national anthem. They booed as one when they spotted FIFA president Gianni Infantino. And they greeted El Tri, which hasn’t won a World Cup knockout game in 40 years, like it was a squad of absolute world-beaters. Never mind that the game itself didn’t quite live up to the standards set here by Pelé, Maradona, or Mexican teams past. (And the notoriously demanding Azteca crowd wasn’t shy about letting its own players know.) After taking the lead in the 9th minute through Julián Quiñones, the home side created few opportunities before the South Africans were reduced to 10 men by a red card. “I saw a desperate Mexico at some moments of the game,” South Africa coach Hugo Broos said. “They didn’t know what to do with the ball.”

CBS News boss Bari Weiss poised to oversee CNN editorial operations: report

CBS News boss Bari Weiss is likely to gain editorial oversight of CNN if and when Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is approved, according to a report. Paramount executives are said to have held preliminary discussions with several candidates who would come in and run the business-side operations next to Weiss while she continues to oversee editorial. The company is considering several big names, including current CNN CEO Mark Thompson, NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde and former NBC News chief Noah Oppenheim, Axios reported.

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Ben Sherwood, currently CEO of Daily Beast, and former CBS News president David Rhodes are also under consideration, according to the report. The search implies that once the merger goes through, Weiss will also be put in charge of CNN’s editorial operations, the report said. A CNN spokesperson declined to comment. The Post has sought comment from Oppenheim, Sherwood and NBC News. A spokesperson for Rhodes declined to comment. All five candidates have extensive experience running large news organizations, a contrast with Weiss, whose background is in print and digital journalism rather than television news management. Under the current org chart, Tom Cibrowski is president of CBS News. He reports to Paramount television chief George Cheeks, while Weiss reports directly to Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. Last month, Puck News reported that Paramount executives began informal discussions about scaling back Weiss’ role and bringing in a more experienced hand to manage the business side of both CBS News and CNN.

Lights! Camera! Cage match! The White House lawn’s Octagon is ready for Trump’s 80th birthday bash

It looks from afar more UFO than UFC. Maybe it’s the kind of contraption that has carried space aliens to the White House to force a meeting with America’s leader. But come closer and you’ll see the contours of the eight-sided cage, 30 feet (9 meters) in diameter and shaped, with careful precision, like the MMA league’s signature Octagon. That is, a STOP! sign flipped on its edge, with wire-mesh sides and padded corners fitted with different sponsors’ logos: Morgan & Morgan, Bud Light, Dodge Ram, Corona Extra and Polymarket, which identifies itself as the world’s largest prediction market. Overhead looms The Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can follow the cage fighting below.

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Think more of the four-sided, metal grabby thing that tries to grasp stuffed animals at a video arcade rather than what house cats have — hence the extraterrestrial vibes. And surrounding all that are risers filled with gray folding chairs forming a temporary arena expected to seat 4,000-plus people for the seven UFC fights being staged on Sunday to celebrate the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing. For non-UFC fans, all of this might be disorienting under any circumstances. But the temporary arena is covering nearly the entirety of the White House’s South Lawn, where Marine One usually lands to ferry the president to out-of-town trips and gobs of kids scramble in the grass during the Easter Egg Roll every spring. More than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been poured into building the arena, according to a court filing from the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn and is contesting a lawsuit meant to block the event. The White House says the UFC is covering the costs, though the filing states that seven agencies — including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration — have “allocated significant resources and manpower.” Fighters, their entourages and assorted support staffers are expected to take over the driveway and part of the West Wing when they’re not fighting. But they’ll enter the arena via curtained-off walkways with access to the Octagon.

Mosques face increasing challenges to provide security amid growing anti-Muslim fervor

When two teenage shooters armed with multiple weapons began firing on the Islamic Center of San Diego last month, a licensed security guard hired by the mosque exchanged fire with the shooters and warned others to flee. That guard — Amin Abdullah — lost his life in the attack, as did two other Muslims on the property. Abdullah’s presence likely prevented a far deadlier attack, but it also raised long-standing concerns about whether Muslim institutions have adequate security, training and planning to foil such targeted attacks and, critically, whether the federal government is invested in helping them. Next week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is expected to announce awards of $274.5 million in nonprofit security grants to houses of worship and other religious institutions. Known as the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the DHS.

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The grant program has become an anchor for many religious nonprofits as they try to harden high-risk facilities from physical and cybersecurity attacks with cameras, fencing, gates, bollards, reinforced doors and windows and ballistic film. But some Muslim organizations are already warning they don’t expect any of their institutions to receive federal security grants in this latest round of funding. “We’re not aware of any Muslim organization receiving grants, and if they did, it would be tantamount to the tokenization to say that Muslims had received the grants,” said Robert McCaw, government affairs director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “The entire program lacks transparency, and it’s incredibly hard to determine which communities are benefiting the most from them.” American Muslim organizations have had a long and uneasy relationship with the popular security grants program, created in 2004 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and the ensuing war on terror. But Muslim institutions’ wariness of the program has grown under the Trump administration. Last year, DHS unveiled new terms and conditions for the program that made many Muslim organizations even more concerned about applying for security grants. Those conditions require all NSGP recipients to cooperate with immigration enforcement officials, refrain from operating “any programs that advance or promote DEI” and avoid “discriminatory prohibited boycott,” which could include some forms of advocacy for Palestinian rights. Under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the agency reportedly paused grants for Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, review; discussed proposals for a blanket ban on Muslim organizations receiving grants; and later stripped funding from dozens of Muslim organizations, using vague allegations of extremism, according to CNN reporting.

Copyright June 12, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved