July 17, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

At least 2 dead, hundreds rescued as major floods hit Texas Hill Country for second year in a row

At least two people have died in dangerous overnight flooding that prompted evacuations and damaged homes, schools and roads in the Hill Country. This week's floods came almost exactly a year after some of the worst flooding in state history struck the Kerrville area. Gov. Greg Abbott said in a 5 p.m. Thursday news conference that a man died after he was swept away in an RV in Comfort, a city located southeast of Kerrville. The Uvalde Police Department said a man also died about four miles north of the city Thursday morning after his vehicle was swept away by floodwaters. Multiple rounds of storms have hit Texas this week, resulting in "catastrophic flooding," according to the National Weather Service. The agency's preliminary data shows that Uvalde received more than 21 inches of rainfall from Monday to Thursday, while Kerrville received more than 19.

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Since Wednesday, more than 1,300 people helped respond to the recent floods, Abbott said. More than 230 people have been rescued. Abbott said flooding of the Guadalupe River was more severe downstream from Kerrville than upstream, where many summer camps are located. "Right now, I am informed that none of those camps are facing any type of danger," he said at an 11 a.m. press conference on Thursday. The area around Comfort, Texas, is experiencing the brunt of the flooding, Abbott said. Less than two weeks after the anniversary of the July 4, 2025, floods, residents in the Hill Country found themselves in familiar territory: scrambling for higher ground and rushing to protect lives and property. The 2025 floods killed more than 130 people in Texas on the Fourth of July weekend, including 25 campers, two counselors and the owner of Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River.

Greg Abbott to appoint adviser Robert Howden as secretary of state

Gov. Greg Abbott plans to appoint Robert Howden, his senior adviser and director of legislative affairs, to succeed Jane Nelson as the next secretary of state, according to a state senator briefed on the matter. State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt said Howden — who lives in her Austin district — called her to discuss the appointment on Wednesday. It's unclear when Abbott will make the announcement; Nelson's last day is Friday. Howden will take over just months ahead of this year’s high-stakes midterm election. His long history in state government means he has relationships with many lawmakers, including senators who would vote on his confirmation next year. He previously served in former Gov. Rick Perry’s office and led the National Federation of Independent Business Texas.

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Nelson's decision to step down stunned several local election officials, given its proximity to the November midterms. The shakeup comes as President Donald Trump has increasingly called election protocols into question since taking office. Late last year, Nelson agreed to hand over the names, addresses and partial social security numbers of almost all of the 18.6 million Texans registered to vote, presumably part of an effort by the Trump administration to identify problematic voters. Abbott said in a press briefing on Wednesday that he hopes the next secretary of state will ensure that “only legal votes are cast.” “Texans deserve an election system they can have trust and competency in,” Abbott said. “And that’s exactly what the next secretary of state will be responsible (for).” Abbott has been silent for weeks on a successor. The only name election officials say they heard floated was former state Rep. Nate Schatzline, a Fort Worth Republican who has called for closing the GOP primaries and has denied the results of the 2020 presidential election. Abbott tapped Schatzline earlier this month for a new role as his senior adviser leading policy development on election integrity efforts. It’s unclear what he will specifically oversee, or whether it will work directly with the secretary of state’s office.

Takeaways from Trump’s address claiming election vulnerabilities

President Trump said his address on Thursday night was about building public confidence in American elections, but he spent much of his speech undermining them. A broken election system is one of Mr. Trump’s most common refrains, dating to early 2016. “Great damage has been done to our country,” the president said. “Our elections were left vulnerable to being rigged and stolen, and the trust of the American people was lost. This cannot be allowed to continue.” But documents Mr. Trump released to support his claims — and previous assessments from the intelligence community — do not back up his most aggressive statements about election security. In fact, some of the documents reach the opposite conclusion.

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They also do not contain significant new revelations about vulnerabilities in election systems. One of the documents posted on the White House website was blunt: “We assess that vote tabulation systems would be difficult to manipulate on a wide enough scale to compromise election results.” Mr. Trump called for fixing vulnerabilities in electronic voting system so that “we can never watch a stolen election again.” “If you look at voting today, it’s in such bad shape in so many states,” Mr. Trump said. “And we are committing to fix it, and we are also committing to be working with those states and local jurisdictions to help them fix and patch known technical vulnerabilities before the midterm elections.” But Mr. Trump has spent the first part of his second term dismantling the election protections built up over previous years. The F.B.I.’s task force on foreign influence was shut down, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence sharply cut back a task force that warned against foreign meddling and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has been gutted. And Mr. Trump has appointed an heir to a housing fortune with no relevant experience as the interim director of national intelligence.

Texas Tech donors gave big to Paxton as he defended QB Brendan Sorsby

Attorney General Ken Paxton received more than $650,000 dollars in campaign contributions from donors tied to Texas Tech the same month he used his office to defend the school’s star quarterback Brendan Sorsby amid a betting scandal, according to new campaign finance records. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby was barred from playing in the NCAA earlier this year after being accused of placing at least $90,000 in impermissible bets, including on his own team. The saga has ignited college sports and produced at least four major lawsuits over the NCAA’s decision. On June 11, Paxton sent a letter to the Big 12 Conference threatening to pursue up to $200 million in legal damages if it followed through with sanctions on Texas Tech for playing Sorsby.

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One day earlier, Texas Tech Board of Regents Chair Cody Campbell donated $274,300 to a fundraising committee supporting Paxton in his U.S. Senate bid. On June 12, a Texas Tech alumnus named Larry Franklin gave Paxton’s committee $108,600. And later that month, on June 26, Campbell’s business partner, John Sellers, made a donation of $274,300. Sellers and Campbell played football together at Tech, according to a profile of their company. The donations, which totalled $657,200, were among the largest in Paxton’s latest fundraising haul, according to campaign finance report data published Wednesday. Neither Texas Tech, Campbell, nor Sellers immediately responded to a request for comment. Franklin could not immediately be reached for comment. Paxton did not respond to a request for comment on whether the donations and the letter were connected. The Campbell donation was first reported by the Texas Tribune. Campbell is an active political donor and has given thousands of dollars to conservative groups, including those associated with President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee. He’s also been an active defender of Sorsby, who has sought treatment for a gambling addiction.

State Stories

Gov. Greg Abbott rolls out initiatives to limit growth in home, car insurance costs

Gov. Greg Abbott is proposing measures to help rein in rising home and car insurance costs for Texas residents. Abbott spoke Wednesday following a campaign stop in northwest Houston to meet with residents to discuss their concerns about affordability. "Texas has what may be the highest home insurance cost of any state — if not the highest, we are one of the highest," Abbott said. Abbott noted that Texas ranks number one in the United States for the most hail damage and the most hail-related home insurance claims. Coupled with that, the state suffers an abnormal amount from wind damage, as a result of hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, and other wind-related disasters.

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To address the problem, Abbott proposed adopting a roof fortification plan, following in the footsteps of southeastern coastal states from North Carolina to Louisiana, as well as Kentucky and Oklahoma. "Where this has been done, it leads to about an 8% reduction in premiums and, over the life of the roof, savings of about more than $15,000," the governor said. "And this is a proven strategy that I say is time that we adopted in Texas to ensure that we are reducing the leading cause of home insurance rates going up." Abbott also proposed changing Texas law to let insurers take moving violations into consideration when calibrating car insurance costs, with the aim of rewarding drivers for good behavior. "In states where that has been done, if you look at what the auto insurers say themselves, it could reduce your auto insurance policy by as much as 30%," Abbott said. "So, when you combine this auto insurance reform as well as the home insurance reform, it will lead to at a minimum hundreds of dollars a year, more likely thousands of dollars a year, in savings to homeowners and auto owners in the state of Texas."

As flooding returns to Hill Country, Texas lawmakers say new safety laws already making a difference

A year after catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country prompted lawmakers to overhaul the state's flood preparedness laws, Texans are once again watching rivers rise. This week's widespread flooding has become one of the first major tests of legislation passed during last summer's special sessions, when Gov. Greg Abbott and lawmakers promised changes that would better prepare communities before the next disaster struck. The flooding that swept through the Hill Country last July killed more than 130 people and prompted lawmakers to approve new safety requirements for youth camps, fund flood warning sirens, expand weather monitoring infrastructure and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in flood mitigation and disaster preparedness. On Wednesday, Abbott told the press that Texas was “better prepared than we have ever been to deal with weather events in general, but rainfall events and flooding events in particular.”

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Abbott said Thursday that flood warning sirens installed around campgrounds along the Guadalupe River, one of the major investments lawmakers approved after last year's disaster, functioned as intended during the latest flooding. "I am told the sirens have worked," Abbott said, adding that one siren experienced a brief delay before sounding several minutes later. One person has died in overnight flooding from a storm that has already brought more rainfall to parts of Texas than the Hill Country received during last summer's deadly floods, Abbott said. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt wrote on social media Thursday that flood warning sirens in Kerr County “gave those that heard them and others downstream notice to get to higher ground immediately.”

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's family: Substance FBI suspects was drugs, was 'homemade electrolyte mix'

After the Federal Bureau of Investigation had filed to obtain a search warrant to look through 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's van, the family confirmed that the substance that officials claimed they found was a homemade electrolyte drink mix, their attorney says. Additionally, U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz released a statement outlining what his office says is the version of events under investigation.

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Following the deadly July 9 shooting of Araujo, an FBI special agent said he "inspected the vehicle and observed in plain view several plastic bags with what appeared to be white crystal-like substances packaged in small plastic bags" from outside the van, according to a search warrant filed July 14. "Searches of the target vehicle will yield evidence of the crimes committed and violations of drug offenses," the warrant states. Just one day after the filing, the family of Araujo confirmed through their attorney, Ruby Powers, that the substances were not drugs but a drink mixture. "After consulting with my client and his family, our understanding is that this was granulated salt, which is paired with lemon and water as a homemade electrolyte mix used by outdoor workers in extreme Texas heat," Powers said in an official statement. The Harris County District Attorney's Office also shared that it didn't suspect the substances collected were drugs. On Thursday, DA Sean Teare shared on social media that "based on what we've learned about the passengers, it's inconsistent that drugs were in the van." Powers also said they are requesting immediate testing of the substance to clear Araujo's name, in addition to a request for Araujo's brother, Victor, to be released from ICE custody.

Questions about Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger opposition campaign

Something odd recently showed up in the San Antonio Express News: a column opposing the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. The piece warns about competitive risks and consolidation concerns. Standard merger opposition stuff, except for one thing: it's entirely about Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania workers. Pennsylvania steel. Pennsylvania grain. Pennsylvania chemical plants. Nothing about Texas. Nothing about San Antonio. Nothing about how the merger might affect freight operations across the state or port operations in Houston and Corpus Christi. The author is Bob Comeaux, listed as a contributor. There is a real Bob Comeaux in San Antonio, a former VIA transit board member who writes occasionally about local issues. But his published work doesn't typically focus on federal railroad policy or Pennsylvania agriculture.

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That's the first oddity. The broader opposition campaign against the merger contains several more. Across the country, opposition to the UP-NS merger is popping up in remarkably coordinated ways. State attorneys general are sending letters. Industry groups are releasing statements on synchronized timelines. Opinion pieces are appearing in newspapers across multiple states using similar arguments. For Texans, this matters. Union Pacific operates across Texas. The merger would affect freight movement through Houston, Dallas, and across the state. More efficient rail networks could mean lower shipping costs for Texas manufacturers, petrochemical companies, and agricultural shippers. It could also mean more freight stays on rail instead of trucks on Texas highways. But understanding who benefits from blocking this deal matters more than the merger's hypothetical benefits. And a lot of people benefit from stopping it.

Diana Forester: Texas mothers wait months for prenatal care. Lawmakers can change that.

(Diana Forester is director of Health Policy for Texans Care for Children.) When a woman finds out she's pregnant, one of the first things she should be able to do is schedule a prenatal appointment. Too often in Texas, that simple step turns into weeks — or even months — of waiting. I recently spoke with a Texas mom who learned she was pregnant in December. Since she didn't have health insurance, she applied for Medicaid for Pregnant Women. Then she waited for the state to process her application. After that, she waited for the next available appointment with a provider in her area. By the time she finally saw a doctor, it was March, and she was already in her second trimester. Her story isn't unusual.

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Parents want to start prenatal care early. They know it matters. And this is one of the rare issues that draws broad agreement at the Texas Capitol. Lawmakers across the political spectrum understand that early prenatal care helps identify health risks, helps manage chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes, and helps connect women to critical supports, such as nutrition assistance and behavioral healthcare. When prenatal care is delayed — or doesn't happen — the risks increase. Late or no prenatal care is associated with higher rates of preterm birth and low birth weight. Improving access to prenatal care is also an important strategy for reducing infant mortality, an issue the Texas House Committee on Public Health is studying. Unfortunately, after years of improvement, the share of women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester started to decline. Nationwide, first-trimester prenatal care fell from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024. The challenge is even greater in Texas. In 2024, 11.3% of Texas mothers began prenatal care in the third trimester or did not receive prenatal care at all, compared to 7.3% nationally.

More border buoys ready to go into Rio Grande in South Texas

Dozens of giant orange border buoys have been put near the Roma International Bridge, ready to be placed in the Rio Grande. Border Report Live: Soldier’s death helped spark a civil rights movement for Mexican-Americans Border Report on Wednesday saw the buoys, which U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to put up and down the Rio Grande in South Texas to stop illegal immigration from Mexico.

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A worker told Border Report that the buoys are on leased land that is located almost under the bridge that connects to the northern Mexican city of Miguel Alemán. Last week, the Eagle Pass City Council unanimously rejected a lease request by Gibraltar Construction Company Inc., of Maryland, to use Shelby Park — it’s public park on the river — as a staging area for the installation of the 12 to 15-foot-long buoys in the Rio Grande. CBP plans to put 533 miles of waterborne barrier in the Rio Grande, according to the agency.

Fort Bend Democratic commissioners weigh extending boycott, raising questions about August tax vote

With a civil lawsuit brewing between interim County Judge Daniel Wong and County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson, the absence of Fort Bend County’s Democratic commissioners could continue into future commissioners court meetings as the county heads toward its August tax rate process. “As I have said from the beginning, I will not participate in a meeting presided over by someone who has been found not to be legally authorized to serve as County Judge,” Commissioner Dexter McCoy said in a July statement. McCoy made the statement after commissioners court recessed early on July 9 due to a lack of a quorum, where both he and Commissioner Grady Prestage were absent. The county courthouse only had two members sitting at the dais that Thursday, Wong and Republican Commissioner Vincent Morales. Commissioner Andy Meyers appeared on a virtual call.

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According to the Texas Government Code, at least three members of a county commissioners court must be physically present to constitute a quorum needed to conduct county business, except when levying a tax. Wong called a special meeting of commissioners court on July 16 due to the absences. The two Republican commissioners are expected to attend. Prestage and McCoy’s continued absence comes after both commissioners publicly walked out of what they called an illegal meeting on June 25, with Wong still presiding over court. The day before the July 16 meeting, McCoy filed a formal notice with Fort Bend County Clerk Laura Richard. He said the letter is a public record of why he’s continuing to be absent on the grounds of legal guidance provided by Smith-Lawson. The county attorney filed her own lawsuit on behalf of the county government and the State of Texas, arguing there is no legal basis for Wong to serve as county judge and preside over the county's commissioners court.

MS NOW plans major live event in Arlington

MS NOW is planning a roadtrip to Texas, taking its annual fan gathering on the road to the Lone Star State, in what the cable news channel says will be its biggest live event yet (you know what they say about Texas, after all). The channel will host MS NOW Live: Together In Texas, Sep. 26, taking over College Park Center at the University of Texas at Arlington, and inviting thousands of its fans along for the ride. Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Jen Psaki, Stephanie Ruhle, Ali Velshi, Ari Melber, Chris Hayes, Symone Sanders Townsend, Alicia Menendez, Jacob Soboroff, Texas native Eugene Daniels, Michael Steele, Luke Russert, and Rev. Al Sharpton are among the talent expected to participate. The event was announced in a memo to staff Wednesday by MS NOW president Rebecca Kutler.

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“Texas sits at the center of many of the defining conversations shaping this election cycle and our country, from democracy and voting rights to immigration, education, and the economy,” Kutler wrote. “As those conversations continue to unfold, we want to be there, not only to cover them but to bring our community together in the places where those stories are happening.” MS NOW launched its live franchise as MSNBC Live in 2023, and held its first event in New York in 2024, drawing thousands of attendees to Brooklyn. Last year it moved it to Manhattan. The Texas event will be the first flagship event to be held outside of the New York area (the channel held a smaller event in Philadelphia earlier this year). But Dallas-Fort Worth is nonetheless a gamble, a bet that MS NOW’s audience spans the entire country, not just the coasts, and that they will want to participate.

DART CEO finalist has history of spending controversies at prior transportation agency

A finalist for CEO and president of Dallas Area Rapid Transit has a history of spending controversies at the transportation agency he currently leads in Florida. Nathaniel Ford was president and CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority for 13 years, but he announced this month he would resign in January after becoming one of three finalists to lead DART. His time at the Florida transit agency was marked by accusations of financial mismanagement. Action News JAX, a Fox station in Jacksonville, began reporting in 2023 that Ford spent tens of thousands of dollars on travel.

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The investigation found Ford, who was paid more than $625,000 a year, was frequently out of the office traveling, having taken 140 trips total since 2016. He also spent more than $40,000 on travel in 2023, including a 14-day trip to Spain and a five-day visit to Hawaii, the station reported. The station reported in 2024 that the transit agency’s card was used to purchase massages, resort hotel bookings and photo booths, prompting scrutiny from the Jacksonville City Council. Ford did not respond to multiple texts and calls on a cell phone number listed under his name over the last two days. KERA also reached out to the JTA, and will update this story with any response. Ford addressed the spending allegations to a Jacksonville City Council finance committee in 2024.

Houston megachurch Second Baptist wins major victory in lawsuit filed by church members

The messy legal battle dividing Houston’s Second Baptist Church tilted sharply in the megachurch's favor Wednesday after a judge dismissed nearly every claim filed against it by a group of congregants. Judge Grant Dorfman said religious liberty protections barred him from determining whether the church broke the law in 2023 when it removed the right of members to vote on church business. At the time, Second Baptist said it was changing its bylaws to “protect our ability to continue operating as a biblical church,” according to court documents. A secular court can’t determine whether that was a fair characterization, Dorfman ruled, without trying to determine what “biblical church” means.

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The court also lacked authority to kick out the church’s new senior pastor, Ben Young, the judge ruled. Young’s father, longtime senior pastor Ed Young, tapped his son as his successor in 2024 without a congregational vote. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, John Strawn, attorney for the plaintiffs, argued the judge had misinterpreted the doctrine of church autonomy. “Just using a word like 'biblical' in an announcement does not give you a get-out-of-jail free card,” he argued. The case is no longer moving to a jury trial that had been scheduled for July 27 in the Texas 11th Division Business Court, according to a court manager. Throughout the legal battle with a group of current and former members, Ben Young has maintained that the church, which boasts $1 billion in assets and counts Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and leading oil executives as members, did nothing wrong. In a statement on the Second Baptist website, Young said the church was “deeply grateful” for the ruling. “We remain committed to the work God has called us to,” he wrote. The church has declined to comment throughout the trial.

Andrew Fuentes will be Mayor Gine Ortiz Jones’ new permanent chief of staff

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ new chief of staff is Andrew Fuentes, who was hired as her communications and policy director in February, but was named acting chief after Jenise Carroll resigned from that role in April. Fuentes will be Jones’ third chief of staff since taking office just over a year ago, in an office that’s experienced much turnover. Jones has yet to replace her deputy chief of staff Pat Wallace who also left the office in April. Carroll seemed to cite work-life balance issues as a reason for her departure, while Wallace hinted at a lack of respect for her many years of policy-making experience.

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Fuentes comes to the role after a lengthy run on Capitol Hill, where neither are commonplace. He worked for former U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) for nearly 10 years, ending as a senior policy advisor focused on child welfare issues and healthcare. Later he worked as a senior legislative officer at the U.S. Department of Labor during the Biden administration. Fuentes is an Air Force brat who spent time here in his youth, and his parents now live in San Antonio. His position became official on July 4. Jones hired an additional communications advisor, MarkAnthony Ball, in June. Ball is a U.S. Army veteran, real estate agent and social media personality who participated in the Greater Chamber’s Leadership San Antonio program.

Michelle Cruz Arnold resigns from Houston ISD's Board of Managers

The Texas Education Agency announced Thursday that Michelle Cruz Arnold, a member of Houston ISD's state-appointed board of managers, has resigned. Cruz Arnold was among the state's initial appointees when it took over Houston ISD in June 2023. The TEA has appointed Karen Duffy, a former teacher and parent of two HISD students, to replace her on the nine-member board. “Stepping into this role, my goal was to lend my time and energy to support our district through a critical and unprecedented chapter, and I am deeply grateful for the privilege it has been to serve the students and families of Houston," Cruz Arnold said in a statement. "As the district continues to make meaningful progress, I have decided that this is the right and natural time for me to conclude my journey on the board."

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This is the second change to the appointed board of Texas' largest school district since the TEA replaced half the Board of Managers in June 2025. At that time, the TEA removed then-board Vice President Audrey Momanaee, Cassandra Auzenne Bandy, Rolando Martinez and Adam Rivon. An HISD parent, Arnold has led government relations and advocacy for College Board — a national nonprofit best known for its SAT and Advanced Placement exams. She also has experience leading public policy for the Greater Houston Partnership, which serves businesses across the region, and managing government relations for the Texas Education Agency, according to HISD's website. The Texas Education Agency did not immediately respond to questions regarding the selection of Cruz Arnold's replacement. In a statement, HISD's board president Ric Campo welcomed Duffy to the board and thanked Cruz Arnold for her service. Duffy is an appointed member of HISD's District Advisory Committee. “I am humbled by the opportunity to serve on the Houston ISD School Board, and I would like to acknowledge and thank outgoing member Michelle Cruz Arnold for her incredible service to the district," Duffy said in the TEA announcement. "As an HISD parent, this role is deeply personal for me, and I look forward to working with my fellow members, district leadership team, and our community as we maintain a relentless focus on student outcomes."

Texas billionaire money flows into Waikiki Democratic primary race

A Texas oil billionaire is pouring money into a Democratic primary race in Waikiki — but the money isn’t going toward a Republican. It’s supporting a newcomer trying to unseat an incumbent. In the Democratic primary for House District 24, covering Waikiki, McCully and Moiliili, challenger Bulla Eastman is facing incumbent Rep. Adrian Tam. Eastman received a sudden wave of support from Texas billionaire Douglas Scharbauer, who also owns thoroughbred racehorses. Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission documents show Scharbauer and the Patriot Action Political Action Committee spent $30,000 on ads supporting Eastman at a local media outlet. Tam questioned the mainland money.

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“He has supported candidates like Ken Paxton and Donald Trump. He has supported politicians that have tried to roll back environmental regulations, who have tried to limit a woman’s access to reproductive health care, and have tried to roll back policies advancing rights for LGBT folks,” said Tam, who is openly gay. “I’m curious as to why this super PAC with conservative right-wing ties is supporting someone in the Democratic primary,” he added. Eastman told Hawaii News Now he does not know Scharbauer, but is grateful for the surprise support. “I said, wow, this is kind of interesting,” Eastman said. “It’s amazing because you have a very successful businessman in the mainland who’s taken quite an interest here in this race, and I don’t think it’s so much for supporting me as it is he’s trying to get the incumbent out of office,” Eastman said. “It’s interesting for me because it’s a Republican supporting a Democrat running against a Democrat,” he added.

National Stories

White House teleprompter operator made more than $100K betting on Trump's speeches: Sources

President Donald Trump's longtime teleprompter operator is believed to have made tens of thousands of dollars by placing bets on more than a dozen of Trump's speeches on the prediction market Kalshi, federal investigators with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission found, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Gabriel Perez, a technical assistant to the president who has been operating Trump's teleprompter since 2016, is in talks with federal regulators to settle allegations he used his inside knowledge of the president's speeches to win more than $100,000, the sources said. According to the sources, Kalshi alerted its regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), to the suspicious activity on its "Mentions" market, where users can bet on whether specific words, phrases or topics are uttered during a public speech.

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"Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC, and we are cooperating and assisting regulators," Kalshi's head of enforcement, Bobby DeNault, said in a statement provided to ABC News. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday afternoon, following ABC News' report, that Perez has been put on unpaid administrative leave. Leavitt said she spoke with President Trump about it, and he thought it was a "disgrace" and made the decision himself to put Perez on unpaid leave. Leavitt said she was unaware of any other White House staffers who have made such trades. "The White House has strict ethics guidelines that we expect all staffers and officials to follow," said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle when contacted by ABC News.

GOP concerns grow after 2 ICE shootings in a week

Congressional Republicans and administration officials are demanding answers about the latest killings involving federal immigration officers, bemoaning a lack of bodycam footage and a failure to properly train officers for dangerous confrontations. Congress has been clamoring for more information after two ICE-involved shootings in Texas and Maine, where officers attempted to serve warrants and fatally shot two foreign nationals who were behind the wheel. None of the officers involved in the shootings had body cameras, despite pledges from former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February that those devices would be distributed to the ICE workforce with funds allocated by Congress. Congressional Republicans and administration officials are demanding answers about the latest killings involving federal immigration officers, bemoaning a lack of bodycam footage and a failure to properly train officers for dangerous confrontations. Congress has been clamoring for more information after two ICE-involved shootings in Texas and Maine, where officers attempted to serve warrants and fatally shot two foreign nationals who were behind the wheel. None of the officers involved in the shootings had body cameras, despite pledges from former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February that those devices would be distributed to the ICE workforce with funds allocated by Congress. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in a brief hallway interview called it a “mistake” that the officers lacked body cameras to document the scene and said “it would be wise” for DHS to distribute them to the workforce as fast as possible.

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Republicans — including top officials in the administration — are concerned that the lack of video evidence of the shootings will end up damaging President Donald Trump’s ambitious crackdown on unauthorized immigration by making it difficult to set the narrative or identify issues in tactics. Lawmakers also said more training may be needed to ensure ICE officers understand when they can and cannot use deadly force. The shootings pose a test for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who has pledged to keep his agency out of the headlines even as he steps up enforcement under Trump’s direction. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a sometimes critic of the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, said “something has to change” and emphasized that the deaths of civilians could not continue. Frustrations are also growing in the administration. One administration official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to speak freely about the response to the shootings, said more training is needed for vehicle stops. The official also expressed concerns about how the lack of that footage could hurt DHS’ ability to explain what happened in the shootings or potentially defend officer conduct.

Newsom hires prominent litigator Abbe Lowell to fight DOJ probe

Gavin Newsom has retained prominent defense lawyer Abbe Lowell to represent him as federal investigators probe the California governor’s circle, according to two people familiar with the arrangement. The Democratic governor hired Lowell to represent him and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom in a private capacity, according to the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the hiring. A representative for Newsom declined to comment and a representative for Lowell did not respond to a request for comment. Gavin Newsom has retained prominent defense lawyer Abbe Lowell to represent him as federal investigators probe the California governor’s circle, according to two people familiar with the arrangement. The Democratic governor hired Lowell to represent him and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom in a private capacity, according to the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the hiring. A representative for Newsom declined to comment and a representative for Lowell did not respond to a request for comment. The hiring of Lowell, who for years has represented some of Washington’s highest-profile figures, speaks to the politically explosive nature of the Department of Justice’s investigation, which Newsom has slammed as a baseless act of retribution — and a continuation of Trump’s history of targeting political opponents.

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Many of those foes are also Lowell clients, including Hunter Biden, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — a roster that has cemented Lowell’s status as the go-to lawyer for people under Trump administration scrutiny. Newsom has accused Trump of targeting him because he is exploring a presidential bid. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche brushed off that claim earlier this month. “I’m not sure his words are in any way grounded in fact,” Blanche told reporters. A person familiar with the multi-pronged investigation said it originated in California and has examined Newsom’s former chief of staff, who pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges this year, and Siebel Newsom’s finances. No one is known to have been indicted in the latest probe. The Newsom administration has accused the administration of a fishing expedition, saying federal investigators have subpoenaed or questioned numerous people connected to the governor or the first partner and sought business records.

Reflecting Pool peeling probably caused by application flaws, experts say

The lining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool peeled away in at least seven places along seams that were created when the material was applied in large rectangular sections, indicating likely problems in how it was installed, according to a Washington Post analysis of visuals and interviews with experts. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said vandals are to blame for the damage that appeared just two weeks after the $14 million renovation was completed in early June. “The slashes were 300 yards long, and the floor of the pool was cut and then pulled upward, with great force, by these thugs,” he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday. On Tuesday, photos emerged on social media that showed the pool had been drained in preparation for repairs. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum made similar claims in television interviews in early July, saying on Fox News that vandals left gashes totaling 350 feet. “[The lining] didn’t peel off,” he said on CNN, adding that people were “literally trying to destroy part of a monument.”

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Post reporters visited the Reflecting Pool on June 25 and identified seven locations where the lining — a waterproof membrane that was painted onto the concrete basin — had partially or entirely peeled away. The peeling occurred in irregularly shaped patches that stretched alongside the long edges of the pool. The pieces ranged in size from a few inches to as long as six feet. In one case, the concrete was visible underneath. (Reporters could not see the condition of the lining in the middle of the basin.) By comparing the seven locations with satellite imagery, photos and videos taken during the renovation process, the analysis found that all of the failures occurred at the seams — lines between two areas that were painted at different times. Four experts in waterproofing materials — who have decades of experience and have served as educators and expert witnesses in pool-related construction lawsuits — reviewed The Post’s findings and said the failure pattern strongly suggested errors in the application process. They said that while a precise cause cannot be determined without on-site examination and lab testing, such seams require careful attention and are especially prone to failure. When The Post shared its findings with the White House and the Interior Department, spokespeople disputed that the surface had been improperly applied. “There were no missteps during the initial repairs to the pool,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers. “Unfortunately, deranged individuals made several gashes in the side of the pool and destroyed over 300 feet of the pool’s siding. Once the necessary repairs to fix the vandalism are complete, the Reflecting Pool will be restored to all its glory.”

Wildfire smoke will worsen in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic through Friday

Dangerous wildfire smoke is filling the skies from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic. And in some areas, conditions are expected to worsen. Through Friday, more than 115 million people are forecast to be exposed to air quality levels that are unhealthy or worse as winds funnel smoke south from out-of-control fires in Canada and Minnesota — and a heat dome traps that smoke near the ground. From late Wednesday into early Thursday, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and New York had some of the worst air quality of the world’s major cities, according to data from IQAir. In Detroit, the air quality index reached a value of 728 late Wednesday, far worse than the peak of 465 in New York during the apocalyptic June 2023 fires.

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The smoke drifted into Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware, during the early hours of Thursday morning and was tracking southward along a path that roughly followed Interstate 95. However, shifting winds closer to Baltimore and D.C. may keep the worst of the smoke out for most of the day Thursday — but not Thursday night. That’s when unhealthy air quality levels are forecast to abruptly develop, as the smoke plume accelerates south, engulfing much of Virginia and parts of North Carolina — conditions that are forecast to last through Friday night. Meanwhile, a second strong smoke plume is also forecast to waft toward New York and Boston on Thursday afternoon and evening, with the New York City Emergency Management Office warning that “this could become the most significant smoke event in New York City since 2023, and conditions will be closely monitored for any deterioration.”

House Dems’ midterm windfall

House Democrats are rolling in cash with just 109 days until the midterms. A new trove of campaign-finance reports released this week showed a concerning reality for the GOP: Democratic candidates raked in gargantuan amounts of money last quarter in key battleground districts. In fact, at least 25 GOP incumbents — and Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) — were outraised by a Democratic challenger during that critical period, per a Punchbowl News analysis of FEC data. The majority of that GOP group hold competitive districts. And 11 of the Republicans had less cash on hand than their Democratic challenger. Tea leaves. This is a real danger sign for the GOP. Some of these House Democratic challengers raised more money last quarter than Senate candidates. And lackluster fundraising by Republican candidates is stretching the House map in Democrats’ favor.

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“Numbers don’t lie, and they are all saying one thing: Democrats are poised to take back the majority,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene told us Thursday. Yet candidate fundraising is only part of the overall House landscape. Republicans have gained a slight edge in the redistricting wars. Democrats aren’t very popular. GOP super PACs are flush with cash, including MAGA Inc., which is sitting on $382 million. And the Supreme Court decision that nixed coordinated spending limits makes it exponentially easier for the NRCC to bail out underfunded campaigns. But two big factors are working against House Republicans heading into the late stages of this cycle: a terrible political environment and the striking Democratic fundraising edge. The two are related. Anti-Trump, small-dollar donors are fired up and expressing their frustration by funding campaigns. The Democratic base senses that winning the House majority is in reach. Democratic Senate candidates are also thriving financially. But it’s easier for them to raise money, and it’s a lot more difficult for first-time congressional candidates.

Political text messages could get more effective and annoying. Blame AI

AI-powered platforms are training bots to sound like political candidates in text messages, holding personalized conversations with thousands of potential voters simultaneously. The bots are also gathering data, learning what each voter wants from their representatives and using that information to shape future campaign messaging. Aaron Sheeks, the CEO of Akillion, an AI platform that lets people run their own Large Language Models or bots, said many of his current clients are running for political office. "Our goal is to put the microphone back in the hand of the voter," said Sheeks. "We're giving agencies and political campaigns the ability to have a trained AI employee that can go back and forth and answer questions on police reform or education or tax changes."

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Some in the broader political text messaging industry say generative AI's ability to answer voter's questions and gather data about their concerns is going to be revolutionary for campaigns; others say political text messages are a limited — and annoying — tool and using AI won't improve it. While it's difficult to ascertain how many campaigns are using generative AI to text voters this election cycle, experts say Republicans have been adapting to AI faster than Democrats. "My belief is that this is going to make campaigns more interactive, more responsive and more personalized," said Eric Wilson, a Republican strategist and the director of the Center for Campaign Innovation, a nonprofit that encourages conservative campaigns to adopt new technology. He said that generative AI "helps campaigns do more with less." In almost all cases the first text message sent to voters is written and sent by a human, Wilson said. The AI steps in when the recipient engages.

ICE officer who killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero has a violent history, family and records say

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood and never should have been given a badge and gun to patrol American streets, several of his close relatives told The Associated Press. David Brouillette has a history of terrifying and violent behavior, according to those relatives. They accuse him of attacking women in his life over the years, and one shared a voicemail with the AP from last winter in which he told her that he thought someone should slit her throat. Brouillette’s troubling past further challenges how thoroughly the Department of Homeland Security has vetted recruits as it went on a hiring spree to help carry out President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

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At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration agents since Trump launched the crackdown after retaking office, including 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a Colombian national who was shot and killed by Brouillette on Monday while in his car near his home in the coastal Maine city of Biddeford. DHS, which hasn’t released the name of the officer who killed Durán Guerrero, has said the “vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon.” Brouillette didn’t respond to text messages or an email seeking comment. Three relatives who said they had spoken to him since the shooting, including an ex-wife and daughter, said he told them he acted in self-defense. When reached for comment about Brouillette’s record and his role in Monday’s shooting, ICE spokesperson Lauren Bis said in a statement that, “We will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers,” and that “The ICE officer in question has nearly a decade of federal law enforcement experience with required training including use of force training.” The White House referred all questions about the shooting and Brouillette to ICE.

Copyright July 17, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved