May 3, 2026: All Newsclips

State Stories

How Texas Republicans turned on George W. Bush

In their primary runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, John Cornyn can say that Ken Paxton is divorcing his wife, that he’s alleged to have had multiple mistresses, that his own senior staff has accused him of corruption. All that is damning and true. But Paxton can make one charge that is more powerful than anything Cornyn can pin on Ken, and which may well push the attorney general over the line on May 26: John Cornyn was in office twenty years ago. There’s really no getting around that. It’s on his Wikipedia page. To put a finer point on it, Cornyn has the stink of George W. Bush about him. The problem with the senior senator, as one representative online poster put it this week, is that he’s “a corporate hack who was an instrumental member of the Bush/Rove machine” and “the last vestige of those hacks other than [Greg] Abbott.” The problem for Cornyn is that the sentiment above wasn’t shared by a bleeding-heart Austin liberal with a long memory of the Bush years and a Coexist bumper-sticker, but by someone who identifies as a Texas conservative.

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The expectation might be that the Texas GOP has golden statues to Bush in every place it meets. It does not. A substantial portion of Republicans in the state are out to seek and destroy any last trace of the party left over from the Bush era—between 1994 and 2004 or so. When it was reported on April 15 that Bush had donated $5,000 to Cornyn’s campaign, the signal fires went up through the right-wing movement. (Even though it was a minor sum from a private citizen in a very expensive race—pro-Cornyn organizations, along with his campaign, spent $17 million in the first quarter of 2026.) “[The] old guard is all over Texas trying to claw back control and push out America First candidates,” wrote Kambree Nelson, a pro-Paxton influencer. “Bring it.” Another MAGA influencer posted a picture of an aged Bush and wrote that “voting for this RINO twice and defending him for 10 years after he left office was the worst political decision I’ve ever made.” That this is now the mood in a large faction of the GOP is a bit strange, because Bush’s party was one of the most savagely dominant political forces the state had ever seen. This is not properly appreciated today in part because Bush was the “compassionate conservative.” But the Bush-era GOP consumed the once-dominant Texas Democratic Party like locusts eat a field of wheat and made possible everything that came after.

Amtrak will discontinue Texas-Oklahoma route this summer

The Heartland Flyer, a 206-mile route connecting Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, is set to be discontinued in 90 days after Texas and Oklahoma lawmakers failed to include the route in their respective budgets. The Texas Legislature did not include funding for the 206-mile train route in the 2026 and 2027 budget, according to the notice sent to Amtrak, which operates the train. Texas' portion of the route's budget was $3.5 million. The current agreement expires on Aug. 31. The train is only still running this year due emergency funding from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, according to Texas Rail Advocates. The council, which is currently undergoing a leadership change, also had to help out the route in 2024 with $100,000 in assistance, according to TRA.

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But TxDOT said in its notice this month: "At this time, another suitable funding source has not been identified." Peter LeCody, president of TRA, said in a statement 80,000 people take the route and could be back on the highway if the train shuts down. "You can't say that nobody rides this train," LeCody said. As Oklahoma’s sole Amtrak connection, the train has provided daily service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth since June 1999, though it has faced a series of funding challenges. The Oklahoma Legislature is currently in session until May 29th, but shut down a proposal earlier this month to add funding to the route. While Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt noted the state was considering its options, the project has ultimately come up short. The Kansas Department of Transportation’s plans to extend the route to Newton now face instability caused by the lack of funding and shifting federal priorities under the Trump administration. TxDOT's letter ended on a farewell, signaling it may not expect new funding. "We appreciate the partnership of the State of Texas has had with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation over the years and thank Amtrak for its dedication to improving and supporting passenger rail in the region," the notice read.

KENS 5 honored with Governor’s Volunteer Award for decade of mentorship and community service

KENS 5 has been named as a Corporate Champion Award recipient in the 42nd Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards, the highest recognition for volunteerism in Texas, according to the OneStar Foundation, which administers the awards. The station was recognized during National Volunteer Month at a ceremony held Wednesday evening at the Texas Governor’s Mansion in Austin. First Lady Cecilia Abbott, honorary chair of the Governor’s Volunteer Awards, announced the recipients in a statement released by her office, praising Texans whose service is “making a lasting difference” across the state.

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“I am honored to recognize this year’s Governor’s Volunteer Awards recipients as Texans whose commitment to service is making a lasting difference,” she said in the release. “Their dedication reminds us that service has the power to unite communities, uplift neighbors, and inspire others to step forward.” KENS 5 was selected for its sustained commitment to mentorship and community service in San Antonio. For more than a decade, station employees have partnered with Communities In Schools of San Antonio to mentor high school students through the InspireU Workplace Mentors program, helping students build confidence and communication skills and identify career goals. The station also was recognized for its role in the annual Stuff The Bus School Supply Drive, which uses KENS 5’s broadcast and digital platforms to encourage community donations. In 2024, coverage of the drive generated more than 5.9 million impressions and helped provide school supplies to students in 140 schools. KENS 5 News Director Jack Acosta said the recognition reflects the station’s long-standing focus on service to South Texas. “On behalf of everyone at KENS 5, we’re proud to shine a light on the people and students building a better future,” Acosta said. “We’re grateful for our partnership with Communities In Schools and the opportunity to give back to South Texas.” The Governor’s Volunteer Awards recognize individuals, families, organizations and corporations whose service over the past year has strengthened communities and inspired others across Texas.

Ross clinches final term in Arlington mayor’s office, narrowly avoiding runoff

Incumbent Mayor Jim Ross has been reelected to a third and final term with 50.04% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a runoff election, according to unofficial results. Steve Cavender trailed with 39.4% of the vote, roughly 2,800 fewer votes than Ross. Cavender and his campaign team did not respond to multiple requests for a comment Saturday night. As soon as election data from Tarrant County showed 100% of votes counted, Ross took the stage to cheers and applause that shook the dishes on tables at J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill, where he was hosting a watch party to which he invited every other candidate running for any office in Arlington.

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His message after inviting other winners to the stage was of grace in victory. “Going forward, as much as some of us really want to get in somebody’s face and say, ‘We told you we won’t put up with this [expletive],’ we’re not gonna do it,” Ross told his supporters. “We’re gonna move forward, we’re gonna be better than the other side was.” Shaun Mallory and Hunter Crow, who are also running for the office, saw 4.9% and 5.5% ballots cast in their favor, respectively. The contest for Arlington mayor has been contentious, with many voters describing it as divisive and messy. Ross focused his campaigning, and especially on social media, on sharing his achievements, the reasons he’s proud of his city and the endorsements he’s received. Cavender’s strategy relied heavily on criticizing Ross, with special attention on his personal taxes, travel expenses and a video from a panel discussion on housing policy. He’s also placed the blame for increased property taxes, approved by council in a 7-2 vote last year, squarely on Ross’ shoulders.

National Stories

60 Minutes journalist decries ‘spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear’ at CBS News

The veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi expressed concern about “the spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear” at CBS News and her uncertainty about whether she will keep her job after she pushed back on a directive to change her December segment on Venezuelans who were sent to the Cecot prison in El Salvador. Alfonsi spoke about the incident for the first time on Thursday evening after receiving the Ridenhour prize for courage at the National Press Club in Washington. Her comments come as the Trump administration has piled pressure on US media and follow CBS News editor Bari Weiss’s decision to shelve the segment on the flagship news program. Alfonsi had alleged at the time that Weiss had “spiked” the story for political purposes, a significant accusation of journalistic impropriety. Weiss argued that the segment was delayed because it did not sufficiently include the perspective of the Trump administration.

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The segment was originally supposed to air on the 21 December edition of the show. It ultimately aired about a month later, on the 18 January edition, but was not meaningfully different from the original report and lacked an on-air interview with a Trump administration official. “I will not linger on the internal mechanics of the dust-up at CBS that led to our Cecot story being pulled, but we have to be honest about what it represents,” she said on Thursday. “It wasn’t an isolated editorial argument. In my view, it was the result of a more aggressive contagion: the spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear. It’s hard to watch.” She joked that her view was “for the attorneys”. CBS has been approached for comment. Alfonsi’s future at the network is said to be in jeopardy; it is unclear whether she will return for the show’s 59th season, which begins in September. She acknowledged that uncertainty in her remarks. “Thank you for this award. I didn’t know that the theme was hope. My hope recently has been that I still have a job,” she said. “And every morning I wake up to another headline that says I’ve been fired.” But, recalling an early job as a waitress that she lost, she said: “If I am fired, it will not be the first time.”

Trump’s new conditions on DEI, immigration could cut off states’ wildfire funding

A new effort to force states to affirm the Trump administration’s views on DEI, transgender athletes and immigration when signing contracts with the U.S. Forest Service is threatening millions of dollars in wildfire grant funding and fire reduction projects on federal lands. Some liberal states can’t sign the documents because the policies clash with state law, forestry experts say. Already, at least one state is reporting that the new rules have stalled work to reduce wildfire risk and assist with projects on national forest lands. Other states say the requirements are so vague that they don’t know how to follow them. And some timber industry leaders believe the standoff could cut into their revenues.

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“We’re kind of at an impasse,” said Washington State Forester George Geissler. “It’s already starting to slow down or shut down work.” The update to the requirements governing federal partnerships comes even as many Western states brace for a brutal wildfire season, following a winter that brought record high temperatures and a paltry snowpack. On Dec. 31, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins with little fanfare issued new general terms and conditions governing partnerships for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Spelled out in dozens of pages of fine print are new restrictions that require partner organizations to pledge compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. The new conditions apply to all USDA agencies, but the department hasn’t yet said whether it will enforce them for food assistance programs.

Minnesota passes the nation’s first ban on ‘nudification’ apps

The Minnesota Senate on Wednesday passed the country’s first ban on “nudification” apps 65-0, addressing one of the main sources of nonconsensual deepfakes. The bill was passed by the state House last week and now just needs the governor’s signature to become law. Advocates are optimistic Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, will sign legislation soon. This bill was the first attempt in the country to ban websites or apps that promote digital undressing, where photographs of fully clothed people can be uploaded and manipulated with generative AI to appear nude. These services power nonconsensual intimate imagery and don’t require any technical expertise to use. Google and Apple ban nudification apps from their respective web stores, but research by the Tech Transparency Project showed they remain easily accessible.

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Investigations from multiple news organizations have found that Meta continues to allow these apps to advertise on their social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. This blend means the tools are easy for kids to use; the independent media organization Indicator has tracked 23 cases of deepfake abuse targeting school communities in the United States since 2023. Federal attempts to create a civil right of action for survivors of nonconsensual deepfakes have stalled in Congress. The DEFIANCE Act has yet to make it to the House floor, though it has been passed by the Senate twice. Last year’s Take It Down Act made it a federal crime to disseminate nonconsensual intimate images, regardless of provenance, but does not allow survivors to sue for damages. Minnesota House File 1606 would allow survivors to sue the owners of nudification apps for damages and empower the state attorney general to collect fines of $500,000 per violation. The number of nonconsensual deepfakes has risen over the past few years. A mass episode of digital sexual violence kicked off in December when the social media platform X enabled its integrated chatbot Grok to generate images for free. Reporting from The New York Times and the Center for Countering Digital Hate estimates Grok created and posted over 1.8 million sexualized images of women over nine days.

Copyright May 03, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved