Texas is suing Wi-Fi router maker TP-Link for deceptively marketing the security of its products and allowing Chinese hacking groups to access Americans’ devices, Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced. Paxton originally started looking into TP-Link in October 2025. Texas Governor Greg Abbott later prohibited state employees from using TP-Link products in January of this year.
TP-Link is no longer owned by a Chinese company and its products are assembled in Vietnam, but Paxton’s lawsuit claims that because the company’s “ownership and supply-chain are tied to China” it’s subject to the country’s data laws, which require companies to comply with requests from Chinese intelligence agencies. The lawsuit also says that firmware vulnerabilities in TP-Link’s hardware have already “exposed millions of consumers to severe cybersecurity risks.”
Engadget has asked TP-Link to comment on the Texas lawsuit and Paxton’s claims. We’ll update this article if we hear back.
TP-Link was reportedly being investigated at the federal level in 2024 after its devices were connected to the massive “Salt Typhoon” hack that accessed data from multiple US telecom companies. Despite all signs pointing to the federal government getting ready to ban TP-Link in 2025, Reuters reports that the Trump administration paused plans to ban the company’s routers in early February, ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping.
EXCLUSIVE: Vince Offer Shlomi, more commonly known to the masses as the “ShamWow Guy,” is running for Congress in Texas as an anti-establishment Republican vowing to “clean the swamp.”
If elected, Shlomi, who is beloved for his high-energy late-night ShamWow and “Slap Chop” commercials, has said he will “destroy wokeism,” quipping on his campaign website, “This woke mess won’t clean itself.”
In a recent ad, Shlomi, 61, knocked 84-year-old incumbent Republican Rep. John Carter’s cognitive ability as “worse than Biden,” saying, “vote for me, a guy who’s not half dead.”
Despite President Donald Trump endorsing Carter for re-election, Shlomi believes he would be a better ally in Congress for the president. He suggested Carter is no longer up for the job, likening his continued presence in the House of Representatives to a form of elder abuse.
“He’s not a fighter,” said Shlomi, adding, “It’s not that he’s old, but his capacity is lacking and Trump doesn’t know that.”
Left: Rep. John Carter, R-Texas. Right: Media personality and Republican congressional candidate Vince Shlomi “ShamWow.”(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Vince Shlomi Campaign)
After years in the media world, Shlomi said he decided to break into politics after “seeing the decline of the civilization.”
“I’m seeing people not standing up to things. Not thinking about God … kind of afraid, they’re kind of intimidated, walking on eggshells,” he explained. “I feel that we need to fight a little bit stronger on just the commonsense American value ideas.”
“I want to bring wholesomeness back to America,” he said.
He also framed his candidacy as standing up to the GOP establishment, something he believes has already put a target on his back.
He believes that “someone” in the GOP deleted his nickname from the ballot to reduce his name recognition. Candidates using nicknames on the ballot is very common but nicknames tied to brand names or products are rarer.
Vince Offer Shlomi is best known for his high-energy television commercials marketing the “ShamWow.”(Vince Shlomi Campaign)
“I think they’re trying to hoodwink the voters from not knowing who I am,” said Shlomi, adding, “Honestly, it’s a swampy move, and that’s one of the things I’ll be working on when I get to Congress.”
Though describing his election effort as an “uphill battle,” Shlomi said he believes it is part of a “higher purpose.”
“The bottom line is I want to help clean the swamp,” he said. “I’ve just seen the world, I’m looking at athletes, and they’re not standing up for kids, or standing up for girls, and they just go with whatever pays the most money. So, I just thought, you know what? I’m not a brave person, but I just can’t let this happen.”
Television commercial star Vince Shlomi, also known as “ShamWow,” is running for U.S. Congress in Texas.(Jason Reed/REUTERS; Vince Shlomi Campaign)
Regarding Shlomi’s ballot name, Abraham George, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, told Fox News Digital that “the National Republican Congressional Committee challenged Mr. Shlomi’s ballot nickname – ‘ShamWow’” and “after considering the law, including Texas Election Code section 52.031, the Republican Party of Texas determined that this challenge was well taken and Mr. Shlomi’s ballot nickname was eliminated. Nicknames that indicate an economic affiliation are impermissible by law.”
Becoming an astronaut is challenging, yet one woman defied the odds to become the first African American woman in space.
What You Need To Know
Jemison wanted to study science from an early age
She first studied medicine before starting a career at NASA
She went to space in Sept. 1992
After NASA, she accomplished many more things
Early life accomplishments
Born in the 1950s, Mae C. Jemison refused to let anything stop her from becoming one of the most accomplished African American women in history.
She was born in Decatur, Ala. but grew up in Chicago, and from a very early age, she knew she wanted to study science.
She worked hard and graduated from high school at just 16, then headed across the country to attend Stanford University.
As one of the few African Americans in her class, she faced discrimination from both students and teachers, yet she earned two degrees in four years—chemical engineering and African American studies.
Jemison didn’t begin her career in space; she first attended Cornell Medical School, where she earned her medical degree and practiced general medicine.
Her talents also didn’t stop in science. Jemison is fluent in Japanese, Russian and Swahili. She used this and her medical studies to her advantage and joined the Peace Corps in 1983 to help people in Africa for two years.
Jemison with the rest of the Endeavour Crew in 1992. (AP Photo/Chris O’ Meara)
On to space
After serving in the Peace Corps, Jemison opened a private medical practice, but before long she set her sights on a long-held dream: going to space.
Jemison applied for the astronaut program at NASA in 1985. Unfortunately, NASA stopped accepting applications after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986.
In 1987, Jemison reapplied and was chosen as one of 15 out of 2,000 applicants. Nichelle Nichols—Uhura from the original Star Trek—recruited her, and as a longtime fan, Jemison later guest-starred in an episode of the series.
In Sept. 1992, she joined six other astronauts on the Endeavor for eight days, making her the first African American woman in space. On her mission, she made 127 orbits around the Earth.
Mae C. Jemison on board the Endeavour in 1992. (Photo by NASA)
After NASA
Jemison left NASA the year after she went to space and accomplished many more things.
She started her own consulting company, became a professor at Cornell, launched the Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in Developing Countries, created an international space camp for teens and much more.
She currently leads 100 Year Starship through DARPA, United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which works to ensure humans will travel to another star in the next 100 years.
With all her accomplishments, it’s no surprise Jemison was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the National Medical Association Hall of Fame and the Texas Science Hall of Fame.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
State Rep. James Talarico, left, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic primary candidates for U.S. Senate, shake hands prior to a debate at the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention in Georgetown, Texas, on Jan. 24, 2026.
Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune via POOL
This week, Texans have their first chance to cast ballots in what is guaranteed to be a critical midterm election year.
Early voting begins Feb. 17 in primaries across the state, including county offices, courts, the Texas Legislature, Congress and the biggest one of all — the Texas race for U.S. Senate, where incumbent John Cornyn has drawn a slate of Republican primary challengers, and two Democratic candidates are drawing national attention (and dollars).
The primaries will set up November showdowns, when Republicans in Congress hope to cling onto their slim majority. Texas isn’t about to turn blue, but Democrats intend to capitalize on what could be a vulnerable year for the GOP.
Here’s a closer look at who’s on the ballot in challenged races across North Texas and what’s at stake with your vote. Early voting is Feb. 17-27, and primary election day is March 3.
The U.S. Senate race in Texas is arguably the closest-watched this election cycle, as Cornyn hopes to hold onto the seat he’s held since 2003. On the Republican side, candidates are trying to cast themselves as the most conservative pick as they jockey for the backing of President Donald Trump. For the Democrats, it’s a battle of style over substance as the frontrunners make their case for why they’re best positioned to win in November.
Democrats eye a blue flip in November
Democrats haven’t won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, a losing streak they hope to end in November.
Democratic primary voters will pick between leading candidates U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas and state Rep. James Talarico from Round Rock. Also in the race is Ahmad Hassan from Katy.
When it comes to policy, there isn’t much that separates Crockett, an attorney and former state lawmaker, and Talarico, a former public school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian.
Crockett told the Star-Telegram her priorities are affordability; fixing the country’s “broken healthcare system”; and establishing comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to legal status or citizenship, while also investing in border personnel and technology to keep out drug traffickers.
Talarico said he’d prioritize caps on campaign contributions, banning super PACS and partisan gerrymandering, and policies to increase the minimum wage and lower the cost of living for working families. He also proposes universal early childhood education.
But what the Democratic race has really come down to is persona, a contrast that was starkly highlighted during in a January debate between Crockett and Talarico. Many see Talarico as milder-mannered and capable of reaching across party lines, while Crockett is a more flashy fighter, ready to take on the Trump administration and MAGA movement.
“Crockett’s appeal, most simply, is that she speaks the language of Democratic discontent in the moment, and she speaks it very well,” said Joshua Blank, the director of research for the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin.
An argument among Democrats for her candidacy is the that she might better energize and mobilize voters, Blank said.
“The Talarico argument would be … because of the nature of the brand that he’s built, and even, maybe particularly, the role that Christianity plays in it, he presents as a less threatening alternative to independent voters and maybe even some Republicans who traditionally have not voted for a Democratic candidate, but nonetheless find themselves dissatisfied with the direction of the state and, or the country under Republican leadership,” Blank said.
Republicans work to unseat Cornyn
The frontrunners in challenging Cornyn on the Republican side are Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston.
Paxton, who took office in 2015, pitches himself as a “fearless conservative, a relentless fighter, and a true defender of Texas values” who stood up the Biden administration, corporate overreach and “the corrupt political establishment that’s tried to silence him time and time again.”
The attorney general’s legal troubles, his 2023 impeachment (and acquittal in the Senate) and a pending divorce from Sen. Angela Paxton, a McKinney Republican, have been contention points early in the campaign.
Cornyn touts his years of experience and effectiveness in Washington, as well as his record of “no scandals, just results.” Cornyn says he’s a “reliable ally of President Trump, helping him secure the border, support law enforcement, and unleash our economy.” A win would deliver Cornyn his fifth term in the Senate.
“The conventional wisdom,” Blank said, “has been that John Cornyn is potentially weak amongst a segment of the Republican primary electorate, that Ken Paxton is uniquely positioned to expose that vulnerability, and that, that might be the dynamic that takes down this long term incumbent senator.”
Hunt is a combat veteran in his second term in Congress. He calls himself a next generation of leader who represents changes that Texans are demanding. He told the Star-Telegram he promised to take on the “Washington elite” and carry his “mission of Texas-first policies all the way to Washington and stand for faith, family, and freedom.”
All three Republicans align themselves to Trump at every opportunity, but the president hasn’t endorsed in the race.
“If Trump were to endorse in the U.S. Senate race, it would effectively cause us to throw out every survey we’ve previously done, because it would change the dynamics to such an extent that you’d have to wait and see once the dust cleared what the overall effect was,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University.
Redistricting shakeups in Congress
Texas’ mid-decade redistricting, which triggered other states including California to do the same, has injected a new level of uncertainty the future of Republicans’ grip on Washington. At Trump’s urging, the Texas Legislature redrew congressional boundaries, tilting advantage to Republicans to pick up five additional seats in the U.S. House.
Seats in North Texas were among those affected by the reconfiguration, and the maps will be used in the March primaries.
Congressional District 32
Centered in Dallas County, District 32 was redrawn to extend farther east into more rural parts of the state. Its current representative, Democrat Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch, is now running in nearby District 33 (more on that below.)
Two Democrats are competing for District 32: Richardson City Council member Dan Barrios and EMT Anthony Bridges.
Congressional District 33
Perhaps most notably for Tarrant County voters, District 33 (represented by Marc Veasey of Fort Worth) is no longer in Tarrant County, and will not be on the ballot here. The seat does still lean blue.
Veasey, drawn out of the district, didn’t seek reelection, opening up the race in 2026. Johnson, the Farmers Branch Democrat, and former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred are among four Democratic contenders in the primary. The race has also drawn four Republican primary candidates.
Allred challenged Sen. Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate in 2024.
Congressional District 30
Contested congressional races in Tarrant County include the election for District 30, which is currently represented by Jasmine Crockett. A small portion of the North Texas district falls within Tarrant County’s eastern edge.
Crockett’s decision to run for Senate after being drawn out of the district prompted a three-way race in the Democratic primary. Candidates include Frederick D. Haynes III, the senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas; Rodney LaBruce, a pastor and financial executive for a real estate lender; and Barbara Mallory Caraway, a former state representative and Dallas council member.
Four candidates are running in the Republican primary: Small business owner and community organizer Everett Jackson; IT project coordinator Nils B. Walker; public interest lawyer Sholdon Daniels; and businessman Gregorio H. Heise.
Familiar faces in statewide races
North Texans will see familiar names on the statewide ballot, which includes elections for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller and commissioners of the General Land Office, Department of Agriculture and Railroad Commission. The governor’s race has a full slate of candidates on both sides, but Gov. Greg Abbott will likely win his primary and be a tough incumbent to defeat in November.
Texas Attorney General
The attorney general’s race is an interesting one, given the seat hasn’t been open in about a decade.
In the Republican primary are U.S. Rep. Chip Roy from Austin; state Sen. Joan Huffman from Houston; state Rep. Mayes Middleton from Galveston; and Aaron Reitz, who previously worked as a prosecutor for Paxton and as chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz before moving to the U.S. Department of Justice. Roy also previously served as Cruz’s chief of staff.
On the Democratic side, the candidates include attorney Anthony “Tony” Box; lawyer and mediator Joe Jaworski; and state Sen. Nathan Johnson from Dallas.
Texas Comptroller
Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills was appointed in June to serve as acting comptroller, and he wants to keep the job.
The former state senator is among four Republicans seeking a full term leading the comptroller’s office. Joining him is Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick; former state Sen. Don Huffines, a Dallas Republican; and Michael Berlanga, an accountant, property tax consultant and real estate broker.
Democrats running for the seat include finance professional Michael Lange, educator Savant Moore and state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt from Austin.
Meanwhile, Hancock’s vacated seat in the Texas Senate went to a special election with Democrat Taylor Rehmet winning decisively on Jan. 31. He will face off again with Republican Leigh Wambsganss in November for a chance to serve a full term in Senate District 9.
Railroad Commissioner
Former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French is one of five Republicans vying to serve on the Texas Railroad Commission, which – despite what its name suggests – regulates the state’s oil and gas industry.
The race also includes current Commissioner Jim Wright; well control specialist Hawk Dunlap; James ‘Jim’ Matlock, who is retired; and Katherine Culbert, a process safety engineer for an oil and gas company.
Texas Legislature, Tarrant County Commissioners Court
Several state lawmakers aren’t seeking reelection in 2026 or are running for a different office, creating open seats in Tarrant County’s legislative delegation. There’s also an open seat on the commissioners court. These are some of the House and Senate races we’re watching in the primaries:
Senate District 22
Sen. Brian Birdwell, a Granbury Republican, isn’t seeking reelection after being nominated as an assistant secretary of defense in the Trump administration.
The seat, which stretches south into Stephenville, Hillsboro and Waco, has drawn three Republican primary candidates: State Rep. David Cook; former McLennan County District Clerk Jon Gimble; and rancher Rena Schroeder.
Amy Martinez-Salas, a student and mother, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
House District 94
Tony Tinderholt, an Arlington Republican, retired from the Texas House in June and is seeking a job on the Tarrant County commissioners court. His House seat includes parts of Bedford, Euless, Hurst, Arlington and other North Texas communities.
Republicans vying to fill the open seat include executive director of Texans for Medical Freedom Jackie Schlegel, accountant Michael Daughenbaugh, mortgage broker Michael Ingraham, registered nurse Susan Valliant and business owner Cheryl Bean.
Katie O’Brien Duzan, who works in marketing, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
House District 98
State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, a Southlake Republican, isn’t seeking reelection. Two Democrats and three Republicans hope to win the seat that spans Colleyville, Grapevine, Keller, Southlake and other North Texas communities.
Cate Brennan and Aaron Hendley are running in the Democratic primary. Republicans Fred Tate, the managing director at CFO Shield; Keller Mayor Armin Mizani; and health and beauty business owner Zdenka ‘Zee’ Wilcox are running in the Republican primary.
Tarrant County Judge
County Judge Tim O’Hare is hoping to win a second term leading, but will first have to defeat fellow Republican Robert Trevor Buker, a behavorial health security officer, in the March primary. Democrats running for the seat include Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons and Millennium Anton C. Woods, Jr., a private contractor and consultant.
Tarrant County Commissioner, Pct. 2
Simmons, a Democrat, was reconfigured in a new precinct map that commissioners approved in June. The seat now favors Republicans. Simmons is bidding for Tarrant County Judge rather than seeking reelection.
Tinderholt and Lucila Seri are running in the Republican primary. Political consultant Gabe Rivas, who previously worked as Simmons’ community outreach director, nonprofit executive Amanda Arizola and former Fort Worth council member Jared Williams are running in the Democratic primary.
Tarrant County Commissioner, Pct. 4
Commissioner Manny Ramirez is running unopposed by fellow Republicans, but the seat has drawn three candidates in the Democratic primary. The winner will face Ramirez in November.
The Democrats are business owner Cedric Kanyinda; Nydia Cárdenas, a leadership coach and organizational development consultant; and educator Perla Bojorquez.
Voters could see May runoff elections
Some races may not be finalized in the March 3 election. Seats where a single candidate doesn’t win more than half of the votes head into a runoff between the top-two vote getters.
Runoffs for the Democratic and Republican primaries are set for May 26. Early voting runs from May 18-22.
The general midterm election is on Nov. 3.
Find your sample ballot and polling place
Voters in Tarrant County can find their personalized sample ballot and information about early voting and Election Day polling places and times on the county’s Election Administration website.
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years. Support my work with a digital subscription
Early voting starts Tuesday in Democratic and Republican primaries for U.S. Senator, Texas state lawmaker seats, county positions and other elected offices up and down the ballot.
The in-person early voting period runs from Feb. 17-27. Voters in Tarrant County can head to any polling location in the county to get a jump start on voting ahead of the March 3 election.
Here’s when and where to vote in Tarrant County.
Schedule for primary early voting in Tarrant County
Polls are open at the following times:
Feb. 17-20: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Feb. 21: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Feb. 22: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Feb. 23-27: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tarrant County early voting locations for Democratic, Republican primaries
There are 40 polling places open for early voting. A list of the sites is available on the Tarrant County Election Administration website, but we’ve also listed them out here for those wanting to head out and cast their ballots early.
ACTIV (2061 W Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington, 76013)
Bob Duncan Center (2800 S Center St., Arlington 76014)
City of Arlington South Service Center (1100 SW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington 76017)
Elzie Odom Athletic Center (1601 NE Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington, 76006)
Tarrant County Subcourthouse in Arlington (700 E Abram St., Arlington 76010)
Tarrant County College Southeast Campus EMBD 1105 (2100 Southeast Parkway, Arlington, 76018)
Azle ISD PD (483 Sandy Beach Road, Suite A, Azle, 76020)
Bedford Public Library (2424 Forest Ridge Drive, Bedford 76021)
Benbrook Community Center (228 San Angelo Ave., Benbrook 76126)
Colleyville Recreation Center Annex A (5008 Roberts Road, Colleyville, 76034)
Crouch Event Center in Bicentennial Park (900 E Glendale St., Crowley, 76036)
Euless Family Life Senior Center (300 W Midway Drive, Euless 76039)
City of Forest Hill City Hall (3219 California Parkway, Forest Hill, 76119)
Charles F. Griffin Building (3212 Miller Ave., Fort Worth, 76119)
Como Community Center (4660 Horne St., Fort Worth, 76107)
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years. Support my work with a digital subscription
TOPSHOT – An aerial view shows a destroyed home in Surfside Beach, Texas, on July 8, 2024, after Hurricane Beryl made landfall. Hurricane Beryl made landfall July 8 in the southern US state of Texas, killing at least two people and causing millions to lose power amid dangerous winds and flooding, as some coastal areas remained under evacuation orders. (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP) (Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)
MARK FELIX
AFP via Getty Images
Two Democrats are on the primary ballot for commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. The winner will be on the November ballot against Republican Dawn Buckingham.
Here are the Democrats’ responses to a Star-Telegram questionnaire, in the order you’ll see them on the ballot.
Occupation: United Steelworkers Staff Representative District 13
Education: I graduated from a Texas public high school in the Panhandle and went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps, where I gained the leadership and discipline that continue to guide my work.
Have you run for elected office before? I have not
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas:
1) Union staff representative in Texas, advocating for safer workplaces, fair wages, and worker dignity
2) Represented Texas workers at the bargaining table, holding powerful corporate interests accountable
3) Advocated for refinery, energy, and industrial workers across the state
4) Worked with SLAM Media, supporting youth leadership, storytelling, and civic engagement through media and education
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No.
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Texas Majority PAC, Vote Vets and voter contributions
Why are you seeking this office? I am running for Texas Land Commissioner because working Texans deserve real representation in an office that manages public land, public resources, and public trust. Too often, decisions reflect the priorities of political insiders, billionaires, and millionaires instead of the people who rely on these resources every day.
I grew up in a working-class family and attended Texas public schools. Like many Texans, my family depended on wages, not wealth, and learned the value of hard work, fairness, and accountability. Those experiences shaped my belief that government should serve everyday people, not those with money or influence.
For years, I have worked to give working people a voice—standing with them at the bargaining table, fighting for safer workplaces, fair wages, and dignity on the job, and holding powerful interests accountable.
I am seeking this office to bring transparency and accountability so public resources serve Texans, not special interests.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
If elected, my top priorities as Texas Land Commissioner will be transparency, support for veterans, and effective disaster recovery. The General Land Office manages public land, public school funding, and disaster relief, yet most Texans have little insight into how decisions are made. I will bring transparency and accountability to an office that should operate in the open and serve the public, not political insiders or wealthy interests.
Supporting Texas veterans will be a core priority. As chair of the Texas Veterans Land Board, the Land Commissioner oversees programs that help veterans access home, land, and renovation loans. I will focus on outreach so veterans know these benefits exist, reduce delays, and ensure working-class and rural veterans can access the resources they’ve earned.
Disaster recovery must work for communities, not bureaucracy. I will prioritize clear communication, accountability, and timely delivery of relief so Texans can rebuild and move forward.
How will you measure your success as General Land Office commissioner?
I will measure my success by clear, measurable improvements in how the General Land Office serves Texans. For veterans, success means expanding outreach and increasing the number of veterans who are accessing the benefits they’ve earned. That includes higher participation in home, land, and renovation loan programs and reducing the time it takes for veterans to receive assistance.
For disaster recovery, success means resources are available and deployed faster. I will measure whether communities receive clear information, whether funds are released more quickly, and whether local leaders are involved in the recovery process so rebuilding reflects community needs.
For public education, success means increasing revenue for Texas public schools through the Permanent School Fund by ensuring fair market value for public resources without raising taxes.
Ultimately, success means an office that works better, faster, and more transparently for everyday Texans.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
Voters should choose me because I bring lived experience and working-class values to an office that has too often been dominated by political insiders and wealthy interests. I know what it means to depend on public systems, to work for a paycheck, and to fight for fairness because that has been my life.
I grew up in a working-class family, attended Texas public schools, and spent my career standing with working people so they had a voice in decisions that affect their lives. I have represented workers at the bargaining table, held powerful interests accountable, and fought for dignity, safety, and fair pay. That experience matters in an office that manages public land, school funding, disaster recovery, and veteran programs.
I don’t see this office as a stepping stone or political prize. I see it as a public trust. I’m running to bring transparency, accountability, and real representation to the General Land Office, so it works for everyday Texans, not special interests.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their General Land Office commissioner?
Most Texans don’t know what the General Land Office does and that’s part of the problem. While the office isn’t always visible, its decisions have a real impact on people’s lives, from disaster recovery and veteran benefits to public school funding and the management of public land.
What Texans want most is an office that works clearly, honestly, and in the open. They want transparency in how decisions are made, faster and more reliable disaster recovery, and veteran programs that are easy to understand and access. Texans also want to know that public land and resources are being managed in a way that benefits schools and communities—not political insiders or special interests.
Above all, Texans are looking for a General Land Office commissioner who treats the job as a public trust, communicates clearly, and puts everyday Texans first.
What’s the biggest challenge the next General Land Office commissioner will face in Texas, and how would you address it if elected?
The biggest challenge facing the next General Land Office commissioner is trust. The GLO manages public land, school funding, disaster recovery, and veteran programs, yet most Texans don’t know how decisions are made or who they serve. That lack of transparency creates confusion and delays.
If elected, I will open up the office by making transparency the standard. That means clear reporting, straightforward communication with communities, and accountability, especially in disaster recovery and veteran services. Success means veterans can access earned benefits, communities know where they stand after disasters, and Texans can see how public resources support public schools.
The General Land Office oversees several programs for veterans. How would you help veterans as commissioner?
As commissioner, I would help veterans by making sure they actually know about and can access the benefits they’ve earned through the General Land Office. Too many veterans are unaware of programs like home, land, and renovation loans, or face unnecessary delays when they try to use them.
I would prioritize proactive outreach so veterans across Texas, especially working-class and rural veterans, understand what resources are available to them. I would also focus on reducing wait times, improving communication, and making the process easier to navigate from start to finish.
Success means more veterans signing up for these programs, fewer barriers to access, and a system that treats veterans with the respect and urgency they deserve.
Please explain your priorities for managing the Permanent School Fund, if elected as commissioner?
My priority in managing the Permanent School Fund will be to protect it, grow it responsibly, and ensure it is managed transparently in the best interest of Texas public school students. The Fund exists to support public education, and every decision should be made with that responsibility in mind.
I will focus on ensuring Texas receives fair market value for the use of public lands and natural resources so the Fund continues to grow without raising taxes. That means holding corporations accountable, avoiding sweetheart deals, and making sure revenues are maximized for schools and classrooms.
I will also prioritize transparency so Texans can clearly see how the Fund is managed, how revenues are generated, and how decisions impact public education. Success means a stronger, more accountable Permanent School Fund that reliably supports Texas schools today and for future generations.
How would you approach disaster response and recovery as commissioner?
As commissioner, my approach to disaster response and recovery would focus on speed, clarity, and accountability. Texans who have been impacted by disasters deserve timely help and clear information, not confusion or long delays.
I would prioritize clear communication so communities know what resources are available, where they are in the recovery process, and what to expect next. I would also focus on reducing delays in releasing funds and ensuring disaster resources are ready to use as quickly as possible.
Just as important, I would work closely with local leaders and communities to make sure recovery efforts reflect real needs on the ground. Success means relief reaches Texans faster, the process is easier to navigate, and communities can rebuild with confidence.
What role, if any, should the General Land Office play in securing the Texas-Mexico border?
The General Land Office should not play a role in securing the Texas/Mexico border. Border security is not the mission of the GLO, and using this office for that purpose distracts from its core responsibilities, managing public land, supporting public education, assisting veterans, and overseeing disaster recovery.
Texans are best served when the GLO office stays focused on the work it is designed to do and carries out those duties transparently, effectively, and in the public interest.
Education: Bachelor in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, multiple tech and industry related certifications
Have you run for elected office before? Yes. I’m currently serving my third year as Bay City Councilman
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas:
I serve on the Bay City Development Corporation board and represent our region on the Houston-Galveston Area Council. I completed CERT training and EMT academy before moving to Texas because I believe in being useful when things go wrong. That mindset hasn’t changed. During Hurricane Beryl in 2024, my family and I helped seniors in our neighborhood clear driveways and home entrances. I also run a small heritage pig farm with my family, which has given me firsthand experience with agricultural policy and the Texas Right to Farm Act.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? Yes. My wife and I are defendants in a civil nuisance lawsuit regarding our heritage pig farm in Matagorda County (130th District Court). The case involves the Texas Right to Farm Act. The lawsuit was filed in April 2024 and is tentatively set for trial in May 2026. We dispute the plaintiffs’ claims and are vigorously defending our agricultural operation. Our story was featured in the April 2025 issue of Texas Monthly.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? After my family, the next top contributors are Domingo Garcia and Liberal Austin Democrats.
Why are you seeking this office?
I’ve spent almost 30 years managing risk for a living. The GLO manages a $50+ billion fund for public schools, runs veterans programs, and handles disaster recovery. These responsibilities require professional stewardship, not political theater. The Permanent School Fund could generate more revenue if we diversified leasing beyond oil and gas. Wind and solar would bring steadier income. That’s money for Texas classrooms left on the table. We’ve seen what happens when the GLO isn’t ready for disasters. After Harvey, communities waited years for recovery funds while the feds flagged problems with how Texas managed the money. Living through Beryl in Matagorda reinforced what local communities actually need when storms hit. I immigrated from Mexico City in 1996, became a citizen, built a career, and now serve as a councilman. My mother taught me “nunca seas agachado” or never bow down, never accept less than you deserve. Texans deserve a Land Commissioner who shows up for the actual job.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
First, bringing more revenue into the Permanent School Fund through lease diversification. State lands currently generate income mostly from oil and gas, but wind and solar leases would provide steadier returns without commodity price swings. Every new dollar goes to Texas classrooms, some help with your property taxes. Second, overhauling how the Veterans Land Board serves our veterans. Too many vets face delays when trying to buy homes or access care they’ve earned. We need faster processing and systems that treat veterans like valued clients. Third, strengthening disaster preparedness. After Harvey, we saw communities wait years for recovery funds. The GLO needs plans and resources ready before storms hit, clear coordination with federal and local partners, and faster reimbursement for communities doing the hard work. Living through Beryl gave me firsthand lessons about what works and what doesn’t.
How will you measure your success as General Land Office commissioner?
Numbers. Numbers. And numbers. They don’t lie. I’ll track new revenue streams coming into the Permanent School Fund from diversified leasing. If we’re leaving money on the table, I want to know why. For veterans programs, I’ll measure processing times for loans and applications. Veterans shouldn’t wait months for answers. On disaster recovery, I’ll track how fast we get federal dollars to local communities after storms. Harvey showed us what happens when that process breaks down. I’ll measure satisfaction from the cities and counties we’re helping. I come from a world where audits and metrics matter. Texans deserve transparency about whether their Land Commissioner is doing the job.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
I live in Matagorda County. When Hurricane Beryl hit, I didn’t watch it on TV from Austin. I was there. My family was there. I saw firsthand how disaster response failures hurt real people in real time. That’s the fundamental difference in this race. I’m running to solve problems I’ve lived through. I’ve invested my own savings into this campaign because I believe Texans need independent leadership, not another rubber stamp for special interests. I have skin in the game. As a Bay City Councilman, I know where local systems break down. Whether it’s disaster recovery, funding our schools, or serving our veterans, I have almost 30 years of risk management experience to fix it. I earned my way onto this ballot. I’m not here because a political broker tapped me on the shoulder. I’ll be a Land Commissioner who answers to Texans, not to political sponsors or PAC money.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their General Land Office commissioner?
Most Texans don’t know who the Land Commissioner is or what the GLO does. They’ve never heard of the Permanent School Fund or the Veterans Land Board. And honestly, that’s fine. Government should work well enough that people don’t have to pay attention to every agency. But when disaster recovery is slow or veterans can’t get help, Texans notice something’s broken even if they don’t know which office to blame. What Texans want is quiet competence. Someone who manages their tax dollars responsibly and treats their fellow Texans with respect. They’re tired of officials who chase headlines instead of doing their homework. The GLO isn’t supposed to be exciting. It’s supposed to be reliable.
What’s the biggest challenge the next General Land Office commissioner will face in Texas, and how would you address it if elected?
Texas weather is getting more extreme, and our coast is getting hit harder. That’s what insurance companies tell us when they raise rates or leave the state entirely. The next commissioner must prepare for more frequent disasters while managing long term coastal erosion. Harvey showed us what happens when disaster recovery fails. Communities waited years for help while federal auditors flagged mismanagement. We can’t repeat those mistakes. I’ll work with coastal communities on realistic planning and coordinate with federal partners before disasters hit. Living through Beryl reinforced these lessons for me personally. I’ll also diversify Permanent School Fund revenue so classrooms benefit from wind and solar leases, not just oil and gas. Smarter management means more money for schools.
The General Land Office oversees several programs for veterans. How would you help veterans as commissioner?
I’ve already been meeting with veterans across Texas, listening to what they actually need. The message is clear: we need a VA hospital in the Valley and a new assisted living home in the Coastal Bend. The Land Commissioner doesn’t control VA hospital funding, but I’ll be a strong advocate. Veterans homes are squarely within the GLO’s responsibilities, and I’ll push for expansion where it’s needed. The Veterans Land Board also runs land loans and home improvement loans. On paper, great benefits. In practice, too many veterans face delays and confusion. I’d fix processing times and staffing so applications don’t sit in queues for months. And I’d improve outreach. Many veterans don’t know these programs exist. That’s on us to fix. These are Texans who served us. They deserve better than bureaucratic runaround.
Please explain your priorities for managing the Permanent School Fund, if elected as commissioner?
The Permanent School Fund is one of the largest education endowments in the country. My priority is bringing in more revenue through smarter land management. State lands currently generate income mostly from oil and gas leases. But wind and solar leases would provide additional, steadier revenue streams. This isn’t about replacing traditional energy. It’s about not leaving money on the table. Every new dollar supports Texas classrooms. I’ll also improve transparency. Texas families should see how their fund is managed through public dashboards and clear reporting. And I’ll seek independent analysis of our investment strategies, not just internal reports. The fund belongs to Texas schoolchildren. Every decision should start with that in mind.
How would you approach disaster response and recovery as commissioner?
The same way I approached it as a Councilman. Shortly after joining the council, I reviewed our incident response plan, found it woefully outdated, and stayed on it until we got it updated. After Beryl hit, I asked for a quick after-action report at our first meeting back and pushed for a formal Lessons Learned review for over a year. That’s how I operate. Preparation before the storm, honest assessment after. It comes from my almost 30 years in cybersecurity incident response and my CERT training. You plan, you drill, you respond, and then you figure out what went wrong so you’re better next time. I’ll build relationships with disaster-prone communities before anything happens. You don’t want the first conversation with a coastal mayor to be during a crisis. I’ll visit these communities, understand their specific vulnerabilities, and make sure they know who to call and what to expect from the GLO. Harvey showed what happens when this breaks down. I won’t let that happen again.
What role, if any, should the General Land Office play in securing the Texas-Mexico border?
Border security already involves multiple agencies at the federal, state, and local level. CBP, Border Patrol, DPS, the National Guard, local sheriffs. Adding the Land Commissioner to that mix doesn’t make Texas safer. It just diverts attention from what the GLO is actually supposed to do. The Permanent School Fund could generate more revenue for classrooms through lease diversification. Veterans are waiting too long for home loans. Coastal communities need better disaster preparation. Those are the GLO’s real responsibilities, and they’re not getting done while the commissioner chases border headlines or talks about building detention camps on state land. I immigrated from Mexico. Border issues aren’t simple. But Texans would benefit more from a Land Commissioner who focuses on delivering results where the agency actually has a job to do.
Two straight losses, including a 92-72 whipping Sunday at Cincinnati, have UCF looking like the ultimate bubble team when it comes to its NCAA Tournament hopes.
Despite that blowout, the Knights are still on the right side of the bubble, according to most experts, as they prepare for a Saturday night Big 12 home game against West Virginia in Orlando, Fla.
‘We’ve just got to keep working,’ UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. ‘We need to be getting better every day. When you’re in this gauntlet, anything can happen from game to game.’
This time around, ‘anything’ meant allowing Cincinnati to drain 11 of 18 3-pointers and hit 33 of 56 shots overall, an unusually hot shooting performance for a team that usually struggles to score.
But the Knights (17-6, 6-5 Big 12) drew a midweek bye, giving them six days to try to fix a defense that has allowed 83.4 ppg in their last seven games. They will also look to get point guard Themus Fulks back on track after he struggled in 19 scoreless minutes at Cincinnati, missing both his shots and committing two turnovers.
Fulks’ 13.3 points per game are second on the team and his 6.8 assists are 12th in the nation.
West Virginia (15-9, 6-5) needs to get on a late-season run to earn an NCAA berth. It also had a midweek bye after falling 70-63 at home Sunday against then-No. 13 Texas Tech. The Mountaineers lost that one at the 3-point line, going 2 of 22 while the Red Raiders nailed 13 of 24.
First-year coach Ross Hodge said the game’s tone was set early when Texas Tech won a string of loose balls that led to baskets.
‘I think if you step on the floor legitimately expecting to win the game, you get more loose balls than your opponent,’ he said. ‘That was the ultimate disappointing part of the game to me.’
Honor Huff is West Virginia’s leading scorer at 15.4 per game, but is coming off a 0-of-8 shooting performance against Texas Tech. He managed six points, all from the foul line.
The government’s ability to deal with drones that pose a threat on American soil has been questioned this week after the use of a laser designed to shoot down drones near the border in Texas led to the abrupt closure of the airspace over El Paso, sources familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The details of exactly what happened before the Federal Aviation Administration shut down the busy airport in the Mexican border city on Wednesday aren’t entirely clear, but a source familiar with the situation told AP that the laser was deployed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection without coordinating with the FAA.
Two months ago, Congress agreed to give more law enforcement agencies the authority to take down rogue drones as long as they are properly trained. That could make situations like the one in El Paso more likely. Previously, only a select few federal agencies had that power.
Here’s a look at what happened and the issues that raised:
Communication issues acknowledged
The government would say only that the airspace was shut down when an incursion by Mexican drug cartel drones was neutralized.
But the two people who discussed sensitive details on condition of anonymity said the FAA grounded every aircraft in the El Paso area over concerns about the safety of the laser system being used near commercial planes. The restrictions were initially expected to last 10 days, but then they were lifted a few hours later.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Friday that the government agencies involved in El Paso are working to address the concerns that led to the cancellation of more than a dozen flights and sent travelers scrambling.
“This was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken and we’re continuing to work on the communication through that,” Noem said in Arizona.
But drone warfare expert Brett Velicovich said the dysfunction in Texas raises questions about whether the U.S. will be prepared to deal with a significant drone threat.
“We need to simplify the authorities for who is really in charge and get these egos out of the way from these different agencies before an American gets hurt,” said Velicovich, who founded drone maker Power.us and consults on ways to mitigate their threats.
Velicovich, who used to use Predator drones in the military to bomb targets, said it wouldn’t be hard for someone with malicious intent to buy a drone for a few hundred bucks and do great harm at a major public event like a World Cup match or the celebrations of America’s 250th birthday that are planned this summer.
Cartels routinely use drones to deliver drugs across the Mexican border and surveil Border Patrol officers. Officials told Congress last summer that more than 27,000 drones were detected within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the southern border in the last six months of 2024.
The government recently handed out $250 million in grants to the 11 states that are set to host World Cup matches this summer to help them prepare for the threat of drones. Another $250 million in grants will be awarded later this year to strengthen the nation’s drone defenses.
More near misses involving drones
The threat to planes from drones continues to increase along with the number of near misses around airports. Homeland Security estimates there are more than 1.7 million registered drones flying in the United States, and that number has been growing.
Larger drones are required to carry a radio transponder that identifies the drone’s owner and broadcasts its position to help avert collisions. Cities can also invest in additional sensors around stadiums to help quickly detect drones.
Airspace Link, a Detroit company, created a low altitude air traffic control system to track drones and can alert authorities who might soon be able to take action. Cities can buy additional sensors to upgrade that system around stadiums or other high-profile locations.
“We don’t want something to happen,” said CEO Michael Healander. “But we also want to be prepared to have the tools in place to take action, because these are such big global events.”
Acting against rogue drones
Common anti-drone systems use radio signals to jam or force drones to land. But the government has also developed high-powered microwaves or laser beams like the one sources say was used in Texas this week that are capable of disabling the machines.
Some other systems station small drones to take flight quickly and ram into drones that are considered a threat. And there are systems that use bullets to shoot down drones.
Michael Robbins, president and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International trade group, said these counter drone systems are more common in warzones than across the United States. But the government is working to get them into the hands of more officers nationwide.
“It’s our belief that this is important technology that when responsibly used with proper oversight and intensive training will help to mitigate unsafe or malicious drones in the very rare instances where that needs to occur,” Robbins said.
Pilots worry about drones
Allied Pilots Association union spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer said he’s not sure how big of a threat the counter drone technology is to the American Airlines jets he flies because so few details have been released about what happened in Texas. And officials with Homeland Security and the FAA didn’t respond to questions about it again on Friday.
Tajer said he’s more concerned about the possibility of a passenger jet running into a drone because that could bring the plane down. A year ago, 67 people were killed when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C.
“You don’t have to be a pilot, an engineer or a defense expert to understand that two pieces of metal in the sky that one doesn’t know the other is there and is uncontrolled is dangerous,” Tajer said. “We’ve got to keep those two pieces of metal away from each other.”
Associated Press writer Josh Kelety contributed from Scottsdale, Arizona.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
TEXAS — For those who are superstitious, Friday the 13th may seem like an unlucky day. But for Texas-based company SpaceX and NASA, it’s quite the opposite. The two organizations’ joint launch went on without a hitch.
“I understand it’s the first time NASA has ever launched on Friday the 13th, so, pretty amazing times. Really appreciate all the hard work between NASA and SpaceX and on the Crew-12,” said Steve Stich, program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Friday morning, four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission successfully launched. Astronauts took off from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station.
“It was just wonderful to see everything in motion, felt very privileged to be here alongside an extraordinary team preparing for an excellent mission like Crew-12,” said Jared Isaacman, a NASA administrator.
The crews up in space will conduct a variety of science experiments aimed at advancing research and technology for missions to the moon and Mars.
“We are going to get our highest potential science and research up there with the aim of cracking the code and igniting an orbital economy,” said Isaacman.
Astronauts will aim to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit.
“What we may find, what we could learn, which could have meaningful benefit back here on Earth,” said Isaacman.
Crew-12’s Freedom spacecraft will spend approximately 34 hours traveling to the International Space Station, according to NASA. It’s expected to dock on Valentine’s Day.
“Looking forward to docking. Hope our teams get some rest today,” said Stich.
A federal appeals court Thursday upheld a Texas law banning paid ballot harvesting, reversing a lower court that had blocked the measure as unconstitutional and allowing the state to enforce the restriction.
In a 26-page opinion, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a district court erred when it struck down part of Texas’ 2021 election law, Senate Bill 1. The provision makes it a crime to be paid to interact with voters in person while they are filling out mail ballots in order to influence how they vote.
Under the statute, a person commits a crime if they knowingly provide “vote harvesting services” in exchange for compensation or other benefit. The law defines those services as in-person interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure.
The law targets paid political operatives who go door to door, help voters request or complete mail ballots and then collect those ballots — sometimes while advising or pressuring voters as they mark them.
Texas circuit court upheld ban on paid ballot harvesting. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Supporters of the measure say paid ballot collection creates opportunities for coercion or fraud, particularly with mail-in voting, where election officials are not present. Opponents argue organized ballot assistance is a legitimate get-out-the-vote strategy and that restrictions disproportionately affect elderly and minority voters who rely on help returning ballots.
Judge Edith H. Jones, writing for the panel, said the lower court improperly invalidated the law before it had even taken effect and relied on speculative hypotheticals.
The district court had ruled the statute was unconstitutionally vague and violated the First Amendment, issuing an injunction that barred the Texas attorney general, secretary of state and several district attorneys from enforcing it.
On the vagueness claim, the panel said terms such as “compensation or other benefit” and “physical presence” have common meanings that juries can understand. The court also emphasized that the statute requires a person to act “knowingly,” which narrows its reach.
The judges said the law clearly applies, for example, to “prevent paid partisans from haranguing Texas citizens while they fill out their mail ballots.”
In a 26-page opinion, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a district court erred when it struck down part of Texas’ 2021 election law, Senate Bill 1. The provision makes it a crime to be paid to interact with voters in person while they are filling out mail ballots in order to influence how they vote.(MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)
The panel also rejected the First Amendment challenge. Applying a balancing test commonly used in election law cases, the court said Texas has a compelling interest in preventing voter intimidation and fraud and in preserving confidence in elections.
The opinion leaned heavily on the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, which upheld Arizona restrictions on ballot collection and recognized that mail-in voting presents unique fraud risks.
Even under the highest constitutional standard of review, the 5th Circuit said, Texas’ law is narrowly tailored because it applies only to paid, in-person conduct directly involving a ballot — not to unpaid volunteers or general political advocacy.
Supporters of the measure say paid ballot collection creates opportunities for coercion or fraud, particularly with mail-in voting, where election officials are not present. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
The ruling also addressed procedural issues, concluding that the Texas attorney general and secretary of state were not proper defendants under sovereign immunity principles. However, local district attorneys who indicated they would enforce the law absent an injunction can remain parties to the case.
The decision marks a significant win for Texas officials defending the state’s post-2020 election reforms and reinforces a broader trend in federal courts giving states wide latitude to regulate election procedures.
Voting rights groups involved in the lawsuit could seek rehearing or ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
Ramsey Rivera skates up a slope at sunset at Chisholm Trail Skate Park in Fort Worth on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023.
Chris Torres
ctorres@star-telegram.com
That hour of sleep you gained in the fall will be taken back this spring.
Daylight saving will spring us forward an hour on the second Sunday in March.
🔥 In case you missed it…
When will clocks spring forward?
Clocks spring forward an hour on Sunday, March 8 at 2 a.m.
This will give us a later sunrise. As of Feb. 11, the sun rises at 7:16 a.m. in Fort Worth, according to Time and Date. On the day of the time change, the sun will rise at 7:48 a.m.
The “spring forward” daylight saving time change is when an hour of sleep is lost. In the fall, an hour of sleep will be gained during the “fall back” daylight saving time change.
Daylight saving time change dates were enacted by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In efforts to conserve energy during the summer, Congress passed this bill so people can take advantage of the most daylight possible.
As the earth orbits, its tilted axis causes the seasons. When the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, there are longer days of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere (summer). When the South Pole is tilted toward the sun, the Northern Hemisphere receives less sunlight (winter).
When will we see the longest day of sunlight in 2026?
The longest day of the year means the day with the most sunlight and the shortest night.
On June 21, 2026 (summer solstice) there will be approximately 14 hours and 18 minutes of daylight, which will mark the longest day of the year.
After the summer solstice takes place, the days will gradually become shorter.
Winter solstice happens every year on Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year. After that occurs, the length of daylight starts to get longer, first by a matter of seconds every day, and then minutes per day by February and March.
When will clocks fall back in November?
Clocks will fall back an hour on Sunday, November 1 at 2 a.m.
Will Texas continue enforcing the daylight saving time change?
Daylight saving has been around since 1918, during World War I. It was created as a wartime measure to extend the workday.
However, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 allows states to choose whether to participate in daylight saving. Arizona and Hawaii, along with the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain on standard time.
Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.
January and now February, parts of the country have faced extreme cold, prompting many meteorologists to note, “This air is much colder than average.”
But how do we define “average,” and have those averages—or normals—changed over time?
What You Need To Know
Climatologists use 30-year periods to establish baselines for “climate normals”
Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.
FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events
Climatologists use 30-year periods to smooth out year-to-year variability and establish baselines, or “climate normals,” for comparison. For example, a high of 45 degrees in January in Missouri might be five degrees above the long-term average.
Why 30 years?
Jared Rennie, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Centers for Environmental Information, explains that the 30-year standard better reflects the changing climate and its influence on day-to-day weather.
He adds that NOAA also explores other base periods to meet user needs. In addition to the 1991–2020 normals released a few years ago, NOAA provides a 15-year baseline (2006–2020).
These baselines are updated every ten years to capture ongoing changes—so data from 1980 to 2010 will differ from values averaged over 1990–2020.
Differences in the data
There are regional differences when comparing the most recent datasets (1980–2010 vs. 1990–2020). Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.
Temperatures are generally warmer by 0.3 to 1.0°F across most areas, with the north-central U.S. slightly cooler.
(Courtesy: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information)
More frequent 100-year events
It seems like every few weeks we hear, “This is a once in a 100-year event.” Why are we seeing more of these “once in a lifetime events?”
“Scientifically, this usually refers to the percent chance an event happens in any given year,” he stressed.
Adding, “With extreme rainfall events, NOAA uses data to identify areas that exceeded the 1% or 0.1% chance of occurring in a given year (known as a 1-in-100-year event and 1-in-1000-year event, respectively).”
He says that as for the frequency of these types of events, it depends on the specific event. “When it comes to large-scale events like droughts and heat, we have a better understanding of how these are trending over time.”
“For example, the science tells us that temperatures are increasing, especially at nighttime, which is affecting the number of heat events in the 21st century.”
Smaller-scale events, such as tornadoes and certain floods, are harder to quantify, and ongoing research aims to improve understanding.
Weather vulnerability
How do population densities impact weather vulnerability? “There is lots of research in the socioeconomic space that is attempting to identify not only populations affected by weather and climate extremes, but also their risk.”
FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events, like heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes and tornadoes.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
January and now February, parts of the country have faced extreme cold, prompting many meteorologists to note, “This air is much colder than average.”
But how do we define “average,” and have those averages—or normals—changed over time?
What You Need To Know
Climatologists use 30-year periods to establish baselines for “climate normals”
Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.
FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events
Climatologists use 30-year periods to smooth out year-to-year variability and establish baselines, or “climate normals,” for comparison. For example, a high of 45 degrees in January in Missouri might be five degrees above the long-term average.
Why 30 years?
Jared Rennie, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Centers for Environmental Information, explains that the 30-year standard better reflects the changing climate and its influence on day-to-day weather.
He adds that NOAA also explores other base periods to meet user needs. In addition to the 1991–2020 normals released a few years ago, NOAA provides a 15-year baseline (2006–2020).
These baselines are updated every ten years to capture ongoing changes—so data from 1980 to 2010 will differ from values averaged over 1990–2020.
Differences in the data
There are regional differences when comparing the most recent datasets (1980–2010 vs. 1990–2020). Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.
Temperatures are generally warmer by 0.3 to 1.0°F across most areas, with the north-central U.S. slightly cooler.
(Courtesy: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information)
More frequent 100-year events
It seems like every few weeks we hear, “This is a once in a 100-year event.” Why are we seeing more of these “once in a lifetime events?”
“Scientifically, this usually refers to the percent chance an event happens in any given year,” he stressed.
Adding, “With extreme rainfall events, NOAA uses data to identify areas that exceeded the 1% or 0.1% chance of occurring in a given year (known as a 1-in-100-year event and 1-in-1000-year event, respectively).”
He says that as for the frequency of these types of events, it depends on the specific event. “When it comes to large-scale events like droughts and heat, we have a better understanding of how these are trending over time.”
“For example, the science tells us that temperatures are increasing, especially at nighttime, which is affecting the number of heat events in the 21st century.”
Smaller-scale events, such as tornadoes and certain floods, are harder to quantify, and ongoing research aims to improve understanding.
Weather vulnerability
How do population densities impact weather vulnerability? “There is lots of research in the socioeconomic space that is attempting to identify not only populations affected by weather and climate extremes, but also their risk.”
FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events, like heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes and tornadoes.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
January and now February, parts of the country have faced extreme cold, prompting many meteorologists to note, “This air is much colder than average.”
But how do we define “average,” and have those averages—or normals—changed over time?
What You Need To Know
Climatologists use 30-year periods to establish baselines for “climate normals”
Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.
FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events
Climatologists use 30-year periods to smooth out year-to-year variability and establish baselines, or “climate normals,” for comparison. For example, a high of 45 degrees in January in Missouri might be five degrees above the long-term average.
Why 30 years?
Jared Rennie, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Centers for Environmental Information, explains that the 30-year standard better reflects the changing climate and its influence on day-to-day weather.
He adds that NOAA also explores other base periods to meet user needs. In addition to the 1991–2020 normals released a few years ago, NOAA provides a 15-year baseline (2006–2020).
These baselines are updated every ten years to capture ongoing changes—so data from 1980 to 2010 will differ from values averaged over 1990–2020.
Differences in the data
There are regional differences when comparing the most recent datasets (1980–2010 vs. 1990–2020). Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.
Temperatures are generally warmer by 0.3 to 1.0°F across most areas, with the north-central U.S. slightly cooler.
(Courtesy: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information)
More frequent 100-year events
It seems like every few weeks we hear, “This is a once in a 100-year event.” Why are we seeing more of these “once in a lifetime events?”
“Scientifically, this usually refers to the percent chance an event happens in any given year,” he stressed.
Adding, “With extreme rainfall events, NOAA uses data to identify areas that exceeded the 1% or 0.1% chance of occurring in a given year (known as a 1-in-100-year event and 1-in-1000-year event, respectively).”
He says that as for the frequency of these types of events, it depends on the specific event. “When it comes to large-scale events like droughts and heat, we have a better understanding of how these are trending over time.”
“For example, the science tells us that temperatures are increasing, especially at nighttime, which is affecting the number of heat events in the 21st century.”
Smaller-scale events, such as tornadoes and certain floods, are harder to quantify, and ongoing research aims to improve understanding.
Weather vulnerability
How do population densities impact weather vulnerability? “There is lots of research in the socioeconomic space that is attempting to identify not only populations affected by weather and climate extremes, but also their risk.”
FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events, like heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes and tornadoes.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Guion Bluford, the first African American to travel into space, became one of the space community’s most influential figures.
What You Need To Know
Guy Bluford was the first African American to fly in space
He started his career as a pilot in the Air Force
He became an astronaut for NASA in 1979
Bluford developed a fascination with flight at a young age, and by high school he knew he wanted to become an aeronautical engineer.
Early life
After earning his college degree, Bluford joined the U.S. Air Force and received his pilot wings in Jan. 1966 at the early age of 24.
He soon became an instructor pilot and later entered the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, where he earned a master’s degree in 1974 and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 1978.
After his 1974 graduation, he served at the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory, initially as a deputy and eventually as branch chief of the Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch.These achievements led to his selection for the NASA astronaut program in 1978.
It’s safe to say he never lost sight of his childhood dreams.
Becoming a legend
The crew of Space Shuttle 8 shown in front of launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida on August 5, 1983, with the tip of the orbiter Challenger showing in the background. Ready for a August 30 launch are left to right: Mission Specialists Dale Gardner, Guion Bluford, Dr. Bill Thornton, pilot Dan Brandenstein and commander Richard Truly. The crew was going through STS-8 countdown test on Thursday, and are wearing blue suits with pilot Brandenstein wearing a red tee shirt underneath. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)
After a year of training, Bluford became an official astronaut in Aug. 1979.
Four years later, on Aug. 30, 1983, he flew his first mission aboard STS-8. That inaugural flight was brief but notable, pioneering techniques for nighttime operations and deploying the Indian National Satellite.
After 145 hours in space, the crew returned to Edwards Air Force Base on Sept. 5.
Over the next 10 years, Bluford became the second, third and fourth African American in space, logging over 688 hours.
After NASA
In 1993, Bluford left NASA and retired from the Air Force to become the Vice President and General Manager of the Engineering Services Division of NYMA Inc., in Greenbelt, Maryland.
After several more high-end jobs, he went on to become the President of Aerospace Technology in Cleveland, Ohio, a job that he still holds today.
Bluford never stopped learning or pursuing the next level of his career. A brilliant figure in the space and engineering communities, he became a leader and role model for many African Americans.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Democrats in Texas were called out on Friday in an Atlantic article for their “circular-firing squad behavior” in the state’s Democratic Senate primary.
“The party’s latest and most egregious circular-firing-squad behavior transpired earlier this week, when the Democrat Colin Allred, who’d previously dropped out of the Senate race, endorsed Jasmine Crockett, one of the two remaining major competitors. He gave his reason for doing so in a video he posted to social media on Monday,” Atlantic writer Jonathan Chait wrote.
The article referenced comments made by Morgan Thompson, a political influencer who posts on TikTok under the username @morga_tt, who claimed that state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat, referred to former Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, as a “mediocre Black man.” Talarico, who is now facing off against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, allegedly told Thompson that he “signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable, intelligent Black woman.”
Allred responded to the comments in a video on social media, and encouraged people to vote for Crockett.
James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and US Senate candidate, during a debate at the 2026 Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention in Georgetown, Texas on Jan. 24, 2026. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks at a press conference in Washington, DC on September 8, 2025. Former Rep. Colin Allred waves to the crowd at a Kamala Harris rally Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. (Bob Daemmrich/The Texas Tribune/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Chait wrote that Allred chose the most “inflammatory response” to post on TikTok.
“Allred did not have to record and share his response to Talarico, nor was he required to take the allegation at face value. He chose the most inflammatory response,” he wrote.
Allred said, “We’re tired of folks using praise for Black women to mask criticism for Black men.”
“Everything about this episode reveals levels of pathological incompetence. Crockett and her supporters are prying open fissures that will scar whichever candidate emerges. They are expressing themselves in social-justice jargon that might be effective in a student-council race at Wesleyan but sounds completely alien to most Texans,” Chait wrote.
Chait also criticized Crockett for her plan to win over voters that have historically not been reached. The progressive firebrand has said she doesn’t need to win over voters who supported President Donald Trump. She said during an interview on CNN in December, “Our goal is to make sure that we can engage people that historically have not been talked to.”
“Crockett has suggested that she can help drive turnout of infrequent voters. The belief that there is a hidden reservoir of left-wing voters who will bother to show up at the polls only if a sufficiently progressive candidate activates their interest is a decades-old myth,” Chait argued.
State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and US Senate candidate, left, and Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas and US Senate candidate, shake hands during a debate at the 2026 Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention in Georgetown, Texas, on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Bob Daemmrich/The Texas Tribune/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He also argued that concerns about Crockett’s electability were not racist, as she has suggested. Chait specifically referenced podcast hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers telling listeners not to waste money on her campaign.
“I really do think that the host said the quiet part out loud, which basically was: If a White man couldn’t do it, then why would a Black woman even have the audacity to think that she could?” Crockett said.
“One fatal flaw of progressive identity norms, which treat women and people of color as experts on racism and sexism whose charges of bias cannot be refuted, is that they insulate bad arguments from scrutiny. The belief that swing voters in Texas are too racist and sexist to be compromised with implies that defeat is the only morally acceptable option,” he wrote.
It was just before 9 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2023, when police arrived on scene in Friendswood, Texas.
OFFICER (bodycam): What happened?
CONNOR HILTON: I screwed up so bad.
OFFICER: Somebody hurt?
CONNOR HILTON: (nods to affirm)
Bodycam video shows Connor Hilton, 17, center, sitting on the curb outside his Friendswood, Texas, home, on Dec. 23, 2023. He is holding up two fingers in response to the officer’s question “Somebody hurt?”
OFFICER: Who’s hurt?
CONNOR HILTON (holds up two fingers): Two people.
OFFICER: Two people. …
OFFICER: Where are they at in the house?
OFFICER: Where are your friends at?
CONNOR HILTON: They’re — they’re in the walkway. They’re in the walkway. (crying)
Two Texas teens shot in the head at friend’s home
OFFICER (bodycam/entering home): Oh, s***
When police entered Connor Hilton’s home,they found 18-year-old Ethan Riley and 19-year-old Benjamin Bliek lying on the floor. Each with a gunshot wound to the head.
15-YEAR-OLD (bodycam): Hello?
OFFICER: Hello? Who’s — who’s in here?
15-YEAR-OLD: I’m the caller in the bathroom.
They also discovered the boy who called 911. He was 15.
OFFICER (bodycam): Open the door. Let me see your hands. Let me see your hands.
15-YEAR-OLD (opens door): It’s just me. I’m on crutches.
OFFICER: Pull your shirt up. Pull your shirt up. Let me see the back. Turn around.
OFFICER (bodycam outside home): Is there anybody else that’s supposed to be in the house?
15-YEAR-OLD: No.
OFFICER: How many? Four total?
15-YEAR-OLD: It — it was four total.
The teen told police officers how quickly everything unfolded.
15-YEAR-OLD (bodycam): … We, as we, we literally 10 — not even a, two minutes of being in the house, uh – I – we come in, he’s, uh, on the couch or something, he stands up. I walk right to the bathroom, I have to pee. And then I heard two loud gunshots … And everybody was quiet. And I felt like I could hear laughing, but I think it was just them breathing. And Connor was like, “What have I done? What have I done?” And started crying. And I don’t know where — I don’t know where y’all found him. But I thought he was gonna shoot through the door or something. …
When police arrived, Ethan Riley, 18, and Benjamin Bliek, 19, were found lying on the floor of Connor Hilton’s Friendswood, Texas, home, each with a gunshot wound to the head.
In the house, unbelievably, paramedics saw signs of life in Ben and Ethan and worked to keep them alive.
OFFICER (bodycam): Where’s the gun at, bud?
CONNOR HILTON: I — I really have no clue.
Outside, police bagged Connor’s hands to preserve evidence before putting him into a squad car.
CONNOR HILTON (bodycam): I need to be put in a mental hospital.
Connor, at first, claimed he fired the gun in self-defense.
CONNOR HILTON: We got into an argument.
OFFICER: OK.
CONNOR HILTON: And Ethan tried to — he tried to come at me and … He tried to come at me and I freaked out and, um — He – he – he — he tried to grab for my throat.
At the time of the shooting, Connor’s mother, Johnece Hilton, wasn’t home.
Johnece Hilton: I got a message from my neighbor that said, hey, something is going on at your house. … And I was already on my way home. …
OFFICER: I — I’m gonna talk to you something that’s gonna be very hard to talk about.
JOHNECE HILTON: OK.
Johnece Hilton: The police had me sit in a car … and he told me. …
JOHNECE HILTON (in police car): I cannot believe this.
OFFICER: Yeah. No, you know —
JOHNECE HILTON: This is insanity. …
Tracy Smith: What was going through your mind?
Johnece Hilton: I was just like, how could this happen? … I was just there 45 minutes ago and he — he was perfectly fine. …
It wasn’t long before Connor’s father, Neal Hilton, received word. Johnece and Neal divorced back when Connor was a toddler.
Neal Hilton: Never in a million years would you think you would get — I would get that kind of phone call, just knowing — you know, just knowing my son. …
Ben and Ethan were taken to area hospitals where they were fighting for their lives. Nick McCanless, then a detective with the Friendswood Police Department, was tasked with calling Ben’s mom, Shannon Bliek.
Det. Nick McCanless: I get her phone number through dispatch and uh, call her up and I said, “Look … your son has been injured … and I need you to come up here.”
Shannon Bliek: I just got in the car, and I just started praying. …
Tracy Smith: And what happened when you got to the hospital?
Shannon Bliek: Nick met me outside the doors, and he told me that Ben had been shot. And I remember falling to my knees. And he, you know, was like, come on, let’s go upstairs, and wait in the waiting room and let’s find out what’s going on.
Eventually, a doctor came out to speak with them.
Shannon Bliek: He said that Benjamin had been shot in the head. … It was all very surreal. It just didn’t make any sense. … I just kneeled on the floor and just prayed.
Tracy Smith: What did you say in that prayer?
Shannon Bliek: I just asked that He’d be with Ben and that He please get us through this. …
While Ben underwent surgery, Connor Hilton was taken to the Friendswood Police Department.
CONNOR HILTON (in police car): Where am I being transported to?
OFFICER: Friendswood.
CONNOR HILTON: I know this isn’t a time to be — be bringing this up, but are you having a good Christmas, officer? …
Nothing about that night was making sense.
DETECTIVE SEAGO (police interview): Listen, what I’ve gotta do —
CONNOR HILTON: Is read me my Miranda rights. I have the right to attorney —
DETECTIVE SEAGO: So, well. Yeah. But I’m — I’m gonna read ’em, man.
Soon, Connor would end up in an interrogation room, with an entirely new story to tell.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): Let me just cut straight to the chase …
Det. Nick McCanless: He literally just kind of opened up, right? And it was an emotional roller coaster. …
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): You know what, I need to be honest with you guys. I just need to be… (crying) Oh, my God. …
“The idea of murder is super interesting for me,” Connor Hilton tells detectives
DETECTIVE SEAGO (police interview): Hey man, how are you?
CONNOR HILTON: Doing good. How are you?
DETECTIVE SEAGO: Good, man. I’m Detective Seago.
CONNOR HILTON: Do you know if my parents are here?
DETECTIVE SEAGO: Yeah, I think your mom and dad.
As his two friends were in the hospital fighting for their lives, Connor Hilton was in a Friendswood Police Department interrogation room so that detectives could start to unravel the truth of what happened.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): How you doing, sir?
DETECTIVE SEAGO: This is Detective McCanless.
Det. Nick McCanless: I knew nothing about him … I kind of went in blind. … And so I had no idea if he was going to be aggressive towards me …
DETECTIVE MCCANLESS (police interview): I don’t know you, man. You know what I mean? I’m trying to get to know you, right? Just trying to understand, you know?
CONNOR HILTON: Yes, sir.
Det. Nick McCanless: Yes, sir. No, sir. …
Tracy Smith: Very polite.
Det. Nick McCanless: Very polite. … Not who I normally would sit across from and interview right after a shooting.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): Let me just cut straight to the chase …
It appeared the 17-year-old didn’t want to waste any time. He launched into a story and this time, he didn’t mention an argument. Instead, he said it was an accident.
Connor Hilton, left, with detectives Seago, center, and McCanless of the Friendswood Police Department.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): I don’t — I don’t know. It just all kind of — it just all happened (crying) …
DETECTIVE MCCANLESS: Tell me how the gun goes off.
CONNOR HILTON: It happened so fast. I – I — I had it in my hand. I — I really don’t know (crying). I was just standing next to Ethan. (Crying) I — I don’t know. … But I — I — I heard it —I heard it — I heard it go off.
Det. Nick McCanless: I’m letting him stick with his story about it just went off, right?
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): My f******* idiot self had the stupid finger on the trigger.
Det. Nick McCanless: So I’m like, OK, well, how did it go off the second time? … And so, I said, Connor …
DET. MCCANLESS (police interview): I’ve got two guys that are — that have both been shot in the head, right? So, you know what I mean? Like, how does that happen as an accident? That’s what I want you to explain to me …
That’s when Connor Hilton broke down.
Det. Nick McCanless: It’s like his whole personality, everything changed.
And so did his story, yet again.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): You know what, I need to be honest with you guys. I just need to be (crying) — Oh, my God. OK. I’ve had suicidal, homicidal thoughts for so long. I’ve — I — I — I went up (crying) — I went up to — to Ethan and just— (simulates shooting, crying) … I’m sorry for lying to you guys.
Detective: That’s OK.
CONNOR HILTON: I really am sorry.
And Connor didn’t stop there.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): I convinced my mom to buy that gun for me so I could either shoot myself or shoot somebody. Oh, this feels so much better. (gasps)
Connor told the detectives that he hadn’t told anyone, including his mom, that he had been experiencing those suicidal and homicidal thoughts.
DETECTIVE MCCANLESS (police interview): What did you think you were going to be able to achieve, to help you, by doing this tonight? Was it something you felt you had to do to be able to get this pressure off of you?
CONNOR HILTON: Yes. You — you said it right there. Those are the exact words … I know it’s going to sound really like psychopathic and just like straight up disgusting and just weird, but the idea of (crying) murder is just super interesting for me. I don’t know why. I don’t know why. It is. I don’t know why. (crying)
DETECTIVE SEAGO: Listen, listen, hey — it’s OK …
Det. Nick McCanless: That interview … was probably one of the most honest interviews I’ve ever had with a suspect in a case where literally they just poured everything out on the table. And like, you could see the sigh of relief …
Tracy Smith: So walk me though what Connor said happened.
Det. Nick McCanless: Connor says that he had planned this … His plan all along was to shoot his friends.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): Been planning it for so long.
But he said he had no specific target in mind. He had invited a whole group of friends over that night; Ethan and Ben just happened to be the ones who showed up.
15-YEAR-OLD (bodycam): I was convinced maybe he was gonna try to kill me, too.
As for that 15-year-old who went to the bathroom as soon as he got there? He simply got lucky.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): He closed the bathroom door. … I — I thought it was risky to either shoot through the door or go — ’cause he locked the door.
DETECTIVE MCCANLESS: OK.
CONNOR HILTON: And I’m really glad. I’m really. I’m so, so glad that he closed the door and I didn’t kill him. (crying)
Before the interview ended, Connor made yet another admission:
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): What I did was wrong. I need to do the punishment. I know that. But I also need help. I need really, really—I need some help. (crying)
Det. Nick McCanless: I could tell he was struggling that night with, I knew this is what I felt, I knew this is what I wanted to do, but how I got here? I don’t know. …
Connor Hilton was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. That night, in jail, Hilton was allowed to make a phone call to his mother.
CONNOR HILTON (jail phone call): Mom, I need — I need help. I need like — like mental — like mental—like mentally help. (crying)
JOHNECE HILTON: I know, sweetheart. It’s OK. We’ll get it for you, OK?
CONNOR HILTON: I did—I did—I did a very bad thing.
The next day – Christmas Eve – Connor was released on bond.
Johnece Hilton: We … got him home … and then he just lost it, fell on the floor.
Neal Hilton: Yeah.
Johnece Hilton: Like crying (crying). …
Tracy Smith: Did he tell you what happened? …
Johnece Hilton: I — I couldn’t hear any of it. … I, like I, mentally, didn’t want to hear.
The Riley family spent their Christmas Eve in the hospital and were there when their son, Ethan, died.
On Christmas night, officers were back at Connor Hilton’s door to arrest him on a murder charge.
Connor Hilton: I look out the window and there’s a SWAT truck outside.
OFFICER (bodycam | officers enter home): Johnece —
JOHNECE HILTON: Yes, sir.
OFFICER: Hey, is he here?
Tracy Smith: They came in.
Connor Hilton: Yeah, they came in …
OFFICER (bodycam): Where’s he at?
OFFICER: Where’s he at?
JOHNECE HILTON: He’s right there. He’s right there.
OFFICER: Hands, hands, hands. Show me your hands.
Connor Hilton: I was kind of like in the back of the house sort of, and I just had my hands up.
OFFICER (bodycam): Turn around. Face away from me.
Tracy Smith: And they had their guns drawn?
Connor Hilton: Yes, ma’am.
OFFICER (bodycam): You’re under arrest for murder, OK bud? (Connor crying) Alright, come on, bro. …
JOHNECE HILTON: May I give him a hug?
OFFICER: No.
JOHNECE HILTON: No hugs?
OFFICER: No hugs.
NEAL HILTON: Connor —
OFFICER: Go. Let’s go.
NEAL HILTON: No hug? Hey, we love you, Connor.
JOHNECE HILTON: Please. I love you, bubby.
NEAL HILTON: Connor, we’re working on it, OK? Be strong.
Connor was booked into jail, but again, the stay was short-lived. He was eventually given a bond, and his family posted it.
As Connor’s parents began grappling with what their son had done, Shannon Bliek was still in the ICU with her son, Ben.
Shannon Bliek: His head was bandaged significantly.
She’ll never forget the moment she was first allowed to see him.
Shannon Bliek: I saw him, and I started to hyperventilate. … And a nurse grabbed me and hugged me. … I composed myself and I walked over … I said, “Benjamin, Ben, mama’s here.” And Ben opened his eyes. … Kind of like, I hear you, you know? …
If there is any good news in this story, it’s that Ben Bliek survived.
The Accutane defense
Shannon Bliek: He has shown more resilience and more grit than any person I could ever … even know. … It’s just like he’s on a mission to get better. And he just does it.
Shannon Bliek believes it’s a miracle her son Ben survived.
Shannon Bliek: Both bone flaps were removed, meaning the two big parts of the — the skull. … He had a tracheotomy put in to breathe and he had a feeding tube put in to eat. … And he was paralyzed on the right side.
Following the shooting, Ben spent more than three weeks in the hospital before being transferred to an inpatient rehab. Not long after arriving there, remarkably, he was up and walking.
Shannon Bliek: He was working so hard, so hard. …
According to Shannon, Ben would stay in that rehab for over a month.
Shannon Bliek: He had to learn to swallow again. I mean, everything.
During that time, Shannon shielded her son from the details of the shooting. Ben doesn’t remember anything from that night. It wasn’t until he came across an article on his mom’s phone that he learned his friend Connor Hilton pulled the trigger—and that his best friend,Ethan Riley, was killed.
Survivor Ben Bliek
CBS News
Ben Bliek: I was really sad. …
Tracy Smith: What was Ethan like?
Ben Bliek: He was just an outstanding guy. (emotional) … He … looked on things with a positive light (emotional). …
Tracy Smith: You learned that this guy that you were friendly with was the one who shot you and shot Ethan. …
Ben Bliek: I was furious …
But Ben forced himself to stay focused on his recovery. At that point, Connor Hilton was out on house arrest awaiting trial. His parents say they were still dumbfounded.
Neal Hilton: We knew that our son, not in a million years, in his right mind would do that. We knew that. …
Tracy Smith: You think he wasn’t in his right mind?
Neal Hilton: Oh yeah, he definitely wasn’t. … In his right mind, he would never do this. … He’s always been the sweetest, loving boy ever.
In search of an explanation, Connor’s father Neal began researching a prescription acne medication his son had been taking called Accutane. The drug label warns of risk of “depression, psychosis … suicide, and aggressive and/or violent behaviors.” Neal encouraged his son’s lawyers to look into it.
Isotretinoin is the generic version of Accutane, a medication prescribed for acne.
Alamy
Adam Brown, J.L. Carpenter and Rick DeToto make up Connor’s defense team.
J.L. Carpenter: Connor had … no trouble with the law, no trouble with school …
Adam Brown: This doesn’t make sense. …
Rick DeToto: Something changed. … The kid changed. What changed him? …
J.L. Carpenter: What it came down to in our research was the acne medication. … And my research led me to Dr. Bremner.
Dr. Doug Bremner: My name is Dr. Doug Bremner. I’m a professor of psychiatry and radiology at Emory University School of Medicine …
J.L. Carpenter: His CV is 96 pages long. …
Adam Brown: We didn’t play around when we got our expert …
J.L. Carpenter: I don’t think there’s another human being on this Earth who knows more about this topic … than Dr. Douglas Bremner.
Dr. Bremner says he has done extensive research on isotretinoin, the generic version of Accutane. The drug is sold under several brand names. He also gets paid to testify in cases.
Dr. Doug Bremner: It’s a very strong medication … There’s a large number of people, you know, throughout the world that have experienced side effects from it … including psychiatric side effects.
Tracy Smith: Why is it still on the market?
Dr. Doug Bremner: Well, it’s a great treatment for acne, especially … severe acne that’s cystic.
And that’s what Connor Hilton says he has.
Connor Hilton: Ever since I was little, I’ve always had these bumps … on my bottom … Sometimes on my arm pit. … They would be extremely painful. … I couldn’t even walk. Like, that’s how bad they were … We tried all sorts of medicine to … make it go away. … And then one day we went to the dermatologist, and they said, hey, we’re gonna give you Accutane.
That was in late July 2022, about a year-and-a-half before the shooting. Connor was 15 at the time. His mother signed a document acknowledging the risks. According to court-admitted dermatology records, about a month later, Connor reported that he stopped taking the medication because he was “feeling symptoms of depression.”
Connor Hilton: I was feeling real down … and didn’t really feel like doing anything.
But Bremner interviewed Connor at the defense’s request, and Connor told himthat he wasn’t completely honest back then. He said that it was after he started on the medication that he began experiencing homicidal thoughts, too.
Connor Hilton and his parents talked exclusively with “48 Hours” correspondent Tracy Smith.
CBS News
Tracy Smith: Did you tell anybody that you were having these thoughts? Did you try to get help? …
Connor Hilton: I was scared to tell people of my actual thoughts because I didn’t wanna go to a mental hospital and people think I’m crazy.
Connor told Bremner that when he stopped taking the medication, the thoughts subsided.
Connor Hilton: They slowly disappeared. … I was feeling more energetic, more like will to do stuff … but I was also in pain ’cause of the bumps. They got worse again because I wasn’t taking Accutane …
In January 2023, after several months of being off the medication, Connor’s dermatology records show that he went back on it. This time, he was given a lower dose than initially prescribed.
Tracy Smith: Were you at all apprehensive? Like, oh, this messed with my mind the first time maybe I shouldn’t go back on this stuff. …
Connor Hilton: The bumps were so painful. I — I just needed something to cure it because it was so un — it was just unbearable. …
Tracy Smith: Did the thoughts come back?
Connor Hilton: Yes, ma’am … slowly, but yes, it did, suicidal and homicidal thoughts. …
Connor told Bremner that the thoughts eventually became consuming.
Connor Hilton: It just amplified the longer I was on it.
But he never reported any issues to his dermatologist again.
Connor would continue taking the medication on and off for the next 11 months — up until the time of the shooting. Connor told Bremner that on that day, he took doublehis prescribed dose.
Dr. Doug Bremner: He said that he had missed the dose the day before. So instead of taking two pills, he took four pills. …
After pulling the trigger that night, Connor said he stopped taking Accutane and never experienced homicidal thoughts again. After speaking to Connor, and reviewing the evidence in the case, Bremner formed an opinion.
Tracy Smith: Why do you believe Connor Hilton shot his friends that night?
Dr. Doug Bremner: I think he became psychotic on Accutane, and he had recurrent homicidal ideation that he was not able to control …
Bremner is firm in his opinion.
Dr. Doug Bremner: These … thoughts did not occur before he took Accutane. … He went off the drug and those thoughts went away. And then he started the drug again and the thoughts came back. So that’s considered to be proof basically of a causal effect between a drug and a symptom. …
Tracy Smith: You know that people are gonna look at this and say, this is just a family looking for an excuse for the horrible thing that their kid did.
Dr. Doug Bremner: Well, I think that, you know, there was no motivation, there was no history whatsoever of conflict. … This person was psychotic. …
JG Pharma, the distributor listed on the box of Accutane that Connor Hilton was taking at the time of the shooting, did not respond to “48 Hours”‘ request for comment.
But Connor’s defense attorneys would build their entire case around Bremner’s opinion, even though they were unaware of any other homicide case in which an Accutane defense worked.
Adam Brown: You see this kid … you see how upset he is, you see how remorseful he is. … It’s not just some young man deciding, I’m just gonna go on this rampage. That’s not what we have here. …
But prosecutors wouldn’t be so convinced.
Kayla Allen: It’s not Accutane, he was evil.
What led Connor Hilton to kill?
In August 2025, just weeks before Connor Hilton’s murder trial was scheduled to begin, a hearing was held to determine whether defense expert Dr. Doug Bremner would be allowed to testify.
Rick DeToto: He’s the most qualified expert I’ve ever had on a case.
Defense attorney Rick DeToto had to convince a judge that the doctor’s testimony was reliable and relevant.
Rick DeToto: What we’re arguing is that through the expert … Connor … was in psychosis from the Accutane and he could not control himself. … Murder … has gotta be done intentionally and knowingly. … He could not control his behavior. And that takes out the element of intentionally and knowingly in murder. …
At the hearing, Dr. Bremner testified that it was his opinion that Hilton was suffering from a medication psychotic disorder on the night of the incident.
CONNOR HILTON (bodycam | night of shooting): (Wails) Why did I do this? (stomps feet)
He pointed to a study he conducted which found that isotretinoin, the generic version of Accutane, impacts a part of the brain that regulates emotion.
See the reddish area on the left? It’s not on the right. Dr. Bremner says that illustrates the brain on Accutane has less activity.
Dr. Douglas Bremner
DR. DOUG BREMNER (at hearing): There’s the brain on the left before treatment; and then, after three months of treatment, you can see there’s a — a visible decrease in function in the upper part of the brain.
A slide from Bremner’s study shown at the hearing(pictured above), shows a reddish area on the brain on the left that’s not on the right. Bremner says that illustrates the brain on Accutane has less activity.
RICK DETOTO (at hearing): Why is that important to what we have been talking about?
DR. DOUG BREMNER: Because we know that that part of the brain is involved in depression and also impulsivity.
Ben Bliek and his mother were in the courtroom.
Ben Bliek: It is a bunch of horse s***.
Shannon Bliek: It was very convincing listening to that gentleman speak. … And then once questions were asked on the prosecution side … It just fell apart.
PROSECUTOR SHAWN CONNALLY: Have you ever performed a brain scan of Connor Hilton?
DR. DOUG BREMNER: No.
Tracy Smith: What was your reaction when you heard that their defense was going to be that this acne medication caused psychosis?
Kayla Allen: Well, I thought it was ridiculous. …
Kayla Allen is the lead prosecutor on the case.
Kayla Allen: I don’t think a jury was going to buy the Accutane … made me do it defense.
At the hearing, prosecutors argued Bremner’s testimony should be excluded. And they introduced a more recent study that found that: “… isotretinoin users donot have an increased risk of suicide or psychiatric conditions …” For Allen, the case is simple:
Kayla Allen: I think that he just wanted to see what it felt like to kill someone.
Tracy Smith: And that had nothing to do with the acne medication he was on?
Kayla Allen: I don’t believe it did. No. …
She argues Connor was in his right mind at the time of the shooting and points to that statement he made on scene as proof.
Kayla Allen: He tried to make a statement … That … one of the boys had come at him.
CONNOR HILTON (bodycam): We got into an argument …
CONNOR HILTON (bodycam): Ethan … he tried to come at me, and … he – he – he — he tried to grab for my throat. …
Kayla Allen: He’s working a self-defense argument right from the beginning. … Someone … who’s insane at the time they’ve committed a crime can’t automatically start forming a defense for themselves. … By the time he got to the police station, it was like, look, I’m sorry, I lied to you. I’m not gonna lie to you anymore. I’m gonna tell you the truth.
And Allen says Connor’s police interview is also key.
Kayla Allen: He told police officers that he had been planning it.
He had acknowledged that he knew right from wrong, too.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): I need to do the punishment. I know what I did was wrong …
Kayla Allen: He knew by loading that gun … and putting it up to someone and pulling that trigger that he was going to kill them. … That’s what he wanted to do. …
Tracy Smith: These were his friends.
Kayla Allen: Yes.
Tracy Smith: Why would he shoot them?
Kayla Allen: I don’t know. …
Tracy Smith: Because there’s no clear motive in this case, doesn’t that support the defense’s argument that Connor went into some sort of a psychosis?
Kayla Allen: I don’t think it does. … There’s just people that are evil and do evil things.
Allen argues Connor Hilton is one of those people.
Tracy Smith: Had you ever seen Connor pull out this gun before?
Ben Bliek: Yeah.
Connor Hilton
Neal Hilton
His friends told detectives about things he’d said in the months leading up to the shooting.
Kayla Allen: He would say, one day I wanna be important. … I wanna leave a legacy. And he would make comments about killing people.
And detectives also pulled Connor’s online activity. On YouTube, he downloaded numerous videos about murder. His social media posts referenced it as well. Connor’s friends reported this post was made just hours before the shooting — it contains the lyrics, “Murder one, better run … Killing plenty is so fun.”
J.L. Carpenter: That’s chemically induced …
Connor’s defense attorneys argue Connor became obsessed with murder after he went on Accutane.
Tracy Smith: So, all of that can be blamed on the acne medication?
J.L. Carpenter: Absolutely.
And they say the police investigation supports their case, because several of Connor’s friends told police they noticed a change in him during sophomore year, which was afterhe went on the drug.
Tracy Smith: And when you say they noticed a change, what are they saying?
J.L. Carpenter: He was starting to isolate. He was getting more involved into true crime. He wanted to be a homicide detective. …
But Allen insists Connor’s behavior had nothing to do with Accutane.
Kayla Allen: That’s just what the defense wants the community to believe because it gives them an excuse. … He was having problems already before Accutane was even introduced in his life about not wanting to go to school …
In fact, Connor was prescribed the antidepressant Prozac months before he started on Accutane. But Connor says he was only struggling with normal teenage anxiety then.
Connor Hilton: I was a freshman. I was nervous. … Do I fit in? Do I not? …
Tracy Smith: And during that freshman year, did you have suicidal, homicidal thoughts?
Connor Hilton: No, ma’am.
But after that hearing to determine whether Bremner would be allowed to testify, the judge dealt the defense a blow and ruled Bremner would only be allowed to testify during the punishment phase of the trial, if necessary.
J.L. Carpenter: So, in Texas, we have two phases, guilt/innocence, and then if there’s a guilty verdict, the punishment phase. …
Tracy Smith: So, what will you do during the first phase of the trial, the guilt/innocence phase, if you can’t present your expert? …
Rick DeToto: There’s not much you can do. You just have to sit there and take it and wait ’til you get to punishment. And then we put on an aggressive case regarding the Accutane.
There was still a lot on the line. Because in Texas criminal court, Connor Hilton was considered an adult, and a jury could sentence him to as little as five years in prison all the way up to 99 years — or life.
Tracy Smith: How high are the stakes here?
Adam Brown: I don’t think you get much higher
J.L. Carpenter: It’s a kid’s life.
Survivor faces his shooter in court
Two weeks before Connor Hilton was set to stand trial, there was a big development. Prosecutors offered him a deal: 50 years in prison if he pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He would also have to waive his right to appeal.
Neal Hilton: We know … Connor would’ve never done this if it wasn’t for the Accutane. …
Tracy Smith: So, you didn’t wanna take the plea deal?
Neal Hilton: I didn’t.
Tracy Smith: You didn’t wanna take the plea deal?
Johnece Hilton: No. No. …
Tracy Smith: But Connor?
Neal Hilton: Well, he did. …
Tracy Smith: What did Connor tell you?
Johnece Hilton: I don’t want the families to have to go through that. (crying)
They say their son didn’t want Ethan Riley’s family and Ben Bliek and his family to have to suffer through a trial. And he also didn’t want to risk receiving a life sentence.
Neal Hilton: He was trying to get us on board with it … And I said, “Bud,” I said, “it’s just a long time.” (emotional)
But ultimately, the decision was Connor’s and he chose to accept the deal. Connor’s defense attorneys say they didn’t counsel him one way or the other, but they believe he made the right call.
Rick DeToto: I think the consensus between the three of us was there was a very strong possibility that he would get life. … That bodycam video walking in the house … It’s a very difficult bodycam video to watch.
But while Connor Hilton and his defense team had worried about the possibility of a life sentence, prosecutor Kayla Allen had worried about the opposite.
Kayla Allen: My main concern was he was a young kid. … And I think that at times it hurts jury’s hearts to sentence a young kid to life. … We did not plea the case because we were worried about the Accutane … It was more his age. …
She says she offered the deal only after confirming the victims’ families were on board.
On Sept. 2, 2025, a plea hearing was held.
JUDGE REBECCA MILLO: It’s my understanding you’re here this morning to enter a plea on both of these charges. Is that correct?
CONNOR HILTON: Yes, your Honor. (crying)
JUDGE REBECCA MILLO: How do you plea to each of these charges?
CONNOR HILTON: Guilty.
Connor Hilton, with his attorneys, pleads guilty to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in exchange for 50 years in prison. He also waived his right to appeal.
CBS News
Ben Bliek: He was crying because he was going to prison. And not because —
Shannon Bliek: He felt bad for what he did. …
Tracy Smith: Do you think that Connor’s acne medication played any role? …
Ben Bliek: No.
Shannon Bliek: No. … We know a lot of people who’ve taken that medication.
Tracy Smith: And they don’t have homicidal tendencies?
Shannon Bliek: Correct. …
Tracy Smith: Why do you think Connor pulled the trigger?
Ben Bliek: Because he wanted to murder somebody.
After Connor Hilton formally accepted the plea, Ben got the chance to make a victim impact statement. He made it clear to Connor how he felt.
Ben Bliek addresses Connor Hilton in court: “I will never forgive you.”
CBS News
BEN BLIEK (in court): First of all, stop sniveling. Stop crying. You did this to yourself … Secondly, the grief you have caused the Rileys, and my own family, I will never forgive you. …
Shannon addressed the court next. She turned her attention to Connor’s mother.
SHANNON BLIEK (in court): We are all living this nightmare because a mother chose not to tell her son no when he asked her to buy a gun … This mother put the gun in the hand of a child who should not have had it … Shame on you.
Remember, Connor had told police his mother bought him the gun.
CONNOR HILTON (police interview): I convinced my mom to buy that gun for me …
And in the hours after the crime, Johnece also told that to police.
DETECTIVE MCCANLESS (police interview): What was the reason for buying the gun?
JOHNECE HILTON: He wanted to get it.
DETECTIVE MCCANLESS: OK.
But when we interviewed both Connor and Johnece Hilton, they denied that the gun was purchased for him.
Johnece Hilton: I purchased that for myself …
Tracy Smith: Why did you tell the police that you did buy it for him?
Johnece Hilton: I have no idea. I — I don’t even remember that — they showed me the interview. (crying) I don’t have — I have no memory of that. …
Tracy Smith: Do you think you were covering for him? Why would you say that?
Johnece Hilton: I have no idea. I have no idea. (crying)
Johnece Hilton has not been charged with any crime in connection with the case. And even though she bought the gun less than two months before the crime, she insists she had no idea her son was homicidal.
Tracy Smith: There were these social media posts that he made about murder cases.
Johnece Hilton: Mm-hmm.
Tracy Smith: He watched a lot of murder videos.
Johnece Hilton: Yes. …
Tracy Smith: Weren’t these warning signs?
Johnece Hilton: No, I didn’t think so. …
The Hiltons continue to blame the acne medication.
Tracy Smith: You bought the gun in November. You didn’t see any effects of the acne medication, psychologically, that would lead you to think I shouldn’t have a gun in the house?
Neal Hilton: I didn’t.
Johnece Hilton: I didn’t, no. …
Still, Johnece says she lives with an enormous amount of regret.
Johnece Hilton: And I’m so sorry that this happened, and — and I do feel responsible. (crying) … I wish I could go back and change everything. … I wouldn’t not have purchased the firearm. I wouldn’t have made him take the acne medicine. (crying)
The last person to address the court during Connor Hilton’s plea hearing was Matthew Riley, Ethan Riley’s father.
MATTHEW RILEY (in court): I sit here with so much love—love in my heart for my son, Ethan Matthew Riley.
Ethan’s mother, Tara Riley, stood behind him. They declined “48 Hours”‘ request for an interview.
Ethan Riley
Ethan Riley obituary
MATTHEW RILEY (in court): He is a beautiful soul, full of love and light … You could see that light in his eyes and hear it in his laughter … (emotional)
After that, Connor Hilton was taken into custody. We spoke to him inside the Galveston County Jail the next day.
Connor Hilton (in jail): Just the feeling of loneliness yesterday was unbearable. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I did it to myself. I’m the reason why I’m here. But it — it just — it sucks. …
Ben Bliek playing pickleball with “48 Hours” correspondent Tracy Smith. “Go easy on me, my friend. Oops. See my backhand is bad too,” said Smith. “Yours is not as bad as my mom’s,” Ben replied.
CBS News
For Ben Bliek, everyday life remains a challenge. He plays pickle ball and basketball to help restore his mobility — but he says one person has helped him the most.
Ben Bliek: My mom. (Mom becomes emotional) … She’s always there for me. …
Tracy Smith: Can you explain how difficult this has been?
Ben Bliek: It is very difficult, but pouting about it is not going to get Ethan back. (crying) So —
Shannon Bliek: You just gotta keep going.
Ben Bliek: Yeah. …
Connor Hilton will be eligible for parole in August 2050. He will be 43 years old.
Produced by Stephanie Slifer. Gary Winter and Doreen Schechter are the producer-editors. Jenna Jackson is the development producer. Emma Steele is the field producer. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.
(Photo credit: Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland has not pressed the panic button ahead of the No. 13 Red Raiders’ Big 12 Conference matchup against West Virginia on Sunday in Morgantown, W.Va.
While every game in the conference offers a stern test, McCasland is confident the Red Raiders (16-6, 6-3 Big 12) will bounce back from two straight losses. The first was an 88-80 setback at UCF on Jan. 31, and the latest a 64-61 home defeat against No. 11 Kansas on Monday.
‘We’ve got the right guys, we just need more experience and time together,’ McCasland said. ‘I love this group and I believe in them and I know we can win real games that are meaningful in March. We’ve got to find ways to collectively get a little more experience, get a little tougher, get a little more fight and grit to the way we compete down the stretch. We are just scratching the surface of what we can be.’
Christian Anderson was a last-minute scratch for the loss to Kansas due to a reported illness. The sophomore guard ranks second on the Red Raiders in scoring at 19.6 points per game and leads the Big 12 in assists at 7.5 per contest. He shoots 43.6% from 3-point range and connects on 3.4 shots from beyond the arc per game.
Texas Tech thought there still was a possibility he could get ready to play against the Jayhawks by halftime.
‘Before the game we didn’t have any idea it was an option (he wouldn’t play),’ McCasland said. ‘In warmups we were told he was being held out for now. But I fully anticipated him playing. As he got closer to being out there, I was told we were trying to warm him up during the intros to see if we could get him ready to play.’
Even as the teams took the court after halftime, Texas Tech thought it could get Anderson back. Without him in the lineup, the Red Raiders surrendered a 10-point lead in the last eight minutes.
‘We don’t have time to think about anything other than we need to beat West Virginia on Sunday,’ McCasland said. ‘Staying in the Big 12 (race) is about being resilient, and we need to get better. Our guys are tough and care a lot about this team even though they are all hurt.’
West Virginia (15-8, 6-4 Big 12) is coming off a 59-54 road win over Cincinnati on Thursday, but it could use a victory over Texas Tech as a resume-builder. The Mountaineers are 2-5 in Quad 1 games and 1-3 in Quad 2 games. That makes Sunday tilt in Morgantown, where they are 13-1, even more important.
‘We have a little momentum and need to go back home and take care of business there,’ said West Virginia’s leading scorer, Honor Huff, who puts up 15.8 points per game.
‘We don’t try to look ahead or hear the outside noise as to what can happen if you win this game or lose that game. We have to take care of every game that comes on our schedule.’
Even though the Mountaineers trailed the Bearcats by as many as 14 points in the second half, they rode a familiar formula to victory: Muddy things up on defense and wait for Huff to get hot from beyond the arc. Huff scored 14 straight Mountaineers points to put his team up 42-40, and the West Virginia defense held Cincinnati to 36.4% shooting from the field and 30.4% on 3-point attempts.
‘For us it always starts on the defensive end of the floor,’ West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said. ‘Can you defend and can you rebound? In the last couple games, we’ve gotten some good offensive looks and are struggling a bit on that end of the floor. But I tell these guys all the time, let’s beat someone 52-48 then if that’s what it takes. It takes what it takes.’
Another weekend will bring bitter cold to parts of the country—this time across the Ohio River Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Wind chills could plunge to as much as 35 degrees below zero in some locations.
What You Need To Know
Cold Weather Warnings are in place tonight through Sunday afternoon
Wind chills could dip as low as 30 degrees below zero
Temperatures are expected to moderate into next week
Cold Weather Alerts
Arctic air will pour into the region through the weekend. Area-wide temperatures will dip near zero, and gusty winds could drive wind chills down to 30 below.
Cold Weather Advisories are in place for the Lakes and Mountains region of Maine, Ohio and eastern Michigan, with Extreme Cold Warnings set to go into effect for New York State and western Massachusetts.
Cold weather alerts will remain in effect through Sunday afternoon.
A Cold Weather Advisory is issued when dangerously cold wind chills can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 15 minutes. An Extreme Cold Warning is issued when frostbite and hypothermia are likely if skin is left unprotected.
Frigid wind chills
The cold will settle in Saturday night and remain locked in the Northeast and New England through Sunday. A gradual warmup will begin on Monday.
Several of these areas were hit with heavy snow two weeks ago, and much of it remains. Additional snow this weekend will only build bigger piles.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
