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Tag: Texas

  • Texas A&M professor fired over discussion of gender identity

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    Melissa McCoul, the Texas A&M University professor who was criticized by a student for discussing gender identity, has been fired.

    Her firing follows the removal of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Mark Zoran, and the head of the English department, Emily Johansen, from their administrative positions. McCoul is appealing and considering her legal options.

    During the summer, a student in McCoul’s children’s literature class objected to the professor’s assertion that there are more than two genders. The student said this is illegal because of Donald Trump’s executive order saying the federal government recognizes only male and female genders, as assigned at birth, therefore denying the existence of transgender, nonbinary, or intersex people. The student also said her religious sensibilities were offended by McCoul’s comments. The exchange was recorded on cell phone video.

    Texas A&M President Mark Welsh announced Monday that the dean and department head would be removed from those positions, while it’s unclear if they’ll continue as faculty, but a recording reported to be between him and the student had him saying McCoul would not be fired. However, he released a statement Tuesday saying she had been terminated, effective immediately. He did not name McCoul, but other sources have identified her as the professor in question.

    The reason he gave was not specifically about gender issues but that the course material differed from the description in the catalog. After finding out that the class “contained content that did not align with any reasonable expectation of standard curriculum for the course,” he “made it clear to our academic leadership that course content must match catalog descriptions for each and every one of our course sections,” he said in the statement.

    “However, I learned late yesterday that despite that directive, the college continued to teach content that was inconsistent with the published course description for another course this fall,” he continued. Because of that, he told the university provost to terminate McCoul and ordered deans and department heads to make sure course material aligns with published descriptions, he wrote.

    Republican politicians in Texas, including state Rep. Brian Harrison and Gov. Greg Abbott, had called for McCoul to be fired. Harrison termed McCoul’s discussion “transgender indoctrination” and urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the matter, which the DOJ says it’s doing. Glenn Hegar, chancellor of the Texas A&M System, which oversees Texas A&M’s main campus and 11 other universities, said he “will work with the Board of Regents to make certain that the A&M System takes the disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again at one of our campuses.”

    McCoul is fighting back. Amanda Reichek, her attorney, told The Texas Tribune that the professor’s course content aligned with the descriptions, and she had never been directed to alter anything. She had taught the children’s literature course for several years, and there had been no problems, Reichek said. So McCoul is appealing her termination and may take legal action.

    The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which advocates for free speech across the political spectrum, issued a statement denouncing McCoul’s firing. “After a video of a student complaining about discussions of gender identity in a Texas A&M ‘Literature for Children’ class went viral, Governor Greg Abbott demanded on X that Texas A&M President Mark Welsh fire Professor Melissa McCoul for the content of her course. Welsh promptly announced that McCoul had been terminated,” said FIRE Director of Campus Rights Advocacy Lindsie Rank.

    “The message from Texas is alarming: Professors teach at the mercy of those in power, not under the protection of academic freedom or the First Amendment. In his statement, Welsh attempted to justify the firing by alleging McCoul taught ‘content that was inconsistent with the published course description.’ However, the current publicly available description of the course in Texas A&M’s Undergraduate Catalog is ‘Representative writers, genres, texts and movements.’ This is hardly inconsistent with a faculty member conducting a classroom discussion of gender identity in children’s literature.

    “Further justifying his decision, Welsh wrote: ‘This isn’t about academic freedom; it’s about academic responsibility.’ Welsh’s attempt to wave aside Texas A&M’s binding legal obligation to uphold academic freedom does not excuse McCoul’s termination.

    “This is not the first time Texas A&M leadership has ignored the law of the land in favor of viewpoint-based censorship. FIRE will continue to fight for the First Amendment rights of all Americans — regardless of political views — in Texas and across our nation.”

    This article originally appeared on Advocate: Texas A&M professor fired over discussion of gender identity

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  • New West Texas immigration detention facility is a

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    El Paso, Texas — The long white tents, visible to anyone driving across East El Paso, Texas, are designed to be part of the biggest immigration holding facility in U.S. history, with a capacity for as many as 5,000 immigrants.

    “That’s what it is, a giant tent city,” Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas, who has been inside twice, told CBS News. “…There are hard floors. There are walls that go up, probably about three-quarters of the way to the ceiling.” 

    Escobar said she saw about 1,500 people inside during her last visit two weeks ago.

    The government awarded Acquisition Logistics a $1.24 billion contract to build and operate the detention center, dubbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as Camp East Montana, which opened last month. 

    A house in suburban Richmond, Virginia, is listed as the headquarters of Acquisition Logistics and has no public record of running a detention facility before this one. 

    Acquisition Logistics did not reply to messages from CBS News.

    The government has built the facility on the edge of Fort Bliss, an Army post. But the immigration facility is nowhere near anything that resembles an active military base. It’s in the middle of sand dunes and scrub brush.

    Fort Bliss and El Paso have a long history with immigration. Unaccompanied children stayed there under former President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama.

    “I just would like to be a little more vigilant about what is going on in there,” El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego told CBS News. “I want to see it. I want to make sure.”

    CBS News requested access to the facility, and asked to speak to Department of Homeland Security and ICE officials about conditions for detainees, but access was denied and they declined to comment.

    “One of the things I heard repeatedly from the men who I spoke to…was that the food was so bad that it was making them sick,” Escobar said.

    Escobar said some of the men inside told her they were moved to EL Paso from Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” after the government emptied that immigration detention facility to comply with a judge’s order. However, last week, a federal appeals court temporarily halted the judge’s order, effectively allowing “Alligator Alcatrez” to stay open.    

    “They are told nothing,” Escobar said of the detainees. “They are given no information. They don’t know if they’re going to be moved to another facility. They don’t know if they’re going to be deported. It’s like a black box for them.”

    Jason Allen

    Jason Allen is a CBS News correspondent based in Dallas/Fort Worth. He was previously a reporter with CBS News Texas.

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  • Toxic Legacy: How Lead in Schools Is Silently Harming Black Kids

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    Dionna Brown was two weeks shy of her 15th birthday when her world turned upside-down. An outstanding public high school student in Flint, Michigan, with a report card most of her peers would envy, she suddenly began to struggle in the classroom for no obvious reason. 

    “I was in AP and honors classes — straight-A student,” she recalls. “Then all of a sudden, I couldn’t remember things. I couldn’t concentrate.” 

    Rushed to the hospital, doctors pinpointed the problem: tests revealed elevated levels of lead, a potent neurotoxin, in Brown’s blood. In high enough concentrations, lead can cause permanent brain damage, lower IQ, learning disabilities — and even death. 

    Without knowing it, Brown became one of the many young victims of the Flint water crisis. But her story is being repeated in cities across the country.

    For generations, America’s crumbling infrastructure has quietly poisoned its most vulnerable populations. From peeling paint in public housing to unsafe water pipes beneath city streets, lead has lingered long before and after its federal ban in 1978. 

    But while the government has taken action against lead exposure in homes, experts say its impact in our schools remains overlooked.

    In January, the issue made headlines again when a child attending a Milwaukee public school tested positive for elevated lead blood levels. The discovery triggered emergency inspections and forced at least four other schools in the district to close temporarily. 

    Subsequent data found that children in cities like Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Chicago also face disproportionately high levels of lead exposure in schools. Cleveland topped the list, with nearly 9% of children under the age of six showing signs of elevated lead levels in their blood. 

    “Once a child is exposed to lead, the impacts are irreversible,” says Dr. Denae King, Associate Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University. “There’s not a lot you can do to undo that damage — and it’s still happening.”

    These cities share more than aging infrastructure: they also serve large Black K-12 student populations, often in racially segregated neighborhoods. And even Flint, whose water crisis made national news, still hasn’t fully established safe drinking water for its children.

    While Milwaukee’s crisis may feel like the beginning for some, the poisoning of Black communities by lead — especially in schools — began long before 2025.

    Today, Brown, now the National Youth Director of Young, Gifted, & Green, a non-profit organization, has spent years fighting for environmental justice. But what still haunts her the most is how little has changed.

    “That was over a decade ago,” she says. “And we’re still here. Kids are still being poisoned in our schools and communities.”

    Schools Built to Fail?

    Nationwide, more than 38% of public K-12 schools were built before 1970, well before the government banned the use of lead-based paint. Many of the schools were built to serve Black students in underfunded, segregated neighborhoods, and these aging buildings often contain lead service lines, contaminating the water that flows into cafeteria faucets and hallway water fountains. 

    According to a 2022 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Black children face higher levels of early lead exposure. The report found that exposure was linked to significantly lower standardized test scores in fourth-grade reading and math compared to their white peers.

    “Most of the Black kids we’re talking about attend schools built before the ban,” King says. “That means many of them are still walking into buildings that are not only failing structurally, but failing them academically, too.”

    The Educational Cost 

    King explains that the root of the lead crisis in schools often begins underground, with lead service lines — city-owned pipes that deliver water from municipal systems to homes, businesses, and schools. 

    “Most cities still have lead service lines,” she says. “So it’s no surprise students are being exposed. She adds that even if a school updates its internal plumbing, “students remain at risk” if city pipes aren’t upgraded. 

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even low levels of lead exposure in children can cause irreversible damage, including reduced IQ, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and behavioral problems. 

    “The data is very consistent when we think about learning and cognitive ability with lead exposure in children ages zero to six,” King adds. “By the time you get to first or third grade, you start to see the results of that early exposure.”

    Just as striking as the exposure itself is the uneven response. 

    In wealthier districts, King says, active parent-teacher organizations (PTOs), can quickly raise money for water filtration systems. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in predominantly Black or low-income communities, where PTOs and other resources are underfunded or absent altogether. 

    Who Should Be Held Accountable?

    Cleveland, Ohio, currently leads the nation in childhood lead exposure, with more than 8% of children younger than age 6 testing positive for elevated blood lead levels. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) serves a student population that is 64% Black.

    When asked about lead in students’ blood, CMSD told Word In Black they’re “concerned” about the health hazard and will “continue to strongly support the work done by the City of Cleveland and the Lead Safe Coalition to identify and remediate lead in our neighborhoods.”

    While the school district did not directly address the problem, Dr. David Margolius, the city’s director of public health, says school systems aren’t entirely to blame.

    “This is the fault of the generations of disinvestment in housing and public infrastructure in poor communities — which leads to exposure in the first place,” he says. 

    However, both King and Brown say the problem is nuanced.  

    “There are different levels of accountability that include the municipality and homeowners,” King says. “But on the school side, they are responsible for ensuring their campuses are safe. You send your child to school expecting they’ll be protected, not poisoned.”

    She also adds that parents are often left in the dark.

    “Many parents have shared that they are concerned that their children are not learning at the same level as other students in their classes,” she says. “And I am surprised that schools don’t do a better job of educating parents about the risk of lead exposure and that they don’t provide wraparound services once a child has been exposed.”

    Brown agrees: “Schools still have a responsibility. Kids spend 8-plus hours in school buildings every day.”

    Moreover, federal programs intended to address the crisis have faltered. While the Biden administration’s Infrastructure and Jobs Act was designed to fund the replacement of lead service lines, access to the resources remains inconsistent across cities, often leaving underfunded and de facto segregated school districts behind.

    “There’s no agency that owns the problem,” Margolius adds. “There’s no one taking ownership for how to fix this at the federal level. That’s the real issue.”

    Making matters worse, the CDC recently laid off its entire childhood lead poisoning prevention staff, shifting responsibility to the newly formed Administration for a Healthy America under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Experts are concerned about whether the federal government is prepared to meet a crisis of this scale. 

    Communities as First Responders

    Houston offers a glimpse of what’s possible. There, the Bullard Center and community groups are training parents and neighborhood leaders to identify lead hazards and demand answers from school officials.

    King also encouraged students to write letters to the district. She said systems have begun to respond.

    Community groups “did all the education themselves,” she says. “We trained them on what lead looks like, how it’s affecting their children, and then they got out there and educated others. The community stepped up where the system failed.”

    Back in Cleveland, Margolius hopes to see a similar momentum, but on a national level. 

    “Keeping these stories alive in the media and community discussions is essential. Without sustained attention, the crisis will quietly continue.”

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    Quintessa Williams, Word in Black

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  • The Attack on Black Power: Missouri GOP Splits District of Veteran CBC Member and the CBC Vilifies Racism

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    The Missouri House on Tuesday approved a congressional map designed to weaken one of the state’s two Democratic incumbents, intensifying the partisan redistricting battles that are shaping the political landscape ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

    The measure, which passed in late August by a 90-to-65 vote, makes Missouri the second Republican-led state to adopt a plan targeting the seats of Black Democratic representatives. The Missouri Democrat most impacted, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), said that he will run for re-election. Earlier this summer, Texas Republicans pushed through a map that could put as many as five Democratic lawmakers at risk. Democrats in California have mounted a counteroffensive of their own: last month, the Legislature advanced a proposal to the ballot that would reshape five Republican-held districts.

    As the vote was taking place in Missouri, thirteen members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Rep. Cleaver, spoke emphatically about the state of play for Black elected officials targeted by redistricting. They spoke about what happened in Texas and how they knew that other states would follow. The group was strong in their statements on the current situation. “Texas has more African Americans than any other state in this country right now. Under the proposed maps, they want to make it so that Texas only has two districts in which African Americans have an opportunity to choose their representation. What does that mean for black voices in Texas? That means that it is approximately 1/5 the voting strength of their white Texan neighbors. That is what is going to be, not three-fifths, but we are going to be reduced to 1/5, so my colleagues have laid out a number of things that they believe are going on as to why it is that this is happening. But I’m going to start with number one, Trump himself. He’s racist,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas).

    “We will not be silenced. They’ve tried to bury us before, not knowing that we were seeds. We will grow and we will be resilient, just as we have time and time before,” added Crockett. “We are about to experience something that we never thought we’d see in our lifetimes, especially after having experienced what happened at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which is probably the reason a good many of us in Congress are in Congress. It was at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday that John Lewis and a host of other people of goodwill suffered grave, gross, and inhumane injustices… Bloody Sunday is the reason we have the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We would not but for Bloody Sunday,” said Rep. Al Green (D-Texas). “We are going to fight this. We are not going to back down. And I believe that the Voting Rights Act will be upheld and that these maps in Texas will be overturned. But again, Texas is just the beginning. This is a nationwide fight, and it’s bigger than who holds the majority in the House of Representatives. This is about maintaining our democracy and our republic,” Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas). When asked by Black Press USA whether or not there is an actual plan to combat what is happening to Black elected officials around the country, several members answered yes. Rep. Veasey added that perhaps there needed to be a special group to deal with the redistricting attacks against Black members at the DNC. The members also relayed that legal strategies are ongoing, and in some cases have been for years, on redistricting.

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    Lauren Victoria Burke and NNPA

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  • DoorDash plans to test drone deliveries in San Francisco warehouse

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    Food delivery app DoorDash is setting its sights on a new destination to test out flying drone deliveries: San Francisco.

    The tech company leased a warehouse in the Mission District last month that will serve as a research and development space to advance its autonomous delivery technology, a June letter sent to San Francisco Zoning Administrator Corey Teague shows.

    “This project reflects a broader commitment to reinvesting in San Francisco’s innovation economy and creating pathways for local employment in emerging technologies,” the letter said.

    The 34,325-square-foot building at 1960 Folsom St. is roughly two miles away from DoorDash’s headquarters. About 200 people are expected to be employed at the site.

    DoorDash confirmed on Wednesday that the company will use the facility to test autonomous delivery technology and support research and development for its robotics and automation arm. The company didn’t immediately answer questions about whether California residents will soon be able to get food delivery via a drone.

    The San Francisco Chronicle first reported on DoorDash’s drone delivery plans.

    Most of the testing would happen inside the warehouse but some of it will also occur outdoors during normal business hours in a gated area. The property includes a big outdoor area with surface parking, the letter said.

    DoorDash has been piloting drone deliveries in other states including Texas, Virginia and North Carolina as well as Australia. DoorDash has partnered with aviation companies Wing, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Flytrek, an Israeli drone delivery company.

    Drone delivery companies have also teamed up with other businesses, including Amazon and Walmart.

    The expansion of drone delivery highlights how automation and robotics, powered by artificial intelligence, could reshape the future of work. Companies have been experimenting with drone delivery as a way to get food to customers’ doorsteps within minutes.

    DoorDash and Flytrek launched drone delivery in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, in June. The drones delivered from restaurants such as Papa Johns and The Brass Tap and could carry up to 6.6 pounds, according to a news release about the partnership.

    In the letter sent to Teague, a San Francisco attorney writes she’s reaching out on behalf of a “leading technology company focused on last-mile delivery solutions” to confirm their client is permitted to use the site as “research and development (R&D) space for autonomous delivery technologies.”

    Even though the attorney doesn’t name DoorDash in the letter, the building’s lease has been linked to the company.

    “The test flights outdoors are anticipated to be up to approximately 150 feet above ground. No more than two drones would be operated at the same time, and no individual flight would exceed 30 minutes in duration,” the letter said.

    DoorDash has also been expanding other types of delivery, including a partnership with Coco Robotics in which boxy robots with wheels deliver food throughout Los Angeles and Chicago.

    While San Francisco is a leading hub for technology and innovation, city officials have also encountered safety concerns from residents concerned about running into robots as they take up space on sidewalks. In 2017, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to restrict delivery robots.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation in August proposed a new rule that would make it easier for companies to fly drones over longer distances. A DoorDash spokesperson said the company is encouraged by the steps taken “towards making drone delivery a scalable, safe, and reliable option for more communities across the country.”

    As of December 2024, roughly 42 million people used DoorDash monthly, according to the company’s full-year financial results.

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    Queenie Wong

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  • The peak of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is here

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    Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean spans June through November, and this year was forecasted to be near to above average.

    What You Need To Know

    • The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season was forecasted to be near to above average

    • Through early Sept. 2025, there have only been six named storms

    • The climatological peak of hurricane season is on Sept. 10


    However, as we approach the climatological peak of the season, we’ve only had six named storms. 

    2025 Atlantic Season predictions

    Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Colorado State University (CSU) made their seasonal forecasts back in May and updated them in August. The latest outlooks predict an above-average season: 13 to 18 tropical cyclones (down from 13 to 19 named storms) for NOAA and 16 named storms for CSU (down from 17 to 24 named storms).

    The new predictions include the six named storms we’ve already seen. The average number of named storms is around 14 per season.

    How the season began

    Tropical Storm Andrea formed on June 23, 2025. This marked the latest start to a season since 2014. 

    Next, Tropical Storm Barry formed toward the end of June and made landfall in Veracruz, Mexico. 

    After Barry, Tropical Storm Chantal impacted the southeastern U.S. The storm made landfall in South Carolina on July 6, bringing tropical storm force-winds and flooding rainfall to the Carolinas. 

    Flooding from Chantal at Cooper Road at the Haw River canoe access in Graham, North Carolina. (Graham Police Department)

    Tropical Storm Dexter followed, and next, Hurricane Erin. Erin became a large and powerful Category 5 storm. The storm stayed well off the coast of the U.S., but it brought dangerous rip currents to most of the eastern seaboard.

    Tropical Storm Fernand formed in mid-August and stayed offshore. Here’s a look at the 2025 hurricane season so far. 

    Since then, there has been a lull in tropical activity. 

    Still a lot of the season to go

    In September and early October, storms are most likely to form in the central Atlantic and the Caribbean. However, as more frontal boundaries move through the U.S. at this time, it’s possible for tropical cyclones to develop along old fronts in the Gulf of Mexico and off of the southeast coast. 

    “We are just coming up on the halfway mark of the hurricane season, usually the time of peak activity,” says Dr. Frank Marks, a meteorologist in the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. 

    Don’t let the lull in the Atlantic lull you to sleep. As we approach the peak with quiet conditions, there’s still plenty of time for more storms to develop.

    Notable September and October tropical cyclones

    Even though many may be focused on fall, hurricane season is ongoing! There have been many tropical cyclones that have formed and made landfall in September and October. 

    Just last year, Hurricane Milton formed in October and rapidly intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm in the Gulf of America. This was the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded over the Gulf since Hurricane Rita in 2005. Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, FL.

    While the outlook over the next seven days looks quiet in the Atlantic, make sure you’re focusing on the forecast as conditions in the open waters can change. Tracking the Tropics.

    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.

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    Meteorologist Britney Hamilton

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  • Texas voters have mixed views on redistricting and Trump’s megabill, poll finds

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    Only one-third of Texas voters approve of the GOP-led effort to redraw the state’s congressional map, according to a recent statewide poll, which found that independent and Democratic voters overwhelmingly opposed the mid-decade redistricting and would rather give control of Texas’ political maps to an appointed commission.

    Just 13% of independent voters approve of state lawmakers redrawing the congressional map, while 41% are against it, according to the survey released Tuesday by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Overall, 34% of voters said they approved and 41% said they disapproved of the effort, with nearly two-thirds of Republicans voicing support.

    The new map, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Aug. 29, aims to net five GOP seats in the 2026 midterms. The poll surveyed 1,200 voters across Texas between Aug. 22 and Sept. 1, going into the field just before lawmakers sent the map to Abbott’s desk.

    Attitudes on Trump’s megabill

    The Texas Politics Project poll also measured where Texas voters stand on a range of other issues, including the GOP’s tax and spending megabill approved earlier this summer. The majority of Democrats and independents have decidedly negative opinions about the legislation, fueling its underwater rating — 32% approval vs. 45% disapproval — among statewide voters.

    Republicans polled had more favorable views. Sixty-five percent of GOP voters approve of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with 28% expressing strong approval.

    Few voters expect the megabill to actually lower their taxes and health care costs. Democrats and independents think the bill will increase how much they pay, according to the poll. Almost half of Republicans expect the bill to lower taxes, but just 21% said they anticipated lower health care costs.

    Texans are also concerned about the rising prices of food and consumer goods, especially as the impacts of Trump’s tariffs loom, the poll found. Only about a quarter of voters said their economic circumstances are better off now than they were a year ago.

    Attitudes on THC and state marijuana laws

    Voters said regulating THC products was the least important of the nine policy areas considered by the Texas Legislature this summer that were surveyed in the poll. More than 30% of voters said “comprehensively regulating hemp-derived products without banning them” is not important or not very important. Lawmakers gaveled out last week without banning or regulating most THC products.

    Almost half of voters want the state’s current marijuana laws to be made less strict and another 16% of voters want the laws to be left alone. The majority of Republicans also want current laws left alone or made less strict, according to the poll, finding that most GOP voters remain at odds with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s push to outlaw products containing any amounts of the psychoactive compound in marijuana known as tetrahydrocannabinol.

    Favorability and approval of Senate candidates

    The poll also assessed the favorability of candidates in next year’s high-profile U.S. Senate race, which has attracted nationwide attention over Attorney General Ken Paxton’s primary challenge against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

    Paxton won the highest marks among Republican voters, with 55% saying they held a favorable view of the three-term attorney general, while 42% think favorably of Cornyn. Multiple polls last month showed Paxton and Cornyn in a close race, with Cornyn narrowing Paxton’s early lead.

    Half of Republicans said they did not know enough to form an opinion of Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, who has been testing the waters of a Senate bid this summer. The National Republican Senate Committee — a powerful GOP fundraising group — urged Hunt last week to stop teasing a primary run.

    On the Democratic side, former Dallas congressman and NFL linebacker Colin Allred heads into his second straight Senate bid with 63% of his party’s voters viewing him favorably, compared to 12% who held the opposite view. Thirty-one percent of Democratic voters said they have a favorable view of state Rep. James Talarico, who launched his Senate bid Tuesday, but more than 60% of polled Democrats did not know enough to have an opinion.

    Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

    Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas’ most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November.

    TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.

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  • 8/4: CBS Morning News

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    Watch CBS News



    Texas Democratic legislators flee state to protest GOP redistricting plan; Georgia teen with a “whopper” of a work ethic.

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  • Texas’s Gerrymander May Not Be the Worst Threat to Democrats in 2026

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    I think the upshot is that if the next wave of states goes as expected, the Republicans will build a modest advantage in the House of Representatives. I would say that the Democrats will have to win the popular vote by at least two or three points in order to be clearly favored to win the House, as opposed to today where if they win the popular vote, you should presume they’re likely to prevail.

    When you look at the total number of seats that a party has targeted, it does not necessarily mean they will win all of those seats. And because the Republicans are mostly on offense, that tends to mean that the Democrats have it a little bit easier than some of the reporting makes it sound. Texas is a great example.

    What do you mean by that?

    Republicans have targeted five seats, but two of those seats they’ve made a little bit redder but not so red that they’re no longer competitive. That is not to say that the Republicans haven’t hurt Democratic chances in those districts, but the maps aren’t quite as challenging for Democrats as it appears when you hear that the Republicans have “added five seats.”

    You said that, if these changes go through, the Democrats will need to win the House popular vote by a few points. I imagine you don’t consider that result unlikely given that it’s an off-year election with a Republican President.

    Yeah, I think that if Democrats fail to win the popular vote by two or three points next November, that would be surprising and very disappointing for the Party. It would be very hard for them to turn around and blame redistricting for their woes. Strictly speaking, that would be true. They could have won. But I think they would have reasonably expected given that it’s an off-year election and given that Donald Trump’s approval ratings are as bad as they are, that they should be positioned to do even better than that. Democrats are up about four points right now on generic-ballot polls. So, if the election were held today, the Democrats would still be considered a favorite.

    Do generic-ballot polls generally move toward or away from the incumbent party in the second year of off-year cycles?

    They tend to move toward the party out of power. But Donald Trump is already pretty unpopular. So that would give me at least a little bit of pause of whether the Democrats have as much room to improve their standing as, say, Republicans did in the summer of 2009 when Barack Obama’s approval ratings were still in the mid-fifties and there was still a whole nine months worth of fighting over the Affordable Care Act to come. But, generally speaking, as the President takes more actions, the public slowly becomes more inclined to vote for a check against him.

    There is a Voting Rights Act case that’s going to come before the Supreme Court next month. My understanding is that this could have even more of an effect on the House than the redistricting wars that have taken place these last few months. Is that your understanding, too?

    That is absolutely correct. The Voting Rights Act case could potentially put in peril just as many seats or more across the South where the Republicans have full control of the redistricting process and the only reason that Democrats have seats at all is because those seats are protected under the Voting Rights Act. If you add another eight seats to the Republican tally in the South—and it’s worth noting that those will be safely Republican seats, not seats that are potentially competitive—then we’re talking about the Democrats needing to win the popular vote by five or six points. And that’s the point where there’s a real chance that the Democrats could claim a pretty decisive electoral victory and yet fail to retake the House, or only barely retake it.

    At issue in this case is whether the Voting Rights Act requires states to draw so-called minority-majority districts where there’s a racially polarized voting pattern and where a minority group exists in a compact place. So, in a place like Tennessee, for instance, the only Democratic seat is the one based in Memphis, where there’s a large Black population and where there’s a high amount of racially polarized voting. If the Tennessee state legislature had the freedom to do so, they could easily split Memphis up into a number of Republican-leaning districts, just like they have in Nashville. But they cannot do so, because of the Voting Rights Act.

    Why are they able to do it in Nashville?

    The Black population is smaller. If the Court does what Democrats fear, the amount of representation for Black voters in the Deep South would plunge and the Republicans would obtain a much more sizable structural advantage in the House of Representatives.

    Let’s turn to Trump. In the 2024 election, Trump showed political strength that he did not show in 2020, and certainly not in 2016. He had more support among nonwhite groups, and his control of the Party seemed more complete. But looking at his approval rating, which the Times currently has at forty-three per cent, it seems that we are back in the situation that we were in for much of his first term. Is that your sense, too?

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    Isaac Chotiner

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  • 7 Powerball tickets sold in Colorado won between $50,000 and $1 million

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    No one in Colorado took home the nearly $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot on Saturday, but seven lucky ticket holders across the state still walked away winners.

    The seven large-prize tickets sold in Colorado are worth between $50,000 and $1 million, according to a news release from the Colorado Lottery. The prizes include:

    • $1 million from a ticket sold at a Kum & Go/Maverick at 9665 Prominent Point in Colorado Springs
    • $100,000 from a ticket sold at a Loaf N Jug at 101 West Brontosaurus Boulevard in Dinosaur
    • $100,000 from a ticket sold at a Kum & Go/Maverick at 70 West Bridge Street in Brighton
    • $100,000 from a ticket sold at a Sherman Food & Gas at 207 South Sherman Street in Fort Morgan
    • $100,000 from a ticket sold at an A-1 Food & Gas at 10300 East Sixth Avenue in Aurora
    • $50,000 from a ticket sold at a King Soopers at 17761 Cottonwood Drive in Parker
    • $50,000 from a ticket sold at Banana Belt Liquors at 300 U.S. 24 in Woodland Park

    Two Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the nearly $1.8 billion jackpot during Saturday night’s drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month drought without a winner. The two winners will split the jackpot.

    The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17.

    The winning ticket in Texas was sold at a gas station-convenience store in Fredericksburg, according to the Texas Lottery.

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    Lauren Penington

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  • Powerball players in Missouri and Texas to split nearly $1.8 billion jackpot

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the nearly $1.8 billion jackpot on Saturday, overcoming astronomical odds to end the lottery game’s three-month drought without a big winner.

    What You Need To Know

    • Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the nearly $1.8 billion jackpot on Saturday

    • The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17

    • Each ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $893.5 million or a lump sum payment of $410.3 million

    The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17.

    The winning ticket in Texas was sold at a gas station-convenience store in Fredericksburg, according to the Texas Lottery.

    The $1.787 billion prize, which was the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot in history, followed 41 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers. The last drawing with a jackpot winner happened May 31.

    Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are three drawings each week.

    Each ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $893.5 million or a lump sum payment of $410.3 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5 percent each year. Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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  • Who won Powerball last night, Sept. 6? Texas, Missouri winners hit Powerball winning numbers

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    The Powerball lottery saw a ticket bought in Missouri and a ticket sold in Texas match all six numbers Saturday night to win the estimated $1.787 billion Powerball jackpot.

    Results revealed a total of 22 new millionaires across 14 states: California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and West Virginia.

    Grab your tickets and check your numbers. Here are the results for the Saturday, Sept. 6, Powerball jackpot:

    Powerball numbers tonight, Sept. 6, 2025: Who won Powerball?

    Winning tickets were sold in Missouri and Texas, respectively. The winning numbers for Saturday night’s drawing were 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, and the Powerball is 17. The Power Play was 2X.

    Powerball, Mega Millions: Want to win the lottery? Here are luckiest numbers, places to play

    Did anyone win Powerball last night, Sept. 6, 2025? Powerball drawing winner results for 9/6/25 lottery jackpot

    A ticket bought in Missouri and a ticket sold in Texas matched all six numbers to win Saturday night’s Powerball jackpot.

    Single tickets bought in Kansas and Texas each matched all five numbers except for the Powerball and added the Power Play worth $2 million each.

    California, Illinois, New York, Ohio and Texas each sold two winning tickets that matched all five numbers except for the Powerball worth $1 million each. States with individual winners included Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon and West Virginia.

    Powerball Double Play numbers: September 6, 2025

    Double Play numbers are 21, 29, 34, 41, 65, and the Powerball is 17.

    Zero tickets matched all six numbers, and no one matched all five numbers except for the Powerball worth $500,000.

    Powerball winner? Lock up your ticket and go hide. What to know if you win the jackpot

    How much is the Powerball drawing jackpot 9/8/25?

    The Powerball jackpot for Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, resets to $20 million with a cash option of $9.2 million, according to powerball.com.

    Powerball numbers you need to know: These most commonly drawn numbers could help you win

    When is the next Powerball drawing? What time is lottery jackpot drawing?

    Drawings are held three times per week at approximately 10:59 p.m. ET every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

    How many Powerball numbers do you need to win a prize payout?

    You only need to match one number in Powerball to win a prize. However, that number must be the Powerball worth $4. Visit powerball.com for the entire prize chart.

    What is the Powerball payout on matching 2 lottery numbers?

    Matching two numbers won’t win anything in Powerball unless one of the numbers is the Powerball. A ticket matching one of the five numbers and the Powerball is also worth $4. Visit powerball.com for the entire prize chart.

    How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

    A single Powerball ticket costs $2. Pay an additional $1 to add the Power Play for a chance to multiply all Powerball winnings except for the jackpot. Players can also add the Double Play for an additional $1 to have a second chance at winning $10 million.

    How to play Powerball today

    Mega Millions numbers: Anyone win Friday night’s drawing?

    Winning Mega Millions numbers 9/5/25

    Friday’s winning numbers were 6, 14, 36, 58, 62, and the Mega Ball was 24.

    How much is the Mega Millions drawing jackpot on Tuesday, 9/9/25?

    The Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday’s drawing grows to an estimated $358 million with a cash option of $164.5 million after no Mega Millions tickets matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, according to megamillions.com.

    2025 Powerball jackpot winners

    Here is the list of 2025 Powerball jackpot wins, according to powerball.com:

    Powerball Top 10 lottery drawing jackpot results

    Here are the all-time top 10 Powerball jackpots, according to powerball.com:

    • $2.04 billion — Nov. 7, 2022; California.

    • $1.787 billion — Sept. 6, 2025; Missouri, Texas.

    • $1.765 billion — Oct. 11, 2023; California.

    • $1.586 billion — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida, Tennessee.

    • $1.326 billion — April 6, 2024; Oregon.

    • $1.08 billion — July 19, 2023; California.

    • $842 million — Jan. 1, 2024; Michigan.

    • $768.4 million — March 27, 2019; Wisconsin.

    • $758.7 million — Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts.

    • $754.6 million — Feb. 6, 2023; Washington.

    Powerball numbers: Anyone win Wednesday night’s drawing?

    Powerball, Mega Millions history: Top 10 U.S. lottery drawing jackpot results

    Here are the nation’s all-time top 10 Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots, according to powerball.com:

    • $2.04 billion, Powerball — Nov. 7, 2022; California.

    • $1.787 billion, Powerball — Sept. 6, 2025;  Missouri, Texas.

    • $1.765 billion, Powerball — Oct. 11, 2023; California.

    • $1.586 billion, Powerball — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida, Tennessee.

    • $1.58 million, Mega Millions — Aug. 8, 2023; Florida.

    • $1.537 billion, Mega Millions — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina.

    • $1.35 billion, Mega Millions — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine.

    • $1.337 billion, Mega Millions — July 29, 2022; Illinois.

    • $1.326 billion, Powerball — April 6, 2024; Oregon

    • $1.22 billion, Mega Millions — Dec. 27, 2024; California.

    Chris Sims is a digital content producer at Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.

    This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Did anyone win Powerball? Winners match Powerball numbers in Missouri, Texas

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  • Tracking powerful hurricane Kiko as it heads towards Hawaii

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    Kiko formed off the coast of southern Mexico from a tropical wave. It became a tropical storm on Aug. 31, making it the eleventh named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season. Kiko intensified into a hurricane on Sept. 2. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Kiko is the eleventh named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season

    • It remains a major, powerful hurricane

    • Models have Hurricane Kiko moving close, but to the north of the Hawaiian Islands next week


    Kiko intensified into a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 3. It weakened to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph during the morning hours on Sept. 5, but by the afternoon it had re-intensified back into a Category 4 hurricane.

    It currently has maximum winds of 140 mph. It is moving west-northwest at 10 mph and is located roughly 1000 miles east-southeast of Hilo, HI.

    It is a much smaller storm than Hurricane Erin. Hurricane-force winds extend only 25 miles out from the center, with tropical storm-force winds extending 70 miles out from the center. 


    Models have Kiko taking a west-northwesterly track over the weekend into next week, coming close to Hawaii. 

    While it’s too soon for impact details, the cooler waters near the Aloha State should weaken Kiko greatly. We’ll continue to monitor the track and provide updates. 


     

    Storms that have come close to Hawaii

    Hurricane Hone passed just to the south of the Big Island of Hawaii in 2024 as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 85 mph. Here are other cyclones that came close to the islands.

    Eastern North Pacific names

    Central North Pacific differences

    The National Hurricane Center monitors tropical activity in the Atlantic and North Eastern Pacific Ocean. If a storm forms between 140° West longitude and the International Date Line, it is the responsibility of the Central North Pacific Warning Center, located in Honolulu, HI. 

    There is a contrast in the names used in the Central Pacific compared to the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic. One list is composed of twelve names. 

    The names are used one after the other. When the bottom of one list is reached, the next name is at the top of the next list. Below is the current list. 

    It is interesting to note that if a storm forms in the Eastern North Pacific and is named in that basin, it will retain its name even if it moves into the Central North Pacific. For this reason, we are tracking Hurricane Kiko, since it formed east of 140° West longitude.

    Tropical Storm Akoni and Tropical Storm Ema formed in the Central North Pacific in 2019. Hurricane Hone brushed past Hawaii in 2024.

    This list will continue to be used until there is a storm named Wale. Three other lists have been generated by the World Meteorological Organization and are at the ready if needed. Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli formed in the Central North Pacific in 2025.

    Just like in the Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific, if storms are impactful, they can be retired. Four storms have been retired in the Central North Pacific. 

    • Iwa (1982): Retired after impacting Hawaii.
    • Iniki (1992): Retired after affecting Hawaii.
    • Paka (1997): Retired after affecting various islands in Micronesia.
    • Ioke (2006): Retired after impacting Micronesia.

    You can track the rest of the tropics here. 

    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.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Austin unveils $1M logo redesign, congressman blasts ‘woke’ rebrand as Cracker Barrel-style flop

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    On Sept. 4, Austin officials unveiled the city’s first-ever unified brand logo as part of a $1.1 million rebranding project, but the new wavy blue and green “A” has already sparked backlash from residents and critics who compared it to a math textbook publisher’s logo.

    Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tex., blasted the project during an appearance on The Will Cain Show saying city leaders “want to go spend a million dollars on a rebrand, get rid of a cross and make it some sort of, you know, a woke-looking band emblem.” 

    He accused the Texas city officials of prioritizing symbolism over safety. “We have people in Austin who don’t get their 911 calls answered. You have people that have seen an increase in crime in Austin because they were going after, gutting and cutting the police force.”

    The rebrand dates back to 2018, when the City Council voted to establish a “consistent and clear brand” across city departments. Austin currently uses more than 300 different logos, according to a City of Austin press release.

    DUNKIN’ DONUTS AND DINOSAURS: THE WILDEST CROWDSOURCED IDEAS TO REPLACE MASSACHUSETTS’ STATE FLAG

    Austin’s new rebranded logo is pictured. The wavy purple and green “A” drew criticism from residents and lawmakers. (Courtesy City of Austin, Texas)

    City Manager T.C. Broadnax defended the initiative. “For the first time in Austin’s history, we will have a logo to represent the city services and unify us as one organization, one Austin.”

    The rollout begins Oct. 1, 2025, starting with digital assets like the city’s website, social media and newsletters. Physical assets such as uniforms, vehicles and signage will transition gradually “to minimize impact on the City budget,” according to the release.

    Budget documents show the total rebrand cost at $1,117,558, including $200,000 for design, $640,000 for vendors and $115,000 for public awareness campaigns, KXAN reported.

    CRACKER BARREL UNVEILS NEW SIMPLIFIED LOGO: ‘OUR STORY HASN’T CHANGED’

    City of Austin original seal with cross and lamp design

    The City of Austin’s original seal is pictured. The city is phasing out the emblem as part of a $1.1 million rebranding effort. (Courtesy City of Austin, Texas)

    Jessica King, Austin’s Chief Communications Director, said, “The logo itself reflects the hills, rivers, and bridges that serve to connect us to one another. The colors were inspired by our surrounding environment – violet crown skies and the green canopies of our parks and trails.”

    Designer DJ Stout of Pentagram admitted the process was “the ultimate design by committee” and that “Austin is a little liberal island, politically.”

    Residents blasted the redesign online. “The new logo sucks. It looks like a homeless tent,” one told KXAN. Others called it “a bad biotech’s company rebranding,” while Chron notes one Instagram user simply wrote, “Bruhhhh.”

    Some defended the look as “more minimalist” and “definitely a modernization of the old one.”

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Marketing professor Chris Aarons offered perspective to KXAN. “The Coca Cola was just a script, but it’s a beautiful script. But over 120 years, they made it mean happiness. It is really what the entity makes that logo mean at the end of the day.”

    The City of Austin and Pentagram Austin did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

    Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.

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  • The Explosive Lawsuit Challenging a Right-Wing Abortion-Pill Story

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    Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    Last month, an anti-abortion activist named Jana Pinson gave explosive testimony before a Texas Senate committee in support of HB7, a law that would vastly expand the state’s bounty-hunter abortion law, allowing lawsuits against anyone who facilitates a Texan getting abortion pills, including manufacturers, for up to $100,000. She described a lawsuit filed that very day by Liana Davis against Christopher Cooprider, accusing him of smuggling abortion pills he ordered online into Davis’s hot chocolate, terminating her pregnancy.

    The case soon made international headlines for both its sordid details and its political valences. Like other red states that outlawed abortion as soon as the Supreme Court let them, Texas has been unable to stop tens of thousands of abortion pills — as many as 12,000 a month, according to the Society of Family Planning — from being mailed by providers in blue states, where they enjoy protection under “shield laws.” (Davis also sued Aid Access, a prominent provider of abortion pills to places where they’re illegal.) Attorney General Ken Paxton promptly issued cease-and-desist letters to shield providers, citing the Davis case. Meanwhile, the state senate passed HB7, and it now awaits the governor’s signature.

    But a countersuit filed Thursday by Cooprider claims the sensationalistic drugging never happened. He says Davis had a spontaneous miscarriage, which he blames on her own conduct, and that she vengefully framed him for a forced abortion. Cooprider is seeking an eyebrow-raising amount in damages — over $1 billion.

    “I’m not here to castigate the pro-life position. I consider myself a pro-life individual, but we don’t do political advocacy by criminal allegations that are not true, and that’s disgusting,” Cooprider’s attorney, Mikal Watts, told me Thursday. “They used this situation to pass a law that, if it’s based on this case, was passed based on a lie.”

    Even as initially presented, the case raised questions. Cooprider wasn’t criminally charged, even though Texas prosecutors have brought at least two other cases against men accused of similar crimes — one of them for capital murder, which carries the death penalty. A second man was sentenced to 180 days in jail last year after pleading guilty to giving his wife abortion pills, though her pregnancy continued.

    Davis did go to the cops in Corpus Christi, where she and Cooprider were neighbors, but they declined to bring charges. When reporters asked why, the police issued a long statement, saying the case had been assigned to a “highly experienced family violence detective” who had “conducted an extremely thorough investigation into the allegation, including an examination of the existing evidence and medical records, and interviews with the complainant, accused, witnesses, hospital medical staff, the complainant’s OBGYN, and the Nueces County Medical Examiner.” Along with the district attorney, the department said, they “concluded that the elements of a crime could not be established, and the investigation was subsequently closed as unfounded.” Unusually, the department added that it “highly encourages any media outlet requesting further information regarding this case to file an open records request through the Police Department Open Records Unit,” though when I filed one, it was declined on the basis that the information would be “highly intimate or embarrassing” and “not of legitimate concern to the public.”

    Even in Davis’s filing, there are a few hints of uncertainty about the pregnancy’s viability. She includes text messages that show that weeks before the hot-chocolate incident, both Cooprider and Davis expressed doubts as to whether the fetus was still alive.

    Cooprider’s 99-page lawsuit says that Davis faked a first pregnancy, then tricked Cooprider into having sex with her when she was ovulating, telling him it would help expel the remains of a miscarriage for a nonexistent pregnancy. It alleges that Davis’s own negligence was a “proximate cause of the death of her unborn baby” and accuses her of not “properly” treating a sexually transmitted infection, causing fevers that can trigger miscarriage; of consuming alcohol, Red Bull, and medications contraindicated for pregnancy; and of ignoring cramping while staying in extreme heat with her kids, which is associated with greater miscarriage risk.

    Cooprider’s lawsuit also accuses Davis of erratic behavior, including, a month before the hot-chocolate incident, standing outside his house and “loudly screaming at him, threatening that she would charge Cooprider with sexual assault if he didn’t speak to her.” Cooprider includes a transcript of a call he says he made to the Corpus Christi police department in which he says Davis was threatening him and had taken abortion pills for a pregnancy he now says didn’t exist.

    Davis’s lawyer, Watts, suggested that Jonathan Mitchell, probably the best-known anti-abortion attorney in America and the father of the original Texas bounty-hunter law, knew that Davis’s case had major holes in it and pressed on even after the police concluded the claims were unfounded.

    “There’s Rule 11 that you have to do a reasonable investigation before you can sign your name to a federal court plea,” says Watts, a well-known torts lawyer in San Antonio who was acquitted in 2016 of fraud in a case where he represented himself. “I’m not here to suggest that that rule has been violated yet, although I may be suggesting after we do some digging.”

    Mitchell didn’t respond to a request for comment but told Autonomy News, “These are abject lies and we will disprove every one of them in court. Cooprider is guilty as sin and will be held to account for what he did, both in this civil suit and in the upcoming criminal proceedings.” It’s not clear what criminal proceedings he’s referring to.

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    Irin Carmon

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  • Start the School Year Strong with Free TEKS-Aligned Resources from Khan Academy

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    Texas teachers, start the school year equipped with everything you need for success in the classroom! Whether you’re teaching 8th-grade science or Algebra 1, Khan Academy’s TEKS-aligned unit guides are designed to save you time, build your confidence, and deliver exceptional, standards-driven instruction.

    Thanks to the generous support of the ExxonMobil Foundation, these resources are available for free to teachers across Texas.

    TEKS Science unit guides: Engage students with real-world phenomena

    Aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for 8th grade and high school, our science unit guides cover integrated science, biology, chemistry, and physics. They complement Khan Academy’s existing science courses while making it easier to plan cohesive, standards-based instruction.

    Each guide includes:

    • Lesson overviews: Essential questions paired with clear learning objectives
    • Real-world phenomena: Designed to spark curiosity and make content come alive
    • Targeted teaching tips: Practical strategies for addressing common misconceptions
    • Student-ready resources: Simulations, note-taking templates, and other classroom supports

    Explore TEKS science guides

    TEKS Math unit guides: Built by experts, backed by strategy

    More than a resource, these guides are like having a master teacher in your corner. Khan Academy’s math unit guides are aligned to TEKS standards for Grades 5–8 and Algebra 1, with additional guides for Grades 3–4, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Precalculus coming soon.

    Inside each guide you’ll find:

    • Standards & misconceptions: Quickly identify what students need to know and where they might struggle
    • Unit resources: Ready-to-use templates for video notes, vocab builders, graphing tools, and more
    • Lesson overviews: Teaching tips, warm-up ideas, and student supports for every lesson
    • Best practices: Instructional strategies and classroom activities to enhance engagement

    Unit guides are already live for Grades 5–8 and Algebra 1—just look for the “Teacher resources” lesson at the end of each unit.

    Explore TEKS math guides

    Teach confidently this year

    These guides are designed to empower you, making every unit easier to teach and more effective for your students. By providing strategies, ready-to-use resources, and expert insights, Khan Academy helps you focus on what matters most—supporting every learner.

    Once again, a special thank you to the ExxonMobil Foundation for making these free resources possible for teachers and students across Texas.

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    Katie Roberts

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  • Parents of Camp Mystic flood victim remember daughter amid push for camp safety measures

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    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign a bill into law on camp safety Friday after the devastating and deadly flooding in July. Families of children who died are backing the bill called “Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act.” CBS News’ Jason Allen spoke to a couple whose 18-year-old daughter was one of the 27 victims who died in the Camp Mystic flooding.

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  • [Embargo 6AM] Texas congressman unveils new plan to tackle $37T national debt with tariff windfall revenues

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    FIRST ON FOX: Texas Rep. Nathaniel Moran is turning tariffs into a debt-cutting tool, unveiling legislation that would funnel billions in new trade revenues into a trust fund aimed solely at shrinking America’s staggering $37 trillion national debt.

    The Tariff Revenue Used to Secure Tomorrow (TRUST) Act would establish a special account at the Treasury Department called the Tariff Trust Fund. Starting in fiscal year 2026, any tariff money collected above the 2025 baseline level would automatically go into this fund. By law, that money could only be spent in one way: to shrink the federal deficit whenever the government is running in the red.

    TRUMP SAYS US WOULD BE ‘DESTROYED’ WITHOUT TARIFF REVENUE

    “President Trump’s bold use of tariffs has already proven effective in bringing foreign nations back to the negotiating table and securing better trade deals for America. That short-term success has produced record-high revenues, and now we need to make sure Washington doesn’t squander them,” Moran told Fox News Digital.

    “The TRUST Act ensures those dollars go where they are needed most—toward reducing our national debt and protecting the financial future of our nation.”

    Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, walks down the House steps after the final votes in the Capitol before Congress’ October recess on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images)

    Moran’s legislation comes after the U.S. collected more than $31 billion in tariff revenues in August, the highest monthly total so far for 2025. Total tariff revenue for 2025 has reached more than $183.6 billion, according to the “Customs and Certain Excise Taxes” data released on Aug. 29 by the Treasury Department. 

    TRUMP CALLS TARIFF WINDFALL ‘SO BEAUTIFUL TO SEE’ AS CASH SAILS IN

    Tariff revenues rose steadily from $17.4 billion in April to $23.9 billion in May, before climbing to $28 billion in June and reaching $29 billion in July. At the current pace, the U.S. could collect as much tariff revenue in just four months to five months as it did during the entire previous year. At this point in fiscal year 2024, tariff revenues were at $86.5 billion.

    Line chart showing 2024 and 2025 tariff collections

    A year-over-year comparison of tariff collections. (U.S. Treasury)

    The surge in revenue coincides with a federal appeals court ruling that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority by using emergency powers to impose sweeping global tariffs.

    In its Aug. 29 decision, the court said the power to set such tariffs rests squarely with Congress or within existing trade policy frameworks. The ruling does not affect tariffs imposed by other legal authorities, such as Trump’s levies on steel and aluminum imports.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the Justice Department will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, the court allowed the tariffs to remain in place through Oct. 14. 

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously said that the Trump administration could apply part of the tariff revenue toward lowering the national debt.

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

    Scott Bessent, U.S. treasury secretary, during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 2025.  (Eric Lee/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

    The nation’s debt, which is the amount of money the U.S. owes its creditors, is nearing $37.4 trillion as of Sept. 3, according to the Treasury Department. 

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    The staggering figure has intensified the long-standing debate in Washington over government spending, taxation and efforts to rein in the ballooning deficit.

    “Complacency is no longer an option. We must act with urgency and begin to bring down our national debt immediately,” Moran added in a statement.

    Bessent has also previously said that tariffs could generate more than $500 billion in revenue for the federal government. U.S. businesses pay these import taxes to the federal government, but the cost often falls on consumers, as companies raise prices to offset the economic burden.

    Amanda covers the intersection of business and geopolitics for Fox News Digital.

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  • September’s ‘Corn Moon’ rises this week

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    Our next full moon, and the final one of the astronomical summer, is set to rise above the horizon this week on Sunday, September 7th.

    What You Need To Know

    • September’s full moon will rise this weekend

    • It is called the ‘Corn Moon’ this year

    • Unobstructed views of the horizon allow for best sightings


    This full moon is called the Corn Moon as opposed to the Harvest Moon which traditionally is the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox (September 22nd). It just so happens that the next full moon will occur on October 6th so it gets the name Harvest Moon this year.

    The moon will officially be full at 2:09 pm EDT Sunday, so it won’t be seen until hours later when it rises above the horizon after sunset.

    This year’s Corn Moon will actually coincide with a lunar eclipse for much of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, and Australia), but no eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Other countries can expect a long-lasting “blood moon” similar to what America saw back in March earlier this year.

     

    Potential cloud coverage Sunday evening. (weathermodels.com)

    The name of the moon is a reference to the corn harvest, which typically happens this time of the year across North America.

    The best viewing will be after sunset on Sunday.  To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.

    The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on October 6, 2025. As mentioned earlier, the Harvest Moon is whatever full moon falls closest to the Fall Equinox. Usually that is in September, but every four or five years, it happens in October.

    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.

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    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

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  • September’s ‘Corn Moon’ rises this week

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    Our next full moon, and the final one of the astronomical summer, is set to rise above the horizon this week on Sunday, September 7th.

    What You Need To Know

    • September’s full moon will rise this weekend

    • It is called the ‘Corn Moon’ this year

    • Unobstructed views of the horizon allow for best sightings


    This full moon is called the Corn Moon as opposed to the Harvest Moon which traditionally is the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox (September 22nd). It just so happens that the next full moon will occur on October 6th so it gets the name Harvest Moon this year.

    The moon will officially be full at 2:09 pm EDT Sunday, so it won’t be seen until hours later when it rises above the horizon after sunset.

    This year’s Corn Moon will actually coincide with a lunar eclipse for much of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, and Australia), but no eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Other countries can expect a long-lasting “blood moon” similar to what America saw back in March earlier this year.

     

    Potential cloud coverage Sunday evening. (weathermodels.com)

    The name of the moon is a reference to the corn harvest, which typically happens this time of the year across North America.

    The best viewing will be after sunset on Sunday.  To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.

    The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on October 6, 2025. As mentioned earlier, the Harvest Moon is whatever full moon falls closest to the Fall Equinox. Usually that is in September, but every four or five years, it happens in October.

    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.

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    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

    Source link