Tyler embraces a families-first approach as it grows faster than any other East Texas city
Tyler has spent the last decade remaking its parks and sidewalks to allure families. At the same time, a constellation of groups are helping parents take care of their families.
Tyler city employees are bringing their newborns to work
The city, which does not have a paid family leave policy, established the program to help new parents return to work without sacrificing bonding with their new babies.
At least 175 measles cases reported in Texas this year, most of them in West Texas Detention Facility
Texas has added 28 more measles cases in the last two weeks. Most infections so far this year have occurred inside West Texas Detention Facility in Hudspeth County.
Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Pulido toured with bandmate convicted of child sex crime
The revelation reported first by the New York Post is the latest hit against the Democratic rising star who Republicans are casting as morally depraved because of his past social media posts.
Texas attorney general’s office under scrutiny for letting donors use hotel room bookings
The attorney general’s office reallocated taxpayer-funded rooms to donors and other private citizens, some of whom initially failed to cover the cost of the stay.
Florida, Mississippi join wave of states tightening voter citizenship rules
Florida and Mississippi voters will soon face new citizenship verification rules after governors signed the measures into law Wednesday, triggering at least two lawsuits in the Sunshine State. The measures, signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, are aimed at upholding election integrity as similar legislation by President Donald Trump remains stalled in Congress. Mississippi’s measure is expected to take effect on July 1, with Florida’s law following on Jan. 1, 2027. Under both laws, voters will be required to provide citizenship documents — such as birth certificates, passports, or naturalization certificates — if local officials challenge their eligibility after cross-referencing databases for voter registration applications. If individuals fail to provide the required proof of citizenship after being flagged, both states are required to remove them from its voter registration rolls. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE ‘TALKING FILIBUSTER’ AND THE SAVE ACT DeSantis said the Florida SAVE Act will improve the security and transparency of the state’s election system. “Safeguarding the electoral process to improve oversight and prevent unlawful influence has been a top priority for my administration since my first days in office,” he said in a social media post. “This legislation strengthens the security, transparency, and reliability of Florida’s election system.” Lawsuits challenging the bill quickly followed, with one civil rights group arguing that some voters may not have the required documents and could face difficulties obtaining them. “Many eligible voters do not have these documents and cannot obtain them for a variety of reasons—including because they were born without a birth certificate in the segregated South, because their documents were destroyed in a hurricane, or because they cannot afford the hundreds of dollars it costs to replace them,” the lawsuit filed in federal court in South Florida by the League of Women Voters of Florida stated. Under the law, student IDs and retirement community identifications can no longer be used as polling identifications. New driver’s licenses must also reflect citizenship status starting July 2027. GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL Separately, the Mississippi SHIELD Act does not mandate driver’s licenses to reflect citizenship. However, it does require local officials registering voters to run additional citizenship checks if applicants do not provide a driver’s license number on their voter application. Mississippi officials must also perform an annual statewide check against the federal database before a federal election to flag potential noncitizens. “While states like California and New York flood their voter rolls with illegal aliens, Mississippi will do the opposite and defend Americans’ right to determine the outcome of elections,” Reeves said in a social media post. “We will continue to do everything in our power to make it infinitely harder – with a goal to make it impossible – to cheat in our elections!” Civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center noted that the measure could disenfranchise Mississippi residents who lack the proper paperwork, including women whose last names changed upon marriage. The new laws follow similar measures signed in late March by South Dakota and Utah to strengthen proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters. Meanwhile, Trump’s own voting legislation — the Republican‑backed SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and photo ID for federal elections — has been approved by the U.S. House but remains stalled in the Senate amid insufficient support to overcome the Democratic-led filibuster.
Trump 2027 budget preview hints at sweeping scale-up in core agenda
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal focuses on combating violent crime while boosting immigration enforcement, including funding for more agents, alongside additional resources for expanded detention capacity and removal operations, according to information provided exclusively to Fox News Digital by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) led by Director Russ Vought. The plan calls for more than $19 billion in federal law enforcement funding — a 15% increase over current levels — which the administration says would go toward targeting violent criminals, drug traffickers and illegal immigrants. “The President’s FY 2027 Budget fully funds a strong border, the removal of violent criminal aliens from our streets, and stops the endless stream of benefits to illegal aliens given preference over American citizens,” an OMB spokesperson said in materials shared with Fox News Digital. OMB said the administration is building on what it described as “great success in reducing crime under President Trump’s leadership.” GOP, DEMOCRATS CLASH ON CAPITOL HILL AS REPUBLICANS TARGET CARTELS AND DEMS PUSH TO CURB ICE PARTNERSHIPS “[We] will continue undeterred in removing the criminal illegal aliens terrorizing innocent Americans and arresting the criminals who bring drugs, crime, and chaos to our streets,” the office said. The proposal would fund more federal agents “working to capture illegal aliens,” expand task forces targeting transnational criminal groups like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as well as drug cartels, and increase the number of prosecutors handling violent crime cases, according to OMB. The budget also relies heavily on funding from the Working Families Tax Cut Act (WFTC), which OMB said provides more than $190 billion for homeland security efforts over multiple years, including at least $31.4 billion in 2027. TRUMP DEFENDS MINNEAPOLIS FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT, SAYS CRIME PLUNGED AFTER ‘THOUSANDS OF CRIMINALS’ REMOVED That funding would be used to finish construction of the southern border wall, deploy new border security technology and support large-scale immigration enforcement operations, according to OMB. A major focus is expanding detention and deportation capacity. OMB said WFTC provides $75 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including funding to expand detention space to as many as 100,000 single-adult beds and 30,000 family-unit beds. It also includes $15.4 billion for transportation to increase removals and allows for a 67% increase in ICE staffing through 2029. TRUMP UNLEASHES ‘TOUGHEST FENTANYL CRACKDOWN IN HISTORY’ AS GOP VOWS ‘CONSEQUENCES’ FOR CHINESE PRODUCERS The proposal also includes $899 million for immigration courts — a $99 million increase — which the administration says would help speed up deportation proceedings by adding judges and expanding courtroom space. The administration has pointed to prior federal enforcement surges as evidence that a heavier law enforcement footprint can quickly reduce crime. In Memphis, Tennessee, a Department of Justice-led operation involving federal agents and National Guard troops resulted in more than 1,700 arrests in a single month, including suspects tied to homicide, drug trafficking and gang activity, according to data previously reported by Fox News Digital. The operation also recovered nearly 300 firearms and located dozens of missing children. TRUMP TASK FORCE RACKS UP 500 ARRESTS IN JANUARY AS PRESIDENT BRANDS CARTELS ‘ISIS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE’ A similar federal task force effort in Washington, D.C., has led to more than 10,000 arrests since 2025 and the seizure of over 1,000 illegal firearms, according to prior Fox News Digital reporting. Violent crime in the district has dropped sharply during that period, including declines in homicides and robberies. The Coast Guard would also see increased funding, with a $2.1 billion boost to operations aimed in part at stopping migrants and illegal drugs at sea, according to OMB. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP The broader fiscal 2027 budget is expected to include a significant increase in defense spending as well. Reuters reported that Trump is preparing to request a $1.5 trillion defense budget, potentially the largest year-over-year increase in post-World War II history, with funding for missile defense systems, fighter jets and warships. Trump’s proposed FY 2027 budget is expected to be presented to Congress on April 3, Good Friday.
DHS releases new evidence in case of Dem staffer accused of impersonating ICE attorney
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released additional evidence it says confirms that a staffer for Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, lied about being an attorney for detainees at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in an effort to meet with them and sneak in smuggled cell phones. In March, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons informed Escobar in a letter about Benito Torres, a senior caseworker on the congresswoman’s staff, who Lyons said lied about being a lawyer for detainees in ICE custody at the Camp East Montana center at Fort Bliss in El Paso. Lyons requested that Escobar answer several questions about Torres’ alleged actions. “Rep. Escobar refused to respond honestly. Instead, she took to X to defend Torres and gaslight the public,” DHS said Thursday. ILHAN OMAR KICKED OUT OF ICE FACILITY AFTER DHS REQUIRES WEEK’S ADVANCE NOTICE Initially, DHS released an image of a sign-in log showing Torres allegedly claiming to be a “lawyer” visiting a “client.” ICE records show he first misrepresented himself as a legal professional in September 2025, Lyons said. A Feb. 18 memo states that, on a Jan. 23 visit to the center, Torres falsely claimed to be an attorney while requesting to see 22 detainees. It was determined that he was not a legal professional, the memo said. The most recent incident allegedly happened Jan. 30. ICE DIRECTOR STANDS HIS GROUND AFTER SWALWELL BLOWUP, SAYS DEMOCRATS ARE ‘MISLEADING THEIR CONSTITUENTS’ “Torres lied about being an attorney in order to gain access to an ICE detention facility,” a DHS statement said. “He misrepresented himself repeatedly over the course of several months, talking directly to detainees even though he was NOT their legal counsel. He even passed a phone around multiple detainees during a January 2026 visit, a dangerous violation of security protocols. “Actions like Mr. Torres’ are meant to undermine ICE’s statutory mission to enforce immigration laws and remove illegal aliens from the interior.” Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS and Escobar’s office. SHUTDOWN FLIPS ICE OVERSIGHT FIGHT AS DHS MOVES TO BLOCK SURPRISE LAWMAKER VISITS At the time of the initial allegations by DHS, Escobar described Torres as “a dedicated public servant” and “Army veteran,” saying the accusations against him were “unfounded.” She also criticized the facility and accused the Trump administration of retaliatory tactics. “It is worth noting that ICE has refused to respond to multiple letters I’ve sent about Camp East Montana regarding deaths, including a homicide; outbreaks of diseases including COVID-19, measles, and tuberculosis; waste, fraud, and abuse; a lack of legal representation or medical care; and so much more,” she said. “This administration has a history of engaging in intimidation tactics against Members of Congress as well as continuously attempting to obstruct our ability to provide oversight. ICE DIRECTOR REFUSES TO RESIGN UNDER PRESSURE FROM ERIC SWALWELL NOT TO ‘SIDE WITH KILLERS’ “I stand proudly by the members of my team who have demonstrated nothing but dedication and integrity to serving our nation and our community,” Escobar added. The congresswoman has previously demanded the Camp East Montana center be shut down, describing it as “disastrous and inhumane.” “The United States already has the largest immigration detention network in the world, and these added facilities serve only as tools for the administration’s inhumanity,” she wrote in a March post on X. Torres has been banned from ICE sites.
Army chief of staff ordered to retire immediately as Hegseth continues Pentagon shakeup
War Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement Thursday in a sweeping leadership shakeup as the U.S. military remains engaged in combat with Iran. A senior War Department official told Fox that Hegseth called George Thursday and asked for his immediate retirement, saying, “It was time for a leadership change in the Army.” Chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement on X, “General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.” PENTAGON CITES ‘MERITOCRACY’ AS REPORTED OFFICER PROMOTION REMOVALS DRAW DEMOCRATIC CRITICISM An Army official told Fox News Hegseth did not give George any reason for asking him to step down. George, the Army’s top uniformed officer and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023. He had been expected to serve a four-year term through roughly 2027. Prior to becoming Army chief, George, a career infantry officer with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, served as senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021 to 2022, according to his official biography. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s vice chief of staff, will serve as acting chief, according to a senior War Department official. The move underscores growing tensions between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. Hegseth recently intervened to remove multiple Army officers from a promotion list after Driscoll refused to do so, an unusual step, a U.S. official told Fox News. PETE HEGSETH SLASHES MILITARY ‘FAITH CODES’ FROM OVER 200 TO 31 IN PENTAGON CHAPLAIN CORPS OVERHAUL The disagreement caught the attention of the White House, which reviews senior military promotion lists before they are sent to the Senate, the official said. The abrupt removal also marks the latest in a series of high-level military leadership changes under Hegseth, who has moved aggressively to reshape senior ranks. The shakeups have included the removal or sidelining of several top uniformed leaders across the services, such as former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, both of whom were pushed out earlier in the second Trump administration. Other moves have reached deep into the military’s senior leadership pipeline. Hegseth replaced the Army’s vice chief of staff earlier in 2026 and removed Lt. Gen. Jennifer Short from her role as senior military assistant, installing close allies in key advisory positions.
GOP rails against ‘s— sandwich’ deal as all eyes turn to House to end DHS shutdown
The House is primed to end the record-breaking Homeland Security shutdown, but Republicans are still fuming over a “s— sandwich” deal from the Senate. The Senate again advanced its partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill on Thursday after being derailed by a House GOP rebellion. The frustration among House Republicans hasn’t gone anywhere, however, with lawmakers railing against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., during a members-only call on Thursday afternoon. The simmering anger comes after Johnson made a swift reversal, spurred by President Donald Trump, and backed Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s, R-S.D., on a two-track approach Wednesday that would pass the Senate’s partial DHS bill while funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a forthcoming party-line reconciliation package. A senior GOP aide told Fox News Digital that House Republicans wanted to see action from their Senate counterparts on reconciliation and were frustrated with how the upper chamber handled the DHS deal, which the source said amounted to a “s— sandwich.” BEHIND THE SCENES OF CONGRESS’ ELEVENTH-HOUR RUSH TO FUND THE DHS House Republicans are incensed at the Senate plan, which carves out funding for ICE and CBP. Still, the bill is expected to pass with bipartisan support. “People are mad at Johnson,” one source familiar with the call told Fox News. But for now, House Republicans are in no hurry to return to Washington, D.C., to end the 48-day shutdown. The House is next scheduled to return on April 14. A source familiar with the call told Fox News Digital that leadership is not expected to ask members to return to Washington early to vote on the measure. A source told Fox News that there was “a lot of frustration” with the situation. “Does feel like whiplash,” the source said. “Not happy,” another person familiar with the call said. “Not willing to vote for anything that defunds law enforcement absent tangible action from Senate. Thune should call Senate back today.” Some House Republicans argued the chamber must fund the president’s immigration and border security efforts through reconciliation before considering the Senate bill — despite the budget reconciliation process expected to take months. This viewpoint was expressed by a broad group within the conference, not just the conservative flank, according to a source familiar with the call. If Johnson proceeded first with the Senate bill, conservative opposition could determine how he brings the legislation to the floor. In the event he lacks conference-wide support for the upper chamber’s partial DHS bill, he could be forced to call up the Senate bill under suspension of House rules. That strategy — requiring a two-thirds majority to pass — risks upsetting conservatives if the DHS bill relies on Democratic votes to clear the chamber. HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASS RIVAL DHS PLAN, SETTING UP SENATE FIGHT AS SHUTDOWN SET TO BECOME LONGEST IN HISTORY House lawmakers could have used the same fast-track process Thursday to pass the DHS bill that was done in the Senate, but opted not to. Thune said Thursday that he didn’t know when the House would move on the bill, but noted that when they did, Republicans would begin a sprint to complete the budget reconciliation process. “My assumption is, at some point, hopefully they’ll move it,” Thune said. “And you know, [with] the understanding that we’re going to come behind it with the Recon bill. I mean, I think this whole — where we are is just a regrettable place.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., demanded that the House GOP immediately take up the bill and accused them of now owning “the longest government shutdown in history.” “The deep division and dysfunction among House Republicans is needlessly extending the DHS shutdown and hurting federal workers who are missing another paycheck,” Schumer said. “The Senate did its work twice to fund key parts of DHS without funding the lawlessness of ICE and Border Patrol.” But Trump has already teed up a counter, and plans to pay DHS employees through an executive order. “Because the Democrats are fully and 100% committed to the Radical Left Policy of Open Borders and Zero Immigration Enforcement (which will hopefully cost them dearly in the Midterms!), allowing Murderers and Criminals of all types into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted, I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security,” Trump said on Truth Social.