Texas Supreme Court primaries: Who is running and what to know
The high court, currently made up entirely of Republicans, decides some of the most consequential cases impacting everyday Texans’ lives. Here’s a look at who’s running for the court’s four seats on the 2026 ballot.
Introducing the Tribune’s spring fellows
Our fellowships are valuable learning experiences, providing part-time work in the spring and fall semesters and full-time positions over the summer break.
Texas jails have more than 400 pregnant inmates monthly. The state is trying to understand what happens to them.
As a part of a yearlong study, Texas county jails are collecting data about pregnant inmates’ prenatal care, mental health indicators, pregnancy outcomes and more.
Trump–Kennedy Center details massive repairs, warns venue won’t survive without fixes
The massive renovations at the Trump–Kennedy Center that are expected to shutter Washington’s premier performing arts venue for two years will focus on correcting deferred maintenance — including overhauling its heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems and fixing its broken elevators, Fox News Digital learned. “In less than 1 year, Trump has balanced the budget, raised over $130 million from donors, and secured $257 million from Congress,” Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We are financially stable yet the building is still physically in trouble.” “Decades of gross negligence left this institution with a broken budget, $100 million operating deficit, $26 million bottom-line deficit, and $250 million of deferred maintenance needs,” she continued. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the venue would close July 4, which coincides with America 250 celebrations honoring the nation’s semiquincentennial anniversary of the U.S.’ founding. FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TO THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER, THE GILDED MAKEOVER EXPANDS “If we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!” Trump said on Truth Social Sunday explaining why the complex needs to shutter for two years. A Trump–Kennedy official told Fox News Digital that the complex, which first opened in 1971, has suffered decades of neglect by former leadership that has left the building in “extremely poor condition.” The official described the renovations as “a restoration and beautification project,” that will include updating its broken elevators, updating its HVAC system and taking on $250 million in maintenance issues that the official said were ignored by previous leadership. Presidents historically have played direct roles in Kennedy Center governance, appointing most of the institution’s board of trustees to six-year terms under federal law. Trump appointed a new board in 2025, which then elected him their chairman. The official said the Trump–Kennedy Center would simply not survive if the maintenance was not done. OSCAR-NOMINATED COMPOSER LATEST PERFORMER TO PULL TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE OVER ‘CONFLICT’ WITH VALUES Trump said Monday that the renovations will cost an estimated $200 million while underscoring the building is not being torn down. “I’m not ripping it out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I’ll be using the steel. So we’re using the structure.” “We’re using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down, but when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful,” he said. “We’re going to have all brand-new air conditioning, heating.” Daravi continued in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that the temporary closure for an “intensive restoration and beautification project” is “the most logical choice to allow for comprehensive renovations, efficient project completion, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.” “With President Trump’s proven record of delivering projects under budget and ahead of schedule, the finished Center will reflect the true beauty of America,” she added. “The short-term inconvenience of a temporary closure will result in a revitalized cultural landmark built to serve generations to come.” Ambassador Richard Grenell serves as the Trump–Kennedy Center’s president and praised Trump and Congress for appropriating $257 million for the renovations. He added that leadership is not only focused on saving the center from ruin, but to “make it the finest Arts Institution in the world.” WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA TO DEPART TRUMP–KENNEDY CENTER AMID REPORTED FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES “It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense – it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive,” Grenell said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “It also means we will be finished faster. President Trump has a reputation for delivering large construction projects on time, under budget and beautifully finished.” The renovations come after the center’s board of trustees unanimously voted to rename it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” in December 2025. The name change set off swift rebuke among Democrats, with nonvoting board members including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others claiming the move was illegal as it did not earn congressional approval ahead of time. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced legislation in January that seeks to bar sitting presidents from putting their own names on federal buildings, linking it to the Trump-Kennedy Center name update. “For Trump to put his name on federal buildings is arrogant, and it is illegal,” Sanders said in a press release Tuesday. “We must put an end to this narcissism — and that’s what this bill does. The center said that the board agreed Trump saved the institution from financial ruin during his second term. Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Scouting America ‘on the clock’ to roll back DEI, War Dept says
The Department of War is moving to overhaul its partnership with Scouting America, saying the organization must return to “core values” and eliminate DEI policies to remain eligible for federal support. The review focused on the department’s financial relationship with Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, including its involvement in the organization’s National Jamboree, Sean Parnell, assistant to the Secretary of War for public affairs, said in a statement posted on social media. Parnell described Scouting America as “a great organization” that has “lost its way” in recent years. “But, for more than a decade now, Scouting America’s leadership has made decisions that run counter to the values of this administration and this Department of War, including an embrace of DEl and other social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances. This is unacceptable,” he wrote. HEGSETH TELLS TROOPS TO RESIGN IF THEY OPPOSE HIS PLAN TO SCRAP ‘WOKE’ POLICIES AND RESTORE WARRIOR ETHOS Parnell referenced an executive order that President Donald Trump signed at the start of his second term that focused on “terminating radical DEl preferencing in federal contracting,” adding that all organizations affiliated with the department must meet that standard. DOW and Scouting America are nearing a final agreement, according to Parnell. “Scouting America remains far from perfect, but they have firmly committed to a return to core principles,” Parnell wrote. “Back to God and country—immediately!” PETE HEGSETH AXES DEFENSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN THE SERVICES, CITING DIVISIVE AGENDA Scouting America told Fox News Digital in a statement via email that the organization was “encouraged” by Parnell’s post. “For nearly 116 years Scouting has stood as a cornerstone of American ideals, good citizenship, service, and adventure for American youth,” Scouting America said. “We are encouraged by [Monday’s] social media post by the Pentagon, and we look forward to providing more details as we move ahead.” Parnell, however, added that the partnership would continue only on condition that Scouting America “rapidly implements the common-sense, core value reforms” the Trump administration has put forth. “They are on the clock, and we are watching,” Parnell wrote, adding that officials may have more to announce soon.
Eyeing 2028, Dem Gov Shapiro leans into fraud crackdown, boosting tough-on-crime image
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will announce Tuesday a landmark false claims clampdown targeting Medicaid fraud and providers that wrongfully use tax dollars. While Shapiro has supported crackdowns on social services fraud since he was attorney general, before his governorship, the issue has reached national prominence recently amid mounting scandal enveloping fellow Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. Later Tuesday, Shapiro will declare in his budget address that the state must approve a False Claims Act and signal openness to working with Republicans — who control the state Senate and are a few lawmakers short of a majority in the state House — to “get it done.” “To protect our kids and our seniors, we need to make sure every dollar we appropriate for their benefit goes to them and doesn’t get fleeced from the system,” Shapiro will say, before going on to cite his work as AG to jail people who stole public benefits from fellow Pennsylvanians. BESSENT BLAMES WALZ AS TREASURY PROBES WHETHER MINNESOTA FRAUD FUNDS REACHED TERROR GROUP AL-SHABAB “We combat fraud wherever we find it — and we’ve put real resources into this effort because it’s important to ensure public dollars go to the people who really need them,” Shapiro will say. Pennsylvania ranks first nationally in Medicaid fraud charges brought and third in convictions. He will also cite the work of State Inspector General Michelle Henry — who succeeded him as attorney general — and pledge to support her efforts through cooperation among his Cabinet agencies. WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES While a major Democratic figure nationally, Shapiro has a handful of Republicans in key cabinet roles, including former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt as secretary of the commonwealth and former state Sen. Pat Browne, R-Allentown, managing the purse as secretary of revenue. Shapiro said the commonwealth prosecuted 119 cases of Medicaid fraud in 2024, recouping $11 million that was stolen from those coffers. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services also referred 744 other recent suspected fraud cases to the Attorney General’s Section of Medicaid Fraud Control. GOP SENATOR’S SOMALIA ACT WOULD FORCE MINNESOTA FRAUDSTERS TO REPAY STOLEN TAXPAYER FUNDS The False Claims Act that Shapiro envisions would allow Pennsylvania to collect additional funds from convicted parties who misuse Medicaid or other social services dollars. Shapiro will also note on Tuesday that there is already bipartisan support for such a law. While attorney general, the then-Republican state House speaker and a top state senator joined his call for a similar plan. CONVICTED MINNESOTA FRAUDSTER ALLEGES WALZ, ELLISON WERE AWARE OF WIDESPREAD FRAUD “Every instance of Medicaid abuse or fraud hurts Pennsylvanians who truly rely on the program. We are overdue for relevant and important reforms that keep closer watch over those who are taking advantage of the system, and at the same time makes the program more useful and reliable for Pennsylvanians in need,” then-Speaker Bryan Cutler of Peach Bottom said in a 2020 statement. “I applaud Attorney General Shapiro for bringing to light the glaring problems our Medicaid program faces. Every misspent or fraudulently used dollar is another dollar hard-working taxpayers have to make up for,” added state Sen. Seth Grove, R-Dover. The Shapiro administration also pointed Fox News Digital to the results of a Medicaid fraud grand jury probe empaneled by then-AG Shapiro, which served as a predicate for his announcement Tuesday. TRUMP ADMIN PUTS MINNESOTA ON NOTICE, MOVES TO AUDIT MEDICAID AND CLAW BACK FUNDS TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS The grand jury recommended that service providers without a “national provider identifier” number be required to specially register with Harrisburg. Medicaid providers would also have to go through standardized training on how to properly bill Harrisburg for services rendered and be required to include the date and start-and-end times on all Medicaid forms, which are not currently required by law. Shapiro’s efforts have had their critics, however, including the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice, a pro-tort reform group. They expressed concern while he was attorney general that an anti-fraud plan crafted then would allow “bounty hunter” plaintiffs to seek court-ordered payouts that could reduce the amount of funds the commonwealth is able to recover. “Wisconsin repealed its False Claims Act in 2015, and there are good reasons why many states have decided not to enact their own False Claims Act,” the group told the Penn-Capital Star. A top state hospital industry trade group also warned that, under the earlier proposal, trial attorneys would be the “only true winners,” rather than patients, according to the outlet.
Kamala Harris calls on voters to put ‘guardrails’ on Trump in midterm elections
Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday urged voters to put “guardrails” on President Donald Trump in the upcoming midterm elections, warning during a stop on her book tour that public trust in government is eroding. Harris made the remarks during an evening event at the Altria Theater in Richmond, Virginia, where she criticized the Trump administration as focused on “destruction.” She spoke for roughly an hour, fielding questions on issues ranging from immigration enforcement to the cost of living. Asked about her mental state, Harris said she felt “sadness, frustration and anger.” RAND PAUL SAYS ‘WITHOUT QUESTION’ TRUST HAS BEEN BROKEN AFTER MINNESOTA SHOOTING The former vice president pointed to widespread public anxiety over healthcare costs and grocery prices and stressed the importance of voting in November, which she said offers a chance to “put guardrails up” on the White House. The conversation then turned to immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, focusing on the tactics used by federal agents after two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, were shot in January. “We need immigration enforcement but not what we are witnessing,” Harris told the audience. BIDEN SPEAKS OUT AGAINST IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN MINNESOTA, SAYS IT GOES AGAINST AMERICAN VALUES She criticized the Trump administration for its initial response to Pretti’s death, saying officials tried to dismiss what people saw on video. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” while White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller labeled him an “assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents.” Noem told Fox News host Sean Hannity last week that officials were relying on real-time information from agents as they sought to provide an initial account of the incident. “We were being relayed information from on the ground from CBP agents and officers that were there. We were using the best information we had at the time, seeking to be transparent with the American people and get them what we knew to be true on the ground,” she said. The shooting has prompted protests nationwide, with demonstrators calling for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to withdraw from the city. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters at a press conference on Friday that the Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death.
Credit Suisse investigation reveals 890 Nazi regime accounts, Sen Grassley says
Investigations by Credit Suisse have uncovered hundreds of Nazi-linked accounts at the bank, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced Tuesday. Multiple reports provided to Grassley have identified 890 accounts linked to the Nazi regime, including wartime accounts for the German Foreign Office, a German arms manufacturing company and the German Red Cross, Grassley told reporters Monday. The new accounts are coming to light after UBS acquired Credit Suisse in a 2023 takeover. The bank then hired U.S. prosecutor Neil Barofsky to identify any Nazi-linked accounts. Grassley and representatives of UBS will dig deeper into the findings during a Senate Judiciary hearing on connections between various Swiss banks and the Nazis later Tuesday morning. TRUMP SECURES $221M COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT OVER ALLEGED CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS “We approach today’s topic with solemn respect,” Robert Karofsky, president of UBS Americas, is expected to say at the hearing, according to a copy of his remarks obtained by NBC News. “Now, with three years of experience, our priority is to complete this review so that the world can benefit from the findings in the coming final report,” the remarks continue. Grassley’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. TRUMP’S ANTISEMITISM ENVOY SLAMS WALZ FOR COMPARING ICE ENFORCEMENT TO ANNE FRANK, HOLOCAUST Tuesday’s hearing comes a week after International Holocaust Remembrance Day, during which President Donald Trump’s administration reflected on the genocide committed by Nazi Germany during World War II. “Today, we pay respect to the blessed memories of the millions of Jewish people, who were murdered at the hands of the Nazi Regime and its collaborators during the Holocaust— as well as the Slavs and the Roma, people with disabilities, religious leaders, persons targeted based on their sexual orientation, and political prisoners who were also targeted for systematic slaughter,” Trump said in a statement. “On January 27, 1945, 81 years ago today, Allied forces liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi Regime’s largest concentration and death camp in World War II, where over one million people were marched to their senseless deaths,” the presidential message, released by the White House, noted. Trump noted that since returning to the presidency last year he has sought to use the federal government to battle antisemitism. “After I took office as the 47th President of the United States, I proudly made it this administration’s priority directing the Federal Government to use all appropriate legal tools to combat the scourge of antisemitism. My Administration will remain a steadfast and unequivocal champion for Jewish Americans and the God-given right of every American to practice their faith freely, openly, and without fear,” he asserted.
$20M ‘One Small Step’ campaign aims to rebuild American pride ahead of 250th anniversary
EXCLUSIVE: Limited-government nonprofit Americans for Prosperity kicked off its version of an America250 project with a $20 million “One Small Step” initiative, hosting the first of 12 marquee events beginning in Philadelphia. The event in America’s birthplace featured 1981 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl quarterback Ron Jaworski, the “Ruthless” podcasters, and Stacy Garrity, the state treasurer and 2026 Republican gubernatorial candidate. Joining with Concerned Veterans for America and the LIBRE Initiative, AFP’s “One Small Step” plays off Neil Armstrong’s famous words as it works to build a national movement reconnecting Americans to their history and founding principles and encouraging them to become more civically engaged. At the event, AFP President Emily Seidel spoke about why it is important now, on the advent of the U.S.’ 250th birthday, to launch such a wide-scale effort. RARE AND ORIGINAL AMERICAN FOUNDING DOCUMENTS TO FLY ON FREEDOM PLANE ACROSS NATION “I do think that we do have to have a sense of urgency about defending freedom because we’ve been crowing a lot leading up to this year about how people’s pride in America is at an all-time low and that is a huge red flag,” she said. “People’s belief that they can reach the American dream is declining,” she said. “It’s not a coincidence that those numbers are going down as the size and scope of government is going up — that loss of agency is really harmful for a free society.” The “One Small Step” initiative will soon move on to other cities, while AFP state chapters will be challenged to take “250,000 Steps for Freedom” and complete 250,000 actions to promote policies that advance the freedom and opportunity voiced by the Founding Fathers. AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY SPARKS TRAVEL RUSH AS EXPERTS ISSUE URGENT BOOKING WARNING As the “Ruthless” podcasters discussed at the Philadelphia event, 40 door knocks in the community to campaign or spread the message could account for 40 “actions.” “For 250 years, freedom and opportunity have defined the American spirit, unleashed prosperity for millions, and led to awe-inspiring innovation that has changed the world,” AFP said in a statement. “Our mission at AFP is to ensure the freedom and opportunity our nation was founded on endures and expands for the next 250 years. That will only be possible with the small but critical steps of millions of people.” Some of the other marquee events will be held in Springfield, Illinois – home of Abraham Lincoln – and Washington, D.C., as a way to counter declining pride in what it means to be an American. TIMES SQUARE BALL GOES RED, WHITE AND BLUE FOR AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY The events are intended to inspire Americans to take action this year and get involved civically 250 years after the Founders did. Eight-figure digital and TV ad buys will accompany the initiative, telling stories of Americans past and present and highlighting “digital toolkits” that every American can take part in to help celebrate founding principles. “One Small Step is our effort to build a long-term national movement celebrating the founding principles that make America so exceptional: liberty, dignity, and opportunity. If we want to change the trajectory of Americans’ pride in this country, we need to remind people of our shared values and what it means to be American,” Seidel told Fox News Digital. WASHINGTON MONUMENT TO BECOME ‘BIRTHDAY CANDLE’ AS US MARKS START OF 250TH YEAR “These principles aren’t just part of our past; they are essential to navigating our future. This is not about loving America louder — it’s about understanding America better. Freedom doesn’t sustain itself. People do.” Sandra Benitez, executive director of the LIBRE Initiative, which aims to engage Latino Americans in civics, added that Hispanic communities understand the promise of America in a “deeply personal way.” “Freedom, opportunity and dignity aren’t abstract concepts; they are the principles that inspired our families to come to America in the first place,” she told Fox News Digital. “One Small Step invites Americans from every background to see themselves in the nation’s story — because that story continues with all of us.”
Senate GOP warns Chinese vapes could be used by CCP to spy on Americans, launder cartel cash
FIRST ON FOX: A group of Senate Republicans warned the Trump administration that floods of “illicit Chinese e-cigarettes” entering the country carried a darker side effect. Several Senate Republicans alerted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital that the Chinese government was reaping massive profits from the devices. And given that connection between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (CSTMA), it’s possible that so-called smart vapes could be used as spying devices. TRUMP UNDERCUTS GOP PUSH TO ATTACH SAVE ACT TO SHUTDOWN BILL AS CONSERVATIVES THREATEN MUTINY The lawmakers charged that the “highly sophisticated” vapes had the ability to connect to a person’s cellphone and have become extremely commonplace. “These devices have the capacity to initiate data breaches or malware infections and can also access and collect sensitive user data,” they wrote. “Given the interconnected relationship between Chinese industry and state intelligence services, the targeting of U.S. military personnel with these devices raises profound national security concerns.” President Donald Trump made the crackdown against Chinese vapes one of the many side quests that his administration pursued last year, going so far as to try and crush the supply of the devices at ports across the country. MOST SHOCKING EXAMPLES OF CHINESE ESPIONAGE UNCOVERED BY THE US THIS YEAR: ‘JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG’ Last year, for example, the Trump-led Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the capture of roughly $90 million worth of vape products from China in one fell swoop. The lawmakers, which included Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and nine others, lauded Trump’s “aggressive, multi-agency enforcement actions” against the influx of vapes, but noted that the “magnitude and consequence requires a comprehensive strategy and response.” SCHUMER NUKES GOP PUSH FOR ‘JIM CROW-ERA’ VOTER ID LAWS IN TRUMP-BACKED SHUTDOWN PACKAGE It’s not just a spying threat either. The Republicans contended that the funding generated by the sale of vapes could be funneled toward military or technological initiatives in China meant to undermine American interests. They also noted that the vapes have been linked by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to Mexican cartels, specifically using the devices and operations as a money laundering front. That trade-based money laundering scheme, the lawmakers said, was part of a plan to move fentanyl proceeds on behalf of the cartels. “Given the scale and severity of this threat, we urge the Treasury Department and USTR to use their respective enforcement and diplomatic authorities to combat illegal Chinese e-cigarettes,” they wrote.