Texas superintendents say school takeovers aren’t a sustainable way to boost student learning
School district leaders said the state’s increasing reliance on takeovers to improve academic performance threatens local control. The emergence of private school vouchers could pose another challenge.
Watch: Chris Hayes speaks at the 2025 Texas Tribune Festival
The MSNBC anchor talks about his new book with Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Watch: Adam Schiff speaks at the 2025 Texas Tribune Festival
The Democratic U.S. senator from California sits down with journalist Terry Moran at 2:15 p.m. Saturday.
Sanjay Gupta says Americans have unique “disdain for pain” and should turn to brain’s natural painkillers for relief
During The Texas Tribune Festival’s closing keynote, the neurosurgeon said that for decades, pain management wrongly treated the body “as totally separate from the brain.”
Laura Loomer teases Georgia move after President Trump says he wants Marjorie Taylor Greene primaried
Conservative commentator Laura Loomer set off a fresh wave of speculation Saturday by openly teasing a possible move to Georgia after President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in a blistering late-night Truth Social post. Loomer, a staunch Trump ally with roughly 1.8 million followers on X, posted that the president told her he wanted Greene “primaried,” then asked her audience a pointed question. “Should I move to Georgia?” she asked. Her post, paired with Trump’s Truth Social message calling Greene a “ranting lunatic,” immediately triggered questions about whether Loomer is positioning herself as a potential challenger in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. TRUMP DROPS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ENDORSEMENT, CALLS HER A ‘RANTING LUNATIC,’ HINTS AT BACKING PRIMARY RIVAL Greene has not responded to Loomer’s posts. Loomer and Greene have publicly attacked each other throughout the year, with their exchanges escalating sharply since summer. In August, the two clashed over Loomer’s criticism of Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg, sparking a days-long volley of insults. Saturday’s posts show Loomer revisiting and escalating those accusations. She described Greene as “no friend to MAGA,” accused her of disloyalty dating back to 2021 and brought up claims about Greene’s political alliances during the 2022 midterms. TRUMP GIVES EX-ALLY GREENE NEW NICKNAME AFTER DROPPED ENDORSEMENT, SAYS SHE BETRAYED ‘ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY’ Several of Loomer’s follow-up posts Saturday referenced Greene receiving public support from Democrats, adding fuel to an already volatile public feud. Trump’s public break with Greene, which he delivered in a lengthy statement late Friday, removed one of the Georgia Republican’s most valuable political assets, the president’s personal endorsement. In his post, Trump said Greene had become consumed with “complaining,” claimed she had “turned left” politically and said conservative voters in Georgia were already considering a primary challenge. He added that he would give “Complete and Unyielding Support” to the “right person” who enters the race. Trump did not name any potential challengers. While Loomer has not announced a campaign, her suggestion of a possible move to Georgia came within hours of Trump’s statement and quickly fueled speculation online that she could test the waters. If Loomer relocates and enters the 2026 primary, it would pit two highly visible right-wing firebrands against each other in one of the most closely watched House districts in the country. Georgia’s 14th District remains deeply conservative, meaning the primary is typically the decisive contest. A high-profile rivalry amplified by Trump’s public intervention would almost certainly attract national attention, campaign money and intense media coverage. For now, Loomer has offered no formal announcement, only the question.
Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman denies viewing pornography on flight after viral photos surface online
Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman is firing back after photos went viral appearing to show him viewing explicit images on a tablet while aboard a flight, prompting swift online backlash. Images posted to X Friday appeared to show the California congressman, 71, staring at a tablet with his mouth agape while scrolling through photos of women in their underwear. “Why did California Congressman Brad Sherman feel it was appropriate to look at porn on his iPad during a flight today?” one X post said. JAY JONES MURDER TEXTS LATEST CASE OF DEMOCRATS CIRCLING THE SCANDAL WAGONS The post had amassed 12.4 million views as of Saturday evening. Sherman denied the allegations, and a spokesperson for the congressman told Fox News Digital the pictures appeared because of his algorithm on X, formerly Twitter. “This was nothing more than scrolling through Twitter, and, unfortunately, Elon Musk has ruined the Twitter algorithm to give people content that they don’t ask for or subscribe to,” a spokesperson for Sherman told Fox News Digital in an email. Sherman similarly told Punchbowl News the images appeared on his X feed under the “For You” section of X, a page that shows recommended content. “This was on Twitter. These pictures came up on ‘For You’,” Sherman told Punchbowl News, adding he viewed a variety of posts during his cross-country flight. “If you have to fly across the country, you look at a lot of stuff on your tablet,” he said. FOX NEWS POLITICS NEWSLETTER: MAJOR PENTAGON CONTRACTOR EXECUTIVE CAUGHT IN CHILD SEX STING OPERATION “If I see a picture of a woman, might I look at it longer than a sunset? Yeah.” When asked whether he thought the content was appropriate to view on a plane, Sherman told Punchbowl News, “Is it pornography? I don’t think Elon Musk thinks so. Is it appropriate? No.” The images quickly drew widespread reactions across social media. Donald Trump Jr. responded to the viral post with, “Yikes!!!!” EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS RAISE NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP CONDUCT AS HE DENOUNCES DEMOCRATS Firing back at Donald Trump Jr., Sherman posted an edited version of the photo showing his iPad screen replaced with the words, “Release the Epstein files.” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., also weighed in, writing, “I don’t want to hear a single peep from anyone in/around Congress, or the media, [about] how I stroll through an airport ever again.” Mace recently demanded the resignation of Charleston Airport CEO Elliot Summey and threatened legal action after airport officials accused her of mistreating staff. X did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Border czar Tom Homan slams Catholic Church, says a ‘secure border saves lives’
Border czar Tom Homan slammed the Catholic Church on Friday, saying its opposition to mass deportations undermines U.S. law enforcement and costs lives. “The Catholic Church is wrong,” Homan said. “I’m sorry. I’m a lifelong Catholic. I’m saying it not only as a border czar — I’ll say it as a Catholic. They need to spend time fixing the Catholic Church, in my opinion.” Homan made the remarks at the White House when asked about the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which this week condemned President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and warned of “a climate of fear and anxiety” around immigration enforcement, according to Reuters. HOMAN BLASTS CRITICS, HAILS BORDER PATROL CHIEF GREG BOVINO AS ‘PATRIOT’ AFTER FIERY CHICAGO TEAR GAS HEARING The bishops’ statement followed recent comments from Pope Leo, who called for “deep reflection” on how migrants are being treated under Trump, whose administration has aggressively carried out mass deportations, according to Reuters. Homan urged the Church to “fix itself” before criticizing U.S. immigration policy and accused faith leaders of hypocrisy, noting that the Vatican imposes harsh penalties for trespassing on its grounds. “So, according to them, the message we should send to the whole world is that if you cross the border illegally, which is a crime, don’t worry about it,” Homan said. TOM HOMAN CALLS OUT ‘MORNING JOE’ HOST FOR ACCUSING ICE AGENTS OF DISAPPEARING PEOPLE “If you get ordered removed by a federal judge after due process, don’t worry about us, because there should not be mass deportations. Is that the message you send to the whole world?” Homan said the Trump administration’s immigration policy “saves lives” and is more humane than the Biden administration’s approach. He argued that desperate migrants often rely on violent cartels to smuggle them across the border in hazardous conditions, claiming that more than 4,000 migrants died during those journeys, while thousands of Americans died from fentanyl smuggled across the border. “Secure border saves lives. I wish the Catholic Church would understand that,” Homan said. “We have a right to secure our borders, just like they have a right to secure their facility. You can’t enter their facility without getting arrested. The penalties for entering their facility are much worse than ours.” Homan added that the U.S. has “the most secure border in the history of this nation” because of strict enforcement under ICE.
Sen. Fetterman shares graphic photo after heart rhythm scare, says doctors ‘put me back together’
Sen. John Fetterman shared a graphic recovery photo Saturday, two days after a fall near his Pennsylvania home sent him to a Pittsburgh hospital with a facial injury caused by a ventricular fibrillation flare-up. Fetterman, D-Pa., posted the close-up selfie on X Saturday, showing a stitched gash across his cheek as he held an iced coffee. “Twenty stitches later and a full recovery, I’m back home,” he wrote, thanking doctors at UPMC for “putting me back together” and supporters for their well-wishes. He posted the image just two days after he was hospitalized early Thursday. FETTERMAN’S BRUTALLY CANDID ACCOUNT OF BATTLING DEPRESSION, FEELING SUICIDAL, BEING THROWN OUT OF HIS HOUSE A spokesperson said the senator was out for a morning walk near his home in Braddock when he suddenly became light-headed, collapsed and struck his face. Doctors later determined the fall was triggered by a flare-up of ventricular fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that can cause dizziness or sudden loss of balance. Fetterman remained at UPMC for observation and medication adjustments before being discharged and returning home. His office said he is “doing well” and recuperating with his wife, Gisele, and their children. He tried to joke about the incident in a statement Thursday, saying, “If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!” FETTERMAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER FALL NEAR HOME IN PENNSYLVANIA The stitched-up selfie quickly spread across social media Saturday, drawing a wave of sympathy, political commentary and fresh attention to Fetterman’s health, something he has addressed openly since suffering a debilitating stroke during his 2022 Senate campaign. Fetterman became one of the most outspoken lawmakers during the ongoing shutdown fight, breaking with most Democrats this week to vote with Republicans to reopen the federal government.
Indiana Senate Republicans reject Trump-backed redistricting push, decline to meet in December
Indiana Senate Republicans are refusing to return for a December redistricting session sought by President Donald Trump, a decision first reported Friday by the Indiana Capital Chronicle and one that marks a notable break from Trump’s political operation as states prepare for the 2026 midterms. Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said in a written statement there were not enough votes within the GOP caucus to reopen Indiana’s congressional map, according to the Chronicle. Lawmakers had been expected to reconvene Dec. 1 for what would have been an unusual mid-decade attempt to redraw all nine congressional districts. “Over the last several months, Senate Republicans have given very serious and thoughtful consideration to the concept of redrawing our state’s congressional maps,” Bray said, according to the Chronicle. “There are not enough votes to move that idea forward.” Gov. Mike Braun had called for lawmakers to meet in November to take up redistricting and argued that Republicans should add additional GOP-leaning districts before Democrats in other states complete their own mapping changes. TRUMP-BACKED MAP VICTORY IN MISSOURI COULD TRIGGER REDISTRICTING BATTLES IN THESE STATES He urged lawmakers to “show up and do the right thing,” according to a statement released by his office. Indiana’s current map, drawn by Republicans in 2021, gives the GOP a 7-2 congressional advantage. Redistricting supporters had wanted lawmakers to craft a map in which all nine districts favored Republicans based on 2020 Census data. The push came after months of pressure from Trump allies, including strategist Marty Obst, who now leads the group Fair Maps Indiana. Obst told the Chronicle that Bray “blocked the special session” and warned that “decisions have consequences.” JUDGE SET TO CHOOSE NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP IN FIGHT THAT COULD RESHAPE HOUSE CONTROL Eight Republican state senators had publicly opposed redistricting, while 13 had expressed support, the Chronicle reported. Undecided senators were targeted with a wave of television, digital and mail advertising campaigns from pro-redistricting groups. Democrats quickly praised Bray’s announcement. Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder said in a statement to the Chronicle that “Washington insiders pressured the governor to rig Indiana’s congressional maps,” calling the collapse of the effort a “win for all of us.” Public polling cited by the Chronicle suggested that Indiana voters also leaned against revisiting the maps. University of Indianapolis political science professor Laura Merrifield Wilson told the Chronicle that surveys indicated roughly a 2-to-1 margin opposing a mid-decade redraw. Turning down Trump’s request makes Indiana the first Republican-led state to formally reject his redistricting push. The president has encouraged similar efforts in several states, with varying results. Some of the effort’s loudest supporters signaled they would continue pressing the issue. State Sen. Liz Brown called the move “cowardly” on social media, according to screenshots published by the Chronicle, and vowed to raise redistricting again when lawmakers return for Organization Day next week. The White House, Bray’s office and Braun’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump issues fresh pardons for Jan 6 defendants, including woman accused of threatening FBI on social media
President Donald Trump has granted fresh pardons to two Jan. 6 defendants facing charges on other issues. Suzanne Kaye, a Jan. 6 defendant, was also sentenced to 18 months in prison for allegedly threatening to shoot FBI agents in social media posts. The Biden administration’s Department of Justice stated that on Jan. 31, 2021, the day before Kaye was set to meet with FBI agents regarding a tip that she was at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, she posted videos on social media in which she said she would “shoot” FBI agents if they came to her house. The FBI learned of Kaye’s social media posts on Feb. 8, 2021, and arrested Kaye at her Florida home on Feb. 17, 2021. A White House official told Fox News Digital that Kaye is prone to stress-induced seizures and suffered one while the jury read its verdict in 2023. The official said that the case was one of disfavored political speech, which is protected under the First Amendment. TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS ON INAUGURATION DAY U.S. Special Attorney Ed Martin posted about the pardon on Saturday, thanking Trump in a post on X. “The Biden DOJ targeted Suzanne Kaye for social media posts — and she was sentenced to 18 months in federal lock up. President Trump is unwinding the damage done by Biden’s DOJ weaponization, so the healing can begin,” Martin wrote. Jan. 6 defendant Daniel Wilson remained incarcerated after Trump pardoned convicted rioters, because he had pleaded guilty to firearms charges. A White House official told Fox News Digital that the president made the decision to grant Wilson an additional pardon because the firearms were discovered during a search of Wilson’s home related to the Capitol riot. Despite being included in the sweeping pardon granted to Jan. 6 defendants by Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, Wilson remained incarcerated due to the firearms charge and was set to be released in 2028. Prior to his sentencing on Jan. 6-related charges, for which he received five years in prison, Wilson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of an unregistered firearm. While the Trump administration Justice Department initially said that the firearm charge should not count under the Jan. 6 pardon, it later reversed course, citing “further clarity,” without going into details about what caused the shift. TRUMP ISSUES SWEEPING PARDONS FOR 2020 ELECTION ALLIES — WHAT THE MOVE REALLY MEANS In his original pardon, Trump declared that pursuant to his authority under Article II, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution, he was commuting the sentences of those “convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.” That pardon included Wilson’s Jan. 6 charges, but not the firearms-related ones. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee involved in Wilson’s case, rejected the expanded definition of what exactly Trump was pardoning, saying it stretched the bounds of the order too far. In her opinion, Friedrich criticized the use of the phrase “related to” from Trump’s original pardon to expand its meaning. “The surrounding text of the pardon makes clear that ‘related to’ denotes a specific factual relationship between the conduct underlying a given offense and what took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,” Friedrich wrote in her opinion. An appeals court later supported her objections, saying that Wilson had to remain behind bars during the appeal process. Wilson previously identified himself as a member of the Oath Keepers and the Gray Ghost Partisan Rangers militia, according to Politico. “Dan Wilson is a good man. After more than 7 months of unjustified imprisonment, he is relieved to be home with his loved ones,” Wilson’s attorneys, George Pallas and Carol Stewart, told Politico in a statement. “This act of mercy not only restores his freedom but also shines a light on the overreach that has divided this nation.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice and Wilson’s legal team for comment.