One in five Latino Trump voters in Texas would not repeat vote if given redo, poll finds
The survey is the latest to measure eroding Latino support for the president and the GOP after historic gains in 2024. But a polling expert said Democrats were “still underperforming” among the bloc.
Hill Country ranch with caves, cliffs and lake will become Texas’ second-largest state park
The 54,000-acre Silver Lake Ranch, straddling Kinney and Edwards counties, has a 30-acre spring-fed lake. An opening date hasn’t been determined.
Senate GOP leaders spent months trashing Paxton. Can they turn the page and unify against Talarico?
Paxton’s blowout win on Tuesday compelled an alliance by necessity, if not natural synergy, between the attorney general and the Washington groups that spent months trying to elect John Cornyn.
Tala-freak-o vs. Ken the Criminal: Texas candidates sharpen attacks as U.S. Senate race locks in
Texas’ Ken Paxton and James Talarico focus their energies — and attack ads — on each other as the fight for U.S. Senate narrows to two.
Camp Mystic chief health officer barred from direct patient care by Texas nursing board
Mary Liz Eastland failed to develop proper emergency plans or properly respond to the flood that killed 25 campers and two counselors last year, the order states.
Gov. Greg Abbott to Texas colleges: Don’t increase tuition, fees
The governor said undergraduate tuition and fees should stay frozen after some public university systems weighed increases.
RFK Jr. responds to snake-handling critics with new video showing him wrangling a venomous rattlesnake
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared another snake-handling video Wednesday after social media users raised concerns over his earlier encounter with a pair of black racer snakes. Kennedy Jr. posted an Instagram video captioned, “In response to the many comments about venomous snakes, this video shows how Cheryl and I handled a recent rattlesnake rescue.” The clip begins with Kennedy Jr. sitting in his home office before someone alerts him to a snake in the driveway. “Hold on, guys. I’ll be back in a flash,” he says before grabbing a bucket and a small net and heading outside. RFK JR BAREHANDS A PAIR OF SNAKES ON DR. OZ’S PATIO IN WILD VIDEO The HHS secretary then carefully scoops up the rattlesnake as onlookers react in amazement. After placing the snake in a bucket, Kennedy Jr. later pins it behind the head and lifts it toward the camera while explaining how to identify the reptile. “His fangs are in there. I don’t want to touch them,” he said. “This is a beautiful snake. This is a Western Diamondback. You can tell by these rings at the end of his tail.” Kennedy Jr. then asked his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, to bring him a pillowcase before transporting and releasing the snake back into the wild. ACTRESS CHERYL HINES CLASHES WITH ‘THE VIEW’ OVER HER HUSBAND RFK JR’S RECORD SERVING AMERICANS The Instagram post appeared to respond directly to criticism and concern sparked by another snake video Kennedy Jr. shared Tuesday on X. In that clip, Kennedy Jr. grabbed two black North American racer snakes with his bare hands while visiting Dr. Mehmet Oz’s patio as Hines watched in apparent horror. “Honey, honey … why?” Hines yelled as Kennedy Jr. cornered the snakes. Kennedy Jr. then lunged at the reptiles and eventually lifted both by their tails as they repeatedly bit his hands. CHERYL HINES SHARES HARROWING EVACUATION FROM WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER AS GUNSHOTS RANG OUT “Black snakes, they’re biting me,” Kennedy Jr. said with a smile. The snakes continued striking at his hands as Hines pleaded, “Bobby, please! Bobby, Bobby, please,” before later telling him, “You are nuts.” Kennedy Jr. later posted the video to X with the caption, “Cheryl cheerleads the removal of a pair of Black Racers from Dr Oz’s patio.” According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, black racer snakes are nonvenomous and generally harmless to humans, though they will “readily bite to defend themselves.” The earlier video showed Kennedy Jr. handling nonvenomous snakes, while Wednesday’s Instagram clip focused on a venomous Western Diamondback rattlesnake, prompting some social media users to question whether the HHS secretary was taking unnecessary risks. Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.
Conservatives erupt after DNC lashes out at top White House official with vulgar personal attack
The official Democratic National Committee X account ignited a social media firestorm on Wednesday afternoon in a profanity-laden online spat with President Donald Trump’s chief policy advisor, Stephen Miller. “Shut up, you ugly f—” @TheDemocrats wrote. The comment was made in response to Miller’s own jeering of James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas. “The Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender senate candidate,” Miller said, needling Talarico over his physical appearance. WHAT THE F—-? DEMOCRATS TURN TO PROFANITY INSTEAD OF POLICY The moment quickly drew reactions from conservative onlookers online. Stephen Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, wasted no time and went straight for the DNC’s social media handler. “Paulina Mangubat is who runs the Democrats’ account. She’s 30, unmarried with no kids. Put your name on it next time,” Miller said. “This is what a sad, unhappy female liberal looks like. It’s why Pew reports 50% of them have been diagnosed with a mental condition,” she added, referring to the Pew Research Center. TEXAS SENATE HOPEFUL TALARICO IN HOT SEAT FOR CALLING MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS A ‘FAR RIGHT CONSPIRACY’ Conservative media personality Benny Johnson also weighed in. “This is the party that spent years lecturing America about civility, unity and healing. The party that cried when Trump was ‘mean’ on Twitter. This is who they really are. And they wonder why they keep losing,” Johnson said. “The official Democratic Party,” the Libs of TikTok wrote in its own post, highlighting the spat. “I’m sure this will get the votes you need,” conservative radio host Dana Loesch posted on X. “Hilarious these are the same people that complain about Trump being mean,” conservative influencer Caleb Hull posted on X. “This is where the median Democratic staffer’s comms instincts are,” Manhattan Institute VP Jesse Arm posted on X. When asked about the post, Talarico’s campaign referred Fox News Digital to their own response online, calling Miller’s comments “Talarico Derangement Syndrome,” a riff on “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a favorite phase of the president’s to describe his critics. The exchange also drew some scrutiny for Miller from accounts like Occupy Democrats, a left-leaning account that offered a defense of Talarico. “To point out the incredibly obvious here: James Talarico is not transgender. He is a cisgender, heterosexual Christian man with a loving girlfriend. Of course, even if he were trans (or nonbinary or gay or any other identity), that would in no way affect his ability to serve the people of Texas. What matters are his politics.” But at least one Democratic strategist decried the post. SELECTIVE OUTRAGE: TRUMP, DEMOCRATS MAINLY DENOUNCE THE OTHER SIDE’S SCANDALS “As a lifelong Dem who’s donated free consulting to House Dem staffers, I find this so, so embarrassing for us. We complain about the right’s behavior, and now we’re doing stuff like this? Come on, Democrats. Do better,” Jack Appleby wrote in a post of his own. The DNC post is one of many profanity-laced online posts popping up across social media as Democrats push an aggressive and edgy online strategy to go after Republicans. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rapid response account has repeatedly cursed out critics, including telling a conservative reporter earlier this year to “f— off.” The DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump says Delaney Hall protesters are ‘paid’ as clashes escalate outside NJ ICE facility
President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed protesters outside Delaney Hall as “fake” and “paid for” as demonstrations continued at the Newark ICE detention facility and Democratic lawmakers increased pressure over conditions inside. “These aren’t protesters; these people are fake, they’re all paid for,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. “We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world of their type.” Trump’s comments came after days of protests outside Delaney Hall, where detainees and family members have alleged overcrowding, poor living conditions and inadequate medical care inside the facility. Some detainees have also launched a hunger strike, according to Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J. The controversy escalated Wednesday as Reps. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., were escorted into the facility amid growing scrutiny surrounding conditions inside the detention center. PROTESTERS CLASH WITH ICE AS NJ DETENTION FACILITY DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE Protests outside Delaney Hall began Friday and have continued throughout the week, at times turning chaotic as demonstrators clashed with ICE agents outside the facility. On Sunday night, protesters attempted to block vehicles from entering and exiting the detention center. On Monday, officers deployed tear gas and forcibly removed protesters during confrontations outside the facility. Video from the scene showed officers throwing one protester to the ground and dragging another away from the entrance. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also defended conditions inside Delaney Hall and dismissed criticism from detainees and Democratic lawmakers. SOMETHING TO HIDE? ICE UNDER FIRE FOR SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS AT FOR-PROFIT DETENTION CENTER “This isn’t Holiday Inn,” Mullin said when asked about complaints surrounding the facility. Mullin also criticized elected officials who have appeared outside Delaney Hall, including Kim, who said he witnessed deteriorating conditions firsthand during a recent visit. “I’m sorry, you probably shouldn’t have been there,” Mullin said when asked about Kim being pepper-sprayed outside the facility. Kim told CNN detainees showed him spoiled food and described worsening conditions inside the center. “A detainee handed me a carton of milk, and I looked at it, and it was just congealed solid, I mean it was absolutely disgusting,” Kim said. ICE officials have denied allegations that detainees are being held in unsafe or inhumane conditions at the facility.
Talarico makes stunning claim about why he thinks Texas elections aren’t ‘free and fair’
Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico said he believes state laws have stacked the deck against him as he looks to become the first Democrat to win statewide office since 1994. “Means you’re probably going to have to win by a little more than we would have to in a completely free and fair election,” Talarico said in a recent podcast interview. Talarico’s posture towards Texas voting laws reflects a broader Democratic belief that Republican dominance in the Lone Star State is due to low turnout brought on by election security measures rather than the state’s conservative leanings — a theory that continues to drive long-running attempts to flip the state. Despite having raised an impressive $40 million as of March, Talarico faces an uphill campaign against Republican candidate Ken Paxton, the current Texas attorney general, who has widespread name recognition. TEXAS MAP FIGHT ESCALATES AS JEFFRIES VOWS ‘ALL OPTIONS’ TO STOP GOP PLAN “We’re going to have to overcome that. We’re going to have to out-organize, out-work, out-hustle that voter suppression if we’re going to win,” Talarico said. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas passed a flurry of election-security bills. Most notably, the legislature passed SB1, a bill that requires voters to provide specific identification numbers to vote and to register to vote: either a Texas driver’s license, an election identification certificate or the last four digits of a Social Security number. It also banned drive-through voting and unsolicited mailing of ballot applications. Talarico said he opposed its passage as a state legislator. “I will say that we already have a lot of voter suppression in Texas. It’s baked into our laws. I’ve fought fiercely against many of those laws when they were coming through the legislature,” Talarico said. “Texas is one of the hardest places to vote in the country as a result. It’s why we see such low voter turnout in our state compared to other states,” Talarico said. RED STATE AG INVESTIGATING MORE THAN 30 POTENTIAL NONCITIZENS WHO VOTED IN 2024 ELECTION Although it’s true that Texas ranks in the bottom five states for voter turnout, the 56.6% of voters that cast a ballot in the last presidential election was greater than turnout in 2016, 2012 and 2004, according to data from the United States Election Project. Similarly, the 41.8% participation in the 2022 midterms exceeded levels from 2014, 2010, 2006 and 2002. Talarico’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. To at least one GOP strategist, Talarico’s concern over turnout comes at the expense of his prioritization of election security. “James Talarico wants illegal aliens to vote in our elections,” Zach Kraft, a Republican National Committee spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. “While Talarico puts illegals first, Ken Paxton will continue to put Texans first by working with President Trump to get the SAVE America Act signed into law and ensure foreign citizens never vote in American elections,” Kraft said, referring to the national voter integrity bill championed by Republicans in Congress. Notably, as a state legislator, Talarico also voted against a bill that increased state penalties for illegal aliens voting in Texas elections from a Class A misdemeanor to a second-degree felony. TRUMP COMPARES DEM SENATE CANDIDATE TO FRECKLE-FACED CARTOON CHARACTER, PROMISES TO CAMPAIGN FOR PAXTON Despite his pessimistic outlook on Texas’s voting laws, Talarico urged viewers to draw confidence from other long-shot campaigns, such as civil rights movements and labor organizers. “They were all up against a rigged system. So, if they can do that, we can certainly do that against this stacked deck,” Talarico said.