John Zerwas sole finalist for UT System chancellor; Jim Davis lone candidate for UT-Austin president
Both Zerwas and Davis have been serving as interim leaders of the university system and its flagship.
Texas lawmakers largely ignored recommendations aimed at helping rural areas like Kerr County prepare for flooding
Texas lawmakers’ inaction on flood prevention often hits rural and economically disadvantaged communities the hardest, experts said.
GOP Army veteran announces challenge to Democrat Vicente Gonzalez in South Texas congressional district
The prospect of Eric Flores’ candidacy has excited Republicans in Texas and Washington, due in part to his military and law enforcement credentials.
As Trump’s raids ramp up, Valley residents stay inside — even when they need medical care
In the Rio Grande Valley, fears of deportation cause some undocumented residents to neglect their health in a region rife with obesity, diabetes and other chronic health problems.
Texas Democrats vow to use delay tactics to drag out GOP redistricting effort
With few options to prevent the Republican majority from passing a new congressional map, Democrats threatened to filibuster, delay hearings and even break quorum.
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from defunding some Planned Parenthood facilities
A judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from stripping some Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood after Congress and President Donald Trump agreed to partially defund the nonprofit through passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said in her order partially granting a preliminary injunction that the bill unconstitutionally punishes Planned Parenthood member organizations that do not provide abortions. The injunction will risk “at most minimal harm—financial or otherwise” to the Trump administration while the lawsuit proceeds, Talwani, an Obama appointee, wrote. The judge’s order appears to apply to some but not all Planned Parenthood facilities. The nonprofit said in a statement that it viewed Talwani’s order as a partial win and remained “hopeful” that the judge would take further judicial action down the line. “This isn’t over,” the organization said. “While we’re grateful that the court recognized the harm caused by this law, we’re disappointed that not all members were granted the necessary relief today.” SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN OKS BAN ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERAL FUNDING IN TRUMP MEGABILL Talwani’s order arose from a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a massive budget bill that passed Congress this month with no Democrat support. Trump signed the bill into law on July 4. A provision in the bill stripped Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood, which the nonprofit said could force it to close about 200 of its 600 facilities and deprive about half of its customers, more than one million people, of services that do not include abortion. Planned Parenthood attorneys noted in court filings that Medicaid typically does not cover abortion. JUDGE TORCHED FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD ORDER: HER COURT LOOKS ‘LIKE A FAST FOOD DRIVE-THRU’ The attorneys argued that the bill would cause cancer and sexually transmitted infections to go undetected, especially for low-income people, and that more unplanned pregnancies would occur because of a lack of contraception access. They said the consequences of losing Medicaid funding “will be grave.” Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys had previously argued in court filings that the purpose of the budget provision was to stop “federal subsidies for Big Abortion” by freezing federal funds for certain Medicaid recipients who provide abortions. Weakening Planned Parenthood has been one of the pro-life movement’s leading priorities since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Talwani granted a temporary restraining order two weeks ago in favor of Planned Parenthood. The judge initially offered no explanation for her decision, a move that led to widespread backlash among Republicans who described it as judicial overreach. Days later, Talwani offered more context in a subsequent order. PLANNED PARENTHOOD USING ‘LOOPHOLE’ TO GET MINORS GENDER TRANSITIONS WITHOUT PARENTS’ OK: WATCHDOG The preliminary injunction will partially leave in place the pause on defunding Planned Parenthood indefinitely, but the Trump administration is likely to appeal the order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The judge noted that her injunction applied to Planned Parenthood entities that do not provide abortion services or receive less than $800,000 in annual Medicaid reimbursements. DOJ attorneys had previously argued to the court that blocking a measure that was passed by Congress and signed by the president was an extraordinary move and unjustified. “Beyond the futility of the claims on the merits, Planned Parenthood fails to demonstrate imminent irreparable harm to justify an injunction, asserting only classically reparable economic injury and irrelevant potential harm to patients, who are third parties not before this Court,” DOJ attorneys wrote.
Thomas Fugate, 22-year-old Trump DHS appointee, addresses backlash over age, inexperience
FIRST ON FOX: Thomas Fugate, a 22-year-old Trump appointee, spoke with Fox News Digital after being cast into the spotlight and criticized over his young age, inexperience and role in President Donald Trump’s administration. Fugate’s official title at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is Special Assistant. However, several outlets reported that Fugate was the head of DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3). CP3 is DHS’ lead office for terrorism and targeted violence prevention. The young appointee and DHS denied those claims to Fox News Digital. “All decisions came down from policy leadership, [the] undersecretary, deputy secretary, and chief of staff,” Fugate emphasized. SECOND SUSPECT ARRESTED IN CBP OFFICER SHOOTING HAS LENGTHY CRIMINAL PAST, DHS SAYS Fugate went on to say that CP3, a program which was gutted by an $18.5 million cut last week, has a heavily reduced role compared to previous administrations as Trump’s DHS has downsized the division. “Before I got there, [CP3] was already flagged for waste, fraud, and abuse,” Fugate explained. “We’re not talking about a massive office of 80 people with a wide range of functions. We’re talking about a very niche and small, specialized office.” Fugate said the office is mainly focused on administering a grant program. “It’s only when you take it out of context and blow it out of proportion that it then becomes a massive problem where people think I’m practically running the FBI,” Fugate continued. DHS also told Fox News Digital that Fugate was never in a position of leadership within the program, and even referred to him as a “low-level” staffer. NOEM BLAMES ‘SANCTUARY’ POLICIES FOR MIGRANT ACCUSED OF SHOOTING OFF-DUTY CBP OFFICER “This entire smear campaign around Thomas Fugate is a smokescreen to bury the rampant grift and waste festering in the CP3 program under the Biden Administration’s watch,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox. “Fugate never held the director role at CP3, and to imply that he had operational control or exercised leadership over CP3 is simply untrue, as we have consistently told them.” “The fact a low-level 22-year-old staffer was able to identify the misappropriated spending and the subsequent violent reaction to defend this woke, partisan spending by those on the left tells you exactly what this program was really being used for,” McLaughlin said. As for his young age and experience, Fugate noted that he started out with DHS at Border and Immigration when the Undersecretary of Policy asked him to temporarily assist at CP3. Prior to that, he interned at the Heritage Foundation before graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in Politics and Law last May.
Pentagon orders 700 Marines to withdraw from Los Angeles as stability returns following ICE protests
The Department of Defense has ordered 700 U.S. Marines to leave Los Angeles, California on Monday, more than a month after they were deployed to the city against the will of city leaders and amid violent demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. The Trump administration deployed the 700 Marines and federalized roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles in early June to quell anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots and protests. The Marines assigned to the area were limited to defending federal buildings, including the ICE office and detention facility in downtown LA. PENTAGON SCALING DOWN NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO LA “With stability returning to Los Angeles, the Secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said. “Their rapid response, unwavering discipline, and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order and upholding the rule of law. We’re deeply grateful for their service, and for the strength and professionalism they brought to this mission.” The Pentagon’s decision to have the Marines leave LA comes after half of the National Guard troops were ordered to leave the city last week. LA Mayor Karen Bass called the withdrawal of troops “another win for Los Angeles.” MARINES STILL NOT ON LA STREETS, SEEN IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT TRAINING “This is another win for Los Angeles, but this is also a win for those serving this country in uniform,” Bass said on Monday. “Just this morning I stood with Veterans, families of active-duty officers, and business leaders to show the impact of this unnecessary, unprecedented, and unconstitutional assault on our city. We took the administration to court and won, now we continue that momentum with today’s news. Los Angeles stands with our troops, which is why we are glad they are leaving.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration for deploying California National Guard troops despite his opposition. He argued that the National Guard troops were likely violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits troops from conducting civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil. HEGSETH SPARS WITH SENATE DEMOCRATS OVER MARINE DEPLOYMENT TO LA ANTI-ICE RIOTS: ‘NOT ABOUT LETHALITY’ Newsom won an early victory in the case after a federal judge ruled the Guard deployment was illegal and exceeded Trump’s authority. An appeals court tossed that order, and control of the troops remained with the federal government. The federal court is set to hear arguments next month on whether the troops are violating the Posse Comitatus Act. The deployment of National Guard troops was for 60 days, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had the discretion to shorten or extend it “to flexibly respond to the evolving situation on the ground,” the Trump administration’s lawyers wrote in a June 23 filing in the legal case. Fox News’ Liz Friden, Danielle Wallace, James Levinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Republican fundraising outpaces Democrats by nearly double, June numbers show
As the Democratic Party continues to reel from its 2024 losses and deals with internal strife, Republican fundraising nearly doubled that of the Democrats in June, according to reporting by The Hill and a Fox News Digital review. The Hill reported that the Republican National Committee raised a grand total of $16.2 million in the month of June, far outstripping the Democratic National Committee’s $8.6 million during the same period. The RNC currently has a war chest totaling $80.78 million, while the DNC has $15.22 million on hand, according to the outlet. This comes as the Democratic Party had to deal with internal turmoil in June, including drama over former vice-chair David Hogg, a progressive activist, who decided to not seek reelection just months after being elevated to the role. Hogg had sparked considerable internal rifts with his push to primary older incumbent Democrats. ONE YEAR AFTER BIDEN’S UNPRECEDENTED EXIT FROM 2024 RACE, DEMOCRATS POLL NUMBERS AT ROCK BOTTOM At the time, DNC vice-chair Malcolm Kenyatta told Fox News Digital the process was “frustrating” and felt like a “slap in the face.” “We haven’t been able to be singularly focused,” Kenyatta said. “We’ve spent a lot of time talking about procedural nonsense within the DNC. I promise you nobody cares about that, and nobody wants to talk about it as little as I do. I want us to get refocused.” This comes after Vice President Kamala Harris spent a whopping $1.5 billion during her 15-week campaign that ended in defeat to President Donald Trump, including burning through millions of dollars on star-studded events on the eve of the election, according to a report. Despite this seemingly dire situation, Democratic Party leadership is taking an optimistic tone, saying in a Monday statement that this June was the “best-ever” for grassroots donations in an off-year in the committee’s history. DEMOCRATIC PARTY CATAPULTED INTO ‘NEW PHASE OF A COLD WAR’ IN ONE-YEAR WAKE OF BIDEN’S UNPRECEDENTED DROPOUT The statement said the party has raised a total of over $50 million since the start of the year. DNC Chair Ken Martin commented that “around the country, people are energized, ready to fight back, and empowering Democrats to win elections.” “The DNC is breaking grassroots fundraising records, bringing on more volunteers than ever, and raising record-setting funds to beat Republicans,” said Martin. “Democrats are back in the ring thanks to grassroots energy across all 50 states, and together, we’re going to defeat the toxic Republican agenda and put this country back on track for hard-working families.” Meanwhile, The Hill also reported the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) outraised its counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $32.3 million to $29.1 million in the second quarter of the year and $18.1 million to $12.7 million in June. The outlet noted that despite the fundraising, the DCCC reported having $39.7 million on hand, while the NRCC has $37.6 million. However, this is the first time in four years that the NRCC outraised the DCCC in the first six months of an election cycle. WATCH: NANCY PELOSI SILENT ON WHY BIDEN DID NOT RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES A Fox News Digital review of NRCC fundraising numbers found that on average, Republican congressional candidates in swing districts outraised vulnerable House Democrats in the second quarter $1.1 million to $661,000 and have more money on hand by over $848,000. In a statement emailed to Fox News Digital, NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella said the committee was building a “historic” war chest. “While House Republicans build a historic war chest to grow the majority, House Democrats are broke, divided, and hijacked by socialists,” said Marinella. “Donors are slamming the brakes because they know this party is pathetic, aimless, and has no chance of taking back the majority.” Fox News Digital reached out to the RNC, DNC and DCCC for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
‘It won’t be long’: HUD secretary shares video of dilapidated roof tiles at HQ amid bid to move it outside DC
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner shared a video Monday afternoon on social media showing falling roof tiles at the HUD agency’s D.C. headquarters amid the agency’s efforts to relocate its headquarters under the Trump administration. The video of the damaged building comes after Turner announced last month that HUD would be relocating its headquarters down the road to Alexandria, Virginia. Turner previously cited the fact that the D.C. building is facing over $500 million in “deferred maintenance” costs, while only half of HUD’s D.C. headquarters is currently being used. He has also argued the building is not safe, which he further illustrated in a Monday post on X. HUD BECOMES FIRST MAJOR CABINET AGENCY TO EXIT DC, CITING ‘FAILING’ HQ — WHICH DOGE WANTS TO SELL “The current HUD HQ is falling apart everywhere you turn. I witnessed this firsthand today,” Turner captioned his video posted to X Monday afternoon. “It’s not suitable for HUD staff or the people we serve. Moving day can’t come soon enough.” Turner showed “damaged roof tiles,” which he described as water-logged and “leaking.” The video showed a gaping hole in the roof of the HUD headquarters, with a trash heap beneath it full of what appeared to be broken roof tiles from the inside of the building that fell. “Did this fall on anyone?” Turner asked in the video, after which someone behind the camera confirms it did not. “Well,” Turner replied. “It won’t be long. It won’t be long.” TRUMP’S HOUSING CHIEF RIPS POWELL FOR BLOWING MILLIONS ON FED FACELIFT DURING HOUSING CRISIS HE PERPETUATES The HUD building will relocate from the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building to 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, where the National Science Foundation (NSF) is housed, but no indication has been made about when that move will be finalized. The move marks the first major executive agency under Trump to relocate its headquarters. The relocation effort will be a staggered process that will ultimately relocate approximately 2,700 HUD employees currently based at the D.C. headquarters building, according to the General Services Administration (GSA). In addition to saving on deferred maintenance costs, the relocation will also save taxpayers roughly $56 million in annual rent and operations expenditures, according to HUD. “This is about the HUD employees to have a safe space, to have a nice place to work, to represent the people that we serve in America,” Turner said during a press conference formally announcing the relocation last month. “This is not about the secretary. This is about the posterity and the future of HUD.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP NSF staff met this week to discuss how they will handle the HUD relocation, including a potential relocation themselves, local reporting out of Alexandria indicated.