TribCast: How big of a threat is screwworm?
In this week’s episode, the TribCast team talks to Phillip Kaufman, head of Texas A&M’s entomology department, and Josh Winegarner from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association about the arrival of screwworm in Texas.
New pro-Talarico super PAC wants to give GOP voters “permission to defect”
Moment of Truth PAC, launched by a bipartisan group of campaign operatives, is aiming to spend a staggering $62 million. Much of it would be used to spotlight Ken Paxton’s controversies.
Indian group targeted by Trump scored policy wins after backing Texas firm tied to president’s son
New details of the $100 million investment into America First Refining by one of the richest men in Asia reveal the role Donald Trump Jr. has played.
Government watchdog says Texas detention center wasted up to $11.5 million before detainees arrived
A U.S. General Accounting Office report found a host of problems at El Paso’s Camp East Montana, including a contractor losing a loaded gun on the property after it opened.
East Texas county judge urges state lawmakers to help locals combat data center proliferation
A proposed data center in Angelina County will occupy more than 1,000 acres outside of Lufkin. The county judge says there’s nothing he can do to stop it.
Gaming-world veteran who ripped ‘woke’ culture scores Trump-backed battleground primary win
Trump-endorsed candidate Marty O’Donnell advanced in a crowded GOP primary race to face off against Democratic incumbent Rep. Susie Lee in Nevada’s 3rd congressional district. O’Donnell is best known as the composer for the popular “Halo” and “Destiny” video game franchises and has run his campaign on putting “families first,” as well as promoting small businesses and community safety. The district is among Nevada’s most fiercely contested battlegrounds, with its suburban electorate often deciding close races. President Donald Trump carried the district in 2016 and again in 2024, while former President Joe Biden flipped it in 2020. O’Donnell entered the primary with major GOP backing after securing endorsements from Trump and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo. ‘HALO’ COMPOSER RUNNING FOR CONGRESS DRAWS PARALLELS TO DECLINE OF WOKENESS IN GAMING TO TRUMP’S RE-ELECTION “Susie Lee wants Open Borders, Men playing in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, Defund the Police, and wants to take away your Second Amendment, meaning, your guns. Sadly, she voted against the Biggest Tax Cut in History (including NO TAX ON TIPS!), and fought ferociously to knock out Rural Healthcare, a big factor in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District,” wrote Trump in his endorsement on Truth Social in April. “In contrast, Marty O’Donnell is a World-Class Composer and Entrepreneur who knows the America First Policies required to Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote NO TAX ON TIPS, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age. As your next Congressman, Marty will fight tirelessly to Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our Brave Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” said Trump. The video game composer has compared the battles against “woke” ideology in both video games and politics during his run for Congress. “I believe the enthusiasm for the re-release of the original ‘Halo’ is in large part due to the wokification of the gaming industry,” he wrote in 2025 of “woke” ideology in gaming. “After years of gamers fighting the infiltration of DEI in the industry, we are finally winning.” “I saw firsthand the beginning of DEI in the industry,” he continued, describing how the industry has faced backlash over games that alienated players with identity politics. “How did gamers react to having things forced on them by non-gamers developing these characters in the studio? They revolted.” The “Halo” games, centered on humanity’s war against alien invaders, have sold tens of millions of copies, becoming one of the most recognizable and enduring video game franchises since 2001. DEM SENATOR REVEALS HOW SHE NARROWLY WON KEY STATE THAT TRUMP FLIPPED: ‘BE PRACTICAL TO FIND RESULTS’ The large suburban electorate voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election even as Lee narrowly won the congressional race — a seat she has held since 2019. Lee, an education advocate, has strongly opposed Trump’s call to eliminate the Department of Education, advocating instead for increased federal funding for public schools, special education and after-school programs. The self-proclaimed moderate Lee also campaigned on the cost of living and healthcare, pushing to lower costs for families. DEM TIED TO CARTEL OPERATIVE SAYS ‘WHITE NATIONALISTS’ JOINING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TO ‘HUNT DOWN PEOPLE’ O’Donnell supports strict border control, a finished border wall and targeting human and drug trafficking. Lee has occasionally supported tougher border-security measures but is against Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship and has criticized some aspects of his immigration policies.
Top GOP target Dina Titus fends off House primary challengers
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus won the Democratic primary in Nevada’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating challengers Gabriel Cornejo, Joy Hoover and Luis Paniagua to secure her party’s nomination for an eighth term in Congress. Titus, who has represented the Las Vegas-area district since 2013, entered the race as the clear frontrunner, backed by labor unions and Democratic organizations while also holding significant advantages in fundraising. The veteran lawmaker faced a challenge from candidates who argued Democrats should embrace a new generation of leadership, a criticism Titus largely dismissed during the campaign. Titus pointed to her experience in Congress and her record on issues important to Southern Nevada voters, including tourism, transportation and veterans affairs, helping her win the Democratic primary. MINIVAN MOM PUTS DEM INCUMBENT ON NOTICE IN TOP GOP TARGET DISTRICT: ‘SHE HAS DONE NOTHING FOR US’ First elected to Congress in 2008 from Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, Titus returned to the House in 2012 after redistricting reshaped Nevada’s congressional map. Before serving in Congress, she spent two decades in the Nevada Senate and worked as a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her primary opponents struggled to gain significant traction in a race largely overshadowed by higher-profile statewide contests. Hoover, a businesswoman and nonprofit founder, Cornejo and Paniagua all sought to present themselves as alternatives to the longtime incumbent but ultimately failed to beat Titus. NEW GUARD OF GOP WOMEN SAYS DEMOCRATS CAN’T ‘PIGEONHOLE’ FEMALE VOTERS AS THEY TARGET KEY HOUSE RACES The focus now turns to the general election, where Titus is expected to face the Republican nominee in a district that has become more competitive in recent years following redistricting. Still, the Cook Political Report rates Nevada’s 1st Congressional District as “Likely Democrat,” reflecting both the district’s Democratic lean and Titus’ incumbency advantage. Nevada’s 1st District includes much of eastern Las Vegas, Henderson, Paradise and surrounding communities in Clark County. According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, the district carries a D+2 rating. Republicans have not held the seat since former Rep. John Ensign left Congress in 1999.
Nevada’s top cop wins Dem primary, takes on Gov Lombardo
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, advancing to a showdown with Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in one of the nation’s most competitive governor’s races. Ford entered the race as the Democratic frontrunner in a field that included Hill, Sunshine Arterburn, Miqehl Bayfield, Emile Bouari and James Cooper. Before becoming Nevada’s first Black attorney general, he served in the Nevada Legislature, where he led the chamber as majority leader. REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Housing affordability emerged as a key issue in Ford’s campaign, with Ford pledging to lower costs and expand access to housing, according to his campaign website. Ford’s primary victory comes as the two-term attorney general faces growing criticism over his extensive travel record. DEM SENATOR REVEALS HOW SHE NARROWLY WON KEY STATE THAT TRUMP FLIPPED: ‘BE PRACTICAL TO FIND RESULTS’ State records reviewed by Fox News Digital in March found Ford accumulated more than $410,000 in travel costs since taking office in 2019, while local outlets have reported he spent more than 100 days outside Nevada during his tenure. A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office defended the travel, saying the trips were tied to Ford’s official duties and campaign activities, including coordinating with law enforcement agencies across the country, and were permitted under Nevada law. REPUBLICANS CUT INTO DEM VOTER REGISTRATION ADVANTAGE IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE AS EARLY VOTE WRAPS UP Ford is also under investigation by the Nevada Commission on Ethics over whether he solicited improper gifts or used his office to improperly benefit himself, according to documents recovered by local outlets. Nevada’s gubernatorial race is expected to be one of the most closely watched contests of the midterm elections as Democrats attempt to reclaim control of the governor’s office in the Silver State. Lombardo, who defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2022, is seeking a second term and will face the Democratic nominee in November. Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.
Joe Lombardo cruises past six GOP challengers to secure Nevada Republican gubernatorial nomination
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo secured the Republican nomination for a second term Tuesday, defeating six GOP challengers and advancing to the general election as Democrats vie for the chance to reclaim the governor’s mansion in November. The first-term governor entered the primary as the overwhelming favorite. Lombardo, a former Clark County sheriff, was elected governor in 2022 when he defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, becoming the only Republican challenger to unseat an incumbent Democratic governor that year. He now heads into the general election against the Democratic nominee, who will emerge from a primary field that includes state Attorney General Aaron Ford and Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS Lombardo defeated a field of mostly lesser-known Republican challengers that included Donald Beaudry Jr., Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Matthew Winterhawk, Jose Zelaya and Barak Zilberberg. Beaudry Jr., a financial engineer, is a hedge fund manager and founder of an artificial intelligence company. He campaigned on his private-sector experience. Hansen, a realtor and small-business owner who previously ran for mayor of Las Vegas, positioned herself as an outsider candidate challenging the political establishment. Winterhawk, a businessman and nonprofit founder, entered the race as a political newcomer and also promoted himself as an alternative to Nevada’s political establishment. REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Hawkins, a Navy veteran, publisher and conservative activist, previously sought the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Nevada in 2022. Zelaya, a real estate investor who also sought a bid in the GOP race in 2022, maintained a relatively low public profile throughout the campaign and released limited information about his candidacy. The race for the governor’s mansion in Nevada is among the most closely watched gubernatorial contests of the 2026 midterm election cycle. The winner in the key swing state could gain national prominence ahead of the 2028 presidential election and help shape their party’s political strategy in Nevada. It also comes as Democrats try to flip back the mansion after losing it in 2022. With no U.S. Senate race on Nevada’s ballot this cycle, the governor’s race has served as the state’s marquee contest and the primary driver of campaign advertising spending. Beyond the gubernatorial race, Nevada voters also weighed in on primaries for U.S. House seats and a variety of state offices, while voters in Henderson, Nevada’s second-largest city, cast ballots in the city’s mayoral election.
South Carolina GOP race to replace Nancy Mace heads to runoff
Jenny Honeycutt, a business owner, and Mark Smith, a state legislator, advanced in a crowded GOP primary to replace outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on Tuesday evening. Because no candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote needed to win outright, the primary now heads to a runoff that’s slated to take place on June 23. The vacancy arose when Mace, a firebrand conservative, announced her decision to run for governor of the Palmetto State. During her time in Congress, Mace has attracted attention for being one of the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023, for championing legislation on cybersecurity and forcing a vote on releasing the Epstein Files earlier this year. FIRST ON FOX: RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL WHO PILOTED LAST FLIGHT OUT OF AFGHANISTAN REVEALS NEW MISSION Mace, who has taken on a national profile, said she would look to continue her work at the state level. “South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the tables,” Mace said during her announcement speech. S.C. 01, a safely Republican district, has been held by the GOP for much of the past forty years. Aside from Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., who held the seat from 2019 to 2021, Republicans have controlled the district since 1981. FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN FIREBRAND NANCY MACE LAUNCHES BID FOR SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR Mace last won reelection in 2024 in a 58.2% to 41.6% victory over Democratic challenger Michel Moore, a businessman. Honeycutt, who runs a law firm that helps clients navigate regulations, has positioned herself as a pro-family political outsider, highlighting issues like law and order, the country’s fiscal picture and family finances as key priorities on her website. According to FEC records, Honeycutt raised just north of $345,600 as of the end of May. Mark Smith, also a small business owner, led a funeral home service before running for the South Carolina House of Representatives. He has served in state legislator since 2020, and, according to his biography, helped cut taxes and support local law enforcement in that role. Smith garnered $750,700 in campaign donations, according to FEC records. WATCH: MACE SAYS TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT HASN’T SEALED SC GUBERNATORIAL RACE: ‘IT’S A DOG FIGHT’ A third contender in the race, Jay Byars, raised $220,600. He began a political career in 2011 when he was elected to the Dorchester County Council and has remained in the job for four terms. On the private side, Byars began several companies, including a storage service and Good Faith Caregivers, a home care business. Notably, Mace has not endorsed in the race to replace her.