National News 178
A Texas senator to demand the launch of the Epstein Files
A Texas senator intends to introduce a resolution “demanding” the information be made publicly available in response to President Donald Trump’s administration’s shifting public statements regarding the release of documents relating to financier and convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX-33 ) claimed on social media that the Trump administration and Trump himself
Texas elected representatives react to Trump signing” One, Big, Beautiful Bill”
The One, Big, Beautiful Bill ( OBBB ) Act, which includes a number of provisions that will affect Texas directly, was signed into law by President Donald Trump this week. Trump signed the OBBB into rules the day after it was approved by the U.S. House on July 3 with a 218 to 214 vote.
Federal, Texas Agencies Take Action Against ‘Man-Eater’ New World Screwworms
Federal and state officials are taking action to combat the spread of the New World screwworm (NWS), a pest that can pose serious and sometimes fatal damage to livestock and wildlife. In mid-June, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a “sweeping five-pronged plan” to combat the growing NWS issue. In the announcement, Rollins stated
U.S. Senate Passes Budget Reconciliation Package with Texas Border Reimbursement, Universal School Choice Provisions
The U.S. Senate passed the budget reconciliation “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday afternoon after a marathon of a voting session — including key provisions authored by the Texas congressional delegation such as border cost reimbursements, universal school choice, and the relocation of a space shuttle to Houston. It passed with 51 votes to 50
U.S. Senate Votes to Strip State AI Regulation Moratorium from ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’
Ahead of President Donald Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) being passed by the U.S. Senate, members overwhelmingly voted in favor of stripping a wide-ranging artificial intelligence (AI) provision. By a vote of 99 to 1, members removed a provision to the OBBB that would have placed a 10-year pause on state-level AI regulation. The
Colin Allred Launches 2026 Bid for U.S. Senate Following Last Year’s Loss
Former Congressman Colin Allred (D-TX-32) announced his second candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2026, less than a year after his first one ended in defeat to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Allred, who raised over $100 million in his 2024 challenge to Cruz, is the first of the rumored high-profile Democrats to jump into the
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Texas’ Age Verification Law for Pornography Websites
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has upheld a Texas law requiring websites that intentionally publish “sexual material harmful to minors” to verify the user’s age. The 6 to 3 decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton was delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas, writing that “The power to require age verification is within
Texas Lawmakers, Officials React to U.S. Strikes on Iran
Texas officials have shared mixed responses after the U.S. struck three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities over the weekend, in what President Donald Trump called a “very successful attack.” Trump announced on Saturday evening that “we have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran … All planes are now outside
Texas Joins 27-State Coalition Suing 23andMe to Block Sale of Private Genetic Information
The State of Texas joined a lawsuit against genetic testing company 23andMe, alongside 27 other states and the District of Columbia (D.C.), seeking to prevent sale of customers’ sensitive data without consent, coming after the company filed for bankruptcy. The California-based biotechnology company collected DNA through saliva samples from customers and in turn provided an
Former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht Named Chair of National AI Task Force
A criminal justice policy group has announced that former Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) Chief Justice Nathan Hecht will chair a new task force in an effort to “develop standards and evidence-based recommendations for the integration and oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) in the criminal justice system.” The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) announced on
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Tennessee Child Gender Modification Ban
In a 6 to 3 ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has found that a Tennessee law barring gender modification treatment for minors does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and “satisfies rational basis review.” The ruling came down along political lines, with each of the three liberal
SCOTUS Tosses Texas’ Legal Challenge to NRC’s Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage License
Texas and other plaintiffs lacked legal standing to intervene in the federal government’s approval of a spent nuclear fuel interim storage license to an Andrews County facility, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. The court decided 6 to 3 in favor of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in their lawsuit against the State of Texas,
