Paxton Sues CAIR, Bexar County

Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit yesterday to shut down the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Texas, alleging the group is “the American face of an international terrorist organization,” namely the Muslim Brotherhood.

Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations in November, accusing them of working “to forcibly impose Sharia law.” Last week, he called on Paxton to strip them of their nonprofit status and ability to operate in Texas.

“Radical Islamic terrorists are antithetical to law and order, endanger the people of Texas, and are an existential threat to our values,” said Paxton. CAIR dismissed the lawsuit as “another frivolous, politically motivated anti-Muslim publicity stunt that wastes more taxpayer dollars.”

On Wednesday, Paxton sued Bexar County for its December allocation of $566,181 to pay for legal services for illegal immigrants. Paxton has sued Harris County and the cities of Austin and San Antonio for similar programs.

All Six Victims of Maine Plane Crash Identified

Authorities have identified the six victims who died when a plane registered to an affiliate of a prominent Houston law firm crashed in Maine last month. The Bombardier Challenger 600 jet crashed in poor weather conditions shortly after taking off from Bangor International Airport on Sunday, January 25.

The pilot was 47-year-old Pearland flight instructor Jacob Hosmer, remembered by friends and family for his constant smile and love of pickleball. The co-pilot was 33-year-old Jordan Reidel of Conroe, who loved flying and earned his private pilot’s license at age 17.

Attorney and concierge service entrepreneur Tara Arnold, 46, was the wife of local personal injury lawyer Kurt Arnold, a founding partner of Arnold & Itkin. Shawna Collins, a 53-year-old event planner and employee at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, is remembered as someone who “celebrated everything.”

Nick Mastrascusa, a 43-year-old chef from Hawaii, is remembered as someone who “believed in connection—in gathering people together, in shared meals, stories, laughter.” Shelby Kuyawa, 34, was a sommelier from Hawaii who had a “love of storytelling through food and wine.”

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➤ San Antonio: The last of eight new flyovers connecting Loop 1604 and I-10 opened yesterday. The $1.4 billion project to expand 23 miles of Loop 1604 from four to 10 lanes is expected to be completed next year. (More)

➤ Galveston: Police rescued a 12-year-old girl after she was kidnapped while walking her dog last weekend. The suspect, 27-year-old Graham Michael Dunn, was jailed with a $500,000 bond and has pending charges in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Louisiana. (More)

➤ Austin: U.S. District Judge Alan D. Albright invalidated a 2021 state law that bars government agencies from contracting with or investing in organizations that disfavor the oil and gas industry, ruling the statute is overly broad, unconstitutionally vague, and enables arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement. (More)

➤ Carrollton: Five North Texas families are suing Camden Hill Montessori and Melissa Rodriguez, a former employee of the now-shuttered daycare, for alleged mistreatment of their children, including covering their mouths when they cried, pulling their hair, pinching, and yelling. Rodriguez was indicted in November and released from custody on a $10,000 bond. (More)

➤ San Antonio: ICE confirmed the purchase of a 639,595-square-foot facility for a 1,500-bed detention center. The agency paid Atlanta-based Oakmont Industrial Group $66.1 million for the building, according to records. (See Details)

➤ College Station: Melissa McCoul, the former Texas A&M professor who was fired after a video showed her discussing gender identity in her children’s literature course, has sued the university, claiming she was wrongly terminated for exercising her First Amendment rights. (See Details)

➤ Austin: The Texas Education Agency appointed Lufkin native Levi Fuller as its first Inspector General for Educator Misconduct. Fuller, a U.S. Army veteran and former staffer in the Texas Attorney General’s Office, characterized his job as “rooting out the few bad actors that are tarnishing the entire profession.” (More)

➤ A recent study found that 72% of Texans feel more regional unity during major sports events than during national holidays. The same study found that 61% of Texans have insulted fans of rival teams. (More)

➤ The Texas Longhorns were ranked No. 2 in USA Today’s preseason softball power rankings, trailing only Texas Tech at No. 1. (More)

➤ Astros pitcher Framber Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, officially ending his storied tenure in Houston. (More)

➤ Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn scored a game-winning goal with 23 seconds left to beat the Saint Louis Blues 5-4. (See Highlight)

Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer | Golf

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Have you ever been to the Fort Worth Stock Show?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you know anyone applying for a Texas Education Freedom Account?

1. I am: 12%
2. Someone else: 15%
3. No: 73%

What Texas-born entrepreneur developed a correction fluid known as Liquid Paper?

Show me the answer