Texas Wins and Loses in Court

U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton has dismissed Texas’ lawsuit against the Biden administration’s parole policy for illegal aliens. He also mandated the continuation of border wall construction.

The first ruling clarified that Texas (along with 20 other states) has no legal authority to contest Biden’s parole policy, enabling up to thirty thousand people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the US.

However, Judge Tipton also blocked the Biden administration from diverting $1.4 billion in taxpayer funds to other projects instead of using them for the designated purpose of border wall construction.

Helicopter Crash at Border

State and federal officials have expressed condolences after two New York National Guard soldiers and a Border Patrol agent were tragically killed in a helicopter crash near Rio Grande City, Texas. The surviving crew chief remains hospitalized.

Chief Warrant Officers Casey Frankoski, John Grassia, and Border Agent Chris Luna were conducting border security operations when the UH-Lakota helicopter crashed around 2:50 pm on Friday. The cause is still under investigation.

National Guard Bureau Chief General Daniel Hokanson commented on the sudden loss:

“We mourn these heartbreaking deaths. They are a tragic loss beyond words. We pray for the speedy recovery of a third Guard Soldier who was seriously injured. All of these people represent selfless service & the best of America.”

Texas Leads Nation in Solar Power

Texas created more solar capacity than any other state in 2023. The state generated more than 6,500 megawatts of solar power, compared with second-place California’s 6,171 megawatts.

A report published by the Solar Energy Industries Association and research firm Wood Mackenzie shows that Texas invested over $27 billion in solar energy for the last quarter of 2023.

While many celebrate this as a win for renewable energy, others warn of the environmental risk solar farms can play on animal and plant ecosystems.

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➤ Uvalde: City Council members and residents expressed outrage after a $100K independent investigation found the city’s police department committed no wrongdoing during the Robb Elementary school shooting. (Video)

➤ Fort Worth: Two city zookeepers faced a scary scenario when a silverback gorilla named Elmo charged at them. After a momentary pause, the workers were able to move into a safe area. (Watch the Video)

➤ Houston: A United Airlines 737 veered off the runway after landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, marking the airline’s third incident within a week. No injuries were reported, as the cause is under investigation. (Video)

➤ Shamrock: A couple in their 90s were recently photographed working to save their cattle from the panhandle wildfires. Delmer and Mildred Barefoot have been married for almost 73 years and ranching in the area for about 60 years. (Video)

➤ Mount Pleasant: The mayor and some council members are under investigation by the Texas Rangers for alleged misuse of $40,000 in travel reimbursement funds—with records failing to show where city officials traveled. (More)

➤ San Antonio: Schools in the Alamo city have recently been granted over $550,000 in state career training grants. The funds are anticipated to provide resources for enhancing trade skills in industries like IT and culinary. (More)

➤ No. 1 Houston clinched the Big 12 regular season title with a dominant win over No. 14 Kansas. The Cougars are projected to be the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. (More) 

➤ Southlake Carroll soccer player Kennedy Fuller has signed a professional contract with Angel City FC at the age of 16. She’s a former captain of the U.S. Youth National Team and scored eight goals in the U-17 CONCACAF Tournament Championship last month. (Video) 

➤ Baylor guard J’Kobe Walter has won Freshman of the Year in the Big 12. The McKinney native is the second-straight Bear to win the award. (More)

➤ A new report shows that Texas set new state records in January for total number of jobs: 14,053,400. It’s a 1.9% increase from last year. (More)

➤ Chevron, Exxon Mobil, BP and other oil companies are building test wells in East Texas designed for Carbon Capture and Storage. The companies are looking to profit from federal carbon storage incentives. (More)

➤ Five Texas businesses are being sued by Attorney General Ken Paxton for refusing to let off-duty police officers carry their firearms, including the State Fair of Texas. (More) 

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➤ Washington: Local archaeologists recently unearthed over 10,000 artifacts in the location where Texas declared independence from Mexico. The findings include coins, knives, a hair comb, and cat paw prints. (See the Photos)

➤ Austin: Artificial intelligence firm Soul Machines and Authentic Brands Group debuted its digital Marilyn Monroe at the SXSW Tech Conference. The celebrity answered questions from attendees with human-like emotional responses, including eye glances and reflective pausing. (More)

➤ Houston: Grammy-nominated musician Jason ‘Jelly Roll’ DeFord held back tears as he performed alongside Cody Johnson in front of nearly 74,000 fans at the Houston Rodeo. This was the largest audience in the singer’s career. (See the Emotional Video)

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 What’s your favorite Tex-Mex dish?

1. Chili Con Carne
2. Loaded Tacos
3. Smothered Nachos
4. Cheese Enchiladas
5. Other
6. I don’t Like Tex-Mex

Friday’s Results:

Have you ever visited the USS Texas?

1. Yes: 50.3%
2. No: 49.7%

Which NFL player raised over $37 million for Houston to rebuild after Hurricane Harvey in 2017?

Show me the answer