Measles Outbreak Claims First Death

An unvaccinated school-aged child has died from measles in Lubbock, marking the first death in an outbreak that has grown to 124 confirmed cases across nine West Texas counties. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s the first measles-related death in the country since 2015.

A spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott said epidemiologists and vaccination teams have been deployed to the area and are in regular communication with his office. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday the department is following the outbreak, which he characterized as “not unusual.”

At least 18 people have been hospitalized during the outbreak since it began in Gaines County last month. Most of those infected are children, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000. Nationwide, about 93% of kindergartners have been vaccinated against the highly infectious disease.

County Judge Decries Prosecution

Fort Bend County Judge KP George lashed out Tuesday at the effort to prosecute him for allegedly conspiring with a staffer to post racist comments on social media against himself to boost his 2022 reelection bid.

George was indicted by a grand jury in September on a misdemeanor charge of misrepresenting his identity as a candidate. He was booked into the Fort Bend County Jail before posting a $1,000 bail. George’s former chief of staff, Taral Patel, was indicted on similar charges during his campaign for a county commissioner seat last year.

In a statement, George characterized the charges against him as “politically motivated” and an “abuse of power,” explaining he was unnecessarily detained and his mugshot was leaked to the media immediately after he was booked. He called on District Attorney Brian Middleton and the district judge overseeing the case to recuse themselves, citing alleged conflicts of interest.

In response to George’s statement, the District Attorney’s Office said it “remains committed to serving the people of Fort Bend County and upholding the law, regardless of who is implicated in the offenses.”

Crenshaw Appears to Threaten Tucker Carlson

U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Humble) was caught on a hot mic Monday purportedly threatening to kill journalist Tucker Carlson. The comment was made during an interview with British news outlet GB News, which posted the video but subsequently deleted it.

When asked about Carlson’s repeated criticism of the United States’ financial support for Ukraine, Crenshaw said Carlson “doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” adding that he “likes to visit Moscow and talk about how great the grocery stores are.”

As the interview ended, GB News journalist Steven Edginton asked Crenshaw if he had ever met Carlson. Crenshaw responded that if he ever does, “I’ll f*****g kill him. I’m not joking. He’s the worst person.”

Carlson responded to the remarks by inviting Crenshaw to do an interview with him. Crenshaw sought to downplay his comments, responding with “lol, no” when asked by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on social media if he threatened to kill Carlson.

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➤ Texas power grid operator ERCOT approved a $54 million plan Tuesday to replace two aging natural gas-powered plants near San Antonio with 15 diesel-fueled mobile generators that Houston’s CenterPoint Energy is currently leasing. (More)

➤ Corpus Christi: The city is drilling the first of seven to 10 water wells along the Nueces River to address a severe water shortage. Once operational, each well could provide around a million gallons of water a day. (More)

➤ Fort Worth: The survey company contracted by the city to inform the purchase of its new city hall has agreed to a $650,000 settlement for providing an inaccurate survey, causing $7.6 million in construction delays and additional permitting costs. (See Details)

➤ Tyler: Bishop John Gregory Kelly was installed as the new head of the Archdiocese of Tyler on Monday. His predecessor, Bishop Joseph Strickland, was removed by Pope Francis after years of criticism directed at the pontiff. (More)

➤ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into the state lottery following scrutiny from lawmakers over its relationship with courier services, bulk purchases, and two questionable jackpot wins. (More)

➤ Houston: A 27-year-old Lyft driver was shot and killed during a carjacking Tuesday morning. The incident is the third carjacking of a rideshare driver in the past two weeks. (More)

➤ College Station: Lieutenant General James W. Bierman Jr. has been appointed as Texas A&M’s next Commandant of the Corps of Cadets. Lt. Gen. Bierman will begin his new role on Aug. 1 after his retirement from active duty with the US Marine Corps. (More)

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➤ Luka Dončić tallied 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists in his first game against the Dallas Mavericks since his former team sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers at the NBA trade deadline. Dončić stared down the Mavericks bench six minutes into the game after making this three-point shot. (Watch Video)

➤ The Dallas Stars saw their three-game win streak come to an end on Tuesday night after they fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-4. “I like the fact that we’re not happy,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said after the gam. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Oil giant BP is abandoning its renewable energy generation goals and will instead focus on developing its fossil fuel assets. BP’s U.S. headquarters is in Houston, where it has about 4,000 employees. (More)

➤ Austin-based BorderPlex Digital Assets plans to build a $5 billion data center in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. El Paso Electric will provide power to the campus. (More)

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➤ The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is providing inmates at the county jail “safety pink” uniforms to “foster a positive environment within the correctional facility.” Social media users flooded the department’s profile page with snarky comments. (See Photo)

➤ The University of North Texas in Denton has committed to making 60% of its campus dining options plant-based by 2027. The initiative was touted by the nonprofit Humane World for Animals as the most ambitious of any university it has ever partnered with. (More)

➤ Houston’s I-45 at I-69/US 59 was ranked the sixth slowest highway in the country, according to a study by a digital marketing firm. The average speed of traffic on the highway is 30.4 miles per hour. (More)

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What percent of your diet is plant-based?

1. Less than 60%
2. About 60%
3. More than 60%
4. I’m a vegan
5. I only eat meat

Yesterday’s Results:

How do you feel about paying for toll roads?

1. I’d rather not: 39%
2. Worth it: 32%
3. Should be banned: 29%

What controversy was associated with the death of Gov. John Connally Jr. in 1993?

Show me the answer