Corruption Investigations Move Ahead

A Houston woman is the third person with ties to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar to strike a plea deal in Cuellar’s bribery and money-laundering case involving an Azerbaijan energy company. 

Irada Akhoundova, 67, pleaded guilty to acting as an agent for Azerbaijan without registering with federal officials. She was director of the company’s Texas affiliate from 2014 to 2017.

Meanwhile, new details relating to a House Ethics Committee investigation into U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls were revealed last week. According to the committee’s report, the Fort Bend Republican used campaign funds to pay a company registered to himself.

Kennedy Files Ballot Petition 

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would appear on the November ballot in Texas after his campaign submitted 245,572 signatures to state officials on Monday, more than double the number required.

The Texas Secretary of State’s Office confirmed it received the petition but did not give a timeline for how long it would take to verify the signatures.

Texas is the 14th state where Kennedy could appear on the ballot this November. If that happens, he would be the first independent presidential candidate to achieve that feat since Pat Buchanan in 2000.

Court OKs Censorship Lawsuit 

A federal judge in Tyler ruled that Texas can sue the Biden administration for what they describe as the censoring of conservative media outlets.

Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in December accusing the State Department’s Global Engagement Center of funding left-leaning watchdog groups that helped block the distribution of conservative news on social media.

“The Biden administration made a reprehensible attempt to censor the American press with funding intended to monitor foreign propaganda,” Paxton said in a statement. 

The Flyover is just like The Texas Flyover, except it covers news from all fifty states. Sign up with one click!

Flying together with our sponsor

Will 2024 bring the ‘biggest crash of our lifetimes’? Shocking News could impact all U.S. retirement accounts.

Could this FREE report spell the End of Your Retirement?

➤ Katy: The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into Katy ISD after it prohibited the teaching of gender ideology and designated separate restrooms and locker rooms for students according to their biological sex. (More)

➤ Mission: A Border Patrol boat sank in the Rio Grande on Saturday after taking on water and capsizing. There is no word yet on the condition of agents aboard the boat, and the incident is under investigation. (More)

➤ Austin: Mayor Kirk Watson confirmed the city has begun a national search for a new police chief as one of the first priorities of new city manager T.C. Broadnax. The new hire would replace retired APD Chief Joseph Chacon. (More)

➤ Houston: Parents in the state’s largest school district held protests at Houston ISD campuses Monday morning to push back against layoffs of teachers, principals, and custodians due to budget cuts. (See video)

➤ San Antonio: Officials have put together a $1 billion+ proposal to build a new campus at Port San Antonio that would house the Air Force’s military cyber mission. (See details)

➤ School districts in North Texas are divided on implementing new federal Title IX rules related to accommodating transgender students. Frisco ISD says it will adhere to the new guidelines, but Carroll ISD says it will follow Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to ignore the rules instead. (See details)

Enjoy reading The Texas Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family. 

➤ The Texas Longhorns softball team earned the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament after falling to Oklahoma over the weekend to snap an 18-game winning streak. The 64-team tournament begins Friday. (More)

➤ The Houston Rockets landed the third pick in next month’s NBA Draft, raising questions about whether the team will keep it or try to trade it for active player. (See details)

➤ The University of Texas took first place in the men’s and women’s competitions at this weekend’s Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship at Baylor University. Texas Tech came in second in the men’s competition and third in the women’s. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: MLB | NBA | NHL

➤ Austin-based Indeed.com announced Monday it is laying off about 1,000 employees, or 8% of its workforce, citing a slowdown in the job market. The cuts follow the tech company’s elimination of about 2,200 jobs a year ago. (See details)

➤ Hay production is expected to rise across the state because of the heavy rains this season. National hay inventories hit their lowest levels since 1974 last summer. (More)

➤ The Federal Aviation Administration is conducting an environmental study of the effects of up to 44 SpaceX launches a year from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, curtailing rumors that the company’s Brownsville facility could be used for launches. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Peeps™ are a revolutionary new way to get spotless lenses. They clean perfectly every time and are trusted by leading Optometrists worldwide. Keep your glasses crystal clear, no cloth required!  (See it here)  

Flying together with our sponsor

US economist predicts 2024 will bring the ‘biggest crash of our lifetimes.’ 

Find out how to protect yourself in 2024.

➤ New Braunfels officials are reassuring people that it’s safe to tube down the Guadalupe River despite a viral TikTok video showing a fisherman catching a bull shark in the 230-mile-long river. (See video)

➤ A 761-acre ranch owned by the heirs of Mrs. Baird’s Bread is on the market for $12.9 million. Located about six miles east of Johnson City, the sprawling Hill Country property contains rolling grasslands, sparse trees, a creek, and three one-story structures. (See photos)

➤ Hail stones the size of limes fell on Temple over the weekend, damaging cars and making for some impressive photos. (Check them out)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Audien Atom is the hearing aid with superior sound quality, wireless charging, 20-hour battery life, and no hearing test required. Hear every word in conversations, without spending thousands of dollars. (See It Here) 

Have you been tubing in a Texas river?

1. Yes
2. No

Friday’s Results:

Should medical marijuana use be expanded in Texas?

1. 1. Yes: 46.7%
   2. No: 53.3%

How long is the border between Texas and Mexico?

Show me the answer