Southwest
Judge shoots down Texas AG Paxton's attempt to block guaranteed income program
A Houston district judge on Thursday shot down Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to block a guaranteed income program.
In Harris County’s 165th Civil Court, Judge Ursula Hall struck down Paxton’s arguments that the Uplift Harris program, which distributes monthly stipends to more than 1,900 low-income residents, is unconstitutional.
“If the program does include a public benefit, it does not violate the constitution,” Judge Hall said, per Houston Landing.
The attorney general’s lawyers had tried to argue that taxpayer money must be used in the public interest for a general benefit, asking, “If someone lost it (their stipend) gambling in Vegas, what’s the benefit to Harris County?”
“What if the community member got great joy out of traveling, wouldn’t that be a benefit?” Hall replied. “Or what if they won big in Vegas, brought that money back to Harris County and spent it? Wouldn’t it benefit the county then?”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The Uplift Harris program passed by a vote of 4-1 in Harris County Commissioners Court last year. Uplift Harris is a guaranteed income pilot that would allow participating households to receive $500 per month for 18 months. The program began on January 12, 2024, and is available to 1,924 applicants.
Paxton’s lawsuit sought an “immediate ruling to block Uplift Harris from beginning to make payments under the program.”
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee who is the defendant in the case, said that he expects Paxton to appeal directly to the Texas Supreme Court.
“Given what we’ve seen from that court and Republican politics, I am skeptical that we will get a fair shake. But I plan to do everything I can to protect this program,” Menefee said in a statement.
“Today’s decision is a big win for Harris County residents. Families in Harris County are being attacked by Republican state officials. Plain and simple. It’s shameful. Thankfully, today a court backed Harris County and refused to block Uplift Harris,” Menefee said.
“Helping families in need is a proper use of government funds. Giving people the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty is both morally sound and good public policy. It’s ridiculous that politicians in Austin would be traveling to Harris County just to block us from helping people,” he added.
A Harris County attorney defended a guaranteed income program that’s been targeted in a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday. (Harris County attorney general’s office/Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The program received over 59,000 applications, a local FOX affiliate reported in January. The applicants were selected “randomly” through a lottery process, according to the county website.
County officials will fund the program with the $20.5 million received through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, which was intended to be used for COVID-19 relief initiatives.
But those who receive the funds will receive them with “no strings attached,” according to Paxton.
“This scheme is plainly unconstitutional,” Paxton said in a press release. “Taxpayer money must be spent lawfully and used to advance the public interest, not merely redistributed with no accountability or reasonable expectation of a general benefit. I am suing to stop officials in Harris County from abusing public funds for political gain.”
Fox News Digital previously interviewed Republican State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who sent a letter to Paxton about “Uplift Harris,” leveling similar claims.
A Texas state lawmaker believes that a universal income program pushed on the county level is unconstitutional. (Fox News Digital)
Austin, Texas, recently launched a guaranteed income program to address housing insecurity in the city. Other cities throughout the U.S. are considering similar programs.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Woman killed by driver while crossing PCH in Long Beach
A woman was struck and killed by a driver while crossing the street on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.
On June 3, the female pedestrian was using the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Pacific Avenue around 4:50 a.m.
She had walked against a red light and was hit by a 19-year-old driver in a Chevy sedan, Long Beach police said.
Despite lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
“At this time, impaired driving, distracted driving and excessive speed are not believed to be a factor in this collision,” police said.
The woman’s name is being withheld pending identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is asked to call Detective Joseph Johnson at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Los Angeles, Ca
Man wanted for deadly Los Angeles road rage shooting extradited from Mexico
A man wanted for a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles was arrested and extradited from Mexico after fleeing the U.S. in 2024.
The suspect was identified as Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities had been searching for him since the deadly incident on October 10, 2024.
Rojas and a second suspect, Joshua Rojas Sr., 47, of Downey, were driving on the northbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights around 4 p.m. when they became involved in an altercation with another driver that escalated into a shooting.
Video of the tense confrontation showed the suspects, who were driving a Dodge Durango SUV, opening fire on two men in a Cadillac sedan.
The shooting forced the victim to pull over abruptly. That’s when a suspect ran up to the Cadillac, opened the passenger-side door and fired several shots at close range.
In a panic, the Cadillac driver tried to escape by making a sudden U-turn and driving against oncoming traffic. He eventually crashed head-on into several vehicles.
The suspects ditched their SUV and fled toward a freeway exit on foot. The Cadillac driver was left with serious injuries and his passenger was killed. Their identities were not released.
The incident caused a miles-long backup that left thousands of motorists stranded on the freeway for hours and authorities worked to clear the scene.
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two men as the suspects involved.
Joshua Rojas Sr. was arrested in San Bernardino on October 22, 2024, on a murder charge. He remains in custody awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, Christian Rojas had fled the U.S. and was hiding in Mexico, detectives said. A $4.3 million bail warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico,” CHP officials said. “The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant.”
On June 2, 2026, Christian was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face a murder charge.
“This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice,” said CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris. “For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence. Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide.”
Los Angeles, Ca
NB 405 Freeway closed near LAX after pursuit ends in gunfire
The northbound 405 Freeway will remain closed for several hours near Los Angeles International Airport after a police pursuit ended with officers opening fire Friday morning. Unconfirmed reports indicated the incident began with a robbery at a 7-Eleven store, which ended with Los Angeles Police Department officers pursuing the suspect in a Kia. The chase […]
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