Texas
Daily Briefing: Redrawing Texas
Good morning!šš¼āāļø I’m Nicole Fallert. Happy Shark Week! š¦
Quick look at Monday’s news:
Texas’ congressional map on the drawing board
The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature is poised to consider a new set of congressional mapsĀ during a special sessionĀ that kicks off Monday.
Here’s the latest from the Caller-Times, part of the USA TODAY Network.
- Why this matters for America: After facingĀ pressure from Trumpās political team, Gov. Greg Abbott has asked lawmakers to redraw some of Texasā 38 U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 midterms. Trump wants to disperse GOP voters across the state to help flip blue seats, rather then have them be consolidated in red districts.
- Can the president pressure state politics? Democrats from the stateās congressional delegation said they expect the new districts to violate the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the votes of racial minorities.
- “I’m a Texan. How can I get involved?” Texans can follow the special session online, contact their lawmakers and testify at hearings to participate in the legislative process.
More from the USA TODAY Network: A special session could spark redistricting in Florida and Ohio is already scheduled to redraw maps this year.
Israel fire kills dozens more aid seekers in Gaza
At least 67 people wereĀ killed byĀ Israeli fireĀ while they waited for U.N. aid trucks Sunday in northern Gaza, the territory’s health ministry said, asĀ IsraelĀ issued new evacuation orders for areas packed with displaced Gazans, some of whom began to leave. The ministry said dozens of people were also wounded in the incident in northern Gaza, in one of the highest reported tolls among repeated recent cases in which aid seekers have been killed. Much of Gaza has been reduced to a wasteland during more than 21 months of war and there are fears of accelerating starvation.
More news to know now
What’s the weather today?Ā Check your local forecast here.
ICE detention is growing in the South
Republican-led Southern states increasingly lead in detaining and deporting millions of immigrants ā from “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades to the expansion of a sprawling Georgia immigration facility. Far from the U.S.-Mexico border, Mississippi has the ICE jail with the highest average daily population. Louisiana has more detention centers than any other state besides Texas ā nine total ā after it converted nearly half a dozen correctional facilities to immigrant detention. Most are remote, scattered near farms and forests. And other states might follow Louisiana’s example as more federal funds flow to ICE detention.Ā
A $10 billion lawsuit. More documents coming. Here’s the latest on Trump and Epstein.
Trump hasĀ filed a $10 billion lawsuitĀ for libel and slander against the Wall Street Journal, its publisher, two of its reporters, and News Corp founder and former friend Rupert Murdoch. At issue is its story that Trump sent a “bawdy”Ā 50th-birthday letterĀ to Epstein in 2003, decorated with a crude drawing of a woman’s naked body that used his distinctive signature. Trump called the article “false” and demanded damages. But his attempt to convince Americans that there is nothing to see here is likely to be an uphill battle.
Today’s talkers
WNBA Commissioner booed by crowd chanting ‘Pay Them!’
Ā In case their message to the WNBA and its owners wasnāt already clear, the players sent another one ahead of Saturday night’s All-Star Game. Taking the court for warmups, every single player wore a black T-shirt withĀ āPay Us What You Owe UsāĀ emblazoned across the front. The playersā unwavering stance stands in stark contrast to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbertās impression this is just the normal back-and-forth that occurs in every labor negotiation. The crowd booed Engelbert and chanted “Pay Them! Pay Them!” as she presented the All-Star MVP trophy to Napheesa Collier, whose team beat Team Clark 151-131.
Photo of the day: This is dad’s special cup
Scratch “cup.” It’s the Claret Jug. American Scottie Scheffler stole hearts celebrating his win of the 2025 Open Championship, the first British Open victory of his career, giving him career wins at three of the four major tournaments. Only the U.S. Open remains.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note?Ā ShootĀ her an email atĀ NFallert@usatoday.com.
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An elderly Texas woman with a nursing degree was sentenced in federal court recently for her role distributing 150,000 lethal doses of fentanyl after being caught by an undercover agent, the U.S. Attorneyās Office for Rhode Island announced Monday.Ā
Patrica Parker, 74, received the ruling after reportedly insisting she did not know her parcels contained fentanyl. Investigators, however, argued that the case “presented dangers that an educated, adult woman must have recognized,” according to a sentencing memorandum.Ā
Prosecutors said Parker pleaded guiltyĀ to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and distributing more than 310 grams of the drug. She was sentenced to two years probation, including nine months of home confinement, according to the office.Ā
Officials said Parker, who now lives in Massachusetts, was attempting to distribute counterfeit amphetamine pills laced with fentanyl to an undercover Food and Drug Administration (FDA) special agent in 2022.
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Several packages containing drugs, possibly laced with fentanyl, are displayed on a bed.Ā (U.S. District Court of Rhode Island)
Following the undercover operation, agents discovered that Parker was in possession of more than 18,000 pills, including Adderall, oxycodone and diazepam, and had distributed over a thousand parcels suspected to contain illegal drugs, according to the authorities.Ā
Parker’s attorney reported that after COVID-19 devastated her career and left her unable to afford her medications, a supplier she regularly used offered to provide the drugs if she agreed to mail pills to others, local outlet Boston.com said.Ā
According to an affidavit, Parker would receive large shipments of illicit products from overseas, break them into smaller packages and mail them out, the outlet added. Her attorney reportedly described the operation as a “side hustle” she took on during her financial struggles.
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Bags containing thousands of pink-colored pills. (U.S. District Court of Rhode Island)
Prosecutors argued that Parkerās secret operation effectively turned her living room into a makeshift pharmacy, creating risks that any educated adult should have recognized, according to the sentencing memorandum.
Parker has maintained she was unaware some of the pills she was packaging contained fentanyl.
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The Food and Drug Administration headquarters in White Oak, Md., Aug. 29, 2020. (Reuters/Andrew Kelly/File photo)
“This incident is completely out of character with the life I have lived and values I have always tried to uphold,” Parker said in a letter to the judge, according to Boston.com.
“I would NEVER have knowingly taken part in anything related to such a dangerous drug,” she added. “I should have inquired what it was, so that was my own doing. I see that in retrospect, but that fact haunts me to this day.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the District of Rhode Island and the FDA for more information.
Harper Murray on NIL and Adidas deal
Cornhusker Harper Murray shares her excitement over signing her NIL deal with Adidas and reflects on how NIL has reshaped college volleyball.
Sports Seriously
It turns out the hottest accessory at the 2025 NCAA college volleyball tournament is not knee braces, or finger tape that can be customized, but a special hair tie created to solve a prominent problems.
Texas volleyball head coach Jerritt Elliott, 57, created TIY hair bands, an acronym for “tie it yourself,”Ā after noticing a number of his players would interrupt practice to readjust their hair. The hair band features a 3-foot strand of elastic that can be tied at the ends and looped as many times as necessary to accommodate any hair pattern or hair style. The elastic is covered in neon-colored fabric sheath to provide a strong, yet soft hold.
“Until I got to college and started using TIYs, it was definitely a struggle to find a good hair tie to use consistently,” Pittsburgh juniorĀ Olivia Babcock told ESPN.
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Elliot first hatched the idea in 2013, telling the outlet he’s “very entrepreneurial” and known for his “wild brain.” Elliot brought $80 worth of various hair ties on the market and found that one-size fit all bands weren’t secure for all athletes and could cause hair damage and headaches if tied too tight.
His solution? A 34-inch basic hair tie that, the company boasts, is two times stretchier and 13 times stronger than an average hair tie, the company boasts. A basic TIY is available for purchase for $8.50 and is comes in numerous colors, including “Euphoria” pink, “Fairydust” lavender, “Lioness” yellow and “Sunset” orange. Players can even match their hair ties to their school colors, like Louisville setter Nayelis Cabello, who opts for a red TIY similar to the school’s official Cardinal red.
“I feel like it’s definitely made the process easier and made my hairstyles look cleaner,” Cabello told ESPN. “And it matches my game-day outfit, so that makes it 10 times better.”
TIYs not only infiltrated the Texas women volleyball team, but the entire college volleyball ecosystem. TIYs even expanded beyond volleyball and have been spotted in college softball and college basketball.
Elliot has the Longhorns (23-3) positioned as a No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, which Texas opens with a first-round matchup against Florida A&M (14-16) on Thursday.Ā They look to win their first national championship since its back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. TIYs will surely be on display.
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Fast tempo against slow tempo.Ā
A matchup where the SEC clashes with the ACC. Texas A&M and Pittsburgh.Ā
The Aggies got the better of the Panthers at the Peterson Events Center on Tuesday night to add another important win to the resume.Ā
With the 81-73 victory, it is now the second straight win over an ACC school, and it was only the second time that Pittsburgh had lost at home this season. Senior Rashaun Agee electrified A&M on offense with 21 points and 13 rebounds to post another double-double.Ā
Going into the contest, coach Jeff Capel had done a good job in his eighth season, getting the Panthers to average 71.5 points per game while giving up 66.5. When coach Bucky McMillanās team came rolling into the evening, it held its opponent to right around the 70-point mark and increased the numbers Pitt had been giving up, producing plenty of offense to walk away pleased.Ā
Entering a hostile environment, the Aggies were seventh in the country in 3-pointers per game with 12.1, ninth in free throws with 22.0, and 11th in turnovers created with 17.62. In those categories, the squad assembled nine 3-pointers, made 20 free throws on 22 attempts, and forced 11 turnovers.Ā
Starting the night, the Aggies picked up where they left off against the Seminoles, continuing to shoot from behind the arc, beginning a 10-1 run started by sophomore Ruben Dominguez and junior Mackenize Mgbako, who combined for two made threes from downtown.
Two of Pittsburghās best players, guards Omari Witherspoon and Barry Dunning Jr., kept their team in the game, combining for nine of the first 10 points. It was a back-and-forth game after that, where Agee finished the quarter out strong with a solid layup, mid-range jumper, and crazy dunk, where A&M went to the locker room leading 35-33.Ā From the field, A&M only shot 39.4 percent and 38.5 percent from three.Ā
In the second half, the Aggies let the Panthers fall behind 12 points, with the lead getting extended to 57-45, before a technical foul that did not go in favor of McMillanās team.Ā
After the lead faded, A&M got careless on defense and let Pittsburgh go on a 15-0 run to take a 61-57 lead. Transfer guard from Kansas, Zach Clemence, finally stopped the scoring drought with a layup and free throw to get back within one.Ā
Texas A&M guard Rylan Griffen took back the lead after a quiet night, getting himself a layup and going to the free throw line, making both of his shots. After that, Pittsburgh was unable to push the accelerator to get to the final destination, where A&M ended on a 17-10 run to close the night out.Ā
Ending the night, A&M out-rebounded Pittsburgh on the offensive and defensive side, generating 22 defensive rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds. There were 15 fast-break points tallied, 17 points scored off turnovers, and 32 paint points, which were among the reasons A&M now has its seventh win of the season.Ā
A&M is back on the road against another ACC team, SMU, on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
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