Texas
High-stakes campaigning, party in-fighting: This Week in Texas Politics
Campaigning, party in-fighting: TX Politics
This Week in Texas Politics involved some high-stakes campaigning, party in0fighting, party line votes and a rare alliance between two long-running political adversaries.
AUSTIN, Texas – This Week in Texas Politics involved a lot of digging in, indicating that it may be a very long and hot summer here in Texas.
FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski and our panel of political analysts discuss.
Campus protests, AI deepfakes: Texas politics
The politics in Texas this week went beyond confrontations on college campuses. FOX 7’s Rudy Koski and our political panel discuss some of the top stories.
RUDY KOSKI: Let’s get our headlines this week, and we’ll start first with Brad Johnson with the Texas News. Brad, what’s your headline?
BRAD JOHNSON: The GOP circular firing squad takes San Antonio.
RUDY KOSKI: Annie Spilman with Main Street Relations. What’s your headline?
ANNIE SPILMAN: Unlike other states, Texas lags behind in toll discounts.
RUDY KOSKI: Political analyst Mark Wiggins: your headline for the week.
MARK WIGGINS: The Convention of Chaos.
One month until TX runoff elections: FOX 7 Focus
Sunday marks one month until the runoff elections here in Texas. Following a very contentious primary day back in March, several established Republicans in Legislature were forced into runoffs thanks to political retribution from Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Texans concerned about economy, immigration: poll
RUDY KOSKI: Early voting in the primary runoffs wrapping up this week with all eyes focused on the race involving House Speaker Dade Phelan. Brad, a lot of money is being pumped into this one. Are you surprised?
BRAD JOHNSON: I’ve heard that it’s possible we’ll see upwards of $12 million spent on both sides of it, including all, you know, outside groups.
ANNIE SPILMAN: I mean, it was a good session for business groups. There was a lot of regulatory relief that happened under the leadership of Speaker Phelan. He got a big get-out-the-vote rally with former Governor Rick Perry, who was very business friendly. Still is.
RUDY KOSKI: Well, certainly that race is a big topic statewide and also a big topic at the Republican state convention that is underway this week. And, you know, there’s a lot of obsession over the House Speaker. It seems like that that’s the main topic, going on down there. And there’s nothing else. But there is a lot more. Right, Mark?
MARK WIGGINS: Under the current leadership, you know, the RPT has lost staff. It’s lost funding. And quite frankly, it’s lost relevance. I mean, especially when it’s spending money attacking other Republicans. So if Republicans are going to continue to be successful in the state, especially in those down ballot races, they’re going to have to start growing the party instead of purging it.
UT protests, voting issues: Texas politics
It was a head-spinning week in Texas politics with a lot of hot issues, confrontations, flip flops and parting shots. FOX 7’s Rudy Koski has this wrap up with our panel of analysts.
MORE: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz files bill to protect IVF
RUDY KOSKI: The Texas Democrats have been throwing a lot of shade at the Texas Republicans in the convention. But, you know, they’re involved in their own meltdown, too. And so, while those parties are trying to figure out who they are, the Texas Lyceum poll came out this week with a poll and a survey saying Texans are more focused on the economy. And I know that business groups there really have been screaming a lot lately in regard to, it’s about the economy, it’s about the inflation. Do something.
ANNIE SPILMAN: The poll really pointed to economic anxiety, and inflation has increased the cost of pretty much everything in the state of Texas. Anxiety and uncertainty can really cripple our local businesses and its impact on our community.
RUDY KOSKI: Hard liners digging in, is just not a Republican thing. Six Texas Congressional Democrats voting on Capitol Hill against a House resolution to ban non-citizens from voting in DC elections. Greg Casar, Lloyd Doggett among those now on record supporting the idea. Non-citizens participating in a local election. Mark that may not hurt them with their base, but that isn’t really good for the overall party, right?
MARK WIGGINS: Well, you just got to look back to that same Lyceum poll and many, many polls beforehand. Rudy, the border remains a top issue for Texans, and that doesn’t matter what party you’re in or how close you live to the Rio Grande. If I’m consulting Democrats, I’m going to tell them you need to have a strong position on that issue.
RUDY KOSKI: The Texas Lyceum poll also showed that Donald Trump has a ten-point lead here in Texas. So, Ted Cruz, while he was in state, Trump being in state last week, and he’s coming back next week, several Texas Republicans went up to New York for the last day of Trump’s hush money trial. Brad, is that just political coat tailing or is there a real strong purpose for that?
BRAD JOHNSON: I think it’s more of them, you know, showing their support for the president. In the current situation, going forward, that will be returned again, I’m sure.
MARK WIGGINS: You know, I think as more people start to think Trump may win this thing, you’re going to see more of them do what is required to get into his good graces.
Man lights self on fire outside Trump trial
A full jury has officially been set in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, and this includes six alternates. Outside the court, a man set himself on fire this afternoon.
MORE ELECTION NEWS
RUDY KOSKI: As for the border battle, Gov. Greg Abbott on social media this week has been providing updates on the new base camp that’s being built along the Rio Grande and the border wall construction. Annie, is this, the governor just simply saying “Come and Take it?”
ANNIE SPILMAN: Well, I don’t know how many of you remember MTV Cribs, but this reminds me of one of those episodes with the governor welcoming the president virtually, into his view, aerial view, of the forward operating base in Eagle Pass. He’s definitely flaunting his Texas-built base camp and challenging the feds to come and take it.
RUDY KOSKI: Well, Texas and the feds fighting: That’s certainly nothing new, but this week, Ken Paxton teamed up with the Biden administration DOJ and a lawsuit against LiveNation, the parent company of Ticketmaster. Brad, should we be checking the temperature and hell, what’s going on?
BRAD JOHNSON: This Ken Paxton and Taylor Swift uniting together? I don’t know. You know, one thing that caught my eye with this, the release from the attorney general he was touting. It’s the 75th lawsuit against the Biden administration. That marketing just goes perfectly for him. And obviously, he’s taken advantage of it. That’s the big takeaway, I thought.
MORE THIS WEEK IN TEXAS POLITICS
RUDY KOSKI: All right, let’s end it there. And we’re going to wrap up this week with one word. And we’ll start first with Mark. Mark, your word.
MARK WIGGINS: Chaos.
ANNIE SPILMAN: Graduation.
BRAD JOHNSON: Circus.
RUDY KOSKI: And with that, we’re wrapping up another Week in Texas Politics.
Texas
3 women charged in Texas killing; video shows suspects smiling
3 women accused of murder after fatal stabbing in Del Rio
Three women were charged with murder after a 32-year-old woman died following a stabbing in Del Rio, Texas, on June 25, police said.
Three women have been arrested and charged with murder in the death of a mother of five in South Texas.
The Del Rio Police Department initially responded around 2:10 p.m. Thursday, June 25, to the Val Verde Regional Medical Center after receiving a report of a woman with multiple stab wounds. Upon arrival, officers determined the assault had occurred in the 800 block of East 10th Street.
Del Rio police on Thursday, June 25, took into custody Kitty Mia Diaz, 21, Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19, and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, in connection with the murder, according to the department’s media post.
The woman, identified as Caroline Peña, 32, according to KENS 5 in San Antonio, was transported to a medical facility in San Antonio for treatment but later died from her injuries.
According to the department, investigators gathered surveillance video, processed evidence, conducted numerous witness interviews and identified the three women as potentially being involved in the incident.
Two hours after responding to the initial call, officers located and arrested Kitty Diaz and Amaya Diaz without incident. Shortly after, officers located and arrested Kyandra Faz in connection with the investigation.
Video captured during Kitty and Amaya’s arrests shows both women grinning as law enforcement places them in their police vehicles.
All three suspects were transported to the Del Rio Police Department for booking and processing. When investigators were notified of the women’s deaths, each was charged with murder and transported to the GEO Correctional Facility.
Del Rio police say the investigation remains ongoing, noting that additional charges may be filed at a later time.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
Texas
After historic floods, Texas Hill Country Little League is back
There’s nothing more quintessential to being a kid than playing Little League baseball, but on July Fourth, 2025, along with so much more, the Little League fields of Hill Country were destroyed, along with the innocence of thousands of kids who live here.
With so much else to rebuild, a baseball season in 2026 seemed like more than a dream.
But just like every other challenge, this community, with a little help from some major league friends, came together and did what some thought was impossible. They made sure that baseball was back, right on time for opening day this March.
Fresh cut grass, chalk on dirt, and the familiar sound of strikes being thrown.
It’s baseball season in Texas, opening day in fact.
“I could not go to sleep, I was just so excited. I got up early, took a shower, did my hair,” said Lilly Wirth, a softball player.
And with opening day comes fanfare
But nothing about this march day was promised. Just eight months prior, this beautiful ballpark simply was washed away.
“We had our last game July 2, and we closed up shop and were like, ‘We’ll come back kind of clean up maybe this weekend,’ kind of go through stuff, and we all know that did not happen,” said Amy Barnes, a mom and the concession stand manager.
Like almost everything else, the July Fourth flooding completely destroyed the Little League fields in Hunt.
Barnes and Caroline Key are both moms in the Little League; Key coaches her kids’ teams. They thought they had lost their season, along with so much more.
“July 5, when we walked around, we were… stuck, we were devastated and sad and pretty bummed,” said Barnes.
“My daughter is a student at the Hunt school, and we lost two students from our community. In addition, we lost some of our friends too,” said Key.
“When we woke up in the morning, everything was wrecked. We had a pretty good view of where it happened… It was wrecked,” said Annie Key, Caroline Key’s daughter and a softball player.
When asked how she felt after the floods, Annie Key said she was sad, “Cuz I lost some friends,” she said.
“I had three sets of little eyes looking up, saying, ‘Where are we going to play next year?’ And we said we would figure it out,” said Barnes.
Not playing ball was simply not an option.
And that meant getting a little help from some major league friends.
“We came over to see what we could do to help and it became immediately evident that the fields were wiped out. Looking up over the hill there was really nothing left here. So, right then, I decided whatever we got to do to figure this out and get it done,” said Jim Crane, the owner of the Houston Astros.
The Astros joined forces with the Texas Rangers, Communities Foundation of Texas and others to pitch in nearly $3 million to rebuild the fields so these kids didn’t miss a single pitch.
“This joy you feel today has been this pent-up joy this community has had for so long,” said Austin Dickson, the CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
That joy was bursting at the seams; the kids couldn’t wait for the ceremonial ribbons to be cut. They just wanted to play.
“Cut the ribbon, cut the ribbon, cut the ribbon,” the kids screamed.
“Because of the people of what we had during the flood, I knew, I didn’t expect this, but I knew something would happen,” said Barnes.
And with every pitch thrown and ball hit, these kids are getting something back that was ripped away from them.
“If we can get a hot dog to a little kid, I mean, what else do you need besides baseball and hot dogs, right?” said Barnes.
A chance to just be kids and play a little ball.
Texas
Sisters, friend charged in Texas mom’s stabbing death
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Two sisters and a friend were charged with murder after a 32-year-old Texas mother of five was stabbed multiple times in broad daylight and later died, authorities said.
Kitty Mia Diaz, 21; Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19; and Kyandra Renee Faz, 21, were arrested Thursday on charges of murder in connection with the fatal attack, the Del Rio Police Department wrote in a press release posted to Facebook.
The victim was identified as Caroline “Caro” Peña, 32, according to local media reports.
“She was one of those people that she was born to be a mom,” Peña’s childhood friend, Zelina Ochoa, told KENS 5, fighting back and wiping off tears. “She really loved being a mom.”
AUBURN GRAD WHO JUST LANDED DREAM JOB ALLEGEDLY SHOT AND KILLED BY BOYFRIEND’S FATHER IN ALABAMA
Kyandra Renee Faz, 21; Amaya Cookie Diaz, 19; and Kitty Mia Diaz, 21 have been arrested for the murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)
Del Rio is a city of 35,000 in southwest Texas near the Mexican border.
Police said officers responded around 2:10 p.m. Thursday to Val Verde Regional Medical Center after receiving a report that a woman had arrived with multiple stab wounds from an assault at a busy intersection.
“This wasn’t something that happened in a back alley; this happened at the corner near Sonic on one of our busiest roads in broad daylight,” Ochoa told KENS 5.
Because of the severity of her injuries, the woman was taken to a San Antonio medical facility for emergency treatment, police said. Investigators were notified around 9 p.m. that she had died after being stabbed twice in the back and a third time in her stomach.
BELFAST BURNS AFTER SUDANESE MIGRANT ARRESTED IN BRUTAL KNIFE ATTACK
Kyandra Faz, 21, was a friend of the pair of sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)
Detectives reviewed surveillance video, processed evidence and interviewed witnesses before identifying Kitty Diaz, Cookie Diaz and Faz as suspects, police said. Kitty Diaz and Cookie Diaz were arrested without incident around 4 p.m. local time Thursday, and Faz was arrested a short time later.
Another friend, Christina Salinas, told the outlet she missed a call from Peña shortly before the stabbing and later recognized her in a photo suffering from the wounds circulating on a community page.
“I feel like if I would have answered that call, honestly I would have been there with her,” Salinas said. “It wouldn’t have gotten like that.”
Police have not publicly released a motive.
PENNSYLVANIA MOTHER OF THREE FATALLY SHOT WHILE ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO PROTECT WOMAN OUTSIDE BAR: REPORT
Amaya Diaz, 19, was one of the sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)
Salinas said she rushed to the hospital and was able to say goodbye before Peña was flown to San Antonio.
“That girl, she was a fighter: She was still standing her ground,” Salinas said.
All three suspects were booked at the Del Rio Police Department before being transported to the GEO Correctional Facility, where police said they remained pending court hearings.
The investigation remains active, and police said additional charges could be filed as detectives continue gathering evidence.
Kitty Diaz, 21, was one of the sisters arrested in connection of the stabbing murder of Caroline Peña, 32. (Del Rio, Texas, Police Department)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Peña is survived by her five children – the oldest a 17-year-old son – and a twin sister, according to reports.
“If you needed something and she had it, even if it was her last, she’d give it to you,” Ochoa told KENS 5.
-
Dallas, TX5 minutes agoKlyde Warren Park reveals expansion plans, construction timeline
-
Miami, FL8 minutes agoPerson hospitalized after fire breaks out at North Miami Beach apartment building
-
Boston, MA13 minutes agoScottish soccer fan who died in Boston was ‘Tartan Army to his core,’ fundraising page says – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO20 minutes agoNuggets decline Jalen Pickett’s team option for 2026-27 season, sources say
-
San Diego, CA23 minutes agoFormer City Manager, Jack McGrory: Straight Talk About San Diego, Part 2
-
Seattle, WA23 minutes agoArmed suspects linked to 3 Seattle robberies within 30 minutes – MyNorthwest.com
-
Milwaukee, WI35 minutes agoBrewers, Salvation Army pack hundreds of lunches for Milwaukee children through Feed the Kids program
-
Atlanta, GA38 minutes agoNew Venues in Atlanta for Summer 2026 Meetings and Events