Texas

In Texas visit, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff raises more than $1 million

Published

1 year ago

September 23, 2024

In Texas visit, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff raises more than million

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Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff raised more than $1 million at a San Antonio fundraiser for Kamala Harris presidential campaign Monday night, the largest presidential fundraiser in the city’s history.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg made the announcement at a reception hosted by Frank and Cecilia Herrera that was attended by prominent area Democrats like Henry Cisneros, a former San Antonio mayor and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Development, State Sen. José Menéndez, and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar.

“We have to work, even here in Texas,” Emhoff told the guests at the fundraiser. “We can’t take any state off the map. We gotta make sure we’re doing the work here. And even if we can’t turn Texas blue this time around you have a good chance of sending [U.S. Rep.] Colin Allred to the Senate.”

Emhoff also said that voters could also make “serious changes” to the state by flipping some statehouse races and their statewide leaders.

He acknowledged that the presidential election was very close and urged the guests to knock on doors, register to vote and help raise more money for the campaign to continue its fight all over the electoral map.

Earlier in the day, Emhoff attended a rally organized by Texas Democrats in San Antonio. He stumped with down-ballot Texas Democrats and railed against Republican efforts that he said were “attacking the right to vote.”

“Under the guise of election integrity, they have made it harder to vote,” Emhoff said. “They know the only way they can win is if fewer people vote. … Texas, unfortunately, has been ground zero for unchecked MAGA power grab.”

Emhoff, who was making his first visit to Texas since his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, became the Democratic presidential nominee, said if Trump returned to the White House it would usher a national abortion ban, more inaction on mass shootings and policies that benefited only the wealthy.

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But he sounded a note of confidence even as a New York Times/Siena Poll Monday morning showed Trump leading Harris in Arizona by five percentage points and also ahead in the battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia.

“I am really excited about Texas. Are you?” he said to applause from about 1,200 people in the gymnasium at the Candler Physical Education Center at San Antonio College. “Are we going to send my wife Kamala Harris to the White House?”

The rally included brothers Julián Castro, a former San Antonio mayor and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio.

The effort was part of the Texas Democratic Party’s “Texas Offense,” an effort to coordinate rallies and political resources from the top to the bottom of the ticket. Comedian and actress Cristela Alonzo and social media influencer and political activist Olivia Julianna also attended the event.

The Democratic speakers attacked Republican state officials for what they said were efforts to suppress the votes of people who do not align with their political views. They pointed to recent investigations by Attorney General Ken Paxton on Latino groups who work to register people to vote. The speakers urged the crowd to make their voice heard in November by casting ballots for Democrats.

Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa told the crowd that Republican officials like Attorney General Ken Paxton were “attacking the vote” because of the tight races for president and U.S. Senate.

“He knows they’re in trouble,” Hinojosa said.

Emhoff’s visit is a boost for Texas Democrats. National politicos may not see the state as a battleground — despite the state party’s best efforts — but any boost to down-ballot candidates could help the minority party make up ground in state elections. It also gets those candidates in front of new potential voters.

Texas political leaders tried to energize the crowd through Emhoff’s visit.

“Texas is in play and if you need proof of that, we’ve got second gentleman Douglas Emhoff here,” Casar said.

The event also included Kristian Carranza and Laurel Jordan Swift, two San Antonio Democrats vying to unseat Republican incumbents in crucial statehouse races.

Republicans hold a majority in the Texas House and are likely to push for legislation that would allow for the use of public money to pay for private education at least in some way. The issue is a top priority for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Democrats are trying to make dents in the majority to hold the line against that type of legislation.

Carranza’s race against Republican John Lujan is seen as one of the top targets for Democrats and Swift is running for a seat that is vacant because moderate Republican incumbent, Steve Allison, was defeated in the primaries by Marc LaHood, a Republican challenger who is further to the right.

John Harrison, 72, of Kerrville who drove about an hour to attend the event with his wife Jo, said Emhoff’s visit showed that national Democrats were still throwing some support behind the state.

“It means they haven’t given up in Texas and that they can turn some races blue,” Harrison said. “I hope we can beat Cruz and Trump. It’ll be tough but still possible.”

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Texas

Major Fort Worth roads clear, but icy neighborhood streets persist

Published

1 hour ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Major Fort Worth roads clear, but icy neighborhood streets persist

Bo Evans

January 27, 2026 / 5:43 PM CST
/ CBS Texas

Roads across North Texas have been in poor condition since temperatures dropped Friday night, and while TXDOT and local crews have been working around the clock, many neighborhoods are still dealing with sheets of ice.

In Fort Worth, the difference between major highways and city streets is easy to see. I‑30 looked nearly clear after TXDOT began pretreating it last Wednesday, well before any ice or snow arrived. But nearby city‑maintained roads remained slick. Each city and county is responsible for its own streets, which means some neighborhoods are still waiting for crews to reach them.

Warmer temperatures Tuesday helped speed up the process.

Fort Worth and Tarrant County crews spent the day spreading salt and sand to give drivers traction. The city said it doesn’t have traditional snowplows like those used in northern states, but workers have been using skid steers to scrape away the thick layer of ice that’s been stuck to the pavement.

Road conditions improved significantly throughout the day, but officials urged drivers to stay cautious.

City urges drivers to slow down

“If you are needing to leave your home and get out on the neighborhood streets and on to roads to travel, please go very slowly,” said Lara Ingram, a spokesperson for Fort Worth’s Transportation & Public Works Department. “Some neighborhood roads may be 35 mph. Fifteen to 20 mph is fast enough.”

Crews focused Tuesday on hospitals, major thoroughfares and the area around Dickies Arena to keep the Stock Show & Rodeo accessible.

The city is asking residents to remain patient as workers continue moving through neighborhoods.

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Texas

Texas agriculture commissioner primary: Who is running and what you need to know

Published

13 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Texas agriculture commissioner primary: Who is running and what you need to know

Editor’s note: To help readers learn more about primary candidates, The Texas Tribune is sharing background information on top candidates. In particularly crowded races, we focused on candidates who have political experience or prominence. For a full list of the candidates running in this race view our primary ballot page. For more information on the primaries and the voting process, check out our voter guide here.

About this seat: The Texas Agriculture Commissioner is the chief advocate for Texas’s agriculture industry. Under the commissioner’s purview, the Texas Department of Agriculture regulates the state’s agriculture industry, including cattle, grain, plants, pesticides, hemp and organic operations. The department provides agribusiness support, promotes Texas products and advocates for policies at the state and federal level that help farmers and ranchers. It also administers the National School Lunch Program to public schools. The department works on economic development in rural areas and provides disaster relief to farmers. The department also ensures that price scanners and scales are all accurate to ensure consumers are paying an accurate price for these items when they purchase them.

What’s at stake: Agriculture is the second largest industry in the state and Texas is home to more than 230,000 farms, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2024, it was the 6th largest state exporter of agricultural products. Farmers and ranchers are on the frontlines of economic pressures, the effects of climate change, and labor and supply chain disruptions and it’s the responsibility of the state agriculture commissioner to regulate farmers from a consumer protection standpoint, while providing support and funding to farms that are economic engines in rural areas of the state.

Candidates at a Glance:

Commissioner of Agriculture of Texas

💰 Campaign finance:

💰 Major donors this cycle:

Philip Oshotse, owner of Houston African grocery store – $60,000
Joe Cavender, owner of Cavender’s boots – $5,000
Stan Graff, owner at El Dorado Motors – $10,000
Kent Hance, former U.S. Rep. and chancellor of Texas Tech University System – $10,000

Experience:

First elected agriculture commissioner in 2014, and reelected twice in 2018 and 2022
12 years in the Texas House of Representatives
Graduate of Tarleton State University in Stephenville, where he lives and owns a tree nursery
Breeds horses and is a rodeo cowboy

Political ideology: Miller is known as a staunch MAGA conservative with a fiery personality and a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump. He is a Christian who often rails against Islam and leftist politics on social media. He’s against diversity, equity and inclusion policies and in 2023, he ordered employees to dress “in a manner consistent with their biological gender,” a move that was viewed as anti-transgender.

Policy stances:

Increasing water security in Texas
Defending agriculture from invasive pests and disease
Enhancing local food pride through the agency’s Go Texan brand program
Ensure farm and ranchland is not affected by the expansion of data centers in Texas
Supports legalization of marijuana for medical purposes

In the news:

Endorsements:

Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian
Ted Nugent, a guitarist and singer

How to contact or learn more:
campaign@sidmiller.com
6407 S US Hwy 377
Stephenville, TX 76401

💰 Campaign finance:

💰 Major donors this cycle:

Houston furniture store owner Mattress Mack – $10,000
Sen. Kevin Sparks, a Republican from Midland and family – $13,000
The Saulsbury Family, owners of Saulsbury Industries oil and gas company in Odessa and former donors of Sid Miller’s campaign – $25,000

Experience:

Texan business and ranch owner
Served for six years in the U.S. Naval Reserve before he graduated from Texas State University
He and his wife founded a honey company called Nature Nate’s, which became famous for its raw and unfiltered honey. He sold the company in 2021 and resigned as CEO in 2024 to run for agriculture commissioner.
Previously worked as communications director for E3 Partners, an evangelist ministry organization that establishes new Christian congregations around the world

Political ideology: Sheets is a conservative Christian and self-declared member of the MAHA (Make American Healthy Again) movement, which was inspired by Trump administration Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Nature Nate’s Honey emphasized testing to ensure the honey didn’t contain pesticides or herbicides, and Sheets has said his experience leading the company shaped his views on healthy eating.

Policy stances:

Helping Texas farmers grow and produce clean and healthy food at home and in the state’s public schools
Boost job opportunities in the agriculture industry in rural areas of the state
Work with the Legislature to ensure Texas has the power to investigate agro terrorists who might spread pathogens that could damage state agriculture production

In the news:

Endorsements:

Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Cattlefeeders Association
Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, a Republican from Pennsylvania

How to contact or learn more:
campaign@natesheets.com

💰 Campaign finance:

💰 Major donors this cycle:

Jim Hightower, former Texas Agriculture Commissioner from 1983 to 1991 – $1,000

Experience:

Grew up working on his family’s ranch in Lampasas
Fair trade organizer for the Trade Justice Education Fund, a left-leaning non-profit that promotes awareness of the impact of trade on public health and the environment.

Political ideology: Tucker spent his early career working as a Democratic political campaign organizer. He is an active member of the Texas Democrats and a member of the Texas Progressive Caucus.

Policy stances:

Preserving family farms
Lowering the cost of food and removing chemicals from food
Stop the spread of microplastics and regulate dangerous chemicals like PFAS
Protect Texas from the growth of data centers across the state and “bust monopolies”

Endorsements:

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland
Many Democratic state representatives

How to contact or learn more:
info@claytontuckertx.com
PO Box 1059
Lampasas, TX 76550

Disclosure: Texas Cattle Feeders Association and Texas Tech University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Texas

2 baby bald eagles hatch near Dallas during Texas Winter Storm

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

2 baby bald eagles hatch near Dallas during Texas Winter Storm

KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas – Two bald eagle chicks were born this week at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center in North Texas, hatching amid a winter storm as their parents sheltered the nest from rain, cold and high winds.

What we know:

The eaglets hatched from eggs laid on Dec. 18 and Dec. 21, according to the wetlands center. The hatching came as a winter storm moved through the area, dumping rain and ushering in freezing temperatures. The nest is located near Combine, Texas, about 30 minutes southeast of Dallas.

Courtesy: John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center

Executive Director of the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center, Kayleigh Bucur, said staff could do little more than observe the bald eagles. It has become a focal point for eagle watchers across the region as staff members and thousands of online viewers have been closely monitoring the nest through a YouTube live-stream, as the incubation period reached its final days.

The female eagle, referred to as Mom, is noticeably larger than the male, referred to as Dad. As Mom handled most of the incubation duties, Dad hunted and brought food back to the nest. Bucur tells The Post that they do not name the baby eagles but number them based on the number they were hatched. The two newborns are JBS 24 and JBS 25.

With the two new hatchlings, the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center has now recorded 25 eaglets since monitoring began in 2014. Of those, 20 have successfully fledged.

Courtesy: John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center

Dig deeper:

On Jan. 25, 2026, shortly after the birth of JBS 24, Dad flies in to meet his new offspring and check on the family and Mom finally allows him to take charge and leaves to grab a meal and get some rest. Mom has been on the nest since early Friday morning, steadfast in the frightful, frigid weather.

Mom and Dad’s second chick hatched in the early morning of Jan. 26. Mom had her attempts at the first feeding of both chicks.

Courtesy: John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center

JBS 25 is described to still have a few damp feathers from hatching and generally has its back to the camera in the video. JBS 24 is described as a bit more mobile, it can sit up and is starting to have some control of its bobbing head.

Mom manages to connect JBS 24 with a little food, while JBS 25 still has plenty of nutrients from absorbing the egg yolk during the hatching process.

It won’t be long before the chick can grab at the morsels Mom offers, according to the center.

During the process of hatching, the chicks absorb the nutritious egg yolk and can go without being fed for a day or two. The chicks will rest and dry off after hatching and will sit up and chirp to the parents when they’re ready for their first meal outside the shell.

What they’re saying:

“We’ve been on what we call ‘PIP watch,’” said Bucur. “That’s when the chick starts breaking into the air sac inside the egg and mom can actually hear chirping. From there, hatching is entirely up to the chick.”

Bucur described the organization’s inability to intervene with the birth of the baby eagles.

“They’re federally protected, and truly, you just have to trust the eagles. They’re seasoned parents, and they know what they’re doing.”

Winter Storm Warning, Eagle Egg Watch | The Post

We’re in the final hours to prepare for this weekend’s winter storm, as multiple counties in North Texas are under a winter storm warning. Meanwhile, two bald eagles are expected to welcome babies during the winter storm. A livestream is available to watch the eggs hatch.

The backstory:

The nest itself has a unique history, originally built on an energized electrical tower that supplied power to Dallas. In 2014, utility crews and wildlife agencies worked together to relocate the nest without disturbing it, lifting it by crane and securing it to a replica tower about a quarter mile away. That partnership included Mica Steelworks, The Chapman Group, Oncor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and several private contractors. The replica tower still stands about 100 feet tall.

Bald eagles’ mate for life, and this same pair has returned year after year. Since the relocation, the new nest has grown to nearly 700 pounds and spans about nine feet across.

What’s next:

The chicks are expected to remain in the nest for several weeks and could begin attempting flight by April.

The John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center offers public programs, eagle walks and live-stream access to the nest, allowing visitors to follow the young birds’ progress as they grow.

The Source: Information in this article was provided by an interview conducted by FOX 4’s Lauren Przyby and Shannon Murray. Additional information was provided by the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center.

Pets and AnimalsTexasKaufman CountyWild Nature

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