Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Join The Temporary, our day by day e-newsletter that retains readers in control on essentially the most important Texas information.
Republicans had been poised to narrowly increase their legislative majorities in each the Home and Senate early Wednesday morning, although they fell wanting taking some seats they focused on this yr’s midterm election.
The Republicans’ leads had been being felt prominently in South Texas, the place the GOP gained key races after focusing on the traditionally Democratic area of Texas after Democratic President Joe Biden underperformed there in 2020.
A number of of the races had not been referred to as by Resolution Desk HQ early Wednesday morning.
In Home District 37, anchored in Brownsville, Republican Janie Lopez was on monitor to seize an open seat as she led Democrat Luis Villareal Jr. The seat is presently held by Democratic state Rep. Alex Dominguez, who unsuccessfully ran for state Senate relatively than search reelection.
Lopez could be the primary Latina Republican to characterize the Rio Grande Valley within the Home.
In one other main South Texas victory, Rep. Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande Metropolis, who defected from the Democratic Celebration and ran this cycle as a Republican, appeared destined to win reelection handily.
In one other essential battle in southern Bexar County, which has historically been dominated by Democrats, Republican incumbent John Lujan regarded as if he would prevail over Democrat Frank Ramirez, a former San Antonio Metropolis Council member.
Republicans appeared to bolster their probabilities to hold on to that Home District 118 seat by reconfiguring it throughout final yr’s legislative session to have a a lot narrower benefit for Democrats. Biden gained the district by 14 factors two years in the past, however would have solely gained by 3 factors underneath the brand new boundaries.
Republicans additionally poured huge cash into the race, with Lujan outraising Ramirez practically 5 to 1 within the newest marketing campaign finance stories.
However Democrat Morgan LaMantia was in a decent race with Republican Adam Hinojosa in Senate District 27, an open seat vacated by Eddie Lucio Jr., a conservative Democrat who typically bucked his occasion within the Legislature on main points like abortion and LGBTQ rights. LaMantia was forward early Wednesday morning with all precincts reporting, however the Democrat’s lead was lower than 600 votes, placing it squarely in recount territory.
Whereas LaMantia is a well known Democrat within the Rio Grande Valley, Republicans added extra conservative voters from Bee and San Patricio counties throughout final yr’s redistricting course of, making the district extra aggressive for his or her occasion. Democratic President Joe Biden gained the district by 15.7 factors in 2020, however would have gained it by solely 4.7 factors underneath the brand new boundaries.
Texas Democratic Celebration Chair Gilberto Hinojosa tried to pour chilly water on any Republican celebrations in South Texas. The GOP set its sights on flipping three congressional seats within the space, however Democrats held them off in two of them.
“Republicans in Austin and D.C. ought to perceive that if they might barely eke out this one win right here, they need to in all probability pack up their luggage and get the hell out of our area,” he mentioned on Twitter.
Democrats fared properly in different races the place Republicans had been bullish on pulling off upsets. Incumbent Democrat Eddie Morales was properly on his solution to keeping off a problem from Katherine Parker in Home District 74, which incorporates Eagle Move and far of the Texas-Mexico border.
And Democrats additionally seem to have gained some seats that had been drawn to be extra favorable to them throughout final yr’s redistricting cycle. Democrat Mihaela Plesa was on monitor to flip an open seat in Home District 70 in fast-growing Collin County, which has lengthy been managed by Republicans.
And in Home District 34, Democratic incumbent Abel Herrero was well-positioned to beat again a problem from Republican Carolyn Vaughn to earn a sixth time period representing the Nueces County district.
In Home District 52, Republican Caroline Harris, a former legislative staffer, defeated Democrat Luis Echegaray, in a district previously held by Democrat James Talarico. The district was redrawn final yr to present Republicans a bonus and Talarico moved to close by Home District 50, anchored in Austin, the place he gained the seat over Republican Victor Johnson. That seat was open after Democrat Celia Israel determined to run for Austin mayor.
In Harris County, Republican Mano DeAyala appeared to cruise over Democrat Mohamad Maarouf in Home District 133. The seat had been vacated by longtime Republican Rep. Jim Murphy.
With districts that had been drawn to be extra favorable to the GOP, the Republican incumbents in Dallas County appeared to have gained rather more snug reelections than they did two years in the past. Morgan Meyer was on monitor to defeat Democrat Elizabeth Ginsberg in Home District 108, anchored in Highland Park and College Park, whereas Angie Chen Button regarded as if she had prevailed over Democrat Elva Curl in Home District 112 in northeast Dallas County.
Within the Senate, Republicans prolonged their majority by at the least one after state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, gained election to Senate District 10, previously held by Democrat Beverly Powell. The district was previously anchored totally in Tarrant County, however was dispersed to the west and south in final yr’s redistricting course of and made extra advantageous for Republicans.
Powell, who had filed for reelection finally stop the race claiming it was unwinnable after the GOP redrawing.
King’s victory implies that Republicans now maintain at the least 19 of the Senate’s 31 seats.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit statewide information group devoted to holding Texans knowledgeable on politics and coverage points that affect their communities. This election season, Texans across the state will flip to The Texas Tribune for the data they want on voting, election outcomes, evaluation of key races and extra. Get the newest.
Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
As Congress returns from recess today, Democrats are in for a tough family conversation. Four senior House Democrats said on a private call yesterday that they believe President Biden should drop out of the 2024 race. Others have publicly criticized those calling for Biden to step aside. Meanwhile, Biden campaigned in Pennsylvania yesterday like a man on a mission.
Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, the Justice Department said in a court filing on Sunday. As part of the plea deal, Boeing will pay a $243.6 million fine, invest upwards of $450 million toward safety and compliance programs and be on probation for three years.
France’s far-right party fell far short of getting a majority after a historic number of voters participated in the country’s snap elections. The country saw a 67% voter turnout.
Beryl made landfall in Texas this morning as a Category 1 Hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5:00 a.m. ET update. More than 100 counties are under a state disaster declaration, and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said yesterday more may be added. More than 2,500 responders have been dispatched across the state.
Dining out with your friends is all fun and games until it’s time to pay for your meal. Splitting the bill is a fine art. New York Magazine food editor Kiki Aranita says there should be “a sense of equality in how the check is divvied up” when the meal ends. She offers advice on how to keep things “fair and square”:
Indigenous arts and culture from across Latin America were on display at this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival. From an all-female Bolivian skateboarding crew to artists singing and painting to weaving, people from the Latin American contingent at the festival shared their stories and expertise with excited onlookers like 2-year-old first-time skateboarder Poppy Moore. One of the artists NPR’s team met was Ubaldo Sanchez from Guatemala. His portrait of former President Obama was selected for his White House collection, and he successfully painted a giant kite by the festival’s closing.
📷 See photos from the festival and read about the special connection Sanchez found with NPR’s Marc Silver.
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Anandita Bhalerao contributed.
NORTH TEXAS — Sunday night, Beryl officially became a Hurricane again. North Texas can expect winds and heavy rainfall. Flash flooding is possible.
12 a.m. – 2 a.m.: If any isolated storms to our northwest hold together Sunday night, this would be the timeframe they could reach DFW.
2 a.m. – 5 a.m.: Isolated stray hit/miss showers could pop up across the region.
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Heavier showers and thunderstorms are possible in the metroplex and especially points to the east. If more showers and storms develop between the frontal boundary and Beryl, they could drop fast-hitting, heavy rainfall.
3 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Remaining activity should diminish or exit East/Northeast.
The latest track shifts a weakening Beryl further east of DFW.
All in all, the heaviest rainfall is trending east of the metroplex with a steep drop-off to the west of Beryl’s potential track. However, due to the interaction with the frontal boundary moving in from the northwest and Beryl, there certainly could be locally much higher amounts if stronger storms develop right over DFW.
Starting late week and amplifying into next week, a large upper-level ridge of high pressure will sit over the south and expand across the central and western United States. We could see extreme heat build back in for the extended forecast as a result.
For the 7-day forecast, Beryl and its associated activity exit the region quickly followed by more heat.
Amid his first visit to Taiwan, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Sunday the opening of a Texas-Taiwan trade representative office in Taipei to strengthen business and economic ties between the state and island.
Taiwan-based companies have been expanding into Texas for years, specifically in the semiconductor and petrochemical industries. Totaling $21.3 billion in 2023, Taiwan is Texas’ seventh-largest trade partner, according to Abbott.
One of the notable expansions is by GlobalWafers, a Taiwan-based semiconductor silicon wafer company, which announced in 2022 plans to build a state-of-the-art silicon wafer factory in Sherman, Texas. This facility, expected to be the first of its kind in the United States in over two decades, aims to address the semiconductor supply chain issues in the U.S. by reducing the reliance on imported silicon wafers from Asia. This project is anticipated to create around 1,500 jobs and significantly bolster the state’s local economy.
During a visit to Taiwan on Sunday, Abbott announced the opening of the State of Texas Taiwan Office (STTO), making it the 23rd U.S. state to open an office in Taipei. The STTO, which will operate under Texas’ Economic Development & Tourism Office, was announced in an effort to strengthen business and economic ties between the state and island, with the Republican governor also signing a letter of intent.
Newsweek has reached out to Abbott’s office via email for comment.
“We understand, both in Texas and in the United States, the importance of a strong Taiwan for the future of the entire globe. One of the best things that we can do to strengthen Taiwan and strengthen its future is by expanding our economic ties, so that Taiwan grows even stronger economically,” Abbott said on a stage with Taiwan Minister of Economic Affairs Jyh-Huei Kuo.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Abbott praised the opening of the office and wrote on Sunday morning, “Taiwan President Lai welcomed our Texas delegation in Taipei. We also announced the opening of a trade representative office for the State of Texas. We do BILLIONS in trade with Taiwan. The country was very hospitable.”
According to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, Texas is an important trading partner as the Lone Star state is the ninth largest export market, with exports exceeding $11.5 billion in 2023.
“During this trip you will open the state of Texas-Taiwan office and sign an economic development statement of intent. I assure that the office will create new and trailblazing opportunities for an even stronger collaboration between Taiwanese and US businesses,” Lai said, according to Taiwan News.
However, the announcement comes as tensions between Taiwan and China continue to grow.
In May, Lai faced China’s largest-scale military exercises in nearly two years. It comes as a response to Lai’s inauguration speech as he asserted that “the Republic of China Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation,” adding it is “an important link in the global chain of democracies.” While Taiwan has been independently governed since 1949, China views the island as part of its territory and hasn’t ruled out the use of force to unify the nations.
In addition, China has said it would launch a war if Taiwan were ever to officially declare independence. Lai, like his predecessor, former President Tsai Ing-wen, has maintained that there is no need to do so, as Taiwan is already an independent state.
Last week, China issued a no-sail zone warning in waters near Taiwan.
Maritime Safety Administration of China’s eastern Zhejiang province issued the navigational warning for a “military exercises” in the East China Sea from Wednesday to Friday as China’s military deployed 22 aircraft and six vessels.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Tension and stand-offs as South Africa struggles to launch coalition gov’t
4 killed, 9 injured after vehicle crashes into Long Island nail salon
Supreme Court denies Steve Bannon's plea to stay free while he appeals
Video: How Blast Waves Can Injure the Brain
Trump says 'biggest problem' not Biden's age, 'decline,' but his policies in first appearance since debate
Movie review: A Quiet Place, quivering since Day One
Increasing numbers of voters don’t think Biden should be running after debate with Trump — CBS News poll
Caribbean braces for ‘very dangerous’ Hurricane Beryl