Texas
Texas Republicans say they have a
Starting January 20th, Republicans will have the trifecta in the nation’s capital. Senator Ted Cruz, who won re-election for a third term, discusses the main priorities lawmakers will tackle first. Congressman-elect Brandon Gill, who will represent the 26th Congressional District in North Texas, talks about how he will help pass President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. Plus, for the first time since some controversial charter amendments passed in the City of Dallas, Mayor Eric Johnson is speaking out about the results. He also answers the question about whether he’s had conversations about serving in the Trump administration. Jack Fink covers these stories in the latest episode of Eye On Politics. (Original air date: December 8, 2024.)
Looking Ahead
On Tuesday, Senator Ted Cruz spoke with political reporter Jack Fink about the most urgent priorities voters expect Republicans to work on in the new session of Congress starting next month. They include border security, deporting violent criminals in the U.S. illegally, reducing prices and boosting the economy.
“We have a real obligation to deliver on our campaign promises,” said Cruz. “And if you lok at the election, there are a number of things that came out of the election that, I think are a real mandate and a mandate for change.”
Watch Jack’s full interview with Senator Ted Cruz:
One on One with the youngest Republican in the next Congress
At the age of 30, the youngest Republican to serve in the next Congress will be Brandon Gill. He will represent the 26th Congressional District in North Texas. He was also elected Freshman Class President.
Gill said he and his fellow Republican freshmen ran on the Trump agenda: securing the border, unleashing American energy and cutting wasteful federal spending to bring inflation down. He told Jack what he hopes to accomplish as the president of the incoming class in the House.
“I said I want to do everything I possibly can to make sure we are all in the best position to execute on the Trump agenda,” said Gill.
Watch Jack’s full interview with Congressman-elect Brandon Gill:
Dallas Mayor discusses controversial charter amendments
Jack also spoke with Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in an exclusive interview Tuesday.
He discussed the controversial charter election and his recommendation to residents to vote down all the propositions. He called two measures that were part of the Dallas HERO Initiative that passed “workable.”
“The reality is, I’m not very worried about it,” said Johnson.
He played down concerns by opponents, including former Mayors, that prop U will negatively impact the city finances and services by requiring the city to hire and maintain 4,000 police officers. It’s a move that city leaders and advocates for the measure estimate will cost between $175 and $185 million dollars.
“It’s not going to destroy the city of Dallas,” said Johnson. “It’s not going to bring us to our knees financially. It does force us to put our money where our mouth is on public safety and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
He said Prop S, which allows residents to file suit against the city if it doesn’t comply with the charter, city ordinances, and state law. He did express concern about what he called “enforcement through litigation.”
“We don’t want to be tied up in court constantly of paying lawyers’ legal fees to bring lawsuits against us to do what we’re trying to do anyway. So that’s my concern about prop s – it’s a litigation bonanza potentially.”
The Mayor said his recommendation to Dallas residents was to vote down all of the charter amendments, not just certain propositions. “If none of them passed, I had a legal opinion from our city attorney that said we’ve got to have an immediate do-over, an immediate do-over. That’s what I wanted. I wanted to be able to come right back and come up with some well-thought out charter amendments that actually would have accomplished what props S, T, U wanted to do but more effectively.”
One of the Mayor’s friends from serving in the Texas Legislature, former Republican Representative Scott Turner, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as HUD Secretary. Jack asked the Mayor if he’s had any conversations about joining the Trump administration.
“I love my city, I’ve had no greater honor in my life being elected Mayor of this city,” said Johnson. “Whether or not I’d be willing to serve our country, I think that would depend on a lot, but my focus is on being Mayor of Dallas.”
The Dallas Mayor said that he told Turner that he would like Dallas to be at the front of the line for anything HUD will be doing to help cities. Johnson delivered his State of the City address Thursday. He said he wants the city’s progress reducing violent crime and reducing property taxes to continue.
Watch Jack’s full interview with Dallas Mayor Eric Johson:
AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.
Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.
The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.
According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.
The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.
The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.
Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:
- Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
- Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
- Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
- Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
- Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
- Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
- Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.
Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.
For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.
For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.
More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.
More than 150 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have been infected with influenza over the past three weeks — a major outbreak less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated against the flu.
A day off at the pool — and a little sunburn — didn’t stop the Minnesota Twins’ momentum.
Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 win Thursday.
Minnesota has won four games in a row and scored 25 runs in the three-games series in Texas. The two teams had a rare, mid-series day off on Wednesday with the England-Croatia World Cup game being played in Arlington.
“We’re locked in every day,” Lee told Audra Martin on the team’s broadcast. “Yesterday, taking time off, lay out by the pool, get a little burnt and then right back to it. We did a good job getting focused. I feel like we do that with rain delays, too, just lock back in and we’re doing it.”
Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.
The Twins never trailed in the sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.
Wyatt Langford, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost five of six games. They are 0-15 when giving up multiple runs in the first inning.
Twins DH Josh Bell, who was born in nearby Irving and grew up in the area, had an RBI single before Lee’s homer. Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the series-opening 4-2 win Monday, and had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first of a 12-2 win on Tuesday.
“We’re just passing the baton each time,” Lee said of the offensive output. “Our guys are hot. They feel good and they came out swinging today. It was awesome to see. We’ve done that for a while now.”
Up next
Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) starts Friday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.11).
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