Texas
These Texans are scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
:focal(0x0:3000x2000)/static.texastribune.org/media/files/1e24899a823a730d86fbab2c71e7ecb1/Abbott%20CPAC%202022%20REUTERS.jpg?ssl=1 "These Texans are scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee")
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MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz will be among the Texas Republicans who will address the Republican National Convention beginning Monday in Milwaukee, the Republican National Committee announced Saturday.
The list of speakers also includes U.S. Reps. Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, Monica De La Cruz of Edinburg and Wesley Hunt of Houston. All three are vocal supporters of former President Donald Trump, who will receive the party’s formal presidential nomination at the convention. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who defected from the Democratic Party to become a Republican last year, will also be on the main stage.
Abbott and Cruz were both floated as potential presidential candidates early in the cycle, though they never launched their own bids.
The last time Cruz spoke from the convention mainstage was in 2016, when he declined to endorse Trump after coming short in that year’s Republican primaries. Cruz has since become a vocal Trump supporter.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will not attend the convention, even though he is the chair of Trump’s reelection efforts in Texas. He canceled his appearance in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, which killed at least 10 people. Much of the Houston area was without power for days. An estimated 700,000 customers remained without electricity Saturday afternoon.
“My first priority is not the Republican National Convention; it’s pushing CenterPoint and other utility companies in damaged areas to get power back and ensure our state continues to deliver what citizens need,” Patrick said on social media Friday.
Patrick’s statement was in response to a call from the Texas Democratic Party for him, Cruz and Abbott to stay in Texas rather than attend the convention. Abbott drew criticisms for going on a pre-scheduled business trip to Asia.
“Our state’s leaders should not be jetting off to applaud Donald Trump while Texans are still suffering,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement Friday night. “The Texas Democratic Party calls upon Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and Ted Cruz to skip the Republican National Convention, and prioritize mitigating Beryl’s aftermath.”
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Cruz stayed in the Houston area for much of last week, missing votes in the U.S. Senate, to survey the damage and speak with those impacted by the storm. He and other lawmakers from Houston from both parties pushed the Biden administration to quickly approve disaster aid for the state.
Cruz’s 2021 trip to Cancun during a winter storm drew ridicule from Democrats, who are hoping to unseat him this year with U.S. Rep. Colin Allred. Cruz said the trip was a mistake and returned to Texas. Allred’s campaign has continued to refer back to the trip in its messaging.
Cruz’s campaign shot back that Allred was in Washington with the rest of the U.S. House last week.
“It took Can’t Comment Colin five days to visit Houston. Texas Dems should check their own nominee before they try to be relevant,” a Cruz spokesperson said in a statement.
Allred’s campaign said Cruz’s actions during Winter Storm Uri is what voters will remember this fall.
“No matter what Cancun Cruz says or does, Texans will never forget he abandoned them during the deadly freeze in 2021. Come November, Texans will elect a Senator they can count on,” Allred’s campaign said in response.
Jackson and Hunt are among Trump’s most fervent supporters on Capitol Hill. Jackson served as the White House physician to President Barack Obama and Trump and has remained a loyal Trump supporter since. Hunt has hosted outreach programs to court more Black voters to support Trump.
De La Cruz won her Rio Grande Valley seat in 2022 after national Republicans poured millions of dollars into the race. Her race was a litmus test for GOP efforts to court Hispanic voters in Texas. Her race for reelection this year is Democrats’ top U.S. House target in Texas and the most competitive congressional seat in the state.
“It is truly the honor of a lifetime and my story is the American Dream come true,” De La Cruz said in a statement. “I look forward to making the case for why we need President Donald Trump to fix our economy and restore law and order at the southern border.”
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Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
Just days before Mother’s Day, a North Texas father is grieving the sudden loss of his wife and unborn son after she died unexpectedly, only days before her due date. Avi Carey said he is still in shock over the death of his wife, Tiffany, whom he described as his “rock” and “soulmate.”
“Tiffany’s smile, her radiance, her presence … she didn’t meet a stranger,” Carey said.
Nearly two decades together
The couple had been together for nearly two decades, raising two children, Kingston and Kasyn, and preparing to welcome their third child, a baby boy they planned to name Kylo.
Carey said Tiffany began complaining of a severe headache just days before she was due to give birth. He recalled her sitting on the couch, dozing off multiple times – something he said was unusual.
A short time later, Carey found her unresponsive.
“I saw her face … her lips were blue. And I already knew,” he said with tears in his eyes.
A celebration turned to heartbreak
Tiffany Carey and her unborn son died May 2, leaving behind a grieving husband and two children. The loss came less than a week after the family had celebrated a baby shower.
“We went from celebrating the baby shower to planning a funeral in less than five days,” Carey said.
A crisis affecting Black mothers
Health officials say cases like this highlight a broader crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy‑related causes, and most of those deaths – around 80% – are considered preventable.
Carey said he is still searching for answers and now lives with questions about whether warning signs were missed.
“I would say educate yourself. Take everything seriously,” he said. “That should have been a red flag … the headache.”
Honoring Tiffany’s legacy
Now, surrounded by baby supplies meant for a child who never arrived, Carey said he is focused on honoring Tiffany’s memory and raising their children with the values she lived by.
“She always said, ‘You’ve got to lead with love,’” he said. “She did that in everything.”
Trump administration to release UFO files soon, president says
President Trump said his administration plans to release information and materials relating to UFOs.
Ever look up at the vast Texas sky and see something move across it? It could be a shooting star, a satellite — or a UFO.
The Pentagon released several documents Friday, May 8, detailing sightings of unidentified flying objects, or “bogeys,” in U.S. airspace, including reports from Texas.
The documents were released by the U.S. Department of Defense at the directive of President Donald Trump, marking the release of government files related to “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” and UFOs.
“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a statement.
Here’s a look at the files related to Texas.
UFO spotted in 1948 above Abilene, Texas
A DoD incident summary shows that on Jan. 1, 1948, a man identified as “Mr. A. Schroeder” reported a UFO in the 1100 block of Highland Ave in Abilene, Texas.
Schroeder reported seeing a stationary bright blue-green bell-shaped object in the western sky above Abilene at 1:25 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.
Fort Worth man sees UFO above Alaska
Also in 1948, Lt. Aytch Johnson noticed a silver flat disk in the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska.
According to the incident report, the Fort Worth man observed the object flying over Alaska at around 1:06 p.m. on April 18, 1948, at an estimated speed of 250 to 300 miles per hour.
The report also noted that the sighting “may have been the reflection of sun from wings” of aircrafts flying in the area at the time.
Possible UFO sighting during the NASA Gemini 7 space launch
The DoD released the transcript and audio file of NASA’s Gemini 7 mission in 1965 when astronaut Frank Borman reported to NASA mission control in Houston his sighting of an unidentified object, which he referred to as a “bogey.”
While the launch didn’t take place in Texas, the report came back to space control in Houston.
The conversation occurred on Dec. 5, 1965 — 4 hours and 24 minutes into the flight — when Borman notified space control that there was a “bogey” on their left-hand side.
When asked to clarify what they are seeing, Borman said he was seeing “hundreds of little particles” on their left, about three to four miles away.
As NASA Public Affairs clarified, the bogey was an unidentified object, along with the particles.
Pentagon documents report of other possible sightings in Texas
Some documents have connections or reports of possible UFO sightings in Texas, but are missing details to understand the situation.
For example, the DoD received a clipping from the Yoakum Times-Record reporting UFO sightings by Mrs. Anna Banys in 1947, but it is unclear why she was writing to the DoD.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
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.
Concern over effectiveness of AMBER Alerts
For nearly 30 years, the AMBER Alert has helped locate hundreds of children, but one of its founders believes changes should be made to make the emergency alert system more effective.
Fox – 7 Austin
An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl abducted from Louisiana who was last seen in North Texas.
Merlin Chirinos-Argueta was last seen around 7:10 p.m. May 7 in Allen, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Authorities say the teen was abducted from Keithville, Louisiana, and may be traveling in Texas
Chirinos-Argueta is described as a 13-year-old Hispanic girl with black hair and brown eyes. She is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds, officials said.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said Merlin was reported missing Thursday. May 7 from the 6200 block of Bain Boulevard in Keithville. Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. said investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating the teen.
Investigators believe she may be with 18-year-old Daniel Vasquez Mejia, who has black hair and brown eyes.
Merlin has not been in contact with her family, which has raised concerns for her safety and well-being, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.
Authorities say they may be traveling in a white Chevrolet SUV with Texas license plate VML6061. The vehicle is believed to have a skull sticker on the rear driver’s side back window and a “mojo” sticker on the passenger side rear window.
Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or contact the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-675-2170.
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