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Cruz, Allred trade barbs in heated Texas Senate debate: 'Extreme,' 'threat to democracy'

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Cruz, Allred trade barbs in heated Texas Senate debate: 'Extreme,' 'threat to democracy'

The Texas Senate debate between longtime Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred was not without its share of name-calling and fiery exchanges in the state’s first and only debate before the November election.

Abortion, immigration and transgender issues brought out the most contention between the two candidates.

While Cruz sought to destroy any attempt of Allred being portrayed as a moderate candidate by continually bringing up his voting record throughout the hour-long debate on Tuesday night, Allred painted Cruz as an “extremist” who opposes exceptions to abortions, like in instances of rape.

‘BOYS PLAYING GIRLS’ SPORTS’ AD LANDS TEXAS DEM IN HOT WATER WITH LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ON EVE OF PIVOTAL DEBATE

Abortion, immigration, and transgender issues brought out the most contention between Rep. Colin Allred and Sen. Ted Cruz. (Getty Images)

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“You’re not pro-life,” Allred said to Cruz. “It’s not pro-life to deny women care so long that they can’t have children anymore. It’s not pro-life to force a victim of rape to carry their rapist’s baby.”

Cruz, during his opening statement, said, “In Texas, we overwhelmingly support that parents should be notified and have to consent before their child gets an abortion.” 

“In Texas, we overwhelmingly agree that late-term abortions in the eighth and ninth months, that’s too extreme, and I’ll tell you, in Texas, we overwhelmingly agree that taxpayer money shouldn’t pay for abortions,” he added.

At one point during the squabble over abortion, one of the hosts, WFAA’s Jason Whitely, repeatedly probed Cruz but did not do the same to Allred.

“Why is this an issue you won’t address, about saying whether you support or oppose exceptions like rape or incest?” Whitely asked Cruz.

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“Why do you keep asking me that?” Cruz shot back. “But yet I’ve asked Congressman Allred twice about his voting record and the fact that he voted to strike down Texas’ parental notification law and parental consent law. You haven’t asked him about that.”

Cruz said during the debate he supports abortion being left up to each state.

TEXAS DEM’S SENATE AD FEATURES BORDER WALL HE ONCE BLASTED AS ‘RACIST’

Sen. Ted Cruz, the two-term Republican who has held the seat for the last 12 years. (Fox News Digital)

When it came to border security, Allred contended that Cruz voted against the bipartisan White House deal – which Republicans tanked, arguing it didn’t actually address border security – earlier this year. 

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“In fact, he does worse than nothing when the toughest border security bill in a generation came up in the United States Senate, $20 billion for border security,” Allred said. “And you know, listen, this is not this is a pattern for him. He’s never there for us when we need him.”

“He’s voted against the border wall, not once, not twice, but three times, every single time there’s a serious measure in the House to secure the border,” Cruz responded. “Colin Allred is Kamala Harris. Their records are the same.”

During another part of the debate, Allred recounted his experience during the Jan. 6 riot, and said, “You’re a threat to democracy.”

TEXAS DEM ALLRED SAYS HE OPPOSES ‘BOYS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS’ DESPITE PAST OF ALLOWING IT, FIGHTING PARENTAL RIGHTS

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Rep. Colin Allred speaks to constituents during a roundtable discussion on Aug. 29, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Regarding the issue of trans women competing in women’s sports and sharing facilities – topics Cruz has targeted in several attack ads – Allred firmly reiterated that he does not support any of the “ridiculous things he’s talking about.”

To escape the hot seat, Allred redirected the issue back to abortion.

“But what he wants you thinking about is kids in bathrooms, so you’re not thinking about women in hospitals, because it’s indefensible,” Allred said. 

Cruz, the two-term Republican who has held the seat for the last 12 years, kept pinning his main point on Allred at every turn: “He said not a word about his own record.”

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In October 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law restricting transgender student athletes from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity.

Texas is one of 23 states with laws in place to prevent transgender inclusion in women’s sports. In June 2023, Allred co-sponsored a bill that would require public schools to permit biological male student athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams.

The Texas Senate race is a likely GOP win, according to the latest Fox News Power Rankings. The most recent Real Clear Politics polling average shows Cruz with a four-point lead in the race.

Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

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Los Angeles, Ca

LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture

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LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture

Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.

Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.

Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.

  • Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood.
  • A sinkhole opened up on a sidewalk in West Hollywood following a water main break
  • Aerial view of flooded Metro buses.
  • Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood.
  • Water floods out of an apartment in West Hollywood
  • A broken water main floods a parking garage in West Hollywood
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Residents stand with luggage and a dog at the entrance to an apartment parking garage as floodwaters from a water main break rush through a West Hollywood street.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • A broken water main floods the streets of West Hollywood

“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”

The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.

A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.

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The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.

“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.

The two men appeared to be uninjured.

As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.

LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.

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The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues

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Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.

Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.

On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.

Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.

Meah Bordenave-Jenkins and Eric Washington are pictured in a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department bulletin. (LASD)

Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.

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“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.

The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.

Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.

Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.

Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.

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Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.

  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration

Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.

The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.

“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.

“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”

The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.

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At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.

Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.

The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.

Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.

Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.

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Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.

The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.

They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars

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Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars

A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]

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