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Texas county reworks guaranteed income program after legal blow by state’s Supreme Court

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Texas county reworks guaranteed income program after legal blow by state’s Supreme Court

Harris County, Texas leaders on Thursday approved changes to a guaranteed income program after it was challenged and struck down by the state’s Supreme Court.

“Hundreds of Harris County families were counting on $500 monthly payments back in April to help lift them out of poverty, and they were left in the lurch because of Texas state leaders’ political posturing,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a press release.

Due to the legal challenges against the guaranteed income program, Uplift Harris, the Harris County Commissioners Court placed restrictions on the program participants’ spending.

Under the new version of Uplift Harris, approximately 1,600 families who were enrolled in the program back in March will receive a preloaded $500 monthly debit card that is limited to essential needs like grocery shopping and medicine. Participants are expected to receive the debit cards in four months. 

“While launching this new program instead of a guaranteed income program isn’t ideal, it’s the best way we can try to keep our promise to these families,” Hidalgo said.

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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo were “left in the lurch because of Texas state leaders’ political posturing” after the guaranteed income program Uplift Harris was legally challenged by the state and struck down by the Texas Supreme Court.

Uplift Harris was passed by a 4-1 vote last year. The Harris County Commissioners Court is an elected body of four policymaking actors and the county judge that meets bi-weekly to serve Harris County, Texas. The county judge serves as the county’s chief executive officer. 

JUDGE PUTS PAUSE ON ST. LOUIS GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM THAT PAYS POOR FAMILIES $500 A MONTH

The program was funded with $20.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Houston, the largest city in Texas, makes up most of Harris County’s population.

Commissioner Tom Ramsey of Precinct 3 told Fox News Digital that “this is not the way to do it.”

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“While all of us on the court want to help Harris County residents, this is not the way to do it. This court has a history of trying to rewrite the lines and rules and laws and this is just another example,” Ramsey said.

He added that “this program will benefit a very few, select people and this same amount of money could help so many more if it was used properly.”

The Uplift Harris guaranteed income program was funded with $20.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Houston, the largest city in Texas, makes up most of Harris County’s population. (iStock)

Ramsey went on to say, “Harris County has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. You can invest $20M in the most underserved neighborhood in Harris County and change it for 50 years. Instead, we’re spending $20M to give less than 2,000 families $500/month for 18 months.”

He continued, “We’re told what they can spend can be somewhat restricted through a debit card, but why attempt to do something we have already been told is not legal? This is bad policy.”

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SAN FRANCISCO SUED OVER GUARANTEED-INCOME PROGRAMS BLASTED BY CRITICS AS RACIST

Last week, the commissioners were looking to revive Uplift Harris after it was struck down by the Texas Supreme Court. Ramsey told Fox News Digital that his colleagues were trying to “sidestep” the legal challenge against the program.

Harris County officials met to discuss reviving the program and limiting the funds to approved spending categories, a move that Hidalgo said should prevent any legal challenges against the program.

The effort came after the Texas Supreme Court issued a ruling in June that prohibited Harris County from operating Uplift Harris. 

The court raised “serious doubt” about the constitutional merits of the program. 

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Uplift Harris was never able to distribute the funds due to the court order. It would have distributed $500 per month for 18 months to selected participants, The program started on Jan. 12, and enrolled over 1,900 applicants among a pool of more than 80,000 applications. 

Hidalgo’s office stated that the number of applications demonstrates “the huge need for anti-poverty programs in Harris County,” citing data that 1 in 6 people in Harris County live in poverty and 2 in 5 reported that they could not afford a $400 emergency.

A Harris County attorney defended a guaranteed income program that’s been targeted in a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The Texas Supreme Court’s ruling on Uplift Harris came after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit arguing that Uplift Harris is “plainly unconstitutional.: Paxton’s lawsuit stemmed from Republican State Sen. Paul Bettencourt urged the attorney general to review Uplift Harris’ constitutional merits soon after the program launched.

In response to Harris County Commissioners Court efforts to revive Uplift Harris, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee told Fox News Digital that the original version of the program was “legal.”

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“The county may create a new program with spending restrictions to address politically charged challenges brought by Republican officials. It is my hope that this new program will not bring another lawsuit from the AG, and allow Harris County residents to receive much needed relief,” Menefee told Fox News Digital.

Harris County is among many municipalities and lawmaking bodies pushing guaranteed income programs. The programs have become a trend across the U.S., with some facing legal and funding challenges.

Some studies have shown that the pilots have produced positive results, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

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Nancy Guthrie neighbors’ Ring camera captures vehicles on possible route from crime scene

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Nancy Guthrie neighbors’ Ring camera captures vehicles on possible route from crime scene

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EXCLUSIVE: TUCSON, Ariz. — A resident in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood has a street-facing Ring camera that caught 12 cars passing by on the morning of Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction.

The recordings took place between midnight and 6 a.m. on Feb. 1, and some of the activity occurred near the 2:30 a.m. mark, which is around the time authorities said the 84-year-old Guthrie’s pacemaker device last synced with her iPhone.

The homeowners, Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas, told Fox News Digital that police had not canvassed their neighborhood in the 25 days since Guthrie is believed to have been taken from her bed in a home invasion kidnapping. The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been alerted to the video. It was not immediately clear whether the video is of any use to the investigation or whether the vehicle had ever been on Guthrie’s street.

Guthrie is the mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, a Tucson native.

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Left: A still image from Ring camera video shows a vehicle passing a home near Nancy Guthrie’s on Feb. 1, the morning she is believed to have been abducted. Right: Nancy in an undated family photo. (Courtesy of Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas, Courtesy of NBC)

The Stratigouleas house is on a back road that leads out of Guthrie’s neighborhood, avoiding major intersections. And they live about 2.5 miles away from the crime scene, which is outside the 2-mile radius of neighbors who received a Ring alert asking for video taken from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2.

Their house is roughly a seven-minute drive from Guthrie’s address, according to Google Maps. One of their videos was recorded at around 2:36 a.m. on Feb. 1, which is roughly eight minutes after Guthrie’s pacemaker last synced with her iPhone, according to the sheriff’s timeline.

WATCH: Ring video shows vehicles on outskirts of Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood morning of abduction

Danielle Stratigouleas said the number of cars passing that night was not unusual, but she and a friend found it “odd” that no one from law enforcement had visited her neighborhood.

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NANCY GUTHRIE SUSPECT’S DIGITAL ‘BLACKOUT’ MAY BE KEY TO CASE, SAYS EXPERT WHO PROBED KOHBERGER PHONE

A map details the neighborhood surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s home on Camino Escalante in Tucson, Arizona, and a secondary route through the Catalina Foothills down Camino Real leading to East River Road. (Fox News)

A Ring camera image taken from video shows a vehicle driving south on Camino Real at 2:36 a.m. on Feb. 1, the morning Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from a home nearby in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson, Arizona. (Courtesy of Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas)

The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been alerted to the video. It was not immediately clear whether it is of any use to the investigation. 

Retired NYPD detective and national security expert Pat Brosnan reviewed the video with his team. He tells Fox News Digital they believe the vehicle seen at 2:36 a.m. is a Kia Soul, based on its slanted roof, window design and rear-quarter glass. He also noted the vertical brake lights.

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The rewards are still outstanding, and anyone with information they think may be relevant is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The route itself had been flagged to Fox News Digital by another neighbor — who said she also saw a suspicious man walking in the area on Feb. 2, around the corner from what appeared to be an abandoned car. The young mother asked not to be named due to concerns for her children’s safety amid the unsolved kidnapping investigation.

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WATCH: Path out of Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood avoids major intersections

She described him as about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, Hispanic, with a close-trimmed beard and wearing a silver bracelet. He was smoking a cigarette near the intersection of Camino Juan Paisano and Piedra Seca, which is between Camino Real and Guthrie’s home.

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The Pima County Sheriff’s Department did not return multiple phone calls and emails about the man or the vehicle, a dark red Honda SUV that the neighbor said was moved after three days.

A neighbor of Nancy Guthrie’s spotted this dark red Honda near Camino Real on Feb. 2, the day after Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction nearby. She told Fox News Digital that it remained in place for a couple of days after deputies examined it. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

A neighbor of Nancy Guthrie’s spotted this dark red Honda near Camino Real on Feb. 2, the day after Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction nearby. She told Fox News Digital it remained in place for about three days before it was moved. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

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Another unidentified man was spotted in mid-January, according to neighbor Aldine Meister.

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“He didn’t have your typical walking gear on, and he had his hat pulled really far over his eyes,” she told Fox News Digital.

She said she saw the man walking in the neighborhood, near an intersection leading to Guthrie’s home — and hadn’t encountered him before or after. 

Deputies examine a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie’s mailbox on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.  (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

“He was kind of younger, and he just didn’t look like he was going out for a walk,” she added. 

She mentioned it to her husband but did not report it to investigators until after Guthrie’s disappearance.

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FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.  (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

Danielle Stratigouleas told Fox News Digital that she did see deputies searching what locals call a wash, a common terrain feature in the region, near her office, which is on Skyline Drive, another main road that borders Guthrie’s development. 

North Campbell, which was extensively searched by authorities and volunteers, connects to both main arteries. Camino Real connects only to East River Road.

“I think it sounds smart, and if they even sort of knew the area or actually cased the area beforehand, that road behind Camino Real called Camino Escuela would be an even better idea,” she told Fox News Digital. “There’s never anybody on it, and never a police car to be seen.”

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Fox News Digital approached five other homes with street-facing cameras on Camino Real. Three of the homeowners said they had not been visited by law enforcement, either. No one answered the door at the other two.

None said they had any notable video from Feb. 1.

Campbell also runs past the University of Arizona and is a much busier road, she said.

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An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old. (Courtesy of NBC)

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“It’s always buzzing even on a Saturday night,” she added. “Camino La Brinca and Camino Piedra Seca also lead to Camino Real, and they’re a good way to get from Camino Zorella.”

The residents said they’re hoping more people outside the radius will check their cameras and submit anything that could help the FBI.

Guthrie is believed to have been forcibly abducted from her home on North Camino Escalante, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

In more than three weeks, police have not publicly identified any suspects, persons of interest or vehicles connected to the case. They briefly detained but later released several people and have towed multiple vehicles, including those belonging to family members and the detainees.

No one has been charged with a crime as of Thursday morning, however.

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Exterior view of the front entrance of Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

The FBI and Google teamed up to recover doorbell camera footage even though her Nest device is physically unaccounted for, and she did not have a cloud subscription. 

FBI Director Kash Patel released still images and video on Feb. 10.

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The video shows a masked individual with gloves on, prowling on her front porch. 

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These two images were released by the FBI, recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. It’s unclear whether they show the same person. (FBI)

According to two sources with knowledge of the investigation, one of the doorbell images was taken on a different date than the others. It shows an individual who may be the same masked intruder at Guthrie’s doorstep, without an Ozark Trail backpack or holstered pistol.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has called the timeline surrounding the images speculation. 

Savannah Guthrie is asking anyone with information in the case to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI or contact her directly.

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Travis County DA faces renewed ‘soft on crime’ criticism after career criminal charged with murder

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Travis County DA faces renewed ‘soft on crime’ criticism after career criminal charged with murder

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A Texas-based career criminal with a lengthy rap sheet is behind bars in Travis County after he was charged with murdering a father of five outside a 7-Eleven in Austin, reviving scrutiny of Travis County District Attorney José Garza and what critics call his controversial prosecutorial record and “soft on crime” approach.

Caleb Anthony Jenkins, described by police as a career criminal, was charged with murder in connection with a shooting last year that left a 25-year-old father dead outside a 7-Eleven. According to Austin police, Jenkins allegedly shot the victim and drove off.

But critics argue the killing may have been preventable. Garza’s office previously dismissed or declined to prosecute three separate gun charges against Jenkins in incidents dating back to 2022. He was also arrested in 2023 on a domestic violence charge and failed to appear in court, as Fox News reported. Most recently, he was re-arrested and released after his bond was raised.

Taken together, the developments have intensified public criticism of Garza, the Democratic district attorney backed by liberal mega-donor George Soros,

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District Attorney Jose Garza in Austin, Texas. (Spencer Selvidge for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Garza, who was elected Travis County DA without prior experience as a prosecutor, has faced criticism from police advocacy groups and victims’ families since taking office. They have accused him of deliberately slow-walking certain cases and embracing lenient sentencing policies.

The criticism has sparked national attention in years past. In 2023, the family of 25-year-old Doug Cantor, who was shot and killed in the 2021 Sixth Street mass shooting in downtown Austin, criticized Garza for slow-walking the trial of the gunman.

Family members told Fox News Digital in an interview at the time that they believed Garza had put the case on the “back burner.”

“It’s very clear that his focus and attention is not on this case,” Nick Kantor told Fox News Digital in an interview reflecting on the two-year anniversary of his brother’s death — and the way Garza, who has been widely criticized for soft-on-crime policies, has handled the case.

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AUSTIN DA GARZA CREATES CONFUSION WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF IMPENDING INDICTMENTS AGAINST MULTIPLE POLICE OFFICERS

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza poses in front of the Austin skyline in a portrait from the county website. Garza has faced criticism for accusations that he aggressively prosecutes police officers accused of wrongdoing while going easy on career criminals. (Travis County DA Website)

“He’s doing things that are clearly causing distress on the trial and on the overall outcome of the case and for getting justice for my brother,” Kantor said. 

Other victims’ families cited similar behavior from Garza’s office in interviews with Fox News Digital. 

While overall reported crime in Travis County has declined, opponents argue dismissal rates have been “political,” and could further endanger public safety.

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It “appears that Garza has now become more of an advocate for the criminal than he has for the victim,” Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officer’s Association, previously told Fox News Digital.

“The prosecution is acting more like defense attorneys than they are prosecutors,” Farris said in an interview roughly one year after Garza took office. “Whatever his skewed view of what criminal justice reform is, it isn’t working. It sure isn’t working for the victims.” 

CRIME EXPERTS RESPOND TO SOROS DEFENDING SUPPORT FOR PROGRESSIVE DAS AMID CRIME WAVE: ‘DISASTROUS’

George Soros delivers a speech at the 2022 World Economic Forum in Davos. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

“It used to be that they got the victims’ buy-in before offering plea bargains. Now it doesn’t appear he’s even doing that, because they’re not even communicating with them, and that’s what’s leading to the revictimization of these families.” 

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Current and former local law enforcement officers have criticized Garza’s actions and his alleged “war on cops,” after the Soros-backed district attorney campaigned on indicting police officers and “reimagining” policing in Austin.

Soros contributed $652,000 to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC in the months leading up to the 2020 Travis County DA election, according to campaign finance records.

That same PAC spent almost $1 million on digital and mail advertisements to help Garza’s campaign, as Fox News reported.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Jasmine Crockett campaign reportedly kicked Atlantic writer out of rally for being a ‘top-notch hater’

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Jasmine Crockett campaign reportedly kicked Atlantic writer out of rally for being a ‘top-notch hater’

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Atlantic staff writer Elaine Godfrey reported that she was “thrown out” of a rally for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for being a “top-notch hater” according to Crockett’s team.

“Right before armed guards escorted me from the rally and left me on the edge of a Texas-county road, I was informed that I was no longer welcome at an event that I had already attended,” Godfrey wrote on Thursday.

She described having spent an hour at the Lubbock rally for Crockett’s Senate campaign before being approached by a woman with a badge as soon as she joined other reporters.

Elaine Godfrey claimed Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s team removed her from a rally in Texas earlier this week. (Dustin Franz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“‘Are you Elaine?’ she asked. I recognized her from the entrance of the event, where I had identified myself as she’d waved me into the building’s press area. Yes, I answered. ‘Her team has asked you to leave,’ she said. When I asked why, the staffer looked at her phone and read dutifully: ‘They just said, “Elaine from Atlantic, White girl with a hat and notepad. She’s interviewing people in the crowd. She’s a top-notch hater and will spin. She needs to leave,”’” Godfrey wrote.

Godfrey was the staff writer behind a profile piece for Crockett in July that reportedly received backlash from the Texas representative after including comments from fellow House Democrats “without telling her first.”

“She was, she told me, ‘shutting down the profile and revoking all permissions,’” Godfrey wrote at the time.

BOEBERT JOKES ABOUT ENDORSING CROCKETT IN TEXAS’ SENATE RACE TO GIVE HER DEMOCRATIC RIVAL A BOOST

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. (LM Otero/AP Photo)

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The piece was still published and included comments from other Democratic figures.

According to Godfrey, Crockett said that there was “no evidence” that a reporter was removed from her rally but claimed that there was a “specific journalist” who has a “history of being less than truthful” and had previously lost a lawsuit against Crockett.

“Perhaps she was thinking of someone else, because that’s not something that has ever happened to me,” Godfrey wrote.

CROCKETT DISPUTES OPPONENT’S DENIAL OF ‘MEDIOCRE BLACK MAN’ COMMENT, CALLS OUT ‘WELL-INTENTIONED WHITE FOLK’

Godfrey added that her removal from the rally wasn’t a surprise considering Crockett’s firebrand-style of politics, though she expressed concern over how she was handled.

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett allegedly tried to shut down an article from Elaine Godfrey after she spoke to other House Democrats. (Bob Daemmrich/The Texas Tribune/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“As security guards began to materialize around me, I wondered to myself what distinguished a top-notch hater from a middling one. I agreed to leave, and four guards, including at least one who was armed, escorted me out of the building, through the parking lot, and right to the edge of the nearby highway, where they waited as I ordered a car,” Godfrey wrote.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office and campaign for comment.

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