Jim Vertuno

The Army identified Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead as the two Fort Hood pilots killed when an AH-64 Apache crashed during a maintenance test flight near Salado, Texas. Both soldiers were assigned to Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment. The Army Combat Readiness Center is leading the investigation, and no cause has been released.

Surrogate McKenna West has given birth to a baby with a severe congenital heart condition after fleeing California for Texas amid a dispute with the intended parents. West alleged that the parents pressured her to terminate the pregnancy and planned to withhold life-saving treatment, while they denied refusing care and said they sought appropriate medical advice. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened, and a court ordered that the newborn receive necessary treatment. The baby is undergoing stabilization before surgery, while West is temporarily barred from visiting under a restraining order.

McKenna West gave birth in Texas to a baby diagnosed before birth with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after fleeing California amid a dispute with the intended parents, Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar. West alleged that the couple wanted to end the pregnancy or would refuse postnatal surgery, while the couple denied this and said they sought informed medical decisions and access to physicians. After Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened, a Dallas judge ordered life-sustaining treatment, and the newborn received stabilizing care with surgery planned. Legal experts said Texas courts can intervene if parents might deny life-saving care, although surrogacy contracts typically leave medical decisions difficult to enforce.

Two U.S. Army soldiers were killed when an AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed during a routine training flight in Bell County, Texas, near Fort Hood. The crash ignited a grass fire but did not hit homes or other structures. The soldiers’ identities were withheld pending notification of their families, and Fort Hood’s criminal investigation division began investigating the cause. Officials said the immediate priorities were securing the site and supporting the response.

Catastrophic flooding in Texas has killed at least three people, prompted more than 500 rescues and damaged homes and businesses. Governor Greg Abbott assessed damage near Cotulla and warned that downstream areas around Lake Corpus Christi could continue to see rising water. The Nueces River has crested, while Texas has declared disasters in 59 counties and requested federal assistance for 33.

Flooding across Texas has killed at least three people, prompted more than 500 rescues and damaged homes and businesses. Governor Greg Abbott said some areas remain inaccessible, while the Nueces River has crested and downstream water levels near Lake Corpus Christi may continue rising. Abbott declared disasters in 59 counties and requested federal assistance for 33.

Special prosecutor Laurie White dismissed felony charges against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who had been accused of threatening New Orleans officials opposing a Republican-led court restructuring law. Murrill denied wrongdoing and called the prosecution malicious, while Republican Governor Jeff Landry had promised to pardon her. The case highlighted tensions between Louisiana’s Republican state leadership and Democratic-controlled New Orleans; local officials urged dismissal, while White criticized what she called extraordinary interference.

Felony charges against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill were dismissed by special prosecutor Laurie White, closing a case in which Murrill was accused of threatening New Orleans officials over their opposition to a Republican-backed judicial restructuring. The Louisiana Supreme Court had already paused the indictment after finding procedural problems. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams and five City Council members had urged dismissal, while Murrill called the prosecution malicious and Governor Jeff Landry pledged to pardon her and sought further investigations. The dispute reflects broader tensions between Louisiana’s Republican leadership and Democratic officials in New Orleans over the consolidation of a court clerk position.

The United States Men's National Team has won only one World Cup knockout-stage match in 12 appearances, defeating Mexico in 2002 before losing to Germany in the quarterfinals. The team has otherwise experienced early exits, including Round of 16 defeats in 1994, 2010, 2014 and 2022. The expanded 48-team format for the 2026 World Cup will add another elimination round and create a new challenge as the USMNT seeks to advance further.

The United States men's national team has regularly reached the World Cup knockout stage but has won only one elimination match, against Mexico in 2002. Its history includes semifinal qualification in 1930, immediate elimination in 1934, and Round of 16 exits in 1994, 2014 and 2022, as well as a quarterfinal appearance in 2002 and a Round of 16 loss to Ghana in 2010. The expanded 48-team format adds a 32-team opening knockout round, creating another obstacle for a new generation seeking to improve the USMNT's record.

Iran was eliminated from the World Cup after finishing third in Group G with three points. Its hopes of advancing appeared to revive when Algeria took a late lead over Austria, but Austria equalized on the final play, securing the result that knocked Iran out. The team competed amid severe political tensions between Tehran and Washington, including travel restrictions, visa problems and limits on movement between matches. Iran's coach Amir Ghalenoei condemned the treatment of his players, while the United States said the restrictions had been disclosed before the tournament. The team's campaign unfolded alongside escalating military exchanges involving Iran, the United States, Israel and regional targets including Bahrain.

Argentine fans visiting Texas for the World Cup have revived a friendly debate over whether Argentine or Texan beef is superior. Argentine beef is generally grass-fed, leaner and more intensely flavored, while Texas and U.S. beef is predominantly grain-fed, with more marbling, tenderness and sweetness. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller credits U.S. genetics with helping improve Argentine herds, while Argentine chefs and diners emphasize traditional asado methods and simple salt seasoning. Several fans conclude that preparation, cuts and personal taste matter more than national rivalry, although Argentine visitors often miss the culinary traditions of home.

Texas’s Republican-controlled State Board of Education approved a mandatory reading list of roughly 200 works for public-school students, including Bible and New Testament passages alongside works such as Great Expectations and Pride and Prejudice. Implementation is scheduled to begin with elementary students in 2030. Supporters say Christian and Judeo-Christian traditions are central to American history, while critics argue that the list privileges Christianity, excludes diverse voices, limits local educators’ choices and threatens the constitutional separation of church and state. Experts describe Texas’s approach as unusually broad and possibly the first state-mandated reading list to include religious texts.

Texas’s Republican-controlled State Board of Education is preparing to vote on a roughly 200-item mandatory reading list for public school students, scheduled for implementation in 2030 if approved. The proposal pairs literary works by Dickens and Jane Austen with required Bible passages and includes Christian stories and teachings throughout elementary, middle and high school curricula. Critics, including the Texas Freedom Network, PEN America and English educators, argue that the list privileges Christianity, excludes diverse voices, threatens church-state separation, and undermines teacher autonomy. Supporters say biblical readings would reinforce Christian faith and family values. The board is also considering a social studies curriculum that integrates Bible stories with American history.

Texas is preparing to require Bible stories and passages in the curriculum for all 5.5 million public school students, beginning in 2030 if the Republican-controlled State Board of Education approves the plan. The proposed readings range from Noah’s Ark and David and Goliath to passages about Jesus, the Book of Job, and Adam and Eve. Supporters say Judeo-Christian traditions shaped the nation’s founding and deserve curricular recognition, while critics argue the plan violates church-state principles, privileges Christianity, relies heavily on Christian translations, and excludes other religious traditions. The proposal would be an unusually broad state-mandated religious reading list and follows Texas measures requiring Ten Commandments displays and permitting school chaplains.

A White House FIFA Task Force official said Iran's national team had been informed that it would enter the United States the day before each World Cup match and leave on match day, contradicting the team's expectation that it could stay overnight after its 2–2 draw with New Zealand. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei criticized the arrangement, while captain Mehdi Taremi complained about lengthy travel and security checks. The U.S. said all Iranian players and coaches received visas, but some support staff were denied entry because of alleged direct ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Winger Mehdi Torabi also faced an expired visa, adding to the team's logistical difficulties amid heightened U.S.–Iran tensions.

The Texas Board of Nursing suspended Camp Mystic co-director and medical officer Mary Liz Eastland’s nursing license, accusing her of evacuating herself and her children without helping campers and staff during the flood that killed 25 girls and two counselors. Eastland’s attorney rejected the findings, arguing that the suspension was imposed with inadequate notice and without a full investigation. The board is expected to issue a final decision within two months, while the Eastland family faces lawsuits and continuing criticism over Camp Mystic’s emergency planning and evacuation failures.

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that a Cessna 421C carrying a pilot and four pickleball players to a Texas tournament likely broke apart in midair after the pilot reported anti-icing and airspeed-instrument problems. The aircraft crashed near Wimberley after descending turns, scattering debris across 1.25 miles. All five people aboard died, while a second plane traveling with the group landed safely.

An Oklahoma judge set a $500,000 bond for Richard Glossip, allowing him to leave custody after nearly 30 years, including time on death row and three scheduled executions. Glossip was convicted of arranging the 1997 murder of motel owner Barry Van Treese, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction after finding that prosecutors relied on false testimony and violated his fair-trial rights. He will face a retrial, although Attorney General Gentner Drummond says prosecutors will not seek the death penalty. His release is subject to electronic monitoring, travel restrictions within Oklahoma, no contact with witnesses, and bans on drugs and alcohol.

An Oklahoma judge granted Richard Glossip $500,000 bond ahead of a retrial in the 1997 murder of motel owner Barry Van Treese. Glossip, who spent nearly three decades in custody and came close to execution three times, must wear an electronic monitor, remain in Oklahoma, avoid witnesses, and abstain from drugs and alcohol. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction after finding that prosecutors had permitted false testimony, while Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pursuing a new murder trial without seeking the death penalty. Glossip's supporters argue that the case highlights serious flaws in the justice system.

Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn and the family of Maurice Pierce are expected to receive a tentative $35 million settlement from the City of Austin after being wrongly accused and convicted in the 1991 rape and murders of four teenage girls at a yogurt shop. New DNA evidence and ballistics reviews led investigators to identify Robert Eugene Brashers, who died in 1999, as the sole perpetrator.

The City of Austin has reached a tentative $35 million settlement with Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn and the family of Maurice Pierce, who were wrongly accused in the 1991 murders of four teenage girls at an Austin yogurt shop. Springsteen and Scott were convicted on confessions they said were coerced, Welborn was never tried, and Pierce spent three years in jail before charges were dismissed. The men were exonerated after DNA and ballistics evidence identified Robert Eugene Brashers, who died in 1999, as the sole killer. The settlement still requires approval from the Austin City Council.

An FBI update found that Ndiaga Diagne, who killed three people and wounded more than a dozen at Austin's Buford's Backyard Beer Garden on 1 March, acted alone and had no apparent links to or support from a foreign terrorist organization. Investigators said the conflict involving Iran and Diagne's admiration for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may have contributed to an impulsive attack, though no definitive motive was established. Diagne was killed by responding Austin police officers, and the investigation remains open.

An FBI update concluded that Ndiaga Diagne acted alone in the March 1 shooting at Buford's Backyard Beer Garden in Austin, Texas, which killed three people and wounded more than a dozen. Investigators found no evidence that he was directed, funded or supported by a foreign terrorist organization, but said the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran and Diagne's admiration for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may have contributed to an impulsive violent attack. Diagne was killed by police, and the investigation remains open.

The Onion’s proposed takeover of Infowars remains stalled after the Texas Third Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the transfer of Infowars assets. The deal would allow The Onion to use Infowars’ intellectual property while a state receiver liquidates the company to help satisfy more than $1 billion in defamation judgments Alex Jones owes relatives of Sandy Hook victims. The Sandy Hook families sought intervention from the Texas Supreme Court, while The Onion CEO Ben Collins accused Jones and the legal system of delaying the deal. Jones called the proposal illegal and claimed victory. A further hearing was scheduled for May 28.

The Onion is making a renewed bid to take over Alex Jones’ Infowars platforms through a six-month licensing arrangement that could be renewed while the assets of parent company Free Speech Systems are liquidated. Proceeds would help pay judgments owed to Sandy Hook victims’ families, while Jones is challenging the proceedings in state and federal courts. The Onion plans to turn Infowars into a comedy-focused platform, with comedian Tim Heidecker among those hired, but Jones says he will continue broadcasting and selling products through other channels if he loses control.

Edward Eastland, director of Camp Mystic, apologized tearfully to families after 25 campers and two counselors died in a July 4 flood on Texas’s Guadalupe River. During a special legislative hearing, lawmakers criticized the camp’s lack of flood training, emergency planning and evacuation procedures, while the Eastland family defended its response and outlined plans for new drills and safety training. Camp Mystic intends to reopen in late May with nearly 900 attendees, despite 22 deficiencies identified by regulators and strong opposition from victims’ families and some officials. The camp’s license remains under review, and survivors’ relatives warn that reopening could expose children to renewed trauma and danger.

Edward Eastland, a director of Camp Mystic, apologized to families after 25 campers and two counselors died in a July 4, 2025 flood along Texas's Guadalupe River. He said the camp had tried to save the girls, while acknowledging that families' anger was justified. Another director, Britt Eastland, announced plans for emergency training and drills after investigators identified the camp's lack of preparedness as a critical contributing factor. Camp owners hope to reopen in late May with nearly 900 campers, but victims' families and some state officials oppose the plan, and the camp's license remains under review.

Investigator Casey Garrett told Texas lawmakers that Camp Mystic paired young campers with teenage counselors who had little or no emergency training, conducted no flood drills and lacked a detailed evacuation plan before the July 2025 flood that killed 25 campers and two counselors. Counselors reportedly feared defying owner Richard Eastland, whose authority shaped a rigid camp culture and whose evacuation decisions were largely undocumented. Survivors described terrifying escapes from rising water, while families of victims opposed the camp’s plan to reopen. State regulators have identified nearly two dozen deficiencies in the proposed safety plan, and lawmakers are considering broader rules requiring more detailed emergency planning, training and warning systems.

Texas regulators denied Camp Mystic a license to reopen until it updates its emergency plan, citing nearly two dozen deficiencies involving flood warnings, evacuation procedures, alert systems and camper safety training. The action follows a flood that killed 27 children and counselors at the Christian girls’ camp, as well as ongoing family lawsuits and investigations. Camp officials said they would address the problems, while Texas lawmakers and the Texas Rangers continue examining the disaster response.

Camp Mystic security guard Glenn Juenke testified that an early general evacuation order during the deadly Guadalupe River flood could have saved lives. He described moving campers to higher ground and sheltering girls on air mattresses, but said he did not recall any training on emergency evacuation routes. Lawyers for victims’ families focused on the camp’s lack of a detailed evacuation plan and an emergency notice instructing campers to remain in cabins until staff gave directions. The flood killed 25 campers, two teenage counselors and co-owner Dick Eastland. The camp wants to reopen, but its license remains under review and litigation over the disaster continues.

Mary Liz Eastland, a Camp Mystic medical officer and member of the camp's owning family, testified that she had not formally reported the deaths of 27 people to the Texas Department of State Health Services, despite regulations requiring notification within 24 hours. The testimony occurred during a lawsuit brought by victims' families, who seek to preserve damaged areas as evidence and oppose the camp's plan to reopen for nearly 900 girls. Eastland and her husband Edward described the flood and rescue efforts, while attorneys questioned the camp's delayed evacuation decisions, missed warnings and emergency response. State regulators are reviewing the camp's renewal application and hundreds of complaints, with assistance from the Texas Rangers; lawmakers are conducting a separate investigation. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said the camp should not receive a license until the investigations conclude.

Camp Mystic director Edward Eastland testified that he and other staff did not see National Weather Service and Texas emergency-management warnings issued before the July 2025 flood, held no meeting about the risk, and failed to receive or notice a later flash-flood alert. The disaster killed 27 people at the camp and at least 136 people along the Guadalupe River. Families suing the camp argue that operators failed to protect campers, while camp officials seek permission to reopen on an unflooded section of the property. Texas regulators are investigating complaints, the Texas Rangers are assisting with a neglect inquiry, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has urged the state to deny the license.

Texas health regulators are investigating hundreds of complaints alleging that Camp Mystic violated youth-camp laws during the summer of 2025, when catastrophic floods killed 27 girls and two teenage counselors. The Texas Rangers are assisting with a neglect investigation, while Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urged the state not to renew the camp’s license until criminal and legislative probes are completed. Families of victims have sued the camp’s operators, alleging inadequate evacuation and safety measures, and a judge has ordered evidence from the flooded grounds preserved. More than 850 families reportedly hope to return if part of the Christian girls’ camp is allowed to reopen, although one victim’s body remains unrecovered.

A Texas judge ordered Camp Mystic to preserve flood-damaged cabins and restrict use of the area near the Guadalupe River while the family of missing eight-year-old Cile Steward pursues a lawsuit. The 2025 flood killed 25 girls, two counselors and at least 136 people overall. Camp attorneys defended the owners’ response, while testimony raised concerns about inadequate evacuation plans, limited flood planning and an unwatched security system. More than 850 campers have registered for the coming summer, but state regulators must approve the camp’s license, and the lieutenant governor has urged them not to renew it pending investigations.

The family of eight-year-old Cile Steward, whose body remains missing after the 2025 Camp Mystic flood that killed 27 people, is asking a Travis County judge to block the camp from reopening and halt construction while its lawsuit proceeds. The family says changes to the site, including a proposed memorial, could destroy evidence. Several families have sued Camp Mystic's operators, alleging they failed to protect campers as floodwaters approached, while the camp's attorney argues the disaster was unprecedented and little could have been done. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has urged regulators not to renew the camp's license, and legislative investigations are expected.

A gunman identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne opened fire at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden and nearby streets in Austin’s Sixth Street nightlife district, killing 21-year-old Savitha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington and wounding 14 others. Police said Diagne first fired from an SUV, then parked and continued shooting with a rifle before officers confronted and fatally shot him within about a minute. The FBI and Austin police are investigating a possible terrorism motive after authorities found clothing featuring an Iranian flag design and the words “Property of Allah,” but said it was too early to determine the motive. Diagne, originally from Senegal, had legally purchased the pistol and rifle and became a U.S. lawful permanent resident after entering the country in 2000.

A suspected gunman, identified as 53-year-old Senegalese-born Ndiaga Diagne, allegedly killed two people and wounded 14 others outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in Austin, Texas. Police shot Diagne after he fired at people from an SUV and then with a rifle. The FBI and Austin police said he was not previously on their radar and that no motive had been established, although the FBI is investigating possible terrorism indicators, including clothing featuring an Iranian flag design and the words “Property of Allah.” Diagne entered the United States in 2000 and became a lawful permanent resident in 2006.

A Texas judge formally declared Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn, Robert Springsteen and the late Maurice Pierce innocent of the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders. The four teenagers were wrongfully pursued through coerced confessions, overturned convictions, dismissed charges and years of suspicion. New DNA and ballistics evidence linked the killings to Robert Eugene Brashers, who died in a 1999 Missouri standoff and had been connected to several other violent crimes. The exonerations may allow the men’s families to seek compensation for incarceration and the lasting damage caused by the wrongful prosecutions.

Four men wrongfully accused in the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders are seeking formal declarations of innocence at a Texas hearing. Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott had convictions overturned after alleging coerced confessions, while Forrest Welborn was never tried and Maurice Pierce died after spending three years in jail. Investigators now believe Robert Eugene Brashers was responsible, citing DNA evidence and similarities to other crimes; Brashers died in a Missouri police standoff in 1999. Formal exoneration could help the men and their families pursue compensation.

Adrian Gonzales was acquitted after being prosecuted for allegedly failing to confront the gunman during the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 children and two teachers. The verdict shifts attention to the pending case against former schools police chief Pete Arredondo, who is accused of failing to enforce the district’s active-shooter response plan and delaying the police entry into the classroom. Prosecutors may revise their presentation of training, evidence and witnesses, while victims’ families continue to question why so few officers were charged. The case is complicated by prosecutors’ effort to compel Border Patrol personnel to testify and by the broader concern that acquittals could weaken efforts to hold officers accountable for inadequate responses to mass shootings.

Closing arguments were scheduled in the trial of former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales, who faces 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment for allegedly failing to confront gunman Salvador Ramos during the 2022 Robb Elementary School attack. Prosecutors argued that Gonzales abandoned his training and lost critical minutes before entering the school, while the defense maintained that he never saw Ramos and that other officers also failed to act. After testimony from 36 prosecution witnesses and two defense witnesses, the jury was expected to begin deliberations. Gonzales could face up to two years in jail if convicted.

Prosecutors have rested their case against former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales, who is accused of abandoning his training and failing to confront Salvador Ramos during the opening moments of the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. The trial featured graphic classroom photographs, gunshot recordings, medical testimony and emotional accounts from teachers and parents. Gonzales maintains that he never saw the gunman, while prosecutors argue he could have helped prevent further deaths. The defense has begun presenting witnesses after unsuccessful requests for a mistrial and for dismissal, and Gonzales’s decision to testify remains uncertain. He and former police chief Pete Arredondo are the only officers criminally charged over the delayed response by hundreds of law-enforcement personnel.

Teacher Arnulfo Reyes testified that Salvador Ramos entered his Robb Elementary classroom in Uvalde, Texas, and shot him and his students, all of whom died. Reyes described seeing a “black shadow” holding a gun and praying for the attack to end. His testimony came during the trial of former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales, who faces 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment for allegedly failing to engage the gunman or help officers enter the classroom sooner. More than an hour passed before a tactical team killed Ramos; former police chief Pete Arredondo is the only other responding officer facing charges.

Teacher Arnulfo Reyes testified that Salvador Ramos entered his Robb Elementary classroom as a “black shadow” carrying a gun, shot Reyes and his students, and then shot Reyes again in the back. None of the children in Room 111 survived. Reyes gave evidence at the trial of former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales, who prosecutors accuse of failing to engage or distract Ramos and of retreating during the initial response. More than an hour passed before a tactical team entered the classroom and killed Ramos. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment; former police chief Pete Arredondo is the only other responding officer to face charges, though his trial has not been scheduled.

Former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales is facing 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment over his alleged failure to confront or disrupt the gunman during the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, which killed 19 students and two teachers. Prosecutors are using emergency calls, witness testimony, crime-scene evidence and the trail of bullets outside the school to argue that Gonzales should have acted, while his defense says he did not see the gunman and helped evacuate students. The second week may include police-training experts and more victims' families. The case is an unusually rare prosecution of an officer for allegedly failing to intervene in a mass shooting.

Families of victims cried in court as prosecutors played frantic 911 recordings during the trial of former Uvalde school officer Adrian Gonzales. Prosecutors allege Gonzales arrived before the gunman entered Robb Elementary but failed to confront him, while the defense says he called for assistance, evacuated children and acted on the information and perceived danger available to him. Gonzales faces child abandonment or endangerment charges and up to two years in prison if convicted. The case has intensified questions about why only Gonzales and former police chief Pete Arredondo were charged after nearly 400 officers waited 77 minutes before confronting and killing Salvador Ramos. Official reviews found widespread failures in police training, communication, leadership and technology.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Xcel Energy over the 2024 Smokehouse Creek wildfire, which killed three people, burned more than 1,500 square miles across Texas and Oklahoma, and caused over $1 billion in damage. The state alleges that Xcel negligently maintained decaying utility poles, including poles far beyond their expected lifespan, and seeks economic damages while preventing the company from passing costs to customers. Xcel acknowledges that its equipment appeared to cause the fire and has paid more than $361 million to settle 212 claims, but disputes the negligence allegations and plans to defend itself in court.

Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely has died in Taos, New Mexico, at age 78 from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson's disease and pneumonia. A key figure in progressive country music, he co-founded The Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock and released more than 20 albums as a solo artist. Though he never achieved a mainstream breakthrough, his honky-tonk, rock and blues-influenced sound earned the admiration of Bruce Springsteen, The Clash and The Rolling Stones; he collaborated with Springsteen and sang backup vocals on The Clash's “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a 5th Circuit ruling that allowed Llano County, Texas, officials to remove books from public libraries over objections to their treatment of sex, race, gender and other topics. The case began after residents challenged the removal of more than a dozen titles, including books on racism, sexual health, transgender identity and children’s humor. Free-speech groups, publishers and librarians criticized the Supreme Court’s decision, warning that it could enable viewpoint-based censorship and ideological control of public libraries. The 5th Circuit majority maintained that removing a book from a library shelf does not constitute a ban because readers can obtain it elsewhere.

Released 911 recordings document the desperate calls made during catastrophic July Fourth flooding along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas. More than 400 calls overwhelmed two county dispatchers as residents, campers and families reported rising water, people trapped in cabins, rooftops and trees, and vehicles being swept away. At least 136 people died statewide, including at least 117 in Kerr County and 25 campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic. The calls intensify scrutiny of county officials, who faced criticism over whether residents received adequate warnings and whether the initial emergency response was sufficient.

Recently released 911 recordings reveal the terror and confusion during the July 4 floods in Kerr County, Texas, which killed more than 100 people. Callers described rising water in homes, attics, RVs and cabins, while victims at Camp Mystic and Camp La Junta pleaded for rescue. The recordings include a firefighter, Bradley Perry, reporting that he was stranded in a tree before dying, while his wife Tina survived. The calls highlight the scale of the disaster and the difficulty emergency responders faced reaching people as floodwaters rapidly rose.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals paused Robert Roberson’s execution and ordered further review of his conviction in the 2003 death of his two-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis. The decision relies partly on Texas’s “junk science” law and a recent ruling questioning medical evidence used in another shaken-baby case. Roberson’s supporters, including attorney Gretchen Sween, John Grisham, lawmakers from both ideological camps, and a former detective, seek a new trial, while Attorney General Ken Paxton and some medical experts and relatives maintain that the death resulted from abuse. A county trial court will determine whether Roberson receives a new trial; the ruling did not overturn his conviction or sentence.

Trials for former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo and officer Adrian Gonzales, who face child endangerment and abandonment charges over the delayed response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, have been postponed. Gonzales's trial will move from Uvalde to Corpus Christi and is expected to begin in January, while Arredondo's case is on hold pending a federal lawsuit seeking testimony from U.S. Border Patrol agents who responded to the attack. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty. The shooting killed 19 students and two teachers, and investigations found major failures in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology.

Austin police say DNA, ballistics and other evidence point to Robert Eugene Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999, as the likely sole perpetrator of the 1991 killings of four teenage girls at an Austin yogurt shop. DNA recovered under Amy Ayers’ fingernails was identified as a key breakthrough. The findings could establish the innocence of Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott, whose convictions were overturned after coerced-confession claims and later DNA testing. Prosecutors are continuing to review the evidence, while authorities examine Brashers’ possible links to other killings and sexual assaults.

The parents of eight-year-old Cili Steward, whose body was not recovered after the catastrophic July 4 flood at Camp Mystic in Texas, are urging the camp to abandon plans to partially reopen next year and build a memorial. CiCi and Will Steward called reopening while their daughter remains missing and before the camp accounts for alleged safety failures “unthinkable,” saying families were not consulted. Camp Mystic plans to reopen an undamaged area on higher ground while keeping the destroyed Guadalupe River section closed. The plans come as Texas lawmakers adopt new camp-safety requirements, including flood-zone restrictions, emergency planning, staff training and warning systems, alongside proposed disaster-relief and forecasting funds.

Newly released body-camera footage, audio and law-enforcement and school records provide additional evidence of panic, confusion and indecision during the May 2022 attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Parents pleaded with officers to enter while police waited more than an hour before breaching the classroom and killing Salvador Ramos, who killed 19 children and two teachers. The records also show that Ramos’s mother had previously told deputies she feared him and that he had a history of disciplinary and academic problems. Former school police chief Pete Arredondo and officer Adrian Gonzales face criminal charges related to the response; both have pleaded not guilty, with Arredondo denying that he was responsible for the failures and Gonzales seeking a trial outside Uvalde County.

Ethan Nieneker, 32, was arrested and held on two capital murder charges and one murder charge after allegedly opening fire in an Austin Target parking lot, killing two adults and a child. Police say he fled by stealing and wrecking one car, taking another from a dealership, and was captured about 20 miles away. Authorities have not identified a motive, though the police chief cited a mental health history. Court records show Nieneker had prior arrests and convictions involving domestic violence, assault, criminal mischief, impaired driving and marijuana possession in Travis and Williamson counties.

Uvalde County leaders released the final batch of police body-camera footage and documents concerning the May 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, which killed 19 students and two teachers. The records show officers struggling to locate the gunman, Salvador Ramos, while nearly 400 officers waited more than 70 minutes before confronting him. The release followed years of litigation by victims’ families and media organizations, and came after widespread criticism of law enforcement training, communication, leadership and priorities. Former school district officers Pete Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales are the only officers facing criminal charges, and both have pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and abandonment.

The Uvalde school district released text messages, emails, personnel files and student records connected to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting after the Associated Press and other media organizations won a yearslong legal battle for access. The records include communications involving former school police chief Pete Arredondo and officer Adrian Gonzales, including messages sent before and after reports of gunfire. The attack killed 19 students and two teachers, while nearly 400 officers waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the gunman. Investigations have documented serious failures in training, communication, leadership and technology, and Arredondo and Gonzales face multiple child-endangerment and abandonment charges; both have pleaded not guilty.

The Trump administration is suing states to end in-state tuition benefits for students without legal residency, beginning with Texas and expanding to Kentucky, Minnesota and Oklahoma. Texas’s bipartisan policy had allowed eligible students who lived in the state and graduated from its high schools to pay resident tuition, benefiting about 57,000 students and substantially reducing costs. Republican attorneys general in Texas and Oklahoma have declined to defend the programs, while education and immigration advocates are examining legal challenges. At least 21 states and the University of Michigan system have similar tuition policies, meaning the lawsuits could affect programs nationwide.

At least 120 people were killed and more than 160 remained missing nearly a week after catastrophic July Fourth flooding along Texas’ Guadalupe River. Key unanswered issues include how state and local officials prepared, how quickly warnings and emergency alerts were issued, whether Camp Mystic’s emergency plan was adequate, and when officials will provide a detailed account. State agencies activated resources and the National Weather Service sent warnings, but the extent of local preparations and Kerr County’s use of its CodeRED alert system remain unclear. Officials say the immediate focus is the search for victims, with an after-action review to come later.

Search efforts continued in Texas after catastrophic flooding killed more than 100 people, including at least 28 children in Kerr County. At least 10 Camp Mystic campers and one counselor remained missing, while crews used heavy equipment and hundreds of volunteers to search devastated riverbanks as weather improved. Questions grew over whether local officials adequately warned residents and summer camps about the flash-flood risk, though officials deferred a review until rescue operations were complete.

More than 100 people died in catastrophic flooding in central Texas, including at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic. Kerr County officials have provided limited answers about preparations and warnings despite longstanding knowledge of the region’s flood risks. The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning more than three hours before initial reports of flooding, while officials said rainfall greatly exceeded forecasts and developed too quickly for effective evacuation. Previous efforts to secure funding for a countywide warning system failed, and a proposed siren network was shelved over cost concerns. Residents are now pressing Governor Greg Abbott and county leaders to install real-time flood alarms.

At least 82 people, including 28 children, have died in catastrophic flooding in central Texas, while 41 people remain unaccounted for, including 10 girls and a counselor from Camp Mystic. Search crews are working through dangerous terrain as more heavy rain threatens already saturated areas. Survivors described escaping through attics, trees and higher ground, while families returned to damaged camps and homes seeking missing relatives. Officials said the intensity of the rainfall was unexpected, though the National Weather Service had issued flood warnings and emergencies beforehand. President Donald Trump declared a major disaster for Kerr County, and questions are growing about emergency preparedness and his plans to overhaul or eliminate FEMA.

Search crews in central Texas continued looking for 27 girls missing after a flash flood devastated Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River. At least 51 people, including 15 children, had died, with most fatalities in Kerr County, while more than 850 people were rescued. Helicopters, boats and drones were deployed amid debris, damaged roads and continuing flood risks. Officials, residents and weather experts described the flooding as exceptionally intense, while authorities faced scrutiny over whether earlier warnings should have prompted evacuations and whether a proposed river warning system should have been implemented.

Catastrophic flash flooding in Texas’s Hill Country killed at least 32 people and left others missing, including 27 girls from Camp Mystic. Officials faced growing scrutiny over whether residents and riverfront camps received sufficiently early warnings or evacuation instructions. The National Weather Service issued escalating alerts, including a flash flood emergency, while local officials said the unprecedented rainfall was difficult to anticipate and defended their response. More than 850 people were rescued or recovered, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Trump administration would prioritize upgrades to weather-warning technology.

At least 24 people died and many remained missing after intense overnight rain caused the Guadalupe River to rise rapidly in Texas Hill Country. More than 20 missing people were believed to be girls from Camp Mystic, which was reportedly destroyed. Hundreds were rescued by ground teams and helicopters, while families searched for information at reunification centers and online. Officials said forecasts had underestimated the rainfall, but Kerr County's lack of a warning system drew criticism. The region's geography and river-based tourism make it particularly vulnerable to flash flooding.

A Honduran mother and her two young children were released from a Texas immigration detention center while their lawsuit challenging ICE courthouse arrests remains pending. The family was arrested after an immigration hearing in Los Angeles despite entering the United States legally through a Biden-era appointment system; the mother says the family wanted to continue pursuing asylum. Lawyers argue that the arrests violated constitutional protections and say the six-year-old boy, who recently underwent chemotherapy for leukemia, suffered particularly distressing conditions in detention. The case is believed to be the first lawsuit brought by children against the courthouse arrest policy, which has targeted asylum seekers nationwide as part of the Trump administration's mass-deportation effort.

The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its civil rights investigation into EPIC City, a proposed Muslim-centered community near Dallas, without filing charges or a lawsuit. Developers Community Capital Partners affirmed that all people would be welcome and said they would revise marketing materials to reinforce that position. The investigation was requested by Senator John Cornyn amid claims from Texas Republican officials that the project could exclude non-Muslims or impose Islamic law, allegations the developers reject. State investigations into possible financial, fair-housing and funeral-practice violations remain unresolved. The Council on American-Islamic Relations welcomed the federal decision and urged Texas officials to end what it called an Islamophobic campaign. Plans call for more than 1,000 homes and apartments, schools, assisted living facilities and athletic fields, though construction is still years away.

Dallas-area families and faith leaders, including Christian and Nation of Islam representatives, filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block Texas's law requiring a specific version of the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom. The plaintiffs argue that the law violates church-state separation and religious freedom, particularly because students follow diverse faiths or have no religion. Governor Greg Abbott signed the measure on June 21, and it is scheduled to take effect September 1. Supporters view the commandments as foundational to American law and education, while opponents—including major civil-liberties organizations—are preparing additional lawsuits. The Texas Education Agency, Commissioner Mike Morath and three Dallas-area school districts are named as defendants.

Texas has enacted a law requiring every public school classroom to display a specified English version of the Ten Commandments in a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy. Supporters describe the commandments as foundational to the country’s legal and educational systems, while opponents—including Christian and Jewish leaders—argue that the mandate and a separate voluntary prayer measure infringe religious freedom and violate the separation of church and state. The law is expected to face legal challenges, particularly after federal courts twice ruled Louisiana’s similar law unconstitutional.

Protests against federal immigration raids and deportations are continuing in cities across the United States, with clashes, arrests, curfews and the use of chemical irritants reported in some locations. Demonstrations in Seattle, Spokane and Texas varied from largely peaceful marches to confrontations with police. Organizers are planning nearly 2,000 “No Kings” events nationwide to coincide with President Donald Trump’s military parade, while the Trump administration says raids and deportations will continue. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has mobilized more than 5,000 National Guard troops and 2,000 state police for potential unrest, contrasting with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s opposition to federal troop deployments in Los Angeles, which Democratic governors described as an abuse of power.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of more than 5,000 National Guard troops and over 2,000 state police officers to support law enforcement during protests against President Donald Trump and federal immigration raids. The move comes ahead of planned “No Kings” demonstrations in San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Dallas, following brief clashes and arrests at earlier protests. Abbott said peaceful protest would be respected but warned that violence and property damage would lead to arrests. The deployment contrasts with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s opposition to Trump’s use of military personnel in Los Angeles, while mayors in San Antonio and Austin said they had not requested the Guard presence. The action builds on Abbott’s longstanding use of the Texas Guard in border and immigration enforcement through Operation Lone Star.

Protests against immigration raids and deportations have spread from Los Angeles to cities including Austin, Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C. Most demonstrations were peaceful, but some involved vandalism, clashes, arrests and the use of pepper spray or tear gas. Activists are planning larger nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations, while the Trump administration says ICE raids will continue. The detention and later release of labor leader David Huerta became a major focus of solidarity protests, and National Guard deployments in California intensified criticism of the administration’s response.

The U.S. Justice Department sued Texas in federal court to block a 2001 state law that allows students without legal residency, including Dreamers, to qualify for in-state college tuition if they meet residency requirements. Attorney General Pam Bondi argued that federal law prohibits schools from granting undocumented students benefits unavailable to U.S. citizens. Texas Republican lawmakers have sought to repeal the law, which affects an estimated 57,000 undocumented students enrolled at Texas colleges and universities.

Texas lawmakers have sent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott a bill that would let parents download and notarize vaccine exemption forms instead of requesting them by mail, without changing which vaccines schools require. The measure comes as Texas manages its largest measles outbreak in decades, with more than 700 cases and two child deaths, while state exemption requests have nearly doubled since 2019. Supporters describe the change as an efficiency and parental-choice measure; public-health advocates warn it could increase vaccination exemptions, outbreaks, deaths, and healthcare costs. The legislation is part of a broader conservative-state push to reconsider vaccine requirements, amplified by federal actions associated with the Trump administration and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Texas House gave preliminary approval to a bill requiring every public school classroom to display a specific version of the Ten Commandments, with final passage expected and Republican Governor Greg Abbott expected to sign it. The mandate would likely face a constitutional challenge, particularly because similar Louisiana legislation has been blocked as unconstitutional. Texas lawmakers also approved a measure allowing voluntary prayer or religious-text reading periods during the school day. Supporters argue that the Ten Commandments shaped the nation’s legal and educational foundations, while Christian, Jewish and other faith leaders warn that the measures could infringe on religious freedom and alienate Texas’s diverse student population.

Texas lawmakers gave final approval to the Uvalde Strong Act, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott ahead of the third anniversary of the Robb Elementary School shooting. Sponsored by former Uvalde mayor and Republican state Rep. Don McLaughlin, the bill requires annual school-and-police active-shooter plans, mandatory officer training, enhanced incident-command coordination, mutual-aid agreements, breaching tools and ballistic shields at campuses, and reporting by emergency medical providers. The measures respond to investigations that found severe failures in communication, leadership, training and technology during the delayed police response, which left 19 students and two teachers dead. Former school police officials Pete Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales face criminal charges, while victims’ families are pursuing multiple lawsuits.

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to compel three U.S. Border Patrol agents to testify in the case against former school police chief Pete Arredondo. The agents responded to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, and prosecutors say their accounts are vital to explaining how Arredondo’s decisions as incident commander affected the delayed breach of the classroom. Customs and Border Protection has resisted the requests, citing concerns including classified information, confidential sources, law-enforcement techniques and agency operations. Arredondo’s attorney supports obtaining the testimony, while Arredondo and former officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty to charges related to the response.

Voters in South Texas are expected to approve incorporating the area around SpaceX’s launch facility as the city of Starbase. Most eligible voters are SpaceX employees or people connected to the company, and the proposed city would give SpaceX greater control over local roads, utilities, services, and potentially beach and state-park closures during launches. Supporters say incorporation would help the company manage its expanding operations and planned increase from five to 25 annual launches, while critics argue that closure authority should remain with Cameron County because the beach and park serve a much broader public. State legislation linked to the vote could also criminalize failure to evacuate the beach.

Texas residents near SpaceX’s South Texas launch site are set to vote on incorporating Starbase, a proposed city largely populated by SpaceX employees and supporters of Elon Musk. The vote is expected to pass, but opponents fear incorporation and related state legislation could give SpaceX excessive control over closures of Boca Chica Beach and the surrounding area. SpaceX argues that local control would streamline launch operations, improve public safety and support its investment and employment in Texas. Cameron County officials and environmental activists oppose transferring authority, saying the county already manages beach closures responsibly and that the measures do not serve the public interest. A state House panel has rejected one bill that would have shifted beach-closure powers to the proposed city, while another would impose criminal penalties for violating evacuation orders if that transfer occurs.

Josef Newgarden invited members of the public at South by Southwest in Austin to try a shortened version of the intense training routine he uses as a two-time IndyCar champion. The circuit combined weightlifting, rowing, skiing simulators, core work, balance exercises and jumps to replicate the strength, endurance, heat and G-forces experienced in a race car. Drivers such as Newgarden, Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson argue that elite racers face substantial physical demands, including steering without power assistance, sustaining elevated heart rates and controlling heavy cars at speeds approaching 200 mph. Participants and fitness professionals were impressed by the workout, while Newgarden said public recognition of drivers as athletes is gradually increasing.

Uvalde city leaders approved a $2 million settlement for the 21 families whose relatives were killed in the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. The agreement, paid through city insurance, includes enhanced police training, expanded mental-health services, an annual day of remembrance and a permanent memorial. It is the first settlement to provide financial compensation in the families’ multiple lawsuits, which also target Texas law-enforcement officials, Meta Platforms and Daniel Defense. The settlement follows investigations documenting severe failures in communication, leadership, training and response, while former school police officers Pete Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales face criminal charges.

Ryan Mindell resigned as executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission while the agency faces investigations into two unusually large jackpots totaling nearly $200 million and the role of online ticket courier companies. A 2023 $95 million jackpot involved the purchase of nearly every possible number combination, while an $83 million February jackpot was bought through a courier store and remains unpaid pending investigations by the Texas Rangers and Texas attorney general's office. Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton are examining the lottery's integrity and handling of courier sales. Texas lawmakers are considering a statutory ban on courier companies, while the House budget proposal's omission of lottery funding could effectively shut the agency down, despite its substantial contributions to public education.