Tears and gratitude filled the Ingram Tom Moore High School event center Saturday as victims of the devastating July 4 Kerr County flood received $25,000 checks from country music legend George Strait’s fundraising efforts. The checks represent the first installment of assistance from Strait’s July 27 benefit concert in Boerne, which raised roughly $7 million for flood recovery. Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Division of Emergency Management Director Nim Kidd, and Strait’s longtime friend Tom Cusick personally handed out the relief funds.
During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) accused President Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) of trying to manipulate the upcoming 2026 midterm elections through mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) accused Republicans of openly embracing racist rhetoric during President Donald Trump’s second term, saying the party had “taken the hoods off” and stopped hiding their intentions. Speaking Saturday on MSNBC’s Velshi, Crockett alleged Texas Republicans were engaging in “racial gerrymandering” and pointed to recent attacks on state Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston).
The Texas Supreme Court is reviewing amicus briefs filed in response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency writ of quo warranto seeking the removal of state Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) for participating in a quorum-breaking walkout. Wu is among more than 50 Democrats who fled Texas to block a vote on GOP-backed congressional redistricting.
A Texas judge has granted Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) a temporary restraining order against former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) and his political group, Powered by People, over alleged unlawful fundraising to support Democratic state House members who fled the state to block a GOP redistricting plan.
On Friday’s episode of HBO’s Real Time, host Bill Maher acknowledged that Democrats also engage in gerrymandering but argued that Republicans are now pushing it to “a different level.” The discussion centered on Texas’ current battle over redrawing congressional maps, with Maher calling it a familiar political pattern.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson are leading a coalition of 18 states in urging a federal appeals court to uphold Texas’ right to enforce its own immigration laws. The move seeks to overturn a district court ruling that blocked Texas from deporting illegal immigrants convicted under state law.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D‑TX) slammed President Trump on CNN’s The Source, calling him a “wannabe Hitler” and alleging he “has a problem with people of color.” Crockett argued that Republicans are twisting themselves into loyalty to the president despite these concerns.
