Latest news with #Texas-sized
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch Savannah Bananas vs Texas Tailgaters: Live Stream Banana Ball, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. This Saturday night, the Savannah Bananas are throwing the wildest party of the summer. The Banana Ball World Tour makes its stop at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 26–27, where the Bananas take on the electric Texas Tailgaters in a must-watch showdown live on ESPN at 7:00 PM ET. Members of the Savannah Bananas perform their pre-game routine prior to a game against The Firefighters at Fenway Park on July 05, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Members of the Savannah Bananas perform their pre-game routine prior to a game against The Firefighters at Fenway Park on July 05, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo byHow to Watch Savannah Bananas vs Texas Tailgaters Date: Saturday, July 26, 2025 Time: 7:00 p.m. ET Venue: Citizens Bank Park Channel: ESPN Stream: Fubo (TRY FOR FREE) Banana Ball Live coverage will begin at 6:30 PM ET, with the game following at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN and streaming on Fubo. If you haven't experienced Banana Ball, you're in for a treat (and possibly a backflip). The Savannah Bananas have turned traditional baseball on its head, adding fan participation, dancing umpires, walk-off celebrations after every inning, and a two-hour game clock that guarantees non-stop action. The Texas Tailgaters will be on the opposite side of the field, a hard-hitting, high-energy squad bringing Texas-sized swagger and a flair for the dramatic. Known for their competitive edge and crowd-pleasing antics, the Tailgaters are more than up for the challenge, and Saturday's matchup is shaping up to be a highlight of the tour. A few rules to know before you catch one of the most exciting nights in baseball: If a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out, making the crowd part of the defense. Bunting is banned because in Banana Ball, it's considered disrespectful to the spirit of the game. Each inning is treated like a mini-game, with one point awarded to the team that scores the most runs in that inning. And don't forget the walk-up routines, players turn their entrances into full-blown performances that could win awards. Catch all the Banana Ball action on Saturday at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN Live stream Savannah Bananas vs Texas Tailgaters for free on Fubo: Start your subscription now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
John Cornyn appeals to Trump as he faces primary headwinds
President Donald Trump has a Texas-sized conundrum on his hands as Republicans prepare for a Senate primary in the state, with GOP Sen. John Cornyn making his case for the White House to get involved as he tries to fend off a challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton. But, so far, Trump is staying on the sidelines. 'I've talked to him about it a number of times. He is not ready to make that endorsement,' Cornyn told NBC News on Tuesday. 'I think as we start advertising and closing the gap in the polls, hopefully he'll see fit to make that endorsement, but we can't wait.' 'I pointed out to him, and he knows this, that if he endorsed me, the race would be over,' Cornyn later added. But Cornyn is struggling in recent primary polling, as Paxton has pitched himself as the true exemplar of the party's MAGA wing. Some Republicans are concerned that Paxton — a conservative firebrand with no shortage of personal controversies, including some that led to an impeachment push by a number of fellow Republicans in 2023 — could be a problematic general election candidate who would force national Republicans to spend millions to defend the longtime red seat. Those concerns won't let up with the latest round of fundraising figures, released Tuesday night. Paxton lapped the senator in direct fundraising to their campaigns, though Cornyn's entire political operation raised a significant sum. The race came up at a White House meeting last week between Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, staffers with the Thune-aligned super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, and other former Trump campaign staffers. A source with knowledge of the meeting said the group agreed that Cornyn and allies need to focus over the summer on improving the incumbent's poll numbers. Thune told NBC News that the meeting 'covered a whole range of races around the country' but declined to go into detail. Paxton's team has also been in touch with the White House political team and sharing polling data, according to a source close to his campaign. In public surveys, the University of Texas at Tyler found Paxton leading Cornyn by 10 percentage points, 44%-34%, while Texas Southern University found Paxton leading by nine, 43%-34%. Both polls found about a quarter of voters undecided. Other private polls by outside groups with skin in the game have shown Paxton with an even larger lead. This is far from the first time Cornyn, a 40-year veteran of elected politics in the state, has faced issues on his right flank. His most recent challenge came in 2014, when he won 59% of the GOP primary vote. But it may be the most dangerous moment of his Senate career. Cornyn finds himself not only in a national party remade by Trump but in the middle of a civil war in his state between the establishment and the conservative forces that fueled the rise of Sen. Ted Cruz and other tea party Republicans, led to turmoil in the state Legislature and contributed to the impeachment push against and subsequent acquittal of Paxton. 'We're in the day and age of: The Republican Party is Trump's party. And Paxton has done a very good job of being very out-front, being very vocal, being a strong defender of Trump, which voters — that's the lens that they look through and evaluate candidates by,' said Matt Langston, a Republican strategist in the state who is not involved in the race. Primary picks up Paxton was quick to question Cornyn's Trump connections and his conservative chops when he launched his primary campaign. In 2023, Cornyn responded to allegations that Trump had mishandled classified documents by telling a local news reporter that 'he's created a circumstance for himself which is, I think, very serious.' That same year, Cornyn responded to the civil verdict finding Trump liable for sexual abuse by saying, 'I do not think he could win the presidency' because 'electability is … the sole criterion.' Cornyn's opponents have also criticized his past votes on some gun control and immigration bills. It's why Cornyn has spent the months portraying himself as a staunch supporter of Trump. In March, he posted a photo of him reading Trump's book on social media. His pinned image on X is a photo of him with Trump. And his campaign regularly touts his record of voting for Trump's priorities in the Senate. Cornyn co-chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last month delving into questions about Joe Biden's fitness as president. 'I think we need to remind people of my support for President Trump and his agenda, which is about a 99.2% voting record with his first term and now in his second term,' Cornyn told NBC News, referring to a memo from his Senate office that detailed more than 600 of Cornyn's votes since 2017. That memo also touted Cornyn's work to support Trump's Supreme Court and other judicial nominees, the 2017 tax cuts and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. On Wednesday, a pro-Cornyn super PAC, Texans for a Conservative Majority, launched a television ad campaign across the state, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. 'Meet the man who votes with President Trump over 99% of the time,' a narrator says in the group's first TV ad, which also features footage of Trump praising Cornyn at a rally. Chris LaCivita, a former top Trump campaign official, is working with the super PAC as its senior adviser, according to three people familiar with Cornyn's campaign. Tony Fabrizio, a top Trump pollster, is working directly with Cornyn's campaign. Paxton's vulnerabilities While Paxton has been trying to lob bombs at Cornyn from his right flank, Cornyn and his team are ready to exploit the attorney general's multiple controversies. 'The baggage that my opponent would bring into the election would make it likely that we would lose that seat to a Democrat if he were the nominee. So I'm not going to let that happen,' Cornyn said. Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015 and eventually reached a deal to avoid a trial. But related allegations — plus accusations including bribery and misuse of his office — led the GOP-controlled state House to impeach him in 2023, though the state Senate acquitted him. Prosecuting Paxton on ethical grounds will be a centerpiece of Cornyn's campaign. He blasted Paxton's bid as a 'con man's vanity project' and launched a 'Crooked Ken' website detailing the impeachment and allegations of adultery that stemmed from that investigation. Paxton's pending divorce from wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, brought those allegations back into the spotlight. Angela Paxton posted on X last week that she had 'filed for divorce on biblical grounds … in light of recent discoveries.' The day of Paxton's divorce announcement was his campaign's second-largest small-dollar fundraising day since his launch, according to a person close to the Paxton campaign. Paxton's allies see those controversies as fueling his reputation as a fighter among grassroots Republicans. 'Ken has a strong 40, 45% of MAGA voters that won't leave him,' said Paxton adviser Nick Maddux. 'They've seen him fight, they've seen him in the trials and they like what he's done. And Cornyn's never done that. He doesn't have a hard base of support.' Paxton's campaign also raised $2.9 million from April through June, ending the quarter with $2.5 million in its campaign account. Cornyn's campaign raised $804,000 and ended the quarter with $5.9 million on hand, while his joint fundraising committee raised $3.1 million and had $2.7 million on hand. The Cornyn campaign's haul marked its second-worst quarter over the senator's past two election cycles on the ballot (2020 and 2014). But the campaign dismissed any concerns about his fundraising. 'Senator Cornyn is a very strong fundraiser, always has been and will continue to be,' said Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiack, who said focusing on the joint fundraising committee was a 'strategic' move to be able to access lower television ad rates. A growing field? While Cornyn and Paxton battle, it is possible the primary field could grow. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt told NBC News late last month he still hasn't made a decision about whether to run for Senate, but the two-term Republican notes he hasn't seen a poll showing Cornyn can beat Paxton in a primary. Asked if that's a concern in Texas, he told NBC News: 'It should be.' Hunt's House campaign committee recently launched a cable ad buy that reaches beyond his Houston-area district, into the Dallas and San Antonio media markets, according AdImpact. Hunt also shared a minute-long spot that features Trump praising him, and a pro-Hunt outside group, Standing for Texas, has also spent more than $2 million so far on ads boosting him around the state. GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson also told NBC News this week that he has not ruled out running for Senate and he is going to 'keep my powder dry right now.' 'A lot of people think Ken Paxton might have trouble in the general,' Jackson said, noting there are concerns among Republicans that a competitive Texas race would pull resources from other battleground states. That concern is partly why Senate Republican leaders, including Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, are backing Cornyn. 'We need an electable candidate that can win not just a primary, but a general, and we believe there's a path there for Cornyn to win both,' Thune recently told NBC News. Democrats have long sought to turn Texas blue, but they have not been able to build on a narrow loss to Cruz in 2018. Trump won Texas by 8 percentage points last year, while Cruz defeated former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred by nearly 9 points. Allred recently launched another run for Senate. Langston, the GOP strategist, didn't buy the argument that Paxton would put the seat at risk if he is the nominee, given the state's red hue. 'You would have to have almost 100% of registered Democrats coming out to vote, plus a good 10 or 12% of Republicans crossing over,' he said. 'It's just never going to happen.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
John Cornyn appeals to Trump as he faces primary headwinds
President Donald Trump has a Texas-sized conundrum on his hands as Republicans prepare for a Senate primary in the state, with GOP Sen. John Cornyn making his case for the White House to get involved as he tries to fend off a challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton. But, so far, Trump is staying on the sidelines. 'I've talked to him about it a number of times. He is not ready to make that endorsement,' Cornyn told NBC News on Tuesday. 'I think as we start advertising and closing the gap in the polls, hopefully he'll see fit to make that endorsement, but we can't wait.' 'I pointed out to him, and he knows this, that if he endorsed me, the race would be over,' Cornyn later added. But Cornyn is struggling in recent primary polling, as Paxton has pitched himself as the true exemplar of the party's MAGA wing. Some Republicans are concerned that Paxton — a conservative firebrand with no shortage of personal controversies, including some that led to an impeachment push by a number of fellow Republicans in 2023 — could be a problematic general election candidate who would force national Republicans to spend millions to defend the longtime red seat. Those concerns won't let up with the latest round of fundraising figures, released Tuesday night. Paxton lapped the senator in direct fundraising to their campaigns, though Cornyn's entire political operation raised a significant sum. The race came up at a White House meeting last week between Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, staffers with the Thune-aligned super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, and other former Trump campaign staffers. A source with knowledge of the meeting said the group agreed that Cornyn and allies need to focus over the summer on improving the incumbent's poll numbers. Thune told NBC News that the meeting 'covered a whole range of races around the country' but declined to go into detail. Paxton's team has also been in touch with the White House political team and sharing polling data, according to a source close to his campaign. In public surveys, the University of Texas at Tyler found Paxton leading Cornyn by a margin of 44%-34%, while Texas Southern University found Paxton leading 43%-34%. Both polls found about a quarter of voters undecided. Other private polls by outside groups with skin in the game have shown Paxton with an even larger lead. This is far from the first time Cornyn, a 40-year veteran of elected politics in the state, has faced issues on his right flank. His most recent challenge came in 2014, when he won 59% of the GOP primary vote. But it may be the most serious danger of his Senate career. Cornyn finds himself not only in a changed national party remade by Trump but in the middle of a civil war in his state between the establishment and the conservative forces that fueled the rise of Sen. Ted Cruz and other tea party Republicans, led to turmoil in the state legislature and contributed to the impeachment push against and subsequent acquittal of Paxton. 'We're in the day and age of: The Republican Party is Trump's party. And Paxton has done a very good job of being very outfront, being very vocal, being a strong defender of Trump, which voters — that's the lens that they look through and evaluate candidates by,' said Matt Langston, a Republican strategist in the state who is not involved in the race. Primary picks up Paxton was quick to question Cornyn's Trump connections and his conservative chops when he launched his campaign. In 2023, Cornyn responded to the allegations that Trump mishandled classified documents by telling a local news reporter that 'he's created a circumstance for himself which is, I think, very serious.' That same year, Cornyn responded to the civil verdict finding Trump liable for sexual abuse by saying 'I do not think he could win the presidency' because 'electability is … the sole criterion.' Cornyn's opponents have also criticized his past votes on some gun control and immigration bills. It's why Cornyn has spent the months portraying himself as a staunch supporter of Trump. In March, he posted a photo of him reading Trump's book on social media. His pinned image on X is a photo of him with Trump. And his campaign regularly touts his record of voting for Trump's priorities in the Senate. Cornyn co-chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last month delving into questions about former President Joe Biden's fitness for office. 'I think we need to remind people of my support for President Trump and his agenda, which is about a 99.2% voting record with his first term and now in his second term,' Cornyn told NBC News, referencing a memo from his Senate office that detailed more than 600 of Cornyn's votes since 2017. That memo also touted Cornyn's work to support Trump's Supreme Court and other judicial nominees, the 2017 tax cuts and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. On Wednesday, a pro-Cornyn super PAC, Texans for a Conservative Majority, launched a television ad campaign across the state, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. 'Meet the man who votes with President Trump over 99% of the time,' a narrator says in the group's first TV ad, which also features footage of Trump praising Cornyn at a rally. Chris LaCivita, a former top Trump campaign official, is working with the super PAC as its senior adviser, according to three people familiar with Cornyn's campaign. Tony Fabrizio, a top Trump pollster, is working directly with Cornyn's campaign. Paxton's vulnerabilities While Paxton has been trying to lob bombs at Cornyn from his right flank, Cornyn and his team are ready to exploit the attorney general's multiple controversies. 'The baggage that my opponent would bring into the election would make it likely that we would lose that seat to a Democrat if he were the nominee. So I'm not going to let that happen,' Cornyn said. Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015 and eventually reached a deal to avoid a trial. But related allegations — plus accusations including bribery and misuse of his office — led the GOP-controlled state House to impeach him in 2023, though the state Senate acquitted him. Prosecuting Paxton on ethical grounds will be a centerpiece of Cornyn's campaign. He blasted Paxton's bid as a 'con man's vanity project' and launched a 'Crooked Ken' website detailing the impeachment and allegations of adultery that stemmed from that investigation. Paxton's pending divorce from wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, brought those allegations back into the spotlight. Angela Paxton posted on X last week that she 'filed for divorce on biblical grounds…in light of recent discoveries.' The day of Paxton's divorce announcement was his campaign's second-largest small-dollar fundraising day since his launch, according to a person close to the Paxton campaign. But Paxton's allies see those controversies as fueling his reputation as a fighter among grassroots Republicans. 'Ken has a strong 40, 45% of MAGA voters that won't leave him,' said Paxton adviser Nick Maddux. 'They've seen him fight, they've seen him in the trials and they like what he's done. And Cornyn's never done that. He doesn't have a hard base of support.' Paxton's campaign also raised $2.9 million from April through June, ending the quarter with $2.5 million in its campaign account. Cornyn's campaign raised $804,000 and ended the quarter with $5.9 million on hand, while his joint fundraising committee raised $3.1 million and had $2.7 million on hand. The Cornyn campaign's haul marked its second-worst quarter over the senator's past two election cycles on the ballot (2020 and 2014). But the campaign dismissed any concerns about his fundraising. 'Senator Cornyn is a very strong fundraiser, always has been and will continue to be,' said Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiack, who said focusing on the joint fundraising committee was a 'strategic' move to be able to access lower television ad rates. A growing field? While Cornyn and Paxton battle, it is possible the primary field could grow. Rep. Wesley Hunt told NBC News late last month he still hasn't made a decision about whether to run for Senate, but the two-term Republican notes he hasn't seen a poll showing Cornyn can beat Paxton in a primary. Asked if that's a concern in Texas, he told NBC News: 'It should be.' Hunt's House campaign committee recently launched a cable ad buy that reaches beyond his Houston-area district, into the Dallas and San Antonio media markets, according AdImpact. Hunt also shared a minute-long spot that features Trump praising him, and a pro-Hunt outside group, Standing for Texas, has also spent more than $2 million so far on ads boosting him around the state. GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson also told NBC News this week that he has not ruled out running for Senate and he is going to 'keep my powder dry right now.' 'A lot of people think Ken Paxton might have trouble in the general,' Jackson said, noting there are concerns among Republicans that a competitive Texas race would pull resources from other battleground states. That concern is partly why Senate Republican leaders, including Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, are backing Cornyn. 'We need an electable candidate that can win not just a primary, but a general, and we believe there's a path there for Cornyn to win both,' Thune recently told NBC News. Democrats have long sought to turn Texas blue, but they have not been able to build on a narrow loss to Cruz in 2018. Trump won Texas by 8 percentage points last year, while Cruz defeated former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred nearly 9 points. Allred recently launched another run for Senate. Langston, the GOP strategist, didn't buy the argument that Paxton would put the seat at risk if he is the nominee, given the state's red hue. 'You would have to have almost 100% of registered Democrats coming out to vote, plus a good 10 or 12% of Republicans crossing over,' he said. 'It's just never going to happen.'
NBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Trump's Texas-sized redistricting dreams: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition we dive into President Donald Trump's ambitions in Texas, where Republicans are set to redraw their congressional maps. Plus, Steve Kornacki explores the dilemma facing Zohran Mamdani's opponents in the New York City mayoral race. — Adam Wollner Trump's Texas-sized redistricting dreams President Donald Trump is setting a lofty goal for Texas Republicans as they prepare to tackle redrawing their congressional maps: He wants the party to pick up five House seats as a result of the process. 'A very simple redrawing, we pick up five seats,' Trump told reporters. That could prove to be a tall order, as Republicans already control 25 of Texas' 38 congressional districts. The specific areas the GOP could target when they take up redistricting in next week's special legislative session remain unclear. But two of them could be the Democratic-held South Texas districts that Trump won in 2024. According to an analysis by NBC News' Decision Desk, Trump carried Rep. Henry Cuellar's district by 7 points and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez's district by 4 points last year. Cuellar won his seat by less than 6 points, while Gonzalez won by less than 3 points. But any effort to place more Republican voters in Democratic districts risks making GOP-controlled districts more competitive. That's why some House Republicans in Texas have been skeptical of the effort. Still, Trump pushed Gov. Greg Abbott to forge ahead with an unscheduled, mid-decade redistricting push. It underscores the challenge Republicans face in protecting, much less expanding, their razor-thin House majority next year. As Steve Kornacki recently noted, the president's party has lost House seats in 13 of the past 15 midterm elections — and in many of those cases, those losses were steep. Trump downplayed the potential risk of redrawing Texas' map during a call with House Republicans in the state today, Melanie Zanona reported, assuring members they'd be able succeed in creating several new GOP seats, according to the source on the call. (Punchbowl News was the first to report the call.) Sen. John Cornyn, who is facing a GOP primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton, publicly backed the move. In a post on X, he argued that 'Hispanic voters in Texas have rapidly shifted in favor of the GOP,' meaning that the redistricting push 'will mean significant gains for Texas Republicans.' Democrats have been eager to engage on the issue. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential contender, has even floated redrawing his state's maps to counter the GOP's efforts in Texas. But that's also easier said than done: In California, an independent commission controls the redistricting process. 'It's painfully clear why Republicans are doing this,' said Rep. Suzan DelBene, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. They know they are going to lose the majority next year.' Mamdani's opponents are locked in a staring contest in NYC Analysis by Steve Kornacki Andrew Cuomo's decision to stay in the race for New York City mayor means there are three major general election alternatives to Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. They each recognize that the only (arguably) plausible way of knocking off Mamdani is by consolidating opposition to him behind a single opponent. But when they look at each other, they all think the same thing: Why would I ever drop out for this guy? Start with Cuomo. All of the available polling since the June primary has him running ahead of both current Mayor Eric Adams and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in a multicandidate race against Mamdani. This is why Cuomo is calling for Adams and Sliwa to exit the race if they haven't overtaken him by September. But everything else about Cuomo's position screams 'weakness.' His 12-point Democratic primary loss to Mamdani amounted to a political humiliation, given that he came to the race as the overwhelming favorite. And while he runs second to Mamdani, Cuomo's overall support in the available polling is between just 24% and 26%. Resistance to the former governor, who left office in scandal four years ago, seems to run high. An Emerson College poll this spring gave him a 41-47% favorable/unfavorable mark with all New York City voters. And a survey released Monday by Data for Progress (which has done work for a pro-Mamdani group) pegged it at 39%-59%. At 67, Cuomo's energy level has also come into question thanks to a limited public schedule and a series of public performances that were derided as listless. The way Adams and Sliwa see it, Cuomo already had his chance to stop Mamdani, and he demonstrated that he wasn't up to it. But good luck convincing Cuomo that either of them would fare any better. As the incumbent, Adams has the ability to make noise and get attention practically at will. And with new numbers showing a decline in violent crime, Adams is trying to convince New Yorkers that he finally has the city pointed in the right direction. But his liabilities are enormous. Even before his indictment last year on federal corruption charges, Adams was an unpopular mayor. And since the indictment — and maybe even more significantly, since President Donald Trump's Justice Department dropped the case — the floor has fallen out for Adams. The May Emerson poll put his favorable rating at a mere 19%, compared to 68% unfavorable. None of the post-primary polling has looked any better. For his part, Sliwa wields a bloc of voters simply by running on the GOP line. Republicans are a decided minority in New York City but still account for a little more than 1 in 10 registered voters. And Sliwa himself is a familiar presence to New Yorkers: He launched the Guardian Angels in the high-crime 1980s and has remained visible in local media ever since. But the limits of his appeal were seemingly made clear four years ago when, as the GOP nominee against Adams, he earned just 28% of the vote and lost by 40 points. And so Cuomo, Adams and Sliwa find themselves locked in a staring contest. Each has a claim to a chunk of the electorate. Each has a belief that they could beat Mamdani, if only the others would go away. And each has every reason to believe that the others are full of it. 🗞️ Today's other top stories 📈 Inflation watch: Consumer prices rose in June as Trump's tariffs began to work their way through the U.S. economy. Read more → 🪧 Big, beautiful rebrand?: Some Republican strategists said they are advising lawmakers to sell the megabill Trump signed into law as the 'Working Family Tax Cuts' to give voters a clearer idea of what it does. Read more → 🌎 As MAGA world turns: Some conservative Republicans in Congress are breaking with Trump's handling of the files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Read more → 🖋️ The autopen is mightier: Documents show that some of the letters Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., sent out in connection to his investigation into former President Joe Biden's use of an 'autopen' to sign documents were signed using a digital signature. Read more → ✂️ A spending-cut cut: Senate Republicans agreed to remove $400 million in cuts to PEPFAR, the Bush-era foreign aid program to combat HIV/AIDS, from Trump's rescissions package ahead of a procedural vote. Read more → 🪙 Crypto vote roadblock: Thirteen House Republicans voted with all Democrats to defeat a procedural rule that would have allowed a series of crypto bills lawmakers are considering this week to come to the floor. Read more → ☀️ Florida, Florida, Florida: A former lawyer for the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot is running for Congress as a Democrat against Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla. Meanwhile, Salazar introduced a bill with Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, that would provide legal status for certain undocumented immigrants. ⚖️ In the courts: Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., is facing a lawsuit seeking his eviction over alleged failure to pay thousands of dollars in rent at a property in Washington, D.C., according to court papers. Read more →
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Budget bill includes $10B payday for states that spent on border security
Tucked into the budget reconciliation bill is a Texas-sized golden nugget: $13.5 billion that could pay back what the state spent on border security during the Biden administration. The bill – which passed Congress on July 3 – doesn't mention Texas by name. But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lobbied hard for the line item's inclusion, and the state's Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn fought for the reimbursement. "Under Operation Lone Star, Texas allocated more than $11 billion of Texas taxpayer money for border security, and earlier this year I requested Congress reimburse Texas for these costs in full," Abbott said in a May statement, after an initial version of the bill passed in the House of Representatives. The new "State Border Border Security Reinforcement Fund" earmarks $10 billion for grants to states that paid for border barriers or other security measures beginning Jan. 20, 2021 – President Joe Biden's inauguration day. Notably, during the Biden administration, no other state spent more than Texas on border security measures. Under Operation Lone Star, the state deployed thousands of Texas National Guard troops to the border, placed controversial buoy barriers in the Rio Grande and paid to bus more than 100,000 migrants to Democrat-led cities around the country. Abbott was one of Biden's leading critics on the border during a period when the Border Patrol was registering more than 2 million migrant encounters a year – many of them lawful asylum-seekers. The "reinforcement" provision "just says 'states can apply.' But what states incurred expenses? Texas and Arizona," said Adam Isacson, director of defense oversight for the Washington Office on Latin America. Early during the Biden administration, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, sought to build a makeshift border barrier out of old shipping containers. But legal challenges forced his administration to remove the barrier, and his Democratic successor, Gov. Katie Hobbs, had previously asked the Biden administration to reimburse the state for border security funding totaling $513 million. The budget reconciliation bill includes an additional $3.5 billion under a fund whose acronym spells BIDEN: "Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide." That money can be disbursed to states that aid the federal government in its immigration crackdown. In an emailed response to questions, Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris declined to say how much money Texas will apply for but told USA TODAY the governor "will continue to work closely with the Trump administration to secure the border. "
