Texas Gov. Greg Abbott provided another tragic update on the catastrophic floods on Tuesday, saying that 161 people remain missing in Kerr County, Texas, while another 12 people are still missing in other parts of the state.
Earlier on Tuesday, <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/1942691818065580061">reports</a> had the number of those missing at 40, but the governor&#8217;s latest update reveals an even grimmer situation after the state was devastated by the floods that hit over the July Fourth holiday. The death toll from the flooding across the state reached 109 on Monday, including dozens of children.
“To put this into perspective &#8230; there are far more fatalities than there were in Hurricane Harvey. That’s how catastrophic this is,” Abbott <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/07/08/texas-gov-greg-abbott-provides-latest-numbers-regarding-fatalities-missing-people-in-hill-country-floods/">said</a>, giving an <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1942682122839376065">update</a> from Hunt, Texas, in Kerr County.
&#8220;Know this: We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/texas-floods-live-updates-death-passes-100-rcna217415/rcrd84625?canonicalCard=true">added</a>. &#8220;Know this also: There very likely could be more added to that list.&#8221;
Five young girls and one counselor remain missing from Camp Mystic, the Christian girls&#8217; camp that took the brunt of the flooding when the Guadalupe River in Central Texas rose more than 30 feet in under an hour in some spots. Camp Mystic said on Monday that the death toll of campers and counselors had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unimaginable-tragedy-camp-mystic-says-27-campers-and-counselors-killed-in-sudden-flash-floods?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Unimaginable+Tragedy%E2%80%99%3A+Camp+Mystic+Says+27+Campers+And+Counselors+Killed+In+Sudden+Flash+Floods">risen</a> to 27.
Emergency responders have rescued at least 850 people. One United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, Scott Ruskan, is credited with saving 165 people, most of them children, alone.
As more days go by in the rescue operation, however, hope for finding anyone alive fades into dread that any bodies found will only add to the already-large death toll.
“The primary job right now continues to be locating everybody who was affected by this flood,” Abbott said.
Flood victims include children such as 8-year-olds, Renee Smajstrla and Eloise Peck, who were attending Camp Mystic, and 64-year-old Sherry Richardson, whose cabin in Liberty Hill, Texas, was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/08/us/texas-floods/d4fb0256-df9f-5328-a32a-8b77c20670c0?smid=url-share">swept away</a> on Saturday morning. The bodies of sisters Blaire and Brooke Harber were <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/sisters-found-hands-locked-together-following-20630269.php">found</a> 15 miles from where the flood waters washed them away from a cabin near the river, according to the Houston Chronicle. Blair and Brooke, ages 11 and 13, were found clinging to each other while holding rosaries, their aunt said.

Death Toll Rises After Flash Floods In Texas Hill Country

Number Of Missing Texas Flood Victims Jumps To Over 160, Gov. Abbott Says

Death

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At least 104 people, including dozens of children, are dead after devastating flooding in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend as recovery efforts continue. 
Officials said Monday that the death toll could still rise as dozens are still reported missing. Among the dead are 28 children, including around two dozen who were attending Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls near the Guadalupe River in Kerr County.
Authorities <a href="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/texas-search-rescue-flood/3879504/#:~:text=Officials%20say%20at%20least%2041,River%20corridor%20on%20July%204." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that 84 of the deaths were in Kerr County, while the other 20 were in Travis, Williamson, Burnet, Tom Green, and Kendall counties. 
“We will remain 100 percent dedicated, searching for every single one of the children who were at Camp Mystic, as well as anybody else, and the entire riverbed to make sure that they’re going to be recovered,” Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday. 
Ten girls from Camp Mystic and a counselor are still missing. The camp’s 74-year-old director, Dick Eastland, was killed in the flooding. 
“If he wasn’t going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,” George Eastland, the director’s grandson, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLwKvu9A6Jd/?img_index=1">wrote</a> on Instagram. “That’s the man my grandfather was. A husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to thousands of young women, he no longer walks this earth, but his impact will never leave the lives he touched.”
Another one of the victims was Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old camp counselor. 
“Chloe Childress lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith,” her family <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/state/texas-news/texas-flood/camp-mystic-counselor-chloe-childress/285-c7f2cb2a-75cd-445f-82c7-37509ce92e8d">said</a> on Monday. “Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic.”
A pair of 8-year-old twin sisters attending Camp Mystic, Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, were also killed in the flooding. 
&#8220;Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,” their parents <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-flooding-camp-mystic-hanna-rebecca-lawrence">said</a>. “We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time.  Thank you for the love and support.&#8221;
Other victims included campers and people who were caught in their vehicles and homes by the sudden flash flooding. Emergency responders successfully rescued around 850 people. According to the Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskin was responsible for saving 165 of them.

Deaths Reported After Flooding In Texas Hill Country

Texas Flooding Claims More Than 100 Lives, Christian Campers Among The Dozens Missing

flooding

Natural Disaster

U.S.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday night that he would deploy the National Guard &#8220;across the state&#8221; as anti-ICE protests hit major cities.
Protests against President Donald Trump&#8217;s illegal immigration crackdown started earlier this week in <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/dallas-joins-anti-ice-protests-immigration-crackdown-intensifies">Dallas</a> and <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/live-blog-ice-protest-at-texas-capitol/">Austin</a>, and more demonstrations are planned for San Antonio on Wednesday and Saturday. In a <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1932656855764861152">post</a> on X, Abbott said he was mobilizing the National Guard as a precautionary measure &#8220;to ensure peace &amp; order.&#8221;
&#8220;Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal &amp; will lead to arrest,&#8221; the governor added. &#8220;@TexasGuard will use every tool &amp; strategy to help law enforcement maintain order.&#8221;
In Austin, the state&#8217;s capital, police used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse a group of protesters who were ignoring warnings to clear out of the street, KXAN Austin <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/live-blog-ice-protest-at-texas-capitol/">reported</a>. Officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Austin Police Department arrested more than a dozen people during the protest Monday night, according to Abbott. During the demonstration, a federal building where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holds detainees was vandalized with messages reading, “ICE NEEDS 2 SURRENDER &amp; RELEASE THE HOSTAGES” and “MODERN DAY SLAVERY DISGUISED AS CRIMINAL REFORM.”
Six men arrested during the Austin demonstration were charged with felony criminal mischief, resisting arrest, among other offenses, according to the <a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/abbott-deploys-national-guard-san-antonio-protests-20371032.php">San Antonio Express-News</a>.
&#8220;Peaceful protesting is legal. But once you cross the line, you will be arrested,&#8221; Abbott <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1932304416435998771">wrote</a> on social media early Tuesday morning, adding, &#8220;FAFO,&#8221; the acronym for &#8220;F*** Around and Find Out.&#8221;
The protest in Dallas on Monday turned &#8220;tense&#8221; as some demonstrators clashed with police officers, The Dallas Morning News <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2025/06/09/protestors-in-dallas-rally-to-show-solidarity-with-la-demonstrators-amid-ice-crackdowns/">reported</a>. After sunset, authorities deployed pepper spray to disperse the crowd and appeared to make some arrests.
Texas National Guard troops will be on &#8220;standby in areas where mass demonstrations are planned in case they are needed,&#8221; according to Abbott&#8217;s office. Demonstrations, organized by a group called &#8220;No Kings&#8221; are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-issues-warning-to-any-protester-that-wants-to-come-out-during-d-c-military-parade">planned</a> for cities in all 50 states on Saturday as the U.S. Army will hold a massive parade in Washington, D.C., coinciding with the president&#8217;s birthday, with Trump in attendance.
Protests, some of which have turned into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-ice-riots-break-out-in-san-francisco-as-more-troops-deploy-to-l-a">riots</a>, have already popped up in cities across the country after anti-ICE rioters attacked law enforcement officers and damaged businesses and public property in Los Angeles last weekend. President Trump deployed the National Guard to L.A. on Saturday and then sent in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sends-another-2000-national-guard-troops-to-l-a">reinforcements</a> days later, including 700 Marines, as he blasted Democrat officials, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.
California then sued the Trump administration over the National Guard deployment, arguing that Trump infringed on Newsom&#8217;s power. Trump has defended his decision, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sends-another-2000-national-guard-troops-to-l-a?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Another+2%2C000+National+Guard+Troops+To+L.A.">claiming</a> that L.A. would be &#8220;burning to the ground&#8221; without his action.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott

Greg Abbott To Deploy National Guard Amid Texas Anti-ICE Protests

Austin

Dallas

Donald Trump

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Los Angeles

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A Texas program offering in-state tuition to illegal immigrants ended Wednesday after the Trump administration sued the state saying that the initiative violated federal law. 
The suit from the Justice Department challenged Texas law that allowed illegal immigrants to be eligible for in-state tuition while denying the same opportunities for American citizens. The challenge was resolved the same day after a federal judge approved a joint motion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Justice Department to rule the law unconstitutional.
“Today, I entered a joint motion along with the Trump Administration opposing a law that unconstitutionally and unlawfully gave benefits to illegal aliens that were not available to American citizens,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Ending this discriminatory and un-American provision is a major victory for Texas.”
The <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Joint%20Motion%20for%20Entry%20of%20Consent%20Judgment.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint motion</a> asked the judge to rule that the tuition provision of Texas law applying to illegal immigrants violated the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and issue a permanent injunction blocking application of the law.
“In direct and express conflict with federal law, Texas education law specifically allows an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States to qualify for in-state tuition based on residence within the state, while explicitly denying resident-based tuition rates to U.S. citizens that do not qualify as Texas residents,” Paxton and the DOJ wrote in their motion.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Judge Reed O’Connor of the Northern District of Texas <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/In%20State%20Tuition%20Final%20Judgment.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed off</a> on the motion just hours after it was filed, granting a permanent injunction against the provision.
“In-state tuition for illegal immigrants in Texas has ended,” Governor Greg Abbott said. “Texas is permanently enjoined from providing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.”
The provision giving illegal immigrants access to in-state tuition was <a href="https://lrl.texas.gov/legis/billsearch/actions.cfm?legSession=77-0&amp;billtypeDetail=HB&amp;billNumberDetail=1403&amp;billSuffixDetail=">first passed</a> back in 2001 and signed by then-Governor Rick Perry.
In an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/protecting-american-communities-from-criminal-aliens/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> signed in March, President Donald Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to “identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens.”

President Trump Swears In Steve Witkoff As Special Envoy

Texas Ends Benefit Program For Illegal Immigrants After Justice Department Suit

Department of Justice

Education

Illegal Immigration

Ken Paxton

Pam Bondi

Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the state has put an end to all construction of EPIC City, a massive development planned outside Dallas that was intended to be exclusively for Muslims and where sharia law was expected to be imposed on residents when it came to fruition.
“Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City,” Abbott declared on Sunday on X. “There is no construction taking place. The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. That includes criminal investigations. And, the US Department of justice is also investigating. This matter, and similar matters, are taken very seriously, and actions are being taken to address all concerns.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City.
There is no construction taking place. 
The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. 
That includes criminal investigations. 
And, the US Department of justice is also investigating.… <a href="https://t.co/5NDbOkzxTL">https://t.co/5NDbOkzxTL</a>
&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1921630359415910639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
His statements came days after news that the Trump administration&#8217;s Department of Justice had launched an investigation into the project. Last month, Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/cornyn-federal-investigation-epic-city-paxton-state-investigation">called on the administration</a> to carry out the probe, <a href="https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-calls-on-doj-to-investigate-epic-city-following-accusations-of-religious-discrimination-sharia-law/">saying</a> it was a discriminatory &#8220;religious settlement where Islamic principles govern not only daily life and education, but commerce.&#8221;
&#8220;A master-planned &#8216;community of thousands of Muslims&#8217; could violate the constitutional rights of Jewish and Christian Texans, by preventing them from living in this new community and discriminating against them within the community,&#8221; Cornyn said. &#8220;I further encourage the Department to investigate whether Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslim minorities would receive equal protection under the law in this new community. Religious-based discrimination, whether explicit or implicit, is unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.&#8221;
The same day, Texas GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he was investigating communications between the East Plano Islamic Center — around which EPIC City was to be built — and officials in the Texas towns of Plano, Richardson, and Wylie.
“If any local official is supporting or communicating with a real estate development that is under investigation for potential violations of state law, then it’s imperative that we are made aware of exactly what’s being communicated,” Paxton said. “We will thoroughly review these documents as part of our ongoing investigation into EPIC City and work to hold accountable anyone who breaks Texas law.”
The news of the Muslim development comes as similar projects have made headlines in Texas. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colony-ridge">Colony Ridge</a>, a massive development outside of Houston, has become a breeding ground for crime due to an influx of illegal immigrants who have flocked to it. It is similarly under federal investigation and has been targeted by Texas officials, most recently with raids on illegal immigrants carried out in coordination with the federal government.
Abbott says the Islamic center is being investigated by a dozen state agencies, including whether or not its planned practice of refusing to sell or rent housing based on religion would break state law, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3408146/greg-abbott-halts-contruction-epic-city-muslim-community-texas-doj-investigation/">Washington Examiner</a>.

US-NEWS-TEXAS-ABBOTT-SCHOOL-CHOICE-NY

Texas Says It’s Halted Construction Of Muslim-Centered ‘EPIC City’ Outside Dallas

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Sharia Law

Illegal aliens cost Texas hospitals more than $100 million in just a single month, brand new data from the Lone Star State shows.
Texas hospitals are on the hook for a $121.8 million bill incurred by illegal aliens across 31,000 visits in November 2024 alone, according to data collected by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC).
The findings came after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an order directing THHSC to collect and provide quarterly data on the cost of illegal aliens to the state’s hospitals and the number of visits from illegal aliens. The first full year of data from THHSCC will be released in January 2026.
“Many of these illegal immigrants are straining the Texas hospital system, which is why <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/greg-abbott">Governor Abbott</a> directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to begin assessing the cost of care,” Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-hospitals-hit-122-million-bill-illegal-immigrants-care-single-month">explained</a>.
&#8220;Now, Texas has reliable data on the dramatic financial impact that illegal immigration is having on our hospital system,” Mahaleris noted, also adding that President Donald Trump’s deportation operations “may also cause these healthcare costs to decline.”
The Texas Legislature is currently <a href="https://www.fox26houston.com/news/texas-hospitals-migrants-illegal-costs-nov-2024">considering legislation</a> that would turn Abbott&#8217;s order into a state law requiring hospitals to provide the data to the THHSCC.
One <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigration-costs-hospitals-billions-in-unpaid-bills-house-gop-report-finds">2023 report</a> from Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee found that illegal aliens similarly burdened the hospital systems of other states with large illegal alien populations. Florida hospitals incurred a $312 million bill because of illegal aliens in fiscal year 2023 and received just over $100 million in reimbursements. A single hospital in the border town of Yuma, Arizona, provided $26 million in uncompensated care to illegal aliens.
That report estimated that Texas hospitals faced anywhere from $597 million to $717 million in uncompensated health care costs for illegal aliens from 2006 to 2008.
One study from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taxpayers-shell-out-151-billion-each-year-due-to-illegal-immigration-analysis-says">estimated</a> that illegal aliens cost the United States a total of $150 billion a year, even when factoring in tax revenue from illegal aliens. The cost of illegal immigration on the United States, FAIR says, has increased by billions of dollars in recent years.

Illegal aliens

Illegal Aliens Racked Up A Nine-Figure Bill At Texas Hospitals In Just One Month

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Health Care

President Donald Trump announced Monday the members of his FEMA review council, which he tasked with returning power to state-level emergency managers.
Trump, who has been very critical of FEMA&#8217;s handling of recent natural disasters, signed an executive order in January aimed at bringing serious reform to the agency. In previous interviews, Trump has floated the idea of getting rid of FEMA all together, and handing back responsibility to the states to handle their own emergencies with federal funding.
&#8220;I am proud to announce the formation of the FEMA Review Council, comprised of Top Experts in their fields, who are Highly Respected by their peers,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1916943942156734688">posted</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;I know that the new Members will work hard to fix a terribly broken System, and return power to State Emergency Managers, who will help, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Congratulations to all!&#8221;
Members of the task force include Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, RNC Chair Michael Whatley, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
&#8220;As a proud son of Western North Carolina, I have seen first-hand the incredible work of the Trump Administration to help the region recover from Hurricane Helene and look forward to working with these great leaders to bring much-needed reforms to federal emergency response across the country,&#8221; Whatley <a href="https://x.com/ChairmanWhatley/status/1917045935286182331" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in response to the news.
In his executive order, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/council-to-assess-the-federal-emergency-management-agency/">said</a> the council will assess “the existing ability of FEMA to capably and impartially address disasters occurring within the United States and shall advise the President on all recommended changes related to FEMA to best serve the national interest.”
The executive order stipulates that the council develop proposals to improve FEMA, survey states and other stakeholders impacted by natural disasters, and produce a comprehensive report on the agency and how disaster relief was handled before its creation.
His executive order also referenced the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story</a> broken by The Daily Wire, revealing that a FEMA supervisor in Florida had ordered FEMA response workers to skip the homes of people with Trump signs or flags in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
“There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA,” Trump wrote in the executive order. “Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President.”

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Attend Hurricane Briefing at FEMA

Trump Rolls Out FEMA Taskforce To Fix ‘Terribly Broken’ Emergency System

FEMA

Glenn Youngkin

Kristi Noem

Michael Whatley

Pete Hegseth

Greg Abbott, Colony Ridge

Colony Ridge Gave Greg Abbott $1.5 Million. Here’s What Greg Abbott Gave Colony Ridge.

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deportation

School choice is almost a reality in Texas after the state House of Representatives voted Thursday morning to approve the $1 billion voucher program.
In a process that dragged on overnight and into the early morning hours, the state House voted 85-63 to move the school choice bill along, with only two Republicans voting no, all but securing its passage. While the legislation still has to clear some legislative hurdles before it is sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott&#8217;s desk, Republicans, including President Donald Trump, are already celebrating the school choice victory.
&#8220;Congratulations to my friends, Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, along with Texas Legislators, for finally passing SCHOOL CHOICE, which I strongly endorsed – this is a gigantic Victory for students and parents in the Great State of Texas!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114353467767721095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We will very soon be sending Education BACK TO ALL THE STATES, where it belongs. It is our goal to bring Education in the United States to the highest level, one that it has never attained before. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221;
The school choice package, referred to as the Education Savings Account (ESA) program, would set aside $10,000 per year for most Texas students who attend an accredited private school, the Austin American-Statesman <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2025/02/06/school-voucher-texas-senate-bill-sb-2-choice-public-private-homeschool-impact-students-parents/78283012007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Students with disabilities attending an accredited private school would receive $11,500 per year, while homeschooling families would receive $2,000 per year for each child to use on qualifying educational expenses. Texas lawmakers included a requirement in the package that recipients of the ESA program be American citizens or people lawfully residing in the United States.
Gov. Abbott has vowed to sign the bill when it comes to his desk.
&#8220;For the first time in Texas history, our state has passed a universal school choice bill. This is an extraordinary victory!&#8221; Abbott <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1912767715460403481" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X Thursday morning.
&#8220;From rural communities to big cities, school choice will open doors in every region of our state,&#8221; Abbott <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1912710323112403220" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in another post. &#8220;Every child in Texas deserves the education path that works best for them.&#8221;
The massive voucher program would be capped at $1 billion in its first year, but after that, it could grow up to $4.5 billion per year by 2030, according to The New York Times. The money for the ESA program will come from a different pot than the money used by the state to fund public schools, according to Abbott. The state House also voted on Wednesday to boost public school funding to $8 billion.
Lt. Gov. Patrick estimates that around 90,000 Texas students will participate in the ESA program. However, if demand for the vouchers exceeds the state&#8217;s funding for the program, children from low-income families and those with disabilities will be prioritized, The Dallas Morning News <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2025/04/17/school-choice-plan-clears-historic-hurdle-with-texas-house-approval/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The Texas school choice bill was mostly supported by conservatives and opposed by Democrats and teachers unions, who fear that the program will harm public education and divert money away from public schools, which will still be responsible for educating most of Texas&#8217;s students. Opponents of the bill also argue that the ESA program will mostly benefit parents who already send their children to private schools.
School choice advocates are celebrating major wins across the country, including in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Most recently, Tennessee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-passes-school-choice-milestone-in-advancing-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> a school choice program after a years-long fight.

Texas On The Verge Of School Choice Plan With Support From Trump

School Choice

Texas Governor Greg Abbott slammed Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) this week after the inflammatory 43-year-old lawmaker mocked him over being wheelchair-bound.
Abbott made the remarks during an interview with Fox News&#8217; Sean Hannity on Tuesday night after Crockett referred to Abbott as &#8220;Governor Hot Wheels.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s another day and another disaster by the Democrats,&#8221; Abbott said. &#8220;The reality is they have no vision, no policy. They have nothing to sell but hate, and Americans are not buying it.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s one reason why Texas is going to remain red and why Republicans are going to continue to win elections across the country,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The fact is that Texas is actually in direct contrast to what she was talking about. Texas has ranked number one for the most new jobs in America over the past month, number one for the most new jobs over the past year.&#8221;
He said that CEOs have consistently ranked his state as the top state in the country for running businesses.
&#8220;With comments like this by Democrats, we will just leave them in the dust in future elections,&#8221; he added.
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Abbott was studying for the bar exam at the age of 26 in 1984 when he took a break to go jogging.
As he ran, a large oak tree along his path cracked and fell on his back, leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
“Doctors discovered several crushed vertebrae splintering into his spinal cord, broken ribs, and damage to vital organs,” Abbott says on his website.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-jasmine-crockett-faces-censure-push-for-governor-hot-wheels-taunt">Democrat Jasmine Crockett Faces Censure Push For ‘Governor Hot Wheels’ Taunt</a>

US-TEXAS-SPACE-ABBOTT

Abbott Fires Back After Crockett Mocks Him For Being In Wheelchair: ‘Nothing To Sell But Hate’

Jasmine Crockett

Jasmine Crockett, the incredibly voluble congresswoman from Texas, is the new fresh leader of the Democrat Party, the fresh-faced Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (who is now considered a veteran).
And Crockett is trying to steal AOC’s thunder.
The Democrats are completely lost. They&#8217;re in the wilderness right now because their leaders are people like Crockett. They&#8217;re attempting to show that they are, in fact, The Resistance. And they think that the way to show they are The Resistance is by cursing a lot and saying deeply insulting, terrible things.
Thus, Jasmine Crockett.
Last Saturday, she was at the Human Rights Campaign, which is all about LGBTQ+ and supposedly about marginalized people. While speaking at the evening’s dinner, she proceeded to drop an insane line about Texas GOP governor Greg Abbott, who is a paraplegic, <a href="https://x.com/bonchieredstate/status/1904547637002436980">saying</a>, “Because we in these hot-a** Texas streets, honey. Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there. Come on, now. And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot-a** mess, honey.”
There are a few problems with this. First, Crockett grew up in a rather privileged precinct of St. Louis, so she&#8217;s cosplaying.
But beyond that, when she refers to Governor Abbott as “Hot Wheels,” she is insulting a person who is in a wheelchair and a paraplegic. She is insulting a paraplegic for being in a wheelchair by calling him “Hot Wheels” as the members of the Human Rights Campaign laugh with her and cheer — members who are supposedly all about the inclusion of marginalized people.
I don&#8217;t think they are about the inclusion of marginalized people. I have doubts that is their actual political agenda.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2166-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Then, Crockett tried to walk back her remarks because it turns out that it&#8217;s actually not great to insult the disabled and to characterize them as “Hot Wheels.” She tried to pretend she wasn&#8217;t talking about the fact that Governor Abbott is a paraplegic. She <a href="https://x.com/RepJasmine/status/1904620222008472021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X:
<blockquote>I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable.
Literally, the next line I said was that he was a “Hot A** Mess,” referencing his terrible policies. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition. So, I’m even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump—a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities—are now outraged.</blockquote>
At one time, Trump supposedly made fun of a journalist who had a condition, but it was actually not him making fun of the journalist who had the condition. He was making the same weird hand motions he makes whenever he talks about someone he thinks is stupid and weak.
But the media played it as though this particular journalist was being mocked by Trump. It became a national news story.
Crockett publicly called a paraplegic “Hot Wheels.” Now, she&#8217;s claiming the reason she called Abbott “Hot Wheels” was not because he is in a wheelchair, but rather because he is sending migrants on airplanes to various cities led by black mayors.
I don&#8217;t think that&#8217;s what she meant. And the reason I don&#8217;t is that, in 2021, she liked a post referencing Governor Abbott as “Hot Wheels,” which was before the migrant transfers.
Oopsie daisy.
That fact was <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/jasmine-crockett-liked-posts-calling-abbott-hot-wheels-in-2021-undercutting-her-explanation-for-deriding-wheelchair-bound-governor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uncovered</a> by the Washington Free Beacon, which does tremendous reporting.
This, of course, has generated angst and antagonism in the House of Representatives, which is staffed by good, responsible people who actually care about their constituents.
But there is also a contingent of the House of Representatives that is basically comparable to Jerry Springer running for various gubernatorial seats. That is what the House of Representatives has become. In large part, it is filled with some of the dullest knives in the drawer.
That includes Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who&#8217;s now complaining about the Trump administration for — wait for it — being too white. Yesterday, she <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=520080" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said:</a>
<blockquote>Look, I don&#8217;t want us to lose sight of what is actually happening here. Let&#8217;s not revise what&#8217;s happening. The Trump cabinet is on track to be one of the whitest cabinets in modern history. And when the government is given unchecked authority, civil rights are often the first to be sacrificed.</blockquote>
This is what they’ve got: “The Cabinet’s too white” and “Hot Wheels governor.”
These are your leaders, Democrats. You chose your fighters.
There&#8217;s a whole Democratic campaign right now which is asking, “Do you regret your vote for Trump?” And the answer so far seems to be, “Absolutely not,” for the vast majority of people who voted for Trump.
And the reason for that is because the specter of Democrat rule is simply frightening.
One of the ousted members of &#8220;The Squad,” Cori Bush, <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=520096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> what the Democrats were going to do next if they gained power. And it was terrifying: “Remember, the investment kept going down, down, down. And we were like, ‘No, because we need this investment. We need,’ like you said, ‘the money.’ … I thought we were at 10 and then we&#8217;re down to six and down to three, then we&#8217;re down to 1.7,” she said.
They were going to shoot for a $10 trillion — $10 trillion — in a climate bill. If they had unified control of the government, they would try to do it again.
No wonder people are still resonating with President Trump&#8217;s message.

Human Rights Campaign’s 2025 Los Angeles Dinner – Inside

The Fresh New Dem Leader, Jasmine Crockett. No Wonder Trump Is Soaring.

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U.S. House of Representatives

A House Republican is moving to censure Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) for &#8220;disgraceful and vile attacks&#8221; on Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) announced on Tuesday that he intended to introduce such a measure after Crockett <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/governor-hot-wheels-jasmine-crockett-mocks-greg-abbotts-disability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taunted</a> Abbott as &#8220;Governor Hot Wheels.&#8221; Abbott, a Republican, is permanently paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair.
&#8220;I plan to introduce a bill to censure Jasmine Crockett for her disgraceful and vile attacks against our Governor of Texas,&#8221; Weber <a href="https://x.com/TXRandy14/status/1904604098059461036" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X. &#8220;This kind of rhetoric has no place in Congress.&#8221;
Weber was responding to a report from Fox News on his plans. Liz Elkind, a reporter for the outlet, also <a href="https://x.com/liz_elkind/status/1904602256538042701" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> a copy of the congressman&#8217;s draft resolution.
It noted that Crockett &#8220;spoke at a Human Rights Campaign event in a manner unbecoming of a Member of Congress, calling the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, &#8216;Governor Hot Wheels,&#8217; and a &#8216;hot a** mess'&#8221; on March 22.
Should Weber offer his censure resolution as privileged, House leadership would have two legislative days to take action on it.
The remarks from Crockett drew a wave of condemnation from Republicans and their allies.
&#8220;Jasmine Crockett is despicable,&#8221; Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1904577254274842918" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.
In a <a href="https://x.com/RepJasmine/status/1904620525457994147" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thread</a> posted on X, Crockett claimed she &#8220;wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition,&#8221; but rather Abbott transporting migrants to &#8220;communities led by Black mayors.&#8221; The Democrat further insisted that she did not &#8220;mention or allude to his condition&#8221; and called the controversy &#8220;another distraction.&#8221;
Weber&#8217;s draft resolution had more to say.
It stated that Crockett&#8217;s remarks were not just &#8220;discriminatory in nature&#8221; but also &#8220;the latest in a continued series of inappropriate comments.&#8221;
As an example, the measure cited a House Committee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on May 16, 2024, when Crockett &#8220;espoused inflammatory comments about the appearance of another Member of Congress.&#8221;
During a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/17/us/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-insults-crockett.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tense session</a> on that date, Crockett flung a &#8220;bleach blonde, bad built, butch body&#8221; insult at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). That was after Greene took a shot at Crockett, saying, &#8220;I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.&#8221;
Over the course of United States history, <a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">28 House lawmakers</a> have faced a censure — a formal rebuke that is a less severe form of punishment than expulsion.
In recent years, the House has censured Republican member Paul Gosar and Democrat representatives Adam Schiff, Rashida Tlaib, and Jamaal Bowman. Earlier this month, 10 Democrats joined with 214 Republicans in voting to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10-dems-join-gop-to-censure-rep-al-green-for-heckling-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pass</a> a censure resolution against Rep. Al Green (D-TX) for his outburst during President Donald Trump&#8217;s address to a joint session of Congress.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)

Democrat Jasmine Crockett Faces Censure Push For ‘Governor Hot Wheels’ Taunt

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