A new poll shows that Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) could be Texas’ Democratic Senate nominee, as all eyes have been on the messy primaries in the Lone Star State ahead of the March 3 Election Day.
The University of Houston <a href="https://www.uh.edu/hobby/primary2026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> of 550 likely voters showed Crockett up by eight points over state Rep. James Talarico, with 47% compared with his 39%.
“Congresswoman Crockett is in the best position to reassemble a winning Texas democratic coalition in November. That coalition requires exciting the base to turn out, while bringing working people, Latinos, and young voters back into the fold. The poll demonstrates that independents and disillusioned Republicans favor Crockett as opposed to the other candidates,” her campaign said in a press release on Monday regarding the survey conducted from Jan. 20-31.
Other polls have shown Crockett leading, but some, like a recent Emerson College survey, have shown Talarico ahead by as much as nine percentage points. The race turned ugly after former Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Colin Allred strongly criticized Talarico over an allegation that the state representative referred to the former congressman as a “mediocre Black man,” according to the <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/02/texas-us-senate-democratic-primary-colin-allred-james-talarico-mediocre-black-man-tiktok/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Tribune</a>.
The National Republican Campaign Committee said that Crockett&#8217;s lead in the poll is a sign that the Democratic Party is moving further to the Left, even in the traditionally conservative Lone Star State.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s Democrat Party is getting more progressive and extreme by the second, but one thing remains true: Jasmine Crockett&#8217;s radical anti-Trump agenda is wrong for Texas,&#8221; NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said in a statement to The Daily Wire. The group is backing incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the competitive Republican primary.
On the Republican side, President Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement in the race, and it’s unclear if he will with less than a month to go. Cornyn is up against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt for the seat, and the same University of Houston poll showed Paxton leading with 38%, compared with 31% for the incumbent senator and 17% for Hunt.
Hunt&#8217;s campaign spokesperson, James Kyrkanides, said in a statement that the poll is an “interesting snapshot” into the general electorate. In head-to-head matchups, each of the Republican candidates would defeat either Crockett or Talarico by a thin margin. Paxton would defeat either Democrat by two points, Cornyn would beat Crockett by two and Talarico by one, and Hunt would beat Crockett by three and Talarico by four.
Kyrkanides said other polls have indicated that the “campaign has surged into second place&#8221; and that “John Cornyn’s campaign has collapsed.”
Texas primaries require a candidate to break 50% of the vote to become the nominee.
“While the primary results in the [university] poll are being debated, one fact is undeniable: Among general election voters, Wesley Hunt once again outperforms both John Cornyn and Ken Paxton,” the statement continued. “This has been consistent since the day Hunt entered the race in October. The data keeps saying the same thing. Anyone making ‘electability’ arguments while excluding Wesley Hunt isn’t serious about winning. They’re serious about protecting the status quo. Texas voters are moving on.&#8221;
Paxton said that the poll, which also indicates he would defeat Cornyn in a runoff, is a good sign that he will be the Republican nominee.
&#8220;Ensuring that low-propensity America First voters are motivated to show up in November is critical to Republicans&#8217; success in 2026, and John Cornyn is the single worst person in Texas to accomplish that. Luckily, he won&#8217;t be on the ballot because Texans are ready to fire him this spring. In 2022, I faced tens of millions in negative attacks and then proceeded to overwhelmingly defeat my primary opponents and win the general by nearly ten points. I&#8217;m ready and in a strong position to do the same in 2026.&#8221;
As for Cornyn, he&#8217;s pulled no punches against his opponents on both sides of the aisle, as he came out with an ad on Sunday taking aim at both Democrats, and recently saying that he is the &#8220;only electable Republican in this primary, a proven conservative with real experience and results who votes with President Trump more than 99% of the time.&#8221;
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the general election race as “Likely Republican.”

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Texas’ 30th District: An Intimate Brunch

Crockett Could Become Texas Senate Democratic Nominee As Primaries Heat Up: Poll

Congress

Democratic Party

Elections

Jasmine Crockett

John Cornyn

Ken Paxton

Politics

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U.S. Senate

Wesley Hunt

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2019442960312496339/photo/1">filed a lawsuit</a> Thursday against the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to ban the groups from operating in Texas, where they were recently designated as terror organizations.
“Sharia law and the jihadists who follow sharia law have no business being in Texas,” Paxton said in a statement. “Radical Islamic terrorists are antithetical to law and order, endanger the people of Texas, and are an existential threat to our values.”
The lawsuit builds on earlier action by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-joins-texas-in-designating-cair-and-muslim-brotherhood-as-terrorist-organizations">who labeled</a> the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR foreign terrorist organizations and urged the federal government to revoke CAIR’s tax-exempt status. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-joins-texas-in-designating-cair-and-muslim-brotherhood-as-terrorist-organizations">a similar designation</a> in late 2025. CAIR sued both states, denied supporting terrorism, and accused DeSantis of being “Israel first.”
The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood chapters, which included <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-designates-three-muslim-brotherhood-branches-as-terrorist-organizations">designating three</a> foreign branches of the organization as terrorist groups last month.
Paxton’s lawsuit targets the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and CAIR’s chapters in Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. It seeks to prohibit the groups and their affiliates from owning property in Texas or soliciting or recruiting members.
Paxton argues that the Muslim Brotherhood is covertly operating under CAIR, which he identifies as the group’s “American chapter.”
“The Muslim Brotherhood is a radical terror organization that exists to usurp governmental power and establish dominion through sharia law,” Paxton said. “The terrorist ties are unquestionable.”
Paxton claimed that a CAIR-Texas founding board member was convicted in 2008 of funneling $12.4 million to Hamas through the Holy Land Foundation, with CAIR named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.
“As the lawsuit notes, CAIR is undeniably the American face of an international terrorist organization,” Paxton added.
When designating the Muslim Brotherhood, Abbott emphasized the group’s suspected ties to Hamas, which has been a U.S.-designated terrorist organization since 1997 and is the Muslim Brotherhood’s Gaza-based branch, which kidnapped and murdered American citizens during the October 7 attack in Israel.
Abbott also cited a recent report that claims CAIR awarded $1,000 cash grants to university students who disrupted classes and intimidated or harassed fellow students “while celebrating Hamas’ October 7th attack.”
“Americans have generous hearts, and federal law wisely creates incentives to donate to nonprofit organizations that promote the public good,” Abbott wrote. “But charity must not become a backdoor to sponsor terrorism, endanger Americans, and subvert our democracy.”
CAIR dismissed the lawsuit in a statement to The Daily Wire, calling it &#8220;defamatory and unconstitutional.&#8221;
&#8220;Ken Paxton is late. CAIR has already filed a federal lawsuit to block enforcement of Governor Abbott&#8217;s defamatory and unconstitutional proclamation. We have also defeated Greg Abbott&#8217;s attacks on the Constitution three different times in a row. We look forward to doing so again. Just as Mr. Paxton&#8217;s attempt to shut down a Latino voting rights group failed last week, his latest anti-Muslim publicity stunt also appears doomed to fail. The people of Texas elected Mr. Paxton to serve them, not to silence them for daring to oppose Israel&#8217;s genocide in Gaza. CAIR-Texas will be serving and protecting the people of Texas long after Ken Paxton leaves office, God willing,&#8221; the statement said.

The Council On American-Islamic Relations Holds News Conference On Trump’s New Travel Ban Executive Order

Texas Sues Muslim Brotherhood And CAIR To Block Operations In Texas

CAIR

Courts

Greg Abbott

Muslim Brotherhood

U.S.

With just days to go before the launch of one of the largest school choice programs in the country, Texas officials are fighting to ensure that no taxpayer funds go to institutions tied to the Chinese Communist Party or radical Islam.
On Saturday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/opinion-files/opinion/2026/kp-0509_2.pdf">legal opinion</a> confirming the ability of acting state Comptroller Kelly Hancock to deny participation to schools tied to America’s adversaries in the Texas Education Freedom Account program. Hancock, who is overseeing the school choice program, told The Daily Wire that his office has identified “more than a handful” of schools with problematic ties.
“There were several schools in Texas that are connected to the Chinese Communist Party, and those that hosted events [with] or are potentially connected to [the Council on American Islamic Relations],” Hancock said.
CAIR, a self-described civil rights organization with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-welcome-in-our-state-texas-governor-designates-radical-muslim-groups-as-foreign-terrorists?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Not+Welcome+In+Our+State’%3A+Texas+Governor+Designates+‘Radical’+Muslim+Groups+As+Foreign+Terrorists">designated</a> as a terrorist organization in November by Governor Greg Abbott.
Hancock said that his office’s “priority was protecting taxpayer dollars to make sure that they didn&#8217;t end up in the hands of groups that support terrorist activity” or were “hostile” to the United States.
The Republican official is overseeing the rollout of Texas’ school choice program, which will allocate $1 billion in funding for parents to use for approved education expenses, including tuition at private schools. His office is responsible for approving schools that participate in the program and has greenlit 1,457 schools across the state.
As part of this approval process, Hancock said his office wanted to make sure that no schools with ties to CAIR or the CCP would benefit from state dollars.
“We saw some stories breaking in other states that have school choice,” Hancock told The Daily Wire. “I never lost sleep because we were ahead of the game and protecting those taxpayer dollars.”
Many of the schools flagged with problematic ties were accredited through Cognia, an accreditation nonprofit that vets many charter and private schools across the country. Hancock initially paused all approvals for schools accredited by Cognia, including some private Christian schools. But, with the legal opinion from Paxton, many Cognia-accredited schools are now being registered with the state, assuming they have no ties to foreign adversaries.
“We do want to make sure that we run it like a business, and try to protect taxpayer dollars on both sides of it,” Hancock said, asking people to be patient while his office vetted participants.
Hancock told The Daily Wire that the vetting and investigation of schools was still ongoing.
Some examples flagged by his office included the accrediting of potential providers by an agency that had hosted events alongside CAIR and another school that appeared to be owned by a group with an adviser linked to the CCP.
CAIR Texas suggested that it might sue Hancock if he scrutinizes schools that “once hosted an educational lecture from a civil rights organization that Greg Abbott happens to dislike.”
&#8220;Comptroller Hancock cannot bar private schools from this program because of their real or imagined interactions with CAIR-Texas, especially since Attorney General Paxton has sworn to a federal court that the governor&#8217;s unconstitutional proclamation targeting CAIR does not apply to any of its CAIR-Texas chapters,” the organization said. &#8220;Comptroller Hancock must permit private Muslim schools to participate in the program without facing any discrimination, heightened scrutiny or further delays in the application process.”
Abbott <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/2015479262355079329">praised</a> Paxton’s opinion, saying it would ensure that taxpayer “dollars will not be used for schools connected to groups like CAIR or countries like China that I have designated as foreign terrorist organizations.”
Parents can start applying for education scholarships on February 4, and the application period runs until March 17.

Texas Governor Abbott Signs ERCOT Reforms Legislation Into Law

Texas Bans Schools Tied To ‘America’s Adversaries’ From Education Freedom Program

Chinese Communist Party

Education

School Choice

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday declared over 100 laws and policies with &#8220;DEI frameworks&#8221; unconstitutional, The Daily Wire can first report, stating that these laws were being used to illegally discriminate in both the public and private sectors.
“This action to dismantle DEI in Texas helps fulfill the vision articulated by Martin Luther King, Jr. when he dreamed that his children would one day live in a nation where they were judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” Paxton said in a statement.
“It’s imperative that all private-sector employers, schools, and state and local government entities—based on this legal opinion—immediately abolish any DEI, affirmative action, or unconstitutional discrimination programs under their authority. We must return to the basic principles of equal opportunity for all,” Paxton continued.
The opinion specifically notes potential issues in programs like the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) and the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) efforts.
The HUB program was meant to help “small, minority- and women-owned businesses&#8221; in the process of obtaining state government contracts, according to the Texas Department of Transportation <a href="https://www.txdot.gov/business/disadvantaged-small-business-enterprise/hub.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. In October, acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced that new certifications for HUB would be stopped, posting to X that “Businesses deserve a level playing field where government contracts are earned by performance and best value — not race or sex quotas.”
Paxton noted that the opinion would not impact veterans who utilize the program, but that the sex- and race-based elements of the program run contrary to the state&#8217;s Equal Rights Amendment and the 14th Amendment&#8217;s Equal Protection Clause.
Meanwhile, the opinion rails against DBE mandates for “consideration of race and sex for seats on state boards, commissions, and committees,” a press release stated.
The attorney general also issued a warning to the private sector about potential “legal liability” if DEI practices are in place at Texas businesses, adding that “America is waking up to the egregious unfairness of DEI policies.”
Paxton also points to the Supreme Court&#8217;s 2023 opinion that ended affirmative action in higher education. The attorney general&#8217;s opinion notes that the practice is unconstitutional in Texas far beyond education, and said that his office will take action against governmental entities, including schools, that use DEI or affirmative action as a means of “unlawful discrimination&#8221; and &#8220;the erosion of merit-based decision-making.&#8221;
The Trump administration has made sweeping reversals to DEI-style policies at the federal level, ranging from the State Department to the Federal Aviation Administration. Many companies still have DEI practices in place, though others have begun rolling them back.

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Expedited Challenges Over Texas Abortion Ban

Attorney General Ken Paxton Dismantles DEI In Texas With Sweeping Legal Opinion

diversity equity inclusion

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into major grocery store chains in the state for potentially misleading consumers by spraying organic-labeled produce with pesticides.
&#8220;I&#8217;m investigating major grocery chains for spraying organic produce with pesticides without telling consumers,&#8221; Paxton posted to X on Monday. &#8220;It&#8217;s not only wrong for grocers to mislead consumers about chemicals being sprayed on their food—it may very well be illegal.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: I&#8217;m investigating major grocery chains for spraying organic produce with pesticides without telling consumers.
It&#8217;s not only wrong for grocers to mislead consumers about chemicals being sprayed on their food—it may very well be illegal. <a href="https://t.co/lMK2yawntb">pic.twitter.com/lMK2yawntb</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2010742903891751416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
Consumers who spend money on organic produce generally expect that harmful synthetic pesticides are not being used, though some naturally derived pesticides are permitted on organic foods.
Paxton said the pesticide in question is called Produce Maxx, which is an EPA-registered antimicrobial pesticide containing high concentrations of hypochlorous acid and considered a form of chlorine.
More than 50 retail brands across 10,000+ stores in North America use Produce Maxx, <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/apr/11/instagram-posts/videos-misrepresent-producemaxx-antimicrobial-wash/">according</a> to PolitiFact. It&#8217;s unclear how many spray &#8220;organic&#8221; foods as well.
&#8220;Consumers buying organic produce assume they haven’t been treated with pesticides,&#8221; a press release from Paxton&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-investigates-major-grocery-chains-spraying-organic-produce-pesticides">said</a>. &#8220;They don’t know that stores are spraying pesticides on the organic produce while it’s on the shelf.&#8221;
If a customer is unaware of such in-store spraying, they might not wash their organic produce. This is an issue since federal law &#8220;requires produce sprayed with chlorine to be rinsed with drinking water before consumption to maintain USDA organic certification,&#8221; the release explained.
&#8220;Many grocery stores hide their misting equipment and Produce Maxx containers from customer view and provide no signage or warning labels about the pesticide treatment and the need to wash the organic produce,&#8221; the office charged.
&#8220;There should be no shortcuts when it comes to food safety, and my office will ensure that Texas consumers are not misled about the state of the produce they purchase,&#8221; Paxton said.
If Texas grocery stores continue using antimicrobial pesticides like Produce Maxx on organic produce, they must disclose this to customers, while also including instructions to rinse this food before consumption, he said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/drink-up-america-usdas-whole-milk-promo-has-the-perfect-trump-twist?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Drink+Up%2C+America’%3A+USDA’s+Whole+Milk+Promo+Has+The+Perfect+Trump+Twist">‘Drink Up, America’: USDA’s Whole Milk Promo Has The Perfect Trump Twist</a>

Fresh fruits, berries and vegetables on the market stall a farmer’s market

Is Your Organic Produce Being Sprayed With Pesticides?

Food

General

groceries

Organic Food

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expanded a 2024 lawsuit based on new evidence that accuses two doctors of lying to healthcare providers about prescribing transgender procedures on kids in defiance of state law.
Paxton <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-paxton-files-landmark-healthcare-fraud-lawsuit-against-doctors-who-illegally-forced">announced</a> additional allegations on Wednesday against two doctors, May Lau and M. Brett Cooper, over alleged healthcare fraud related to their prescription of transgender drugs to minors. Both Lau and Cooper had prescribed transgender drugs to dozens of kids in violation of state law, Paxton said.  
“What these radicals were doing was evil, and I will pursue every available legal tool to stop and punish this cruel child abuse,” Paxton said. “Any fraudulent scheme to steal hardworking Texans’ taxpayer dollars will be stopped and repaid in full. Under my watch, the transgender activists using their positions in the medical field to illegally ‘transition’ children will face the full force of the law.”
Paxton previously filed lawsuits against the doctors for allegedly prescribing the drugs. Last Friday, he added two Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act claims to the suits. His office described the suits as &#8220;first-of-their kind&#8221; medical fraud suits against doctors who performed transgender procedures on minors.
Paxton wants the doctors to repay the state three times what they billed for the procedures and to impose additional civil penalties. 
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In the most recent <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Cooper.pdf">filing</a> against Cooper, Paxton said the Dallas-based doctor “engaged in false, misleading, and deceptive acts and practices to mislead pharmacies, insurance providers, and/or patients by falsifying medical records, prescriptions, and billing records to conceal that his treatments and prescriptions were for the purposes of transitioning a child’s biological sex or affirming a child’s belief that their gender identity is inconsistent with their biological sex.”
Cooper previously lamented the passage of legislation in Texas banning transgender procedures on kids, calling it a &#8220;sad day for Texans&#8221; and a decision driven by &#8220;political ideology.&#8221;
According to the filing, Cooper prescribed testosterone to teenage girls as young as 14-years-old. He then billed healthcare providers “something other than the purpose of transitioning their biological sex or affirming their belief that their gender identity is inconsistent with their biological sex,” the suit alleges. 
Lau is also <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Lau.pdf">accused</a> of prescribing testosterone to teenage girls in defiance of state law. In October, Lau <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/radical-doctor-surrenders-medical-license-after-attorney-general-paxton-sued-her-prescribing">surrendered</a> her medical license amid the ongoing legal action. 
&#8220;Lau is a scofflaw who is putting the health and safety of minors at risk by prescribing testosterone, a controlled substance, to biological female minors and estrogen to a biological male minor for the purposes of transitioning their biological sex or affirming their belief that their gender identity is inconsistent with their biological sex,&#8221; the suit said.
In a statement to The Daily Wire, Lau&#8217;s legal team said that Paxton&#8217;s allegations were completely false.
&#8220;Ken Paxton’s latest press release is false in every material aspect,&#8221; they said. &#8220;It reflects only Paxton’s and his office’s continued effort to spread baseless lies and inflammatory rhetoric about Dr. Lau in an effort to taint the jury pool.  His team has failed to find facts to support his allegations against Dr. Lau and so attempts to cover up that failure with repeated amendments to his claims, of which this new amendment is only the latest misguided effort.&#8221;
Lau denied Paxton&#8217;s allegations and said she had complied with all federal and state law.
&#8220;Dr. Lau is a revered pediatrician who not only has provided life-saving and life-sustaining care to adolescents in North Texas and beyond but who also was named by D magazine as best adolescent medicine specialist in 2013-23 and 2025. Dr. Lau did not force any treatment on any of her patients and her care complied with Texas and federal law in every respect,&#8221; her legal team added. 
The doctors allegedly billed Texas Medicaid for the drugs by falsifying records, altering diagnosis codes, and submitting deceptive billing information.
This article has been updated with comment from Lau&#8217;s legal team.

Texas Accuses ‘Radical’ Doctors Of Using Tax Dollars To Fund Secret Trans Procedures On Teenagers

Texas Accuses 'Radical' Doctors Of Billing State For Secret Trans Procedures On Teenagers

Transgender

President Donald Trump highlights the administration’s affordability efforts, a key Senate race gains a new wrinkle in Texas, and mainstream science erupts at a new government memo on vaccines.
It’s Wednesday, December 10, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251210-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-touts-affordability-lone-star-senate-showdown/id1576594336?i=1000740617515" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Kicks Off Economy Tour</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Affordability-Center-Stage.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump is hitting the road to tout his economic progress as Americans remain pessimistic about affordability and the cost of living.
Since retaking office, many of the president’s most high-profile road trips have been abroad to meet with foreign leaders and lock down peace deals and trade agreements. But with midterms fast approaching and affordability remaining the top issue for voters, he’s launching a nationwide tour to tout his economic record and address voter concerns on affordability.
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For years now, Republicans have dominated on the topic, with poll after poll showing voters prefer their handling of the economy over Democrats. But goodwill from Trump’s first term has not carried over, as Republicans now trail Democrats on the economy.
Last month’s electoral results in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York were seemingly a wake-up call for the White House. It’s not just that Democrats won handily, but it’s the fact that they won by attacking President Trump’s economy and focusing on affordability. Now the president has held a series of meetings with his top advisers to devise a new messaging strategy to convince voters that he’s taking the right course ahead of the midterms.
Trump appeared in Pennsylvania for the first of what the White House says will be a string of events focused primarily on affordability.
Trump is in a tough political spot. On the one hand, he takes great pride in his economic prowess and his role as a sort of businessman-in-chief. But if he continues insisting that things are going great, he risks coming off as out of touch and angering folks.
A Fox News poll this month found that 76% of voters view the economy negatively, while POLITICO found that even 37% of Trump voters say the cost of living is the worst they’ve ever seen.
For his part, the president reportedly feels the issue is perception, and that Republicans must step up their efforts to highlight the progress they’re making.
“We gave you an extension of the biggest tax cuts and the biggest tax cuts ever, even bigger than the first term, and that&#8217;s one of the reasons that your 401(k)s are through the roof. It&#8217;s one of the reasons that the stock market is at the highest point,” said Trump Tuesday evening. “Rent prices are down, dairy prices are coming down very strongly. The cost of Thanksgiving turkeys was down by 33% compared to the Biden era. That&#8217;s a good start. We&#8217;re bringing it down and we&#8217;re coming down more. We&#8217;re coming down a lot more.”
President Trump also touted the progress made so far in lowering the cost of gas and eggs, which reached historic highs in recent years. 
“We&#8217;re down lower than we&#8217;ve been in seven years. And gasoline prices in oil prices, not just the three states that I talk about with 1.99 a gallon,” said Trump. “  What about eggs? … The price of eggs is down now 80% since March. Think of that.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Shootout For Texas Senate Seat</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012425" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Battle-Brews.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A Texas Senate race is already heating up as candidates for both parties jockey for the chance to win the key seat, and some notable names are shaking things up.
A new Democrat challenger: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) is jumping into the race. Crockett is a sound-bite factory, so prepare to see some major developments out of the U.S. Senate race in Texas.
Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) dropped out of the race earlier on Monday while signaling that Crockett was going to get in. Meanwhile, state Rep. James Talarico is maintaining that he is going to stay in the contest on the Democratic side.
Texas is a red state, but with the 2026 election, Democrats are feeling a bit cocky about their shot at winning that seat and many others, if possible.
Crockett’s impact: The NRCC, or the Republican arm focused on House elections, is already touting that Crockett could potentially be the Democratic nominee. What that means for down-ballot races is that moderate Democrats will face a choice: whether to embrace Crockett and risk being painted as radicals by Republicans, or to push away from Crockett and risk pushback from Democrats.
Either way, Republicans will likely try to paint Crockett as the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party in Texas.
GOP’s packed primary: On the Republican side, it&#8217;s a complicated primary. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is running, as well as state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) is also in the race.
Cornyn is backed by the NRC, the official party arm that defends incumbent GOP senators. Paxton, Hunt, and Cornyn are all vying for Trump&#8217;s endorsement. But the president has not yet picked a favorite.
Hunt and Paxton have both portrayed themselves as the better option to stand with Trump and carry out the president’s agenda. But there is a highly volatile dynamic in the race, and polling shows the contest is incredibly close.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">FDA Revamps Vaccine Standards</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012427" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Shots-Under-Scrutiny.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The FDA is implementing tougher standards for vaccines, a move riling up the medical establishment.
Reports circulated this week about an internal memo from Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA’s vaccine division, proposing an overhaul of how vaccines are evaluated and approved, initiating tougher standards. The new process would include full randomized clinical trials even for updated or routine vaccines, such as the flu shot.
The trials would allow evaluation of real-world protection, not just antibody levels, as well as side-effect rates and additional information for risk-benefit analysis. Currently, officials rely primarily on immune-response data, such as antibody levels from small groups of people.
Notably, this memo cited at least 10 children who died “after and because of” receiving COVID vaccines. That is apparently driving this new direction for tougher vaccine approvals. 
How it&#8217;s playing: Twelve former FDA officials denounced the memo in an editorial, claiming that it casts doubt on vaccine safety. They claim these new standards reject “long-standing science” and say it will slow innovation. Former FDA head Dr. Scott Gottlieb appeared on CBS News and <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1997844527353409711">said</a> Prasad’s new procedures could hamper vaccine effectiveness.
Trump admin response: The Department of Health and Human Services stands by Dr. Prasad and these new standards. An HHS spokesperson took a swipe at the “resistance” editorial, saying, “The fact these criticisms are coming from former FDA officials who opposed raising the bar for vaccine science confirms we are on the right track.”
HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard told Morning Wire that the American people “deserve evidence-based science,” and said Dr. Prasad’s email “lays out a philosophical framework that points us toward that higher standard.”
Hilliard also said HHS will “soon release documents laying out that framework,” as well as data confirming how the COVID vaccine resulted in children’s deaths that previous leadership failed to investigate properly.

MRN_251210_V2

Morning Brief: Trump Touts Affordability, Lone Star Senate Showdown, & Vax Standards Revised

Morning Brief: Trump’s Economy Tour, TX Senate Race, And FDA Revamps Vax Standards

Donald Trump

Economy

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Pennsylvania

Vaccines

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office will investigate a women’s weightlifting competition after it awarded a trans-identifying competitor first prize.
The 2025 World’s Strongest Woman held in Arlington, Texas, over the weekend awarded biological male Jammie Booker first place in the competition. Booker’s inclusion in the event and eventual first place prize sparked protest from the competition’s runner-up, Andrea Thompson, to leave the podium in protest.
&#8220;Attorney General Paxton will not allow the radical left to sacrifice the integrity of girls&#8217; sports on the altar of their delusional transgender agenda. The OAG is investigating this incident and will take any and all actions to protect women&#8217;s sports both in Texas and across the nation,&#8221; Paxton&#8217;s office told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/texas-ag-investigating-weightlifting-competition-trans-athlete-compete-women">Fox News</a>.
Official Strongman, which ran the competition, later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/worlds-strongest-woman-winner-stripped-of-title-after-organizers-find-out-hes-a-man?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=World%E2%80%99s+Strongest+Woman+Winner+Stripped+Of+Title+After+Organizers+Find+Out+He%E2%80%99s+A+Man">disqualified</a> Booker after organizers said they were unaware of Booker’s sex.
“Official Strongman is inclusive and proud to run events which do not discriminate against athletes based on personal characteristics. Any athlete is welcome. But it is our responsibility to ensure fairness and ensure athletes are assigned to men or women’s categories based on whether they are recorded as male or female at birth,” the organization said in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialStrongmanWSM/posts/pfbid0t2PgVVznQX7RTjHyaab5MU1T5SuNuqjYvjgtGKK1ugCsvxEYa4f7wkzmXkHzMTY3l?rdid=cI7Q2fP7va6sK5JZ#">statement</a>.
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“Given this, we have disqualified the athlete in question from the Official Strongman World Championships 2025. All athlete points and places will be altered accordingly to ensure that the rightful places are allocated to each of the Women’s Open athletes,” it said.
At the award ceremony, Thompson, a former champion, was heard muttering “this is bulls***” as she stepped off the podium.
Booker’s victory ignited backlash across the sport as weightlifters blasted the competition and the inclusion of a male athlete in women’s sport. Three-time World’s Strongest Woman Rebecca Roberts called Thompson the true winner and insisted that “[w]omen’s divisions must remain biologically female-only.”
2023 World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper said in a video that “the first time I saw Jammie, I said: ‘This woman looks different.’” He knocked Booker’s inclusion in the competition, stating, “There is a time when you have to take a stand for women’s sports.”

Weights

Ken Paxton To Probe Women’s Weightlifting Competition After Trans-Identified Athlete Wins Gold

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Transgender Athletes

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the state’s largest county for allegedly spending $1.3 million in taxpayer funding to help illegal immigrants fight deportation.
In October, the Harris County Commissioners Court <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Petition_2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allocated</a> the money to “radical leftist organizations” BakerRipley, the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, Justice for All Immigrants, KIND, Inc., and the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services to provide “direct legal representation to immigrants in detention or facing the threat of deportation,” according to Paxton’s office.
“We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump Administration,” said Attorney General Paxton, who is now running for Senate against incumbent John Cornyn and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
“Beyond just being blatantly unconstitutional, this is evil and wicked. Millions upon millions of illegals invaded America during the last administration, and they must be sent back to where they came from,” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨BREAKING: I&#8217;m suing Harris County for unlawfully directing over $1.3 million in taxpayer money to defend illegal aliens from deportation.
We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump Administration. <a href="https://t.co/Yqp0v9Nt0P">pic.twitter.com/Yqp0v9Nt0P</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1988274620148183111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Paxton argued that the disbursement serves “no public purpose” and is “unconstitutional.”
“The Texas Constitution prohibits governmental entities like Harris County from misusing public funds by giving gifts or conferring private benefits to individuals and groups that do not serve a legitimate public end,” Paxton’s office said.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee defended the program, which was renewed last month in a 4-1 vote, with Tom Ramsey, the only Republican on the court, opposing it, <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/paxton-lawsuit-says-harris-county-defended-illegal-immigrants-taxpayer-money/285-9305f238-95d4-4e93-810a-4a0c963ce2f8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to KHOU.
“This lawsuit is a cheap political stunt,” Menefee said. “At a time when the president has unleashed ICE agents to terrorize immigrant neighborhoods, deport U.S. citizens, and trample the law, it’s shameful that Republican state officials are joining in instead of standing up for Texans.”
“This program is perfectly legal, and it ensures that people in our communities have access to due process, something every American should support,” Menefee said. “My office will fight back and defend Harris County’s right to lead with fairness, compassion, and common sense, no matter how many times Republican state officials try to erase that.”

Untitled design – 2025-11-11T135041.195

Texas County Shelled Out $1.3 Million In Taxpayer Funds To Defend Illegal Immigrants, Lawsuit States

Texas County Shelled Out $1.3 Million In Taxpayer Funds To Defend Illegal Immigrants, Lawsuit Says

illegal immigrants

Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Wednesday that he planned to investigate reports that Texas Christian University had canceled a planned Turning Point USA event.
The event was initially scheduled to be held on the TCU campus as part of the tour the group’s late founder, Charlie Kirk, began before his assassination on September 10 — and was to feature detransitioner Chloe Cole — but Cole announced that her event was canceled just a week before it was set to take place.
Cole posted a short thank-you to Hillsdale College — where she’d spoken recently — thanking them for speaking positively of her recent appearance there rather than canceling the event out from under her.
“The first college to actually thank me for speaking on their campus instead of cancelling me like @TCU just did! Christian colleges (and otherwise) need to step up to keep democracy and free speech alive in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” Cole posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The show goes on, but not on campus. <a href="https://t.co/f6puBgLk22">pic.twitter.com/f6puBgLk22</a>
— Chloe Cole ⭐️ (@ChoooCole) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChoooCole/status/1973224045387903229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
She followed that with an updated flyer showing that the TPUSA event was still on — but would be moved nearby to Birchman Baptist Church, also located in Fort Worth. When people asked Cole what had happened, she explained that the TCU chapter of TPUSA had found a room on campus to hold the event, and despite determining it was available for the requested time, the college denied them access to it.
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“They denied the local TPUSA chapters (sic) request to have me on campus on the 7th even though the room was free. They didn’t give a real reason why,” she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
They denied the local TPUSA chapters request to have me on campus on the 7th even though the room was free. They didn’t give a real reason why
— Chloe Cole ⭐️ (@ChoooCole) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChoooCole/status/1973215768096780539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Dallas Express reporter Carlos Turcios also noted that the event had been canceled, and his post caught Paxton’s attention.
“This doesn’t look like free speech to me. I’m going to look into this,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This doesn’t look like free speech to me. I’m going to look into this. <a href="https://twitter.com/TCU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TCU</a> <a href="https://t.co/7OutbFDEHi">https://t.co/7OutbFDEHi</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1973281771421835329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Speaks To The Media On The Protect Children’s Innocence Act

Texas AG To Step In After College Axes TPUSA Event Featuring Detransitioner

Charlie Kirk

TPUSA

Turning Point USA

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is preparing to scrutinize the mental health risks of AI chatbots to children and will demand internal documents from major tech firms, including OpenAI, Meta Platforms, and Character.AI, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ftc-prepares-to-grill-ai-companies-over-impact-on-children-a1931640?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAhAsUOz0uI-br2yGyPDxdjJAqgh1g3AYVxT09XkTDEkb03D1m6_FujY-0DII98%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68b9ca7a&amp;gaa_sig=yTPLC0Cu4YpKppKLB-Goji0SWLj5gLawlt2OUxpAmc8nyDxuoYVdr1kLrVeQE37Ir31W4aDvw-zNN6nMbC8uBA%3D%3D">reported</a> on Thursday.
The agency is preparing letters to send to the companies operating popular chatbots, the report said, quoting administration officials.
&#8220;Character.AI has not received a letter about the FTC study, but we welcome working with regulators and lawmakers as they begin to consider legislation for this emerging space,&#8221; the company said.
FTC, OpenAI, and Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comments. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
FTC and the entire Administration are focused on delivering on Trump&#8217;s mandate &#8220;to cement America&#8217;s dominance in AI, cryptocurrency, and other cutting-edge technologies of the future&#8221; without compromising the safety and well-being of the people, a White House spokesperson said.
The news comes weeks after a Reuters exclusive report revealed how Meta allowed provocative chatbot behavior with children, including letting bots engage in &#8220;conversations that are romantic or sensual.&#8221;
Last week, the social media company said it would add new teenager safeguards to its artificial intelligence products by training systems to avoid flirty conversations and discussions of self-harm or suicide with minors, and by temporarily limiting their access to certain AI characters.
In June, more than 20 consumer advocacy groups filed a complaint with the FTC and state attorneys general, alleging that AI platforms such as Meta AI Studio and Character.AI enable the unlicensed practice of medicine by hosting &#8220;therapy bots&#8221;.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Meta and Character.AI last month for allegedly misleading children with AI-generated mental health services, accusing them of deceptive trade practices and privacy violations.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese, Akash Sriram and Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Shinjini Ganguli)

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows OpenAI logo

FTC Targets AI Companies Over Potential Threats to Children

FTC Prepares to Grill AI Companies Over Impact On Children

ChatGPT

Ken Paxton, Beto O’Rourke

Ken Paxton Seeks To Put Democrat Beto O’Rourke ‘Behind Bars’ Over Fundraising For AWOL Dems

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