The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1908-crossdressing-puerto-rican-hijacks-america-s-favorite-sports-event?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show.</a>
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A Democrat from Texas went full mask off with his contempt, and his political party’s contempt, for white people.
Here is Texas State Representative Gene Wu:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Gene Wu (D) goes mask off:
&#8220;Non-whites share the same oppressor and we are the majority now. We can take over this country.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/CrxsPqlkLI">pic.twitter.com/CrxsPqlkLI</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2020327211648324001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @EndWokeness/X.com
Rep. Wu says,
<blockquote>I always tell people the day that the Latino, African American, Asian and other communities realize that they share the same oppressor is the day we start winning. Because we are the majority in this country now. We are. We have the ability to take over this country and to do what is needed for everyone and to make things fair. But the problem is our communities are divided. They’re completely divided.</blockquote>
One of our problems is our communities are completely divided — when we should be totally united against the majority.
White people are still the majority of the country, probably not for long because of birth rates and migration. But today, the Year of Our Lord 2026, white people are still the majority of the country. And this guy comes out and says, “We need to stop being so divided. We need to be united to go get rid of the majority.”
Hey everybody, I just want to bring us all together here to say, “Go kill Whitey.” All right?
And this is only different in degree. It’s not different in kind from the other sort of rhetoric we hear from Democrats and the Left broadly: calls to abolish whiteness, calls to minimize whiteness, to apologize for whiteness. The coalition of the ascendant of the people of color who are perfect, and the white people who can do no good. This is just a more extreme version, which is to say the oppressor is white, the oppressed are non-whites, and the non-whites need to overthrow the whites.
There are some people on the Left, and even on the squishy Right, who have complained in recent years about the supposed rise of white racial consciousness in America. Now, I question the premise. There’s basically no white racial consciousness in America.
In fact, a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/02/05/most-black-adults-say-race-is-central-to-their-identity-and-feel-connected-to-a-broader-black-community/">Pew Research Center study</a> from February 5, 2020, titled &#8220;Most black adults say race is central to their identity and feel connected to a broader black community,&#8221; found that whites were the least likely to be racially conscious. 
<div id="attachment_1041307" style="width: 452px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1041307" class="size-large wp-image-1041307" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Pew-racial-442x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/02/05/most-black-adults-say-race-is-central-to-their-identity-and-feel-connected-to-a-broader-black-community/" width="442" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Pew-racial-442x576.jpg 442w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Pew-racial-230x300.jpg 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Pew-racial.jpg 620w" sizes=" (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px" />Credit: Pew Research Center</div>
Every other racial group has a very high racial consciousness. When asked, is your race extremely important or very important to your identity, 56% of Asians said yes, 59% of Hispanics said yes, and 74% of black people said yes, being black is extremely or very important to how they think about themselves.
Only 15% of White people answered yes. 
White people have no racial consciousness. Every other group has significant racial consciousness, like majority racial consciousness. White people have basically none. But let’s say the premise were true, even though it’s not, that there is a serious uptick in white racial consciousness. What do you expect? Democrat politicians are going on air, saying we need to gang up on whitey. We need to target whitey. We need to overthrow them. We need to punish them. We are demanding a racial consciousness for this group.
If there is an uptick in white racial consciousness, isn’t that just a rational response to what you guys are doing? I want no apologies for this from the Right. No haranguing from the Left. The only response to this “kill whitey” stuff is to say: Well, I guess they consider us a racial group. I get it. I guess we have to proceed accordingly — that is, in accordance with justice and the Constitution and all the rest of our founding documents. 

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<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1908-crossdressing-puerto-rican-hijacks-america-s-favorite-sports-event?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show on DailyWire+</a></h3>

Texas Democrats To Reportedly Return To State After Governor Ends Special Session

Texas Democrat Goes Full Mask Off: ‘We Are The Majority In This Country Now.’

Texas Democrat Goes Full Mask Off

Asian American

Blacks

Democrats

Hispanics

Michael Knowles

Minorities

Opinion

Oppression

Texas

Whites

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

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.

Republicans are beginning to sound the alarm about the 2026 elections. The concern stems from a Texas state Senate race in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/01/politics/texas-state-senate-9-special-election-rehmet">a district</a> President Trump won by 17 points in 2024, but which shifted 14 points toward Democrats. That&#8217;s a 31-point swing. 
Republicans closely watching these races have noticed that a bunch of special elections, ranging from Texas to Mississippi to Georgia, deep red areas, are moving toward Democrats.
According to <a href="https://kalshi.com/">the markets</a>, 63% of people say the Republican Party will retain control of the Senate. 37% believe the Democrats will take control. But those are the worst numbers for the Republican Party this cycle. Those numbers seem to be converging, and the hopes for the Democratic Party in this election cycle are rising. 
The markets also suggest 78% of people believe Democrats will win the House, with only 22% saying Republicans will retain control.
A <a href="https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HHP_Jan2026_KeyResults.pdf">Harvard-Harris poll</a> shows that Democrats are +4% on the generic congressional ballot, which is a bad number for Republicans. In the Senate, there are a bunch of vulnerable seats for Republicans, including Maine, where, according to various betting markets, Susan Collins is now the underdog in that race.
In North Carolina, a Republican Senate seat that will be vacated by Thom Tillis appears to lean toward the Democrats. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown could easily pull that race off. So the Democrats could get to 50 seats in the Senate before you know it. There are other seats in Alaska, Iowa, and Texas, which are normally a reach for Democrats, but in a really bad year, you could see them move in the direction of the Democrats.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2360-here-s-the-real-reason-democrats-are-obstructing-ice?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
What can Republicans do about it?
There is some mildly encouraging news for Republicans in the <a href="https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HHP_Jan2026_KeyResults.pdf">Harvard-Harris poll</a>.
According to the poll, 56% of Americans say that the economy is shrinking. It is not. 66% say inflation is above 3%, which it is not. Only 38% of Americans say the economy is on the right track. Yet Americans are split roughly 50/50 on whether the economy is weak or strong.
There’s a serious informational gap here. The administration needs to do a better job of fighting that informational gap.
The most unpopular Trump policies with regard to the economy are on tariffs and inflation. Those two things are related because the president keeps shouting over and over and over about lowering the interest rates. That leads people to worry about inflation, because inflation has not yet been fully conquered, and because the president keeps touting his tariffs, and they have had an impact on businesses in the United States, that&#8217;s unpopular, too.
If the president simply stopped talking about tariffs so much, or if he were to stop putting such public pressure on the Federal Reserve to shift the interest rates, it would probably have some impact on how Americans think about the future of inflation in the country.
But there’s something else here: If you want to know why Democrats are creating absolute chaos in places like Minneapolis, the answer is they are trying to undermine President Trump&#8217;s top issue. President Trump is most popular on the immigration issue. 51% of Americans still approve of President Trump&#8217;s response to the anti-ICE protests. 47% still approve of his crime policy when it comes to his most popular policies. Deporting criminal illegal immigrants is approved by 73% of Americans. 67% of Americans oppose sanctuary city policies. 60% of Americans say Democrats are encouraging resistance to ICE, and 57% of Americans oppose them doing that.
Americans are pretty evenly split on whether they want to see only criminal illegal immigrants targeted or whether they want to see broader sweeps. With that said, targeting criminal illegal immigrants is what most Americans approve of , which is why, of course, Democrats are trying to necessitate that ICE and Border Patrol go after illegal immigration more broadly.
When it comes to PR efforts, trotting out various members of the administration to say over and over and over again that every single person is going to be caught and deported from Home Depot is bad politics.
Forget about whether it&#8217;s right or wrong for a second. It is not smart politics. But the Trump administration is starting to do the right things on PR with regard to Minnesota. Tom Homan has made an offer to Minneapolis, saying, “Give us your criminals,” which is the right policy.
From a PR perspective, targeting criminal illegal immigrants in the United States is an 80/20 issue with Republicans on the side of the 80 and Democrats on the side of the 20.
Democrats are trying to drive the perception that the Trump administration is focused indiscriminately on everyone across the country who is an illegal immigrant. They&#8217;re trying to instill the belief in Americans that tyranny is upon us. The plan for the Democrats is to up the ante, to undermine President Trump&#8217;s popularity on his most popular issue.
Watching the legacy media and so much of our culture attempt to foster what feels like BLM summer part II, that you have to demonstrate solidarity with criminally illegal immigrants, is not going to work because the BLM issue in 2020 had more purchase in the American imagination, given America&#8217;s racial past, then the idea that criminal illegal immigrants are somehow victims of a system that&#8217;s trying to pick them up and deport them.
The winning issue for President Trump is immigration. And if he can take control of the narrative, the GOP will bear the fruit.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP

The GOP’s 2026 Wake-Up Call: Strategies And Statistics

The GOP's 2026 Wake-Up Call: Strategies And Statistics

2026 elections

2026 Midterms

Ben Shapiro

Donald Trump

Republicans

Taylor Rehmet (D-TX) coasted to a 14-point victory in a special election for the Texas State Senate seat recently vacated by Kelly Hancock (R-TX) prompting Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin to warn Republicans across the country to beware.
Rehmet, a veteran and a union leader, dedicated his win to &#8220;everyday working people&#8221; and immediately pivoted to raise funds for his imminent reelection campaign in November.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This win goes to everyday, working people.
I’ll see you out there! <a href="https://t.co/kPWzjn2LhW">pic.twitter.com/kPWzjn2LhW</a>
— Taylor Rehmet (@TaylorRehmetTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorRehmetTX/status/2017848430547108211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Republicans just lost a district Trump won by 17 points — in Texas. That’s not an anomaly, it’s a pattern,&#8221; Martin crowed when Rehmet was projected to win the seat. &#8220;Democrats are building on our historic overperformance, and we’re not slowing down. November is coming, and we’re ready. ALL GAS, NO BRAKES!!&#8221;
President Donald Trump gave Rehmet&#8217;s opponent, Leigh Wambsganss, a lengthy endorsement as voters went to the polls for Saturday&#8217;s special election.
&#8220;Today is the day! To all Voters in Texas’ 9th State Senate District: GET OUT AND VOTE for a phenomenal Candidate, Leigh Wambsganss. She is a highly successful Entrepreneur, and an incredible supporter of our Movement to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,&#8221; Trump posted via Truth Social. &#8220;My very good friend, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, needs a strong conservative Republican in SD-9 to KEEP TEXAS RED! The Radical Left Democrats are spending a fortune to beat a true MAGA Warrior, Leigh Wambsganss. You can win this Election for Leigh, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement.&#8221;
Hancock, the out-going Republican who had served four terms in the same seat, won every reelection campaign with plenty of breathing room.
Democrats have delivered in several key elections since Trump&#8217;s second term in the White House began, but the majority have been in districts that ranged from purple — like Virginia — to more reliably blue like New Jersey.
Rehmet&#8217;s win comes as another Democrat, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, ramps up her own campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in the reliably red state.

Ballot Box – Election – Texas, USA

Democrat Flips State Senate Seat In Texas District Trump Won By Double Digits

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

As Winter Storm Fern&#8217;s fury blew across much of the United States with record amounts of snow and ice, three young brothers are now among the dozens who tragically lost their lives during the historic storm.
The three boys — ages 6, 8, and 9 — died in North Texas after they fell through the ice on a frozen private pond, <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/fannin-county-brothers-die-pond-texas-bonham/287-7ffd6e96-3676-44e4-adfd-d21577ba8393">according</a> to KHOU in Houston.
First responders and a neighbor pulled the two oldest brothers from the water. They received immediate medical attention on the way to the hospital. The six-year-old was recovered after an extensive search of the pond, the Fannin County Sheriff&#8217;s Office reported.
All three boys were pronounced dead, according to officials.
&#8220;Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all affected by this tragic incident,&#8221; the sheriff&#8217;s office said.
The Weather Channel is reporting that at least 62 people have died from Winter Storm Fern across 13 states, including Kentucky and Mississippi, which have both recorded 10 deaths so far.
In Tennessee, storm-related deaths have reached 13 per The <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/weather/2026/01/29/tn-winter-storm-deaths-reach-13-90k-nashvillians-still-without-power/88411562007/">Tennessean</a>. A woman in her 90s fell at her assisted living apartment while she was without power. Another woman died after slipping down a hill. A man was found dead at his home by a roommate and likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning, per the outlet.
Bitter temperatures remain from Winter Storm Fern, with another arctic blast expected this weekend.
The Weather Channel has named this weekend&#8217;s system Winter Storm Gianna.
Gianna will bring the coldest air of the season throughout the mid-Atlantic all the way down to the Florida Keys. The Sunshine State could see its lowest temperatures on record, and parts of the state may even see flurries.
Significant snow is expected in parts of the Carolinas, Virginia, and southern New England, according to The Weather Channel. Parts of the South already hit by snow and ice, including Tennessee, could also see another dusting of snow.
Tennessee still has more than 103,000 people without power as of Thursday morning, according to the <a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/state/tennessee">PowerOutage</a> website. In Nashville alone, more than 90,000 are still in the dark five days after ice from Winter Storm Fern took out trees and power lines.
At least an inch of ice accumulated across Northern Mississippi, Northwest Alabama, Northern Louisiana, and parts of Oklahoma. Other states, including Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia, accumulated more than .75 inches of ice. The highest snowfall totals from the storm were recorded in Maine at 27.8 inches.

Credit: Brett Carlsen via Getty Images

Three Young Brothers Killed In Winter Storm, Bringing Death Toll To More Than 60

Kentucky

News

Tennessee

Winter storm

A group of protesters clashed with Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on Wednesday outside of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement family detention center, where a 5-year-old boy, who has made headlines, is being held with his suspected illegal immigrant father.
At least two protesters were arrested as troopers attempted to clear the crowd of around 150 people who were blocking a road outside of the South Texas Family Residential Center near Dilley, Texas. Law enforcement officers deployed tear gas and shoved the crowd back, a <a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/01/28/protesters-detained-hit-by-tear-gas-outside-dilley-family-detention-facility/">video</a> from ABC&#8217;s San Antonio affiliate KSAT shows.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said that it sent troopers to the facility &#8220;at the request of the City of Dilley.&#8221;
“During today’s response, after dispersal orders were given, approximately 150 demonstrators refused to leave and began to breach the established protest barrier and spit on officers,” the department said. “Despite continued orders to disperse, the group remained and DPS took less-lethal action, deploying pepper ball grenades and pepper ball projectiles to ensure officer safety and maintain order. DPS personnel arrested two individuals on various charges, including resisting arrest and interfering with public duties.”
The demonstrators showed up outside the ICE detention facility to protest federal authorities holding a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy after his father was arrested during the Trump administration&#8217;s immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. A picture of the boy standing with federal agents went viral last week, with many on the Left pointing to the incident as an example of ICE cruelty.
The Department of Homeland Security said that the young child was &#8220;abandoned&#8221; by his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, when Conejo Arias allegedly attempted to flee from federal agents.
&#8220;For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias,&#8221; Homeland Security added. &#8220;Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement.&#8221;
A Minnesota pastor told CNN that the child&#8217;s mother feared going outside to get her child because of ICE&#8217;s presence. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, however, said that federal agents &#8220;assured [the mother] she would NOT be taken into custody.&#8221;
&#8220;The alleged mother refused to accept custody of the child. The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him,&#8221; McLaughlin added.
On Tuesday, a federal judge <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-blocks-ice-from-deporting-minnesota-man-5-year-old-son">blocked</a> the Trump administration from deporting the boy and his father.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) blasted ICE and those who support the agency after the story of the 5-year-old boy went viral. Craig claimed that ICE &#8220;used&#8221; the 5-year-old to &#8220;lure his father out.&#8221;
&#8220;This is the worst of the damn worst,&#8221; Craig added. &#8220;This is not humanity in Minnesota, folks. If you can look at this 5-year-old and actually with a straight face still support [ICE] and be silent in the face of what the Trump administration and Kristi Noem [are] doing, I just can&#8217;t even believe this is America. I will not vote for a damn penny to Kristi Noem or ICE in this Congress.&#8221;
Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn, who has opposed President Donald Trump on some issues, has defended ICE in recent weeks. When addressing the Camp East Montana ICE facility in El Paso earlier this month, Cornyn said that people “are treated humanely” at the facility.
The controversy over ICE holding the 5-year-old boy has further inflamed tensions in Minnesota over Trump&#8217;s immigration enforcement in the state. Chaos erupted on the streets over the weekend after Border Patrol agents shot and killed anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti. The shooting and the political fallout resulted in President Trump making changes to his strategy in Minnesota, sending his border czar, Tom Homan, to the state to take charge of the operation.
The move effectively sidelined Homeland Security Secretary Noem, and Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino was reassigned after leading the Minnesota enforcement operation for the past month.
During a press conference on Thursday, Homan said the Trump administration was working on drafting a &#8220;drawdown plan&#8221; to reduce the number of immigration agents in Minnesota.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-ice-agent-fatally-shoots-agitator-as-chaos-erupts-in-minneapolis?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+%E2%80%98You%E2%80%99re+Never+Off+The+Table%E2%80%99%3A+Homan+Says+U.S.+Needs+To+Send+Strong+Message+To+Illegals">LIVE UPDATES: ‘You’re Never Off The Table’: Homan Says U.S. Needs To Send Strong Message To Illegals</a>
This article has updated to state that Sen. Cornyn was speaking about an ICE facility in El Paso, not the facility near Dilley, as was previously reported.

Protesters Clash With Troopers Outside Of ICE Family Detention Center Holding 5-Year-Old Boy

Protesters Clash With Troopers Outside Of ICE Family Detention Facility Where 5-Year-Old Boy Is Held

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Minneapolis

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It’s <a href="https://schoolchoiceweek.com/">National School Choice Week</a> in America, and the advancement of education freedom is sweeping the country.
Governors are opting-in their states to the new federal tax credit scholarship at rapid rates. The scholarship allows taxpayers to contribute up to $1,700 per year to a qualified non-profit scholarship-granting organization and receive a nonrefundable dollar-for-dollar tax credit. Organizations like <a href="https://www.acescholarships.org/">ACE Scholarships</a> award scholarships to K-12 students. Federal tax credit scholarships can be used for a variety of educational expenses, including tuition, fees, books, tutoring, transportation, and services for students with special needs.
The landmark legislation was fittingly <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2025/07/09/how-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-will-help-kids-escape-failing-government-schools/">signed</a> into law on Independence Day last year by President Donald Trump as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Already, nineteen states are set to participate in the federal tax credit scholarship, and more are on the way.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen took the lead in late September, signing an executive order communicating the intention for Nebraska to participate in the program.
Governor Pillen <a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/surrounded-students-gov-pillen-signs-order-opting-federal-scholarship-tax-credit#:~:text=by%20Students%2C%20Gov.-,Pillen%20Signs%20Order%20Opting%20into%20Federal%20Scholarship%20Tax%20Credit,choice%20opportunities%20beginning%20in%202027.">explained</a>, “This program is a game-changer for Nebraska students and their families, generating funds that will help send students to the school of their choice.” Continuing, he <a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/surrounded-students-gov-pillen-signs-order-opting-federal-scholarship-tax-credit#:~:text=by%20Students%2C%20Gov.-,Pillen%20Signs%20Order%20Opting%20into%20Federal%20Scholarship%20Tax%20Credit,choice%20opportunities%20beginning%20in%202027.">said</a>, “When it comes to educating our kids, we need to ensure that every student is in an environment that allows them to succeed. This program provides that opportunity, and I’m pleased to say that Nebraska will take part.”
Going a step further to communicate his full and enthusiastic support, Governor Pillen <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/29/nebraska-gets-a-private-school-tax-credit-thanks-to-trump/">declared</a>, “I am not opting this in … I am cannonballing it into the state of Nebraska.”
Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee, a strong school choice proponent, followed. South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden announced opt-in plans by mid-November, <a href="https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&amp;sys_id=d8db85984799b290a497127ba26d43a7#:~:text=Article%20Body,take%20advantage%20of%20the%20program.">stating</a>, “Our students are the future of our state, and we must equip them with the skills and resources they need to thrive. Parents should have the freedom to choose the learning environment that sets their kids up for success.” Additionally, Governor Rhoden <a href="https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&amp;sys_id=d8db85984799b290a497127ba26d43a7#:~:text=Article%20Body,take%20advantage%20of%20the%20program.">noted</a>, “My goal as Governor is to support innovation — not stand in the way. So, we will continue to champion policies that expand the freedom to learn for our students.”
<div id="attachment_1033419" style="width: 826px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033419" class="size-large wp-image-1033419" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099-816x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) attends the executive order signing ceremony to reduce the size and scope of the Education Department in the East Room of the White House on March 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. The order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon, former head of the Small Business Administration and co-founder of the World Wrestling Entertainment, to shrink the $100 billion department, which cannot be dissolved without Congressional approval. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)" width="816" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099-816x576.jpg 816w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099-300x212.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099-768x542.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" />Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</div>
In December, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the first Democratic governor to declare his intention to opt his state into the federal tax credit scholarship, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/colorado-jared-polis-school-choice-opt-in-tax-credit-70684840?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqd6Gye1vD2r7iUve5VEV6nzbD8u4mqRJLNak6f2V_Ylx0BjOxObBbVmsCc2AwQ%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6976b435&amp;gaa_sig=VbmoDJ1phVmO6EUWJXlAZUmF_eRQMR6-1pQ0SHu8_PMWR2HoDzDg868wS9sO71EZTxDbbDLyUi94rz6lm37Btg%3D%3D">said</a>, “I would be crazy not to.” A spokesman for Governor Polis <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/colorado-jared-polis-school-choice-opt-in-tax-credit-70684840?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqd6Gye1vD2r7iUve5VEV6nzbD8u4mqRJLNak6f2V_Ylx0BjOxObBbVmsCc2AwQ%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6976b435&amp;gaa_sig=VbmoDJ1phVmO6EUWJXlAZUmF_eRQMR6-1pQ0SHu8_PMWR2HoDzDg868wS9sO71EZTxDbbDLyUi94rz6lm37Btg%3D%3D">explained</a> that the tax credit creates an “immense opportunity for Coloradans to support students in our state, but only if we opt in.”
That’s a key point because taxpayers nationwide can contribute up to $1,700 annually to a scholarship-granting organization, but scholarships can only be awarded to students in states that have opted in by the governor or a designee. Individuals residing in states that aren’t opted in may still contribute to a scholarship-granting organization in another state and receive the dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $1,700. For this point alone, all governors nationwide — regardless of political party — should opt in so that students in their state benefit from the contributions of residents of their state. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/colorado-jared-polis-school-choice-opt-in-tax-credit-70684840?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqd6Gye1vD2r7iUve5VEV6nzbD8u4mqRJLNak6f2V_Ylx0BjOxObBbVmsCc2AwQ%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6976b435&amp;gaa_sig=VbmoDJ1phVmO6EUWJXlAZUmF_eRQMR6-1pQ0SHu8_PMWR2HoDzDg868wS9sO71EZTxDbbDLyUi94rz6lm37Btg%3D%3D">Governor Polis</a> is right — Governors “would be crazy not to.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was the next to declare intention to participate. Governor Abbott has worked relentlessly to advance school choice in the Lone Star State. After calling <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/06/04/opinion-greg-abbott-went-to-war-with-texas-rinos-over-school-choice-he-appears-to-have-won-dr-keri-d-ingraham/?eer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple special legislative sessions</a> in 2023 and then in 2024, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/06/04/opinion-greg-abbott-went-to-war-with-texas-rinos-over-school-choice-he-appears-to-have-won-dr-keri-d-ingraham/?eer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voters ousted</a> several Texas House of Representatives members who had voted against school choice, Governor Abbott <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-signs-landmark-school-choice-legislation-into-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> universal school choice into law in 2025.
By mid-December, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry joined the early round of governors to opt in to the federal tax credit scholarship. In Governor Landry’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/govjefflandry/p/DSYUHfvjxu1/?hl=af">words</a>, it “is yet another way we’re expanding opportunity and helping every child reach their full potential.”
But when January hit, the floodgates opened with governors opting their states in one right after another. First with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, followed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, Idaho Governor Brad Little, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Indiana Governor Mike Braun, and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo.
This week, during National School Choice Week, it’s anticipated that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a leader when it comes to education freedom for families, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt will make announcements.
Not to be left out, look for the remaining Republican governors to add their states. They include New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Vermont Governor Phil Scott, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.
Additionally, there are 22 remaining Democratic Governors yet to opt in who would be wise to allow students in their states to benefit from scholarships funded by taxpayer contributions, recognizing that participating costs the states nothing. The typical claim that school choice takes money from public schools falls not only flat but is entirely false, as it’s a federal tax credit.
With the federal tax credit scholarship opt-ins combined with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-free-or-die-state-becomes-first-universal-school-choice-state-in-the-northeast">seventeen states</a> — West Virginia, Arizona, Iowa, Utah, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Idaho, Wyoming, Texas, Indiana, and New Hampshire — enacting universal school choice over the past five years, education freedom is advancing across America.
It’s picking up speed and not poised to slow any time soon — all to the benefit of families, freedom, and the future of our nation.
* * *
Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Children are waiting the school bus on a snow day in the morning in Lexington, Massachusetts on January 24, 2023

Why Governors Are Opting-In To School Choice At Record Speed

Why Governors Are Opting In To School Choice At Record Speed

Charter Schools

Colorado

governor

Nebraska

tax credit

More than 4,000 flights were canceled in the U.S. on Saturday ahead of a monster winter storm that has already cut power to more than 100,000 utility customers as far west as Texas, and threatened to paralyze eastern states with heavy snowfall.
Forecasters said snow, sleet and freezing rain, accompanied by dangerously frigid temperatures, would sweep the eastern two-thirds of the nation on Sunday and into next week.
Calling the storms &#8220;historic,&#8221; President Donald Trump on Saturday approved federal emergency disaster declarations in South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.
&#8220;We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm,&#8221; Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have declared weather emergencies, the Department of Homeland Security said.
&#8220;We do have tens of thousands of people in affected states in the South that have lost power. We have utility crews that are working to restore that as quick as possible,&#8221; DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said late Saturday afternoon.
The number of power outages continued to rise. As of 6:30 pm ET, more than 130,000 U.S. customers had lost electricity, the bulk of them in Texas and Louisiana, according to PowerOutage.com.
The U.S. National Weather Service warned of an unusually expansive and long-duration winter storm that will bring widespread, heavy ice accumulation in the southeast U.S. and cited &#8220;crippling to locally catastrophic impacts.&#8221;
Weather service forecasters predicted record cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills descending further into the Great Plains region of the U.S. by Monday.
As of 6:42 p.m. EST, more than 4,000 U.S. flights scheduled for Saturday had been canceled, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. More than 9,000 U.S. flights originally set for Sunday also have been canceled, the website indicated.
Major U.S. airlines warned passengers to stay alert for abrupt flight changes and cancellations.
In an update on its website on Saturday morning, Delta Air said it “continues to make schedule adjustments due to Winter Storm Fern,” with additional cancellations in the morning for Atlanta and along the East Coast, including Delta hubs in Boston and New York City.
The airline said it was relocating experts from cold weather hubs to support de-icing and baggage teams at several southern airports.
JetBlue said as of Saturday morning it had canceled about 1,000 flights through Monday, with additional cancellations possible, as it was “closely monitoring” forecasts for the storm.
U.S. electric grid operators on Saturday stepped up precautions to avoid rotating blackouts.
Dominion Energy, whose Virginia operations include the largest collection of data centers in the world, said if its ice forecast holds, it could be among the largest-ever winter events to affect the utility&#8217;s operations.
Noem, speaking at a news conference about U.S. government preparations for the storm, warned Americans to take precautions.
&#8220;It’s going to be very, very cold,&#8221; Noem said. &#8220;So we&#8217;d encourage everybody to stock up on fuel, stock up on food, and we will get through this together.&#8221;
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Sergio Non, David Gregorio and Chizu Nomiyama)

Snowstorm

Winter Storm Leads To More Than 100,000 Power Outages, Thousands Of Flight Cancellations

Severe Weather

U.S. electric grid operators on Saturday stepped up precautions to avoid rotating blackouts as frigid weather hitting half of the country&#8217;s population stressed their operations.
The PJM Interconnection &#8211; the largest U.S. regional grid that serves 67 million people in the East and Mid-Atlantic &#8211; reported temporary spikes in spot wholesale electricity prices that soared above $3,000 per megawatt hour on Saturday morning from earlier levels of less than $200 per MWh.
Older power plants, typically idled much of the year, are coming online to take advantage of the elevated prices to serve higher than expected demand, said Georg Rute, CEO of grid software company Gridraven, and an expert on how weather affects power line capacity.
&#8220;A 40-year-old gas turbine switches on because it sees these super-high prices,&#8221; Rute told Reuters. He added it is a sign of stress in the PJM system and elsewhere.
Prices also soared in other regions as stormy weather and temperatures hovering around 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius) pushed up electricity demand and prompted some operators to shut in natural gas production in key basins, while grid companies also faced constraints on gas pipeline supply.
Dominion Energy, whose Virginia operations include the largest collection of data centers in the world, said if its ice forecast holds, it has the potential to be one of the largest winter events to affect the utility&#8217;s operations.
While regional grid operators juggle restricted fuel supplies, congested transmission lines and wild weather, electric utilities are staging crews to repair expected ice and snow damage on low-voltage distribution lines that bring power to homes and businesses.
Faced with constricted gas supplies, regional U.S. grid operators are asking coal and gas-fired power plants to boost output, according to grid operations reports.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator called on power plants to maximize output and curtailed electricity exports in a territory that stretches across 15 states in the Midwest and South and Manitoba, Canada.
Over the past 24 hours, MISO imported up to several thousand megawatts of power from PJM&#8217;s territory to meet demand, according to MISO&#8217;s operations reports.
PJM faces greater reliability threats in winter because natural gas plants &#8211; the backbone of its generation &#8211; frequently face fuel supply constraints and mechanical freezing during extreme cold, according to analysts at consulting firm ICF International.
Neighboring grid MISO issued an all-hands-on-deck emergency action designed to avoid capacity shortfalls as some power plants are forced offline or reduce their output because of freezing temperatures, alerting utilities to be prepared to produce as much electricity as possible.
MISO spot wholesale electricity prices soared to nearly $500 per MWh in MISO&#8217;s Minnesota hub, as the upper Midwest experienced transmission bottlenecks across high-voltage power lines. By contrast, spot electricity prices in MISO&#8217;s southern territory were less than $50 per MWh.
In New England, fuel oil generation kicked into high gear to help the six-state region&#8217;s electric grid conserve natural gas, its top fuel source.
Early Saturday, oil-fired generation accounted for 35% of the New England grid&#8217;s output, compared with a typical level of about 1% or less, ISO New England&#8217;s operations display showed. Natural gas, usually the grid&#8217;s main fuel source, accounted for 22% of the grid&#8217;s generation output.
New England spot electricity prices were more than $300 per MWh, or about double the price on Friday.
For the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the winter storm is the biggest test for the state&#8217;s main grid operator since 2021, when a storm nearly caused a catastrophic regional blackout.
More than 200 people died as ERCOT lost about half of its generation capacity amid frigid weather.
Since then, stricter state and federal rules have been implemented to require better winter readiness by utilities and grid operators throughout the country.
Rute said ERCOT appears to be in good shape as it has abundant fossil-fuel generation, big contributions from wind and solar power, and more battery storage than any other grid.
&#8220;I think there&#8217;s very little chance of a (2021) rerun,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But no blackout happens the same way twice.&#8221;
(Reporting by Tim McLaughlin; Editing by Jan Harvey, Liz Hampton, Rod Nickel)

Icicles

Frigid Weather Stresses U.S. Electric Grid

Electricity

power grid

Some 9,000 flights set for this weekend have already been canceled in anticipation of Winter Storm Ferm.
The storm, which meteorologists say could cause as much damage as a hurricane, will likely knock out power and impede travel both in the sky and on the roads for millions.
Currently, there are about 140 million Americans under a winter storm warning, ranging from New Mexico to New England.
The Weather Channel, though, <a href="https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2026-01-24-live-updates-winter-storm-fern-january-24?cm_ven=dnt_social_twitter">says</a> that ultimately 230 million people could be affected by Winter Storm Fern. More than a dozen states have already issued states of emergency, it noted.
&#8220;Take this storm seriously, folks,&#8221; the National Weather Service posted to X on Saturday. &#8220;Moderate to major impacts are expected from the Central US through to the Northeast today through the weekend.&#8221;
The NWS said to expect &#8220;hazardous to impossible driving conditions&#8221; and urged folks in affected areas to &#8220;avoid travel if at all possible.&#8221;
&#8220;Widespread closures and disruption to infrastructure may also occur,&#8221; it added. &#8220;Stay weather aware.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Take this storm seriously, folks.
Moderate to major impacts are expected from the Central US through to the Northeast today through the weekend. 
&#8211; Hazardous to impossible driving conditions are expected. Avoid travel if at all possible. 
&#8211; Widespread closures and disruption to… <a href="https://t.co/bR76NpsrEy">pic.twitter.com/bR76NpsrEy</a>
— National Weather Service (@NWS) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWS/status/2014828034075803679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-favorite-meteorologist-breaks-down-this-weekends-wild-weather-forecast">The Daily Wire</a> on Friday that much of the country will experience three different types of precipitation from the storm: snow, sleet, and freezing rain.
“In Dallas, they’re gonna have multiple precipitation types,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They’re going to start to snow, maybe go to freezing rain, and then end with the snow again. Nashville starts to snow, sleet, freezing rain, then ends as snow or freezing drizzle. Washington, D.C., starts to snow, heavy snow, goes to sleet, then freezing rain, maybe even a little rain just east of D.C., and then back to cold behind this cold front.”
Ice, though, could be the most dangerous form of precipitation.
“You can have power loss with a 1/4 inch of ice,&#8221; Cantore explained. &#8220;You can get more extensive power loss with a 0.5-inch [of ice]. Severe widespread power loss with 3/4 of an inch, and once you get over one inch of ice, now you’re talking about bringing the lines down and trees down.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-favorite-meteorologist-breaks-down-this-weekends-wild-weather-forecast">America’s Favorite Meteorologist Breaks Down This Weekend’s Wild Weather Forecast</a>

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