Good morning,

Should the City of Austin be abolished? Sound off in today's One Click Survey.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, May 6, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Democrat Indicted on Bribery, Money Laundering, & Foreign Influence Charges

• Democrat U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar has been indicted on bribery and money laundering charges. As Brandon Waltens reports, the indictment comes more than a year after a January 2022 raid on his home and campaign office in Laredo.

      
• According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Cuellar and his wife Imelda allegedly accepted approximately $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities. Those include a bank in Mexico and an oil and gas company owned by the government of Azerbaijan.
     
• If convicted, Cuellar could be sentenced to decades in prison. In a statement, the congressman said that the indictment does not affect his plans for re-election.
      
• Cuellar is being challenged by Republican candidate Jay Furman in the November election.

UPDATE: More Than One Million Viewers!

• As of Friday, our new documentary—HUBRIS: The Texas Kingmakers—has been watched by more than one million viewers! 

• HUBRIS pulls back the curtain on the big-money, corporate interest lobby group that has been quietly calling the shots behind the curtains in Austin. From protecting cronies to undermining pro-life laws, HUBRIS introduces you to the "Republican" moneymen who keep Democrats chairing key legislative committees.
    
• Watch HUBRIS now on YouTube, X, and Facebook

Thousands of Illegal Aliens Flown into Texas Airports

• A new report from the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security revealed documents showing that the Biden administration has secretly flown thousands of illegal aliens into Texas airports. Emily Medeiros has the story.
      
• The Department of Homeland Security has flown more than 400,000 illegal aliens into 50 different airports around the United States since January 2023. 
     
• The Biden administration launched what it calls a "mass-parole program" to help curb illegal alien entries at the southwest border. The program reportedly allows 30,000 people per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter as illegal aliens and then receive work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the U.S.
      
• DHS has admitted that none of the individuals had a legal basis to enter the country before being paroled.
      
• According to the documents, 7,923 illegal aliens were flown into Houston, 2,256 into Dallas, and 171 into Austin. 

State Reps. Call on A.G., Governor to Intervene in Case of Popular Doctor

• State Rep. Steve Toth (R-Conroe) has urged Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to intervene in the Texas Medical Board’s proceedings against Dr. Mary Talley Bowden. Daniel Greer has the details.
   
• Bowden has been under attack by the medical establishment after she chose to ignore government dictates in order to successfully treat her patients. In all, she treated 6,000 COVID patients without any deaths. Toth said the attacks on Bowden are designed to intimidate other doctors from putting their patients ahead of government mandates. 
       
• Joining Toth in his call to protect Bowden is State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington), who said the Texas Medical Board must be held accountable for the “abuse of a medical professional who saved lives!” 

Harris County Jail Reprimanded by State

• The Harris County Jail must further reduce its inmate population or rapidly expand the number of deputies it has working in the jail, according to a new order from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. Charles Blain reports the Harris County Jail has been out of state compliance since 2022.
      
• Jail officials reported that the Harris County facility has continued to fail to meet the minimum staffing standard of one detention officer for every 48 inmates. While the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said they are closer to meeting the target, they are still understaffed and find it hard to meet the mark 100 percent of the time.
     
• Harris County recently hired 108 detention officers in the last 90 days, but the sheriff’s office is still 192 jailers short. Currently, they have 1,713 officers “in some capacity” working in the jail.
      
• Harris County is paying $50 million to outsource inmates to other facilities, including those in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Tyler ISD Teacher’s Aide Accused of ‘Improper’ Relationship with Students

• A now-fired teacher’s aide in Tyler Independent School District has been charged with two counts of an improper relationship between educator and student, online solicitation of a minor, and employment of a child for sexual performance. Sydnie Henry reports the man worked at Tyler's Boulter Middle School.
     
• JBraylon Fears, 20, was booked into the Smith County jail last week with bonds totaling $600,000. 
     

• Fears has been fired from Tyler ISD, with administrators reporting that he will never be allowed back to the district. 

Bond Wrap-Up

• Municipal and school elections around the state resulted in more debt—and, therefore, higher property tax burdens—for millions of Texans.
      

• Voters defeated school bonds in Big Spring and Granbury, where residents organized campaigns against the property tax-backed debt proposals. Erin Anderson has those details.
      

• North Texas voters passed nine of the 10 biggest city bond propositions in the state. 

     
• Meanwhile, Republicans led in two of Harris County’s Appraisal District Board races that are now heading into runoffs. The third race saw the Republican lose in a head-to-head matchup.

Today In History

On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man recorded to run a four-minute mile.

Quote-Unquote

"Just because they say it's impossible doesn't mean you can't do it."

– Roger Bannister​

ONE CLICK SURVEY

As a leftist governing body, the city council in Austin has become increasingly hostile to the general values, sensibilities, and beliefs of Texans. Most recently, the Austin City Council passed a resolution claiming to make it a "sanctuary" for child gender mutilation and chemical castration.

Some lawmakers have proposed revoking the City of Austin charter and turning the area into a district managed by the state—similar to Washington, D.C. 

Should the City of Austin be effectively abolished and replaced by a state-administered district?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!