Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday, June 27, 2024.

– Sydnie Henry 

Federal Indictment Fails to Silence Surgeon Who Revealed Gender Mutilation on Minors

• A surgeon indicted by federal prosecutors after exposing gender mutilation practices at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston says intimidation tactics won’t deter him. Brandon Waltens has the story. 
   

• Dr. Eithan Haim came into the spotlight after alleging that gender mutilation procedures on minors were being performed at Texas Children’s Hospital, despite the hospital’s public claim that it had ceased these practices. He is now facing a four-count indictment for allegedly obtaining personal patient information, including names, treatment codes, and details of the attending physicians, through the institution’s electronic system without authorization.
   

• If convicted, he faces up to ten years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
   

• In an interview with Chris Salcedo, Haim said, "If I am going to claim myself as a doctor, I had to do something about this. I had to hold my profession accountable, because my responsibility to that oath 'do no harm' is not just in the operating room with my patients, but to my profession as well."

Criminal Illegal Alien Crossings on the Rise Since 2021

• Although the number of illegal border crossings has been on the decline in recent months, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data reveals the number of illegal aliens with criminal backgrounds entering the U.S. has spiked in recent years. Emily Medeiros has the details. 
   
• Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2024, more than 13,000 "criminal noncitizens" have attempted to cross the border and have been apprehended by Border Patrol agents—a stark increase from 4,269 in FY 2019. 
   
• During Donald Trump’s presidency, the number of criminal illegal aliens apprehended at the border had been on a decline. CBP recorded 8,531 apprehensions in 2017; 6,698 in 2018; 4,269 in 2019; and 2,438 in 2020.
   
•  After President Joe Biden assumed office, the numbers rose, with 10,763 apprehensions in 2021; 12,028 in 2022; and 15,267 in 2023.

Texas Railroad Commissioner Urges Biden to Lift LNG Export Pause

• A recent deal between a U.S. LNG supplier and a Ukrainian energy company could be hampered due to the Biden administration’s LNG pause. Luca Cacciatore has the story.
   

• The Biden administration issued a temporary pause on pending approvals of Liquified Natural Gas exports earlier this year, arguing that the Department of Energy’s current economic and environmental considerations were outdated and needed updating.
   

• DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, struck a major deal with the U.S. LNG supplier Venture Global. The agreement stipulates that DTEK subsidiary D.TRADING can purchase up to two million tonnes of gas for 20 years from the company’s in-progress CP2 facility.
   
• However, the incomplete CP2 facility is stalled in its plans for full operation due to Biden’s LNG export pause.
   
• "American fossil fuels can once again be the 'hope of the free world' – but only if Biden will let it." - Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian 

Texas Takes Big Step Towards Sequentially Numbered Ballots

• A new advisory from the Texas Secretary of State could lead to pre-printed, sequentially numbered ballots in many of Texas’ counties—a move many election integrity activists have long been advocating for.
   
• Recent discussions around election security have focused on two goals: ensuring that ballots can be audited while also maintaining voter secrecy.
   
• Currently, Texas counties use one of two electronic voting system manufacturers: Hart or Election Systems & Software (ES&S). Hart systems machines assign a number to the ballot, with no connection to the internet or the electronic pollbook. With ES&S systems, after checking in, voters are given a ballot with a number printed by software connected to the electronic pollbook. 
   
• The Secretary of State's advisory affects ES&S users, as it "prohibit[s] the generation of ballot numbers using electronic pollbook systems or using peripheral devices that directly connect to electronic pollbook systems."
   
• All counties using ES&S systems must now use preprinted sequentially numbered ballots, which includes roughly half of the counties in Texas.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo Fined $500 for Misuse of Public Resources

• The fine stemmed from a complaint after Hidalgo held a press conference in her official capacity, during which she supported Harris County District Attorney candidate Sean Teare and opposed incumbent DA Kim Ogg. Daniel Greer has the story. 
   

• The Texas Ethics Commission determined that Hidalgo violated election laws by partaking in political advertising during the press conference and using Harris County public resources for the press conference.

Quote-Unquote

"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions."

– Ronald Reagan

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