Good morning,

After just a year on the job, Fort Worth's outgoing school superintendent is getting a $1 million payout after she resigned a week ago. In this week's One Click Survey, we want your thoughts on the golden parachutes given to government school bureaucrats.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, Oct. 7, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Americans Held Hostage by Hamas for a Year

• Hamas' four remaining American hostages are Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Omer Neutra, and Keith Siegel. The three Americans who were killed in captivity include Itay Chen, Gadi Haggai, and Judith Weinstein Haggai.
      
• Gov. Greg Abbott is asking Texans to join him for a moment of silence at 7 a.m. today for those killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, the Americans being held hostage, and the families of all impacted.

Suspects in Jocelyn Nungaray’s Murder May Be Tied to Venezuelan Gang

• New search warrants reveal Jocelyn Nungaray’s suspected killers may be a part of the violent Venezuelan gang that has been wreaking havoc on the nation. Emily Medeiros has the story.
     
• In June, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was allegedly lured under a bridge in Houston by two men after she snuck out of her home. The two men are accused of stripping off her clothes below the waist and assaulting her for two hours before dumping her body in a bayou. Strangulation was determined to be the cause of death.
     
• The accused killers—Franklin Pena and Johan Jose Martinez Rangel—reportedly entered the country illegally through El Paso at different times. Now, it appears investigators believe both men are members of Tren de Aragua. The gang is notorious for its involvement in sex trafficking young girls and women and exploiting other Venezuelans. The group has also been behind a string of crimes stretching from New York to Miami and now over to Texas.
       
• Both men are being held on capital murder charges, with bonds set at $10 million each.

RELATED NEWS

• Will Biagini reports on findings that the agencies' polices "may inadvertently increase national security risks."

Texas Earns Financial Grade of ‘C’ From Watchdog Group

• The newest report from Truth in Accounting graded all U.S. states’ financial positions. As Valerie Muñoz reports, Texas ranks 26 out of 50 states and received a financial grade of “C.”
       
• Using a metric the group calls “taxpayer burden,” Truth in Accounting audits the states based on whether their expenses exceed their revenues. According to the report, Texas did not have enough assets to cover its debts in 2023.
     
• “Over many decades, Texas has accrued tens of billions of dollars in unfunded pension and OPEB liabilities. The size and growth of these future debts weigh heavily on Texas’ financial health,” said James Quintero of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

US Supreme Court to Consider Storage of Nuclear Waste in West Texas

• The United States Supreme Court will hear a case regarding a previously blocked attempt to store nuclear waste at facilities in West Texas. Luca Cacciatore has the details.
         
• An appellate court ruled last year that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission exceeded its authority in permitting a private company—Interim Storage Partners—to store the waste at a dump in West Texas for 40 years.
         
• The facility was initially slated to take up to 5,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel rods from power plants and 231 million tons of other radioactive waste, according to court documents.
        
• Republicans like Gov. Greg Abbott and individuals involved in liberal environmental groups like the Sierra Club have condemned the Biden-Harris administration’s nuclear waste project.
          
• A decision from the Supreme Court is not expected until mid-2025.

Teacher Accused of Grooming Student

• A San Antonio school teacher is accused of sexually grooming a 15-year-old student via online apps. As Erin Anderson reports, local police fear the teacher may have more victims.
       
• John Ghrist III was arrested last week and charged with online solicitation of a minor. Ghrist taught at Churchill High School in North East Independent School District.
     
• The victim's parents reported the relationship to police and the school principal after discovering a sexually explicit letter from Ghrist to their daughter inside her dresser drawer. He apparently messaged her on both social media and a school-approved app.
       
• District officials allowed Ghrist to resign his position rather than terminate him based on "inappropriate communication."
      
• State records show Ghrist's teaching certificate remains valid but that he is under review by the Texas Education Agency.

New Study Examines Costs of Taxpayer-funded Lobbying

• According to a new report from the Huffines Liberty Foundation, local governments spent about $75 million on registered lobbyists in Texas.
        
• “Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a perversion of our system,” said former State Sen. Don Huffines. “It allows government to use your hard-earned money to cover up corruption and work against your interests. The Texas Legislature must act to restore balance and protect the constitutional right of Texans to have their voices heard without interference from government-funded lobbyists.”
       
• The foundation recommends lawmakers ban the practice of taxing entities lobbying the state with public funds and prohibiting membership dues to organizations that lobby. HLF also recommends banning lobbying by businesses receiving tax abatements.

Available Now
EXPOSED, Season 8 Episode 3: A Zone of Chaos

• Season 8 of our podcast series EXPOSED is available! This season, called Lights Out, explores the fragility of Texas' power grid.
       
• Episode 3: A Zone of Chaos uncovers the vulnerabilities in America's electric grid—from cyberattacks to EMP warfare. With expert insights and real-world examples, the episode reveals how inaction and foreign interference could lead to a devastating blackout.
     
• Find EXPOSED on your favorite podcast app or at the Texas Scorecard website.

Quote-Unquote

"If you serve a child a rotten hamburger in America, federal, state and local agencies will investigate you, summon you, close you down, whatever. But if you provide a child with a rotten education, nothing happens, except that you're liable to be given more money to do it with. Well, we've discovered that money alone isn't the answer."

– Ronald Reagan

ONE CLICK SURVEY

After one year on the job and facing complaints from teachers and parents about creating a toxic environment, Fort Worth ISD superintendent Angélica Ramsey tendered her resignation two weeks ago, effective Oct. 1.

Yet it has now been revealed that the district taxpayers will pay her nearly $1 million over the next year for not working.

Are these massive "golden parachutes" for public school superintendents beneficial to the academic life of the students in the district?

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