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Good morning,

Yesterday, we asked if readers were surprised that Americans are being told more about the man who killed the health insurance executive than the one who tried to assassinate Donald Trump. You'll find the responses below.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Regulators Will Today Consider 'Left-wing' Rule Attacking Oil and Gas Industry

• Even as Donald Trump’s incoming administration promises to reverse costly regulations on the energy sector imposed by the Biden-Harris administration, the Texas Railroad Commission is poised to adopt a proposal today that would add substantial burdens to oil and gas producers and the state’s economy.
       
• Leading up to and since the November election, President Donald Trump has promised to roll back rules and regulations seen as impeding the “drill, baby, drill” ethos of his domestic energy program.
        
• Yet, in GOP-dominated Texas, a new environmental rule is set to be adopted under the pretense of addressing pollution and safety issues. Advocates and opponents both see the rule as making it more difficult for oil and gas producers in Texas.
      
• None of the three commissioners overseeing the agency—Republicans Wayne Christian, Christi Craddick, and Jim Wright—responded to inquiries about the proposed rule.
       
• “These regulations would not only hamper job creation and economic growth but will also jeopardize the affordable energy Texans rely on. It is clear that special interest groups are pushing for these changes under the guise of environmental protection, but their true goal is to keep oil and gas in the ground and transition to expensive, less reliable forms of energy. This will hurt families, businesses, and communities that depend on the industry for jobs, stability, and energy security.” – Nate Dunning, Young Conservatives of Texas

Footage Shows Texas National Guard Attempting to Deter Illegal Border Crossers

• New video footage has surfaced that shows individuals from Venezuela attempting to force their way into Eagle Pass. Will Biagini has the story.
       
• While soldiers with the Texas National Guard attempted to dissuade the illegal entry, Mexican officials did nothing to intervene on the Piedras Negras side of the river. Fox News National Correspondent Bill Melugin reported that Mexico did “absolutely nothing” to stop them from crossing. 
       
• Illegal border crossers have continued their efforts to try and force their way inside the country as fast as possible before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next month.

RELATED NEWS

• Emily Medeiros reports the man was initially detained in 2021 when he illegally crossed into Texas near Eagle Pass. Gora Tourie Fall was given a notice to appear before an immigration judge and then released to roam the country.

Chinese Casino Operator Plans to Invade Texas

• China is widely considered the top long-term geopolitical threat to the United States, and the communist superpower frequently targets Texas. While some efforts have been made to restrict Beijing's actions in the Lone Star State, Daniel Greer explains how infiltration through corporate intrigue has been the most overlooked.
      
• A top political giver in the 2024 election season has been a political action committee tied to the Sands casino empire. The company still trades on its past ownership of a Las Vegas casino despite now operating almost exclusively in China.
     
• Sands divested from the U.S. market in 2022 and signed a 10-year concession agreement with the Chinese government to operate casinos in Macao.
      
• Now, flush with cash generated with the approval of the Chinese Communist Party, Sands has been spending big to get a legislative monopoly to operate casinos in Texas.

Abbott Urged to Prioritize Protecting Children From Harmful Content

• Jaco Booyens Ministries, an anti-human trafficking organization, is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to place stronger enforcement to protect children from harmful materials on his emergency items list for the upcoming legislative session.
    
• For the first 60 days of the legislative session, the governor’s emergency items are the only pieces of legislation that can be taken up for consideration by lawmakers.
            
• Booyens believes school libraries should contain only age-appropriate and educationally suitable materials.
        
• “It is every elected official’s duty to do all they can to strengthen the safety and insecurity of children, especially through the judicial system,” said Booyens. “This is arguably the most egregious war in our culture, and it’s time for leaders to step up.” 

Conservative Leader Award 2024

Debbie Kilen of Joshua

Previously announced 2024 Awardees...

⚔️ Joey Miller

Quote-Unquote

"There is no art which one government sooner learns of another than that of draining money from the pockets of the people."

– Adam Smith​

Y'All Answered

Yesterday, we asked readers if they were surprised that we already know more about the man who murdered a health insurance CEO two weeks ago than we do about the would-be assassin of Donald Trump more than five months ago.

Nearly 90 percent of readers responded that they really were not surprised, while 10.5 percent said they were. However, as you will find from the sampling below of the responses we received, no one believes Americans are being told the truth.

• “It’s been 61 years since JFK was assassinated, and we still don’t know the truth behind it. I don’t expect anything from our government except cover-ups and lies.” – Tina Bartley
       

• “It’s always something to make you look the other way.” – Chuck Clutter
      

• “More surprising is the lack of attention given to the Biden administration scheme to keep Trump from the White House…” – Bathsheba Campbell
      

• “The reason I selected ‘NOT SURPRISED’ is that, after 5 months, we know basically NOTHING about the assassin in Butler, Pa., because the SAME government ‘officials’ that facilitated the assassination attempt are the SAME ones investigating the assassin.” – Michael Lacy
      

• “When we have no transparency by our own government, it usually means they are hiding something.” – Madeline Bentivegna
       

• “I’m convinced that bad actors within our own government were behind the attempt and have done all they can to cover their tracks.” – Jackey Clough
       

• “It’s beyond frustrating, and frankly baffling, that we know more about the man who killed the UHC CEO than we do about the would-be assassin of President-elect Trump after five months. If this were a Netflix series, I’d have canceled my subscription by now due to the sheer lack of plot resolution.” – Sharla Miles
       

• “As Hillary often said, ‘there's not a shred of evidence’... that remains.” – Thomas Bazan
      

• “I'm really not so surprised as scandalized that this kind of thing is standard for the current administration.” – Jazz Harris
      

• “The lack of information raises huge red flags that this was not simply a failure of our federal law enforcement.” – Jeff Houghton
       

• “Not to speak, is to speak! I think no information tells us all we need to know!” – Ann Pavalock

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