Good morning,
In today's One Click Survey, we want your thoughts on the trustworthiness of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This is the Texas Minute for Monday, January 6, 2025.
– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Terrorist Attack Sparks Security Warnings Ahead of Houston Marathon
- The deadly New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, where a Houston man drove into a crowd of holiday revelers, has left Texas' largest city reeling and raising urgent questions about security.
- With the Chevron Marathon set to bring more than 30,000 people to downtown Houston in just over two weeks, Michael Wilson reports officials are under pressure to ensure the safety of participants and spectators alike.
Violence Against Students Tops List of Texas Teacher Misconduct
- Thousands of Texas teachers and school staff have been accused of victimizing students over the past few years, according to official reports received by the state and reviewed by an education advocacy group. Erin Anderson details the findings.
- Texas Education 911 recently analyzed 11,111 educator misconduct reports submitted by school administrators to the Texas Education Agency from September 2021 through June 2024.
- By far, the largest number of reports—39 percent—accused teachers of committing violent acts against children. Another 26 percent of the reports were for sexual misconduct or “improper relationship” between educator and student.
- According to the analysis, 74 percent of the reports were never investigated by the TEA.
Convicted Rapist Caught Attempting to Illegally Cross Texas Border
- An illegal alien from Honduras who has a history of sexual assault was apprehended after attempting to re-enter the United States. Will Biagini has the story.
- Mario Roberto Ochoa Zapat was among a group of four illegal aliens that entered Texas near El Paso and were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Back in 2011, Zapat was arrested and convicted in Tulsa, OK, for rape. After being sentenced to 14 years in prison, he was deported.
- Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said Zapat will now face prosecution for illegal re-entry to the United States.
Proposal Would Eliminate Daylight Saving-Time in Texas
- State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston) wants to exempt the Lone Star State from daylight-saving time. Other lawmakers have filed competing proposals to establish daylight-saving time year-round.
- As Luca Cacciatore reports, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established the modern implementation of daylight-saving time. The law allowed states to opt out of DST if they choose. Arizona has taken advantage of that option since 1968. Hawaii also does not practice daylight-saving.
- In 2023, the Texas House voted 138-5 to permanently switch to daylight-saving time rather than eliminate it. However, the measure died in a Senate committee.
- President-elect Donald Trump has discussed either permanentizing or eliminating daylight-saving time at the federal level, describing it as “inconvenient” and “very costly to our nation.”
- Standard Time, daylight-saving time... Just pick one. I'm tired of government-imposed jetlag...
Legislation Takes Aim at State Fair's Gun Ban
- Legislation has been filed to stop governmental entities from restricting the Second Amendment rights of handgun license holders. Emily Medeiros has the details.
- Last year, the State Fair of Texas banned the possession of all firearms—including those carried by concealed permit license holders. The action drew the ire of more than 70 members of the Texas House and legal action from Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Texas Supreme Court ultimately sided with the State Fair and upheld the ban.
- Now, State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) has drafted legislation that would require contracts for the use of property owned or leased by a governmental entity to include a provision prohibiting contractors from restricting handgun license holders from carrying firearms on the property. Exceptions are made if other laws specifically prohibit the carrying of handguns on the property.
Texas Drops Annual Vehicle Safety Inspections, Still Requires Fee
- Under a new Texas law, non-commercial vehicles are no longer required to undergo annual safety inspections. But, as Valerie Muñoz reports, Texans will be charged an additional "replacement" fee.
- While vehicle safety inspections are no longer required, emissions tests still are required in many of Texas’ most populous counties. Nearly two-thirds of all Texans live in those counties.
- The law took effect on Jan. 1.
Today In History
On January 6, 1838, Samuel Morse publicly demonstrated his telegraph system in New Jersey, forever changing communication. It would take six years for the first wires to be strung between cities, but by the end of the century, much of the world was connected.
Quote-Unquote
"Education without religion is in danger of substituting wild theories for the simple commonsense rules of Christianity."
– Samuel Morse
Number of the Day
270,000
The average number of text messages sent globally every second in 2021.
[Source: Forbes]
One Click Survey
Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blasted the FBI's special agent in charge in New Orleans as "idiotic" for suggesting the New Year's Day attack was not terrorism. The agency has been slammed for its involvement in the "Russiagate" hoax targeting Donald Trump, complicity in covering up details about Hunter Biden's laptop, and the January 6th protest at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
Do you trust the Federal Bureau of Investigation?
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