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Good morning,

Today marks the halfway point of 2025; thanks for spending part of it with the Texas Minute!

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

FBI Arrests Chinese National in Houston for Spying on US Navy Two Chinese nationals have been arrested and charged with acting as illegal agents of the People’s Republic of China after allegedly conducting surveillance operations targeting U.S. Navy personnel and military facilities. One of the suspects, Liren “Ryan” Lai, was arrested in Houston. Joseph Trimmer has the story [[link removed]].

According to a federal affidavit unsealed in the Northern District of California, the two men worked under the direction of a Chinese intelligence officer with the Ministry of State Security. They allegedly took covert photos of U.S. military personnel and facilities, including Navy recruiting offices as well as naval installations in Washington and California.

The affidavit also reveals that the MSS directed the suspects to identify and monitor Chinese military defectors residing in the United States.

OTHER FBI NEWS

Federal authorities say a Houston bar shooting that injured six people in March is connected to a violent Venezuelan gang known as Anti-Tren, now the target of a sweeping operation. As Michael Wilson reports [[link removed]], Anti-Tren is almost exclusively made up of "former members and associates of Tren de Aragua."

US Senate Rejects Limit on States' AI Regulations When the One Big Beautiful Bill pushed by the Trump administration passed the U.S. Senate yesterday, it did so without a controversial provision that had been inserted by the House. Specifically, senators removed a provision that would have stopped states from regulating artificial intelligence, and even undone protections already in law. Addie Hovland has the details [[link removed]].

State Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) had sent a letter to Texas' John Cornyn and Ted Cruz asking them and their colleagues to remove that prohibition "in the spirit of federalism."

Paxton highlighted the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act, which was designed to encourage the development of AI in the state while also allowing lawmakers to explore how to best regulate AI to protect Texans' privacy. With the OBBB provision removed, Texas’ law can move forward.

"This is a major victory for states, like Texas, to be able to protect children from AI abuse." – Angela Paxton [[link removed]] Abbott Asked To Put Library Limits on Special Session Agenda

Erin Anderson reports [[link removed]] that three dozen GOP lawmakers are asking Gov. Greg Abbott to add legislation protecting minors from sexually explicit materials in public libraries to his special session agenda.

Leading the effort is State Rep. Daniel Alders (R-Tyler). During the regular session, he authored legislation that would have required municipal public libraries to move sexually explicit content out of sections for children and keep minors from checking out such materials without parental consent.

While the measure passed the House with bipartisan support, it died in the Senate. The special session will start on July 21.

"The time is now to protect our children." – Daniel Alders [[link removed]] Paper License Plates Are History An automotive era quietly ended yesterday, reports Luca Cacciatore [[link removed]]. Texas will no longer issue temporary paper license plates to new vehicle purchasers. Instead, purchasers will receive metal license plates that are harder to forge.

In 2021, officials for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles estimated that at least 1.8 million fraudulent paper plates were on the roads in Texas. Two years later, lawmakers ordered the transition to metal temporary plates because criminals were exploiting the easily counterfeitable paper tag system.

The temporary plates are issued in four colors—purple, blue, green, and red—corresponding to the use of the vehicle. Dealers will be responsible for maintaining an adequate supply of the license plates. Democrat Allred Launches Another Senate Bid After 2024 Defeat Less than a year after losing his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Democrat Colin Allred is launching another campaign—this time setting his sights on Texas’ other Senate seat. Brandon Waltens has the story [[link removed]].

Allred is seeking the Democrats' nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn. Cornyn, of course, is being challenged in the GOP primary by Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Just seven months ago, voters rejected Allred by a margin of 53 to 45 percent.

Seems like Colin didn't get the hint...

Allred is unlikely to get a free pass for the DEM nomination; former U.S. Rep. Robert "Beto" O'Rourke of El Paso and State Rep. James Talerico of Austin are also said to be exploring bids for the seat. Support Texas Scorecard 🔒 [[link removed]] Number of the Day

182

The number of days left in 2025.

[Source: calendar]

Today in History

On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of the independence resolution put forward by Richard Henry Lee. The formally edited document—written primarily by Thomas Jefferson with support from John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston—was adopted on July 4.

Quote-Unquote

"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

– John Adams

From a letter to Abigal Adams on July 3, 1776​

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