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MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
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TOP NEWS
“Texas A&M president steps down but doesn’t say if controversial classroom video was a factor,” AP's Juan A. Lozano -- "The president of Texas A&M University, roiled by an online video of a confrontation between a student and professor in a class that discussed gender, said Friday that now is the time to leave, but he did not offer a specific reason.
Mark A. Welsh III and the school had faced political pressure and criticism, including from the governor, after the video was posted on social media. Colleges and universities around the country have been weathering controversies over gender identity, sexual preference and diversity, issues derided as part of a “woke” agenda.
“When I was first appointed as President of Texas A&M University, I told then Chancellor John Sharp and our Board of Regents that I would serve as well as I possibly could until it was time for someone else to take over,” Welsh said in a statement issued Friday. “Over the past few days, it’s become clear that now is that time.”
The video was posted last week by Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison and showed a confrontation during a children’s literature course. The professor was later fired after Harrison called the professor’s actions “DEI and LGBTQ indoctrination.”
Welsh’s resignation, announced Thursday by university system leaders, took effect Friday. Texas A&M University said Friday Welsh wouldn’t be granting any interviews.
“Pres. Welsh’s decision to resign comes at a critical moment, and we agree with him that now is the right time for change in leadership,” Robert Albritton, chair of the board of regents, said in a statement.
When Welsh departed the administration building Friday, he was met by hundreds of cheering students, faculty and others as he and his wife Betty left the campus.
On Wednesday, a group of current and former student leaders praised Welsh in a letter to university system leaders.
“We stand united in support of his leadership, committed to working alongside him,” the letter said.
But Welsh had lost the support of many students and faculty over firing the professor, Melissa McCoul, said Leonard Bright, a professor at Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service.
“I think we all wish that he would have recognized that capitulating to these political requests was never going to end well for him,” said Bright, interim president of the American Association of University Professors A&M chapter.
The video was taken by a student heard debating with McCoul about gender identity. The student said those discussions in class were illegal because of President Donald Trump’s executive order that recognizes two genders and that the topic was against her religious beliefs.
Welsh has been a general in the U.S. Air Force and a dean of A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service." AP
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“James Hallmark to serve as Texas A&M's acting president,” Bryan Eagle's Alex Miller -- "James Hallmark will “briefly serve” as Texas A&M University’s acting president, A&M Chancellor Glenn Hegar announced in a message to the A&M community Friday afternoon.
Hallmark is the A&M System’s Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. Hegar said in his message that an interim president will be “named shortly.”
A&M’s Board of Regents will soon begin a national search for the flagship university’s next president. A&M will be looking for its fourth president since the end of 2020.
Hallmark holds a system-level office and has been in his role since 2012. Hallmark’s bio says he “provides the chancellor with executive leadership and direction in academic matters and initiatives.” He oversees the development of academic programs among A&M System members.
Hallmark takes over for outgoing A&M President Mark A. Welsh III, who resigned from his post under pressure Thursday evening after two years on the job. Welsh’s final day in office was Friday.
In Hegar’s announcement of Hallmark as acting university president, he thanked Welsh for his service to A&M and the nation. Hegar said Welsh is a man of honor, character and integrity.
“As Texas A&M University stands poised to celebrate 150 years of success built on values and tradition, I am confident those values and traditions will provide the foundation for our next 150 years of success and service,” Hegar said in his statement. “We have absolutely amazing students, the strongest alumni of any university, and tremendous opportunities ahead. The coming days will be difficult, yet the future of Texas A&M University is extremely bright. Texas A&M remains strong and focused on its mission to our students, our research, and service to others.”
Hallmark is the A&M System’s Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. Hegar said in his message that an interim president will be “named shortly.”
A&M’s Board of Regents will soon begin a national search for the flagship university’s next president. A&M will be looking for its fourth president since the end of 2020.
Hallmark holds a system-level office and has been in his role since 2012. Hallmark’s bio says he “provides the chancellor with executive leadership and direction in academic matters and initiatives.” He oversees the development of academic programs among A&M System members.
Hallmark takes over for outgoing A&M President Mark A. Welsh III, who resigned from his post under pressure Thursday evening after two years on the job. Welsh’s final day in office was Friday." Bryan Eagle
“Regents name sole finalist for president of newly acquired Texas A&M University-Victoria,” Texas Tribune's Ayden Runnels -- "The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Thursday named Florida higher education administrator Christian Hardigree as the sole finalist for president at the system’s newly acquired Texas A&M University-Victoria.
Hardigree currently serves as regional chancellor for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and has previously served as a founding administrator for two schools at universities in Colorado and Georgia. She holds a Juris Doctor from Mercer University in trial litigation and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Texas A&M administrators pointed to her experience with new programs for their confidence in Hardigree’s ability to lead the Victoria campus. State law requires the board to wait 21 days after naming a finalist for president before making the appointment official.
“Christian Hardigree brings a builder’s mindset — growing programs, aligning with workforce needs, and delivering for students and communities,” Board Chair Robert Albritton said in a statement. “She’s exactly the kind of leader who can help Texas A&M-Victoria thrive along the Coastal Bend and Crossroads.”
The Texas A&M System officially took over the Victoria campus from the University of Houston System in September after state lawmakers approved the transfer during the legislative session. James K. Nelson Jr. was named interim president of the campus as the board searched for a permanent candidate.
Lawmakers approved the transfer of campus operations in May after a previous effort failed in 2011. Supporters, including Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, who authored the bill which facilitated the transfer, said Texas A&M’s ability to offer better education options in engineering and agriculture made it more suitable to run the university.
The university is the 12th campus under the Texas A&M System and has roughly 3,500 students enrolled, according to the university website." Hou Chron ($)
2026
“Ken Paxton takes heat from Christian leaders after divorce filing and alleged affair,” Houston Chronicle's James Osborne -- "For more than a decade, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sold himself to voters as a conservative Christian they could count on to fight abortion access, transgender rights and other issues challenging the right's notion of family values.
Now in the midst of a divorce from his wife, a recent report by the Daily Mail that quoted anonymous sources saying Paxton has been having an extramarital affair with a Christian influencer is causing fissures among his base of Evangelical voters as he prepares to take on U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in one of the state's most high-profile primary races.
Already some Christian and conservative leaders are saying they can no longer support him.
"Our belief is adultery is an attack on marriage and that’s something we take very seriously," said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values Action, which has long backed Paxton, but withdrew its endorsement after he refused to meet with the group to discuss the divorce. "I've heard people talking about this, saying they have pause on whether they're going to vote for him when election day comes."
Other Paxton supporters are also struggling to navigate the disconnect they see between their candidate's policies and his personal life.
Bill Peacock, former vice president of research at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation posted a message on social media over the weekend that has since been deleted that the alleged affair "is seriously affecting Ken's campaign."
"With no answers forthcoming, sadly, though I do not want (Cornyn) to win and won't vote for him, I now won't vote for Ken either."
Paxton's team has attempted to stop the bleeding, with Michelle Smith, one of his advisors, lashing back at critics online.
"His personal life is none of your business," she wrote to Peacock. "He is not having an affair, and that's all you need to know."
A spokesman for Paxton's campaign, Nick Maddux, criticized the Daily Mail report, calling the newspaper a "foreign tabloid that had to pay millions to the Trump family for its blatantly false lies."
First Lady Melania Trump sued the British paper over a story claiming she used to work as a "high end escort," resulting in the paper retracting the story and settling for $2.9 million in 2017.
The defections stand to hurt Paxton in the March GOP primary, when Christian conservatives are expected to make up a sizable portion of the electorate.
In the 2024 election, 23% of voters identified as Christian, more than 80% of whom voted Republican, according to exit polls conducted by CNN.
Paxton has shown he can overcome scandal at the polls. In his last re-election bid for attorney general in 2022, Paxton defeated three GOP primary challengers while under investigation by the FBI over corruption allegations. The claims, brought by his former employees, included that he helped get a job for a former state senate staffer with whom he was allegedly having an affair. The FBI ultimately declined to bring charges, and Paxton has denied wrongdoing.
But this time around there's early evidence the divorce is hurting Paxton politically.
A poll by Emerson College released on Aug. 15, after the news became public, found the race for Cornyn's seat to be a dead heat, despite Paxton holding a double-digit lead earlier in the summer.
"Angela Paxton filing for divorce, I think it’s been a real difference maker," Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said last month. "(Ken Paxton) has less high ground to stand on."
State Sen. Angela Paxton announced in July she was divorcing her husband on "biblical grounds." In her divorce filing, which has since been sealed, she accused him of adultery and said the couple stopped living together in June 2024.
That news, amplified by the Daily Mail story, has set off difficult conversations in Christian communities around the state.
Rick Scarborough, a former Baptist pastor in Pearland who now works with Christian leaders to mobilize voters, described Paxton as a friend who had spoken at his fundraisers but said after the divorce filing, he could no longer support him politically.
"We don’t expect any politicians to be perfect, but this last episode is a bridge too far," he said. "I have a lot of respect for Ken Paxton. I hope I don’t lose that relationship over this."
Whether the issues are big enough drivers to turn significant numbers of Christian and conservative voters away from Paxton in the primary — either in voting for Cornyn or just not voting all together — remains unclear.
White Christians in Texas voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump in last year's election in spite of his history of divorce and infidelity.
"In early times, the recent divorce and messiness around it would indeed harm his relationship with Christians. But in the Trump era, that is not occurring," said Michael Emerson, a religion and public policy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. "Rather, what matters is that he is seen in his public role as a defender of Christians. That is what now seems to matter, and what happens in his private life is minimized."
In Wise County, a rural area not far from Paxton's home base in Collin County, GOP Chairman Dan Jackson said Paxton's reputation as a "hardline" conservative — built through lawsuits against the federal government on religious freedom and abortion — would likely win out over any concerns around his personal life.
"Most of what I see and hear is strong support for Paxton," he said. "This is a Republican area, and most of the constituents are not happy with Sen. Cornyn's voting record."
Cornyn is seeking his fifth term in the U.S. Senate after losing the race to become majority leader earlier this year. A spokesman for his campaign pointed to the divorce and other legal issues facing Paxton as issues likely to derail his Senate bid.
"If his wife can't trust him, Texas voters can't trust him. President Trump needs a strong GOP nominee," said senior campaign advisor Matt Mackowiak.
Still, many Christian and conservative leaders remain reluctant to comment on Paxton's personal matters one way or another.
Calls to numerous pastors and religious leaders around the state, including the likes of Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church in Dallas, largely went ignored.
Kelly Shackelford, an attorney and president of the First Liberty Institute, which has worked with Paxton to sue the federal government over religious discrimination, declined to speak about Paxton, saying only "it's certainly a big story."
In Erath County west of Fort Worth, a rural area where more than 80% of voters went for Paxton in the 2022 attorney general race, GOP Chairman Dave Washam has avoided offering an opinion altogether, saying he won't do so until after the primary.
"That’s an issue I'm going to stay quiet on until the people speak their mind," he said." Hou Chron ($)
“Texas Senate race gets ugly with Cornyn document request over Paxton’s alleged affair,” Washington Examiner's David Zimmerman -- "Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is requesting records of his 2026 opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, to determine whether he used taxpayer funds to pay for trips to meet his alleged mistress.
Cornyn’s campaign filed an open records request with Paxton’s office under the Texas Public Information Act for such documents, escalating the feud between the two amid the Texas Senate race. Politico and the Daily Mail reported on the news.
“These records are not only subject to public information law, but relevant to public interest as made clear in a September 12, 2025, Daily Mail article showing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been traveling ‘across the country and even overseas’ to meet a woman named Tracy Duhon with whom he was having an affair,” a copy of the request obtained by the Washington Examiner states.
Paxton has allegedly been seeing Duhon, a married Christian influencer and mother of seven children, since March 2024.
“If Paxton has used official resources to pay for any of these trips, or if the getaways conflicted with responsibilities to the State of Texas, Texans deserve to know,” the filing reads.
“Crooked Ken Paxton used his office and taxpayer resources to conduct and conceal an affair once before,” Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak said. “Taxpayers deserve to know if he is doing it again. It’s a good bet he is.”
The senator’s reelection campaign is asking for Paxton’s calendar records and his correspondence with Duhon. The request referenced reported instances in which Paxton used aliases, including “Dave P.” The campaign wondered whether Duhon was also given an alias in Paxton’s records.
With Cornyn’s move, Paxton’s alleged affair is in the public spotlight once again. His former wife, Angela, filed for divorce in July. They stopped living together in June 2024, not long after Paxton is said to have started seeing Duhon.
Paxton faced adultery accusations involving another woman during his 2023 impeachment trial in the Texas Senate. He was acquitted of all 16 impeachment articles alleging corruption and abuse of office. Angela, who is a state senator, did not vote on the outcome of her husband’s case and provided moral support for him despite the allegations.
Meanwhile, Paxton is running to replace Cornyn in the Senate after being the state attorney general for the past decade. First elected to the upper chamber in 2002, Cornyn is looking to hold on to his seat.
Paxton and Cornyn tout their support of President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies on their respective campaign websites. Trump has not offered an endorsement to either, saying he remains undecided for the time being.
“Well, I’ll make up my mind,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last month. “I like them both. The worst situation I have is when I have two people that I get along with, well, I hate it, and they all want the endorsement. … I’d rather not comment on it right now. I like both guys. They’re both friends of mine, and they’re both good and very different.”
Recent polling by Texas Public Opinion Research shows the race between the two remains tight, with Paxton’s 26% support among Republican primary voters compared to Cornyn’s 32% in a head-to-head matchup. By contrast, a separate poll from Texas Southern University’s Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center showed Paxton in the lead with 44% of the vote to Cornyn’s 39%." Wash Examiner
STATE GOVERNMENT
“Ken Paxton’s legal crusade against Beto O’Rourke is faltering before an all-Republican appeals court,” Texas Tribune's Eleanor Klibanoff -- "In early August, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an explosive lawsuit, accusing Beto O’Rourke of bribery, fraud and campaign finance violations for supporting Texas Democrats who left the state to protest new GOP congressional maps.
Six weeks, four courts, two counties, dueling rulings and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal expenses later, Paxton’s case against the former El Paso congressman seems on the brink of collapse.
Last week, the all-Republican 15th Court of Appeals undid the temporary restraining order that prevented O’Rourke and his organization from fundraising and distributing donations, ruling it an unconstitutional violation of free speech protections.
While acknowledging the case raises "unusual questions" about whether political funds can be used to help lawmakers leave the state, the court said it is an improper chilling of free speech to preemptively block an organization from spending its money.
“[T]he question today is not whether such activities can be punished after the fact … but whether they can be prohibited before they occur based on a suspicion that they might,” the justices wrote in their unanimous ruling. “At this stage, where little evidence has been offered, the latter would constitute an unconstitutional prior restraint of political activity that may or may not prove to be lawful.”
The court still has to rule on the rest of the appeal, but in Friday’s opinion, they cast doubt on some of Paxton’s central arguments. Paxton condemned the ruling as a constitutional crisis, slamming the court’s “activist judges,” along with the all-GOP Texas Supreme Court for declining to step in.
O’Rourke and his group donated more than $1 million to the Texas House Democratic Caucus, Texas Legislative Black Caucus and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, which they said benefited all members, whether or not they left the state, and came with no strings attached, like any other political donation.
The group also spent over $400,000 on legal fees fighting this lawsuit, but O’Rourke said he is undeterred.
“If Paxton is successful in draining the remaining resources we use to run Powered by People through these expensive lawsuits, if he forces us to close our doors … we’ll open new ones, all across the state, all over the country,” he wrote on his Substack." Texas Tribune
“Audrey O’Neill named commissioner of Texas’ foster care agency,” Texas Tribune's Stephen Simpson -- "Audrey O’Neill, who took the reins of the Texas foster care agency in August after the previous commissioner stepped down after two years, has officially been named the head of the agency by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Abbott had appointed O’Neill on Monday as the commissioner for the Department of Family and Protective Services for a term set to expire on Aug. 31, 2027.
“I am honored that Governor Abbott has entrusted me with the leadership of the Department of Family and Protective Services, and I am proud to build on the tremendous progress the agency has made over the past several years,” said O’Neill. “I am deeply committed to the mission of DFPS and to our dedicated staff who embody that mission every day.”
O’Neill stepped into the role of acting commissioner for DFPS in August after Stephanie Muth, the previous director, stepped down in July. O'Neill's annual salary is $300,000.
Previously, O’Neill served as deputy commissioner for programs at the foster care agency since 2023. She also held the position of principal deputy inspector general at the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
O’Neill is taking over an agency that continues to be embroiled in a long-running lawsuit in which U.S. District Judge Janis Jack ruled in 2011 that found kids were leaving the state’s care more damaged than when they entered, after being “shuttled throughout a system where rape, abuse, psychotropic medication, and instability are the norm. In May, lawyers representing children in the state’s care asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene after Jack, who ordered DFPS to institute changes over the years, was removed from the case in October.
In August 2020, there were 50 children classified as “CWOP” or children without a placement. That number soared to 400 in August 2021. Other problems included an investigation into allegations that an employee at a residential treatment center for children who were trafficking victims had solicited and sold nude photos of the home’s residents. A grand jury declined to indict the employee due to insufficient evidence.
O’Neill is the fifth commissioner since 2012 and each of O’Neill’s predecessors have served less than five years in the role.
When Muth took over two years ago, she helped lower the number of children without placement. She also continued the decade-long rollout of the “community-based” care model, in which children in foster care receive services and are placed into care near their own home and relatives instead of being moved across the state to the first available placement.
Eight of the state agency’s 11 districts now have a private community-based contractor." Texas Tribune
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“Contract talks between city, firefighters break down as negotiation deadline looms,” Austin American-Statesman's Austin Sanders -- "Contract negotiations between the city of Austin and the Austin Firefighters Association have broken down ahead of a Sept. 28 deadline after the city unveiled a wage increase proposal that was miles apart from the union’s ask.
At a Sept. 10 bargaining session, the city proposed a 4% raise for lower-ranking firefighters during the first year of the four-year contract. That’s compared to the 28% raise the association wants for all firefighters. A tense back-and-forth ensued that ended when association members walked out.
“If they want to bring a reasonable offer to the table, we will consider it,” Association President Bob Nicks told the American-Statesman. “But we're not changing our offer.”
Austin’s Chief Labor Relations Officer Sarah Griffin did not respond to an interview request sent through the city's press office.
City spokesperson Erik Johnson described the wage proposal as “a starting point."
“Rather than offer a counterproposal, the AFA walked away from negotiations,” Johnson said. “The City values all of our employees and first responders, including our firefighters, and would like the AFA to return to the table and resume negotiations."
The next bargaining session is scheduled for Sept. 23. The parties must reach an agreement by Sept. 28 or they will go to arbitration.
Nicks, who has led the association for 17 years, said firefighters consider the city’s proposal “disrespectful” because it essentially would freeze wages for most firefighters over the next four years.
“Firefighters feel like the city treats them like [expletive] and that has got to change,” Nicks said.
The association’s requested wage increase of 28% is equivalent to what the city agreed to in the police union contract approved almost a year ago, and would be phased in over four years. Under the city’s proposal, “entry and mid-level” firefighters would receive a 4% raise in the first year of the contract but then no sworn personnel would receive a raise for the remaining three years of the contract.
In addition to substantial wage increases, the association is seeking a more “modernized schedule” and slightly lower weekly threshold for when firefighters would be eligible for overtime pay – 50.4 hours rather than 52.
Currently, Austin firefighters work a 24 hour shift followed by two off days. The association is pushing for a model popular among firefighters pioneered in Portland, Oregon under which firefighters would work a 24 hour shift followed by three days off, then work a 48 hour shift followed by another three days off. In addition to reducing total workweek hours, Nicks said the proposed schedule would give firefighters more time to recharge from first responder work that can be strenuous and dangerous.
But the new schedule would also result in more overtime pay, which has been a growing concern among city leaders. Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax’s July budget proposal suggested slashing Fire Department overtime spending by $8.3 million – though the budget City Council ultimately adopted restored most of it.
At the Sept. 10 bargaining session, Deputy Labor Relations Officer Roxana Stevens said the schedule changes and workweek reductions the association wants would pose a “significant change to operations," and added that the city’s proposal would allow for “cost-sharing” between the two parties to achieve that.
City officials estimate the association proposal would cost about $103 million but have not said how much theirs would cost.
Attorney Ron DeLord, who is representing the association, said at the bargaining session that the city’s proposal is far from the pay package Austin’s firefighters deserve.
“The proposal today is a disrespect to the men and women working here,” DeLord said. “It wasn't even an offer.”" AAS ($)
“Lina Hidalgo blasts commissioners for supporting constable raises: 'no rhyme or reason',” Houston Chronicle's John Lomax V -- "Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo blasted commissioners at Thursday’s meeting for what she characterized as her colleagues' political kowtowing to the eight elected constables.
Her remarks came after commissioners approved increasing the elected constables’ salaries to around $260k — more than double their pay in 2024. The raises highlighted pay inequities throughout the county, Hidalgo said. Other elected officials, such as District Clerk Marilyn Burgess, have since requested similar increases.
"There was a 60% pay raise for elected constables. I think the constables are important. They have important jobs. I support them, but they are an important political force too," Hidalgo said. "There is no rhyme or reason to decision making around the budget, unless you realize that the rhyme or reason is this end goal of being re-elected at all costs."
Constables earned around $133,000 in fiscal year 2024. Commissioners Court approved raising their salaries to $178,509 at the beginning of fiscal year 2025 before voting 3-2 to increase them to the new rate. Hidalgo and Commissioner Rodney Ellis cast the two dissenting votes.
Burgess, who also spoke at Thursday’s meeting, made her case before the county’s salary grievance committee Tuesday. The committee, which is primarily composed of residents chosen in a process similar to jury selection, recommended increasing Burgess’ salary to be equal to the constables’.
Hidalgo said that, although she supported the spirit of Burgess’ argument, she could not back salary increases for any elected officials, including the constables, considering the county’s $275 million projected deficit for fiscal year 2026.
"I, madam district clerk, have not been supporting these raises, anybody's raises, because I know we cannot afford them," Hidalgo said. "But it's not because I don't think you deserve it, and I think if my colleagues vote against your raise, they will show again what a political decision they've made."
Constables wield considerable political power in Harris County. The elected law enforcement officials have in recent months leveraged support from the Texas legislature to pass bills circumventing the Commissioners Court’s authority. They also endorse candidates for Harris County elections, which Hidalgo said was the real reason behind commissioners’ support for raising their salaries.
Although commissioners were expected to approve the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget at Thursday’s meeting, the vote has since been delayed to next week. A majority of commissioners have voted in support of increasing constables’ salaries, but their pay is not set in stone until the budget is finalized.
Hidalgo said that there was still time for commissioners to walk back their commitment and reduce or delay the raises for elected constables." Hou Chron ($)
“Houston ISD Chief of Public Affairs and Communications announces departure,” Houston Chronicle's Nusaiba Mizan -- "Houston ISD's Chief of Public Affairs and Communications will leave Oct. 10 due to personal reasons, according to a Friday district announcement.
Alexandra Elizondo stepped into the role in May 2024 and earned $237,350 a year, district records show. The hiring process for a new chief is ongoing, the district stated.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of HISD’s historic transformation,” Elizondo said in a statement. “The decision to step away from this role is personal. Five years ago, I was diagnosed with stage III cancer, and while I am fortunate to be in remission, I have to prioritize my family and ongoing health. I’ve spent my entire career working to advance educational opportunities for children in Texas and will continue that mission in whatever comes next. While I am leaving my current role, I will continue to cheer on HISD’s students and give them high fives every chance I get and root for all the educators and staff who continue to push HISD to even greater heights.”
Elizondo led a redesign of district materials and logo, as well as an overhaul of HISD's website. Under her leadership, the communications team also began an online video series with district announcements and staff interviews. The district additionally implemented ParentSquare, a platform by a California-based company, for all family communications starting in the 2025-26 school year.
“Alex has been a vital part of the HISD leadership team," state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said in the announcement. "The District and our students have benefited from her wisdom, creativity, and tireless work. We are going to have a hard time replacing her, as her skill sets are rare and unmatched. We wish her all the absolute best in her future endeavors."
Elizondo was the founding CEO of Good Reason Houston, an education nonprofit that advises school districts and analyzes data. Prior to that, Elizondo was executive director for Teach for America Dallas-Fort Worth, where she led 50 staff members and a network of 1,200 educators, according to a district webpage. She began her career as a first-grade teacher.
Elizondo's announcement comes after the departure of the district's chief of human resources about two weeks prior." Hou Chron ($)
“Mayor Jones gets non-disclosure policy she promised voters, will it make a difference?” San Antonio Express-News' Molly Smith -- "Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has made good on her campaign promise to create a city policy governing the use of non-disclosure agreements, even if it won’t change much in practice.
While on the campaign trail this spring, she criticized the secrecy around Project Marvel, the planned multibillion-dollar downtown sports and entertainment district that city staff began hashing out behind closed doors in 2023. City leaders began talking about it publicly last November.
Jones often cited San Antonio Express-News reporting that revealed that a number of players — from real estate companies to consulting firms to University of Texas at San Antonio leaders — were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements in order to be briefed on the city’s plans.
“What that did in the mind of the public is raise questions about, well, when does the city use NDAs, and what does it cover and how can we ensure that the public is being sufficiently informed?” Jones said at Thursday’s City Council meeting.
“The public now has a very clear understanding of when NDAs are entered into and why they are,” Jones added.
The policy, which has been in effect since Sept. 2, provides a “non-exhaustive list of purposes for which the City may enter into an NDA,” which includes: evaluation of a potential business transaction or relationship; preliminary discussions or negotiations for agreements for goods or services; preliminary discussions or negotiations for a potential economic development project or real estate transaction; discussions about safeguarding critical infrastructure or strengthening cybersecurity; and litigation or legal settlements in which the city is or may become a party.
A potential development project must come with an investment of at least $50 million for an NDA to be considered.
The new policy, however, would not have prevented the use of NDAs to keep information about Project Marvel under wraps.
City Attorney Andy Segovia and Deputy City Attorney Ray Rodriguez signed 25 confidentiality agreements on behalf of the city between June 2023 and February 2024, according to information the newspaper received in response to an open records request. These included agreements with Bexar County, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo and Pape-Dawson Engineers, among other parties.
The Express-News requested an interview with Jones, but was instead provided a statement that summarized the policy, which it described as part of her “continued effort to make City Hall more transparent.”
Segovia said the policy largely puts into writing how the city was already handling confidentiality agreements, which he said are used sparingly.
City staffers required the agreements for Project Marvel to prevent people with whom they discussed the sports district from disclosing that information to City Council members before they were able to, Segovia said. He also cited the “preliminary” nature of those conversations.
The existence of those NDAs would not have prevented the City Council from requesting a public discussion of Project Marvel earlier than November 2024, Segovia added.
“The NDAs do not prevent disclosure to the public of what we were doing with the downtown district,” he said.
Many council members, however, appeared to be in the dark about the planned district and the Spurs arena that would serve as its centerpiece.
Last year, council members told the newspaper that they were unaware that confidentially agreements had been used for Project Marvel.
The policy now requires the city attorney provide to “periodic reports to the City Council on number and status of active NDAs.” The mayor and council can also, under the policy, request to review active NDAs and receive updates on “matters covered by NDAs.”
“For the public, it sees that we’re reporting those things to the council when they occur,” City Manager Erik Walsh told the newspaper.
Jones on Thursday also asked the council to amend its code of conduct to “strongly encourage” against members signing NDAs “in their official capacity.”
The council unanimously approved that addition.
Ahead of the vote, District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito noted that “council members were not asked to sign an NDA regarding Project Marvel.”
“I’m stating that into public (record) so that we can clear up any misconceptions out there,” Alderete Gavito said." SAEN ($)
#TXLEGE
“Ethics commission fines former Texas lawmaker $105K for violating revolving door law,” Houston Chronicle's Taylor Goldenstein -- "A former Texas lawmaker who went on to work as a lobbyist was fined $105,500 by the state’s ethics commission this week for skirting a revolving door law that he helped write.
The fine against Chris Paddie, a Republican from East Texas, is the highest imposed by the agency in 15 years, records show. It’s also the most high-profile enforcement of the 2019 law that was meant to stop outgoing state lawmakers from using their leftover campaign accounts to help launch lobbying careers.
The Texas Ethics Commission deliberated on the matter in closed session on Wednesday, and afterward, Chair Chris Flood announced publicly that the panel had found that Paddie violated the election code. The agency did not respond to a request for comment.
In a brief statement to Hearst Newspapers on Thursday, Paddie’s lawyer Ross Fischer said he and his client disagree with the commission’s decision, and “we will pursue our appellate remedies in district court.”
Paddie co-authored the revolving door law in 2019, which bars state legislators from becoming lobbyists within two years of donating campaign funds to other politicians.
Paddie retired in 2022 after chairing a powerful House committee that was tasked with holding energy firms accountable for failures during the state’s deadly 2021 winter storm. He later registered as a lobbyist and took on several of those same companies as clients, a move that drew criticism at the time from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Paddie’s campaign donated about $50,000 to lawmakers before leaving office, but he said he wasn’t in violation of the law because he had reimbursed his campaign account in late 2022 using his personal money.
A year later, the ethics commission issued a legal opinion finding that a person cannot “cure a past violation” or reduce the waiting period by reimbursing the person’s campaign with personal funds.
Fischer opposed the opinion at the time, arguing that Paddie made a sensible calculation, considering other types of ethics violations can be fixed by substituting campaign donations with personal funds.
But, in light of the opinion, he said Paddie decided to terminate his lobby registration and stop lobbying." Hou Chron ($)
TEXANS IN DC
“New details emerge in fiery death of aide to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales,” San Antonio Express-News' Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson -- "An aide to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales who died after suffering severe burns on Saturday was distraught that night, at least in part because her 8-year-old son was spending the weekend with her estranged husband, the woman’s mother told the San Antonio Express-News.
Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, 35, a Uvalde native who was regional district director for the congressman, died Sunday after sustaining burns in a fire at her home the night before.
Uvalde officials said first responders were dispatched to the home in response to a report that she was on fire. The circumstances of her death remain under investigation.
The victim’s mother, Nora Ann Gonzales, said Santos-Aviles and her husband, Adrian Aviles, had been separated for a couple of months. She said they were sharing parenting responsibilities for their son. The mother said neither of them had filed for divorce, a fact confirmed by a clerk at the Uvalde County courthouse.
Nora Gonzales, a retired school counselor in Uvalde, said her daughter was upset when she spoke to her by phone on Saturday night.
“She was upset. She wanted her son, but it wasn’t her weekend,” she said in an interview Thursday morning. “I knew she was pissed, and I went over there to try to calm her down.”
Gonzales said she arrived at her daughter’s home in the 200 block of Geraldine Avenue to find her burned.
“She was asking me to put water on her hands,” the mother recalled.
Asked if her daughter had set herself on fire, Gonzales said, “I don’t know. I don’t want to think that’s what happened, but I don’t know.”
The case was initially reported to the Uvalde Police Department as a disturbance, according to police records.
Mario Rangel, chief of the Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department, said firefighters responded to Santos-Aviles’ house at 9:39 p.m. Saturday.
“Dispatch advised of an individual who was on fire,” he said.
Rangel said the dispatch was canceled while crews were on their way because the fire was reported to be no longer active, but four firefighters responded anyway because the location was close to their station.
When they arrived, they found a small fire behind the house and used a fire extinguisher to put it out, Rangel said. He said EMS treated Santos-Aviles for burns and transported her by air to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, which has a specialized burn unit.
Gonzales said her daughter was conscious when paramedics arrived.
“The last thing she said is, ‘I don’t want to die.’ And they told her, ‘We will do our best to make sure we get you taken care of. We’re going to fly you out of here.”’
The Uvalde Police Department and the Texas Rangers are investigating the death.
Aviles said in an interview that the family had been overwhelmed by media attention.
“I have every news media outlet in the country calling me … We’re just trying to do right by her,” he said. “The Texas Rangers are investigating. The truth shall come to light.”
Santos-Aviles had worked in Rep. Gonzales’ Uvalde office since November 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously worked at the Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce.
Nora Gonzales said Santos-Aviles was a devoted daughter, mother and public servant.
“She loved life and loved her family and loved everyone and loved doing for others,” Gonzales said. “She loved the work that she did and how she helped the communities get funding for things they needed.”
She described her daughter, who stood four-foot-nine, as “little bitty dynamite.”" SAEN ($)
“Ted Cruz warns FCC chair sounded like 'mafioso' in threat over Jimmy Kimmel,” Houston Chronicle's James Osborne -- "U.S. Sen Ted Cruz said the Federal Communications Commission chair sounded like an organized crime enforcer when he threatened to revoke ABC's license if the network didn't take action against talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
On his Verdict podcast Friday, Cruz, who oversees the FCC as chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, cautioned that the administration's threats against the media posed a risk to free speech protections in the First Amendment.
Cruz described FCC Chair Brandon Carr as "a good guy," saying he works closely with him.
"But what he said there is dangerous as hell," he said. "It's like a mafioso coming into a bar going nice bar you have here, it'd be a shame if something happened to it."
Carr threatened ABC in an interview Wednesday over comments Kimmel made about Trump's Make America Great Again movement seeking to score political points from the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr said. "These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly on Kimmel or, you know, there's gonna be additional work for the FCC ahead."
Following his comments, Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull Kimmel's show from its ABC affiliates and the network then suspended Kimmel's program indefinitely.
Cruz, who called Kimmel a "liar" and acknowledged he was "thrilled" Kimmel had been suspended, said if the FCC was allowed to wield power in this manner there would be a price to pay for Republicans.
"There will come a time when a Democrat wins again, wins the White House," he said. "They will silence us. They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly."" Hou Chron ($)
BUSINESS NEWS
“Texas gives record $250M semiconductor fund grant to Samsung's Taylor chip plant,” Austin American-Statesman's Travis Webb -- "Samsung Austin Semiconductor has won a $250 million grant from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund for its fabrication facility under construction in Taylor.
Tied to more than $4.73 billion in capital investment at the sprawling site northeast of Austin, the award is easily the largest semiconductor fund grant in the program's history.
"This $4.73 billion investment by Samsung in their Taylor semiconductor fabrication facility will provide a more secure domestic supply of chips for critical U.S. industries," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement Wednesday.
Previous grants from the fund included $23.25 million for Austin-based Silicon Laboratories Inc., $17.3 million for Brownsville-based SpaceX, $5.3 million for MGC Pure Chemicals America Inc. for expansion of its Kerrville facility, and $4.12 million for Richardson-based IntelliEPI. Created by the 2023 Texas CHIPS Act, the fund is designed to strengthen in-state semiconductor research, design and manufacturing.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is no newcomer. It has had a Central Texas presence since the 1990s, with long-running operations in Austin and roughly 4,500 employees in the city.
"Samsung has been proud to call Texas home for the past 30 years," said Young Hyun Jun, vice chairman and head of Samsung's Device Solutions division. "This grant will ensure that our semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor delivers the most advanced technology for our global customers and continues to reinforce the chip supply chain in the U.S."
The plant is to span roughly 6 million square feet on more than 1,000 acres near U.S. 79 and County Road 401 and, once operational, is expected to employ about 2,000 people. It's to includes two logic fabs and a research and development facility. In filings, the company has outlined the potential for up to 11 additional chip production facilities in the region in the coming decades.
The project also received up to $4.75 billion in federal support under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act and is part of Samsung's larger $37 billion investment in Central Texas.
When first announced in 2021, production was eyed for 2024 and later updated to 2025. Samsung now targets late 2026 to begin operations. Despite earlier delays, the tech giant has reiterated the current timeline - even amid industry reports of further delays.
Taylor city officials have said the project remains on track under local incentive agreements. Initial announcements cited estimates of roughly 2,000 direct jobs in Taylor; federal projections for the expanded ecosystem cite several thousand additional manufacturing roles over the next five years.
The new grant comes as the Taylor site gains additional strategic importance through a multi-year chip manufacturing agreement with Tesla Inc. In July, Samsung disclosed a roughly $16.5 billion foundry contract with the Austin-based automaker. CEO Elon Musk confirmed the deal and said Samsung's new Texas fab will be dedicated to Tesla's next-generation AI6 chip.
Musk has said Samsung currently produces Tesla's AI4 chip, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. will build the AI5 design initially in Taiwan and later in Arizona. The AI6 is expected to power Tesla's self-driving hardware in vehicles, its Optimus robots and related data-center systems. Musk also said Samsung agreed to let Tesla help maximize manufacturing efficiency at the Taylor line.
State and federal officials have framed the Taylor expansion as critical to U.S. supply-chain resilience, national security and the next wave of AI-era manufacturing." AAS ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> TX TRIB: "Texas border providers brace for rate of uninsured patients to balloon as federal policy changes loom" TX TRIB
> HOU CHRON: "Property tax caps put serious financial burden on Texas emergency responders" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "Why Texas Democrats aren't lining up to take on Greg Abbott in the midterms" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "Dallas City Council passes largest budget in city’s history, reduces tax rate" DMN
> TPR: "Texas Democrat Colin Allred on why he's running for Senate and what's ahead for the party" TPR
> DMN: "Jasmine Crockett defends Democrats’ rhetoric, reactions after Charlie Kirk slaying" DMN
> THE TEXAN: "Texas' Redrawn GOP-Favored Congressional District 32 Has Seven Republican Contenders So Far" THE TEXAN
> KXAN: "DOJ opens investigation into city of Austin over ‘race-based employment practices’" KXAN
> THE TEXAN: "The 40: Rapid Response, SCOREboard, Tejano Star Turns Politician" THE TEXAN
> SA REPORT: "After behind-the-scenes Project Marvel negotiations, Mayor Jones cracks down on city NDAs" SA REPORT
> SA REPORT: "San Antonio’s $4B-plus budget looks ‘between the cushions’ to avoid tax hike" SA REPORT
> SA REPORT: "Former U.S. ambassador to Russia to deliver 2025 Maverick Lecture" SA REPORT
> FWST: "Hurst police chief dies after ‘unexpected’ health complication" FWST
> FWST: "Person found dead in truck that caught fire on North Texas highway, police say" FWST
> FWST: "Visualogyx Rebrands as VLX, Establishing a Global Standard for Digital Inspections and Compliance" FWST
> THE TEXAN: "Texas Universities Roiled by Firings, Expulsions Regarding Celebrations of Kirk Assassination" THE TEXAN
> SA REPORT: "Bexar County: 45K voter registrations are stuck in limbo ahead of Nov. 4 election" SA REPORT
> THE TEXAN: "Abbott Names 'Texas DOGE' Office Director After Agency's Creation This Year" THE TEXAN
> TX TRIB: "Texas cities, counties pinch pennies amid slowing economy" TX TRIB
> HOU CHRON: "Southern Living ranked these 3 Houston-area BBQ spots among the South's best 50" HOU CHRON
> TX TRIB: "Immigrant children at Texas detention facility face unsafe conditions, attorneys say" TX TRIB
> THE TEXAN: "Tarrant County Democratic Commissioners Break Quorum to Block Lower Tax Rate Vote" THE TEXAN
> SA REPORT: "San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo makes its pitch for Prop A funding" SA REPORT
> HOU CHRON: "Texas trooper killed in San Jacinto County crash was Army vet, officials say" HOU CHRON
> FWST: "Texas man beaten with rocks in Fort Worth dies. Sister mourns beloved brother" FWST
> MY RGV: "State gives San Benito perfect score on finances as district cuts costs" MY RGV
> SAEN: "Siblings sell wedding venue in Dripping Springs to global hospitality company" SAEN
> HOU CHRON: "Man accused in slaying of HPD sergeant to return to Harris County Jail" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "5 Dallas-Fort Worth barbecue joints are best in the South; plus other Texas surprises" DMN
> FWST: "Fort Worth ISD plans to adopt turnaround model at these seven struggling schools" FWST
> HOU CHRON: "Parents say son would be alive if Houston restaurant staff had called 911" HOU CHRON
> FWST: "Second Fort Worth massage spa at same location closed for suspected trafficking" FWST
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports scores:
Wed
> MLB: Houston 5, Texas 2
Thurs
> NCAAF: Rice 28, Charlotte 17
Fri
> MLB: Miami 6, Texas 4
> MLB: Seattle 4, Houston 0
> NWSL: Houston 1, Chicago 0
This weekend's Texas sports schedule:
Sat
> 11am: NCAAF: #17 Texas Tech at #16 Utah (Fox)
> 11am: NCAAF: SMU at TCU (ESPN2)
> 11am: NCAAF: North Texas at Army (CBS Sports)
> 6:05pm: MLB: Miami at Texas
> 6:10pm: MLB: Seattle at Houston
> 6:30pm: NCAAF: Arizona State at Baylor (Fox)
> 7pm: NCAAF: Sam Houston St. at #8 Texas (SECN)
> 7pm: NCAAF: Nicholls at Texas St. (ESPN+)
> 7:30pm: MLS: Colorado at Dallas (Apple TV)
> 7:30pm: MLS: Portland at Houston (Apple TV)
> 8pm: NCAAF: LA Monroe at UTEP (ESPN+)
> 8:30pm: NCAAF: UTSA at Colorado St. (FS1)
Sun
> 12pm: NFL: Houston at Jacksonville (CBS)
> 1:35pm: MLB: Miami at Texas
> 3:25pm: NFL: Dallas at Chicago (Fox)
> 6pm: MLS: Seattle at Austin (Apple TV)
> 6:10pm: MLB: Seattle at Houston
HOUSTON TEXANS: "Winless Texans looking to jump-start another season with a trip to Jacksonville" AP
DALLAS COWBOYS: "Cowboys look to build on wild first win, while Bears try to bounce back from blowout loss" AP
HOUSTON ASTROS: "Astros activate Isaac Paredes and place Yordan Alvarez on the IL" AP
RICE FOOTBALL: "Chase Jenkins’ passing and rushing TDs lead Rice over Charlotte 28-17 in American Conference opener" AP
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