Chinese cameras ... School transparency ... Dead bees ... ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

... The Texas Minute ...

Good morning,

This is the Texas Minute for Thursday, October 30, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

AG Probes Security Camera Company’s Ties to Chinese Communist Party

An investigation into Lorex Technology Inc. has been launched by Texas' attorney general over concerns that its products may be tied to the Chinese Communist Party and present a risk to national security. As Sydnie Henry reports, the company was previously owned by the Chinese tech giant Dahua, which federal agencies have flagged as a "Chinese military company."
Although Lorex was sold to Taiwan-based Skywatch in 2022, reports show Dahua remains a major supplier of critical camera components, raising questions about ongoing CCP influence.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's probe is focused on the safety and security of the company's surveillance cameras. "Texans should never have to worry that the devices protecting their homes could be tied to foreign adversaries."
The company disputes those concerns, saying that it has "taken the appropriate steps to safeguard customer privacy."

Little Calls for Transparency in School Sexual Abuse Scandal

During a press conference on Wednesday morning, State Rep. Mitch Little (R-Lewisville) pressed for transparency in the investigation of Celina Independent School District for its alleged cover-up of a coach's criminal predation of young boys. Travis Morgan has the details.
Little authored a new state law, which took effect last month, that is designed to hold school districts accountable for failing to protect students from sexual predators by eliminating districts' "sovereign immunity" from civil liability in sex abuse cases. Before the enactment of the law, victims could file criminal charges but not civil lawsuits.
Celina is currently under criminal investigation by Attorney General Ken Paxton for claims that administrators suppressed Coach Caleb Elliott’s past predatory behavior toward male students, enabling him to record undressed middle school boys in the locker room.
"These families demand answers and we need to know the names of the decision-makers who allowed this environment to exist." – Mitch Little

Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Tarrant County Democrats

Erin Anderson reports that the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against Democrat challenges to Tarrant County’s new Republican-drawn commissioner district boundaries, upholding the lower court’s decision and allowing the map to remain in effect for the 2026 primary elections.
Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted in June along party lines to approve a new map that increases Republicans’ partisan advantage from 3-2 to 4-1. County officials are defending the new precinct lines, which have not been redrawn since 2011.
Democrats have claimed the action was racially motivated, while Republicans have asserted that the map was drawn only on partisan grounds, which is permissible under current voting rights case law.

Texas Reports Record Honeybee Losses, Reflecting National Decline

Texas has lost 61 percent of its honeybee colony population over the early spring and summer, a decline that reflects a similar trend across the U.S. This may have a national impact on food supplies. Addie Hovland has the story.
Data collected by the Apiary Inspectors of America shows that more than 55 percent of U.S. bee colonies have disappeared, equating to a national loss of 1.7 million colonies out of about 2.7 million colonies in America. The resulting economic losses are estimated to be $600 million. This is because many crops in the U.S. are heavily or completely dependent on honeybees for pollination.
In Texas, honeybees pollinate crops all around the state, from cotton in the Panhandle to food crops in the Rio Grande Valley.
One cause is believed to be an invasive mite species from Asia that has developed a genetic resistance to amitraz, the miticide used to treat hives. Among other things, researchers are recommending the development of mite-resistant bee colonies.

Central Texas School District Reviews Books To Ensure Compliance With Law

After closing its schools' libraries for 10 days to review its collection, a Central Texas school district has identified titles that need to be more carefully scrutinized. A new state law requires that school districts protect children from sexual ideology and increase transparency in content accessible to children.
During the closure, the New Braunfels Independent School District identified 80 books in need of further review, in addition to those that have already been determined to contain content that is not in compliance with the law. Among the titles still under review by the district are several that contain sexually explicit content.

ICE Defends Agents After Pasadena Standoff

New details have emerged about a six-hour standoff earlier this week in Harris County that resulted in three men being taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Michael Wilson has the update.
The situation began when ICE agents were conducting a “targeted vehicle stop” on 28-year-old Oscar Daniel Barrón Hernandez, an alien who has allegedly entered the United States illegally three times. According to ICE, Barrón Hernandez ignored lawful commands to stop, fled the vehicle, and ran into the residence.
The agency described the incident as tense but controlled, saying a crowd of anti-ICE protesters that formed outside the home shouted obscenities even as officers worked to de-escalate the situation.