People around North Texas took part in a Nationwide Day of Action on Friday, calling for the removal of ICE agents from Minneapolis and other U.S. cities. They joined thousands of people marching in multiple cities across the country. It comes as the Department of Homeland Security confirms the FBI is opening a civil rights investigation into the border patrol shooting of Alex Pretti. Flower Mound’s Hive Bakery was one of several DFW-based businesses to take to social media and share their support. “It’s important, I think, to use your platform, use your voice,” said owner Haley Popp. Since the beginning of January, Popp has been selling anti-ICE t-shirts and cookies. “I think it should be abolished. It shouldn’t exist. I believe immigrants should be welcome here in this country every day, all the time,” Popp said. As protesters gathered for a second day in Dallas and students in Fort Worth and Hurst walked out of class, organizers called on businesses to close, encouraging people not to spend money. While some did, many others said it simply wasn’t feasible. “It was such a tough week for small businesses. We had to close because of the snowstorms,” said owner of Oak…

Tens of millions of dollars are headed to Texas to help law enforcement cover the costs of securing the World Cup. “It costs money. It’s expensive,” Senator John Cornyn said. Cornyn announced Thursday that Texas will get around $100 million of the $625 million in federal funding from the Big Beautiful Bill to reimburse law enforcement agencies in DFW and Houston responsible for securing the FIFA World Cup. “While fans and athletes are gearing up for the games behind the scenes, federal, state, and local law enforcement were working together along with emergency management teams to make sure that these games are safe,” Cornyn said. North Texas is expected to see three to four million visitors, around 100,000 of them a day. Much of the funding will go toward overtime to police departments, including Dallas and Arlington. Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux says DPD is now dialing down how many officers it will need for the World Cup. “If we need extra officers out there spending a lot of money on overtime, we’ll use some of this money to reimburse the city for overtime,” Comeaux said. “We’ve never had anything quite like this. We’ve got tried and true…

A teacher who survived the 2022 shooting inside a Robb Elementary school classroom in Uvalde, Texas, told a jury Monday the attack began with a “black shadow” with a gun walking inside and that he prayed for the attack to be over after being shot along with his students. Arnulfo Reyes’ testimony came on the fifth day of the trial for Adrian Gonzales, a former Uvalde schools police officer who was among the first law enforcement responders to the scene. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment as prosecutors allege he did nothing to stop the gunman in the first moments of the attack. The gunman killed 19 students and two teachers. Reyes was shot on the arm and back and said he was taunted by 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos. “I looked at my door and that’s when I saw him … a black shadow. The black shadow was holding a gun. I just saw the fire come out of the gun,” Reyes testified. “He shot at me and hit me in my arm. That’s when I fell to the ground.” “When I fell, he came around and he shot the kids,” he said. Reyes said Ramos…

Starting Jan. 1, Texans will see changes with 33 new laws that touch numerous issues from immigration enforcement to artificial intelligence. Over 800 laws already took effect in Sept. 2025. Here are a few key laws to look out for in the new year: Senate Bill 8 mandates that most counties in Texas operating a jail must enter into a formaly work with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement under the 287(g) program. Under this, sheriff’s offices will be authorized to assist federal immigration enforcement by serving warrants and questioning inmates about immigration status. The law also establishes state grants ($80,000–$140,000 based on county population) to support compliance. Supporters tout improved public safety and better coordination but critics warn it risks racial profiling and could erode community trust, discouraging immigrant victims and witnesses from reporting crimes. Senate Bill 2420, known as the App Store Accountability Act, would have compelled Apple, Google, and other platforms to verify users’ ages and require parental consent for minors downloading apps or making in-app purchases. However, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on December 23, concluding the law likely violates First Amendment protections and is unconstitutionally broad and vague. Enforcement has been paused pending appeal….

The founder of Irving-based Tricolor Holdings led other top executives of the subprime auto lender on a seven-year campaign to defraud its largest lenders out of nearly a billion dollars, authorities said Wednesday, as they announced two arrests and guilty pleas by two former executives. Daniel Chu, the company’s founder and chief executive, was charged in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court with directing multiple executives since 2018 to defraud investors and lending institutions. The fraudulent schemes included fabricating data and making false statements, according to the indictment. A defense lawyer for Chu did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Chu, 62, of Miami, was arrested in Florida, while David Goodgame, 49, of Waxahachie, the company’s former chief operating officer, was arrested in Texas. It was not immediately clear who would represent Goodgame at an initial court appearance. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton told a news conference that Chu repeatedly lied to banks and other credit providers as he turned fraud “into an integral component of Tricolor’s business strategy.” He said the company’s collapse dealt a blow to car-buying customers who needed the services of a lending business catering to people with troubled credit histories. “Of course, if you…

Texas has launched a partnership with Turning Point USA to create chapters of the right-wing organization on every high school campus in the state.  Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Turning Point USA Senior Director Josh Thifault revealed the initiative during a news conference at the Governor’s Mansion on Monday. They did not outline any plans that would require schools to initiate the clubs, but Abbott said that he expects “meaningful disciplinary action” to take place against “any stoppage of TPUSA in the great state of Texas.”  “Let me be clear: Any school that stands in the way of a Club America program in their school should be reported immediately to the Texas Education Agency,” the governor said, referring to the name of the high school clubs.  The announcement comes after Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, who stood behind Abbott at Monday’s gathering, privately met with Thifault in early November to discuss expanding the organization’s presence in the state’s schools, which was first reported by The Texas Tribune. Four days after that meeting, Patrick said he would commit $1 million in campaign funds to help bring the project to fruition.  Turning Point USA was founded by Charlie Kirk, the late right-wing…

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, on Saturday announced he would not seek re-election after the conclusion of his term. Nehls, a close ally of President Donald Trump who co-sponsored legislation proposing putting the president on the $100 bill and renaming Washington’s Dulles International Airport after Trump, said he came to his decision after consulting his family during the Thanksgiving holiday — and said he intends to “focus on my family and return home after this Congress.” Nehls said he called Trump to let him know of his plans. “President Trump has always been a strong ally for our district and a true friend, and I wanted him to hear it from me first,” Nehls wrote on X. “Serving this country in the military, serving our community in law enforcement, and serving this district in Congress has been the honor of my life. Thank you for your trust, your friendship, and your prayers,” Nehls added. Congress Nov 24 The ‘ShamWow guy' is running for Congress in Texas Trump administration…

Texas cannot use a new congressional map drawn by Republicans in hopes of securing the party additional U.S. House seats, a panel of three federal judges ruled Tuesday. The ruling was a blow to President Donald Trump’s efforts to have GOP lawmakers in multiple states redraw their maps to help the party preserve its slim House majority in the potentially difficult 2026 midterm elections. “The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics. To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map. But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map,” the ruling states. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he plans to appeal and that the maps are legal. “The radical left is once again trying to undermine the will of the people. The Big Beautiful Map was entirely legal and passed for partisan purposes to better represent the political affiliations of Texas,” said Paxton. “I will be appealing this decision to the Supreme Court of the United States, and I fully expect the court to uphold Texas’s sovereign right to engage in partisan redistricting.” Texas this summer was the first state to meet Trump’s…

With a historic investment by the 89th Texas Legislature, Texas A&M Forest Service approved $164 million in funding for Texas volunteer fire departments. The funding will be awarded to local fire departments through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, which will award 558 fire trucks and 321 slip-on units. The announcement came Tuesday, Oct. 14, after a meeting that marked the largest allocation of awards and the first phase in distributing over $192 million to Texas volunteer fire departments. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas uses a tiered approach to wildfire response, establishing local fire departments and counties as the first on the scene. State response is activated as wildfires become more complex and grow beyond the capacity of local first responders. “Texas fire departments are the front line of local response, and their equipment capacity is vital to response time and effectiveness,” said Al Davis, Texas A&M Forest Service director. “This historic funding reflects the strong support of the Texas legislature and governor. Their investment allows us to continue supporting and equipping firefighters who protect Texas’s lives and property.” By using the funding through this program to purchase critical equipment, local fire departments increase their capacity to…

Police are still searching for the person or persons who murdered three members of a Mansfield family living in Georgetown, north of Austin. The victims identified by police are 34-year-old Alonzo Hawkins; his cousin, 39-year-old Doneisha Brooks; and her daughter, 8-year-old Olivia Brooks. Relatives told KXAN the three recently moved to Georgetown for a fresh start. When they did not hear from them over the weekend, a family friend went to do a welfare check. Friends, family and their pastor held a press conference Tuesday afternoon at a park in Mansfield. “If anybody has any information that can lead to the capture of the perpetrator, that’s what’s most important when it comes to the family,” said Pastor Michael Evans. According to the family, the move from Mansfield to Georgetown in May 2024 was supposed to be a fresh start for Doneisha and her daughter, Olivia. “Got her life together, got a car, apartment, got a job,” said cousin Nicholas Ford. “She was doing good. She was happy.” Ford’s brother Alonzo was Doneisha’s cousin. He followed her to Georgetown, seeking a safer place to live and a new start. Hopes were crushed Saturday evening when police in the Austin suburb said…