RRC Commissioner Wayne Christian today called on Texas oil and gas producers, pipeline operators and other energy companies to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses amid recent cyberattacks involving Texas-bound energy tankers and federal warnings that foreign adversaries and other malicious cyber actors are targeting internet-facing operational technology and industrial control systems.

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the federal government has updated President Donald J. Trump’s Major Disaster Declaration following the July severe storms and flooding that impacted communities across Texas to include Grimes, Live Oak, McMullen and Schleicher counties for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance program.  Additional counties may be requested as updated information becomes available.

We’ve offered up plenty of ways to lower diesel and gas prices - including a temporary suspension of gas taxes and suspending ethanol and other “renewable” fuel standards. The WSJ has embraced these ideas as well. Instead, Senate Republicans and some White House officials are pushing a hair-brained ban on exporting fuels. The current price spike here and globally is not a U.S. problem- it's not a domestic shortfall. It's a global one.

In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million. The deal was ridiculed. In August 2019, Trump confirmed he was eyeing Greenland, referring to the massive island as "strategically nice" for the U.S. True, the new deal Trump just signed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with the Danish and Greenlandic prime ministers doesn't acquire Greenland for the U.S. But in every other way, this deal is a huge win for the administration.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts has implemented new fraud‑prevention tools designed to strengthen financial controls and safeguard taxpayer dollars across statewide payment systems. To meet modern fraud‑monitoring standards and further secure electronic payments, the Comptroller’s Treasury Operations division has implemented account validation and fraud risk assessment services to strengthen ACH controls across all state agencies.

Republicans are falling in line with the counterproductive idea of banning U.S. diesel exports. This will only incentivize our domestic suppliers to produce less diesel now and in the future. But because of the chemistry involved, producing less diesel also means producing less gasoline. And that means higher prices for everyone who doesn't have a diesel vehicle. An emergency action to lower diesel prices that raises gasoline prices would be political malpractice.

Governor Greg Abbott delivered remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Eli Lilly and Company’s $6.5 billion active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing site at Generation Park in Harris County. The project is the largest investment in API manufacturing in Texas to date and will create more than 600 high-paying jobs. During his remarks, Governor Abbott noted that Texas is a national leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Houston is home to the world’s largest medical center.

It's the sentiment heard again and again from Democrats across the country this year: They didn’t leave the Democrat Party — it left them. While that diagnosis and the move to today's Muslim-Marxist Democrat Socialism has been on the record for two decades now, knowing the problem hasn't translated into any discernible shift in strategy. Instead of building a different program, Democrats keep doubling down on an even crazier pitch.

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., announced that the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has entered into two new hard mineral leases for rare earth minerals with El Paso Minerals Corp. (EPM) covering more than 1,000 acres in Hudspeth County. The agreements build upon the nationally significant Round Top project and mark a major step toward establishing Texas’ first dedicated rare earth mining district.

Why did President Donald Trump ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House? The better question is: What took so long? The economy is far better than reported. The Atlanta Fed's GDPNow model currently estimates third-quarter growth at an annualized rate of approximately 5.1 percent, up from an earlier estimate of 4.4 percent. And even at today's elevated gasoline prices, the cost of gas as a percentage of income remains far smaller than during earlier price shocks.

Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to halt all permits sought by data centers until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) completes its audit. Because the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), ERCOT, and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) require that information to make informed decisions, no state agency shall move forward with regulatory approvals related to data center development until it is acquired.

During a G20 meeting in Houston, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated, “We would consider an export ban if we thought that actually might lower ​prices, but that's not the case.” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright echoed concerns regarding a diesel export ban on September 17 in an interview with the Daily Caller, where he confirmed that a diesel export ban would force a reduction in refining, due to a lack of domestic pipeline capacity and storage, and result in an increase in fuel prices.

See National "Public" Radio White House reporter Tamara Keith, who told a CNN interviewer about her job: "I'm doing it on behalf of the American people. I'm not doing it for me. Um, and by kicking people out, he's kicking the American people out of the room. He's kicking the American people out of the people's house." This ignores the many millions of people who voted for Trump — and against all the elitist media noise.

Oil and gas regulator Wayne Christian today urged Texas oil and gas operators to report petroleum product and property theft, citing testimony before the Texas Senate Committee on Natural Resources from RRC staff, industry leaders and law enforcement officials serving on the State Task Force on Petroleum Theft (STOPTheft). The testimony underscored the need for more data to combat the growing economic impact of theft and reinforced the importance of continued coordination through STOPTheft.

Governor Greg Abbott, Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick today joined together to bring greater transparency and accountability to rogue local prosecutors who refuse to enforce Texas law. Responding to a clear pattern of certain local prosecutors releasing repeat offenders back into the community and putting innocent Texans at risk, state leaders are prioritizing greater oversight and efforts to strengthen public safety and keep criminals off the streets.

The money comes from the State Border Security Reinforcement Fund, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program created in 2025 to repay states that covered border security costs the federal government did not. Texas sought reimbursement for costs it has carried since 2021 under Operation Lone Star, including deploying Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety personnel, erecting border barrier construction, and funding related operations. The funds have not yet been transferred to the state.

One does not have to be an elected official to understand how public policy affects Texans. My own public service has centered on a simple principle: government should be careful with taxpayer dollars while making sure essential services reach the people who need them most. The 340B drug discount program’s purpose is straightforward: allow providers serving low-income, uninsured, underinsured, and medically vulnerable patients to reach more people and provide more comprehensive services.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent audit directive temporarily pausing certain grid connections while state agencies complete a comprehensive review is a prudent approach. Transparency matters. Texans deserve confidence that our electric grid, water resources, and local infrastructure can support these investments before projects move forward. It’s the start of something we sorely need: a Texas plan for data centers. Instead of asking how to stop them, let’s ask how to make them better.