The 2026 Democratic midterm victories connected changes in congressional and state political control with economic dissatisfaction surrounding the Iran War and American foreign-policy commitments. Republican losses reflected the combined effects of declining younger-voter turnout, disputes over military priorities, and Democratic campaigns emphasizing affordability, housing, employment, and opposition to prolonged foreign conflicts.

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to mobilize additional state emergency response resources in anticipation of rain and flooding expected to impact the state this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, multiple rounds of thunderstorms in South and West Texas are anticipated to begin later tonight and last through the early part of next week.

Under the Presidential Disaster Declaration (DR-4935-TX) dated Sept. 1, 2026, workers and self-employed individuals in the designated counties whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of the July storms and flooding may be eligible for DUA benefits: Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Crockett, Dimmit, Frio, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, Medina, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala counties.

Before Musk's recent political reversal (he voted for both Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020), he was beloved by the Left as the first successful upstart challenger to the century-long dominance of the Big Three fossil-fuel automakers. Liberals once loved his revolutionary, electrically powered Teslas and drove them proudly as a green virtue signal. Before Musk's recent political reversal (he voted for both Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020), he was beloved by the Left as the first successful upstart challenger to the century-long dominance of the Big Three fossil-fuel automakers. Liberals once loved his revolutionary, electrically powered Teslas and drove them proudly as a green virtue signal.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the launch of the Great American Christmas Market, a two-day holiday celebration on the National Mall that will bring together farmers, ranchers, artisans, and producers from across the country to showcase the very best of American agriculture and craftsmanship. Visitors will experience the warmth and wonder of the holiday season while shopping for unique gifts and season.al favorites

“It is the honor of a lifetime to be the next Senator for Senate District 11. To the people of this district, I am extremely grateful for the trust y’all have placed in me. I will work relentlessly every day to put you first and do everything in my power to continue making this the best place to live in the state. It is the honor of a lifetime to be the next Senator for Senate District 11. To the people of this district, I am extremely grateful for the trust y’all have placed in me. "

" I started a radio station and put an unknown Rush Limbaugh on the air. I served in office for 20 years. Jan and I will celebrate our 52nd wedding anniversary next year. I have two incredible children, a great son-in-law and a great daughter-in-law, and eight precious grandchildren. I have so much to be thankful for. I am the most blessed person you could ever meet. I love Texas, I love America, and most of all, I love my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. He has given me an amazing life."

The blue tidal wave election was clearly a voter tirade against the war, tariffs, ICE raids, high gas prices, terrible GOP candidates (like Paxton in TX and Graham in SC), and overall Trump fatigue. Republicans suffered massive losses in the once solidly red South, in rural areas and with young voters. Hispanics also fled the party after record gains of Latino voters in 2024.  But be clear on this: America has a strong economy.

Texas again earned this top ranking based on a survey of corporate real estate executives and site selectors in addition to our focus on cutting regulations and maintaining a predictable regulatory landscape, a strong entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem, the number of job-creating corporate relocation and expansion projects, and a pro-business mindset and environment where enterprise can flourish.

On Sunday, Rep. Haley Stevens announced that she could not support her party's nominee for the U.S. Senate, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, after he refused to meet even the most minimal standard for opposing antisemitism. Her party's response was to call her self-centered. That tells us far less about Stevens than about the state of the Democrat Party. Stevens's explanation was brief and, needless to say, accurate: "Because when you see hate, when you see us standing with Hasan Piker... it's not acceptable."

Under Donald Trump, we have seen one of the largest declines in welfare caseloads since the late 1990s when President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich enacted their famous Work for Welfare reforms in 1996.Food stamp participation is down 13% since Trump came into office - a reduction of 5.5 million caseloads or roughly the number of people living in the entire state of Colorado. This is the lowest level in 17 years.  Food stamp recipients fell close to 20% or more in 8 states, according to USDA data.

The Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”) secured a legal victory requiring the Harris County Clerk’s Office to remove election advertisements that used race-based targeting settings. Additionally, the secured settlement stops the Harris County Clerk’s office from reactivating discriminatory settings. Because Attorney General Ken Paxton is a candidate on the November ballot, he recused himself from the lawsuit. 

Gov. Greg today announced that the federal government has approved Texas' appeal for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance program funding following severe storms and flooding that impacted communities across the state in July. The approval comes after an announcement from President Donald J. Trump this week, noting that the Trump Administration would make additional FEMA relief available following the July storms.

Last week, I proudly joined my friend, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, at Port Houston for a roundtable discussion. Secretary Duffy made two major announcements that will propel our energy and maritime industries forward and strengthen American leadership in both sectors: a massive rollback of burdensome regulations and the approval of a deepwater port license off the coast of Matagorda, marking a significant milestone in the Maritime Administration’s permitting process. 

Comptroller Don Huffines said net state sales tax revenue totaled $4.8 billion in October, 13.3% more than in October 2025. Sales tax revenue increased by double digits in October compared with the same month a year ago for the second straight month, the first time that has occurred since the months coming out of the government lockdowns during the Wuhan virus. Remittances from sectors driven primarily by business spending showed the largest increases.

This week, Mexico announced that it had delivered at least 350,000 acre-feet of water in 2026 pursuant to its obligations under the 1944 treaty with the United States. Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is required to deliver an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the United States, totaling 1.75 million acre-feet over a five-year cycle. The deliveries provide water to South Texas farmers and communities that depend on the Rio Grande

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) plans to award $87 million in Rural Texas Strong grants to 129 rural healthcare providers throughout the state. Rural Texas Strong, the CMS-approved state plan, is 100% federally funded through the Rural Health Transformation Program and features six initiatives to provide funding for rural communities to improve access to healthcare.

Vice President J.D. Vance announced an investment through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program (B&I Program) to support construction of a locally owned, USDA‑inspected beef processing facility in Dimmitt, Texas. The facility, backed by a $24.6 million commercial loan, will process approximately 400 head of cattle per day and is expected to create 220 new jobs.

Texas Comptroller Don Huffines encourages Texans to weigh in on his plan to eliminate the unfair tax on Texans’ medical records when the rule change to adopt his new policy is published for public comment this week in the Texas Register. Currently Texas charges sales tax on the fees physicians and hospitals pay to access online medical records, resulting in additional costs that drive up the price of healthcare.

Governor Greg Abbott today announced four Skills Development Fund (SDF) grant awards totaling $1,726,092 to Houston City College, Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley, and local partners. These grants, administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), will help provide customized training for 689 new and current workers in high-demand occupations in manufacturing, technology, logistics, and more.