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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking steps to advance the Trump Administration’s commitment to unleashing American energy and economic prosperity and is streamlining program delivery for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Rural Development through the Rural Business Cooperative Service (RBCS) is issuing a final rule with comment period that will simplify the application process, reduce risk to the agency, and protect taxpayer dollars.

Some HOTLINE readers have occasionally asked if the Trump Derangement Syndrome is really that bad. Well. Consider the case of James Carville, Bill Clinton's brilliant presidential campaign manager. Now Carville admits he has a severe case of TDS. He frequently appears as a Democratic "wise man" on countless news shows and was asked last week on the "Politics War Room" podcast about TDS. Carville embraced the label in a profane, unhinged rant.

TXOGA released a new episode of its podcast, TXOGA Talks, taking listeners inside the Texas Cyber Command (TXCC), the state agency created by the Texas Legislature in 2025 to defend government systems and critical infrastructure from cyber threats. TXOGA President Todd Staples is joined by TXCC Chief TJ White led the Navy's cyber operations before taking charge of the San Antonio-based agency, for a conversation on why energy infrastructure is a target, how the Command defends it, and what every Texan can do to stay safe online.

Comptroller Don Huffines announced a Taxpayer First Project initiative to give every Texan an unprecedented view of how Texas Education Freedom Accounts funds are spent while safeguarding the personal data of Texas students and their families. With more than 100,000 students enrolled and more than 100,000 on the waitlist, the demand for education choice is clear. The audit will be separate from, and in addition to, the regular audit the State Auditor’s Office is performing.

Millions of Americans rely on programs like SNAP to put food on the table. When fraudsters steal those dollars to fund lavish lifestyles, they are stealing from families in need and from the taxpayers who fund the program. I want to thank Vice President JD Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud for cracking down on more than $40 million in SNAP fraud, with charges expected against dozens of defendants, including a rapper who set cash on fire

Seattle’s FOX affiliate reports that the city now has “the highest office vacancy rate in the country.” Some 35% of the offices in the Seattle Central Business District are empty with 20 million square feet of office space but no tenants. The city is now becoming known for “Zombie Towers”– near empty skyrise buildings.  Downtown office properties have lost half of their assessed value since 2020, which has raised property taxes on homeowners.

Governor Greg Abbott today announced $40 million to 411 Texas school systems through the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnerships (PREP) Program Allotment. This funding will strengthen teacher recruitment, preparation and mentorship, and bolster Texas' teacher workforce. Established by House Bill 2, passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Abbott in June 2025, the PREP Program Allotment is part of Texas’ historic investment in public education and the educator workforce.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in announcing that the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub has been awarded nearly $24 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) FY2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program. This program allows disaster-impacted communities across America to pursue projects that support long-term economic recovery.