“Upstream employment” in the oil and natural gas industry refers to jobs that focus on locating and extracting energy resources. Since February, oil and natural gas exploration and production jobs have increased each month. Upstream positions support an additional 232,000 indirect jobs within the supply chain and 421,000 induced jobs due to more income spent across the economy.

Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is calling on all Texans to donate to Texas State Veterans Homes (TSVH) and Texas State Veterans Cemeteries (TSVC). While monetary donations are accepted and can be made through the VLB's new online donations portal, there are multiple non‑monetary ways to give back to the men and women who served our great nation.

Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to launch an immediate and thorough investigation of Mission Regional Medical Center. Reports show the hospital targets foreign nationals with “birth packages in South Texas” to profit from birth tourism that grants U.S. citizenship to children born in the United States. HHSC will also impose administrative sanctions and penalties on Mission Regional Medical Center.

U.S. Senators Ted Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action & Federal Rights, and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK,) were joined by six Senators and 35 Congressmen in filing an Amicus Brief urging the Supreme Court to protect the Constitutional Rights of faith-based schools participating in school choice programs.

Credit is one of those foundational conditions. Without it, the rest of the work is harder than it needs to be.  So, when I learned about proposed federal legislation to cap credit card interest rates, I started to worry about what it would mean for communities like Spearman and for every small town across rural Texas trying to keep its economy intact. Interest rates are a key part of how the system works.

Following last week’s SCOTUS decision on birthright citizenship, Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison wrote a letter this morning to the Texas Department of State Health Services asking that they use their existing authority to immediately stop issuing birth certificates to non-citizens.  "While I am calling for a special session to take legislative action, such as making birth tourism a felony, under current law, you have broad authority right now to determine who is “properly qualified” to receive a certified birth certificate."

“Texas is where the world builds bigger, and Toyota shows it once more with a $3.6 billion expansion in San Antonio that doubles their factory footprint and creates 2,000 new jobs," said Gov. Greg Abbott earlier today, announcing that Toyota Motor Manufacturing will expand its U.S. production capacity with a second vehicle assembly line in San Antonio – doubling their existing manufacturing footprint with a $3.6 billion investment, that will create 2,000 new jobs.

The takeover of the Democrat Party by "Socialists" (and worse,) has – and appears to be gaining – momentum. Following wins for D.C. Mayor and three New York City Congressional Primaries, a "Democrat Socialists of America" member named Melat Kiros also just won a primary over a 30 year Democrat incumbent in a district that includes Denver. Watch Kiros, a graduate student who's being dubbed the AOC of the West, and like AOC is a former barista as well.

This past week, President Trump showed his support for American farmers once again by suspending the countervailing duties (CVDs) on imports of phosphate fertilizer, which is critical for many of the vital crops such as corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat, etc., that we grow here in the U.S. These duties, which were put in place under the Biden Administration, have cost our farmers nearly $7 billion since 2021.

“The Mitigation Reallocation Program promotes long term resilience, giving communities the opportunity to pursue projects that reduce risks from future disasters,” said Texas General Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, noting that through the MRP, communities are able to apply for mitigation activities funding such as Flood & Drainage Improvements, Water System & Wastewater Improvements, Street Improvements, and Emergency Communications Equipment to reduce the impacts of future hurricanes, storms and flooding.

Governor Greg Abbott delivered remarks and personally read the names of the 119 lives lost in Kerr County during last year’s devastating Fourth of July floods at the Symphony of the Hills Stars, Stripes, and Spirit Remembrance & Resilience Ceremony and concert. The event honored victims on the one-year anniversary of the tragedy while celebrating the strength and unity of the Hill Country community.

Governor Tim Walz faces declining public support as Minnesota voters link his administration to a major fraud scandal seen as a failure of oversight and leadership. Investigators have uncovered widespread abuse involving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars meant for vulnerable citizens, exposing serious accountability gaps.Dozens have been charged, and many Minnesotans question how such misconduct went unchecked.

In the early hours of July 4, 2025, massive rains and floods swept through the Texas Hill Country, claiming the lives of 136 Texans, including the heartbreaking loss of 28 souls at Camp Mystic. There are no words to describe the horror and the sadness of that day. It is impossible to describe the extent of this catastrophe. It shattered hearts across the United States. Through this horror, rescue operations saved over 850 people, thanks to local, state, federal, and volunteer teams.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission launched upgraded EBT cards for clients of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, popularly known as WIC, to make it easier for families to manage their benefits.The new WIC card integrates with the upgraded myWIC app, allowing clients to track benefits and purchases in real time. With the new card, WIC benefits can be added remotely.

Governor Greg Abbott today announced a nearly $30 million Texas Energy Fund (TxEF) grant to strengthen electric reliability for Rita Blanca Electric Cooperative, Inc. (RBEC) members in the northwestern corner of the Texas Panhandle. The grant will help fund construction of a new substation, automation of an existing substation, transformer improvements, and upgrading wood poles to steel structures.

Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock today said state sales tax revenue totaled $4.2 billion in June, 4.2% more than in June 2025. The majority of June sales tax revenue is based on sales made in May and remitted to the agency in June. Total sales tax revenue for the three months ending in June 2026 was up 6.9% compared to the same period a year ago. Sales tax is the largest source of state funding for the state budget, accounting for 58% of all tax collections.

Governor Greg Abbott today appointed Don Huffines as Comptroller of Public Accounts of Texas. Huffines, a Dallas-area native, co-founded Huffines Communities, one of the largest real estate development companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He previously served in the Texas Senate representing District 16 from 2015 to 2019, where he earned a reputation as a fiscal conservative and advocate for government transparency. 

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant of $24.2 million has been extended to FormFactor Inc. for their new probe card manufacturing facility in Farmers Branch. The advanced manufacturing facility is expected to create more than 600 jobs and represents $140 million to $170 million in capital investment over 2026.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the launch of the $500 million Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-Term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) Program, a new initiative administered through USDA Rural Development to expand domestic fertilizer manufacturing, strengthen America’s fertilizer supply chain, and improve long-term affordability for American farmers.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) appointed members to the Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board, which held its first meeting on June 25. The advisory board was established by the 89th Texas Legislature to address healthcare workforce shortages and enhance collaboration between industry providers and higher education institutions. To address challenges facing the healthcare industry, the appointees will develop a collaboration toolkit and resource guide.