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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1843, 17 Texans were executed in Salado, Tamaulipas, Mexico, in the infamous Black Bean Episode. When 176 members of the ill-fated Mier expedition were captured by Mexican forces, they were forced to draw beans from a jar. Those who picked a black bean were shot.

A Dallas congresswoman's remarks about Elon Musk have garnered a response from Attorney General Pam Bondi. The congresswoman also made some eyebrow-raising comments about Sen. Ted Cruz. Check out the story in today's Roundup section.

We're sponsored today by the nonprofit World Concern, offering an opportunity to help people in need in the Congo.

Texas A&M's Drag Show Ban Blocked

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Texas A&M University from banning the "Draggieland" drag show planned for this Thursday at its flagship campus in College Station, ruling that the ban likely violates the First Amendment.

A student group, the Queer Empowerment Council, has organized the annual event since 2020, and tickets to the 750-seat venue have repeatedly sold out. Last month, however, the university's board of regents banned drag shows across its 11 campuses.

In her ruling, District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal suggested, "Anyone who finds the performance or performers offensive has a simple remedy: don't go."

Earlier this month, Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office represented Texas A&M in court, said that universities are not "a place for taxpayer-funded drag shows where men pretending to be women engage in obscene, offensive, and degrading behavior."

Dallas Congresswoman Targets Musk, Cruz

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) said she wants "Elon to be taken down" during a virtual rally last week for the Tesla Takedown movement's "Global Day of Action" on Saturday, March 29.

The remarks prompted Attorney General Pam Bondi to warn Crockett to "tread very carefully" in what she says to oppose Tesla CEO Elon Musk's efforts to cut federal spending through DOGE. Crockett insisted that she is not calling for violence, saying, "We are peaceful, loving people."

Yesterday, police removed incendiary devices from the site of Tesla's Austin showroom. Hours later, the FBI launched a task force to investigate vandalism and arson of Tesla vehicles and properties in recent weeks, which Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have labeled "domestic terrorism."

Musk isn't the only target of Crockett's ire. Over the weekend, she said in an interview that Democrats need to be "OK with punching" to turn around their electoral prospects, saying Sen. Ted Cruz, in particular, "has to be knocked over the head, like hard, right? Like there is no niceties with him. Like at all. Like you go clean off on him."

Texas Most Affordable State

Several Texas cities ranked highly in a series of "best of" lists compiled by rating and review website Niche, and the state as a whole was recognized as the most affordable in the country.

The Woodlands and Plano placed 2nd and 6th in this year's Best Cities to Live in America list, earning high marks for their public schools and the availability of jobs.

The Woodlands, Wichita Falls, and McAllen all ranked among the top 10 Best Cities to Buy a House, while this year's Cities with the Lowest Cost of Living in America list includes Brownsville in the No. 1 spot and seven other Texas towns in the top 25.

The rankings are determined using data from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI crime statistics, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with user reviews and public records.

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Crisis in DRC

A decades-long conflict in eastern Congo has gone from a simmer to a boil in recent months.

Last week, Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 ignored calls for a ceasefire, seizing a strategic town in Congo—one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world. M23 is one of nearly 100 armed groups that have been vying for control of the mineral-rich area, and the resulting conflict has caught civilians (including many Christians) in the middle, creating one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises.

Last month, the U.N. Human Rights Council launched an investigation into allegations of atrocities, such as mass killings of civilians, by multiple groups.

An estimated 7 million people have been displaced, and more than 25 million people—approximately one in four Congolese—face acute food insecurity.

➤ Kerrville: Thunderstorms produced "egg-sized" hail on Sunday, causing significant damage to vehicles. "Hail tore up everything. And broke my windshield," said a social media user who shared a video of the storm's aftermath. (See Photos)

➤ Fort Worth: An infant's body was recovered from the Trinity River on Sunday after a vehicle plunged into the water Saturday evening. First responders rescued a woman from the vehicle, and she remains in critical condition. (More)

➤ Harris County: Three siblings, ages 14, 15, and 16, were arrested after allegedly trying to kill their mother for turning off the wireless internet connection in their home. The teens reportedly grabbed kitchen knives and chased their mother out of the house and into the street. (See Details)

➤ Dallas: Sports commentator and broadcast journalist Bill Mercer died Sunday at the age of 99. Mercer, called the "Godfather of DFW sports broadcasting," was known for his play-by-play calls of Cowboys games in the 60s and wrestling events in 80s. (More)

➤ Austin: Glass fell from a downtown high-rise under construction on Saturday, prompting officials to shut down a nearby street. This marks the second time within a week that glass has fallen from the structure. (See Photos)

➤ Rusk: A laser-cut metal statue of Jim Hogg, Texas' 20th governor and a Rusk native, was unveiled Sunday by the Heritage Center of Cherokee County. Hogg was the first governor of Texas to be born in the state. (See Photo)

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➤ No. 1 seed Texas advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament with a 65-48 win over No. 8 seed Illinois yesterday. Texas is set to play No. 5 seed Tennessee, whom the Longhorns defeated 80-76 in their most recent matchup in January. (More)

➤ The Houston Rockets saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday at the hands of the Denver Nuggets—who were playing without three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Rockets guard Jalen Green scored 30 points in the 116-111 loss. (More)

➤ The Houston Texans have signed former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Trent Brown to a one-year $3 million contract to help fill the void created by the team's trade of Laremy Tunsil earlier this offseason. (More)

➤ No. 8 Texas baseball put together a huge series win over No. 2 LSU this weekend. Texas won the rubber match 6-2 on Sunday after jumping out to a 5-0 lead with runs in three of the game's first four innings. (More)

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➤ Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta, President Trump's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Italy, will resign as CEO of the holding company that includes Landry's, the Golden Nuggets Casinos, and the Houston Rockets if he is confirmed by the Senate. (More)

➤ Energy Abundance Development Corporation, a Houston company formerly known as Green Hydrogen International, unveiled plans for a proposed project dubbed Data City, a 5-gigawatt data center on 50,000 acres in Laredo. (More)

➤ The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo set an attendance record of 2.7 million over the previous three weeks, topping 2017's total of 2.6 million. The event also broke 11 auction records, including the $690,000 paid for the Reserve Grand Champion steer, Mike, exhibited by Jett Hale of Miami, Texas. (More)

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Join us in partnering with World Concern to help the most vulnerable in the Congo and in countries around the world where World Concern serves by providing life-sustaining nutrition, clean water, medication, and more with the love of Jesus. Every $27 dollars provides someone with these emergency essentials.

➤ A Southwest Airlines employee named Christina helped reunite a young girl with her stuffed dog after the girl's mother called to say it had been left in their rental car in Dallas. Christina returned Dog Dog to the girl, Luna, with a photo album of his adventures before the family's flight departed. (See Photos)

➤ Blake Shelton, Eric Church, and Lainey Wilson are set to take the stage at the 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will take place at The Star in Frisco on May 8. (More)

➤ Austin-based Exurbia Films is looking to sell the rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, and Austin native Glen Powell is reportedly interested in participating in a reboot of the horror film. (See Details)

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