Free Republic

Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz has a 54 – 45 percent likely voter lead over U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, his Democratic challenger, in the Texas Senate race, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released today. This is the first survey of likely voters in this race by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll, and can not be compared to earlier surveys of registered voters. Among Texas likely voters who choose a candidate, 93 percent say their mind is made up. That includes 94 percent of Cruz backers and 92 percent of O’Rourke backers. Women are divided as 50 percent back...

Plans for Interstate 14 have been expanded, and the Texas Department of Transportation will have a say in how a portion of the project is executed. Rep. Brian Babin of Beaumont, who sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently submitted a bill that would extend I-14 to Mississippi and effectively would bring two brand new interstates to West Texas. Under the already-approved plan known as Ports to Forts, I-14’s western terminus would be at I-10 and U.S. Route 190, near Iraan. US 190 would be converted to I-14 to Brady, and the project would continue eastward. The Midland-Odessa...

(CNN)A US Border Patrol agent who authorities are calling a serial killer was arrested Saturday in the deaths of four people after a would-be fifth victim narrowly escaped harm and alerted a police officer. Juan David Ortiz, 35, confessed to killing four people between September 3 and September 15, according to a criminal complaint filed in Webb County, Texas. Ortiz was charged with four murder charges and one unlawful restraint with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Webb County District Attorney Isidro R. "Chilo" Alaniz. The bodies of four victims were found over the past two weeks, sheriff's...

The State Board of Education in Texas voted on Friday to eliminate several historical figures, including Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller, from the state's social studies curriculum. Barbara Cargill, a Texas Republican and member of the board, told The Dallas Morning News that "the recommendation to eliminate Helen Keller and Hillary Clinton was made by [Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills] work groups." "However the board did vote to agree with the work groups' recommendations," Cargill pointed out. "In speaking to teachers and testifiers, they did not mention these specific deletions." The decision made by the 15-member body reportedly came as...

A group of college students is working together with lawmakers and communities to try to make the route to locations throughout the southeast a little shorter by using Interstate 14 to connect Killeen, Texas, with Columbus, Georgia. The idea started when Frank Lumpkin was in high school, taking part in Youth Leadership Columbus. While taking part in the class, he said he realized that the city needed more infrastructure to succeed, and he said he has been working on the project ever since. “From the moment I saw this robust transportation network that linked the southern military instillations, would address...

Trump needs him. Texas needs him. If we are going to help Trump move his (our) conservative agenda, then we ALL need him. It would be absolutely insane to have any FReepers working against us on this critical point. O'Rourke would be a disaster for all of us. If you're going to badmouth Cruz, don't do it on FR! Go, Trump, GO!! Go, Cruz, GO!!

A controversial plan to oust a top Tarrant County Republican official because he’s Muslim was revived late Thursday. . . . . . This issue began flaring up again recently on social media, particularly when local Republican James Trimm posted an article he wrote — Has Tarrant County GOP turned its back on Israel? — on Facebook. He noted that Tarrant County is the largest red area across the state and nation and “If Tarrant County goes, so will go the state of Texas and the nation.” “If Dr. Shafi himself will publicly state that he will support Israel with...

A man in a bandana was killed a late night shootout at a Whataburger in Southwest Houston after walking in to the fast food restaurant and starting shooting, witnesses said. The man, whose identity has not been released, walked into the restaurant at 7629 W Bellfort about 1:o0 a.m. Saturday, possibly to rob the store and started shooting. ... Witnesses said the security guard returned fire, hitting the man who fled the restaurant. He died in the parking lot while trying to get to his car. Some witnesses said the man was not trying to rob the restaurant, but was...

A special perk for seniors at Austin’s Bowie High School is feeling like a punishment for some after the students said they were told to change — or were denied — the designs they wanted to paint on their reserved parking spots. One student, who asked to not be named, said Principal Mark Robinson told her to make it obvious her painting of the Taj Mahal was not a mosque. The student, who is from India, said the painting was previously approved by school staff well before school started, but Robinson only recently told her it was not allowed. Another...

Presidential Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-proclamation-national-hispanic-heritage-month-2018/ White House PROCLAMATIONS Presidential Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2018 Issued on: September 13, 2018 During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor all American citizens of Hispanic descent and celebrate their rich and vibrant traditions of faith, family, hard work, and patriotism. We are grateful for the innumerable contributions they make to our society, which are vital to our thriving Nation. We are especially grateful for the 1.2 million Hispanic-American men and women who have answered the call to serve in our Armed Forces, demonstrating remarkable loyalty, bravery, and dedication to duty. My...

The State Board of Education in Texas voted on Friday to eliminate several historical figures, including Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller, from the state’s social studies curriculum. Barbara Cargill, a Texas Republican and member of the board, told The Dallas Morning News that "the recommendation to eliminate Helen Keller and Hillary Clinton was made by [Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills] work groups.” “However the board did vote to agree with the work groups' recommendations,” Cargill pointed out. "In speaking to teachers and testifiers, they did not mention these specific deletions."

History curriculum in Texas remembers the Alamo, but could soon forget Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller. As part of an effort to "streamline" the social studies curriculum in Texas, the State Board of Education voted on Friday to change what students in every grade are required to learn in the classroom. They voted to remove several historical figures, including Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller. The board also voted to add back into the curriculum a reference to the "heroism" of the defenders of the Alamo, which had been recommended for elimination, as well as Moses' influence on the writing of...

Texas authorities have suspended a suburban Dallas notary for botching her role in Stormy Daniels’ agreement to stay silent about her alleged affair with President Donald Trump. The disciplinary action faults the Forney notary for not properly witnessing and documenting the porn star's’ signature on the agreement struck with Trump's personal attorney just days before the presidential election, according to records obtained Wednesday by The Dallas Morning News. But the Texas Secretary of State office said the notary’s sloppy work has no bearing on the legal validity of the hush-money deal, which is under intense scrutiny by U.S. prosecutors investigating...

A Pflugerville fugitive has been apprehended in Canada as he was attempting to flee to his home country of Nigeria, the U.S Marshals Service says. Olanrewaju Sodiq Fadairo, 28 is a Nigerian citizen who was a suspect in a sexual assault case. The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force coordinated with Canadian officials to extradite Fadairo from Montreal to Texas. The investigation into Fadairo began in October 2017, when it was learned that he was attempting to flee back to Nigeria. The Canadian government learned in August of that year that Fadairo had crossed the border into Canada. Fadairo...

City budget boosts spending for homelessness services The new city manager and City Council agree: The city needs more money to address the homelessness situation. The proposed Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget submitted by City Manager Spencer Cronk includes $3.1 million in new spending on homelessness-related services. That’s on top of the roughly $25 million of spending on such services that will continue from last year. Part of that proposed increase comes from the Watershed Protection Department, which has proposed hiring a contractor for an estimated $1 million over four years to clean up litter in creeks or drainage facilities that...

DALLAS - Following the shooting death of Botham Jean by the hands of Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger, multiple search warrants were executed at Jean’s apartment as part of the investigation. One of the warrants became a public record Thursday afternoon when it was returned to the judge who signed it. It was shortly after Jean’s funeral had ended. It listed several items found in Jean's apartment, including a small amount of marijuana.

The Texas State Board of Education appears to have decided the heroism of the Alamo is worth teaching to students after all. State politicians erupted in protest this month after a volunteer team of educators, looking for ways to “streamline” the state’s social studies curriculum, recommended scrubbing references to “all the heroic defenders” at the Alamo from classroom teaching plans. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, both Republicans, accused the panel of allowing the dictates of political correctness to run wild and demanded that Texans call the board to complain. Rep. Ted Poe showed up personally before the...

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Some Willie Nelson fans are seeing red after learning the country musician will be headlining a rally for Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke. Dozens of people weighed in on Willie's Facebook page Wednesday after he shared a story about the upcoming rally in Austin. While some people told Willie he needs to stay out of politics, others threw insults at the music legend. Still others applauded Willie's contribution to the 2018 campaign. The event is set for Sept. 29 at Austin's Auditorium Shores. Nelson is scheduled to perform alongside Joe Ely, Carrie Rodriguez, Tameca Jones and...

Four years ago a seemingly invincible US senator came within a percentage point of losing his seat in an unexpectedly close election. Mark Warner was pretty moderate as far as Democrats go, a good fit for a state, Virginia, that had drifted out of the Republican column in the last two presidential elections and just elected a full slate of Democratic statewide officials a year before. But midterms are when presidents and their parties get rebuked, and Warner, a telecom millionaire who had once been tipped as presidential contender, took his support for granted. The Republican, lobbyist Ed Gillespie, was...

Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) is hosting a private fundraising event in New York on Wednesday as he campaigns to unseat Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) in November. According to the event invitation, first obtained by CNBC, the campaign fundraiser will take place at the Cutting Room, a concert venue in Manhattan. Andy Cohen, host of the Bravo's late night show "Watch What Happens," will also be in attendance. The fundraiser comes as O'Rourke's senate race against Cruz tightens. A CBS Dallas-Fort Worth/Dixie Strategies poll from Wednesday shows Cruz's margin at 46 to 42 percent, with 9 percent undecided and a...