Dick Polman To the shock of nobody, Speaker Mike Johnson has already proven himself to be a contemptible little man, pitching a crackpot deal to fund aid for Israel by swiping the money from the bolstered IRS program that cracks down on rich tax cheaters. Surely Johnson must know thatContinue Reading
Michael Reagan The world is nothing but murders, massacres and the threat of war. It’s gotten so bad, you wake up and ask, “Who died overnight?” Or “Whose rockets and bombs hit who this time?” I’ll go out on a limb here and blame most of the world’s turmoil andContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer On Oct. 7, Israel was attacked by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip. It was an act that horrified the world. Gunmen gunned down unarmed dozens at an outdoor concert, murdered elderly Holocaust survivors, and broke into homes to kidnap and slaughter civilians. The long list of atrocities committed cannotContinue Reading
Elwood Watson/Contributing Writer The nation and much of the world is reeling from the horrific and unsettling events that have occurred between Israel and Hamas. There’s also a war still going on in Ukraine, and looming overhead is the possibility the federal government may shut down in about a month.Continue Reading
Christine Flowers/Contributing Writer One of the very first pieces of verse that I ever memorized was this, from Pastor Martin Neimoller: “First they came for the Communists / and I did not speak out / because I was not a Communist. “Then they came for the Socialists / and IContinue Reading
School vouchers: not the best choice for all Texans Another special session for Texas lawmakers has been called. Why is our governor so determined to pass “school choice” vouchers? He’s appeasing donors whose agenda calls for dismantling public education. Vouchers will serve as a discount coupon for more affluent parentsContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer History knows well the story of John Hancock, the patriot from the American Revolution whose name is featured prominently on the Declaration of Independence. But there is another John Hancock who had his own adventures in war and politics. This John Hancock would travel to Texas, serve as a judgeContinue Reading
Tom Purcell/Contributing Writer President Biden is being dogged by a unique White House problem. About a week ago, Biden’s German Shepherd, Commander, bit a secret service officer — Commander’s 11th secret-service-officer biting since he moved to the White House. Commander must have been following the paw prints of Major, Biden’sContinue Reading
Michael Reagan/Contributing Writer From the first dumb question to the abrupt ending that caught everyone by surprise, the GOP presidential primary debate produced by the Fox Business channel was a total disaster. I know. I was there Wednesday night – in Row 5 of the Air Force One pavilion inContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer David G. Burnet became the President of the Republic of Texas on March 17, 1836, days after the new nation’s birth. His position was only an interim position, but the 47-year-old New Jersey native was overwhelmed with reports of military defeats and retreats. The newborn republic may not have survived. Burnet had not been electedContinue Reading
Tom Purcell/Contributing Writer The easiest way to write about the House Republicans’ purported impeachment probe of President Biden, a theatrical stunt launched with zero actual evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors, is to simply focus on MAGA mascot Kevin McCarthy – the hapless Speaker best described by the late saneContinue Reading
Michael Reagan/Contributing Writer Too bad Donald Trump won’t attend the second Republican presidential primary debate next week. His friends and enemies in the media will miss him and the high ratings he automatically generates, but he’s leading by a huge margin in the polls and he doesn’t need the TVContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer It is every parent’s worst nightmare. And it is a tragedy that still haunts a small East Texas town. On one terrible day in 1937, a school building in New London exploded, killing nearly 300 children. The oil industry had transformed Rusk County in a very short time since oil was first discovered in 1930. Oil workersContinue Reading
Tom Purcell/Contributing Writer I suppose it was just a matter of time before casual dress hit the U.S. Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has told the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms to no longer enforce the hallowed chamber’s informal dress code, which had required senators and their staffers to wear business attire.Continue Reading
Michael Reagan/Contributing Writer Thank God for Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana. I wish every major television and radio network in the country had covered what the smart and colorful Republican did in the Senate this week. As part of a hearing looking into the alleged threat to freedom posed byContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer Charles Culberson was part of an influential Texas political family. He would lead a notable career in his own right, serving two terms as governor and three terms in the U. S. Senate. Culberson was born in June 1855 in eastern Alabama. Shortly after he was born, his ambitious father, David B. Culberson, moved the family to Texas and setContinue Reading
Michael Reagan/Contributing Writer Almost a hundred years ago the great American author Sinclair Lewis wrote a political novel called “It Can’t Happen Here.” The 1935 book was a warning that what was happening then in Europe – the rise of fascism and Nazism – could come to America in theContinue Reading
Tom Purcell/Contributing Writer “Only bet what you can afford to lose.” That’s the message from the National Football League as its betting-company partners aggressively promote legal betting on pro football games. For years the NFL was adamantly against betting in sports. In 2012, reports the New York Post, the league’sContinue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer The days of the old frontier produced men whose legend grew bigger than the dusty plains. In those wild years where the West was still growing, who was in the right in the eyes of the law was often decided by who had the fastest gun. OneContinue Reading
Alvin New/ TxDOT Transporation Commissioner Texas has a lot to offer which includes over 80,000 highway lane miles. We also have worldclass rail and air facilities for freight and passengers. Nearly 2,000 people move here every day, steadily increasing the pressure on our infrastructure. That’s one of the reasons whyContinue Reading