UPSHUR COUNTY – A student at the Union Hill ISD has been arrested after officials report the student made threatening remarks on campus. The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that due to the severity of the threats made, officials arrived on campus to make the arrest without incident. Our news partners at KETK report that The student has been charged with making a terroristic threat and is currently in the Upshur County Jail awaiting arraignment. No further information on the arrest was provided.
Federal judge orders release of family of man charged in Colorado firebomb attack
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release from immigration custody of the family of a man charged in a fatal 2025 firebomb attack in Boulder, Colorado, against demonstrators supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio said Hayam El Gamal and her five children can be released from a family immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, as long as El Gamal and her oldest child, who is 18, wear electronic monitoring. Biery denied the government’s request to stay his ruling so it could appeal. One of the family’s lawyers, Eric Lee, posted on X that they were released later in the day.
El Gamal was born in Saudi Arabia and is an Egyptian national. She and her family have been in immigration detention since June after her husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was accused of throwing two Molotov cocktails at people demonstrating for awareness of Israeli hostages in Gaza. An 82-year-old woman who was injured in the attack later died. El Gamal has said she was shocked by the attack.
Soliman is an Egyptian national who federal authorities say was living in the U.S. illegally. He is being prosecuted in both state and federal court for the attack, which prosecutors say injured a total of 13 people. Investigators say he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.” He has pleaded not guilty to state charges, including a murder charge, and federal hate crimes charges.
After the attack, the Trump administration claimed the family was being rushed out of the country. The White House said in social media posts that they “COULD BE DEPORTED AS EARLY AS TONIGHT” and that six one-way tickets had been purchased for them, with their “final boarding call coming soon.”
Biery decided to release the family even though an immigration appeals court had dismissed their case to stay and issued a deportation order for them. That came after a federal magistrate judge recommended on Monday that they should be released.
Lawyers for the family claim the deportation order was directed by the “political leadership” in Washington, which the government’s lawyer, Anne Marie Cordova, denied. People who have final deportation orders are normally subject to mandatory detention.
In a statement, acting assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis criticized Biery’s ruling.
“Despite receiving full due process and a final order of removal, this activist judge appointed by Bill Clinton is releasing this terrorist’s family onto American streets,” Bis said.
Biery had barred the family from being deported until he could hold Thursday’s hearing. One of the family’s lawyers, Chris Godshall-Bennett, told Biery they will also ask the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to stop the family from being deported while they seek asylum and permission to remain in the United States.
Another federal judge blocked their immediate removal after the attack. Since then, the family has tried several times to be released on bond and return to Colorado while their asylum application is considered.
The magistrate judge recommended this week that they be released after their attorneys argued they have not been treated fairly in immigration proceedings.
Students ingest suspected drug laced gummies
RUSK COUNTY — Authorities are investigating after an East Texas student was hospitalized on Wednesday for consuming suspected drug?laced gummies. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred on a West Rusk CCISD school bus, where at least one student ate gummies believed to be laced with an unknown substance. The student was taken to the hospital, treated and later released.
The district says it is cooperating fully with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office as the investigation continues. “West Rusk CCISD focuses on the safety and security of our students at all times. As the investigation is conducted and completed, that information will be shared,” the district said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that the gummies have not yet undergone drug testing, so their contents remain unverified. Continue reading Students ingest suspected drug laced gummies
ISDs get $1.28M grant for autism support
BULLARD – Bullard and Winnsboro ISD were both awarded state grants this week to help support students with autism. Both districts were selected by the Texas Education Agency to receive the grant, which will provide $530,000 in the first year and $750,000 in the second year to help expand support for students with autism.
According to our news partner KETK, the grant will allow both districts to install the following initiatives that will provide support to autistic students while also providing tools to educators to create a better learning environment: Increasing opportunities for students to learn in inclusive classrooms, using proven, research-based teaching strategies, offering more resources and training opportunities for parents and providing additional training for teachers and staff.
“We are so excited about what these grant funds will allow us to do to better serve our students with autism,” Bullard ISD Director of Special Education and 504 Director Shelley Tiner said. “By working together, our districts are building a strong model that best supports our students and families.”
Judge pushes back against assault allegation
JEFFERSON — An East Texas judge is disputing accusations that he assaulted both a minor and an adult at a 2025 Halloween party, casting scrutiny on the timing of the adult’s complaint, which surfaced months after the incident. According to our news partner KETK, Marion County Judge Leward LeFleur, who ran uncontested in the March 3 Republican Primary, was first accused of a Class C assault misdemeanor against the minor at a fall 2025 party. After the county recused itself, the case was handed to the Morris County District Attorney’s Office.
The City of Jefferson was then handed the case for review, where acting Jefferson City Attorney George Hyde requested additional information on the allegation from the Jefferson Police Department. There, they discovered a second assault that an adult alleged happened at the same Halloween party.
“After receiving this information, it revealed additional information regarding the alleged assault and included information and a new complaint against Judge Lafleur arising from the same event and which occurred close in time to the alleged assault,” a statement from Hyde’s office said. Continue reading Judge pushes back against assault allegation
Lufkin Click2gov not available this weekend
LUFKINS – The City’s Click2Gov online payment system will be unavailable this weekend due to a scheduled software upgrade by its vendor. The system is expected to be down for most or all of the day Saturday at least. Joshua Gentry, IT digital content manager for the City of Lufkin, stated the city appreciates citizens’ patience while this upgrade is completed.
Fatal crash under investigation
UPSHUR COUNTY – The Texas Department of Public Safety has released details of a two vehicle accident that killed a Longview nurse practitioner and a Longview ISD teacher last weekend. According to the DPS, the collision occurred early Sunday morning in the Diana area involving Longview ISD teacher Kimberly Law and Hospitality Health ER nurse practitioner Joel Mack.
Law was allegedly driving south on the northbound lane of U.S. 259 when she struck Mack’s vehicle, who was driving north in the same lane an initial investigation revealed. Law was pronounced dead at the scene and Mack was transported to a local hospital for his injuries.
DPS said Mack has since died from his injuries sustained in the accident.
US stocks fall on a shaky Wall Street as Brent oil briefly barrels above $107
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks pulled back from their record heights on a shaky Wall Street Thursday following mixed profit reports from Tesla and other big companies. Oil prices, meanwhile, jumped on worries about what will happen next in the war with Iran.
The S&P 500 fell 0.4% and halted a weekslong rally that had erased all its losses because of the war and then carried it to all-time highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 179 points, or 0.4%, while the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.9% from its own record.
Tesla helped drag the market lower after sinking 3.6% even though it reported better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Investors focused instead on a big jump in Tesla’s forecast for spending this year, as it builds factories to make robots and other products.
“You should expect to see a very significant increase in capital expenditures,” Elon Musk told investors late Wednesday, “but I think well justified for a substantially increased future revenue stream.”
ServiceNow dropped even more, 17.7%, even though its results for the latest quarter matched analysts’ expectations. The company has been under pressure, along with much of the broad software industry, because of worries that rivals powered by artificial-intelligence technology could undercut its business.
In the oil market, prices leaped as uncertainty built about what will happen with the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire is still in place between the United States and Iran, but oil tankers in the Persian Gulf aren’t able to get through the narrow waterway off Iran’s coast and deliver crude to customers.
The U.S. military on Thursday seized another tanker associated with the smuggling of Iranian oil, a day after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards took control of two vessels in the strait. President Donald Trump also said Thursday he ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” Iranian boats that deploy mines to gum up traffic in the strait.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June rose 3.1% to settle at $105.07 and at one point topped $107. That peak coincided with a sudden drawdown for stocks, and the S&P 500 fell as much as 1.3% before it almost as instantly erased half the loss.
The price for a barrel of Brent to be delivered in July, which is the more popular contract for traders, settled at $99.35 after getting as high as $101.
More expensive oil has hurt airlines in particular because of the industry’s big fuel bills, and stocks diverged in the industry following the latest profit reports.
American Airlines Group rose 2.4% after reporting better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. American said demand was strong for flights, and it saw the nine best weeks for revenue intake in its 100-year history.
Southwest Airlines lost 4.1% after reporting weaker quarterly results than analysts expected. It said it would not give an updated forecast for profit this year because of “the ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty.”
Also on the losing end of Wall Street was IBM, which sank 8.3% despite reporting better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than expected. Investors focused on potentially discouraging numbers underneath the surface, including decelerating growth in trends for its software business.
Paramount Skydance fell 4.5% after Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved selling the business to Paramount. Warner Bros. Discovery sank 1.6%.
Texas Instruments helped limit Wall Street’s losses after breezing past analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. CEO Haviv Ilan said the semiconductor company is benefiting from growth led by industrial and data center customers, and its 19.4% leap was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500.
All told, the S&P 500 fell 29.50 points to 7,108.40. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 179.71 to 49,310.32, and the Nasdaq composite sank 219.06 to 24,438.50.
In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe and Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.9%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 sank 0.7% for two of the bigger losses.
South Korea’s Kospi climbed 0.9% after the government reported better-than-expected economic growth for the start of the year, boosted by strong exports, particularly of computer chips used in the AI boom. Semiconductor supplier SK Hynix said its revenue for the latest quarter jumped more than analysts expected largely because of AI-related demand.
In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury erased an early dip and rose to 4.32% from 4.30% late Wednesday as oil prices accelerated.
A report in the morning said slightly more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, but the number is still at a historically healthy level. A separate, preliminary report on U.S. business output from S&P Global also suggested growth is improving a bit from its near-stagnation seen in March.
David Rancken’s App of the Day 04/23/26 – AlfredCamera Home Security!
Can your old smartphones make a security system? Yes! You need to check out David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called AlfredCamera Home Security. You can get AlfredCamera Home Security in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
Man jailed for child pornography
RUSK COUNTY – A cyber tip from the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children lead to the arrest of an East Texas man possessing child pornography on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK and the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for 35-year-old Christopher Smith II of Mount Enterprise following the cyber tip. A search warrant was also obtained to locate any additional child pornography he may have in his possession.
The sheriff’s office and a Texas Department of Public Safety officer who specializes in digital forensics executed the search warrant at Smith’s home. Smith was taken into custody and several items were seized as evidence, the sheriff’s office said. Smith is currently in the Rusk County Jail under a $65,000 bond for his possession of child pornography charge. According to the sheriff’s office, the case is still under investigation and may result in additional charges.
Unforgivable.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Donald Trump is a polarizing figure. (In other news, it gets hot in Texas in the summer.)
More than any recent president, Donald Trump evokes a visceral reaction among a large proportion of voters. Millions of people – disproportionately concentrated in coastal states – despise the man.
A big reason is his outsized, brash personality that is unlike that of any politician in our time. Since the 2015 escalator ride that kicked off his first campaign, we have observed his penchant for incendiary statements, insulting personal attacks and often outlandish exaggeration. To a significant degree, Donald Trump himself has contributed to much of the animus against him. (To be fair, many of these characteristics have been greatly muted in his second term.)
But for my money, one of the biggest and most consistent contributors to Trump hatred is the corrupt and fundamentally dishonest legacy media. Shrinking in size, scope and influence as the legacy media are, a meaningful percentage of Americans still rely solely on the likes of ABC, CBS, NBC, et. al. for their news. In the same way that the diet of a college kid is carb heavy, the news diet of a legacy media consumer is agenda heavy. Members of the legacy media almost to a person see it as their civic and sacred duty not to merely report on what Donald Trump does and allow readers and viewers to form their own conclusions. They see themselves instead as specially charged with saving the republic from him. Example: If Trump vigorously prosecutes attacks on Iran, the media says he’s a “war criminal.” If he extends a ceasefire, they say he’s a “TACO” (i.e. Trump Always Chickens Out.)
The once-trusted legacy media are using the last shards of the credibility they once enjoyed to intentionally and shamelessly lie about Trump, his policies and his accomplishments.
And there’s a key word: accomplishments. They are many.
Since taking office for his second term, Trump has essentially stopped illegal immigration. Not slowed it down. Stopped it. It’s a campaign promise kept.
Another campaign promise: energy independence. The president has unleashed the American oil & gas industry in way that is completely reshaping the world geopolitical landscape for the long term in America’s favor. (It’s worth noting that in times not so long past, a war in Iran and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz wouldn’t have simply caused gas prices to go up, as has happened. There would have been gasoline lines.)
Some agenda-laden reporting to the contrary notwithstanding, very soon Trump will have completed the neutralization of a terroristic, nuclear weapons-seeking Iran – a regime that vexed seven prior administrations while holding the entire world hostage.
All of this while lowering the tax burden on every single American taxpayer.
There’s more, but space doesn’t permit.
The real knock on Trump boils down to this. The man has had the temerity to actually take on and solve problems that establishment politicians – of both parties – merely fundraise on.
In the realm of high-level Washington politics, that’s simply unforgivable.
UK passes bill that will eventually ban cigarette purchases
LONDON (AP) — Opponents of smoking got a breath of fresh air as Parliament passed a bill that will put cigarettes out of reach for future generations.
“The end of smoking, and the devastating harm it causes, is no longer uncertain — it’s inevitable,” Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said after a decades-long campaign in favor of legislation approved Tuesday.
Children born after Dec. 31, 2008, will be banned from ever buying cigarettes under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
The legislation that needs approval by King Charles III — a formality — before taking effect will also allow the government to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including flavors and packaging.
It is currently illegal to sell cigarettes, tobacco products or vapes to people younger than 18. But most youths today will continue to face a ban their entire life as the minimum age to buy cigarettes rises each year.
The passage gives the U.K. one of the toughest antismoking measures in the world. The law is similar to one New Zealand lawmakers passed in 2022, but that was repealed by a subsequent government.
The number of people who smoke in Britain has declined by two-thirds since the 1970s, but some 6.4 million people — or about 13% of the population — still smoke, according to official figures.
Authorities say smoking causes some 80,000 deaths a year in the U.K, and remains the number one preventable cause of death, disability and poor health.
“Children in the U.K. will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Health Secretary Wes Streeting said.
Chief makes plea for road safety
TATUM – A safety concern along a stretch of highway in East Texas is getting attention after the Tatum police chief made a public plea for action. The concern is along State Highway 149, from the city limits traveling south to Tatum Middle School, where on Tuesday, an 18-wheeler hydroplaned into oncoming traffic before slamming onto school property.
Continue reading Chief makes plea for road safety
Interstate crash involving 18-wheeler
SMITH COUNTY – Traffic along Interstate 20 entering Lindale is back open after an 18-wheeler crash backed up traffic for miles. Our news partner KETK reports that the crash happened around 5:30 p.m. on I?20 between U.S. 69 and FM 14. DPS officials reported that a pickup truck carrying a camper lost control on the interstate and an 18?wheeler struck the camper from behind. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.
Acting AG Todd Blanche signs order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as less dangerous drug
(WASHINGTON) -- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order on Thursday reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
The order moves marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, putting state-licensed medical marijuana in the same category as some pain medications, ketamine and testosterone.
Schedule I drugs are defined as "drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" while Schedule III drugs are defined as "drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence," according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
While this change aligns federal guidelines with many state laws, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. It does not remove cannabis from the federal controlled substance list, legalize recreational use nationwide or allow unregulated sales similar to tobacco and alcohol.
However, the move could allow for expanded research and ease many of the tax and regulatory rules placed on the cannabis industry.
"These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana's safety and efficacy, expanding patients' access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions," Blanche wrote in a statement on X.
President Donald Trump announced late last year that his administration would seek to reclassify marijuana, but not legalize it for medical or recreational use under federal statutes. Over the weekend, the president appeared to express frustration that the administration was slow-walking the effort.
Blanche said the Justice Department and DEA will begin the process of potentially reclassifying all marijuana to Schedule III. The DEA is planning to hold a hearing in late June.
"The new hearing ... will provide a timely and legally compliant pathway to evaluate broader changes to marijuana's status under federal law," according to a press release from the Justice Department.
The process of reclassifying marijuana began under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
In October 2022, Biden asked then-Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra and then-Attorney General Merrick Garland "to initiate the administrative process to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law."
The HHS in August 2023 made a recommendation to the DEA to move medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.
In May 2024, the Justice Department announced Garland had submitted a notice of proposed rule-making to move medical marijuana to Schedule III, with DEA announcing in August 2024 that a hearing would be held on the proposal.
That hearing was scheduled to begin on Jan. 21, 2025, but was postponed about a week before by a judge.
Marijuana is the most widely used federally illegal drug in the country. Nearly one in five Americans -- 52.5 million people -- reported using it at least once in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
So far, 24 states and the District of Columbia have fully legalized recreational marijuana for adults, allowing adults aged 21 and older to possess, use and, in most cases, cultivate small amounts of cannabis, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Although cannabis may have potential medical uses, it has also been associated with mental health problems, impaired driving, and lung and heart conditions. About three in 10 cannabis users will develop cannabis use disorder, meaning they are unable to stop using cannabis even though it's causing health and social problems, according to the CDC.
Cannabis use directly affects the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention and decision-making, the CDC says.
The CDC also cautions that it can cause harm to brain development in young people and use during pregnancy may be linked to lower birth weight and possible developmental effects.
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