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Saks reiterates: The downtown Neiman Marcus store will close.
DALLAS – D Magazine reports that in a statement shared with press just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Saks Global reiterated that it still plans to close the downtown Dallas Neiman Marcus store at the end of March, calling any claims to the contrary âmisleading.â That comes despite an announcement from Dallas leaders yesterday that the slice of land at the center of a ground lease snafu would be donated to the city. Saks initially said it would leave downtown after âa landlordâ terminated Neiman Marcusâ occupancy. In todayâs statement, Saks Global confirmed the landlordâs identity as Slaughter Partners.
âFrom as early as 2011 and as recently as December 2024, there have been several attempts to come to a commercially reasonable agreement with one of the Downtown store landlords, Slaughter Partners (Slaughter),â the statement reads. âIn November 2024, previous NMG leadership contacted the City of Dallas requesting assistance in the lease negotiations, during which city officials expressed concern about the store and its continued operation. Before this meeting, previous NMG leadership also discussed purchasing a portion of the land with Slaughterâs broker; however, Slaughter would not offer a price. Despite these efforts and engaging the city, all attempts to come to a commercially reasonable agreement were rejected by Slaughter, who terminated Neiman Marcusâ occupancy upon expiration of the lease.â Saks also says it hasnât received any documentation regarding the agreement between Slaughter and the city and feels it is unclear how the new agreement would affect the property and its other owners. The company alleges that the whole thing only became an option âafter Slaughterâs attempts to increase rent were unsuccessful.â Slaughter, Saks says, continued to demand above-market rate rents. âSaks Global inherited this lease issue from Neiman Marcusâ previous owners and worked in good faith to come to an agreement with the landlord,â Saks Global Properties CEO Ian Putnam said. The company acknowledges the city leadersâ desire to keep the store open and is willing to hear them out, but it ultimately needs to make decisions based on âwhatâs best for the future and our long-term success.â
Texas Senate approves ban on lottery courier services
AUSTIN – The Dallas Morning News reports that the Texas Senate on Thursday passed a bill to ban the use of courier services that facilitate the sale of Texas Lottery tickets. Senate Bill 28 by Republican Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood was approved 31-0 amid concerns that couriers have hurt the lotteryâs reputation. Courier services take orders online or through an app, buy lottery tickets from a retailer and send a scanned copy to the buyer, holding the ticket until the drawing is held. Couriers charge a fee to buy and manage the tickets, according to the Lottery Commission. The legislation next goes to the House, where state Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Prosper, has a companion bill. Shaheen also has a bill to abolish the lottery.
Speaking Thursday to the Senate, Hall said the Lottery Commission âcreated loopholes specifically to allow the use of telephone and internet group purchases, resulting in underage gambling and other changes to open the door wide for what the Legislature intended to be illegal gambling practices.â âThis bill is intended to send a strong message, not just to the Lottery Commission, but to all state agencies ⊠that have taken it upon themselves to defy legislation and create rules that clearly violate the word and the intent of legislation,â Hall said as he introduced his proposal. âSB 28 will not restore integrity to the Texas lottery. I donât even know if thatâs possible. But it will reiterate the responsibility we have given the commission to ensure lottery couriers and their licensed retail outlets are no longer able to operate in the state in language even they should be able to understand,â he said. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick hailed the unanimous vote as a step in protecting the lotteryâs integrity, saying Texans must have âfaith the game is not rigged.â âToday, the Senate made it clear that the first step in restoring public trust in the commission, if even possible, is to ban lottery couriers. The decision on whether the lottery will continue will be made in the coming days and weeks of the legislative session,â he said in a statement. The Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers lamented passage of the bill. âWe are disappointed that a pro-business state like Texas would consider shutting down companies that have for years followed the guidance and instruction of the Texas Lottery and honored the trust of millions of Texas customers,â the group said in a statement.
East Texas Rep says school choice will pass in State House
TYLER – Our news partner, KETK, reports that school choice may soon pass itâs final hurdle in the Texas House of Representatives. Governor Greg Abbott said that for the first time in our stateâs history, a school choice proposal has enough backing from representatives.
âI think House Bill Three is going to be one of the finest, if not the finest, school choice bill in America,â said State Rep. Brent Money (R) Greenville.
Money, who represents Hopkins and Van Zandt counties in Austin, said the bill will allow parents another option for education and should only affect the students and families who apply for the program.
âThere are strong protections, legal protections, the strongest in the state that say that this program cannot be used to change the way homeschoolers homeschool, private schoolers private school and itâs not going to change the public schools either,â Money said. Continue reading East Texas Rep says school choice will pass in State House
Texas measles outbreak grows to 146 cases, children and teens most impacted

(GAINES COUNTY, Texas) -- The number of measles cases associated with an outbreak in western Texas has grown to 146, according to new data released Friday.
Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, with 79 unvaccinated and 62 of unknown status. At least 20 people have been hospitalized so far, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Just five cases have occurred in people vaccinated with one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases with 70, followed by 46 cases among children ages 4 and under.
So far just one death has been reported in an unvaccinated school-aged child, according to DSHS. It marks the first measles death in the U.S. in a decade, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gaines County is the epicenter of the outbreak, with 98 cases confirmed among residents, according to DSHS. State health data shows the number of vaccine exemptions in the county have grown dramatically.
Roughly 7.5% of kindergarteners in the county had parents or guardians who filed for an exemption for at least one vaccine in 2013. Ten years later, that number rose to more than 17.5% -- one of the highest in all of Texas, according to state health data.
The CDC as separately confirmed 93 cases in eight states so far this year in Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Texas.
The total, however, is an undercount due to delays in reporting from states to the federal government.
The majority of nationally confirmed cases are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. Of the cases, 4% are among those who received one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) shot.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humans. Just one infected patient can spread measles to up to nine out of 10 susceptible close contacts, according to the CDC.
Health officials have been urging anyone who isn't vaccinated to receive the MMR vaccine.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two vaccine doses, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective. Most vaccinated adults don't need a booster.
Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to the highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
ABC Newsâ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Meth, marijuana seized after search of Henderson home
HENDERSON – Our news partner, KETK, reports that during a search of a Henderson home on Thursday, authorities reportedly found illegal narcotics and a firearm.
The Henderson Police Department said multiple agencies conducted a joint operation, executing a state search warrant at a home on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at around 7 a.m. The police department said they found methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a pistol. One person was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The police department has not released the identity of the person arrested.
Henderson PD was joined by the Kilgore Police Department, Rusk County Sheriffâs Office and the North East Texas Regional SWAT Team.
Man hospitalized after illegal burning in Smith County
WHITEHOUSE- A 35-year-old man was injured on Thursday while pouring gasoline on a controlled burn in Whitehouse.
The Smith County Fire Marshalâs Office responded to the 17000 block of Forest Lane in Whitehouse at around 1:41 p.m. According to our news partner, KETK, officials said the man was burning plastic household items, a toaster and aerosol cans. He was transported by helicopter to a local hospital for treatment after being issued a Class C Misdemeanor citation for illegal burning.
âSmith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue reminds residents to never use ignitable liquids when conducting controlled burn,â the Smith County Fire Department said.
Measles cases reported in New Jersey, Kentucky amid ongoing outbreak in Texas

(NEW YORK) -- More measles cases are being confirmed across the United States as health officials work to treat patients in an ongoing outbreak in Texas.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and the Franklin County Health Department announced on Wednesday a confirmed case of measles in an adult resident, the first in the state in two years.
The departments said the resident recently traveled internationally to an area where measles is spreading.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, health officials confirmed two new measles cases in Bergen County linked to a patient whose case was confirmed earlier this month.
Officials haven't found any links between the cases in Kentucky and New Jersey, and there's no evidence the cases in Kentucky or New Jersey are connected to the outbreak in Texas, which has so far sickened 124 people and led to one death in an unvaccinated school-aged child.
Kentucky health officials are now attempting to contact anyone the infected resident may have come into contact with. The resident attended a Planet Fitness in Frankfort on Feb. 17 while contagious, officials said.
"Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world," KDPH Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said in a statement. "Fortunately, measles can be prevented with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe and effective. Vaccines are an essential tool to keep children and adults safe and healthy."
An official briefed on the situation told ABC News on Thursday that the new cases in New Jersey are members of the same family and were not vaccinated. Because they are in the same family, public health officials are hopeful public spread will have been limited.
The original case tested positive after traveling internationally. The New Jersey Department of Health said people may have been exposed to measles if they visited Englewood Hospital's Emergency Department on Feb. 5.
Health officials said people who were exposed could develop symptoms until as late as March 6.
Also on Thursday, health officials in the Seattle area confirmed the first measles case so far this year in an infant in King County. The infant may have been exposed to measles during recent travel abroad, officials said. Last year, there were three measles cases in King County.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humans. Just one infected patient can spread measles to up to nine out of 10 susceptible close contacts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health officials have been urging anyone who isn't vaccinated to receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two vaccine doses, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective. Most vaccinated adults don't need a booster.
Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to the highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
ABC News' Matt Foster contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Law school project finds slavery citations still being used today
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) â An 1842 U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the kidnapping conviction of a white man who seized a Black family and forced them into slavery south of the Mason-Dixon line is still being cited in American jurisprudence, 160 years after enslaved people throughout the U.S. were freed.
Prigg v. Pennsylvania has been cited in 274 other rulings since then, according to the Citing Slavery Project at Michigan State University. They are among more than 7,000 direct citations of slavery-law precedents that continue to guide lawyers and judges, said the project’s director, law professor Justin Simard.
This research into the lasting impact of legal principles related to the ownership of other humans is a counterpoint to efforts by the Trump administration and elected officials in Republican-led states to remove references to America’s racial history and dictate what teachers can discuss in classrooms.
âBecause people are invested in trying to pretend that our history of slavery didnât happen and that its effects are not still with us,â Simard told The Associated Press, âI thought, what better way to prove that slavery had an influence on our legal system than using official legal sources?â
Citations show American jurisprudence is founded on slavery
Most of the slavery precedents concern how property rights were protected by the U.S. Constitution, which was written by wealthy property owners in an era when much of the young nationâs economy was powered by the buying and selling and sweat of enslaved people.
The Supreme Court made slavery’s importance to the America’s founding clear when it ruled that Pennsylvania’s anti-slavery law was an unconstitutional affront to the federal Fugitive Slave Act, and ruled in favor of Edward Prigg, who had forced Margaret Morgan and her children into slavery in Maryland.
The U.S. Constitution clearly granted âto the citizens of the slaveholding states the complete right and title of ownership in their slaves, as property, in every state in the Union, into which they might escape from the state where they were held in servitude,â the court wrote.
The slaveownerâs right to âthis species of propertyâ was so fundamental to the framers of the Constitution that without it, âthe Union could not have been formed,â the justices added.
Slavery became illegal when the 13th Amendment was adopted in 1865, but Prigg has been most often cited in the decades thereafter, mostly in cases involving property law, as guidance regarding the boundaries between state and federal power, Simard said.
How rulings are still shaped by slavery laws
The continuing use of such citations shows that slavery wasn’t just a historic stain that the 13th Amendment cleaned up â these precedents have an insidious effect on jurisprudence even today, said Leonard Mungo, a Michigan-based civil rights and employment discrimination attorney.
âThe unashamed use of human beings as property and as the foundation for the development of jurisprudence regarding property law is the same reason courts across this country rarely find violations of civil rights in employment and other contexts in its rulings and decisions,â Mungo said.
And it’s not like only minorities are affected: Prigg was cited in a 1989 Supreme Court decision overruling most of the $850,000 judgment awarded by a Texas jury to a white football coach who alleged that he was reassigned and demoted from a mostly Black high school because of his race.
Sometimes, slavery precedents are invoked in efforts to reaffirm civil rights. In a 2016 Iowa Supreme Court opinion, dissenting justices said people arrested but not yet formally charged with a crime must be allowed private in-person attorney consultations. Citing how Fugitive Slave Act enforcement shaped the Iowa Constitution, these justices said enslaved people were given the right of counsel â and so should an Iowa man accused of driving under the influence. They were outvoted, 4-3.
âDigging and diggingâ
Simard was doing research for his dissertation when he began compiling evidence that northern judges had cited slave cases in the 19th century. He discovered that these citations were more numerous, widespread and recent than he imagined.
âI kept digging and digging and digging and realizing that this wasnât something just one judge did or some very racist judge or something,â Simard said. âThis was just a basic feature of the legal system and it really shocked me, really surprised me.â
More than 12,000 slavery rulings have been identified to date by Simard’s team, which then searches for citations.
And yet many lawyers and judges are either unaware of these origins or donât think it matters that enslaved humans were the property in question, and consider them âjust like regular law,â Simard said. âNot only are we ratifying their treatment as property in the past but also continuing to treat them as property in the present.â
Noting how to move forward
Simardâs team successfully lobbied the editors of The Bluebook, a guide to citations used by the legal profession, to require case notations such as âenslaved partyâ or âenslaved person at issue.â
âI think just eliminating these cases is impossible,â Simard said. âI think the best approach that lawyers and judges can take is to be thoughtful when they find these cases and cite these cases and to consider whether the law that these cases stand for is still good or not.â
Dylan Penningroth, a professor of law and history at the University of California-Berkeley, agreed.
âThese slavery cases are everywhere,â Penningroth said. âHow are we ever going to get them all off the book? One answer is you donât really have to. If lawyers stop relying on these cases, they lose their power.â
Identifying those cases should keep their origins and intents on the minds of judges and litigators, according to Michigan Appeals Court Judge Adrienne Young. She said, âthe real harm is in failing to acknowledge the horrific history.â
The measles situation worldwide: Fewer vaccinations and more outbreaks
BANGKOK (AP) â The U.S. registered its first death from measles since 2015 this week, as a child who wasnât vaccinated died in a measles outbreak in Texas.
Normally, most U.S. cases are brought into the country by people who have traveled overseas. So far, Texas officials have reported 124 cases. New Mexico has reported nine.
Experts point to declining measles vaccination rates worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, most states now are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners â the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.
Britain reported 2,911 confirmed measles cases in 2024, the highest number of cases recorded annually, since 2012.
Measles cases in the United States last year were nearly double the total for all of 2023, raising concerns about the preventable, once-common childhood virus. Health officials confirmed measles cases in at least 18 states in 2024, including in New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago.
“Measles anywhere is a threat everywhere,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control say on their website.
Here’s a brief look at the global measles situation.
Are measles outbreaks common outside the U.S?
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 10.3 million people were infected with measles in 2023 and 107,500 died. Most were unvaccinated people or children younger than 5. Cases were most common in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia where incomes are low and health services insufficient.
In places where measles have largely been eradicated, cases have been spread by travelers from other countries.
While measles-related deaths declined slightly in 2023, the number of outbreaks increased. Major outbreaks took place in 57 countries in 2023, including India and Indonesia, Russia, Yemen and Iraq. The largest number of cases in 2023 was 311,500 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What is the impact of vaccinations?
The worldwide rate of childhood vaccinations has fallen in recent years, to 83% in 2023 from 86% in 2019, partly due to disruptions in immunization and health care due to the pandemic.
The WHO estimates that vaccination helped to prevent more than 60 million deaths worldwide between 2000 and 2023, as efforts to get the shots to more people ramped up. In 2000, 800,062 people are estimated to have died of measles. Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, major epidemics caused about 2.6 million deaths a year.
Measles is so highly infectious that 95% immunity is required to prevent epidemics, the WHO says. Put another way, it infects about 9 of 10 people exposed if they lack immunity.
What international efforts are underway to prevent epidemics?
The WHO and others are backing an effort called âImmunization Agenda 2021-2030,â to push for elimination of measles.
Independent experts declared the Americas free of endemic measles in 2016 but that status was lost in 2018 due to measles outbreaks in Brazil and Venezuela. Reduced vaccination rates are undermining efforts to fully eradicate the disease, experts say.
Global health organizations and other groups have increased their efforts to speed up immunization programs and close the gaps in prevention.
Florida ups the stakes for crimes by immigrants in the US illegally
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) â For most people in Florida, misdemeanor theft can result in up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. For an immigrant illegally in Florida, that same crime now carries a felony punishment of up to five years behind bars and a $5,000 fine.
The new laws in Florida come as President Donald Trump cracks down on illegal immigration. They impose harsher penalties for offenses committed by people illegally in the U.S. than for everyone else. The consequences are particularly stiff for first-degree murder, which now carries an automatic death sentence for anyone who is in the U.S. illegally.
While Florida is more aggressive than most, there are other states considering similar measures to enhance criminal penalties based on immigration status.
A deterrence, but is it constitutional?
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis says âFlorida will be safer and securer,â and a model for other states, because of its sweeping immigration laws.
The stiffer penalties are meant to be a deterrent, Republican state Rep. Lawrence McClure said.
âDonât come to the state of Florida illegally,â he said. âThatâs the premise.â
Some civil rights advocates and legal experts are raising alarm.
The laws are âleading into a head-on collision with the constitutional guarantee of equal protection to everyone who is in the United States,â said CĂ©sar CuauhtĂ©moc GarcĂa HernĂĄndez, a law professor at Ohio State University who specializes in immigration and criminal law.
Are mandatory death sentences allowed?
On his first day in office, Trump ordered a renewed emphasis on the death penalty. His executive order highlighted two particular grounds for it: murdering a law enforcement officer or committing any capital offense while in the U.S. illegally. But jurors and federal judges would still decide whether to impose the death sentence.
The U.S. Supreme Court in 1976 ruled North Carolina’s mandatory death sentence for first-degree murder violated the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. States since then have generally used court proceedings in which jurors first decide guilt, then weigh aggravating and mitigating factors when deciding whether defendants should be sentenced to death.
âThere is longstanding precedent making clear that mandatory death penalty laws are unconstitutional,â said Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
But Floridaâs new laws eliminate judicial discretion in certain cases. They require courts to impose a death sentence on defendants in the U.S. illegally who are found guilty of capital offenses such as first-degree murder or child rape.
Republican state Sen. Randy Fine acknowledged the legislation he co-sponsored will likely face a legal challenge, but he expects the Supreme Court to overturn its prior ruling.
âItâs almost 50 years later,” Fine said, adding, âThe Supreme Court changes its mind on things.â
More time for the same crime
Last year, DeSantis signed a law enhancing penalties for people who commit state felonies after being previously deported and convicted of illegal reentry under federal law. The measure increased sentences by one classification, meaning someone convicted of a third-degree felony typically punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine would instead be sentenced for a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The latest Florida laws apply similar sentencing enhancements to anyone in the U.S. illegally, regardless of any convictions for reentering, and apply the enhanced penalties to misdemeanors.
If the new laws get challenged, GarcĂa HernĂĄndez said, a court would likely look to a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The justices said Texas failed to show a substantial state interest for a law barring state school funding for children not âlegally admittedâ to the U.S. The high court cited the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which says a state shall not âdeny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.â
To defend Florida’s law, state attorneys would probably have to answer a similar question: âWhat is your compelling justification for treating individuals who are accused of a crime â the same crime â differently based solely on their citizenship status?â GarcĂa HernĂĄndez said.
Other states may follow Florida’s lead
Legislation pending in several states â including Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, South Carolina and Texas â would allow enhanced penalties for some state crimes committed by immigrants illegally in the U.S., according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.
A bill by Texas state Sen. Pete Flores would raise penalties one notch for most felonies committed by people in the U.S. illegally.
Flores, who is chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and co-founder of the Texas Hispanic Republican Caucus, described the legislation as âa common-sense, tough-on-crime response to enforce the rule of law and better protect Texans.â
Legislation that passed the Utah Senate and is now pending in the House takes a more narrow approach focused on theft and drug dealing. It would impose mandatory jail sentences, without the potential for early release, for repeat offenders who are lawful U.S. residents or for any offenders who were previously deported and then convicted in federal court of illegally reentering the U.S.
Republican state Sen. Cal Musselman said his legislation targets âa small group of individuals.â Law enforcement officers have told him they see âa clear connection between being deported multiple times, coming in, and committing crimes within the state.â
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Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.
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Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Woman arrested after cocaine, meth discovered during traffic stop
VAN ZANDT COUNTY â According to our news partner KETK, a traffic stop in Van Zandt County led to the arrest of a Canton woman for multiple drug related charges on Wednesday. While officers were searching the vehicle they reportedly found what was suspected to be marijuana along with suspected methamphetamine and a firearm inside of the car. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Terry Lawson of Canton. Lawson was arrested and charged for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Lawson was booked into the Van Zandt County Detention Center and has been released on bond. The case is still being investigated and officials said that Lawson is considered innocent until proven guilty.
âWe have a renewed emphasis on stopping illicit drugs in Van Zandt County and having a Drug Interdiction Team is just the first step,â Van Zandt County Sheriff Kevin Bridger stated.
High-speed chase ends in crash; one airlifted
VAN ZANDT COUNTY â One person was flown to a local hospital on Thursday after a high-speed chase started in Van Zandt County and ended in a crash according to our news partner KETK.
Delta County Sheriff Marshall Lynch said the Van Zandt County Sheriffâs Office started a pursuit but then lost the vehicle they were chasing down. The Rains County Sheriffâs Office reportedly found the vehicle and started the pursuit which then entered Delta County where deputies joined in the chase. According to Lynch, the chase continued on Texas State Highway 154 heading west at high speeds when the vehicle crashed near FM 1529.
The driver was removed from the vehicle by Delta and Hopkins County deputies along with local first responders. The injured driver was then flown by an Air Evac flight to a local hospital.
East Texas congressman meets with President Trump and Vice President Vance
TYLER â Congressman Nathaniel Moran had the opportunity to meet with President Trump and Vice President Vance to âincrease liberty and prosperity for all Americans.â
According to our news partner, KETK, Congressman Moran was in the Oval Office this week discussing the emphasis of joint efforts between House Republicans and the White House to âsecure the border, slash government waste, unleash American energy production and increase liberty for the American people.â
âIt was an honor to visit the White House this week to speak with President Trump and Vice President Vance,â Moran said. âDuring our meeting, President Trump laid out his vision to increase liberty and prosperity for all Americans â and House Republicans are hard at work to deliver on that vision.â
Whatâs next for the church of Peter?

Nuns pray for Pope Francis in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, where Pope Francis is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
As I write this, Pope Francis is in a hospital in Rome suffering with pneumonia and kidney failure. Thatâs not good news for an 88-year-old man. Francis could pull through and I hope he does. But in any case, his papacy will soon be over.
I was standing on a rain-soaked St. Peterâs Square on March 13, 2013, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio was introduced to the world as Pope Francis. A crowd of about 100,000 cheered as he gave his urbi et orbi blessing. All of us in the media scrambled to report that prior to his election, Bergoglio was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Early the next morning I sat in the ABC News Bureau in Rome and wrote the following to wrap up KTBBâs coverage.
Iâm not Catholic. Iâm a Methodist.
Still, I find myself rooting for the Catholic Church. Everyone who professes a Christian faith is descended from the church in Rome. For all the faults of the Roman Church, and they are numerous, at its core the Catholic Church has been an institution dedicated to elevating humans that they might become more worthy of their belief in having been created in Godâs own image. The Christian faith in general, and the Catholic Church in particular, has, among other things, chastened its believers. The authority of the church mitigated the baser instincts of man. The teachings of the church have sought to summon our better angels.
As the church has forfeited moral authority due to ineptitude and self-inflicted wounds such as the clergy abuse scandals, nothing really good has rushed in to fill the resulting vacuum.
I also believe that to the extent that the Roman Church suffers a loss of respect, that loss of respect negatively impacts all Christian congregations. For most of the world, Catholicism is Christianity.
Thus, I wish Pope Francis well. Iâd like to see the Catholic Church get some of its mojo back.â
The sad fact is that my wish was not granted.
I went on to say the morning after the election that Job One for the new pope was to re-evangelize Europe with an eye toward the same thing for the United States.
Mark 16:15 says, âGo into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.â
Much to my disappointment, too much of Francisâs preaching centered not on the gospels but on secular leftist causes such as climate change, transgenderism and unfettered illegal immigration. Pride flags and BLM flags in the sanctuaries of Catholic and other Christian churches served to distract from the dwindling numbers of parishioners in the pews.
European governments are now trying to figure out what to do about their own illegal immigration problem.
The fear is that Francis has packed the College of Cardinals with like-minded leftists who are likely to select another leftist pope.
The hope is that just as it did in our recent election, the pendulum will swing the other way.
For the sake of Christendom and the world, letâs pray that it does.