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Israeli raid of famous Palestinian bookstore stokes censorship fears

Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

(JERUSALEM) -- Two Palestinian men found themselves handcuffed and in shackles, detained by Israeli police in a Jerusalem courtroom. To an outside observer, they may have appeared to be criminals; however, the reality of their situation was far more troubling. Their so-called "crime"? Simply selling books.

Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmad were arrested after Israeli police raided their family-owned Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem and confiscated books.

"Jerusalem District police officers have arrested two residents of East Jerusalem suspected of selling books containing incitement and support for terrorism at bookstores in Jerusalem," Israeli police said in a statement.

The statement continued: "During a focused operation by detectives from the David subdistrict, searches were conducted at two bookstores suspected of selling books with inciting content. The suspects who allegedly sold the books were taken into custody by police detectives. As part of the investigation, detectives discovered numerous books containing inciteful material with nationalist Palestinian themes, including a children's coloring book titled 'From the River to the Sea.'"

Ahmad and Mahmoud are both in their 30s. While they are no longer under house arrest, they are still banned from entering the bookstores they know and love, despite not being charged with any crimes.

"It was heartbreaking for me," Ahmad said. "And I mean, I really mean it, every time he chucks the books out, I was like, 'for God's sake, like, why are you doing this?'"

Security footage from the store shows the moment when plainclothes officers raided the men's well-known bookstore in predominantly Muslim East Jerusalem. The officers sifted through the shelves, took photos, and stuffed some books into plastic bags.

Ahmad and Mahmoud were placed under house arrest for five days, following approximately 48 hours in police custody.

"Google Translate became handy," Ahmad said. "Each of them opened their phone and started taking photos of the books and trying to Google translate it. Does it have the Palestinian flag? Does it have a drawing, does it have the image of the [West Bank] wall? Then the search became about the contents. But the decision was made according to the cover and the design of the book rather than what's inside it."

The children's coloring book titled "From the River to the Sea," cited in the police statement, serves as a rallying cry for some activists advocating for the liberation of Palestinians from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, an area that includes modern-day Israel. Many consider it offensive code for wiping Israel off the map, as Hamas has vowed to do.

The owners claim that the book was not on display; it was in the back where they review all submitted books before putting them up for sale.

"Nothing has changed about the books," Ahmad said. "Nothing has changed about the bookshop. But what has changed is the place that we live in. That's what have changed. We live in a place that in the last few years have become more radical."

Ahmed and Mahmoud are only one floor apart, but for a period were not allowed to interact due to the terms of their arrests. Their bookshops, which have been operating for more than 40 years, have become vital hubs for the community.

People gather at their local bookshop, including residents, foreigners, journalists and diplomats, to learn more about this region and beyond.

While there are many books about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the shop also offers a diverse selection of literature from around the world, including classics, encyclopedias, cookbooks and books on architecture.

"The bookshop represents success, lights, (and) beauty," Mahmoud said. "Some sort of happiness in the midst of bleakness. And once you step into the bookshop, it's very colorful, it's very bright, there's lots of light, there's lots of knowledge, there's lots of good conversations. So for the community, the way they describe it often is that this is almost a refuge. This is a place to escape to."

Family member Murad Muna is now running the store after it was briefly closed. He says the Israeli police took a lot of merchandise, about 100 books.

"They try to shut down the Palestinian voices," Murad Muna said. Regarding some of the confiscated books, he said, “You can find them at the library of the Hebrew University. You can find them at the bookshops on the other side of the city. So they just target the Palestinian culture and try to shut it down."

Following pardon, Hunter Biden is mired in debt and without a permanent home, court filing says

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, FILE

(WASHINGTON) Hunter Biden may have his freedom, but the son of former President Joe Biden now finds himself mired in debt, without a permanent home, and the target of ongoing attacks from the current president, Donald Trump, and his allies on Capitol Hill, according to a court filing.

In court papers filed Wednesday, Hunter Biden asked a federal judge to dismiss his lawsuit against online provocateur Garrett Ziegler because he "does not have the financial resources to continue litigating this case."

Amid lagging sales of his art and his memoir, the younger Biden remains "several million dollars" in debt after fighting multiple federal criminal cases, claiming in an affidavit that he only sold one painting for $36,000 since late 2023, after selling 27 paintings in the previous couple of years at an average price of nearly $55,000.

"Given the positive feedback and reviews of my artwork and memoir, I was expecting to obtain paid speaking engagements and paid appearances, but that has not happened," Hunter Biden wrote Wednesday.

He said that his "lack of financial resources has been exacerbated by the fires in the Pacific Palisades in early January, which has rendered my rental house unlivable for an extended period of time and, like many others in that situation, I am having difficulty in finding a new permanent place to live."

A person close to Hunter Biden told ABC News that his rental did not burn down, but that immense damage to the surrounding properties had limited his access to his residence.

The affidavit chronicles a series of hardships since his father's departure from office. Weeks before Trump's inauguration, then-President Biden pardoned his son shortly before two federal judges were scheduled to sentence him for a pair of criminal convictions in Delaware and California, for which he faced the possibility of substantial prison time.

Hunter Biden has acknowledged taking out millions of dollars in loans from Kevin Morris, a Hollywood attorney who largely bankrolled Hunter Biden's legal defense over the past five years. In congressional testimony last year, Morris said he expected Hunter Biden to repay those loans beginning in 2025, though it was not clear from the affidavit whether those loan repayments have begun.

Hunter Biden and his legal team are evaluating whether to continue litigating a handful of other lawsuits he filed in recent years against purveyors of his infamous laptop on a "case by case basis," Hunter Biden wrote in Wednesday's filing. Ziegler did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

One of those suits targets Patrick Byrne, the founder of Overstock.com and an avid supporter of President Trump. Hunter Biden sued Byrne in late 2023 for defamation for falsely accused Hunter Biden of trying to bribe Iran while his father was president -- a claim that Hunter Biden said has subjected him to "harassment, intimidation, and harm." Byrne has fought the defamation claim in court.

The trail in the case has been repeatedly delayed amid a protracted dispute over depositions from Byrne and an FBI agent that has thrown a wrench into the proceedings.

Byrne's attorneys claim in court papers that Byrne fled to Dubai after he was told by U.S. officials "that the Venezuelan government has a $25,000,000 bounty on his head," and said he preferred a deposition over Zoom "out of concern for his personal safety." The parties ultimately agreed to a remote deposition in December that was expected to span seven hours over the course of three days, though it was unclear from the court docket when exactly the deposition occurred.

In court filings as part of that case, Hunter Biden has echoed his claims of financial hardship. He claimed that because of Byrne's defamatory statements, he has suffered "lost economic opportunities" to the tune of nearly half a million dollars, citing lost memoir sales, lost art sales, and lost speaking opportunities.

Hunter Biden's legal team has also subpoenaed the FBI, demanding testimony and documents from an agent whom Byrne claimed on social media could corroborate Byrne's allegations against the younger Biden. But the FBI has so far rebuffed those efforts, and on Monday the Justice Department filed a motion in federal court in Washington, D.C., urging a federal judge there to quash the subpoena.

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden remains squarely on the minds of Trump and his loyalists in Congress. As one of his first acts in office, Trump signed an executive order revoking security clearances for 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter asserting that the emergence of data from Hunter Biden's laptop in the weeks leading up to the 2020 election bore similarities to prior Russian misinformation operations.

During a heated Oval Office confrontation between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week, Trump repeatedly invoked Hunter Biden's name as part of a lengthy diatribe about the Russia investigation led by Robert Mueller:

And on Tuesday, two top Republican lawmakers invited IRS whistleblowers who revealed details of Hunter Biden's tax filings as guests at Trump's Joint Address to Congress.

The person close to Hunter Biden told ABC News that the former president's son will continue pursuing his art career and plans to devote himself to initiatives meant to help people struggling with addiction. And despite the sentiments in his affidavit, Hunter Biden remains in "a good place to rebuild his life," the person said.

California driver and dog rescued after spending night trapped in crushed truck

(CALIFORNIA) -- A California man and his dog were rescued on Wednesday after spending the night trapped in a crushed pickup truck along a highway in the northern part of the state, according to the California Highway Patrol.

At approximately 10:03 a.m. Wednesday, a motorist traveling along Highway 89 — three miles north of Calpine, California — called 911 after passing by the wreckage, "but was unsure if anyone was in the vehicle," the Sierra County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Since police were not certain of the condition of the driver, paramedics, the local fire department and California Highway Patrol accompanied a sheriff's deputy to the scene, officials said.

Upon arrival, first responders found the pickup truck approximately "30 feet down the hillside along Highway 89," the sheriff's office said.

Inside the vehicle, authorities found "one single occupant and a dog," the sheriff's office said.

The driver told officials he "crashed the day before around 2 p.m. and had spent the night in the truck," even admitting to officials that "he just wasn't paying attention and went off the road," according to highway patrol.

The Sierra County Fire Department contacted the U.S. Forest Service and Graeagle Fire for assistance in extracting the driver from the wreckage, the sheriff's department said.

After an hour of "meticulous work," the driver was removed from the vehicle and taken to the hospital with "moderate injuries," the sheriff's office said.

"It was a pleasure working with Sierra County Fire — Calpine in the successful extrication of a complicated situation. Wishing the patient a full and speedy recovery," Graeagle Fire Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

The dog appeared to not have any injuries and is currently "being cared for by a friend of the driver," the sheriff's office said.

Upon investigation, authorities said they believe the driver had been trapped inside the car for neatly 22 hours before being discovered by the motorist.

The cause of the crash is currently being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.

After this situation, California Highway Patrol urged people to remember "the responsibility we all have to each other when operating these rolling hunks of metal," the agency said in a statement.

Suspects who posed as city workers sought in armed home invasion: Police

(BOSTON) -- Police in Boston are searching for two suspects who allegedly posed as city workers in an armed home invasion.

The Boston Police Department released images of the unknown male suspects, who are accused of attempted robbery and burglary, according to the incident report.

The incident occurred at an apartment in the Dorchester neighborhood on Monday afternoon, police said.

"The suspects allegedly posed as city workers to gain entry into an elderly victim’s residence, where they restrained the victim, placed duct tape over their mouth, and brandished a black firearm," the Boston Police Department said in an alert on Wednesday.

The suspects knocked on the victim's door and forced their way in after he opened it, according to the incident report. One of the suspects was wearing a neon yellow construction worker jacket and white hard hat at the time, police said.

Once inside, one of the suspects attempted to tie the victim's ankles together with a clear plastic bag while the other attempted to place duct tape over his mouth, according to the incident report.

When the victim broke free of the plastic bag, one of the suspects "brandished a black firearm and pointed it directly at his head," the incident report stated.

The suspect also threw a fan at the victim after the victim pushed him to the side of a bed during a struggle, according to the incident report.

Both suspects ultimately fled the apartment, according to the incident report.

The victim sustained bruising on both of his hands and wrists, light bruising on his face and several cuts on his right ear, according to the incident report. He declined medical assistance from Boston EMS, preferring to go to his own doctor, the report stated.

Security camera footage showed the two suspects entering the apartment building at about 4:24 p.m. Monday and going to the door of the apartment, then exiting from a rear staircase at approximately 4:30 p.m., according to the incident report.

Both suspects were wearing black masks, police said. One of the suspects was also wearing a red knit Red Sox hat, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-494-TIPS.

More than 30 people sentenced for Angelina County meth trafficking ring

ANGELINA COUNTY – More than thirty people have been sentenced to federal prison for their connection to an Angelina County methamphetamine distribution ring, according to the Department of Justice.

On Monday, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas Abe McGlothin, Jr. announced the sentences of 34 people from Lufkin, Houston, Louisiana and Florida who were targets of a five-year long investigation into the trafficking of methamphetamine in East Texas.

The investigation was started by Angelina County law enforcement in 2019, according to McGlothin. Our news partner, KETK, has compiled a complete list of the 34 people that have been sentenced for various crimes, including conspiracy to distribute, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

To view the list in its entirety, click here. Continue reading More than 30 people sentenced for Angelina County meth trafficking ring

A great country should expect better.

Rep. Al Greene, D-Texas, disrupts President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, and is escorted out. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Since President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday evening, much has been written and said about the Democrats’ childish behavior in the House chamber. I kept picturing a two-year-old flinging her cereal bowl from the tray of her highchair. It was all embarrassing, beneath the dignity of the institution and ultimately pointless.

Others have given a detailed recounting. Permit me only to add that I lament that Al Greene is from Texas.

Instead, let’s just say that if you can’t applaud for bringing a moment of sunshine into the life of a 13-year-old boy who otherwise lives under the constant dark cloud of brain cancer, there’s something truly wrong with you.

So long as Democrats keep doubling down on stupid with their silly tantrums and their ad nauseum characterizations of Trump as Hitler and his supporters as racist, bigoted, homophobic, uncultured Neanderthals, the prospects for Republican electoral success will be bright. The Democrats’ far left lunacy may still play well in the cloistered coastal enclaves where elite liberals tend to cluster. But it appalls people in the heartland of the country. Democrats are losing the people who feed us, defend us, fix our machines, stock our shelves, clean up after us, pay their taxes and do their best to raise responsible children. Many in that great middle-of-the-country, middle-of-the-political-road-cohort once voted Democrat. It was their votes for Donald Trump that made the critical difference last November.

Conservative pundits might look upon the Democrats’ self-immolation as good news. And in the short term, they’re probably right.

But in the bigger picture – the picture that includes the long-term health of the republic – I’m one who looks upon the Democrats and wishes they’d get better.

A healthy society needs robust competition in the marketplace of ideas. Businesses and organizations that don’t face worthy competition become complacent and lazy. Political parties that lack principled competition become vulnerable to their own excesses.

The Dallas Cowboys of the mid 1990s were certainly great because they had great players and a great coach. (His name was Jimmy Johnson, Jerry. He’d likely have won you many more championships if you hadn’t childishly run him off.) But the 1990s Cowboys were also great because they knew they had to face the San Francisco 49ers.

I remember the Democratic Party that was once the party of Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Joe Lieberman. Democrats of that era may have been wrong in the eyes of their Republican opponents. But those Democrats were principled in their positions and the Sturm & Drang of politics notwithstanding, largely decorous in their pursuit of them.

And by and large, the country thrived.

That Democratic Party is long gone. In its place are the glum faces, pink dresses, idiotic protest paddles and foaming-at-the-mouth outbursts of Tuesday night.

It’s hard not to take delight watching the Democrats dig their hole even deeper. But for Republicans to be at their best, and for the nation to truly hit its peak, I wish the Democrats would get better.

David Hasselhoff’s ex-wife Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff dies by suicide

Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff, the ex-wife of David Hasselhoff, has died by suicide, the Los Angeles County medical examiner confirmed Thursday. She was 62.

The actress, who appeared on several Baywatch episodes, The Young and The Restless and other television shows throughout the 1980s and '90s, was found dead in her home, the medical examiner's office said.

TMZ reported that her family went to check on her after not hearing from her.

Good Morning America has reached out to reps for Hasselhoff for comment on Bach-Hasselhoff's death.

Hasselhoff and Bach-Hasselhoff married in 1989 and split in 2006. At the time, a rep for Hasselhoff told People in a statement that the former couple decided to end their marriage due to "irreconcilable differences."

They shared daughters Taylor, 34, and Hayley, 32.

Bach-Hasselhoff met Hasselhoff on the TV series Knight Rider in 1985. She and Hasselhoff also starred together on the TV series Baywatch.

Hasselhoff was previously married to actress Catherine Hickland from 1984 to 1989.

Prior to her death, Bach-Hasselhoff shared several posts on Instagram about her family, including her granddaughter.

On New Year's Eve, she wrote in the caption of a post that her heart was "full of gratitude."

"My wish for all of you this year is health, happiness, and an abundance of love," she wrote at the time. "May 2025 be filled with beautiful moments, laughter, and all the blessings your heart can hold."

If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.

The politics of energy quietly shift at the Capitol

AUSTIN (AP) – Four years ago, after all electricity sources struggled to keep Texans’ lights on during Winter Storm Uri, the state’s top Republican leaders singled out solar and wind energy for scorn as they worked to goose natural gas-powered generation.

After decades of growth in solar and wind put Texas among the nation’s top producers of renewable energy, the state’s leaders turned against renewables as they began to compete more fiercely with coal and gas-fueled power.

At the same time, anti-renewables rhetoric swelled nationally as well as part of a broader fight over combating climate change — which climate scientists say has led to more severe weather in Texas and increased risks to life and property.

But with this year’s legislative session underway, the political tides around energy are quietly turning in the country’s biggest oil and gas state.

Texas faces a massive surge in demand for electricity due to an increase of large users like crypto mining facilities, in addition to population growth and more extreme weather. And policymakers are recognizing that in order to meet that demand, the state will need all the generation it can get — from every source.

“Here in Texas, we believe in an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy approach,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in December, touting Texas as the fourth-largest oil producer in the world and the leading state for wind and large-scale solar generation. “We will increase capacity of our grid to ensure that every Texan has affordable, reliable power and unleash the full potential of Texas’ nuclear industry. And we will produce enough energy power on the grid to make sure that every home, every business and every location is going to have access to the power they need.”

The recent expansion of renewable energy in Texas has helped stave off crises since the grid came close to catastrophic collapse in February 2021 when Uri plunged millions of Texans into darkness and left hundreds of people dead.

Texas increased its energy supply by 35% over the last four years, Abbott said in his State of the State address in February. A whopping 92% of that new supply, according to energy consultant Doug Lewin, came from solar, wind and battery storage.

Texas added more battery storage capacity than any other state last year, and, excluding California, now has more battery capacity than the rest of the country combined. The state installed around 9,700 megawatts of new solar generation last year and 1,735 megawatts of wind power, according to a January report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Solar power and battery storage set records last summer, providing nearly 25% of electricity needs in the middle of the day, according to the Dallas Fed’s report.

Texas also added 3,410 megawatts of gas-fueled power last year after losing 2,172 megawatts in 2023. The Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s main grid operator, estimates that 1 megawatt of electricity can power around 250 homes.

These additions meant that ERCOT didn’t have to issue a single emergency alert last year during the sixth-hottest summer on record in Texas. In 2023, during the state’s second-hottest summer, ERCOT issued 11 alerts asking Texans to conserve energy.

The grid also made it through several cold snaps this winter with plenty of supply on hand — though experts warn that solar plays a smaller role in meeting peak demand during the winter. Weatherization requirements the Public Utility Commission imposed on power plants after Winter Storm Uri also contributed to greater resiliency on the grid.

On top of increased reliability, renewable energy resources saved Texas power consumers around $11 billion in the last two years, according to a report by IdeaSmiths LLC, an energy analytics firm, that was funded by pro-renewables trade groups.

“These resources materially contribute to having enough power on the system and also being able to do it most affordably,” said Bryn Baker, senior director of policy innovation at the Texas Energy Buyers Alliance. “Being able to maintain the ability for all resources to play in the market is critical for Texas to maintain its energy leadership, as well as economic leadership.”
Energy demand expected to soar

Despite those gains, ERCOT predicts that Texas’ energy demand will nearly double by 2030, with power supply projected to fall short of peak demand in a worst-case scenario beginning in summer 2026.

That surge in demand is being driven by population demand, more extreme heat and cold, and an influx of large power users, such as crypto mining facilities, artificial intelligence-related data centers and electrifying oil and gas field operations.

State lawmakers have looked to boost natural gas-fueled generation — in 2023 they established the $5 billion Texas Energy Fund, which offers low-interest taxpayer funded loans to incentivize construction of new gas-powered plants. But those plants take years to build. New advanced nuclear technology at scale is also years away, even as the state’s top leaders throw their support behind the burgeoning industry.

As a result, experts warned, Texas can’t afford to block any forms of generation, including renewables.

“We’re going to need every megawatt that we can get, from every generation resource that we can get,” Michael Jewell, an energy attorney and expert, said. “Legislative proposals that would discourage the continued development of every resource — that’s anti-energy.”

Renewable energy advocates hope that message is getting through to lawmakers as they grapple with how to meet soaring demand this legislative session. They emphasize that they are not against gas-fueled generation, and that Texas needs a mix of resources to grow its grid.

“I think, and I hope, and I pray that the conversation has changed,” said Matthew Boms, executive director of the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance. “With those kind of numbers, the whole conversation changes from, ‘What should the mix look like?’ to a different conversation, which is how we’re going to meet all of this load growth.”
Renewable energy projects benefit lawmakers’ districts

Renewables proponents also point to the millions of dollars in tax revenue that solar, wind and battery storage projects funnel into local school districts and communities — many of them in the districts of key lawmakers.

In House Speaker Dustin Burrows’ district — which includes parts of Lubbock and its surrounding counties — existing solar, wind and storage projects are projected to pay around $94 million in local tax revenues over their lifetimes, according to the IdeaSmiths report.

The district of Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown and chair of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, is poised to see $499 million in local tax revenues from existing solar and storage projects. And Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo and chair of the House Energy Resources Committee, represents a district expected to see $293 million in local tax revenues from renewable energy.

Those dynamics — demand growth, the role of renewables and storage on the grid and the economic impacts of the industry — suggest that the Legislature may be less inclined to clamp down on solar and wind this year as lawmakers have tried to do in previous sessions.

“We are actively exploring and promoting advanced technology, including small modular nuclear reactors, larger duration battery storage and geothermal energy,” Schwertner said at the ERCOT Market Summit last month. “These technologies and others offer unique advantages in providing stable, dispatchable power, and Texas is committed to leading in their deployment.”
Anti-renewables bills resurface

Still, anti-renewables sentiment has not gone away in the Capitol.

“There’s certainly ideological opposition. It’s very serious,” Lewin said. “The Legislature walked right up to the edge of really kneecapping the renewable industry last session. I’m sure those discussions will be weighty this session — but I hope not.”

Lawmakers have filed a number of bills that would restrict the development of renewable energy or favor natural gas generation in the energy market.

For example, a proposal by state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham — and co-sponsored by state Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, the vice chair of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee — aims to reduce the impact of wind and solar projects on residential neighbors and the local environment by imposing strict permitting and siting requirements and restricting tax abatements for those projects.

The bill, Senate Bill 819, would not apply those standards to other energy facilities, such as natural gas or coal plants. A near-identical bill passed the Senate in 2023 but failed to advance in the House.

Renewables advocates warned that the bill would sharply curtail new wind and solar development, unduly interfere with the energy market and step on the private property rights of landowners to lease their land out for energy projects.

Senate Bill 388, filed by King, aims to offset the impact of federal incentives to build wind and solar projects by requiring 50% of new generation to be “dispatchable” — namely, natural gas and coal.

Dispatchable generation can be turned on at any point and does not rely on intermittent resources like sun and wind. Lawmakers have emphasized a need for dispatchable resources to offer greater reliability when grid conditions are tight.

But at least one lawmaker, in addition to industry trade groups, expressed skepticism at a Senate Business and Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday that the bill would effectively boost natural gas and increase reliability.

The bill represents “a heavy-handed, prescriptive recipe for what the market should build,” Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, said, “cutting off the investment and innovation that the private sector can bring to this market.”

Mark Stover, executive director of the Texas Solar + Storage Association, testified to the committee that the bill would have a “destabilizing effect” on the energy market.

“While the bill may seem straightforward,” Stover said, “we believe it could produce unintended consequences that could actually increase costs on consumers and undermine reliability.”

Other legislative proposals would specifically tax renewable energy projects and bar offshore wind facilities from connecting to the grid.
Lawmakers aim to boost grid’s growth

Beyond legislation related to the type of energy on the grid, lawmakers are more broadly focused on how to meet demand growth.

Senate Bill 6 — a priority bill of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate and wields enormous power over which legislation is approved — aims to firm up the state’s energy demand forecast, more fairly allocate the costs of building out necessary transmission infrastructure and ensure that existing generation is not removed from the grid to serve large industrial users. House Bill 2678 looks to support the development of advanced nuclear technology in the state, in line with Abbott’s and Patrick’s priorities.

Lawmakers have also proposed measures to increase consumer protections, including by tightening oversight of third-party solar panel sellers, re-establishing a low-income electricity bill assistance fund and requiring that new battery storage projects have safe removal and disposal plans at the end of their lives.

As the clock ticks on the remaining months of session, Lewin said, lawmakers will have to decide whether they want to focus on pushing down, or building up, certain resources.

“There’s only 140 days — you don’t really have enough time to do both,” he said. “Building up a nuclear industry in Texas will take a lot of good legislative thinking and focus and attention. I hope that they focus on stuff like that — and not on punching down at renewables.”

Judge finds Mike Lindell in contempt for failing to turn over documents in Smartmatic defamation case

(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge in Minnesota has found MyPillow CEO and Trump ally Mike Lindell in contempt of court for failing to provide discovery and financial documents in the defamation case brought by voting machine company Smartmatic.

Smartmatic sued Lindell for defamation in 2022, alleging that he lied about the company's role in the 2020 presidential election for his own financial gain.

In a filing on Thursday, Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan said Lindell failed to produce analytics data for his company's website and financial records to show Lindell's financial condition for the years 2022 and 2023.

"If Defendants do not comply, Smartmatic is invited to bring another motion for an order to show cause or to seek further relief," Judge Bryan wrote.

Lindell told ABC News he was not aware of the judge's order.

"We will not stop until we have paper ballots counted and we're going to melt down all the voting machines and turn them into prison bars," Lindell said.

Lindell was one of the leading promoters of false 2020 election fraud claims. He continues to spread false election claims including calling for the ban of voting machines.

Community helps Cross Spur Cowboy Church arena after storms

SULPHUR SPRINGS – Cross Spur Cowboy Church is trying to get back on the saddle after Tuesday’s morning storms destroyed their arena.

Pastor Mike Eason heart sank as he pulled up to the gate and saw half the roof in a tangled mess. The arena has been open for 10 years now and has been used to hold events for the Sulphur Springs community and for the last seven years it has been home for the Elite Youth Rodeo Association. Trees are littered across the property and pieces of their buildings are among the horses. The church already had to cancel a rodeo event but they aren’t letting this setback stop their momentum. Continue reading Community helps Cross Spur Cowboy Church arena after storms

Steve Carell helps save prom for hundreds of students impacted by LA fires

Hundreds of students impacted by the Los Angeles area wildfires in January can go to prom this spring thanks to actor Steve Carell.

Carell said in a video message shared to students at six Los Angeles area high schools on Tuesday that he was teaming up with the nonprofit Alice's Kids to share the generous gift.

"Attention! Attention all seniors! This is Steve Carell with a very special announcement," Carell began. "I work with a wonderful charity based out of Virginia called Alice's Kids, and Alice's Kids wanted me to let you know that they will be paying for all of your prom tickets."

"Have fun! Enjoy the prom! And remember, this is Steve Carell," he added.

Alice's Kids confirmed in a Facebook post Tuesday that the organization will fund tickets for about 800 students in six high schools in Altadena, California, that were affected by the Eaton Fire, which burned over 14,000 acres across Los Angeles County from Jan. 7 to Jan. 31, according to Cal Fire.

"Today, the six high schools in Altadena, Ca are holding special assemblies for their seniors. Once seated, the kids will see this wonderful announcement from our friend, Steve Carell," Alice's Kids wrote in their post. "Yes, we are paying for every prom ticket (about 800) for every senior in that area that was impacted by the Eaton fire!"

In a video clip from one of the assemblies shared by Alice's Kids, students yelled out in surprise and burst into cheers and applause upon hearing the news.

Smith County man guilty of arming cocaine dealer

TYLER – According to a release from the Eastern District of Texas Public Affairs office, a Tyler man has been convicted of federal firearms violations, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

Francisco Martinez, also known as Cisco, 23, was found guilty by a jury of selling a firearm to a person intending to use it in drug trafficking crimes and possessing a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The verdict was reached following a trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on March 4, 2025.

“This verdict continues to demonstrate how relentless the Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office and its FBI and ATF partners will work to combat violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “As promised, my office and our law enforcement partners will find drug and illicit gun dealers and take them off the streets.” Continue reading Smith County man guilty of arming cocaine dealer

Controversial ‘Emilia Pérez’ star thanks Madonna for ‘all the love you have shown me’

Actress Karla Sofia Gascon; Medios y Media/Getty Images

Karla Sofía Gascón, the controversial Oscar-nominated Emilia Pérez star, has given special thanks on social media to Madonna.

Gascón, the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for the Academy Award for best actress, caused a firestorm of controversy in January after old tweets of hers that contained bigoted speech against marginalized communities surfaced. She was dropped from the Emilia Pérez Oscar campaign and its director disavowed her; however, she did attend the Oscars ceremony March 2.

On Wednesday Gascon shared an Instagram Story of a black-and-white photo of Madonna embracing her. She captioned it, "Madonna, I want to thank you for all the love you have shown me, for your invitation to the party you gave after the Oscars and for your words of love and strength. I love you."

Madonna had previously stated that Emilia Pérez was her favorite movie of the year, and posted a photo of herself holding director Jacques Audiard's Oscar, with Audiard next to her.

Gascón said in an interview in October that Madonna attended the premiere of Emilia Perez and it made her cry. "She told me, 'You're amazing!' She was crying and crying," Gascón recalled. "I said, 'Madonna, please. It's only a film. Be happy!'"

Gascón added in her Story Wednesday that she wanted to thank "all my fellow Hollywood professionals who expressed support and admiration for me that night, both at the gala and at the party."

Gascón lost the best actress Oscar to Anora star Mikey Madison, but her co-star Zoe Saldaña won the best supporting actress trophy.

‘Height of hypocrisy’: Backlash erupts over Trump’s vow to protect police

Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump said in his speech to a joint session of Congress that he'll work to protect and support police. But his words set off a backlash that included a Democratic lawmaker accusing him of the "height of hypocrisy" and a former Capitol Police officer noting that Trump pardoned 1,500 people who attacked him and his colleagues during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police Officer who risked his life to defend the Capitol Building as Trump's supporters rioted in 2021, slammed Trump in a series of posts on the social media site Bluesky as the president was addressing Congress Tuesday night.

"Trump threatens public safety," Dunn said in one post.

In an expletive-laced post, the 41-year-old Dunn, wrote in all capital letters, "YOU PARDONED OUR ATTACKERS."

During his speech Tuesday night, Trump did not mention the insurrection, of which, according to the House Jan. 6 committee's final report, he allegedly engaged in a criminally "multi-part conspiracy" to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol.

In his address, the president spoke about getting police officers nationwide "the support, protection and respect they so dearly deserve."

"They have to get it. They have such a hard, dangerous job," Trump said. "But we're going to make it less dangerous. The problem is the bad guys don't respect the law, but they're starting to respect it, and they soon will respect it."

In the first two months of 2025, at least 58 police officers have been shot in the line of duty, including eight who were killed, according to a report released on March 3 by the National Fraternal Order of Police. The report showed that the number of police shootings is down 11% from this time in 2024.

Among the officers killed this year are Virginia Beach Police Officers Cameron Girvin, 25, and Christopher Reese, 30, who authorities said were shot at point-blank range on Feb. 25 as they were already lying on the ground wounded and defenseless following a traffic stop. The suspected killer, who police said died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was identified as 42-year-old John McCoy III, a convicted felon.

Trump said that one of the first steps he has taken since returning to the White House is signing an executive order requiring a mandatory death penalty for anyone convicted of murdering a police officer.

"And tonight, I'm asking Congress to pass that policy into permanent law," Trump said.

Trump cited the March 25, 2024, fatal shooting of New York Police Officer Jonathan Diller, who was gunned down while conducting a traffic stop in Queens -- becoming the first NYPD officer killed in the line of duty in two years. The suspect, who was shot and wounded by Diller's partner, was identified as 34-year-old Guy Rivera.

Rivera, who has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge, was previously arrested 21 times, according to police records. Also arrested in the fatal shooting, was 41-year-old Lindy Jones, who was in the car with Rivera at the time of the shooting. Jones pleaded not guilty to a charge of being a criminal possession of a weapon and possession of a defaced firearm. Jones had 14 prior arrests including attempted murder and robbery, and was out on bail in connection to a separate crime at the time of the shooting, police records indicate.

"We’re going to get these cold-blooded killers and repeat offenders off our streets. And we’re going to do it fast. Gotta stop it," said Trump, who attended Diller's wake.

Trump called on Congress to pass a new crime bill aimed at "getting tougher on repeat offenders while enhancing protections for America’s police officers so they can do their jobs without fear of their lives being totally destroyed."

Following Trump's speech, Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, posted a statement on social media accusing Trump of "the height of hypocrisy."

"Trump talks a big game about standing with ... the blue, yet on the first day of his administration he pardoned hundreds of cop-beaters who tried to steal an election on January 6, 2021," Garcia wrote.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-California, who walked out of Trump's speech with other Democrats, also took to social media, posting, "Trump insults the American people by saying, 'let's bring back law and order.' Among his first acts as president? Pardoning 1500 violent felons involved in the January 6 attacks on our U.S. Capitol and democracy."

Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., cited the hundreds of FBI agents and Department of Justice employees who have lost their jobs in the Trump administration's sweeping reduction in the federal workforce being overseen by billionaire Elon Musk and the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"Purging hundreds of FBI and DOJ agents who investigated the Jan 6 insurrection -- career law enforcement officers, not political appointees -- does not make us safer, more secure, or prosperous," Frankel wrote on social media.

Pope Francis thanks public for prayers in first public comments since hospitalization

(ROME) -- Pope Francis on Thursday made his first public comments since being hospitalized on Feb. 14, thanking the public for their prayers.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square, I accompany you from here. May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you," the pope said in a recorded statement made in Spanish. The statement was played at the start of the rosary in St. Peter's Square.

The pope, 88, "remained stable compared to previous days" and did not have "episodes of respiratory insufficiency" on Thursday, his 21st day in the hospital, the Vatican in its evening update.

The pope "continued with respiratory and motor physiotherapy with benefit," the Vatican press office, the Holy See, said Thursday in its evening update. "Hemodynamic parameters and blood tests remained stable. He did not present fever."

"The doctors are still maintaining the prognosis as reserved," the Vatican said.

The Vatican said that, "in view of the stability of the clinical picture," it won't provide another medical update on the pope until Saturday.

Francis on Thursday "dedicated himself to some work activities in the morning and afternoon, alternating rest and prayer," the Vatican said, and he received the Eucharist before lunch.

The pope "remained stationary" on Wednesday, "without showing any episodes of respiratory failure," and rested peacefully overnight into Thursday, the Vatican said.

The pontiff had needed medical intervention amid two episodes of "acute respiratory failure" on Monday, Vatican sources told ABC News.

Pope Francis spent his 20th day in hospital on Wednesday in an armchair, participated in the "ritual blessing of the Holy Ashes that were imposed on him by the celebrant" and received the Eucharist, the Vatican said.

"During the morning he also called Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family in Gaza. In the afternoon he alternated rest with work," the Vatican said.

Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.