The trailer for the Jonathan Majors-starring Magazine Dreams has arrived.
The film's official trailer made its debut on Wednesday, two years after the movie first premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
Briarcliff Entertainment picked up the distribution rights for the film in December 2024. It will be released in theaters on March 21.
The film follows Killian Maddox (Majors), a man consumed by his dream of being a world-famous bodybuilder who graces the cover of fitness magazines.
"You have to do something big and important, or nobody will remember you when you're dead," Majors' Killian says in the trailer.
As the trailer goes on, we see scenes of Killian preparing for bodybuilding competitions through training, motivation and the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
"He lives a lonely, regimented life, and his relentless drive for perfection only pushes him deeper towards self-destruction, but beneath his tenacious pursuit of superstardom lies a desperate, aching need for human connection," the film's official synopsis reads. "As he battles both the limits of his physical body and his own inner demons, Magazine Dreams explores the lengths one man will go in his haunting quest for recognition in a world that often overlooks him."
After its buzzy festival premiere two years ago, Searchlight dropped Magazine Dreams after Majors was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment against his former girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
The film also stars Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige and Mike OâHearn.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Babygirl star Harris Dickinson is once again talking about the possibility of playing John Lennon in SamMendesâ upcoming biopics on The Beatles, although it sounds like he really doesnât want to.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dickinson reportedly groaned when he thought the interviewer was about to ask about the Lennon role and said, âDonât ask me about that,â although the journalist writes that he was actually going to ask Dickinson if he was going to be on the YouTube series Hot Ones.
But during a follow-up interview, Dickinson did eventually offer up a few words on the possibility of playing Lennon, although he still didnât confirm or deny he has the role.
âOkay, my comment is that I think it would be a brilliant opportunity to play John Lennon, and to work with Sam and everyone else mentioned," he said. "Yeah, I donât know. It would be splendid.â
Dickinson previously commented about playing Lennon back in December, telling Variety, "It would be amazing to do that. I think the idea of Sam teaming up to do something like that would be incredibly exciting. Obviously, John Lennon is a very complex role, a pretty formidable force to try to do. It would be cool.â
Mendesâ Beatles project was announced back in February, with the director revealing he planned to make four separate films, one for each member of the group â Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison.
Previous reports have claimed that Paul Mescal will be playing McCartney, Barry Keoghan has been cast as Ringo and Joseph Quinn will be playing Harrison, although so far thereâs been no official word on casting.
(WASHINGTON) -- The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, just days after President Donald Trump called on the central bank to lower them.
The announcement put the central bank on a potential collision course with Trump, though a longstanding norm of independence typically insulates the Fed from direct political interference.
The decision to maintain the current level of interest rates pauses a series of three consecutive interest rate cuts imposed by the Fed over the final months of 2024.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a policymaking body at the Fed, said on Wednesday that the central bank remains attentive to concerns centered on the potential for both a rise in unemployment and a surge of inflation. Inflation stands at a moderately elevated rate, while unemployment remains at a historically low level, the FOMC added.
Taken together, those two considerations -- employment and inflation -- make up the Fed's "dual mandate."
"The Committee judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance," the FOMC said.
"The economic outlook is uncertain, and the Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate."
The Fed indicated last month that it would cut interest rates at a slower pace than it had previously forecast, however, pointing to a bout of resurgent inflation. That forecast sent stock prices plummeting, though markets have broadly recovered the losses.
Inflation has slowed dramatically from a peak of more than 9% in June 2022, but price increases remain nearly a percentage point higher than the Fed's target rate of 2%.
During a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week, Trump demanded a drop in interest rates after calling for a reduction of oil prices set by a group of nations known as OPEC, which includes Saudi Arabia.
The prospect of low oil prices will enable the Fed to dial back its fight against inflation and bring down interest rates, Trump said.
"I'm going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil," Trump said, later adding: "With oil prices going down, I'll demand that interest rates drop immediately."
The U.S. does not belong to OPEC, nor does the president play a role in the organization's decisions regarding the price of oil sold by its member states.
Several past presidents have sought to influence the Fed's interest rate policy, including Trump, who repeatedly spoke out in favor of low interest rates during his first term.
On the campaign trail in August, Trump said a U.S. president should have a role in setting interest rates.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell struck a defiant tone in November when posed with the question of whether he would resign from his position if asked by Trump.
"No," Powell told reporters assembled at a press conference in Washington, D.C., blocks away from the White House.
When asked whether Trump could fire or demote him, Powell stated: "Not permitted under the law."
The Fed retreated in its fight against inflation over the final months of last year, lowering interest rates by a percentage point. Still, the Fed's interest rate remains at a historically high level of between 4.25% and 4.5%.
Last month, Powell said the central bank may proceed at a slower pace with future rate cuts, in part because it has now lowered interest rates a substantial amount.
Powell also said a recent resurgence of inflation influenced the Fed's expectations, noting that some policymakers considered uncertainty tied to potential policy changes under Trump.
"It's common-sense thinking that when the path is uncertain, you get a little slower," Powell said. "It's not unlike driving on a foggy night or walking around in a dark room full of furniture."
(WASHINGTON) -- Donald Trump is set to sign the Laken Riley Act Wednesday afternoon as the president approves a series of initiatives meant to tackle his key goal of curbing illegal immigration.
The bill, which will symbolically be the first bill Trump signs in his second term, will require the detention of immigrants who lack legal status and are accused of crimes, including several misdemeanor offenses, with the potential for deportation -- even before they are convicted.
"Today's signing is bring us one step closer to eradicating the scourge of migrant crime in our communities once and for all," Trump said Wednesday.
The Republican wishlist item was passed with bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate and Trump campaigned heavily on curbing illegal immigration, using the death of Riley, a nursing student, as a centerpiece for immigration reform on the campaign trail.
"We will deport individuals based on the laws of this country. That's all this administration is trying to do enforce our nation's immigration laws," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday.
"So if an individual is here illegally, if that means they cross our southern border illegally or they are overstaying their visa illegally or they've been deported before and returned to the U.S. illegally, which we found in many instances, they will be subject to deportation," she added.
While the bill indicates that authorities should detain those who are both present in the U.S. illegally and have been charged with a crime, the White House has argued that if someone is present in the U.S. illegally, he or she has committed a crime with Leavitt saying Tuesday, "And if you are an individual, a foreign national, who illegally enters the United States of America, you are, by definition, a criminal."
Riley, the namesake of the bill, was killed by Jose Ibarra, an immigrant without legal status first arrested in September 2022 on charges of illegal entry, outside Atlanta in February 2024. Her death fueled the immigration debate ahead of the 2024 elections.
"With today's action, her name will also live forever in the laws of our country," Trump said before signing the bill. "And this is a very important law. This is something that has brought Democrats and Republicans together. That's not easy to do."
Ibarra had been living in the U.S. illegally and had been arrested on misdemeanor shoplifting charges but was allowed to stay in the U.S. while his immigration case was ongoing. He was found guilty in Riley's murder in late 2024 and is serving a life sentence without parole.
"This horrific atrocity should never have been allowed to happen," Trump added Wednesday. "And as president, I'm fighting every single day to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again."
After Trump spoke, Riley's mother, Allyson Phillips, thanked Trump for supporting the bill.
"Our family will forever be grateful for the prayers of the people across our nation and for helping to get this legislation into law," she said. "[Trump] said he would secure our borders and that he would never forget about Laken, and he's a man of his word."
Key in the legislation is that it will require that the Department of Homeland Security "expeditiously take custody" of immigrants without legal status who are charged with burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting or assault of a law enforcement officer, but not convicted.
Though several Democrats signed on to the legislation, many have argued the law is too extreme, with Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin saying the bill "authorizes the largest expansion of mandatory detention seen in decades for anyone even suspected or accused of shoplifting."
"Not only is this incredibly cruel and inhumane, it is also contrary to our legal system's bedrock principle that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty, and thereby wholly un-American," she added in a statement, noting that the bill could lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers "to prioritize indefinitely detaining people accused of petty shoplifting instead of going after suspected terrorists and violent offenders that pose a more urgent threat to the safety of our communities."
The law also allows attorneys general to sue the federal government if they can show states are being harmed by a failure to implement immigration policies and allows states to sue DHS for harm caused to citizens allegedly due to illegal immigration.
However, ICE has warned that enforcement of the bill will cost much more than the $3.2 billion initially expected -- and could reach $27 billion in its first year, according to a document obtained by ABC News.
"Full implementation would be impossible for ICE to execute within existing resources," the document noted, adding that ICE would need to expand its detention capacity to 151,500.
And that estimate from ICE only includes the Laken Riley Act, not other initiatives that are part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
"We need Congress to provide full funding for the complete and total restoration of our sovereign borders, as well as financial support to remove record numbers of illegal aliens," Trump said.
Trump also signed 10 executive orders targeted at curbing illegal immigration in his first week in office, and newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined an immigration enforcement operation in New York City that resulted in the apprehension of several migrants lacking legal status on Tuesday.
"One of my top priorities is achieving President Trump's mandate from the American people to secure our southern border and fix our broken immigration system," Noem said on Saturday following her confirmation. "The Trump administration will once-again empower our brave men and women in law enforcement to do their jobs and remove criminal aliens and illegal gangs from our country."
And Trump said Wednesday he would also sign an executive order to permit the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to use Guantanamo Bay as a migrant facility.
"We have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people," he said. "Some of them are so bad we don't even trust the countries to hold them because we don't want them coming back. So we're going to send them out to Guantanamo. This will double our capacity immediately."
ABC News' Lauren Peller, Allison Pecorin and Armando Garcia contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge sentenced a tearful former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison Wednesday on corruption charges after being convicted of abusing the power of his office in exchange for bribes in the form of gold bars, a luxury car and other items.
âYou stood at the apex of our political system," Judge Sidney Stein said in issuing the sentence. "Somewhere along the way, you lost your way."
Menendez, 71, was found guilty on all 16 counts last year in his federal trial, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent. His children, Alicia and Rob, were in court to witness the sentencing.
"The fact that he was a public office holder who held a position of great public trust has to be taken into account," Stein said as he explained how he calculated the sentence.
Stein said Menendez "became a corrupt politician" as he ticked off the spoils of the corruption: the gold bars, the cash, the convertible.
"When there's wrongdoing of this magnitude there are serious consequences," Stein said.
Ahead of the former senator's sentencing Wednesday afternoon, two New Jersey businessmen convicted of paying bribes to Menendez received lengthy prison sentences. Wael Hana was sentenced to eight years in prison and Fred Daibes to seven years.
Menendez calls prosecution a 'witch hunt'
Outside the court following his sentencing, a defiant Menendez called the prosecution a "political witch hunt."
"Regardless of the judge's comments, today, I am innocent, and I look forward to filing appeals on a whole host of issues," Menendez said.
Menendez referred to the Southern District of New York, which prosecuted the case, as the "Wild West of political prosecutions" while outlining grievances with the evidence and witnesses in the trial.
"President Trump is right -- this process is political and it's corrupted to the core," Menendez said. "I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system."
Danielle Sassoon, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that Wednesday's sentences were the result of "an egregious abuse of power" at the highest levels of the government's legislative branch.
"Robert Menendez was trusted to represent the United States and the State of New Jersey, but instead he used his position to help his co-conspirators and a foreign government, in exchange for bribes like cash, gold, and a luxury car," she said. "The sentences imposed today send a clear message that attempts at any level of government to corrupt the nationâs foreign policy and the rule of law will be met with just punishment.â
Menendez says he's a 'chastened man'
Menendez sat at the defense table in a suit and tie with hands folded across his stomach before he stood at his seat to address the judge ahead of his sentencing.
"Your honor you have before you a chastened man," Menendez said as his voice began to break. "We sat in this court room for nine weeks, but you really don't know me."
The once-powerful Democrat introduced himself as the son of Cuban immigrants and explained his political biography, occasionally sniffling and choking up while reading from a prepared statement with hands stuffed in his pockets.
"This is who I truly am, judge. A man devoted to service," Menendez said, becoming emotional as he spoke of family and of constituents he helped. "I have lost everything I have cared about. For someone who spent a life in public service, every day is a punishment."
The judge said Menendez will not have to report to prison until June 6 so he can be available when his wife, Nadine, goes on trial on similar corruption and bribery charges on March 18.
Menendez's lawyer adjusted the defense's request for leniency following the imposition of lengthy prison sentences for his co-defendants.
Menendez previously sought a sentence of no more than two years in prison, citing his "extraordinary public service," but earlier Wednesday the two New Jersey businessmen convicted of paying the bribes were sentenced perhaps more harshly than the defense anticipated.
"The good outweighs the bad in the arc of Bob's life," defense attorney Adam Fee told the judge. "We would ask the court to sentence Bob to no more than eight years in prison."
Prosecutor Paul Monteleoni had asked for 15 years in prison, arguing Menendez "believed that the power he wielded belonged to him."
"The offense conduct reflects a truly grave breach of the trust placed in Menendez by his fellow senators, by the people of New Jersey," Monteleoni told the court. "There are not many people who had power on the scale of Menendez."
'Rare gravity' of the crimes
Menendez had potentially faced decades in prison. Sentencing guidelines called for more than 24 to 30 years in prison, with the U.S. Probation Office recommending 12 years' imprisonment for Menendez, according to court filings.
Federal prosecutors have said the Democrat deserves 15 years in prison for his "naked greed" and the "rare gravity" of the crimes.
"This case is the first ever in which a Senator has been convicted of a crime involving the abuse of a leadership position on a Senate committee," federal prosecutors wrote in a memo to the judge earlier this month. "It is the first ever in which a Senator -- or any other person -- has been convicted of serving as a foreign agent while being a public official."
Prosecutors asked the court to impose a substantial prison sentence "to provide just punishment for this extraordinary abuse of power and betrayal of the public trust, and to deter others from ever engaging in similar conduct."
Menendez's attorneys had sought leniency, urging the court to even consider whether a non-custodial sentence -- such as "home detention and rigorous community service" -- would suffice.
"Probation's recommended sentence of 12 years' imprisonment would be draconian -- likely a life and death sentence for someone of Bob's age and condition," his attorneys wrote in a memorandum to the judge earlier this month. "Bob is deserving of mercy because of the penalties already imposed, his age, and the lack of a compelling need to impose a custodial sentence."
The defense noted that Menendez is helping his wife battle cancer and argued he is no longer in a position to be a repeat offender, given that he was convicted of crimes that arose from his position as a U.S. senator.
"With this case, his political and professional careers have ended; his reputation is destroyed; and the latter years of his life are in shambles. He is certain never to commit future offenses," his attorneys wrote. "And his current state -- stripped of office and living under a permanent shadow of disgrace and mockery -- are more than sufficient to reflect the seriousness of the offenses and to promote respect for the law."
The former New Jersey senator, who resigned in the wake of his conviction, has maintained his innocence.
"I have never violated my oath," Menendez said outside the courthouse following the verdict in the nine-week trial. "I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent."
Menendez twice unsuccessfully bid for a new trial ahead of his sentencing, most recently last week, with Stein finding the trial was fair while denying his request.
Menendez had also tried unsuccessfully to postpone his sentencing until after his wife stands trial.
Co-defendants get lengthy prison sentences
Two New Jersey businessmen who were found guilty in the case were also sentenced on Wednesday. Hana was sentenced to eight years in prison and Daibes to seven years -- significantly more than what the defendants had sought and slightly less than what prosecutors recommended.
Prosecutors said Menendez promised to use his power as a senator to help Hana, who is originally from Egypt, by preserving a halal meat monopoly granted to Hana by Egypt.
Prosecutors said the former senator also promised Daibes that he would interfere with Daibes' federal prosecution and help the government of Qatar by supporting a Senate resolution praising the country.
Daibes' fingerprints were found on the envelopes of cash found at Menendez's home and serial numbers on the gold bars traced them to Daibes and Hana, according to prosecutors.
In issuing the sentences, Judge Stein called the evidence against Hana "substantial" and had strong words for Daibes.
"You are an American success story. You grew up in a refugee camp in Lebanon. But there is a dark side to what you have done," Stein said of Daibes. "You bribed Sen. Menendez multiple times."
Another New Jersey businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty in the case ahead of trial. Prosecutors said Uribe paid for Menendez's $60,000 Mercedes-Benz convertible in exchange for helping disrupt a criminal investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office related to Uribe.
MOUNT PLEASANT â Our news partner, KETK, reports that two Mount Pleasant streets are closed after a man, arrested for a DWI, crashed into a power pole Tuesday night.
According to the Mount Pleasant Police Department, officers responded to a wreck and found that a truck had crashed into a power pole, almost cutting it off. Officials identified the driver as Jose Francisco Patino, and arrested him for driving while intoxicated. Officials said that East 1st Street and Lee Street are closed until the power pole has been replaced in front of the B&A Center. The power company is currently using a crane to keep the power pole in place until crews can replace it.
âWe will open East 1st as soon as we can and East 2nd, coming toward Jefferson, will remain open unless it becomes necessary to shut it down,â Mount Pleasant PD said.
Francisco was booked into the Titus County Jail and has since been released
DALLAS – Fox News reports that speaking to Republican Party members in Denton County Monday night, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, listed several Republicans he plans to purge from the Texas GOP for being insufficiently conservative. Among those on Paxtonâs list was Texasâ senior U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, one of the most powerful members of the Senate GOP. The crowd erupted into loud applause as Paxton said, “The second thing we need to do, and I might play a role in this, is replace John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate.” The attorney general, who worked with the Trump team to file a lawsuit in December that successfully secured a court order stopping the Biden administration from continuing sales of border wall materials, has long hinted at a potential run to replace Cornyn.
“I canât think of a single thing heâs accomplished for our state or even for the country,” Paxton said in a September 2023 interview on the Fox News Channel. And pointing to a possible Senate run in 2026, Paxton said, “Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy,” adding, “everythingâs on the table for me.” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Paxton gave more credence to the rumors, saying despite “loving what Iâm doing ⊠Iâm looking potentially at the U.S. Senate.” He shared that he is in talks with groups in Texas about a possible 2026 Senate run and will likely decide in the “next couple of months.” Paxton claimed Cornyn does not represent the conservative values of Texans and accused him of not being an ally of Trump. He has also regularly labeled Cornyn a “RINO,” a “Republican in name only” and an insult MAGA and “America First” Republicans have regularly used to criticize more mainstream or establishment members of the GOP. Another source close to Paxton told Fox News Digital the attorney general “plans to spend the next few months meeting with voters, donors and grassroots activists across the state to gauge interest and decide how he can serve Texas best.”
(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge signaled he will issue a temporary restraining order barring the Trump administration from freezing federal loans and grants, raising concerns the White House will try to enact the same policy described in the now-rescinded memo from the Office of Management and Budget.
District Judge John McConnell Jr. has not entered the temporary restraining order given the rapidly changing circumstances, but signaled he would sign an order proposed by the 22 state attorneys general who brought the case.
McConnell had harsh words for the Trump administration and justified his future order -- despite the OMB's change of policy -- based on a social post by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
"I think the breadth of the relief that plaintiffs are seeking is extraordinary," argued Department of Justice attorney Daniel Schwei before McConnell cut him off.
"Respectfully, so was the breadth of the OMB directive," McConnell said.
Earlier Wednesday, Donald Trump's administration sent a memo rescinding its sweeping directive that sought to pause potentially trillions in loans, grants and financial assistance, according to a memo obtained by ABC News.
"OMB memorandum M-25-13 is rescinded," the short memo from Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, reads. "If you have questions about implementing the President's Executive Orders, please contact your agency General Counsel."
The new directive follows a tumultuous 48 hours for the White House, as states and local governments raised concerns that funding for health care, law enforcement, disaster aid and infrastructure spending could be paused or delayed during the expansive rollout of the policy.
Leavitt defended the policy on social media, saying Trump still plans to implement a funding freeze without specifying what mechanism the president plans to use.
"This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze," Leavitt posted on X. "It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To end any confusion created by the court's injunction. The President's EO's on federal funding remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented."
Amid the confusion, a federal judge on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., issued a stay of the policy through Monday as lawyers for the Department of Justice struggled to confirm the extent of the directive. The policy had been set to go into effect at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
"Without this funding, Plaintiff States will be unable to provide certain essential benefits for residents, pay public employees, satisfy obligations, and carry on the important business of government," 22 state attorneys general had said in the lawsuit challenging the policy Tuesday.
On Monday, the Office of Management and Budget ordered federal agencies to freeze any federal funding to activities that might be implicated by Trump's executive orders, causing states, local governments and nonprofits to scramble to determine if their funding would be cut off. Less than 24 hours after the policy was revealed, the White House attempted to clarify the policy in a memo, saying programs that provide direct benefits to Americans -- such as Social Security, Medicare and SNAP benefits -- would be excluded from the freeze.
During the hearing Tuesday, the lawyer for the Department of Justice struggled to clarify exactly what would be affected.
"It seems like the federal government currently doesn't actually know the full scope of the programs that are going to be subject to the pause. Is that correct?" U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan asked.
"I can only speak for myself, which is just based on the limited time frame here, that I do not have a comprehensive list," DOJ lawyer Daniel Schwei said, adding, "it just depends" on the type of program and funding source.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Rachael Kirkconnell is sharing her side of her split from Matt James after four years together.
While appearing on the Jan. 29 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Kirkconnell, who met James on season 25 of The Bachelor, said she's "doing OK" and that "some days are better than others" after their breakup.
James shocked many fans when he announced in an Instagram post that he and Kirkconnell were no longer together.
James wrote in the caption, "Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts. Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord."
Kirkconnell said that James shared the breakup post "two or three hours after" they privately called it quits while on a trip together in Tokyo. She saw the post right before she got on a flight where she wouldn't have service for 12 hours, leaving her "freaking out" and "in total shock."
As for what led to the split, Kirkconnell said they were butting heads in Tokyo, which led to a serious argument about compatibility issues in their relationship and marriage.
"He said that at the end of the day there were just qualities about me that he worries about having in a wife. Like at the end of the day, like, there are things that we aren't compatible with," Kirkconnell said.
She added, "And yeah, it was just one of those things where he I think just had this realization that I should want to propose to you by this time. Like, at this point in our relationship, I should be wanting those things and I should be ready for that. But I'm not still, I still don't feel like we're ready or I don't feel like I'm ready. I don't know if I ever see myself proposing to you. I can't actually see myself married to you. He said that, you know, maybe one day he would get there, but he doesn't feel ready now."
Kirkconnell also said she doesn't see how she could be with James again given how he handled their split, saying she "forgive[s] him" but feels like he "disrespected" her.
Good Morning America has reached out to James for comment.
DALLAS – The Dallas Morning News reports that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is planning to create a new state park in Central Texas using 2,020 acres it acquired in Burnet County. The property is situated along a 2-mile stretch of the Colorado River across from Colorado Bend State Park, featuring rugged hills and diverse native habitats. Itâs about 10 miles upstream from Lake Buchanan and should create additional recreational opportunities and habitat protection, according to the department. The property was purchased for $35 million using a combination of a one-time funding appropriation and funds from sporting goods sales tax.
âIt is exciting to add another incredible property that will eventually become a new Texas State Park,â Texas State Parks director Rodney Franklin said in a statement. âThis acquisition will give visitors access to enjoy the beautiful Colorado River and the diverse landscapes that are featured across the property. It is fun to imagine generations of Texans enjoying the scenic views and outdoor adventures awaiting on this property. It is also great to see our team and families work together to leave this legacy for Texas.â The land purchase is phase one of a potential two-phase property purchase to create a new 3,000-acre park. The parks department is considering buying a 1,100-acre property in Lampasas and Burnet counties, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission last week approved the executive director to âtake all necessary stepsâ to acquire the land from a willing seller. The new state park would be developed through the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, a $1 billion fund approved by voters in 2023 to create a dedicated funding stream for acquiring and developing new state parks.
HALLSVILLE â Two Hallsville ISD employees were taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after a school bus was involved in a wreck, according to our news partners at KETK. According to the district, around 5:50 a.m. a bus was in a three-vehicle accident that left two employees injured. The school explained that at the time of the accident, there were no students on the bus. The driver and the bus monitor have been transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, HISD said.
AUSTIN (AP) – The Texas Senate Education Committee on Tuesday night voted to advance school voucher legislation for a full vote in the Senate after hours of public testimony largely focused on whether the proposal would live up to its promise of prioritizing low-income families and children with disabilities.
A 9-2 Republican majority on the committee pushed the bill forward days before Gov. Greg Abbott takes the stage Sunday for his State of the State speech. It is expected that Abbott will declare the school voucher bill â his top legislative priority in recent years â an âemergency item,â allowing lawmakers to pass the proposal within the first 60 days of the ongoing legislative session, which started earlier this month.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at a Tuesday event the Senate would pass the bill as soon as Wednesday of next week if Abbott declares it an emergency item Sunday. The House, where voucher legislation has hit a brick wall in recent years, has not yet filed its priority voucher bill. Abbott has expressed confidence that the House has enough supporters for the measure to pass this year.
A conversation among state senators and guests invited to the Texas Capitol to speak Tuesday about legislation to create the voucher program largely focused on whether the proposal would live up to its promise of prioritizing low-income families and children with disabilities.
Senate Bill 2, a bill authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican from Conroe who chairs the Senate Education Committee, would create an education savings account program. It would provide families with $10,000 a year per student in taxpayer dollars to fund their childrenâs tuition at an accredited private school and additional expenses like textbooks, transportation and therapy. The legislation would provide $11,500 per student for children with disabilities. It also would provide at least $2,000 a year per student for home-schooling families who participate in the program.
Any child eligible to attend or already attending a public school could apply to the program proposed by the Senate, as well as those enrolled in a public schoolâs pre-K program. Families with children already attending private schools could also participate. Using a lottery system, the bill would prioritize students in low-income households and children with disabilities if demand for the savings accounts exceeds the funding available.
But during Tuesdayâs hearing Democrats on the Texas Senate Education Committee raised questions about whether the bill would actually help underserved students.
The lawmakers discussed details of the bill over the course of roughly eight hours, with more than 100 people signing up to testify. The list of public speakers included several voucher advocates who testified in support of the bill. It also included many Texans not convinced that a voucher program would serve their communities.
The two Democratic lawmakers who opposed the bill during the hearing took issue with how the proposal considers a family âlow incomeâ if its total annual income sits at or below 500% of the federal poverty level â a number far above the 130% threshold the federal and state governments use to determine whether a student is âeconomically disadvantagedâ and eligible for free lunch.
A Senate voucher bill considered during the last legislative session also would have prioritized some families with an annual income at or below 500% of the federal poverty line if demand for the program exceeded funding available. However, that legislation would have only reserved 30% of spots for those families, while a higher percentage would have gone toward students who received free or reduced-price lunch.
If the recent proposal passed into law as it currently stands, a household of two making roughly $105,750 per year would fall under the definition of a low-income household. The state would prioritize 80% of the programâs spots for families making at or below that annual income, as well as students with disabilities.
The bill says organizations that help the state run the program would have to notify parents that private schools do not have to follow federal and state laws regarding special education that public schools must abide by, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. The federal law, among other requirements, has long protected families and their children by working to ensure students with disabilities receive thorough evaluations and educational services.
Sen. Royce West, a Democrat from Dallas, raised similar worries about the billâs broad definition of a low-income household not prioritizing the neediest students. He also shared concerns about the history of school vouchers in the South, which included an attempt in Texas to establish such programs in opposition to school desegregation in the 1950s. West also noted that many of the children who benefit from expansive school voucher programs elsewhere in the country come from wealthier families already sending their kids to private schools.
âSo frankly, weâre subsidizing students that were already involved in the program?â Royce asked.
Creighton said only examining recent demographic data of voucher-like programs may not provide an accurate picture of who they benefit because some of those programs have existed for decades. Addressing concerns about the billâs definition of a low-income household, the education committee chair said the 500% threshold would include people who play essential roles in their communities while raising their families.
âThatâs the number we ended up at to make sure that if a teacher and a fireman that are working hard every day to just make life make sense, and they have three or four kids, that they would be eligible within the framework and prioritized first,â Creighton said.
The Conroe Republican also said he intended for the billâs generous income provisions to make education savings accounts available to a wide range of families. He cited some parentsâ desire to explore other educational options because of challenges their children faced in their public schools, like bullying.
Regarding the potential for private schools to deny admission to students with disabilities, Creighton said private schools have to base their admissions decisions based on the types of services they offer. He noted a difference between a âreasonableâ rejection and discrimination, which he said could have âserious implicationsâ for a private school relying on a tax exemption.
Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said he didnât think parents would place their children with disabilities in private schools that donât meet their needs. He also said he thinks the program would create opportunities for more private schools to open that specialize in providing special education services.
(WASHINGTON) -- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearing on Wednesday to lead the Department of Health and Human Services saw senators question the environmental lawyer about his views on vaccines, abortion, pesticides and even Lyme disease.
Senators asked Kennedy about views he has frequently promoted on vaccines that are at odds with the consensus of public health researchers and the mainstream scientific community, despite saying he is "supportive of vaccines" on Wednesday.
The nominee was also questioned about his past comments, including claiming that pesticides cause children to become transgender.
Additionally, senators asked Kennedy about comments he made in support of abortion rights when he was a registered Democrat and a 2024 presidential candidate in contrast with recent comments, supporting President Donald Trump's views and believing that laws regulating the procedure should be left up to the states.
Here are a few medical claims made by Kennedy that are missing context or include falsehoods:
Claim: CDC approved COVID-19 vaccines "without any scientific basis."
Context: COVID vaccines are among the most studied accines in history, with large clinical studies showing the health benefits far exceed any potential risks.
Claim: Kennedy says he had nothing to do with the measles outbreak in American Samoa
Context: The 2019 measles outbreak led to more than 5,700 cases and 83 deaths. The Ministry of Health cited Kennedy's visit and rhetoric as exacerbating vaccine hesitancy at a crucial moment
Claim: Kennedy: 'I probably did say, Lyme disease is "highly likely a militarily engineered bioweapon"'
Context: Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacteria and spreads through the bite of blacklegged ticks
Claim: Kennedy says he has never claimed pesticides lead children to become transgender
Context: Kennedy has repeatedly suggested environmental toxins, including those in drinking water, are linked to gender identify in children. These claims are unfounded.
Claim Sen. James Lankford: The FDA has discouraged people from submitting safety reports about abortion medication mifepristone unless the person died.
Context: Anyone is welcome to submit a safety report on any medication using a publicly available database.
Tyler â More than 400 junior and senior Career and Technical Education (CTE) students at Tyler ISD sharpened their career readiness skills at the district’s annual CTE Student Resume Workshop. The workshop gave students the opportunity to meet one-on-one with representatives from more than 30 local businesses. Industry professionals offered feedback on studentsâ resumes, helping them refine their presentation of skills and experience. The event served as a crucial step for students as they prepare for the upcoming Opportunity Fair in April, where they will present their polished resumes to potential employers. Continue reading Tyler ISD students take first step toward career success
UPDATE: The Rusk County Sheriffâs Office identified the victim as 46-year-old Timothy Mefford, from El Paso. The victim was flown to a Tyler hospital where he is now on life support. The dispute is suspected to be over a woman who was at the scene.
RUSK COUNTY — Rusk County deputies are investigating a shooting Tuesday night. According to the Rusk County Sheriffâs Office, deputies responded to Rusk County Road 411D to a reported gunshot victim. Upon arrival, deputies found a man with a gunshot wound to the head. The man was taken to a Henderson hospital, and later care flighted to Tyler. A person of interest has been identified and officers are following up on information and leads.
Officials said this is an active investigation and based on their initial findings there is no threat to the public. Anyone with information regarding the incident are asked to call the Rusk County Sheriffâs Office Criminal Investigation Unit at 903-657-3581.
