HENDERSON COUNTY – Two men have been arrested on suspicion of drug dealing in the Athens area, according to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. An Athens police officer, a group of Henderson County deputies and investigators executed a drug search warrant on Wednesday at approximately 7:14 p.m. According to Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, narcotics investigators disrupted a drug-running scheme that resulted in the arrest of two men from Athens and halted the flow of cocaine, codeine, and marijuana from this area. Henderson County 392nd Judicial District Judge Scott McKee issued a search warrant, which was carried out in the 400 block of Stoneleigh Street. Two men, David LaJames Hurd, 39, and Hasani Sameel Pariall, 37, were arrested during the search warrant’s execution. Continue reading Drug investigation leads to two arrests
Man sentenced after fatal crash
ATHENS – After driving while intoxicated in a collision that killed a Tyler woman in 2024, 22-year-old Athens resident Jercorion Jaterence Johnson was given an 18-year prison sentence. In his own defense, Johnson expressed regret for the collision that killed 49-year-old Monica Bingham in July 2024. He acknowledged that he was “high” during a collision on U.S. 175 and that he had few memories of the day. Additionally, testimony revealed that in March 2025, while he was out on bond, he was arrested for driving under the influence.
Scoreboard roundup — 6/25/26
Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump administration on two immigration cases
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court voted 6-3 on Thursday to allow the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria, exposing hundreds of thousands more people to potential deportation.
The Department of Homeland Security can now end temporary protected status, a program that protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries.
The Supreme Court also voted 6-3 to clear the way for the Trump administration to potentially revive an immigration policy once used to turn back migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. The court overturned a lower court order blocking the practice that limited the number of people who could apply for asylum each day.
Meanwhile, a liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor this month, causing damage to the foam sealant installed as part of a $16 million rehabilitation project, a top official at the National Park Service said.
Heres’ the latest:
What Trump fed farmers at the White House
Farmers and ranchers invited to a Rose Garden dinner on Thursday were served New York strip steak joined by sides and desserts packed with seasonal ingredients.
The menu included a caprese salad with garden tomatoes, plus a side dish featuring White House-harvested peppercress. The meat was billed as a grilled prime New York strip steak. Dessert included roasted peaches and White House honey.
Dinner guests received organic garden seeds and tomato jam prepared by White House chefs.
In keeping with the theme, there was a white farm stand at the back of the garden, surrounded by baskets overflowing with carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, corn and other fruits and vegetables.
Vance says Watergate would fly over in today’s news, draws parallels between Nixon and Trump
Speaking at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance said the legacy of the 37th president is “enjoying a bit of a renaissance.”
“If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story, the idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy,” Vance said in a conversation promoting his new book.
He went on: “If you look at the story of how the deep state took down Richard Nixon, it’s not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions tried to do to Donald Trump in the first Trump administration.”
Vance noted his own parallels with Nixon. “Young senator, vice president, writes some bestselling books, is hated by the media,” he said. “It kind of sounds like JD Vance.”
Nixon was in his second term when he resigned over the Watergate scandal in 1974.
Housing bill being sent to White House, starting clock on Trump’s signature
Speaker Mike Johnson returned from what he called a “very productive” hourslong meeting with the president in the Oval Office following a highly dysfunctional week in Congress.
“We’re on exactly the same page,” Johnson said back at the Capitol.
Trump earlier this week abruptly abandoned plans to sign the bipartisan Housing package, which had overwhelmingly passed the House and Senate but got tangled when the president insisted Congress must first pass an unrelated voting bill called the SAVE America Act. That bill has failed to draw broad support in the Senate.
A group of House GOP lawmakers joined Trump’s rally call and refused to vote on other measures, essentially shutting down business in the House.
Trump, after meeting with Johnson, told Republicans in a social media post: “no more grandstanding.”
Johnson said they had to get back to work, and he said they were transmitting the Housing bill, which starts a 10-day clock for Trump to either sign it or veto the bill.
Merchant vessel hit by Iranian drone today
The merchant vessel that was attacked earlier today was hit by an Iranian drone, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation, said that the merchant vessel Ever Lovely was attacked by a drone being flown by the Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported the attack earlier on Thursday but only said that the ship was struck by a “projectile off Oman near UN-approved route for Strait of Hormuz.”
The center noted that there were no causalities nor any environmental impact.
U.S. says no Iranian funds have been released
A U.S. official told The Associated Press that no frozen funds have been released to Iran and will not be done until Iran meets the requirements of Trump’s interim Iran agreement.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC’s Squawk Box this week that Treasury would oversee how unfrozen funds would be spent.
“A very large percentage of it will go to buy U.S. foodstuffs and medicines,” he said.
U.N. agency pauses evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz
A U.N. maritime agency has paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after the British military said a vessel was hit Thursday by a projectile off the coast of Oman.
The head of the International Maritime Organization said the plan to move stranded ships through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region.
It was unclear who launched the projectile or the type of vessel that was targeted. The report of a strike came hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using a U.N.-approved route through the strait without Tehran’s permission.
Reflecting Pool liner was cut with a sharp knife or razor, National Park Service says
A liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor this month, causing damage to the foam sealant installed as part of a $16 million rehabilitation project, a top official at the National Park Service says.
The agency reported the June 9 incident to U.S. Park Police, said Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the park service. Lands made the statement in a court document filed late Wednesday as part of a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit organization to halt the Trump administration’s work on the project.
The police report indicates damage to the pool, “including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material,? Lands said. About 70 fence post tops also were thrown into the pool, he said.
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration detention center in Florida is officially closed, governor says
The immigration center built in the Florida swamps known as “Alligator Alcatraz” is closing after nearly a year of holding thousands of immigrant detainees, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday.
DeSantis said the center was always supposed to be temporary and now federal officials have enough ability to handle detention and deportation in more permanent facilities.
Officials announced a temporary closure of the facility earlier in June, saying hurricane season made it unsafe to keep the detainees in the Florida Everglades. All the of people kept at the isolated airstrip had been sent to other facilities.
Immigration advocates said the tents were never safe or humane to hold people. Detainees at the facility have talked about their difficulty accessing lawyers, and have described poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that don’t flush, flooding floors with fecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects everywhere.
Homeland Security touts TPS win at Supreme Court
The top legal official at Homeland Security praised the Supreme Court’s decision on temporary protected status.
“The Court vindicates DHS yet again,” said James Percival, the department’s general counsel in a statement on X.
“The T in TPS stands for TEMPORARY, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty. This is a win for the rule of law and common sense,” Percival said.
DHS secretary says the department is reevaluating warehouses purchased for ICE detention
Markwayne Mullin says his department is reevaluating the eleven warehouses his predecessor purchased to use as immigration detention facilities.
Mullin says some just “probably won’t work” and suggested a lack of “due diligence” when it came to purchasing the warehouses. They were purchased under Mullin’s predecessor, Kristi Noem.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement received huge pushback around the country after the purchases became known.
When Mullin came into office, he paused any new purchases and federal officials have been looking at ways to offload some of them.
Texas school board to vote on required Bible readings in public education
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas education board will vote Friday on a required reading list for more than 5 million public school students that includes Bible passages, widening conservative efforts to push Christian teachings in U.S. classrooms.
The proposal in Texas — which would mandate literary works such as Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” alongside parables from the New Testament — has been closely followed by education observers who say it appears to be the first of its kind in the nation.
If approved by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, the reading list would take effect in 2030.
Texas, which educates roughly 1 in 10 of the nation’s public school students, has been at the forefront of a charge by conservatives to incorporate more religion into classrooms. The state already allows public schools to hire chaplains to counsel students, mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms and has approved an optional Bible-infused curriculum.
For months, critics have blasted both the push to require Bible readings and the state mandating what books are read by students, which are decisions typically left up to teachers. Teachers could still assign students other books to read on top of the required titles.
A focus on Christianity
Critics say the reading list lacks diversity, blurs the separation of church and state that is enshrined in the Constitution and leaves teachers and students with little room to decide what to read.
“Kids of all faith backgrounds and no faith are served by Texas schools and they should all feel welcome in Texas schools,” said Elva Mendoza, legislative communications associate for the progressive Texas Freedom Network. “But this is sending the message to children that one and only one religious text — a Christian one — is worthy of making this required reading list.”
Others have applauded the possibility of mandated Christian religious reading in public schools. Brooke Mazel, a retiree from Lubbock, encouraged the board to adopt biblical materials, saying her children and grandchildren grew up with “strong faith and family values.”
“America should celebrate our 250 years that started as a nation of unwavering Christian values,” Mazel said.
The board is also set to vote Friday on a social studies curriculum that links Bible stories with American history.
Texas may be a trailblazer
A state law passed in 2023 required a mandatory list of at least one literary work be taught in each grade level. The proposed new list contains around 200 texts, including Bible passages, essays and books, far in excess of that requirement.
Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and a Stanford University professor, said he doesn’t know of any other state with a mandatory reading list that includes religious texts. Educators at the district and school level usually choose the texts their students will read, Garcia said.
Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, agrees the move is “unique” to Texas.
Picture-book stories for elementary students including “David and Goliath” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” are on the required reading list. By fourth grade, students would encounter passages about Jesus in the New Testament.
By middle school, students would be expected to read several passages about Jesus, including passages from his most famous sermon, and another where he instructs people to cast aside earthly anxiety and seek the kingdom of God.
For high schoolers, the list requires the reading of specific Bible passages as supportive materials for literary works including works by Dickens and Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
Holding diversity in check
Such strict requirements amount to “almost de facto censorship,” Meehan said, comparing the list to book bans.
“It certainly leans ideologically more conservative,” she said. “It excludes a lot of diverse voices from the reading list.”
The list mandates that students reading Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” also read a eulogy for President Ronald Reagan written by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a staunch conservative.
Frank Strong, an English and journalism teacher and co-founder of the student advocacy group Texas Freedom to Read, said diversity is not only important for students needing to see themselves in what they read but also as a way to learn about different cultures.
Many of the books on the reading list are not controversial, but Mendoza asks why books like “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” need to be required for kindergartners.
“Can’t our kindergarten teachers be trusted to choose board books?” Mendoza asks.
___
Stengle reported from Dallas.
Rep. Moran introduces AI bill
TYLER — U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran introduced new legislation Thursday that would require AI developers to report dangerous capabilities, security breaches and safety incidents to the United States Secretary of Commerce. The new legislation would give the Department of Commerce jurisdiction to determine AI models that pose risks to national security and public safety. In addition, developers would be required to file reports no more than 7 days after discovering dangerous activity and in more serious cases, the department would be required to notify congress within 48 hours.
A press release from Moran says reportable incidents could include the following:
AI models that attempt to evade human oversight or resist shutdown, unauthorized access to or theft of model weights
Capabilities that could enable offensive cyberattacks against critical infrastructure
Evidence that a model can autonomously accelerate the development of more powerful AI systems
Other risks could include chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats. Continue reading Rep. Moran introduces AI bill
Lufkin community pleads for answers amid data center race
LUFKIN (KETK) — East Texas government leaders and state lawmakers say the community wishes to pause data center development to learn more about the facilities’ potential impacts on quality of life.
As data centers continue to set up shop across Texas, people are trying to understand what impact they could have on the rural communities East Texans call home. Many people have brought their concerns to Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) Executive Director Lonnie Hunt, who says some residents feel data centers are moving in too fast.
“Most of our folks are just right now saying let’s call time out, let’s put the brakes on,” Hunt said. “Let’s pause, let’s make sure that we know all the facts.”
A rapid expansion that State Representative Joanne Shofner (R)- Nacogdoches says could be necessary if the U.S. wants to stay ahead of China in the global race for artificial intelligence.
“We don’t want them to be in charge of all of this; it would be just dangerous for a communist country to be in charge of most of the data that is going on around the world,” Shofner said.
That race is also leaving many East Texans with questions about the long-term impacts data centers could have on water, agriculture and their quality of life. Leaving them to turn to county leaders who have little authority to regulate the facilities.
“The only way a county could really have any influence over a data center would be to enter into some sort of agreement with them,” Hunt said.
Shofner says the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) does have some regulatory authority over data centers, but only after problems arise.
“Right now we don’t know what an issue is,” Shofner said.
Hunt says East Texans want to embrace new technology without sacrificing the rural way of life that defines the region.
“But we also want to protect our rural countryside and this lifestyle that we love out here in the Pineywoods of East Texas,” Hunt said.
He recommends anyone with concerns contact their state representative and make their voices heard before the legislature meets in Austin next year.
Angelina County mourns loss of Deputy Chad Murray
ANGELINA COUNTY, Texas (KETK)– A procession was held in Angelina County on Thursday afternoon in honor of Deputy Chad Murray, who died earlier this week.
After spending several years working with the Brookshire’s coroperation Murary decided to begin a career in law enforcement at the age of 50 and graduated from the Angelina College Law Enforcement Academy in June 2022.
Following his graduation, he began with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and spent the past four years serving as a patrol officer.
“He had a strong desire to help people and make a difference in our community and always conducted his business in a professional manner,” the sheriff’s office said. “He was kind, patient and had a great personality.”
Murray died at a local hospital at the age of 54 on Wednesday, and a funeral has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on June 29 at Harmony Hill Baptist Church in Lufkin.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to Chad’s wife, Emily, and son, Caleb, and the rest of his wonderful family and friends,” the sheriff’s office said. “Pray that God’s comfort will be upon them during this time of sudden and unexpected loss.”
Lufkin police searching for suspects after man injured in shooting near Brandon Park
LUFKIN, Texas (KETK) — The Lufkin Police Department is searching for individuals they believe were involved in a Saturday afternoon shooting that injured a man.
The police department said the victim was driving towards Brandon Park with another man to meet with other individuals they had argued with earlier that day at a Nacogdoches County game room. As they were driving towards the park, gunshots were fired.
A bullet grazed the victim’s head, and he was taken to a local hospital, while the other man was not injured.
Officers reportedly located 27 shell casings in the middle of the 1000 block of Hosea Dolphus Street. Officials also found the victim’s vehicle, which had several reported gunshot strikes.
The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are working to locate those involved.
Drug abuse council gets $750k grant
LONGVIEW – The East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse received a $750,000 grant from the Opioid Abatement Fund Council (OAFC) on Thursday as a part of the ongoing fight against the opioid crisis. The OAFC funds were collected by the State of Texas from settlements that the state won against the companies that profited from the opioid epidemic, including various pharmaceutical companies, marketing firms, distributors and even grocery store companies.
According to our news partner KETK, Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced Thursday that $48.9 million in Long-term Community-based Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) grants have been awarded to nonprofits and communities across the state.
“These grants put opioid settlement funds to work where they can make the greatest difference, with the local providers and community partners on the front lines,” Hancock said. “It is encouraging to see these dollars put to good use, helping Texans find hope and a path forward.” Continue reading Drug abuse council gets $750k grant
Panola County sues Ken Paxton over public information request after racketeering lawsuit
CARTHAGE — Panola County is currently suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block the release of information on defendants in a recently dismissed lawsuit that accused several local officials of racketeering and misconduct, according to our news partner, KETK, and legal records. The dispute between Panola County and the Texas Attorney General’s Office started after county resident Lisa Broomfield submitted a Public Information Act request seeking a broad set of county records related to her lawsuit.
Broomfield had sued several current and former Panola County officials whom she accused of racketeering, misconduct and running a “duck fund” that allegedly took payments for favorable outcomes in cases. On March 24, 123rd District Court Presiding Judge Edwin A. Klein dismissed and disposed of Broomfield’s claims against the officials. Before that dismissal, Broomfield had requested many official documents pertaining to the officials involved in her lawsuit on Nov. 22, 2025.
Broomfield filed a Nov. 22, 2025, request seeking a wide range of official records related to her lawsuit. She asked for documents showing whether the Panola County Commissioners Court approved or paid for legal representation for several county officials, including any contracts, retainer agreements, invoices or meeting records where such matters were discussed.
She also requested emails, text messages and other communications from Jan. 1, 2021, to the present that referenced herself, individuals involved in her family court proceedings, various county officials and members of the commissioners court. The county then informed Bloomfield that they did not have the records requested in the Panola County District Clerk’s office and that the Panola County Judge’s office did not have recordings of the Panola County Commissioners Court.
Then on Dec. 10, 2025, the county filed a request with the Texas Attorney General’s Office that asked them to rule that certain documents Broomfield requested were exempt from release. On March 16, Panola County received a response from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, which determined the records Broomfield requested were not confidential and must be released. In response to that letter, Panola County filed a lawsuit against the Texas Attorney General’s Office on April 15, asking the 200th District Court in Travis County to find that the documents Broomfield requested are exempt from release.
“The information that the Attorney General ruled is not confidential and must be released to the Requestor consists of the communications between the undersigned, as counsel for Panola County, and Panola County officials, which are protected from disclosure by the attorney-client privilege and attorney billing invoices related to services rendered in litigation, which are not subject to disclosure,” Panola County’s lawsuit petition said.
Paxton’s office filed a response to Panola County’s petition on June 2, asking the presiding judge to enter a final judgment finding that the records can be released. 200th District Court records have no upcoming hearings listed for this case.
Construction on Hwy 19 in Canton
CANTON – As a contractor works to repair a sewer main over the next two weeks, the City of Canton is advising drivers to be wary while traveling along Highway 19 and Dealers Row.
According to our news partner KETK and the city, while traveling through Highway 19, drivers should expect traffic devices set up through the work zone as repair crews work along the east shoulder and the west side of Highway 19. The work will also cause brief delays as drivers pass, an estimated one to five minutes.
Construction is expected to last one to two weeks, but it should not affect First Monday as all work and equipment will be cleared during the event.
Fatal highway crash reported
OVERTON — A crash on Hwy 323 in Overton has left a 26-year-old woman dead, according to Overton police, and our news partner, KETK. The crash happened on Thursday morning near the overpass. Kameron Smiley, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene of the single-vehicle crash. Officers working the crash advised drivers to avoid the area and use an alternate route. Continue reading Fatal highway crash reported
ATF investigation in south Longview
LONGVIEW – On Thursday afternoon, Longview police and federal agents are investigating in south Longview. LaDarian Brown, a spokesperson for the Longview Police Department, stated that the department is supporting an ongoing investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Officials are reportedly in the 200 block of Michael Street at an automotive business. It is unclear if any arrests have been made, and no further details have been made public.
Here we go again with the “S” word.
So, here we go. Four of the largest American cities have, or are about to have, open, avowed, loud & proud socialist mayors. Not long ago, those on the Left who harbored socialist predilections, like those who harbor indelicate sexual predilections, went to some trouble to hide them. (You’ll recall that the Grand Poobahs of the Democratic Party pushed Bernie Sanders off their presidential ticket in 2008 because he dared say the “S” word out loud.)
No longer.
In today’s ever-more-radical Democratic Party, being a socialist is a feature, not a bug.
Today, the leading lights of the Democratic Party are unapologetically socialist and the one-time “moderate” leaders of the party – think Pelosi and Schumer (and please note the air quotes around “moderate”) – increasingly find themselves on the outside looking in.
New York led the Dems’ leftward lurch in 2018 by electing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – a.k.a. AOC – to represent New York’s 14thCongressional District. But she now looks positively Churchillian compared to New York City’s new socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Just this week, Democratic primary voters in New York nominated four more avowed socialists to represent the state in the U.S. Congress. There is little doubt that all four will win in the general election in November.
Moving across the country, Seattle mayor Katie Wilson is an avowed socialist. Los Angeles recently nominated avowed socialist Nithya Raman for mayor. She, too, is expected to win in the general.
The same for Washington, D.C.’s Janeese Lewis George, now the Democratic nominee for mayor, and also expected to easily win in November.
Those of us old enough to remember the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union are shaking our heads in dismay as we realize that we’ve learned nothing from the failures of prior attempts at socialism. The lessons that followed from the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 apparently didn’t stick. Ditto the more recent story of Venezuela.
Socialism succeeds at little other than creating shared unhappiness. To the extent that China’s economy works, it’s because the 1978 reforms of Deng Xiaoping created a socialist/capitalist hybrid that made it possible – on a limited basis — for private citizens to own property (sort of) and accumulate personal wealth (sort of).
Socialists are misguided at best – believing that a small cabal of government “experts” can better direct the economy than millions of free individuals acting independently while risking their own capital.
They’re evil at worst because for socialism to work, it must steal the fruits of labor from the productive to give to the non-productive. That theft ultimately takes place at gunpoint.
But socialism’s dismal and bloody record notwithstanding, according to recent polls, as many as two thirds of Democrats now think it’s a good idea. They conveniently ignore socialism’s indisputable record of mass murder, mass misery and ultimate bankruptcy.
The lesson of 2026 is that the center of gravity in the Democratic Party is now socialist. We’re in uncharted waters. And I’d be a fool if I started predicting how it will all turn out.
Truck driver sentenced in fatal pileup
KAUFMAN COUNTY – The truck driver who was charged with five fatalities in a 2025 crash on Interstate 20 in Kaufman County entered a guilty plea and was given a 20-year prison sentence. In court, Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni entered a plea, ending a case that garnered statewide attention after investigators claimed he fell asleep while operating an 18-wheeler and crashed into stopped traffic close to Terrell.
Following the collision on June 28, 2025, a number of cars and commercial trucks were involved in a chain reaction pileup. Gonzalez-Companioni, a Florida resident, admitted to investigators that he had dozed off prior to the collision. A truck carrying three generations of the Fort Worth McKellar family was struck first. Grandfather Billy McKellar, parents Zabar and Shawn, and their 15-year-old son Kason were all instantly killed in the collision. Continue reading Truck driver sentenced in fatal pileup
Former deputy pleads guilty to child sex crimes, child pornography
HOUSTON COUNTY – In federal court, a former Houston County deputy has elected to enter a guilty plea to charges of child pornography and sexual abuse of a child. Former Houston County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Skyler Laza has agreed to enter into a written plea agreement to the federal charge of sexual exploitation of a child, also known as production of child pornography, according to court documents filed on Tuesday. According to related documents, Skyler Laza forced the child to engage in sexual activity, recorded it, and sent the footage. Continue reading Former deputy pleads guilty to child sex crimes, child pornography
Two arrested for animal cruelty
SMITH COUNTY – On June 11, Deputies with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office responded to County Road 390, near the Old Kilgore Highway in Tyler, after receiving reports of a deceased dog found inside a metal crate on the property.
Upon arrival, deputies made contact with one of the residents, who reported that two deceased dogs and two living dogs were inside dog crates. Deputies were guided to the location of the crates, where they confirmed two deceased dogs and one severely malnourished, maggot infested dog.
The resident stated that the dogs were strays she and her mother had cared for over the past year but had recently stopped caring for. She admitted the dogs had been confined without reasonable access to food or water.
When investigators arrived on scene, met with deputies, and contacted Animal Control. Animal Control took custody of the two surviving dogs and transported them for emergency medical treatment. Unfortunately, one of the rescued dogs later died due to the severity of the neglect. Continue reading Two arrested for animal cruelty
Tennis legend Chris Evert says ovarian cancer has returned, will skip Wimbledon
(NEW YORK) -- Tennis legend Chris Evert announced on social media Thursday that she will not be commentating at Wimbledon next week after learning over the weekend that her ovarian cancer had returned.
"I have always believed in being open and honest about my health journey," Evert wrote in a statement shared on Instagram and X. "This past weekend, after undergoing CT and PET scans, I learned that my ovarian cancer has returned. I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks."
Evert, a tennis analyst for ESPN, had been scheduled to work as a commentator at this year's Wimbledon tournament in London, which runs from June 29 to July 12. In her statement Thursday, she said she would be stepping back from her professional commitments for the next several months "to focus on my health."
"Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle," she wrote. "I am deeply grateful to my medical team, my family, friends, and everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon."
Evert was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022, announcing the following year that she was cancer-free.
She received a second diagnosis just under a year later and revealed she was cancer-free again in July 2024.
Evert recently sat down with "Good Morning America" alongside longtime tennis rival turned friend Martina Navratilova and said their shared post-retirement cancer battles -- Navratilova was diagnosed twice, in 2010 and 2023, and is now cancer-free -- had "brought our relationship, our friendship, to another level because of the support and the care that we had for each other."
Evert made her major tournament debut at just 16 years old in the 1971 U.S. Open at Forest Hills, becoming the youngest semifinalist in the tournament's history, according to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She lost the match to eventual champion Billie Jean King.
Evert notched 18 Grand Slam titles over the course of her playing career. The former world No. 1 player also held that top ranking for 260 weeks, which according to the Women's Tennis Association is the fourth all-time record behind Steffi Graf (377 weeks), Navratilova (332 weeks) and Serena Williams (319 weeks).
Evert retired from professional tennis in 1989 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995.
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David Rancken’s App of the Day 05/25/26 – Flare Gun!
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Crash involving 18-wheeler leaves two dead
PANOLA COUNTY – Authorities confirmed that an 18-wheeler crashed in Panola County on Thursday morning, killing two people. Around 4:20 a.m., the collision occurred in Panola County at the intersection of Highway 79 and FM 31. The driver and passenger in the 18-wheeler were confirmed dead by the Texas Department of Public Safety. They are both from Missouri. According to the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Transportation is present and attempting to reopen the road. An investigation is ongoing.
Fatal crash under investigation
OVERTON – The Texas Department of Public Safety reports that a single-vehicle collision in Overton on Thursday morning has left one person dead. According to officials, the collision occurred on State Highway 323 close to County Road 125 at around 6:00 a.m. No further information regarding the collision has been made public as of yet. The Overton Police Department is advising people to take a different route and stay away from the area. Additionally, they requested that people offer prayers for the affected individuals and their families.
Officer-involved shooting investigated
MARION COUNTY – Following an officer-involved shooting in Marion County on Wednesday night, a man was transported to a hospital in Shreveport. Around 7:15 p.m., deputies responded to a domestic incident in the 2700 block of Highway 49, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. When the deputies arrived, they encountered a man who then fired a rifle, striking a patrol car belonging to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Continue reading Officer-involved shooting investigated
‘The floor under me was shaking’: American tourist recounts escaping death in Venezuela quakes
(CARACAS, Venezuela) -- When the first of two massive earthquakes hit Venezuela, American tourist Jason Wang said he was on a mountaintop outside Caracas, about to get on a cable car to head down.
It was just after 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday when a 7.2 magnitude jolted the South American country's coastal region, followed 39 seconds later by an even stronger 7.5 magnitude tremor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
High up on El Ávila mountain, about 7 miles outside the capital city, the 39-year-old Wang of Las Vegas said he was caught in a scene of confusion and panic, unsure what had just occurred.
"I was about to board the cable car. I started recording myself going in, and the whole building just started shaking. The floor under me was shaking, and then all of a sudden everyone started panicking," Wang told ABC News on Thursday morning.
He said he and other tourists charged toward the exit of the cable car building.
"We were just rushing for the door to exit the building, and none of us knew what was going on until a few minutes afterwards," Wang said. "We realized we got hit with a massive earthquake."
Videos that Wang posted on social media showed him and others walking down the mountain back toward Caracas on a road blocked by numerous toppled trees. Wang said that as the sun was setting, he managed to get a ride back to his hotel in Caracas.
"I saw some people like cutting down trees that fell on the road to create a tunnel for us to get past," Wang said.
He said that when he finally reached his hotel and was able to get a WiFi signal, he learned that the twin tremors were the biggest earthquakes to hit Venezuela in a century, causing massive destruction and widespread death across Caracas, a city of more than 2 million people.
"Once I got back on WiFi, I was able to contact my family and friends and tell them I was OK," said Wang, adding that he was traveling out of the city to the jungle on Thursday morning to escape the danger being caused by numerous aftershocks.
Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela's National Assembly, said that at least 188 people were killed in the earthquakes, and nearly 1,520 more were injured.
But the death toll is expected to grow. The USGS said there is a risk of more than 10,000 deaths, though official casualty tolls have been slow to be reported.
President Donald Trump said there could be a "devastating number of deaths," as Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the U.S. is deploying rescue teams to Venezuela to help search for victims.
In Caracas, the scenes of devastation and desperation were evident in all directions. Online videos showed apartment and commercial buildings lying in heaps of rubble, houses knocked off foundations and thousands of people in the streets, shellshocked and watching as emergency crews searched for survivors.
At one point, more than 25,000 people were unaccounted for, officials said.
During the earthquakes, people ran from swaying buildings in Caracas, many visibly shocked when they turned back to see destroyed walls that left furniture visible from the street.
"It's like a horror movie," one frantic woman who escaped her damaged building said.
One Caracas resident, Armando Nori, posted a video on social media from inside an apartment building that began to shake violently during the earthquakes. The footage showed Nori and others in the building fleeing as walls and shelves collapsed, and items, including what appeared to be a water container, crashing to the floor.
Another Caracas resident, Gabriel Higuera, told ABC News that he lives on the top floor of an apartment building with his girlfriend, and described their harrowing race to escape. He said his girlfriend almost fell from one of the floors due to the violent tremors.
"The shaking made it impossible to move," Higuera said.
Another video verified by ABC News showed people in an apartment building in Junquito, west of Caracas, falling to the floor and holding onto each other as the building started to collapse around them. The man filming the video was heard in the footage screaming for his mother as he started to run for cover.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said numerous buildings had been brought down in Caracas, and that the cities of Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua, and Miranda had also been affected.
There were reports of widespread power outages and cell phone disruptions throughout the country. Gas to many buildings was turned off to prevent fires, officials said.
Rodriguez declared a state of emergency, saying the earthquakes had turned the coastal state of La Guaira into a "disaster zone."
"Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, about 30 kilometers north of Caracas, and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives," Rodriguez said in a televised address to the nation, according to The Associated Press.
She said Metro and rail services are suspended in the city and that the heavily damaged Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport is closed.
Video posted online and verified by ABC News showed people at the airport running for their lives as part of its roof collapsed, creating a cloud of dust. In the footage, people could be heard screaming as the sound of crashing glass and chunks of falling concrete echoed in the background.
Amid the devastation came reports of heroic efforts to rescue people trapped in the rubble. Eighteen people were rescued from one of the two buildings that collapsed in the Chacao municipality, about 7 miles east of Caracas, authorities said.
Dozens of aftershocks have been reported following the initial tremors, forcing many people to sleep on the street on Wednesday night out of fear of more buildings collapsing.
Following the quake, a tsunami advisory was issued, with the potential for hazardous tsunami waves possible for coasts within 300 kilometers, or about 186 miles, of the earthquake epicenter. However, the tsunami advisory later expired.
ABC News' Will Gretsky, Shannon Kingston, Victoria Beaule and Aicha El Hammar Castano contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Scorching heat wave continues in Europe with record-breaking highs in UK and France
(LONDON) -- Countries across Europe were on Thursday in the middle of one of the most brutal heat waves within the last 50 years, with temperatures breaking June records in the United Kingdom and France.
Weather officials in the United Kingdom said temperatures on Wednesday rose in some areas to 35.7 degrees Celsius, or about 96.2 degrees Fahrenheit, topping a June 1976 record of 35.6 C.
The Met Office updated its Red Extreme Heat Warning, spreading the warning along most of the southern and western areas of the United Kingdom.
"This is exceptional heat for June with temperature records expected to be broken this week," Met Office Chief Forecaster Matthew Lehnert said in a statement. "Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we’re expecting significant impacts from this heatwave, with health issues likely, even beyond those who are more vulnerable to the heat."
The Met also set Amber Heat Warnings for Friday and Saturday.
Warnings were still under review and constantly being updated, with the Met Office predicting that Friday could be the peak of the heat wave here in the United Kingdom, with temperatures soaring up as high as 100.4 F.
In France the north, west, and half of the southern areas of the country were on Thursday under red heat warnings, under which residents were being told to stay "Absolutely vigilant."
French authorities said on Thursday they expected that the heat to stay in the red for many hours ahead.
The country on Wednesday notched its highest-ever temperature, according to weather officials at Meteo-France, the national weather service. They said the country’s national heat index -- a daily average including regions around the country -- hit 30 C, or about 86 F.
"Another exceptional day is expected in terms of temperatures, with the peak of this historic heatwave anticipated," Meteo-France said in a bulletin on Thursday.
The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower were closing early for a third day in a row.
To stay safe in the heat everyone is being encouraged to stay hydrated, avoid the sun during peak hours, around midday, and staying home to keep cool.
They have recommended keeping curtains, blinds and windows closed during the day and opening windows at night to keep your house as cool as possible.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Scoreboard roundup — 6/24/26
Rebound in tech shares pushes world markets higher, while oil prices fall
Oil prices slipped closer to where they were before the war with Iran began.
Qualcomm’s share price surged nearly 7% in afterhours trading after the company announced it had raised its forecast for revenue this year to $40 billion from $22 billion. It also announced a new computer chip for data centers called Dragonfly C1000 CPU that Meta plans to use.
Micron Technology’s shares jumped 18.5% in afterhours trading after it upgraded its forecast and exceeded analysts’ estimates.
The future for the S&P 500 gained 0.8%, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher.
Germany’s DAX advanced 0.5% to 24,859.99. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.2% to 8,398.21 and Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.1% to 10,473.69.
In Asian trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index surged 4.6% to a record close of 72,366.34 as traders snapped up shares in technology companies. Chipmaker Tokyo Electron’s shares gained 7.8%, while chip testing equipment maker Advantest’s shares soared 15%.
South Korea’s benchmark, the Kospi, hit a new record, surging 5.4% to 8,930.30 after briefly topping 9,000. Samsung Electronics’ shares gained 5.3% and SK Hynix leaped 13%.
Elsewhere in Asia, gains were more modest.
Taiwan’s Taiex climbed 0.5% and the Sensex in India was up 0.7%.
The Shanghai Composite index picked up 0.2% to 4,120.28, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.4% to 23,090.27.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.7% to 8,748.70.
On Wednesday, stocks wavered to a mixed close on Wall Street as losses for several tech giants including Microsoft weighed on the market. The S&P 500 fell 0.1% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which is less weighted with tech stocks, rose 10.4%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 0.4%.
Microsoft lost 2.3% and Oracle slumped 4.6%.
Many large tech companies have been behind Wall Street’s record-setting run throughout the year, but analysts have warned their valuations may have become stretched.
Google’s parent company Alphabet slipped 0.2%. The company is replacing Verizon in the Dow on Monday. Its inclusion in the S&P 500 means more to investors, however, because 401(k) accounts are much more likely to include an S&P 500 index fund than anything tied to the Dow.
Alphabet will become the fifth Magnificent 7 tech company to join the Dow. The others are Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Nvidia.
Oil companies had some of the biggest losses as prices fell while the U.S. and Iran negotiate a possible end to their war. Exxon Mobil fell 2% and Chevron lost 2.6%. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 3.8% to $73.87 a barrel. It has been trading below $80 in recent days but is still above the roughly $70 per barrel it was trading at in late February before the war began.
U.S. crude prices fell 3.9% to $70.34 a barrel.
Early Thursday, Brent was down 0.8% at $73.32 a barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude lost 0.5% to $69.88 a barrel.
Some of the bigger winners on Wall Street included homebuilders following approval of legislation beneficial to the industry. KB Home surged 16.7% and D.R. Horton jumped 6.7%.
The Federal Reserve will get an update on inflation later Thursday, when its preferred measure for prices is released. Economists expect the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, or PCE, to show that prices rose 4.1% in May. That would be the highest level in three years.
Inflation has been rising as tariffs raise costs for many goods. It worsened as the war pushed energy and shipping prices higher and that impact is expected to linger even as oil and gasoline prices fall.
In other dealings early Thursday, the U.S. dollar rose to 161.81 Japanese yen from 161.79 yen. The euro rose to $1.1362 from $1.1359.
A giraffe named Gracie escaped in Texas, authorities on the hunt
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas, and the search for her has become a tall order.
Gracie, who is about 3 years old, has been missing for nearly two weeks after escaping her enclosure at Cedar Hollow Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, said Vic Jones, who owns the remote property about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of San Antonio. He said Wednesday that Gracie had wandered into a part of the privately owned preserve that other giraffes previously avoided.
Jones said he has sent up helicopters to look for Gracie, a few sightings have trickled in, and a $5,000 reward is on the table.
But the giraffe, which stands roughly the height of a tree, hasn’t turned up.
“She wound up going up and feeding in an area on the hillside and the rocky ledges that none of the other giraffes had ever gone on before,” Jones said. “And when she came down off of there, she came down on the wrong side of the gate.”
The ranch is in rural Real County, where its roughly 2,700 residents were put on alert to be on the lookout for a missing giraffe. Jones said the search area is extremely remote, and the likelihood of Gracie encountering any humans is low.
“People are not in danger of her because she’s not around people,” Jones said. ‘She’s out in very, very rough, heavily wooded lands.”
The Texas Hill Country has one of the largest concentrations of exotic captive animals in the country. Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson said the mild climate and rugged terrain seems to serve as a good stand-in for most of the animals’ native African environments.
He rattled off a list of animals that have gone missing over the years, especially after floods, but said this was his first giraffe.
“I’ve had wildebeests, I’ve had water buffalo, I’ve had monkeys, I’ve had zebras, all go missing,” Johnson said. “Sometimes we recover them, and sometimes we don’t.”
While the middle of Texas is not a giraffe’s native environment, Jones said Gracie should be able to find plenty of leaves and other vegetation to eat. He said other animals were not likely to bother her.
Jones said he initially had helicopters searching an area of about 7,500 acres (3,000 hectares) with no luck. A few days later, there was a report that Gracie was spotted to the south.
But by the time they could search the area, Jones said, she was already gone.
“We’re always two three days late for where the information is coming from, so that makes it tough,” Jones said.
What to know about the push to make Bible stories required reading in Texas public schools
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas would make Bible stories required reading for more than 5 million public school students under a proposal that has reignited debate over widening efforts in the U.S. to put more religion in classrooms.
A final vote by the Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education on whether to approve the plan is set for Friday. Last year Texas became the largest state to require every classroom to display the Ten Commandments.
The proposed list has drawn fierce opposition. Critics argue that it violates the constitutional separation of church, lacks diversity and favors Christianity over other religions. Supporters say Judeo-Christian traditions were fundamental to the nation’s founding and that should be reflected in the public school curriculum.
Here’s what to know about the proposal and the broader fight over religion in public schools:
Republicans and Trump have pushed more religion into classrooms
President Donald Trump has pledged to protect and expand religious expression in public schools nationwide, and Texas — a red state that is home to about one in 10 of all U.S. public school students — often sets the agenda.
In 2023, Texas became the first state to allow the hiring of chaplains to counsel students, and the following year, the board narrowly approved an optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools. Last year, Republican lawmakers required public schools to display the Ten Commandments, a measure recently upheld by a federal appeals court.
Texas has about 5.5 million public school students from kindergarten through high school. If approved by the board, the required reading list would take effect in 2030.
“We need to focus on what our nation was founded on and not apologize for that,” Susan Perez, founder of Citizens for Education Reform, told the education board during testimony this week. “It is the truth and we should not be afraid.”
List requires Bible readings from elementary to high school
Picture-book stories for elementary students including “Noah’s Ark,” “David and Goliath” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” are on the required reading list. By fourth grade, students would encounter passages about Jesus in the New Testament.
By middle school, students would be expected to read several passages about Jesus, including passages from his most famous sermon, and another where he instructs people to cast aside earthly anxiety and seek the kingdom of God. Another would connect a reading from the Book of Lamentations and its themes of the destruction of Jerusalem with readings about the Holocaust.
In high school, students would read the parable of the prodigal son, portions of the Book of Job, and the story of Adam and Eve.
Some education observers said Texas may be the first state to enact a required reading list, with the added layer of mandated religious text.
Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and a Stanford University professor, said he doesn’t know of any other state that has such a list. Educators at the district and school level usually choose what texts their students will read, Garcia said.
Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, said she believes such a mandated reading list would be “unique” to Texas.
“I think there’s lots of state lists that exist that are like advised readings, suggested readings,” she said.
Critics say the proposal favors Christianity over other religions
The required readings rely heavily on the King James Bible, one of the most popular translations, and more recent evangelical translations that critics argue lean too heavily on Christian interpretations of the texts.
Other critics question whether religious stories should be taught at all in schools attended by thousands of children of Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and other faiths, and others who identify as atheist or agnostic.
“I do think that it’s disturbing that there are no texts from other religious traditions that are included,” said Frank Strong, an English and journalism teacher and co-founder of the student advocacy group Texas Freedom to Read.
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Stengle reported from Dallas.