Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was diagnosed with viral pneumonia last week, and is recovering and working from home. He canceled all his scheduled meetings for this week, including all official engagements. Members of the Texas Senate are fully prepared to address any issues Gov. Abbott may include in a 4th Special Session, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Sen. Charles Schwertner, will preside in Patrick's absence.

"The strength and hope displayed as I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog, survivors of the October 7th attack and families of kidnapped Israelis was truly inspiring. ​​​​​​​Texas will continue to help support Israel safeguard their freedom against brutal terrorist organizations like Hamas," said Gov. Greg Abbott, after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials in Jerusalem.

Senator Ted Cruz & Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska,) along with several of their Republican colleagues sent a letter to the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC) about its proposed changes to regulations to re-classify “mining” projects for coverage under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. President Donald Trump had added mining industries to the list to boost the economy and bring supply chains home.

Well, the fight between the out-of-district "Monied Elites" and the voters of East Texas' House District 2 is heating up. I've learned that Sen. Ted Cruz has now been given some shocking information from some upset Texas Congressmen who are concerned he may have been misled in giving his endorsement. And then there's the question about a Ken Paxton staffer criticizing his fellow Republicans while on the state payroll.

“It only took 19 al Qaeda operatives to kill nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11th. Many, many times that number of terrorists have surely crossed our Southern Border since Joe Biden took office," said Sen. Tom Cotton, after newly released figures showed a dramatic increase in the number of individuals on the FBI's "Terrorist Watch List" were being arrested as they tried to enter the country illegally.

“I trust people much more than the ruling class,“ Congressman and former Texas Legislator Pat Fallon once told me. But if you're trying to decide who to vote for, how do you vet candidates in terms of background and suitability for office? It’s hard to do – and today's voters often find ourselves listening to the messaging that's purchased by out of area elite donors. Such is the case in the Special Election race for House District 2 in East Texas.

For several years top Republican policymakers in Texas and across the nation have taken hard stances and put their constituents and state's investment funds first by pushing back on the so-called Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) issues. As a result, it appears there's new evidence to indicate that Wall Street firms have started to change their behavior.

"Since the first of October – in just the last 10 days – Border Patrol Agents have apprehended individuals from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya. Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Yemen," said Sen. Steve Daines following his Wednesday visit to South Texas' Rio Grande Valley.

A g​​​​​​​rowing number of Democrats are coming to the realization that Joe Biden is losing – or has already lost – an unrecoverable amount of altitude on the U.S. economy, inflation, foreign affairs, and his health. It's confirmed by more and more left-leaning pundits calling for him to step aside. Some Democrats still say they've yet to panic, but they should – Mr. Biden’s position will likely only deteriorate further this winter. 

The term “Special Interest Aliens” is used by the U.S. Government to refer to people trying to illegally enter the United States from countries that favor or harbor terrorism and, therefore, pose potential national security threats.​​​​ The most current internal Customs & Border Protection data shows that 1,000s of “Special Interest Aliens” – from mostly Middle Eastern Countries – have been apprehended during the last two years of Joe Biden's presidency.

"Cities like New York have already allowed non-citizens to vote – and we're closer to allowing them to vote in our Federal Elections," said Cong. Claudia Tenney (R-NY.) "It's incomprehensible to think we'd reward criminal behavior by granting those in the country illegally an ID that all but legitimizes their presence – and is intended to be used in ways beyond their immigration proceedings," said the bill's author, Texas Cong. Michael McCaul.

​​​​​​​In 2013 the American Medical Association acknowledged obesity as a disease requiring treatment and prevention. With nearly 42% of Americans grappling with obesity and its related risks – heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, mental health issues and increased vulnerability to COVID-19 – it's a disease we can no longer afford to ignore.

With the media industry already under scrutiny for years worth of advocacy & biased coverage creating the appearance of a State-run de facto Media, a recent letter by Joe Biden's White House Legal Counsel called for major outlets to “ramp up their scrutiny” of House Republicans prior to the House proceedings that began today. It was not appropriate.

U.S. consumers pay the highest Credit Card Swipe Fees in the industrialized world. And as Americans face rampant inflation and higher costs for everyday goods & services, the last thing consumers need is higher credit card fees. But new legislation that could be voted on by the U.S. Senate this week aims to significantly reduce the skyrocketing fees.

"I spoke with Rep. Tony Gonzales — he confirmed it's a serious issue. They are being overwhelmed by unprecedented numbers — just hit an all-time high and still growing!" wrote Musk on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter. As Customs & Border Protection reported the highest monthly number in history, 304,162, "Am going to visit Eagle Pass (Texas) later this week to see what's going on for myself," said Musk.

"The number of Republican Mayors leading the Nation’s 10 Largest Cities has increased from zero, to one. But it's clear the nation & its cities have reached a time for choosing," said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, announcing his decision. "My very good friend, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced he's switching to the Republican Party. He's a good man – Welcome to our party," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Any suggestion that the Biden corruption scandal evidence gathered by the U.S. House of Representatives so far doesn't meet the standard for an inquiry into impeachable offenses is nothing more than willful blindness. From dozens of shell companies & accounts transferring millions to Biden family members, to undeniable evidence showing influence-peddling of "the brand," consider just 5 established facts.

"The negative impacts of this rule are tremendous. We will continue to fight for the rights of Texas' Farmers & Ranchers,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller after President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) bypassed Standard Public Comment Period protocol to issue a "Final Rule" for implementation of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Program without citizen input.

Ford President & CEO Jim Farley suggested last week – ahead of the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike – that his company couldn’t pay workers what they wanted because of the company's rapidly growing costs of transitioning to Electric Vehicles. Earlier this summer Ford announced they expect to lose a staggering $4.5 billion on electric vehicles this year, up from the initial $3 billion loss forecast earlier in the year.

The most chilling fact is, this came from the White House Counsel’s Office. ​​​​​​​This is not the Press Office, but a Counsellor to the President calling on the nation's media to “ramp up their scrutiny” and form a unified front against House Republicans impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. And, the White House shows no reluctance or concern in making such an open pitch.