Here’s your guide to voting in Texas’s May 2025 local elections
On May 3, many Texans will vote on local leaders and initiatives. Here’s how to check for elections in your area and register by April 3.
Cornyn wins over Texas GOP leadership, after being censured and boo’d for his gun safety bill
The senator’s embrace of the state party chair could neutralize a potential threat as Cornyn faces a challenging primary terrain.
Booker delivering marathon Senate speech against Trump admin, Elon Musk: ‘Inflicted so much harm’
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke out against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on the Senate floor throughout the night after beginning his marathon speech at 7 p.m. Monday. The senator was still speaking on the floor at 6 a.m. Tuesday, 11 hours after he had begun. Booker received some support from other Senate Democrats, whom he allowed to speak at times, during his hourslong show of opposition against the Trump administration. DEM SENATOR SAYS PARTY BRAND IS ‘REALLY PROBLEMATIC’ AND LED TO THE LOSS OF TRUST OF WORKING-CLASS VOTERS Booker said toward the beginning of his speech that Trump, in 71 days, “has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy, and even our aspirations as a people for, from our highest offices, a sense of common decency.” DEM SENATOR BEHIND SOCIAL MEDIA FAIL RESPONDS TO ELON MUSK’S OFFER Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said he planned to join Booker “for the entirety of his speech,” noted that he was “returning the favor” as Booker joined him when he “launched a filibuster to demand action on gun violence nine years ago.” Murphy was among the Democrats who provided Booker with some relief by speaking at times to punctuate the marathon session. In the social media video, Murphy described his colleague’s effort as “extraordinary.” JEN PSAKI CALLS OUT THE ‘WORST’ MEDIA TRAINING ADVICE GIVEN TO DEMOCRATS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Booker said in a video before he began his demonstration that he plans to continue speaking as long as he is “physically able.”
House Republicans to go to war with ‘rogue judges’ blocking Trump’s agenda: Here’s their plan
House Republicans are going all out this week to signal their support for the Trump administration amid multiple legal standoffs over White House policy. A bill to limit U.S. district court judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions sailed through the House Rules Committee – the last gatekeeper for bills before a chamber-wide vote – in a party-line vote Monday evening, as expected. On Tuesday morning, meanwhile, two high-profile panels on the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. ET on “judicial overreach and constitutional limits on the federal courts.” “Clearly, our members are as angered as President Trump about some of these rogue judges,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., the No. 2 House Republican, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview. “So we’re doing a number of things.” WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? The hearing will be held by the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution, led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and its subcommittee on courts, led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. Notably, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., is expected to testify, as is a woman described as a victim of criminal activity perpetrated by the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua in Aurora, Colorado. Her appearance is likely linked to the ongoing legal showdown between the Trump administration and U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after he issued an emergency 14-day pause on the White House’s deportation flights of suspected Tren de Aragua gang members to El Salvador. “We share the president’s concern that you’ve got some judges that have overstepped their boundaries,” Scalise said. “I mean, you have a plane flying with hardened criminals … and Judge Boasberg orders the plane to turn around in mid-flight … and bring hardened criminals back to America who were already here illegally. That’s clearly judicial activism and a judge trying to become the executive. That’s not his role.” Issa is also spearheading the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA Act) to get a House-wide vote this week, which would limit the ability of Boasberg and other district court judges from issuing rulings that affect Trump policies across the country, beyond their direct jurisdiction. That legislation is likely to pass with little if any Republican dissent. Two people familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital this month that Capitol Hill aides were told Trump “likes” the bill. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, also made clear leadership is united behind this week’s strategy. “Judges cannot act as pseudo-legislators to advance their political agenda; that’s not how our government works,” Emmer told Fox News Digital exclusively in a written statement. “I’m grateful for Chairman Jordan and Congressman Issa’s leadership in House Republicans’ efforts to ensure impartiality on the bench.” ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO But it’s clear there’s an appetite among Republican judiciary hawks and conservatives to go further. Scalise would not go into specifics but vowed, “Everything’s being looked at, and all options are on the table.” Democrats are vowing to push back, with Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, accusing Trump of using judges as “scapegoats” for his policy setbacks. “This week’s efforts to distract from Trump’s serial violations of the Spending Clause, the separation of powers, the Birthright Citizenship Clause, Equal Protection, the First Amendment freedom of speech, Fifth Amendment Due Process and Sixth Amendment right to counsel will include a House hearing made for Trump’s viewing pleasure and a vote on a Republican bill to ban nationwide injunctions,” Raskin told Fox News Digital. “As my colleagues embark on this embarrassing diversion, Judiciary Democrats will remind them at every turn: it’s not the courts’ fault that Trump keeps losing these cases. No amount of finger pointing will shift responsibility from this rogue president who keeps deliberately trashing the Constitution and violating the rights and freedoms of the people of the United States.” There have been over a dozen injunctions levied against various Trump policies across the country, from birthright citizenship reform to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met privately with Republican judiciary committee members last week for what sources called a “brainstorming” session. Ideas raised by lawmakers included a fast-tracked appeals process, wielding Congress’ spending power over the judiciary, and limiting the ability to “judge shop.” And some conservatives are eager to target specific judges they believe are abusing their power via the impeachment process, but House Republican leaders are wary of that route and believe it to be less effective than other legislative avenues. Conservatives could still force Johnson’s hand by filing a “privileged” impeachment resolution, meaning the House would have to at least hold a procedural vote on the measure within two legislative days. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital is not aware of any current plans to do so, and Johnson assured Republicans at their closed-door meeting last week that he was in contact with the White House every step of the way. Trump’s GOP Senate allies are rolling out their own strategy to push back on activist judges in the coming days, with the Senate Judiciary Committee teeing up a similar hearing to the House’s Tuesday event.
Trump’s pick for Joint Chiefs chair Daniel ‘Razin’ Caine set for Senate grilling
President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the U.S.’s top military officer is set to take the hot seat before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Lt. Gen. Daniel “Razin” Caine was plucked to replace Gen. C.Q. Brown, who Trump relieved of his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last month. It will be Caine’s first highly publicized remarks since the shakeup. After testifying before the committee, he will have to pass a committee vote and then a full Senate vote. If confirmed, Caine would serve as a go-to adviser for both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. TRUMP NOMINATES AIR FORCE LT. GEN. DAN ‘RAZIN’ CAINE FOR JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN Caine first caught the eye of the president years ago, when he was among a group of military leaders who met with Trump in December 2018 at the Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. Trump was visiting to deliver a Christmas message and hear from commanders on the ground. There, Caine told Trump they could defeat ISIS quickly with a surge of resources and a lifting of restrictions on engagement – a different message than the president was getting back in Washington. “We’re only hitting them from a temporary base in Syria,” Trump said Caine told him. “But if you gave us permission, we could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over – from the base that you’re right on, right now, sir. They won’t know what the hell hit them.” Trump had plucked the retired Air Force general from relative obscurity after accusing Brown of pushing a “woke” agenda at the Pentagon. Brown had been behind a 2022 memo laying out diversity goals for the Air Force. Caine does not meet the position’s prerequisites, such as being a combatant commander or service chief, and will require a waiver to be confirmed to the position. VANCE VISITS CAPITOL HILL TO URGE SENATORS TO CONFIRM ELBRIDGE COLBY FOR PENTAGON NO. 3 POST Caine’s reputation as an aggressive fighter pilot earned him the nickname “Razin Caine.” Caine, who flew F-16s, also spent time as the top military liaison to the CIA, an Air National Guard officer and regional airline founder in Texas. He was a White House fellow at the Agriculture Department and a counterterrorism specialist on the White House’s Homeland Security Council. From 2018-19, he was the deputy commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, which has been fighting the Islamic State since 2014. Little is publicly known about his role in that operation. The role of airstrikes, however, grew during that time, including clandestine ones, and Trump designated airstrike approval to commanders rather than the White House. Critics viewed Caine as an unconventional pick who lacked the experience for the job – he had already retired from the military and held the rank of three-star general, not four. If confirmed, he would be tasked with providing the president with military advice at a time when Trump has toyed with bombing Iran and the Pentagon is shoring up its capabilities to ensure America is capable of winning a hypothetical war with China. The Pentagon is also in the midst of a major modernization push to integrate AI across its systems and will soon take up the monumental task of putting a “Golden Dome” over the U.S. homeland. It is currently trying to whittle down its civilian workforce by more than 50,000 people and identify waste in the agency with the largest budget.
Tale of gold, power, and protocol: Unpacking Ranya Rao controversy
he case, centered around his stepdaughter, Kannada actor Ranya Rao, and her arrest for alleged gold smuggling, has thrust both Rao and the Karnataka government into an uncomfortable spotlight.
Massive fire breaks out at multi-storey building in Noida Sector 18
Two people were injured after jumping from the fourth floor to escape the flames. They have been rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Delhi tourism to get a boost with six new public spaces along the Yamuna, here’s all you need to know
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has a plan to improve the 22-kilometer stretch of the Yamuna floodplains, which runs between the Wazirabad Barrage and the Okhla Barrage.
Georgia governor expected to sign ‘Riley Gaines Act,’ which bans trans athletes from entering girls’ sports
The Georgia legislature passed a bill Monday along mostly party lines to prohibit transgender girls – or biological males – from participating in girls’ sports. S.B. 1, also known as the “Riley Gaines Act of 2025,” requires middle school, high school and college student athletes to compete on sports teams that align with their biological sex. Restrooms, locker rooms and sleeping quarters will also be restricted to only allow biological boys in the spaces designated for boys and biological girls in the spaces designated for girls. GEORGIA HOUSE PASSES ‘RILEY GAINES ACT’ THAT AIMS TO PROHIBIT TRANS ATHLETES FROM COMPETING IN FEMALE SPORTS The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk, and he is expected to sign the legislation. The measure was a priority for House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, both of whom are Republicans. “The General Assembly sent a clear message—biological men are not welcome in girls’ sports or spaces here in Georgia,” Burns said, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Jones said the General Assembly “made a historic step toward achieving a critical goal for this session, the protection of women’s sports,” according to the outlet. “I want to thank all of the brave women and girls who shared their personal stories and helped shape this legislation,” Jones continued. “Their courage is commendable and ensures that the rights of female athletes are preserved and protected by law. I look forward to standing with Gov. Brian Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns and female athletes with their families around the state when the ‘Riley Gaines Act of 2025’ is signed into law.” The bill is named after Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who was put into the public spotlight when she criticized the participation of biological males in girls’ sports after she competed against Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who Gaines and other female athletes were forced to share a locker room with. CONTROVERSIAL TRANSGENDER SWIMMER LIA THOMAS VOWS TO FIGHT TRANS ATHLETE BANS AMID NATIONAL SHIFT ON ISSUE “Such a tremendous honor. There are few causes more worthy than protecting opportunities for the next generation,” Gaines wrote on X after the bill passed the Georgia House and Senate on Monday. More than 25 other states already prohibit biological males from participating in girls’ sports. The measure was passed on Transgender Day of Visibility, in which transgender people and their supporters march and hold community gatherings and rallies against legislation targeting LGBTQ+ people.
Georgia bill lowering threshold for proving intellectual disability in death penalty cases heads to Gov. Kemp
The Georgia Senate passed a bill on Monday easing the state’s strict burden of proof required for a death row inmate to be deemed intellectually disabled, which would make them ineligible for a death sentence. The Peach State currently has the highest threshold in the nation for a person to prove they have an intellectual disability, allowing them to avoid the death penalty. After a yearslong push to lessen requirements, the Senate approved H.B. 123 on Monday by a 53-1 vote. The measure now heads to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk after it was unanimously approved by the House earlier this month. Georgia became the first state to outlaw the death penalty for intellectually disabled people in 1988. The U.S. Supreme Court later followed suit and ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. GEORGIA HOUSE ADVANCES BILL TO EASE DEATH PENALTY LAW FOR INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED PEOPLE The Supreme Court allowed states to determine the threshold for a person to be considered intellectually disabled. Georgia requires proof of intellectual disability beyond a reasonable doubt, making it the only state with such a high burden of proof. H.B. 123 would lower the standard to a preponderance of evidence and amend trial procedures to ensure people facing a death sentence receive a fair chance at convincing judges and jurors of their disability. The bill would allow defendants to present evidence of intellectual disability at a pretrial hearing that would be mandatory if prosecutors agree. There would also be a separate process before the same jury for determining whether someone is guilty and has an intellectual disability. Defendants who are found to have an intellectual disability would be exempt from the death penalty and receive alternative sentences. In multiple cases in Georgia, lawyers have unsuccessfully argued that their clients had intellectual disabilities. Judges in some of these cases said they might have succeeded if the state’s rules were less strict. GEORGIA MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH SEEKS CLEMENCY ON GROUNDS OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY When the Georgia Supreme Court in 2021 upheld the death penalty for Rodney Young in a 2008 killing, the justices found he had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was intellectually disabled, but then-Presiding Justice David Nahmias wrote that he would “embrace” legislative efforts to lower the threshold. In another case, Warren Lee Hill was executed in Georgia in 2015 for killing a fellow detainee despite his lawyers arguing that he had an intellectual disability. In 2002, a judge said that if the state used a lower standard than reasonable doubt, Hill would likely have been found intellectually disabled. Willie James Pye, whose IQ was allegedly low enough to show he was intellectually disabled, was executed in 2024 after his conviction in the 1993 rape and shooting death of his former girlfriend, Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. Pye’s lawyers argued he was intellectually disabled and brain-damaged. In the House, Democratic Rep. Esther Panitch argued that executing people with intellectual disabilities is a “moral failure.” “How we protect the most vulnerable and intellectually disabled individuals facing the death penalty is the ultimate test of our collective moral character, and I submit that we must choose compassion over retribution and understanding over punishment,” Panitch said. LAWYERS FOR ‘MORBIDLY OBESE’ DEATH ROW INMATE ARGUE HIS WEIGHT COULD CAUSE BOTCHED LETHAL INJECTION District attorneys who opposed the rule change in the past have said more recently that they are fine with changing the reasonable doubt standard, but some have taken issue with a couple of procedural changes in the bill, including one that adds a pretrial hearing to determine whether someone has an intellectual disability that would be mandatory if prosecutors agree and another that establishes a separate process in a trial for determining whether someone is guilty and has an intellectual disability. Most states have these options, and lawyers say changing the reasonable doubt threshold will not stop intellectually disabled people from receiving the death penalty unless there are also procedural changes. Separate processes would allow jurors to evaluate whether someone is intellectually disabled without being influenced by the evidence of the crime the person committed, the lawyers argue. Some prosecutors allege that the bill would make it too difficult to pursue the death penalty and would prevent the practice from being carried out at all. They say that lawmakers should just ban the death penalty if that is their desire, but lawmakers have said that is not their intention. People would also have the option to receive sentences of life without parole if they are exempt from the death penalty, instead of just a life sentence. A Senate committee has also tweaked the bill so it would go into effect immediately and apply to all pending cases. The Associated Press contributed to this report.