MADISON, Wisconsin, Aug. 23 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on Aug. 22, 2025: * * * 'Theocrat' Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick wants to expel citizens for not participating in prayer FFRF Action Fund's "Theocrat of the Week" is Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for his unconstitutional threats to remove members  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas posted the following news release: * * * 23 in custody on immigration charges after bust of Hidalgo County alien smuggling ring McALLEN, Texas - Four people, two of whom are illegal aliens themselves, have been charged for their alleged involvement in an alien smuggling ring, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Enrique Gonzalez, 57, of Weslaco, and Mexican national Erick Vallejo-Zapata, 21,   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- American National Bank of Texas has submitted a public comment letter addressing payments fraud to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency emphasizing the crucial need for collaboration among stakeholders in the financial sector to detect, prevent, and mitigate payments fraud effectively. In the letter, the bank stresses that establishing clear communication channels and fostering information sharing are key steps to enhancing collaboration. The organization ad  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: * * * AMO helicopter crew conducts rescue in Franklin Mountains * El Paso, Texas For More Information Contact: Landon Hutchens (202) 407-4241; landon.r.hutchens@cbp.dhs.gov EL PASO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations helicopter crews conducted a rescue of a hiker in the Franklin Mountains State Park. On Aug. 21, CBP AMO E  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 [Category: Health Care] -- Ascension, a faith-based healthcare organization, issued the following news release: * * * Ascension Seton and Brasfield & Gorrie celebrate topping out of bed tower at Ascension Seton Williamson * Ascension Seton and Brasfield & Gorrie celebrated a major milestone at Ascension Seton Williamson: the topping out of the hospital's new bed tower. It's the latest sign of progress on a project that will expand access to care in one of the fastest-grow  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, Aug. 22 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland issued the following news: * * * Bible study bolsters spiritual readiness for Airmen * Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas - Staying spiritually healthy is one of the four domains of the Comprehensive Airman Fitness framework, and a Bible study class at JBSA-Randolph is giving Airmen an opportunity to strengthen that domain. The chapel hosted its fall kickoff Bible study Aug. 20, 2025  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * CONGRESSMAN VICENTE GONZALEZ CELEBRATES PRESIDENTIAL PERMIT ALLOWING CAMERON COUNTY TO BUILD PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AT GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE * Washington, D.C. -- Yesterday, the Trump Administration granted a Presidential Permit to Cameron County to construct, maintain and operate a pedestrian border crossing at the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas. Cameron County requested t  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * Congresswoman Escobar Introduces Legislation to Support Local Animal Shelters * During her visit to the City of El Paso Animal Services main shelter, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) introduced the Supporting Our Shelters Act, legislation to amend the Animal Welfare Act and provide critical grant funding to local animal shelters across the country. The bill will ensure that shelters have the  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news: * * * Cornyn Praises Pres. Trump's Approval of Cameron County's Gateway International Bridge Project * HOUSTON - U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today praised President Trump's approval of Cameron County's permit application to construct and operate a pedestrian crossing at the Gateway International Bridge, which connects Brownsville, Texas, to Matamoros, Mexico: " I am glad President Trump has approved the constr  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency issued the following news release: * * * Federal Emergency Management Agency Designates 39 Counties in Arkansas as Natural Disaster Areas Due to Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding * Two Texas Counties Also Eligible for Assistance This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recover  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, Aug. 22 [Category: Religion] -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation posted the following news release: * * * FFRF and others warn Texas schools about 10 Commandments law after court ruling * Photo by Sebastian Morelli-Peyton on Unsplash Four organizations including the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter today to public school superintendents across Texas warning them not to implement SB 10, an unconstitutional state law that purports to require public schoo  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas posted the following news release: * * * Gang member sentenced to 40 years for role in large-scale drug trafficking operation A 25-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy and for possessing machine guns in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Kendal Alejandro Monzon Jr. was a member of   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * McCaul, Amo Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Streamline Defense Production for the U.S. and Allies * WASHINGTON - Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) -- chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Friends of Australia Caucus -- and Vice Ranking Member Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) introduced the AUKUS Improvement Act, legislation that would exempt entities already vetted  more

DALLAS, Texas, Aug. 23 -- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center issued the following news release: * * * A MEG powerhouse: How UTSW is pushing the limits of brain research, care Dedicated team is expanding uses for the precision imaging tool to help epilepsy patients and delve deeper into Alzheimer's, concussion, and other neurological conditions * Most days, neurologist Sasha Alick-Lindstrom, M.D., M.P.H., FAAN, FACNS, FAES, can be found staring at rows of brain signals on mu  more

PLANO, Texas, Aug. 22 [Category: Sociological] -- The First Liberty Institute, an organization that says it is dedicated to defending liberty for all Americans, issued the following news release: * * * Ninth Circuit Hears Oral Argument on Behalf of Flight Attendants Fired for Their Faith * San Francisco, CA --Today, First Liberty Institute presented oral argument at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on behalf of two flight attendants, Lacey Smith and Marli Brown, who were wrong  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, issued the following news release: * * * Padilla Applauds California for Standing Up to Trump and Texas Republicans' Gerrymandering * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California's former Secretary of State, issued the following statement after the California legislature passed a package of bills allowing voters to determine whether the  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Rep. Monica de la Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * PHOTOS: De La Cruz Visits Wilson County and Karnes County * This week, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) visited Wilson County and Karnes County to meet with local officials and present exceptional Texans with their official Congressional Records. Wilson County: De La Cruz held a roundtable with local officials from Wilson County, La Vernia, Poth, Stockdale, and Floresville to discuss   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 8/15/2025-8/22/2025 * Fighting for Life-Saving Vaccine Programs [Hartford, CT] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined doctors and advocates to slam a proposal to cut federal education funding from states that have narrow vaccine exemption policies like Connecticut. Despite the severity of this year's measles outbreak in Texas--the worst and dea  more

LAREDO, Texas, Aug. 23 -- Texas A&M International University, a member of the Texas A&M University System, issued the following news release: * * * TAMIU Receives $400K THECB Grant to Help Reduce Mental Health Disparities Among Low-Income Adults in Laredo Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) has received a $400,000 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's (THECB) Minority Health Grant Program to help reduce mental health disparities among low-income adults in Laredo.   more

LAREDO, Texas, Aug. 23 -- Texas A&M International University, a member of the Texas A&M University System, issued the following news release: * * * TAMIU'S SBDC Offers QuickBooks Online Course Friday, Oct. 3 Texas A&M International University's Small Business Development Center (TAMIU SBDC) will offer an in-person QuickBooks Online course Friday, Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. This hands-on training is led by a certified business advisor and is designed to help small business owners and profess  more

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 23 -- Texas A&M University issued the following news: * * * How Nonprofits Build Trust And Sustain Impact After Disaster Directly after a natural disaster, nonprofits receive a surge of donations and funding. A Texas A&M University professor says it's essential for nonprofits to utilize these initial resources strategically to ensure long-term support. By Emma Lawson When crisis strikes and a community is at its lowest point, nonprofits often take on the respons  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The Texas Food & Fuel Association (TFFA) has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in response to its proposed "Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Yield of Cigarettes and Certain Other Combusted Tobacco Products." The TFFA represents the interests of corporations and individuals involved in the manufacture, sale, and distribution of consumer packaged goods, including tobacco products, with membership spanning over 16,000 locations ac  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 23 (TNSjou) -- The University of Houston issued the following news: * * * UH Researchers Unveil Breakthrough in Carbon Capture By Jonathan Adams Sometimes less really is more -- at least that is the case when it comes to improving carbon capture systems, according to a team of researchers at the University of Houston. Led by Mim Rahimi, a professor at UH's Cullen College of Engineering, the team made two significant breakthroughs that could reduce the cost of capturing   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, chairman of the House Small Business Committee, issued the following news release on Aug. 21, 2025: * * * Updated: Committee on Small Business September Committee Schedule Today, the House Committee on Small Business announced its updated September Committee schedule. Full Committee Hearing: "Wired for Growth: How Expanding Broadband Can Revitalize Rural Small Businesses" * Date & Time: Wednesday, September 3rd at 10:00 AM ET * Location  more

EL PASO, Texas, Aug. 23 -- The University of Texas's El Paso campus issued the following news release: * * * UTEP President: Research at UTEP Remains Strong In annual State of the University address, UTEP President praises numerous research successes * In her state of the University address during UTEP's 2025 Convocation, President Heather Wilson congratulated University researchers for the continued strength of their work, touting a number of recent and successful University research initi  more

TYLER, Texas, Aug. 23 -- The University of Texas Health Science Center issued the following news: * * * UTHealth Houston becomes go-to resource for health cost clarity By Lisa Raynor-Keck Texans won a major victory for health cost transparency in June with the conclusion of the 89th Texas Legislature, which provided funding support to the Texas All-Payor Claims Database and established the Health Impact, Cost, and Coverage Analysis Program (HICCAP) -- both housed at UTHealth Houston School o  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: * * * Vindman, Fallon, Jackson Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Provide Relief to Farm Credit System Institutions, Assist Virginia Farmers * The Congressman Introduced This Bipartisan Legislation After Hearing from Virginia Farmers, Producers, Ranchers, & Agribusiness Owners During a Five-Stop Farm Tour in Central Virginia Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07), Pat Fallon (R-  more