Paxton-backed Texas GOP chairman ousted by vice chairwoman

World Cup fan festival goes wrong with 22 treated during insufferable Texas heat

The World Cup party got off to a brutal start in Houston.

'They're worried': Legendary elections analyst claims Alaska GOP in crisis mode

Renowned political analyst Larry Sabato told MS NOW's Antonia Hylton on Friday that the public could be sleeping on a key Senate race that might help Democrats take the majority: Alaska."Larry, do you think that there is a race out there right now that people aren't talking quite enough about?" asked Hylton, noting that plenty of other races, like North Carolina, are attracting massive attention. "Is there another area where they actually may have a shot, and the party or the base just aren't really thinking about it right now?""I've had a lot of people say to me, 'Oh, come on, you can't be serious about Alaska, Alaska is not going to go Democratic,'" said Sabato. "Well, normally, of course, it wouldn't go Democratic, and it certainly won't be by a landslide if in fact it does go Democratic." This time, though, there are a number of factors working in the Democrats' favor.For one thing, he said, Democrats "have in Mary Peltola a candidate who got elected to the U.S. House of Representatives under their unusual system of election from Alaska. She's already been able to do that."Making matters more complicated, he noted, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) has to contend with a candidate with the same name running for office on the same ballot. "One of [the Dan Sullivans] has been kind of thrown off, but I think maybe the courts will put him back on."Regardless, said Sabato, "the Republican incumbent is clearly worried. If he weren't worried, he wouldn't have put so much time and effort along with the party, national and state to debunk this other Dan Sullivan. They're worried about every vote, and they should be."Above all, he concluded, Sullivan simply hasn't been around long enough in the Senate to build up a reputation the way many of Alaska's other longtime senators managed to. "They really don't know Sullivan all that well, no matter what he says. So I would continue to watch Alaska." - YouTube www.youtube.com

Texas AG Ken Paxton threatens Big 12 over possible Texas Tech boycott

A dispute over player eligibility now has Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) involved after he entered himself into the fray on Thursday.The Big 12 Conference finds itself with its hands tied after a court ruling pumped the brakes on the NCAA punishing a Texas Tech player.'Any such action would be unlawful and would expose the Conference to substantial liability.'Quarterback Brendan Sorsby was caught earlier this year gambling on NCAA games, and it turned out he had been betting on his own team for years. Sorsby wagered approximately $90,000 over four years, On3 reported, and he also allegedly used sportsbook accounts registered to his friends and family.Earlier this week, a Texas judge in Lubbock County, where Texas Tech is located, temporarily prevented the NCAA from enforcing a permanent eligibility ban on Sorsby, meaning the 22-year-old will be able to play this season for the Red Raiders, apart from the first two games.Then came reports that the Big 12 and other conferences were considering boycotting Texas Tech altogether, with Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor telling Yahoo Sports that the Big 12 had "serious conversations" about it.Enter Texas AG Paxton's office, which sent a letter to the conference saying the state could seek "substantially more than $200 million" if the Big 12 tries to move forward with the boycott.Reporter Pete Nakos posted the AG's letter, which said Texas is aware of the attempted sanctioning of Texas Tech for "continuing its support of Mr. Sorsby as a student-athlete.""This letter serves to notify the Big 12 that any such action would be unlawful and would expose the Conference to substantial liability," Paxton's antitrust chief, Thomas York, wrote.RELATED: 'USA!' chants rock Madison Square Garden as Trump attends NBA FinalsFrom the letter: "Should the Big 12 seek. to sanction Texas Tech for acting consistent with the Order, Texas Tech will pursue all legal avenues to protect its interests and those of Texas Tech’s student-athletes."https://t.co/Q8ap2Ezie4 https://t.co/jPc4uAixce pic.twitter.com/gAE15NqykH— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) June 11, 2026The letter continued, describing the possible plan as "a naked horizontal agreement among competitors to disadvantage Texas Tech by cutting off access to the resources it needs to compete."The state government argued this would open up the conference and its members to potential damages stemming from Texas Tech's "lost football revenues, damages to its alumni contributions, and damages to its recruitment, plus attorneys' fees."Paxton's office also cited a possible breach of contract and "tortious antitrust," described as "any sanction that disrupts or interferes with Texas Tech's existing or potential contracts associated with its football team."This includes the disruption of potential sponsorships, ticket sales, and other commercial relationships, for example.Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) then fired off a letter of his own, calling Paxton's claims "meritless" and "facially absurd."Drummond also expressed support for the Big 12 sanctioning Texas Tech over the Sorsby saga. Texas Tech "has shirked responsibility by running with a bogus claim to a friendly court. Its leadership has prioritized winning over sport, over honor, and over integrity. If Texas Tech will not do the right thing, the Big 12 should," he wrote, according to images of the letter shared by ESPN college football reporter Pete Thamel.RELATED: 'I had the right papers': Somali World Cup referee booted from US gets an answer from the White House John E. Moore III/Getty Images As Blaze News previously reported, members of the Big Ten and the SEC have also discussed refusing to play Texas Tech.Thamel cited three unnamed Big Ten sources on Monday night who said they planned on discussing the possible sanction, while University of Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks reportedly issued an internal memo to his school's coaches advising them not to schedule any games against Texas Tech in any sport without conference approval.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

'God help us': Ex-GOP operative warns of 'incandescent' signal America is in decline

Former Republican strategist Steve Schmidt said that Elon Musk — the world's first trillionaire — is "a danger to every single American," in a video on Friday.The Lincoln Project co-founder called the SpaceX leader and Trump administration ally "a Nazi" and raised concerns about his influence on American and worldwide political extremism. Schmidt called Musk a non-state actor, "a nation state all unto himself, and that nation state has managed to take control of the American space program."He warned that this could seriously harm humanity, and specifically Americans."He's an extreme man, and now he's a trillionaire. And that is moral failure of American politics, of the two parties, it is an incandescent signal of the corruption of the age," Schmidt said. "Elon Musk is a most dangerous man." "And don't ever forget that when he delivered this salute in a state of ecstasy, he made himself known for all time, to everybody, for what he is at his core — which is a Nazi — and that is who has become the world's first trillionaire," Schmidt said. "God help us all."

Progressive Talarico knifes Biden's open border, tries moderating stance on key issues in Texas Senate race

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico flip-flopped on border security, gun control, and transgender issues during a podcast interview this week.

Abbott spotlights no-show Talarico, launching Texas-sized crime crackdown

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott proposes statewide prosecutor, bail reforms and measures to remove rogue DAs as crime dominates the political debate in Texas.

The Texas Case That Could Bring Down the NLRB

Vice President JD Vance Blasts 'Leaked' Iran Deal, Says Final Agreement Will Lead to Lasting Peace