Sunday, November 9

Author: Houston Stringer

Attorney General Paxton launches investigation into Love Austin PAC and nonprofit over alleged scheme to raise property taxes
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
Texas

Attorney General Paxton launches investigation into Love Austin PAC and nonprofit over alleged scheme to raise property taxes

AUSTIN, TX, October 24, 2025 – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into the Love Austin Political Action Committee (PAC) and nonprofit organization Foundation Communities, Inc. over allegations of a potentially illegal fundraising effort to support Proposition Q, a ballot measure that would increase property taxes in Austin. File Photo (September 2025) According to the Attorney General’s Office, Foundation Communities reportedly pledged $25,000 to Love Austin PAC to help pass the measure, which appears on the November 4 ballot. The organization could benefit financially from the measure’s approval, as it would likely receive a portion of the funds generated through the proposed tax increase. Attorney General Paxton has issued Requests to Examine (RTEs) to ...
Read More
Governor Abbott appoints former Texas Solicitor General who challenged Obamacare to Supreme Court of Texas
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
U.S.

Governor Abbott appoints former Texas Solicitor General who challenged Obamacare to Supreme Court of Texas

AUSTIN, TX - Governor Greg Abbott announced the appointment of Kyle Hawkins as Justice, Place 7, on the Supreme Court of Texas for a term set to expire December 31, 2026. File Photo (September 2025) Governor Abbott described Hawkins as “a proven defender of both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions,” citing his record of public service and extensive appellate experience. As Texas Solicitor General, Hawkins litigated key constitutional cases at both the state and federal levels, including Texas’s challenge to the federal Affordable Care Act and defense of the state’s election integrity laws. Hawkins currently serves as a partner at Lehotsky Keller Cohn LLP and brings more than 16 years of experience in constitutional and commercial litigation. He previously served as Counselor to the ...
Read More
Texas doctor surrenders medical license after state lawsuit over prescribing gender transition drugs to minors
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
U.S.

Texas doctor surrenders medical license after state lawsuit over prescribing gender transition drugs to minors

TEXAS - A Dallas-area physician, Dr. May Lau, has surrendered her Texas medical license following a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton accusing her of prescribing gender transition drugs to minors in violation of state law. File Photo (September 2025) According to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Dr. Lau entered into a Rule 11 agreement that initially required her to cease practicing medicine while the case was pending. Her subsequent surrender of her license permanently bars her from practicing medicine in Texas. Attorney General Paxton stated that the surrender “is a major victory for our state,” adding that his office will continue pursuing the case alleging Lau violated state law by prescribing cross-sex hormones to minors.
Read More
‘The New Edition Way Tour’ to conclude at Toyota Center in Houston
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
U.S.

‘The New Edition Way Tour’ to conclude at Toyota Center in Houston

HOUSTON, TX, October 24, 2025 – The Black Promoters Collective announced The New Edition Way Tour, a nationwide concert event featuring New Edition, Boyz II Men, and Toni Braxton, set to end its 30-city run at the Toyota Center in Houston on April 4, 2026. NEW EDITION, BOYZ II MEN & TONI BRAXTON JOIN FORCES FOR “THE NEW EDITION WAY TOUR” (Photo Courtesy of BPC) The tour begins January 29, 2026, at the Oakland Arena in California and will travel through major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and Boston before its grand finale in Houston. The production will offer fans a 360-degree concert experience celebrating music, legacy, and connection. Tickets go on sale to the public October 31 at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster and participating venue b...
Read More
Guatemalan national extradited to U.S. in deadly 2021 tractor-trailer smuggling case that killed more than 50 migrants
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
Central America, Mexico, U.S.

Guatemalan national extradited to U.S. in deadly 2021 tractor-trailer smuggling case that killed more than 50 migrants

LAREDO, TX – A 41-year-old Guatemalan national has been extradited to the United States to face charges connected to a 2021 tractor-trailer crash that killed more than 50 people and injured over 100 others, many of them Guatemalan nationals and unaccompanied children. According to the Department of Justice, Daniel Zavala Ramos, also known as Dany ZR, was arrested in Boquerón, Guatemala, on Aug. 7, 2025, following a U.S. extradition request. He was surrendered to U.S. authorities on Oct. 21 and is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo. Zavala Ramos is among six individuals charged in connection with the Dec. 9, 2021, crash, including Tomas Quino Canil, 37; Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, 25; Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43; Alberto Marcario Ch...
Read More
Pakistani national sentenced to 40 years after smuggling operation that led to deaths of two Navy SEALs
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
Middle East, U.S.

Pakistani national sentenced to 40 years after smuggling operation that led to deaths of two Navy SEALs

ALEXANDRIA, VA – A Pakistani national has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his role in an Iranian weapons smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. Navy SEALs. On June 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted Muhammad Pahlawan of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, aiding Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, and transporting explosives to the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. He was also convicted of threatening his crew during the mission. According to court records, on Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Navy forces operating from the USS Lewis B. Puller, including Navy SEALs and Coast Guard personnel, intercepted Pahlawan’s unflagged dhow off the coast of Somalia. The boarding team discovered Iranian-made ballistic missile components, anti-ship ...
Read More
Justice Department announces agreement with University of Virginia over DEI and discrimination policies
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
U.S.

Justice Department announces agreement with University of Virginia over DEI and discrimination policies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice announced an agreement with the University of Virginia (UVA) to address concerns over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, sex, or national origin. Under the agreement, UVA must comply with the Department’s Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination, confirming that it will not engage in racial discrimination in admissions, hiring, or other programs. The university will submit quarterly compliance data to the Department through 2028, with the university’s president required to personally certify adherence. The Department agreed to pause its investigations into UVA’s admissions and other civ...
Read More
Virginia man charged with unlawful retention of classified national defense information
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
U.S.

Virginia man charged with unlawful retention of classified national defense information

VIENNA, VA – Ashley Tellis, 64, a U.S. citizen residing in Vienna, was arrested on Oct. 11 for allegedly unlawfully retaining classified national defense information. Tellis appeared in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia for a detention hearing. According to the Justice Department, Tellis, a senior advisor at the Department of State and a contractor for the Department of Defense, is accused of removing over 1,000 pages of classified documents from government facilities and storing them in his home. The materials reportedly included documents labeled SECRET and TOP SECRET, recovered from filing cabinets, a home office, and trash bags in his basement. Tellis held a Top Secret clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information access and had been employed by the Depar...
Read More
Puerto Rico mother and daughter indicted on forced labor charges; third defendant charged with misprision of a felony
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
U.S.

Puerto Rico mother and daughter indicted on forced labor charges; third defendant charged with misprision of a felony

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The Department of Justice announced a federal grand jury indictment charging Luz Maria Peña Lopez, 55, and her daughter, Tatiana Correa Peña, 36, both of Carolina, with forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Peña Lopez is also charged with document servitude, and her husband, Enrique Gutierrez Rivera, 54, a municipal police officer in Carolina, is charged with misprision of a felony. All three were arrested Tuesday morning. According to the indictment, Peña Lopez and Correa Peña allegedly used physical beatings, restraint, threats, isolation, denial of hygiene and medical care, and the provision of drugs or unprescribed medication to compel an intellectually disabled adult woman to panhandle, engage in fraudulent and criminal activities, and per...
Read More
Ohio man charged with assaulting federal officer during Cleveland standoff
24Oct By Houston StringerNo Comments
U.S.

Ohio man charged with assaulting federal officer during Cleveland standoff

CLEVELAND, OH – A Cleveland man has been arrested and charged with assaulting a federal officer after allegedly opening fire on U.S. Marshals attempting to execute an arrest warrant. File Photo (August 2025) According to a criminal complaint, on Oct. 15, Larry Leon Dwight Wiley, 55, barricaded himself in his apartment for several hours as members of the Cleveland U.S. Marshals Service sought to take him into custody on a prior federal violation. When officers entered the unit, Wiley allegedly fired multiple shots, striking a deputy U.S. Marshal in the arm with a .380 caliber round. The wounded deputy was transported to a nearby hospital and is expected to recover. Wiley appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer Dowdell Armstrong on Oct. 16 and was ordered to remain in custody...
Read More