EN QUE TRABAJA EL MUCHACHO ESE, STEVE GUERRA? EN NADA?

AT WHAT POINT WILL THIS FARCE OF SHAM HISTORICAL "RESTORATION" STOP?

$404,000 JUST TO MOVE THE REMNANTS OF THE WILLIAM NEALE HOUSE,

AND ANOTHER ESTIMATED $0.5 MILLION TO TRY TO "RESTORE" IT

(Click to enlarge.)

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The contractor who moved the Neale House said that the only parts that he could move from Texas Southmost College property to the Linear Park was the core of the building, which had been altered numerous times from its original design to house the local American Legion post and later, the Brownsville Art League.

He said that the wood – some of it in the the foundation dating back to 1824 – for the most part was rotten and that he had to replace part of it with new wood so it would remain together.

"There's some parts where you can't step on the remaining floor because it's rotten and you'll fall through," he said Thursday. That's more than 200 years old."

All this expense to honor Stillman, Brownsville's "founder" who swindled the land-grant owners of their land through legal chicanery before he left town and for Neale, the city's first elected mayor and a runaway slave catcher who went into Mexico for money to return these human beings to bondage.

(Click on graphic to enlarge)

The farce of historical preservation on this structure will continue, nonetheless, and the Brownsville City Commission seems wiling to plod on and keep pouring the city taxpayers' money into the charade.

This is about par for the course and has the Charles Stillman Laureles Ranch House "restoration" as precedent. In that case, a similar amount of cash was spent "restoring" the carcass of the structure that had been abandoned in a corner of a Corpus Christi museum as an eyesore. See the "miracle" for yourself below.

Expect the same with the Neale House compliment of your taxes.

LATEST MARIST POLL SHOWS GINA LEADING MAMON ABBOTT FOR GUV

Team Gina

Yes, you read that right.

ANOTHER poll was released late last night showing me leading this race for Texas governor. NPR/Marist has me at 49 percent with Abbott behind at 46 percent.

This is not a fluke. It’s the "second" poll in less than a week showing that we have pulled ahead of Greg Abbott. After taking more than $20 million from data centers, he calls for an audit, not, mind you, a moratorium. Que Mamom!

The electoral landscape in Texas is shifting beneath our feet. A few months ago, every poll had us down. But as we’ve successfully reached persuadable voters across all 254 Texas counties, we have done something remarkable:

First, we brought this race to a tie. Now, we have taken the lead.

Meanwhile, Abbott’s numbers are going in the exact opposite direction. His approval rating is underwater. His favorability is underwater. Never in Abbott’s twelve year career as governor has he been more vulnerable than he is today, and his top campaign advisors have admitted outright they believe our race will be close on Election Day.

But yesterday, Abbott unleashed a $12 MILLION wave of attack ads against me — his first negative ad spending of the entire campaign. The more scared of losing Republicans become, the more money they will throw at us to mislead voters and erase our real chance at victory. And the truth is: they have enough money to swing this race back in their favor.

That’s why meeting our $3,000,000 goal before tomorrow’s TEC deadline is not negotiable. That’s the minimum amount we need to respond to Abbott’s flood of negative TV and radio ads.

Abbott’s attack ads are being aired across Texas as you read this email. So we have no time to waste if we want to hold onto our lead and win.

Please help me close our fundraising gap by chipping in $5 right now so we can reach our $3,000,000 goal and defeat Greg Abbott on November 3rd.

FORGET COMMON-SENSE GUN LAWS; GOD DOESN'T NEED A LICENSE

 

Democrats Public

Nineteen young children and two teachers were massacred in the Uvalde school shooting, the third-deadliest in American history.

Leaked audio reveals Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, said it was a “plan” by “God,” adding that “life is short.”

Throughout his time in the Texas legislature and as attorney general, Paxton has consistently opposed common-sense gun safety legislation.

Disgusting. Texas deserves better.

COURT ORDERS DONALD TRUMP TO GIVE MEDIA ACCESS TO WHITE HOUSE

MS NOW

THE WHITE HOUSE – Under a federal judge's order, the Trump administration restored White House access Thursday to journalists from MS NOW, CNN and Politico who had their press passes revoked after President Donald Trump criticized the outlets’ coverage.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the Trump administration early Thursday to temporarily restore White House access to journalists from the three national news organizations as litigation on the matter continues.

Despite that overnight ruling, MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barrón-López and an MS NOW producer were denied access and had their passes confiscated when they first attempted to enter early Thursday, while another MS NOW producer was granted access. Politico said at least one of its reporters was blocked. CNN said some of its staffers were denied access, but at least one was allowed in.

MS NOW, CNN and Politico filed a notice of noncompliance after their reporters were denied access Thursday morning, asking Kelly to set an immediate hearing. The judge ordered the Trump administration to respond by 12:30 p.m.

Less than an hour before that deadline, MS NOW journalists whose White House passes had been confiscated by the U.S. Secret Service were allowed back onto the grounds.

“I was just allowed back into the White House through the northwest gate,” Barrón-López said on air. “They first cleared me through that outer perimeter, and then I arrived at the northwest gate, showed my government ID again, and was returned my badge.”

Politico said one of its journalists also had a White House pass reinstated.

The White House and the Secret Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

LAWSUIT: PORT OF B'VILLE EMPLOYEES FUNNELED $386,000 PAYMENTS TO VENDOR AT A VACANT HOUSE; STEVE GUERRA WAS CHAIRMAN IN MIDDLE OF SCHEME PERIOD

By Tez Romero

AIG Insurance

Risk, Compliance and Legal

"The case is a textbook example of how a sham vendor, cooperative insiders, and weak procurement controls can combine to produce a six-figure loss that only surfaces when someone finally checks the invoices against the loading dock".

An AIG subsidiary says three port authority employees and two outside accomplices ran a fake-vendor invoice scheme worth $386,410. Now it wants the money back.

National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh - part of the AIG group - filed the complaint on September 15, 2026, in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas. National Union paid out the claim under an employee-theft policy and is now standing in the insured's shoes, chasing recovery from the people it says caused the loss.

The insured is the Brownsville Navigation District of Cameron County, the public entity that runs the Port of Brownsville – the only deep-water port on the US-Mexico border, according to the complaint.

Here is what the filing alleges happened.

Between roughly February 2022 and October 2022, three BND employees conspired with an outside vendor and its principal to "misappropriate funds from BND through fraudulent purchases of electronic equipment." The vendor was a company called C&A Industrial Supply, LLC and its agent is listed as Claudia Llamas.

(Just before, in 2018, Steve Guerra, now running for Cameron County Judge, was elected to the board, and then in May 2022 – in the period in the middle of the theft scheme – was appointed chairman and reappointed in 2024. The public – despite Guerra's claims of accountability and transparency – was never informed of the theft scheme or investigation. How can you pass a balanced budget missing $386,410? )

BND's then-director of human resources Jaime Martinez  allegedly placed the orders. The complaint lists a Cisco Firepower firewall priced at $224,000, 30 Cisco Catalyst switches for $126,000, and four Cisco transceivers at $9,102.52 each. Two IT department employees - Juan Blanco, a supervisor, and Carlos Cardenas, coordinator - allegedly signed off on the payments.

None of it was what BND thought it was buying, the filing says. The items listed on C&A's invoices "were either never delivered to BND or were replaced with inferior, outdated, or used equipment."

The scheme started to unravel in October 2022, when BND's deputy port director spotted what the filing calls "potentially irregular purchasing practices." By December 7, 2022, Eddie Campirano, the port director, had authorized a full audit. Current Port Director William Dietrich was then the port's police chief.

What turned up was hard to miss. The complaint states that C&A's invoiced address was "a vacant residential property with disconnected electricity." (The lawsuit dies not list the house address ) 

Between December 8 and 20, 2022, BND interviewed IT staff. According to the filing, not one of them could identify the items on C&A's invoices. What they found instead was "inferior, outdated, or used equipment that did not match the quality or value of the items specified."

Then things moved fast. The complaint alleges the IT supervisor and coordinator resigned without notice during the investigation and "deleted all of their stored emails, making them irretrievable." The HR director was subsequently terminated.

National Union says it indemnified BND under Policy No. 011352891 and has stepped into BND's shoes to pursue recovery. The total alleged loss is $386,410.

The insurer is pressing three counts: fraud against all five defendants, breach of fiduciary duty against the three former employees - the legal obligation people in positions of trust owe to act in their employer's best interests, not their own - and civil conspiracy against all five. National Union is seeking $386,410 in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages, interest, and costs.

For claims teams and underwriters handling fidelity and crime portfolios, the case is a textbook example of how a sham vendor, cooperative insiders, and weak procurement controls can combine to produce a six-figure loss that only surfaces when someone finally checks the invoices against the loading dock.

TRUMP & HEGSETH TO OUR CHAVELITA GONZALEZ: YOU DON'T COUNT...

By Tena Olson

Hegseth's Pentagon says she DIDN'T die in the Iran war.

The Washington Post reported at least four MORE military deaths than the Pentagon has disclosed. 

Hegseth called the report "DISGUSTING and FAKE."

Her name was Isabella Gonzales, and she grew up in Carrollton, Texas. She graduated from Hebron High School in the spring of 2025 and enlisted in the Army soon after. She finished basic training in December, joined an air defense unit in Germany, and shipped out to an air base in Jordan.

On July 17, an Iranian missile hit the base. Isabella was killed. So was Staff Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, of Queens. Two more soldiers died over the next two days.

After the strike, The Insane Maniac posted: "Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!"

Within a week, Hegseth's Pentagon PULLED all four of them off the Iran war's official list of the dead and filed them under a separate heading, "Overseas Operations." A spokesman blamed a "temporary data disruption." Then the story changed. The government now says they died during a ceasefire.

An Iranian missile, during a ceasefire....?? C'mon...

Their names were never put back: Isabella Gonzales, Angel Rampersad, Tyler Feehan, Michael Swinton.

Isabella's battle buddy from basic training, Elizabeth Medina, told Spectrum News:
"She was more than just a casualty in this war. She was more than just another number."

Now the Post says the count is SHORT again. Five officials said some of the uncounted troops didn't die in the fighting itself, but all of  them were serving in the Middle East during the war. 

 One official told OAN: "Even if we wanted to attempt to hide a combat death, we never would and we never could."

Friday, which was also National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the one with the flag that says "You Are Not Forgotten." Hegseth attended the Pentagon's ceremony.

On Saturday, he kicked off what he calls his "Send Me Tour" with an early-morning workout alongside the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets 

The name comes from the Book of Isaiah, where the prophet answers God's call: "Here am I; send me."
Isabella Gonzales already answered. Trump and Hegseth's Pentagon WON'T count her.

STARBASE TO ANNEX 7,133 ACRES, PLUS THE 444 DISANNEXED BY B'VILLE

By Nadia Tamez-Robledo

myRGV.com

STARBASE — City commissioners voted unanimously Monday to approve the annexation of about 7,133 acres of land and voted to approve the voluntary annexation of 444 acres of land recently disannexed by Brownsville.

Commissioners also approved a resolution of intent to annex State Highway 4, the long span of public road that connects the rural SpaceX launch site to Brownsville.

The city gained signatures in support of the annexation from more than 50% of landowners whose property is within the 7,133-acre area, according to the annexation ordinance that commissioners voted on. It said that the annexation will “establish clear, cohesive municipal boundaries; reduce jurisdictional confusion; (and) improve coordination with local, state, and federal partners” in law enforcement. It will also improve public safety, essential services and long-term planning, the ordinance states.

Mayor Bobby Peden and commissioners Jordan Buss and Lois Wallace declined to comment on the annexation.

Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, read public comments prior to the vote on behalf of landowners affected by the annexation who live out-of-state and could not be present to speak in-person. Hinojosa criticized city officials for, she said, disallowing landowners to submit public comments via email, virtually or to watch the meeting online.

The city appeared to be recording the meeting via Microsoft Teams, but it’s not clear if the recording will be made available to the public.

“We’ve been talking to impacted landowners who do not want to get sucked up into the city of Starbase and be forced to live in a town that is ruled by SpaceX employees and where Elon Musk has a lot of control,” Hinojosa told The Herald, adding that residents are concerned about the environmental impacts, more rocket launches and of what may done with the land. “It’s clear they’re intentionally not being transparent and making meetings inaccessible to impacted land owners.”

To read rest of article, click on link: https://myrgv.com/local-news/2026/09/22/starbase-annexes-7000-acres-intends-to-take-portion-of-sh4/

JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE BAN ON CNN, MS NOW, AND POLITICO

NY Times 

A federal judge on Thursday said that President Trump’s order barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House was likely unconstitutional and ordered the administration to restore access to the three news outlets.

Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court in Washington granted a 14-day restraining order and told the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” the press credentials held by employees of the three outlets.

The news organizations were likely to succeed in their claim that the White House had violated their constitutional due process rights by revoking their press credentials without advance notice or an opportunity to respond, Judge Kelly wrote in the order issued in the early hours of Thursday.

He also rejected, for now, the administration’s argument that revoking the outlets’ press credentials was necessary to protect national security. 

SLAVERS REUNITED: NEALE HOUSE, STILLMAN LOVE SHACK ON LINEAR PARK

 

Movers arrive at Linear Park Tuesday with a dismembered section of the William Neale house to be reassembled next to the Charles Stillman Laureles Ranch house (right). 

By Juan Montoya

"Dios los hizo, sus hijos los juntaron a cuestas del público." 

The salvageable carcass of the William Neale house, the first mayor of Brownsville, and a runaway slave catcher for money, joins the reconstructed  Charles Stillman  Laureles Ranch house – another slave owner who stole the site of downtown Brownsville through legal chicanery – on Linear Park.

At a cost of more than $404,000 for the preparation and relocation of the dilapidated remains of the house, the city commission has joined these two U.S. Confederate States of America adherents and established a de facto Slaver's' Plantation Row smack in the heart of the city. 

(Click on graphic to enlarge)

Mind you, the $400,000-plus bill doesn't include the "restoration" of the structure. Before they're done, it might climb up to $1 million taxpayer dollars to honor a man who profited from depriving human beings of their freedom and returning them to bondage. The same thing was accomplished for Stillman who deprived the rightful owners of their land. 

When they are done with the house, the pieces of the structure will become a mansion, as did the Stillman ranch house which arrived here reeking like an abandoned whorehouse. This same process will take place with the Neale house since major structural alterations were made on it when it was used as a canteen by the American Legion post and later by the Brownsville Art League.

 

BEFORE....AND $100,000S AFTER

Descendants of these men, Sandy Stillman and John Cowen – the latter currently Brownsville's mayor – played a personal role in the embellishment of their ancestors' shrines, with the convenient assistance of

the public treasury. The city commission was only too pliant to lean on local taxpayers to glorify its slaver past.

Even at this late hour, adherents of the South's glorious heritage and its "lost cause" – the false historical myth that claims the South fought the American Civil War for honor and states' rights rather than to protect and keep slavery – periodically gather (just last week) to glorify the myth near the Washington Park site where the old stone monument that was erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy to honor Jefferson Davis, the president of the CSA, stood until public protest forced the city commission to remove it. 

(Incidentally, the Cowen family also claims they are descendants of Confederate Col. John "RIP" Ford, the Texas Ranger responsible for protecting Richard King's ranch and his cattle as well as large landowners like Stillman and indiscriminately hunting down and murdering suspected Mexican and Tejano "bandits.")  

Ford also served as Brownsville mayor and was a member of the nationalist anti-immigrant Know-Nothing Party and – along with Texas Governor Sam Houston – a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle who advocated the seizing of parts of three Mexican states, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, to establish a separate country as a refuge for slave owners and an extension of the Confederacy once it was defeated by the Union armies.  

Some historic ironies were not lost at the house's transfer today. 

The two pro-confederate structures lie in the shadow of the Union federal courthouse, which defeated the confederacy. And Polk Street intersects with 7th Street where the buildings are located. The street is named after James Polk, the expansionist president who manufactured a war that resulted in the U.S. expanding from the Nueces to the Rio Grande, making it possible for rapacious men like Stillman, Neale, and Ford to ply their wares and despoil the land and disposes its people of their properties.

NO DENYING IT: STEVE GUERRA UP TO HIS NECK IN HUACHICOL

 

DO WE WANT THIS FUTURE FOR CAMERON COUNTY?

 

WHEN THE RAINS COME, BROWNSVILLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HOLD ITS BREATH

By Dr. Laura E. Cisneros

When heavy rain begins falling in Brownsville, many families do not simply listen to it from the comfort of their homes. They begin watching the street. They look toward the drainage ditch, move their cars to higher ground and wonder whether the water will reach their door.

For some residents, the sound of rain brings anxiety instead of peace.

Flooding is not an abstract issue when your home, vehicle or small business is at risk. It means missed work, damaged belongings, costly repairs and fear that the next storm will bring the same hardship again.

St. Charles and Sam Perl (Downtown)

Brownsville is home.

I was born here, spent part of my childhood in the Rio Grande Valley and returned because this community has always remained close to my heart. I have watched our city grow and change. Growth can bring opportunity, but it also requires responsible planning—especially when it comes to drainage, roads and flood control.

Our families should not have to accept repeated flooding as simply part of living in Brownsville.

Important drainage and infrastructure work has been done. But when the same streets and neighborhoods continue to flood, residents understandably wonder whether we are solving the underlying problem or merely responding after the damage occurs.

Price Road along Alice Road and 77-83 Frontage

We need to examine whether our drainage systems have enough capacity, whether they are properly maintained, whether new development is increasing runoff into older neighborhoods and whether local and state projects are being coordinated effectively.

To begin gathering those facts, I have submitted a Public Information Request to the Texas Department of Transportation seeking information about state funding, projects and plans related to flooding, drainage and road infrastructure affecting our area. We need to understand what has already been funded, what work has been completed and what remains to be done.

“With all the technology, engineering knowledge and progress available today, Brownsville’s persistent flooding problem cannot simply be accepted as inevitable. Solving it may take years, but residents deserve to see a serious plan, measurable progress and evidence that something meaningful is being accomplished.”

Addressing flooding will require cooperation among local officials, drainage districts, engineers, developers and state agencies. Brownsville needs a clear, long-term flood-mitigation plan with measurable priorities, transparency and public accountability.

Resaca overflows next to Brandywine Apts. on Paredes Line Road

In Austin, I would fight to ensure that Brownsville receives its fair share of state infrastructure and flood-mitigation funding.

We cannot control how much rain falls, but we can control how seriously we prepare for it.

Sincerely,

Dr. Laura

SILK ROAD FOUNDER THANKS TRUMP FOR PARDON AT GOP CONVENTION

By Jeff Aurand

I have no idea how this isn’t all over Facebook or the news. At the midterm Republican Convention, one of their keynote speakers was Ross Ulbricht.

Who is he? Ross Ulbricht created and ran The Silk Road, a dark web website that facilitated the sales of narcotics, illegal firearms, human beings, and any other illegal merchandise you can imagine.

In 2015, he was sentenced to TWO life sentences PLUS 40 years for multiple charges, including attempted murder for hire, conspiracy to commit narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and computer hacking. He is suspected to be responsible for trafficking the most amount fentanyl in the history of our country.

During his trial, prosecutors said Ulbricht's website sold more than $200m worth of drugs alone between 2011 and 2013 when he was arrested.

Trump pardoned him in January.
This is the person they picked to represent their party. A narcotics trafficker. A HUMAN trafficker. A weapons and explosives trafficker.

A PERSON WHO PAID FOR MURDER. This guy was undoubtedly responsible for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of deaths all over the world. 

Someone who was supposed to spend TWO LIFETIMES in prison, then stay an extra 40 years. How can they claim to the party of family values? 

How can they claim to be the party who respects the law? What is even HAPPENING????

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ross-ulbricht-aka-dread-pirate-roberts-sentenced-life-federal-prison-creating
https://www.justice.gov/pardon/media/1386096/dl?inline

https://youtu.be/P95U8mUMmIs?si=MzPzkMDh8DzCmv7u

START YOUR WEEK ON THE RIGHT FOOT! JOIN THE ELKS

 

COMMISH GUS DE LEON SHUFFLES STORY, SAYS LAWSUIT MAY STILL BE ON...

Special to El Run-Rrun

In July, Gustavo De Leon was the one speaking for the family and "negotiating" for a $1.2 million settlement with his colleagues on the city commission, the city manager and city attorney, the latter two his subordinates which he could vote to hire or fire. 

KRGV reported that he described himself as the executor of the property and said the City of Brownsville went onto the family’s land, put down asphalt millings without permission, and kept working after they were told to stop. He said he contacted the City Attorney, sent a cease-and-desist, and filed a police report.

Now his story has changed.

In a recent Facebook reply, Gustavo says his immediate family has “stepped out of the law suit” and that the City will have to deal with the other two owners of the Vera-De Leon Trust.

Does that mean, by his own admission, that the dispute is still alive?

He may no longer be the person out front, but by his own words, the City is still dealing with the remaining owners over the same property.

So the real question is simple:

If Gustavo says he and his family have nothing to do with the lawsuit anymore, did they also give up any financial interest they may still have in the property?

Because stepping away from the fight is not the same thing as walking away from the money. Will he still expect his cut?

MAJOR MEDIA NETWORKS CIRCLE THE WAGONS, SUSPEND W.H. COVERAGE

A CNN reporter held her empty credential holder after the White House confiscated her badge on Saturday. Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

NY Times

Live Updates: Networks Suspend Pool Coverage of Trump After CNN Is Barred

CNN, MS NOW and Politico said they would sue to regain access to the White House. They argued in a joint statement that President Trump’s decision to block them violates the First Amendment.


Major television networks agreed to suspend their pooled coverage of the president on Monday as CNN, MS NOW and Politico said that they would soon file a legal challenge against President Trump’s order barring them from the White House grounds.

The three outlets argue that Mr. Trump’s ban, which he declared over what he sees as negative news media coverage, violates the First Amendment. Reporters from each organization were denied access to the White House on Saturday and CNN was removed from its durties as the White House pool representative for television networks on Monday.

The five networks that have suspended their pool coverage of President Trump — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC — just issued a joint statement: “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”

TRUMPS TARIFFS, DIESEL COSTS, WAR ON IRAN ARE KILLING FARMERS

Iowa farmer Alan Montag and his son Aden load soybean seeds into a planter near West Bend, Iowa, on May 6, 2026. | Scott Olson/Getty Images
By Andrew Stanton

Newsweek

Various Sources

Texas

Democrats have their sights set on Texas, as polls suggest Republicans’ grip on the Lone Star State is slipping in the midterms. Democrats are increasingly hopeful about their chances of flipping the state this year in both the Senate and gubernatorial races.

In the Senate race, polls show a toss-up between Democratic state Representative James Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, while (various pols polls show aa tight race) between Republican Governor Greg Abbott against Brownsville's Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa in the gubernatorial race.

Trump was 18 points underwater, with 38 percent approving of his job performance and 56 percent disapproving, according to Civiqs. In 2024, the state backed Trump by nearly 14 points over Harris.

Overall, Trump’s approval rating stood at -26 points in the latest Civiqs poll, with 60 percent disapproving of him and 34 percent approving as of Wednesday.

Here's where Trump’s approval rating stands in the states with the largest agricultural revenue:

California

Trump’s approval rating in California is one of his worst in the nation. The state had $59.01 billion in annual revenue, according to the 2022 Census. His approval stood at 24 percent, while 71 percent disapproved of him.

In 2024, former Vice President Kamala Harris defeated Trump by 20 points. This year, a gubernatorial race pits former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, against Republican Steve Hilton, though Becerra is favored.

Some House races are competitive, including the Central Valley seat held by Republican Representative David Valadao, where agricultural issues could be more salient in November.

Iowa

Iowa, once a battleground, has shifted rightward over the past decade. But Democrats believe backlash to Trump’s tariffs and rising diesel prices could improve their chances in the state, where several races could be competitive.

According to Civiqs, Trump’s approval was -20 points in Iowa, even though he carried it by 13 points over Harris in 2024. Only 35 percent of Iowans approved of him, compared to 55 percent who disapproved.

In the Senate race, Democratic state legislator Josh Turek and Republican U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson are facing off in an increasingly competitive race, while Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand has built out a slim polling lead over Republican businessman Zach Lahn in the governor’s race. There are also three competitive House races in Iowa.

Nebraska

In Nebraska, Trump’s approval rating was 5 points in the negative, with 43 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving, according to Civiqs. Nebraska voted for Trump by nearly 20 points in 2024.

The Senate race is viewed as being potentially competitive. Republican Senator Pete Ricketts faces a challenge from independent Dan Osborn, and some polls suggest a competitive race.

Minnesota

Trump’s approval was -35 points in Minnesota, where 28 percent of respondents approved of him, and 63 percent disapproved, according to Civiqs. Harris won Minnesota by about 4 points in 2024.

Republicans hope to make the state competitive this year, but polling and forecasts show Democrats Amy Klobuchar and Peggy Flanagan leading Republicans Lisa Demuth and Michelle Tafoya in the gubernatorial and Senate races, respectively.

Illinois

In the reliably Democratic state of Illinois, only 29 percent of respondents approved of Trump, while 66 percent disapproved. While Chicago powers Democratic victories in the state, the large, rural downstate regions are more conservative and home to many farmers.

Harris won Illinois by about 11 points in 2024, and Democrats are favored in statewide races this year.

Kansas

Trump has a positive approval rating in Kansas, where 47 percent of respondents approved of his administration, and 44 percent disapproved, according to Civiqs.

Democrats are hoping to make the Sunflower State more competitive this year. In the gubernatorial race, Democrat Cindy Holscher and Republican Ty Masterson are running to succeed Democrat Laura Kelly. In the Senate race, Democrat Adam Hamilton is running against GOP Senator Roger Marshall.

Kansas voted for Trump by about 16 points in 2024.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, which gave Trump about a 3-point victory in 2024, Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a net -18 points. Thirty-eight percent of respondents approved of the president, while 56 percent disapproved, according to Civiqs.

The state is home to one of the most watched Senate races, where Democrat Roy Cooper, a former governor, has built a polling lead over Michael Whatley, former chair of the Republican National Committee, to flip the seat vacated by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis.

Indiana

Indiana backed Trump by 19 points in 2024, but Trump’s approval has declined to -6 points. Forty-nine percent of Indiana voters disapproved of Trump, compared to 43 percent who approved, according to Civiqs.

Indiana has no Senate or gubernatorial race this year.

IN PRE-TRUMP NORMAL TIMES, VALUES-CHALLENGED PAXTON WOULDN'T HAVE A CHANCE AT TEXAS U.S. SENATOR

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE, NOR ANY DROP TO COOL STARSHIP LAUNCH AT BOCA CHICA

Science, Space.Tech

 

Nasa vs. SpaceX: Water deluge system: Starship Water Deluge — Heat and Energy Absorption

The shuttle needed 300,000 gallons to fight heat and sound...Starship needs 350,000 just to fight the heat! 

The Shuttle's system was all about sound. NASA's water deluge system pumped out 450,000 gallons of water to suppress the excessive noise produced during launches — protecting the vehicle and launchpad structures from acoustic damage. 

The water absorbed sound waves before they could reflect off the pad and damage the rocket or payload above.

Starship's problem was entirely different. SpaceX's deluge system uses water to absorb energy from the rocket as it lifts off, with most of the water expected to be vaporized by the heat of the rocket engines. 

With 33 Raptor engines firing simultaneously, the issue wasn't noise — it was raw thermal energy obliterating the pad itself.

AND THE POLL NUMBERS KEEP GINA MARCHING ALONG...

Team Gina

In his four campaigns for governor, Greg Abbott has never once been shown trailing in a statewide Texas poll. That changed yesterday.

A brand-new poll just showed us ahead of Abbott by four points, while he's asking Texans for a fourth term. Not within range. Not closing the gap. Ahead. For the first time.

Here’s what’s happening: Texans are getting a clear look at what twelve years of Greg Abbott has actually cost them. Rising grocery bills. Rising property taxes. Data centers flooding the state while the people footing the bill get nothing back. And when they look at me, they’re seeing someone who’s spent her career fighting for Texas families — not just for the people at the top.

None of this happens without you. We are competitive in this race because of the 170,000 people who've chipped in to build this campaign. Our people-powered movement is working. We are clearly breaking through.

But Abbott has a firehose of money aimed at us — $67 million in the bank, and he's already outspent us 10-to-1. He's never had to run from behind before. With this poll out there, he's going to open that firehose all the way to drown out our campaign before Texans vote.

We can't match him dollar for dollar. But we can outnumber him — that's how we got here. You haven't joined the 170,000 donors who've built this campaign yet. We need you to become one today by joining this movement with your first gift right now.

Can you chip in $5 right now to help us keep building a campaign that can defeat Greg Abbott and take Texas back?

REALLY, STEVE? WHY EVEN HAVE AN ELECTION? NI TU TE LA CREES, ESE

Steve Guerra

We’re now just one month away from the start of Early Voting. Polymarket currently has our campaign at 91 percent in the Cameron County judge race, but nothing is won until you go out and VOTE!

To be clear, this is not a poll. Polymarket is a prediction market, where participants put real financial conviction behind how they believe the election will turn out.

PORT OF BROWNSVILLE'S SARONIC TECHNOLOGIES LANDS NAVY CONTRACT

The Rio Grande Guardian

Staff

Saronic Technologies has been selected by the U.S. Navy to construct next-generation Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700-class vessels.

The production will take place at Port Alpha, Saronic’s new next-generation shipyard currently being developed at the Port of Brownsville.

The award is part of a broader, competitive multi-shipyard initiative announced by the U.S. Department of the Navy. Under the agreement—executed as a firm fixed-price Prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement—Saronic joins Conrad Shipyard, LLC of Orange, Texas, and Master Boat Builders, Inc. of Coden, Alabama, in building prototypes for the Navy’s littoral transport fleet.

The total initial construction obligation across the three shipyards is $280,521,389.

For Saronic, the contract marks a significant milestone as the build will serve as one of the flagship production programs at Port Alpha. Production of the LCU vessels in Brownsville is slated to begin in 2028, with initial deliveries expected to start in 2029.

“This award reflects the kind of partnership we set out to build with the Navy, where speed, cost discipline, and a modern industrial base reinforce each other,” said Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and CEO of Saronic.

Mavrookas emphasized that the new facility at the Port of Brownsville is designed to bridge the gap between traditional defense needs and futuristic autonomous capabilities.

DEJARON A TRUMP COMO NOVIA DE RANCHO LOS CANUCKS...

 

ICE AGENT CHRISTIAN CASTRO ARRESTED IN MINNEAPOLIS

 

Mercado Media
Minneapolis

Christian Castro has finally been taken into custody by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and booked into the Hennepin County Jail after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tried to shield him from prosecution.

Castro made his first appearance in court Thursday after he was booked in the Hennepin County Jail the day prior.

He faces four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime. Prosecutors say he shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis through the front door of a Minneapolis home, sending a bullet through multiple walls while four adults and two children were inside.

Castro claimed he had been attacked and fired as the men ran toward the home, but investigators say surveillance video, witness statements, physical evidence and his medical records contradicted his story.

GOOD COP GONE BAD? WHICH ONE IS HE TODAY? BEWARE CITIZENS...

 

WILL CITY COMMISH GUS DE LEON ONCE AGAIN THREATEN TO SUE CITY FOR $1 MILLION OVER "DUMPING" ON HIS ROAD?

Special to La Garra

CITY COMMISH GUS DE LEON ON DENNET ROAD(L), AND ON HIS PRIVATE ROAD (R)

CITY CREWS "DUMP" ASPHALT MILLINGS ON HIS PRIVATE ROAD(L,C), MAKE "ROAD IMPROVEMENTS" ON DENNET ROAD (R)

TRUE TO HIS MASON-DIXON ORIGINS, MITCH RETURNS TO SENATE IN A JAR

Special to La Cebolla

Sen. Mitch McConnell returned to Capitol Hill on Monday for the first time after a three-month absence due to health issues. And although his fellow senators tried to shake his hand, they found themselves stymied by the Mason jar enclosure and the disconcerting stench of formaldehyde.

McConnell arrived at the Capitol for the evening vote series in a wheelchair, his appearance noticeably thinner and his speech slower than before his prolonged absence. The 84-year-old was hospitalized on June 14, but did not initially disclose the reason for the hospitalization, leading to weeks of speculation over his health status. He was last seen in a hospital corridor conversing with Elvis Presley.

The Kentucky Republican briefly spoke to reporters upon his return Monday, saying it’s “time to get back to work,” but he did not answer questions, including whether he should have been more transparent about his health during his absence. From outside the jar, his lips could be seen moving, but the senators could not make out what he was saying. Thick bubbles of air floated through the fluid and then sputtered above his head at the top.

“I must admit, after two years — two decades, actually — dodging your questions, I wasn’t sure how many of you would be here today, but I’m glad to see you,” he said.

“Time to get back to work, finish the job for this Congress,” he said, pointing to passing the annual farm bill and aiding Ukraine in its war against Germany and Russia and said he would work to end the war in Vietnam.

READY TO HAND OVER THE COUNTY TO CARTEL-LINKED CANDIDATE?