WILL WE CHOOSE EXCELLENCE?...
OR THIS?
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
BROWNSVILLE, TODAY IS OUR DAY!
Dr. Laura Cisneros
Throughout this campaign, I have talked about the issues that matter to our families and our future. Today, I ask you to remember what this campaign has been about.I believe Brownsville deserves a strong voice, honest representation, and someone willing to stand up and work for its people.
As your State Representative, I will continue fighting for:
- Better educational opportunities for our children and support for teachers.
- Accessible, quality healthcare and better emergency services.
- Lower property taxes and greater accountability.
- Better roads, drainage and infrastructure.
- More local jobs, workforce development and economic opportunities.
- Safer communities and support for law enforcement and first responders.
I have spent my career serving people, and my commitment to Brownsville has never wavered. I love this community, and I believe our future deserves our attention, our hard work and our determination.
To everyone who has encouraged me, supported me, shared my message and believed in this journey: THANK YOU. Your support means more than words can express.
Today, please make your voice heard. Participate in our democracy and vote.
Brownsville deserves a future filled with opportunity, accountability and progress.
With gratitude,
Dr. Laura Cisneros
For State Representative HD-38
Fighting for Brownsville's Future.
#Brownsville #ElectionDay #FightingForBrownsvillesFuture #RealIssuesRealSolutions
NIX TRUMP'S RUBBER STAMP FLORES; TAKE BACK THE U.S. HOUSE TODAY: VOTE CHENTE
DONALD TRUMP IS THE ONE PULLING ERIC FLORES' STRINGS: FLORES PROMISED HE'LL SUPPORT TRUMP'S AGENDA – EVEN THOUGH IT'S HURTING SOUTH TEXAS.
$100 OF TRUMP-FLORES "AFFORDABILITY" AT HEB:
Two packages of bone-in steak loin, two of beef skirts, a package of chicken breasts, six tins of HEB tuna, three Barilla spaghetti boxes and a bag of oranges
* He'll support tariffs that are increasing grocery prices and hurting farmers and small businesses
* He'll support ICE harassment and mass deportations of law-abiding residents
LET'S TAKE THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPS. FROM TRUMP! REJECT FLORES, VOTE FOR:
SCOTUS REJECTS TRUMP'S BID TO INTERVENE IN CALIFORNIA VOTING
By Abbie VanSickle
New York Times
The Supreme Court on Monday evening swiftly rejected a request by the Trump administration to require that California set aside 20,000 mail-in ballots that the administration claims have been provided to noncitizens.
The order, which was unsigned and gave no reasoning, came the same day that the administration lawyers had asked the court to step in after a divided federal appeals court had rejected the
administration’s arguments that California officials should impound the ballots for further scrutiny. No public dissents were noted.
The ruling appeared to be an extraordinary rebuke of the Trump administration, sending a message that the court was not interested in stepping in to assist President Trump’s efforts to interfere with how states are administering elections.
It was a highly unusual ruling because it came only hours after the administration filed its emergency request and without the court even calling for a response or briefing from the opposing parties. It is nearly unheard of for the court to rule on an application filed by the federal government without first asking for a response from the opposing parties.
Legal experts had been skeptical of the Trump administration’s arguments in the case. By filing just one day before the midterm elections, the administration may have hoped to forestall a loss in the case until after Election Day.
Instead, the court rejected the administration’s gambit nearly immediately.
The request had required the Supreme Court to consider how much power the federal government has to order states to make last-minute changes to their vote-counting procedures. Under the Constitution, states have responsibility for administering elections. The Justice Department has claimed that it is empowered by a federal law that makes it illegal for noncitizens to cast ballots.
The Supreme Court on Monday evening swiftly rejected a request by the Trump administration to require that California set aside 20,000 mail-in ballots that the administration claims have been provided to noncitizens.
The order, which was unsigned and gave no reasoning, came the same day that the administration lawyers had asked the court to step in after a divided federal appeals court had rejected the
The ruling appeared to be an extraordinary rebuke of the Trump administration, sending a message that the court was not interested in stepping in to assist President Trump’s efforts to interfere with how states are administering elections.
It was a highly unusual ruling because it came only hours after the administration filed its emergency request and without the court even calling for a response or briefing from the opposing parties. It is nearly unheard of for the court to rule on an application filed by the federal government without first asking for a response from the opposing parties.
Legal experts had been skeptical of the Trump administration’s arguments in the case. By filing just one day before the midterm elections, the administration may have hoped to forestall a loss in the case until after Election Day.
Instead, the court rejected the administration’s gambit nearly immediately.
The request had required the Supreme Court to consider how much power the federal government has to order states to make last-minute changes to their vote-counting procedures. Under the Constitution, states have responsibility for administering elections. The Justice Department has claimed that it is empowered by a federal law that makes it illegal for noncitizens to cast ballots.
TIME TO REJECT MAGA, VOTE WITH US TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK
Peter Dame-Meehan's Post
Look at who's standing behind Uncle Sam. A nurse. A construction worker. A factory worker. The people who actually keep this country running.
Prove them wrong.
Now ask yourself who benefits when they don't show up.
Billionaires and the political elite are counting on low turnout. They're counting on you being too tired, too busy, or too fed up to bother. Every one of us who stays home makes their job easier.
Don't make it easy.
Election Day is today, Tuesday, November 3. Bring a coworker. Bring a neighbor. Bring the whole break room.
Prove them wrong.
INDICTED ICE AGENT FROM BROWNSVILLE RAN FOR CITY COMISSION, CONGRESS, ENDORSED ERIC FLORES FOR U.S. (D-34)
Posted by July Gaytan
Various SourcesAnother ICE agent from the Valley—originally from Brownsville, Texas—is the one who ran over a man in Houston; furthermore, he is reportedly a pastor.
The individual is 33-year-old Mario Alberto Morales—also known as "Bam Morales"—a native of Brownsville, Texas, and a graduate of Homer Hanna High School.
Morales surrendered to Harris County authorities on November 2, 2026, following an indictment for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, previously pursued public office in South Texas.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Morales campaigned for a Brownsville City Council seat before seeking the Republican nomination for Texas’ 34th Congressional District. Federal Election Commission records confirm that Morales, who campaigned as “Bam Morales,” registered as a congressional candidate on May 16, 2025.
Morales ended his congressional campaign in October 2025 and subsequently endorsed Republican candidate Eric Flores, according to the Houston Chronicle.
His campaign committee, Bam Morales for Congress, reported raising and spending $16,335.21 during the April 1 through September 30, 2025, reporting period. Sources: Federal Election Commission candidate
According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Morales, an ICE officer, was charged on
October 30 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly striking 48-year-old Miguel Parra Hernández with his pickup truck in Houston on October 10.
The prosecutor states that surveillance footage contradicts the agent's account. Morales’s attorney claims that he is a military veteran and a PASTOR, and asserts that he committed no crime. Morales appeared before a Harris County judge on November 2, who set his bond at $30,000.
Morales faces up to 20 years in prison and has not yet been taken into custody. He is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
Monday, November 2, 2026
REPUBLICANS SCOFF AT "SO-CALLED" BLUE WAVE IN THE SENATE RACES
ON TUESDAY VOTE BROWNSVILLE NATIVE GINA FOR GOVERNOR: FUERA ABBOTT!
Tomorrow, Texans will choose their next governor.
Everything we’ve done this year has led to this moment: every door knocked, every call made, every dollar you chipped in. When we started this race, the insiders said Greg Abbott couldn’t be beaten. Since then, poll after poll has shown this race within reach, and several have even shown us ahead.
But none of that matters if people don’t show up to vote.
That is why another generous supporter has offered to match grassroots donations up to $200,000 to power one final surge of get-out-the-vote organizing work across Texas.
Our organizing teams are on the ground across Texas right now for one last push: knocking on doors, making calls, and sending texts to make sure every voter knows where to go and has a plan to get there. And with your support right now, those efforts can be doubled when it matters most.
Will you rush one last $5 donation to help us turn out every last voter? Every dollar up to $200,000 will be matched for GOTV.
TIME TO TAKE BACK THE HOUSE OF REPS. FROM TRUMP: VOTE CHENTE!
By Juan Montoya
Various Sources
If there is a critical election on the local ballot this Tuesday, November 3, the race for U.S. House of Representatives (D-34) encompassing Cameron, Kenedy, Kleberg, and Willacy counties, along with portions of Hidalgo County and Nueces County, is it.
All you have to do is watch local cable television for half and hour and you will be bombarded with political attack ads by the major political parties against the other party's candidates. The political operatives in Austin and Washington D.C. know what's at stake in this race: nothing less than the control of the House of Representatives, the controllers of the purse now held by Donald Trump's Republican Party.
And Trump's hold on the U.S. House of Representatives may depend on who wins this district. Think about it. A district where one of the poorest communities exists, and where the worlds richest man lives and who has contributed millions against Democrats.
This was a district that was gerrymandered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature at Trump's commanded to assure him of five more seats in the House. They rejected former candidate Mayra Flores, and replaced her with former federal prosecutor and Army National Guard infantry captain Eric Flores, who is considered a top recruit for the Republican Party.
The newly redrawn Texas congressional map appeared to give him a clear shot at unseating longtime Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in a district that encompasses portions of the valley and supported Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris by 10 percentage points.
However, Flores is now entangled in a far tougher contest than expected. Trump's call to undertake an unusual redistricting push was meant to preserve their majority in the U.S. House, but the strategy is facing headwinds.
Despite redrawing boundary lines to favor their candidates, the party is struggling under voter dissatisfaction over the economy, tariffs, the president’s deportation agenda, and the conflict with Iran.
But if you listen to the Republican PACs attack ads against "Chente" Gonzalez, you won't hear them speak out against the high gas, diesel, grocery prices, the abuse of his Hispanic community by ICE, and the disastrous effect of Trump's tariffs on low-income consumers. Instead, the ads are filled with sinister insinuations and outright lies about Gonzalez supporting federally-funded transgender conversions, sex-changes, and dark hints about pedophilia.
(Kind of reminds you of the Q-Anon conspiracy about Hillary Clinton and Democrats operating a pedophile ring out of a pizzeria in San Francisco fully knowing that Trump and Epstein had been involved with such a ring in Epstein's island. Another diversion.)
In other words, they won't address the bread-and-butter issues facing District 34 residents, but instead seek to paint Democrats like Gonzalez as wanton liberals intent on schools changing the sex of your child and letting men into girls' bathrooms. This is what Trump's MAGA supporters and media machine have come down to. If you can't offer solutions, scare the hell out of voters and hope the allegations stick.
Then, despite the fact that Trump, wife Melania, his sons, his daughter and his son-in-law Jared Kushner have raked in BILLIONS since he has been president, they call Gonzalez a "millionaire" and say he is a "fraud" and not for "la gente."
But perhaps more damaging to Flores than ignoring the issues affecting District 34 constituents is the fact that he – as a Texas National Guard captain – has stood silently by while Trump tramples on the benefits and honor of real military veterans, including those who have served and fallen in combat, some of them Hispanics.
Flores remained silent and said nothing.
In September 2020 the Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg published an article citing sources who claimed that Trump referred to the American war dead at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris as "losers" and "suckers." And Flores – who claims he was a military leader in his campaign literature – said nothing.
Chavelita Gonzales grew up in Carrollton, Texas, near Ft. Worth. 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.
After the strike, Trump posted in his Truth Social: "Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!"
Within a week, Peter 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.
And Flores? Again, the Rubber Stamp said nothing.
And when the Trump Administration continues to deny and cut veterans' health benefits for those who served from South Texas, who will stand up to him and say "No!?" Not Flores, you can rest assured.
And he says nothing of the MAGA republicans plans to gut Social Security and Medicaid which will hurt the low-income residents of D-34 disproportionately. If Flores is elected, we will have a congressman who will be nothing more than a rubber stamp for Trump and the MAGA agenda.
Voting for Rubber Stamp Eric is the same thing as voting for the Trump agenda for two more years. Hell no! Vote for Vicente Gonzalez.
ANOTHER COTTAGE INDUSTRY DIES IN DOWNTOWN BROWNSVILLE
"Cobbler, cobbler, Mend my shoe, Get it done by half-past two,
Stitch it up, And stitch it down, Then I will give you Half a crown."
English Nursery Rhyme
Zapatero a sus zapatos!
Dicho Mexicano
By Juan Montoya
It is a dying craft, and for some time now we have known of no other cobblers in Brownsville save for Edgar and Pancho Arce's Valle Hermoso Shoe and Boot Repair Shop at 1118 E. 14th Street.
Now, as of last Friday, Oct. 30, a broken hip of the elder Arce and the quadrupling of the rent by the shop building owner has forced his son Edgar to close.
In the photo above, he is enveloped in friction smoke as he trims the rubber heels of a pair of $150 ColeHaan City shoes and leaves them like new for only $20. Arce labored all day and offered great prices to their customers.
He seems to revel in the midst of his clutter.
One customer said that he had replaced the heels and soles of a pair of his favorite black eel skin boots that he has had for years. "They fit just right," he said. "I guess I could get a new pair, but these are the most comfortable boots I own and I don't want to part with them. I've had them put new heels twice already. El Señor Pancho took care of me in about half an hour. The service is great."
The outside of the Valle Hermoso Shoe and Boot repair advertised that they also repaired orthopedic shoes for diabetes sufferers, boots, and leather handbags and belts. He pointed to rows of women shoes that were brought in for repair of heel taps. "They tend to forget about their shoes and we hold them for a month before they go on sale to whoever wants to buy them," he said. "If not, there they are."
The fading price list above the sign warning that to leave shoes there is a small advance required and after a month, "no nos hacemos responsables."
The fading price list above the sign warning that to leave shoes there is a small advance required and after a month, "no nos hacemos responsables."
It was amazing to see these guys at their craft, something that we probably won't see anymore for a long time in our city.
CAMERON AT THE CROSSROADS THIS NOV. 3 ELECTION : A CANDIDATE WITH CARTEL LINKS, OR A PROVEN ADMINISTRATOR?
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
U.S. Dept. of Justice
Reforma
Various Sources
Yes, you may say, Steve Guerra's kin is involved in cartel-linked enterprises, but you should not visit the sins of the father upon the son. That is, until, you see that Steve himself did business with his Warrior's Fuel Traders LLC that purchased $100,000s, more likely millions, of fuel in the United States and shipped them to Mexico to corporations that have been identified as engaging in fiscal huachicol through criminal cartels. A full search for the record of those transactions is currently underway.
Reforma
Various Sources
Today – Nov. 3 – Cameron County voters are facing a watershed moment in their election of a county judge.
Will they elect Steve Guerra, the Democratic candidate with familial links to the Gulf Cartel, or will they repeat what they have done at least four other times and elect his Republican opponent – this time Mauro Garza – instead?
The Republicans were Tony Garza Jr., who was elected two times and went on to become Texas Secretary of State and then U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Cascos was elected twice and followed Garza by being appointed as Texas SOS. Could history repeat itself?
Guerra beat incumbent Eddie Treviño after a nasty internecine Democratic Party runoff where his anonymous proxies used misinformation and innuendo charging Trevino sold Boca Chica Beach to SpaceX's Elon Musk, that he received shady under-the-table construction contracts, and pictured him as a rodent, or a "rata."
He is now calling upon his opponent and those of his followers he maligned for party "unity" to face his opponent Garza in the November 3 general election. Is this a case where party loyalty demands too much?
In contrast, Garza's campaign for his party's nomination refrained from maligning his competition and urges putting "county before party and people before politics."
But it is Guerra's Gulf Cartel connection that should give county voters cause for concern. This is not hearsay. It is documented across genealogy, court cases citation, and U.S. Department of Justice cases, evidence, and press statements.
There is no dispute or cause for defamation or libel (the truth is its own defense against libel) to say that Guerra:
GRANDFATHER WAS FOUNDER OF GULF CARTEL
* Is the grandson of Cartel del Golfo founder Juan N. Guerra, whose criminal organization was headquartered in Matamoros and northern Tamaulipas and used violence and coercion to gain control of smuggling routes and bribed officials at every level of government. (That's Don Juan in the white hat and his successor Juan Abrego Garcia standing with a white Styrofoam cup in his hand). Rivals were eliminated.
HIS FATHER THE UNCLE OF JUAN GARCIA ABREGO, RUTHLESS GULF CARTEL BOSS
* That Steve Guerra's father was the uncle of Juan Abrego Garcia, who took over the Gulf Cartel after Juan N. Guerra retired and passed away.
García Abrego was convicted on 22 counts including money laundering, drug trafficking, intent to distribute and running an ongoing criminal enterprise. After a four-week trial, a jury needed only 12 hours to convict García Abrego on all charges. He was sentenced by the presiding judge to 11 consecutive life terms, and is currently incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Florence, ADMAX, (commonly known as ADX Florence) in Florence, Colorado. His rivals were often eliminated.
HIS AUNT SANDRA MEDINA GUERRA: PRICE FIXING, CONSPIRACY TO MONOPOLIZE
* That Steve is the nephew of Sandra Guerra Medina, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market. Guerra also agreed to pay fines as part of their plea agreements. According to the DOJ of the Southern District of Texas, Guerra was involved in a long-running and violent conspiracy which involved price fixing, extortion and money laundering. She joined seven others who also entered guilty pleas for their various roles in a scheme to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios border region near Harlingen and Brownsville.
Some of their rivals and transmigrantes who did not comply with their enforced monopoly disappeared and were eliminated.
STEVE'S OWN LINKS TO CARTEL HUACHICOL
After months of denying any link between him and the importation of petroleum products into Mexico, documentation from the Mexican government, the Texas secretary of State, state district court records, and federal sources have linked Brownsville Navigation District chairman Steve Guerra directly to shipments between his Warrior Fuel Traders Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) and Pyrodiesel Del Cento SA de CV, named by the Federal Criminal Intelligence Center of Mexico as a principal in the smuggling of fuel by the Mexican cartels.
Guerra was first elected to the BND board in 2018 and appointed chair in 2022. He was reappointed to the position in May 2024. He beat Trevino in the Democratic Party runoff and is running against Mauro Garza in the general election this November 3.
A lawsuit in state court outlined a debt of Guerra's LLC of non-payment to Key Performance Petroleum Company of Navasota, Texas in just a month.
In that lawsuit, Key Performance president Mark Jackson filed an affidavit October 26, 2022 in support of his company's lawsuit demanding payment of an outstanding balance of $333,484.47 and attached copies of 24 invoices totaling shipments of diesel and other petroleum products they had shipped at Warrior Fuel Traders' request over a a month's period in 2020 that had not been paid. Guerra was served the next day, October 27.
In that lawsuit, Key Performance president Mark Jackson filed an affidavit October 26, 2022 in support of his company's lawsuit demanding payment of an outstanding balance of $333,484.47 and attached copies of 24 invoices totaling shipments of diesel and other petroleum products they had shipped at Warrior Fuel Traders' request over a a month's period in 2020 that had not been paid. Guerra was served the next day, October 27.
Before that, Warrior Fuels had been doing business for close to two years. Key Performance local agent Lindsay Clark, of Brownsville, was named as the local seller.
In Cause No: 2022-DCL-05154-I plaintiff Key Performance lists a systematic record of transactions that made up the outstanding balance of Warrior Fuel Traders, LLC.
Government investigations revealed that Warrior Fuel Traders/Steve Guerra was in direct business with Pyrodiesel Del Cento SA de CV. Pyrodiesel has been named as a principal in fuel smuggling activities (huachicol) of petroleum by the Federal Criminal Intelligence Center of Mexico. https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/huachicoleros-controlaban-puertos-pa%C3%ADs-060000638.html
Invoices to Warrior Fuel Traders from Key Performance indicate the diesel and petroleum products were shipped through Eagle Pass, Texas and delivered to Pyrodiesel. The Warrior Fuel Traders LLC was registered with the Texas Secretary Of State April 13, 2020 and its certification was forfeited June 24, 2022.
"The identification of the modus operandi: First modus operandi, the fuel is purchased in the United States and then imported into Mexico, where it is sold to various companies. These companies are responsible for distributing it through marketing and transportation companies, selling the fuel at a lower price than the one established in the national market.
"To this end, they use cloned gasoline and diesel import declarations to simulate the legal origin of the hydrocarbons, allowing them to legitimize the multiple sales they make," the Federal Center for Criminal Intelligence (FGR) analysis details.
"The identification of the modus operandi: First modus operandi, the fuel is purchased in the United States and then imported into Mexico, where it is sold to various companies. These companies are responsible for distributing it through marketing and transportation companies, selling the fuel at a lower price than the one established in the national market.
"To this end, they use cloned gasoline and diesel import declarations to simulate the legal origin of the hydrocarbons, allowing them to legitimize the multiple sales they make," the Federal Center for Criminal Intelligence (FGR) analysis details.
As you step in line to vote, you, the voter, will decide who to entrust with the future of their families and the welfare of Cameron County.
ELKS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY, CELEBRATE RUBEN GARCIA'S B-DAY!
He started a family with his better half Inelda (Nellie) Trevino Garcia (pictured above), a professional in her own right. They had three children and have been blessed with two great grandchildren. This Sunday, Ruben was feted by his fellow Elks where he is the Lodge #2876 Treasurer and chairman of the scholarship committee. He'd love for you to call him up for a membership form to become a member of the lodge, as well. Happy Birthday, Ruben. And many more...
Sunday, November 1, 2026
WE, THE LEARNING, BLUNDERING PEOPLE WILL LIVE ON...
From "The People Yes" by Carl Sandburg
The people yes
The people will live on.
The learning and blundering people will live on.
They will be tricked and sold and again sold
And go back to the nourishing earth for rootholds,
The people so peculiar in renewal and comeback,
You can’t laugh off their capacity to take it...
This old anvil laughs at many broken hammers.
There are men who can’t be bought.
The fireborn are at home in fire.
The stars make no noise.
You can’t hinder the wind from blowing.
Time is a great teacher.
Who can live without hope?
In the darkness with a great bundle of grief
the people march.
In the night, and overhead a shovel of stars for keeps, the people
march:
“Where to? what next?”
WHO TREASURES BOCA CHICA BEACH MORE: US OR SPACEX?
Texas Environmental Justice Network
On Oct. 19, the Tribune requested the draft agenda that listed the discussion after Texas Monthly reported the commissioners were expected to discuss the sale of 1,300 acres of land, purportedly to SpaceX, behind closed doors. https://www.texastribune.org/.../texas-elon-musk-spacex.../
However, Texas Parks and Wildlife, a state agency tasked with managing and conserving natural areas for future generations, on Friday asked the Attorney General’s office to block the release of the draft agenda.
Sign the petition: bit.ly/savebocachica
Sign the petition: bit.ly/savebocachica
FROM ONE CREEP TO ANOTHER: TRUMP'S LAWSUIT VS. WSJ THROWN OUT
Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on 22 February 1997. Photograph: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images
By Marina DunbarThe Guardian
A US judge dismissed Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal with prejudice on Saturday, according to a court filing, bringing an end to his legal challenge over the newspaper’s reporting on his alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision follows an earlier dismissal in April that had allowed Trump to revise his complaint. As of Saturday, the case is dismissed with prejudice, meaning the lawsuit cannot be amended or refiled.
The case stemmed from a Wall Street Journal article alleging that Trump had sent a “bawdy” letter to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump denied the letter was real, insisting instead it had been fabricated.
Throughout the proceedings, the court repeatedly pointed to the newspaper’s efforts to obtain Trump’s response before publication and its inclusion of his direct denials as evidence that it had followed appropriate reporting standards.
Judge Darrin P Gayles issued the final dismissal on Saturday after determining that Trump’s amended complaint still failed to establish “actual malice”, the high legal threshold public figures must meet when pursuing defamation claims.
“As President Trump has not plausibly alleged that each Defendant made defamatory statements with actual malice, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed,” the ruling said. “And because this is President Trump’s second attempt to allege his claims, the Court finds that dismissal with prejudice is appropriate.”
Trump, who has frequently pursued legal action against media organizations both during and outside his time in the White House, has maintained that the lewd drawing described in the Journal’s report was fake.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team shared a statement following the ruling: “President Trump will continue to press forward in his powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other defendants. The President will continue to hold those who mislead the American People with Fake News and smears accountable for their actions.”
A Dow Jones spokesperson said: “We’re pleased with the court’s decision.”
Representatives for the Journal had asked the judge to dismiss the claim, arguing that the story was accurate and that it did not meet the bar for defamation. They argued that the reporters had neither knowingly published false information nor proceeded with the belief that the material was likely to be false.
The lawsuit attracted particular attention because it named Rupert Murdoch, one of Trump’s most prominent media allies, among the defendants. Murdoch’s News Corporation media empire owns the Journal. Before the article was published on 17 July 2025, Trump personally contacted Murdoch in an effort to stop its publication.
The report was published under the headline “Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump.”
The Journal did not originally publish the image, though it was released by the House oversight committee in September after it was provided by Epstein’s estate.
Saturday, October 31, 2026
EARLY VOTING NOV. 3 TOTALS SURPASS COMBINED REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT MARCH PRIMARY TURNOUT
Will the normally accepted total of early voting (60 percent) of total election turnout hold as Nov. 3 election approaches? Total votes cast this 12-day early voting period is reported at 77,640.
By that measure, the usual 40 percent votes cast on election day, will total some 51,960, boosting the total votes cast (early + mail-in+ election day) 129,400. In many races, that will be enough to determine the outcome of any election, including local races. Is our math correct?
Clearly, it's up to us, the voters, to control our community's destiny by simply casting our votes.
RUBBER-STAMP ERIC FLORES (D-34) MUM ON TRUMP'S COERCION AGAINST MARINES; BACKS TRUMP OVER VETS
DOES TRUMP'S YES-MAN ERIC FLORES AGAINST DEMOCRAT CHENTE GONZALEZ SUPPORT HIS GREAT LEADER OVER USMC TOXIC–WATER VETS? APPARENTLY, YES
By Kylie Spencer
The orange guy said he will direct the U.S. Department Of Justice to “settle all remaining legitimate [Camp Lejeune] claims as soon as possible,” but only if the GOP wins both the House and Senate in November.
I have been thinking about how to word this since I heard the clip, and it's hard to put into words.
Tying money that our families are OWED to Republicans winning the House and Senate is disgusting.
I have been thinking about how to word this since I heard the clip, and it's hard to put into words.
Tying money that our families are OWED to Republicans winning the House and Senate is disgusting.
A bill was already passed to allow us to reach settlements, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, but most remain unresolved. He says he can fast-track the settlements, but only if we vote for his party?
Those sick vets signed up to fight for this country, not the Republican Party. If he is suddenly able to fast-track those settlements after the midterms, that means he was able to do the same for the last two years and just didn't do it?
He is making promises to sick and dying veterans that he cannot keep. The claims and settlements are processed through the DOJ, and we've been waiting years! 
Over 1 million Marines and their families were poisoned, the truth was covered up, and now we are being used as a political tool to gain votes after waiting so many years for justice. He will tell you how much he cares about vets, but using their pain for votes is low, even for him.
My dad joined the Marines and signed up to fight for this country, and they knowingly poisoned him to death.
He doesn't get to see his grandkids grow up.
My son never got to meet his Papaw Joe.
He died in horrible pain, and now his death and the deaths and terrible illnesses of others are being used as a tool to gain votes.
My dad was a proud Marine his whole life, and the thing that he was most proud of took him from us.
Watching this president use his death to garner votes when he has done nothing for us all this time makes me sick.
FIRST LNG PRODUCTION MOVED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TO Q2 2027
NextDecade Corporation just released its Third Quarter 2026 business update, and the progression for the Rio Grande LNG facility in Cameron County, Texas, highlights exceptional momentum.
The key takeaways from the Q3 2026 update:
*Ahead of Schedule & On Budget: Phase 1 construction continues to progress safely and efficiently. Completion of Train 1 is now projected for Q3 2027—a full quarter ahead of the guaranteed completion timeline in the EPC contract with Bechtel.
*First Gas Imminent: The project remains firmly on track to introduce first gas into the facility before the end of 2026, paving the way for initial LNG production from Train 1 in Q2 2027.
*Capacity Expansion Approved: FERC approved an uprate request, increasing the authorized liquefaction capacity of the first five trains to 30.15 MTPA (million tons per annum).
*Regulatory Milestone for Train 6: Received permit authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for Train 6, completing a vital regulatory step as commercialization discussions progress.
With the finish line for first production right around the corner, the project is rapidly transitioning to a world-class operating export facility.
Congratulations to the entire NextDecade, Bechtel Corporation, and contractor teams for this impressive project execution!!
To read report, click on link: https://investors.next-decade.com/.../nextdecade-provides...
KEEP THE CHURCH AND STATE SEPARATE FOREVER...
By American Humanist Association
BROWNSVILLE, TX. – Juan Antonio Castillo – a former Spanish teacher at Rio Hondo Middle School, filed a federal lawsuit against the Rio Hondo Independent School District (ISD) for violating his First Amendment rights over the course of several years by coercing him to partake in mandatory prayer.
Castillo’s complaint explains that he, a Humanist, was required to attend multiple mandatory staff meetings that featured evangelical Christian prayers. No advance notice was given to staff that these meetings would include religious observances, and in each meeting, staff were instructed to rise, bow their heads and join the superintendent or school board member in prayer.
Castillo’s complaint explains that he, a Humanist, was required to attend multiple mandatory staff meetings that featured evangelical Christian prayers. No advance notice was given to staff that these meetings would include religious observances, and in each meeting, staff were instructed to rise, bow their heads and join the superintendent or school board member in prayer.
Despite not sharing the religious beliefs that their superiors expressly promoted, Castillo and other staff were given no opportunity to excuse themselves or decline to participate. Castillo has worked as an educator for 25 years and was employed at Rio Hondo Middle School from 2023 to 2026.
“I feel that it is my responsibility to speak up for the rest of the educators at Rio Hondo Middle School who have been subjected to this discrimination,” said the plaintiff Juan Antonio Castillo.
“I feel that it is my responsibility to speak up for the rest of the educators at Rio Hondo Middle School who have been subjected to this discrimination,” said the plaintiff Juan Antonio Castillo.
“As a Humanist, it is a violation of my beliefs to be forced to take part in theistic religious observances like Christian prayer, which happened several times during my employment with Rio Hondo ISD. I have nothing against my colleagues who willingly choose to participate in these group prayers – I just want everyone’s right to their personal beliefs to be respected by the school district.”
“Compelling public employees to participate in a supervisor’s religious practice against their will is precisely the kind of abuse the framers of the First Amendment sought to prevent,” said Amitai Heller, Legal Director at the American Humanist Association.
“Compelling public employees to participate in a supervisor’s religious practice against their will is precisely the kind of abuse the framers of the First Amendment sought to prevent,” said Amitai Heller, Legal Director at the American Humanist Association.
“That this is happening in our public schools shows how deeply the Christian Nationalist movement has permeated our institutions. We filed this lawsuit to remind Rio Hondo ISD that public schools, like all of our public institutions, belong to all of us, and everyone should feel welcome there.”
“We are proud to support Mr. Castillo and the American Humanist Association in this lawsuit,” said Billy Marsh, cooperating attorney on behalf of the American Humanist Association and a Texas-based partner at A&O Shearman.
“We are proud to support Mr. Castillo and the American Humanist Association in this lawsuit,” said Billy Marsh, cooperating attorney on behalf of the American Humanist Association and a Texas-based partner at A&O Shearman.
“It is a fundamental tenet of our system of government that the state cannot favor one religion over any other. All people should be free to worship who, how, or what they may (or not worship at all), free of coercion by the state.”
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