RGV'S OWN GINA HINOJOSA TOPS DEMO CANDIDATES, WILL FACE ABBOTT

Team Gina  
It’s official! AP just called the race in the Texas Democratic Primary election, and I’ll be facing Greg Abbott this November.

And now, we move into the next phase of this race with one mission in mind — defeating Greg Abbott and ending the era of corruption and negligence he has inflicted on Texas.

Thank you. This wouldn’t have been possible without your support.

To every volunteer who knocked doors, every organizer who made the calls, every supporter who chipped in what they could, and every Texan who believed in this campaign early, thank you. You carried us over the first big hurdle and made it clear that Texans are ready to turn the page.

Now the general election is underway, and our mission is clear. We are going to defeat Greg Abbott and end the era of corruption and negligence he has inflicted on Texas.

If you’re ready to keep the pressure on and keep building momentum, will you pitch in $5 right now to help us start strong?

Politics was never the plan for me. But when they tried to close my son’s neighborhood school, I couldn’t just stand on the sidelines and do nothing about it — so I turned my anger into action and ran for the school board to change things. And I won. Since then, I’ve fought for Texas families alongside union teachers and parents of every political background because this is not about party. It is about putting our kids first.

As the Democratic nominee for Governor, I will fight for Texans the same way I fight for my own kids, with everything I’ve got.

As Governor of Texas, I will work to build a state where:You can see a doctor without worrying that it will bankrupt your family.
Your paycheck goes further at the grocery store and at the pharmacy
And make sure every child has a strong neighborhood public school, with supported teachers and safe classrooms.

After over a decade of Greg Abbott, Texans have watched the cost of living explode, public schools gutted and politicized, corruption run rampant, and millions denied health care. Texans are ready for something better.

But Abbott has a massive $106 million war chest, and starting today, his billionaire donors are ready to write a blank check just to keep him in power.

That is why I’m asking. Will you help power my campaign with a contribution of $5 today?

Donate $5 »

Let’s win this together.
With gratitude,
Gina Hinojosa

GRACIA BESTS BETANCOURT, GARZA-PEREZ ROLLS AT CC CLERK, MAY 26 RUNOFFS FOR 107TH, COUNTY JUDGE, AND PCT. 2 COMMISH

GRACIA UPSETS BETANCOURT FOR COUNTY TREASURER

SYLVIA GARZA PEREZ ROLLS OVER DENISE 

MAY 26 RUNOFF BETWEEN NOE AND CHUY FOR 107TH DISTRICT COURT

MAY 26 RUNOFF FOR COUNTY JUDGE BETWEEN TREVINO AND GUERRA

JOEY LOPEZ AND JOSEPH LUCIO MAY 26 RUNOFF

5-TIME DRAFT DODGER SAYS: HEY, YOU WIN A FEW, LOSE A FEW

BREAKING: Former South Park writer launches DraftBarronTrump.com as flag-draped coffins come home from Iran war.

Three American troops are dead. Five more are seriously wounded. Operation "Epic Fury" — the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran launched by the self-proclaimed "Peace President" — is just two days old, and the casualties are already piling up.

And America wants to know: where is Barron Trump?

As the first Gold Star notifications were being delivered to grieving families this weekend, #SendBarron exploded across social media, trending nationwide. The pointed message was impossible to miss — if Donald Trump believes this war is worth American lives, why isn't his own 6-foot-7, 19-year-old son suiting up alongside them?

Into the moment stepped Toby Morton, comedian, former South Park writer, and self-described "Creator of Anti-Fascist Websites." You may remember Morton as the man who presciently nabbed the “TrumpKennedyCenter.org” domain name to create a parody website before the Trump administration even got out of bed.

His latest masterpiece, DraftBarronTrump.com, launched with mock-Trumpian solemnity: "Service is honor. Strength is inherited." It concludes, magnificently, with "Dog Bless Barron."

The site features fake quotes from the Trump men that are only barely more absurd than their real ones. 

Here’s a made-up quote from "Donald J. Trump," ”People come up to me, with tears in their eyes, and they say, ‘Sir, you’re the strongest. Send Barron off to war.’ I’ve always been strong. Very strong. Stronger than anyone expected. Some say the strongest ever. And strength matters. Believe me.”

Other satirical quotes include "Donald Trump Jr." pledging to honor Barron's sacrifice "mainly by talking about it from a safe distance," and “Eric Trump” saying something incoherent about pancakes.

The satire lands because the hypocrisy is so naked. Trump himself collected five Vietnam deferments — four for college, then a miraculous case of bone spurs that somehow resolved itself without surgery or medical records. The Queens podiatrist who signed off on that diagnosis? His daughters later told reporters it was a favor to Trump's father, Fred.

Now, Trump sends other people's children to die in Iran while his own son attends NYU's D.C. campus and reportedly keeps to himself.

To be fair to Barron, the 19-year-old appears to want absolutely nothing to do with any of this. He has no social media presence, avoids cameras, and earlier this year quietly called British emergency services to help save a woman being attacked — genuinely heroic behavior that had nothing to do with his father's wars or his family's brand.

Barron didn't start this conflict. His father did — the same father who couldn't be troubled to serve when it was his turn. The troops dying in this Iran conflict deserved better than a president who spent his youth dodging service and his presidency dodging accountability.

If it takes a satirical website to help point that out, then so be it.

APPELLATE COURT TO TRUMP: YOUR TARIFFS ARE ILLEGAL

Associated Press 

WASHINGTON — A federal court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to slow the process of refunding billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs the Supreme Court struck down as illegal last month.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit started the next phase in the refund process by sending it to a lower court to sort out.

In a court filing Friday, President Donald Trump Justice Department had urged the Federal Circuit to proceed cautiously and hold off for 90 days. But the judges refused.

The Supreme Court ruled Feb. 20 that Trump’s sweeping tariffs on most countries in the world were illegal, clearing the way for the importers who paid them to seek refunds.

The government had collected more than $130 billion from the tariffs by mid-December, and could ultimately be on the hook for refunds worth $175 billion, according to calculations by the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

But the Supreme Court offered no guidance on refunds; its decision did not even mention them. Now the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York will decide how the complicated refund process should proceed.

“I would expect the Court of International Trade to quickly issue an order requesting a status update from the government on their plans with respect to refunds (or expedited briefing),” said trade lawyer Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official.

“I expect the court to take an aggressive posture, asking the government to justify how they intend to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.”

Siddartha Rao, a partner at law firm Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, said he has been getting a lot of calls from clients with questions. “We are somewhat in uncharted territory,” he said.

The Trump administration has been reaching for new tariffs to replace the ones the Supreme Court struck down.

One question, he said, is how the government might actually pay for these refunds.

“Everyone is sort of cognizant of the fact that it’s not like there’s over a hundred billion dollars sitting in, you know, in a room somewhere to just cut checks,” Rao said.

“So, you know, this is a Treasury problem, and it may very well be that the administration is reimposing tariffs for the reasons that it’s cited ... it’s important for strategic trade agreements and for bargaining power and all of that. But it also might be that they need to raise revenue to pay out refunds.”

IT'S ELECTION DAY, AND HERE ARE OUR DEMOCRATIC LOCAL PICKS

DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRIMARY

CAMERON COUNTY JUDGE

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The choice is easy.

Do we want a county judge who has verifiable links with the Cartel Del Golfo, like Steve Guerra, whose grandfather was cartel founder Juan N. Guerra, one of his cousins is Juan Abrego Garcia, who is doing 11 life sentences for drug running and money laundering, and a female cousin, Sandra Guerra, who has accepted a plea bargain from federal prosecutors for her role in extortion and of transmigrantes, money laundering, and who calls himself an entrepreneur, but shows no identifiable place of business?

We do know, however, that a company he owned, Warrior Fuel Traders, – while he was a Brownville Navigation District commissioner – did extensive business with 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. 

The only reason this came to light was the revelation that Guerra had been sued by a Navasota, Texas fuel seller for an unpaid $300,000 bill. That stench follows him like a cloud despite his protest and that of his followers.

The other candidate in this race is the former Cameron County Sheriff Eric Garza, who left hat office in disgrace. Garza, whose novice management of the sheriff's department caused the feds to pull out their prisoners from county jails, cost the county $3 million, and the prisoners didn't return until new sheriff Manuel "Manny" Treviño cleaned up the mess the former sheriff left behind. 

When Garza left, he left a demoralized department, numerous lawsuits caused by his rampant mismanagement, and a trail of favoritism that divided the department's personnel. He sued the commissioners court. And veteran law enforcement officers lost all respect for the man in charge. 

Garza lost to his successor Treviño – no relation to Eddie Treviño, the incumbent county judge – during the Democratic primary in 2024, and then, in the November general election, hosted Republican nominee Jimmy Manrrique at department events and endorsed him in social media despite having run for the Democratic Party nomination.

Then, all of a sudden, he reappeared this year and filed to run as the third candidate for Cameron County judge as a Democrat after Brownsville Navigation District  chair Steve Guerra announced. Reports by eyewitnesses indicate that both men were seen conversing at a local eatery prior to Garza making his announcement. Garza is a de facto stalking horse to cover for Guerra and get him into a runoff with incumbent Treviño. 

Don't fall for it and waste your vote. In boot camp, the drill instructor told us that if your boots aren't as spit shined as your buddy's next door, don't stand next to him but seek to stand next to someone's whose boots aren't as shiny as yours. Compared to those two, Treviño is the safest choice.

Judge, 107th District Court

By Noe Garza

Dear Friends and Cameron County neighbors,

The black and white photograph below in this post shows me, Noe Domingo Garza, Jr., at five years old, standing with my two older sisters. 

My father took this picture in 1967 on the shores of Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, to commemorate the day our family received legal residency in the United States. We had traveled there as part of the medical inspection process required for our immigration, and my father wanted to preserve that important moment in our journey.

My name is Noe Domingo Garza, Jr. I was born on August 22, 1962, in a small ranch called El Tahuachal in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. After Hurricane Beulah destroyed our home in 1967, my family immigrated legally to the United States in search of a better future.
I began school in Brownsville at the age of five, and attended Garden Park Elementary when the classrooms were refurbished military barracks and the school still used septic tanks for sanitary services.

My parents worked humble jobs. My father was a custodian at Cummings Intermediate School, and my mother worked in the cafeteria at Hanna High School. 

My father was illiterate and could not read or write, and my mother attended school only through the third grade, not by choice but because of their circumstances. Even so, they believed deeply in education and made sure their children never lacked encouragement, discipline, and hope.

I graduated from Pace High School at seventeen, earned my Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Pan American University at Brownsville, and graduated from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1986 at the age of twenty-three.

For thirty-nine years, I have practiced law with an impeccable record with the State Bar of Texas. I am also licensed to practice in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the Eastern District of Michigan.

Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of helping thousands of families during some of the most difficult and important moments of their lives. I have handled more than 300 jury trials and have always worked to uphold fairness, justice, and dignity in the courtroom.

In 2015, I was honored as Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year by the Cameron County Bar

Association. In 2018, I was recognized by Bishop Flores during the Red Mass for my service to the community. I have also been inducted into the BISD Hall of Fame, served as Principal for a Day, and been honored to speak at Pace High School as a keynote speaker in 2016 and 2022.

But my greatest pride is my family. My wife, Judge Adela Kowalski Garza, and I have been married for thirty-five years, and together we raised three wonderful sons. They are my greatest blessing and my daily motivation to serve with integrity and compassion.

From humble beginnings to a lifetime of service, my journey reflects the American Dream. With faith, hard work, and determination, anything is possible. Everything I am today is because of this community, and I want to give back what I have learned and what I know.

With your help and your vote, I ask for the opportunity to continue serving Cameron County.
Early voting begins on February 17 and ends on February 27. Election Day is March 3.

Please support me so that I may continue to serve our community with experience, fairness, and respect.
Thank you, and may God bless you all.

CAMERON COUNTY TREASURER

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

For 20 years, David Betancourt has promised the voters the world, and delivered nothing. It’s barely been three months since Betancourt began his campaign outreach to Cameron County, and like clockwork, he is out on the hustings reminding voters of his Democratic lineage, and of his “hard work” as Cameron County Treasurer.
As a descendant of true Democrats in his late father Adolfo and late mom Janie, David has sat at the center of Cameron County’s finances as county treasurer. Unfortunately, he’s transformed from a real Democrat into an entrenched part of an old establishment that talks about progress but never delivers.

Year after year, without shame, David requested pay raises from the Cameron County Commissioners Court and never once in all of those 20 years did he fight for employee raises. Instead, he fought for himself. 

The Cameron County Commissioners Court, this year, finally appeased the king by giving him a raise of $12,693 FY 2025-2026, lifting his total compensation from $83,676 to $96,368.

A closer analysis reveals, after two decades, taxpayers aren’t seeing results for their money; they’re seeing higher bills, stale leadership, and a treasurer who’s more interested in holding the title than doing the job.

Now, as he faces a challenger in former JP Jonathan Gracia who has openly called for change and lower taxes on our homes, Betancourt has literally, and conveniently, altered his campaign signs promising to – you guessed it – to lower taxes in a epiphany election. This new tune sounds less like reform and more like desperation to keep the Betancourt gravy train going.

(After Gracia called for lower taxes, Betancourt's signs conveniently plastered an addition saying he was "helping to lower taxes," while giving himself a salary raise.)

Let’s be honest: David Betancourt has become the definition of complacency. He rarely shows up to work, stays detached from the community he’s supposed to serve, and hasn’t led with initiative or engagement. While other public servants step up to make Cameron County stronger, he’s been content to coast — a taker, not a giver. He doesn’t contribute, he doesn't connect, and he doesn’t care to show up unless someone else throws a party or there’s a campaign sign nearby.

It's a breath of fresh air that current county judge Eddie Treviño has called on all "real Democrats" to tally around our party. We're Democrats and should be justly proud to uphold and promote our ideals.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, everyone will acknowledge that the Democrats are under siege by the Republicans in Cameron County and across South Texas. It’s going to take energetic and engaged leaders to withstand the attacks that will not stop for the foreseeable future. Don’t look to David Betancourt for any help there.

Betancourt –has ridden his family’s coattails his entire life. Up to now he hasn't had to work or worry because his name recognition has carried him to a campaign victory, and he has flaunted his entitlement to public office – and check – as if it was a family heirloom.

Now Betancourt, after 20 years of minimal effort and maximum self-interest, wants one more four-year term. But for who? For him – or for us? If two decades of inaction weren’t enough time to make a difference, what could possibly change in another four years?

Change will not come from the Betancourt dynasty. Change will come from the people of Cameron County. And this year, that change starts at the ballot box. 

TEXAS GOVERNOR

Team Gina

Here’s where we stand: We’ve received the endorsement of every major newspaper in Texas. We’re polling only 3 points behind Abbott — the same margin that sent Ann Richards to office. We just watched Democrat Taylor Rehmet flip a deep-red Senate district by 14 points.

Everything is in our favor to win. And it all starts with this election.

Today it is critical we carry this momentum — that even Abbott’s warchest can’t deny — through November. Abbott and the Republicans are watching this race closely. He knows whoever wins the Democratic primary will be a major threat, and he’s ready to attack.

That’s why this final day matters. Every dollar you give right now will help Get Out the Vote, through final texts, calls, and door knocks.

Today, when the polls open, hundreds of thousands of voters will use their ballot to say who they want to be the next Governor. And I’m ready.

Your vote has power. Power to elect leaders who will fight for our communities, our rights, and our future.

S. TEXAS STUNNER: TEXAS 34TH HOUSE RACE TURNS INTO TOSSUP

By Drew Archer
Houston hoodline

Texas’ 34th Congressional District has turned into one of the tightest fights in the country, with polling averages showing a near dead heat as both parties barrel toward the March 3 primary. The seat, reshaped by a mid decade redistricting that pushed it from the Rio Grande Valley up the Gulf Coast toward Corpus Christi, no longer offers an easy glide path for an incumbent. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez now faces the real prospect of a bruising November if Republicans manage to rally behind a single nominee, as reported by The Cook Political Report.

According to The New York Times, the latest polling averages for Texas 34 show Gonzalez running almost even with his likely Republican opponents. The Cook Political Report also rates the race as a tossup, a verdict that reflects both the newly drawn lines and last year’s razor thin results in what has become one of the most competitive House districts in the country.

Redistricting Scrambles the Numbers

Republican lawmakers’ mid 2025 remap moved chunks of the district inland and up the coast, trading some heavily Democratic Hidalgo County precincts for more conservative areas in Nueces County and Corpus Christi. That shift, along with the legal battles that followed, changed the electorate enough that analysts now treat the 34th as a very different seat than the older, bluer version. As reported by The Texas Tribune, using the new map on the 2024 results would have increased President Trump’s margin in the district by about 10 points.

Republican Rumble: Mayra vs. Eric

On the Republican side, the primary has turned into a headline ready Flores vs. Flores showdown. Former Rep. Mayra Flores is trying to claw back the seat she briefly held, while Army veteran Eric Flores has surged after picking up a late endorsement from Donald Trump. AP News reported that Trump’s nod convinced several rivals to bow out and helped consolidate cash and outside spending behind Eric Flores, turning the primary into a fast track electability test for Republicans. Whoever emerges on Tuesday – or if the field is forced into a runoff – will heavily shape how November looks.
Democrats Weigh Incumbency vs. Energy

Gonzalez still has the traditional advantages of incumbency, including broad name recognition across much of the Valley, but the reworked district leaves him with far less room for error after an already narrow win in 2024. The Houston Chronicle has followed a spirited primary challenge from Etienne Rosas, a public policy analyst backed by progressive groups in the region. Filings with the Federal Election Commission show Gonzalez holding a fundraising lead heading into March, but strategists on both sides argue that turnout patterns in November will ultimately decide whether the 34th stays in Democratic hands or flips.

What to Watch on Primary Day

Early voting has already started in many counties, and Election Day is Tuesday, March 3. Two big variables loom: how strong local turnout runs up and down the district and whether Republicans can avoid a bruising runoff that drags their fight into overtime. National party committees and outside groups are already pouring money and ad buys into the Valley, and any late shifts in polling could trigger fresh waves of TV spots, digital ads and glossy mailers landing in voters’ mailboxes.

YES, IT IS A MONDAY, MONDAY...SO GOOD TO ME...GTFU

By The Mamas and the Papas

Monday Monday, so good to me,

Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be

Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee

That Monday evening you could still be here with me.

Monday Monday, can't trust that day,

Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way

Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be

Oh Monday Monday, how yould could uou leave and not take me?

Every other day, every other day,

Every other day of the week is fine, yeah

But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes

You can find me cryin' all of the time

Monday Monday, so good to me,

Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be

Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee

That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Every other day, every other day,

Every other day of the week is fine, yeah

But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes

You can find me cryin' all of the time

...

A WAR PRAYER FOR THE U.S. SAILORS OFF THE COAST OF IRAN

 

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

God,
I don’t even know how to pray right now. My heart is anxious and scared. Please watch over my daughter, Paris. Cover her with Your protection. Guard her mind, her body, and her spirit. 

Give her courage without fear and strength without harm. I lift up the USS Abraham Lincoln and every sailor aboard. Surround that ship with Your protection. Guide their leaders with wisdom and steady hands. Keep them safe in the air, at sea, and in every mission. 

I pray for all of our military — every son and daughter serving far from home. Protect them. Bring them home safely. And God, please calm my heart. Help me trust You when I can’t see what’s happening. Hold Paris close when I can’t.
Amen.

WHAT GOD HEARD: 

From Mark Twain's War Prayer

"O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with hurricanes of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with...

"...their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn

with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

WILL YOU PLEASE DONATE TO HELP THIS SICK CHILD?

DO A GOOD DEED FOR THE UTES! CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS

 

PA' CERRAR CON BROCHE DE ORO...THE SATURDAY GRAND PARADE

THE PARTY NUMBERS FOR CAMERON COUNTY WRITTEN ON THE POLLS

DEMOCRAT EARLY VOTING: 22,317

REPUBLICAN EARLY VOTING: 8,651

TOTAL EARLY VOTE: 30,878 

Ed.'s Note: If Early Voting usually results in an average of 65 percent of the vote cast in any election, there are another estimated 16,726 votes to be cast on Tuesday, March 3, during Election Day which could determine the winner or runoff candidates in contested elections. 

IT'S A BIG, BEAUTIFUL, WHITE CRIMINAL COVER UP...

ON LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING, DON'T WASTE YOUR VOTE ON GARZA

  

By Juan Montoya

"A stalking horse candidate is a person put forward in an election to mask the candidacy of another, test public support for a policy, or divide the opposition. Operating as a political decoy, this candidate rarely has a genuine chance of winning but serves to conceal a third party's true intentions until a safer time."

That, boys and girls, in a nutshell, is what the candidacy of former – and failed – Cameron County Sheriff Eric Garza is all about.

Garza, whose novice management of the sheriff's department caused the feds to pull out their prisoners from county jails, cost the county $3 million, and the prisoners didn't return until new sheriff Manuel "Manny" Treviño cleaned up the mess the former sheriff left behind. 

When Garza left, he left a demoralized department, numerous lawsuits caused by his rampant mismanagement, and a trail of favoritism that divided the department's personnel. He sued the commissioners court. And veteran law enforcement officers lost all respect for the man in charge. 

Garza lost to his successor Treviño – no relation to Eddie Treviño, the incumbent county judge – during the Democratic primary in 2024, and then, in the November general election, hosted Republican nominee Jimmy Manrrique at department events and endorsed him in social media despite having run for the Democratic Party nomination.

Then, all of a sudden, he reappeared this year and filed to run as the third candidate for Cameron

County judge as a Democrat after Brownsville Navigation District  chair Steve Guerra announced. Reports by eyewitnesses indicate that both men were seen conversing at a local eatery prior to Garza making his announcement. Garza is a de facto stalking horse to cover for Guerra and get him into a runoff with incumbent Treviño. 

Documentation published by the U.S. Treasury and Mexican federal investigators indicate that Guerra owned a fuel company (Warrior Fuel Traders LLC)  which was doing extensive business with a Mexican fuel supplier Pyrodiesel Del Cento SA de CV, named by the Federal Criminal Intelligence Center of Mexico as a principal in the smuggling of fuel products into Mexico. 

That relationship came to light only after Guerra was sued by a Navasota, Texas-based fuel supplier for more than $300,000 in unpaid fuel. 

A U.S. advisory in May called huachicol schemes “the most significant non-drug illicit revenue source” for Mexico's cartels, which have become a prominent Trump administration target. But the cartels often rely on affiliated individuals and firms—including along the Texas border—to pull them off."

If by chance Garza should get the nod as the Democratic nominee for the general election, he would be in charge of determining the sheriff department's budget over sheriff Treviño, clearly an untenable situation. Ditto for getting along with the other commissioners on the court, who he sued.

"Voters should remember that Garza is a candidate running to be the Democratic Party nominee for the November general election against the Republican party candidate," said a longtime Democrat. "After he lost the primary to Treviño, he supported his Republican opponent Manrrique openly. He was a Democrat only when it suited him. 

"Good Democrats should bear that in mind when they vote either in the early voting or on election day March 3. A vote for Garza means you're voting to give Guerra a chance to get into a runoff with Eddie Treviño. It's really a wasted vote."

IT TOOK A WHILE, BUT IT'S UNARGUABLE: TEXAS IS TURNING BLUE

Which begs the question, "Since you're a minority, do you hate yourself?"

Team Gina

Republicans are scared about this election, and Greg Abbott just proved it.

Ten Republicans are on the ballot against him, and Abbott’s campaign has spent nearly $4 million dollars on ads for the primary.

That’s not something someone who’s confident in winning this election would do. He’s worried about Republicans losing this November.

Abbott is trying to change the subject because he doesn’t want the focus on what his failed leadership has actually done for Texans. Higher costs, shuttered schools, increasing cost of living, and unaffordable property taxes.

Abbott has over $105 million in the bank, and he’s already spending big to drown us out. The only way we can counter this is with people-powered pressure and unstoppable momentum.

This past week, Trump took to social media to give his “complete and total endorsement” to  Abbott.

If there were ever any doubts about what this race represents, that should make it crystal clear.

Abbott isn’t running to fix what’s broken in Texas. He’s running to keep the same status quo locked in place that protects his billionaire donors. The one that’s skyrocketed health care premiums, attacked our neighborhood schools, and left working families twisting in the wind while politicians line their pockets and find even more ways to take from hardworking Texans.

Trump’s endorsement isn’t about making this great state better for working people. It’s about keeping the same broken politics Abbott has relied on for decades.

Meanwhile, Texans across our state are asking for something simple: a governor who cares. Leadership that listens to them, not big money.

We’re running a campaign grounded in Texans’ real priorities. I don’t take corporate cash because I’m not here to score points or be the puppet that carries out the whims of billionaire donors. I’m here to fight for working people, and build our movement the Texas way: county by county, block by block, powered by teachers, nurses, small business owners, parents, and every other Texan who’s ready for something better.

The choice is clear: more of the same corrupt, billionaire-backed politics that’s left too many Texans behind, or new leadership that is rooted in accountability, integrity, and delivering real results for working families.

But let’s be real. When a sitting president throws his weight behind an incumbent, the money starts flowing. With Trump’s backing, Abbott’s already massive $106 million war chest will only grow stronger.

That means we have to fight even harder to make every grassroots dollar count. Can you pitch in $5 today to show Abbott and Trump that Texans can’t be bought, and help us win this race?

Donate $5 »

We can’t afford another four years of a governor who’s in Trump’s pocket and will prioritize his agenda over the challenges facing working people in Texas. It’s time to take back our state.

GET UP. STAND UP. STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS...JAH!

 

WELCOME TO THE SPORTSMAN, YOUR CHARRO DAYS HEADQUARTERS!

S. TEXAS DOCTORS AGREE TO PAY $5 MILLION TO SETTLE FALSE CLAIMS

U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Six South Texas doctors and their respective practices have agreed to pay $4,855,844 to resolve allegations they submitted false claims to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE that were not rendered or not medically necessary, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Drs. Javier Cabello, 47, San Benito, Ammar Halloum, 52, Brownsville, Jamil Madi, 54, Olmito, Jairo Rodriguez, 62, Rancho Viejo, Ricardo Schwarcz, 57, Weslaco, and Stanley Sy, 55, Pharr, owned and operated Benchmark Inpatient Services PLLC dba Beyond Inpatient Services in Harlingen. Rodriguez also owned and operated Brownsville Pulmonary Center, P.A. dba Benchmark Pulmonary Center, Brownsville.

From Jan. 1, 2020, to May 31, 2023, BIS, BPC, and its owners allegedly submitted claims for critical care, while BPC and Rodriguez also allegedly submitted claims for pulmonary function testing. Patients’ medical records allegedly did not support this care and testing, or the care was not rendered at all.

Critical care billing requires complex decision-making and at least 30 minutes of treatment for a critically ill or injured patient. BIS providers instead billed critical care for stable patients, unnecessary follow-up visits, or services they never performed, according to the allegations.

PFT services include various tests that demonstrate how well the lungs function. When medically necessary, PFT services either diagnose and evaluate new respiratory symptoms or assess a patient’s current therapeutic respiratory interventions. Medicare does not reimburse for routine PFT services. For Medicare to reimburse for medically necessary PFT services, providers must describe the indications and presentments for the order for testing in the patient’s medical record. BPC and Rodriguez instead allegedly billed PFT services for unnecessary routine testing or services they never performed.

As a result, Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE either paid significantly more for critical care claims or for PFT claims that should never have even been made to the government programs.

“This outcome emphasizes the Southern District of Texas’s commitment to vigorously investigate and disrupt civil health care fraud, wherever it may be,” said Ganjei. “Our country’s most vulnerable deserve care based on their medical need, not on a doctor’s unscrupulous desire to line their own pockets. Medical professionals have a solemn obligation to heal the sick and infirm, not to bilk the American taxpayer.”

“We remain steadfast in our mission to protect patients and safeguard federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. “This settlement underscores our commitment to holding providers accountable when they submit claims for services that are not medically necessary or not actually provided. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that taxpayer-funded programs are protected from fraud and abuse.”

“Fraud against the government will not be tolerated,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “Submitting false claims to federal health care programs during a national emergency such as the COVID 19 pandemic steals from taxpayers and exploits vulnerable patients. The FBI, together with its federal and state partners, will hold accountable anyone who seeks to profit by defrauding the United States.”

The settlement stems from a qui tam or whistleblower complaint filed under the False Claims Act which permits a private party to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.

DHHS-OIG and FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Texas Attorney General’s Office – Civil Medicaid Fraud Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura E. Collins handled the matter.

YOU'RE MY BLUE SKY, YOU'RE MY SUNNY DAY....

FEELING BLUE YET, DONNY?