WTF! GUERRA PROMISES TO SPEED UP CITY'S PERMITTING PROCESS AS COUNTY JUDGE?

(Ed.'s Note: Ok, so it's not a $2,000 DOGE check, a $5,000 tariff-refund check, or a $5,000 promise if you vote for his party's candidates to be elected in November, or $90 for seniors, but how can a candidate for Cameron County Judge speed up the City of Brownsville's building permitting process? 

Will that be on day one, we wonder? 

He already promised to save Boca Chica Beach – which belongs to Starbase and the State of Texas – to pump millions into infrastructure, and to propel us into a warm and fuzzy future. Like no one has ever seen in the history of Cameron County! Now he is going to fix the city's permitting process.

Psst, Hey, Steve. Wrong building. That's the City Plaza behind you. Or has our Wonder Boy suddenly changed his mind and is running for mayor or city commissioner? Beware of Guerra bearing gifts!)

A VERY APROPO SONG FOR THIS RAINY MORNING....

 

IT'S FINALLY HERE! PREPARE FOR TWO DAYS OF RAIN

  

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens

(By William Carlos Williams)

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND WITH US! EVEN BETTER, ASK ABOUT JOINING THE ELKS!

 

AS GOES MICHIGAN, SO DOES THE U.S.: SHOULD WE SEND ICE TO POLLING SITES?

Benjamin Cyr

Michigan’s own review found 15 credible cases out of more than 5.7 million ballots cast in the 2024 general election — 0.00028 percent.

That doesn’t excuse illegal voting. It puts the scale in context.

In August 2026, Michigan’s Attorney General announced charges against 5 noncitizens alleged to have voted in that election.

The scale matters.

"SPUDHEAD" TRUMP SCRAMBLES FOR VOTES IN THE MIDTERMS

 

DON'T TELL HEGSETH ABOUT IT, HE MIGHT SHOOT IT DOWN...

"I took this picture yesterday evening. It looks like a giant white dove to me,"  wrote one of our two readers in San Benito.

NOW THAT THE TABLES ARE TURNED, DOES MAGA THINK TWICE ABOUT THIS?

SLEEPY JOE?

Joe Biden shows President Xi Jinping a framed photo of Trump.

Trump spent years calling Biden “Sleepy Joe.” Now Biden has a picture he’d like Xi to see. No speech required – just a quiet look at the portrait.

LARGELY SHIELDED FROM PUBLIC VIEW, WALL AND RIVER BARRIERS ARE LAID OUT

The waterborne buoys snake their way from Military Highway south toward SpaceX

Border Report

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Largely unnoticed by the public, about 17 miles of waterborne barrier is under construction in Cameron County south of the border town of Brownsville at a cost of $96.1 million. The barrier, which is expected to be constructed toward the Gulf and just south of SpaceX, was awarded to BCCG Joint Venture, of Montgomery, Alabama, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

This section of Border Wall is going up next to the Riverbend Golf Course.

The Department of Homeland Security announced late last year it had awarded $4.5 billion worth of contracts to build 230 new miles of border barrier along the Southwest border, including 80 miles of “waterborne barrier” to be installed in the Rio Grande in South Texas.

The waterborne barrier is part of a total of 10 border barrier contracts issued in September through funds provided by Congress through President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.

DHS officials say the new contracts are part of what they’re calling a “Smart Wall” along the Southwest border with Mexico, that includes technology upgrades, patrol roads, lights, cameras and advanced detection systems, along with 30-foot-tall steel bollard walls.

“The Smart Wall means more miles of barriers, more technology, and more capability for our agents on the ground. This is how you take control of the border,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott told Border Report.

An industrial forklift carries a section of the Wall on the levee next to Military Highway

IS GBIC NOW THE GREATER BROWNSVILLE EGO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (GBEDC)?

Rio Grande Guardian article, March 22, 2026

Special to El Run-Rrun

Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation CEO Gilbert Salinas apparently couldn’t resist the opportunity to show everyone how much he knew. 

On March 22, while negotiations were under way and months before the official announcement, he did a presentation where he showed everyone there the confidential information of Saronic as the company planning to bring its operations to Brownsville, breaking the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

(Governor Greg Abbott would make the official announcement much later – on July 16 – that Saronic Technologies, Inc. had chosen Brownsville to construct a next-generation shipyard. Salinas and GBEDC beat the governor to the punch, and the office of the governor noticed. Only the timely intervention by the lieutenant governor's office and D-27 Senator Adam Hinojosa with Saronic co-founder Dino Mavrookas mitigated the damage.)

Salinas' premature announcement caused other Valley mayors, other  EDCs, and our California competitors to know who it was. Because of that, Saronic upped the bidding war and asked for another $7 million more in incentives. 

Originally GBIC was only supposed to commit to $1 million and after his article and presentation they were forced to commit to $10 million of our tax payers money. 

Insiders say that after they learned that the negotiations information got out, Saronic cut all communications with GBEDC and dealt directly with the State of Texas and The Port of Brownsville. As a result, we almost lost everything because GBEDC' board and CEO wanted to brag and be credited with snagging the deal.

He was displaying slides marked "confidential" while our competitors from across the Valley and other people in the room were taking pictures. Instead of economic development sophistication and expertise, it turned out to be reckless showboating. When you are trusted with a major prospect like Saronic, your job is to protect the deal, not use confidential information as a prop to make yourself look important.

And that is the real problem. Someone handling sensitive economic-development negotiations should inspire confidence and exercise discretion. Instead, Gilbert made himself look like the guy you have to worry about when something is supposed to stay confidential.

Nothing says “trust me with your multimillion-dollar project” quite like putting the confidential slides up for the whole room to photograph. No one was impressed by Gilbert, not even the reporter.

During the official groundbreaking for the project at the port Thursday, no one asked the GBEDC or any of its officers to take the podium or acknowledged that they were even there. So it was left up to Salinas' overpaid lambiscon cheerleader (Ruben O'Bell, $140,000 plus bennies with no one else allowed to apply) to praise his bosses. Acomodense!

WILL TRUMP'S DIESEL PRICES HAVE A CHILLING EFFECT ON TRUCKERS' PROTESTS?

 

Current Price Statistics

National average: $6.44 to $6.53 per gallon

Increase since February 2026: Up over 70%

Agricultural impact: Farm diesel nearing $6.00 per gallon

By Chris Williams
Fox2

The Brief

*The White House is considering expanding sales of red-dyed diesel as fuel prices reach record levels.
*Red-dyed diesel is tax-exempt and typically used in off-road vehicles and equipment for farming and construction.
*Analysts say broader access to the fuel would provide limited relief and would not increase the overall diesel supply.

The White House is weighing regulatory changes that would broaden the sale of red-dyed diesel, a tax-exempt fuel commonly used in agricultural equipment, as prices climb because of supply disruptions tied to the U.S. conflict with Iran, Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and declining global inventories.

Analysts say the proposal would do little to address the shrinking supply that has pushed diesel prices to record levels. Here is a look at the problems affecting the diesel market and the potential impact of expanding red-dyed diesel sales.
What the White House is proposing

Dig deeper:

U.S. diesel prices reached a record $6.53 per gallon last week, according to Energy Information Administration data. The increase was fueled by reduced supplies from the Middle East and refining disruptions, including those linked to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy facilities.

The price surge has prompted the White House to consider expanding access to red-dyed diesel as President Donald Trump and his administration face pressure to reduce fuel costs ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The administration has also considered a blanket ban on diesel exports by refiners and urged the European Union to release emergency diesel reserves to help lower prices.

To read rest of story, click on link: https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/trump-eyes-red-dyed-diesel-fuel-prices-soar

IN HEAVEN THEIR ANGELS CONTINUALLY VIEW THE FACE OF MY FATHER...

Matthew 18:10 (CSB) “See to it that you don’t despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of my Father in heaven."

Now This Impact

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

A 13-year-old Honduran boy named Angel did not have representation when he appeared before a judge. 

A judge asked if there was a reason he could not return to Honduras. Angel told the judge, ‘My mom and almost my entire family are here. It’s too dangerous to go back.’ The judge ruled that Angel did not qualify for asylum and asked, 'Would you like to request voluntary departure, or should I issue a removal order?’

‘I don’t know,’ Angel replied before bursting into tears. He stared ahead stoically before continuing to cry and said, ‘I have no one. I have nothing.’

This is not a choice a child should be given, but it's the unfortunate experience of many migrant children.

Texas, migrant children as young as 2 years old are appearing in U.S. immigration courts, where they face deportation proceedings without guaranteed legal representation.
Witnesses inside the courtrooms describe a 6-year-old pretending to fly an airplane.
Mateo, a 3-year-old in a blue jacket, is playing with the microphone. The judge spoke to Mateo’s attorney, who appeared remotely.

A teen girl tried to make eye contact with a friend, only for the judge to reprimand her: ‘I see you’re smiling and think these proceedings are funny, but I need you to pay attention.’

In July, the Trump admin let a years-long contract with the Acacia Center for Justice lapse, ending federal funding for 100 legal services providers for more than 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children: Children who are usually in the United States are trying to escape trafficking, abandonment, violence, gangs, or other abuse.

In August, the Office of Refugee Resettlement gave $20 million to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a nonprofit organization that provides legal services. However, many advocates say USCRI lawyers either weren’t present or didn’t speak up when children were in court.

In some cases, USCRI attorneys even posed as ‘friend of the court’ for some of the children, including Angel, according to Lauren Fisher Flores, legal director at ProBar.
And now, the Trump administration will allow lawyers to start requesting virtual interviews for kids seeking asylum.

Children have to make their cases to receive asylum, and since procedures are also constantly changing, this can put extra stress on children. The interviews can take hours and dive into potentially traumatic events. And without a lawyer, kids may have to face this trauma alone.

Under Trump, they’re being pushed through faster hearings and asylum interviews without adequate legal counsel, which makes it harder for them to seek asylum and other protections under the law.
The goal is to deport more children faster.

Attorneys representing migrant children initially try to establish a rapport with their clients and help them understand what to expect in asylum interviews. But children are struggling to understand, as many of them aren’t able to speak English, let alone understand complex legal terms. So kids are being asked to make choices about their cases when they may not fully understand what those choices mean.

In an interview with a 3-year-old, who was too small to fit in the chair and ended up sitting on the floor. The child put bandages on the furniture and played with dinosaurs while the asylum officer tried to ask the child questions about their case.

A judge asked a group of 15 minors without attorneys: ‘Is this your first time in immigration court?’ They all answered, ‘Yes.’ ‘Do any of you want voluntary departure?’ the judge asked. No one raised their hand. Another child stretched her hands playfully toward the sky.

The initiative comes under the direction of White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, so that the Trump admin can deport as many migrant children as possible as quickly as possible.

Nearly 200,000 migrant children have been ordered removed from the U.S. since Trump returned to office, according to The Guardian. About 70 percent were younger than 13.

This is the supposed pro-life party, making kids face legal challenges alone and sending them back to danger in the country they were trying to escape.

TENNESSEE WOMAN SURVIVES TWO ROUNDS OF LETHAL INJECTIONS

By Megan Divers

WUSA News9

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Media witnesses described an unusual scene that took place largely behind closed curtains as Tennessee officials were unable to carry out the execution of Christina Pike on Wednesday.

Pike's attorneys said she remained alive after two rounds of lethal injection.
The lethal injection stretched for more than an hour, and witnesses left the room not knowing whether she was alive or dead.

Pike, 50, was scheduled to become the first woman executed in Tennessee in at least 200 years. She was sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, which Pike committed when she was 18. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution by overturning an appeals court ruling that had halted it about an hour before it was set to begin.

TIMELINE OF BOTCHED EXECUTION:

* About 7:30 p.m.: The first round of pentobarbital was administered, according to WBIR Senior Investigative Journalist John North, who witnessed the event. A few minutes later, Pike turned to her spiritual adviser and asked whether the injection had started.
Shortly afterward: The blinds were lowered. Witnesses said they could hear activity in the chamber but could not see what was happening.

* 7:46 p.m.: Prison officials closed the curtain to the media room, according to The Associated Press. They raised it again three minutes later, and Pike could be heard loudly snoring.

* About 8:05 p.m.: The curtain was closed a second time. Witnesses said they could hear breathing that was at times shallow, along with loud snoring.

* 8:26 p.m.: Pike's attorneys filed an emergency motion, which the Tennessee Supreme Court received at this time. It said Pike was still alive after receiving both syringes of chemicals. The attorneys argued she was suffering unnecessarily, in violation of the ban on cruel and unusual punishment. They asked the court to order the Tennessee Department of Correction to remove her IV catheters and take immediate lifesaving measures. 

Emergency vehicles arrive at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution after the execution of Christa Pike was halted, Sept. 30, 2026, in Nashville.

The AP reported that lawyers also filed motions with the U.S. Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit and a federal district court. They wrote that failing to provide such care "constitutes deliberate indifference to legitimate, serious medical needs."

* About 8:53 p.m.: Witnesses were told to leave. The AP reported that the microphone was cut off at that time. Witnesses said Pike's breathing was rhythmic by the time they left.

* About 9 p.m.: At a news conference, media witnesses said they did not know if Pike was alive or dead. Ambulances and other emergency vehicles were seen coming and going from the prison.

A BLAST FROM THE PAST: ERNIE QUESTIONS CITY COMMISSION RAISES

By Ernie Hernandez
(Juan, I thought you might like to see my insight on the current City Commission. No, I am nor running for office. I just want to point out all the BS going on. What was done for a salary of $600 per year for about 50 to 65 meetings per year, or about $10 a meeting, is now costing the tax payers $1,000 per meeting per Commissioner. What they should be doing is to put on an item on an agenda to rescind the first raise.)

BROWNSVILLE TAXPAYERS DESERVE ANSWERS

There is an item on the upcoming City Charter Election that could substantially increase the salaries of City Commissioners. Before voters make that decision, they deserve to understand what this compensation may actually cost taxpayers.

Based on the estimates presented here, the Commissioners collectively receive approximately $150,000- $160,000 per year in salary, averaging roughly $23,000 per Commissioner.

But salary is only part of the picture.

Add estimated health-insurance costs. Add retirement contributions. Add life insurance. Add the 7.65 percent FICA match, unemployment taxes, and other taxpayer-funded benefits.

According to these estimates, the total compensation could approach $35,000 per commissioner per year. 

Now consider the workload described here: the Commission regularly meets every other week, with special meetings bringing the estimated annual total to roughly 30-35 meetings.

At that level, the estimated taxpayer cost works out to about $1,000 per Commissioner, per meeting.

And now voters are being asked to consider raising Commissioner salaries by approximately 50 percent.

Before taxpayers are asked to pay more, they deserve a full accounting of what they are already paying.

City Commissioners are elected public officials-not ordinary City employees punching a time clock every day. Their responsibilities are established by the City Charter and include setting policy, making recommendations, and exercising authority regarding key City positions.

If Commissioners themselves have said they would not accept higher salaries if the measure passes, then taxpayers have every right to ask:

Why put the increase before voters in the first place?

And if they truly believe the current compensation is excessive, why not publicly address the compensation they are already receiving?

Public service should be about serving the community-not quietly expanding the taxpayer- funded compensation package.

Brownsville voters deserve transparency, exact numbers, and a clear explanation before Election Day.

This is taxpayer money. Ask questions. Demand the numbers. Read the Charter. Then make your own informed decision.

TRUMP, HESGETH: TO ASSURE ELECTION SECURITY, DON'T VOTE

The voter registration deadline for the November 3, 2026 Uniform Election is October 5, 2026.

By Lisa Needham

Daily Kos

Defense Secretary "Whiskey" Pete Hegseth is here to make sure everything about the upcoming vote in the midterms is all safe and secure, and he’s gonna go all warfighter to do it.

Cyberwarfighter, that is.

Having actual troops at the polls is wildly against federal law, but Hegseth has nonetheless figured out a way for the military to intervene in our free and fair and safe elections, all part of President Donald Trump’s quest to make sure those elections remain none of those things.

So Whiskey Pete is going to have the National Security Agency and military intelligence agencies "guard" our election systems against foreign interference.

Yeah, sure.

It isn’t that the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command haven’t helped secure elections previously – they’ve been doing so since election equipment was designated as critical infrastructure back in 2017. It’s that the Trump administration cut the actual specialized defenses against election interference ages ago. It no longer funds security improvements for the states or shares threat information on foreign actors.

In the biggest blow to election security, the administration gutted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, which provided cybersecurity support specifically for elections.

Why? Because agencies like CISA fight actual election interference instead of pretending that Trump won the 2020 election, and failing to pretend Trump won in 2020 is treason or something.

As David Becker, who runs the Center for Election Innovation and Research, told the Associated Press, Hegseth announcing this big initiative just a few weeks out from Election Day “suggests this is just theater.” He also pointed out that “If the administration was serious about assisting state and local election officials, they shouldn’t have dismantled all of the federal government’s election cybersecurity capacity and fired all their experts in early 2025.”

LOS SAN PATRICIOS WHO FOUGHT ON THE MEXICAN SIDE STILL REMEMBERED

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The Batallón de San Patricio was formed largely by Irish immigrants and other foreigners who left the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War and joined Mexico’s side. They fought alongside Mexican forces, including at the Battle of Churubusco which took place on August 20, 1847.

 
Many were captured and executed or punished after the battle. Their names are now commemorated on a memorial plaque at Plaza San Jacinto in Mexico City, where Mexico has honored their sacrifice since the plaque was installed in 1959.

They were placed on gallows where they could witness the fall of Chapultepec Castle. When the American flag was raised over the castle, the men were hung on Sept. 13, 1847.

 And the connection is still alive today. Ireland continues to commemorate the San Patricios, while Mexico and Ireland hold events celebrating their shared history. 

In September 2026, Mexico’s embassy in Ireland even listed a Batallón de San Patricio tribute in Dublin, accompanied by Mexican folkloric performances.

Nearly two centuries later, their story remains a unique link between Mexico and Ireland.

San Patricios que llegaron

a travez de los Mares

Lejos de sus Hogares

Vieron la Injusticia

Y no la dejaron pasar

Su Valentia, su honor

Todo estuvo a su favor

Y juntaron sus fuerzas

Ala Bandera Tricolor

Y se volvieron Parte

De Nuestro estandarte

Rompiendo Fronteras

Lucharon valientes

Con Todo Al frente

Ahora son inmortales

Heroes como tales

De Mexico con Memoria

Para ustedes San Patricios

Anexos a Nuestra Historia

WHAT WILL WE TELL OUR CHILDREN ABOUT OUR ROLE IN THIS GENOCIDE?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Various Sources

Behind Gaza’s shattered buildings are lives that cannot be measured in tons of rubble. These were homes where families shared meals, children grew up and people made plans for a tomorrow they expected to reach.

The scale of destruction across Gaza has been documented by United Nations agencies through satellite assessments and humanitarian reporting. Homes, schools and essential services have suffered devastating damage, leaving families facing displacement, grief and the struggle to survive without reliable shelter.

But even the most detailed assessment cannot fully capture what losing a home means. It is the loss of familiar rooms, treasured belongings, neighborhood connections and the ordinary sense of safety that every family deserves.

And the Trump administration has approved a $2.8 billion sale of heavy bombs to Israel, according to a U.S. official, in what would be among the largest deliveries of U.S. munitions there even as American public support for the country and its genocide against Palestinians declines.

The proposed sale would include 40,000 one-ton bombs whose use by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon has drawn international anger because of the civilian harm caused by their wide blast radius.

Human rights groups and some foreign governments have condemned Israel for dropping the giant munitions in densely populated areas, sometimes killing dozens of civilians in strikes targeting just one individual.

The package would include 20,000 each of America’s 2,000-pound MK-84 and BLU-117 bombs. It would also provide Israel with 20,000 bunker-busting I-2000 penetrator warheads, which explode on delay after smashing through an outer surface like soil, rock or concrete. 

The blast from a 2,000-pound bomb can be lethal at more than 1,000 feet and leave a crater as deep as 50 feet. Israel provoked a fierce outcry after it dropped hundreds of the heavy bombs on Gaza.

The State Department recently sent the proposed deal to two congressional committees to get informal approval, the U.S. official said.

Reconstruction must mean more than replacing concrete. It must include protecting civilians, restoring healthcare and education, supporting survivors and ensuring that Palestinians can rebuild their lives with dignity.

The world must not grow accustomed to scenes of this devastation. Palestinian lives deserve remembrance, protection and a future. Looking at the rubble should strengthen our resolve to prevent further suffering and support those still living through its consequences

And this U.S. president who promised no wars has now injected our armed forces and our national reputation to be an accomplice to the slaughter of these innocents.

GLUM AND GLUMMER SING THE BLUES: YOUR TIME IS GONNA COME

 

IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PREPARE OUR WORKFORCE FOR THE COMING INDUSTRIAL BOOM

By Dr. Laura Cisneros
Special to El Rrun-Rrun

For generations, many young people in Brownsville have believed they must leave home to find greater opportunities. They complete school, earn a certification or degree, and then move away because they cannot find the career they hoped for here.

But Brownsville is changing.

Major investments are underway or being planned at the Port of Brownsville in energy, steel, manufacturing, maritime operations and international trade. Rio Grande LNG is under construction. 

Forza Steel has invested in a large manufacturing facility. Other companies have announced plans involving cargo operations, food processing, shipbuilding, fuel production and power generation.

Some projects are moving forward, while others remain proposed or under development. We must be honest about that distinction. But if even a portion develops as expected, our region will need a much larger skilled force.

The question is: Will our students and current residents be prepared for those opportunities? 

Workforce development cannot begin when companies are already ready to hire. It must begin much earlier – in our schools, technical programs, colleges and universities.

Students should learn about careers in welding, pipefitting, industrial electricity, instrumentation, process operations, logistics, diesel technology, maritime trades, cybersecurity and engineering support. They need to know what training is required, where it is available and how to enter these careers.

A four-year degree is an important path, but it is not the only path to success. Becoming a certified welder, electrician, technician or equipment operator is also an accomplishment worthy of great pride.

Fortunately, we are not starting from zero. BISD, Texas Southmost College, TSTC, UTRGV, South Texas College and Texas A & M already offer or are developing programs connected to welding, pipefitting, manufacturing, robotics, mechatronics and engineering technology. Each deserves recognition.

The next step is to connect these efforts through one coordinated regional workforce plan based on the positions employers will actually need.

We should expand paid internships and apprenticeships that allow students to learn in a real workplace. Opportunities must also be available to adults who need evening courses, short-term certifications or additional training to qualify for better-paying jobs.

Economic development should not be measured only by billions of dollars announced, acres leased or ceremonial groundbreakings. It should also be measured by how many Brownsville residents receive training, secure permanent employment and build stable lives for their families.

Employers receiving public support should be asked important questions: How many permanent jobs will be created? What qualifications will they require? When will hiring begin? How many apprenticeships will be offered? And what is being done now to prepare qualified local residents?

As State Representative, I would work to bring our educational institutions, employers and workforce agencies together. I would advocate for stronger career and technical programs and pursue state support for instructors, equipment, certifications and apprenticeships connected to real jobs.

This is not about giving credit to any politician or public official. It is about ensuring that economic growth creates meaningful opportunities for the people who live here. 

Brownsville should not educate its young people only to watch them leave in search of opportunities they could have built here.

Our goal should not simply be more jobs. It should be lasting careers that allow our students and working families to build their futures in the community they already love.

VP VANCE ON HAND FOR PORT ALPHA GROUNDBREAKING TODAY

 

Photo Courtesy of Texas D-27 Senator Adam Hinojosa

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

A historical appearance by U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance to attend the groundbreaking of the $3.2 billion project for Saronic Technologies’ Port Alpha is set to take place today at the Port of Brownsville.

The project is said to be a $3.2 billion in investment and produce as many as 10,000 jobs promising promising thousands of jobs paying at least $25 an hour, with an average wage projected around $36 an hour..

Cameron County commissioners have already voted for a  95 percent property-tax abatement over 19 years, resulting in a $211 million tax break that includes state and local incentives from the Point Isabel ISD and the Greater Brownsville EDC commitment of another $10 million.

The agreement requires that 35 percent of the workforce to come from the region under its local-hiring provisions.

According to public announcements by the principals, Port Alpha will initially start with roughly 835 acres, while Saronic has secured rights that could allow expansion across approximately 4,300 acres at the Port of Brownsville. It will manufacture military vessels, including autonomous systems. 

The schedule of events is listed below:

ELKS ROCK! JOIN US DAILY AND ASK ABOUT MEMBERSHIP

THE ASTROS ARE IN. THE RANGERS OUT. READY FOR THE BOYS OF OCTOBER?

GAME TODAY STARTS AT 4 P.M. IN HOUSTON. LET'S GO 'STROS!

 

ABBOTT SEEING RED: FEED POOR HUNGRY KIDS? WHY THAT'S SOCIALISM! MAYBE EVEN COMMUNISM B'GAWD!

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott used his line-item veto power on the state budget to strike the funding that would have let Texas join the federal Summer EBT program.

The Legislature had set aside about $60 million in state money for administrative costs. That relatively small investment was set to unlock roughly $450 million in federal dollars – providing $120 per eligible child in grocery benefits during the summer months when school meals aren’t available. 

Nearly 4 million low-income Texas kids would have qualified.

ARE WE PAYING THE PENANCE FOR ELON MUSK'S GIFT TO BROWNSVILLE?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The gods punished Prometheus for stealing fire and giving it to humans by tying him to a rock and having a vulture come during the day and eating his liver, only to have it grow overnight and then having the vulture return the next day to devour it again...for eternity.

We got jobs at a rocket testing site from Musk's SpaceX, soaring property values, traffic congestion on Highway 4, a degraded tidal flat environment, limited access to public Boca Chica Beach, and cracked house foundations and shattered windows every time there is a launch. Higado encebollado, anyone? Think the tradeoff was worth it?

NAME WHATEVER HE WANTS AFTER HIM, BUT NOT ON MY CAMPAIGN SITE

ULYSSES S. GRANT: U.S. COLONISTS INTRODUCED SLAVERY INTO TEXAS

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

In his memoirs, Ulysses S. Grant – who fought with Zachary Taylor as  lieutenant at the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Guerra – gives an unsparing account of the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War:

"I was bitterly opposed to the measure, and to this day regard the war, which resulted, as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation. It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory. Texas was originally a state belonging to the republic of Mexico. 

"It extended from the Sabine River on the east to the Rio Grande on the west, and from the Gulf of Mexico on the south and east to the territory of the United States and New Mexico—another Mexican state at that time—on the north and west. An empire in territory, it had but a very sparse population, until settled by Americans who had received authority from Mexico to colonize.

"These colonists paid very little attention to the supreme government, and introduced slavery into the state almost from the start, though the constitution of Mexico did not, nor does it now, sanction that institution. Soon they set up an independent government of their own, and war existed, between Texas and Mexico, in name from that time until 1836, when active hostilities very nearly ceased upon the capture of Santa Anna, the Mexican President. 

"Before long, however, the same people—who with permission of Mexico had colonized Texas, and afterwards set up slavery there, and then seceded as soon as they felt strong enough to do so—offered themselves and the State to the United States, and in 1845 their offer was accepted.

"The occupation, separation and annexation were, from the inception of the movement to its final consummation, a conspiracy to acquire territory out of which slave states might be formed for the American Union.

"Even if the annexation itself could be justified, the manner in which the subsequent war was forced upon Mexico cannot. The fact is, annexationists wanted more territory than they could possibly lay any claim to, as part of the new acquisition. Texas, as an independent State, never had exercised jurisdiction over the territory between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande. 

"Mexico had never recognized the independence of Texas, and maintained that, even if independent, the State had no claim south of the Nueces. I am aware that a treaty, made by the Texans with Santa Anna while he was under duress, ceded all the territory between the Nueces and the Rio Grande — but he was a prisoner of war when the treaty was made, and his life was in jeopardy."

COURT: ADMINISTRATION CANNOT TIE FEMA GRANTS TO "ELECTION SECURITY"

By Casey He
Politico

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot condition anti-terrorism funds to state and local governments on how they administer elections.

Judge Amir Ali of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday sided with local governments in Texas, Ohio and Tennessee. They sued the Department of Homeland Security after the department said it would withhold 20 percent of grant money from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, until the local governments complied with a set of election security requirements.

The requirements, announced earlier this year, would mandate the governments to compare their voter rolls to a DHS citizenship database and manually audit at least 5 percent of the ballots cast. They also call for the use of voting systems that accept hand-marked ballots.

“Congress did not authorize the grant program to be used for the sort of election administration reforms FEMA demands here — changes that, whether sound or not as a matter of policy, are not advanced to prepare for or respond to ‘acts of terrorism,’” Ali wrote in his decision.

"The safety and security of our communities should never be used as a bargaining chip for partisan politics," said Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones in a statement responding to the ruling. "These critical dollars keep our law enforcement officers equipped, firefighters trained, and Harris County prepared for the worst."

In announcing the new requirements, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said they will “preserve election integrity and ensure that Americans can trust the results.” The grants, which total about $1 billion per year, have helped to pay for physical security, cybersecurity and training for terrorism preparedness.

Congressional Democrats have slammed DHS over the efforts, which they say amount to election interference. In a letter to Mullin last week, nearly three dozen Democratic senators called on the secretary to release the FEMA grant money and drop his claims about noncitizen voting.

“Your unsubstantiated allegations of noncitizen voter fraud, public recitation of unreliable data, and unwarranted conditioning of continued grant funding for state election security measures on compliance with politically motivated requests for voter data appear to be calculated efforts to undermine confidence in our elections and risks wrongly disenfranchising voters,” the senators wrote.

The court decision marks the federal government’s latest defeat in pursuit of President Donald Trump's plan to revamp election administration just weeks ahead of the midterms. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court blocked the administration from overhauling voting by mail, which the president has long claimed, without proof, to be riddled with fraud.

Still, the same court last week allowed states to use the DHS database of citizenship records, known as SAVE, in the midterm elections.

DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Department of Justice, which represented the government in court, declined to comment.

AND STARSHIP 14 FIRST ORBITAL TEST FLIGHT IS OFF...

By MARCIA DUNN 

The Associated Press

SpaceX launched its enormous Starship into orbit for the first time Monday and successfully delivered the most advanced Starlinks yet, but decided to cut short the flight.

SpaceX said the spacecraft would reenter over the Pacific and splash down north of Hawaii three hours after blasting off from Texas. The company had been aiming for a 10-hour flight, spanning six full laps around Earth, to prove its readiness for NASA’s Artemis moon program.

The spacecraft almost didn’t make it to orbit after one of its engines shut down too soon. But with everything else working well and the bad engine no longer needed, flight controllers decided after several tense minutes to proceed as planned.

“Starship is orbital,” Mission Control announced to cheers.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX on reaching orbit and “managing every step in a safe, responsible and especially inspirational way.”

Rocket carries 26 of Musk’s most advanced Starlink satellites

Founder Elon Musk’s showpiece rocket — the biggest and most powerful ever built — carried 26 of the latest and most advanced Starlink satellites to join the 11,000 older models already providing internet service. They popped out of the spacecraft one by one, drawing more cheers from the SpaceX crowds looking on from the launch site at Starbase, Texas.

The decision to end the flight early came soon afterward. No reason was provided.

It was Starship’s 14th full-scale launch from Texas’ southern tip in three years. The earlier test flights ventured no farther than the Indian Ocean halfway around the world, often crashing in flames and briefly skimming space.

This time, SpaceX was intent on circling the globe from an altitude of 170 miles (275 kilometers) — not just once but six times over almost 10 hours, ending with a Pacific splashdown near Chile. While Starship achieved the proper orbit zipping along at 17,500 mph (28,000 kph), flight controllers opted to play it safe and bring it back several hours sooner, after just a couple laps.

The first-stage booster was never meant to return to the Starbase launch site either, instead dropping into the Gulf of Mexico within minutes of the morning liftoff.

SpaceX wants to ensure that everything works before flying Starship back to Starbase. If the spacecraft breaks apart over land and rains debris onto people, “our popularity would diminish very rapidly,” Musk said at a business summit earlier this month. “That’s why we’re being extremely cautious here.”