Tex's Place

By Ben Smith Randi Weingarten used her members' dues to bankroll her book. Now Congress wants the receipts. House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (MI-05) and Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12) sent the American Federation of Teachers president a July 7 letter seeking documents connected to “Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy.” The request covers AFT spending, staff work, outside contracts, promotion, travel, royalties, speaking fees, and the Delaware LLC that allegedly received book money.  In May, the Freedom Foundation released a report in which they had dug through AFT's federal labor disclosures and found more than $1.4 million in union expenses tied to the book, money pulled straight from the paychecks of 1.8 million dues-paying teachers.  Walberg and Allen told Weingarten the committee is investigating “allegations concerning the American Federation of Teachers’ use of workers’ dues” connected to the book’s “produc...

By Victoria Taft What does it take to get arrested for treason around here, anyway? The last person to be arrested for working for the enemy and against the United States was Tomoya Kawakita, an American who switched sides to become a Japanese POW slave labor camp overseer who brutalized American soldiers in World War II. Then there was Tokyo Rose, who served the Imperial Japanese as a radio propagandist. Old Tokyo was arrested, tried, and convicted when she tried to get back into the U.S. after the war. And that gives me an idea. I don't know about you, but I think that's a splendid idea for what I've dubbed the "Tokyo Bros," two American media influencers who went to Tehran to lead cheers with the "Death to America" crowd and fete the dead Iranian ayatollah. They claimed that the dead ayatollah was "fighting for humanity" against "evil" Zionists when he met his 72 old bags in the afterlife.  That's no hyperbole. This guy, Ja...

By Ben Smith Republican Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02) is asking FBI Director Kash Patel to release the bureau’s records connected to the 2016 death of Seth Rich, the Democratic National Committee staffer who was shot and killed in Washington, D.C. Burchett posted the letter on X on Tuesday. I have called for @FBIDirectorKash to release all records related to the death of Seth Rich. pic.twitter.com/8Lt7Vm10Mk — Tim Burchett (@timburchett) July 7, 2026 The letter is addressed to Patel and dated July 7, 2026. Burchett asks for “the release of all Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records related to the death of Seth Rich.”  Rich was 27 when he was killed in 2016. Burchett’s letter says Rich’s “killer remains unidentified” and that the circumstances of his death “are questionable.” The letter also notes that the case was described as a botched robbery handled by local law enforcement.  Burchett does not accuse anyone of killing Rich. He does not claim the FBI solved the cas...

By Cliff Maloney By now, you’ve probably seen the headlines about Pennsylvania’s decision not to officially participate in the celebration of America’s 250th birthday at the Great American State Fair.  The story quickly spread beyond Pennsylvania, drawing criticism from people across the political spectrum and prompting the state’s two U.S. senators to step in to help ensure the Commonwealth would still be represented. Whether you agreed with the governor’s decision or not almost misses the point. What matters is that one governor had the authority to make a decision that reflected on an entire state and became national news overnight. That’s a reminder many conservatives need to hear. We spend a tremendous amount of time talking about presidential elections and congressional races. Those elections matter. They deserve our attention. But if we ignore everything happening below the federal level, we’re leaving some of the most important offices in America to people who don’t...

Good morning!     This is your daily forum to share what you've heard, what you've learned, and what you know, and just shoot the breeze.   Have a wonderful day my friends.   -Tex

I've been reluctant to setup and post these daily summaries as it seems to me that there is very little interest in the Charlie Kirk assassination, and its coverage.  I decided to go ahead and do so for days 1 and 2 however, and if y'all are actually interested and want the rest of these analyses, please let me know in the comments section, and I'll post the subsequent ones each night this week. 🤠👍🏻 Each video is about an hour long and condenses the testimony and proceedings from the 8+ hour long sessions. Tex Day 2 (today) Day 1 (yesterday) Join the Conversation! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We have a wonderful, active, and engaged community. Come join us in the comments section below! You'll need a Hyvor account (100% free) if you don't already have one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The US Treasury Department announced the reinstatement of sanctions on Iranian oil following attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Israel Hayom has learned that Qatar and Pakistan relayed a US warning, while Tehran responded by demanding the right to collect transit fees in Hormuz. By Neta Bar and Danny Zaken The US Treasury Department announced Tuesday that the US was reinstating sanctions on Iranian oil following Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a US source, the sanctions will take effect on July 17. Immediately after the announcement, oil prices jumped 5%, returning to above $70 a barrel. The dramatic move comes just two days after Washington warned Tehran that continued attacks on tankers and ships in the strategic shipping lane would lead to the reimposition of sanctions, Israel Hayom has learned. It was also reported that the US warning was relayed to the Iranians through mediators Qatar and Pakistan. Tanker following an att...

By Ben Smith Toyota is bringing part of Tacoma production back to Texas, and the White House was more than happy to put a flag on it. The company announced Monday that it will invest $3.6 billion to expand its San Antonio manufacturing campus, add a second vehicle assembly line, and create 2,000 new jobs. Toyota said the project will add 2.5 million square feet to Toyota Texas and double the plant’s size by 2030. That plant already builds the Tundra and Sequoia. Once the expansion is finished, Tacoma production will be added alongside them. The White House posted about the announcement Monday night, leaning hard into the American manufacturing angle. WELCOME TO TEXAS 🤠 Toyota is officially moving production of the signature Tacoma truck to San Antonio, bringing American jobs and production. pic.twitter.com/Jn6ey2Wvpn — The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 7, 2026 This is exactly the kind of story the administration has been promising: a major automaker putting $3.6 billion into T...

By HANNAH KNUDSEN The far-left group Progressive Victory is unveiling a troubling allegation against a potential candidate to replace Democrat Graham Platner in Maine’s U.S. Senate race, alleging that this individual “struck a female colleague with a bottle he threw at her” during a disagreement, corroborated by several witnesses. Platner is facing more than an uphill battle after yet another controversy bubbled up. This time, a woman alleges that Platner broke into her home and sexually assaulted her. Jenny Racicot, 41, the alleged victim, told Politico that she was dating Platner on and off. In 2021, she alleges, he came into her home “uninvited” and reportedly “forced himself on her while she repeatedly told him to stop.” When asked during an appearance on CNN’s The Lead if Platner raped her, Racicot said, “By definition? Yes, Absolutely.” She added, “He violated multiple layers of consent that night by coming into my home, when I asked him not to. And by advancing ...

Iran attacks ships in Strait of Hormuz days after Trump gave Tehran 'a week off' for Khamenei funeral By Morgan Phillips Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz Monday and Tuesday, reigniting tensions after President Donald Trump said the U.S. had given Tehran "a week off" during funeral ceremonies for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A U.S. official confirmed that three commercial vessels were struck by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz between Monday and Tuesday.  The attacks targeted commercial shipping transiting one of the world's busiest maritime choke points. British maritime authorities confirmed a vessel was struck by a projectile near the coast of Oman Monday, while Iranian state media reported the ship had ignored warnings from Iranian forces. The attack reportedly caused a fire on board, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities. On Tuesday, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)...