Social Rundown: Texas v. Kellogg, Train derailment, and child rescued with infrared technology
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Texas vs. Kellogg
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking into 'fake claims' that Kellogg cereal may not be as 'healthy' as it says it is. Kellogg could be violating the state's consumer protection laws, and how the dyes could lead to health concerns.
A starchy derailment mess
One freight train in Indianapolis derailed on Sunday, April 6, and caused a mess as it carried cornstarch. Six cars derailed, four of which were empty and two full of cornstarch.
A child disappears, found by technology.
Michigan State Police found a child thanks to infrared technology. The heat signature from the child made it easy to see him as he was in a ditch but safely found and taken to safety.
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Washington Post
9 hours ago
- Washington Post
9 people plead not guilty in a Texas elections probe involving 'vote harvesting'
HOUSTON — Nine people, including a former mayor and city council member and the chief of staff to a state representative, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to felony charges brought forth in a rural Texas county by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton as part of a widening elections investigation that is being criticized by Latino rights activists as being politically driven . The nine people appeared either in person or by Zoom during a court hearing in Pearsall, Texas, before state District Judge Sid Harle. All of the nine people, who were indicted in late June, have been charged with what is known in Texas as vote harvesting, a felony that often involves payment for collecting and dropping off other people's absentee ballots. In May, six other people, including Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho, the top elected official in the county, were indicted as part of Paxton's investigation. One of the individuals who pleaded not guilty on Wednesday was Juan Manuel Medina, who is the chief of staff for state Rep. Elizabeth Campos. Medina is also former chairman of the Democratic Party of Bexar County, where San Antonio is located. Medina's lawyer, Gerry Goldstein, declined to comment on Wednesday. 'I'm going to do my talking in the courtroom,' Goldstein said. On Wednesday, Goldstein filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against Medina, who is accused of providing compensation as a third party to two people for vote harvesting in February 2024. In the motion to dismiss, Goldstein said the vote-harvesting statute is overbroad, vague and 'restricts Constitutionally protected rights to speech and to participate in the election and voting process in violation of the First Amendment.' Goldstein said in the motion that the vote-harvesting statute 'would appear to punish a broad range of protected speech, including non-coercive voter assistance and core political expression, without requiring any actual voter fraud, coercion, or intimidation.' 'This indictment charges Medina in a capacity that is not a crime and the indictment should be dismissed,' Goldstein said in his 20-page motion. The vote-harvesting charges are third-degree felonies and carry up to 10 years in prison. The other people who were indicted in June are: Cecilia Castellano, a former candidate for state representative; Frio County Commissioner Raul Carrizales; former Dilley Mayor Mary Ann Obregon; former Dilley City Council member Inelda Rodriguez; Petra Davina Trevino, a former candidate for Pearsall city council; Pearsall school district trustee Mari Benavides; Susanna Carrizales; and Rachel Leal. Attorneys for Raul Carrizales, Susanna Carrizales, Castellano, Obregon and Rodriguez did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Attorneys for Benavides, Leal and Trevino could not immediately be reached for comment. Paxton's office and 81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis, whose office presented the case to a grand jury with the Texas Attorney General's Office, did not return a call or email seeking comment. Last month, Paxton said that any elected official 'trying to cheat the system will have to answer for it.' 'Under my watch, attempts to rig elections and silence the will of the voters will be met with the full force of the law. I will continue to fight to ensure Texas has free and fair elections,' Paxton said in a statement. The indictments were the latest development in an investigation that Paxton started after the 2020 election to root out voter fraud, which is rare and typically occurs in isolated instances. Texas has tightened its voter laws in recent years and increased penalties that Democrats and opponents say are attempts to suppress turnout among Black and Latino voters. A federal appeals court last year upheld the state's law that tightened voter restrictions and increased penalties for vote harvesting. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano:
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Associated Press
9 people plead not guilty in a Texas elections probe involving 'vote harvesting'
HOUSTON (AP) — Nine people, including a former mayor and city council member and the chief of staff to a state representative, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to felony charges brought forth in a rural Texas county by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton as part of a widening elections investigation that is being criticized by Latino rights activists as being politically driven. The nine people appeared either in person or by Zoom during a court hearing in Pearsall, Texas, before state District Judge Sid Harle. All of the nine people, who were indicted in late June, have been charged with what is known in Texas as vote harvesting, a felony that often involves payment for collecting and dropping off other people's absentee ballots. In May, six other people, including Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho, the top elected official in the county, were indicted as part of Paxton's investigation. One of the individuals who pleaded not guilty on Wednesday was Juan Manuel Medina, who is the chief of staff for state Rep. Elizabeth Campos. Medina is also former chairman of the Democratic Party of Bexar County, where San Antonio is located. Medina's lawyer, Gerry Goldstein, declined to comment on Wednesday. 'I'm going to do my talking in the courtroom,' Goldstein said. On Wednesday, Goldstein filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against Medina, who is accused of providing compensation as a third party to two people for vote harvesting in February 2024. In the motion to dismiss, Goldstein said the vote-harvesting statute is overbroad, vague and 'restricts Constitutionally protected rights to speech and to participate in the election and voting process in violation of the First Amendment.' Goldstein said in the motion that the vote-harvesting statute 'would appear to punish a broad range of protected speech, including noncoercive voter assistance and core political expression, without requiring any actual voter fraud, coercion, or intimidation.' 'This indictment charges Medina in a capacity that is not a crime and the indictment should be dismissed,' Goldstein said in his 20-page motion. The vote-harvesting charges are third-degree felonies and carry up to 10 years in prison. The other people who were indicted in June are: Cecilia Castellano, a former candidate for state representative; Frio County Commissioner Raul Carrizales; former Dilley Mayor Mary Ann Obregon; former Dilley City Council member Inelda Rodriguez; Petra Davina Trevino, a former candidate for Pearsall city council; Pearsall school district trustee Mari Benavides; Susanna Carrizales; and Rachel Leal. Attorneys for Raul Carrizales, Susanna Carrizales, Castellano, Obregon and Rodriguez did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Attorneys for Benavides, Leal and Trevino could not immediately be reached for comment. Paxton's office and 81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis, who office presented the case to a grand jury with the Texas Attorney General's Office, did not return a call or email seeking comment. Last month, Paxton said that any elected official 'trying to cheat the system will have to answer for it.' 'Under my watch, attempts to rig elections and silence the will of the voters will be met with the full force of the law. I will continue to fight to ensure Texas has free and fair elections,' Paxton said in a statement. The indictments were the latest development in an investigation that Paxton started after the 2020 election to root out voter fraud, which is rare and typically occurs in isolated instances. Texas has tightened its voter laws in recent years and increased penalties that Democrats and opponents say are attempts to suppress turnout among Black and Latino voters. A federal appeals court last year upheld the state's law that tightened voter restrictions and increased penalties for vote harvesting. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano:
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ken Paxton opens investigation into Beto O'Rourke-backed PAC that supports Democratic candidates
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday his office is investigating Powered by People, a political action committee, for possibly bribing Texas Democrats who left the state to break quorum. Paxton accuses the PAC, started in 2019 by former U.S. Congressman Beto O'Rourke, of 'potentially operating an illegal financial influence scheme to bribe runaway Democrats.' Members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus left on Sunday to block a vote on a new congressional map that would give Republicans an advantage in picking up five additional seats in the midterm elections. 'Texas cannot be bought,' Paxton said in a news release. 'I look forward to thoroughly reviewing all of the documents and communications obtained throughout this investigation. These jet-setting runaways have already lost public trust by abandoning our state, and Texans deserve to know if they received illegal bribes to do it.' Paxton alleges money provided by the PAC to the Democratic members who left the state 'may have violated bribery laws.' He has issued a Request to Examine, which demands documents and communications from the PAC, according to the release. 'This is the guy that we're talking about, who was twice indicted on securities fraud charges. And ladies and gentleman, he was impeached by the Texas Legislature — which is a Republican majority institution — on charges of bribery himself. And he's accusing us of some kind of fraud as we try to stop the theft of these five congressional seats. Well you know what? We welcome his investigation, we welcome his attack, we welcome their hatred right now. Because it proves that we're doing the right thing,' O'Rourke said while speaking to a crowd in Oklahoma Wednesday evening. Democratic House members are being fined $500 every day they break quorum. The investigation by Paxton comes after he announced he would seek judicial orders to vacate lawmakers' seats if they do not return to the Texas House by Friday. Abbott files petition to remove Rep. Gene Wu from office Gov. Greg Abbott filed an emergency petition with the Texas Supreme Court to remove Democratic House Caucus Chair State Rep. Gene Wu, D – Houston, from his elected position. In his official filing, Abbott referenced the donations. 'Soliciting and accepting funds as consideration for the ongoing violation of legislative duties constitutes bribery under both the Texas Constitution and the Texas Penal Code,' Abbott said in a release. A banner on the front page of the Powered by People website reads, 'Texas Democrats are fighting back. Help support their efforts to stop Trump's Redistricting.' Next to that is a link to donate money to the PAC. The PAC's website says it 'is composed of thousands of volunteers across the country who register, stay in touch with and help turn out the voters who will help decide the most consequential elections of our lifetime. Since launching in late 2019, our volunteers have enabled us to run the largest progressive voter mobilization effort in the history of Texas.' Law scholars say Gov. Abbott's bid to oust Rep. Wu is unprecedented, lacks legal basis Brian Smith, a political professor at St. Edward's University, said fundraising to help pay fines is not illegal because the money isn't going into any individual candidate's treasury. 'This is part of the optics, it's not really bribery,' Smith said. 'It's finding a wealthy donor to help defray your cost … which is allowed in Texas.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
