“When I got here someone told me that even PETA was protesting and giving out barbecued tofu, so I got to say, they summed up the entire election: If Texas elects a Democrat, they’re going to ban barbecue across the state of Texas.” He added: “You want to talk about an issue to mobilize the people, and I’m talking everybody. So I want to thank PETA and I do want to tell PETA you’re going to have to disclose to the FEC that by coming and protesting and giving away tofu, that you have given an in-kind contribution to my campaign by demonstrating just how bad things can get.”
— Searching for a new wedge issue to use against his opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested that Beto O’Rourke (D) wanted to ban barbecue in Texas, the Austin American Statesman reports.
Beto O’Rourke (D) “raised an eye-popping $10.4 million in the last three months — catching up to Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R) six-year haul in just over 15 months as he seeks to topple the Republican darling,” the Dallas Morning News reports.
A new Quinnipiac poll in Texas finds Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) leading challenger Beto O’Rourke (D) by double-digits, 50% to 39%. Said pollster Peter Brown: “Cruz, apparently benefiting from a nationwide Republican mini-move, has taken a solid lead in his reelection race. President Trump’s Texas numbers also have climbed during those six weeks moving from a nine point deficit on job approval to an even split today. It is hard not to see a pro- Cruz effect there.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) “improperly accounted for loans he received from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc. during his 2012 campaign, saying the funds were his own personal contributions to the Senate race,” Bloomberg reports. “The finding, released on the FEC website, marked a rare instance of agreement among the agency’s five commissioners, who voted unanimously that the $1.1 million of loans from the banks should have been disclosed to voters.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) “is sitting on a war chest of more than $5 million as he prepares for potentially stiff challenges in both a Republican primary and in the general election,” Politico reports. “The Texas Republican raised about $1.738 million in the first three months of this year across his Senate reelection campaign, his political action committee and the Ted Cruz Victory Committee. He now has $5.2 million across those three committees, and $4.8 million of that is in his Senate reelection account.”
Today Nicolas Maduro was arraigned in New York on charges of narco-terrorism,
He pleaded “not guilty” and claimed to be a “decent man,” not a villain.
But Maduro got bad legal advice:
His lawyer forgot Trump Inherent Vice™ —
He should have pleaded guilty and then bought a Trump Pardon™ for two million.
“A tyrannical theocracy has shut down the internet for an entire country so the world can’t see the brutal tactics it plans to use to crush a free Iran. In my view, this is the biggest free-speech story in the world right now.”
— Greg Lukianoff, head of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, on X.
A new AtlasIntel poll finds a majority of Venezuelans want María Corina Machado to lead their country, contradicting Donald Trump’s claim that the opposition leader doesn’t have the support to rule. More than half of Venezuelans living in their homeland — 51.6% — say Machado should take over, compared with 14% who endorse Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed the presidency this month following Trump’s military intervention.
There have been at least 15 million flu cases this season, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports ABC News. This year, outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms reached the highest recorded level since the agency began tracking cases more than 30 years ago.
New data reveals that a staggering 335,000 federal workers left government work last year, with the vast majority quitting or retiring — only 11,000 were a result of layoffs from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, the Washington Post reports.
“President Donald Trump has called on credit card companies to cap interest rates at 10 percent for a year, effective from Jan. 20, without specifying how the proposal could be implemented or enforced,” the Washington Post reports. Associated Press: Americans would save $100B if credit card rates were capped as Trump proposed.
“President Trump proposed on Wednesday increasing military spending next year by more than half, raising the defense budget in 2027 to $1.5 trillion as he pushes for American imperialism in Venezuela and beyond,” the New York Times reports. “The president’s request for a $600 billion increase in military spending comes as his administration flexes military strength around the world.”