After the Texas primary election in March saw the highest voter turnout in state history, Texans went back to the polls today for multiple runoff elections.
The Associated Press has projected multiple key races this Election Day, including Ken Paxton for the GOP Senate primary runoff and Rep. Menefee for the Congressional District 18 primary runoff.
ABC13 is following these key races throughout the state, with reporters all across Texas covering the victories and losses this Election Day.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the order Tuesday, pausing an earlier decision that denied Khalil a rehearing in his detention case.
Supreme Court Appeal Ahead
Khalil, a legal permanent resident married to a U.S. citizen, was released from ICE custody in June 2025 after being arrested by federal agents in New York earlier that year.
The Trump administration argued Khalil could be detained based on a determination by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that his activism and speech could harm U.S. foreign policy interests.
Khalil became widely known as a negotiator during pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
ACLU Responds to Ruling
Following the appeals court decision, the American Civil Liberties Union praised the ruling, saying detention would unfairly separate Khalil from his family and discourage political speech.
Attorney Brett Max Kaufman said the legal team plans to ask the Supreme Court to rule that the government cannot use detention or deportation threats to silence dissent.
Khalil has also filed a separate administrative complaint seeking $20 million in damages or a formal apology from the Trump administration over his arrest and detention.
PLANO, Texas (KTRK) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn, the Associated Press projects.
Paxton was endorsed by President Donald Trump last week. His victory in Tuesday’s runoff makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party’s nomination for reelection.
“We went up against $150 million and all the attacks in the world, and we proved that Texas is not for sale,” Paxton said to supporters after his projected win on Tuesday evening.
“We just sent a Texas-sized message to Washington,” he continued. “Change was on the ballot, and change won.”
Trump endorsed Paxton as part of his effort to dislodge GOP officeholders he views as less than devout in their support of him. Cornyn said in 2023, as Trump was running to return to the White House, that his time “has passed him by.”
Cornyn led Paxton in the March 3 primary but did not receive a majority of the vote, forcing Tuesday’s runoff.
“We’ve come up short in this primary runoff,” Cornyn said to his supporters after his projected defeat.
Cornyn’s campaign and allied groups spent roughly $109 million on advertising for the primary and runoff. He had the backing of Senate GOP leaders who said he would be the stronger general election candidate.
“Over the next 7 months, I intend to continue my work to make this nation a better place for all Texans and all Americans,” Cornyn said. “I believe, and my family believes, that public service is an honorable calling. While much about politics is ugly, we choose to serve through the good, bad, and the ugly.”
Paxton will run against state Rep. James Talarico in November.
Former President Joe Biden has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice in an attempt to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts tied to former special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation.
The recordings come from interviews Biden gave to ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer while working on his 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose.
Lawsuit Challenges Planned Release
According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Washington, D.C., the DOJ plans to release the recordings and transcripts to the conservative Heritage Foundation and the House Judiciary Committee on June 15 unless a court intervenes.
Biden’s legal team argues the materials are private conversations obtained during a criminal investigation and should not be publicly disclosed.
“President Biden — like every American — has a right to privacy in personal conversations he had within his own home,” the lawsuit states.
Background on the Special Counsel Probe
The recordings became central evidence in Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents after serving as vice president. In February 2024, Hur concluded Biden had “willfully retained and disclosed” classified materials but recommended against criminal charges.
Biden’s attorneys also claim the DOJ changed its position on releasing the materials after the current administration took office, despite previous resistance from department lawyers who viewed disclosure as a break from DOJ norms.
The legal battle follows a Freedom of Information Act request from the Heritage Foundation seeking records connected to the investigation.
U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee defeated longtime U.S. Rep. Al Green in Tuesday’s Democratic primary runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, highlighting one of the biggest political shakeups in the Houston area.
The Associated Press called the race Tuesday night after early voting results from Harris County showed Menefee with a commanding lead, around 68%, in the heavily Democratic district centered in Houston. The newly redrawn district includes much of Harris County and parts of surrounding communities.
Menefee’s victory marks the end of Green’s long tenure representing the district in Congress and positions the younger Democrat as the party’s nominee heading into the November general election.
Elsewhere in Harris County, former Houston City Council member Orlando Sanchez won the Republican runoff for Harris County judge, defeating Warren Howell in a closely watched local contest. Sanchez will advance to the general election as Republicans continue efforts to gain ground in the county.
The Democratic runoff for Harris County judge between former Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Harris County Commissioner Letitia Plummer remains too close to call as of writing, with additional vote totals still being counted.
Statewide, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in one of the state’s most high-profile races. He will face Democratic candidate James Talarico in November.
Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton also secured victory in the Republican runoff for Texas attorney general.
The runoff elections were held after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote during Texas’ March primaries, triggering head-to-head contests to determine party nominees for the November election.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — NASA laid out its moon base plans, and the operation has Texas ties beyond the Johnson Space Center.
Only weeks have passed since NASA sent humans further in space than ever before. While the agency achieved something new, on Tuesday afternoon, NASA said it’s only the beginning.
The agency said a moon base is coming. A place where astronauts will explore, perform experiments, and provide data to get to Mars.
Although NASA has sent humans before, NASA’s moon base program manager, Carlos Garcia-Galan, said this moon base mission is different.
“Eventually, when we matched the assets, habitat modules with the logistics and all the things to move the logistics around,” Garcia-Galan explained. “Then we’ll be able to say, we’re permanently here, and we’re not giving it up.” The plan, NASA said, is to build a moon base in three phases over 75 launches over the next six years. The first steps, officials said, will be by the end of the year when they start to send supplies to the moon, ahead of astronaut lunar missions scheduled for 2028.
Rice University physics and astronomy professor Patricia Reiff said it’s ambitious but doable. “I think this was a very sensible way to proceed,” Reiff said.
NASA isn’t doing it alone. The agency said it’s spending hundreds of millions of dollars with private companies to build the base.
On Tuesday, it announced that Firefly Aerospace, based in Austin, will deliver drones to the moon. Axiom Space, based in Houston, said it’ll work with the company selected to build the new lunar rovers.
“I think it’s fantastic news because even the ones not based in Houston will be having people here in Houston to work closely with the Johnson Space Center,” Reiff explained.
A moon base, NASA said, is ready to start just weeks after completing Artemis, not just for its own exploration, but what could one day benefit us on Earth.
“We go for the technology we will pioneer to get there,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. “The science and all that we will learn that’ll make life better here on earth. To advance humankind on this great adventure.”
While NASA plans to send supplies to the moon starting later this year, astronauts won’t be with it. NASA said it plans to launch astronauts into space next year to test its lunar landers.
Then, in two years, it says it plans to start sending humans back to the moon.
BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The body of 11-year-old Joshua Lahai has been found after a dayslong search at Surfside Beach over the weekend, according to authorities.
Joshua went missing on Sunday. Authorities said he was at the beach with his youth football team, playing in the water, when he was washed away by a big wave. The boy’s family said they witnessed it, according to EquuSearch.
Surfside Beach Chief of Police Philip Hester said the rescue search for Joshua started minutes after he went underwater at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday
Since then, authorities have been working endlessly to find him. On Monday, it was reported that his shorts had been found during the search.
The search continued on Tuesday, and in the afternoon, an officer was speaking with a fisherman who then discovered the body of the young boy.
Authorities said Joshua was found half a mile west of where he was last seen.
Election Day is here. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth sat down with Que Onda Magazine to discuss what voters need to know before heading to the polls for the May 26 primary runoff election.
Hudspeth shared key dates, explained how runoff elections work in Texas, and encouraged residents to make their voices heard during what she described as a critical election cycle.
What’s Different About the Runoff Election?
Hudspeth explained that runoff elections are much smaller than the March primary elections because most races were already decided.
“In March, you had about 110 to 114 different races,” she said. “Now that you’re in the runoff, there’s only a small amount of races on each ballot because most of those were determined in March.”
She noted that several important contests remain undecided on both party ballots, including statewide and local races.
“By law, if you get 50% plus one of the vote, you move on to the next stage,” Hudspeth explained. “So this is the last opportunity to make your voice heard to determine who those individuals will be on the November ballot.”
Hudspeth also reminded voters that Texans who participated in the March primary must remain with the same political party for the runoff election.
“If you voted the Democratic ticket in March, you have to vote in the Democratic primary runoff,” she said. “If you voted Republican in March, you have to vote in the Republican primary runoff.”
However, residents who did not vote in March may choose either party ballot.
Important Voting Information
Polls are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during early voting and on Election Day.
Voters in Harris County can cast their ballots at any vote center countywide.
“There are…more than 100 locations on Election Day,” Hudspeth said.
“If for some reason you don’t have one of those photo IDs, you can fill out what is called a RID form and cure your vote later,” Hudspeth explained.
Why Midterm and Runoff Elections Matter
Hudspeth emphasized that local and midterm elections often have the biggest impact on everyday life.
“These are the elected officials that impact the state of Texas, your county and cities most closely,” she said. “Everything from your school board to your local entities impacts your everyday way of life.”
She also described the current political climate as especially significant heading into November.
“Our country is in a very interesting place,” Hudspeth said. “This midterm election is really going to show what the people care about.”
Resources for Spanish-Speaking and ESL Voters
Hudspeth highlighted the county’s multilingual voting support services, noting that ballots in Harris County are translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
“Spanish is a second language in Texas,” she said. “You can vote on the ballot with that language.”
She added that translators are available at voting centers and that voters may also bring a trusted family member or friend for assistance, as allowed by law.
Hudspeth praised Que Onda Magazine’s efforts to connect Spanish-speaking communities with election information.
“I think Que Onda is a great platform where voters, specifically voters who speak Spanish, are able to get information from a trusted source,” she said.
A Final Message to Harris County Voters
Before closing the interview, Hudspeth encouraged residents not only to vote but also to participate in the election process as poll workers.
“Don’t just get registered and go vote,” she said. “Maybe sign up and become an election worker. We need more folks to help guard the purity of our elections.”
She added that election workers are compensated for their time and play an important role in ensuring voters can cast ballots “free from intimidation.”
For more resources on Harris County elections, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.
The Houston Astros combined for a dominant no-hitter Monday night, shutting out the Texas Rangers 9-0 in Arlington behind a standout performance from rookie pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
Imai Bounces Back After Shaky Start
Imai struggled early, walking three of the first four batters he faced, but quickly settled in and delivered six hitless innings. The Japanese right-hander finished with two strikeouts and 97 pitches in his strongest MLB outing so far.
Reliever Steven Okert handled the seventh inning before rookie Alimber Santa completed the final two innings in his major league debut.
Santa retired all six batters he faced and recorded his first career strikeout on the game’s final pitch.
Historic Night for Houston
The no-hitter marked the Astros’ 17th regular-season no-hitter and the fourth combined no-hitter in franchise history. Houston has now thrown five of MLB’s last 11 no-hitters, including a combined no-hitter during the 2022 World Series.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Santa became the first pitcher since 1900 to participate in a no-hitter during his MLB debut.
Rangers Offense Continues to Struggle
Texas failed to record a hit despite striking out only four times. Injuries to key players, including Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford, have added to the Rangers’ offensive struggles this season.
Texas manager Skip Schumaker called the performance a “team thing” and said the club must find ways to improve offensively moving forward.
The crash happened near the town of Buggenhout, about 20 miles northwest of Brussels, during the busy morning commute.
Children Among Victims
Belgian officials said the victims included the minibus driver, a bus escort, and two children ages 12 and 15. Five other children were hospitalized with serious injuries.
According to prosecutors, the bus was carrying nine people when it was struck by a high-speed train at a railway crossing.
Investigation Underway
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. Prosecutors said the crossing barriers were down and warning lights were active at the time of impact.
Belgian rail operator Infrabel said the train was traveling around 75 mph and had no time to stop before the collision.
Police believe the bus may have driven through the crossing barrier moments before the crash. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the bus still moving as the train approached.
Train Passengers Unhurt
Officials said nearly 100 passengers were aboard the train, but none were injured. Rail service in the area was temporarily suspended while emergency crews responded and investigators examined the scene.
Images from the crash site showed the school bus overturned with severe front-end damage, while the train sustained limited visible damage.
Belgian Leaders React
Belgium’s Interior Minister Bernard Quintin expressed condolences in a social media statement, calling the collision a “tragic accident” and offering support to the victims’ families.
