Ted Cruz

After Texas Railroad Commission candidate Bo French posted a screengrab mocking UT Austin's South Asian student section following the Longhorns' win over Ohio State, calling it a problem "far worse than anyone imagined," the post drew bipartisan condemnation from figures including Sen. John Cornyn, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Karl Rove. Records show UT staff closely monitored the backlash, media inquiries and donor complaints for 36 hours before President Jim Davis issued any response, initially instructing spokespeople to withhold comment and emphasize low international-student enrollment figures.

Davis eventually echoed a UT System statement defending "all Longhorns" without directly condemning French's language. Students and faculty say the episode, alongside other campus speech controversies, reflects a broader institutional shift toward avoiding direct criticism of racism amid rising political pressure on Texas universities.

Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.) sent a letter on Oct. 22 to ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and the conference's board, asking the conference to disclose its sports betting policies for employees, officials and others connected to its competitions, and to explain how it protects competition integrity. Patronis tied the request to the ACC's support for the Protect College Sports Act, a Senate-passed bill on NIL, agent registration and transfer rules, arguing transparency should accompany the conference's push for federal help. He requested a response before Congress returns in November. The letter carries no legal force, and the ACC's current betting policy and response remain undisclosed.

The request comes as the NCAA maintains its ban on athlete and staff betting after Division I schools voted in November to rescind a proposed rule change that would have permitted wagering on professional sports.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., became the latest lawmaker to report a suspicious white powder mailed to his Leesburg office, which was evacuated Monday as local hazmat teams and Capitol Police responded. He joins a growing list of officials targeted in recent weeks, including Reps. Seth Moulton and Eugene Vindman, and Sens. Adam Schiff, Pete Ricketts, Ted Cruz, and Mike Rounds. Moulton noted his letter carried a return address linked to the Democratic Socialists of America, which denies any involvement. The incidents began last week with letters sent to Louisiana's and Oklahoma's election offices. The FBI, Capitol Police, Senate Sergeant at Arms, and Postal Inspection Service are investigating the apparent coordinated intimidation campaign.

Election offices in more than two dozen states, plus numerous members of Congress, have received suspicious letters containing a white powdery substance in the days before the midterms. Tennessee, Ohio, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Oregon officials reported intercepted or opened packages, some prompting evacuations and hazmat responses; preliminary tests have found no hazardous material. Affected lawmakers include Sens. Alex Padilla, Ted Cruz, Amy Klobuchar and Chris Murphy, and several California representatives. The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police are investigating. Election official associations condemned the threats. Similar mailings targeted officials ahead of the 2024 election and in 2023, when some contained traces of fentanyl.

Texas' open U.S. Senate race has narrowed to a close contest between Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico of Austin, with Libertarian Ted Brown also on the ballot. The seat is being vacated by John Cornyn, who lost the GOP primary to Paxton. Polls show the race within the margin of error, giving Talarico a slight edge as Democrats seek their first statewide Texas win since 1994.

Paxton, attorney general since 2015 and a longtime conservative legal combatant against federal policy, has backing from President Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and Senate GOP leadership but did not respond to candidate questionnaires. Talarico, serving his fourth House term, has set state fundraising records and drawn endorsements from labor and civil rights groups. Brown, a longtime Libertarian activist, rounds out the field.

Early voting runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30, with Election Day on Nov. 3. The Senate race shares the ballot with Texas' gubernatorial contest between Gov. Greg Abbott and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. With the Senate split 53-47 in Republicans' favor, a Democratic upset in Texas would ease their path toward a majority, making the race a closely watched national bellwether.

Multiple Louisiana political figures are signaling possible interest in the 2028 presidential race. Former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, now head of the National Urban League, told an Oct. 3 panel at the March On! Festival that he is "thinking about running." He appeared alongside former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, who encouraged him, and her brother, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who has said since April he will decide after the midterms or early next year. U.S. Sen. John Kennedy also raised the possibility on NBC's "Meet the Press," suggesting he could do better than other potential contenders.

None of the three has formed a campaign team, PAC, or fundraising operation, but Kennedy and Landrieu have both published bestselling books and are actively campaigning for allies nationally. Louisiana has never produced a sitting-president nominee with strong local roots; past bids by Buddy Roemer and Bobby Jindal fizzled early. The 2028 field remains wide open on both sides, with JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz atop GOP speculation, and Democrats awaiting word from Kamala Harris.

The list of Republicans weighing 2028 presidential bids is growing as President Trump's approval ratings decline and Democrats appear favored for a strong showing in the November midterms. Sen. John Kennedy recently joined a field that already includes former Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Rand Paul, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Ted Cruz, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and possibly Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Some hopefuls are positioning themselves to inherit the MAGA base, including Donald Trump Jr., who denies interest but polls strongly among hypothetical candidates. Others, like Christie, are distancing themselves from Trump's legacy, arguing Vice President J.D. Vance would be hurt by association with an unpopular administration.

Polling shows Vance still leads the GOP field but has lost ground, with Trump Jr. gaining support. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also draw notable backing, while Nikki Haley says she won't run. Cruz and Vance have publicly sparred, with most contenders waiting on midterm results before deciding.