Text messaging

Texas households received mailers this month branded as a "Texas Trans & LGBTQ+ Student Resource Guide," arriving as early voting began. The materials pointed minors toward hormones, out-of-state medical transition, and legal emancipation from parents. The Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), whose branding appeared throughout, denies producing or approving the pamphlet. Investigators traced it to a Wyoming-registered shell company with a nonexistent return address, prompting a forgery investigation by a local district attorney. No sender has been identified, and TENT is seeking to depose the vendors involved.

While the mailer's origin remains unconfirmed, its content echoes real debates over parental rights, gender-identity policy in schools, and state laws like Texas's bans on youth medical transition and school gender clubs.

Mysterious mailers and text messages referencing the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) have circulated across Texas, prompting confusion, nonprofit disruptions, and calls for investigation. TENT says it did not create or authorize the materials. Preservation Austin received unrelated calls after its number appeared near TENT's in search results, while LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit OutYouth temporarily paused services over safety concerns. The Texas Tribune traced mailer tracking IDs to Maryland-based SnailWorks, which denies producing or distributing the mailers. State Rep. Jeff Leach has twice asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate potential privacy, data, and deceptive-practices violations, though the content itself appears largely protected under the First Amendment. No sender has been identified, and the episode has fueled "false flag" speculation ahead of the 2026 midterms.

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry has amended his lawsuit against Mayor Kaohly Her, adding a seventh count of reprisal under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Henry originally sued Her and the city Sept. 23, alleging data practices and whistleblower violations, sexual harassment, reprisal, aiding and abetting, and battery, stemming from claims including unwanted touching, job threats, and inappropriate comments toward officers. The amended filing cites a city-commissioned investigation by Resolute Law, saying a two-page summary "falsely minimized" witness accounts, and a later redacted report. It also references a podcast interview Her gave after the suit was filed. Her has denied sexual harassment allegations but said she would undergo workplace conduct training and apologized for crossing professional lines.

A batch of new Arizona traffic laws took effect Sept. 12, the standard start date for legislation passed during this year's session. The changes address distracted driving, motorcycle lane splitting, vehicle booting, and driver's license photo requirements.

House Bill 2109 raises fines for repeat distracted-driving offenders, increasing penalties for a second phone-use violation to a flat $400, up from the previous $150-$250 range, and adds a $150 fee if a distracted-driving crash involves a motorcyclist. House Bill 2941 makes certain lane-splitting maneuvers a Class 2 misdemeanor classified as reckless driving, though motorcyclists may still pass safely between lanes under specific speed and road conditions. Repeat offenders risk license suspension or jail time. Senate Bill 1205 establishes statewide standards for vehicle booting companies, capping fees, restricting practices, and barring booting of emergency vehicles or occupied cars. Separately, drivers now must update their license photos every 16 years instead of 12.

Nassau County police are warning residents about a text message scam after a 76-year-old Long Island woman lost $60,000. Investigators said the scheme began with a text claiming suspicious Apple Pay activity and an erroneous $30,000 deposit, directing her to call a phone number. A person posing as a bank representative told her to withdraw $30,000 and deliver it to someone at a street corner in Williston Park. After the first handoff succeeded, scammers repeated the ruse, ultimately taking $60,000 that police say has not been recovered.

Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage to identify a man seen collecting the cash and say they have developed leads. Police noted that older adults are frequently targeted by such schemes and cautioned against sharing personal details, including family celebrations, on social media, which scammers can use to build convincing pretexts. Officials urged anyone contacted with similar demands to hang up and call police rather than comply, and encouraged victims of fraud to report incidents despite any embarrassment.