The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 2, 2026

Episode Date: July 2, 2026

The Texan’s Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Visit The Texan for complete access to our in-depth articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to follow us and leave a review!

Well, howdy folks. Today is Thursday, July 2nd, and you're listening to The Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texan senior editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, acting comptroller of public accounts Kelly Hancock announced his resignation on July 1st, the day funds first hit families' Texas education freedom accounts. In June 2025, after former comptroller Glenn Hagar departed to become the new chancellor, of the Texas A&M University system, Hancock stepped down as a state senator and joined the comptroller's office as an employee. With Governor Greg Abbott's endorsement, Hancock launched his bid for comptroller, which ended in a primary defeat to former state senator Don Huffeins in March.

In his resignation letter to Abbott, first reported by the Texas bullpen, Hancock thanked the governor for trusting him to lead the $1 billion education savings accounts program rollout. Shortly after Hancock announced his resignation, Abbott appointed Huffines to the office on Thursday. Abbott stated, quote, Don Huffines brings the right mix of business experience and conservative principles to this vital office. Huffines wrote, quote, as your chief financial officer, I'll bring a private sector mindset to the public sector and Doge, Texas government to find out exactly where your money is going. Hancock will serve through the end of July, and Huffington. finds will take over on August 1st. Next, at an event earlier this week, Governor Greg Abbott called

for a halt of data center development in rural Texas neighborhoods. The event in Bullard, held on Tuesday, dealt mainly with the topic of property taxes, an issue that Abbott has campaigned on leading up to November's general election in which he faces Democratic State Representative Gina Hina Hosa for his office. Abbott began in his speech to the crowd, quote, before I talk about property taxes, let me talk about something else that I'm fighting for that dovetails right into fighting for East Texas values, and that is pushing back against these AI data centers that are trying to build in our neighborhoods. He called for prohibiting data centers from being built in rural Texas neighborhoods and added the imperative, quote, we must eliminate the tax breaks they are getting.

They must be responsible for funding their own projects here in Texas. In other news, seven additional North Texas Antifa cell operatives were sentenced to a collective 106 years in prison for their roles in the July 4th, 2025 attack on the Prairie Land U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Center. According to a July 1st press release, following their guilty pleas in a 12-day trial in February, the Antifa members were sentenced for, quote, their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and the attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer. On July 4th last year, Antifa members in black block attire, dark clothing with face coverings to conceal their identities, attacked the ICE detention facility in Alvarado,

shooting off fireworks and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack. Police found 11 firearms, body armor, and 11 military-grade first aid kits at the scene. When officers' response, responded, ringleader Benjamin Song yelled, quote, get to the rifles, and the group opened fire with one bullet hitting an officer in the neck. These latest sentences come a week after eight of the Antifa members were sentenced to a total of 450 years in prison, bringing the total for all 15 defendants to 556 years. Song was sentenced to 100 years on June 24th for the attempted murder of the officer. Last but not least, a Mexican national who pleaded guilty to, to four charges related to the smuggling of children across the U.S.-Mexico border has been sentenced to five years in prison. Manuel Valenzuela, age 35, and other members of an alien smuggling group were charged in September with conspiracy to transport aliens

and bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain. Valenzuela, a lawful permanent resident of the United States, was part of a smuggling ring that specialized in transporting minor children in the El Paso area. The smugglers sometimes used THC-laced candy to sedate the children before crossing the border. The criminal smuggling ring was first discovered in August 2024 when U.S. Border Patrol agents at the East Slater checkpoint inside the United States disrupted the attempted smuggling of a 13-year-old alien boy. Thanks for listening. This podcast is off tomorrow for the Independence Day holiday, so check back in on Monday, July 6th for the next episode of The Daily Rundown. support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan. News to get full access to all of our articles,

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