Special to the News-Times WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Reps. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas 8, and Lou Correa (D-Calif., recently introduced the Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act. This bipartisan legislation will require the Department of Homeland Security to submit a plan to Congress to identify, integrate, and deploy new, innovative, advanced technologies to enhance or address capability gaps in…

Pete SessionsDistrict 17 Representative One of my top priorities is ensuring the natural resources and public lands within our 17th District are properly cared for and accessible to all Texans. That’s why last week my team and I met with officials from the United States Forestry Service to discuss the state of our National Forests in Walker County. It was a productive and informative meeting. I…

By Tony Farkas On the days that I am just too dejected to yet again comment on the declining state of affairs in the state, nation and world, I look to humor to perk myself up. So let’s explore some of the more ridiculous entries into the world of media, shall we? To show I’m an equal opportunity shot taking writer, we’ll start with Breitbart News, which has a couple of doozies: 70-year-old…

On Easter Sunday, while I was trolling around the interweb looking for inspiration for a column, I was struck by the events that were designed to take away from the incredible events that Christians observe. Many of you are aware that our sitting president declared that March 31 will be a Transgender Day of Visibility, when a group of people who have laughingly been described as “downtrodden” and…

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (R-Woodville) issued the following statement on his new bill, the Remain in Canada Act (H.R. 7739), which applies President Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy to the U.S.-Canada border. “Due to the current administration’s actions – complete negligence at best or, more likely, an intentional mass-replacement effort – America’s borders are being overrun…

Last week, Congress faced a crucial decision with the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, a $1.2 trillion spending bill. The bill drastically failed to meet the urgent needs of our nation, especially in fiscal responsibility and border security. Our national debt exceeds $34 trillion, with an annual deficit of $1.7 trillion. Continuing on this path threatens our economic stability.…

I would like to begin this column by saying it is the honor of a lifetime to have earned the trust of those living in House District 9 to continue serving as your voice in Austin. I’d like every voter in House District 9 to know — whether you voted for me or not — that I will work each and every day to represent Deep East Texas with honesty, integrity, and humility while working tirelessly to…

Whether you like it or not, you’re going to have an electric vehicle. Biden, or at least his flying monkeys at the Department of Energy, says so. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency, a ludicrous and not-constitutional entity, set new emissions standards for vehicles of 85 grams of CO2 per mile, ostensibly to eliminate billions of tons of the gas by the year 2055. That standard is to be…

Special to the Booster AUSTIN — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced a notice of funding availability for a $25 million grant through the Opioid Abatement Fund Council (OAFC or the Council) to distribute naloxone, a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses, to communities hit by the opioid crisis. Texas governmental entities, nonprofit organizations and entities conducting…

By Robert Poynter A federal Judge just ruled that Illegal immigrants can own and buy guns, and to keep them from doing so, violates the Constitution. One of the questions on the form is are you a United States Citizen, and the law is you must be a citizen to buy guns in the United States. Without knowing it, the Federal Judge just undid every single gun law in existence if this ruling stands.…

I like collecting old saws — not the tools, mind you, but those little analogous nuggets of wisdom that describe a situation or item perfectly. The two that come to mind regarding the debate over the U.S. House passing a bill seeking divestiture of TikTok are “You can’t polish a turd” or “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” House Resolution 7521, or the Protecting Americans from…

By Tony Farkastony@polkcountypublishing.com In flitting around those short videos that are on just about every social media platform, I ran across one that put me in mind of one of those pearl-clutching moments of the past, when everyone was up in arms about the Confederate flag. The debate was about the heritage of the south vs. the symbolism of the flag, which was described as hate, since it…

Special to the News-Times WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Morgan Luttrell last week introduced the Cartel and Radical Terrorist Enforcement Log Act, which requires Customs and Border Protection to report if individuals on the Terrorist Screening Database were released into the interior of the United States along with individuals affiliated with cartel organizations. Additionally, this bill requires a…

By Tom Purcell When I read about the “silent book club” trend, it filled me with instant calm and hope. As it goes, in 2012, two friends in San Francisco came up with the idea for a non-formal social event in which book lovers can gather at a coffee house or pub, then read together in silence for an hour or so, after which they may discuss any thoughts about what they are reading and socialize.…

This is a story about two different, yet somehow the same, events that have occurred regarding the so-called right in this country to a free press. Some of you may recall that in March of last year, Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal was arrested in Russia on charges of espionage. Apparently, the writer had the temerity to cover the war in the Ukraine, given that his parents had escaped…

By Trent AshbyDistrict 9 Representative Last week, Texans from every corner of the state celebrated our Independence Day. Let us never forget that glorious day on March 2, 1836, when 59 brave delegates met at Washington-on-the-Brazos and declared their independence from Mexico and the tyranny of Santa Anna’s authoritarian government. A little over a month later, The Republic of Texas was born at…

By Tony Farkastony@polkcountypublishing.com This is a story about two different, yet somehow the same, events that have occurred regarding the so-called right in this country to a free press. Some of you may recall that in March of last year, Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal was arrested in Russia on charges of espionage. Apparently, the writer had the temerity to cover the war in the…

In my four decades of law enforcement experience, there aren’t many offenses that disturb me more on a personal level than when a child becomes a victim. You don’t have to have a degree in international studies to understand what we in the United States, and regrettably here in Texas, are confronting daily with the influx of illegals, and many of them fall into the category of human traffickers.…

By Rhonda Oaks I know what it’s like to brag on kids. I’ve bragged on my own just like you have. I have bragged on my grandchildren, just like you have. We brag when there is anyone to listen. Doesn’t matter who, a total stranger will work when it’s about your child or grandchild. But there are a few things we won’t brag about. Heck, we will hardly talk about it in public. State statistics for…

Mollie LaSallenews@tylercountybooster.com Each year has 365 days, except for leap years, when an extra day is added to the calendar; that day is today, Feb. 29. Simply stated, a leap year is known as a calendar correction, according to the Gregorian calendar, the standard for most of the world. Generally, leap years coincide with presidential election years. However, that has not always held…

By Peter Funt At a time when the presence of celebrities seems to overwhelm professional sports (Taylor Swift, I’m looking at you in your sparkly Travis Kelce jersey), it’s noteworthy that this year’s AT&T Pro-Am golf tournament will be, for the first time since Bing Crosby brought his “Clambake” to Pebble Beach, essentially celebrity-free. Gone are the days when Bing was accompanied on the links…

By Tony Farkastony@polkcountypublishing.com Recently, an area Chamber of Commerce, of which our newspapers have membership, hosted a lunch presentation, attended by a colleague, which I’m guessing is a regular occurrence. On this particular day, the speaker, whose name I don’t know, spoke about newspapers and claimed that this particular brand of mass communication was ineffective. This was…

Fentanyl, an opioid that has been with us for many years in the United States. It’s a relatively newcomer in the field of deadly narcotics. Fentanyl use has increased in Texas recently, and overdoses attributed to this synthetic drug have skyrocketed due to its strength compared to other less-potent opioids. Fentanyl is prescribed to alleviate moderate to severe pain under a doctor’s care. It’s…

By Tony Farkas Working in the corporate world at larger newspaper chains, there were many times that work ground to a halt for some meeting or another. It got to a point for me to despise meetings. I realize that getting certain information out that requires input from others necessitates meetings, but things in the corporate — and government — worlds have degenerated to the point where talk is…

Soon, 1.5 million high school and college students across the country will be heading to the sunny beaches of Texas, Florida, California, Mexico or the Bahamas for Spring Break. I have a daughter who is currently a school principal here in San Jacinto County. A daughter, like her dad, who also has a concern for the safety and security of her students has asked me as your Sheriff to highlight some…

By Chris Edwardsnews@tylercountybooster.com We as a nation are ramping up another political season. Credit our short attention spans and our willingness to be distracted by hyperbole, but every four years marks, yet again, “the most important election of our lifetime.” Our unwillingness to think past election cycles could prove to be our undoing, but I’ll stand on that soapbox another day.…

By Chris Edwardsnews@tylercountybooster.com We as a nation are ramping up another political season. Credit our short attention spans and our willingness to be distracted by hyperbole, but every four years marks, yet again, “the most important election of our lifetime.” Our unwillingness to think past election cycles could prove to be our undoing, but I’ll stand on that soapbox another day.…

By Patrick SvitekTexas Tribune Less than a year ago, Donald Trump’s political strength was waning among Texas Republicans. He was being blamed for an underwhelming midterm election, he was facing mounting legal problems and many prominent Texas Republicans were hesitating to endorse his comeback bid. But not all of them. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston endorsed Trump in a statement sent out to…

Special to the Booster WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (R-Woodville) issued the following statement on Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report regarding President Joe Biden’s mishandling of classified documents: “The DOJ has proven Joe Biden is a corrupt liar who violated the law with his mishandling of classified documents,” said Babin. “The current president has accepted bribes,…

I am proud to be the publisher of your newspaper. While reading a recent issue, I was reminded how many items are covered between the pages each week. Whether you read digitally, or enjoy the print version, your paper is where you can read about a wide variety of local topics in one location. For example: •The county schools are getting new district alignments. •First-grade students received…