Texas executes murderer/rapist. Final words: “Viva Mexico!”

by Michael Graczyk

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Mexican national was executed Thursday for the rape-slaying of a teenager after the U.S. Supreme Court turned down an appeal to spare him that was supported by Mexico and the White House.

In his last minutes, Humberto Leal repeatedly said he was sorry and accepted responsibility.

"I have hurt a lot of people. ... I take full blame for everything. I am sorry for what I did," he said in the death chamber.

"One more thing," he said as the drugs began taking effect. Then he shouted twice, "Viva Mexico!"

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Study Finds Glaring Bloopers in Texas Science Curricula

by Discovery Institute

Austin, TX—According to a study released today by the non-profit Discovery Institute, bogus embryo drawings, long-debunked claims about tonsils, and outdated information from a 1950s lab experiment highlight the glaring bloopers found in proposed science curricula currently being considered by the Texas State Board of Education.

“Retro-science must be in, because the proposed curricula are filled with outdated scientific claims,” said Casey Luskin, a policy and education analyst with Discovery Institute. “It’s truly amazing how much discredited information keeps getting recycled year after year.”

In order to satisfy state educational standards set in 2009 (TEKS), the Board of Education asked publishers to submit supplementary curricula that would enable students to “analyze and evaluate” core aspects of evolutionary theory, and to “examin[e] all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking.” But according to Discovery Institute‘s 70-page study, only one curriculum out of the 10 evaluated managed to comply with the TEKS as well as avoid glaring scientific errors.

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Federal Judge Lifts Ban on Prayer in Valedictorian Speech

Federal Judge: Veteran Affairs can’t bar ‘Jesus’ prayer

Government Extortion: All Texas Flights Will Be Canceled...

by Connor Boyack, with Brian Roberts and Michael Boldin

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Justice upped the ante in a high-stakes political game of chicken. Lobbying against pending legislation in the Texas legislature which would criminalize any searches conducted without probable cause, U.S. Attorney John E. Murphy sent a letter to a few high-ranking members of Texas’ government warning against promoting the bill and threatening a complete closure of all flights to and from the state.

“If HR [sic] 1937 were enacted, the federal government would likely seek an emergency stay of the statute,” Murphy wrote. “Unless or until such a stay were granted, TSA would likely be required to cancel any flight or series of flights for which it could not ensure the safety of passengers and crew.”

No doubt written with the threatening intent one reads into it, Murphy added: “We urge that you consider the ramifications of this bill before casting your vote.”

Previous to the federal government’s threat, the Texas legislature had considered the ramifications of the bill. More importantly, they were responding to a clear need to uphold the Fourth Amendment and ensure that each person enjoys the right “to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures” — a right which the U.S. Constitution mandates “shall not be violated.”

Repeated TSA violations of the Fourth Amendment

That need has demonstrated itself in great abundance in past months, as the TSA has aggressively pursued its new policy of invasive searches and seizures at the nation’s airports. The “ramifications” to which the U.S. Attorney refers are evidently an easily dismissed matter of little importance to the federal government; to those affected by these policies, the ramifications of a bill seeking to prevent further occurrences is no doubt a welcome development.

It was less than a month ago at the Dallas, TX airport where former Miss USA Susie Castillo tearfully produced a viral video describing the molestation she had just then endured at the hands of a TSA agent. “I mean, she actually… touched my vagina,” Castillo said through her tears. “They’re making me… choose to either get molested… or go through this machine that’s completely unhealthy and dangerous. I don’t want to go through it, and here I am crying.”

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'Let me finish my answers' Obama instructs Texas reporter

Fat Ho Burgers?

Black Dallas Commissioner Tells Whites To 'Go To Hell'

Mandatory federally funded Arabic language program in Texas

by Chad Groening

Author and activist David Horowitz says it's absolutely outrageous that some elementary and intermediate school students will be forced to take Arabic language and culture classes in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb.

Several Dallas television stations have reported that the Mansfield Independent School District is instituting the Arabic language studies after receiving a federal grant from the Foreign Language Assistance Program of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). Under the program, Arabic classes would be mandatory at an elementary and intermediate school in the district and optional at the middle and high schools.

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***UPDATE***

Arabic classes on hold in Texas school district pending review...

by Joe Newby

The Mansfield, Texas, Independent School District announced late Wednesday that it has "slowed the process of implementation" of a program to teach Arabic to its' students pending a review of the curriculum.

The District says in a press release that Arabic has been listed as a "critical language" due to a shortage of Arabic speakers, and a need for people who better understand the Arabic culture and traditions.

Mansfield ISD also clarified that the classes are not mandatory, as has been previously reported. The original CBS News article said the classes were "mandatory", but all references to the mandatory nature of the program have been removed from the edited version of the article.

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Jesus Billboard Stirring up Controversy

by Stephanie Bertini

DONNA, TX - It can be spotted from almost a mile away. It’s just off Expressway 83 near Donna. A big sign stretches over the rooftops of houses and businesses nearby, and it's causing a lot of chatter.

It's an image of Jesus on the cross. The billboard was put up Monday, and right away, people took note. They had a lot to say.

Calls to the CHANNEL 5 newsroom prompted us to go out and take a look. One woman said she found the image offensive because she says, “Jesus has no place on a billboard.” Others are referring to it as a divine inspiration.

"So people saying that's disrespect. I don't think that's disrespect. I think that is just a sign from god saying people need to change around here," one person said.

"It's awesome. It looks real,” another person said.

"People have been saying that it's against their religion or whatever. That's a big sign! For me, it doesn't bother me, but I guess for religious people, I think it bothers them," someone else opined.

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TX Gov. Perry Wants to Send Military Into Mexico

by Peggy Fikac

AUSTIN — GOP Gov. Rick Perry, who continues to insist he's not interested in the presidency, is nevertheless always ready to tell the federal government how to do a better job on such matters as border security — including indicating the U.S. should be open to sending military into Mexico to help fight the drug war.

Appearing on MSNBC on Thursday, Perry was asked, “Would you advocate military involvement in Mexico on the Mexico side of the border to help Mexico in this drug war?”

Perry answered: “I think we have to use every aspect of law enforcement that we have, including the military. I think you have the same situation as you had in Colombia. Obviously, Mexico has to approve any type of assistance that we can give them.

“But the fact of the matter is, these are people who are highly motivated with money. They are vicious. They are armed to the teeth. I want to see them defeated. And any means that we can to run these people off our border and to save Americans' lives we need to be engaged in.”

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'Arizona Style' Immigration Law Proposed in Texas

by Jim Forsyth

Less than an hour after the period began for filing bills for consideration in the 2011 Legislative session, State Rep. Debbie Riddle (R-Tomball), a leader of the newly muscular conservatives in the Legislature, filed an 'Arizona style' measure that would crack down on illegal immigration, 1200 WOAI news reports.

Riddle says her measure is a response to what she says is the escalating violence caused by Mexican and Latin American gangs in Texas.

"It is absolutely out of control with the gang related crime, which is going through the roof, so, yes, we are addressing this, and quite frankly, I am not worried about political correctness," Riddle told 1200 WOAI news.

The measure would be similar to Arizona's controversial SB 1070, in that it would require that local police work with federal immigration officials in determining the legal status of a person who is in their custody.

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Texas students see religious bias with 'year of Our Lord'

by Casey Curlin

Students at a Texas college are demanding that their diplomas not be dated "in the year of Our Lord," prompting school officials to consider removing that phrase while leaving what others consider another obvious reference to Christendom — the school's name, Trinity University.



A spokeswoman for the private San Antonio school with historic ties to the Presbyterian Church said that if the board does make changes, it is more likely to take the phrase "in the year of Our Lord" off every diploma rather than just off those of specific students.

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