MRT 5/1-2/25 (free): LTG Patrick to Lead Trump Religious Liberty Commission // Cornyn: Border Reimbursement ‘Likely’ // SMU Nets $1.5B Raise // Fired State Employees Breached Data of 33k

MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak 

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THURSDAY | 5/1/2025 & FRIDAY | 5/2/2025

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• TOP NEWS

"Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to lead Trump’s commission on religious liberty,” Texas Tribune's Katharine Wilson -- "Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been tapped to chair President Donald Trump’s new commission on religious liberty, which was announced during the National Day of Prayer celebration at the White House on Thursday.

“You are restoring the hopes and the prayers of millions upon millions of believers of all faiths,” said Patrick, referencing Trump, during a speech at the event.

The commission, according to Trump’s executive order, will make a report about threats to religious liberty and strategies to increase awareness of religious pluralism in the country.

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This commission is a part of Trump’s push to “bring back religion,” to the United States. Trump on Thursday touted his pardons of anti-abortion protesters, the reinstatement of military members who were discharged due to vaccine mandates, creation of a Department of Justice task force to eradicate “anti-Christian bias,” and executive order against anti-semitism.

Ben Carson, the Housing and Urban Development Secretary in the first Trump administration, will serve as the commission’s vice-chair. Other commission members include television host Dr. Phil McGraw, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, various religious leaders, and Kelly Shackelford, the CEO of First Liberty, a Plano-based conservative legal organization. Commission members will serve at least until July 4, 2026.

Patrick approached Trump with the idea for the commission, Trump said during his speech in the Rose Garden.

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Patrick, who was in Washington on Thursday for the announcement, said during his speech that the United States was “birthed by prayer,” and founded on the “Judeo-Christian ethic,” that people can worship without government interference. Patrick accused the Biden administration of having attacked people of faith.

“We have a magnificent inheritance of religious liberty and every believer today, no matter your faith, has a claim to that inheritance,” Patrick said.

Patrick has long promoted policies to infuse religion into public life, most recently prioritizing legislation that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms and allow time for prayer in public schools. Patrick has referred to the United States as “a Christian nation” and echoed many of his political allies in arguing that there “is no separation of church and state. It was not in the Constitution.”

“We were a nation founded upon not the words of our founders, but the words of God because he wrote the Constitution,” Patrick said in 2022." Texas Tribune

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• TOP NEWS

"SMU concludes record-setting $1.5B fundraising campaign years ahead of plan” DMN ($)

• #TXLEGE

"Bill that would save THC retailers from total ban advances in Texas House panel” DMN ($)

• STATE GOVERNMENT

“Fired state employees breached the personal data of 33,529 more Texans” Texas Tribune

“TxDOT to close most of Loop 1604, I-10 interchange this weekend” SAEN ($)

• 2025

“Will Saturday’s elections be the last one in May for Texas?” Texas Tribune

• TEXANS IN DC

“Will federal government reimburse Texas for Operation Lone Star? Cornyn says it's likely” AAS ($)

• 2026

“Cornyn rejects idea he might drop reelection bid in face of Paxton’s GOP primary challenge” DMN ($)

“Meet the Texas Democrats who might run for U.S. Senate in 2026” Houston Chronicle ($)

• BUSINESS NEWS

“DFW Airport, Fort Worth’s American Airlines plan $4B Terminal F expansion to keep up with growth” FW Report

• TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

“Defense Department designates a second military zone on US border, extending into Texas” AP

• NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

> DMN: "Hundreds gather across D-FW for May Day protests" DMN

> FWST: "Hundreds Rally in Fort Worth on May Day to Defend Workers’ Rights" FWST

> TX TRIB: "Everything we know about the 3 people who want to run Starbase, Texas’ next city" TX TRIB

> AAS: "Texas Gov. Abbott threatens to pull San Marcos funding over Israel ceasefire resolution" AAS

> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Over 2K votes cast in West University Place during 1st week of early voting" COMMUNITY IMPACT

> SAEN: "Trump's agenda faces courtroom setbacks as Justice Department lawyers struggle to win over judges" SAEN

> SAEN: "Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from dismantling library services agency" SAEN

> AAS: "Hundreds march in May Day protest in Austin against Trump policies" AAS

> AAS: "A Texas bullet train? Why a high-speed rail proposal could face legislative roadblocks" AAS

> DMN: "Not your typical Texas critter: Plesiosaur from 100 million years ago discovered in Celina" DMN

> FWST: "Man sold boots made out of endangered sea creature’s skin in Texas, feds say" FWST

> FWST: "Watch: Parker County sheriff shares updates on triple homicide investigation" FWST

> HOU CHRON: "Judge recused from manslaughter case in 2023 Montrose first date death" HOU CHRON

> HOU CHRON: "Volunteers conduct their own Polk Street traffic study ahead of its closure" HOU CHRON

> HOU CHRON: "Houston philanthropist Jessica Rossman's remains returned as new details emerge" HOU CHRON

> AAS: "Which states are most impacted by Chinese import tariffs? Where does Texas stand?" AAS

> AAS: "Texas AMBER Alert: Skylar Beach, 10, of Hamlin found safe, suspect's status unknown" AAS

> TPR: "VA mental health care workers worry about patient confidentiality due to limited space" TPR

> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "PHOTOS: Radom Capital to redevelop former Swift & Co. building, Tower Theatre" DMN

> DMN: "Driverless Ubers are headed to North Texas" DMN

> DMN: "Ambulance chasing is rampant in Texas. Now the Dallas County judge’s law firm is accused" DMN

> HOU CHRON: "This Houston-area community was just named the country's No. 3 best place to live" Houston Chronicle

> FWST: "Tarrant jury rejects death penalty, decides man who shot 3 in head should serve life" FWST

• EXTRA POINTS

Recent Texas sports scores:
Wed
> NBA: Houston 131, Golden State 116
> MLB: Detroit 7, Houston 4
> MLB: Oakland 7, Texas 1
Thurs
> MLB: Oakland 3, Texas 0
> NHL: Colorado 7, Dallas 4

Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
> 6:40pm: MLB: Houston at Chicago W.S.
> 7:05pm: MLB: Seattle at Texas
> 8pm: NBA: Houston at Golden State (ESPN)

This weekend's Texas sports schedule:
Sat
> 1:10pm: MLB: Houston at Chicago W.S.
> 6:05pm: MLB: Seattle at Texas
> 7pm: NHL: Colorado at Dallas (ABC)
> 7:30pm: MLS: Minnesota at Austin (Apple TV)
> 8:15pm: MLS: Dallas at San Diego (Apple TV)
> 9:30pm: MLS: Houston at LA FC (Apple tV)
Sun
> 1:10pm: MLB: Houston at Chicago W.S.
> 1:35pm: MLB: Seattle at Texas
> TBD: NBA: Golden State at Houston ** if necessary

HOUSTON ROCKETS: "The Houston Rockets had a simple mindset to beat Golden State in Game 5: ‘Stay desperate’" Houston Chronicle ($)

HOUSTON ASTROS: "Astros 6, Tigers 4: Houston rallies in late innings against AL's top bullpen for third straight win" Houston Chronicle ($)

DALLAS STARS: "Five thoughts from Stars-Avs: Odd goal snuffs Dallas’ rally as series moves to Game 7" DMN ($)

TEXAS A&M MEN'S BASKETBALL: "Texas A&M basketball recruiting: Federiko Federiko commits to Aggies" AAS ($)

TEXAS A&M BASEBALL: "Texas A&M baseball vs LSU: Aggies hosting top-2 team for third straight weekend" AAS ($)