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Gov. Abbot still beat Newsom in disaster relief despite Texas Democrats stalling, hiding out
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Despite Democratic lawmakers fleeing and holding up vital relief efforts, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s flood relief was faster than California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom’s response to the L.A. wildfires.
This weekend, Abbott helped to present more than 60 of the families most impacted by the catastrophic floods in the Texas Hill Country with $25,000 relief checks, which the governor called an initial «down payment» on the relief still incoming.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Abbott explained the funds were a result of Texas partnering with country music legend George Strait and other private groups to ensure that funds raised by the star went straight to those who suffered the worst damage.
Abbott said that both he and Strait agreed there is a «need for speed to help these people as quickly as possible.»
ABBOTT VOWS INDEFINITE SPECIAL SESSIONS, SAYS FLEEING DEMS COULD FACE ARREST ‘FOR LITERALLY YEARS’
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Abbott explained the funds were a result of Texas partnering with country music legend George Strait and other private groups to ensure that funds raised by the star went straight to those who suffered the worst damages. (Erika Goldring/WireImage and Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«We’ve seen in other states when there’s been travesties that occurred there, like the fires in California, and so much money was raised and never has gotten to the people who needed it, we want to make sure that did not happen in the state of Texas,» Abbott explained.
«There has been an outpouring of support to Texas organizations to help the people of this state,» he added. «Now our job is to make sure it gets into the hands of the people who need it the most.»
This comes just over a month after much of central Texas suffered a devastating flood that killed over 100 and decimated homes and businesses.
In response to the suffering, Strait, a Texas native, held a concert on July 27 to raise funds for those most impacted. Just two weeks later, victims are already receiving relief checks from the concert.
Abbott said that Strait was insistent that «he was doing this for one reason, because he was sick and tired of the people who’ve been damaged and harmed the most by the storm are not getting the money they need.»
CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES REDISTRICTING FIGHT TO ‘NULLIFY’ TEXAS GOP PLAN, WITH DEMS POISED TO GAIN 5 SEATS
HUNT, TEXAS – JULY 6: Search and rescue workers dig through debris looking for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
«So, what we did we set up an operation to make sure we were able to identify who sustained the worst damage, then make sure that they would be on the receiving end of these checks,» he explained.
Strait’s concert closely resembles a similar star-studded benefit concert, titled «FireAid,» in California that raised more than $100 million for victims of the wildfires in Los Angeles.
FireAid billed itself as «a benefit concert for wildfire victims.» Aside from music by the likes of Lady Gaga, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry and Olivia Rodrigo, the five-hour show featured multiple stories from victims of the Altadena and Palisades fire who had lost their homes.
Fox News Digital reported in July that six months later, victims in the city’s most impacted neighborhoods still had not received any direct funds raised by the concert.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for FireAid told Fox News Digital that «to most effectively deliver aid to the community as quickly as possible, we partnered with vetted and trusted local nonprofits who had the capacity and infrastructure to directly reach the individuals in need.»
The spokesperson said «this assistance provided food security, housing, resources for schools and more directly to individuals in the affected communities.»
TRUMP AND NEWSOM FIGHT OVER NATIONAL GUARD HEADS TO TRIAL IN CALIFORNIA
Workers replace power line following the Palisades Fire along Pacific coast in Malibu, California, U.S. January 13, 2025. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
They said that to date, FireAid has «distributed two rounds of funding totaling close to $75 million to organizations helping people on the ground and expect to distribute the remaining $25 million by the end of the year.»
«The funds address the urgent needs from individuals in our communities— from immediate financial assistance, to childcare, groceries, mental health and housing and rebuilding public spaces as well as fire prevention. The grants have been distributed to more than 160 frontline nonprofits, schools, and local organizations which were identified and selected by FireAid,» said the spokesperson.
Abbott claimed that several factors have made Texas’ response to the flooding disaster very different from California’s.
«It starts with generosity … but the second thing is we don’t let things slow us down. We are very empathetic with those who have lost their homes, who’ve had their lives turned upside down, who are trying to get back into their homes,» he said. «So, we were able to cut through all the red tape and make sure that the money got into the hands of those who needed it the most.»
He went on to say that «now we’re working with the local governments to make sure these people are going to be able to take these dollars, these resources, and actually begin that construction process to get their homes rebuilt.»
This comes despite the governor’s ongoing showdown with Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives, who fled the state and brought the legislature’s efforts to pass new flood relief measures to a grinding halt. The Democrats fled the state in protest of redistricting plans that would potentially give Republicans five additional seats in Congress.
GOV. GREG ABBOTT THREATENS TO REDISTRICT 8 SEATS FOR GOP IF DEM LAWMAKERS DON’T RETURN TO TEXAS
Texas Democrats stood next to Illinois lawmakers on Aug. 4, 2025, to oppose redistricting measures proposed by Texas Republicans. (Fox News)
The governor and other state leaders, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Leader Dustin Burrows, both Republicans, have filed legal action to arrest the rogue lawmakers and have threatened to remove them from their offices. Thus far, however, the Democrats have been able to evade Texas authorities and hold up any progress by denying the state House the necessary quorum to pass legislation.
«We’re able to give that to the victims, even though we have Democrats who’ve fled the state and been dishonorable to our state,» said Abbott, adding, «One thing about Texans is we stand and fight if we have principles we want to fight on. And what these Democrats have done, they fled the state, and that’s very un-Texan on their part.»
He went on to say that «we’ll get the financial resources to those who need it, but also we’re working to provide greater assistance for them in the meantime.»
«That said, there are laws that need to be passed, such as creating early warning systems, such as making sure we change what the rules are in the flood zones, and things like that. That’s going to require these Democrats showing back up and casting a vote,» he explained.
WATCH: TRUMP SAYS FBI ‘MAY HAVE TO’ HELP TEXAS ROUND UP AWOL DEM LAWMAKERS
AUSTIN, TEXAS – APRIL 23: Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a bill signing in the State Capitol on April 23, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
«Know that the gears of government to improve the response to this disaster are being slowed down and denied because Democrats are not showing up and doing their job,» he went on. «So, despite the fact that we have a bunch of cowardly Democrats who turned tail and ran out of state and right here to do their job, my main focus that I put my time and attention to is helping out the flood victims of this tragedy to make sure they’re getting the resources they need and so we can accelerate the rebuilding process to get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible.»
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A spokesperson for Newsom’s office directed Fox News Digital to a press conference he held with several Texas Democrats, including state Rep. Ann Johnson, who claimed during the event that Democratic lawmakers «waited to address that issue» of flood relief for two weeks but that «they only put one bill up for us to debate in the House and it was redistricting.»
«We have an arrest warrant for us to go back to Texas for one bill only. They don’t want us to come back for flooding,» said Johnson.
She accused Republicans of «using those families as a distraction,» saying, «the governor can write a check right now to try to start the process and so its his decision what’s valuable to him.»
Johnson suggested that Democrats «will gladly show up» to address flooding, school testing, human trafficking or court infrastructure but not for the redistricting vote.
Fox News Digital also reached out to the Texas House Democratic Caucus for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Fox News Digital’s William La Jeunesse contributed to this report.
texas,greg abbott,democratic party,disaster response
Una niña corre descalza por los campos de Minnesota. Lleva trenzas, una sonrisa franca y el nombre de Laura Ingalls. Desde su estreno en 1974, La familia Ingalls se convirtió en un fenómeno televisivo. La serie, basada en los libros de Laura Ingalls Wilder, marcó a generaciones con su mirada idealizada sobre la vida de los pioneros en el siglo XIX. Pero detrás del relato entrañable de la pantalla, existe una historia real mucho más compleja.
La figura central de la serie es Laura, interpretada por Melissa Gilbert. El personaje es una creación de la escritora Laura Ingalls Wilder, quien, en la década de 1930 y a los 75 años, comenzó a narrar en una serie de libros sus vivencias como niña pionera. El primero de ellos, La casa de la pradera, fue publicado en 1935 y se transformó en uno de los mayores éxitos editoriales del siglo XX.
En 1973, esta obra fue adaptada a la televisión bajo el título Little House on the Prairie. Un año después comenzó a emitirse por la cadena NBC con gran repercusión. La serie fue protagonizada por Michael Landon como Charles Ingalls y se extendió hasta 1983.
Según Caroline Fraser, autora de Incendios de la pradera: los sueños americanos de Laura Ingalls Wilder, la narrativa de los libros es “muy precisa, hasta cierto punto”. En una entrevista con Iowa Source en 2017, explicó que, si bien Wilder se basó en su infancia para escribir las novelas, introdujo numerosos cambios, tanto menores como sustanciales. Por ejemplo, en La pequeña casa en el gran bosque, Laura aparece con cinco años, aunque en realidad tenía tres cuando vivió allí.
Fraser indicó que Laura “omitió muchas cosas, a veces porque sentía que no eran apropiadas para niños”. En particular, evitó mostrar episodios que retrataran a sus padres de manera negativa. Mientras en la serie Charles Ingalls es un modelo de rectitud, la vida real estuvo marcada por problemas financieros, inestabilidad y decisiones poco acertadas, aspectos que Wilder decidió no incluir.
“La verdadera historia es mucho más compleja”, señaló Fraser. “Su vida real es aún más notable, en cierto modo, que la historia de sus libros, que terminó a los 18 años con su matrimonio”.
Wilder comenzó a escribir a los 40 años, cuando redactaba columnas para publicaciones locales en Mansfield, Missouri, donde residía. Su primer manuscrito, Pioneer Girl, fue escrito a los 60, impulsada por su hija Rose Wilder Lane, una periodista de renombre que colaboró estrechamente con ella en la elaboración de los libros.
“Rose fue una de las escritoras independientes más exitosas de la década de 1920. The Saturday Evening Post pagó una de sus historias por 30.000 dólares de la época, el equivalente a medio millón hoy”, detalló Glynnis MacNicol, creadora del pódcast Wilder de iHeartRadio.
Aunque madre e hija concebían los libros como novelas de ficción, Rose sostuvo públicamente que eran verídicos. En 2016, el historiador William Anderson reveló que Rose llegó a molestarse cuando él insinuó que los textos no reflejaban fielmente la realidad. El debate sobre la autoría y el grado de intervención de Rose continúa hasta hoy.
Laura falleció en febrero de 1957, apenas tres días antes de cumplir 90 años. Su hija Rose murió en 1968 y fue su heredero, Roger MacBride, quien vendió los derechos televisivos. La serie La familia Ingalls —título con el que se conoció en América Latina— se tomó importantes licencias respecto de los libros.
Mientras en los textos Laura y su familia se mudaban constantemente, la serie centró la narrativa en Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Ese segmento de la vida familiar fue narrado en el libro A orillas del arroyo Plum (1937). Allí aparecen personajes que luego serían emblemáticos en la pantalla, como Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim), figura inspirada en una combinación de compañeras de escuela de la autora.
La relación de Laura con Almanzo Wilder, interpretado por Dean Butler, también fue adaptada. En la ficción, se casan en la séptima temporada. En la vida real, Laura trabajó como maestra en Dakota del Sur y luego contrajo matrimonio con Almanzo, tal como relata en Estos felices años dorados. La saga concluyó con la publicación póstuma de Los primeros cuatro años.
Ahora, La familia Ingalls volverá a la pantalla con una nueva adaptación producida por Netflix. Esta versión buscará un enfoque más fiel al espíritu y contenido de los libros originales, pero con una puesta en escena actualizada.
El clásico encabezado por Michael Landon y Melissa Gilbert no solo definió la estética de una época televisiva, sino que ayudó a construir un imaginario colectivo sobre la vida rural estadounidense. Con esta nueva producción, la obra de Laura Ingalls Wilder perdura, pero también invita a mirar con mayor profundidad la historia real detrás del mito.
INTERNACIONAL
GOP mocks Democrats with memo about wildly unpopular ‘Project 2026’ goals, Dems shoot back
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FIRST ON FOX: With an eye to next year’s Midterm Elections, the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee (NRCC) is mocking its Democratic counterpart and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for advancing «wildly unpopular» policy proposals as part of their «Project 2026» goals.
In response, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is hitting back, accusing Republicans of «desperately attempting to distract from their failed leadership and refusal to get a single thing done for the American people.»
The NRCC released a memo on Tuesday morning in which it knocked Jeffries for failing to meet a self-imposed deadline to roll out a new vision for America with a Democratic-controlled House.
The Hill reported in April that Jeffries committed that «over these next 100 days, House Democrats are going to lay out a blueprint for a better America. And you will see a vision for this country’s future that isn’t about Donald Trump. It’s all about you.»
RNC CHAIR SAYS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ KEY PART OF GOP’S STRATEGY TO WIN SEATS IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., right, is joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for a press conference in Statuary Hall at the Capitol on Feb. 12. (AP/Rod Lamkey, Jr./File)
With those 100 days having already elapsed, the NRCC published a satirical memo titled «Project 2026,» in which they accused the Democrats of being out of step with the American people.
«Hakeem Jeffries promised a ‘Project 2026’ within 100 days of April 30th, and it’s been over 100 days. Democrats know their agenda is wildly unpopular, and their focus on these issues will cause them to lose yet again,» the NRCC said in a statement.
In the memo, the NRCC accuses the Democratic Party, «as directed by ‘Leader’ Jeffries and AOC,» of wanting to «move swiftly and unapologetically to return to Joe Biden’s America and implement the bold, transformational change our base demands.»
The memo lays out eight policy proposals they accuse Democrats of wanting to advance, ranging from «Bring Back Wasteful Government Spending and High Crime» to «Open Borders. Full Stop» to «Impeach President Trump. Again. And Again.»
VANCE WARNS OF ‘PENALTY’ FOR DEMS WHO OPPOSED THE ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL, BILL’ AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, in Washington, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Policy ideas the NRCC charges Democrats with advancing range from the outlandish, such as «institute a federal ‘Carbon Lifestyle Tax’ on Americans who dare to own trucks, SUVs, or backyard grills, to ideas that have been pushed by the likes of New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani of launching «pilot programs for government-run grocery stores in ‘underserved’ neighborhoods.»
Under economic proposals, the memo charges Democrats of wanting to «expand bloated government programs and bankroll the Green New Deal» and reverse the tax cuts passed under President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the memo states Democrats want to «abolish ICE permanently,» «ban border wall construction and tear down existing barriers» and «provide taxpayer-funded healthcare, housing, and legal aid for every undocumented immigrant.»
The NRCC also takes a jab at Democrats for allegedly wanting to be «More Woke, Less Rational,» wanting to «mandate pronouns and DEI training in every school and workplace» and have «no more ads featuring Sydney Sweeney or Shane Gillis.»
Commenting on the memo, NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital, «This is the America Democrats want to build.»
ZOHRAN MAMDANI IN POSITION TO HELP SOCIALIST PARTY ‘SEIZE STATE POWER,’ DSA LEADER ADMITS
The U.S. Capitol Building is seen at dusk on a clear, spring day on May 31, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
«Higher taxes, open borders, skyrocketing gas prices, no more gas cars, crime in the streets, pronouns before commonsense, and no more freedom. House Republicans are the only thing standing between you and the nightmare of ‘Project 2026,’» said Marinella.
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In response, Viet Shelton, a spokesperson for the DCCC, shot back, commenting, «Big talk by the party who’s betrayed the middle-class so they can suck-up to their billionaire donors.»
«The Republican agenda is marked by rising costs, lost manufacturing jobs, a Big, Ugly Law that everyone hates, and a string of broken promises,» he said, adding, «A tidal wave of recent polling confirms their majority is rapidly slipping away.»
«It’s no wonder House Republicans are desperately attempting to distract from their failed leadership and refusal to get a single thing done for the American people.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
2025 2026 elections coverage,republicans,democratic party,congress,midterm elections
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