The Star-Telegram opinion section tackled a Texas political earthquake this week as President Donald Trump’s endorsement reshaped the Republican U.S. Senate runoff. Guest columnists also weighed in on Fort Worth ISD’s special-education cuts and how AI is reshaping the restaurant industry. Here’s a look:
Bud Kennedy traces how Ken Paxton went from obscure state lawmaker to a Senate front-runner through a string of scandals, arguing that most Texans never learned the details of his impeachment or the $6.6 million staff settlement.
Ryan J. Rusak argues that the Senate runoff is effectively over after Trump endorsed Paxton, writing that Paxton outdid John Cornyn at sucking up to Trump while Cornyn occasionally maintained independent positions that Trump’s GOP no longer tolerates.
Rusak also highlights conservative writer Kevin D. Williamson’s piece in The Dispatch comparing Cornyn unfavorably to Sam Houston, arguing the senator is being pushed out for not being “a big enough lunatic for Texas,” as Rusak unpacks the fallout from Trump’s pick.
Fort Worth parent Ashley Tolliver describes withdrawing her 6-year-old daughter from De Zavala Elementary after two months, warning that Superintendent Peter Licata’s proposed cuts to special-education therapists and bilingual coordinators are alarming to Fort Worth ISD parents.
Tolliver argues the district cannot claim to prioritize students with the highest needs while removing the staff designed to support them, urging parents — particularly of Black and brown students — to keep showing up at board meetings, in her piece on inclusion and equity.
Corbit notes Chipotle is using AI-powered personalization to turn occasional visitors into habitual customers, with roughly 1,500 Starbucks and 360 Chipotle locations in Texas already deploying the technology, according to his analysis of human-centric AI.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.