![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Talarico20and20Paxton.jpg\" "\\"Texas")
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and State Rep. James Talarico are running against each other for U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n
Amanda McCoy (left image) and John Moore (right image)<\/p>\n
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (left image) and Getty Images (right image)<\/p>\n
The Star-Telegram\u2019s opinion section recently tackled the Texas U.S. Senate race, Arlington\u2019s World Cup moment, a new state law on kids\u2019 phone use and what American identity means in 2026. Below is a roundup of the columns and letters, each summarized in brief.<\/p>\n
Ken Paxton\u2019s Iceland trip<\/a> with a woman reportedly tied to the collapse of his marriage to state Sen. Angela Paxton drew Democratic attacks, but columnist Ryan J. Rusak argues that it\u2019s not likely to sway voters, who know that a marriage can be over even if a divorce is not final. See why he says affordability concerns tied to the trip fall flat, too.Rusak\u2019s Texas Senate Rundown<\/a> also highlights comedian Bill Maher calleing out Paxton\u2019s campaign for clipping Democrat James Talarico\u2019s border quote \u2014 \u201ca giant welcome mat out front, and we should have a lock on the door\u201d \u2014 to falsely suggest Talarico supports open borders.Arlington is basking in FIFA World Cup crowds at AT&T Stadium \u2014 dubbed \u201cDallas Stadium\u201d for soccer \u2014 but North Collins Street, the main gateway to the venue, still looks like a run-down state highway with utility lines, giant signs and aging businesses from the old Arlington Stadium era, columnist Bud Kennedy writes<\/a>.Texas\u2019 new App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) requires app stores to verify user ages and link minors\u2019 accounts to a parent who approves downloads and in-app purchases \u2014 80% of Texas parents back the requirement, and it passed with 93% support in the state House, writes policy analyst Hannah Bruck<\/a>.A letter from Gary Brown of Fort Worth urges Texas Christians weighing Paxton against Talarico for Senate to ask \u201cHow would Jesus vote?\u201d \u2014 pointing to compassion, forgiveness, servanthood and justice as the moral yardstick, in a Star-Telegram letters roundup<\/a>.A Dallas physician warns in a letter that data centers emit pollutants harmful to lungs<\/a>, hearts and kidneys and drive up electricity costs, forcing patients to choose between utilities and medications \u2014 a factor she says belongs in the development debate.USA TODAY columnist Nicole Russell, a former Star-Telegram opinion writer, argues that American exceptionalism comes from liberty rather than prosperity, citing the Supreme Court\u2019s June 30 ruling allowing schools to set female sports eligibility by biological sex<\/a> and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte\u2019s 2025 Free to Speak Act on pronoun use.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Do you have an opinion on this topic? Tell us! <\/p>\n We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news \u2014 and to publish those views in the Opinion section.<\/p>\n \u2022 Letters should be no more than 150 words. <\/p>\n \u2022 Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days. <\/p>\n \u2022 Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions. <\/p>\n You can submit a letter to the editor two ways: <\/p>\n \u2022 Email letters@star-telegram.com<\/a> (preferred).<\/p>\n