Actor Matthew McConaughey is once again hinting at a future in politics, this time after a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Italy that he says sharpened his thinking on faith, governance, and the moral stakes of artificial intelligence. McConaughey, who considered a run for Texas governor in 2021 but ultimately passed, told USA […] The post Matthew McConaughey floats political ambitions after sit-down with Pope Leo XIV appeared first on American Almanac .
Actor Matthew McConaughey is once again hinting at a future in politics, this time after a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Italy that he says sharpened his thinking on faith, governance, and the moral stakes of artificial intelligence. McConaughey, who considered a run for Texas governor in 2021 but ultimately passed, told USA Today in an interview published August 15 that the papal visit earlier this month left him more interested than ever in building what he called a values-based framework for public life. He stopped short of announcing a candidacy for any office, but his language carried the unmistakable cadence of a man keeping the door wide open. The actor, who describes himself as politically centrist, told the outlet he…Open
A former ABC News field producer has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit that accuses CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman of sexual harassment during their time together at the network, allegations that land just as Gutman's star is rising at his new home. Samira Said filed the suit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming […] The post CBS correspondent Matt Gutman faces sexual harassment claims in former colleague's wrongful termination suit appeared first on American Almanac .
A former ABC News field producer has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit that accuses CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman of sexual harassment during their time together at the network, allegations that land just as Gutman's star is rising at his new home. Samira Said filed the suit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming Gutman, ABC News, and parent company Disney as defendants. The complaint alleges Gutman made inappropriate remarks during two separate work assignments and that ABC fired Said in 2025 after refusing to accommodate mental health conditions she developed covering some of the most harrowing stories in recent years. The lawsuit arrives at an awkward moment for CBS. Gutman, 48, spent nearly two decades at ABC News…Open
AI:Samira Said, a former ABC News field producer, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court naming CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman, ABC News, and Disney as defendants. The complaint alleges that Gutman engaged in sexual harassment during their shared tenure at ABC, including allegedly rating a female colleague's physical appearance and making demeaning, sexualized insinuations toward Said during a work assignment. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims ABC failed to provide reasonable accommodations for mental health struggles Said developed after covering the Uvalde school shooting and eventually terminated her in 2025 despite her ongoing medical needs. These allegations surface at a time of significant…Open
Matthew McConaughey marked Woody Harrelson's 65th birthday with an Instagram caption that revived a long-running and genuinely strange question, whether the two Hollywood friends share the same biological father. McConaughey, 56, posted an older photo of the pair embracing and wrote, "from another mother? Happy birthday brother." The five-word tease landed with the subtlety of […] The post McConaughey stokes the brotherhood question again with birthday post for Harrelson appeared first on American Almanac .
Matthew McConaughey marked Woody Harrelson's 65th birthday with an Instagram caption that revived a long-running and genuinely strange question, whether the two Hollywood friends share the same biological father. McConaughey, 56, posted an older photo of the pair embracing and wrote, "from another mother? Happy birthday brother." The five-word tease landed with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, given that both men have spent years publicly entertaining the possibility that they are, in fact, half-brothers, and that a new Apple TV+ series built on that very premise is set to premiere September 23. The rumor is not tabloid invention. It traces back to McConaughey's own mother, who told Harrelson she "knew" his father, hinting at a past…Open
A slow-moving storm system has dumped more than two feet of rain on parts of south-central Texas since Monday, killing at least two people, triggering dozens of water rescues, and leaving more than 2.5 million residents in the path of still-falling rain as the week grinds toward its close. The National Weather Service issued Flash […] The post Deadly floods pound Texas Hill Country as governor declares emergency across 59 counties appeared first on American Almanac .
A slow-moving storm system has dumped more than two feet of rain on parts of south-central Texas since Monday, killing at least two people, triggering dozens of water rescues, and leaving more than 2.5 million residents in the path of still-falling rain as the week grinds toward its close. The National Weather Service issued Flash Flood Emergencies Friday morning for the Ozona area in Crockett County and for Sonora, where floodwaters threatened portions of Interstate 10. Those emergencies, the most urgent flood alerts the NWS can issue, followed at least five similar declarations on Thursday alone, as rivers across the Texas Hill Country surged to catastrophic levels. Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency covering 59 counties…Open
Former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo will return to Texas court Friday, as the judge overseeing his criminal trial weighs moving the case out of Uvalde.
Reports of four new cases of the New World screwworm in Texas have prompted local disaster declarations and calls for federal intervention to prevent the spread of the dangerous flesh-eating parasite.
Reports of four new cases of the New World screwworm in Texas have prompted local disaster declarations and calls for federal intervention to prevent the spread of the dangerous flesh-eating parasite. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Four new cases involving a flesh-eating parasite thought to have been eradicated in the United States in the 1960s have been confirmed, raising fears it could become endemic once again. KEY QUOTE: “I have activated the full use of all state resources to respond to the New World Screwworm threat. The protection of our ranchers, livestock producers, deer breeders, and the Texas economy from this pest is a top priority. We have eradicated this pest before, and we will do it again in close cooperation with our…Open
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) is accused of having an affair with an aide who later killed herself. His primary challenger, Brandon Herrera, is running on a pro-gun platform.
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) is facing accusations of an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Despite the release of explicit text messages allegedly exchanged between the two, the GOP lawmaker is refusing calls to resign.WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Tony Gonzales, former aide Regina Aviles, and several GOP lawmakers, including […] The post Congressman Refuses to Resign Amid Allegations of Affair With Staffer Who Burned Herself Alive. appeared first on The National Pulse .
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) is facing accusations of an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Despite the release of explicit text messages allegedly exchanged between the two, the GOP lawmaker is refusing calls to resign. WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Tony Gonzales, former aide Regina Aviles, and several GOP lawmakers, including Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Nancy Mace (R-SC). WHEN & WHERE: Aviles died by suicide in September 2025, with the rumored affair exposed a month later. The allegations have become a central issue in the Texas Republican primary , which began early voting on February 17, 2026. KEY QUOTE: “I will not resign. I work every day for the people of Texas. And…Open