Trump’s oozing influence in the Texas primary runoffs and U.S. revives strikes in Iran: Morning Rundown

In today’s newsletter: The question of Trump’s GOP influence returns as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn are pitted against each other in one of the state’s primary runoffs. The U.S. military conducts strikes on Iran near the Strait of Hormuz and California officials narrow evacuation orders after the threat of a major chemical explosion dwindles.

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John Cornyn’s last stand and Democratic fights: What to watch in Today’s Texas elections

Today’s primary runoffs in Texas will put President Donald Trump’s endorsement to the test again — the latest step in a mission to punish some incumbent Republicans Trump has deemed insufficiently loyal.

State Attorney General Ken Paxton has received the president’s backing in the Senate Republican primary runoff over longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn. The move prompted concerns from party members who believe Paxton, who was impeached on bribery and corruption charges in 2023 and later acquitted, could put the Senate seat at risk.

Neither candidate won a majority of the vote in the March 3 primary. Cornyn finished narrowly ahead of Paxton, 42%-41%, in that contest.

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Though Cornyn has noted that the president “has consistently called me a friend,” his support of eliminating the Senate filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act and his hesitance to support Trump in 2016 have been sticking points. Cornyn did eventually endorse Trump in 2024.

The Paxton-Cornyn bout is one of several highly contested primaries happening in Texas.

Read more from our live coverage of today’s elections.

For Subscribers: A million people on Mars, a billion SpaceX shares: Inside Elon Musk’s peculiar performance-based bonuses

How long will it be before a permanent human colony is established on Mars? Scientists say we have a long way to go, but the benchmark is one of several oddities in an investor prospectus that SpaceX filed last week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The reality is that Mars is an incredibly inhospitable place for humans to live,” said Briony Horgan, a professor of planetary science at Purdue University in Indiana.

According to the prospectus, the SpaceX board in January approved giving CEO Elon Musk 1 billion shares of stock if the company establishes a permanent human colony on Mars with at least 1 million people, along with other milestones. It also detailed that he intends to hold 85% voting control over the company and wear three hats: chairman, chief executive officer and chief technology officer.

The IPO could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire based on his existing equity in the company, before he vests in any performance-based shares, and it could be the biggest IPO ever.

The compensation deal does not include a specific deadline for the Mars project, but with Musk’s current large share of the company, he would benefit from any appreciation in the stock price.

Read more on Elon Musk’s enterprising goals for Mars here.

U.S. military conducts strikes in Iran near the Strait of Hormuz

After a weekend that saw Trump raise and then lower expectations that an agreement to end the war in Iran may be close, the U.S. military struck targets near the Strait of Hormuz.

There was no announcement of any change in the temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which went into effect April 8. The U.S. targeted “missile launch sites” and “Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines,” according to a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.

Trump and his team have suggested a deal could be imminent, though Tehran has been more reserved in its assessment of the talks.

The framework of a potential agreement, according to a senior administration official, would give the two sides 60 days to reach a full peace deal.

One of Trump’s priorities remains Iran giving up the “nuclear dust” — his term for enriched uranium.

In exchange, the U.S. would gradually lift its naval blockade and offer Iran long-sought financial relief for its ailing economy. However, the official said this would only happen once Tehran followed through on its side of the agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. If the deal goes into effect soon, the 60-day window would push the next ceasefire deadline to late July or early August.

Read more about the latest in negotiations to end the war in Iran.

Thousands can return home after ‘catastrophic’ explosion risk at California tank is averted

Evacuation orders were lowered from around 60,000 to 16,000 people in a Los Angeles city area after an overheating at a chemical tank spurred first responders and experts to descend on the facility.

“The most catastrophic and worst-case scenario was mitigated and resolved,” interim Orange County Fire Chief TJ McGovern said.

The incident began on Thursday at a GKN Aerospace facility, where Orange County fire officials found that temperatures in a tank of methyl methacrylate, a toxic chemical used to manufacture resins and plastics, were rising. At one point, the temperature gauge read 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest the gauge would go. By Monday, it had dropped to 93 degrees, an official said.

Millions of gallons of water have been poured onto the tank to lower the temperature inside. Although a fire and a very small explosion risk are still a concern, no injuries or contamination from the incident have been reported.

Evacuation orders will be re-evaluated today, officials said, for the remaining 16,000 people.

Read more about the latest emergency response efforts here.

It’s not too late to shop Home Depot’s Memorial Day sale

With deals starting as low as $2, now’s the perfect time to save big on home tools, gardening supplies, appliances and more. For the DIYers among us, there’s tons of discounts on hand tools and paint supplies, but there are major markdowns across the entire site . Hurry, the sale ends tomorrow.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.

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