(The Center Square) – Small businesses owners applying for federal loans will now face extra identification requirements following changes by the Trump administration.
The Small Business Administration unveiled new fraud prevention efforts this week, including citizenship verification to ensure benefiting businesses are not owned wholly or partially by noncitizens.
The new rules also require date of birth verification to ensure loans do not go to applicants using the identities of children or the deceased.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said in a statement that the move builds upon other “common-sense reforms” the SBA and the Department of Government Efficiency are taking to root out and prevent “rampant fraud” occurring during the last four years.
“Unlike the previous Administration, we respect the American taxpayer and are dedicated to ensuring every dollar entrusted to this agency goes to support eligible, legitimate small businesses,” Loeffler said. “With these simple fraud prevention measures, we will end the abuse of our loan programs – with stronger safeguards to hold bad actors accountable.”
Much of the fraud stemmed from the lack of safeguards in aid programs that were created or greatly expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While SBA distributed more than $1 trillion in loans and grants to 10 million small businesses during the pandemic,more than 2 million recipients were “likely fraudulent” according to an analysis from the Government Accountability Office, as previously reported by The Center Square.
Parents who lost daughters in the Camp Mystic flood tragedy called the deaths “100% preventable” and urged Texas lawmakers to mandate safety reforms for camps statewide. Camp Mystic, located in flash flood-prone “Flash Flood Alley,” removed from a 100-year floodplain by FEMA appeals, lacked alarms, communication systems, and an evacuation plan, instructing campers to stay in cabins during floods. Parents criticized this plan, highlighting previous flood risks and inadequate safety protocols compared to schools. They support Senate Bill 1, proposing mandatory emergency plans, weather radios, floodplain restrictions, and staff training. The bill aims to prevent future tragedies at Texas camps.
(The Center Square) – Parents who lost their daughters from flood waters at Camp Mystic said their deaths were “100% preventable” and asked the legislature to implement mandatory safety protocols for camps statewide.
Camp Mystic, an elite Hill Country multi-million-dollar enterprise, repeatedly appealed to FEMA to remove it from a 100-year flood plain designation; the appeals were granted, according to federal records. Located in “Flash Flood Alley,” the Guadeloupe River tore through part of the camp, taking the lives of 27 campers and counselors and one of the camp’s owners.
The camp charges roughly $8,800 for four weeks and roughly $15,000 for the summer, with an additional $2,000 for horseback riding, a relative who lost a camper told The Center Square. The camp had no alarms, no cell phone tower or communication capabilities, including radios, or evacuation system in place, parents said. Campers were told to stay in their cabins.
A Houston area mother, Lindsey McLeod McCrory, who attended the camp, told news outlets the policy she and others followed during a 1987 flood event was to stay in their cabins. Thirty-eight years later, her daughter, Blakely, died from flood waters that killed the youngest children bunked just feet from the river.
At a Texas Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, Michael McCown, who lost his daughter, Linnie, 8, said, “We trusted Camp Mystic with her precious life, but that trust was broken in the most devastating way. The camp had a heightened duty of care, and they failed to perform. That failure costs 25 campers and two young counselors their lives. No one had to die that day.”
“We did not send Linnie to a war zone. We sent her to camp. We trusted that she would be safe. There was never a question in my mind that a camp would not be prepared.”
The camp’s no cell phone policy should not apply to staff, he said, adding that all camps should have “fully up-to-date” communication systems and “safety measures must not lag behind.” He expressed support for SB 1, which includes “keeping cabins out of floodplains, requiring real emergency plans, mandating weather radios and alert systems,” which he said “should already be the baseline for every summer camp.”
Cici Williams Steward told the committee, “My daughter was stolen from us. Cile’s life ended. Not because of an unavoidable act of nature. But because of preventable failures.”
Her daughter, Cile Steward, 8, is the only Camp Mystic camper still missing. She is one of two known victims who remain unaccounted for.
“Texas summer camps must be properly equipped, trained, and held accountable so that future generations of children can experience the joy of camp without being placed in preventable danger,” Steward said. “Cile’s chance to experience camp only existed because I was ensured that her safety and the safety of all the young girls was paramount. I ask you, what could have been more important than that? But that assurance was betrayed. Obvious common sense safety measures were absent. Protocols that should have been in place were ignored.”
Clark Baker, who lost his daughter, Mary Grace, said, “My daughter should still be here. Her death was 100% preventable. Complacency, among other things, led to the deaths of 27 amazing, innocent, beautiful girls. We can’t let complacency claim the life of another child. We simply ask for mandatory, common sense, state regulated safety protocols for camps.”
“Camps, especially those in areas prone to flash floods, should have adequate warning systems and not build cabins in dangerous floodplains,” he said. “Surely don’t put 8- and 9-year-olds in them. Have a legitimate evacuation plan. Know the plan. Practice the plan. Train workers and counselors to implement the plan.” He said camps “should be held to a standard similar to other institutions that oversee our children.”
Baker, who lives in Beaumont, said, “Hurricane Harvey hit us hard. The very next year we were blasted by Hurricane Imelda. These disasters were both considered 500-year-floods.” Another flood or natural disaster “will happen again,” he said, which is why safety measures must be put in place for 1,100 camps in Texas.
Blake Bonner, who lost his daughter, Lila, said, “Knowing what we know now about that night makes one thing painfully clear. … This was an act of pure complacency. A common tragic theme you will find amongst the 27 angels we lost is that they … followed the rules. They did exactly what they were told to do that morning: stay in their cabins.
“Our daughters paid the ultimate price for their obedience to a plan that was destined to fail. This risk is obviously not theoretical.”
He said what happened was “Preventable failure. It was a failure of planning, prevention, detection and response. Which leads us to the questions that will forever haunt us: Why were our children sleeping in a known high risk flood zone? Why was the stated evacuation plan to stay in place? Why were there no adequate warning systems in the cabins, despite a similar tragedy on the very river as recently as 1987? Why were summer camps entrusted with the care of our most precious gifts, exempt from the basic safety standards required of every daycare and school in Texas?
“These are the questions that demand answers … in the form of meaningful legislative action. To delay action is to tell every parent in Texas that their child’s safety is not a priority. It is to accept a risk that has already been paid by the lives of our daughters.”
Every parent who testified expressed support for SB 1, which includes a series of reforms for camp safety in Texas. The committee advanced the bill, which is expected to pass the legislature and be signed into law.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article reports on a tragic event and the subsequent calls for legislative action to improve safety standards at summer camps. It presents the perspectives of grieving parents and details the failures that led to the tragedy without using charged or partisan language. The focus is on factual recounting of events, testimonies, and proposed safety reforms, rather than promoting a particular political ideology. The content adheres to neutral reporting by highlighting the need for common-sense safety measures and legislative responses, which are broadly supported across the political spectrum, rather than advancing a specific partisan agenda.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-20 20:02:00
The Texas House passed a controversial redistricting bill 88-52 after Democrats fled for over two weeks in protest, accusing Republicans of racism. Rep. Todd Hunter, author of the bill, criticized Democrats for leaving instead of negotiating. Democrats, including Rep. Nicole Collier, called the plan racist and oppressive, comparing their walkout to historical escapes from oppression. Republicans, like Rep. Katrina Pierson, defended the bill, citing increased minority representation and disputing claims of gerrymandering. They highlighted shifting voter values and recent election results favoring Republicans. House Speaker Dustin Burrows praised members who supported the bill, affirming its legality and commitment to constituents.
(The Center Square) – After House Democrats absconded for more than two weeks in opposition to a Congressional redistricting bill, the Texas House on Wednesday passed the bill by a vote of 88-52.
It was passed after roughly eight hours of debate during which the majority of Democrats called Republicans racist.
State Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, filed HB 4, the redistricting bill, which was added to the call for the first and second legislative special sessions. He also authored the redistricting bill the legislature passed in 2021 that remains in litigation.
“I’ve heard a lot of comments, and I will tell you I don’t take them personally,” Hunter said. “These are tough issues. I feel like sometimes that I’m a pinata with no candy, just being hit. But I respect all of you.” Speaking to Democrats who fled the state, he said, “you left for 17 to 19 days and most of the comments I’ve heard could have been handled, discussed or mutually resolved in this House within that time. You chose to leave … that’s your choice. We chose to stay. That was our choice.”
State Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, like her colleagues, said the redistricting plan was racist. Collier on Monday refused to comply with House rules she voted for, not leaving the chamber, The Center Square reported. On Wednesday, she asked Hunter if he was aware that during the time of slavery, Blacks fled, or that during Nazi rule, Jews fled. “They fled their oppressor,” she said, accusing House Republicans of being oppressors, saying they “don’t reflect the diversity of Texas.”
She also complained that House Democrats weren’t involved in the redistricting process, to which Hunter replied they were gone for 17 days and chose not to be a part of the process.
“When you are oppressed, you flee the oppressors,” she said.
In response, state Rep. Katrina Pierson, R-Rockwall, said, “Chairman Hunter may not have taken the personal attacks and disrespect personally, but I did. The opposition gets to stand here and grandstand and say pretty much anything that they want, and we’re expected to stand here and just take it.
“You call my voters racist. You call my party racist, but yet we’re expected to follow the rules. Well, that double standard ends today.”
“More minority voters are voting their values, not their skin color,” she continued. “Many of them are moving to Texas to escape blue states because their values have been successfully gerrymandered into suppression. I’ve heard the accusations that this mid-decade redistricting is going to silence voters, and that it misrepresents the population of Texas. The facts don’t match the rhetoric.”
She said that under current congressional maps, Texas has zero Black CVAP (citizen voting age population) districts. Under the new map, there are two. She also replied to Collier’s claim, saying that Blacks fled during slavery to Republican states.
“I have heard repeatedly that these maps are gerrymandered, but that doesn’t fit the narrative either. That’s just spin because in many parts of the state, the map eliminates gerrymandering; they emphasize compactness in whole counties and whole cities. Political performance isn’t just legal, it is fair. It reflects the voters of the state of Texas,” she said.
She also pointed out that President Donald Trump won Hispanic voters in Texas in the last election. “President Trump flipped 11 out of 18 counties on the Texas-Mexico border. He doubled his support from 2020. Political performance is the driver” behind the redistricting. “You lost,” she told Democrats. “Get over it.”
After the vote, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, thanked members who carried the bill, also saying the new map is constitutional and legal.
“These past few weeks have not been easy, but the House members who showed up for work every day have shown a dedication to their constituents that will not be forgotten,” he said.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article primarily reports on the conflict between Texas House Democrats and Republicans over the redistricting bill, presenting statements from both sides. However, the language and framing lean toward a Center-Right perspective. This is evident in the article’s emphasis on Republican responses that frame the opposition’s actions as avoidance of legislative responsibilities and accusations of partisanship or grandstanding. The article quotes Republicans defending the bill as legal and fair, highlighting improvements such as increased minority representation, and portraying Democrats as obstructive. While Democratic criticisms are included, the tone and selection of quotations tend to subtly favor the Republican viewpoint, making the piece more aligned with Center-Right coverage rather than a strictly neutral report of events and positions. The overall presentation suggests some ideological inclination by highlighting Republican justifications and downplaying the democratic arguments beyond labeling them as accusations or rhetoric.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-20 15:31:00
White Hawk Carriers and driver Harjinder Singh are under investigation after Singh, an Indian asylum seeker, caused a fatal crash in Florida killing three. Singh performed a dangerous U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, leading to a collision that killed three occupants of a minivan. Singh had limited English proficiency and failed to properly identify road signs. Despite this, Washington issued him a full-term commercial driver’s license and California gave him a limited-term license, both now under federal review. The U.S. Department of Transportation accuses Washington, New Mexico, and California of violating FMCSA rules by improperly licensing Singh. Singh now faces vehicular homicide charges in Florida.
(The Center Square) – White Hawk Carriers, an interstate freight carrier in Ceres, Calif., is under investigation along with one of its drivers facing three charges of vehicular homicide in Florida.
Additionally, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules were violated by the states of Washington and New Mexico. California’s issuance of a license is also under investigation.
“If states had followed the rules, this driver would have never been behind the wheel and three precious lives would still be with us,” Duffy said. “This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures. Nonenforcement and radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles.”
Harjinder Singh, the accused seen on video from inside his truck making a U-turn in a 70 mph zone of the Florida Turnpike, had correct responses to two of 12 verbal questions on an English language proficiency assessment and correctly identified only one of four highway traffic signs during an interview with the Motor Carrier Administration.
This comes after Washington issued him a full-term commercial driver’s license on July 15, 2023, despite asylum seekers or individuals without legal status not being eligible, the Transportation Department said. On July 23, 2024, he was issued a limited-term/nondomiciled CDL by California, a license now under federal probe.
On July 3 of this year, Singh was given a speeding ticket and administered a roadside inspection by the New Mexico State Police. The Transportation Department said the English language proficiency assessment was started June 25 and there’s no indication the trooper enforced it.
Singh is from India and sought asylum in America.
“In some of these states, you have liberal governors who don’t want to comply with the law,” Duffy said in a television interview. “They think that they know best and that we’re just trying to be mean to illegals. But whether you’re going to fly on an airplane, you’re going to be a train, or you’re going to be on the American roadway, you deserve to be safe and you expect that your federal government is going to have smart policies in place that do keep you safe. They just blatantly in New Mexico said, ‘We’re not going to comply with federal regulation and give him that road test.’”
On social media, Duffy wrote, “If you can’t speak our national language or read our road signs, you are not qualified to drive a truck.”
A Chrysler Town & Country minivan slams into the trailer that suddenly blocked its lanes. All three inside the minivan were killed – a 30-year-old man from Florida City driving, and a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami.
Singh was not injured.
Singh has appeared in a Stockton, Calif., court and signed papers allowing his extradition to Florida to face charges. Duffy said his department’s investigation will support the ongoing criminal probe in Florida.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Right-Leaning
The article presents information about a tragic incident involving an immigrant truck driver and highlights statements from a government official that strongly criticize immigration policies and state compliance with federal regulations. The language used, such as “radical immigration policies,” “lawless frontier,” and emphasis on the driver’s alleged lack of qualifications tied to immigration status, reflects a critical stance toward liberal immigration policies and state governments described as “liberal.” While the article reports facts about the investigation and the incident, the inclusion and framing of quotes from the Transportation Secretary, along with the focus on immigration enforcement failures, suggest a right-leaning ideological perspective rather than neutral reporting.
