Updated at 4:14 AM CDT on Saturday, October 18, 2025
Gov. Abbott Speaks, Honored at 2025 Texas Nuclear Summit
Governor Greg Abbott today delivered remarks on Texas leading the nuclear renaissance in America and received the "Atomic Texan Award" at the 2025 Texas Nuclear Summit.
"As the Texas economy continues to grow, the lifeblood of every business increasingly depends upon affordable, reliable power," said Governor Abbott. "To power our future, Texas must be the epicenter for nuclear power generation. Altogether, we have amassed the resources, infrastructure, and the strategy to be able to advance the nuclear renaissance here in the state of Texas."
During his remarks, Governor Abbott noted his declaration in the State of the State address that it is time for Texas to lead the nuclear renaissance. Governor Abbott highlighted that in June he signed House Bill 14 into law, which established the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office (TANEO) and created a $350 million Texas Advanced Nuclear Development Fund to incentivize the development of the nuclear energy industry in Texas. Additionally, the Governor thanked the Texas legislature and nuclear energy advocates for their work in making Texas the epicenter of the nuclear energy supply chain.
President Trump Announces New Tarrifs on Heavy-Duty Trucks, Buses
President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (Act) to impose tariffs on imports of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and parts, and buses, to bolster American industry and protect national security.
The Proclamation imposes a 25% tariff on imports of medium- and heavy-duty trucks and truck parts.
Medium- and heavy-duty trucks include Class 3 to Class 8 vehicles, like large pick-up trucks, moving trucks, cargo trucks, dump trucks, and tractors for eighteen-wheelers.
For medium- and heavy-duty trucks that do not qualify for preferential tariff treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the tariff will apply to the full value of the vehicle. For medium- and heavy-duty trucks that qualify for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, the tariff will only apply to the value of the non-U.S. content in the vehicle.
The tariff on medium- and heavy-duty truck parts will apply to key parts, including engines, transmissions, tires, and chassis.
USMCA-compliant medium- and heavy-duty truck parts will not be subject to tariffs imposed in the Proclamation until the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, establishes a process to apply tariffs to the non-U.S. content of the parts.
The Proclamation imposes a 10% tariff on imports of buses, including school buses, transit buses, and motor coaches.
The Proclamation incentivizes domestic medium- and heavy-duty truck production by offering an offset to a portion of tariffs for medium- and heavy-duty truck parts equal to 3.75% of the aggregate value of all trucks assembled in the United States from 2025 through 2030. This percentage reflects the duty that would be owed when a 25% tariff is applied to 15% of the value of a U.S.-assembled medium- and heavy-duty truck.
This offset can be used to adjust any Section 232 medium- and heavy-duty truck part tariffs owed by a medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturer.
An equivalent offset program will also be established for medium- and heavy-duty truck engine manufacturers based on the value of medium- and heavy-duty truck engines assembled in the United States.
The president noted that trucks and buses are essential to U.S. national security and said that many countries were subsidizing the bus and truck manufacturing to flood U.S. markets with cheap vehicles.
State Department Warns Hamas May Soon Violate Ceasefire Agreement
The U.S. State Department said that Hamas may violate the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that was brokered by President Donald J. Trump last week if they attack the civilian population in Gaza.
The State Department noted videos posted online showing the militants carrying out public executions in various parts of Gaza. Hamas leaders also said that it will continue to retain a security presence in Gaza in violation of the agreement.
A key official said that the group’s actions directly threaten the ceasefire agreement and that, if further violations occur, then the Israeli military could resume operations against the terrorist group in Gaza.
Israeli Defense Forces have pulled back from the front lines in Gaza to allow for humanitarian aid and recovery efforts in Gaza.
Trina’s Kitchen: Pumpkin Stuffed Pasta Shells for Fall Dinners
Ingredients
6 ounces jumbo pasta shells (about 12 jumbo pasta shells)
1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese, part skim
3/4 cup pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, minced)
2 tablespoons basil
1/4 teaspoon sage, dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup spaghetti sauce (low sodium)
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
Preheat oven to 350 °F.
Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and place each on a baking sheet to cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, spices, and all but 1 tablespoon of the cheese. Reserve the 1 tablespoon cheese for topping.
Spread pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish that holds all the shells in a single layer. Fill each shell with about 3 tablespoons of pumpkin mixture and place shells close together on top of the sauce.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for 15 minutes more.
Eight Bit News Video
Eight Bit News visited the Tom Green County Library’s North Angelo Branch on Saturday. Here is our report on that visit.