Read the text messages at the center of the Ted Cruz scandal

In the episode, Mayor Quimby claims he's canceling plans for a trip to the Bahamas in an effort to deal with a pandemic that has taken over Springfield. He tells everyone to stay home.

Patagonia looking at Ted Cruz wearing their jacket. Eventually, the sound of a steel drum soloist nearly gives him away. Ted Cruz's Cancun trip.

"A lot of Texans are mad, are pissed off", Cruz said. Renewable energy proponents, including Bill Gates, are pushing back, pointing out that the state runs largely on fossil fuels and wind power accounted for less than 13% of the 30 to 35 gigawatts of total outages. In less than two hours it had raised $325,000, and she said about two hours later that it had hit $1 million. Our homes are freezing and our lights are out.

Sen. Ted Cruz: "Yesterday, my daughters asked if they could take a trip with some friends, and Heidi and I agreed, so I flew down with them last night, dropped them off here, and now I'm headed back to Texas and back continuing to work to try to get the power on".

"My staff and I are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas", Cruz said.

Although electricity has been restored in most of the state, supermarkets are reported to be running out of food and 13 million - half of the state's population - are under "boil water" orders, with many still without power after five days. "Quoting again, 'My team and I will continue using all our resources to keep Texans informed and safe.' Apparently doing that from the Cancun office". He was met by protesters calling for his resignation at Houston's airport - and in the bitter cold outside his home. "In hindsight, I wouldn't have done it", the 50-year-old Republican told reporters as he returned to Houston on Thursday. Okay - now I'm really really really mad!' said one person.

It would appear as though public pressure forced Ted Cruz into an earlier than expected return to Texas, with NBC news reporting that he had initially meant to return on Saturday, but booked a return flight at 6am local time on Thursday.

US commits $4 billion to COVAX vaccine initiative
Biden administration officials said their focus was also on vaccinating Americans and sought to separate the domestic and worldwide efforts.

Cruz said he had planned to stay through the weekend, but had second thoughts "almost the moment I sat down on the plane".

"Please, Simba, please, I just needed a vacation".

And he was well aware of the backlash. "The only reason he came back is because he got caught", Ana Navarro said, commenting on the topic.

"I'm here trying to take care of my family and look after my friends and others that are still without power".

The embarrassing disaster has China rubbing its hands in glee even as President Biden is walking Washington back into the climate change accord, which his predecessor Donald Trump took the United States out of to walk into the cold.

This is far from the first time The Simpsons has been cited for accurately predicting the future.