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2 days ago
Gov. Greg Abbott wants to extend Texas’ DEI ban to K-12 schools
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott wants to extend Texas’ DEI ban to K-12 schoolsIn 2023, Texas passed a DEI ban at the state’s public universities. Now Abbott wants the state to stop funding diversity programs in K-12 schools.
2 days ago
Texas Democrats hope to benefit after boosting Dustin Burrows to House speaker
Read full article: Texas Democrats hope to benefit after boosting Dustin Burrows to House speakerThe Democrats’ short list of possible benefits: A leader who learned to keep promises, a chance at chairing committees, and what they see as more chances for a fairer playing field.
3 days ago
Texas K-9 officer shot in line of duty making strong recovery
Read full article: Texas K-9 officer shot in line of duty making strong recoveryK-9 Rocky, a U.S. Marshals dog injured during a manhunt for a Brazoria County deputy’s suspected killer, is expected to recover, but officials say it could “take a while.”
2 days ago
State employees suspected of stealing from low-income Texans' public assistance accounts
Read full article: State employees suspected of stealing from low-income Texans' public assistance accountsSeven human services employees were fired after a string of fraud and theft — and the largest data breach in agency history.
3 days ago
Trump promised mass deportations. Here’s one way they could quietly happen.
Read full article: Trump promised mass deportations. Here’s one way they could quietly happen.The new administration could use the existing system of federal agents, local police and jails to funnel more people into the deportation pipeline.
3 days ago
Feds refer Texas’ Harvey funding discrimination case to Justice Department
Read full article: Feds refer Texas’ Harvey funding discrimination case to Justice DepartmentThe U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development confirmed its finding that Texas unfairly favored white residents in rural areas when it distributed $1 billion in Harvey aid in 2021.
3 days ago
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 22 other states sue to halt planned federal methane fines
Read full article: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 22 other states sue to halt planned federal methane finesThe rule fines certain oil and gas facilities that exceed federal limits for methane emissions.
3 days ago
Trump to tap Texas “border czar” to lead U.S. Border Patrol, report says
Read full article: Trump to tap Texas “border czar” to lead U.S. Border Patrol, report saysMike Banks, a former Border Patrol agent, has served in his current role as a special advisor to Gov. Greg Abbott since January 2023.
3 days ago
Texas lawmakers eye sharing health care workers with other states to address provider shortages
Read full article: Texas lawmakers eye sharing health care workers with other states to address provider shortagesAdvocates say interstate compacts, which allow professionals to use their work licenses in multiple states, can solve Texas’ workforce shortage. Skeptics fear Texas would send more workers than it would receive.
2 days ago
Cowboy Carter Chronicles: From Juneteenth to Sundown Towns, a new chapter in American History
Read full article: Cowboy Carter Chronicles: From Juneteenth to Sundown Towns, a new chapter in American HistoryDiscover forgotten Black history in the American West with the #CowboyCarterChronicles! From Juneteenth to sundown towns, explore new pathways to freedom inspired by Beyoncé.
Criminal appeals court to rehear election wrongdoing case involving Washington County Republican
Read full article: Criminal appeals court to rehear election wrongdoing case involving Washington County RepublicanThe Court of Criminal Appeals will rehear a case it threw out last year. Three of the judges became targets of Attorney General Ken Paxton over another ruling and lost reelection.
3 days ago
Texas should close prisons and jails with staffing challenges, state oversight panel says
Read full article: Texas should close prisons and jails with staffing challenges, state oversight panel saysA report found up to 70% of guard positions were unfilled at some prisons. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has a 26% staff turnover rate.
U.S. Supreme Court weighing constitutionality of Texas’ age-verification requirement for porn sites
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court weighing constitutionality of Texas’ age-verification requirement for porn sitesThe Supreme Court’s decision on Texas’ law, which adult entertainment website attorneys said were the most overreaching in the country, could determine the fate of similar laws in more than a dozen other states.
Texas GOP chair claims church-state separation is a myth as lawmakers, pastors prep for “spiritual battle”
Read full article: Texas GOP chair claims church-state separation is a myth as lawmakers, pastors prep for “spiritual battle”Abraham George’s comments are the latest sign of the state GOP’s embrace of fundamentalist ideologies that seek to center public life around their faith.
Texans only Democrats in Congress to vote for bill restricting trans athletes
Read full article: Texans only Democrats in Congress to vote for bill restricting trans athletesRepublicans accused Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of supporting gender transitions for children throughout the 2024 election cycle, which he said took a political toll.
EPA report says “forever chemicals” in sewage-based fertilizer pose cancer risk
Read full article: EPA report says “forever chemicals” in sewage-based fertilizer pose cancer riskFertilizers that contain treated sewage tainted with toxic PFAS chemicals can be spread on farmland and pose a health risk to people who consume milk, eggs and beef, the agency says.
FBI releases new photo Shamsud-Din Jabbar, investigating ‘possible copycat’ threats
Read full article: FBI releases new photo Shamsud-Din Jabbar, investigating ‘possible copycat’ threatsThe FBI and Department of Homeland Security said it is concerned about "possible copycat or retaliatory attacks due to the persistent appeal of vehicle ramming as a tactic for aspiring violent extremist attackers.
3 days ago
Gov. Greg Abbott threatens Texas A&M president’s job over claim that university broke DEI ban
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott threatens Texas A&M president’s job over claim that university broke DEI banAbbott's comments came after A&M invited staffers and students to attend a conference that a conservative activist said broke the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
What Texas renters should know if they’ve been wrongfully evicted
Read full article: What Texas renters should know if they’ve been wrongfully evictedA Houston resident voiced concerns to property managers about the lack of hot water in his apartment and was given an eviction notice "due to this ongoing issue with the temperature of the hot water not satisfying you."
The Texas Legislature is back. Here’s what we’re watching.
Read full article: The Texas Legislature is back. Here’s what we’re watching.From debating school vouchers and improving the state’s water supply to reining in property taxes, the GOP-led body will look to pass its conservative priorities amid fighting within the party.
When is a business to blame for over-serving? Texas Supreme Court weighs the line in drunk driving case
Read full article: When is a business to blame for over-serving? Texas Supreme Court weighs the line in drunk driving caseThe court’s ruling could boost a state law that allows drunk driving victims to sue businesses that over-serve alcohol to intoxicated individuals.
Texas Supreme Court to decide legal battle over El Paso migrant shelter’s future
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court to decide legal battle over El Paso migrant shelter’s futureJustices on Monday heard arguments from Annunciation House, which is fighting to stay open, and the Texas Attorney General’s office, which claims the shelter’s work with migrants violates state law.
Texas Legislature 101: How bills become laws — and how you can participate in the process
Read full article: Texas Legislature 101: How bills become laws — and how you can participate in the processHere’s a rundown of how legislation moves through the Capitol, the ways lawmakers operate and who the power players are.
Mexican cattle banned from Texas due to screwworm threat
Read full article: Mexican cattle banned from Texas due to screwworm threatSince cattle imports were cut off in November, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and some ranchers worry about the ban’s economic impact on beef producers and consumers.