Texas
- Texas Supreme Court denies Ken Paxton's latest attempt to block state fair gun banwww.fox4news.com Texas Supreme Court denies Ken Paxton's latest attempt to block state fair gun ban
“This Court cannot possibly order the State Fair to allow handguns to be carried at this year’s Fair when the party seeking that relief does not even argue that Texas law obligates the Fair to do so," one of the justices wrote in a legal opinion.
Even other Republicans think Ken Paxton is bad at his job. This is some nice judicial snark:
>Remarkably, the State’s presentation to this Court takes no position on whether the State Fair of Texas, a private entity, has the legal authority to exclude patrons carrying handguns from the Fair. This may surprise many observers, given that the ostensible purpose of this litigation is to determine whether Texas law entitles law-abiding Texans to carry handguns at the State Fair despite the Fair’s recently enacted policy to the contrary.
Go ahead and read the whole thing, though, including the footnote. It's only 4 pages of double-spaced text with huge margins. They are not even disagreeing -- although they should -- but rather just laying into Paxton for how sloppy the filings were.
- Despite warnings, Texas rushed to remove millions from Medicaid. Eligible residents lost care.www.texastribune.org Despite warnings, Texas rushed to remove millions from Medicaid. Eligible residents lost care.
Texas officials acknowledged some errors after they stripped Medicaid coverage from more than 2 million people, most of them children. A ProPublica and Texas Tribune review of records shows that these mistakes and others were preventable.
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3205273
- Mustard beer? Fletcher's Corny Dogs selling strange beer with local brewery at the State Fair of Texaswww.wfaa.com Mustard beer? Fletcher's Corny Dogs selling strange beer with local brewery at the State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas staple is partnering with Fort Worth's Martin House Brewing to sell its own Mustard Beer on fairgrounds this year.
I don't like beer and I don't generally eat the food at the state fair, but I might make a trip for this.
Thanks to @RVLara23@mastodon.social for the original post on Mastodon
- Texas AG Ken Paxton files suit against Biden administration for classifying West Texas lizard as endangeredwww.wfaa.com Texas AG Ken Paxton files suit against Biden administration for classifying West Texas lizard as endangered
The dunes sagebrush lizard have lost more than 95% of their habitat to sand mining and oil and gas development, officials say.
- A dramatic rise in pregnant women dying in Texas after abortion banwww.nbcnews.com A dramatic rise in pregnant women dying in Texas after abortion ban
Exclusive analysis finds the rate of maternal deaths in Texas increased 56% from 2019 to 2022, compared with just 11% nationwide during the same time period.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/20021549
- Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Harris County over new version of ‘Uplift Harris’ programwww.click2houston.com Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Harris County over new version of ‘Uplift Harris’ program
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is not letting up on efforts to stop the controversial Uplift Harris program.
- Democrats build momentum in Texas Senate race
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/20368025
> Vote, get active, get involved > > Find how to register to vote for where you are > > Find opportunities to volunteer for dems around you
- The University of North Texas' body parts business: Cutting up and leasing out the poorwww.nbcnews.com The University of North Texas' body parts business: Cutting up and leasing out the poor
The University of North Texas Health Science Center built a flourishing business using hundreds of unclaimed corpses. It suspended the program after NBC News exposed failures to treat the dead and their families with respect.
- Texas man sentenced to 3 years in prison for kicking cat like 'a football field goal' on videowww.nbcnews.com Texas man sentenced to 3 years in prison for kicking cat like 'a football field goal' on video
The abuse of the cat in a Beaumont parking lot was recorded on video and shared on social media. The cat was propelled 12 to 20 feet in the air.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19637526
> https://ghostarchive.org/archive/iHXDz > > https://archive.ph/WxdTL
- Trial begins in alleged ‘Trump Train’ ambush of Biden-Harris bus in 2020www.theguardian.com Trial begins in alleged ‘Trump Train’ ambush of Biden-Harris bus in 2020
Plaintiffs in lawsuit allege they were terrorized for more than 90 minutes as at least 40 vehicles encircled the bus
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19575830
> Plaintiffs in lawsuit allege they were terrorized for more than 90 minutes as at least 40 vehicles encircled the bus > > A jury trial opening in Austin, Texas, on Monday will seek to hold Trump supporters accountable for allegedly ambushing a Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign bus on the state’s main highway in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election. > > Plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege they were terrorised and intimidated for more than 90 minutes as they took a bus tour canvassing for the Democratic ticket in the final days of the election. > > At least 40 vehicles flying Make America great again flags formed themselves into a so-called “Trump Train” and encircled the bus, trying to run it off the road and playing what the suit claims was a “madcap game of highway ‘chicken’”. > > The plaintiffs, who include the bus driver, a Biden campaign staffer and Wendy Davis, the former Texas senator and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, say they were forced to cancel campaign events for fear that the intimidation would be repeated. They are pursuing punitive damages under both Texas law and the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a federal statute from the Reconstruction period designed to end political violence and voter intimidation.
- Parts of TX “out of water” says ag commissioner
But that’s ok because Nestle will upsell it back to you in a bottle labeled Ozarka after they’ve finished pumping it all from Canton.
- State Senator says DOJ has yet to investigate claims that Republicans are violating Texans’ voting rightswww.wfaa.com State Senator says DOJ has yet to investigate claims that Republicans are violating Texans’ voting rights
State Sen. Nathan Johnson: “They’re actively discouraging voter participation. I find that anything but election integrity.”
- Texas sues to block Biden rule protecting privacy for women who get abortions
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/28425809
> Texas sued the Biden administration in an effort to block a new rule that seeks to protect the privacy of women living in states that ban abortion who travel out of state for the procedure. > > In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, opens new tab in Lubbock, Texas, the state is asking a federal judge to strike down the rule, which prohibits healthcare providers and insurers from giving state law enforcement authorities information about reproductive healthcare that is legal where it was provided. > > President Joe Biden, a Democrat, said in announcing the rule in April that no one should have their medical records "used against them, their doctor, or their loved one just because they sought or received lawful reproductive health care."
- Texans tax dollars at workwww.commondreams.org Texas Gov. Spent $221 Million on Migrant Busing 'Political Stunt' | Common Dreams
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spent over $221 million to bus nearly 120,000 migrants to Democrat-led cities.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19456280
> Texas Gov. Spent $221 Million on Migrant Busing 'Political Stunt'
- Group sues Texas over law banning state business with firms “boycotting” fossil fuelsapnews.com Group sues Texas over law banning state business with firms “boycotting” fossil fuels
A progressive business group sued Texas on Thursday over a 2021 law that restricts state investments in companies that, according to the state, “boycott” the fossil fuel industry.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/28269337
- Texas GOP Invents Corporate Courts Ready to Do Industry's Biddingwww.commondreams.org Texas GOP Invents Corporate Courts Ready to Do Industry's Bidding | Common Dreams
As of the beginning of this month, corporations in Texas have access to nearly a dozen courts created specifically for the purpose of settling major business cases as well as a statewide panel that will hear appeals from the newly established courts.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19412621
- Texas AG Ken Paxton warns Lina Hidalgo against mailing voter registration formswww.chron.com Texas AG threatens to sue Harris County over voter registration push
Ken Paxton said sending out forms would lead ineligible people, such as felons and noncitizens, to commit a crime by attempting to register to vote.
Paxton said he'd sue Harris and Bexar counties if they sent voter registration forms to "unverified recipients".
I wonder why Paxton doesn't want Harris county to vote.
- Dallas police officer 'executed,' 2 others injured in targeted shootings: Chiefabcnews.go.com Dallas police officer 'executed,' 2 others injured in targeted shootings: Chief
One police officer has been shot and killed and two others wounded after a shooting in Dallas, authorities have confirmed.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19340554
> The shooter is a sovereign citizen.
- Texas resident used Apple AirTags to discover plastics taken to Houston recycling centers aren't being recycledwww.tomshardware.com Texas resident used Apple AirTags to discover plastics taken to Houston recycling centers aren't being recycled
Recyclable trash is just being dumped in a private open lot.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/28144160
- Texas judge decides Texas is a perfectly good venue for X to sue Media Mattersarstechnica.com Texas judge decides Texas is a perfectly good venue for X to sue Media Matters
Judge says Musk critic "targeted" advertisers in Texas, denies motion to dismiss.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/21655258
> Attack on free speech by the free speech guy.
- Colin Allred’s understated campaign strategy draws mixed reviews from fellow Democratswww.texastribune.org Colin Allred’s understated campaign strategy draws mixed reviews from fellow Democrats
Allred’s sharp divergence from Beto O’Rourke’s more active campaign style has stirred dissent among some Democrats. His allies say it’s working.
>Allred’s sharp divergence from Beto O’Rourke’s more active campaign style has stirred dissent among some Democrats. His allies say it’s working.
>Six years after Beto O'Rourke’s electrifying Senate campaign set the standard for Texas Democrats seeking statewide office, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is taking a completely different approach in his own bid to oust U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
>Allred, a third-term Dallas congressman, has been far less visible on the campaign trail, opting for events with smaller and more curated audiences in the major cities and select suburbs, rather than the casual town hall-style rallies O'Rourke held in every corner of the state. And instead of O’Rourke’s unapologetic liberal stands which activated legions of young voters, Allred has adopted a more calibrated message aimed at winning over moderates. He’s running ads that portray him as "tough" on the border and willing to work across the aisle, while keeping his distance from his party's standard-bearers, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
>Allred's sharp divergence from O'Rourke's more active and freewheeling style has stirred dissent and even signs of panic among a segment of Texas Democratic activists who say Allred should be holding more rallies, small-dollar fundraisers and other publicly accessible events. The more buttoned-up approach, they argue, is unlikely to inspire the sort of grassroots energy that helped O'Rourke build a juggernaut volunteer turnout operation and come within three points of ending Texas Democrats’ statewide drought
- Texas inmate is exonerated after spending nearly 34 years in prison for wrongful convictionapnews.com Texas man is exonerated after spending nearly 34 years in prison for wrongful conviction
A Texas man who spent 34 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted has been exonerated. A Dallas County judge granted a motion by prosecutors on Thursday to dismiss an aggravated robbery charge against 59-year-old Benjamin Spencer in the carjacking and death of Jeffrey Young.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/27939300
> A Texas man who spent 34 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of aggravated assault was exonerated Thursday by a Dallas County judge who ruled that he is actually innocent. > > The judge approved a motion by the Dallas County District Attorney’s office to dismiss the case against Benjamin Spencer, 59, who was initially convicted in 1987 of murder in the carjacking and death of Jeffrey Young. > > “This day has been a long time coming. I am relieved and humbled to help correct this injustice,” said Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot. > > Spencer, who has maintained his innocence, saw his 1987 conviction later overturned. He was then tried again and convicted and sentenced to life in prison for aggravated robbery of Young.
- Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scandal set off a summer of turmoilwww.cnn.com Texas megachurch faces exodus of worshippers after a sex abuse scandal set off a summer of turmoil | CNN
Summer was off to a tumultuous start when allegations of child sexual abuse surfaced on a blog dedicated to Christian survivor stories. This time, the man involved had gone on to lead one of America’s largest megachurches.
cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/40984682
> Robert Morris, who founded and led Gateway Church for nearly 25 years in the affluent Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Southlake, Texas, resigned after the scandal came to light in June. His exit sent thousands of evangelicals into a season of struggle that has lasted months. > > Last week, a pastor who oversaw all of Gateway’s campuses departed amid an undisclosed “moral issue,” becoming the latest in a series of changes for the church: The cancellation of its annual conference. The departure of Morris’ successor. The renaming of its Houston campus and an exodus of worshippers. > > At each weekend service, worshippers continue to face reminders of the scandal, with interim or guest pastors kicking off their sermons saying “I’m sorry,” talking about grief or finding hope in difficult times. They’ve noticed people who have sat and prayed around them for years are once again not showing up for service. > > The church has seen a decrease of 17% to 19% in weekend services attendance, a church spokesperson told CNN.
- Judge in Texas orders pause on Biden program that offers legal status to spouses of US citizensapnews.com Judge in Texas orders pause on Biden program that offers legal status to spouses of US citizens
A federal judge in Texas has issued an order that sets back one of the most significant presidential actions in years aimed at easing the path to citizenship.
cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/40733977
- In His Bid to Unseat Ted Cruz, Colin Allred Is Hardly Visible. Looks Like It’s Working.
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/HIGC0
- Ken Paxton Is in Big Trouble After Raiding Homes of Latino Democratsnewrepublic.com Ken Paxton Is in Big Trouble After Raiding Homes of Latino Democrats
The Texas attorney general is cracking down on Democrats in a supposed crusade to root out “voter fraud.”
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19135866
> The Texas attorney general is cracking down on Democrats in a supposed crusade to root out “voter fraud.” > > Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s crusade against supposed voter fraud appears to be targeting the state’s Democrats. > > Last week, Paxton’s office announced raids and undercover actions against organizations in Texas it accuses of illegally registering noncitizens to vote. In practice, though, the raids have taken place against members of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Latino civil rights organization in the U.S., as well as several prominent Democrats in south Texas. > > According to LULAC officials, the group’s members had their cell phones and laptops confiscated by law enforcement officials carrying out search warrants.
- Texas State Police Gear Up for Massive Expansion of Surveillance Techwww.texasobserver.org Texas State Police Gear Up for Massive Expansion of Surveillance Tech
DPS plans to spend millions in taxpayer dollars on a controversial software, used first as part of Governor Abbott’s border crackdown, to “disrupt potential domestic terrorism.”
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19105714
> >In June, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) signed an acquisition plan for a 5-year, nearly $5.3 million contract for a controversial surveillance tool called Tangles from tech firm PenLink, according to records obtained by the Texas Observer through a public information request. The deal is nearly twice as large as the company’s $2.7 million two-year contract with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). > > > >Tangles is an artificial intelligence-powered web platform that scrapes information from the open, deep, and dark web. Tangles’ premier add-on feature, WebLoc, is controversial among digital privacy advocates. Any client who purchases access to WebLoc can track different mobile devices’ movements in a specific, virtual area selected by the user, through a capability called “geofencing.” Users of software like Tangles can do this without a search warrant or subpoena. (In a high-profile ruling, the Fifth Circuit recently held that police cannot compel companies like Google to hand over data obtained through geofencing.) Device-tracking services rely on location pings and other personal data pulled from smartphones, usually via in-app advertisers. Surveillance tech companies then buy this information from data brokers and sell access to it as part of their products. > > > >WebLoc can even be used to access a device’s mobile ad ID, a string of numbers and letters that acts as a unique identifier for mobile devices in the ad marketing ecosystem, according to a US Office of Naval Intelligence procurement notice. > > > >Wolfie Christl, a public interest researcher and digital rights activist based in Vienna, Austria, argues that data collected for a specific purpose, such as navigation or dating apps, should not be used by different parties for unrelated reasons. “It’s a disaster,” Christl told the Observer. “It’s the largest possible imaginable decontextualization of data. … This cannot be how our future digital society looks like.” > > Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20240827115133/https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-dps-surveillance-tangle-cobwebs/
- LULAC calls for federal investigation after claiming AG Ken Paxton's office raided some of their volunteer's homeswww.wfaa.com LULAC calls for federal investigation after claiming AG Ken Paxton's office raided some of their volunteer's homes
LULAC said the raids were called for by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office.
- This New Texas Policy Is A ‘Gut Punch’ To Trans Peoplewww.huffpost.com This New Texas Policy Is A ‘Gut Punch’ To Trans People
The new policy could have wide-reaching impact and could affect many of the 92,000 trans adults living in Texas.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/15725184
> By Lil Kalish > > Emily Bray was supposed to be celebrating on Tuesday morning. After years of trying to change her name and gender marker, the 27-year-old YouTuber received an official court order from a Texas judge that she was at last, in the eyes of the state, the woman she had long known herself to be. > > But that elation was short-lived. > > An hour later, she logged onto the private Facebook group where she and other trans Texans discussed the bureaucracy of changing one’s name and gender in a state that is becoming increasingly hostile to trans people. One person shared that they had gone into the Department of Public Safety to update their driver’s license that day and learned that the agency had issued a new policy, barring the use of court orders or birth certificates to change one’s listed sex. > > “There’s no other way to describe it than a gut punch,” Bray told HuffPost. >
- An apartment complex billed a dead Texas woman's family $15K for breaking the lease. Now, her son says they've dropped those efforts.www.wfaa.com An apartment complex billed a dead Texas woman's family $15K for breaking the lease. Now, her son says they've dropped those efforts.
"They said it was a mistake," Naterman told the AP. “It was a mistake because it was put on air, otherwise they would have taken me to court to collect."
- Mother arrested in Texas after baby dies in hot carabcnews.go.com Mother arrested in Texas after baby dies in hot car
A Texas mother has been arrested after police alleged her 22-month-old child died when left the infant in a hot car in Corpus Christi.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18901880
> A Texas mother was taken into custody Tuesday after police alleged her 22-month-old child died when she left the infant in a car outside a Corpus Christi school on one of the hottest days of the year. > > The mother, 33-year-old Hilda Ann Adame, was jailed on charges of causing serious bodily injury to a child and child endangerment/abandonment with imminent bodily injury, according to a Corpus Christi Police Department incident report. > > It was not clear how long the infant had been in the car before the baby was found unresponsive, according to the incident report.
- More Than 6,000 Sheep Set To Graze Around Solar Panels Over 10,100 Acres In Texaswww.iflscience.com More Than 6,000 Sheep Set To Graze Around Solar Panels Over 10,100 Acres In Texas
The approach is said to be a-grazing for the environment and business alike.
- New poll shows Harris within 5% in Texaswww.270towin.com Texas 2024 Presidential Election Polls - 270toWin
Polling conducted for the 2024 President election in Texas.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18928637
> These are just polls, so vote! > > Hopefully these trends will inspire people in states that have been consistently red that a flip this election is possible!
- Solar and batteries keep the TX grid going
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-summer-heat-power-grid-solar-batteries/
- Texas judge who bought Tesla stock won’t recuse himself from X v. Media Mattersarstechnica.com Texas judge who bought Tesla stock won’t recuse himself from X v. Media Matters
Judge dismisses Tesla/X link, accuses Media Matters of seeking "backdoor recusal."
cross-posted from: https://reddthat.com/post/24218249
- Queer students look for alternatives after Texas A&M ends transgender health care serviceswww.texastribune.org Queer students look for alternatives after Texas A&M ends transgender health care services
The students saw the move as part of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile against LGBTQ+ people in Texas.
>In response to questions about why A&M discontinued the medical care, a university spokesperson said its growing student population and the resulting strain on the A.P. Beutel Health Center require officials to continuously review the services they offer and how they use the center’s resources. The spokesperson noted that the university has invested more in mental health care following a national rise in college students seeking it out. > >Transgender and queer students are skeptical of that explanation and believe the university acted in response to pressure from conservative groups. They say the move shows the university is not willing to support them equally. > >“It just seems that they don't take the same level of care to address concerns of the queer community as they would other communities,” Klatt said. > >Students saw the move as part of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile against LGBTQ+ people in Texas. And it comes as the state’s public universities face top-down pressure to appease Republican leaders — or risk incurring their wrath during next year’s legislative session.
Don't you just love that "small government?" FFS, y'all. Please vote like people's futures depend upon it.