The Brief: "Sanctuary cities" law heads to court today — again
Attorneys for Texas today are set to defend the state's new "sanctuary cities" law before the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Full Story
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Cassandra Pollock
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Cassandra Pollock was a state politics reporter for the Tribune. She joined the Tribune full-time in June 2017 after a fellowship during the 85th Texas Legislature. Pollock spent her first two years at the Trib as an engagement reporter, which meant her name likely landed in your inbox every weekday morning with “The Brief,” a newsletter on all things Texas politics and public policy. Pollock is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. Pollock left The Texas Tribune in 2021.
Past Contributions
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![People demonstrating against Senate Bill 4, the "sanctuary cities" ban, march near the Riverwalk in San Antonio on June 26, 2017.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: The deadliest mass shooting in Texas history
Sunday's shooting in the San Antonio-area town of Sutherland Springs is the deadliest mass shooting at a place of worship in American history — and it's also the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history. Full Story
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![Emergency vehicles outside First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, where a mass shooting has taken place.]()
Credit: Courtesy KSAT -
Taking Texas to trial: the latest on the state's court battles
Texas has a host of high-profile legal battles in the works, ranging from voting rights to political maps. Full Story
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The Brief: With two congressmen stepping down, all eyes are on their seats in 2018
The Texas political scene again this week was turned upside down after two GOP congressmen announced they're not coming back in 2018. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Texas is back in court today over its abortion policies
The legal debate continues today over Texas' abortion policies — and this time, it's over new state restrictions on the most common second-trimester abortion procedure. Full Story
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Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Abbott pushes for Harvey aid in Washington — and one congressman pushes back
Gov. Greg Abbott wants Congress to fork over another $61 billion for infrastructure purposes after Hurricane Harvey's destruction — and he was in D.C. on Tuesday to make his case to congressional leaders. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks with U.S. Sen Ted Cruz (left) and Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, in Refugio on Oct. 9, 2017. The three were touring areas near Corpus damaged by Hurricane Harvey.]()
Credit: Sen. Ted Cruz Press Office -
The Brief: After former Trump campaign staffers' indictments, Texans react
Texans spent Monday reacting — or not — to indictments against three former campaign officials for President Donald Trump. Full Story
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![Des Moines, Iowa USA January 28, 2016: New York businessman Donald Trump rallies a crowd of veterans at Drake University while other Republican presidential candidates hold a final Des Moines debate prior to next week's caucuses.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: DA ends investigation of Paxton's legal defense gift; Abbott, Johnson discuss Confederate statues
From a meeting over Confederate statues to a Dallas-area psychiatric hospital under renewed scrutiny, here's what you may have missed over the weekend. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Texas Federation of Republican Women Convention in Dallas on Oct. 19, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Buckman for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Abbott set to discuss the future of the Capitol's Confederate monuments today
The ball may move today on the conversation surrounding what should be done with Confederate monuments on Texas Capitol grounds. Full Story
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![The Confederate Soldiers' Monument on the south lawn of the state Capitol in Austin.]()
Credit: John Jordan for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Straus' retirement announcement reverberates through Capitol
What does the moderate Republican's departure from the Texas Legislature mean for the GOP, the 2018 elections and the 2019 legislative session? Full Story
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![Texas House Speaker Joe Straus announces he won't seek reelection in 2018 at a press conference at the state Capitol on Oct. 25, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune