Trump praises Abbott at inauguration, promises to militarize border and build wall
Texas has already militarized the border under Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. Full Story
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Matthew Choi is a Washington correspondent for The Texas Tribune. He previously covered energy and climate policy at Politico, where he wrote the Morning Energy newsletter and covered campaign events as a breaking news reporter during the 2020 presidential election and the Mueller investigation. Before joining Politico, Matthew was a two-time reporting fellow at The Texas Tribune based in Austin, reporting on education, health care, immigration, guns, agriculture and land management. He graduated from Northwestern University where he studied journalism and political science and was managing editor of The Daily Northwestern. Matthew is a native of Northern Virginia and speaks both French and English. In his free time, Matthew enjoys cooking French country food while listening to Simon and Garfunkel.
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![U.S. President Donald Trump gives his inaugural address during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.]()
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Former Texas congressman vows to keep politics out of CIA as director
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former Republican U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA. Full Story
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![John Ratcliffe, selected by President-Elect Donald Trump to be director of the CIA Director, meets with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (not pictured) in Washington on Dec. 11, 2024.]()
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Texans only Democrats in Congress to vote for bill restricting trans athletes
Republicans accused Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of supporting gender transitions for children throughout the 2024 election cycle, which he said took a political toll. Full Story
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![Demonstrators protest SB14, a bill to eradicate gender transition healthcare for trans kids in Texas, while the bill is heard in the House at the state Capitol on May 2, 2023.]()
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Texas’ senators plan to support Trump’s Cabinet picks
Some of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks have stirred controversy for past comments and allegations of malfeasance. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump is greeted by U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn as he arrives at El Paso International Airport on Aug. 7, 2019.]()
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Ted Cruz defends Trump’s pitch to acquire Greenland
Sen. Ted Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stressed Greenland’s strategic location in the Arctic and its natural wealth of critical minerals. Full Story
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![Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) berates U.S. Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe, during a hearing about the attempted assassination of ex-President Donald Trump at a campaign rally, convened by the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, Washington, DC, July 30, 2024. One person was killed and two critically injured, but the former President sustained only a minor flesh wound. (Photo by Allison Bailey/NurPhoto)NO USE FRANCE]()
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After first opposing Mike Johnson, Texas Congressman Keith Self changes vote to allow him to retain speakership
Rep. Keith Self was initially one of three who voted against House Speaker Mike Johnson’s reelection to lead the lower chamber. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-McKinney, speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 10, 2024.]()
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Farm Bill gets extension as Congress passes spending package and averts shutdown
The legislation includes financial aid and money for recent natural disasters, but farmers still will be relying on outdated provisions from the 2018 bill. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022.]()
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Donald Trump hopes a Republican challenges U.S. Rep. Chip Roy over debt ceiling opposition
President-elect Donald Trump blasted the Austin Republican for opposing his plans to raise the debt ceiling unless there are restrictions on future spending. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, outside the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on April 30, 2024.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott announces more than $500 million in public safety grants
The grants will go to private and public sector recipients in Texas for a variety of public safety priorities, including securing the southern border. Full Story
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![Gov. Abbott speaks to DPS Troopers and National Guard troops at a Thanksgiving dinner event in Edinburg on Nov. 26, 2024.]()
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Rep. Michael McCaul calls Tulsi Gabbard a “baffling” pick to lead intelligence community
The Austin Republican leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee and predicted Gabbard’s nomination would fail in the Senate. Full Story
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![House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, questions witnesses during a hearing on the generational challenge of the Chinese Communist Party, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2023.]()
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