Trump picks Texan Brooke Rollins to lead Agriculture Department
Rollins, who grew up in Glen Rose and once led the Texas Public Policy Foundation, will need Senate confirmation before becoming agriculture secretary. Full Story
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Zach Despart is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune. He investigates power — who wields it, how and to what ends — through the lens of Texas government. He has extensively covered the Uvalde school shooting, including a groundbreaking investigation on the role the gunman’s rifle played in the disastrous police response. He previously covered Harris County for the Houston Chronicle, where he reported on corruption, elections, disaster preparedness and the region’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey. An upstate New York native, he received his bachelor’s degree in political science and film from the University of Vermont.
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![AFPI President & CEO and Former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Brooke Rollins, speaks during the America First Agenda Summit organized by America First Policy Institute AFPI, on July 25, 2022 in Washington, D.C.]()
Credit: Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Ken Paxton can’t be deposed under oath in whistleblower lawsuit, Texas Supreme Court says
The attorney general has agreed not to contest a lawsuit brought by former employees accusing him of retaliation after they said he abused his office. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Trump’s near sweep of Texas border counties shows a shift to the right for Latino voters
The former president captured 55% of Latino voters in the state, according to exit polls. He also won 14 out of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the border, a number that doubled his 2020 performance in the Latino-majority region. Full Story
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![Gabriel Garza, left, augmentee with the sheriff’s office, congratulates, Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, right, after the final vote counts for the night were announced around 10pm at Val Verde County Courthouse on election day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Del Rio, Texas. Martinez was in the lead ahead of his opponent Rogelio “Roger” Hernandez 7,926 votes to 6,033.]()
Credit: Salgu Wissmath for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica -
Texas GOP poised to increase its majorities in the Legislature
Gov. Greg Abbott said the House would have enough Republicans to pass school vouchers next year. Full Story
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![Lawmakers on the House floor during Sine Die of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, at the Capitol in Austin, on May 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Uvalde city officials release missing footage from officers responding to 2022 Robb Elementary shooting
The new videos largely affirm prior reporting and investigations that detailed law enforcement’s failures to confront the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers. Full Story
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![Previously released video shows officers gathered in the hallway of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.]()
Credit: Obtained by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica -
Uvalde police failed to turn over some video footage from Robb Elementary shooting, department says
Chief Homer Delgado said the department has turned over the footage to the district attorney’s office and ordered an investigation into how the error occurred. Full Story
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![Robb Elementary in Uvalde, on July 11, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
After Uvalde city officials end battle over shooting records, victims’ families say other agencies need to follow suit
The city’s release ends a legal battle with news outlets, but other government agencies are withholding materials. Full Story
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![Authorities gather outside of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde after a gunman entered and killed 19 students and two teachers on May 24, 2022.]()
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In Texas, violating campaign ethics laws rarely yields repercussions. The attorney general’s office is to blame.
The number of fines for breaking state campaign ethics laws has exploded in recent years as Ken Paxton’s office rarely pursues stricter enforcement. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton enters the 185th Criminal District court at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center for a pretrial hearing in his securities fraud case on March 26, 2024, in Houston.]()
Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP leaders paint Harris as a disaster on border security
Everything wrong with border security is the fault of the Democratic vice president, these Republicans say. Full Story
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![Vice President Kamala Harris speak about abortion rights with Mini Timmaraju, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Julieta Garibay, Senior Capacity Building Director for Groundswell Fund, at the LBJ Museum in Austin on Oct. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
House ethics chair says Paxton’s claim he’s being impeached again is meritless
Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday evening said the Texas House ethics committee, which scheduled a meeting for next week, is planning to recommend impeaching him a second time. Full Story
![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune