Bringing this one back ... just because! From Justin Miller in 2024: Ken and Angela Paxton have ties to a jet-setting lobbyist-turned-CEO caught in a tangled web of alleged fraud involving a powerful business clan and a commercial shipping giant. #corruption #fraud #Texas #KenPaxton #AngelaPaxton #politics #USpol #TXlege #news #law
Earlier: Without any announcement or open debate, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature passed a biennial state budget that will effectively halve the amount dedicated to its multi-billion-dollar #border security operations—from a proposed $6.5B down to about $3.4B. #immigration #police #security #HumanRights #Texas #politics #USpol #TXlege #news
“Climate change loads the dice toward more frequent and more intense #floods. The flash flood that tore through Camp Mystic at night, when people were most vulnerable, shows the deadly cost of underestimating this shift.” #KerrCounty #Kerrville #CentralTexas #politics #USpol #politics #environment #ClimateChange #news
"I want you to imagine a toddler appearing in court to face off against a government-trained attorney trying to deport them. Think of their terror as they take their seat in the courtroom, legs swinging because they’re not long enough to reach the floor." #ICE #politics #USpol #news #Trump #HumanRights #immigration #fascism
Previously: Texas lawmakers ordered sheriffs in all counties to enter into cooperation agreements with #ICE, that may be limited to jailhouses—or may convert deputies into roving immigration agents. #politics #USpol #news #Texas #immigration #police #TXlege #HumanRights
Earlier: What does it say about us when we tolerate—or even support—policies that traumatize, neglect, and abuse children? How much cruelty will we inflict—or passively allow our nation’s leaders, laws, & institutions to inflict on our behalf—on #children? #HumanRights #immigration #ICE #Republicans #politics #USpol #news #fascism
Featured story: “Right now ... we’re seeing what authoritarianism is about in its ugliest way. We’re seeing people being stopped on the street being picked up at their workplace, thrown into vans and taken God knows where without due process.” #ICE #immigration #HumanRights #fascism #politics #USpol #Texas #border #SouthTexas #news
"Many told me they would fight for their water to the very last drop. Others, however, have already begun asking the existential question: Where will we go when the river runs dry?" #water #politics #USpol #news #environment #Mexico #Texas #border #ClimateChange
Featured story: Across the country, Afghan children—mostly boys—are diving into American sports. Wrestling is popular partly because it’s similar to traditional Afghan wrestling, which involves more upper-body throws but requires similar body control and mental toughness. #sports #photography #politics #USpol #culture #refugees #immigration #Texas #photography
“It’s a safe space to be yourself regardless of who that is. I don’t understand why people want to smother that.” From 2022: Drag Queen Story Hour? Over 150 people crowded into a West Texas cafe for this small town's first such event. #drag #pride #politics #culture #USpol #news #Texas #WestTexas #children