Texas Republicans are trying to sell school choice measures, but rural conservatives aren’t buying

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• ACLU calls on feds to investigate Abbott’s policy transporting migrants back to border

  by James Barragán 1 hour ago

  In July, Abbott authorized state law enforcement to transport migrants to ports of entry. It’s unclear how and why migrants are being detained, raising civil rights concerns and questions about whether the state is overstepping federal authority. Full Story 

• Republicans, Democrats prioritize legislative races targeting Collin County and South Texas seats

  by Patrick Svitek 3 hours ago

  The Republican majority in the Texas House appears safe in November — and the battlefield is smaller than it was in 2020 — but both sides says the races have high stakes. Full Story 

• “This is horrific,” New York City mayor says of Greg Abbott’s policy as second busload of migrants from Texas arrives

  by Sneha Dey Aug. 7, 2022

  In an expansion of the governor’s plan to bus migrants from the Texas border to East Coast cities, 64 asylum-seekers arrived in New York City over the weekend. Full Story 

• At CPAC, conservative Texans show Donald Trump loyalty and support for another presidential run

  by William Melhado Aug. 6, 2022

  A straw poll conducted at the conference found that Trump is still the overwhelming favorite among attendees. Sen. Ted Cruz, who spoke at the conference on Friday, came in third with 2% of the straw poll vote, coming up short to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Full Story 

• The EPA has identified 23 U.S. facilities that are emitting toxic air pollution that puts people at risk

  by Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Maya Miller, ProPublica Updated: Aug. 6, 2022

  One of them is in Laredo, which has elevated rates of cancer, according to a recent state analysis. The findings come after reporting by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. Full Story 

• Texas Democrats in Congress balance climate concerns and fossil fuel constituencies as they consider landmark bill

  by Matthew Choi Aug. 6, 2022

  The handful of Texas Democrats who have a penchant for defending the state’s oil and gas industry includes members of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee and representatives from some of the top oil producing, refining and transporting regions of the state. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott appoints officer indicted for misconduct during George Floyd protests to police regulatory agency

  by Jolie McCullough and Jaden Edison Updated: Aug. 5, 2022

  Justin Berry was among 19 Austin police officers indicted earlier this year, accused of using excessive force against people protesting the murder of George Floyd. Full Story 

• Texas Republicans rally their base at CPAC, but draw criticism over Hungarian prime minister’s appearance

  by Jaden Edison and Patrick Svitek Aug. 5, 2022

  Viktor Orbán appeared at the convention in Dallas after saying last week that Europeans “do not want to become peoples of mixed race.” Texas officials attending, though, stayed focused on criticizing Democrats. Full Story 

• Jury awards parents of Sandy Hook victim more than $45 million in punitive damages in Alex Jones defamation case

  by Cecilia Lenzen Updated: Aug. 5, 2022

  Lawyers for the parents asked the jury to end Jones’ “gold rush of fear and misinformation.” He’ll owe a total of nearly $50 million to the parents. Full Story 

• TribCast: A crisis in Texas’ youth prisons

  by Matthew Watkins and Justin Dehn Aug. 5, 2022

  On this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Jolie about the problems within the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and with Eleanor about the state’s efforts to expand postnatal Medicaid. Full Story 

• Texas House speaker says he’s confident Legislature will revive expiring corporate tax break program

  by Patrick Svitek Aug. 5, 2022

  Lawmakers let the program, known as Chapter 313, expire at the end of this year after the Senate declined to consider a bill extending it. It was the first time in its 20-year history that legislators decided not to renew the program. Full Story 

• Texas health agency says its plan to extend maternal Medicaid coverage is “not approvable” by feds

  by Eleanor Klibanoff Updated: Aug. 5, 2022

  HHSC said it was initially told the plan was “not approvable.” Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a statement Friday saying Texas’ plan to extend coverage to six months was not rejected but still under review. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas is now busing migrants to New York City

  by Patrick Svitek Aug. 5, 2022

  Abbott made the announcement Friday in the state’s latest confrontation with an East Coast city that is steeped in politics. Full Story 

• EPA says it is looking for “super-emitters” of methane gas in Texas’ Permian Basin

  by Cecilia Lenzen Aug. 5, 2022

  The federal environment agency says it will continue flyovers of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico until Aug. 15 using infrared cameras to survey oil and gas operations. Full Story 

• Jury awards parents of Sandy Hook shooting victim $4.1 million in defamation case against Alex Jones

  by Cecilia Lenzen Updated: Aug. 4, 2022

  The parents sought $150 million in their defamation lawsuit against the conspiracy theorist. The jury could still issue more damages in an upcoming phase of the trial. Full Story 

• Texas cities say streaming giants Disney, Hulu and Netflix owe them millions of dollars in unpaid fees

  by Joshua Fechter Aug. 4, 2022

  As people have cut cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services over the years, Texas cities say they have lost out on revenue from franchise fees they claim are owed by streaming giants like Disney, Hulu and Netflix. Full Story