Abbott’s critics say he could have postponed the trip until the storm had passed, or at least cut it short once he saw the scale of the disaster.
Jasper Scherer
Jasper Scherer is the politics editor for The Texas Tribune. He oversees a team of reporters in Austin and Washington who lead the newsroom’s coverage of campaigns and elections, watchdog Texas' top officials, and translate what the state’s political and legislative developments mean for Texans. Jasper previously reported on politics for the Tribune, which he joined after stints covering politics and government at the state and local levels for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. A native of San Francisco, Jasper graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in journalism and political science in 2017, the same year he began covering Texas politics. He is based in Austin.
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2024 Texas Elections
Colin Allred punts on whether he thinks Biden should continue reelection bid
Allred, who is running for U.S. Senate against Ted Cruz, is one of only a few House Democrats from Texas who has yet to say whether they support the president’s reelection bid.
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Ken Paxton Impeachment
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.
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Hurricane Beryl
Biden says Texas officials delayed request for Beryl federal aid
Gov. Greg Abbott has spent the duration of the hurricane on a pre-scheduled trip to meet with foreign diplomats in Asia, leaving Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as acting governor.
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Operation Lone Star
At half a mile a week, Gov. Greg Abbott’s border wall will take around 30 years and $20 billion to build
The state has built about 34 miles of wall spread out across at least six counties on Texas’ 1,254-mile border with Mexico.
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Politics
Texas Democrats worry Biden debate performance could hurt down-ballot races
The president’s bungled debate performance had Democrats fearful voters would stay home in November.
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Criminal Justice
Court ruling suggests recent activity in federal investigation of Ken Paxton
Records don’t name the attorney general’s office, but their details line up with the accusations former top deputies made against Paxton.
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2024 Texas Elections
Democrats think they can flip Texas House seats by going after GOP’s education funding and school voucher policies
Much of the House battlefield is centered in districts with struggling schools, where Democrats hope public education will resonate at the ballot box.
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2024 Texas Elections
Texas Democrats try to unify against GOP “extremism” as their own challenges and strife persist
The party faces internal tension over the Israel-Hamas war and Biden’s new immigration policy heading into November.
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Politics
New Texas Democratic group hopes to pump millions into neglected party infrastructure
The new outfit is hoping that its long-term plan will eventually help Democrats become more competitive in statewide races.