Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, wading into the volatile debate over immigration, blasted state Republican leaders for blocking an executive order that would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to avoid deportation.
Jay Root
Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies.
In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border.
Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
Posted in
The Ticket
The Ticket: Throwback Thursday with Bernie Sanders
This week on The Ticket: Jay Root and Ben Philpott revisit Bernie Sanders’ years as mayor of Burlington, Vt., and talk to UT-Austin pollster Jim Henson on the Sanders surge.
Posted in
Politics
Dewhurst to Pay Debts to Consultants
Former Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst says he is finally paying off the nearly $1 million in debts owed to campaign consultants and vendors since his lopsided loss to Ted Cruz in the 2012 U.S. Senate race.
Posted in
The Ticket
The Ticket: Religion’s Role in the 2016 Race
This week on The Ticket: Jay Root and Ben Philpott talk religion and the 2016 race with Sarah Posner of Religion Dispatches and WPLN reporter Chas Sisk.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Travis County Prosecutor-For-Hire Deal Postponed
A controversial agreement between the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and Texas Mutual Insurance in which the company pays prosecutors to pursue its fraud cases will be suspended — at least for now, officials said Wednesday.
Posted inState Government
Amputee Awarded Benefits in Rare Order
A woman who lost her leg in a car accident on the way back from a work meeting will start receiving her workers’ compensation benefits after all—at least for now.
Posted in
Demographics
The Ticket: The GOP Debate on Immigration
This week on The Ticket: Jay Root and Ben Philpott take a look at how the debate over immigration is playing out in the Republican presidential primary, with perspective from Tea Party activist Katrina Pierson.
Posted inState Government
Video: Amputee Fights Workers’ Comp Claim Denial
After spending most of her professional career handling insurance claims, 73-year-old Jane Hays is learning the ins and outs of the Texas workers’ compensation system from the other side. Hays suffered multiple injuries in a car wreck on her way home from a work meeting.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Travis County Can’t Stop Privately Funded Prosecutions
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt blasted the funding deal that allows a giant insurance company to pay for criminal prosecutions of its fraud cases, but said Tuesday that the Commissioners Court is powerless to stop it.
Posted inState Government
Injured After Work Meeting, Amputee Fights Claim Denial
Jane Hays, an employee benefits manager, thought she knew everything about the Texas workers’ compensation system. But after losing her leg in a car wreck, she said she’s discovered the difficulty many workers face when they’re hurt on the job.
