In opening statements for the first trial related to the 2021 riot, prosecutors said Guy Wesley Reffitt, a member of Texas Three Percenters, spearheaded those near him to charge police. His defense said he was engaging in “hyperbole.”
Congress
Read the latest Texas Tribune coverage of Congress, from the state’s lawmakers in Washington to key legislation and political debates shaping Texas and the nation.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
U.S. Rep. Van Taylor faces runoff election with candidate attacking his Jan. 6 commission vote
Taylor’s race was one of several congressional primaries Tuesday night in Texas that put on display spirited debates inside each party.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Greg Casar wins Democratic primary for Austin and San Antonio area congressional seat
Casar will be among the most progressive members of Congress ever to serve from Texas. During his tenure on the Austin City Council, he was best known for supporting cuts to the police department and his fight against encampment bans.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
As Republicans try to flip open seat in South Texas, Democrats debate how to win over voters
South Texas Democrats are facing an identity crisis and trying to distance themselves from out-of-state progressives after the party underperformed in the region in 2020.
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Congress
Cruz and Cornyn already voted against Ketanji Brown Jackson last year when she was confirmed to a lower court
President Joe Biden announced Jackson as his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday morning. If confirmed, she’d be the nation’s first Black woman to sit on the high court.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Watch: National progressives target Texas in contentious Democratic primary races
National progressive groups and their allies in Congress are looking to the Texas primary to send a new class of stars to Congress.
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Congress
Texans in Congress call on Biden to increase support for Ukraine against Russia
None of the Texans have explicitly called for American troops on the ground in Ukraine. But over and over, both Democrats and Republicans urged the president to continue to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin with sanctions and supported the increased armament of Ukraine.
Posted in
Energy
Ted Cruz ends block on Biden appointments after sanctions issued for Russian gas pipeline
As the Ukraine crisis intensifies, President Joe Biden issued sanctions against a pipeline company. Cruz previously blocked State Department nominees because Biden wouldn’t oppose the project.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
In fight for Congress, Eddie Rodriguez targets Greg Casar’s record on Austin homelessness, police funding
Casar has impressive progressive endorsements, from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. But he also is tied to some of Austin’s most progressive policies, which have attracted powerful enemies and turned off some moderate Democrats.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Honest or arrogant? U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s brand of conservatism divides some Republicans
The Houston Republican’s acceptance of the 2020 presidential election results — and his comments at recent forums — fuel criticism as he seeks reelection.