In this week’s two-topic TribCast, we discuss the U.S. Supreme Court blocking the consideration of race in college admissions and the dangerous heat inside Texas prisons this summer.
Topics
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Health care
Texas Supreme Court says Gov. Greg Abbott’s COVID ban on local mask rules was lawful
Several of Texas’ largest cities sought to put in place mask requirements, which Gov. Greg Abbott overturned. The ruling is a legal win for Republicans in Austin their ongoing symbolic fight with cities, often run by Democrats.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Former Texas Sen. Carlos Uresti, convicted for his role in Ponzi scheme, released from prison
The Democrat from San Antonio was initially sentenced in 2018 to 12 years in federal prison. His sentence was later reduced, and he will stay in a halfway house until December 2024.
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Uvalde school shooting
Judge says DPS must release documents related to Uvalde shooting response
The state police agency had been withholding nearly all of its records on law enforcement’s botched response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting. DPS will have an opportunity to redact the files before they are released.
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
Nearly 10,000 more babies born in nine months under Texas’ restrictive abortion law, study finds
This is the first analysis of live births since the law, which banned abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, went into effect in September 2021.
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Criminal Justice
Travis Scott won’t be indicted for Astroworld concert tragedy that killed 10, grand jury decides
A Houston grand jury decided Thursday not to indict rap star Travis Scott for the deaths of 10 people at the 2021 Astroworld Festival when fans collapsed in a massive crowd.
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2023 Session Recap
Voting by mail in Texas will get a little easier with these legislative fixes
Two bipartisan bills passed this session will give voters more time and opportunities to fix mistakes when they request and return ballots by mail.
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Politics
Third-party candidates may have an easier time getting on the ballot in Texas
A federal judge blocks an 118-year-old state law that required minor political party candidates to collect more than 83,000 signatures on paper in order to appear on the ballot.
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Ken Paxton Impeachment
Texas House investigation widens to include Ken Paxton real estate purchases, report says
The Wall Street Journal says the impeached attorney general, his wife and a family trust spent nearly $3.5 million buying properties in four states in 2021 and 2022.
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Public Education
Texas’ pick to lead Houston’s schools used aggressive, polarizing methods in Dallas
Mike Miles has wasted no time in restructuring schools and proposing administrative layoffs. The changes are designed to pay teachers at struggling schools more if their students show improvement.
