Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces re-election bid
On Saturday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his bid for re-election at the Hispanic Leadership Summit in McAllen, Texas. As much as Republicans denounce identity politics, Abbott didn’t hesitate to open his speech weirdly thanking his wife for being...
The future of energy in Texas
On January 10, 1901, a well in Spindletop struck oil. A lot of oil. The black liquid spewed out at a rate of 100,000 barrels a day for nine days straight, the largest such gusher the world had ever seen up to that point. This marked the beginning of Texas’ days as an...
Op-ed: Democrats need to make 2022 about healthcare
There’s arguably nothing more American than apple pie, baseball, and extremely high medical bills. Thankfully, Democrats have taken the first step to fix this issue by successfully banning surprise medical bills. This will no-doubt deliver real relief to hundreds of...
Harris County Adopts ‘Fair Chance’ policy
In a 3-2 vote, Harris County Commissioner’s Court voted to adopt the Fair Chance Policy, also known as “ban the box” for Harris County government job applications. This policy specifically removes the question of criminal history in the initial hiring process so...
The status of the January 6 investigation one year later
More than one year after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, leaving five dead and 140 police officers injured, the investigation to bring the insurrectionists to justice continues. The FBI and Department of Justice began the effort to arrest and charge those...
A Timeline of Texas Republicans and the Insurrection
Thursday will mark one year since the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob intent on stopping the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral win. Even before he officially lost the electoral college, Trump was talking about a “rigged election.” Several...
Two major Texas companies continue to back Jan. 6 Republicans
A new report by watchdog group Accountable.US finds two Texas oil companies have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to members of Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. The two companies, Irving-based ExxonMobil and San Antonio-based...
Abbott sues federal government for Texas National Guard vaccine mandate
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday he plans to sue the federal government for its vaccine mandate of the Texas National Guard. In a letter to Adjutant General of the Texas National Guard Major General Tracy R. Norris, the governor accused President Joe Biden of trying...
Four New Year’s resolutions that Greg Abbott should — but won’t — adopt for Texans
Like many Texans, I’ve spent the past few days kicking around resolutions for 2022. Reading more, cursing less, eating better, limiting the anger-inducing midnight scrolls through Twitter — the list of things I’d like to improve on is long, sprawling, and,...
As COVID cases rise, Texas Republicans cheer on the courts halting mandates
Ken Paxton, who is still under indictment for felony securities fraud and is under investigation by the FBI for a separate incident, ringed in the New Year the only way he knows how: by cheering on the spread of COVID-19. Specifically, the attorney general celebrated...
Zohaib Qadri on his run for Austin City Council district 9
At 31-years-old progressive Democrat Zohaib Qadri has worked behind the scenes for some big name progressive politicians including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former El Paso Congressman Beto O’ Rourke. But now Qadri is stepping into his own race hoping to...
President Biden extends moratorium on student loan payments
On Wednesday, the Biden Administration announced that they will be extending the Department of Education’s pause on student loan payments until May 1, 2022. This news follows a round of criticism the administration has received from activists and progressive...
A by the numbers look at voter suppression in 2021
Voting rights experts at the nonprofit The Brennan Center for Justice recently released their roundup of restrictive voting laws passed in 2021. At least 19 states passed 34 bills into law restricting voting access, including Texas’ Senate Bill 1, which banned...
Gov. Greg Abbott is trampling over federal law with racist Operation Lone Star
Civil rights groups recently filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice urging them to investigate “Operation Lone Star,” an immigration enforcement initiative by Gov. Greg Abbott they argue is discriminating against Black and Latino Texans and is against...
Will Ted Cruz’s State Department blockade finally come to an end?
With only Christmas barely a week away, Senate Democrats are furiously trying to come to an agreement that will end Sen. Ted Cruz’s blockade of State Department nominees. While one senator can’t completely block Biden’s nominees, Cruz can force Democrats to go through...