By: Jessica Huseman, ProPublica A federal court in Texas has again ruled the state’s 2011 voter identification law intentionally discriminated against minorities. It’s the latest loss in the case for Texas — which has spent years unsuccessfully defending the law. But it also has implications for the Trump administration. In…

(Press Release) HOUSTON – An Indian national pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in liquidating and laundering victim payments generated through various telephone fraud and money laundering schemes via India-based call centers. Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the Southern District…

by Marissa Evans, The Texas Tribune April 13, 2017 Abortion providers in Texas that receive federal dollars to offer reproductive health services to low-income people are likely to lose that funding under a measure President Trump signed Thursday. The measure allows states to exclude Planned Parenthood and other women’s health…

by Ross Ramsey, The Texas Tribune April 14, 2017 Editor’s note: If you’d like an email notice whenever we publish Ross Ramsey’s column, click here. It’s hard to tell the tax hawks from the tax doves sometimes. A legislative proposal meant to make it easier for school districts to grant…

(Press Release) Austin residents Robert Allen Helms and Janniece S. Kaelin pleaded guilty to federal charges of defrauding investors in companies that presumably were in the business of purchasing oil and gas royalties, announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr.; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge…

Budget Right before 2 a.m. on Thursday April 7th, the Texas House Budget was approved after considering over four hundred amendments and plenty of  heated debates. The budget debate spanned over fifteen hours eventually ending when the Texan lawmakers passed the two year, $218 billion legislation, with 131 votes in…

by Alex Samuels and Cassandra Pollock, The Texas Tribune April 13, 2017 Some sexual assault survivors and advocates are clashing with a Texas senator over the best way to combat sexual assault on college campuses. Under Senate Bill 576 by state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, school employees and student leaders…

(Press Release) EAGLE PASS, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers foiled a human smuggling attempt of three Mexican nationals in an enforcement action at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry. “This interception of human smuggling exemplifies the teamwork of our officers working at our port,” said Port Director…

By: T. Christian Miller, ProPublica During the campaign, President Donald Trump promised to build a wall across the southern border some 1,000 miles long. The number of miles the president currently has money for: seven. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials delivered the startling news this week at a conference…

by Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune April 12, 2017 Attorney General Ken Paxton‘s newly relocated criminal trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 12. The judge in the case set the trial date Wednesday, a day after moving the proceedings to Harris County. The trial had originally been scheduled to start…