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☆ She's an 'Alien Superstar' — and now she's in housing. Beyoncé joins Kelly Rowland and the city of Houston in support of a new affordable development.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Beyoncé Knowles is teaming up with Kelly Rowland and Houston officials to support a housing project. It was unclear if Knowles and Rowland are investing in the project. However, Knowles and Rowland are among the few that have taken their real estate interests beyond the glitz and glamor of purchasing luxurious homes. With more buyers moving into the area, home prices and rents have surged as residents compete for housing. Given that statistic, he said he's "grateful" for the Knowles and Rowland project.

Persons: Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, —, Knowles, Rowland —, Kennedy Sessions, Rowland, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Queen Latifah, they're, Harris, Lina Hidalgo, Joe Biden's, Houston Pastor, Rudy Rasmus, he's Organizations: Houston, Service, American, Harris County, Hollywood, NBA, Golden Globe, Coalition, Homeless, Census Bureau, Texas Tribune Locations: Houston, Harris County, Midtown, Harris, America

☆ Greg Abbott has cut required water breaks for Texas construction workers and labor advocates say it could kill them
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Texas is currently first in the nation for heat-related workplace deaths, the Texas Tribune reports. Greg Abbott signed a bill Tuesday that eliminated ordinances across the state requiring water breaks for construction workers — all while a record-setting heatwave sweeps across the state. Meanwhile, Bishop James Dixon — President of the NAACP Houston — condemned the bill, according to local news outlet KHOU 11. Ana Gonzalez, deputy director of policy and politics at the Texas AFL-CIO, a federation of labor unions, told the Texas Tribune the bill may prove fatal for construction workers. Texas has the highest rate of heat-related workplace deaths, the Texas Tribune reports.

Persons: Greg Abbott, —, Bishop James Dixon —, NAACP Houston —, Ana Gonzalez, Gonzalez Organizations: Texas AFL, Texas Tribune, Service, Gov, Huffington, NAACP Houston, Washington Post, Teamsters, United Parcel Service, CNN Locations: Texas, Austin, Dallas

☆ Ted Cruz is citing the Bible and preaching on Twitter in defense of the LGBT community, and it's quite something
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ted Cruz preached tolerance for the LGBT community during a Twitter spat with a pastor. "Let he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her," Cruz tweeted. The Texas senator then invoked another Bible verse to support his argument that gay people should not be persecuted. We are talking the laws of man, not the Old Testament laws of God,'" Cruz tweeted. Cruz also mentioned another Bible verse — "let he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" — arguing that it is cruel and hypocritical to judge others for sinning.

Persons: Ted Cruz, Cruz, —, Sen, Tom Ascol, Jesus, Caesar, Ascol, Hodges, Roe, Wade Organizations: Service, Newsweek, The Texas Tribune Locations: Florida, Texas, Uganda

☆ The wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may be one of the jurors in his impeachment trial — which could dive deep into his alleged extramarital affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton faces 20 articles of impeachment. His wife, Angela Paxton, is a state senator who could potentially serve as a juror in the trial. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton kisses his wife Sen. Angela Paxton after he was sworn in for a third term on January 10, 2023. Nate Paul, a businessman, said Attorney General Paxton recommended the woman for a job at his real-estate firm, according to a deposition obtained by The Dallas Morning News. She has not commented on her husband's legal troubles since the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach the attorney general on May 27.

Persons: Ken Paxton, Angela Paxton, —, Paxton, Sen, Gov, Dan Patrick, Eric Gay, Nate Paul, General Paxton, Angela Organizations: Service, Texas, Baylor University, WFAA, Senate, The Texas Tribune, The Dallas Morning, Tribune, Paxton RAN, The New York Times Locations: Texas

☆ Texas Governor Names Interim Attorney General After Paxton Impeachment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( David Montgomery | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Why It MattersIn announcing his choice, Mr. Abbott cited Mr. Scott’s past experience as a former deputy attorney general who “knows how the Office of Attorney General operates.”Mr. Scott served as Mr. Abbott’s top deputy for civil litigation when the Republican governor served as attorney general before becoming the state’s chief executive in 2015. Mr. Scott also served on an interim basis as Texas secretary of state, the chief elections officer appointed by the governor, for just over a year before stepping down in December 2022. During the political turbulence following Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Donald Trump, Mr. Scott briefly represented the former president in an unsuccessful lawsuit against the certification of Pennsylvania’s vote after other attorneys quit. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and the litigation chief Chris Hilton, who has made news recently by denouncing lawmakers’ moves toward impeachment. “That was true regardless of who the secretary was, including John Scott,” Mr. Taylor said.

Persons: Abbott, “, Mr, Scott, Abbott’s, ” Mr, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Paxton, Judd Stone, Antonin Scalia, Ted Cruz, Chris Hilton, Sam Taylor, John Scott, Taylor, Gov, Dan Patrick Organizations: Republican, Human Services, Daily, The Texas Tribune, U.S, Supreme, The Texas Senate, Senate Locations: Texas, Ted Cruz of Texas

☆ Ted Cruz calling Uganda's anti-gay law 'horrific' is odd considering he voted against protecting same sex marriages just last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ted Cruz was one of many politicians who condemned Uganda's new anti-gay bill, calling it "horrific." He added: "ALL civilized nations should join together in condemning this human rights abuse." President Joe Biden, for one, called for the law's "immediate repeal" in a statement on Monday, saying that it was a "tragic violation of universal human rights." He also added that he would consider implementing "sanctions and restriction of entry into the United States against anyone involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption." However, Cruz's strong criticism of Uganda's new law is interesting, considering his established stance on gay rights.

☆ A Texas bill could ban trans athletes from playing college sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Greg Abbott is expected to pass a bill that would ban trans athletes from college games. The bill would only allow athletes to play on teams corresponding to their sex at birth. Greg Abbott is poised to sign a bill that would ban trans athletes from playing in college sports on the team that aligns with their gender identity, the HuffPost reported. 15 is yet another invasive, impractical measure mandated by the Texas legislature to 'fix' a problem that does not exist," Melodía Gutiérrez, Texas director for the Human Rights Campaign said, according to the Texas Tribune. The Tribune reported that Abbott has already said he would sign the bill when it lands on his desk.

☆ Democrats in Texas and New York are blocking efforts to build cheaper housing while also making life more difficult for Airbnb landlords
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Texas and New York have both recently killed major pro-housing legislation in their states. In New York and Texas, Democrats recently facilitated the death of major pieces of pro-housing legislation. Some Texas Democrats opposed the legislation because it would have opened opportunities for short-term rentals, like Airbnbs. Texas needed to build 330,000 more homes back in 2019, before the pandemic-induced surge of buyers, according to one report. The overwhelming majority of New Yorkers say housing affordability is a top concern.

☆ Texas is facing a housing crisis, a migrant crisis, a multi-year drought, and an epidemic of mass shootings. Ted Cruz, meanwhile, has opened an investigation into Bud Light.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz opened an investigation into Bud Light's partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Meanwhile, Texas is grappling with a migration crisis and a severe housing crisis. So, naturally, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is opening an investigation into Bud Light. The company's partnership with Mulvaney led to right-wing calls for a boycott of Bud Light, which has impacted sales at its parent company, Anheuser-Busch. Beer marketing, however — thanks to Cruz — has all the attention of the state's top leaders in Washington.

☆ US Army sergeant sentenced to 25 years for Black Lives Matter protester's murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Daniel Perry was found guilty last month of shooting to death 28-year-old Garrett Foster, a U.S. Air Force veteran, at a Black Lives Matter rally in Austin, Texas. He said the state's "stand your ground" law justified Perry's actions and could not be "nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney," Abbott said at the time. Perry's defense lawyers said they were disappointed with the sentence, but would focus to appealing the case and cooperating with the state's pardon process. Jose Garza, the district attorney for Travis County, where the case was tried and where Austin is located, is a Democrat. The shooting came moments after Perry, who was driving for Uber, happened upon a group of protesters, including Foster, marching downtown.

☆ GOP turns on Texas lawmaker investigated for having sex with a teenage intern after he resigned but didn't apologize
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Bryan Slaton, 45, resigned after a Texas House investigative committee recommended he be expelled. The committee said Slaton had sex with a teenage intern and then pressured her and others to keep the conduct a secret. Some of Slaton's fellow Republicans expressed outrage at his conduct and his resignation, which notably lacked an apology, according to the Texas Tribune. Texas House of Representatives. Slaton also asked a fellow lawmaker to "support" him and keep the situation a secret, the investigation report said.

☆ Crypto mining in Texas could be costing energy customers an extra $69 per year on their electrical bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Texas has become home to crypto mining companies due to the state's cheap electricity. When considering the more than 26 million customers on Texas' Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, that's an extra $69 per annual bill. Crypto mining companies needed to move elsewhere, and some rural counties in Texas welcomed these companies. "Texans have continued to experience high electric bills due to a number of factors," an ERCOT spokesperson told Insider. The spokesperson cited weather and fuel prices as the main reasons for increased electric bills.

☆ Texas lawmaker says the Supreme Court cleared the way to force schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Texas' Senate passed a bill that would requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments. The Senator who authored the bill thinks the Supreme Court paved the way for his bill to pass. The Supreme Court last year sided with a football coach who lost his job after praying on the field. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the Washington football coach, Joe Kennedy, in the case last year. He added that the Supreme Court cleared the way for this bill when they sided with Kennedy.

☆ Ted Cruz is fundraising off his bill limiting senators to two terms in office while running for his third term
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ted Cruz is fundraising off two-term limits for senators while he's running for his third. The contributions benefit Ted Cruz for Senate and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "I want to know what YOU think about my Constitutional Amendment to impose TERM LIMITS on Senators and House Members." "Term limits will bring ACCOUNTABILITY that is LONG overdue in Washington, and I'm fighting for the American people to get this done," he wrote. "I've long said that I don't support unilateral term limits – just one person or one side unilaterally restricting themselves when the rules don't apply across the board," he said.

☆ Here are all of the Republican elected officials backing Trump's 2024 campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Michael Burgess — the Texas congressman endorsed Trump in March after being named to the former president's campaign's Texas leadership team. Eli Crane — the Arizona freshman tweeted his support for Trump's 2024 bid the night of his announcement. Barry Moore — the Alabama congressman endorsed Trump in a radio interview in December, citing the former president's "experience level." 3 House Republican endorsed Trump days before his widely expected 2024 announcement in November. Roger Williams — the Texas congressman endorsed Trump in March after being named to the former president's campaign's Texas leadership team.

☆ This Texas crisis center fields half the state's 988 suicide hotline calls. Their VP describes how they handle it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After rolling out in July 2022, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Support Line has seen a rise in calls, per federal data. Here's how one Texas crisis center is handling the increase in calls. The Harris Center, based in Houston, is one of the over 200 crisis centers fielding calls all across the country. The center, which has been working in partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline since 2007, has fielded about half the crisis line calls in the state. The center is the largest crisis center in the state and has fielded a majority of the crisis line calls in Texas.

☆ South Carolina becomes the latest GOP-led state with a bill to make the death penalty a punishment for abortion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A South Carolina legislator proposed the death penalty as punishment for women who get abortions. Rob Harris introduced the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act of 2023 last week, which could make getting an abortion the same as committing homicide. South Carolina state law currently punishes abortion with up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000. The penalty is one of the harshest, but this isn't the first time a state lawmaker has proposed the death penalty for abortion. In March 2021, Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton proposed legislation that would ban and criminalize abortion which could carry the death penalty, the Texas Tribune reported.

☆ Most Republicans are on the fence about Trump's 2024 re-election bid. Here are the few elected officials backing him so far.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

As of Monday, five senators and about a dozen House members have announced they're backing Trump in 2024 or expressed support for his bid. As president, Trump maintained an ironclad grip over the GOP. Eric Schmitt — the newly elected senator told Politico last month he's backing the former president in 2024, who also endorsed Schmitt in Missouri's GOP primary last year. Tommy Tuberville — the Alabama senator endorsed Trump in a tweet just days after he launched his 2024 bid, becoming the first Republican senator to do so. 3 House Republican endorsed Trump days before his widely expected 2024 announcement in November.

☆ 2024 GOP presidential primary starts to take shape as Trump's potential rivals Haley, Scott, Pence make moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"It's definitely going to be a Great Day in South Carolina!" Later on Wednesday, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., announced through his office he will soon deliver remarks in South Carolina and Iowa, both of which are key states in the presidential primary cycle. Pence, Haley, Scott and other possible 2024 GOP contenders are also set to speak at an Austin, Texas, conference on Feb. 24, the Texas Tribune reported earlier Wednesday. With his rivals looking more likely than ever to challenge his perch atop the GOP, Trump has taken some newer, harder swipes on social media. Trump said over the weekend that he had spoken to Haley on the phone and encouraged her to run.

☆ Federal government drops charges against ex-Afghan soldier who crossed border into Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julia Ainsley | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Abdul Wasi Safi crossed the southern border illegally in late September, after, he said, he had passed through multiple countries to reach the U.S. and seek asylum. The Justice Department has given little explanation for charging Wasi Safi or for dropping the charges. In court filings charging Wasi Safi, Justice Department lawyers did not argue that Wasi Safi was a flight risk or a threat to national security, which are typical reasons prosecutors may argue a migrant should be held without bond. In its filing dropping the charges, Justice Department said it was “in the interest of justice” to “dismiss the information” it had filed against Wasi Safi. “Everyone says, ‘You’ve illegally crossed [the border],’ but no one hears my reason,” Wasi Safi said on the phone from the federal prison where he has been held.

☆ Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas 'desperately needs more money' to address the border after spending millions on busing migrants to other parts of the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Abbott renewed his calls for the federal government to send funds to Texas to address the border. Since April, Texas has spent millions of dollars busing migrants to places like DC and Chicago. Greg Abbott said Sunday during President Joe Biden's visit to the border that the state "desperately needs more money" to address the issue. Texas desperately needs more money," Abbott said. Texas had spent $12 million on the efforts as of August, the Texas Tribune reported at the time.

☆ A Texas superintendent ordered school librarians to remove LGBTQ books. Now the federal government is investigating.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Mike Hixenbaugh | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

The U.S. Education Department’s civil rights enforcement arm has launched an investigation into a North Texas school district whose superintendent was secretly recorded ordering librarians to remove LGBTQ-themed library books. The comments, combined with the district’s subsequent decision to remove dozens of library books pending a review, fostered a “pervasively hostile” environment for LGBTQ students, the ACLU wrote in its complaint. Last year, voters in Granbury elected a pair of school board members who campaigned against LGBTQ-affirming school curricula and library books. “These comments, combined with the book removals, really send a message to LGBTQ students in the districts that: ‘You don’t belong here. Lou Whiting, a student at Granbury High School, becomes emotional after speaking against the removal of LGBTQ books at a Granbury school board meeting in March.

☆ Effort to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas will only complicate the immigration puzzle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

They want the incoming Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee to launch an impeachment investigation of Mayorkas ASAP in early January. While their alleged crimes are very different, any impeachment effort against Mayorkas would likely end similarly: Belknap was acquitted in a Senate trial. Democrats, controlling the Senate majority, would surely do the same if Republicans could even muster the majority needed to impeach Mayorkas. McCarthy would rather just see Mayorkas resign, although there’s no indication Mayorkas will. “If Secretary Mayorkas does not resign, House Republicans will investigate every order, every action and every failure.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried gave $2.5 million to a leading political ethics watchdog. The group says it can't give the money back because officials already spent it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Campaign Legal Center fights against lawlessness and unethical behavior in politics. Brendan Quinn, a spokesperson for the Campaign Legal Center, says the nonprofit organization cannot return or give away Bankman-Fried's money because the money is already spent. Asked whether the Campaign Legal Center would consider disgorging an amount of money equivalent to what Bankman-Fried contributed, Quinn noted that the Campaign Legal Center is not a political candidate or committee. The Campaign Legal Center has not yet provided Insider a copy, first requested December 2, of the most recent IRS 990 tax document filed by Campaign Legal Center Action, its advocacy arm. Former President Donald Trump has been a frequent target of the Campaign Legal Center's legal and ethics efforts.

☆ Homebuyers who fled to Florida to escape high taxes are now shocked at their massive tax bills
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Florida law caps property taxes at 3% a year for existing homebuyers. The tax bills have come as a shock for some, who may have to consider moving out of the state. Anyone who bought a Florida property in 2022 will be in the same situation next year. Corporate homebuyers are also getting hit with higher tax billsDeeply resourced, large-scale homebuyers are getting caught off guard, too. Some local governments in Texas have argued for increasing property taxes in order to finance things like hurricane relief, the Texas Tribune reported.

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