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☆ Perplexity AI in final stages of raising $500 million round at $9 billion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Perplexity AI, the artificial-intelligence search engine startup, is in the final stages of raising $500 million in funding at a $9 billion valuation, a source familiar with the situation told CNBC. Perplexity most recent valuation was $3 billion in June. Perplexity started the year with a roughly $500 million valuation. Despite the AI boom, Perplexity has been embroiled in controversy due to accusations of plagiarizing content from media outlets. WATCH: Perplexity unveils AI election hub: Here's what you need to know

Persons: Perplexity, OpenAI, Microsoft's Bing, Der Spiegel, Dmitry Shevelenko, Shevelenko Organizations: CNBC, Google, Institutional Venture Partners, New York Times, Media, The Texas Tribune, WordPress Locations: ChatGPT

☆ OpenAI announces content deal with Hearst, including content from Cosmopolitan, Esquire and the San Francisco Chronicle
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI announced a partnership with Hearst, the media conglomerate behind outlets like the Houston Chronicle, the San Francisco Chronicle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Elle and others. "Our partnership with OpenAI will help us evolve the future of magazine content," Hearst Magazines President Debi Chirichella said in a statement. The deal is the latest in a recent trend of media outlets entering into content partnerships with AI startups. OpenAI announced a similar partnership in August with Condé Nast, which owns media brands such as Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, Vanity Fair and Wired. Reddit also announced a deal with OpenAI in May to allow the ChatGPT maker to train its AI models on the social media company's content.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, Elle, Debi Chirichella, Condé Nast, Der Spiegel, WordPress.com, Reddit Organizations: Economic, Hearst, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, Cosmopolitan, OpenAI, Vogue, Yorker, GQ, Wired, Media, The Texas Tribune, Time, News Corp, Wall Street, Barron's, New York Post, Center, Investigative, Microsoft, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, The New York Times, Southern, of, Apple Locations: Davos, Switzerland, U.S, of New York

☆ Yellen says U.S. economy remains solid, on path to 'soft landing' with no meaningful layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-07 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen speaks listens to a presentation during a tour at the IRS Processing Facility on September 06, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sought to reassure the public on Saturday that the U.S. economy remains strong, despite a string of weak job reports that have rattled investors and weighed on the stock market. "We're seeing less frenzy in terms of hiring and job openings, but we're not seeing meaningful layoffs," Yellen said at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. Yellen said the U.S. is on that path: "It really has been amazing to be able to get inflation down as meaningfully as we have. This is what most people would call the soft landing," she said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Nonfarm, Dow Jones Organizations: IRS, Texas Tribune, of Labor Statistics, Dow, Federal Reserve Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Austin

☆ Former Vice President Dick Cheney, a Republican, will vote for Kamala Harris in November, his daughter Liz Cheney says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Josephine Rozzelle | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Liz Cheney arrives with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, to vote at the Teton County Library during the Republican primary election, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Aug 16, 2022. Republican former Vice President Dick Cheney will vote for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, his daughter Liz Cheney said Friday. A former member of the House from Wyoming, Liz Cheney broke with Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. When Liz Cheney was up for reelection the following year, Trump successfully worked to defeat her in the state's Republican primary. Liz Cheney on Wednesday became the latest Republican to back Harris when she delivered a surprise endorsement of the Democratic vice president during an event at Duke University.

Persons: Liz Cheney, Dick Cheney, Kamala Harris, he's, there's, Donald Trump, Trump, Steven Cheung, George W, Cheney, Harris, Colin Allred, Republican Sen, Ted Cruz, Allred Organizations: Teton County Library, Republican, Texas Tribune, Trump, NBC News, Democratic, Duke University, Texas Senate, United States Senate Locations: Teton County, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Wyoming, Texas

☆ Perplexity AI will share revenue with publishers after plagiarism accusations
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Perplexity AI on Tuesday debuted a revenue-sharing model for publishers after more than a month of plagiarism accusations. Media outlets and content platforms including Fortune, Time, Entrepreneur, The Texas Tribune, Der Spiegel and WordPress.com are the first to join the company's "Publishers Program." Under the new partner program, any time a user asks a question and Perplexity generates advertising revenue from citing one of the publisher's articles in its answer, Perplexity will share a flat percentage of that revenue. "Some of it grew out of conversations we were having with publishers about integrating Perplexity APIs and technology into their products," Shevelenko said. But not all news organizations are gearing up for a fight, and some are instead joining forces with AI startups like OpenAI, Perplexity and others.

Persons: Der Spiegel, WordPress.com, Forbes, Weeks, Perplexity, Dmitry Shevelenko, Shevelenko, ScalePost.ai, OpenAI, Jonathan Franzen, John Grisham, George R.R, Martin, Jodi Picoult Organizations: Media, The Texas Tribune, Wired, Google, CNBC, Center, Investigative, Microsoft, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, Time, News Corp, Wall Street, Barron's, New York Post Locations: Perplexity

☆ Sewell Chan Named Editor of Columbia Journalism Review
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Katie Robertson | More About Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Sewell Chan, the editor in chief of The Texas Tribune, will become the next executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review. Mr. Chan, 46, has helmed The Tribune, a pioneering nonprofit newsroom, since October 2021. He will join CJR on Sept. 16, the publication announced on Thursday. CJR, which covers the media industry, has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. “It’s always been an intellectual leader in our field, especially on news ethics and decision-making,” Mr. Chan told The New York Times.

Persons: Sewell Chan, Chan, “ It’s, ” Mr, ” Organizations: The Texas Tribune, Columbia, Tribune, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, New York Times

☆ These 13 states — including Florida and Texas — opted out of a $2.5 billion federal food program that would help feed low-income kids this summer
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

During the pandemic, the federal government covered the entire cost of the Summer EBT program, but starting this summer, states will be on the hook to split administrative costs 50/50. AdvertisementThirteen Republican-led states ultimately opted out of the program this summer, citing myriad reasons, including redundancy, insufficient support, and politics. AlabamaAccording to the state's Department of Health, one in four children in Alabama faces food insecurity. The state will reconsider joining the summer program once the backlog is dealt with, the outlet reported. Brian Kemp told local outlet 11 Alive that the state already has a summer food program in place.

Persons: —, Brian Kemp, Republican Sen, Cindy Carlson, Kim Reynolds, Reynolds, Kevin Stitt, Stitt, Biden, Henry McMaster, Scott Olson, Iran Fury, Kristi Noem, Chalkbeat, Fury, Megan Degenfelder, Degenfelder Organizations: Service, Department of Agriculture, SUN, Business, The, Agriculture, state's Department of Health, SUN Bucks, Alabama, state's Department of Education, Assistance, SNAP, state's Department of Children, Families, Florida Department of Children, Republican Gov, Republican, Idaho Education, Iowa, Iowa Iowa Gov, Human Services, Biden Administration, Mississippi The Mississippi Department of Human Services, Magnolia Tribune, Oklahoma Republican Gov, South Carolina Republican Gov, The Texas Tribune, state's, Human Services Commission Locations: Alabama, Alaska Alaska, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, SUN Bucks, NurPhoto Idaho, Idaho, Iowa Iowa, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Dakota South Dakota, Iran, Texas Texas, Wyoming Wyoming, Wyoming

☆ Texas Republicans confab hints at how GOP breakup with corporate America could play out
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The annual Texas Republican Convention started Thursday in San Antonio, and culminated with George's election as party chair. Verizon , Comcast and Union Pacific sponsored the 2020 Texas Republican convention, according to The Texas Tribune. Pepsi and Chevron were sponsors of the 2022 Texas Republican convention, but they are not backing this year's event. The fight over corporate money also bubbled up in the election that George won on Friday, to lead the state party. This team "wears that as a badge of honor," he said, before the new chair of the state party was elected.

Persons: Greg Abbott, Donald J, Trump, Abraham George, George, Matt Mackowiak, Mackowiak, Griffin Perry, Rick Perry, Perry Organizations: Texas, Weslaco Department of Public Safety, Republican Party of Texas, America, RPT, Texas Republican, Fortune, Verizon, Comcast, Union Pacific, The Texas Tribune, Pepsi, Chevron, Veteran, GOP, Republican, Texas Gov, CNBC Locations: Mexico, Weslaco , TX, Texas, San Antonio

The Justice Department is expected to announce the indictment of longtime Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. It wasn't immediately clear if the indictment was related to the 2022 raid. A year after the raid — which had not previously yielded arrests or charges — Cuellar told the Texas Tribune: "There has been no wrongdoing on my part. Despite the raid, Cuellar narrowly defeated a progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros, in his 2022 primary and went on to win re-election to his seat that November. A member of the centrist Blue Dogs and New Democrat Coalition, Cuellar was first elected to the House in 2004.

Persons: Henry Cuellar, Cuellar's, Joshua Berman, Cuellar, — Cuellar, Jessica Cisneros, Cassy Garcia Organizations: NBC News, Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, Texas Tribune, Texans, Republican, Cuellar, Dogs, New Democrat Coalition Locations: Texas, Laredo , Texas, Azerbaijan, U.S, San Antonio

☆ SXSW weighs in after Texas governor tells artists pulling out of the music festival because of the US Army 'don't come back'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

South by Southwest acknowledged artists who boycotted the festival due to US Army sponsorship. Despite the controversy, SXSW is maintaining its military sponsorship. Greg Abbott on Tuesday, after he demanded artists who pulled out of the festival due to US Army involvement not visit or return to Texas. The Army is hosting a range of panels at the festival from "Transforming for the Future: Innovation, Tech, and the Army" to "Unleash Your Beast: Army Functional Fitness." Mong Tong at the SXSW Music Opening Party Music Festival Showcase as part of SXSW 2024 Conference and Festivals held at the Palm Door on Sixth on March 12, 2024 in Austin, Texas.

Persons: Greg Abbott's, —, Greg Abbott, Governor Abbott, Abbott, Mong Tong, Diego Donamaria, Rachel Chinouriri, Chinouriri, Eliza McLamb, Ellen Lovett Organizations: US Army, Gov, SXSW, Service, Southwest, Army, Israel, U.S, Collins Aerospace, BAE Systems, RTX Corporation, Raytheon, Texas Tribune, Innovation, Tech, Getty, Star Locations: Southwest, Texas, Austin, Antonio, Austin , Texas

☆ Meta's retreat from news accelerated in 2023, leaving publishers scrambling for traffic
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

At Mother Jones, a 48-year-old nonprofit magazine specializing in politics and investigations, the implications were dramatic. "The firehose of Facebook traffic was never going to pay for our journalism, for the majority of our journalism," Bauerlein said. Last decade, many publishers saw their "social traffic decline pretty dramatically," with Facebook deprioritizing text-based articles in favor of video content, Cholke said. "If we all end up finding news in the metaverse, then you'll be finding Mother Jones in the metaverse," she said. What Mother Jones won't do, she said, is "bet everything on one platform, because that never works out."

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Sen, John Kennedy, Bill Clark, Reuters Mother Jones, Monika Bauerlein, Mother Jones, Meta, Donald Trump, Bauerlein, Jill Nicholson, Nicholson, Zuckerberg, David Carr, Carr, We've, Meta hasn't, It's, Similarweb, Sam Cholke, John S, Adams, Jonah Peretti, " Peretti, Jessica Probus, BuzzFeed's, BuzzFeed, Probus, Cholke, that's, Chartbeat's Nicholson, Mathew Ingram, Facebook, Ingram, Pew, Elisa Shearer, influencers, Jones Organizations: Facebook, Reuters, Mother, CNBC, Google, Meta, Daily, Comcast, Vice Media, Institute for Nonprofit News, Texas Tribune, Montana Free Press, The Texas Tribune, Institute for Nonprofit, Longtime, Columbia Journalism, Pew Research Center, Pew Locations: Washington, France, Germany, Australia, Helena, American

☆ DOJ's Uvalde report details failures by hundreds of police officers. Only a handful faced any consequences.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But out of hundreds of officials who responded to the scene, according to the report, only a handful have faced any consequences so far. The DOJ's scathing report details how officers hesitated to confront the shooter, violating training for how to handle active shootings. The DOJ report says the UCISD PD didn't do any internal investigations. Uvalde Police DepartmentThe Uvalde Police Department (UPD) launched its own internal investigation into the incident, which hasn't finished, according to the DOJ report. And so, the weapon the shooter used is considered a machine gun under federal law, according to the DOJ report.

Persons: —, didn't, Pete Arredondo, Uvalde —, hasn't, Mariano Pargas —, Steve McCraw, Uvalde Organizations: DOJ, Service, US Department of, Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police, Customs, Border Patrol, CBP, District, Uvalde Police, Uvalde Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, City, Texas Tribune, Texas Rangers, Associated Press, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, ATF Locations: Uvalde , Texas, Uvalde County, Uvalde

CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

☆ The Texas GOP voted against a proposed ban on members associating with Nazi sympathizers
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Texas GOP voted against a ban on associating with Nazi sympathizers. The proposed ban came after a top state conservative met with Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist who praises Hitler. AdvertisementThe Texas GOP executive committee voted against a measure that would ban Republicans from associating with Holocaust deniers and Nazi sympathizers. The committee, by a vote of 32 to 29, removed the clause from a pro-Israel resolution, according to The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune took photos of Fuentes entering Pale Horse Strategies, a conservative consulting agency owned by Stickland, in October.

Persons: Nick Fuentes, Hitler, —, Jonathan Stickland, Fuentes, Stickland, Rolando Garcia, " Garcia Organizations: Texas GOP, Nazi, Service, The Texas Tribune, Republican, Stickland, Defend Texas Liberty, Defense Texas Liberty, Rome News, Tribune, The Tribune, Business Locations: Texas, Israel, Republican Texas

☆ Latino lawmakers dismiss Sen. Bob Menendez's claims that he's being racially targeted: 'This is not that'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Menendez has argued that he's being targeted for being a "first-generation Latino American." AdvertisementAdvertisementFellow Latino lawmakers in Congress aren't buying Sen. Bob Menendez's claims that he's being targeted by prosecutors for his heritage. "Latinos face barriers and discrimination across the board in so many categories, including in our justice system. AdvertisementAdvertisementInsider asked several of Menendez's Latino colleagues in the Senate on Tuesday what they made of his argument, including Republican Sens. Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas also pushed back on Menendez's claims as she called on him to resign.

Persons: Sen, Menendez, it's, —, Bob Menendez's, he's, Pete Aguilar, Aguilar, Phil Murphy, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Democratic Sen, Ben Ray Luján, Rubio, Cruz, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Veronica Escobar, Escobar Organizations: Service, Democratic, House Democratic Caucus, New, New Jersey Democrat, Gov, Democrats, Republican Sens, of Justice, Texas Tribune Locations: Pete Aguilar of California, New York, Egypt, New Jersey, Ted Cruz of Texas, New Mexico, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Cortez, Veronica Escobar of Texas

☆ Gavin Newsom got grilled on '60 Minutes' about whether he intends to run for president. This time his answer wasn't 'no.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gavin Newsom didn't rule out running for president when he was asked about it on "60 Minutes." Gavin Newsom has been asked many times if he plans to run for president. "60 Minutes" correspondent Cecilia Vega asked Newsom, in an interview that aired on Sunday. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn September 2022, Newsom insisted, when asked at the Texas Tribune Festival, that he doesn't plan to run for president in 2024. AdvertisementAdvertisementRumblings about a possible Newsom run are coming at an interesting moment in the Democratic Party.

Persons: Gavin Newsom didn't, Cecilia Vega, Newsom, Gavin Newsom, Vega, I've, It's, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, he'd Organizations: Service, Housing, Texas Tribune Festival, Democratic Party, GOP, Politico, Trump Locations: Wall, Silicon, California

☆ Texas farmers are getting hammered by volatile weather events, making it harder for many to make a living
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Texas' citrus farmers have a nickname for a deep freeze that struck in February 2021: the Valentine's Day Massacre. The deep freeze was the second disaster in two years to hit Southeast Texas. As for the deep freeze, any temperature below 28 degrees Fahrenheit is devastating for citrus trees, Murden said. That was nearly cut in half during the 2020-21 season, according to data compiled by the Texas Valley Citrus Committee. A hurricane followed by a deep freeze ruined portions of Murden's grapefruit orchard.

Persons: Dale Murden, Hurricane Hanna, Murden, Jason Garza, Hanna, There's, there'll, it'll Organizations: Hurricane, NOAA, The Texas Tribune, Texas, Citrus Committee, M, Amistad Locations: Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Southeast Texas, Harlingen , Texas, Rio Grande, Rio, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico

Decade to decade, costly extreme weather events are increasing in both frequency and intensity as greenhouse gases build up in our atmosphere. The true cost of extreme heatLois Nigrin grew up on a farm and loved getting outdoors. Her ordeal points to the rising cost of extreme heat, the leading weather-related killer in the US. The true cost of floodingBarb Grant has built her life's work around helping others. The true cost of inactionThere is more to this story than a set of ruinous tragedies.

Persons: Lois Nigrin, —, Yoon, Nigrin, Read, Dale Murden, who's, He's, he's, Murden, Jason Garza, Barb Grant, Grant, Miriam Alarcón Avila, She's Organizations: Center for American, Atlantic Council, The Texas Tribune, Administration, Texas, Citrus Committee, M, Pew Charitable Locations: heatstroke, Texas, Arizona, Nebraska, Harlingen , Texas, Mexico, Southeast Texas, Iowa

“This is hugely important, both practically and symbolically,” said Tim Franklin, director of the Local News Initiative at Northwestern University's Medill journalism school. The Carnegie Corp., the Democracy Fund, the Ford Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and MacArthur are among a group of 20 initial funders. Philanthropies that recognize the need to strengthen democracy are beginning to see that progress on many different issues depends on the public's understanding of facts, said John Palfrey, MacArthur Foundation president. He said he expected other funding will be added in the coming months to boost the commitment beyond $500 million. Struggling local news sources have also attracted the attention of state governments, where things like tax breaks for advertisers or subscribers are being discussed, he said.

Persons: ”, Tim Franklin, Robert Wood Johnson, John Palfrey, Franklin, there's, “, Alberto Ibarguen, John S, James L, Ibarguen, wasn’t, ” Ibarguen, he's, Tom Rosenstiel Organizations: MacArthur Foundation, Foundation, Press, Local, Initiative, Northwestern University's Medill, Carnegie Corp, Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, MacArthur, Associated Press, Knight Foundation, Texas Tribune, Shawnee Mission, University of Maryland Locations: United States, Northwestern, Shawnee, Kansas, Richland, Ohio, Chicago, Dallas , Texas, Pennsylvania, Minneapolis, Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Philadelphia

☆ Texas is about to shut down an election office in a heavily Democratic county that includes Houston less than two months before the city's mayoral election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Harris County, which includes Houston, must close its election administration office by Friday. Losing Republican candidates blamed the Harris County election office for their losses in 2022. But that election will no longer happen under the authority of Harris County elections officers. Harris County election office shut downLegislators passed the bill abolishing the Harris County elections office after so far unproven claims by losing Republican candidates that administrative issues at the office swayed the results of the November 2022 general election, the Texas Tribune reported. The Texas Office of the Attorney General did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

Persons: Sylvester Turner, Greg Abbott, Christian Menefee, Menefee, Turner, Sheila Jackson Lee, State Sen, John Whitmire Organizations: Houston, Service, Democrat, Republicans, Democratic, Texas Gov, Republican, Texas Tribune, Houston Public Media, Texas Office, State Locations: Harris, Houston, Wall, Silicon, Harris County, Texas, Democratic Harris County

☆ Abbott's Texas National Guard set up a secret spy operation and treated the border like it was the war in Iraq: whistleblowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Texas National Guardsmen set up a secret spying mission by using WhatsApp to snoop on migrants, a watchdog found. Top brass in Operation Lone Star — a state-run effort to combat illegal immigration — "wanted to pretend it was like Iraq," one servicemember told The Texas Tribune and The Military Times. Insider has reached out to the Texas National Guard for comment. After whistleblowers reported the WhatsApp surveillance, leaders in the Texas National Guard shut down Operation Lone Star's intelligence unit, the report said. The Texas Military Department's inspector general also investigated the activity and determined it was an unauthorized foreign intelligence operation, the outlets reported.

Persons: snoop, Greg Abbott, Greg Abbott's, Tuesday's, weren't, David Tyler Organizations: Texas National Guardsmen, Lone Star, The Texas Tribune, The Military Times . Texas Gov, National Guardsmen, Service, Gov, Texas Tribune, The Military Times, The Tribune, Operation Lone Star, Tribune, Texas National Guard, Star, Texas Gov, Department of Homeland Security, feds, DHS, The Texas Military Locations: Iraq, Wall, Silicon, Texas, Rio Grande, Lt

☆ Renewable energy sources have kept the Texas power grid stable this summer even as the state breaks record after record for power usage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Renewable energy has kept the power grid "remarkably stable" despite the significant strain, an expert says. Texas leads the nation in wind-generated power and is third in the country for solar power. As these extreme temperatures continue to bake Texas, residents are cranking up their air conditioning, straining the state's power grid. Texas produces more wind-powered electricity than any other state and is a national leader in solar energy alongside California and Florida. Some state and national Republicans, however, have pushed back against legislation that would further strengthen the clean energy sources keeping the air conditioners running in Texas this summer.

Persons: Austin, Emily Foxhall, Joshua Rhodes, Rhodes, we're Organizations: Service, Lone Star, Electric, of Texas, Texas Tribune, CBS, Webber Energy Group, University of Texas, Texas, Republicans Locations: Texas, El Paso, California, Florida . Texas

☆ US postal workers say agency's productivity tracking and inconsistent training is life-threatening amid extreme heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The USPS letter carriers who spoke to Insider requested anonymity because they were concerned about possible retaliation. "I've had several days where I'd have to stop and try to cool down," she told Insider. The program is designed to educate letter carriers on the warning signs of heat-related illness and how to stay safe amid high temperatures. This year, the National Associated of Letter Carriers has ordered every local branch to review its training completion records. "This is easily the worst summer yet," the rural letter carrier from Texas told Insider.

Persons: Eugene Gates Jr, Gates, Kimetra Lewis, Eugene Gates , Jr, Albert Ruiz, —, Brian Renfroe, Renfroe, I've, Lewis, Darlene Casey, It's Organizations: Service, US Postal Service, National Association of, Postal, USPS, National Labor Relations Board, South Carolina, National, Carriers, Postal Service, Washington Post, Texas Tribune, Workers Locations: Wall, Silicon, Texas, Dallas , TX, Lakewood, South, South Carolina, United States

☆ Texas A&M board members sought a journalism program that would churn out conservatives to 'direct our message,' according to text messages
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Texas A&M board members sent text messages about wanting a journalism school that would churn out conservatives. She also previously oversaw the journalism program at the University of Texas, and researched diversity, equity, and inclusion in media, according to The Associated Press. McElroy told The Texas Tribune that Texas A&M rescinded its job offer to her after "DEI hysteria" among Texas university leaders. In the text messages, Graham called McElroy's hiring "unacceptable" and says the board "can't allow it to happen," according to KBTX. And it seems that my being an Aggie, wanting to lead an Aggie program to what I thought would be prosperity, wasn't enough."

Persons: Jay Graham, TAMU, Kathleen McElroy, KBTX, Graham, David Baggett Organizations: Texas, Service, Regents, Aggie, Texas Tribune, KBTX, & $ Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ House Democratic leaders are once again backing an anti-abortion lawmaker for re-election in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

House Democratic leaders are backing Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar's 2024 re-election bid. That's despite his an FBI raid on his home, his opposition to abortion, and other conservative positions. In addition to Jeffries, Cuellar has the backing of the rest of the top echelon of House Democratic leadership, including Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, and Assistant Democratic Leader Rep. Jim Clbyrun of South Carolina. He also has the backing of former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California and former House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland. She lost to Cuellar by less than 300 votes last cycle, despite the backing of progressives including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Persons: Henry Cuellar's, That's, Henry Cuellar, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries, Cuellar, Pete Aguilar, Katherine Clark of, Jim Clbyrun, Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Jessica Cisneros, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Sen, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts Organizations: Democratic, Texas, FBI, Cuellar, Service, House Democratic Caucus, National Rifle Association, POLITICO, Texas Tribune, Maryland, Rep Locations: Wall, Silicon, Texas, South Texas, New York, Pete Aguilar of California, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, South Carolina, California, Alexandria, Cortez of New York

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