Texas Republicans And Ousting Of Liz Cheney
Most Texas Republicans in the U.S. House have remained silent on efforts to oust one of their own – Rep. Liz Cheney – from a House leadership position, following her resistance to former President Donald Trump’s debunked claims of fraud in the 2020 election. Abby Livingston has been following it for The Texas Tribune, where she’s Washington bureau chief.
Latest On Colonial Pipeline Hack
The southeastern United States continues to face gas shortages in the wake of last week’s Colonial Pipeline shutdown. And in the affected states, many of those pumps that do have gas are experiencing long waits. The company said Wednesday that it was beginning to restart the pipeline after a ransomware attack led to the shutdown. But it could be days until the supply chain stabilizes. Loren Steffy, a Texas Monthly writer focusing on the energy industry, joins us with more.
Before the law was changed in 2011, thousands of military service members were expelled for being gay. Though many still don’t qualify for federal veterans benefits, they now can receive state benefits in places like New York and Colorado. Desiree D’Iorio reports for the American Homefront Project.
February’s severe winter weather did a lot of damage to homes in Austin. Some renters, unable to move, have continued living in these conditions. Now their landlords are telling them they have to leave. And as KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy reports, some people are getting just a week to get out.
Bringing better broadband to more American: it’s a goal shared by politicians as diverse as Greg Abbott and Joe Biden. And proposals to encourage projects in rural areas, where it’s often impossible to get a high-speed connection, have only become more urgent during the pandemic. But how widespread is the problem, and where should policymakers be focusing their attention? Our tech expert Omar Gallaga lends his perspective today.
Golden Globe-winning actor Regina Taylor has deep roots in North Texas. In partnership with Southern Methodist University, where’s she’s teaching, Taylor has created the “Black Album Mixtape Project.” It’s a platform for Black Americans to meet and create following the events of the past year. As KERA’s Jerome Weeks reports, the project presented awards to artists across the country this week.
Commentary: Pooja Sethi: ‘Pray For India, Pray For The World’
The dire COVID-19 situation in India is affecting people across the globe – Texans included. Pooja Sethi is an immigration attorney for Catholic Charities and a commissioner for the city of Austin’s Asian American Quality of Life Commission. She spent every summer of her childhood in India, and continues to have many loved ones there. She shares a commentary about the situation there with us.
Texas’ Chapter 313 Program
Residential property taxes – the main funding mechanism for Texas school districts – are a perennial source of controversy. Less discussed? Property taxes on industry and business. One state program offers big discounts on business property taxes, in hopes Texas reaps the benefits once new projects choose to build here. But as Justin Miller from the Texas Observer found out, the program isn’t working as intended. He joins us with more today
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
