35,000 people comment on federal review of rapid-fire bump stocks, device used in Las Vegas massacre

The federal agency that regulates firearms received more than 35,000 comments on the legality of "bump stocks," the rapid-fire device used by the Las Vegas shooter that allows a semi-automatic gun to fire at nearly automatic rates. The online comments included dozens from Texans during the one-month commenting period - part of the Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' process to review whether bump stocks fall into the definition of a "machine gun."

Changing redistricting rules could change who Texas sends to Congress a ” dramatically

Drawing clever political districts is one way politicians in Texas and elsewhere avoid accountability - by protecting themselves from voters who disagree with them. They do this by stuffing weirdly shaped geographic districts with voters who agree with them.

Here’s first family’s first year

It's been a jam-packed year of news since President Donald Trump moved into the White House, but it's also been a transformative -- if tumultuous -- year for each member of the first family. Trump and his extended nuclear family's first year in Washington saw new homes in cities, new roles, new books and even a new baby.

Wesley Stoker

If 9-year-old Wesley Trent Stoker was nervous when he took the stage Friday at the 26th annual Gardere Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition in Dallas, he didn't show it. Dressed in a dark suit and a rose-colored tie, Wesley stood at the microphone and spoke fervently for five minutes around the contest's theme honoring the late civil rights leader: "What is your dream for today's world?" More than once, he also seemed to acknowledge that he was the only white student among the competition's finalists.

Pastor Who Admitted To 1998 Sexual Assault Will Not Face Charges

Texas authorities announced that no charges would be filed against pastor Andy Savage for his 1998 sexual assault against a teenage girl, outraging his critics. The Montgomery County District Attorney's office in Texas released a statement Wednesday night explaining that the statute of limitations for Savage's sexual assault against Jules Woodson had passed and that they could not pursue any legal means against Savage.

Trump’s voter fraud commission is kaput, but questions remain about what data states can release

The question of what voter data Texas can release to such commissions and what safeguards they must ensure stems from a lawsuit filed in July by the Texas NAACP and the Texas League of Women Voters seeking to block the state from handing over its voter rolls to the federal commission. Texas election law includes provisions that prohibit the information from being used for commercial purposes.

Lupe Valdez, a Democrat, kicks off gubernatorial bid in Dallas

Lupe Valdez, the former Dallas County Sheriff, formally launched her Democratic bid for governor on Sunday, touting a campaign aimed at representing all Texans and listing a broad range of topics she plans to address as election season gets underway. "Together, we need to build something new - a new Texas," Valdez told a crowd of supporters here.

Trump Seeks $18B To Extend Border Wall Over 10 Years

The Trump administration has proposed spending $18 billion over 10 years to significantly extend the border wall with Mexico, providing one of its most detailed blueprints of how the president hopes to carry out a signature campaign pledge. The proposal by Customs and Border Protection calls for 316 miles of additional barrier by September 2027, bringing total coverage to 970 miles , or nearly half the border, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the matter.

‘Like a hurricane’: Coastal streets deserted in winter storm

Temperatures plummeted overnight to 2 degrees in the north Georgia mountains, 14 in Atlanta and 26 as far south as New Orleans as the... . Steam rises above the waters of the Mississippi River underneath the Eads Bridge as the temperature hovers around -1 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, in St. Louis.

What to expect in Texas’ voting rights court fights in 2018

As far as court battles go, 2017 was a busy year on the voting rights front in Texas - and 2018 will likely be no different. After years of litigation, Texas and its legal foes - minority and civil rights groups and voters of color - begin the year waiting on the courts to rule on the fate of the state's embattled political maps and voter identification requirements.

Record number of women express interest in seeking office

AP photo Letitia Plummer, a Houston dentist and candidate for Congress to represent Texas District 22, smiles Dec. 9 during a women's candidate training workshop at El Centro College in Dallas. EMILY'S List, an organization dedicated to electing candidates at all levels of government who support abortion rights, is conducting a national recruitment effort looking to train candidates and potential candidates in over 20 states.

Fort Wortha s Rollins expands Texas policy shop into Washington

The Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has more than 75 employees in Texas, will open a new office D.C. in January. Its leaders plan to increase its D.C. staff from five to as many as 15 employees in 2018, to seek rollbacks and changes to environmental and health care issues, and work on criminal justice reform.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts vows to review judiciary sexual misconduct policies

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is promising a careful evaluation of the federal judiciary's sexual misconduct policies. WASHINGTON - Chief Justice John Roberts is promising a careful evaluation of the federal judiciary's sexual misconduct policies and an effort to highlight the work of court employees following the year's destructive hurricanes.

The top five undercovered news stories of 2017, from the left and right

President Donald Trump surrounded by members of congress and supporters as he speaks during an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, to acknowledge the final passage of tax overhaul legislation by Congress. Trump's unpredictable, pugnacious approach to the presidency often worked against him as Republicans navigated a tumultuous but ultimately productive year in Congress.

17 of 2017’s Most Popular Stories

With control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, Republicans had high hopes of pushing an ambitious agenda forward and making good on last year's campaign promises. But their long-held promise of repealing and replacing the 2010 health care law stalled in the Senate in one of the most dramatic moments of the year.