Federal Judge Tosses Out Texas Voter ID Law

In her second ruling on the Texas Senate Bill, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos said changes made to 2011 voter ID law did not "fully ameliorate" its "discriminatory intent." LM Otero/AP hide caption In her second ruling on the Texas Senate Bill, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos said changes made to 2011 voter ID law did not "fully ameliorate" its "discriminatory intent."

Federal judge again tosses out Texas voter ID law

A federal judge who has compared Texas' voter ID requirements to a "poll tax" on minorities once again blocked the law Wednesday, rejecting a weakened version backed by the Trump administration and dealing Texas Republicans another court defeat over voting rights. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos rejected changes signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott this summer as not only lacking but also potentially chilling to voters because of new criminal penalties.

Texas man charged with trying to bomb a Confederate statue in Houston

Federal authorities said Monday that a Houston man was charged with attempting to bomb a statue in that city honoring a Confederate military figure. The charges, filed Sunday and made public Monday, come as officials across the country have grappled with how to handle their Confederate monuments, an issue that has taken on a newfound urgency since violence erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia, this month.

University of Texas joins efforts to remove Confederate statues

University of Texas President Greg Fenves ordered the immediate removal of statues of Robert E. Lee and other prominent Confederate figures from a main area of campus, saying such monuments have become "symbols of modern white supremacy and neo-Nazism." There was a heavy police presence, and some arguments occurred among those gathered, after Mr. Fenves announced the move late Sunday and crews began removing the statutes.

Evangelical advisers stay with Trump as others criticize him

One of President Donald Trump's most steadfast constituencies has been standing by him amid his defense of a white nationalist rally in Virginia, even as business leaders, artists and Republicans turn away. Only one of Trump's evangelical advisers has quit the role, while presidential boards in other fields saw multiple defections before being dismantled.

See behind the scenes as American Airlines takes aviation geeks on an airport tour

Airline fanatics around the world got a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of American Airlines' operations on Friday as part of a celebration for National Aviation Day. The Fort Worth-based carrier opened up its doors to more than 100 self-proclaimed airline geeks, who got guided tours of airport terminals, maintenance hangars and control centers at 11 airports around the world, from DFW International Airport to London's Heathrow International Airport.

Texas police chiefs start adapting to sanctuary cities law

Even as a new Texas law targeting so-called sanctuary cities remains in legal limbo, police chiefs and sheriffs are making changes to comply, rewriting training manuals and withdrawing policies that prevented officers from asking people whether they're in the United States illegally. The law, known as Senate Bill 4, goes into effect Sept.

Crude oil opens new vistas in India-US relationship

Washington: The first shipment of American crude oil is likely to reach India in the last week of September, opening new vistas in the Indo-US ties. With this India, the world's third-largest oil importer, joins Asian countries like South Korea, Japan and China to buy American crude after production cuts by OPEC drove up prices of Middle East heavy-sour crude, or grades with a high sulphur content.

Two House districts illegally skew vote, Texas told by court

A federal court invalidated two of Texas' congressional districts on Tuesday, concluding that they violated the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting power of minorities. In a 107-page ruling -- part of a long-running legal battle -- a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas found that District 27, which includes Corpus Christi, had been drawn to deny voters in a heavily Hispanic county "their opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice," and that ethnicity had been the primary factor in drawing District 35, a narrow strip that stretches from San Antonio to Austin.

Gov. Abbott suggests ‘bathroom bill’ is likely dead for now

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday he revived a "bathroom bill" targeting transgender people even though he was told it would never get a vote in the GOP-controlled state House, while signaling that the twice-failed effort is dead for the foreseeable future. A proposal requiring transgender Texans to use public restrooms according to the gender on their birth certificates fizzled Tuesday night, when lawmakers abruptly ended a month-long special legislative session Abbott convened.

A snapshot of Guam before US-North Korea conflict and now

In this image released by the U.S, Air Force, a B-1B Lancer assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, prepares for takeoff from Andersen AFB, Guam, to conduct a sequenced bilateral mission with South Korean F-15 and Koku Jieitai F-2 fighter jets, July 7, 2017. In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, a B-1B Lancer assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Pacific Ocean March 10, 2017.

Texas Senate OKs restricting insurance coverage for abortion

The Republican-controlled Texas Senate backed a plan Saturday night to restrict insurance coverage for abortions, over the objections of opponents who expressed concern it could force some women to make heart-wrenching choices because no exceptions will be made in cases of rape and incest. The 20-10 party-line vote for preliminary approval requires women to purchase extra insurance to cover abortions except amid medical emergencies.

Texas set to restrict insurance coverage for abortion

The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature is poised to restrict insurance coverage for abortions over the objections of opponents who say doing so could force some women to make heart-wrenching choices because no exceptions will be made in cases of rape and incest. A bill requiring women to purchase extra insurance to cover abortions except amid medical emergencies already cleared the state House after hours of emotional debate.

Texas pulls back from ‘colonias’

While the economy in Texas has boomed over the past 20 years, along the border with Mexico about a half-million people live in clusters of cinder-block dwellings, home-built shacks, dilapidated trailers and small houses. Texas has more than 2,300 of these communities known as colonias, the Spanish word for "colony."

Texas Democrats Don’t Have a Candidate for Governor

Democrats haven't won a Texas governor's race in nearly three decades, but a booming Hispanic population and the party's dominance of the state's largest cities have made them willing to invest in the contest to keep hopes of an eventual resurgence alive. After high-profile candidates lost decisively in the last two elections, though, the party now finds itself in unprecedented territory for the 2018 ballot: with no major candidate to run.