Latest news with #TexasTribuneFestival
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UT System chancellor leaves to lead University of California
University of Texas System Chancellor JB Milliken will leave the 256,000-student system to take a new out-of-state position as University of California president, system officials said Friday. "We are fortunate to have had Chancellor Milliken at the helm of the UT System for almost seven years,' said UT System Regents' Chair Kevin P. Eltife in a statement. 'The board and I are grateful for our close and very productive relationship with him, and we are proud of what we accomplished together. He has led the UT System admirably and innovatively." John Zerwas, the University of Texas System's executive vice chancellor for health affairs and who served seven terms in the Texas House of Representatives, will serve as acting chancellor when Milliken leaves in June, according to a news release from the UT System. Milliken was named the new president of the University of California on Friday, and will enter that role in August, according to statements from UC and UT. This is a developing story; check back for details. Disclosure: University of Texas System has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
John Bash, first candidate to enter Texas attorney general's race, exits
Former U.S. Attorney John Bash, the first to announce a bid to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton, announced on Wednesday he was withdrawing from the race, citing personal family reasons. Bash, a former Western District of Texas prosecutor and special assistant to President Donald Trump in his first term, said in a social media post that his family had a health scare that 'threw into sharp focus' his priorities. 'I still believe I have the right experience and judgment for the job. But the timing isn't right for our young family,' Bash said in the post. The end of Bash's campaign comes less than a month after he was the first to publicly announce his entry into the attorney general's race on April 10. The opening for a new attorney general was created after Paxton announced his own bid to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for the seat. Paxton will still serve his full term as attorney general, but cannot run for more than one position. His term ends in 2026. With Bash's withdrawal, state Sen. Mayes Middleton is currently the only candidate with a public campaign for attorney general. Bash complimented the Galveston Republican in his announcement and said he was a good man who 'served Texas honorably in the Legislature.' Since resigning from his role as a federal prosecutor in 2020, Bash has worked in the private sector, including representing Elon Musk in a defamation lawsuit brought by a former college student. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
TribCast: Inside the lottery scandals roiling Texas
The Texas Lottery Commission has rarely made headlines. But for the past few months, it has been a focus of scandal. Lawmakers are questioning whether two jackpots worth tens of millions of dollars were legitimately won. Two state officials have resigned. And Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has channeled Marvin Zindler by showing up unannounced with a camera to the gaming store at the center of it all. In this week's episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Texas Tribune reporter Ayden Runnels, who has been covering this issue for months. They discuss the businesses of "lottery couriers," what lawmakers are going to do about them and whether Eleanor or Ayden even know who Marvin Zindler is. Watch the video above, or subscribe to the TribCast on iTunes, Spotify, or RSS. New episodes every Tuesday. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Improved response to mass shooting is goal of 'Uvalde Strong' bill approved by Texas House
The Texas House gave unanimous approval on Tuesday to a bill that would improve how law enforcement responds to mass shootings. The bill was proposed by state Rep. Don McLaughlin, who was the mayor of Uvalde when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary school in 2022. House Bill 33 would mandate law enforcement agencies across the state to create crisis response policies. This stems from the shooting in Uvalde, where nearly 400 law enforcement officers waited more than an hour before confronting the shooter who barricaded himself in a classroom. That delay went against nationwide active shooter protocols and was widely criticized as the shooting was investigated. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. In a statement, McLaughlin said the bill ensures confusion and hesitation will never be an excuse again. McLaughlin said: 'It demands clear command, real-time coordination, and immediate actions when lives are on the line. We can't undo the past, but today we made sure Texas is ready for the future.' The bill has several requirements in it that could create a more organized response to another mass shooting. It would require school districts and law enforcement to meet annually and plan their response to an active shooter situation and mandate officers to complete a training program on how to respond to an active shooter at primary and secondary schools. It would also provide training grants for officers. McLaughlin, who was critical of the response to the shooting in Uvalde, also included in his bill a requirement that policy and emergency medical service providers file a report detailing the event if they respond to an active shooter scene. The report would be due no later than 60 days after an incident — a requirement aimed at giving the public faster information on mass shootings. Ahead of the vote, McLaughlin spoke about the support he's received about the bill in committee meetings. 'This is a good bill for school safety, law enforcement coordination, communication and training,' McLaughlin said. Cheers erupted in the room when the final vote was announced. The Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde is the deadliest shooting at a Texas public school. Families of the victims have sued officers and law enforcement agencies over the failed response, including 92 officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Former Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and one of his former officers were also charged with multiple counts of child endangerment. Investigations into the shooting revealed an uncoordinated response among law enforcement officers responding to the shooting. Officers reportedly waited for instructions, couldn't find the right keys to enter classrooms, and were fearful of an AR-15 style rifle as there was a lack of ballistic shields and flash-bangs. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fewer Texans see immigration as helping the U.S., poll finds
Compared to 2017, more Texans see immigration as harmful and want undocumented immigrants deported, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Texas Lyceum, a nonpartisan leadership training group. Immigration was the top issue facing Texas, survey respondents said — though they reported mixed views on specific impacts. Rising prices and border security were a close second and third, according to the Lyceum's annual poll, which collected responses from 1,200 adults in the Lone Star State, about 69% of them registered voters. Texans were evenly split, at 32% each, on whether immigration helps the United States more than it hurts, or hurts more than it helps. Another 30% said it was a little bit of both. Those views have shifted sharply since 2017, when 62% of respondents said immigration helps more than it hurts. Twenty-seven percent said it hurts more than it helps that year, and just 6% said a little bit of both. This year, a significantly higher portion of people, 68%, said they believed President Trump would deport undocumented immigrants compared to 2017, when 50% said that would happen, according to the poll. In the poll, 44% said they want him to do so — up from 31% in 2017. And while 29% of those who responded said they were extremely concerned with illegal immigration, 63% also said they believed undocumented immigrants fill jobs American citizens don't want. When it comes to personal finances, meanwhile, 41% of respondents said they were worse off than a year ago, and another 36% said their situation was the same. Just 23% said they were better off. The Lyceum also polled people on how well they felt they were being represented: 55% approved of Gov. Greg Abbott's job performance, up from 49% last year. Both Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton — who is running for a U.S. Senate seat — earned 42% approval, while 46% of Texans polls approved of how well of a job the state legislature is doing. Disclosure: Texas Lyceum has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. The poll was conducted from March 28 to April 4, via phone and the internet. The overall margin of error was 3 percentage points. And while Texans were split on many issues, there was at least one statement that drew a majority of support: 68% said they would rather see their political leaders compromise and find middle ground on key issues, rather than stand their ground. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
