Texas Tribune Brief

The Texas Tribune put this podcast on hiatus in August 2023 due to staffing changes in the newsroom. If you want to follow the latest news on Texas politics and policy, check out our daily email newsletter, which is also called The Brief. You can sign up at texastribune.org/newsletters

In a court hearing over the barrier near Eagle Pass, the U.S. Justice Department argued it was installed without proper authorization, while lawyers for the state said it notified the feds first. Sad to announce that this will be the last episode of the Texas Tribune Audio Brief. Thank you to the dedicated Audio Brief podcast listeners and the numerous followers who have enjoyed and supported the Audio Brief. I am truly sorry and thank each and every one of you for gracing me your trust and support. I will miss you all, Justin Dehn

Lawyers for the suspended attorney general argue that compelled testimony would violate Paxton’s rights, but House impeachment managers disagree. The issue may be settled in the trial’s opening hours.

A day after Patrick announced the appointment, Marc Brown declined it, citing a campaign contribution he made to Paxton’s GOP primary opponent in 2021.

Before 30 senators take on their role as impeachment trial jurors, they face a series of momentous votes on whether to dismiss the charges as requested by the suspended attorney general The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

After Paxton’s lawyers sought to dismiss articles of impeachment as unsubstantiated, House managers responded by accusing the suspended attorney general of going to great lengths to cover up his relationship to the Austin real estate investor. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

Texas families and health care providers sued the state over Senate Bill 14, which restricts transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming care. The groups are requesting an injunction from a state district court judge before the law goes into effect on Sept. 1. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

Amid ongoing wildfires, the governor’s disaster declaration for three-fourths of the state’s counties allows local governments to access state resources to fight fires. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

The university had asked the federal agency to dismiss sexual-harassment complaints by LGBTQ+ students, arguing that the claims infringed on the school’s religious tenets. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

The seven-months-pregnant officer reported contraction-like pains at work, but she wasn’t allowed to leave for hours. Soon after, her baby was delivered stillborn. But the anti-abortion state is fighting her lawsuit, in part by saying her fetus didn’t clearly have rights. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

Since the permitless carry law passed in 2021, Texans have not needed a license to carry a gun. But gun instructors and some gun owners still see the benefits in taking the classes necessary to obtain a license. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

Heading into the Democratic primary, the U.S. House member and state senator answer questions on guns, the border, abortion and other parts of their platforms. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

If successful, the flurry of legal filings would halt the suspended attorney general’s September impeachment trial before it truly begins in the Texas Senate. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

State District Court Judge issued a temporary exemption to Texas’ abortion ban. Hours later, the attorney general’s office filed an appeal, which blocked the order. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

State officials backing Senate Bill 12 have said they want to protect children from seeing sexually explicit performances. But a new legal challenge says the law is so broad and vague that it criminalizes constitutionally protected expression. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

The professor allegedly criticized Patrick during a lecture and was temporarily suspended after the lieutenant governor contacted Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. The case has raised questions about political interference in the university’s academic affairs. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

More than a million people visited Texas’ 89 state parks in June. But in spots without bodies of water, park officials are warning people to not overdo it as triple-digit temperatures persist. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

Paxton’s legal team says removing him from office would “override the will of the people.” His attorneys have also requested that any evidence of alleged misconduct that predates his current term be excluded from his Senate impeachment trial. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

Legislation passed this month would raise the state’s homestead exemption to $100,000, lower school districts’ tax rates and put an appraisal cap on residential and commercial properties, among other measures. But voters must first approve a constitutional amendment. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.

Escalating their fight over Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ handling of immigration at the southern border, far-right representatives say they will oppose any appropriations for his agency. The Texas Tribune Audio Brief would like to hear from you! Please click here to take our audience survey. It’s the best way to get to know our listeners.