A rainbow crosswalk and a street mural declaring "Black Artists Matter" in Austin, Texas, are in danger of being removed after the state's governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texan transportation department to enforce a directive from President Donald Trump to remove political and artistic road murals. Critics say the governor and the president are using roadway safety regulations to target art expressing support for LGBTQ+ and anti-racism causes as the Trump administration continues its suppression of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Allred's proposal to "clean up Washington" is a 12-point anti-corruption plan that includes other populist priorities like ending gerrymandering, barring corporate PACs and a lifetime lobbying ban for lawmakers. The former congressman has personally pledged to refrain from trading individual stocks, to refuse corporate PAC money and to adhere to a lifetime lobbying ban. "Texans are paying more every day because politicians in Washington are looking out for themselves instead of us," Allred said in a statement to Axios.
Collier stated, 'I will not agree to be in DPS custody. I am not a criminal. I am exercising my right to resist and oppose the decisions of our government.'
Rene Porras, a Vietnam combat veteran and small business owner in Denver Harbor, expressed concerns about the impact of immigration enforcement, stating, "I have a little local taqueria, Mexican bakery, and business is down for the last three or four weeks. I mean, really down." His observations indicate a direct correlation between fears of immigration raids and declining local business activity.
"They are going to be vicious," one senior House Democrat told Axios, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts on a sensitive internal battle. The lawmaker predicted it will be Democrats' most brutal member vs. member primary since California Reps. Brad Sherman and Howard Berman faced off in 2012, or when Michigan Reps. John Dingell and Lynn Rivers fought over a seat in 2002.
Bill Aleshire, a Texas-based attorney specializing in public records law, was appalled that the governor is claiming that months of emails between his office and one of the world's richest people are all private. "Right now, it appears they've charged you $244 for records they have no intention of giving you," Aleshire said. "That is shocking."
