Andrew Schneider | Houston Public Media

Most U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees are considered essential government employees and will remain on the job, despite the federal government shutdown that began at midnight Eastern Time. But that could change if the shutdown lasts more than a few weeks, and customs inspectors start calling in “sick.”

Civil rights groups argue that the state’s mid-decade congressional redistricting plan amounts to racial gerrymandering, making it unconstitutional. They’re seeking an injunction to block it from taking effect before congressional candidates have to register for the 2026 midterm elections.

The party’s executive committee approved a strategic effort that involves shifting its headquarters to Dallas, while maintaining an office in Austin, opening new offices in Houston, Amarillo, Eagle Pass, and potentially the Rio Grande Valley. Analysts say it will take years for the plan to pay dividends.

The Austin state lawmaker is challenging former congressman and unsuccessful 2024 Senate candidate Colin Allred and former NASA astronaut Terry Virts for the Democratic nod. The Republican primary is a close race between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

House Bill 18 bans lawmakers from raising funds while participating in a quorum break. It punishes such actions by fining lawmakers and their contributors up to $5,000 per donation.

Lawmakers who lead the states are both seeking to add five U.S. House seats for their respective parties, after Trump, who's eager to maintain the narrow GOP majority in the House, pushed the Texas Legislature to redistrict and help Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.

Attorneys representing 16 Texas families of varying religious and nonreligious backgrounds requested an injunction to block Senate Bill 10 from taking effect, pending the outcome of a challenge to its constitutionality.

A quartet of civil liberties organizations is suing the state on behalf of 16 Texas families of various religious and non-religious backgrounds. The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to stop Senate Bill 10, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public-school classrooms, from taking effect on Sept. 1.

Republican state lawmakers argue their proposed congressional redistricting map would create Latino opportunity districts. But state Rep. Vince Perez (D-El Paso) counters that the map is drawn to leave Latino residents with one-third the voting power of whites. For Blacks, he says it would be one-fifth.

Ten Texas Democrats as well as two Republicans – one from California and another from New York – are advocating federal legislation to restrict states to redistricting once a decade, following the U.S. Census, unless otherwise required by courts. The chances of passing such a bill in the current Congress are slim.