U.S. warships are patrolling off the coast of Venezuela. The stated purpose is to target drug-trafficking vessels and so-called “narco-terrorists.” President Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct lethal covert operations there. According to Venezuela’s government, these are acts of aggression — and could be a prelude to war. What would happen if the U.S. invaded Venezuela?

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Congressman Lloyd Doggett, democrat from Texas, about the redistricting battle in his state and his decision to retract his retirement and run for reelection.

After the July 4 flash flood that hit upper Guadalupe River, how well did FEMA perform? Critics say the slow response cost lives.

This week on Texas Matters: How did FEMA actually perform after the July 4th Hill Country flood? Texas Rangers continue to search for flood victims. And investigating how pregnant women in labor are ignored while in jail.

The Republican party’s effort to gerrymander Texas to give them five additional seats in Congress took a blow this week when a federal court threw out their map. A federal judge said there was substantial evidence that the map was drawn to hurt minority voters. Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would appeal.

Elon Musk’s outspoken support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) has intensified concerns among German officials and democracy advocates, and it features prominently in a new PBS FRONTLINE investigation into the rise of nationalist politics across Europe.

Abbott fought for months to keep secret emails between his office and Elon Musk. Now, hundreds of pages have been released.

Senate Bill 10, which requires public schools to display the biblical text in classrooms, has sparked multiple legal challenges from civil liberties groups.

A federal court in El Paso had earlier Tuesday placed a temporary block on the map that Republican lawmakers passed this summer and ordered the state to use the district maps from the last two elections.

The vast political divide in America has largely become a battle between folks who live in the cities and those who don’t. This was not always the case. Somehow rural voters have almost uniformly become Republican voters. How did the divide emerge and why does it pose a threat to democracy?