Texas
Texas Democrats urge DOJ probe into AG Paxton’s alleged voting rights violations
Texas Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives formally requested the U.S. Department of Justice investigate potential civil and voting rights violations by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his Elections Integrity Unit.
In a letter, dated Sept. 6, the Texas delegation asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Paxton’s recent raids on the homes of Latino voting rights advocates and volunteers in South Texas and the San Antonio area.
“We are concerned that these actions are intended to intimidate American citizens, in particular Latinos and members of minority communities, from exercising their right to vote through political persecution or deny them that right altogether,” the representatives wrote. “We request that the department investigate these actions, including for violations of the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, and take any necessary action to prevent further interference with the rights of voters in the state of Texas.”
The letter follows staunch criticism from the League of United Latin American Citizens, a Hispanic civil rights group, which only days before held a news conference in Downtown El Paso alongside El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and El Paso County Commissioner Sergio Coronado calling for an investigation.
Along with Paxton’s raids, the letter calls into question Gov. Greg Abbott’s hand in stifling the vote among minority voters with his recent purge of voting rolls, which included 6,500 alleged “noncitizens.”
“There is little to no transparency in how Governor Abbott has assessed these individuals to be ‘potential noncitizens,’” the letter stated, “and we fear these decisions may be made on the basis of those individuals’ perceived race or ethnicity and may deny American citizens their right to vote.”
Paxton’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Who signed the letter?
While U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, led the charge in drafting the letter to the DOJ, they were joined by nine colleagues, all prominent Texas Democrats.
The signatories of the letter are: U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, who is now mounting a campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, in the Nov. 5 General Election; U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin; Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston; U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston; U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas; U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin; U.S. Rep. Lizzy Fletcher, D-Houston; Marc Veasey, D-Dallas; and U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen.
Allegations against Paxton’s office
The brunt of the letter centers around Paxton’s Elections Integrity Office, established in the wake of the 2020 presidential election and former President Donald Trump’s subsequent false claims about a stolen election.
The raids were launched primarily against elderly Latino voting rights advocates and volunteers. Officers with Paxton’s EIO were reportedly instructed to seize computers, cellphones, tablets and all other election-related materials, according to the letter.
In one case described by LULAC during its news conference, an 87-year-old woman was pulled from her home by armed agents during an early morning raid and scarcely allowed to clothe herself before being forced outdoors as officers rummaged through her home.
“While states’ attorneys general have the right to investigate unlawful behavior and those suspected of it within their states, (Paxton’s) targeting of Latino activists, volunteers, and operatives raises concerns about potential ulterior motives behind these actions,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, “particularly in a state like Texas, where state legislators and leaders like (Abbott) and (Paxton) have worked to actively undermine minority voices at the ballot box.”
Paxton’s ‘history of misusing his power’
This is hardly Paxton’s first foray into attacks against Texas Latinos, the letter contends, as he has a “well-established pattern of using the power of the attorney general’s office to target companies, organizations, and communities that do not align with his personal or political views.”
Earlier this year, Paxton launched an all-out assault on El Paso nonprofit Annunciation House by falsely accusing it of running a “stash house” and aiding illegal immigration.
The same trend played out in Houston this year when Paxton attempted to shutter immigrant rights group Immigrant Families and Students in the Fight for allegedly violating state nonprofit rules.
“Given the Attorney General’s history of misusing his power,” the lawmakers wrote, “we believe it is imperative that the (DOJ) investigate these raids as potential civil rights violations and potential interference with Latinos’ right to vote fairly and freely.”
A Brazilian fitness influencer has died after getting into difficulty during the swimming portion of an ironman event in Texas.
Mara Flavia Souza Araujo was reported as a “lost swimmer” around 7.30am at the Ironman Texas in Lake Woodlands near Houston on Saturday. According to KPRC 2 News, safety crews could not immediately locate Araujo. The 38-year-old’s body was discovered around 90 minutes later in 10ft of water by divers. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department confirmed her identity in a statement to NBC on Monday.
“MCSO can confirm that Mara Flavia Souza Araujo, 38, of Brazil died while competing in the Ironman event in The Woodlands on Saturday,” the sheriff’s department told NBC News. “Preliminary investigations indicate she drowned during the swimming portion of the event.”
Araujo was an experienced triathlete and had completed at least nine ironman events since 2018. She had more than 60,000 followers on Instagram and had posted about the importance of making the most out of life in the days before her death.
Allow Instagram content?
This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.
“Enjoy this ride on the bullet train that is life,” she wrote in Portuguese. “And even with the speed of the machine blurring the landscape, look out the window – for at any moment, the train will drop you off at the eternal station.”
Organizers of the race expressed their condolences on Saturday.
“We send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the athlete and will offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time,” race organizers said in a statement on Saturday. “Our gratitude goes out to the first responders for their assistance.”
A glamorous triathlete who drowned during an Ironman competition in Texas shared a photo from a swimming pool during a final training session just two days before the tragic race.
Brazilian influencer Mara Flávia, 38, shared the shot of her on the edge of a pool on Thursday — two days before she vanished during an open-water swim in The Woodlands Saturday morning.
“Just another day at work,” Flávia, 38, wrote in Portuguese alongside the pic of her wearing a matching pink swimming costume and cap.
The influencer, who had more than 60,000 followers online, chose the Robin S track “Show Me Love” for her post with the hashtags “triathlon,” “swimming” and “triathlete.”
Flávia vanished during an open-water swim in The Woodlands Saturday morning – the first of three grueling trials that competitors face during the 140-mile race.
Fire crews were told about a “lost swimmer” at around 7:30 a.m., one hour into the pro-female swim, KPRC reported.
Rescuers battled challenging visibility conditions before Flávia’s body was pulled from the water just after 9:30 a.m.
Montgomery County Sheriffs confirmed that the victim “drowned while participating in the swim portion of the event,” according to a statement. The office said its Major Crimes unit will continue the investigation “per normal protocols.”
Shawn McDonald, a volunteer, recounted the commotion before the swimmer’s body was recovered.
The dad, who volunteered with his daughter Mila, 12, said a group of younger volunteers in a kayak raised a flag and blew their whistles, “yelling for help.”
“I heard them say she went under,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I had Mila hand me the paddle and I started calling out to the athletes around us to stop so I could cross. I made my way over in about 30 seconds.
“When I got there and asked what happened, they all said the same thing: She went under. Right here. Right below us. The panic and fear on their faces won’t leave me for a long time.”
The volunteer recalled how one man had a “thousand-yard stare” on his face – before diving into the water in a desperate bid to find Flávia.
“I dove in immediately and began searching. After about a minute underwater, I felt her body with my foot. I surfaced, took what seemed like the deepest breath I have ever taken and went back down. She was gone.”
Boats with sonar combed the area – and McDonald was told to leave the water before the body was recovered.
“The victim was found in about 10 feet of water on the bottom of the lake,” Buck said. “The dive team accessed the victim, brought her up about 9:37 and then brought her over to the shore where she was pronounced DOS [deceased on scene],” Palmer Buck, the Woodlands fire chief, said.
It’s not known what caused the triathlete to go under the water.
Journalism grad Flávia previously worked in radio and television before pursuing a sporting career at age 28.
She previously twice won the Brazilian Grand Prix, and finished third in the Brasilia triathlon event.
Lady Vols basketball is looking to add more pieces to its 2026-27 roster with high-level experience. After completing her junior season at Texas A&M, Fatmata Janneh has emerged as a Tennessee target for her final year of eligibility. According to her Instagram story on Sunday night, she is in Knoxville.
With the Aggies a year ago, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 11.4 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field. She also showed off an ability to hit from range, posting 1.1 makes per game on 33% shooting from three.
Perhaps Janneh’s biggest strength is her rebounding, though. She ripped down 9.7 boards per contest, good for the fifth-most in the SEC. This featured 2.6 rebounds on the offensive end per outing.
Janneh also averaged 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. She appeared in 27 games, starting in each.
More From RTI: How Watching The NCAA Tournament Drew Terrence Hill Jr. To Tennessee Basketball
Janneh started her career with a pair of seasons at St. Peter’s. As a sophomore, she averaged a double-double, posting 18.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. This made her a sought-after transfer in the portal before landing at Texas A&M as the nation’s leading defensive rebounder. As a freshman, she averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.
The forward is from London, England, attending Barking Abbey Sixth Form for her prep ball. She would be the second player from England to join the Tennessee roster if she committed. UT also added the commitment of incoming freshman and former Boston College signee Irene Oboavwoduo this offseason.
So far, Caldwell and the Lady Vols have landed five transfers in this portal cycle. This features Liberty guard Avery Mills, Northern Arizona guard Naomi White, Stanford forward Harper Peterson and Georgia forward Zhen Craft and guard Rylie Theuerkauf.
Tennessee will also roster a pair of incoming freshmen. Four-star recruit and top-50 prospect Gabby Minus is staying true to her signing despite the roster overhaul and assistant coaching changes, along with the addition of Oboavwoduo.
-
Politics1 minute agoByron Donalds cracks down on persistent border blind spot leaving US vulnerable to overstays
-
Health7 minutes agoHealthy diets spark lung cancer risk in non-smokers as pesticides loom
-
Sports13 minutes agoPGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule
-
Technology19 minutes agoAlexa+ lets you order food like a real conversation
-
Business25 minutes agoNew lawsuit alleges Uber is violating drivers’ rights. Here’s how
-
Entertainment31 minutes agoReview: Trigger warning? ‘For Want of a Horse’ gives new meaning to the term ‘animal lover’
-
Lifestyle37 minutes agoMore is more in this L.A. ‘barn’ exploding with thrifted finds and maximalist flair
-
Politics43 minutes agoFormer state Controller Betty Yee drops out of the governor’s race