Austin, TX
Texas House speaker who faced blowback over Paxton impeachment drops bid to keep post
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Republican speaker of the Texas House abandoned efforts Friday to keep his powerful post in the face of unrelenting pressure from the party’s hard right and anger over the historic impeachment last year of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Dade Phelan’s decision, a victory for the GOP’s ascendant right flank, sets off a fight over who will become his successor at a time when Texas Republicans are eager to be a policy model for President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.
The Texas House has long acted as a more moderate guardrail even as lawmakers under Phelan passed some of the nation’s toughest restrictions over abortion, immigration and voting.
But Paxton’s impeachment last year in the House over corruption accusations angered conservatives and drew a rebuke from Trump, plunging Phelan into an expensive battle just to win reelection and a vanishing path to keep one of the most powerful positions in Texas.
“By stepping aside, I believe we create the best opportunity for our members to rally around a new candidate who will uphold the principles that make our House one of the most exceptional, deliberative legislative bodies in the country,” Phelan said in a statement.
Phelan’s campaign to hang onto the job reflected a broader power struggle within the GOP, which expanded its already commanding majorities in the Texas Legislature in November’s elections.
Paxton was ultimately acquitted in the Senate. Soon after, Paxton’s allies launched an aggressive campaign to oust Phelan during Texas’ primary elections but fell short in a runoff.
Tensions over the speaker race has shown a growing influence of emboldened hard-right conservatism in the Statehouse. Pushback against Phelan that beagn after his involvement in Paxton’s impeachment intensified after the House failed to pass a school voucher bill last year.
Pressure mounted after the election when several Republicans who campaigned on their opposition to Phelan and support for school vouchers won their races, ousting many of the speaker’s allies.
Phelan will continue to serve out his term as a representative for Beaumont, Texas, a city northeast of Houston.
Texas has become a leader in conservative legislation for other GOP-controlled states across the country and its border security tactics will likely be a model for the incoming Trump administration.
Texas banned nearly all abortions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and has outlawed gender affirming care for transgender youth. More than 30 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed ahead of next year’s session that restrict teachings on sexuality, bathroom use, and medical care for transgender people.
The Texas House will formally elect a speaker once session begins in January.
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Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
AUSTIN, Texas – A 28-year-old Austin woman who was reported missing earlier this week has been located, according to the Austin Police Department.
What we know:
Police announced Saturday that Ghadah Alharbi has been found following a public appeal for information about her whereabouts.
Alharbi was last known to have contacted family members by phone around 8 p.m. on June 16. Her disappearance was described by investigators as out of character, prompting concern from both her family and the Austin Police Department.
Authorities said she had left her vehicle at her residence in Central Austin near Mueller and was known to use ride-share services for transportation.
Dig deeper:
The Austin Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit had requested the public’s assistance in locating Alharbi on Friday, citing concerns for her well-being.
In an update released Saturday, police confirmed Alharbi had been located but did not provide additional details about where she was found or the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Police thanked the community and media for their assistance and cooperation.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by Austin police.
Following controversial comments from head coach Steve Sarkisian and recruiting battles with other contending teams, the Texas Longhorns have once again found themselves in the national spotlight ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Just like this time 365 days ago, the Longhorns are the favorites to win the SEC Championship by the time the postseason rolls around, as well as be contenders for the national championship — despite failing to gain a playoff berth in 2025.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Texas’ preseason hype centered around quarterback Arch Manning and his first year at the helm of the Longhorns’ offense. Despite predictions that Manning would win the Heisman and be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Longhorns went on to a nine-win regular season with steady, ongoing improvements in Manning’s performance.
Now, the attention from national media seems due to the “all-in” season that the Longhorns are looking toward, with a huge roster turnover through the transfer portal suggesting that this is the make-or-break year for Texas — and Manning — to achieve any national championship hopes.
However, a “make-or-break” season isn’t necessarily what’s ahead for Texas in 2026.
Texas’ Championship Hopes Aren’t Necessarily Over After 2026
It’s fair to assume that the Longhorns are going all in for a national championship in 2026, given the emphasis on experienced transfer portal talent, coaching staff changes and even talk from some players about what the team’s goals are over the offseason.
But considering 2026 as the Longhorns’ last chance for a trophy in the immediate future isn’t as easily justifiable, especially when Texas may not be considering much of a rebuild after this season ends. Sarkisian himself didn’t deny that Manning may come back for another year with Texas in 2027, and many key playmakers on both offense and defense have several more years of eligibility left.
Especially looking at Texas’ incoming class of freshmen and history with the transfer portal, it’s likely that the Longhorns are setting themselves up for longevity more than immediate success. If Manning does decide to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, incoming freshman quarterback Dia Bell will be an exciting prospect for Texas to bank on when looking for its next offensive leader.
It’s natural that the Longhorns should continue to generate national excitement, especially with the newest five-star commit to the 2027 class. Even so, Texas has a habit of bucking the trends and national predictions. The pressure was on in 2025 to win a national championship in Manning’s first year as a starter, and as more mock drafts continue to slate him as a first-rounder, that pressure has only heightened in what most onlookers see as his last year playing college football.
Whether the Longhorns will buckle under that pressure this go-around will be seen, starting with their home opener against Texas State on Sept. 5.
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AUSTIN, Texas — Austin city leaders gathered on East 11th Street on Juneteenth to celebrate the “Black Artists Matter” mural before it must be removed under an order from the Texas Department of Transportation. The mural and the city’s rainbow crosswalk are slated for removal in compliance with a Texas Department of Transportation directive requiring cities to remove political ideologies from roadways. Last October, Gov. Greg Abbott directed TxDOT to enforce the policy.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson stood on the blocked-off street where the yellow letters spelling “Black Artists Matter” are painted on the roadway’s surface. “We will never forget that when the state decided to target our murals, the community stood together to celebrate our city’s diversity, spirit, and creativity,” Watson said.
Watson criticized the state’s actions, saying, “The state government engages in negative rhetoric and threats, it targets communities that it disagrees with and seeks retribution.”
In response to the order, Watson formed the Public Spaces Task Force to identify other ways to celebrate diversity in Austin.
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Daphne McDole, chief executive officer of the African American Cultural Heritage District and a member of the task force, said she wanted the event held on Juneteenth because of its significance. “I wanted to do it on Juneteenth, it was significant to me because I knew that that was the day my community would be in the district. We will be celebrating over here all day, so it was appropriate,” McDole said.
Task force members said they are exploring alternatives to honor East Austin’s history and diversity. They noted that city leaders in San Antonio created rainbow sidewalks after removing rainbow crosswalks, but said Austin will pursue its own approach.
Task force chair Steven Rivas said the community is focused on preserving the meaning behind the markings. “We chose to come together as a community and find a way to respect what these markings mean and build upon them. If we can’t have them in the street, we’re going to put them off the street,” Rivas said.
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