Austin, TX
Appeals court rules Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in class
DALLAS (AP) — Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools.
WATCH: Texas school board approves new course material that includes Bible passages
It sets up a potential clash at the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue in the future.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in the decision that the law did not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prevents the government from establishing a religion.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called the ruling “a major victory for Texas and our moral values.”
“The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day,” Paxton said.
Organizations representing the families who challenged the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that they were “extremely disappointed” by the decision.
“The court’s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority. The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights,” the statement said.
The law is among the pushes by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, to incorporate religion into public schools. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state while backers argue that the Ten Commandments are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law.
The ruling, which reverses a district court’s judgment, comes after the full court heard arguments in January in the Texas case and a similar case in Louisiana. The appeals court in February cleared the way for Louisiana’s law, requiring displays of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 12-6 to lift a block that a lower court first placed on the law in 2024.
Texas law took effect on Sept. 1, marking the largest attempt in the nation to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools. About two dozen school districts had been barred from posting them after federal judges issued injunctions in two cases against the law but went up in many classrooms across the state as districts paid to have the posters printed themselves or accepted donations.
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Waymo self-driving car navigating city traffic, San Francisco, California, August 20, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is launching a new authorization system for companies looking to operate automated motor vehicles.
A new goes into effect next month that requires companies using automated vehicles to be authorized by TxDMV with the following requirements:
- Complies with all applicable Texas traffic and motor vehicle laws
- Is equipped with a recording device
- Uses an automated driving system that complies with federal law
- Can achieve minimal risk condition in the event of a system failure
- Has a proper title and registration
- Maintains motor vehicle insurance
The process allows companies to submit their applications online through the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System.
The new laws outlined in Senate Bill 2807 go into effect on May 28.
Automated vehicles in Texas
The backstory:
Autonomous driving services are already operating in major Texas cities. Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio are all serviced by the driverless ride-share company Waymo.
In Austin, the service has received dozens of complaints about vehicles stalling, speeding and crashing.
There have also been complaints of vehicles illegally passing school buses.
In March, Swedish company Einride announced plans to bring autonomous freight trucks to Central Texas.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and previous FOX Local reporting.
AUSTIN, Texas – A man was charged with intoxication manslaughter after a crash in East Austin.
The backstory:
According to an arrest affidavit, on April 17, around 1:31 a.m., officers responded to a crash in the 2800 block of East Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
An investigation revealed the driver, Jalen Carter, 32, was driving a 2026 white Nissan at an estimated speed of 100 mph in a 45 mph zone. The car “bottomed out” at a train crossing and lost control. The car then hit a utility pole, hit a bus station, and five parked cars before finally coming to a stop.
A passenger in the car, Carter’s mother, suffered a serious hand injury.
One witness told an officer that Carter had been smoking marijuana about 30 minutes before driving and was acting “abnormal and paranoid.” An officer described Carter’s eyes as bloodshot and glassy.
An officer said he also “exhibited cyclic behavior” and was alternating between grabbing his mother and falling unconscious.
When officers tried talking to Carter, they said he was uncooperative and combative. They also said he ignored verbal commands and had to be removed from his mother.
Carter and his mother were taken to a local hospital. His mother lost her thumb and required emergency surgery.
At the hospital, Cater was so aggressive that it took about 10 people, including four security guards, to hold him down. He was eventually sedated and intubated.
Carter was later charged with intoxication assault.
The Source: Information from an arrest affidavit
AUSTIN, Texas – It was initially believed that both of Athena the owl’s owlets at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center had died, but officials reported some hopeful news.
What we know:
On April 19, the wildflower center had posted that both of Athena’s owlets had not survived after they had been born on April 9 and April 11.
The first owlet died on April 17 and the second owlet was reported to have died overnight on April 18.
Athena was not seen at the nest and was not spotted in nearby trees.
The wildflower center continued to monitor the nest and on April 20, the second owlet was found to be alive and showing signs of movement.
In coordination with Austin Wildlife Rescue, the owlet was retrieved and is being rehabilitated.
What we don’t know:
Officials say early signs are encouraging and that the owlet is showing strength and appetite.
The exact cause of the death of the first owlet is now known, but the wildflower center says a variety of natural factors can affect survival, including food availability.
The backstory:
Since 2012, a pair of great horned owls have made a specific corner of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center their home. Like clockwork, the pair return each year to nest above the archway of the courtyard entrance, greeting visitors who pass beneath them.
The female owl, affectionately named Athena, has become a staple of the center.
Athena’s reach extends far beyond the local Austin community. Through a partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the center hosts a 24/7 livestream of the nest, allowing bird-watchers from around the globe to monitor her progress in real-time.
The City of Austin also recently designated Athena the official Owl Ambassador of Austin.
The Source: Information from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and previous reporting by FOX 7 Austin.
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