Austin, TX

Appeals court rules Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in class

Published

4 weeks ago

April 22, 2026

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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Austin, TX

Delta doubling flight schedule between Las Vegas and Austin, Texas – CDC Gaming

Published

9 hours ago

May 18, 2026

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Delta doubling flight schedule between Las Vegas and Austin, Texas – CDC Gaming

← Back to Newsroom

Monday, May 18, 2026 7:20 PM

Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Review-Journal

The second-busiest commercial air carrier at Harry Reid International Airport is expanding service to and from Austin, Texas.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines will double the number of daily flights to and from the Texas capital to two beginning in the fall.

Demand for trips to Austin, which calls itself “The Live Music Capital of the World” and features multiple music festivals all year, including March’s SWSX multimedia event, is growing, according to Delta. The airline said it expects both markets will benefit from the service expansion.

Delta competes on the route with market leader Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air.

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Austin, TX

Austin, Texas shooting leaves 4 injured, 3 in custody. What we know

Published

21 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Press Room

Austin, Texas shooting leaves 4 injured, 3 in custody. What we know

Three juvenile individuals are in custody following a weekend crime spree of 12 shootings that left four people injured and multiple car thefts in Austin, Texas.

The crimes occurred starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, and ended on Sunday, May 17, resulting in the arrest of a 15-year-old, a 17-year-old and a third individual, Austin Police Department Chief Lisa Davis said Sunday, May 17.

“The 17-year-old has a warrant for his arrest for a theft of a gun from the same store the 15-year-old stole a gun from,” Davis said at a news conference.

The string of crimes started when Austin PD was first notified of a stolen vehicle from an apartment complex, followed by the theft of a firearm. Following that, Davis said an estimated 20 service calls were received in the South and Southeast Austin areas regarding the individuals.

“Two times they fired at a firehouse and struck a truck,” Davis said. “Into apartment buildings where officers had to go door to door, ensuring that everyone was safe.”

In total, two separate fire houses, several buildings and apartment complexes were fired upon by the individuals, in addition to four vehicles being stolen.

Of the four individuals injured, three have been confirmed to have sustained non-life-threatening injuries, with the fourth sustaining critical injuries.

Police were able to connect these events to the three individuals, but Davis said there is no known motive for the series of events.

The crime spree concluded when Manor PD conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that the individuals were driving. The individuals fled, but two of them were apprehended on Sunday.

Following the news conference, the Manor Police Department announced a third individual — a juvenile — who had fled the vehicle earlier on Sunday had been detained with no ongoing threat to the public.

Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement on social media calling the individuals dangerous.

“If they are ever released from jail, they will surely harm again,” Abbott said. “The DA & Court must do their job and keep these criminals behind bars.”

Anyone with information should contact the Aggravated Assault Unit at 512-974-5177 or submit tips anonymously through austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477.

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Austin, TX

2 arrested, 3rd suspect sought after series of shootings in Austin, Texas

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2026

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Anadolu staff

18 May 2026•Update: 18 May 2026

Two suspects were taken into custody and police continued searching for a third suspect on Sunday following a series of shootings in Austin, Texas that injured four people, authorities said.

Austin Police Department Chief Lisa Davis said the suspects were linked to at least 10 attacks carried out between Saturday and Sunday, adding that one victim sustained serious injuries while three others suffered minor wounds.

Police said the shootings appeared to be random and that no clear motive had been identified. Most incidents occurred in South Austin, including at least two shootings targeting fire stations.

“At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and APD (Austin Police Department) asks that our community remain vigilant,” the department said in a press release.

Authorities lifted a shelter-in-place order that had been issued for parts of South Austin, while a separate order remained in effect Sunday in the nearby Manor area as officers searched for the remaining suspect.

The Austin Fire Department said two of its stations were struck by gunfire in separate incidents late Saturday and Sunday morning, though no firefighters were injured and only minor damage was reported.

Officials urged residents to remain vigilant and asked anyone with information to contact police or Crime Stoppers, a community-based, non-profit program that allows citizens to submit anonymous tips about criminal activity and unsolved cases.

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