Austin, TX
Texas Supreme Court likely to remain an all-Republican court
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court, the state’s court of last resort for civil matters, will likely remain an all-Republican court for now as all three incumbents were headed for wins Wednesday morning.
According to The Associated Press, Republican incumbent Jimmy Blacklock has defeated Democrat DaSean Jones by 58% with almost all of the votes counted, Republican incumbent John Devine is heading for victory with a sizable lead over Democrat Christine Weems—but the race has yet to be called—and Republican incumbent Jane Bland fended off challenges by Democrat Bonnie Lee Goldstein and Libertarian David Roberson winning over 56% of the vote.
The Texas Supreme Court has nine justices, three of whom ran for reelection with opposition.
Devine was the only justice with a primary challenger. In March, he survived a challenge by Brian Walker, of the Second District Court of Appeals, by 1 percentage point.
Devine has been controversial. He has called church-state separation a “myth,” was the Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, once called his GOP colleagues “brainwashed” in leaked audio and has claimed he was arrested 37 times at abortion protests in the 1980s.
Weems is a judge on the 281st Civil District Court in Harris County. Her biography says she’s the daughter of immigrants who fled Vietnam when Saigon fell in 1975. Previously a trial attorney in personal injury civil law and civil trial law, in an election ad available on YouTube, Weems says she is a judge “who upholds the law” and lives “by a Texas code of ethics.”
Spectrum News 1 partner the Texas Tribune noted that Democrats targeted the court this election in hopes that backlash over rulings on abortion and LGBTQ+ issues would be enough to break up the Republican hold on the court.
Blacklock was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2018. He previously served as Abbott’s general counsel and in the Attorney General’s Office under then-AG Abbott.
Jones is a district court judge in Harris County. He’s been a judge on the 180th District Court since 2019 and is a veteran. According to his biography, he’s the first combat veteran and minority to preside over the 180th District Court.
Bland has served on the Texas Supreme Court since 2019. Prior to that, she was a justice on the First Court of Appeals for 15 years and served six years as a state district judge.
Dallas Judge Goldstein was elected to the 5th District Court of Appeals in 2020. She was previously the presiding judge on of the 44th Judicial District Court in Dallas County.
Libertarian Roberson has experience working as an attorney and as vice president of operations at Prime Tax Group. He identified the most pressing issues as abortion restrictions and I-35 corridor construction through Austin.
AUSTIN, Texas — Iranian-American demonstrators gathered at the Texas Capitol on Saturday as part of a global week of action calling for a free Iran.
Organizers said the demonstration was one of many being held around the world this week. Sholeh Zendehdel, one of the demonstrators, said the global week of action was called by Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, who has lived outside the country since the 1979 revolution.
The group has held regular rallies in Austin for months protesting Iran’s current government. Demonstrators are calling on the U.S. government to stop negotiating with Iranian officials and to continue pushing for regime change.
“We just want to say, President Trump, please finish the job,” Zendehdel said. “All along, we’re hoping this whole negotiation isn’t just part of politics, and it doesn’t happen. We just need to get this done.”
Organizers said they plan to continue rallying and advocating for a free Iran as they press the U.S. to halt negotiations with Iran’s government.
To help families get moving together, South Texas Health System will host its 6th Annual Transform Your Life Health & Wellness Fair in just two weeks!
Join us on Saturday, July 18, at Tres Lagos North Park (@treslagosmcallen) in McAllen (@cityofmcallen) for a free morning of fitness, wellness and family fun, featuring:
💃 Zumba, yoga, pickleball and more
🍳 Healthy cooking demonstrations and food samples
🧘 Meditative and wellness activities
✅ Fun for all ages
For complete event details, visit https://sthsactive.com/ or the Facebook Events page at the link in our bio.”.
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin is losing several well-known street murals after the Texas Department of Transportation ordered the city to cover them, saying they violate state guidelines.
The city coated over multiple murals on Thursday, including the “Black Artists Matter” mural on East 11th Street and the Texas mural on Guadalupe Street near the University of Texas at Austin campus. People who live in Austin said the changes feel like a loss of culture and identity.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | City of Austin memo lays out street art that may have to be removed under Abbott order
“Kind of ridiculous. It wasn’t hurting anybody,” said Orion Sun, an East Austinite.
Landry Knowles, an Austinite, said, “It makes me feel really sad and angry.”
In some places, remnants of the murals could still be seen beneath the street coating.
The directive to cover what were described as “political ideologies” came from TxDOT earlier this summer under the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott. In a letter to the city, TxDOT said “the current markings are not acceptable and do not fully comply with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD) and related federal guidance.”
Austin Transportation and Public Works confirmed it covered the murals on Thursday.
For some residents, the change went beyond paint on pavement.
“It gave the place character. Now, it’s just another black street,” Sun said.
Knowles said the Texas mural “was a symbol of school pride,” she said. “The fact that it’s covered up, it erases part of the school’s identity.”
Knowles also said, “It erases creativity.”
Sun added, “It removes the uniqueness.”
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Some Austinites said they are hopeful new artwork will be created to replace what is now buried under the street coating.
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