Moving local elections because of the pandemic might seem unremarkable. But it gives voters a rare chance to instantly grade elected officials’ handling of a pandemic and a bad economy, as well as their response to cases of police brutality.
protests
Posted in
Texas 2020 Elections
Analysis: Events — and their own words — put Texas Republicans in an election year bind
Texas Democrats convened last week. But it was the state’s Republicans giving them the most hope about the coming November elections.
Posted in
Police brutality in Texas
Dallas, San Antonio lift curfews as protests continue
Dallas and San Antonio announced Saturday they are lifting downtown-area curfews, though protests against police brutality and racism continue.
Posted inState Government
Harris County GOP chair-elect resigns after sharing racist Facebook post juxtaposing an MLK quote with a banana
Outcry over his racist post on Facebook prompted Keith Nielsen, the chair-elect of the Harris County Republican Party, to say he won’t take the job in August.
Posted in
Police brutality in Texas
Analysis: Coronavirus is not the only affliction preying on community
The protests of the last week are about an affliction that’s bigger than the pandemic — and important enough for people to forget about social distancing.
Posted in
Police brutality in Texas
In Austin, a liberal bastion, protests force another reckoning with racism, segregation
Although Austin was not the only city in Texas to have protests, the death of Michael Ramos there brought out tensions that have long plagued the city, a place that is recognized for its moments of progressivism yet has deep-rooted racial biases.
Posted in
Police brutality in Texas
Black protester who was critically injured by police in protest is identified, student newspaper reports
Austin police shot a 20-year-old black man with a “less-lethal” weapon Sunday, and he is in critical condition in an Austin hospital, police Chief Brian Manley said. His family identified him as Justin Howell, a Texas State University student.
Posted in
Police brutality in Texas
Texas police using tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters incites more violence, experts say
Organizers and protesters say the use of force by police during protests in Texas cities highlights the underlying discord between law enforcement and residents that underpinned the protests in the first place.
Posted in
State Government
Analysis: For a state in pain, a little empathy is only a start
Gov. Greg Abbott has avoided the president’s militaristic tenor and has expressed empathy with nonviolent demonstrators protesting George Floyd’s death. But the conversations about what’s next haven’t started.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
“I didn’t care if I was exposed to COVID”: Protesters’ anger outweighed their fear of getting sick
Political leaders have sought to balance support for demonstrators’ rights of free expression with warnings about the public health risks of large crowds.