Texas Tribune Brief

Portable generators are among the deadliest consumer products. Two decades after the government identified the danger, and as climate change leads to more power outages, people are left vulnerable by a system that lets the industry regulate itself.

The justices allowed the challenge against the law to proceed but mangled abortion providers' legal strategy and set the table for another elongated court fight. Meanwhile, abortion access in the state remains severely restricted.

They worry more migrants could be victims of violence as the Biden administration revives the "remain in Mexico" program.

State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who wrote the law, was dismissive of Newsom’s effort to restrict gun rights by using Texas’ legal strategy to ban many abortions. He said he didn’t think his enforcement mechanism would be “effective against firmly established constitutional rights.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority was straying from the court’s precedent to step in when state laws chill the exercise of constitutional rights while allowing other states to follow suit.

The fate of the statute remains uncertain. An appeal to the ruling is already underway, and an opinion on the law from the U.S. Supreme Court is still pending.

As state regulators and the companies that power the grid take steps to avoid another catastrophe like February’s winter storm, climate experts say this winter will likely be milder.

The Republican Party of Texas announced Monday it had launched a new Local Government Committee to work with county parties on backing candidates for nonpartisan local offices.

The department claims that despite rapid growth of Hispanic and Black populations, Texas lawmakers illegally discriminated against voters of color by drawing new political districts that give white voters more political power.

Cities have made some preparations in case of another severe winter storm. But keeping the lights and water on is far from guaranteed.