Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pursuing legal action to remove House Democrats who fled the state, asserting they have abandoned their positions. Paxton plans to file cases in district courts, which could lead to appeals and special elections if successful. Governor Greg Abbott has bypassed district courts by filing an emergency petition with the state supreme court. Paxton’s 2021 legal opinion on quorum breaking did not address constitutionality or removal of lawmakers. Democrats’ response has been criticized as ineffective, with some questioning the legality of their out-of-state arrangements. The situation highlights tensions over partisan redistricting in Texas.
They gathered at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday — former presidents, vice presidents, sworn political foes and newfound friends — in a show of respect and remembrance for Dick Cheney, the consequential and polarizing vice president who became an acidic scold of President Donald Trump.
Melania Trump and Usha Vance took their first trip together, spending time in North Carolina on Wednesday with service members and their families to show appreciation for their service and sacrifice as the holidays approach.
Members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma must pay billions of dollars to settle a flood of lawsuits over the harms of opioids, in a new deal formally approved by a federal bankruptcy judge on Tuesday.
The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill Tuesday to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership.
