The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - April 25, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Thursday, April 25th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lausches, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz split their vote for the federal $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes a provision that would require the Chinese corporation ByteDance to divest from TikTok that passed on Tuesday. Cornyn voted yes and Cruz was a no, bringing the final vote total in the Senate to 79 to 18. Cruz called this, quote, one of the toughest votes I've cast during my years in the Senate. He supported aid to Israel and Taiwan, as well as the divestment of TikTok, but expressed concern over the $3.4 billion reserved for

Starting point is 00:00:52 migration and refugee assistance, and said that the package does not address border security. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said passage of the foreign aid package, quote, sends a message to the entire world, we will not turn our back on you. President Joe Biden signed the bill package into law on Wednesday, saying it gives vital support to America's partners. During the Wednesday pro-Palestine protest on the University of Texas at Austin campus, Governor Greg Abbott deployed Department of Public Safety officers who arrested dozens of protesters. He later said on social media, Arrests are being made right now and will continue until the crowd disperses.

Starting point is 00:01:30 Students joining in hate-filled, anti-Semitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled. DPS put out a statement on the events, writing, DPS responded to the UT campus in Austin today at the request of the university and at the direction of Governor Greg Abbott in order to prevent any unlawful assembly and to support UT police in maintaining the peace by arresting anyone engaging in any sort of criminal activity, including criminal trespass. UT President Jay Hartzell wrote in a statement, The protesters tried to deliver on their stated intent to occupy campus. People not affiliated with UT joined them, and many ignored university officials'

Starting point is 00:02:12 continual pleas for restraint and to immediately disperse. The university did as we said we would do in the face of prohibited actions. Congressman Tony Gonzalez is rolling out the big guns in his high-profile runoff clash against YouTuber Brandon Herrera, as Governor Greg Abbott and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson have deployed their influence in the incumbent's favor. Abbott announced his endorsement of the embattled congressman on Wednesday, saying, quote, Tony Gonzalez is a fierce champion for bolstering border security measures in Congress. He joins Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who's also backed Gonzalez.

Starting point is 00:02:46 That puts the pair opposite the Texas GOP, which censured Gonzalez over a handful of accusations and has since spent its own money supporting Herrera's candidacy with mail pieces. The governor's endorsement comes a day after Johnson joined Gonzalez in the district for a fundraiser, an event in which the incumbent raised $300,000. Quote, Speaker Johnson has led our conference boldly while working tirelessly to deliver conservative policy solutions to the most pressing issues facing the country, Gonzalez said of the speaker, who faces his own travails with a slim majority and a displeased right flank in the U.S.

Starting point is 00:03:22 House. A Harris County man facing felony charges for repeatedly violating a lifetime protective order was released on a personal recognizance bond and placed in a county-licensed group boarding home in the middle of a private Houston neighborhood earlier this month. According to a 2021 criminal complaint, Rocky James Annis repeatedly texted, called, and visited the home of his female victim, even after a Harris County District Court judge issued a protective order prohibiting contact with her. Held in the Harris County Jail on a $120,000 bond for over two years, Annis wrote

Starting point is 00:03:58 lengthy letters to Judge Hillary Unger, sometimes ten times a day. He was declared incompetent to stand trial in August 2023 and placed in a mental health facility. After eight months, however, Annis was declared competent to stand trial. On April 10, 2024, District Criminal Court Judge Lori Chambers Gray authorized his release on PR bond, which does not require suspects to post bail. Under his bond conditions, Anis is required to wear a GPS ankle monitor. Castleberry Independent School District is proposing a $98 million bond for voters in the May 4, 2024 election. This will be the first bond proposal for the district in over a decade, with the last being a successful $34 million proposal from 2010. Thanks for listening.

Starting point is 00:04:47 Be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - April 25, 2024

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.