The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - January 2, 2025
Episode Date: January 2, 2025Join us again on January 2nd for our next Daily Rundown. Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/su...bscribe/The Texan’s Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!
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Howdy folks, today is Thursday, January 2nd, 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. First up, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating an apparent
terrorist attack on New Year's Day in New Orleans, Louisiana, where a
native Texan and member of ISIS drove a rented truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing
15 people and injuring dozens of others. The perpetrator was confirmed by the FBI as 42-year-old
Shamsud Dean Jabbar, who opened fire at law enforcement after driving a Ford pickup truck
over the crowd, injuring two police officers
before being fatally shot on the scene. New Orleans law enforcement and the FBI confirmed
that Jabbar picked up the vehicle in Houston on December 30th, then drove to New Orleans on
December 31st, posting videos, quote, proclaiming his support for ISIS. In one of the videos,
Jabbar explained that he had originally
intended to harm his family and friends, but changed plans as he was concerned the headlines
wouldn't focus on, quote, the war between believers and non-believers. Jabbar was a
member of the U.S. Army for 10 years, serving in Afghanistan in 2009. The Houston FBI began
its search on Wednesday afternoon in North Houston
related to the January 1st New Orleans attack, but provided few details, quote,
due to the ongoing nature of the investigation. In other news, an attempt to sanction a senior
official in the Texas office of the Attorney General over a legal challenge to the 2020
presidential election has concluded, with the Supreme Court of Texas
ruling that the state bar overstepped its authority
while dismissing the case.
First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster
played a central role in filing Texas versus Pennsylvania,
a lawsuit invoking the original jurisdiction
of the Supreme Court of the United States
to challenge the 2020 electoral college results
in four key states between President
Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden. The lawsuit was unsuccessful, but in the aftermath,
the state bar's Commission for Lawyer Discipline pursued complaints against Webster,
alleging that he had engaged in conduct involving, quote, dishonesty, fraud, deceit,
or misrepresentation, end quote, in filing the charge. Had the state bar succeeded,
Webster's license to practice law could have been jeopardized. Both Webster and the OAG have
consistently maintained the disciplinary action was politically motivated lawfare.
Last but not least, the 89th legislative session is less than a score of days away,
and this year's is once again primed with
intrigue. Visit thetexan.news for six questions to watch for during the looming 140-day sprint
and all that may or may not come after. The first question everyone asks, and for good reason,
is who will be the speaker? There is a raging proxy war unfolding over the House gavel.
Factions at odds within the Texas GOP, like activists, operatives, and donors, fighting a turf war over the highest office in the chamber.
State Representatives David Cook and Dustin Burroughs are their own men with their own ideas for how to run the House, but they're also totems for the surrounding factions waging this overarching fight.
Burroughs maintains that he has the votes, despite a handful
of defections from his original list. Meanwhile, Cook has the Republican House caucus endorsement.
House Democrats are about as fractured as the Republicans, with a chunk behind Burroughs and
another chunk saying no to either candidate. Both candidates have intentions to change things up in
the way the House runs, Cook substantially more than Burroughs,
with the initial question being, will minority party chairs be appointed? Cook's a firm no on that, while Burroughs has indicated he'll leave it up to the House in a vote during the debate
over the chamber's rules. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit
thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.