The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 17, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Wednesday, July 17th, 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, Governor Greg Abbott announced he has deployed 105 Texas law enforcement personnel to assist with security at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week. Abbott stated in a press release, quote, as the nation continues to process the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump and grieve the tragic loss of innocent life, now more than ever it is critical that we stand together to protect our fellow Americans against those who wish us harm. On Saturday, Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination

Starting point is 00:00:50 attempt while speaking at his campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania. Two attendees were severely injured and one, 50-year-old firefighter Corey Campatore, was killed. Abbott continued, quote, Texas has deployed law enforcement personnel to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to ensure there are ample security resources present to safeguard attendees. I thank the over 100 members of law enforcement who are dedicating a week of service to their fellow Americans in Wisconsin. The RNC is a quadrennial presidential nominating convention hosted by the Republican National Committee. It typically features multiple Republican speakers and serves as an opportunity

Starting point is 00:01:31 to solidify the party's platform and confirm a presidential ticket. This year, it is being held in Milwaukee from July 15th to July 18th. Next, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson addressed the Republican National Convention on Tuesday evening as part of its theme, Make America Safe Once Again. Other speakers during the evening's events included Senator Ted Cruz, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Johnson pointed out that he is the Republican mayor of the safest large city in America, which has reduced violent crime each year for the last three years. A report this spring showed that its violent crime statistics have gone down as part of its violent crime reduction plan. Johnson said his conversion to the Republican Party came after progressive

Starting point is 00:02:23 activists stood on his lawn with the goal of, quote, intimidating his family. In other news, in addition to the 22 known deaths, widespread damage, and extended power outages that have plagued the greater Houston area following Hurricane Beryl, the region has also been grappling with a surge in property crime, threats levied against linemen working to restore electricity, and the shooting death of Harris County Sheriff Deputy Fernando Escada. Beryl struck the region on Monday, July 8. According to records from the Harris County District Clerk's Office, nearly 50 people have subsequently been charged with burglary of a building over the past week, including several who were already out on

Starting point is 00:03:05 bond in Harris County for other charges. Suspects charged include Curtis Davis, age 44, who has 10 prior felony convictions, but earlier this year was released on bonds by a Harris County court for three new charges, including felon in possession of a weapon. Davis and another suspect, Carlos Flores, were featured on the Fox 26 Breaking Bond program as among the 30 people arrested for burglary in the first 48 hours following the storm. Also, tech mogul Elon Musk announced that he would be moving the headquarters of SpaceX

Starting point is 00:03:40 from California to Texas. In a follow-up to his initial statement, Musk also said X's headquarters would be moving to Austin. Musk explained, quote, have had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building. The social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, was acquired by Musk back in October 2022 for $44 billion. Musk announced his move in response to California Governor Gavin Newsom signing into law a bill that would ban school districts from having policies that require parental notification if their child identifies as transgender. Last but not least, the controversial sculpture Witness by Shazia

Starting point is 00:04:24 Sikander, which is on display at the Cullen Family Plaza at the University of Houston, was beheaded during Hurricane Beryl last week. The 18-foot-tall sculpture of a female figure with a judicial lace and goat horns, made of painted, milled high-density foam, steel, fiberglass, and glass tile was damaged on July 8th when the storm hit the campus. The university believes that the decapitation resulted from vandalism. UH's The Daily Cougar has reported that UH campus police is in possession of footage of the decapitation and that an investigation of the incident is currently being conducted. The footage has not been released to the public.

Starting point is 00:05:06 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.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 17, 2024

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