AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Protesters at the University of Texas have made specific demands during their demonstrations on campus. So far, there's little sign that those demands will be met. The demands are in four parts. The first one is for the University of Texas to divest from weapons manufacturing companies that sell arms to the Israel Defense Force. Supporters of divestment claim that the UT system funds the war in Gaza through those investments ..read more

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An indictment accusing U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, of accepting bribes from foreign entities was unsealed Friday. The indictment accuses Cuellar, 68, and his wife, 67-year-old Imelda Cuellar, of participating in two schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence and money laundering, the Department of Justice announced. The husband and wife made their initial appearance in court Friday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo in Houston. Court documents accuse the two of accepting $600,000 in bribes from two foreign companies; an ..read more

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Department of Justice is expected to indict U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, on Friday, according to an NBC News report. In January 2022, Cuellar's home and office were raided in Laredo as investigators were looking into Azerbaijan and a group of U.S. businessmen who have ties to the country, law enforcement said at the time.  According to NBC, in April, Cuellar's lawyer said he was not the target of the federal investigation. "It wasn't immediately clear if the indictment was related to the 2022 raid. The Justice Department declined to comment. NB ..read more

WASHINGTON (KXAN) — President Joe Biden is set to award a Texas woman known by many as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth" with the highest civilian honor in the country. The White House announced Opal Lee from Marshall, Texas, is one of 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom this year. The 97-year-old activist who pushed for Juneteenth to become a federally-recognized holiday will receive this honor during a ceremony Friday. Other honorees include Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Al Gore. Lee previously joined Biden at th ..read more

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Members of the Austin City Council are set to vote Thursday on offering some protections to local transgender people seeking gender-affirming care. The council's agenda includes a resolution introduced by Council Member Chito Vela, who represents District 4. The measure would direct Austin police to make enforcement of Senate Bill 14, which bans certain treatment options for transgender minors in the state, as their lowest priority. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: First vote to happen on Austin transgender protections measure The proposed resolution reads, "Except to the extent required by ..read more

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas voters said they're leaning more toward sending Sen. Ted Cruz back to Washington rather than unseat him in November, according to new polling numbers released Wednesday. The April poll conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project showed the two-term Republican incumbent leading U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, his Democratic challenger, by double digits. Pollsters asked a group of 1,200 registered voters between April 12-22 who they would support in the U.S. Senate race if the election was held today. A plurality of the respondents (46%) said they'd vote for ..read more

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton announced separate challenges to federal rule changes extending protections to LGBTQ+ students. Abbott shared Monday afternoon he sent a letter to President Joe Biden, which detailed how he's instructing the Texas Education Agency "to ignore your illegal dictate" about Title IX. This is the federal policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that get federal funds. Biden’s new Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students, but avoid addressing transgender athletes "Your rewrite of Titl ..read more

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Sen. John Cornyn is running to lead his party in the U.S. Senate come November, and he's hoping his new title will be Senate Majority Leader. Current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced in February he is stepping down from the job after an 18-year reign. Cornyn, a right-hand man to McConnell, was the first to publicize his bid for the position.  “I've been in the Senate a long time now, and I've seen the Senate work well,” Cornyn said in an interview with KXAN. “I'd like to see the Senate back working again.”  He faces current minority whip ..read more

DALLAS (KXAN) — At the Young Conservatives of Texas' April 19 convention in Dallas, Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for an "end" to gender non-conforming behavior by teachers, according to audio released to KXAN by Texas Observer reporter Steven Monacelli. During Abbott's keynote speech, the Governor brought up a Lewisville ISD teacher who went viral online after wearing a pink dress as a "Spirit Day" costume. "In Lewisville, Texas... just a month ago, they had a high school teacher, who is a man, who would go to school dressed as a woman in a dress, high heels and makeup," said Abbott at th ..read more

AUSTIN (KXAN) — At least two federal lawsuits filed in Texas aim to block a recent decision to ban noncompete clauses in workers' contracts, according to an employment attorney based in Austin. Austin Kaplan, who's the founder and managing attorney at the Kaplan Law Firm, said these legal challenges are why he's warning people who might think such an agreement no longer applies to them. Chamber, business groups sue FTC to block noncompete ban "If you signed a noncompete, you must take it seriously and assume you are still bound by it," Kaplan said Wednesday. "My recommendation is to talk to an ..read more