Free Republic

[Texas Democratic Party Chairman] Hiojosa has previously likened the voter ID requirements to “Jim Crow-era tactics” designed to keep Republican lawmakers in power.Critics say the Texas law and similar statutes enacted in other states were tailored to make it harder for minorities and immigrants, including black and Hispanic voters who are less likely to have the authorized IDs and tend to favor Democrats, to cast ballots. Backers say the laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud and are no more onerous than the requirements imposed by states for driving a motor vehicle.

For the first time in the history of the burgeoning U.S. wind industry, a wind farm got hit by a hurricane—and it was back producing power within days. Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of more than 130 miles an hour a week ago Friday about 20 miles from the Papalote Creek Wind Farm near Corpus Christi, Texas. One section of the onshore wind farm was producing electricity on Thursday and the other was expected to be back online on Friday, according to its owner, German power company E.ON SE .“Papalote actually survived really well,” said...

HOUSTON — Everywhere Samuel Enríquez looks, he can see the work that needs to be done. But because he is in the United States illegally, he knows he can’t earn an official paycheck in this city’s recovery. The carpenter from El Salvador sits on a curb outside a home improvement store, hoping a passer-by will offer $10 an hour to help rip out sewage-soaked carpets or rotting drywall. Having lived in the United States for a year, he believes Texas is as good a place as any to seek refuge, because that’s where the work is now, even if some...

A new state law is in effect aimed at stopping people from littering and the solution may lie in putting offenders to work. According to House Bill 1884, litter bugs could face up to 60 hours of community service and hefty fines for dropping trash. It's something local business owners told NBC 5 that they welcome. Business is booming at Brain Dead Brewing in Deep Ellum and co-owner Jeff Fryman says he takes great pride in making sure his customers are comfortable. "Even if it means going out and sweeping to show the people that I work with you've got...

As the waters in Houston and surrounding areas begin to recede in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, there's no doubt looters are getting ready to take advantage of empty homes. Some looting has already started. But one Texas Sheriff has a stern warning for those who seek to prey on victims: You do so at the risk of your life. [snip]

I am trying this again, phase 2. Governor Abbot said to give to a specific Texas charity, what are the overhead rates. Funny how with a quick search I could not find that website, but I have confidence Freepers will provide. I want the most bang for my buck. So far Samaritans Purse seems to be leading.

Waco – At the heart of an alleged criminal conspiracy to withhold key exculpatory evidence in the Twin Peaks cases is the man in the cat bird seat. A supplemental motion to recuse 19th Criminal District Court Judge Ralph T. Strother filed on Friday, September 1 – after the McLennan County District Clerk’s Office had closed at five minutes to five p.m. on the day the long Labor Day weekend begins – contains the threads of the story. Filed by Houston defense attorney Casie Gotro on behalf of her client Bandido Jake Carrizal, president of the Dallas Chapter of that...

When Shayda Habib heard that people near her Sugar Land, Texas Pizza Hut were stranded in their homes and running low on food, she knew what she should do

As the waters in Houston and surrounding areas begin to recede in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, there's no doubt looters are getting ready to take advantage of empty homes. Some looting has already started. But one Texas Sheriff has a stern warning for those who seek to prey on victims: You do so at the risk of your life. "We've heard of looting around the greater Houston area, specifically Harris County. But as far as Fort Bend County, we haven't," Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls told Fox News Saturday. "I made a comment the other day that we...

Original link with original headline retrieved from Google cache: "Trump hugs children, serves food in visit to victims of Harvey"The original link (currently unavailable on Internet Archive due to technical error possibly caused by redirect: "The search engine encountered the following error: Search engine returned invalid information or was unresponsive. We are working to resolve this issue. Thanks for your patience.") now redirects to new headline 12 hours later: "Trump hugs Harvey's victims in test of presidential mien"

FULL TITLE: EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Texas animal shelter for the hundreds of cats and dogs abandoned during Hurricane Harvey Thousands of Texans may finally be able to return to their flood-ravaged properties in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. But for the more than 1,500 four-legged evacuees crammed into the state's largest animal rescue center there are simply no homes for them to go back to. Austin Pets Alive! has become the last refuge for hundreds of stray or abandoned cats and dogs that were plucked from danger from flooded neighborhoods and animal shelters across southeast Texas. Their staff have toiled...

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited Houston, Texas again on Saturday, where they greeted and served meals to survivors of Hurricane Harvey. The president can be heard greeting those staying in the shelter and asking what food they prefer.

President Donald Trump spent time meeting with Hurricane Harvey victims at the Houston NRG hurricane relief center on Saturday before serving meals from the Red Cross. Gov. Greg Abbott, the state’s first lady Cecilia Abbott, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner met Trump and first lady Melania Trump upon their arrival at Ellington Field in Houston. The Texas governor and Houston Mayor continued on with Trump to the relief center.

HOUSTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump flew to Houston on Saturday to meet with victims of Hurricane Harvey and see the effects of the record-setting storm while he presses for a multi-billion-dollar aid package. Trump, facing the first natural disaster of his administration, was joined by his wife, Melania, as he passed out food and hugged, kissed and played with children at Houston's NRG Center, a 700,000-square-foot (65,000 square meter) facility that is now the city's largest emergency shelter. Trump, who is making his second trip to the stricken state this week, asked Congress late on Friday...

Hurricane Harvey made land fall in Texas this week and the flooding was historic. What is shaping up to be the most costly natural disaster in American history, the storm has left refineries shut down, interrupted wind and solar generation, caused a constant worry about gas explosions, and caused a chain of events that led to explosions and fires at the Arkema chemical plant that is only the beginning. The two nuclear reactors at the South Texas Project plant near Houston were operating at full capacity despite wind gusts that peaked at 130 mph as the Hurricane made landfall. The...

The Department is currently working with Texas A&M AgriLife for donations of animal hay and feed. If you would like to donate hay, please call, text or email the TDA staff listed at the number listed below and we find the closest location to you where the greatest need may be met. ...If you have transportation services that you can offer to help bring hay to the Coast from throughout Texas, we need your help! Please give us a call. [contact info below]

resident Trump said the recovery from Hurricane Harvey would be "hopefully a quick process" after arriving in Texas on Saturday to tour massive damage caused by the Gulf Coast storm in Houston. Trump and his wife, Melania, visited a relief center and mingled with victims. The Trumps are also scheduled to join members of the Texas delegation before heading to Louisiana. "There’s a lot of water, but it’s moving out. Most importantly, the governor, the relationship with the governor, the mayor and everybody, it’s been fantastic," Trump told reporters while touring the relief center. "We’re signing a lot of documents...

Texas DPS Special Agent rescues a gentleman in Houston & went back for the US flag that belonged to his late brother, a pilot KIA in WWII #Harvey

If you search the internet for “Houston mosque” or even simply “Houston,” nearly every mainstream media publication has multiple articles, being updated regularly, showcasing Houston area “mosques opening their doors to hurricane Harvey victims.” In fact, even so-called fact-checking website Snopes published an article on the matter, and not as a fact-checked one, but as a promoted news story. Many of these articles are centered on the issue that mosques opened their doors to evacuees, but Christian pastor Joel Osteen did not immediately open his megachurch doors. (Osteen later alleged that the surrounding streets were not open or safe;...

With the recovery process just beginning in some parts of Texas on Thursday, following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, President Donald Trump pledged $1 million of his own money to aid relief efforts. Only two of the Big Three Networks (ABC and CBS) found it fitting to report Trump’s act of charity. NBC Nightly News was the only network news show to ignore it, instead, they simply mentioned that Trump planned to visit Houston on Saturday. In addition to Trump’s pledge, Vice President Mike Pence was in Rockport, Texas to survey the damage, console the people, and personally help with...