Author: Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor, Washington Examiner
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American dream out of reach? Only 10% polled said they can afford to buy home
(The Center Square) – Only 10% of those surveyed in a new poll said the “American dream” of homeownership is affordable, with others citing 40-year high inflationary costs, 23-year-high interest rates, limited supply of affordable housing and earnings that have eroded because of inflation. According to a Wall Street Journal/NORC poll of 1,502 U.S. adults,…
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Multi agency operation nabs 33 violent gang members in border town of Uvalde
(The Center Square) – Thirty-three members of violent gangs were arrested as part of a multi-agency operation targeting transnational and organized crime in the border town of Uvalde, Texas, and surrounding area in Uvalde County. “Gang violence has no place here in Texas, we will bring the full force of justice down on these famous…
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Paxton launches ‘illegal voting tipline,’ issues election advisory for voters
(The Center Square) – Following Florida, Texas launched a tipline for citizens to report concerns about alleged voter fraud. Unlike Florida’s toll-free voter fraud hotline, Texas has launched an email tipline. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton encouraged members of the public to report suspected violations of Texas election law through an email tipline: [email protected]. Ahead…
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Law enforcement officials continue to apprehend violent offenders off Florida coast
(The Center Square) – Federal and local law enforcement officers continue to apprehend gang members, drug traffickers and human smugglers off the Florida coast. Their efforts continue although the volume of illegal entries off the coast of Florida have significantly dropped after Gov. Ron DeSantis implemented border security measures and surged National Guard resources to…
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Paxton launches election fraud investigations
(The Center Square) – The Office of the Texas Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit has launched several election fraud investigations. In one investigation, which has been ongoing since 2022, the OAG’s Criminal Investigation Division executed multiple search warrants on Tuesday in Atascosa, Bexar and Frio counties. The investigation launched after the office received a referral…
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New data shows abortion migration trend from southern to northern states
(The Center Square) – New data reveals a trend in abortion statistics: as mostly southern states enacted laws severely restricting abortion, women traveled across multiple state lines, primarily to northern states, to have them. Traveling across state lines to have an abortion increased after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022,…
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Severe flooding caused ‘unprecedented crisis,’ Galveston Bay oyster destruction
(The Center Square) – In the first six months of this year, Texans have suffered from devastating natural disasters, from tornadoes in downtown Houston and central Texas, to the largest wildfire in state history in the panhandle, and severe flooding and heavy rainfall that has now wiped out the oyster industry in the Galveston Bay…
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Texas Supreme Court halts Harris County ‘Guaranteed Income’ program
(The Center Square) – The Texas Supreme Court halted a “guaranteed income” pilot program launched by Harris County on Friday, likely setting the stage for the program to be scrapped altogether. In a 12-page ruling, Justice Jimmy Blacklock delivered the opinion for the court, granting the state’s motion to halt the program and ordered all…
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Texas DPS: epicenter of border crisis is now San Diego, ‘we’d like to keep it that way’
(The Center Square) – At a recent Texas Senate Committee hearing on border security and the progress of Texas’ border security mission, Operation Lone Star, officials discussed how state efforts have moved illegal entry west to New Mexico, Arizona and California. When the border crisis first erupted in early 2021 after the Biden administration began…
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New Florida Human Trafficking Strike Team cracking down on border-related crime
(The Center Square) – A new multi-agency human trafficking strike team has been created in Florida to target border-related crime. As the result of a recent months-long operation, 10 victims were rescued, and several alleged perpetrators were arrested. Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the creation of the new strike team with law enforcement leaders on Thursday. “Human trafficking is a challenge for…