As Hurricane Harvey nears the coast of Texas, Jewish communities are preparing for what may be record-breaking rainfall and flooding. Synagogues and community centers are cancelling programs and prepping their buildings for the onslaught of water. At United Orthodox Synagogue, which is located in a part of Houston that has experienced millions of dollars of…
The Jewish leader of Texas’ State House of Representatives helped crush an anti-transgender “bathroom bill,” cementing his reputation as a moderate Republican in a state where the party has increasingly drifted rightward. “I’m not embarrassed to say that I know how to govern without being an extremist,” House Speaker Joe Straus told the New York…
They say that everything is bigger in Texas. Not so for the separation of church and state. In that great state, the families of motorcyclists killed in traffic collisions can pay a fee of $350 to have a sign with their loved one’s name on it erected it at the scene. After one year, the…
Life is good for Steve Adler, the mayor of Austin. The Texas capital is famous for its music scene, SXSW festival, and “Keep Austin Weird” sensibility — Adler revels in all of that. But his job isn’t easy. Increasingly, being the mayor of Austin has come to mean high-noon-style showdowns with the state and federal…
A woman is suing the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center in Dallas, alleging that a former fitness center employee repeatedly raped and molested her 14-year-old daughter. The lawsuit, first reported by The Dallas Morning News, alleges that when the mother told JCC CEO Artie Allen about the behavior of a 24-year-old JCC employee toward her…
Texas lawmakers are getting ready to debate a controversial bill aimed at limiting access of transgender people to public restrooms. At the center of the battle, which could mark a turning point in America’s discussion about transgender rights, stands Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and perhaps the last moderate Republican in…
The moderate brand of Texas Republican politics practiced by Joe Straus, the Jewish speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, may be on the line as a 30-day special legislative session begins Tuesday. The main event is Texas’ version of the bathroom bill, which could restrict transgender people to using bathrooms for the gender assigned…
On June 26th, Richard Spencer, founder of the white nationalist National Policy Institute, and Laura Loomer, of “Julius Caesar” protest fame, presided over competing far-right rallies in the capital. Spencer has little regard for Loomer and her ilk, whom he likes to call “alt-light.” Loomer, who is Jewish, has called Spencer out for hating Jews….
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