A 13-year-old girl from Texas was rescued in California after she was allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted by her abductor. The girl was able to escape and find help with a makeshift "help me" sign, leading to the arrest of Steven Robert Sablan, 61, of Cleburne, Texas. He has been charged with kidnapping and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Posts tagged as “Annual Texas Country”
The Department of Justice has issued a warning to Texas officials that they must remove their recently installed floating border barriers in the Rio Grande River or face legal action. The barriers, which are orange buoys with nets beneath them, have raised humanitarian concerns due to reports of a woman having a miscarriage being trapped in the barrier and officials being told to push migrants into the river and deny them water. The Justice Department has given Texas officials until the end of the month to remove the barriers.
Women in Texas are suing the state for clarity on exceptions to its strict abortion laws, after being denied care during their failed pregnancies. The lawsuit, brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights, is the first of its kind since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. The women are seeking a preliminary injunction to allow lifesaving care for women in the state, and two of the women involved in the lawsuit spoke about the impact of Texas' abortion law at the hearing. A ruling is expected soon.
Texas state officials are under investigation for their efforts to deter illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border, which have been criticized by human rights groups and the Biden administration for placing migrants, including children, at risk of drowning or being cut by razor wire. The internal complaint, now under investigation, is in relation to Operation Lone Star, a sprawling border effort led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican. It is yet to be seen what action, if any, will be taken in response to the allegations.
This week's Powerball lottery is offering an estimated $900 million jackpot, with no winner in Saturday night's drawing. Three tickets matched all five white balls, however, and are eligible for $1 million prizes. Monday's drawing will offer a choice between an annuitized prize or a one-time lump sum before taxes, with odds of 1 in 292,201,338. It is the third biggest Powerball jackpot and the seventh largest in U.S. lottery history.
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, has had her prison sentence shortened by two years, according to federal records. Her lawyers had filed a motion to reduce her sentence in March, which was denied by the court, but the Federal Bureau of Prisons appears to have taken the motion into consideration and reduced her sentence. The news of her sentence reduction has sparked debate in the legal community, with some arguing that it is too lenient and others arguing that it is a fair punishment for her crimes.
Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2024, joining fellow Democrat MJ Hegar in a longshot bid to unseat Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Gutierrez has been a vocal advocate for tougher gun legislation since the deadly 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, and has called for police accountability. Hegar has already amassed a $6.2 million war chest since announcing her candidacy two months ago.
Patrick Crusius, the perpetrator of the El Paso Walmart shooting which left 23 people dead and more than two dozen injured, was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences on Friday. The plea agreement took the death penalty off the table, although he could still face it in a separate case. The attack was a stark reminder of the devastating impact of hate crimes and gun violence, and the need for greater efforts to prevent them.