Daily Dispatch 3/12/26: A Desperate Cornyn Flip-flops On Filibuster, and More
Episode description
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:
Under pressure from both Donald Trump and Ken Paxton - after years of defending the filibuster in the U.S. Senate - Senator John Cornyn, desperate for Trump's endorsement, has changed his position on a primary safeguard for the minority party in that body: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/11/john-cornyn-filibuster-save-america-act-texas-senate-runoff-voter-id/
...For now, the actual end of the filibuster seems unlikely - but Donald Trump is frantic and determined: https://www.axios.com/2026/03/11/save-act-talking-filibuster-senate-thune-republicans
Governor Greg Abbott is threatening a state takeover of Corpus Christi's water system as they plunge into a deep supply crisis - though it's unclear what the state would be able to do about it: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/greg-abbott-corpus-christi-water-crisis-22070712.php
...Meanwhile, a huge chunk of Texas between San Antonio and south Austin is under a similar threat as the Edwards Aquifer nears its most severe warning level ever: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/edwards-aquifer-nears-emergency-drought-conditions/
A group of reporters at the New York Times analyzes the video of the ICE-involved shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez in South Padre Island - and reveals the name of the agent who pulled the trigger: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/us/texas-ice-shooting-south-padre-video.html
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