In the News

Consumer and environmental advocate Erin Brockovich, known best for her work obtaining a multi-million dollar medical and environmental contamination settlement against Pacific Gas & Electric, will speak at a town hall hosted by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) about creosote contamination in a north Houston neighborhood Tuesday night.

Groundwater beneath residential properties near the Englewood Rail Yard in North Houston is contaminated with creosote, a probable carcinogen according to the Environmental Protection Agency, as a result of past rail yard operations. The preservative was used for decades to treat wood railroad ties, and seeped into the ground and formed a plume that has moved beneath homes in the surrounding Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.

HOUSTON — Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia held her first press conference Friday since being selected as one of the seven House Democrats serving as impeachment managers two days earlier.

Speaking to reporters at her East Houston office Friday morning, Rep. Garcia (D-Houston) called the invitation to serve a "big honor," though not one she was intending to do.

"It's probably a highlight of my career," she said. "I will be carrying not only the weight of my oath, but also our democracy."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi picked Rep. Garcia, the former presiding judge of the Houston municipal court system, and six other House impeachment managers for their courtroom experience.

The seven House impeachment managers named by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally delivered the articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate on Wednesday. The Senate trial is set to begin on Tuesday.

In the midst of all this, Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, has been making astonishing claims in a series of interviews.

"I think what's important is that it underscores our point that we do need to have the ability to have witnesses testify in this trial," says Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Texas Democrat who is one of the seven House impeachment managers. "And we do need to make sure that all the documents that are relevant to this case are made available to the committee so that we can present as evidence to the Senate."

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi understands what an uphill battle it will be to convince the Republican-majority Senate to convict President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial.

But that doesn't mean she and House Democrats won't try.

Pelosi made her long-awaited decision on who will serve as House managers on Wednesday, allowing a peek into Democrats' strategy during a historic trial that will determine whether Trump will be removed from office.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tapped seven impeachment managers on Wednesday, ending weeks of speculation over who in the House will step into the political spotlight and make the case before the Senate to remove President Trump from office.

Some of the newly named managers were considered shoo-ins, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), whom Pelosi named as lead manager, and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). Both lawmakers had leading roles during the months-long impeachment inquiry last fall into Trump's contacts with Ukraine.

Houston (AFP) – Texas became the first US state Friday to declare it will not resettle refugees, responding to President Donald Trump's sustained crackdown on all immigration.

Governor Greg Abbott told the State Department that Texas has to dedicate its resources "to those who are already here, including refugees, migrants and the homeless — indeed, all Texans."

"Texas has carried more than its share in assisting the refugee resettlement process and appreciates that other states are vailable to help with these efforts," Abbott said in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and published in US media.

The second-largest US state by population, Texas has resettled hundreds of thousands of refugees since the 1980s.

WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Thursday moved to stop the Trump administration from taking the fight with Iran any further after a dizzying few days that saw the United States' killing of a top Iranian official ratchet up the potential of yet another Middle East war.

The House passed a resolution calling on President Donald Trump to stop military action against Iran that Congress hasn't authorized. It was a largely political move that Republicans described as pointless at best and insulting at worst — but one clearly illustrating the lack of trust between leaders in the House of Representatives and the commander in chief.

As families celebrate the holiday season, the Stop Opioid Silence campaign is launching a renewed push in Texas to empower people to break the stigma and shame associated with opioid use disorder and begin the road to recovery.

With support from three members of the Texas Congressional Delegation, Stop Opioid Silence encourages residents struggling with opioid use disorders, as well as their families the opportunity to share their stories of addiction and recovery.