President Trump and other GOP leaders slammed the press and peddled a cocktail of conservative issues at the NRA convention in Dallas.
THIS WEEK: At the NRA convention in Dallas Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said religion and the Second Amendment are the best ways to curb gun violence and mass shootings. “The answer to gun violence is not to take guns away, the answer is to strengthen the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Abbott during his brief speech to about 5,000 firearm enthusiasts. “The problem is not guns, it’s hearts without God.”
The Lede
Red State: Does Socialism Have a Future in Texas?
The Democratic Socialists of America burst onto the national scene over a year ago. Will the group have a lasting impact on the left, or fade back into obscurity?
Members are pushing progressive local policies, organizing disaster relief and running Sanders-style candidates — all in the GOP’s top stronghold.
“It’s about showing we have a vision of a better future,” said DSA member and Harris County misdemeanor court judge candidate Franklin Bynum, “in a time when there’s an overwhelming sense of despondency, and the Democrats are doing nothing to dissuade us of that.”
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From the archives
A Tiger’s Tale
In this story from 2008, Melissa del Bosque examines the grim consequences of Texas' booming exotic animal trade.
From the story: “It was a high-pitched wail, like infants crying, coming from inside the Cherokee. Garcia peered inside the blue crates. There were no bundles of cocaine, no kilos of marijuana. Instead, he saw six tiny tiger cubs peering back at him. It turned out they were endangered Bengal tiger cubs (four white and two orange) bound for a private animal dealer in Mexico. Garcia could do little. The tiger smugglers hadn’t committed a state crime.”
What’s Happening at the Observer
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We're pleased to announce that the winners of the 2018 MOLLY Prize are Michael Grabell of ProPublica and Howard Berkes of NPR. For more on their series, "Sold for Parts," go here. There is still plenty of time to register for this year's MOLLY Prize dinner.
