Media

July 5, 2015

SAN ANTONIO — Texas officials applauded a United Nations committee's decision Sunday to add the Alamo and four other Spanish Roman Catholic missions to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites, knowing it may bring more tourists.

The UNESCO World Heritage committee added the sites, collectively known as the San Antonio Missions, to the list during a meeting in Bonn, Germany.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio native, said in a statement that he was "proud and grateful" to the UN cultural body.

by Edgar Walters and Alexa Ura

June 25, 2015

In a major victory for the Obama administration, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a key element of the president’s signature health law — the part that gives tax subsidies to people who buy health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s federal marketplace.

"It's time for opponents to face facts: The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, and it's working," Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard of Austin said in a statement.

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June 19, 2015

By: Scott Huddleston

Dear Colleague:

As the debate about Fast Track trade authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) continues, we write to address the frequently repeated assertion that the TPP will have strongest labor and environmental standards ever. To assess whether the TPP is setting a high watermark, we should look to past agreements to see if we are progressing or simply remaking mistakes of the past.

After his initial proclamation for state involvement, Governor Abbott late Friday requested federal assistance. President Obama immediately granted the request, issuing a Major Disaster Declaration for parts of Texas which includes Hays and other impacted counties. Hays County has been granted both Public and Individual Assistance. Soon, FEMA will have teams on the ground to measure the amount and type of damage that occurred to public and private property and ways to mitigate reoccurrence of such damage. I will continue to post federal updates as I receive them.

I am joining San Marcos Mayor Guerrero to assess areas affected by flooding and work to ensure help gets to those who need it. Currently, there are shelters open at the San Marcos Activity Center and South Austin Rec Center. Check updates here.