News

Lawmakers at the state capitol are outraged by the decision of FEMA officials to deny the town of West continued federal assistance following the fertilizer plant explosion.

According to a report released by the Associated Press, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is refusing to provide West with the funds to help the town rebuild. In a letter from FEMA to state officials, the group has ruled that the plant explosion in West did not meet the criteria for a major disaster declaration.

More than 200 local residents packed the Institute of Texan Cultures on Tuesday evening at a visioning meeting for the new Hemisfair. They were asked to enter their suggestions for features at the corner of Market Street and Alamo, near the Torch of Friendship.

Andres Andujar, CEO of Hemisfair Park Redevelopment Corporation, said that corner will be the large open space that becomes the front porch of San Antonio.

Following several out-of-town hearings on the subject of redistricting, the Senate committee is back in Austin hearing various plans for changing the state’s voting maps, which included a plan from Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, who said he borrowed his argument from Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

"It concludes by saying -- in essence -- that while the Voting Rights Act may not require the creation of a crossover district, the purposeful dismantling of a crossover district would raise serious questions under the 14th and 15th Amendments of the Constitution," Watson said.

On, Tuesday night after the San Antonio Spurs won Game 3 to go up 2-1 over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, Opera Piccola San Antonio's founder Mark Richter was happy.

"I hope we run the Heat out of town, and I hope we finish them here in San Antonio!"

In the first segment:

The special session has taken on some added weight this week with the addition of several bills splitting the legislature from its initial redistricting focus. Most controversially, the fetal pain abortion bill has been revitalized in Senate Bill 5.

Terri Burke, executive director of the Texas American Civil Liberties Union, joins us along with San Antonio Coalition for Life Executive Director Matt Schima.

Texas Democrats are outraged that Gov. Rick Perry is threatening to veto a portion of the state budget unless embattled Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg steps down.

This spring, Lehmberg was arrested and convicted for driving under the influence in which her blood alcohol was three times the legal limit.

The governor’s office confirmed that Perry is considering a veto of a portion of the state’s budget bill that funds the state’s Public Integrity Unit, which investigates government entities and is headed up by the Travis County district attorney.

Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger nonprofit, has released its Map the Meal Gap study for the third year.

Bob Aiken, the organization's president, said it’s the only study that maps food insecurities county by county across the nation. The World Health Organization defines food security in three parts: Food availability of sufficient quality, access to appropriate nutrition, and appropriate used based on nutrition and care.

Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, has one of about six bills that address some aspect of abortion in the special session. Patrick said his bill would hold institutions like Planned Parenthood to strict guidelines when dispensing the Plan B abortion pill the abortion pill (mifeprestone), a set of pills that medically ends a pregnancy and can be used up to 9 weeks after the woman's last period.

In the first segment:

District 5 candidates join us to talk about their bids for the council seat. Incumbent Councilman David Medina and council hopeful Shirley Gonzales square off and take your calls.

In the second segment:

After repeated attempts to accommodate district 8 candidate Rolando Briones, we were rebuffed, being told that the candidate was too busy any of the days between the original election and the runoff. We speak with his opponent, Ron Nirenberg.

In in the third segment: