The massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, highlights disparities in how federal laws regulate rifles and handguns - the shooter bought two rifles days after his 18th birthday but under federal law, Americans buying handguns must be at least 21. Read more»

Controversy continues to surround the two physical legacies of former area resident Brian Kolfage’s We Build the Wall effort: the bollard fence on the shore of the Rio Grande and a half-mile stretch of fence outside of El Paso that remain at risk of falling. Read more»

Michele Carew, who had overseen scores of elections during her 14-year career as an elections administrator in North Texas, submitted her resignation Friday, following a monthslong effort by residents and officials loyal to former President Donald Trump to force her out of office. Read more»

Hood County stands out because it offers a rare view into the distrust and political pressure facing elections administrators even in communities that Trump safely won, and also represents the escalation to replace independent administrators with more actively partisan election officials. Read more»

The trip comes in the midst of planned impeachment proceedings following a violent week at the U.S. Capitol and a week after Department of Homeland Security officials touted the “historic” completion of 450 miles of border fencing during the Trump administration. Read more»

A ban from Facebook has apparently done little to slow ex-Tucsonan Brian Kolfage, charged last month for defrauding thousands in a “build the wall” effort, and who regularly uses personal attacks and misinformation to sic his online following on perceived detractors. Read more» 2

The report, set to be filed in federal court this week, confirms reporting from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune that found portions of the wall were in danger of overturning if not fixed due to extensive erosion just months after it was built. Read more»