On Friday, July 5th, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a 6-3 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises et. al. v. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, et. al. (2024) that overturned a 40-year legal precedent known as Chevron deference. In the days that followed, headlines were filled with the sentiment that administrative law had met its demise.
Read moreResolve to Love Pecan Pie
It’s not too difficult a nut to crack, but Texans are nuts about pecans. And who can blame them? A slice of pecan pie with a scoop of Blue Bell’s Homemade Vanilla on top is just about as Texan as one can get. We all know it and so does the Texas Legislature. Through the action of the legislature, the pecan has gained a place of honor in the long list of state symbols. It is represented by the state tree, the state health nut, and, of course, the state pie. So, how does something become a state symbol here in the Lone Star State?
Read moreTake It Down: AI & Deepfakes
Last week, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and several bipartisan colleagues introduced a bill to protect victims of cyberbullying and “revenge porn,” also known as non-consensual intimate imagery. The bill, Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act, or TAKE IT DOWN Act, will, if passed, require a “covered platform,” such as a website, online service, or mobile app, to establish procedures for removal and remove the imagery and any copies upon a valid request from the identifiable individual within 48 hours of the request.
Read moreKeep Your Hands Off My Land!
From the shores of the Gulf Coast to the rolling hills painted in swaths of blue, red, and yellow in spring to the rugged mesas of the Chihuahuan Desert, Texans are passionate about their land. With this love comes a fierce desire to protect it and their interests in it. Texans don’t like to be fenced in, and they certainly don’t like the government taking their land unjustly, or without receiving compensation in return. Recently, the United States Supreme Court handed down an opinion in DeVillier, et al. v. Texas, 601 U.S. _ (2024), which has far-reaching implications for many Texas property owners.
Read moreHouston's "Luv Ya'" Blues
It looks like there might be a showdown in Houston as the hometown Coogs take on the National Football League (NFL) over the colors of their alternate uniforms. At the beginning of the 2023 season, the University of Houston Cougars debuted alternate uniforms, sporting familiar shades of light blue, red, and white. The color scheme hearkened back to the halcyon days of the “Luv Ya’ Blue” era of the Houston Oilers. Ordinarily, such nostalgia would be welcome. Hometown fans embraced it, but the NFL pulled out the welcome mat from below the Coogs’ cleats.
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