federal courts

With Texas' new map blocked by a federal court, California Democrats are emerging victorious — though the Supreme Court has yet to weigh in.

Several media outlets, quoting anonymous federal officials, reported that hundreds of Texas troops could be coming home soon from the Chicago area after their activation was halted by a federal court.

A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas can enforce Senate Bill 12, which restricts "sexually oriented performances" in front of kids. The judges said drag shows aren't necessarily sexual, and the plaintiffs, including a drag performer and two entertainment companies, may not be harmed by the law.

Similar lawsuits in Texas and Louisiana have moved to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and will be heard in January.

Judges who decline to perform weddings based on their religious beliefs won't be violating state rules on judicial impartiality, the Texas Supreme Court said in a comment added to the state judicial conduct code Friday.

As deadlines in the federal court case against the Oklahoma law criminalizing unlawful presence loom, attorneys fighting the state say stopping the law is vital to prevent a bad situation from getting worse, faster.

A Waco judge this week made permanent a block on a state law that required book vendors to rate materials based on their sexual content and references.

The new law, called the "Campus Protection Act," requires student groups to get the university's permission before inviting guest speakers to campus, among other restrictions. Students have raised concerns that these changes limit their free speech.

Nacar Devine has been showing up to federal court in El Paso every day since last week, when a panel of three federal judges began hearing arguments around a lawsuit attempting to block the state's controversial new map of congressional districts. Given that no cameras or recording devices are allowed inside, she's one of just a few dozen people bearing witness to the consequential legal battle.

The saga of the Texas mid-decade redistricting of congressional districts is one of the biggest political stories of the year. Here's a timeline of the major milestones.