Earlier this week, the highest criminal court in Texas sent death row inmate Robert Roberson’s case back to trial court, blocking his execution just a week before it was set to take place.
“This was kind of a last-minute decision,” said Texas Tribune politics editor Jasper Scherer. “The court invoked a state law that allows for a second look at cases when the science behind a conviction has been debunked.”
Roberson was convicted of capital murder in 2003 for the death of his 2-year-old daughter but has maintained his innocence ever since. His conviction has become the subject of a political firestorm and the recent block on his execution could result in a new trial of his case.
Also this week in Texas, a virtual stock exchange planned for Dallas cleared a major regulatory hurdle.
“A big development was that of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved this new startup in Dallas to operate as a national exchange,” said Scherer. “This is the big step on the way to putting this thing online.”
The Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) was first announced in summer of 2024 and is planning to open its doors in 2026.
Finally, the Texas Tribune spoke with faculty at three community colleges — Alvin Community College, Blinn College and San Jacinto College — who said they have recently pulled content from their courses.
This has been done in response to a broader effort to limit gender identity discussions in Texas classrooms.
Much of the current content review at schools statewide was sparked by a viral video from Texas A&M showing a student arguing with a professor over content related to gender identity.
“This just shows this has extended to community colleges,” said Scherer.
