Former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Black Democratic trailblazer, dies at 89
Johnson, the first Black woman elected to any seat in Dallas and the first Black Dallasite to serve in Congress, was a towering figure in Texas politics. Full Story
![Rep. Ernie Bernice Johnson, D-TX 30th District, has been a Congresswoman since 1993. Photographed at her office in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., on July 10, 2019.](https://thumbnails.texastribune.org/uyqAiaDXGRD7I5STBpjcm5uHQdA=/850x570/smart/filters:quality(75)/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/65b402dba732c6ace4676be02ef1f62c/01%20Eddie%20Bernice%20Johnson%20LS%20TT.jpg)
Abby Livingston joined The Texas Tribune in 2014 as the publication's first Washington bureau chief, and departed August 2022. In this role, she covered members in the Texas congressional delegation and campaigns back in the home state. A seventh-generation Texan, Abby grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to the Tribune, Abby worked for NBC, CNN, National Journal and Roll Call. At the Tribune, she won the 2017 National Press Club Award for Washington regional reporting and the Society of Professional Journalists' 2018 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Washington correspondence. Abby is a contributing writer to the Almanac of American Politics and frequently appears on MSNBC, CNN and Sirius XM radio. She also had a role on an episode of "The Bold and The Beautiful." In keeping with the Trib’s great history of hiring softball stars, Abby is a three-time MVP (the most in game history) for The Bad News Babes, the women’s press softball team that takes on female members of Congress in the annual Congressional Women’s Softball breast cancer charity game.
Johnson, the first Black woman elected to any seat in Dallas and the first Black Dallasite to serve in Congress, was a towering figure in Texas politics. Full Story
I moved to Washington in 2006 to work for a senator. I left in 2022 in the prime of my journalism career. I had seen enough. Full Story
Griner’s allies remain hopeful President Joe Biden will secure a prisoner swap, much like he did earlier this year with another Texan, ex-Marine Trevor Reed. Full Story
The law was made unenforceable by the Supreme Court in 2003, but Justice Clarence Thomas recently suggested that the court should reconsider it. Full Story
White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson testified about Ratcliffe’s warnings before the U.S. House committee investigating the events leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection. She was an assistant to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Full Story
More than any other senator, Cornyn is responsible for shepherding the landmark legislation through the chamber. He did so by embracing compromise and his own political risk. Full Story
The U.S. House passed the legislation Friday afternoon. Nearly all Texas Republicans voted against it. The bill is widely viewed as a series of modest changes to current gun regulations, falling far short of proposals pushed by House Democrats and President Joe Biden. Full Story
The legislation still needs to clear the House, where it is expected to pass. President Joe Biden has signaled he will sign the bill into law. Full Story
The bipartisan gun legislation could end up being a career definer for John Cornyn, Texas’ senior senator. He’s shown a past willingness to compromise but faces critics further to his right, including his fellow senator Ted Cruz. Full Story
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, was one of the lead negotiators for the proposal, which would expand background checks for people under 21 and encourage states to enact “red flag” laws. President Joe Biden and House Democrats had wanted to go further. Full Story