Trump accepts GOP nomination, Dems push back Biden vote

KXAN investigative producer Dalton Huey and KXAN photojournalist Lauren Ryan contributed to reporting in this article . KXAN digital reporter Cora Neas compiled and edited this article.

AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Austin resident Ben Shrader attended former President Donald Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after the campaign sent him an invitation. There, he met with Trump and other VIPs a half hour before the attempted assassination.

“I walked up – little old me – and he put out his hand,” Shrader said. “And I said, ‘It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. President.’ And we talked for a few moments, and we got some pictures. It’s kind of crazy to be talking to somebody and then see them get shot a few moments later.”

Shrader’s seat was to the left of the stage at the front of the crowd in a section for special guests. Yards behind him was the warehouse from which Thomas Matthew Crooks would later shoot an AR-15 rifle in his and Trump’s direction.

“We were close to [Trump], I mean maybe 50 yards, probably less than that. I hear a quiet pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” said Shrader, who ducked down after the shooting started. “I turn and look behind me, and…I just see a lot of blood. Because about maybe four or five meters behind me and to my left in the bleachers, somebody got hit.”

Firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed in the shooting, and two other attendees were wounded. Trump received an injury to his left ear. Crooks was killed by a US Secret Service agent moments later.

“I look up to where the President is, and I see him kind of do like this motion,” Shrader said, putting his hands over his ears. “Then I see him just hold up a fist in the air.”

After Secret Service agents rushed Trump offstage, Shrader texted his family to let them know he was OK.

“Afterwards, you’re like – I almost got shot today. I was really close…It could’ve been a very different day for me,” he said about the mass shooting.

Trump closes out RNC with charged speech after assassination attempt

Days after the shooting, Trump attended an emotionally charged Republican National Convention, where he accepted of the Republican Party’s nomination in a record-setting 90-minute speech Thursday.

According to reporting from The Hill, Trump and his advisers said that he had ditched the original draft of the speech after the shooting. They claimed that the speech would have a more somber tone and show a more sympathetic version of the polarizing former president.

He opened his speech talking about the assassination attempt and said that it was only a slight turn of his head that saved his life. He praised the courage of his Secret Service detail, and honored Comperatore with a moment of silence, displaying the man’s fire department jacket and helmet on stage.

He called for unity in his speech, pledging to govern for all Americans — a potentially incredulous pitch to voters aware of his first term.

“I am here tonight to lay out a vision for the whole nation,” Trump said. “To every citizen, whether you are young or old, man or woman, Democrat, Republican or Independent, Black or white, Asian or Hispanic, I extend to you a hand of loyalty and friendship.”

Trump didn’t keep the promised “somber tone” and went off-script to attack his opponents, delivering something more akin to a rally speech.

He reiterated his false claim that Democrats cheated in elections. He also called President Joe Biden the worst president in the country’s history, blaming him for an “inflation crisis,” an “illegal immigration crisis” and an “international crisis.” Trump called the country since his administration a “nation in decline.”

As for promises, Trump said he would open up drilling, block funding for climate-friendly programs, finish his southern border wall, and end both the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas war. He also said he would deploy tariffs to “bring jobs back,” a proposal that risks increasing inflation.

Democrats delay presidential nomination vote

The Democratic National Committee is pushing back its candidate vote to August, buying time ahead of its August 19 convention as Democrats struggle over whether Biden should be the party’s candidate in the presidential election.

“That virtual vote won’t happen before the first of August,” said DNC Rules Committee co-chair and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

The DNC had planned to vote to nominate Biden before Aug. 7 because of Ohio’s ballot deadline, but Ohio has pushed that date to September. Initial plans by the DNC would have seen the vote held as early as July 21.

“We’re glad to see that the pressure has worked and the DNC will not rush this virtual process through in July,” said a spokesperson for Rep. Jared Huffman.

The shifting timeline comes as more Democrats in Congress call on Biden to drop out of the race. California Rep. Adam Schiff said that he believes “it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy…”

Biden has resisted those calls and insisted as recently as Friday that he’s “all in” on the race.

“I think it’s pretty clear Joe Biden isn’t going to go quietly into this good night,” said George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs director Peter Loge. “Most voters, most of the time, don’t care about Rules committee decisions of the Democratic National Committee. They want to know, can I afford to buy a house?”

DOJ sues Texas nonprofit, alleging abuse of migrant kids

A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit accused Texas-based nonprofit Southwest Key Programs Inc. of violating the Fair Housing Act, alleging that the nonprofit’s employees sexually abused and harassed children in its care.

Southwest Key operates 29 shelters that provide temporary housing to unaccompanied children encountered at the U.S. border. According to the DOJ’s filing, Southwest Key was the largest housing provider for unaccompanied children in the U.S.

In a response to the lawsuit, the nonprofit said the DOJ “does not present the accurate picture of the care and commitment our employees provide to the youth and children.”

“Southwest Key Programs’ primary focus is the safety, health, and well-being of each one of the children and youth we care for,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “We are in constant communication and continue to closely partner with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as we have done so for the past two decades to ensure the children and youth entrusted to our care are safe with us during their short stay with Southwest Key.”

The DOJ said the harassment “included, among other things, sexual contact and inappropriate touching, solicitation of sex acts, solicitation of nude photos, entreaties for inappropriate relationships and sexual comments.”

According to the Justice Department, the complaint also said Southwest Key allegedly failed to take action to protect children in its care and failed to follow federal laws

“Sexual harassment of children in residential shelters, where a child should be safe and secure, is abusive, dehumanizing and unlawful,” said DOJ assistant attorney general Kristen Clarke. “Sexual abuse of children is a crisis that we can’t ignore or turn a blind eye to. This lawsuit seeks relief for children who have been abused and harmed, and meaningful reforms to ensure no child in these shelters is ever subjected to sexual abuse again.”

CenterPoint gave at least $1.4M to Texas lawmakers since 2022

In the years prior to Hurricane Beryl and the ensuing controversy around CenterPoint Energy’s efforts to restore Houstonians’ power, the electric provider donated $1.4 million to Texas lawmakers, according to campaign finance records from the Texas Ethics Commission.

CenterPoint Energy and its political arms donated $95,500 went to Democratic legislators. Nearly all of the remaining $1.3 million went to Republicans.

The donations have not helped CenterPoint avoid intense scrutiny from state leaders who have excoriated the company over the last week for a storm response they have described as “unacceptable.”

Abbott has threatened executive orders, financial penalties, and regulatory changes for CenterPoint, accusing the company of putting lives at risk and potentially cutting corners in their storm preparation. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has promised Texas Senate investigations into their response.

“[CenterPoint’s] only real competition is government regulation and the cost recovery that it’s allowed by the Public Utility Commission and ultimately, our lawmakers,” said ethics watchdog group Public Citizen’s Adrian Shelley. “Because of what it is — a for-profit company operating as a monopoly utility in one area — it’s got an unusual incentive to influence political decision making in Houston and in Texas.”

The Public Utility Commission also announced an investigation into CenterPoint, and legislators have alluded to statewide policy change coming next session. However, Shelley and his organization voice skepticism.

“It’s right to look for accountability for CenterPoint right now, but it’s also right to follow the money and ask the question, ‘Why was there not already oversight in place that prevented CenterPoint from falling so far behind?,'” Shelly said. “Ultimately, we’re not making it a priority. And I think you have to see the donations that are made to our leadership as a piece with that decision.”

Elon Musk plans to move X to Austin, SpaceX headquarters to South Texas

Elon Musk said on social media Tuesday that he intends to move the headquarters of X to Austin and Space Exploration Technologies Corp’s to the Texas coast.

Austin-based consulting firm Angelou Economics’ executive vice president Matt Patton said a big part of Texas’ success is companies looking to relocate to a place with ample economic development. And that these moves can bring more economic activity to the region.

“They look at the business climate. They say, ‘Is this a city that can get things done?’ In Austin, and more broadly, Texas is doing a really good job of that,” Patton said.

Austin-area nonprofit Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s senior director of business engagement Amber Warne said that X could mean more tech jobs.

“Tech is already one of those industry that is growing and expanding. There’s a 3.2% of the industry expected to grow over the next few years the tech industry is already booming and expanding,” Warne said.

Austin City Council approves hospital safety changes after KXAN report

After a deadly car crash inside an Austin emergency room in February, the Austin City Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday to require safety bollards at new hospitals across the city.

Austin Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said she directed her staff to look into a code change while watching a KXAN investigation into the Feb. 13 fatal crash at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center.

“The team at KXAN did such a good job of explaining the problem and providing potential solutions that it would have been stupid for me not to have looked into this as a solution for the city of Austin,” Kelly said.

The city manager has until November to present a code amendment for a council vote. Kelly said she’s confident the measure will get council approval.

The Bernard family, who were badly hurt in the incident and shared their story exclusively with KXAN, strongly supported the resolution.

“It’s past time for these safety bollards to be in place,” said Levi Bernard after the vote. “This legislation will prevent further tragedies and save lives. While it doesn’t spare my family from the devastation we suffered, it will spare others and for that we are relieved and grateful.”