Columns & Opinions

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick last week issued a sweeping gag order ahead of the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Houston Chronicle reported, saying “out-of-court statements” by both sides threaten to jeopardize the trial.

Barbara Jordan was a woman of many firsts in her career. In her relatively short time in Congress and the Texas State Senate, she left an immeasurable impact and in a cynical and dark age in American politics, she became for many across the nation a voice of conscience.

It’s no secret that recent years have been tough on small businesses and on newspapers. A bipartisan bill, the Community News and Small Business Support Act, that has been introduced in Congress would offer relief to both newspapers and local businesses. For too many newspapers, help can’t come soon enough. Economic challenges have resulted in too many communities seeing their local newspapers being forced to lay off staff, cut back on publication days or – worse yet – close. On average, two newspapers are closing each week. That hurts local businesses and residents in the long (and short) run. However, despite the challenges, what remains true is that local newspapers make a difference in their communities.