Border Patrol Faulted in Uvalde School Shooting
CAPITAL Highlights
A 200-page report from the Department of Homeland Security faulted U.S. Border Patrol agents who rushed to the Uvalde school shooting in 2022, concluding they “failed to establish command and had inadequate training” in one of the deadliest classroom attacks, The Dallas Morning News reported.
A lone shooter killed 19 students and two teachers inside a classroom during a 70-minute standoff before a tactical team led by the Border Patrol went inside and killed him.
“The failure of arriving law enforcement personnel to establish identifiable incident management or command and control protocols led to a disorganized response to the Robb Elementary School shooting,” the report stated. “No law enforcement official ever clearly established command at the school during the incident, leading to delays, inaction, and potentially further loss of life.”
Two Uvalde school officers have been indicted for allegedly failing to act promptly and have pleaded not guilty. The victims’ families have filed a $500 million federal lawsuit against those who responded to the shooting.
Vehicle Inspections End in 2025
Texas car safety inspections will no longer be required in 2025, after HB 3297 passed the Legislature in 2023. The Austin American-Statesman reported inspections end Jan. 1, though drivers living in and near major Texas cities will still be required to take their vehicles in for emission tests.
Although actual inspection is ending, all noncommercial vehicles in Texas still will be charged a $7.50 inspection fee when the vehicle is registered with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Counties requiring emission tests to comply with federal clean-air requirements are Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson. Costs range from $11.50 to $35.50, depending on what tests are required. Diesel vehicles and motorcycles are exempt from emissions testing.
Deer Disease Threatens State’s Breeding Industry
Texas deer breeders say their livelihoods are threatened by steps being taken by the state to limit chronic wasting disease, The Texas Tribune reported.
The easily transmissible disease has been detected in Texas since 2012. As of August, 387 cases have been reported this year in 31 of the state’s 254 counties. This includes cases in 34 captive breeding facilities. The disease gradually erodes a deer’s neurological functions. It is not known to infect humans.