Lauren McGaughy

Lauren McGaughy

@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Texas politics correspondent @nytimes.com | Past: @kutnews.bsky.social @dallasnews.com @houstonchronicle.com @nolanews.bsky.social | FOIA nerd 📧: lauren.mcgaughy@nytimes.com Signal: lmcgaughy.40 ☎︎: 512-436-3641

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Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

NEW: Ken Paxton bought three condos in a luxury resort in Utah earlier this year. On the deeds, he listed a home in Frisco as his address. Police reports we obtained refer to the home's owner as a woman, not his wife, with whom he's been photographed vacationing. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/u...

nytimes.comKen Paxton Bought 3 Utah Condos, Adding to a $9 Million Real Estate PortfolioThe Texas attorney general and his trusts now hold at least 15 properties worth about $9 million.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Texas AG Ken Paxton has taken about 350 out-of-state trips with a state-funded security detail. During a 2017 Israel trip, organizers said Paxton insisted on his own security despite the government providing it for other AGs. His detail cost $75,000. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/26/u... #txlege

nytimes.comKen Paxton’s State-Funded Jet-Setting Draws Campaign ScrutinyMr. Paxton, the Republican candidate for Senate in Texas, has taken about 350 trips outside of the state since he was sworn in as attorney general.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

In his bid for U.S. Senate, James Talarico has pointed to his record in the statehouse. But what exactly did he do there? I've covered the Texas Legislature for the entirety of Talarico's tenure then some. Here's what I found out. [Gift Link] www.nytimes.com/2026/10/22/u... #txlege

nytimes.comJames Talarico’s Texas House Record: Partisan Fights, Bipartisan Laws (Gift Article)Throughout his four terms in the Texas House, James Talarico has tried to balance his two political identities.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

NEW: In major win for inmates' rights advocates, a federal judge in Texas has ruled all state prisons must be fully air conditioned by 2029. The state of Texas is expected to appeal. nytimes.com/2026/09/22/u... #txlege

nytimes.comFederal Judge Orders Texas to Air-Condition Its PrisonsThe lack of air-conditioning in most of the state’s prisons violates the U.S. Constitution, the judge ruled. He ordered the state to cool all of its lockups by the end of 2029.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

NEW: The man shot by ICE in Austin, TX, yesterday was not the target of a federal investigation before the encounter, sources tell @nytimes.com. ICE was in the area checking car plates when they discovered the man had a deportation order on file. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/u...

nytimes.comICE Agents Encountered Austin Man by Chance Before Shooting HimThe shooting prompted growing calls for transparency as state and local officials sought the release of video footage.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Three years ago this month, Ken Paxton came closest to political ruin after years of scandal. But, yet again, he avoided any comeuppance and ended up stronger for it. Here's a look at his historic impeachment trial and how Paxton ultimately won. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/u... #txlege

nytimes.comInside the Impeachment Trial that Threatened to End Ken Paxton’s Political CareerMr. Paxton, the Texas attorney general now running for the U.S. Senate, was accused of abusing the power of his office to protect a campaign donor. He was acquitted on all counts.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

When I think of God,” Dhruv Amin told me, “I think of the mountain.” Every year, tens of thousands of people spend a small fortune and months of planning to get to Mount Kailash, to sit, however briefly, on God’s doorstep. New story for @nytimes.com. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/u...

nytimes.comPilgrims to Flood-Stricken Nepal Sought the Divine at Sacred MountainFor many, the trek to Mount Kailash on the border of Nepal and Tibet is a once-in-a-lifetime trip to find spiritual awakening.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

NEW: An ICE agent being sought by Minnesota for alleged assault was released from a Texas jail today, Mitch Smith and @londonoe report. Yesterday, a federal judge said Minnesota had not properly argued for his extradition. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/u... #txlege

nytimes.comICE agent Christian Castro Released From Texas Jail After Minnesota Loses Court FightThe state had sought to have the agent extradited from Texas to answer charges in Minneapolis related to an on-duty shooting that wounded an immigrant.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

A federal judge had sided with Texas Gov. Abbott in the fight over the extradition of ICE agent to Minnesota, @londonoe and Mitch Smith report. This means the ICE agent could be released soon. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/u...

nytimes.comJudge Sides With Texas Over Minnesota on Extradition of ICE AgentThe two states have waged an unusual court battle over the agent facing charges over a shooting in Minneapolis. The agent could be released from jail on Thursday.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Lobga Rangzen’s unthinkable act — the first known self-immolation by a Tibetan in the United States — may have achieved one of his greatest goals, however briefly: He made the world pay attention to Tibet. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/w...

nytimes.comIn Death, a Tibetan Activist Finally Got the World’s AttentionNo one doubted the intensity of Lobga Rangzen’s commitment to a Tibet free of Chinese control. But they were not prepared for what he did next.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Islam is now one of the top political issues for Texas Republicans. Some lawmakers are considering whether to define religion in state statute so as to target practices central to Islam they see as anathema to U.S. culture or law. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/u... #txlege

nytimes.comIslamophobia’s Rise in Texas: ‘I Won’t Rest Until Every Muslim Is Gone’Muslim communities have been growing for decades, particularly around Dallas. Now, conservatives want to roll up the welcome mat.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

UPDATE: Earlier this week, we broke the news that Ken Paxton is making up to $1M a year from a company that has a cell tower at a hospital where he was a board member. The current hospital admin has confirmed the deal but won't disclose the terms. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/u...

nytimes.comOne Source of Paxton’s Wealth: A Cell Tower at a Hospital He Knew WellKen Paxton, the Texas attorney general, makes six-figure income from a cellphone tower on the grounds of a hospital where he was a board member.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

This week, @sashavonawesome.bsky.social attended the premier of Matthew McConaughey's first movie in five years. Here's her dispatch. Come for the fun asides about life and his career. Stay for what he had to say (or not) about the border wall in Big Bend. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/s...

nytimes.comA Sweaty Texas Night at Barrel O’ Fun with Matthew McConaugheyThe city celebrated one of its favorite Texas movie stars with a cinema bearing his name, ahead of the release of “The Rivals of Amziah King.”
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

NEW: Ken Paxton has reported making between $100,000-$1M off a cell tower affiliated with a company he owns. The Times has learned the company controls a tower on the property of a hospital where Mr. Paxton was a board member. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/u...

nytimes.comOne Source of Paxton’s Wealth: A Cell Tower at a Hospital He Knew Well (Gift Article)Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, makes six-figure income from a cellphone tower on the grounds of a hospital where he was a board member.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Texas hasn’t elected an unmarried senator since 1940. That will be the choice this year, between Ken Paxton and James Talarico. But do voters really care? We asked Texans — including Angela Paxton — how dating, divorce and scandal affects their vote. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/u...

nytimes.comIn Texas’ Most Eligible Senate Race, It’s Bachelor vs. Divorcé-to-BeKen Paxton is divorcing. James Talarico is dating a onetime staffer. Both have had their romantic lives scrutinized as part of their high-stakes campaigns.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

A corrido’s reach was constrained by geography, radio DJs and the recording industry. Now a new corrido can be recorded and shared across platforms like TikTok and YouTube within hours. Check out @sashavonawesome.bsky.social first byline for the NYT Texas team! www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/u...

nytimes.comICE Killed Him. A.I. Helped Turn Him Into a Folk Ballad, Fast.A.I. is helping people write corridos within hours, accelerating a tradition of memorializing tragedy through song.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Ken Paxton held a press conference today. His first question was on the story we broke last week about the three new properties he's acquired during his divorce. He declined to answer the question. Read the story here:: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/u... Link to presser: x.com/schwagerTV/s...

nytimes.comPaxton Expands Real Estate Portfolio Amid Senate Run and Divorce (Gift Article)The Texas attorney general and his trusts now hold at least 15 properties worth about $9 million.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Yesterday, I spoke to Texans who were rebuilding after a second year of floods. But this story is not about chaos and destruction. It’s about a woman who sees blessings everywhere — and the people who keep her believing. Stay for the kicker. 🎩 www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/u...

nytimes.com‘The Top Hats Are Saved!’ A Texas Dance Studio Weathers Another Major Flood.To CeCe Jean Saunders, it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime event when her studio in Kerrville, Texas, flooded last year. Then it happened again.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

James Talarico's spox questioned whether Ken Paxton will follow through on debate. “Ken Paxton has a long record of saying he’ll show up for Texans then disappearing when it counts. We’ll believe him when he accepts these three debates and we see him on stage.” www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/u...

nytimes.comKen Paxton and James Talarico Agree to Debate in U.S. Senate RaceKen Paxton, a Republican, has not debated in more than a decade. A showdown with James Talarico, a Democrat, could be a key moment in the hard-fought race.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

The Texas Rangers respond to the request for an investigation into ICE’s shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. The agency head says they can investigate such shootings — when ICE asks and they haven’t. Also said they received no investigation request from a local prosecutor. #txlege

Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

Asked whether she would actively campaign for or with James Talarico, Jasmine Crockett said: “I have no idea. I am more focused on down-ballot races in general.” She also won't be speaking at the Texas Dems Convention. Neither will Colin Allred. www.dallasnews.com/news/politic...

dallasnews.comTexas Democrats seek unity at state convention without Jasmine CrockettTexas Democrats seek unity at state convention without Jasmine Crockett as James Talarico forges ahead in Senate campaign.
Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social

UT Austin just axed the station manager of its beloved local NPR affiliate after disagreements over a festival the station recently hosted. The manager was told she could resign, to which @dhiott.bsky.social said, "you'll have to fire me," per @kutnews.bsky.social. www.kut.org/education/20...

kut.orgUT Austin leadership fires KUT General Manager Debbie HiottAn email to staff at Austin's NPR station, addressed from Anita L. Vangelisti, the interim dean of the Moody College of Communication, said the decision was effective immediately.