Texas

Aaron Dean fired through the window of Atatiana Jefferson's home and killed her after responding to a call that a neighbor placed about an open front door, authorities say.

Atatiana Jefferson, 28, was shot early Saturday morning after police in Texas responded to a neighbor's nonemergency call upon seeing her front door open. Community activists are demanding answers.

Stephen Harrigan's sprawling history of the Lone Star state showcases his enthusiasm for Texas; it's an endlessly fascinating look at how the state has evolved over the years.

Climate activists protesting oil and gas are the first charged under a new critical infrastructure law in Texas. Supporters say the laws protect ports, pipelines and other sensitive places.

The National Weather Service in Houston said the amount of rainfall in Houston and Galveston on Thursday was "one for the record books." At least four deaths have been blamed on the storm.

Houston, Galveston and other parts of eastern Texas have been warned that isolated rain totals of 20 to 25 inches are possible through Friday.

Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty for the 21-year-old man accused of killing 22 people last month in a hate-filled attack at a Walmart.

Billy Jack Crutsinger, 64, was the 14th inmate executed in the U.S. this year and the fifth in Texas. That state has 10 other executions scheduled for 2019.

In a shooting that began with a traffic stop, Odessa Police said a gunman hijacked a U.S. mail carrier truck, and began shooting people at random, killing five and injuring 21. The suspect is dead.

"I want to praise the defendant's grandmother, who saved lives by interrupting this plot," said a federal prosecutor. She was able to convince her grandson to go to a hospital.