Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has lost his latest bid for dismissal of state securities fraud charges he faces for business dealings before he took office.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Wednesday ordered state agencies to stop paying departing employees by placing them on "emergency leave." Representatives from the attorney general's office and the General Land Office said they will heed the order.

A Travis County judge ruled Wednesday that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services cannot license an immigration detention center as a childcare facility, giving immigrant rights groups a victory in a months-long battle with the state. The case will proceed to a full trial in September. 

Days after he was stripped of his job as Baylor University president over a scandal over how the school handled accusations of sexual assault, Ken Starr said he will also resign as chancellor of the private Baptist school. 

Declaring that "this fight is just beginning," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday escalated his battle against guidelines in Texas and across the country that allow students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. He told school districts not to obey the federal directive and said the Legislature would likely take up the issue next year.

Disclosure: The Texas General Land Office has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.