DALLAS - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed that American flags on state property be flown at full staff to mark President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next week, bypassing the national mourning period for former President Jimmy Carter. The move has sparked both praise and criticism on social media.

In a statement released on Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the U.S. flag should be displayed "especially on Inauguration Day."

State Representative Dustin Burrows will sit at the helm of the Texas House after a contentious race to determine who would lead the lower legislative chamber. Burrows' victory marks a devastating blow for GOP frontrunner David Cook (R-Mansfield),

Instead, new House Speaker Dustin Burrows won the job with the support of Democrats, who favored him over a challenger backed by the GOP’s emboldened right.

Lubbock Republican state Rep. Dustin Burrows clenched the speakership of the Texas House on Tuesday in the culmination of an unusually long and unusually public mudfight for the role. As expected, Burrows relied on a coalition of Democratic and Republican members to win,