TEXAS NEWS
River authority’s budget woes are another blow to water-needy Corpus Christi
Read full article: River authority’s budget woes are another blow to water-needy Corpus ChristiCities and other water users have already paid $4.1 million to reserve water from a seawater desalination plant that is not close to construction.
Measles vaccination rate for Texas kindergarteners increased slightly after 2025 outbreak
Read full article: Measles vaccination rate for Texas kindergarteners increased slightly after 2025 outbreakDespite the spike in demand for measles shots following the deadly 2025 outbreak, exemptions on all vaccines for schoolchildren rose after the release of a downloadable exemption form.
Vaccination rates in Texas schools have been dropping. Look up the latest vaccination rates in your district.
Read full article: Vaccination rates in Texas schools have been dropping. Look up the latest vaccination rates in your district.The Texas Tribune has created a searchable database of the latest vaccine rates for school districts and private schools and how they’ve changed in the last year.
Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock to resign at end of month
Read full article: Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock to resign at end of monthGov. Greg Abbott appointed the former GOP lawmaker to the role last year, giving him the reins of Texas’ $1 billion school voucher rollout. Hancock was defeated in his bid for a full term in March.
Texas leads nation in proposed power plants for data centers, which would emit large amounts of greenhouse gases
Read full article: Texas leads nation in proposed power plants for data centers, which would emit large amounts of greenhouse gasesNearly half of the power plants planned to supply electricity for data centers would be in Texas. Experts warn they will emit significant pollution that could harm the health of communities nearby.
One year after the July 4 flood, Kerr County shows signs of trauma and healing
Read full article: One year after the July 4 flood, Kerr County shows signs of trauma and healingCrider’s dance hall is back. Homes are rebuilt. Kids swim in the river. But there’s also deep grief after the river killed 119 people and traumatized more.
On the upper Texas coast, many petrochemical facilities may not be prepared for fiercer storms
Read full article: On the upper Texas coast, many petrochemical facilities may not be prepared for fiercer stormsGalveston County alone is home to 22 refineries and chemical plants. Their level of emergency preparedness varies widely.
Gov. Greg Abbott calls for ban on data center development in rural Texas neighborhoods
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott calls for ban on data center development in rural Texas neighborhoodsAbbott previously outlined a broad regulatory framework around data centers amid backlash from rural communities around their impact on residential neighborhoods.
TribCast: Can Ted Cruz save college sports?
Read full article: TribCast: Can Ted Cruz save college sports?Texas politics have become deeply engaged in the fight over the future of college football. We discuss the saga of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, the influence of megadonor Cody Campbell and U.S. Ted Cruz's proposed fix.
Bo French says Texas shouldn’t recognize babies born to undocumented parents as American citizens
Read full article: Bo French says Texas shouldn’t recognize babies born to undocumented parents as American citizensThe GOP nominee for the state’s oil and gas commission said Texas should not recognize babies born to immigrant parents as citizens.
Catholic bishop seeks information on “wildly disturbing” ICE arrest of nun walking to South Texas church
Read full article: Catholic bishop seeks information on “wildly disturbing” ICE arrest of nun walking to South Texas churchICE detained the 56-year-old nun from Nigeria on Sunday but released her later that day after federal lawmakers intervened.
San Marcos becomes the first Texas city to ban data centers, testing its local control
Read full article: San Marcos becomes the first Texas city to ban data centers, testing its local controlAs Texas counties have faced hurdles to curb the rapid growth of data center developments, cities could have more success with banning them through their zoning laws, land experts say.
Texas education board member threatens to sue colleagues over posts calling her “Marxist”
Read full article: Texas education board member threatens to sue colleagues over posts calling her “Marxist”A Democratic board member says colleagues harassed her in social media posts during Texas’ debate over how history is taught. The GOP members deny any bullying.
Texas cities forced to remove rainbow crosswalks are installing colorful alternatives
Read full article: Texas cities forced to remove rainbow crosswalks are installing colorful alternativesCities and advocates are channeling support for LGBTQ+ residents into murals, lighting and rainbow-decorated sidewalks and stairs.
Unease about Talarico’s Black support on display at Texas Democratic Convention
Read full article: Unease about Talarico’s Black support on display at Texas Democratic ConventionBlack elected officials said the Senate nominee had more work to do to engage voters in their communities, while noting there was still time to do so before November.
Japanese internment survivors, faith leaders demand closure of South Texas ICE detention center
Read full article: Japanese internment survivors, faith leaders demand closure of South Texas ICE detention centerCompleting a pilgrimage from a World War II internment camp in Crystal City, activists said history is repeating itself with family detentions at the Dilley facility.
What Texas can learn from Japanese cities that give technology to its senior citizens
Read full article: What Texas can learn from Japanese cities that give technology to its senior citizensAs Texas focuses on digital literacy for its elder residents, some Japanese cities are gifting low-cost devices to its older population so family can better monitor them.
Tensions with landowners rise as a raft of gas pipelines push through Texas properties
Read full article: Tensions with landowners rise as a raft of gas pipelines push through Texas propertiesRising demand for Texas natural gas by data centers and foreign nations has sparked a surge in pipeline projects
Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to revive restrictive immigration policy
Read full article: Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to revive restrictive immigration policyIn a 6-3 decision, the justices green-lit the practice of limiting the number of people who can apply for asylum each day.
As supporters praise Texas’ proposed “Judeo-Christian” curriculum, rabbis say it dismisses Judaism
Read full article: As supporters praise Texas’ proposed “Judeo-Christian” curriculum, rabbis say it dismisses JudaismA required reading list before the State Board of Education would present a predominantly Christian perspective to public school students, Jewish leaders say.
The U.S. last beat screwworm in 1966. Can current leaders learn from the past’s playbook?
Read full article: The U.S. last beat screwworm in 1966. Can current leaders learn from the past’s playbook?Faced with a modern outbreak that could endure for decades, historical documents are offering officials solutions to eradicate the parasite again.
Mexican man dies in ICE custody in Laredo, at least the 20th fatality this year
Read full article: Mexican man dies in ICE custody in Laredo, at least the 20th fatality this yearWebb County’s medical examiner said Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez died from “natural causes,” although the full autopsy is pending. He’s at least the fifth person to die in Texas ICE detention this year.
Texas lawmakers want fixes to statewide voter registration system ahead of midterms
Read full article: Texas lawmakers want fixes to statewide voter registration system ahead of midtermsThe system has been riddled with problems since it was updated last year. Some lawmakers and election officials want it fixed by November.
Texas officials say rodents and other small wildlife could be to blame for New World Screwworm infestations
Read full article: Texas officials say rodents and other small wildlife could be to blame for New World Screwworm infestationsUntil now, cattle were believed to be the main screwworm carriers. Investigations continue.
Ken Paxton and James Talarico are neck and neck in U.S. Senate race, new poll finds
Read full article: Ken Paxton and James Talarico are neck and neck in U.S. Senate race, new poll findsThe vast majority of Republicans indicated they had moved on from the bitter GOP primary and now support Paxton. Talarico had commanding leads among independents and moderates.
Texas Democrats look to rally behind their ticket, draw national attention at state convention
Read full article: Texas Democrats look to rally behind their ticket, draw national attention at state conventionU.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is headlining the event, as Democrats seek to drum up support and excitement for James Talarico and other downballot candidates ahead of November..
Judge blocks feds from using immigration database to check voter eligibility
Read full article: Judge blocks feds from using immigration database to check voter eligibilityA federal judge cited Texas’ use of the SAVE database, which flagged several voters who were actually citizens, and said the checks violated privacy and voting rights.
Austin-area hospitals denied miscarriage care despite clarification to Texas’ abortion ban, federal complaint alleges
Read full article: Austin-area hospitals denied miscarriage care despite clarification to Texas’ abortion ban, federal complaint allegesLynn Callaway says she was sent home from two hospitals, despite an infection, due to healthcare providers’ fear of the state’s abortion ban.
From an indictment to an alleged affair, Ken Paxton’s controversies hang over his Senate bid
Read full article: From an indictment to an alleged affair, Ken Paxton’s controversies hang over his Senate bidThe attorney general has won statewide elections twice since his legal woes began. This time he will be at the top of the ticket, facing a fundraising juggernaut in James Talarico.
Mandated Bible stories in reading lists, revamped history for Texas public schools approved
Read full article: Mandated Bible stories in reading lists, revamped history for Texas public schools approvedThe State Board of Education approved the reading lists and K-8 social studies changes after months of debates.
A Houston drowning tests whether Texas law gives the right to deny brain death testing
Read full article: A Houston drowning tests whether Texas law gives the right to deny brain death testingState leaders and pro-life groups are siding with 2-year-old Annelise Camp’s family, who are suing to stop Texas Children’s Hospital from testing her for brain death.
Texas Supreme Court rejects attempt to block beach closures for SpaceX launches
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court rejects attempt to block beach closures for SpaceX launchesThe state constitution preserves public access to Texas beaches, but it doesn't give private groups the right to sue to enforce that access, the court ruled.
Which Bible passages are in Texas’ proposed student reading list? Here’s what the selections reveal.
Read full article: Which Bible passages are in Texas’ proposed student reading list? Here’s what the selections reveal.The chosen readings, to be voted on soon by the State Board of Education, draw heavily from Christian perspectives.
“Mass euthanasias”: Screwworm could have deeper implications for Texas’ already-crowded animal shelters
Read full article: “Mass euthanasias”: Screwworm could have deeper implications for Texas’ already-crowded animal sheltersMost stray animal shelters are already at capacity. Adding a deadly parasitic infestation could create an even more dire situation.
Paxton breaks with Texas GOP’s anti-IVF platform, saying he supports the procedure
Read full article: Paxton breaks with Texas GOP’s anti-IVF platform, saying he supports the procedureDelegates to the Texas GOP convention recently adopted a platform calling in-vitro fertilization destructive to fetal life.
Texas college watchdog received nearly 70 complaints, opened one investigation, records show
Read full article: Texas college watchdog received nearly 70 complaints, opened one investigation, records showAllegations filed in the first five months of the new ombudsman’s work challenged course content, DEI, academic freedom and employment disputes.
“Survival of the fittest”: Insiders say screwworm could improve the Texas cattle industry, beef
Read full article: “Survival of the fittest”: Insiders say screwworm could improve the Texas cattle industry, beefAs cases of screwworm infections in the state rise, sellers and buyers believe heightened precautions will benefit consumers.