With crumbling public health infrastructure, rural Texas scrambles to respond to measles

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• Sylvester Turner eulogized as a man of faith, family and public service to Houston

  By Paul Cobler, Houston Landing 1 minute ago

  The former Houston mayor’s funeral drew more than 1,000 mourners on Saturday, including 20 of his congressional colleagues from both political parties. Full Story 

• Texas schools have leaned on uncertified teachers to fill vacancies. Lawmakers want to put a stop to it.

  By Sneha Dey 8 hours ago

  Underprepared teachers have been tied to student learning losses. But amid a teacher shortage crisis, school leaders fear the restrictions will lead to fewer instructors in their classrooms. Full Story 

• Houston police directed to call ICE on undocumented immigrants with deportation orders

  By Kate McGee March 14, 2025

  The new guidance comes after ICE added 700,000 individuals with deportation orders to a national crime database that law enforcement uses to track warrants. Full Story 

• Texas Republicans seek to clarify when doctors can intervene under abortion bans

  By Eleanor Klibanoff March 14, 2025

  A Senate bill filed Friday does not expand abortion access, but aims to give doctors clarity while operating under laws that come with up to life in prison. Full Story 

• University of North Texas and Rice University under federal investigation for “race-exclusionary practices”

  By Jessica Priest Updated: March 14, 2025

  The Texas universities are among dozens accused of violating the law by partnering with a group that had sought to increase diversity in graduate programs. Full Story 

• Paxton says trans Texans can’t use court orders to change sex on driver’s licenses, birth certificates

  By Eleanor Klibanoff March 14, 2025

  Per the attorney general’s nonbinding opinion, state agencies should change gender markers on government documents back to a person’s sex assigned at birth. Full Story 

• Texas lawmakers and charter leaders push back on the $870K paid to Valere schools’ superintendent

  By Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Ellis Simani, ProPublica March 14, 2025

  The rebuke from lawmakers and charter school leaders came after an investigation from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune revealed that Salvador Cavazos, who oversees fewer than 1,000 students, is among the most well-paid superintendents in the country. Full Story 

• Texas lawmakers are pushing harsher criminal penalties while prison and jail populations soar

  By Pooja Salhotra March 14, 2025

  Proposed legislation includes increased penalties for retail theft, car burglaries and forgery, among others. Full Story 

• Feds are opening more detention centers in Texas as Trump administration steps up deportations

  By Alejandro Serrano March 14, 2025

  The feds are adding thousands of beds to hold families in Texas, which reportedly holds the most immigrants of any state at its 21 detention centers. Full Story 

• In lawsuit settlement, Texas Tech’s med school promises it won’t consider race in admissions

  By Jessica Priest Updated: March 13, 2025

  George Stewart sued Texas Tech University Health Science Center and five other medical schools claiming they rejected him in favor of lesser qualified students of color. Full Story 

• Texas bill would increase oversight of universities’ hiring, curriculum and compliance

  By Jessica Priest Updated: March 13, 2025

  Senate Bill 37 would create a state office to investigate complaints against universities and require governing boards to ensure courses don’t endorse certain ideologies. Full Story 

• Texas lawmakers will debate saving the state’s water supply after key legislation is introduced

  By Alejandra Martinez and Jayme Lozano Carver March 13, 2025

  The state House and Senate have similar proposals to solve the state's water crisis, but there are stark differences on how to invest billions of dollars to resolve. Full Story 

• Texas Tech officials trying to determine what caused explosion and fires that prompted campus closure

  By Ayden Runnels Updated: March 13, 2025

  A day after the incident in which green flames could be seen coming out of manholes, 40% of the university in Lubbock remains without power. Full Story 

• DOJ drops fight against Texas political maps as Trump administration retreats from voting rights cases

  By Natalia Contreras, Votebeat and The Texas Tribune March 13, 2025

  The Biden administration had challenged a Republican-led redistricting plan that diluted the political power of minorities. Other legal challenges will continue. Full Story 

• FEMA wants the names and addresses of migrants helped by Texas nonprofits and local governments that got federal grant money

  By Uriel J. García, Alejandro Serrano and Berenice Garcia Updated: March 13, 2025

  A letter sent this week claims the grant recipients, including many Texas cities and counties, may have illegally “induced” undocumented immigrants to enter the country. Full Story 

• Texas Senate panel advances bill banning DEI in K-12 public schools

  By Jaden Edison and Pavan Acharya Updated: March 13, 2025

  Sen. Brandon Creighton has filed bills that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion policies related to hiring and programming, while creating ways for parents to complain about violations. Full Story