Payments resumed this month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan is unconstitutional. For many, the pause meant the difference between saving and making ends meet.
October 2023
Posted in
Politics
Texas Republicans stuck with Kevin McCarthy, but it wasn’t enough to save him
In January, some Republican Texans led the charge to challenge McCarthy’s leadership bid. But this time, all Texas Republicans who were present voted to save McCarthy and every U.S. House Democrat voted to remove him.
Posted in
Congress
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar carjacked at gunpoint near his Washington home
Cuellar was unharmed in the incident, and law enforcement eventually retrieved the car.
Posted in
Demographics
Texas’ unemployment rate is among the nation’s worst — but experts say it signals a growing economy
The state has yet to return to its pre-pandemic unemployment rate of about 3.5%, even as it leads the country in new jobs created. However, state economic experts say the unemployment rate is an indicator of Texas’s rapidly growing population and labor force.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Residents in one of Texas’ most populous cities are working to decriminalize marijuana
Home to more than 260,000 people, the West Texas town of Lubbock is no stranger to passing local laws by petition. In 2021, residents overwhelmingly approved a local ban on abortion.
Posted in
Public Education
Support for Houston ISD’s Spanish speakers has dwindled under state-appointed leader, parents say
For one reading class, Superintendent Mike Miles said instruction would focus on English, even if it meant risking state funding for dual-language programs. Parents say it goes further than that, adding that their kids are receiving no assistance in Spanish at all.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Legislative marathon delays criminal trial for North Texas House member charged with felony
Rep. Frederick Frazier was indicted over a year ago on two charges of impersonating a public servant. But the case has not gone to trial yet, partly because Frazier has been able to delay the case until the Legislature concludes its work.
Posted in
Demographics
Can John Sharp protect his maroon empire?
The savvy ex-lawmaker has expanded the Texas A&M University System and mollified state leaders. Some faculty, alumni and students say that accommodation has come at a cost.
Posted in
Economy
Texas drought has deepened amid this year’s brutal heat
After a long summer of extreme heat, Texas has been battered by a lingering drought that’s damaging crops, drying up water supplies and causing wildfires.
Posted in
Health care
‘They just tried to scare us’: Anti-abortion centers teach sex ed inside some Texas public schools
The groups work in dozens of school districts across the state, but some public health experts say their curricula can be misleading and biased.