Texas cities, counties pinch pennies amid slowing economy
Economic uncertainty, inflation, strict state limits on property tax collections and uncertainty around future federal funds have crimped local budgets.
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Students and professors defend Texas A&M President Mark Welsh amid calls for his ousting
Some lawmakers have called for Welsh to be fired over his handling of a student’s complaints about gender identity content being taught in a children’s literature class.
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immigration
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courts
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courts
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Latest News
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ACLU, other groups sue to block Texas' DEI ban on K-12 public schools
The suit alleges the new state law unconstitutionally silences the viewpoints of students and teachers. The law’s supporters say DEI programs use public funds to promote political agendas. Full Story
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![Temple, Texas - 4/17/25: JoMeka Gray teaches a class of kindergarteners at Kennedy-Powell Elementary in Temple, Texas. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribune -
Audrey O’Neill named commissioner of Texas’ foster care agency
O’Neill is the fifth commissioner of the beleaguered Texas Department of Family and Protective Services since 2012. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Audrey O’Neill.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
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Bill making ivermectin an over-the-counter drug signed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Some people use the drug to treat COVID, even though it’s not approved by the FDA for such use. Full Story
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![A box of Ivermectine drug in a pharmacy in Paris, France on April 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Lafargue Raphael/ABACA via REUTERS -
Texas is officially replacing STAAR. Here is what schools’ new standardized tests will look like.
House Bill 8 scraps the unpopular exam for three shorter tests at the beginning, middle and end of the year starting in the 2027-28 school year. Full Story
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![Nimitz Middle School teacher Selena Olivares leads her 7th grade class in an activity Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune
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New Texas law restricting abortion pills beefs up an existing legal tool
HB 7, which was signed by the governor Wednesday, allows private citizens to sue abortion pill providers and manufacturers, mirroring a 2021 law on abortion bans Full Story
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![Misoprostol on the shelf at Parker Road Drug Store in Greenville, S.C., on June 13, 2024.]()
Credit: McKenzie Lange/The Greenville News via REUTERS -
Bill allowing private citizens to sue over abortion pills clears Texas governor’s desk
House Bill 7 allows people to sue manufacturers and distributors of the drug. Full Story
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![A bottle and pills of Misoprostol, made by Lupin Pharmaceuticals, sit in a counting tray at a pharmacy on June 19, 2019, in Provo, Utah.]()
Credit: REUTERS/George Frey/Illustration -
Texas bill protecting sex trafficking victims from some criminal charges signed by governor
Senate Bill 11 shields victims from prosecution from some crimes if they’re threatened or coerced into the act by their trafficker. Full Story
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![The state Capitol in Austin on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune
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Abbott signs bill allowing Harris County law enforcement to contract with HOAs without commissioners’ OK
House Bill 26 advanced out of the Texas Legislature on Aug. 27, two days after being added to the second special session’s agenda. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott addresses law enforcement officials during a Southwestern Border Sheriff’s Coalition event in Austin on April 29, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Judge dismisses environmental lawsuit against FAA over failed SpaceX launch
The suit, filed in 2023 after the launch of SpaceX's Starship in Boca Chica ended in an explosion, accused the agency of not properly assessing environmental impacts. Full Story
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![The SpaceX Starship on the launchpad ahead of the tenth flight test, in Starbase, Texas, on August 24, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Student who mocked Charlie Kirk’s death “no longer” at Texas State University as clampdowns continue
The university's announcement came hours after Gov. Greg Abbott called for the student's expulsion. Full Story
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![Students walk through an area known as “The Quad” on the first day of the fall semester at Texas State University in San Marcos on August 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
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Roughly 280 complaints filed against Texas teachers for alleged comments on killing of Charlie Kirk
Several school districts have already taken disciplinary action against staff for comments made about the Christian conservative activist’s death. Full Story
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![Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath participates in a roundtable at the Alpha School campus in Austin on Sept. 9, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Welcoming Melissa Barragán Taboada as the first editor-in-chief of our new Austin newsroom
A veteran Austin journalist, Melissa will lead a newsroom dedicated to closing the information gaps in Austin; fostering strategic collaborations with local organizations; and delivering relevant, timely journalism that keeps pace with Austin’s explosive growth. Full Story
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![Veteran Austin journalist Melissa Barragán Taboada is returning to Austin as the editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune’s new Austin newsroom.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Melissa Barragán Taboada -
Tejano star Bobby Pulido launches South Texas congressional run
The musician and Democrat is looking to flip Texas’ 15th Congressional District, which voted for President Donald Trump by 18% in 2024. Full Story
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![Tejano singer Bobby Pulido of Edinburg, Texas holds his award backstage at the Premio lo Nuestro latin music awards show in Miami February 22, 2007.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Molly Skipper
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Texas GOP may be banking on low Hispanic turnout in new map
Republicans note that some of the districts they intend to flip were redrawn to become majority-Hispanic. Democrats say the GOP made sure to add Hispanic Texans who are unlikely to vote. Full Story
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![Presiding judge Dina Patel checks her watch as she waits for polls to open at Parker Elementary on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Tarrant County’s Democratic commissioners skip meeting to prevent vote on tax rate cut
Republican county commissioners retaliated and voted to slash the Democrats’ office budget and eliminate road and bridge crew jobs. Full Story
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![Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare listens to comments over the electronic pollbook system in place during a Commissioners Court meeting in Fort Worth on April 18, 2023.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Texas A&M firing reignites campus free speech battles
After a firing at Texas A&M and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, free speech on-campus is back in the spotlight. Full Story
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![Charlie Kirk speaks at a rally for gubernatorial candidate Andy Biggs at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix on May 31, 2025.]()
Credit: Gage Skidmore/ZUMA Press Wire via REUTERS
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Texas State fires professor accused of trying to incite political violence in video
Thomas Alter’s lawyer said the professor would seek legal action for being fired after allegedly violating university policy in a video posted on social media. Full Story
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![Empty seats in the Alkek Teaching theatre on the first day of the fall semester at Texas State University in San Marcos on Aug. 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Lina Hidalgo, Harris County chief executive, won’t seek reelection
The progressive Democrat’s upset win at the age of 27 established her as a rising star. But her ascent was stunted in recent years amid clashes with fellow Democrats and unwavering GOP scrutiny. Full Story
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![Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks at the first general session at the Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso on June 7, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
“Our girls are still dead”: Camp Mystic parents pushed for laws to protect kids at camp. But their pain remains.
Two dads helped lead Camp Mystic parents to advocate for new camp rules in the Texas Legislature. What they wanted most was to have their daughters back. Full Story
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![Families of the Camp Mystic flood victims known as the “Heaven’s 27,” stand behind Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as he speaks about the Fourth of July floods and the new bills at the Governor’s Mansion on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. The bills, passed during the second special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, aim to enhance camp safety and protect Texans.]()
Credit: Manoo Sirivelu/The Texas Tribune - More News