How a small East Texas town turned a devastating tornado into funding for sirens
As the public scrutinizes parts of the Hill Country for a lack of sirens during the July 4 floods, Crockett turned its own tragedy into preparedness.
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As Trump looks to net five GOP seats through Texas redistricting, Democrats grasp for response
President Donald Trump said he thinks Republicans could flip a handful of congressional districts in Texas next year through “just a very simple redrawing."
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2026 Texas Elections
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2026 Texas Elections
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Ken Paxton investigating “potential noncitizens” for voting in 2020 and 2022 election cycles
Most of those voters are in Harris County, home to Houston. Noncitizen voting is illegal and documented instances are rare. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fields questions at the Frisco Gun Club during a press conference announcing his intent to sue the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on May 1, 2024. This comes after the Justice Department announced a new rule requiring all gun sellers to conduct federal background checks on buyers, closing what is known as the “gun show loophole”.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Hill Country floods: What we know so far
With hundreds confirmed dead or still missing, questions remain about the local response to flood warnings. Meanwhile, lawmakers will weigh measures to mitigate future disasters. Full Story
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![Two men from an excavation company aiding in search and recovery look on to the debris left from the flood in Center Point on Tuesday July 8, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune
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Officials say at least 100 people still missing after July Fourth floods; recovery efforts could take months
At least 132 people have died. State and local leaders say getting an exact figure of the missing is difficult because so many people were visiting the Guadalupe River on the holiday weekend. Full Story
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![Law enforcement officials and volunteers clear up mountains of debris deposited by the flood in Center Point on Tuesday July 8, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Texas disaster preparedness and flooding committee will visit Kerr County
The Senate panel consists of seven Republicans and two Democrats. It first meets in Austin next week, then in Kerrville on July 31. Full Story
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![An excavator picks up items damaged in the flood to be discarded in Hunt on Friday July 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune
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Texas lawmaker proposes beefing up temporary worker program to ease farm labor shortages
The South Texas Republican's "Bracero 2.0" legislation — named after a 1940s temporary labor program — would raise wages for migrant farmers and simplify applications for employers, amid other changes. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, speaks at a press conference in Washington on Feb. 5, 2025.]()
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Kerr County search and rescue operations paused again on Monday due to rain
Although a new round of floods elsewhere prompted emergency rescues Sunday, no injuries or deaths were reported. Full Story
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![Crosses honoring the victims of the flood were erected by artist Roberto Marquez next to the Guadalupe River in Guadalupe Park, seen on Friday July 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Attorney General Ken Paxton requests death row inmate Robert Roberson be executed Oct. 16
A court hearing on Wednesday will determine whether to proceed with Paxton’s request. Full Story
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![Robert Roberson photographed through plexiglass at TDCJ Polunsky Unit in Livingston on Dec. 19, 2023. Texas death row prisoners are housed in Livingston but executed at the state prison in Huntsville, about 43 miles away.]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Innocence Project
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Sen. John Cornyn outraises AG Ken Paxton by $1 million in first three months of Senate primary matchup
Cornyn will need to use his deep coffers to overcome an early polling deficit to Paxton, who is looking to deny the GOP incumbent’s bid for a fifth term. Full Story
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![from left: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton is challenging Cornyn in the Republican primary.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Recovering from the floods will be a massive task. One Hill Country restaurant is focusing on the smaller picture.
As residents recover and rebuild, Grape Juice in downtown Kerrville is serving as a hub for people needing meals, supplies and other necessities. Full Story
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![People look towards the Guadalupe River at the Dallas Daughtry Memorial Pavilion in Kerrville on Friday, July 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Mental health programs could bear the brunt of $600M federal cuts to Texas schools
Federal cuts and a lack of dedicated mental health funding from the state could erode programs to address chronic absenteeism, crises and more. Full Story
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![Louise ISD social/emotional counselor April Cubriel teaches students about different ways to be courageous as she visits a 2nd grade classroom at Louise Elementary School Monday, March 10, 2025.]()
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What are your current views on AI in journalism?
Artificial intelligence develops at a rapid pace. We are inviting you to share your thoughts in our second AI reader survey. Full Story
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![The Texas Tribune office seen on Tuesday July 1 at Capitol Center in Austin, Texas.]()
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Why Greg Abbott refuses to release his emails with Elon Musk
The governor’s office said some of the correspondence with the billionaire and his companies contains “intimate” information that isn’t of “legitimate concern to the public.” Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference.]()
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Divorce between Ken and Angela Paxton will proceed outside public view, reports say
A Collin County judge’s reported decision could keep details of the divorce from spilling into Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate race. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton addresses the crowd during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on January 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Photo by Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribune
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FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion, records show
The July Fourth flood moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system. Full Story
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![Campers’ belongings are seen at the Camp Mystic camp grounds on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 in Hunt, Texas.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
Photos: After Texas Hill Country flood, grief and recovery take hold
After the tragic flooding in Kerr County, photographs depict a battered but resilient community. Full Story
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![Members of the community honor the victims of the flood with a vigil and a memorial on Water St. in Kerrville on Friday July 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Trump defends federal government’s response to Hill Country floods during Texas visit
The president met with state and local officials, who praised the White House response, and lashed out at a question on whether aid and rescue efforts occurred fast enough. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott receive a briefing from first responders as they visit a scene of devastation along the banks of the Guadalupe River, after catastrophic floods, in Kerr County on July 11, 2025.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
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Weather warnings gave officials a 3 hour, 21 minute window to save lives in Kerr County. What happened then remains unclear.
Federal forecasters issued their first flood warning at 1:14 a.m. on July 4. Local officials haven’t shed light on when they saw the warnings or whether they saw them in time to take action. Full Story
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![Weather monitors at the National Weather Service West Gulf River Forecast Center in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
In flood-ravaged Hill Country towns, friends, families and strangers rush in to help with cleanup
For the past week, Clemente Sánchez and his tree-trimming crew have volunteered to help people remove trees and flood debris. It’s a scene being repeated all over the flood zone. Full Story
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![Clemente Sánchez rakes leaves and other debris in a property that was affected by the flood in Hunt on Friday July 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers urge Trump to extend tomato trade agreement with Mexico
The 1996 agreement is set to expire Monday, which could raise the price of Mexican tomatoes and threaten thousands of Texas jobs. Full Story
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![Employees at Anavale Produce in Pharr sort tomatoes for shipment in 2012. The produce comes from the Comarca Lagunera region of Mexico.]()
Credit: Reynaldo Leal for The Texas Tribune - More News