Texas lottery bans online sales through third-party couriers amid mounting criticism
After years of claiming that companies selling lottery tickets online could not be regulated, the Texas Lottery Commission voted to ban the practice. Full Story
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Ayden Runnels is the afternoon/evening reporter. Previously, they were a breaking news reporter for the Las Vegas Sun. A graduate of the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas, Ayden was a Dallas Press Club Foundation reporting fellow at the Tribune in 2023. They were born in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake and speak English and Arabic. They served as editor-in-chief of the North Texas Daily, UNT's student-run newspaper, and have worked on freelance projects for Newsweek and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
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![Members of the Texas Lottery Commission sit at the front of the room during a Texas Lottery Commission meeting on April 29, 2025.]()
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Courier’s lawsuit seeks to block Texas Lottery from banning its services
Lotto.com’s suit, which was filed Thursday, comes less than a week before the state agency votes to ban the third-party services. Full Story
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![Winners Corner TX LLC in Austin sold the winning $83.5 million Lotto Texas ticket.]()
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Texas inmate executed for murder of ex-classmate
Moises Mendoza, who was convicted in 2005 of killing a Farmersville woman, became the third inmate Texas has put to death this year. Full Story
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![The Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary houses the execution chamber of Texas and is located in Huntsville on Jan. 31, 2024.]()
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Texas Lottery executive director resigns as lawmakers’ scrutiny mounts
The Texas Lottery Commission did not immediately clarify why Ryan Mindell chose to resign, as lawmakers have discussed abolishing the lottery outright. Full Story
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![Texas Lottery stand at an Austin convenience store on Feb. 20, 2025.]()
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Second shooting at Dallas high school in a year injures four students
Hours after the shooting, officials said the suspect had evaded security protocols at Wilmer-Hutchins High School. Full Story
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![Police blocked off the scene July 8 where chaos erupted the night before when officers were targeted by sniper fire following a peaceful Black Lives Matter Protest in downtown Dallas.]()
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$337 billion, two-year budget gets Texas House approval
The lower chamber’s plan largely aligns with the Senate’s proposal and puts billions toward teacher pay, border security and property tax cuts. Full Story
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![House Parliamentarian Sharon Carter, left, listens as state Reps: Cody Vasut, Richard Hayes, Tom Oliverson and Trey Martinez Fischer, negotiate in the Texas House on April 10, 2025.]()
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More than 250 international students’ immigration statuses revoked across Texas universities
The people affected include a University of Houston professor from Korea who was teaching upper level math under a type of student visa that allows graduates to work in their field of study. Full Story
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![University of North Texas students walk past the eagle statue on Feb. 13, 2024. The Soaring Eagle Statue was comissioned in celebration of UNT's centennial in 1990.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Eagle Pass park reopens more than a year after the state seized it for border security
The Texas Department of Public Safety and National Guard presence has largely disappeared from Shelby Park, which sits next to the Rio Grande. Full Story
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![Operation Lone Star activity at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on Jan. 18, 2024.]()
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Attorney General Ken Paxton’s former aides win $6.6 million in whistleblower case
Paxton vowed to appeal the “bogus ruling” that found he improperly fired the four plaintiffs after they reported him to the FBI on allegations of corruption. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Republican Party of Texas Convention in San Antonio on May 23, 2024..]()
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How couriers changed the playing field of the Texas Lottery
Lottery couriers have gained newfound scrutiny in Texas after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick raised questions about the use of a courier to sell an $83.5 million jackpot ticket. Full Story
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![Texas Lottery cards in a 7-Eleven in Central Austin on Feb 20, 2025.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune