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Shannon Najmabadi is the women’s health reporter at The Texas Tribune, where she started as a fellow in 2017. Her stories — on higher education and other topics — have prompted lawmakers to change three state laws, including one involving a very narrow definition of the word “pickle.” She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University.
Texas lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said Friday they are mulling legislative reforms to criminal laws that allow rent-to-own companies to pursue felony theft charges against customers who default on payments for sofas, TVs and other merchandise. Full Story
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While other businesses have to use civil remedies when customers don't pay their debts, the rent-to-own industry has a special tool in Texas law that lets them file criminal charges, an investigation by the Tribune and NerdWallet found. Full Story
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As multiple Texas coal plants wind down operations, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry is pushing a widely decried proposal to subsidize coal and nuclear plants in the name of grid resiliency. Full Story
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Many in the Texas solar industry are worried a federal agency might hobble their business in an effort to protect domestic manufacturers of solar panels and cells. Full Story
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A week after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified 21 states that were targeted by Russian government hackers before the 2016 presidential election, a top Texas official is disputing that the state belongs on that list. Full Story
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An advocacy group’s analysis predicts nearly 10 percent of the dunes sagebrush lizard’s habitat could be disturbed or destroyed by sand mining operations. Full Story
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Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo called on state leaders to help the city rebuild after Hurricane Harvey, proposing a sales tax increase and saying infrastructure should be built to prevent the storm's destruction from recurring. Full Story
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Two days after Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton and the board's chair, Christi Craddick, clashed publicly at a state meeting, Sitton is asking Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in on his colleague's actions. Full Story
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A new law requires Texas' freestanding emergency rooms to more clearly communicate what health insurance networks they're in, if any. Full Story
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Newly purchased school buses in Texas must have three-point seat belts for all riders under a new state law. Full Story
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Despite a new law allowing hunters to shoot feral hogs and coyotes from hot air balloons, many balloonists – citing logistical challenges – say they will not offer the activity. Full Story
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As efforts to rebuild have slowly begun in areas hit hard by Hurricane Harvey, officials continue to warn of lingering environmental hazards, including the health risks posed by receding floodwater. Full Story
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Local, state and federal officials took to national airwaves Sunday to discuss recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey and project a largely positive message. Full Story
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Floodwaters have ebbed, but many parts of the state still face environmental hazards and other risks in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Full Story
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A federal judge on Thursday delayed for two weeks enforcement of part of a state law that bans the most common second-trimester abortion method. Full Story
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The meteorological firm AccuWeather estimates the storm's impact on gross domestic product will be $190 billion – one percent of the U.S.'s current GDP – and more costly than Katrina and Sandy combined. Full Story
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As swamped officials struggled to respond to a deadly crisis Sunday, southeast Texans were bracing for their troubles to multiply over the coming week. Harvey is on track to produce even more devastating floods. Full Story
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The storm wreaked havoc on buildings along the Texas coast and continued to dump heavy rainfall on the region, prompting concerns of possibly disastrous flooding, while widespread power outages hampered the state's relief efforts. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized the overnight removal of several Confederate statues from the University of Texas at Austin’s campus while U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz called the decision "the university’s prerogative." Full Story
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The Texas Tribune surveyed all 38 Texans in Congress Wednesday, asking if they believed Trump's response to Charlottesville has encouraged the white nationalist movement. Full Story
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