As bitter cold sweeps through Texas, ERCOT says the power grid is stable
The state’s electric grid operator issued a weather watch until Friday but says it doesn’t expect power disruptions as demand rises. Full Story
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![Reliability Coordinators monitored the state power grid during a tour of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) command center in Taylor in 2012.]()
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“I just don’t really recognize the Republican Party”: Ousted state Rep. Steve Allison goes down swinging
Allison lost his primary last year, after being targeted by his party over his vote to kill school vouchers. Full Story
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![State Rep. Steve Allison, R-San Antonio arrives at his election watch party at the Barn Door on March 5.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán/San Antonio Report -
A Texas teenager helped his border community win a $13 million grant to improve the environment
Presidio, northwest of Big Bend National Park, will get dedicated green spaces along bike lanes and pedestrian streets, plant thousands of native trees and establish a high-school run air quality monitoring program. Full Story
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![Ramon Rodriguez, Project Homeleaf Founder and Elvira Hermosillo, Big Bend Conservation Alliance Programs Director]()
Credit: Sarah M. Vasquez for The Texas Tribune -
Some Texas business leaders are apprehensive about Trump’s pledged deportations
“We wouldn’t survive” without undocumented workers, one South Texas produce business owner said. By one estimate, 8% of Texas’ workforce lacks legal status. Full Story
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![Construction workers building homes in far west San Antonio on Dec. 10, 2024.]()
Credit: Scott Stephen Ball for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott directs DPS to bolster anti-terrorism efforts after New Orleans attack
The governor is calling for an expansion of in-state anti-terrorism programs and an increase in federal partnerships. Full Story
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![Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Harris County law enforcement officials surround a residence in an armored vehicle in north Houston, on Jan. 1, 2025.]()
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UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell will leave to lead SMU
Hartzell leaves UT-Austin after four years of tense political battles and legislative efforts to implement a more conservative vision of public higher ed. Full Story
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![The University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell, middle, on April 18, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Meta to move content moderators to Texas as part of plan to end fact-checking program
The tech giant’s decision to end the program comes as CEO Mark Zuckerberg seeks to mend ties with the incoming Trump administration. Full Story
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![Morning commute traffic streams past the Meta sign outside the headquarters of Facebook parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. in Mountain View, California on Nov. 9, 2022.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Peter DaSilva -
With lawsuits and legislation, Texas Republicans take aim at abortion pills
More than 2,800 Texans are getting abortion pills through the mail from out-of-state every month, prompting a lawsuit and legislation seeking to end the practice. 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 -
Jimmy Blacklock named new chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court
Blacklock replaces Nathan Hecht, the longest serving justice on the high court. Gov. Greg Abbott also appointed his general counsel, James Sullivan, to the bench. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Blacklock laughs while hearing questions during a Q & A after hearing two a civil cases at the University of Houston Law Center at in the Danny M. Sheena Courtroom at the John. M. O’Quinn Law Building, Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in Houston. The Court travels twice per year to hold oral arguments in different areas of the state.]()
Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton kicks off tour to pressure Republicans to support David Cook for House speaker
Paxton’s latest tour is the continuation of his efforts in the past year to get political revenge on House Republicans who supported his impeachment. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribune -
Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025.
A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate. Full Story
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![The Celina water tower among newer housing developments in Celina on November 13, 2024.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Joint Base San Antonio tightens security after Army vet, Green Beret suspected in unrelated New Year’s attacks
After separate attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, officials ordered the suspension of the Trusted Traveler policy. Full Story
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![Front view of the Chapman Training Annex, a part of Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland, in San Antonio on Aug. 17, 2024.]()
Credit: Carlos Kosienski/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
After first opposing Mike Johnson, Texas Congressman Keith Self changes vote to allow him to retain speakership
Rep. Keith Self was initially one of three who voted against House Speaker Mike Johnson’s reelection to lead the lower chamber. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-McKinney, speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 10, 2024.]()
Credit: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
SMU’s bid to split from United Methodist Church over LGBTQ+ rights heads to Texas Supreme Court
Southern Methodist University in Dallas tried to declare its independence after the church voted to ban gay weddings and clergy in 2019. Full Story
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![A sign at one of the entrances to the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas on Dec. 20, 2022.]()
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Rep. Mihaela Plesa survived a heated GOP challenge. Here’s how she thinks Democrats can prevail.
Plesa, a Dallas Democrat, said the party should embrace bipartisanship, and start talking about economic issues. Full Story
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![State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D-Dallas, meets with donors during a House Democratic Caucus fundraiser at the Austin Club on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
A former shrimper tries to revive Matagorda Bay and its fishing industry with $50 million pollution settlement
Five years after Diane Wilson’s landmark settlement with Formosa Plastics, she’s directing the money toward reviving “the bay and the fishermen.” Full Story
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![Diane Wilson outside her home in Seadrift, Texas, in December 2024.]()
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Harris County program decreases automatic evictions when tenants don’t come to court
After the court eviction diversion initiative started, default evictions favoring landlords dropped 44%. Full Story
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![Tecorya Davis trains on a double end bag at Savannah Boxing Gym, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian/Houston Landing)]()
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Texas driver license offices reopen after systemwide outage
The outage appeared only to affect the Texas public safety department. Driver license offices reopened after the New Year’s Day holiday. Full Story
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![The Nortwest Austin DPS office on Jan. 24, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Mental health advocates ask Texas lawmakers to replace expiring COVID-19 relief funding
Texas received $203.4 million in 2021 to help build community mental health programs at libraries and churches, among other efforts. Those funds expire Dec. 31. Full Story
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![Mental Health pamphlets at an office complex in Round Rock on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas man identified as suspect in deadly New Orleans truck attack
FBI officials said Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran, drove the pickup truck that fatally rammed into a crowd on Bourbon Street. Full Story
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![A view down Bourbon Street in New Orleans showing a crashed white pickup truck (R) after an apparent attack during New Year's Eve celebrations in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2025.]()
Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS