Fired state employees breached the personal data of 33,529 more Texans
So far, nine Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees have been fired for improperly accessing Texans’ data. Full Story
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![A Texas Health and Human Services client application on April 24, 2018.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
With AI on the rise, Texas House passes bill requiring more transparency in political ads
The bill faced fierce opposition from hardline conservatives who say it is policing speech and could allow the state to jail people over silly political memes. Full Story
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![State Rep. and former House Speaker Dade Phelan talks with supporters on May 28, 2024 outside of a runoff polling location in Beaumont.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers advancing bill to ban kids from social media
The Texas House passed onto the Senate a proposed ban Tuesday, alongside another bill that would require a social media warning label for minors. Full Story
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![Bonham Middle School students walk between classes Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
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Advocates fear Texas lawmakers are about to worsen the state’s homelessness crisis
Republican lawmakers are considering a bill to strengthen the state’s ban on homeless encampments and speed up the eviction process. Full Story
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![Tents are pitched in front of Austin City Hall protesting camping bans on May 10, 2021.]()
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Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta confirmed as Trump’s ambassador to Italy
The Texas billionaire has said he will drop his position at Landry’s, but will continue his ownership of the Houston Rockets. Full Story
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![University of Houston President Renu Khator talks with the U of H board of regents Chairman Tilman Fertitta at the university on Feb. 21, 2024.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House approves antisemitism bill in response to pro-Palestinian protests
The bill, which would require schools to use a definition of antisemitism when considering discipline for students, will soon head over to Abbott’s desk. Full Story
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![Protestors chant at Texas Department of Public Safety troopers as they begin to push students towards Guadalupe Street from the South Lawn during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in the Gaza conflict on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the University of Texas in Austin.]()
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The Texas House wants voters to approve billions to save the state’s water supply
The Senate has a similar proposal, but is more prescriptive in how the money should be spent. The two chambers must agree on the final proposal to send to voters. Full Story
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![Jairo Benavides, center, removes soil as the crew works on upgrading pipes and valves at a North Alamo Water Supply Corporation water plant in Donna on Thursday, July 18, 2024. In order to increase the amount of water the plant is able to distribute, pipes were upgraded and replaced, connect to the plant’s existing facility with the newly expanded infrastructure.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Bill clarifying when doctors can perform medically necessary abortions clears Senate
The bill, which must still go through the House, received unanimous approval from the upper chamber. Full Story
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![Dr. Franz Theard, looks at a patient's sonogram at his abortion clinic, Women's Reproductive Clinic of New Mexico in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on Jan. 13, 2023. Dr. Theard's abortion clinic, less than a mile from Texas, where abortion is illegal since the landmark legal case Roe v. Wade which protected a woman's constitutional right to an abortion was overturned, provides medical abortions for women who are flying and driving hundreds of miles across Texas.]()
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In visit to Texas, RFK Jr. said autism, diabetes deserve more attention than measles
During a visit to College Station, the U.S. health secretary said Europe has a worse track record with the virus, which gets too much media attention. Full Story
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![U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins looks on as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a press conference during a visit to the Texas A&M AgriLife Phenotyping Greenhouse in College Station on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.]()
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Texas lawmakers want to exempt police from deadly conduct charges
Local prosecutors have used the charge to punish police accused of misconduct. Legislation that would prevent that is advancing through the Legislature. Full Story
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![Police tactical officers prepare for confrontation during a march against police brutality in Dallas on March 29, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Inside the lottery scandals roiling Texas
In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor talk to Texas Tribune reporter Ayden Runnels about lottery couriers and whether a $95 million prize winner was legitimate. Full Story
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![Texas Lottery cards at a 7-Eleven in Central Austin on Feb. 20, 2025.]()
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A now-discarded plan to split Keller ISD caused a stir. Lawmakers now want clear rules on how to divide districts.
A House bill would require school districts to hold an election before breaking into smaller entities. Full Story
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![The Texas House of Representatives Public Education Committee hears public testimony on House Bill 1481 relating to the use of personal wireless communication devices during school hours and activities in Austin on March 18, 2025.]()
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U.S., Mexico agree to new deal that sends water to South Texas
The latest development in a years-long push by South Texas farmers and officials to get Mexico to fulfill a 1944 treaty would still fall short of what is owed. Full Story
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![The Lake Falcon Dam International Crossing, seen from Starr County, on May 15, 2024.]()
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Texas universities say Trump administration restored immigration status of some international students
More than 250 students in Texas had their status revoked in recent weeks. Despite the reversal, federal attorneys say they’re developing policies to resume terminations. Full Story
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![Students walk to classes at the University of Texas at El Paso on May 9, 2019.]()
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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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![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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Fewer Texans see immigration as helping the U.S., poll finds
Eight years ago, 62% said immigration was more helpful than harmful. This year, that has fallen to 32%, according to the Texas Lyceum poll. Full Story
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![Migrants are escorted across the Hidalgo International border Bridge as they are deported under Title 8, a law that allows for immediate deportation after crossing into the U.S. without authorization, in McAllen on Jan. 27, 2025.]()
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Texas farmers could have greater access to low-interest loans under a bill the Senate is considering
If approved, the legislation would expand one of the state's most popular loan programs with even lower interest rates. Full Story
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![A farmworker harvests spinach at Johnson's Backyard Garden, an organic farm east of Austin, on April 21, 2020.]()
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Texas students say K-12 DEI ban and other anti-LGBTQ+ bills threaten their safety, voice and mental health
Students are concerned the legislation could silence supportive teachers, dismantle safe spaces, lead to overenforcement and prevent honest conversations about identity. Full Story
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![Marshall Romero, 16, poses for a portrait outside of Alief Early College High School in Houston on Friday, April 25, 2025.]()
Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune -
Can Texas lawmakers agree on how to spend billions to save the state's water supply?
The Texas House took its first step toward revising a priority Senate bill last week. The changes were lauded by the state’s water community. Full Story
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![Inside a primary clarifier, resembling petri-dish tanks, heavy solids and grease sink to the bottom and machines skim off particles at the top at the Roberto Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant in El Paso on March 5, 2025.]()
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In booming Central Texas, wastewater is polluting rivers and streams
A bill in the Legislature would protect the last 21 pristine watersheds in Texas. But for years, previous attempts have been defeated by powerful homebuilders. Full Story
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![Margo Denke, co-founder of the group Friends of Hondo Canyon, surveys a stretch of Commissioners Creek on her ranch in Bandera County.]()
Credit: Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News