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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/609e85c16db9705f732ea6ff0a18c275/0118%20Eagle%20Pass%20Day%20III%20EG%20TT%2022.jpg)
-
![Operation Lone Star activity at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on Jan. 18, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Scholars, civic leaders and journalists discuss religion’s role in telling the story of Texas
The full-day program examined Texas’ religious diversity and how journalism shapes the public’s understanding of faith Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c3034995444a0cdd19fbf22c665f3c7e/04-08_ReligionSymp-Lead-Logo-02-v2.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Texas Republicans take aim at public transit in two major cities
The Texas Legislature is considering bills that transit officials warn could hamper public transportation in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth regions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d15bc277d2b11e003a26a6ea63ae31d5/DART%20DV%20TT%2002.jpg)
![A Dart bus lies idle at a stop near Westmoreland Station in Dallas on Feb. 2, 2020.]()
Credit: Duy Vu for The Texas Tribune -
The Rio Grande Valley was once covered in forest. One man is trying to bring it back.
The Tamaulipan thornforest once covered 1 million acres on both sides of the border with Mexico. Restoring even a fraction of it could help the region cope with the ravages of a warming world. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2fc6310e2eb812e026beb62b4f0f4149/VALLEY%20THORNFOREST%20GRIST%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Jon Dale, a director at American Forests, hopes to further restore the once sprawling Tamaulipan thornforest in the Rio Grande Valley.]()
Credit: Grist/Laura Mallonee -
Trump wants to dismantle the Education Department. That could hurt students with disabilities in Texas.
In a state with a checkered history with federal special education law, advocates say Texas students will see an erosion of their disability rights protections. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/10024d63236b1040407212c6ed9a8383/0913%20Odessa%20School%20Tours%20EH%20TT%20114.jpg)
![Odessa High School students walk between classes on Sept. 13, 2023, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
A second Texas child has died from measles; RFK Jr. visits
About 500 Texans, mostly young unvaccinated children, have contracted the disease. The U.S. health secretary was in West Texas to visit the family. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/dcb1b751bbe1092c87bc3b387f87dfec/0406%20Measles%20Funeral%20Seminole%20JR%20TT%2003.jpg)
![People stand outside of a Mennonite church in Seminole after a funeral for an 8-year-old girl who died of measles on Sunday, April 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d50fdaf54669dc46b733c9e46206356a/0523%20GOP%20Convention%20EH%20TT%2016.jpg)
![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Republican Party of Texas Convention in San Antonio on May 23, 2024..]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Cruz says a trade war would cost jobs, spur prices and be terrible for Texas
The Texas senator also highlights a potential “upside,” saying the Trump tariffs could entice other countries to negotiate lower trade barriers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/bcaa1321a3853baf0e169efcc70be1ca/Cruz%20Commerce%20Commitee%20REUTERS.JPG)
![Chairman U.S. Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing with CEO of Boeing Kelly Ortberg in the Dirksen Senate office building in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 2025.]()
Credit: Annabelle Gordon/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
You have the right to an attorney. But in Texas, don’t count on it.
In some parts of the state, misdemeanor defendants routinely face charges without representation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b4ec91103aec91ae764ed01eadceab08/Attorney%20Access%20NYT%20TT%20crop%200076.jpg)
![HEREFORD, TEXAS - February 26, 2025: The empty courtroom at the Deaf Smith County Courthouse in Hereford, Texas where misdemeanor court takes place. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times -
Private school voucher bill clears first test in Texas House
The House Public Education Committee voted to advance a pair of priority bills to create education savings accounts and to raise how much state money public school districts receive. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/14a76b3de3b11e16ab3449b56a0ca229/0318%20House%20Public%20Ed%20KG%20TT%2010.jpg)
![The Texas House of Representatives Public Education Committee holds a hearing in Austin on March 18, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton’s legal woes are lifting, clearing a path for a likely Senate run
The federal criminal investigation into corruption allegations was the most serious inquiry Paxton faced. Its end nearly clears his slate of numerous legal battles. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/15c64ff65bb54da9985665515c5ae2bf/0523%20GOP%20Convention%20EH%2045%20TT.jpg)
![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Tariffs creating uncertainty in Texas as report shows slower revenue growth since late 2024
Respondents to a Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas survey expressed concern about a reduction in consumer demand and a potential recession. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3b3286de745d06a82cffedd40d89ccb0/Office%20Conversion%20BT%20TT%2034.jpg)
![A parklet with diners outside of City Tavern along Elm Street in downtown Dallas near the Santander Tower, on Nov. 07, 2023. Texas metros have a glut of vacant offices space driven by the rise of remote work, overbuilding and other factors during the pandemic. One option companies are doing to combat the changes, is to convert office space into residential housing.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
South Texas county leaders will lose some authority over SpaceX launches under new bill
The lawmakers behind the bill promised there would not be an increase in the number of days the beach is closed. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7f858feaa49890b268d5c17c723f44d3/Boca%20Chica%20SpaceX%20BL%20TT%2006.jpg)
![Members of the ENTRE Film Center, a local film center and regional archive, hosted the gathering at Boca Chica to celebrate the beach and motivate people to fight for its preservation, which they view as being in jeopardy since the arrival of Elon Musk's SpaceX. Aug. 8, 2024.]()
Credit: Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribune -
Despite Texas defendant’s death in Louisiana prison, lawmakers unlikely to end reliance on out-of-state lockups
Lawmakers are pursuing legislative changes that would keep more people locked up in overcrowded county jails while awaiting resolution to their cases. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a2c6cb44f10c17e3b1adb50b6fe4ff3a/0513%20Jail%20Due%20Process%20DV%20TT%2006.jpg)
![Sarah Knight poses for a portrait at her home in Houston with a birthday card she made for her son Jaleen Anderson on May 13, 2024. Anderson died earlier in the year while being held in LaSalle Correctional Facility in Louisiana.]()
Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott touts his influence on Texas courts to conservative law group
Abbott’s closed-door address to the Federalist Society at UT Law Thursday drew peaceful protests. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1950fe3fe4c012e85e155fda4d6769f7/0403%20Abbott%20Federalist%20KG%20TT%2005.jpg)
![From left: University of Texas Interim President Jim Davis, Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Law Federalist Society President Jordan Lamb participate in an event at The University of Texas Law School in Austin on April 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Lubbock’s public health director fights to stop measles and build public trust
Katherine Wells was celebrated early during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then public health became a political litmus test. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/75ceffbcfaee8c36601c949c0cbe7417/0317%20Katherine%20Wells%20MR%20TT%2009.jpg)
![Director of Public Health Katherine Wells, MPH, looks through one of the vaccine logs that show who and when vaccines were given. Wells and her staff are working to stem the measles outbreak in the Lubbock area as well as throughout Texas. Wells was in the City of Lubbock Health Department Monday afternoon, Mar. 17, 2025.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Justice Department declined to prosecute Ken Paxton in final weeks of Biden’s term, AP sources say
The federal investigation had been the most serious inquiry still facing Paxton, who settled a securities fraud case and was acquitted of corruption charges in the Texas Senate in 2023 following a historic impeachment. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0faab38674028b035d72b45948df8b20/0115%20Paxton%20SCOTUS%20LJ%20TT%2016.jpg)
![Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a press conference in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington on Jan. 15, 2025.]()
Credit: Luke Johnson for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ Rio Grande Valley didn’t see last week’s historic storms coming
The region is still cleaning up after last week's storms in which at least six people died. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d7fdec4098bad90214b45c8c94d17e34/RGV%20Flooring%20Cameron%20Co.jpg)
![Floodwaters in Primera, Texas, on the morning of March 28, 2025.]()
Credit: Cameron County Constable PCT 5 -
The Dan Patrick Show: How to build an audience — and political power
In an interview, the lieutenant governor talks about his recent pop-up investigations and how he uses storytelling to make a political point. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/33486f0e1b46099fd6188a91f0fc9579/0212%20Bail%20Reform%20Presser%20LS%20TT%2016.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick leads a press conference on bail reform, an emergency item this legislative session, on Feb. 12, 2025.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune -
Officer previously accused of excessive force confirmed for state board by Texas Senate
One Senate Democrat joined Republicans, providing the margin needed to approve Justin Berry to the state law-enforcement board. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/95a97001b2caf9b12466a3c8d9b81ab5/Justin%20Berry%20APD%20JV%20TT.jpg)
![Former Austin Police officer Justin Berry holds a weapon with non-lethal rounds during a protest in front of Austin City Hall on May 31, 2020. The protestors had gathered in response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune