The Brief: SCOTUS adds another twist to the long battle over Texas’ political maps
Press pause. The long-winding battle over Texas' political maps was put on hold by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
New law means extra costs for large craft brewers — unless they're owned by brewing giants
House Bill 3287 requires craft brewers that produce more than 225,000 barrels a year to pay a distributor to deliver their beer — even if the destination is inside their own facility. Full Story
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![Kegs packaged for distribution sit near the taproom at Oskar Blues Brewery in Austin, Texas, on June 2, 2017.]()
Credit: Erika Rich for The Texas Tribune -
As A&M chancellor and hurricane recovery czar, John Sharp balances two intensely personal jobs
Former Democratic rising star John Sharp was already chancellor of the school he loves. Now, he's been tasked with restoring the region where he got his start. Full Story
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![Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, chosen to head the Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas, speaks at a meeting of officials in Victoria, Texas after Hurricane Harvey on Sept. 8, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Early omens of a very conservative GOP primary
The races at the top of the 2018 Republican primary ballot don't look very competitive. That might be good news for the party's most conservative down-ballot candidates. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick praise a judge's ruling against Obama's immigration program at a Capitol press conference on Feb. 18, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Supreme Court puts redrawing of Texas political maps on hold
In separate orders issued Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked two lower court rulings that invalidated parts of the state's congressional and House maps where lawmakers were found to have discriminated against voters of color, putting on hold efforts to redraw those maps. Full Story
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![The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Straus tells business leaders to keep up fight after "bathroom bill" failure
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, urged business leaders Tuesday to keep up the fight following the failure of legislative efforts to pass a "bathroom bill" that many of them opposed. Full Story
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![House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, emerges smiling from a caucus of Republican members after the 85th Legislature adjourned sine die on Aug. 16, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Post-Harvey, Houston officials hope Congress is up for funding Ike Dike
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday gave his strongest endorsement to date for constructing a physical coastal barrier to protect the region from deadly storm surge. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Officials consider another Mexican-American studies textbook
Nearly a year after the Texas State Board of Education rejected a Mexican-American studies textbook proposal opponents called racist, an advocate involved in that fight is now working to get his own book approved by the state. Full Story
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![Tony Diaz wrote the only Mexican-American studies textbook submitted to the Texas State Board of Education's request for ethnic studies materials last November.]()
Credit: Liana Lopez -
Fewer Texans were uninsured in 2016, but state still has largest health coverage gap
More Texans are insured now than four years ago — but the state is still home to 4.5 million people without health coverage, the largest share in the country. Full Story
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![A patient pays cash for a visit to Dr. Gustavo Villarreal's office in Laredo. Villarreal no longer accepts any form of health insurance.]()
Credit: Eddie Seal -
Texans who lost gun licenses due to Harvey can get new ones for free
Texans who have lost or damaged their license to carry a handgun as a result of Hurricane Harvey can receive a free replacement, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday. Full Story
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![Gov. Abbott admires his practice target after signing Senate Bill 16, which reduces the first-time fee for a license to carry handguns, on May 26, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Craddick seeking another term on Railroad Commission
Craddick's announcement means that every non-judicial statewide official in Texas — all of them Republicans — has plans to seek re-election next year. Full Story
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![Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick speaks at the GOP state convention in Dallas, Texas on May 12, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: The latest U.S. News college rankings are here
Where did Texas universities fall on this year's U.S. News and World Report's college ranking list? Full Story
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![The University of Texas Tower, Austin.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
A&M and TCU climb, Baylor and SMU slip in 2018 U.S. News college rankings
UT-Austin edged out SMU and Texas A&M University surpassed Baylor University in the new U.S. News and World Report rankings of the best colleges in the country. Rice remains Texas' top-ranked school. Full Story
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![Students on Texas A&M University's campus on Nov. 11, 2015.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Now you can carry any knife (almost) anywhere in Texas
A new state law eliminates the category of "illegal knives," effectively expanding knife owners' freedom to carry blades almost anywhere in the state. Full Story
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![Cliff Hill, knife collector and world champion knife thrower, shows his collection at the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame in Austin on July 13, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP leaders pushing for high-dollar, long-delayed flood infrastructure projects
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other state leaders are eyeing a long-delayed reservoir project experts say would've saved thousands of Houston homes from flooding. Full Story
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![People walk along the Barker Reservoir Dam in Houston on Tuesday, Aug 29, 2017. Torrential rains from Hurricane Harvey caused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release water from the reservoir, aggravating flooding in neighborhoods below the dam.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas congressman concerned about Beaumont prisoners after Harvey
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, an Austin Democrat, is asking about prisoner safety in Beaumont after Hurricane Harvey. Inmates stayed put at state and federal prisons while the city lost its water supply for about a week. Full Story
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![USP Beaumont is a high-security federal penitentiary with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp. The facility is part of the Beaumont Federal Correctional Complex.]()
Credit: Federal Bureau of Prisons -
Fifteen no-cost abortions scheduled through Harvey relief effort
Whole Woman's Health Clinic has already put more than $8,000 toward providing abortions for women affected by the hurricane. Full Story
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![A hallway at the Whole Woman's Health clinic in Austin.]()
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State Rep. Larry Phillips not running for re-election
The Sherman Republican is retiring from the Texas House after eight terms. Full Story
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![State Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, visits with Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, during the Senate session on May 15, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Today's the 16-year anniversary of 9/11. Here's what Texans in Congress remember.
It's been 16 years since Sept. 11, 2001 — the fateful day terrorists flew commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Full Story
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![The Pentagon during rescue operations after the September 11 attack.]()
Credit: TSGT CEDRIC H. RUDISILL, USAF -
New school buses to have seat belts under Texas law
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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![Austin ISD school buses at the terminal near John H. Reagan High School on July 26, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price / The Texas Tribune