Wiping out the tall stands of Carrizo cane that give drug and human smugglers easy cover along the Rio Grande was deemed a border-security priority by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2015, but the program wasn't funded. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Ranchers have a new problem in frack ponds, water utilities find possible vulnerability to cyberattack and an interview with Tim Loftus of Texas State University and the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Full Story
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The presumptive GOP nominee's recent statements have some Republican leaders less than enthusiastic about their party's choice; Trump also runs into problems finding a venue for a Thursday rally in North Texas. Full Story
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The University of Houston has agreed to resolve a legal fight over its basketball arena, currently named after former Houston mayor Roy Hofheinz, by erecting a statue of and renaming a street after the deceased school booster. Full Story
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A Harris County judge has dropped one of the criminal charges against an anti-abortion activist who was indicted after making undercover recordings of a Houston Planned Parenthood facility. Full Story
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In a largely conservative, suburban Houston enclave with perfectly manicured front lawns, Benjamin Elder's ordinary personal preferences are, in a way, small victories for a family striving for a sense of normalcy. Full Story
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Texas is finally poised to move forward with budget cuts to a pediatric therapy program for children with disabilities, but opponents of the cuts have vowed to continue putting up a fight. Full Story
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This fall, the Attorney General's Office will be implementing a new enforcement measure for parents who are behind on child support payments: blocking them from renewing their vehicle registration. Full Story
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Amid highly publicized technical glitches, a commission looking at the future of standardized testing decides against proposing elimination — for now — of the student accountability measure. Full Story
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Three days after the state had to scrap scores from this year's standardized testing of school kids, a special panel studying testing says it won't recommend getting rid of STAAR tests. Full Story
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We're streaming "Life on the Line" — our mini-doc on a day in the life of a high-traffic Texas smuggling corridor — live on Facebook on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tune in here, and stick around for a live Q&A with reporters Jay Root and Julián Aguilar. Full Story
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Education Commissioner Mike Morath expanded Monday on his decision to waive requirements for 5th and 8th graders who failed this year's STAAR exams, saying that a delay in the return of test scores forced the need to take action. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is under fire for his comments after the shootings in a gay nightclub in Orlando, and he can only blame himself. His problem isn’t his intent; his problem is that his other actions of late made his critics’ worst suspicions plausible. Full Story
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A task force plans to recommend that the University of Texas System develop a work study program in Houston, partnering with companies to provide work experience for students, the advisory group announced Monday. Full Story
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The most reliable source of third-party candidates — the Libertarian Party of Texas — didn't field contestants in most of the state’s few remaining swing districts. It looks like that’s one problem GOP candidates in the most competitive races won’t have to deal with. Full Story
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Texas politicians react to the worst mass shooting in U.S history with prayers, acts of solidarity and political messages, with the biggest reaction owing to a pre-scheduled tweet of a Bible verse. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick drew outrage Sunday morning for pre-scheduled social media posts that said "man reaps what he sows" hours after a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. The posts had both been removed as of 11 a.m. Sunday. Full Story
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The state's colleges and universities have been largely been left out of the debate over transgender bathroom policies. Over the past decade, most have adopted policies friendlier to transgender students and staff. Full Story
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A group of Democratic state lawmakers from along the Texas-Mexico border is applying pressure to a bank whose CEO is helping raise money for Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Full Story
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As displeasure with Texas’ standardized testing regime mounts, all eyes are on a special panel the Legislature created to figure out whether to scrap the widely reviled STAAR exam. Full Story