The bill, which is poised to become law, creates up to a $250,000 fine for medical professionals who change a patients’ listed sex outside of certain exemptions.
Ayden Runnels
Ayden Runnels is the afternoon/evening reporter. Previously, they were a breaking news reporter for the Las Vegas Sun. A graduate of the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas, Ayden was a Dallas Press Club Foundation reporting fellow at the Tribune in 2023. They were born in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake and speak English and Arabic. They served as editor-in-chief of the North Texas Daily, UNT's student-run newspaper, and have worked on freelance projects for Newsweek.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas inmate executed for killing woman he set on fire inside Garland store
Matthew Johnson, who testified he did not intend to kill the elderly clerk, received the death penalty in 2013. The execution is Texas’ fourth and may be the last for 2025.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Bill that would give the Texas Lottery “a two-year lease on life” gets Senate approval
Senate Bill 3070 would allow the Texas Lottery’s games to continue under a new department, abolish the agency and create restrictions on ticket purchases.
Posted in
Politics
New Senate bill offers last-minute reprieve for troubled Texas Lottery
A key Senate critic threw a lifeline to the Texas Lottery when he proposed moving its oversight to a new agency instead of eliminating it entirely.
Posted in
Higher Education
UT System announces $100 million investment into civic leadership school
The money will help pay for a permanent home for the school on UT-Austin’s campus. Conservative donors and lawmakers, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, helped create the school in 2023.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Senate panel advances bill that would no longer allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition
The bill would overturn a two-decade-old law allowing some undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition.
Posted in
Politics
The Texas Lottery and billions in school funding in limbo as deadline nears at Capitol
Lawmakers must act on two bills in order to ensure the lottery continues past September, or find a way to make up the $2 billion for schools the game provides yearly.
Posted in
Higher Education
UT System chancellor leaves to lead University of California
Former state Rep. John Zerwas will temporarily replace Chancellor JB Milliken in leading the 256,000-student university system.
Posted in
Politics
John Bash, first candidate to enter Texas attorney general’s race, exits
The former federal prosecutor cited shifting priorities after a family health scare for his withdrawal, which comes less than a month after his entry into the race.
Posted in
Economy
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.
