After a lawsuit failed to stop the crosswalk’s removal, caused by a threat to funding, some residents called its replacement a consolation that ignores a larger fight in the state.
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
Several major Texas death row appeals loom in 2026 amid drop in executions
Among the cases that are headed back to court is that of Robert Roberson, who argues he was wrongfully convicted of killing his daughter based on now-debunked science.
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Politics
Texas appeals court says AG Ken Paxton can’t require counties to hand over case data
Over half of the district attorneys affected by the rule filed lawsuits challenging it, saying it violates state and federal law.
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Environment
Trump administration weighing new South Texas land exchange with Elon Musk’s SpaceX
Federal officials are considering swapping 775 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge with the aerospace company, according to The New York Times.
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Transgender Texans
Ken Paxton’s office launches tip line to encourage enforcement of Texas’ “bathroom bill”
The attorney general’s complaint form is the latest effort to enforce new state restrictions on which restrooms transgender people can use in public buildings.
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Politics
Texas comptroller questions whether some Islamic schools can be excluded from voucher program
Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock suggested schools that hosted events for the Council on American-Islamic Relations or are linked to China could be disqualified from the new program.
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State Government
Texas AG Ken Paxton and Sen. Angela Paxton agree to unseal divorce records
The agreement comes after a judge put the Paxtons’ records under seal, prompting The Texas Tribune and other outlets to challenge the order.
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Panhandle Wildfires
Texas AG Ken Paxton seeks damages from energy company linked to Texas’ largest wildfire
The lawsuit alleges Minnesota-based Xcel Energy failed to maintain utility poles that started the 2024 Panhandle fire that killed three people and thousands of livestock.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
Enforcement of Texas’ “bathroom bill” draws challenges as colleges, cities implement new policies
In its first week, one group’s test of the new restrictions was met with ID checks at women’s restrooms at the Capitol while the Austin City Council moved to circumvent the law’s intent.
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2025 Legislative Recap
Texas is restricting the bathrooms trans people can use in government buildings. Here’s how the law works.
The “bathroom bill” doesn’t provide guidance for how government agencies, schools and universities should ensure people use facilities matching their sex assigned at birth.
