State Rep. James Talarico faces an uphill battle in his U.S. Senate bid while 15th Congressional hopeful Bobby Pulido aims to flip the district, but he must first win his primary.
Berenice Garcia
Berenice Garcia is a regional reporter covering the Rio Grande Valley. She works at the Tribune as a corps members with Report for America. She previously covered local government, crime, healthcare and general assignments for The Monitor in McAllen where she was born. Though she's spent the majority of her life in the Valley, she traveled east to attend New York University where she studied journalism and politics. While there, she interned at the New York Daily News, the Daily Beast and NBC News. When she’s not working, she enjoys fighting for her life at the gym. Berenice is based in McAllen.
Posted in
Economy
Texas’ plan to stop a parasitic fly from destroying its cattle population is far from complete
Texas lawmakers heard conflicting reports on the state’s readiness to fight the New World Screwworm, which is approaching the southern border.
Posted in
Politics
Islamic group sues after Gov. Greg Abbott directs DPS to investigate them
The CAIR Legal Defense Fund and another group claim the governor’s proclamation identifying them as terrorists “is defamatory and finds no basis in law or fact.”
Posted in
Politics
A year after Donald Trump won the Rio Grande Valley, South Texans navigate changes big and small
Residents in the southernmost part of Texas want to remind themselves — and the nation — that the region is more than a political battleground. It’s their home.
Posted in
Politics
Cruz, Cornyn push new retaliatory legislation that blocks U.S. water from going to Mexico
The bill is the latest effort from the Texas delegation that demands the U.S. get tougher with Mexico for failing to honor a 1944 treaty that in part governs Rio Grande water.
Posted in
Immigration
Trump administration plans to build border wall in Laredo, mayor says
The city learned about plans to build a new barrier along the southern border during a regular meeting with the Department of Homeland Security.
Posted in
Running Out: Texas’ Water Crisis
Texas’ congressional delegation wants Trump to punish Mexico for missing key water deadline
The state’s citrus industry is at risk, farmers say, after Mexico failed to deliver water it owes Texas as part of a 1944 treaty.
Posted in
Environment
A new South Texas data center will rely on untapped renewable energy
The new data center will work directly with a nearby windfarm to use energy the windfarm can’t send to the state’s electricity grid.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa joins Democratic race to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott
The five-term state lawmaker from Austin has homed in on education issues in the Texas House, becoming a primary foil to Abbott on school vouchers.
Posted in
Politics
USDA slaps down Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller over New World screwworm
The federal agency accused Miller of disregarding proven strategies to combat the parasitic pest “in favor of clickbait publicity stunts.”
