The Texas Senate has proposed injecting a staggering half a billion dollars into film production, as economists and fiscal hawks question the return on investment.
Dan Keemahill
Dan Keemahill gathers and analyzes data on health outcomes and access in Texas. A native of Sacramento, Dan is a graduate of Northwestern University and started his journalism career as a contributor to the Tribune's schools and government salaries explorers. He previously covered public education for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative unit and worked with datasets related to immigrant detention centers, elections and the COVID-19 pandemic at USA Today.
Posted in
Texas measles outbreak
Measles cases reported in Texas as vaccine rate against the disease has fallen
Two of the four cases are in Lubbock, which hasn’t seen a case in more than 20 years. Meanwhile, measles vaccination rates in Texas have fallen over the last four years.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Several bills filed to weaken vaccine mandates as more Texas families opt out of immunizations
Emboldened by Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s nomination and disdain for pandemic-era mandates, skeptics are pushing for bills to make it easier to opt out of vaccines.
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Graphics and data reporting
Texas is silent on whether it will offer summer food assistance for students
After the state missed the Jan. 1 deadline, lawmakers still have time to approve administrative costs before applying for $400 million in federal summer meal assistance.
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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
If Trump makes cuts to Medicaid, Texas officials could seize the opportunity to further slash the program
State leaders have shown a decadeslong antipathy toward the health insurance program. If Trump makes severe reductions, it’s unlikely leaders would have the political will to make up any lost federal funds with state money, experts say.
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2024 Texas Elections
Trump’s near sweep of Texas border counties shows a shift to the right for Latino voters
The former president captured 55% of Latino voters in the state, according to exit polls. He also won 14 out of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the border, a number that doubled his 2020 performance in the Latino-majority region.
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Investigations
A pro-gun, anti-abortion border sheriff appealed to both parties. Then he was painted as soft on immigration.
Immigration is not part of Joe Frank Martinez’s job. But in Del Rio, like in other majority Latino communities across the country, the issue is high on voters’ minds and is disrupting long-standing political allegiances.
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Graphics and data reporting
In Texas’ biggest purple county, this far-right Republican is creating a playbook for local governing
From cutting social services to changing election rules, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare has pushed his agenda with an uncompromising approach.
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Investigations
After decades of lobbying by Christian conservative donors, school voucher legislation may finally have the votes
Gov. Greg Abbott succeeded in his campaign against Republicans who defied him on school vouchers. Now he may finally get the votes he needs to pass a bill.
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Investigations
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