Suspecting the Washington-based hospital of providing gender-affirming care to Texas children, which is now banned in Texas, AG Ken Paxton issued investigative subpoenas demanding medical information.
William Melhado
William Melhado was an Austin-based general assignment reporter until 2024. He originally joined the Tribune in 2022 as a Poynter-Koch fellow. Before his time at the Tribune, William worked as a staff writer at the Santa Fe Reporter, an alt-weekly newspaper in New Mexico, and he also worked as an educator for five years at a public high school in the Bronx, New York and at international schools in Tanzania and Nepal. A native of Boulder, Colorado, William graduated from Middlebury College with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and earned a master’s in secondary science education at CUNY Lehman College.
Posted in
Demographics
Texas gained more people than any other state in the last year
Texas grew by nearly half a million people in the past year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But it was South Carolina that led the nation with its rate of population growth.
Posted in
Higher Education
As Israel-Hamas war sparks tensions on Texas campuses, universities struggle with how to respond
A series of incidents across Texas campuses have brought attention to universities’ handling of heated political debates about the war.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
DA drops most charges against Austin police officers accused of excessive force in 2020 protests
The Travis County district attorney still plans to pursue criminal charges in four cases. The officers whose cases are being dismissed will be allowed to return to duty.
Posted in
Higher Education
A Texas university removed its unique public billboards after students used them to share thoughts on Gaza war
The University of Texas at Dallas replaced three boulders — known as the Spirit Rocks — with trees, citing “extended political discourse.” Students say the quirky public square is a frequent venue for political messaging.
Posted in
Courts
Ken Paxton announces investigation of media group following Elon Musk’s lawsuit
After a report from Media Matters showed advertisements from major brands appeared next to antisemitic posts on X, the company sued the media watchdog group and its reporter. The Texas Attorney General’s Office plans to investigate the nonprofit for potential fraud.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas executes David Renteria for 2001 murder of El Paso girl
Renteria’s attorneys unsuccessfully argued that the El Paso District Attorney’s Office violated his constitutional rights by not releasing all documents in his case. He was the eight person executed in Texas in 2023.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas executes Brent Brewer, who spent three decades on death row, for murder of Amarillo man
Brewer lost a clemency appeal earlier this week, despite one of his jurors pleading that his life be spared and an expert witness’ methods put into question. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to pause Brewer’s execution Thursday afternoon to hear arguments about the “junk science” used against him.
Posted in
Politics
Relatives of Texans, Jewish and Muslim, remain trapped in Gaza
Two Texans — a Jewish man, a Muslim woman — want more support from the federal government to bring their loved ones home. Their families are stuck in a war zone, along with hundreds of other Americans.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas’ top criminal court halts William Speer’s execution hours before he was scheduled to die
Speer has been on death row for decades after strangling another inmate at a Texas prison. The victim’s sister and faith leaders have both called on the parole board to halt the execution.
