Texas’ citrus industry — once an agricultural powerhouse — is on the brink of disaster
A hurricane and winter freeze devastated the South Texas industry. A lack of water is preventing a full recovery. Full Story
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![Grapefruit trees at Lone Star Citrus Growers groves in Mission on Dec. 16, 2024.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Expanding college financial aid will help Texas meet workforce needs, new higher ed chief says
In his new role, Rosser will be responsible for helping Texas meet its goal to increase the number of Texans ages 25 to 34 with a postsecondary credential to 60% by 2030. Full Story
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![Wynn Rosser, then CEO of the Greater Texas Foundation, during a symposium on higher education at Baylor University in 2015.]()
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SpaceX wants to turn its Texas launch site into a city
Citing all the work the company has put into the region, employees are requesting a special election in Cameron County to incorporate a city. Full Story
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![The Starbase letters at SpaceX's Boca Chica Brownsville facility on Oct. 20, 2021. The SpaceX facility has become a popular destination for tourists.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Watch a conversation with Comptroller Glenn Hegar
The state’s economic output will slow, but a recession isn’t expected, Hegar said. Full Story
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A 2006 study found undocumented immigrants contribute more than they cost Texas. The state hasn’t updated it since.
A comptroller’s report found that deporting the estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants living in Texas in 2005 would have cost the state about $17.7 billion in gross domestic product. Full Story
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![Leticia Quintanilla is undocumented and resides in Houston. Quintanilla states that she's been more cautious about traveling since the recent threat of immigration raids in Houston. June 23, 2019.]()
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Texas Senate to pursue ban on THC products next year, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says
Patrick contends retailers have exploited a law passed in 2019 to sell unregulated and potentially harmful consumable tetrahydrocannabinol products. Full Story
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![Lt. Governor Dan Patrick speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas has billions pledged to expand broadband. Spending it is taking a while.
Despite the efforts of local governments and others, the move to provide internet access to millions of Texans has been slow and faces new challenges. Full Story
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![A sign welcoming visitors to Big Lake. Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.]()
Credit: Mitch Borden for The Texas Tribune -
Feds approve Texas’ plan for $3 billion to expand broadband access
The federal investment follows the $1 billion approved by Texas taxpayers to help connect the state. Full Story
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![A splice can that contains 432 fiber cables in Louisville, Kentucky on April 19, 2021.]()
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A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS funding
Although Texas counties are not required to provide ambulance services, many are digging deep to pay for their own fleet or to contract out services. Full Story
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![The interior of a CareFlite ambulance vehicle outside the Johnson County County Commissioners office in Cleburne on November 8, 2024.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Terlingua’s tourist season has started. Here’s why and how you can help conserve water on your visit.
It’s unclear how much water resides underneath this booming West Texas tourist haven. That makes conservation critical. Full Story
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![South Brewster County residents and tourists congregate on the porch of the Terlingua Trading Company in December.]()
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A West Texas pecan farm fights to save its water supply as neighbors sell it to growing cities
A yearslong dispute over exporting water to growing Texas cities offers a hint at the battles to come as the state’s population booms and water supply dwindles. Full Story
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![General Manager Zachary Swick poses at Belding Farms on Sep 23, 2024]()
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Texas’ housing shortage is getting worse, report says
Texas builds more homes than other states but hundreds of thousands more are still needed, the report said, contributing to higher housing costs. Full Story
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![New home construction in north Longview's Hidden Hills subdivision on December 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune -
Five things to know about Texas’ housing crisis
The Texas Tribune examined the state’s housing affordability crisis and why the state has struggled to build enough homes to meet demand. Full Story
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![San Antonio neighborhoods on May 25, 2024.]()
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Texas’ high housing costs sparked a movement to bring them down. The fight could shape the state for years to come.
A new breed of activists wants Texas to tame costs by building more housing. But longstanding opposition to such policies remains strong. Full Story
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![Council members and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson are present in person during the Austin city council meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Austin. Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, Paige Ellis, Mackenzie Kelly, Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool and José "Chito" Vela were in person with Mayor Kirk Watson]()
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Mexico is offering water to South Texas. But there’s a catch farmers aren’t happy about.
Farmers say they want the water, but not if it goes against the allotment they need for the spring planting season. Full Story
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![The Rio Grande River divides the United States, right, and Mexico. Los Ebanos on Jan. 14, 2022.]()
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From Denton to Edinburg, Texas cities are spooking their residents and tourists this Halloween
Denton has renamed itself Halloween, Texas, and has planned 31 days of events to drive up tourism and family entertainment. Full Story
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![People go in and out of Discover Denton, enjoying an evening of Halloween and interaction on the square on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 in Denton, Texas. The town has been hosting 31 days of Halloween, including multiple activities per day and a town full of Halloween decorations.]()
Credit: Maria Crane for The Texas Tribune -
Level of oil and gas regulation at heart of Texas Railroad Commission race
Incumbent Christi Craddick is touting the health of the Texas energy industry and its impact on the economy. Her top opponent says regulation on the commission is too lax. Full Story
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![From left: Commission Shift Executive Director Virginia Palacios moderates a Texas Railroad Commission candidate forum with Libertarian Hawk Dunlap, Democrat Katherine Culbert and Green Party candidate Eddie Espinoza in Austin on Oct. 16, 2024. Republican incumbent Christi Craddick did not attend.]()
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Texas lawmakers signal openness to expanding film incentive program
Directors, producers and actors say better incentives in other states pull projects away from Texas, which is losing out on millions of dollars. Full Story
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![Writer and director Taylor Sheridan at a Senate Finance Committee hearing at the Texas Capitol, in Austin, on Oct. 9, 2024.]()
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West Texans split on proposed direct air capture project that could be largest in U.S.
Residents were worried about the impact on their drinking water while business leaders were excited for the new jobs. Full Story
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![From left, EPA officials Ken Johnson, Sona Chaudhary, Thomas Rucki and Scott Ellinger listen to testimony from West Texas residents during a public engagement hearing about the proposed construction of a series of carbon capture plants by Occidental Petroleum October 3, 2024, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Vincent Bao for The Texas Tribune -
A battered child care industry’s latest challenge? Competing for 4-year-olds.
A 2019 state law requiring schools to offer full-day pre-K is capturing child care’s most profitable customer base: 3- and 4-year-olds. Full Story
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![Tim Kaminski, director of operations for Gingerbread Kids Academy and Gingerbread After School Programs, smiles as he interacts with students preparing crafts for a fall celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2024, in Richmond, TX.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune