While James Talarico was recovering from the flu, Paxton supporters said the Democrat was being treated for mental illness in Ohio. The debunked story was shared by White House officials, Elon Musk and social media influencers.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
Posted in
Health care
Texas woman uses state law to sue anti-abortion group that allegedly ordered abortion pills online
Unable to abort two unplanned pregnancies because of the law, the woman is suing Students for Life for the cost of raising the children. The group posted about buying the pills undercover.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Here’s how to cast a ballot in Texas’ midterm election on Nov. 3
Voters will weigh in on dozens of races, including U.S. senator, governor and many other offices.
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2026 Texas Elections
On the issues: A Q&A with U.S. Senate candidates James Talarico, Ken Paxton and Ted Brown
Ken Paxton and James Talarico are in a close race for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat, with Ted Brown also on the ballot. See where they stand on THC, data centers and Flock cameras. Talarico and Brown answered our questions; Paxton did not, so we used his past public statements to describe his positions.
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Health care
Texas health agency proposes eliminating children’s autism program
The proposed elimination of the program, aimed at serving lower-income families, comes as Texas leadership has called on agencies to reduce budgets by 3%.
Posted in
Environment
How a bid to beat the drought drove Corpus Christi to the brink of disaster
What started as a novel plan to provide an unrestricted water supply to the oil and gas industry turned into a political quagmire that has consumed the city.
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Criminal Justice
Texas appeals order requiring prison air conditioning, saying it puts operations at risk
TDCJ, which estimates climate control will cost $1.5 billion, said the federal judge’s order imposes “chaos and confusion” on the country’s largest prison system.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
James Talarico returns to campaign trail at ACL festival after illness spurred GOP calls for “proof of life”
Republican Ken Paxton made hay over the Democrat’s nine-day spell between public appearances, while right-wing commentators ran with unverified theories and dismissed that Talarico’s recovery could have been hindered by his Type I diabetes.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Mayes Middleton, running for Texas attorney general, wants to “put God back in government”
Middleton, a Republican, has long pushed for injecting Christianity into the public sphere. His Democratic opponent, Nathan Johnson, said those views make him unfit for office.
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Investigations
Ken Paxton took nearly 1,000 trips with state-funded security detail costing millions of dollars
The Texas attorney general’s use of a taxpayer-funded travel security detail stands out when compared with his predecessor and other state officials, our analysis found.
