New federal-state environmental pact aims to speed up Texas highway projects
The agreement targets the environmental review process and cuts down the time it takes for new highways to be approved. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ecaf9e3d8092fd485184d67c5d20adf3/1230%20Migrant%20Workers%20SB%2003.jpg)
-
![Construction workers are seen along Highway 1604 in San Antonio on Thursday, December 19, 2024.]()
Credit: Scott Stephen Ball for The Texas Tribune -
Immigration crackdown: Know your rights at the U.S. border and other ports of entry
What immigrants and citizens should know about federal agents’ power to question and search people at airports and the border. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/34d5db424f9e9fae283781df6bfcbaea/0206%20Air%20Travel%20EH%20TT%2003.jpg)
![Travelers walk the concourse at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Feb. 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Trump officials cut planning grant for Texas high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said if the private sector wants the rail line, it should cover planning costs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d5c73c2a673e896ed86a3f17336bd00c/Dallas%20Bullet%20Train%20BT%20TT%2009.jpg)
![Railroad tracks near a proposed bullet train terminus on the outskirts of downtown Dallas, on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans take aim at public transit in two major cities
The Texas Legislature is considering bills that transit officials warn could hamper public transportation in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth regions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d15bc277d2b11e003a26a6ea63ae31d5/DART%20DV%20TT%2002.jpg)
![A Dart bus lies idle at a stop near Westmoreland Station in Dallas on Feb. 2, 2020.]()
Credit: Duy Vu for The Texas Tribune -
South Texas county leaders will lose some authority over SpaceX launches under new bill
The lawmakers behind the bill promised there would not be an increase in the number of days the beach is closed. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7f858feaa49890b268d5c17c723f44d3/Boca%20Chica%20SpaceX%20BL%20TT%2006.jpg)
![Members of the ENTRE Film Center, a local film center and regional archive, hosted the gathering at Boca Chica to celebrate the beach and motivate people to fight for its preservation, which they view as being in jeopardy since the arrival of Elon Musk's SpaceX. Aug. 8, 2024.]()
Credit: Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribune -
Following Trump’s lead, Gov. Abbott pushes state agencies to end telework
The directive comes as some state agencies have downsized their office spaces after the pandemic forced many employees to work remotely. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/09b6522650e83139e195d0fc2baa0bd1/0620%20State%20Capitol%20JT%20TT%2001.jpg)
![The state capitol seen from the Sam Houston State Office Building in Austin on June 20, 2023.]()
Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune -
An East Texas town debates where to place EV charging stations as Trump threatens subsidies
Some residents see the charging stations as an economic boom to the town, while others find it an assault on the oil and gas industry in Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4fc6ed3524c4574e3c7102b5b6bc240b/Longview%20EV%20Charging%20MC%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Traffic makes its way throught the intersection of Loop 281 and Gilmer Road in Longview on Friday January 24, 2025.]()
Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune -
Texas driver license offices reopen after systemwide outage
The outage appeared only to affect the Texas public safety department. Driver license offices reopened after the New Year’s Day holiday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/85cd3ee681c34ce40cbdef341c862d9f/01_DPS_Office_EW_TT.jpg)
![The Nortwest Austin DPS office on Jan. 24, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
High-speed rail efforts in Texas have gained some momentum. The Texas Legislature and Donald Trump may change that.
A yearslong effort to bring high-speed rail to Texas has recently shown signs of life, but state lawmakers have consistently put up roadblocks to keep it from happening. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2c500980d53bf3d50ab29d839e80ddda/Dallas%20Bullet%20Train%20BT%20TT%2010.jpg)
![Railroad tracks near a proposed bullet train terminus on the outskirts of downtown Dallas, on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. The entities in charge of a bullet train connection between Houston and DFW have faded despite Texas courts approving eminent domain to accomplish the massive project.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ busing of migrants hits a speed bump as fewer enter country
The bus trips to Democrat-run cities stopped after June as the number of migrants apprehended across the southwest border plummeted. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/bd085e480f614c05565c6606de55e673/El%20Paso%20NYC%20Bus%20IPA%20TT%2017.jpg)
![A bus with dozens of migrants, including included several family units, leaves a shelter and heads to New York City on Aug. 31, 2022, in El Paso. The city and county of El Paso are sponsoring (to be reimbursed by FEMA) the voluntary trips to relieve pressure on local resources and shelters.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Texas is once more flirting with expanding passenger rail
The state’s booming population, congestion problems and billions of federal dollars on the table have officials eyeing ways to boost passenger rail. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b5867dd2232b53f8f7d0ceca17de2ddc/High%20Speed%20Rail%20HTX%20Dallas%20MS%20TT%2061.jpg)
![A public scoping meeting on the Dallas to Houston High-Speed Rail hosted by TXDOT and the Federal Railroad Administration in Houston on Oct. 29, 2014.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Interstate 27 has divided Lubbock for decades. North and east side residents want that to change.
After repeated attempts to convince the City Council to make zoning changes, residents asked the federal government to intervene. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/91ff2a687dea4d8b3ee006677f5abeb0/1219%20Interstate%2027%20MR%2001.jpg)
![Northbound motorists drive on I-27 south of Plainview, a route traveled by many that seek abortion healthcare while headed out of Texas.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Abortion on the ballot: Amarillo set to vote on abortion travel ban this election
After the Amarillo City Council balked at such an ordinance last year, residents collected signatures for a ballot measure. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a4200d573e6896ddeac42f58723fc075/1219%20Abortion%20Amarillo%20MR%20TT%2010.jpg)
![View of Downtown Amarillo on Dec. 19, 2023.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Truckers hope protest over pay and lack of restrooms will spark a Permian Basin labor movement
Truckers say they can wait up to 18 hours without pay to load or unload fracking sand. The drilling sites often lack restrooms. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/66217752c1e9c499083b8278d1b3e478/0626%20Truckers%20Protest%20EH%20TT%2009.jpg)
![Cesar Adrian Gonzalez Lopez, a driver for Toreados Trucking LLC, a New Mexico based company, poses for a photo Wednesday, June 26, 2024 in Monahans.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Plans to spend billions on a flood-prone East Texas highway may not solve the problem
TxDOT says it can’t guarantee that upgrades to one of Houston’s main hurricane evacuation routes will prevent future flooding of U.S. 59. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7a7e55d12dd7ce1a9ac10653a6d930a1/0502%20Livingston%20Flooding%20Drone%20Brothers%20TT%2007.JPG)
![Flooding on U.S. Highway 59 in Livingston on May 2, 2024. Thousands fled their Southeast Texas homes as heavy rains saturated land in multiple counties.]()
Credit: Drone Bros LLC -
Amarillo City Council must vote on abortion travel ban following successful voter petition
The council has been reluctant to approve the ban since it first debated the issue last fall. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/16cbedecfc9ebe0427b66370862009ec/1219%20Abortion%20Amarillo%20MR%20TT%2009.jpg)
![Motorists travel west on I-40 in Amarillo, a route traveled by many to seek abortion health care while headed out of Texas. Members of both sides of the abortion controversy attended an Amarillo City Council meeting in the Amarillo Civic Center, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Texans triumph in fight to get direct flights from San Antonio to Washington, D.C.
The push to get more nonstop flights to the nation’s capital pit Texans against Virginians, who were opposed to the expansion. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5e3c9b4f5df2ab47882a540784d73be3/San%20Antonio%20Airport%20REUTERS.jpg)
![Exterior signage and sculpture at the San Antonio International Airport entrance way in San Antonio on Dec. 14, 2023.]()
Credit: Carlos Kosienski/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Barge hits, damages bridge in Galveston, causing an oil spill
The damaged bridge connects Pelican Island, where the Texas A&M Galveston campus is located, to Galveston Island. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a4ca96c9969f719fe97f16261269e6f0/Galveston%20Barge%20Bridge%20REUTERS.jpg)
![A barge collides with the Pelican Island Bridge, spilling oil into the bay, on May 15, 2024.]()
Credit: KTRK via REUTERS -
El Paso residents rally to protect a Rio Grande wetland from possible highway project
Potential routes for a highway in El Paso’s Mission Valley run alongside a restored wetland called Rio Bosque. Environmental advocates are urging TxDOT to scrap the idea. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8be3128d68b9de7df1586773677055f2/0502%20Rio%20Bosque%20JH%2043.jpg)
![Dozens of people attend TxDOT’s public hearing on expanding the Loop 375 Border Highway through the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park in Soccorro, Texas on May 2, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune/Inside Climate News -
Eclipse fever hits Texas towns as residents and officials prepare for a crush of visitors
Llano residents are told to stock up on groceries. A Sulphur Springs church is renting its parking spots. And everyone’s watching the weather forecast ahead of Monday’s eclipse. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5c3fbd35be9427d21166176485ec260e/1014%20Solar%20Eclipse%20EG%2002.JPG)
![Hundreds flock to Mission San José in South San Antonio on Oct. 14, 2023, to witness the annular solar eclipse as the moon’s shadow swept across Central Texas.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune