Court challenge from Texas AG Ken Paxton could end Austin’s light-rail plans
The attorney general took issue with the financial strategy Austin used to navigate the limits state lawmakers have placed on how Texas cities can raise money. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton looks up at the gallery during the first day of his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate chambers at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/Pool via The Dallas Morning News -
Supreme Court permits Texas police to arrest people who illegally cross the border as the SB 4 legal clash continues
The ruling allows Texas to start enforcing SB 4 while a lawsuit over its constitutionality remains pending before a federal appeals court. Full Story
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![The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2022.]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
Panelists at Tribune event discuss how to keep downtowns vibrant post-pandemic
The Texas Tribune partnered with the LBJ School of Public Affairs Urban Lab for a panel conversation on the challenges and opportunities facing Texas downtowns. Full Story
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Driving in West Texas is deadly dangerous. A new report measures how much.
A nonprofit commissioned the report that found severe and fatal vehicle crashes in the Permian Basin far outpaced the state. Full Story
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![Morning oilfield traffic on West Broadway Street in Andrews.]()
Credit: Jerod Foster for The Texas Tribune -
International bridge projects get speedier approval process with push from Texas lawmakers
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, led the effort to set a maximum 120-day timeline for the president to decide whether to approve a permit for new international bridge projects. The previous process could have taken years. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks on Nov. 1, 2022, at a rally in support of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's reelection at Crossroads Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.]()
Credit: Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman via REUTERS -
Texans grapple with numerous challenges, yet many are actively seeking solutions
Across the state, people are looking for ways to make Texas a better place to live as they tackle hunger, rural “brain drain,” health care obstacles and other impediments. Full Story
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![Volunteers prepare fresh vegetables donated by the Dewey Prairie Garden for distribution at the Lord’s Pantry of Leon County in Buffalo, Texas, on June 29, 2023.]()
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Texas could spend federal funds meant to cut carbon emissions on highway projects
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act required Texas’ transportation agency to create a carbon reduction strategy to get $641 million federal dollars. Critics say the plan is unlikely to meaningfully cut greenhouse gasses from the state’s massive transportation sector. Full Story
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![Rush hour traffic passes by on Interstate 35 through downtown Austin on the evening of Sept. 7, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
To fight climate change and housing shortage, Austin becomes largest U.S. city to drop parking-spot requirements
Affordable housing advocates, developers and climate activists say rules requiring a minimum amount of parking spaces on new projects drives up construction costs and enables a dependency on vehicles to get around town. Full Story
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![Downtown Austin on June 27, 2017.]()
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Cruise suspends self-driving car operations in Austin, nationwide
Austin officials said residents complained about the cars not operating properly. The company’s suspension follows the launch of a federal investigation into incidents with pedestrians in San Francisco. Full Story
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![Autonomous Cruise cars line up to leave the Cruise Depot in downtown Austin on Sept. 26, 2023. Cruise, a San Francisco-based autonomous car company, is one of several autonomous driving companies that test vehicles in Austin.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
One of Texas’ oldest towns needs $200 million for upgrades. It’s asking voters to approve $44 million this fall.
The East Texas town is one of 218 local governments asking voters to approve new debt for repairs and upgrades to city infrastructure. Local leaders say inflation isn’t helping them keep up with capital needs. Full Story
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![Downtown Nacogdoches on October 3, 2022 in Nacogdoches.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Driverless cars are multiplying on Texas roads. Here’s what you should know.
Autonomous vehicles, or AVs, are here. Tribune journalists took a ride in one recently and answer the biggest questions about who’s driving the driverless trend and how the state regulates them. Full Story
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![A Cruise car drives down the street in downtown Austin on Sept. 26, 2023. Cruise, a San Francisco-based autonomous car company, is one of several autonomous driving companies that test vehicles in Austin.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
The 2023 Texas Tribune Festival in photos
Here’s a look back at the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival through the eyes of Tribune photographers. Full Story
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![Evan Smith meets backstage with U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, before the start of the closing keynote at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, TX on Sept. 23, 2023.]()
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Starting Sept. 1 in Texas, your speed limit may vary based on local highway conditions
Lawmakers who ushered through the change say the new law will make roads safer during storms or construction. Full Story
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![Cars drive down the highways after winter weather went through Dallas on Feb. 2, 2023.]()
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Texas drivers vexed by toll road payment problems got little relief from state lawmakers
Double billing, rejected automatic payments and expensive late fees are the most frequent complaints about a toll system with different operators and rules across the state. Full Story
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![Tolls in Austin.]()
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Texas car safety inspection changes in 2025
Noncommercial cars in 17 counties will still have to pass an emissions test to obtain a state registration. Full Story
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![Inspection stickers will begin disappearing from Texas vehicles when the state rolls out a new single-sticker program for inspection and registration on March 1, 2015.]()
Credit: Ryan McCrimmon for The Texas Tribune -
Why health care is still hard to access in rural towns near Texas’ bigger cities
Bigger cities like Lubbock can unintentionally suck health care resources and professionals from smaller towns, creating what one local expert calls the “doughnut effect.” Full Story
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![Main Street in downtown Ralls on Sept. 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
After a two-year pause, feds give Texas the go-ahead to resume a major Houston highway expansion
Across the state, major projects have drawn fierce opposition in recent years amid a reckoning over how freeway construction in the mid-20th century created and exacerbated racial and economic segregation. Full Story
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![An aerial view of four houses next to I-45 near downtown Houston on Sept. 16, 2019.]()
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DPS sent at least 3,000 driver’s licenses to organized crime group targeting Asian Texans
A Chinese crime operation bypassed the password clues of Texas.gov by using stolen identity information to fraudulently obtain replacement driver’s licenses. Full Story
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![Steve McCraw, Department of Public Safety Director, speaks at a press conference with Gov. Greg Abbott and nine other governors regarding the southern border at Anzalduas Park in Mission on Oct. 6, 2021.]()
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Texas cities debate costly infrastructure investments in age of extreme weather
Experts say local governments should prioritize extreme weather preparedness. Cost can be a deterring factor. Full Story
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![Holly Phillips, an employee at 7-Eleven, finally waits for a bus to get home after she was stuck in the store for two nights as the roads iced over and other employees were not able to come in to take over her shift as winter weather moved through Dallas on Feb. 2, 2023.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texans urged to avoid travel in icy weather; power grid is expected to meet demand
School closures and hazardous road conditions are expected throughout a large portion of Texas, according to forecasts. State officials caution Texans about local power outages but expect the grid to stay up. Full Story
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![Icy trees in Austin on Feb. 3, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune