Rep. James Talarico raises $7.4 million in first six weeks of 2026 in bid for U.S. Senate
Read full article: Rep. James Talarico raises $7.4 million in first six weeks of 2026 in bid for U.S. SenateTalarico’s haul, announced days before early voting, already outpaces what he raised over the last three months of last year.
Texans born without traditional sex traits worry new law will force them to choose a gender they don’t identify with
Read full article: Texans born without traditional sex traits worry new law will force them to choose a gender they don’t identify withIntersex Texans fear House Bill 229, which defines gender based on the reproductive system, could increase surgeries on intersex children and create challenges to obtaining sex changes on government documents.
Texas court district leads U.S. in immigrants challenging legality of federal detention
Read full article: Texas court district leads U.S. in immigrants challenging legality of federal detentionThe administration’s push for mass deportations has resulted in more than 18,000 habeas petitions, a historic high. Texas and California account for about 40% of cases this year.
Texas Railroad Commission primary: Who is running and what to know
Read full article: Texas Railroad Commission primary: Who is running and what to knowThe Railroad Commission regulates energy infrastructure across Texas. Here’s a look at who’s running in the 2026 Democratic and Republican primaries and where they stand.
In fiercely competitive Democratic Senate race, social media influencers increasingly drive the conversation
Read full article: In fiercely competitive Democratic Senate race, social media influencers increasingly drive the conversationThe near-constant stream of takes from content creators has come to frame the primary between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico as a referendum on identity politics in the Democratic Party.
Texas Tech struggles with new rules that changed what students learn about race, gender, sexuality
Read full article: Texas Tech struggles with new rules that changed what students learn about race, gender, sexualityThe system’s chancellor said he meant to instill clarity and accountability, but three weeks into the spring semester, some instructors say the standards are vague and have led to censorship.
Texas Education Agency warns districts of potential state takeovers for “encouraging” student protests
Read full article: Texas Education Agency warns districts of potential state takeovers for “encouraging” student protestsThe state education agency issued guidance to districts after Gov. Greg Abbott directed its commissioner to investigate the student protests of killings by federal agents.
Texas Supreme Court primaries: Who is running and what to know
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court primaries: Who is running and what to knowThe high court, currently made up entirely of Republicans, decides some of the most consequential cases impacting everyday Texans’ lives. Here’s a look at who’s running for the court’s four seats on the 2026 ballot.
After two Houston Congress members died in office, Al Green defends his seniority to voters
Read full article: After two Houston Congress members died in office, Al Green defends his seniority to votersThe 78-year-old Democrat is up against two younger opponents, including Rep.-elect Christian Menefee, in a district left vacant for 11 months after the death of Sylvester Turner.
Judge orders 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his dad released from detention in Texas
Read full article: Judge orders 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his dad released from detention in TexasImages of Liam Conejo Ramos, with a bunny hat and Spiderman backpack being surrounded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers, sparked even more outcry about President Donald Trump's administration's immigration crackdown.
After a death at an El Paso ICE facility was ruled a homicide, will prosecutors pursue a criminal case?
Read full article: After a death at an El Paso ICE facility was ruled a homicide, will prosecutors pursue a criminal case?Because Geraldo Lunas Campos died at a military base, the El Paso District Attorney says any criminal case may fall to federal prosecutors. But criminal law experts say the state doesn’t have to defer to them.
New Talarico campaign ad puts spotlight on his role in passing bill that caps insulin costs
Read full article: New Talarico campaign ad puts spotlight on his role in passing bill that caps insulin costsWhile GOP lawmakers accused the Austin Democrat of overstating his role in passing a statewide cap on insulin copays, his Democratic colleagues said his personal battle with diabetes generated key momentum for the effort.
El Paso’s plan to build natural gas power plant for massive data center kicks up opposition
Read full article: El Paso’s plan to build natural gas power plant for massive data center kicks up oppositionMeta’s planned data center could be El Paso’s biggest electricity user. Some residents worry that a new power plant to run it would worsen air pollution and guzzle water.
Jasmine Crockett, James Talarico to face off in first debate of Senate Democratic primary
Read full article: Jasmine Crockett, James Talarico to face off in first debate of Senate Democratic primarySaturday’s debate, hosted by the Texas AFL-CIO, gives voters their first side-by-side glimpse of the candidates’ contrasting styles and proposals ahead of the March 3 primary.
Removal of LGBTQ+ option from 988 hotline is straining overburdened Texas crisis centers
Read full article: Removal of LGBTQ+ option from 988 hotline is straining overburdened Texas crisis centersThe groups that operate Texas’ 988 system face a convergence of challenges this year, from expiring federal money to heavier workloads since the Trump administration eliminated the special option for LGBTQ youth.
Texas governor primary: Who is running and what to know
Read full article: Texas governor primary: Who is running and what to knowThe governor is Texas’ chief executive, with a hand in everything from enforcing laws to setting budget priorities and responding to crises. Here’s a look at who’s running in the 2026 primary and where they come from.
Texas defends law requiring schools to post Ten Commandments. Here’s what to know.
Read full article: Texas defends law requiring schools to post Ten Commandments. Here’s what to know.A federal appeals court heard arguments in lawsuits seeking to block Texas and Louisiana from requiring classroom displays of the Ten Commandments.
As data centers jostle to get on Texas’ grid, ERCOT promises new rules for planning
Read full article: As data centers jostle to get on Texas’ grid, ERCOT promises new rules for planningERCOT is making a first attempt at a planning process in which multiple requests will be considered simultaneously.
LGBTQ+ San Antonio residents criticize city’s plan to replace rainbow crosswalks with rainbow sidewalks
Read full article: LGBTQ+ San Antonio residents criticize city’s plan to replace rainbow crosswalks with rainbow sidewalksAfter a lawsuit failed to stop the crosswalk’s removal, caused by a threat to funding, some residents called its replacement a consolation that ignores a larger fight in the state.
Texas House Democrats raised record-breaking $2.2 million in 2025
Read full article: Texas House Democrats raised record-breaking $2.2 million in 2025The majority of the Democratic caucus’ haul came when the party broke quorum over the summer to delay the GOP-controlled Legislature from redrawing the state’s congressional map.
Several major Texas death row appeals loom in 2026 amid drop in executions
Read full article: Several major Texas death row appeals loom in 2026 amid drop in executionsAmong the cases that are headed back to court is that of Robert Roberson, who argues he was wrongfully convicted of killing his daughter based on now-debunked science.
Texas, facing doctor shortage, eases path for foreign-trained physicians
Read full article: Texas, facing doctor shortage, eases path for foreign-trained physiciansTexas joins 17 other states that are making it easier for foreign medical graduates to work as doctors here. About a quarter of the state’s licensed doctors were trained outside the U.S.
Panhandle history museum scrambles to protect 2 million artifacts as it fights permanent closure
Read full article: Panhandle history museum scrambles to protect 2 million artifacts as it fights permanent closureWith a steep price tag, saving the landmark museum won’t be easy, but area residents and leaders are looking for solutions.
From school vouchers to flood warning systems, these are the Texas developments to watch in 2026
Read full article: From school vouchers to flood warning systems, these are the Texas developments to watch in 2026Several court hearings and policies affecting education, health and more will roll out in the new year.
Texas to receive $281 million in federal funds for rural health care
Read full article: Texas to receive $281 million in federal funds for rural health careTexas will get the biggest portion of the first rollout of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, which was created in tandem with legislation slashing Medicaid funding.
Here are the most important stories from Texas Tribune’s data visuals team in 2025
Read full article: Here are the most important stories from Texas Tribune’s data visuals team in 2025The Tribune’s team of data journalists produced a congressional redistricting tool, covered several education data releases, visualized the measles outbreak and more.
“Construction can’t continue”: South Texas builders say ICE arrests have upended industry
Read full article: “Construction can’t continue”: South Texas builders say ICE arrests have upended industryMore than 300 people attended an impromptu meeting that industry leaders in the Rio Grande Valley hosted to draw attention to the chilling effect ICE arrests have had on construction.
Trump administration weighing new South Texas land exchange with Elon Musk’s SpaceX
Read full article: Trump administration weighing new South Texas land exchange with Elon Musk’s SpaceXFederal officials are considering swapping 775 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge with the aerospace company, according to The New York Times.
Indigenous groups fight to save rediscovered settlement site on Texas coast
Read full article: Indigenous groups fight to save rediscovered settlement site on Texas coastFlanked by a chemical plant and an oil rig construction yard, the site on Corpus Christi Bay may be the last of its kind on this stretch of coastline, now occupied by petrochemical facilities.
Texas’ next top lawyer: What does the attorney general do and how has Paxton remade the office?
Read full article: Texas’ next top lawyer: What does the attorney general do and how has Paxton remade the office?Texans will elect a new attorney general next year for the first time in over a decade. The office handles legal matters impacting everyday life and, currently, plays a leading role in the conservative movement.
Texas lawmakers from both parties oppose Trump’s order targeting state AI laws
Read full article: Texas lawmakers from both parties oppose Trump’s order targeting state AI lawsTexas’ new law regulating AI is set to take effect Jan. 1, two months after Trump’s executive order threatening to cut off some federal money if states pass “onerous” AI laws.
Texas AG Ken Paxton and Sen. Angela Paxton agree to unseal divorce records
Read full article: Texas AG Ken Paxton and Sen. Angela Paxton agree to unseal divorce recordsThe agreement comes after a judge put the Paxtons’ records under seal, prompting The Texas Tribune and other outlets to challenge the order.
Texas Democrats fill every state and federal race on 2026 ballot, a first for either party
Read full article: Texas Democrats fill every state and federal race on 2026 ballot, a first for either partyTexas Majority PAC and the Texas Democratic Party recruited 104 candidates to fill uncontested races. Gov. Greg Abbott’s strategist said it amounts to a gimmick “if they don’t back it up with serious resources.”
Residents protest high-voltage power lines that could skirt Dinosaur Valley State Park
Read full article: Residents protest high-voltage power lines that could skirt Dinosaur Valley State ParkOne of three possible routes would border the North Texas park. The project is part of a statewide effort to keep pace with Texas’ rapidly growing energy needs.
Trump’s pardon of Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar leaves local Republicans surprised and disappointed
Read full article: Trump’s pardon of Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar leaves local Republicans surprised and disappointedSome county GOP officials said the president’s pardon could complicate their plans to unseat the Laredo Democrat in South Texas’ battleground 28th Congressional District.
A Lubbock County commissioner announced his congressional campaign. Then he was removed from office.
Read full article: A Lubbock County commissioner announced his congressional campaign. Then he was removed from office.Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish removed Commissioner Jason Corley from office this week, the latest twist in the Republicans’ fraught relationship.
Gov. Greg Abbott wants a tighter lid on home values. Tax policy experts warn that’s a bad idea.
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott wants a tighter lid on home values. Tax policy experts warn that’s a bad idea.Conservative and liberal tax policy experts said Abbott’s proposal would lead to higher housing costs and tax benefits flowing disproportionately to wealthy homeowners.
Why Gov. Greg Abbott wants to let taxpayers decide whether cities can raise — or cut — taxes
Read full article: Why Gov. Greg Abbott wants to let taxpayers decide whether cities can raise — or cut — taxesTexas cities and counties already face limits on how much revenue they can generate. Local leaders have warned that further restrictions would mean fewer services like parks and libraries.
Texas AG probe of nearly 1,000 cities’ finances to seek violations of new property tax law
Read full article: Texas AG probe of nearly 1,000 cities’ finances to seek violations of new property tax lawWhile Ken Paxton did not allege any wrongdoing, his move is intended to enforce a new law that prevents cities from raising property taxes if they fail to follow transparency requirements.
Paxton’s crusade against immigrant-serving groups gets boost from court rulings
Read full article: Paxton’s crusade against immigrant-serving groups gets boost from court rulingsCourts have said that the attorney general can use a 100-year-old law to demand entities’ internal records and sue to shut them down if he believes they’re violating the law.
Running water will finally reach West Odessa thanks to $17 million from state lawmakers
Read full article: Running water will finally reach West Odessa thanks to $17 million from state lawmakersThe Legislature approved $600 million for standalone improvements, but one advocate worried the increase in direct spending undermines the Texas Water Development Board’s process.
Despite bribery charges, many Democrats still favor Henry Cuellar to hold his Laredo district
Read full article: Despite bribery charges, many Democrats still favor Henry Cuellar to hold his Laredo districtDays out from the filing deadline, Cuellar has yet to draw a serious primary challenger — a sign that many in his party view the anti-abortion congressman as their best bet to stave off the GOP in November.
Texas Rep. Gary VanDeaver, a private school voucher holdout, won’t seek reelection
Read full article: Texas Rep. Gary VanDeaver, a private school voucher holdout, won’t seek reelectionVanDeaver, who represents northeast Texas, was one of two House Republicans to oppose a school voucher program this year after he narrowly beat a pro-voucher primary challenger in 2024.
Texas is restricting the bathrooms trans people can use in government buildings. Here’s how the law works.
Read full article: Texas is restricting the bathrooms trans people can use in government buildings. Here’s how the law works.The “bathroom bill” doesn’t provide guidance for how government agencies, schools and universities should ensure people use facilities matching their sex assigned at birth.
Texas hoped $100 million would help more families pay for child care. Here’s why it didn’t.
Read full article: Texas hoped $100 million would help more families pay for child care. Here’s why it didn’t.Increased costs in food and payroll at child care centers effectively wiped out the one-time investment state lawmakers approved earlier this year, a new report found.
They couldn’t save their daughters’ lives in the July 4 floods. Now they’re dealing with the grief and the guilt.
Read full article: They couldn’t save their daughters’ lives in the July 4 floods. Now they’re dealing with the grief and the guilt.RJ and Annie Harber have leaned on faith, their community and each other to move through each day after losing their daughters and RJ’s parents. But memories of that night still haunt them.
Texas AG Ken Paxton sues a second state agency over rules he says discriminate on religious grounds
Read full article: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues a second state agency over rules he says discriminate on religious groundsPaxton, who is running to unseat fellow Republican John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate, has vowed to strike down Texas laws that “undermine religious liberty.”
Texas is getting far less in federal money for broadband expansion than expected
Read full article: Texas is getting far less in federal money for broadband expansion than expectedRural leaders who have worked years to improve broadband access said they were disappointed by the sharp decrease in federal dollars.
Faculty panel: Texas A&M wrongly fired professor after gender lesson
Read full article: Faculty panel: Texas A&M wrongly fired professor after gender lessonTexas A&M did not have good cause to fire a professor after a video of a gender lesson created a political storm, and the school failed to follow due process, a faculty appeal committee found.
A year after Donald Trump won the Rio Grande Valley, South Texans navigate changes big and small
Read full article: A year after Donald Trump won the Rio Grande Valley, South Texans navigate changes big and smallResidents in the southernmost part of Texas want to remind themselves — and the nation — that the region is more than a political battleground. It’s their home.
Entire Texas congressional delegation votes to release Epstein files
Read full article: Entire Texas congressional delegation votes to release Epstein filesAfter months of resisting calls to release the files, President Donald Trump signaled this week that he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
Former Alamo Trust president sues board, land commissioner and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for reinstatement
Read full article: Former Alamo Trust president sues board, land commissioner and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for reinstatementKate Rogers resigned from her position after Patrick criticized a 2023 dissertation in which she asserted the importance of Indigenous people’s history at the Alamo.
Trump administration considers moving FEMA to Texas and tapping state’s top emergency official, report says
Read full article: Trump administration considers moving FEMA to Texas and tapping state’s top emergency official, report saysAccording to Politico, federal officials could relocate the agency here and tap Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd to lead it.
LGBTQ+ Texans fought to be recognized. That work is eroding under a conservative pressure campaign.
Read full article: LGBTQ+ Texans fought to be recognized. That work is eroding under a conservative pressure campaign.Conservative activists argue they’re protecting women and rebalancing the law that Democrats tilted in favor of LGBTQ+ people.
Sanjay Gupta says Americans have unique “disdain for pain” and should turn to brain’s natural painkillers for relief
Read full article: Sanjay Gupta says Americans have unique “disdain for pain” and should turn to brain’s natural painkillers for reliefDuring The Texas Tribune Festival’s closing keynote, the neurosurgeon said that for decades, pain management wrongly treated the body “as totally separate from the brain.”
U.S. Senate hopeful Colin Allred criticizes rival James Talarico for accepting billionaire donations
Read full article: U.S. Senate hopeful Colin Allred criticizes rival James Talarico for accepting billionaire donationsAllred’s comments at The Texas Tribune Festival marked the first time either leading Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate publicly criticized the other.
Texas still needs a plan for its growing water supply issues, experts say
Read full article: Texas still needs a plan for its growing water supply issues, experts sayPanelists at The Texas Tribune Festival shared their opinions on what the state should do after voters approved a historic investment in water infrastructure.
Watch: Tim Walz speaks at the 2025 Texas Tribune Festival
Read full article: Watch: Tim Walz speaks at the 2025 Texas Tribune FestivalThe Democratic Minnesota governor and 2024 vice presidential nominee sits down with Jennifer Palmieri, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and co-host of Showtime’s The Circus at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Texas Head Start closures during government shutdown add to state’s child care woes
Read full article: Texas Head Start closures during government shutdown add to state’s child care woesHundreds of families lost child care when certain programs weren’t funded earlier this month, and scores more may be affected if Congress doesn’t fund the government by Dec. 1.
President Donald Trump endorses Gov. Greg Abbott for reelection
Read full article: President Donald Trump endorses Gov. Greg Abbott for reelectionThe president praised Abbott for leading this year’s effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps to favor Republicans during the 2026 midterm elections.
A Fort Worth church’s online class trains Christians to run for office. Now it may go national.
Read full article: A Fort Worth church’s online class trains Christians to run for office. Now it may go national.At the core of the program is the idea that there is no separation between what happens within the church and what happens in the government.
Cruz, Cornyn push new retaliatory legislation that blocks U.S. water from going to Mexico
Read full article: Cruz, Cornyn push new retaliatory legislation that blocks U.S. water from going to MexicoThe bill is the latest effort from the Texas delegation that demands the U.S. get tougher with Mexico for failing to honor a 1944 treaty that in part governs Rio Grande water.
Cornyn “open to” changing Senate filibuster, Hunt and Paxton back Trump’s call to scrap it
Read full article: Cornyn “open to” changing Senate filibuster, Hunt and Paxton back Trump’s call to scrap itThe president has sharpened his calls for Senate Republicans to kill the longstanding legislative maneuver, saying the GOP’s electoral success could hinge on it.
Judicial conduct ballot proposal would expand Abbott’s growing influence over courts
Read full article: Judicial conduct ballot proposal would expand Abbott’s growing influence over courtsProposition 12 would allow the governor to appoint a majority of the commission that disciplines judges, as Abbott condemns “activist judges.”
Texas put its chief financial officer in charge of school vouchers. Here’s what you need to know.
Read full article: Texas put its chief financial officer in charge of school vouchers. Here’s what you need to know.The Texas comptroller holds tremendous power over the program, including choosing which companies the state will pay millions to help manage it. Voters will decide who runs the agency next year.
Many Texans will pay more for ACA health insurance. Here’s what to know about open enrollment.
Read full article: Many Texans will pay more for ACA health insurance. Here’s what to know about open enrollment.The federal marketplace’s health insurance premiums will cost more for many people. Enrollment runs Nov. 1 to Jan. 15.
Why more Tarrant County kids are going to Texas youth prisons than any others
Read full article: Why more Tarrant County kids are going to Texas youth prisons than any othersThe rising number of youth sent from counties like Tarrant is helping to push the waitlist for beds in youth prisons to near an all-time high, the state says.
Part-time jobs, loans and worry: Texas federal workers contend with government shutdown
Read full article: Part-time jobs, loans and worry: Texas federal workers contend with government shutdownMany federal workers missed their first full paycheck this weekend as the shutdown nears the one-month mark.
What Texans need to know about Prop 16, the constitutional amendment on citizenship and voting
Read full article: What Texans need to know about Prop 16, the constitutional amendment on citizenship and votingThe proposed constitutional amendment would affirm that voters must be citizens, a requirement that’s already in state law.
Texas Republicans are redefining higher ed. It’s creating confusion about free speech on campuses.
Read full article: Texas Republicans are redefining higher ed. It’s creating confusion about free speech on campuses.Some students and professors say recent changes and scandals chill speech at universities. Others argue that conservative opinions can now be shared more freely.
How two Texas redistricting cases, 37 years apart, set the stage for the latest congressional redraw
Read full article: How two Texas redistricting cases, 37 years apart, set the stage for the latest congressional redrawThe 5th Circuit last year overturned its previous ruling that allowed racial groups to band together to challenge voting maps, laying the groundwork for Texas’ mid-decade redistricting.