TEXAS NEWS

Why a Rio Grande Valley hospital is helping to feed its patients
Read full article: Why a Rio Grande Valley hospital is helping to feed its patientsAs the Edinburg facility and others seek to assist people experiencing food insecurity, state lawmakers have more than a dozen bills that could tackle Texas’ food deserts.

Who Killed Jackie Foster? DPS offers increased reward for 1990 cold case
Read full article: Who Killed Jackie Foster? DPS offers increased reward for 1990 cold caseThe Texas Department of Public Safety has increased the reward to $6,000 for information leading to an arrest in the unsolved 1990 murder of Jackie Foster.

South Texas immigration detention center with capacity for 2,400 people to reopen
Read full article: South Texas immigration detention center with capacity for 2,400 people to reopenThe Biden administration shuttered the Dilley facility last year because of high operating costs. It’s expected to hold immigrant families under the Trump administration.

With Texas facing soaring electricity demand, the politics of energy quietly shift at the Capitol
Read full article: With Texas facing soaring electricity demand, the politics of energy quietly shift at the CapitolThe Legislature has tried to clamp down on renewable energy resources in the past, but many lawmakers are recognizing the need to support all types of generation to meet record demand growth.

Texas House majority signs on to new bill restricting the use of bathrooms in public buildings by transgender people
Read full article: Texas House majority signs on to new bill restricting the use of bathrooms in public buildings by transgender peopleHouse Bill 239, which echoes a bathroom bill that failed in 2017, includes new provisions for shelters and prisons.

Following Trump’s lead, Gov. Abbott pushes state agencies to end telework
Read full article: Following Trump’s lead, Gov. Abbott pushes state agencies to end teleworkThe directive comes as some state agencies have downsized their office spaces after the pandemic forced many employees to work remotely.

Texas may change how schools select library books. Critics say it could lead to more bans.
Read full article: Texas may change how schools select library books. Critics say it could lead to more bans.Senate Bill 13 would create school library advisory councils largely made up of parents. It would give school boards, rather than librarians, the final say over new books.

Key highlights from Sylvester Turner’s tenure as Houston mayor
Read full article: Key highlights from Sylvester Turner’s tenure as Houston mayorAs the City of Houston continues to mourn the loss of U.S. Representative Sylvester Turner, we’re taking a brief look back on key moments during his tenure as mayor.

Congressman and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner dies
Read full article: Congressman and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner diesTurner’s death comes two months into his first term representing Texas’ 18th Congressional District, the seat long occupied by former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who also died in office last year amid a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Sylvester Turner, former Houston mayor and congressman, remembered for political legacy
Read full article: Sylvester Turner, former Houston mayor and congressman, remembered for political legacySylvester Turner, a former Houston Mayor and U.S. Representative, passed away at 70, leaving a significant political legacy.

Assaults on Texas teachers up 18%, raising school safety concerns
Read full article: Assaults on Texas teachers up 18%, raising school safety concernsAssaults on teachers in Texas have risen by 18% over the past two school years, with over 3,500 staff members injured by students, raising concerns about school safety and the availability of mental health resources.

In early sign of dissent, Democratic Rep. Al Green removed from House chamber after disrupting Trump address to Congress
Read full article: In early sign of dissent, Democratic Rep. Al Green removed from House chamber after disrupting Trump address to CongressIn early sign of dissent, Democratic Rep. Al Green removed from House chamber after disrupting Trump address to Congress.

Part of pro-Palestinian student art exhibit at UNT removed amid antisemitism complaints by state lawmakers
Read full article: Part of pro-Palestinian student art exhibit at UNT removed amid antisemitism complaints by state lawmakersFive GOP lawmakers who targeted the exhibit also called for the cancellation of the “Palestinian Children and the Politics of Genocide” lecture, which is still scheduled.

Texas Democrats criticize school leaders for being too “nice” about their funding needs
Read full article: Texas Democrats criticize school leaders for being too “nice” about their funding needsLawmakers this week listened to testimony on House Bill 2, which would raise schools’ base funding per student by $220 — a figure that falls short of what many Texans say is needed.

TribCast: The looming fight over regulating AI in Texas
Read full article: TribCast: The looming fight over regulating AI in TexasIn this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with University of Texas at Austin professor Sherri Greenberg about proposed state laws related to artificial intelligence.

Which Texas teams will make the men’s March Madness tournament this year?
Read full article: Which Texas teams will make the men’s March Madness tournament this year?We’re officially less than two weeks away from Selection Sunday, and the nation’s top teams are doing whatever it takes to bolster their rankings and find their way into the field of 68.

Former Uvalde mayor files Texas bill to improve law enforcement response to mass shootings
Read full article: Former Uvalde mayor files Texas bill to improve law enforcement response to mass shootingsThe bill would require school districts and law enforcement to meet once a year to plan their response to an active shooter situation. It would also mandate annual multi-agency exercise drills on how to respond to an active shooter.

Voucher bills want to prioritize low-income families and be open to all students. Those goals might be at odds.
Read full article: Voucher bills want to prioritize low-income families and be open to all students. Those goals might be at odds.Neither of the Legislature’s voucher bills require private schools to accept certain students, which some warn could block the neediest children from access.

West Texans, Mennonites at center of measles outbreak choose medical freedom over vaccine mandates
Read full article: West Texans, Mennonites at center of measles outbreak choose medical freedom over vaccine mandatesIn rural West Texas, measles has sickened nearly 150 people, most of them unvaccinated. A school-age child has died. The virus is spreading among Gaines County’s Mennonite community, where government mandates are not trusted.

A surge in bee deaths is hurting Texas beekeepers — and could affect the price of produce
Read full article: A surge in bee deaths is hurting Texas beekeepers — and could affect the price of produceCommercial beekeepers in Texas have lost about two thirds of their honey bees since June last year, according to a recent survey.

Texas House and Senate lawmakers have laid out their property tax cut proposals. How do they compare?
Read full article: Texas House and Senate lawmakers have laid out their property tax cut proposals. How do they compare?House and Senate lawmakers plan to spend at least $6 billion on property tax cuts, but haven't yet agreed on how much relief should go to homeowners over businesses.

Texas leaders defend Black official after lawmaker’s public interrogation of DEI policies left her in tears
Read full article: Texas leaders defend Black official after lawmaker’s public interrogation of DEI policies left her in tearsThe topic was a budget request from a state agency. The exchange grew emotional when a lawmaker pressed for answers about a strategic plan that praises diversity.

Republican senators threaten not to boost Texas public universities’ funding over DEI ban
Read full article: Republican senators threaten not to boost Texas public universities’ funding over DEI banIn a letter, Sens. Brandon Creighton and Paul Bettencourt said they found “numerous” violations of the law, but didn’t provide specifics.

Bills introduced a year after state’s largest blaze seek to limit wildfires
Read full article: Bills introduced a year after state’s largest blaze seek to limit wildfiresAmong the proposals is a bill that would force more inspections of power lines, which a committee concluded ignited a blaze that burned more than 1 million acres last year.

Trump tariffs set to hit Texas’ biggest trading partners beginning next week
Read full article: Trump tariffs set to hit Texas’ biggest trading partners beginning next weekThe president said Mexico and Canada have failed to curb the flow of drugs into the U.S. after giving the countries 30 days to do so before enacting the tariffs.

A year after Texas’ largest wildfire, Panhandle residents tugged between hope and anxiety
Read full article: A year after Texas’ largest wildfire, Panhandle residents tugged between hope and anxietyThe Panhandle town of Canadian is determined to move beyond the deadly fire. And yet, they are reminded almost daily another catastrophe is possible.

Texas Legislature proposes $400 million cut to higher ed as Dan Patrick threatens university budgets over DEI
Read full article: Texas Legislature proposes $400 million cut to higher ed as Dan Patrick threatens university budgets over DEIAt a public event last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said higher ed would get less funding if they don’t “kick DEI out of their schools,” a few weeks after lawmakers proposed a massive cut to public universities.

A shortage of criminal defense attorneys threatens indigent right to counsel in rural Texas
Read full article: A shortage of criminal defense attorneys threatens indigent right to counsel in rural TexasTexas’ indigent defense commission wants lawmakers to spend $35 million on public defender offices in rural areas, but some say that isn’t nearly enough to ensure compliance with the U.S. Constitution.

Investigations into the Texas Lottery grow after courier controversy
Read full article: Investigations into the Texas Lottery grow after courier controversyAG Ken Paxton’s office joins two other investigations by state officials into the commission as one service suspends operations due to the agency’s ban.

Operaciones de ICE en Texas: Qué derechos tienen los inmigrantes
Read full article: Operaciones de ICE en Texas: Qué derechos tienen los inmigrantesAbogados y grupos de inmigración recomiendan a los inmigrantes informarse sobre las acciones de la administración del presidente Donald Trump, como la expansión del uso de expulsiones aceleradas.

New Texas Supreme Court chief justice calls for judicial raises, changes to bail laws
Read full article: New Texas Supreme Court chief justice calls for judicial raises, changes to bail lawsChief Justice Jimmy Blacklock embraced constitutional originalism, a judicial philosophy tied to conservatism, in addressing the Legislature.

Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children, and it’s getting worse
Read full article: Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children, and it’s getting worseIssues with Medicaid coverage, including long wait times, abrupt loss of coverage and lack of political will to expand it, have contributed to Texas’ high uninsured rate for children.