A federal court’s decision is the latest development in a bitter pre-election brawl between Republican state officials and Democratic county leaders.

The county told a state district court judge that the applications were already mailed out and any ruling would be moot.

The Texas attorney general filed a similar lawsuit earlier this week against Bexar County, which includes San Antonio.

Since 2019, accidental drug deaths have been rising in Texas, with the number tripling in Travis County.

In the state’s larger counties, voters can now elect people to the agencies that appraise property values.

University officials banned all students arrested from campus, except for “academic reasons.”

Next month, mentally ill individuals accused of committing minor crimes will be “diverted” to a new 25-bed facility instead of jail cells in Travis County.

Some environmental experts are skeptical that Texas can meet the new rules on particulate matter, which can cause serious respiratory problems.

The attorney general accused the judge of “recklessly disregarding legal precedent” after he attempted to end the long-running lawsuit from former staffers.

Suspecting the Washington-based hospital of providing gender-affirming care to Texas children, which is now banned in Texas, AG Ken Paxton issued investigative subpoenas demanding medical information.

The Travis County district attorney still plans to pursue criminal charges in four cases. The officers whose cases are being dismissed will be allowed to return to duty.

The motion, filed Tuesday, comes a week after a judge in Burnet County allowed the 3-year-old whistleblower lawsuit to proceed.

Lawyers for employees fired by Paxton’s office after they reported him to the FBI say they plan to begin issuing subpoenas in the case.

The neighboring regions are projected to collectively grow from 5.2 million to 8.3 million people by 2050. But the state still lacks an overarching plan to address critical housing and transportation issues, experts said.

The ruling comes after dozens of school districts sued the Texas Education Agency, claiming the revised accountability system would hurt their ratings.

The Texas Supreme Court denied Harris County’s request to temporarily block the implementation of Senate Bill 1750 on Sept. 1, which will abolish the Harris County Election Administrator’s Office, the Harris County Attorney’s Office said on Tuesday.

More than 8 in 10 people charged by state troopers since they began helping Austin police have been people of color. In Southeast Austin, a neighborhood president calls it “outright racial profiling.”

The number of acres burned this year is dramatically lower compared to 2022. But a rash of new fires have put state and local officials on edge.

Texans are seeing record-breaking temperatures this summer. Tell us how the excessive heat is affecting your daily life or plans for the future and what questions we can answer about dealing with it.

Paxton’s top aide told senators that an agency-hired lawyer worked with the Travis County district attorney’s office to investigate a complaint by Nate Paul. County prosecutors dispute that.

The women, believed to be the first to testify about an abortion ban’s impact on their pregnancy since 1973, are seeking to clarify when a medical emergency justifies an abortion.

The City of Houston filed a lawsuit in Travis County against the State of Texas to declare House Bill 2127, also known as the “Death Star” or “Super” preemption bill, “unconstitutional, void, and unenforceable,” according to a news release.

Gov. Greg Abbott has said he wants to pardon Perry, who was convicted by a Travis County jury last week.

Magen Fieramusca wiped away tears in a Travis County courtroom Thursday after a state district court judge sentenced her to 55 years in prison for the 2019 murder of Austin mother Heidi Broussard.

Close to 325,000 electricity customers statewide lacked power Thursday evening. Austin’s main power provider said it can no longer promise full restoration by 6 p.m. Friday.

Areli Escobar was sentenced to death in 2011 for an Austin murder, but even prosecutors now agree his conviction relied heavily on faulty DNA testing by the discredited Travis County crime lab.

Watson, a former state senator who was Austin’s mayor from 1997 to 2001, pitched himself as a back-to-basics candidate who could ease the city’s growing affordability crisis.

For some local relief programs, a lack of staffing, political support and effective community outreach got in the way of spending federal funds to prevent evictions, a new report found. More than $30 million went unspent and had to be returned.

The Court of Criminal Appeals scuttled nearly 450 cases, saying migrants arrested for trespassing in Kinney County can’t ask Austin judges to hear their appeals.

Although there are laws on the books preventing certain people from possessing guns, there are few places in the state where the criminal justice system has programs to hand over firearms to law enforcement — leaving survivors at a heightened risk for gun violence.

While there are currently 780 confirmed monkeypox cases statewide, Texas cities are bracing for an increase in infections.

Daniel Alexander was enslaved when he founded a farm before the Civil War. 175 years later, his family is fighting to keep it intact as Texas plans to expand U.S. Highway 183.

Authorities in Austin say nine people have been taken to the hospital following a violent incident involving a food truck and another vehicle Friday night.

Casar won the Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th Congressional District in a landslide victory last month and is expected to win the general election in November.

Months after the problems became apparent, migrants are still being kept in prison in violation of state laws under Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security crackdown.

Abbott’s move is the latest in a long clash between Texas Republicans and Austin-area officials over policing — and comes as the push for reform in the Texas capital enters a more complex and uncertain chapter.

Indictments released Tuesday accuse 19 officers of using deadly weapons to injure 11 demonstrators during protests against racial injustice and police violence two years ago.

Defense attorneys for eight of 19 indicted APD officers say they were following orders when they used force against 2020 protesters. So far, there are 14 lawsuits against the city for injuries suffered during those confrontations.

Justin Berry is among 19 Austin law enforcement officers indicted and accused of using excessive force on anti-police brutality protesters in 2020.

A Texas grand jury has indicted 19 Austin police officers on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for their actions during 2020 protests over racial injustice that spread nationwide after the killing of George Floyd, according to people familiar with the matter.

Casar has impressive progressive endorsements, from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. But he also is tied to some of Austin’s most progressive policies, which have attracted powerful enemies and turned off some moderate Democrats.

With less than a month left to vote by mail in the March primary election, hundreds of applications for mail-in ballots are being rejected as both Texas voters and local election officials decipher new ID requirements enacted by Republican lawmakers.

Last week, the Travis County district attorney’s office gave Paxton four days to turn over communications requested by the state’s largest newspapers or face a lawsuit.

A legal defense group is asking Travis County courts to throw out the arrests of hundreds of migrants swept up in the governor’s border initiative. The case is expected to draw in the Texas attorney general and address whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan is unconstitutional.

The Travis County district attorney, a Democrat, says the Republican attorney general has four days to provide communications, multiple Texas news outlets first reported.

A Travis County judge Thursday tossed out the trespassing charge of an Ecuadorian man who said he came to the United States seeking asylum. His lawyers argued that the governor’s directive to arrest migrants on state charges unconstitutionally usurps federal immigration law.

Texas Republicans last year enacted new identification requirements for voting by mail as part of sweeping legislation that further restricted the state’s voting process and narrowed local control of elections.

It’s unclear whether the local mandate, which requires businesses to post signs outlining their safety guidelines, is in conflict with Gov. Greg Abbott’s previous pandemic orders.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct had admonished Eckhardt in 2020 for her actions as Travis County judge.

The effort to charge Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir came at a time when many Texas Republicans questioned the integrity of last year’s election despite there being no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The Austin Democrat, who has served in Congress since 1995, currently represents the 35th District, which stretches down to San Antonio. He will run in the newly created 37th District located in Travis County.

Keep up with the number of coronavirus cases and deaths across the state with an interactive experience created by the Texas Health Department.

With the U.S. Food and Drug administration’s full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, Texas is in uncharted territory when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations.

Back-and-forth legal rulings have left some school districts with the choice of flouting Abbott and mandating masks — or waiting for the dust to settle.

Harris County files a lawsuit Thursday against Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that bans local entities and school districts from requiring masks and vaccines.

In the face of skyrocketing hospitalizations, the heads of cities, counties and school districts have grown desperate for ways to contain the virus.

Officials in Dallas, Harris and Travis counties want residents to take stronger precautions as the delta variant drives an increase in coronavirus infections across Texas.

The city’s return to Stage 3 risk-based guidelines marks the first time a major Texas city has reversed direction in the trend toward normalcy. But others are also reporting surges in cases.

Army Sgt. Daniel Perry shot and killed Foster, who was legally armed, after an altercation during a protest against police brutality last summer, police said. Perry argues it was in self defense.

Prosecutors are dropping criminal charges against two juveniles after police identified a different gunman in a mass shooting in downtown Austin that killed a tourist.

Officials in Travis and Harris counties — both early adopters of pandemic restrictions — rolled some back Tuesday in an effort to allow vaccinated residents to return to pre-pandemic living.

Paxton sued the local officials for refusing to end the mandate after Gov. District Judge Lora Livingston has yet to issue a final ruling on the merits of the case, meaning Austin and Travis officials may later be told to comply with state officials. Ad“I've been doing everything that I can to protect the health and safety of people in Travis County,” Brown said in an interview. However, this was not the case in Travis County where officials said they would continue to require public mask use. Therefore, masks remained required in Travis County in the meantime.

Austin and Travis County officials can continue enforcing their mask mandates after a district judge delayed action on the Texas attorney general’s request to immediately stop the mandates. That means city and county officials can continue to require masks until at least March 26, when District Judge Lora Livingston will hold a trial. "I told Travis County and the City of Austin to comply with state mask law. Travis County Judge Andy Brown counts the two-week delay as a win. The pandemic has especially impacted Texans of color — including in El Paso where Paxton previously blocked a county judge from ordering non-essential businesses to shut down.

A COVID-19 safety sign in Austin on June 24, 2020. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Travis County and Austin officials in an effort to force them to rescind their local mask orders, he announced Thursday. "I told Travis County & The City of Austin to comply with state mask law," Paxton tweeted. There have been more than 2,200 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Travis County in the past two weeks. Travis County Judge Andy Brown, who presides over the county government, said the authority to impose the local mask mandate comes from the county health authority, not from Brown’s emergency powers. Paxton’s office successfully defeated an effort by Travis and Austin officials to restrict in-person dining at restaurants around New Year’s.

Attorney General Ken Paxton gave local authorities until 6 p.m. to come into compliance with the governor’s order, rescind local COVID-19 mandates and retract related public statements. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas TribuneAUSTIN, Texas – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is threatening to sue Travis County and the City of Austin if officials don’t back down on local orders that continue to require masks despite Gov. Austin and Travis County public health leaders recently announced they would continue to require masks, even though Abbott forbade local authorities from superseding his order. It does not rest with jurisdictions like the city of Austin or Travis County or their local health authorities,” Paxton wrote in a statement Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/IP9UpZPplh — Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) March 10, 2021“Otherwise, on behalf of the state of Texas,” Paxton wrote, “I will sue you.”Paxton’s office successfully challenged Austin and Travis officials’ attempts to restrict holiday restaurant operations around New Year’s.

In a further blow to the state, Texas’ Third Court of Appeals swiftly rejected an appeal later that night. Friday’s Supreme Court order, however, directs the lower court to block enforcement of the orders, pending any further appeal. Abbott, that allows for dine-in restaurant service and bars local officials from enacting more restrictive rules. Abbott and Paxton have sparred with other local officials who pushed aggressive measures meant to tamp down on the virus’ spread. Samaniego ordered a curfew similar to that in Austin and Travis County for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Elia Montoya serves breakfast dishes to U.S. Rep. Chip Roy and his family at Juan In A Million in East Austin in May. After the ruling, Deputy Attor­ney Gen­er­al Aaron Reitz announced on Twitter that the state would appeal. Under the curfew, patrons are not ordered to leave at 10:30 p.m., but they could not be served on-site. “It is our position that these local officials are in the best position to make the best decision for this jurisdiction,” said Travis County attorney Leslie Dippell. “My executive order stops cities like Austin from arbitrarily shutting down businesses,” he said.

The Texas Supreme Court has extended its emergency eviction relief program for tenants behind on rent through at least March 15, lengthening the program’s expiration date by a month and a half. The move comes after Congress passed a stimulus bill Monday extending the federal moratorium on evictions through the end of January. The state created the Texas Eviction Diversion Program earlier this fall with the help of $171 million in CARES Act funding, the vast majority designated for rental assistance. But some housing advocates said the extension doesn’t go far enough to address the large number of struggling renters, even as the federal government extended its eviction moratorium. "There could be tens of thousands of evictions on the horizon in Texas later this winter,” said Michael Depland, spokesperson for the advocacy group, Texas Housers.

Authorities on Sunday issued an Amber Alert for four children, 10-year-old Gabriella Garcia, seven-year-old Julian Garcia, three-year-old Sebastian Garcia and two-year-old Giovanna Garcia, believed to be in grave or immediate danger. Garcia is described as a 32-year-old Hispanic male weighing 240 pounds and standing 5′9′' with black hair and brown eyes. Gabriella Garcia is described as a Hispanic female with black hair and brown eyes weighing 85 pounds and standing 4′9′'. Julian Garcia is described as a Hispanic male with black hair and brown eyes weighing 75 pounds and standing 4′6′'. Sebastian Garcia is described as a Hispanic male with black hair and brown eyes weighing 40 pounds.

“Tiger King” star Dillon Passage, 25, was arrested for DWI in addition to an outstanding warrant for resisting arrest in Manor, Texas, Fox 7 Austin reports. Passage, who is the husband of Joe Exotic, was arrested and taken to the Travis County Jail on November 15, according to the report. Passage underwent a field sobriety test which results determined the driver was intoxicated, according to the report. Passage was arrested for DWI in addition to an outstanding warrant for resisting arrest. Fox 7 reports he is being held on a $3,000 bond.

In what’s expected to be the final ruling on the matter, the Texas Supreme Court has upheld Gov. Greg Abbott’s order limiting Texas counties to only one drop-off location for voters to hand deliver their absentee ballots during the pandemic. A Travis County state district judge had sided with the plaintiffs pushing to allow multiple drop-off sites, and that ruling was upheld by an intermediate appeals court Friday. The Texas Supreme Court has kept Texas’ limitations on mail-in voting, but allowed drive-thru voting in Harris County to continue. In typical elections, Texas voters who wish to deliver their absentee ballots in person can only do so on Election Day.

The Travis County Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd. A state appeals court has upheld a Travis County State district court order allowing Texas counties to have multiple drop-off locations for hand delivery of absentee ballots, undercutting Gov. But it remains unclear if the intermediate court's decision will lead to the reopening of ballot drop-off locations that were shut down in Harris and Travis counties following Abbott's order. Abbott and Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs are expected to quickly appeal the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court to again block the order from taking effect. Last week, Travis County State District Judge Tim Sulak agreed, ruling against Abbott’s order.

The Travis County Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd is now the only drive-thru location open for hand delivery of mail-in ballots in the county. A Travis County state district judge on Thursday ordered a halt to Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive limiting Texas counties to one drop-off location for hand delivery of absentee ballots. In a short order Thursday, Travis County District Judge Tim Sulak ruled against Abbott and the Texas secretary of state. Travis County had four drop-off locations before the Oct. 1 order, and Harris County had a dozen in place.

Texas counties may collect mail-in ballots at only one location, a federal appeals court ruled late Monday, once again upholding an order from Gov. Abbott in July acted to lengthen the early voting period and allow voters to deliver completed absentee ballots in person for longer than the normal period. A number of civil rights groups sued in at least four lawsuits, calling the order an act of voter suppression that would disproportionately impact low-income voters, voters with disabilities, older voters and voters of color in Democratic counties. “Leaving the Governor’s October 1 Proclamation in place still gives Texas absentee voters many ways to cast their ballots in the November 3 election. These methods for remote voting outstrip what Texas law previously permitted in a pre-COVID world,” wrote U.S.

HOUSTON – The Travis County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple calls involving boats in distress during the “Trump Boat Parade” on Lake Travis. TCSO responded to multiple calls involving boats in distress during the Trump parade on Lake Travis. — Travis County SO (@TravisCoSheriff) September 5, 2020Supporters of President Donald Trump were encouraged to bring “boats of all shapes and sizes” to participate in the parade, according to a Facebook page for the event. MEDIA: #ATCEMS has not been involved in any of the boat sinking incidents on Lake Travis today. — ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) September 5, 2020The boat parade route included Paradise Cove, West Beach, Point Venture and Hurst Creek.

The 2020 Texas high school football season officially kicks off on Thursday, so it's time for preseason VYPE Austin, San Antonio and Hill Country coverage. Check out area teams to watch and come back later this week for VYPE Austin and VYPE San Antonio Top 10 small school football team rankings. Photo by VYPE Media's Bradley Collier. Photo by VYPE Media's Bradley Collier. For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen Facebook/Instagram/Twitter) and VYPE (VYPE Texas Facebook, @VYPE_ATX and @VYPESATX Instagram and @VYPEATX and @VYPESATX Twitter) on social media.

Demonstrators rallied against evictions Friday outside of a Harris County justice of the peace precinct in Houston. The two justices of the peace for Harris Precinct 5, unlike some of their counterparts elsewhere in the county, resumed eviction proceedings as soon as they were allowed, in mid-May. In Houston, the first round of a rental assistance program ran out in 90 minutes, according to the Houston Chronicle. Although both judges are hearing eviction cases, protesters said that Ridgways court has more evictions scheduled and handles cases for immigrant neighborhoods like Gulfton. According to January Advisors, the precinct also had the most evictions compared with other parts of the county before the pandemic.

Former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt at The Texas Tribune Festival in 2018 Thomas Meredith for The Texas TribuneFormer Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is set to succeed former state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, in the Texas Senate after state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez said Monday he is dropping out of the race. Eckhardt and Rodriguez, both Democrats, were poised to face off in a special election runoff for the seat. "For that reason," he wrote, "I have decided to forego the runoff for Senate and focus my efforts on winning a Democratic majority and promoting an aggressive, progressive agenda in the Texas House." Eckhardt and Rodriguez finished first and second, respectively, in the six-way race on July 14. Greg Abbott had not yet set a date for the runoff.

Social mediaTravis County District Attorney Margaret Moore will not bring two significant officer use-of-force cases to a grand jury before she leaves office this year, her office said Wednesday. The move delays the prosecution of the cases related to the deaths of Javier Ambler and Michael Ramos, both of whom died at the hands of law enforcement officers. Moore previously planned to present both cases to a special grand jury in August. Before he died, Ambler told the officers he had congestive heart failure and couldnt breathe. Moore said she directed her offices civil rights unit to continue preparing both cases for the grand jury so they will be ready to present to the grand jury as soon as the newly elected District Attorney takes office.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt speaks at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 29, 2018. Thomas Meredith for The Texas TribuneFormer Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt was leading the way Tuesday night in the special election to replace former state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, though it remained unclear whether she would be able to avoid a runoff. Eckhardt, who needs 50% of the vote to win the election outright, was hovering around that figure Tuesday night. Rodriguez touted his 18 years in the Texas House, arguing that his relationships there will serve him well in the Senate. His district includes all of Bastrop County, most of Austin and northern Travis County.

Check out Hamilton Pool Preserve near Austin. Hamilton Pool is a great day trip location for San Antonio that offers beautiful views, swimming and hiking. You can swim under the waterfall or hike along the trails around the pool and it will have you wondering if you’re still in Texas. You must have cash for the entrance fee, credit and debit cards are not accepted at the entrance. For more information on Hamilton Pool Preserve, to make a reservation, or to get more information about the fees click here.