Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw accused the suspended Texas Ranger of failing to…
Category: Texas Blue News
Texans help elect Kevin McCarthy speaker after dramatic late-night votes
Texas Republicans were key players in the intraparty fight over how its leaders would run the…
Watch a Jan. 17 conversation with four new members of the Texas House
They'll talk about their campaigns and journey to the Legislature, what has stood out to them…
Joe Biden tours El Paso for first border visit of his presidency
He was greeted by Gov. Greg Abbott upon arrival at the El Paso airport. Abbott has…
Watch: After the Uvalde shooting, one Texas school district increases focus on mental health
Round Rock ISD is thought to be among the first school districts in Texas where social…
“I want to fight”: LGBTQ Texans ready for legislative session as GOP lawmakers target them in dozens of bills
Republicans are backing legislation targeting gender-affirming care for children, classroom lessons about sexuality and drag shows.
Texas prisoners launching hunger strike to protest state’s harsh solitary confinement practices
Hundreds of prisoners may participate in the protest beginning Tuesday, the first day of the state's…
U.S. Supreme Court tells Texas to reconsider executing man convicted with faulty DNA evidence
Areli Escobar was sentenced to death in 2011 for an Austin murder, but even prosecutors now…
Texas lawmakers will have $188.2 billion available for the next budget after record-breaking revenue growth
It's far more money than legislators have ever had at their disposal, with an increase in…
Texas Supreme Court will decide whether ERCOT should be immune from lawsuits sparked by deadly winter storm
Many people and insurers sued the Electric Reliability Council of Texas after the 2021 freeze. The…
A Texas project hopes to turn water into fuel for cars, planes, ships and trains — using wind
New subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act are powering the race to build the country's first…
Texas Legislature 101: Understanding the state government and how it passes laws
Here's a rundown of how a bill becomes a law, how the Texas Legislature works and…
Watch a Jan. 24 conversation with Kirk Watson on what he plans to do as Austin mayor
Watson will also talk about what his experience in the Legislature has taught him since his…
Chip Roy and other Texas holdouts flip votes and now support Kevin McCarthy, who remains short in speaker bid
Roy, R-Austin, as well as U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Victoria, and Rep.-elect Keith Self, R-McKinney, switched…
Texas House Democrats enter session with bipartisan hopes — and a new leader who’s prepared to fight
There are 64 Democrats in the 150-member House, one fewer than before the election. There is…
Texas Senate to ban reporters from chamber floor
The move to take news reporters off the Senate floor was implemented in 2021 as a…
GOP Harris County judge candidate contesting her loss after Election Day problems at polling sites
Democratic County Judge Lina Hidalgo beat Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer by more than 18,000 votes.…
Lubbock-Cooper ISD passed a resolution denouncing racist bullying in schools. Parents say it’s a publicity stunt.
Students reported enduring racial slurs, the sounds of whips cracking and monkey noises as they walked…
Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Biden administration over enforcement of “public charge” law for immigrants
Paxton has sued the Biden administration a dozen times over its immigration policies. Most of those…
UT fires head basketball coach Chris Beard after domestic violence arrest
Beard was hired by UT in 2021. The university paid $4 million to buy out his…
Ahead of El Paso visit, Biden says U.S. will allow 30,000 migrants from four countries to enter monthly
Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela will be allowed entry and given work permits. The…
Odessa City Council will meet to reconsider firing two top employees after lawsuit
A local attorney is threatening more lawsuits as a new City Council, backed by the local…
Texas Republicans urge Chip Roy and other McCarthy opponents to let Congress get to work
Texans poised to assume committee leadership are growing frustrated by Republicans blocking Kevin McCarthy's election for…
President Joe Biden says he’ll visit the border next week during Mexico trip
The president, who has been criticized by some Republicans for not visiting the border since he…
T-Squared: Introducing our spring 2023 fellows
Tribune fellows have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in all aspects of the operation of…
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy emerges as key GOP agitator in U.S. House speaker fight
Three Texas Republicans, including Roy, voted three times against U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy's bid to be…
“It takes time to get stuff done”: New Texas congressman promises results, not rhetoric
Nathaniel Moran, the former Smith County judge, has promised to be a staunch conservative who will…
Texas family planning clinics require parental consent for birth control following court ruling
The Title X program has long provided free, confidential contraception to anyone, regardless of age, income…
Texas ag agency says climate change threatens state’s food supply
A new Texas Department of Agriculture report also points to other factors that are making it…
Texas 2022: Year in Photos
Texas Tribune photographers captured a historic year of challenges and resilience.
Property tax revision, judicial branch expansion among new Texas laws that took effect Jan. 1
While the Legislature will soon start its new session, some laws passed in 2021 are just…
A cartoon chronicle of 2022
The cartoonists were busy this year as we managed to complete another lap around the sun.…
TribCast: Evan Smith reflects on a career of watching Texas politics and media
In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with outgoing Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith about the state…
Texas GOP lawmakers warming to opioid harm-reduction policies they once opposed
Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans have expressed support for legalizing fentanyl test strips, which help…
TribCast: What happens in Texas if Title 42 lifts?
In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with Uriel about immigration policy and the migrant crisis in…
Texas power grid holds amid record winter demand, but test isn’t over
At least one person died in the freezing weather. High demand for electricity is forecast to…
Two Texas businessmen pitched Trump on plan to overturn 2020 election, Jan. 6 report reveals
Morgan Warstler and John S. Robison, who have ties with former Gov. Rick Perry, met the…
El Paso extends emergency declaration as surge of migrants cross border amid subfreezing temperatures
For the past six months, El Paso has been the epicenter of a migrant influx that…
After underestimating power demand, Texas electric grid operator gets federal permission to exceed air quality limits
The U.S. Department of Energy granted permission for power plants to release more pollution than is…
Buses from Texas drop off more than 100 migrants in a bitterly cold Washington, D.C., on Christmas Eve
Gov. Greg Abbott reportedly sent the migrants, who arrived at Vice President Kamala Harris' residence Saturday…
Looking back at some of The Texas Tribune’s best reads of 2022
It was another historic, news-filled year. As you get ready for 2023, check out these memorable…
Broken hearts lead to broken traditions in Uvalde as Mata family celebrates first holidays without Tess
The Matas never celebrated Day of the Dead before; this year they built an altar at…
Jennifer Shuford named commissioner of Texas public health agency
The infectious disease doctor has been at the helm of the department in an interim capacity…
T-Squared: John Thornton, the Tribune’s founder, is stepping down from our board after 13 years
The visionary venture capitalist had the idea for our nonprofit news org and put the people…
U.S. Supreme Court rules to keep Title 42, the pandemic-era policy to quickly turn away migrants, for now
The court ordered the Biden administration to continue enforcing the policy while Texas and other states…
Best of the Rest: The 2022 stories Texas Tribune journalists wish we’d had
We can't get to everything -- as much as we'd like to. Here are stories from…
Southwest Airlines’ holiday meltdown brings on federal investigation
The Dallas-based airline has canceled more flights than any other airline during the holidays, prompting federal…
T-Squared: Before I go, one final pitch to support The Texas Tribune
It's been fun. It's been real. It's been a calling more than a job. And it's…
Greg Abbott calls for investigation into Atmos Energy following disrupted natural gas services during freeze
Atmos, a major natural gas provider for the state, apologized for last week's service disruption that…
The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills…
Will the fusion breakthrough ignite a Congressional chain reaction?
Rep. Don Beyer says this week's breakthrough could be a turning point for both science and…
The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills…
Wine tasting in Napa and a staff revolt: How a progressive powerhouse went kaput
Founded after the 2004 Howard Dean presidential campaign, Democracy for America was felled by poor fundraising…
Young conservatives send mixed messages on Trump at MAGA gathering
Some attendees are talking about the former president more as a historical figure than the GOP's…
Conservative youth group disses McDaniel in race for RNC chair
Turning Point USA straw poll endorses Harmeet Dhillon over Ronna McDaniel by a wide margin.
Biden administration wants Supreme Court to end Title 42 — just not yet
The administration seeks another pause -- at least a week -- in winding down the Trump-era…
House committee votes to release Trump tax returns over objections by U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady
Brady, the top Republican on the House tax-writing committee, urged the committee not to release the…
Army Corps of Engineers withdraws plan to dredge Texas Gulf Coast Superfund site for oil tanker traffic
The reversal follows a challenge by Earthjustice and Gulf Coast community groups alleging flaws in the…
Trump to meet with Orthodox Jewish group on heels of Fuentes, Ye dinner
The former president will speak before the annual President's Conference of Torah Umesorah at his club…
With rifles and razor wire, National Guard and state troopers are blocking migrants at the border in El Paso
As cities on the Texas-Mexico border continue preparing for a possible influx of migrants and Title…
Zelenskyy expected to visit Washington on Wednesday
The trip would come days after Congress, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, unveiled a…
Ex-Fort Worth cop sentenced to nearly 12 years for manslaughter of Atatiana Jefferson
A jury found Aaron Dean guilty of manslaughter last week for the fatal shooting of Jefferson,…
Federal report identifies cause of 2019 Port Neches chemical plant explosion
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board found that TPC Group LLC failed to identify problem areas where…
On the day of the Uvalde shooting, her school bus became a makeshift ambulance
Sylvia Uriegas transported children who were wounded inside Robb Elementary School to the hospital. The terror…
Watch a Jan. 9 Texas Tribune conversation with Comptroller Glenn Hegar
Hegar will discuss the state's biennial revenue estimate, how the state is enjoying a surplus amid…
DeSantis holds early lead over Trump among GOP primary voters
The rivalry between Trump and DeSantis has been building in recent months as the former president…
Texas elections secure despite COVID-related “irregularities” in 2020, audit finds
Four Texas counties were evaluated in a 359-page audit released by Secretary of State John Scott…
GOP lawmakers accuse investment firms of breaking a law that prohibits divesting from oil and gas
At a senate committee hearing in Marshall, Texas Republican lawmakers accused investment firms of pulling back…
Texas GOP lawmaker hires Christian nationalist who called for drag show attendees to be executed
State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, hired Jake Neidert, 22, last month as his office's legislative director…
Did party politics cost a Texas city manager and attorney their jobs?
City councils are typically nonpartisan. Odessa residents are wondering if that's still the case after the…
TribCast: Texas’ persistent problem with maternal mortality
On this week's TribCast, Matthew speaks with Eleanor about a long-awaited state report on maternal mortality…
More Texans give away campaign donations from Sam Bankman-Fried and other FTX affiliates
Earlier this month, The Texas Tribune reported that Beto O'Rourke had given back a $1 million…
Why are pregnancy and childbirth killing so many Black women in Texas?
A decade ago, Black women in Texas were twice as likely as white women to die…
Anticipating a surge in border crossings amid cold temperatures, El Paso declares a state of emergency
With Title 42 ending Wednesday, El Paso officials expect the number of migrants crossing the border…
Ahead of legislative session, voters say state government mostly ignores the most important issues facing Texans
The survey asked voters how they think corporations are handling six social issues. More than any…
To ease looming West Texas water shortage, oil companies have begun recycling fracking wastewater
Oil and gas companies are increasingly reusing "produced water" as West Texas aquifers are being depleted…
Oyster harvesters hit hard as Texas closes reefs for conservation and public health
Oyster harvesters on the Texas coast are facing twin threats to their way of life: The…
Texas power grid expected to withstand extreme cold this week
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas expects sufficient electricity generation as much of the state will…
U.S. Supreme Court allows rapid removal of migrants to continue as legal challenge plays out
Title 42, an emergency health order invoked at the start of the pandemic, allows immigration agents…
“He had our back”: John Scott’s legacy as secretary of state will be his defense of local election officials
Thrust into the job at a contentious time, Scott believed defending the integrity of Texas elections…
Former Fort Worth police officer found guilty of manslaughter of Atatiana Jefferson
A jury on Thursday found Aaron Dean guilty of manslaughter for shooting Jefferson while she babysat…
New Texas maternal mortality report shows disparities persist
The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee report, delayed by more than three months, estimates that…
Democracy for America on track to shut down
The organization started in its current form after Howard Dean's unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign, and throughout…
GOP operative who allegedly kicked a dog hired as top aide to new congressman
Brandon Phillips was arrested last month on a charge of animal cruelty. In 2016, he resigned…
Voters in five Texas cities approved decriminalizing marijuana. Now city officials are standing in the way.
Some local leaders say they worry the changes violate state law, while residents who supported decriminalizing…
’Tis the Season for Politics
The ballot is set and the candidates are on their marks. And the biggest mark of…
An Election Preview Extravaganza
This week we have a jam-packed special episode with our friend Ed Espinoza from Progress Texas.…
Gov. Abbott’s Border Quagmire
We discuss Abbott’s trifecta of failures: COVID-19, the border, and the grid
’Tis the Season for Politics
The ballot is set and the candidates are on their marks. And the biggest mark of…
Recapping the Texas Primary
Ramiro Luna-Hinojosa from Somos Tejas joins us to break down the biggest races and surprises from…
Inside the secret $32M effort to stop ‘Stop the Steal’
Operating with absolutely no public notice, two groups plowed millions across a host of battleground states…
LA City Council member apologizes for leaked racist comments, refuses to resign
LA City Council member apologizes for leaked racist comments, refuses to resign lead image
Brittney Griner back home in U.S. after Russian prisoner swap
The deal saw her swapped for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout.
West Texas parents are suing their schools over racism as others demand action over antisemitic bullying
School leaders have said they don't tolerate racism and that they regularly train teachers how to…
Gov. Greg Abbott appoints new El Paso district attorney
Abbott announced Wednesday that the veteran lawyer Bill Hicks will serve the last two years of…
National Guard member deployed for Operation Lone Star stabbed while off duty in Mexico
The service member is expected to recover.
Texas fights federal rule that would outlaw LGBTQ discrimination in state adoptions and foster care
Texas allows religious groups that are part of the state's child welfare network to refuse to…
Texas attorney general’s office sought state data on transgender Texans
The behind-the-scenes effort by Ken Paxton's office to obtain data on how many Texans had changed…
Austin voters elect Kirk Watson, who served as mayor two decades ago, to lead the city again
Watson, a former state senator who was Austin's mayor from 1997 to 2001, pitched himself as…
Companies say they’re being denied Texas tax breaks as a state agency is overwhelmed with applications
Hundreds of businesses have sought tax savings from the state before the Chapter 313 program expires.…
With billions for broadband on the line, Texas asks federal government for more time to improve access maps
Local officials, echoing Glenn Hegar, say the current maps are flawed and the process to lodge…
DACA deal for “Dreamers” fizzling as Texas Republicans prioritize border security
The House passed the American Dream and Promise Act in March 2021, which would allow DACA…
After disappointing midterms, Texas GOP votes unanimously for a new national leader
Ronna McDaniel has kept the RNC aligned with former President Donald Trump, who some Republicans have…
Why Texas is unlikely to let voters decide on abortion access
A Texas Democrat is proposing a constitutional amendment stopping future abortion restrictions. Voters would have to…