The cartoonists were busy this year as we managed to complete another lap around the sun.…
Category: Texas Blue News
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…
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…
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…
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 Â
’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…
More than 1,500 migrants wade across the Rio Grande into El Paso in one day
Over the weekend, U.S. immigration officials processed and released more than 1,700 migrants into El Paso,…
Gov. Greg Abbott calls for five-year mandatory sentence for human smugglers
Abbott is making his pitch ahead of the upcoming legislative session.
Ope, sorry: Midwestern House Dems push for leaders between the coasts
Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell and her allies are done being polite about Democrats' lack of leadership…
3 numbers that show how Raphael Warnock won the Georgia runoff
The GOP is coming to terms with the consequences of its recent aversion to mail voting,…
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…
Critics are pouncing on Harris County’s election fumbles, real and concocted, to fuel legal challenges
In the latest fallout from Election Day woes, a GOP judicial candidate is suing to overturn…
Chronically understaffed Texas prisons set stage for prison bus escape and massacre of family
Investigative reviews by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and independent consultants found the severely short-staffed…
Delayed Texas maternal mortality report to be released next week, state says
Due in September, the report was delayed to allow a full review of 2019 cases, the…
Private RNC member emails reveal anger at Trump, frustration with McDaniel’s response to him
In missives sent to all 168 members, several committeemen expressed horror with the Nick Fuentes dinner.…
Texas drag shows become a right-wing target amid rising extremism
LGBTQ Texans say lawmakers and right-wing figures are misrepresenting what happens at all-ages performances to propagate…
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady leaves Washington after 26 years of placing policymaking over headline-making
Brady condemned the divisiveness that has taken hold of American politics, saying social media is the…
Democrats elected a big class of young governors. They might be the future of the party.
These new state executives say they're "the next generation of national leaders," and they're willing to…
Texas hits 1,000 days under Greg Abbott’s public health disaster as a new COVID-19 wave and legislative session loom
After more than 92,000 deaths and 8 million reported COVID-19 cases in Texas, the state remains…
Texas state court throws out lawsuit against doctor who violated abortion law
The court's ruling does not overturn the 2021 law, which banned abortions after about six weeks…
Houston native Brittney Griner, a WNBA star, released from Russian custody in prisoner swap
The Texas basketball star was first detained in February and was recently moved to a Russian…
On the margins of downtown San Antonio, a maligned neighborhood mobilizes to save itself
Born of segregation and redlining, the near West Side has long been mostly Latino, mostly low-income.…
Gov. Greg Abbott bans TikTok on state phones and computers, citing cybersecurity risks
Following the lead of several other GOP governors, Abbott said banning the social media platform, which…
Texas House Democratic Caucus elects Trey Martinez Fischer as its new chair
Martinez Fischer replaces Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, who has led the caucus since 2017…
In defamation lawsuit against Beto O’Rourke, lawyers debate whether Kelcy Warren is a public figure
Warren, a Dallas pipeline tycoon, sued O'Rourke in February over accusations he made on the campaign…
Why some Texas cities and counties had to return millions of dollars meant to help renters during the pandemic
For some local relief programs, a lack of staffing, political support and effective community outreach got…
Travis County judges can’t hear appeals from migrants arrested under Texas border security push, court rules
The Court of Criminal Appeals scuttled nearly 450 cases, saying migrants arrested for trespassing in Kinney…
A boil-water notice in Houston made national news. In rural Texas, it’s a way of life.
Rural communities face compounding reasons they can't improve their water infrastructure, including inflation and a lack…
Cruz: “Of course” Trump was wrong to call for terminating Constitution
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz condemned the comment by the former president, but he also said that…
Gov. Greg Abbott says he will nominate retiring state Sen. Jane Nelson to be secretary of state
Nelson planned to retire from the Senate after 30 years in office. But her nomination will…
True or false: Colorado is a swing state
Last month Sen. Michael Bennet won reelection over his Republican challenger, Joe O'Dea, resisting some of…
What happened when Biden and the Royals came to Boston
Union members in Dorchester held a phone bank Biden could use to show his solidarity with…
Cheney calls Trump ‘enemy of the Constitution’ after he proposes terminating it
A number of other Republicans condemned the message, but most stopped short of criticizing Trump himself.
‘One of the oldest hatreds’: Netanyahu sees new source of antisemitism
"There are many, many blessings of the internet age, but it comes also with a curse.…