The proposed $68 million settlement with a Texas land developer that the Justice Department had accused of preying on Hispanic residents includes no money for the victims but more than $20 million for police and immigration enforcement.

The State Board of Education approved an early draft of social studies changes, setting up a vote in June that will determine how students learn history over the next decade.

A Republican-led House committee approved the penalties Friday, charging Democrats $500 for each day they were absent, plus costs borne by law enforcement to bring them back.

At least three Texas counties were contacted this week by the Department of Homeland Security for detailed records about individual voters.

Chancellor Brandon Creighton directed provosts to phase out the programs and ordered universities to recognize only “two human sexes.”

Some Texans on SNAP say the ban on using food stamps to buy sugary drinks and candy prevents quick fixes to low blood sugar conditions.

In-person early voting runs from April 20-28. The last day to apply to cast a ballot by mail is April 20. Read more about who qualifies for that option, which is limited in Texas, in our guide.

Clarence Curtis Jordan’s attorney said the intellectually disabled man didn’t have a lawyer to work on his behalf for nearly four decades.

The board will have multiple opportunities to revise the list before a final vote in June. Before recent changes, the proposal’s length, lack of diversity and Christian focus received criticism.

A Midland County Republican Women official said they tried for months to extend an invitation to French, who is in a runoff with incumbent Jim Wright, but were unable to reach him.

The Biden administration sued a Texas land developer accused of duping tens of thousands of Hispanic residents. Trump’s DOJ is now offering an unprecedented settlement that experts say could target the very people who were harmed by the developer.

Big Bend Sentinel, the Houston Chronicle, KRIS 6 News in Corpus Christi, KXAN Investigates in Austin and the Texas Observer will report on state and federal efforts to restrict local control.

Production in West Texas has helped the U.S. stabilize its demand for foreign oil amid the Iran war, despite drilling fewer oil wells.

The Republican and Democratic primary runoffs are May 26. See the full list of statewide candidates, as well as local races that will be on your ballot.

Since GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz said the race “isn’t about who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera,” the Democrat has played at a dozen such events in the 15th Congressional District.

A group of 19 camps said fiber-optic internet that lawmakers ordered them to install after last year's floods is too expensive or impossible to get.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation awarded the grant to Schreiner University’s Texas Center, which is led by a historian guiding the state in its social studies revision.

The lieutenant governor’s remarks are the latest sign that Republicans are worried about the fall midterms. The GOP has controlled the state House since 2003 and currently has an 88-62 advantage.

Camp Mystic filed to renew its license in March. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has repeatedly urged state officials to reject the application.

Hemp businesses also want to block a new rule that raises licensing fees by thousands of dollars.

The federal government is penalizing states for having a high error rate in their payments to food stamp recipients.

The tax break is one of the state’s costliest incentive programs and soon to be the most expensive of its kind in the nation.

Almost 60% of students have filled out the FAFSA, but advocates worry immigrant students are missing out.

Students, parents and teachers say Texas’ new social studies plan feels rushed and will exclude key perspectives and historical events.

Rep. Salman Bhojani, one of the first Muslim state legislators, joins TribCast to talk about the backlash his community has experienced in state government.

The president could still weigh in over the next seven weeks. But his inaction before last month’s dropout deadline has only hardened the rivalry.

Urban minister Jimmy Dorrell bade farewell Sunday to his outdoor Waco congregation after baptizing a dozen people in the chilly waters of the Middle Bosque River.

We’re committed to supporting Texans throughout the 2026 election. Share your thoughts by using the form below.

In 2012, the New York Times interviewed Brad Bailey at the Republican National Convention about his efforts to get the party “stop the hatred language and fix the problem.”

One Black Texan sees education savings accounts as an escape from a burning house. Another fears they threaten a robust public school system.

Business owners are applauding the new law because currently, anytime they want to operate in another city or county, they have to pay that jurisdiction’s permitting fee.

While the federal government hasn’t made a public statement about its plans, official maps show a “virtual wall” going through the region rather than a physical barrier.

Office of the Ombudsman has no written policies on how to investigate allegations that education laws are being broken, even though it’s been accepting complaints for three months.

The attorney general’s office reallocated taxpayer-funded rooms to donors and other private citizens, some of whom initially failed to cover the cost of the stay.

The revelation reported first by the New York Post is the latest hit against the Democratic rising star who Republicans are casting as morally depraved because of his past social media posts.

Texas has added 28 more measles cases in the last two weeks. Most infections so far this year have occurred inside West Texas Detention Facility in Hudspeth County.

The city, which does not have a paid family leave policy, established the program to help new parents return to work without sacrificing bonding with their new babies.

Tyler has spent the last decade remaking its parks and sidewalks to allure families. At the same time, a constellation of groups are helping parents take care of their families.

The Houston federal judge said Paxton’s office can pull out of the case as soon as acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock finds new lawyers. The unusual request comes amid a bubbling feud between the two Republicans.

A new approach aims to tailor telehealth to the realities of an older, rural population by offering a physical place with reliable connectivity and an on-site nurse.

The sweeping rule changes, all enacted outside the typical legislative process, have upended life for noncitizens, including those who are here legally.

Starr County remains the sole defendant in a suit seeking $1 million in damages filed by Lizelle Gonzalez, who accused local officials of malicious prosecution and conspiracy.

The demographic breakdown of applicants shows Texas’ voucher program will likely not reflect the diversity of Texas public school students.

Today, we are unveiling our most ambitious update yet to The Texas Tribune’s schools explorer, with more information and added context to help Texans interpret information about our schools.

Groups funded by artificial intelligence industry leaders have spent more than $2.8 million in the state, mostly on U.S. House GOP candidates who favor a light regulatory touch.

The explorer now shows long-term trends, school funding data, and newly released Texas Academic Performance Reports, among other updates.

The Legislature last year approved $50 million to research the psychedelic and find a company to develop it into a drug for FDA approval.

A group of Texas churches and the IRS agreed to nix the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits nonprofits from endorsing candidates. A Trump-appointed judge said no.

4:42 P.M.Huey Ellis purchases smokeable hemp-derived THCA products at Happy Clouds smoke shop in Austin on March 30, 2026, the day before Texas bans the sale of them. 4:48 P.M.Ellis poses for a portrait after purchasing smokeable hemp-derived THCA products the day before Texas bans the sale of them. 4:55 P.M.Hemp flower under a magnifying […]

In this week’s episode, hosts Matthew and Eleanor talk with Tribune K-12 education reporter Jaden Edison about who in Texas applied for school vouchers and why Muslim schools were shut out of the program.

Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks made their fortune in the oil business. They’ve deployed millions of dollars to pull the Texas GOP and Legislature toward their hardline stances.

Early planning and paying attention to which classes are relevant for their major can help students save time and money.

The plaintiffs are asking for the entire Texas prison system to be air-conditioned by the end of 2029 in a trial that is expected to last two weeks.

The Waco school district is expected to be the latest to contract with the charter operator founded by Mike Miles, the state-appointed superintendent of Houston schools.

Since Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas hospitals to start asking patients for their citizenship status in November 2024, reported visits by undocumented immigrants have dropped.

Tens of thousands of residents and small businesses sought damages from power generators after losing electricity during the storm that resulted in billions in losses and 246 deaths.

Patrick’s Friday release of priorities calls on lawmakers to study the emerging issues ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

French, a former Tarrant County GOP chair, also said Republicans should more openly embrace Islamophobia.

An investigation ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott found that less than half a percent of federal money spent on child care scholarships in Texas was considered “improper.”

Wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport are expected to worsen over the weekend as agents miss a second paycheck and increasingly call in sick.

Junior Ezeonu, a Grand Prairie City Council member, defeated Turner in the Democratic primary, becoming the representative-elect for the southeast Tarrant County House district.

The Republican speaker’s interim charges also covered water resources, foreign threats and government accountability.

The panelists at the Dallas event hosted by The Texas Tribune said “Y’all Street” is poised to become the nation's financial capital.

Waller County, near Houston, was the second fastest growing county in the U.S. Another three Texas counties were among the 10 fastest growing in U.S.

Independent rural pharmacists are starting other businesses or selling baby shower gifts to keep their stores operating. Pharmacy deserts affect 4 million Texans.

Most of the state’s measles cases reported so far this year are inside the West Texas Detention Facility in Hudspeth County, where four infected El Paso residents worked.

Presidential memoirs, the Three Musketeers, and even Guinness World Records have been pulled from New Braunfels ISD library shelves in the face of a new state law, according to records obtained by a Texas nonprofit.

Philosophy professor Idris Robinson argued that his comments, made in an off-campus setting, were protected speech.

In a Thursday letter, Paxton said Hancock jeopardized the state’s defense in the case by leaking a separate letter he sent to the AG’s office on Tuesday.

Reitz, a former aide to Texas AG Ken Paxton, had sharply criticized both Middleton and Chip Roy on the campaign trail.

McAllen leaders hope the new Valeo manufacturing plant is a sign that the region, one of the most impoverished in the state, can attract better-paying jobs for its college graduates.

Gov. Greg Abbott had opened two such sites as he surged thousands of DPS troopers and Guard members to the Texas-Mexico border.

The City Council rejected building a plant to turn seawater into drinkable water because of the cost and environmental concerns. Now it’s looking at water from a different plant.

The Boring Company said it would begin assessing the feasibility of building an underground tunnel connecting a university with a new development.

Mayor Paulette Guajardo faces allegations of misconduct over a 2024 hotel development project.

Officials approved the change after hearing from speakers who argued it would hamper the state’s economy and push immigrants to work without licenses in the black market.

The sprawling immigration lockups are serving as a national blueprint. What's life like for detainees?

“Perhaps the Attorney General only recently learned of this program; perhaps the office’s attention was focused elsewhere,” lawyers for Abbott wrote, noting the fund has existed for five years.

From drilling groundwater wells to recycling wastewater, Corpus Christi has launched a host of projects as it races against the clock to find more water.

New rules from state health officials ban smokeable intoxicating hemp products, including pre-rolled joints and hemp flower.

The Texas Tribune has added some new faces to the roster who will be digging deep and investigating some of the state’s most urgent and interesting storylines.

KSAT Investigates’ newest special, “Dangerous Lessons,” digs into a problem unfolding inside classrooms: students hurting educators.

Schools were also directed to cancel or change celebrations of the late civil rights leader amid allegations of sexual abuse.

KSAT Investigates is searching for solutions to classroom violence — examining what works, pressing lawmakers for answers and tracking efforts to better protect teachers.

The city’s water supply has been nearly depleted by a prolonged drought and a recent boon of oil refineries in the area. Locals have been limiting outdoor watering, shower time and car washes.

Several Islamic schools sued Texas for excluding them from the voucher program. Iman Academy is instead calling for fairness while hoping to be judged by its work — not stereotypes.

The government is installing the first 17 miles of industrial-grade buoys in Brownsville. Experts warn the buoys could intensify flooding and change the river’s course.

The city manager said the city received permits to pump more groundwater and will avoid water reductions from a shrinking reservoir for now, pushing a potential water crisis to July.

Offering new details, President Harrison Keller said no state official pushed for the changes, which include phasing out degrees in linguistics and Latin American and women’s and gender studies.

The city produces 5% of the nation’s refined products like gas and jet fuel, and experts say a serious water shortage could force production down and push fuel prices up even further.

The move of authority to the Texas Railroad Commission from the federal government now makes it easier for energy companies to apply for permits to store carbon underground.

Texas Rep. Josey Garcia, D-San Antonio, suggested city leaders rename César Chávez Boulevard and proposed honoring labor leader Dolores Huerta instead.

In his appeal, James Broadnax, who also wants a new trial, included a signed confession by his cousin saying he committed the 2008 Garland murders.

The state does not track the prevalence or provide guidance on the issue, leaving inmates to languish in jail and eventually sue counties for damages.

An experienced child welfare manager was appointed to take over case management after “systemic failures” placed children in danger, court records said.

The New York Times on Wednesday published allegations that the labor rights leader had sexually abused women and girls.

Starting April 1, Texans will no longer be allowed to use food stamps to buy sweetened beverages and candy.

Voters will decide over 30 races, including a nationally watched battle between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton. The registration deadline is April 27, and early voting is May 18–22.

Two out of the five projections city leaders presented Tuesday showed water shortages beginning in May. The city has yet to detail plans for how to reduce water use for residents and businesses.

The state health department reports that 99 of the cases originated in a contracted detention facility in Hudspeth County.