After teasing border security rollback, Texas plunges in deeper
Texas’ border spending exploded after Joe Biden’s election, then state leaders signaled a new willingness to reduce it when Trump won. That didn’t last long. Full Story
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![Texas National Guard members load a raft to a pickup at the bank of the Rio Grand at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, on Jan. 16, 2024. Texas has closed off Shelby Park, cutting access to federal agents to part of the Texas-Mexico border and escalating tensions between the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: What does Gov. Abbott want?
The gang talks about the State of the State, how Abbott wields power and how many priority bills are too many priority bills. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott gives his State of the State Address at Arnold Oil Company in Austin on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2024.]()
Credit: Office of the Governor -
Justice Department restarts legal aid programs for detained immigrants
The agency’s reversal comes after a federal judge told the Trump administration it must continue to pay for grants and other programs it abruptly froze last month. Full Story
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![A woman commutes across the U.S-Mexico border crossing in Laredo on Nov. 9, 2021.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Abbott’s political muscle puts his agenda on fast track in Legislature
The governor’s list of priority items includes issues important to social conservatives and to business advocates. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about school choice in Texas during a visit to Kingdom Life Academy, a private school in Tyler, on Nov. 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans want more property tax cuts. Here’s how they may do it.
Gov. Greg Abbott said cutting taxes is a top priority, however, state lawmakers don’t have as much money to plug into tax cuts as they did two years ago. Full Story
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![A residential neighborhood seen Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Midland.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas regulators grapple with a growing problem: old oil wells leaking polluted water
Two years after lawmakers created a $10 million program to address leaking wells in rural counties, none of the money has been distributed. Full Story
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![Hawk Dunlap stands at the site of Lake Boehmer, a brine lake that has leaked out of an old well in Pecos County.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang/The Texas Tribune -
Absenteeism spiked in the pandemic. Texas schools want the state’s help to keep students in the classroom.
Chronically absent students — those who missed at least 10% of their school days — are more likely to drop out, education advocates say. Full Story
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![Nimitz Middle School students gather in the hallway outside of a classroom as they wait for a teacher between periods Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
A mom, a student: How a San Antonio parent juggles school, work and child care for a better future
One in four Texas students is raising a child while getting a college degree. For Isabella Mapes, it has meant little sleep and, at times, a lonely journey. Full Story
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![Isabella Marie Mapes, right, spends time with her daughter Lila Smith, 1, at home on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in San Antonio. Isabella Marie Mapes is a 22-year-old parent attending San Antonio College.]()
Credit: Salgu Wissmath for The Texas Tribune -
Two more state employees fired after accessing Texans’ private information
So far, nine HHSC employees have been fired for accessing without a “business” purpose the private information of Texans seeking public assistance that includes Medicaid and food stamps. Full Story
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![The Brown Heatly Health and Human Services building in Austin on Nov. 29, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Texas National Guard to make immigration arrests under agreement with Trump administration, Abbott says
Gov. Greg Abbott said that the agreement was effective immediately. Full Story
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![Members of the Texas National Guard stand guard on the banks of the Rio Bravo river, the border between the United States and Mexico, with the purpose of reinforcing border security and inhibiting the crossing of migrants into the United States, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, May 12, 2023.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez -
Trump delays tariffs on Mexico and Canada for one month
Leaders of the three countries said they agreed to send more troops to the border, tackle U.S. arms smuggling into Mexico and increase collaboration over security issues. Full Story
Credit: REUTERS/Daniel Becerril -
After Hurricane Beryl, Texas lawmakers push for generators at senior living facilities
After failed attempts in 2021 and 2023, southeast Texas lawmakers have filed bills to require generators in nursing homes and assisted living centers. Full Story
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![Nettie Carlisle, a cook at Ella Springs Senior Living Community in Houston, holds open the empty freezer at the assisted living center on July 12, 2024. All the food had to be thrown out after the widespread power outage caused by Hurricane Beryl.]()
Credit: Olivia Anderson/The Texas Tribune -
Some Texas lawmakers want to ban countywide voting on Election Day. Local officials are pushing back.
Election administrators say letting people cast a ballot at any polling site is more convenient for voters and cheaper for local governments. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, in the Texas Senate chamber on September 6, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/Pool for the Texas Tribune -
Abbott vows pay raises for teachers and more property tax relief
The governor’s speech sets a broad agenda for the Legislature, including a nuclear renaissance and a Texas Cyber Command. Full Story
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![Gov. Abbott speaks at a press conference in Eagle Pass where he unveiled state-sponsored billboards being placed in Central and South America to deter migrants from coming to the U.S.-Mexico border on Dec. 19, 2024.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Trump orders tariffs on Mexico and Canada — Texas’ biggest trading partners
The tariffs, which also target China, are scheduled to go into effect Tuesday. They prompted immediate efforts to retaliate. Full Story
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![A line of trucks wait to cross the World Trade Bridge over the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States in Laredo, on Sept. 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Trump’s tariffs have even his supporters in Texas nervous
Trump has vowed punishing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, which are Texas’ biggest international trading partners. Full Story
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![Trucks entering the United States after crossing the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville on Jan. 10, 2019,]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar for The Texas Tribune -
“A lot of fear going on”: Texas immigrant community on edge during Trump’s first weeks
Across the state, immigrants and their loved ones are changing their daily habits as the Trump administration orders at least 1,200 daily arrests of undocumented people. Full Story
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![People gather at Memorial Park in El Paso on Jan. 29, 2025 to protest ICE raids and deportations.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Abbott expected to promote vouchers and other highlights of his 2025 agenda in Sunday speech
After successful campaigns for House allies, the governor is in a position to set an ambitious course for the legislative session. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott delivers an address while welcoming state Senators during the opening of the Texas legislative session in Austin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
“How do we protect our poultry flocks?” Texas dairy, poultry producers grapple with bird flu
Across the country, dairy producers have dumped milk and infected chickens have been killed, including millions of egg-laying hens, causing egg prices to skyrocket. Full Story
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![Cattle are brought across the U.S.- Mexico border at a livestock import/export facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico on January 22, 2021.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Legal rights groups urge school leaders not to adopt Texas’ Bible-infused curriculum
The coalition of legal organizations told Texas school district leaders that it would “take any action” necessary to protect the rights of students and their families. Full Story
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![A woman reads her bible before the Exalt Showcase of gospel and Christian music at Central Presbyterian Church at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Film Interactive Festival 2017 in Austin on March 14, 2017.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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