The stories Texans are living — gathered, checked, and told straight. Our newsroom covers the politics, money, power, and people shaping the state, from the Capitol to campus to the county line.
Immigration
Just what Texas’ sprawling, harrowing, and permanently-under-construction roadways needed — more English literacy quizzes. Truck drivers in the Rio Grande Valley are being questioned about their English literacy, just a week after an executive order took effect that reinforces English proficiency requirements for truckers. Forty drivers in Southern states
News
Dallas-based faith leaders are suing to block a “religiously coercive” bill that requires Texas public schools to display posters of the Ten Commandments. The plaintiffs are all parents, suing on behalf of themselves and their minor-age children, and allege that S.B. 10 “unconstitutionally pressures students” into observing
Culture
This story was originally written by Jasmine Mithani and published by The 19th* News. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Friday that age verification “porn ID” laws are an appropriate way to regulate content for minors without infringing on the First Amendment rights of adults. The ruling, in Free Speech
Crime & Justice
Social media influencer Brian Johnson, better known as the “Liver King,” was arrested at his hotel in Austin on Tuesday night after posting dozens of bizarre, rambling videos “picking a fight” with famous podcaster Joe Rogan, KXAN first reported. He is facing a misdemeanor charge of making a terrorist threat,
Crime & Justice
In a civil trial beginning Monday, the city of Austin will respond to allegations of a “culture of impunity” in the city’s police department — after a lawsuit claimed misconduct has gone relatively unchecked. In 2021, Alex Gonzales Jr. was fatally shot in an “apparent road rage incident” with officers
News
THC is still legal in Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill Sunday night that would have banned all THC products in the state. But the battle isn't over: Soon after the veto, Abbott called lawmakers back to Austin for a special session on July 21 to,
Crime & Justice
Felita Bailey let the shower melt away the sweat and grease from her long shift on the packing line at Tyson Foods. The beef plant could be an assault on the senses. Cows are slaughtered in-house, then processed, pre-cooked, and packaged before being loaded onto trucks. She was
Crime & Justice
The man accused of assassinating a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another has roots in Texas. Vance Boelter attended a nondenominational religious school in Dallas, Christ For the Nations Institute, the school confirmed in a press release. On its website, the school details its religious beliefs, including that marriage is “between
News
Tesla is “tentatively” rolling out its robotaxi service next week, as Elon Musk finally follows through on his decade-old promise to develop a self-driving Tesla taxi. “We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift,” Musk said on X — which means the launch could be
News
Dallas’ “No Kings Day” demonstration was a new experience for Mike Galindo and his family. “This is the first time we’ve come out like this and figured, ‘never too late,’” Galindo said. The father of two attended Saturday’s event with his wife, daughters and an estimated 10,000
News
Texas will spend $50 million to research a naturally occurring but illegal substance, ibogaine, that induces “mind-bending hallucinations” and is heralded by advocates for potential treatment of addiction and brain trauma. Because psychedelics are fine, but recreational THC for pain relief is not.Yee haw. Former Texas governor and
Immigration
Gov. Greg Abbott issued an additional warning to Texans who this week have been protesting ICE and immigration enforcement — he’s sending in the National Guard. On Tuesday, Abbott posted on X that the National Guard will be deployed across the state “to ensure peace & order,” less than 24