Texans are falling behind on their light bills — especially during extreme heat
One organization helping Texans pay their electric bills said the average household was $1,400 behind. Full Story
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![Mary Ann Estrella sits for a portrait inside her apartment in Midland, Texas, on April 20, 2024.]()
Credit: Reilly Strand for The Texas Tribune -
Galveston County redistricting case draws divide among federal appeals court judges
The 5th Circuit expressed skepticism about arguments from both sides in considering whether a coalition of Black and Latino voters should be granted the same protections as a single racial group under the Voting Rights Act. Full Story
![A statue of a returning Confederate soldier on Thursday, April 21, 2022 in Galveston, TX. Known as The “Dignified Resignation,” the monument has stood in front of the Galveston County Courthouse since 1911. Commissioner Stephen Holmes made a motion to have the statue removed in 2020 but it was not supported by any other commissioners.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
“Trust in yourself”: Colony Ridge residents rely on business savvy to establish life in U.S.
Despite several daily and systematic challenges, the Liberty County community is home to industrious entrepreneurs from across the Latin American diaspora. Full Story
![Susana Cazares, 49, Leo’s Beer Barn owner in Cleveland, helps her nephew Santiago Lopez, 3, blow bubbles at her business on April 12, 2024, in Cleveland. The longtime Colony Ridge resident, Cazares, fostered her entrepreneurial spirit in the development and included her family in the business growth.]()
Credit: Marie D. De Jesús/Houston Landing -
Appeals court considers whether West Texas A&M drag show was unconstitutionally banned
University President Walter Wendler canceled a drag performance last year, claiming such shows “denigrate and demean women.” Full Story
![Clock tower on campus at West Texas A&M University on March 23, 2023.]()
Credit: David Bowser for The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Trans man who aged out of Texas foster care says politicians are vilifying LGBTQ+ kids
As Kayden Asher tumbled through several foster placements, Texas leaders intensified their efforts to regulate the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Full Story
![Kayden Asher poses for a potrait on Nov. 19, 2023. Asher was placed under the care of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at 15, after coming out as a trans man. He says he was discriminated against during his time in DFPS. Before his 18th birthday, he asked to be moved to Austin, where he found an affirming placement and was able to start hormone therapy.]()
Credit: Greta Díaz González Vázquez/The Texas Tribune -
Creative solutions needed for local news to maintain trust and prevent “news deserts,” panelists say
We talked about local news and news deserts in Texas, how communities are impacted and what can be done to ensure Texans across the state have access to reliable local news. Full Story
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Texas politics leave transgender foster youth isolated — during and after life in state care
Support once afforded LGBTQ+ foster kids has vanished and a culture of silence has blanketed the agency tasked with raising children growing up in the system. Full Story
![Isabella Morningstar asks Marcus Anthony, a case manager at Thrive Youth Center if they have received any updates on her new birth certificate. She looks over his shoulder as he navigates the shelter’s email for any information about Morningstar. She has had a difficult time updating her paperwork to her current legal name, since she left the foster care system.]()
Credit: Greta Díaz González Vázquez/The Texas Tribune -
Most 18-year-old Texans aren’t signed up to vote despite a law requiring voter registration in high schools
Voting is habit-forming and high schools are critical for starting that pattern. Full Story
![On the left, Mihir Relan, 18, and Bianca Juarez, 18, registers to vote with the help of Jolt Initiative, a non-profit organization that increases the civic participation of Latinos in Texas, on Friday, April 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune -
Años antes de que los caracterizaran como criminales, los residentes de Colony Ridge buscaron ayuda del estado
Los residentes presentaron más de 60 quejas en contra de Colony Ridge. No obtuvieron muchas soluciones del estado. Full Story
![An overhead view of the Colony Ridge development on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, in New Caney, Texas.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Migrants with disabilities struggle to access the U.S. asylum system, advocates say
The CBP One phone app, which most migrants use to begin the U.S. asylum process, isn’t accessible to those who are blind, deaf, have mobility issues, or have intellectual disabilities, according to a complaint. Full Story
![Migrants expelled from the U.S. and sent back to Mexico under Title 42, use their phones near the Paso del Norte International border bridge, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico May 21, 2022.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez -
How plans for a West Texas drag show turned into a war over the First Amendment
In the staunchly conservative Panhandle, LGBTQ+ Texans say political and legal battles overlook their humanity. Full Story
![From left, Marcus Stovall and Bear Bright stand of the sidewalk across the street from the courthouse Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 in Canyon, Tx.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Texas artists discuss art and democracy at Tribune event
During the panel conversation, the panelists talked about what inspires them to do the work they do and how they see their role in driving dialogue, activism and change. Full Story
![Promo image for an April 10 conversation on Art and democracy discussing how artists are driving dialogue, activism and change in Texas.]()
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U.S. Supreme Court declines to intervene in lawsuit over West Texas A&M drag shows
The decision means university President Walter Wendler could cancel an on-campus drag show next week. He canceled a previous show last year. Full Story
![Students rallied against the university president’s decision to cancel a drag performance at West Texas A&M University on March 23, 2023.]()
Credit: David Bowser for The Texas Tribune -
Texas counties lead the U.S. in population growth, Census says
Kaufman County, east of Dallas, grew faster than any other in the country from 2022 to 2023. Harris County added the most new residents. Full Story
![A roofing crew begins to shingle a home under construction in the new Pavilion Park housing development in North Midland Monday, March 14, 2022.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
Vicente Gonzalez compares Latino Trump supporters to “Jews for Hitler”
The South Texas Democrat said Latinos who support former President Donald Trump are voting against their self interest, but Republicans recoiled at the comparison. Full Story
![U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, at his election night watch party in Brownsville on Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
“This school district has failed him”: Trans Katy teen drops out after gender policy passes
The district’s new approach to gender identity has dramatically impacted students like Kadence Carter, who left Mayde Creek High School after it went into effect. Full Story
![Kadence Carter, 17, a transgender teen and former Mayde Creek High School student sits for a portrait at his father's workplace Dec. 8, 2023, in Houston. Kadence unenrolled from the school in August 2023 after constant bullying and a teacher misgendering him following passage of a new Katy Independent School District gender identity policy.]()
Credit: Marie D. De Jesús/Houston Landing -
Panelists at Tribune event discuss how to keep downtowns vibrant post-pandemic
The Texas Tribune partnered with the LBJ School of Public Affairs Urban Lab for a panel conversation on the challenges and opportunities facing Texas downtowns. Full Story
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Interfaith collaboration is vital to solving today’s massive challenges, community leaders say
During a conversation hosted in Houston by The Texas Tribune, panelists talked about the importance of building bridges among different faiths despite politics often causing divisions within institutions. Full Story
![In this Texas Tribune conversation, which is part of our “We the Texans” project looking at the state of democracy in Texas, we’ll talk with faith leaders about improving their communities, getting past the daily vitriol we hear in public discourse and what guidance they give to people who are losing faith in our systems and institutions.]()
Credit: Alfredo Palacios/The Texas Tribune -
Republican voter turnout far outpaces Democrat turnout in 2024 primaries
About 3.2 million Texans voted in the state’s primary election, down from 4.1 million during the 2020 presidential primary. Democratic turnout accounted for the entirety of the decline. Full Story
![A 'Vote Here' sign is located inside of the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility on Mar. 1, 2024. These signs guide voters into the room where they can cast ballots.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Years before Texas conservatives painted them as criminals, Colony Ridge residents sought help from state agencies
Texas has little to show for conservative leaders’ uproar — or previously unreported complaints about the community developer. Full Story
![An overhead view of the Colony Ridge development on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, in New Caney, Texas.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune
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