The passing of a giant: Remembering Sylvester Turner, a longtime legislator, mayor of Houston and member of Congress. The Neiman Marcus flagship store, a symbol for Dallas for more than a century, is set to close for good, despite local efforts. The history of vaqueros and a legacy that continues in many a Texas kitchen and beyond. Tacos of Texas h…

Wildfires are burning in different parts of the state. The latest on containment efforts and on the continued risk. President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress received an intensely divided reception. What he said that could impact Texas. In our ongoing exploration of how Texas came to get the energy system it has today, we go back int…

Texas is in the crosshairs as tariffs against Mexico and Canada take hold. Why, what it means, and could short-term pain add up to long-term gain? At the state capitol, a bill aimed at raising wages for workers who care for people with disabilities. Why some fear it won’t be enough to stem a critical shortage of such workers in Texas. “Office Space…

With a hot, dry summer looming, how some state lawmakers want to reduce the risk of wildfires. It’s been decades since active-duty troops patrolled Big Bend. Now they may be headed back to the national park. Nearly two years after one of the deadliest human smuggling incidents in Texas, a look at how victims’ families and survivors are coping. And:…

One year later, how are people in the Panhandle managing recovery after the biggest wildfire in Texas history? The impact of DOGE cuts hits national parks in Texas, including a historical park in San Antonio. Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio has more. Capital Metro, Austin’s transit agency, saw its payment system collapse for about a month in 2024…

Amid reports of mass layoffs at the IRS, what does the math look like for tax season? More than a million Texas kids have been kicked off Medicaid rolls since 2023. What’s happening? We’ll talk with a reporter at Public Health Watch. Texas school districts are racing to meet a deadline to move students getting special instruction for dyslexia onto …

One person has now died in the Texas measles outbreak that’s up to more than 120 official cases. Hit the road in many parts of Texas these days and you’re likely to see some Teslas. So how are those drivers feeling about the very public and controversial latest moves by CEO Elon Musk? Teacher pay increases may come this Texas legislative session. B…

An appeals court upholds a decision to remove the judge who pushed the state to improve conditions for foster children. What happens now? A controversial lottery win leads Texas to ban third-party apps selling tickets. A federal court has blocked the SAVE plan, a Biden-era initiative aimed at lowering – and in some cases, erasing – student loan deb…

What would be the implications for a Texas constitutional amendment “protecting the right of parents to raise their children”? Blaise Gainey of The Texas newsroom tells us who’s pushing it and the questions surrounding it. Texas-based Southwest and American Airlines are joining with Delta, JetBlue and United to ask a court to overturn a rule requir…

We’re taking a closer look at what’s been happening at this Texas Legislature on school choice, aka school vouchers – and why there could be an early battle between the House and Senate. Plus, the first in a series of profiles of the people behind the politics at the Legislature, starting with Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez. What’s happening with …

A nearly $5 billion bill filed in the Legislature seeks to provide across-the-board raises for teachers and put more money toward bonuses. Lithium-ion batteries are a major fire threat. Learn why and what consumers can do. Texans love sharing their favorite under-the-radar barbecue spots, but how often do they actually live up to the hype? Texas Mo…

15% of Southwest Airlines’ corporate workforce is out of a job in the Dallas-based company’s first-ever major layoffs. Frigid temperatures across the state and all eyes are on the Texas grid’s ability to handle it. How the grid became what it is today. President Trump has dismantled a couple of boards you’ve probably never heard about. Why some are…

A measles outbreak in rural West Texas is rapidly spreading, with 49 cases confirmed. We’ll check in to see how the hospital in that region is responding. The Texas Metropolitan Blueprint is an ambitious five-year plan to help policymakers confront the state’s explosive population growth. Gov. Greg Abbott is warning Texans to prepare for what could…

It took a while, but the Texas House now ready to take action on some closely watched legislation. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom gets us up to speed on the week ahead under the pink dome. A new study assesses the severity of water access problems in colonias, unincorporated communities with long-standing infrastructure issues. What happens af…

Listen to the first episode of Season 3 The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout. This season the podcast explores the history of oil and gas regulation, how the industry became essentially self-regulating, and how some Texas officials continue to see natural gas as the future of electricity production, despite the rapid rise of renew…

After a long wait, the House speaker makes his committee assignments, and some Texas Republicans are none too pleased. We’ll hear the backstory and how it could affect the legislative session going forward. With the New York Stock Exchange moving part of its operations to Dallas and a separate Texas Stock Exchange in the works, North Texas could so…

A new survey gives some strong indications what Texans make of the 47th president and what that portends for Texas Sen. John Cornyn’s re-election prospects. Apple and Microsoft have followed Google in renaming the Gulf of Mexico on their maps after a Trump executive order. Tech journalist Omar Gallaga explains what’s behind the change, and whether …

It’s been four years since the deadly days-long blackout in Texas – and “The Disconnect” podcast is back for a third season, exploring what’s changed and what hasn’t. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been told by the new Trump administration to stop work. How a long-term closure might affect you. An investigation into the death of a fos…

How President Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminum will impact a wide range of companies across the state. Slashing federal grants that fund overhead for research labs will save some money but also hinder life-saving research. Texans know the price of feeding your dog or cat has been rising. A state lawmaker wants to provide some relief by eli…

Concerns are growing about a measles outbreak in West Texas as some legislators push to rollback vaccination requirements. It appears the threat of cutbacks from the federal government may already be having an effect on health services for veterans. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted targeted enforcement actions in Austin last month…

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spoke in front of a crowd of lawmakers and supporters to deliver his State of the State Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 from Arnold Oil’s corporate headquarters in East Austin. He named his list of emergency items, which are the only issues lawmakers can pass bills on in the first 60 days of the session. This is a recording of a live pr…

Reports of massive staffing cuts at USAID are rattling the federal bureaucracy and supporters of foreign aid. Andrew Natsios, a Texas A&M professor and a Republican who once served as a USAID administrator, joins the show with his take on the claims of waste and inefficiency at his former agency. A new historical marker stands outside Rockport buil…

A bill to let families use taxpayer dollars to cover private school tuition was approved by the Texas Senate, but the debate over the bill’s not done. Next stop: the Texas House. El Paso has still not recovered from government vacancies dating back to the height of COVID, with growing concerns about how that’s affecting basic services in one of Tex…

Gov. Greg Abbott announced his priorities over the weekend, and it looks like lawmakers in his party are getting right to work. The Arlington City Council unanimously approved a drilling site that would put 10 new gas wells within a few thousand feet of homes, a daycare and elementary schools. A closer look at the debate. The impact of bird flu goe…

The Trump administration’s tariffs on China have taken effect, while tariffs on Canada and Mexico are on hold for now – but the threat looms, along with uncertainly. We’ll break down what it means for the state. Pete Hegseth, the new secretary of defense, visits the Texas/Mexico border. What he says about sending more troops. When is a school distr…