The Texas Tribune

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. WASHINGTON — By this point in the Trump administration, Kay Bailey Hutchison, a former U.S. senator from Texas, had been settled into her new Brussels-based post as NATO ambassador for several months. But Julianne Smith, …

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. For mental health support related to COVID-19, call the state’s 24/7 toll-free support line at 833-986-1919. You can also reach a trained crisis counselor through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 800-273-8255 or texting …

Editor’s note: If you’d like an email notice whenever we publish Ross Ramsey’s column, click here. If you would like to listen to the column, just click on the play button below. Redistricting is when politicians choose their own voters. It’s political as all get out. Officeholders draw districts that contain the highest possible number …

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. State officials have shortlisted five firms to design and build barriers on the Texas-Mexico border — including some companies that had the quality of their work or its impact on the environment questioned on previous …

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. A federal judge has temporarily ordered that some Magnolia Independent School District students disciplined for violating a dress code ban on boys having long hair can return to class without facing further consequences. The temporary …

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. A Republican state lawmaker has launched an investigation into Texas school districts over the type of books they have, particularly if they pertain to race or sexuality or “make students feel discomfort.” State Rep. Matt …

For LGBTQ mental health support, call the Trevor Project’s 24/7 toll-free support line at 866-488-7386. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text 741741 from anywhere in the country to reach a trained crisis counselor. Read our mental health resource guide for more information. Texas’ transgender student athletes will be …

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. After vetoing a similar measure over the summer, Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed into law a bill that makes the unlawful restraint of a dog a crime in Texas. The bill, which passed during …

With the state’s new congressional districts, Republicans designed a map that will tighten their hold on diversifying parts of the state, where the party’s grip on power was waning. It will also lock in the GOP’s majority in the 38-seat delegation for the U.S. House. The state’s delegation had consisted of 23 Republicans and 13 …

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. One of the Republican primary challengers to Attorney General Ken Paxton is launching TV ads earlier than usual in a bid to stand out in the already crowded and contentious race. Radio and TV ads …

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to fast-track two Texas cases involving the state’s near-total ban on abortion, but it refused to halt the law from being enforced. The high court has scheduled oral arguments …

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The number of students attending Texas’ community colleges dropped below enrollment in the state’s four-year universities for the first time since the 1990s as many two-year schools continue to grapple with sharp enrollment declines due …