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‘Anything we can do to help’: This Texas county is poised to play a key role in deportations
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas — The letter to President-elect Donald Trump, sent to his Mar-a-Lago Club estate in Florida just two weeks after his resounding victory in the Nov. 5 election, came straight to the point. “Subject: Texas offering 1,400 acres of land adjacent to the Texas-Mexico Border for construction of deportation facilities,” read the […]
Emergency responders struggle with burnout, budgets as disasters mount
AUSTIN, Texas — Four days after residents of coastal Houston celebrated the Fourth of July with the traditional parades, backyard barbecues and fireworks, Beryl came calling. The Category 1 hurricane, weakened from an earlier Category 5, slammed into Texas’ largest city on July 8 — an unusual midsummer arrival. Delivering one of the worst direct […]
School voucher proponents spend big to overcome rural resistance
AUSTIN, Texas — In rural Texas, public schools are the cultural heart of small towns. People pack the high school stadium for Friday night football games, and FFA classes prepare the next generation for the agricultural life. In many places, more people work for the school district than for any other employer. For years, many […]
‘Smash-and-grab’ robberies fuel new laws, but critics question the need
Even before Virginia lawmakers passed a tough new law against organized retail crime earlier this year, Bradley Haywood, a public defender in Arlington, Virginia, challenged the rationale. The idea that retailers in the state had lost billions to organized theft was a myth manufactured by retailers themselves, Haywood argued. Now the outspoken lawyer has fresh […]
Solar energy and its cheaper bills are coming to more disadvantaged communities
HOUSTON — When a lightning storm knocked out power in Doris Brown’s Northeast Houston neighborhood this summer, her solar-powered home suddenly became a refuge for frantic neighbors left without electricity. The impromptu guests were able to charge their cellphones, power up their CPAP and portable oxygen machines, and take hot showers. A party vibe prevailed […]
Lawsuit over Texas abortion ban could be a model in other states
Read more Stateline coverage on how states are either protecting or curbing access to abortions. AUSTIN, Texas — A lawsuit in Texas asserting that the state’s abortion ban imperils women by dissuading doctors from ending dangerous pregnancies could provide a template for similar challenges across the country. Texas is one of 14 states that banned abortion after […]
New Texas law allowing chaplains in public schools could be a model for other states
AUSTIN, Texas — A new law authorizing chaplains to provide counseling to students is propelling Texas to the forefront of a national push to inject religious expression into public schools. The state’s Republican-led legislature approved the bill as part of a broader effort to expand the role of religion in education. The Texas Senate approved, but the House defeated, other […]
4-day school weeks, gaining in popularity, face pushback from lawmakers
MINERAL WELLS, Texas — Desperate to fill open positions amid a statewide teacher shortage, school officials in this rural North Texas city of about 15,000 chose to follow the lead of neighboring districts by converting to a four-day school week at the start of the current student year. “We decided if we can’t beat them, […]
Universities Grapple With Diversity Policies After GOP Crackdown
AUSTIN, Texas — In July 2020, the president of Texas A&M University appointed a 45-member commission to examine the progress of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the nearly 70,000-student flagship campus in College Station. The panel’s report, released in January 2021, found both strengths and weaknesses in the school’s approach. But overall, said the […]
Texas Town Tries a New Model for Saving Rural Health Care
BOWIE, Texas — After sitting empty and exposed to thieves and vandals for more than two years, the one-story hospital that served Bowie for more than five decades is close to making a comeback — of sorts. Reflecting the struggles facing hospitals throughout rural America, Bowie Memorial Hospital has closed twice since 2015, the first […]
The Push to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession Continues, Town by Town
KILLEEN, Texas — As he plied the streets of Killeen in his silver Volvo SUV on a recent Sunday, Louie Minor recalled his time as a deputy constable whose duties included arresting marijuana users. Minor, a 43-year-old Iraq war veteran, wanted to reach as many voters as possible in a mission that might have seemed […]
Governors Split on Biden’s Call to Pardon Low-Level Pot Offenders
AUSTIN, Texas — When President Joe Biden earlier this month granted blanket pardons to more than 6,500 Americans convicted of marijuana possession under federal law, he urged governors to pardon the much greater number of low-level marijuana offenders in their states. But the response from governors has been mixed. Some Democratic governors are taking steps toward […]