Feds pausing Big Bend border construction while CBP commissioner visits the park
By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune August 17, 2026 WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott announced that his agency is pausing construction work in Big Bend National Park while he conducts an “on-the-ground evaluation,” reversing course after heavy machinery had begun moving dirt. In a video posted to X on Monday,…
Read MoreCan Austin break the costly cycle of homelessness, jail and crisis? A new program aims to do that.
By Austin Current, The Texas Tribune August 17, 2026 On a hot August afternoon, Marcus Martin walked out of the Travis County Correctional Complex in Southeast Austin after about six months behind bars, a broad smile stretched across his face. He’s been incarcerated before, but he believes this time is different. Outside the facility, several…
Read MoreOp-Ed: The Fight Against Flock Cameras Is Just the Beginning
As more communities in Texas wake up to the danger of mass surveillance, the solution isn’t trading one brand of camera for another. It’s regulating the whole industry. By Farrah Hassen Government surveillance isn’t new, but new wide-ranging technologies that can detect our faces and track our movements are making it more ubiquitous. While the…
Read MoreFree Austin Workshop Helps Veterans Turn Ideas into Working Software Prototypes
Free Sept. 4 workshop requires no coding experience Austin, Texas —Veterans with an idea for building a software business can turn that idea into a working prototype during a free, hands-on workshop on Sept. 4 in Austin — with no coding experience required. The Veteran SaaS Launch Lab, held Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, from 9…
Read MoreFormer Harmony ISD head football coach, wife killed in car crash
EAST BERNARD, Texas (KLTV) – Former Harmony ISD head football coach Jeremy Jenkins and his wife Brandy were killed in a car crash Saturday night. Read more: Former Harmony ISD head football coach, wife killed in car crash See also: Texas high school football coach killed along with wife in car accident
Read MoreTexas Weekly Gas Price Update
August 17, 2026 Average gasoline prices in Texas have risen 11.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.62/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 5.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 89.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The…
Read MoreTexas Cattle’s Unexpected Role in the American Revolution
THE LONG ROAD MICHAEL A. MURPHY/TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Texas Cattle’s Unexpected Role in the American Revolution It seems improbable that Texas—not one of the 13 original colonies vying for independence or yet its own state—could contribute to the 1776 rebellion against England. But some historians believe that when Spain allied with France to battle…
Read MoreAs the only Texas district to trigger potential state takeover, Austin ISD’s future now in TEA’s hands
By Andrea Ball and Austin Current, The Texas Tribune August 14, 2026 Austin school district leaders are determined to turn around the two middle schools that triggered mandatory state intervention. Whether they get the chance may no longer be up to them. Burnet and Webb middle schools received their fifth consecutive F ratings from the…
Read MoreTexas cities eye property tax hikes, spending cuts amid yawning budget gaps
By Joshua Fechter, The Texas Tribune August 17, 2026 DALLAS — Texas cities have floated unusual proposals to slash their spending as they face yawning budget gaps, from laying off employees and charging non-residents higher zoo ticket prices, to asking voters to reconsider public funding to a new arena for the San Antonio Spurs. These…
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