By Stephen Simpson, The Texas Tribune April 8, 2026 Smokeable hemp products, such as flower buds and rolled joints, are allowed back on shelves until the state’s appeal of a statewide ban on the sale of the drug is heard in court next Thursday. The state’s 15th Court of Appeals granted a request by lawyers…

By Olivia Borgula, The Texas Tribune May 8, 2026 Last year’s redistricting upended the makeup of Texas’ 35th Congressional District, prompting the Democratic incumbent, Rep. Greg Casar, to run for a different seat. The open race for the new TX-35 spurred competitive primaries on both sides, with two Democrats and two Republicans advancing to runoffs…

By Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune May 8, 2026 For the fourth time in less than four weeks, Gov. Greg Abbott has forced a Texas city to yield to his will by threatening to withdraw public safety grants administered by his office. In Texas, where Republicans dominate state leadership and Democrats hold sway in many…

By Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune May 8, 2026 As Texas struggles to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, a state fund had $1.28 billion available this year to support projects that could deliver water even in a severe drought.  Unfortunately, 23 worthy projects requested a total of $4.2 billion, prompting the state…

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a…

It took 60 years for Black Americans to get representation in Congress proportionate to their numbers. Now we’re likely to backslide. By Dedrick Asante-Muhammad | May 7, 2026 The United States took a decisive step toward democracy with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. At the time, Black political representation was not…

China Plays It Smart in the Iran War by Mel Gurtov 852 words China has played a cautious hand on Iran. It has chosen not to try to defend a country that is a major source of oil and officially a “comprehensive strategic partner.” Instead, it has urged a diplomatic solution that will reopen the…

By Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune May 7, 2026 The governing board for Texas’ jail watchdog agency on Thursday confirmed its interim executive director for the permanent position. Ricky Armstrong, who worked as McLennan County’s jail administrator before joining the Texas Commission on Jail Standards as an assistant director in 2022, heads an agency that…