By Hien An Ngo, The Texas Tribune July 20, 2026 The race for Texas’s senate seat is shaping up to be one the most expensive competitions in the nation. Democratic nominee James Talarico is setting records, raising more at this stage of the race than any Texas general-election candidate in the past decade and posting…

By Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune July 24, 2026 Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday a third person has died in the flooding that swept through much of the Hill Country and South Texas. The flood victim was swept away while driving July 20 in Val Verde County, Abbott said during a media briefing in Cotulla,…

By Uriel J. García, The Texas Tribune July 24, 2026 Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare on Friday said federal investigators have not shared evidence with his office, including the name of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston earlier this month. “My office has reached…

By Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune July 24, 2026 Educators with national teaching certification could no longer automatically qualify for salary raises under Texas’ pay-for-performance program if officials who oversee the credential do not de-emphasize diversity, equity and inclusion. The State Board for Educator Certification voted Friday to require that National Board Certification — a…

July 24, 2026 Having trouble viewing the News? View as Webpage Letter from the Executive Director Rob Hughes Good policy creates opportunity without sacrificing what already works. That is why the recent introduction of the bipartisan Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion Act in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate deserves attention from the forestry community:…

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC) led a multi-agency investigation that resulted in the arrest of three Romanian nationals accused of operating an organized skimming scheme targeting retailers across Texas. The investigation began in June 2026 after local retailers requested assistance with multiple reports of point-of-sale skimming devices. Investigators determined…

By David Lightman, Stateline July 24, 2026 WASHINGTON — Political party poll watchers are showing up more and more, usually outside polling places. They have a different mission than the nonpartisan election observers long regarded as bulwarks of credibility, and there’s concern that voters will be confused who’s there to influence them and who’s there…

By Jayme Lozano Carver and Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune July 24, 2026 LUBBOCK — The U.S. will resume importing a limited amount of cattle from Mexico, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday. The decision comes as a flesh-eating parasite outbreak continues. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said it is…

By Uriel J. García, Lomi Kriel and Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune July 24, 2026 The “crystal-like substance” the FBI found inside the van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo — the 52-year-old who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Houston earlier this month — was not an illicit drug, according to U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia,…

By Alejandra Martinez, The Texas Tribune July 24, 2026 Two critical South Texas lakes that supply water to drought-stricken Corpus Christi will rise significantly in the coming days as runoff from last week’s flooding rain flows downstream from the Hill Country. It is, however, too early to predict if it will be a true “drought…