By Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune April 10, 2026 Texas Tech University System’s chancellor on Friday ordered campuses to phase out academic programs “centered on” sexual orientation and gender identity — a dramatically expanded policy that also places limits on what can be researched and which faculty can be hired. Chancellor Brandon Creighton’s memo gives…

By Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune April 10, 2026 The Texas State Board of Education voted Friday to approve an early draft of the state’s new social studies plan, but not without clashes over the portrayal of Islam and the history of Black and Hispanic Americans. A Republican majority voted to approve the changes to…

By Natalia Contreras, The Texas Tribune April 10, 2026 This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletters here. At least three Texas counties this week either received or were told they would soon receive administrative subpoenas from the…

by Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, and Paige Pfleger, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio April 10, 2026, 12:00 pm EDT Tennessee lawmakers passed legislation this week to fix the state’s controversial threats of mass violence law, which had resulted in children being charged with felonies over jokes and misunderstandings. Gov. Bill Lee is expected to sign the bill, which…

By Darius Tahir and Hannah Norman, KFF Health News April 10, 2026 This year, executives from nearly every major health insurance company made the same declaration in calls with Wall Street analysts: Using artificial intelligence to make coverage decisions would help save them money. Even the Trump administration is testing AI’s usefulness in managing the…

By Sam Whitehead April 9, 2026 Katie Crouch says calling her state’s Medicaid agency to get information about her benefits can feel like a series of dead ends. “The first time, it’ll ring interminably. Next time, it’ll go to a voice mail that just hangs up on you,” said the 48-year-old, who lives in Delaware.…

View in Browser Patriot, The Swamp’s war on Border Security is reaching its highest level. They are pushing full amnesty for illegal aliens through the “Dignity Act”, as noted by the bill’s author. If this bill passes and becomes law, it will devastate our country. The Dignity Act allows illegal aliens to stay here and…

Friend, Welcome to your Friday Fiscal Note.   This week, we take a look at the recently released interim charges for both the Texas House and Senate. These are essentially “homework assignments” for the committees from the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House. What do the charges include? Are fiscal discipline and property taxes on…

By Mel Gurtov Stretching Presidential Power  Donald Trump has made waging war more centered than ever before on presidential prerogative. The same president who once fulminated against his predecessors’ penchant for going to war has turned into an imperial leader who can’t get enough of it. He has not merely built on past violations of…

By Paula Span April 10, 2026 The accident happened in Pittsburgh on Nov. 16. Joseph Masterson, a lawyer who was just days from retiring at age 63, suffered cardiac arrest while driving, plowed into a guardrail, and lost consciousness. Other drivers stopped, broke the car window, and pulled him to safety. A passing volunteer firefighter…