Kratom, 7-OH laws diverge amid the spread of potent synthetic products
By Amanda Watford, Stateline October 5, 2026 For years, the psychoactive compound kratom has been sold across much of the United States as an herbal supplement, available in powders, capsules and extracts with few of the restrictions applied to controlled substances. But the market is changing. Products containing a potentially dangerous kratom derivative known as…
Read MoreBurn ban lifted
Texas Comptroller Huffines Selects School Districts for Performance Review
(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Don Huffines today announced the selection of Austin, Barbers Hill, El Paso, and Prosper school districts for a detailed review to ensure taxpayer funds are being spent responsibly. These are the population profiles of the selected school districts as of the 2025-26 school year: Austin ISD — 69,074 students enrolled Barbers Hill ISD — 8,088 students enrolled…
Read MoreElection officials are scrambling to process voter registration backlog using a system they say does not work
This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access. By Natalia Contreras, Votebeat Oct 5, 2026 at 2:17pm EDT Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletter here. At 6 p.m.…
Read MoreHarris County’s cashless bail policy for misdemeanors upheld
By Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune October 5, 2026 A federal judge on Monday denied a request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and four Harris County Criminal Court-at-Law judges to vacate a landmark settlement on misdemeanor bail reform in the county. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal’s ruling preserves the 2019 ODonnell consent decree,…
Read MoreKen Paxton raises personal-best $18 million in third quarter for Texas’ U.S. Senate race
By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune October 5, 2026 WASHINGTON — Attorney General Ken Paxton raised over $18 million last quarter for his U.S. Senate bid — a personal best that is larger than his prior two quarters combined, yet still trails the record hauls his Democratic opponent James Talarico has posted this year. Paxton’s…
Read MoreAnxiety is growing Trump may try to disrupt the midterm elections. States are prepping.
By Jonathan Shorman, Stateline October 5, 2026 When Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin declared in September that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could serve warrants on individuals at polling places this fall, officials in Denver, a liberal city where roughly 14% of residents are foreign-born, quickly sued. “Every day we find new things to be astonished…
Read MoreTexas Weekly Gas Price Update
October 5, 2026 Average gasoline prices in Texas are unchanged in the last week, averaging $3.88/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 22.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.15/g higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased…
Read MoreLand Commissioner Buckingham Announces Opening of a Promotional VLB Veterans and Public Land Sale
Land Commissioner Buckingham Announces Opening of a Promotional VLB Veterans and Public Land Sale AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., announces the opening of a promotional Veterans and General Public land sale through the Veterans Land Board (VLB). In total, 11 tracts with more than 30 acres,…
Read MoreHow the Poet Mary Oliver was “Saved by the Beauty of the World”
October 5, 2026 Posted by: Neely Tucker Share this post: Filmmaker Sasha Waters wasn’t shy when asked at the National Book Festival about the legacy of her latest documentary subject, the poet Mary Oliver: “I think we’re going to think of her as the (Walt) Whitman of the 20th century.” That’s an almost impossible standard,…
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