John Whitehead’s Commentary John & Nisha Whitehead April 14, 2026 “In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.”— Friedrich Nietzsche One week after posting a profanity-laced Easter message threatening to wipe out the entire civilization of Iran, Donald J. Trump, the 47th president of the United States,…

By Winslow Myers In a tough and complex world, people tending to the left side of the political spectrum are often accused of starry-eyed naïveté when they push for the prevention of war and the building of peace through law, diplomacy and budgetary control over military forces—replacing the law of force with the force of law.…

By Austin Current, The Texas Tribune April 14, 2026 Tesla’s Giga Texas increased its annual treated water use by more than 200 million gallons in just two years, raising concerns about whether Austin can fulfill its long-term water conservation plans as Elon Musk advances plans for a new semiconductor plant expected to push demand even…

By Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune April 13, 2026   Don Huffines, the GOP nominee for Texas comptroller, on Tuesday said that he would withhold state funds from agencies or universities engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion policies, or DEI, if he wins office this November. “I’ve got a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayer, period,”…

By Paul Cobler and Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune March 2, 2026 An Austin district judge on Monday ordered the state’s Historically Underutilized Business Program rules be temporarily reinstated, meaning women- and minority-owned business owners can qualify for the state’s HUB program again for now. Four business owners and a trade association sued the state…

By Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune April 15, 2026 As he campaigned for Houston mayor three years ago, John Whitmire repeatedly leaned on his Austin connections after serving five decades in the Capitol, first as a state representative and then as a senator, to pitch himself as a peacemaker following years of GOP state leaders…

By Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune April 13, 2026 McALLEN — In an effort to thwart the possibility of an immigrant detention center opening up in the city, Rio Grande Valley residents confronted the McAllen city commissioners on Monday, demanding their opposition and transparency on the issue. “I want to continue being proud of all that…

April 8, 2026 Zach Richardson is a Research Librarian at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he supports evidence synthesis projects, advanced biomedical literature searching, and research initiatives across clinical and academic departments. He also contributes to institutional efforts through the Institutional Review Board and patient education initiatives. A Presidential Scholar from Northeast Texas Community College,…