By Martha Bebinger, WBUR February 3, 2026 Inside a cancer research laboratory on the campus of Harvard Medical School, two dozen small jars with pink plastic lids sat on a metal counter. Inside these humble-looking jars is the core of Joan Brugge’s current multiyear research project. Brugge lifted up one of the jars and gazed…

By Gabby Birenbaum and Carla Astudillo, The Texas Tribune February 2, 2026 HOUSTON — On Monday, Christian Menefee is expected to be sworn in as the next member of Congress from Texas’ 18th Congressional District. Two weeks later, a mostly different group of voters than the ones who just elected him will begin heading to…

By Inside Climate News, The Texas Tribune February 2, 2026 This story is published in partnership with Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Texas’ environmental regulator this week issued the largest air pollution permit in the country to an…

By Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune February 2, 2026 Roughly 17 hours into a four-day marathon of meetings, the State Board of Education turned to a discussion of broad historical topics, prompting several board members to present an itemized wish list for Texas’ social studies curriculum. The elected board members began overhauling social studies last…

By Zahiyah Carter, The Texas Tribune February 2, 2026 A Galveston County man has filed a lawsuit against a California doctor he accuses of providing abortion-inducing pills to his partner, leveraging for the first time a new Texas law that allows private citizens to sue abortion providers for up to $100,000. In July, Jerry Rodriguez…

By Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune February 2, 2026 In a scathing video Monday, former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred ripped state Rep. James Talarico for allegedly calling him a “mediocre Black man” and urged voters to support U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Talarico’s opponent in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Allred’s comments came after Morgan…

By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune February 3, 2026 Editor’s note: To help readers learn more about primary candidates, The Texas Tribune is sharing background information on top candidates. In particularly crowded races, we focused on candidates with political experience or demonstrably competitive campaigns, using benchmarks such as fundraising, endorsements and online presence. For a…

By Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune February 3, 2026 Have you experienced or witnessed issues related to pregnancy or any medical care in a Texas county jail? Send tips to reporter Alex Nguyen at alex.nguyen@texastribune.org or via a message on Signal at @alexnguyen.23. In May 2018, Ruby McPeters was eight months pregnant when she was…