By Lauren Sausser and Bram Sable-Smith January 12, 2026 COLUMBIA, S.C. — When a trio of Republican state lawmakers introduced a bill last year that would subject women who obtain abortions to decades in prison, some reproductive rights advocates feared South Carolina might pass the “most extreme” abortion ban in the United States. Now, though,…

By Stephen Simpson, The Texas Tribune January 12, 2026 After lawmakers blunted expansion for years, Texas’ medical marijuana industry is slated to see more marijuana operators coming online, current ones opening more facilities and more Texans enrolling in the program this year. In September, Texas officially rolled out the most significant expansion of its medical…

By Alejandra Martinez, The Texas Tribune January 12, 2026 NUECES COUNTY — Texas’ eighth-largest city has seen the water crisis coming for years, and now it’s here: Its two main reservoirs are at historic lows amid a persistent drought and city leaders have told residents they’re less than a year away from major water cuts…

By Betty Bivins Cook Well here we are, into the New Year, once again striving to remember to write 2026 on checks (for those who still use them), on forms in doctor’s offices and more. It seems that I always get that wrong at least once every year.   We’ve also finished up with all…

By Heather Vogell and Agnel Philip When SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chose a remote Texas outpost on the Gulf Coast to develop his company’s ambitious Starship, he put the 400-foot rocket on a collision course with the commercial airline industry. Each time SpaceX did a test run of Starship and its booster, dubbed Super Heavy,…

By Nadia Sussman Linda McMahon, the nation’s secretary of education, says public schools are failing. In November, she promised a “hard reset” of the system in which more than 80% of U.S. children learn. But rather than invest in public education, she has been working to dismantle the Department of Education and enact wholesale changes…

By Don Thompson January 9, 2026 SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Many low-income Californians prescribed wildly popular weight loss drugs lost their coverage for the medications at the start of the new year. Health officials are recommending diet and exercise as alternatives to heavily advertised weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, advice experts say is unrealistic.…

By Aneri Pattani January 9, 2026 NEW ORLEANS — From the outside, the abandoned Family Dollar store in the Lower 9th Ward looks intimidating. It’s covered in graffiti, with aluminum cans and trash dotting the parking lot. It sits on a street with other empty lots and decayed buildings — symbols of the lasting devastation…

FORT WORTH, TEXAS, Jan. 10, 2026 — The 129th Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo will begin in true Western fashion as the iconic All-Western Parade takes over downtown Fort Worth at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 17.   FWSSR invites the public to purchase their ticket to line the streets for the All-Western Parade and experience a legendary Texas tradition. Featuring more…