Texas’ highest criminal court overturns sentence of inmate who has been on death row for 47 years
By Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune April 9, 2026 Texas’ highest criminal court has overturned the death sentence of a Harris County man who was on death row for nearly half a century. Clarence Curtis Jordan, 70, was first convicted in 1978 of murdering Joe L. Williams, a 40-year-old Houston grocer. Jordan, who is intellectually…
Read MoreTexas education board gives preliminary OK to required reading list that includes Bible material
By Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune April 9, 2026 The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary approval Thursday evening to a mandatory list of books that all public schools will teach starting in 2030, paring down an earlier version students and educators had criticized for being too long, lacking diversity and emphasizing Christianity. The…
Read MoreTrump’s DOJ plans to settle Colony Ridge case without compensating victims
By Zach Despart, The Texas Tribune April 9, 2026 The Colony Ridge development, in the far north Houston suburbs, targeted Hispanic applicants with high-interest loans, according to a lawsuit the government has proposed to settle. In December 2023, the U.S. Justice Department sued a Texas land developer it accused of duping tens of thousands of…
Read MoreAAA Texas: Pump Prices Keep Climbing as Crude Oil Remains High
The statewide gas price average in Texas is $3.87 per gallon for regular unleaded fuel, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch. That price is seven cents more when compared to this day last week and is $1.04 more per gallon compared to this day last year. Of the major metropolitan areas surveyed in Texas,…
Read MoreTexas ‘green industry’ shifts to steady, sustainable growth following COVID-era boom
Texas Crop and Weather Report Texas ornamental horticulture remains a national leader with positive prospects for both industry producers and consumers despite increased input costs and intermittent supply chain disruptions, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts. Texas ornamental horticulture remains a national leader with positive prospects for both industry producers and consumers. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife) Also…
Read MoreGilmer FFA Greenhouse Sale set for Saturday, April 11
Record oil production in West Texas helps stabilize U.S. supply amid Iran war
By Carlos Nogueras Ramos, The Texas Tribune April 9, 2026 ODESSA — Texas produced nearly half of all U.S. oil last year despite having drilled fewer new oil wells in 2025, a trend that analysts and industry groups said is possible due to the state’s geological makeup, a network of pipelines and transportation, and the…
Read MoreIn South Texas, “quinceañera” dig becomes campaign fuel for Tejano musician Bobby Pulido
By Olivia Borgula, The Texas Tribune April 9, 2026 Jimena Sáenz’s glittery blue quinceañera gown caught the light and sparkled as she swayed to the Tejano music flowing through the Edinburg event center last month. Her friends and family formed a circle around her, some mouthing lyrics as they filmed on their phones and danced…
Read MoreVideo: Saving College Sports: How to Protect a Unique American Institution
Texas summer camps sue to block new internet rule, saying it threatens their ability to operate
By Emily Foxhall, The Texas Tribune April 8, 2026 Nineteen camps in Texas have filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a new state requirement for them to install “end-to-end fiber optic facilities” in order to operate this summer. The requirement that the camps install fiber optic internet does not make their properties safer, violates the…
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