By Rob Okun Caution: This commentary begins with a catalog of real-life events and then satirically extrapolates (if that is even possible with Donald Trump, who seems hellbent on creating his own surreality). Mr. Trump has been on a name‑changing bender for some time. On his first day in office, he renamed the Gulf of Mexico the…

By Kelcie Moseley-Morris, Stateline September 16, 2026 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it’s helping manufacturers increase the supply of estrogen-based hormonal patches and acknowledged a current nationwide shortage as more women seek hormonal therapies for symptoms related to menopause. In a release earlier this month, the FDA said it is expediting actions to…

By Shalina Chatlani, Stateline September 17, 2026 Concerned about conditions in federal immigrant detention facilities but often barred from entering them, some Democratic-led states are fighting to enforce their own health and safety standards at the sites. The Trump administration, citing the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, argues that states don’t have the authority…

By Erin Rode, Capital & Main Sep 17, 2026 As Californians have weathered relentless heat waves, state workplace safety regulators have repeatedly reminded employers to protect employees from heat illness by providing water, shade, cooldown areas, and additional rest breaks when temperatures climb. But there’s a notable exception in the state’s heat safety rules: Not…

By Alejandra Martinez, The Texas Tribune September 16, 2026 FORT WORTH — What’s left of grasslands and ranch land is black ash, tree debris and smoke. More than 23 days later, the fire in Palo Pinto and Jack counties continues to burn, but it’s fully contained, meaning response crews have eliminated all fuel along the…

By Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune September 16, 2026 LeJames Norman, one of two men sentenced to death for killing three people in a robbery, was executed Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his stay of execution. Norman was executed by lethal injection and pronounced deceased at 6:44 p.m., according to the Texas Department…

By Stephen Simpson, The Texas Tribune September 17, 2026 HOUSTON — As executive director of the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, Barbie Brashear has directly seen how domestic violence programs have helped families. She also knows the dire consequences of such programs losing funding. Brashear used her experiences — both personal and professional —…

By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune September 17, 2026 After the routing they delivered in the 2024 election, Texas Republicans were on a roll, pushing through conservative priorities, drawing redder congressional maps and excising Democrats from legislative leadership positions. What a difference 18 months can make. With November fast approaching, Texas Republicans are in their…

By Robbie Sequeira, Stateline September 16, 2026 In its latest effort to overhaul federal homelessness funding, the Trump administration is proposing to provide more money to localities that prioritize treatment-first policies such as sober living, more cooperation with law enforcement and more temporary and transitional housing.  It’s a reversal from a decade-long federal approach known…

By Paula Span Sep 17, 2026 The scenario often unfolds like this: Medical researchers investigate a frequently used drug and report that it’s less effective for older patients than previously thought, or that its risks outweigh its benefits in older adults. More studies follow, confirming those findings. After a few years, medical associations revise their…