Area News
After Booting 760K People From ACA Plans, Trump Administration Has Added Some Back
By Julie Appleby Oct 16, 2026 Late last month, the Trump administration announced that it had cut 760,000 people from the Affordable Care Act rolls, claiming fraud and improper enrollments and touting billions in potential taxpayer savings. Not all of those kicked off were fraudulently enrolled, KFF Health News has learned. Insurance industry sources said…
Read MoreSWEPCO Encourages Customers to Review Bill Assistance Options Before Temporary Programs Expire
SHREVEPORT, La. (Oct. 15) – Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) is encouraging residential customers who may be struggling with electric bills to call before Oct. 31 to see what assistance programs, payment options and temporary bill support measures may be available for their accounts. “Many customers may qualify for programs or assistance they haven’t explored…
Read MoreTexas election officials clear backlog of thousands of voter registrations
This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access. By Natalia Contreras, Votebeat Oct 14, 2026 at 6:24pm EDT Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletter here. Election officials across…
Read MoreTrump says John Cornyn and Karl Rove to blame if Ken Paxton loses Senate race
By Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune October 15, 2026 President Donald Trump took to social media Thursday to blast U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and GOP stalwart Karl Rove for doing “everything possible to make it hard” for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to win his U.S. Senate election. Trump said in a Truth Social post…
Read MoreTrump Administration Announces $78 Million for Rural Healthcare Workforce, Chronic Disease Prevention, and Facility Upgrades Across Texas
CMS NEWS October 15, 2026 These investments will support the rural health workforce, modernize aging equipment, and advance chronic disease prevention to keep quality care within reach for rural Texans. Today, the Trump Administration announced $78 million in Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding to 216 rural healthcare providers through the Rural Texas Strong…
Read MoreTexas election laws: What voters need to know before casting ballots in the 2026 midterm
By Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune October 16, 2026 Largely driven by Republicans intent on making elections more secure — and over objections from Democrats who say voting should be made easier, not harder — Texas lawmakers have changed a number of voting laws in the past two decades. Texas has 19 million registered voters…
Read MoreMeet the candidates running for Texas’ State Board of Education in 2026
By Juliana Lightsey and María Méndez, The Texas Tribune October 16, 2026 Editor’s note: To help readers learn more about the candidates running for statewide seats, The Texas Tribune is sharing information about the Republican, Democratic and third-party candidates. For more information on midterms and the voting process, check out our election resources here. About the elected…
Read MoreSerbian national sentenced to 17 years in federal prison as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation into international cocaine trafficking conspiracy
PLANO, Texas – A Serbian national has been sentenced to federal prison as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation into cocaine trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Milan Tanovic, 59, also known as Marco, a Serbian national living in Spain, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to…
Read More‘It’s What We Do’: SWEPCO Crews Help Restore Power in Florida after Hurricane Isaias
Veteran and first-time storm responders are supporting recovery efforts after Hurricane Isaias. SHREVEPORT, La. (Oct. 15, 2026)– When the call came for help, 115 SWEPCO employees and contractors from Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas answered. Since last Friday, lineworkers, troublemen, supervisors and support personnel from across SWEPCO’s three-state service territory have been helping Florida…
Read MoreOutspent and unknown, Democrat Vikki Goodwin gives Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick his toughest race yet
By Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune October 15, 2026 By 6 p.m. on a recent Monday, Vikki Goodwin had sat through a five-hour Texas House insurance committee hearing, worked the phones to thank campaign donors for their latest checks, sat for an interview with a cannabis podcast where she bashed Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s push…
Read More