Area News
Paxton and Talarico open battle for South Texas with dueling rallies, diverging pitches
By Alejandro Serrano, Gabby Birenbaum and Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune July 16, 2026 McALLEN — As the general election ramps up, the top of each party’s ticket this week headed to the epicenter of President Donald Trump’s 2024 gains with Latino voters: South Texas. And their opening salvos to voters were markedly different. Attorney…
Read MoreFBI suggests migrants’ van in fatal Houston shooting had meth. A lawyer says it was salt.
By Alex Nguyen and Uriel J. García, The Texas Tribune July 16, 2026 The FBI sought a search warrant to seize plastic bags with “crystal-like substances” inside the van of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by an immigration agent last week. The FBI said it suspects methamphetamine, but the lawyer representing Salgao Araujo’s…
Read MoreDemocrats have a shot at flipping state legislatures across the country
By Kevin Hardy, Stateline July 16, 2026 Following a string of special election victories, Democrats have a path to flip several Republican-held legislative chambers and break GOP supermajorities in states across the country this November. High prices and overall voter dissatisfaction with Washington have put control of the U.S. House and Senate in play this…
Read More“Not Seen Since World War II”: New Texas Shipyard To Hire 10,000 Workers And Mass-Produce Drone Boats
Building on our coverage of autonomous maritime warfare this week, Saronic Technologies is preparing to build a massive shipyard on the Texas coast capable of producing autonomous surface vessels at scale, a project expected to create more than 10,000 jobs. Read more: New Texas Shipyard To Hire 10,000 Workers And Mass-Produce Drone Boats
Read MorePodcast: States Start Their Medicaid Cuts
What the Health? From KFF Health News States Start Their Medicaid Cuts Episode 455 July 16, 2026 Listen Now
Read MoreNew flooding haunts Hill Country residents a year after historic disaster
By Ayden Runnels and Ellie Ashby, The Texas Tribune July 16, 2026 KERRVILLE — Soyla Reyna stood outside Calvary Temple Church, taking a momentary respite from hours of manning the flood displacement shelter at her home church in Kerrville on Thursday. “A lot of it was unbelievable,” she said as the rain outside the church patio…
Read MoreAt a Houston funeral home, a community comes together to pay respects to Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
By Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune July 16, 2026 HOUSTON — Two of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s sons received a steady stream of hugs, handshakes and besos Thursday evening from hundreds of people they’ve never met, who came to a funeral home in the city’s east side to grieve him as one of their own. At…
Read MoreSmith County Judge to Discuss What Every Leader Needs to Hear (Even If They Don’t Want To)
TYLER, Texas – July 17, 2026 – Leadership is often associated with confidence, decisiveness, and having the right answers. But according to Smith County Judge Neal Franklin, one of the most important qualities of effective leadership is something much more personal: self-awareness. Drawing on decades of leadership in public service, law enforcement, and county government,…
Read MoreTrinity Freedom Ranch: A Vision for Healing
Nestled on 33 acres just outside Gilmer, the Trinity Freedom Ranch is a new and unique development with a powerful dual mission: to offer a premium outdoor experience while building a foundation to support veterans’ mental health . More Than Just an RV Resort Currently, the Ranch operates as a brand-new RV Resort, providing guests…
Read MoreBrownsville lands $3.2B AI drone tech company. Community members question the impact it could bring.
By Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune July 16, 2026 BOCA CHICA BEACH — As a child, Christopher Basaldu, a lifelong resident of Brownsville, would take family trips to Boca Chica beach, a quiet stretch of shore 30 miles east of Brownsville. The small residential community surrounding it, known as Boca Chica Village, was quiet with…
Read More