An Afghan soldier fleeing the Taliban spent months reaching the U.S. to request asylum. He was arrested at the Texas border.

Latest News

• U.S. Senate gives final passage to same-sex marriage bill without support from Cruz and Cornyn

  by Matthew Choi Nov. 29, 2022

  The bill is largely a safeguard against potential action by the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, which made the Defense of Marriage Act unenforceable and enshrined the right to same-sex marriages across the country. Full Story 

• Houston officials say state made the call on water boil notice

  by Sneha Dey and Brandon Formby Updated: Nov. 29, 2022

  For more than 24 hours, nearly everyone in the nation’s fourth-most-populous city had been asked to boil water after a power outage at a water treatment plant Sunday. Full Story 

• Stephen F. Austin State University moves to join the University of Texas System

  by Kate McGee Updated: Nov. 29, 2022

  Regents said they chose the UT System because of its access to the Permanent University Fund, which consists of oil and gas assets. Full Story 

• Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner hasn’t endorsed a successor — yet

  by Joshua Fechter Updated: Nov. 29, 2022

  In a wide-ranging discussion with Texas Tribune Editor in Chief Sewell Chan, Turner spoke about the recent citywide boil-water notice, public safety and the state’s partisan divide. Full Story 

• Texas grid still vulnerable to extreme winter weather, ERCOT estimate shows

  by Erin Douglas Nov. 29, 2022

  Changes to Texas’ power grid have improved ERCOT’s ability to keep power flowing during major winter storms, but in an extreme scenario, the grid could still face rolling blackouts, a seasonal assessment shows. Full Story 

• U.S. Supreme Court wrestles over Biden’s immigration enforcement policy

  by Uriel J. García Nov. 29, 2022

  The Biden administration instructed immigration agents to focus on deporting undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of felonies or pose a danger to public safety. Texas filed a lawsuit saying the change was illegal. Full Story 

• Mother of 10-year-old Uvalde shooting victim sues school district, police and gun manufacturer

  by Alex Nguyen Nov. 29, 2022

  The lawsuit accuses Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the shooter’s weapon, of marketing that primes “young buyers to purchase AR-15-style rifles as soon as they are legally able.” Full Story 

• Houstonians say the city fumbled sounding the alarm on boil water notice

  by Alejandro Serrano Updated: Nov. 29, 2022

  Many residents in the nation’s fourth-most-populous city heard that they couldn’t drink tap water from friends or neighbors, not from City Hall. Full Story 

• Beto O’Rourke returned $1 million check from FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried

  by James Barragán Nov. 29, 2022

  O’Rourke’s campaign said they gave the money back before the company’s scandals became widely public, because they were taken aback by such a large unsolicited donation. Full Story 

• Fort Worth Star-Telegram journalists go on strike, citing unfair labor practices

  by Seth Bodine, Fort Worth Report Nov. 28, 2022

  In response to the open-ended strike, the McClatchy-owned newspaper has revoked their health care benefits and listed their jobs. Full Story 

• In after-hours notice, Gov. Greg Abbott announces another leadership change for the Department of Family and Protective Services

  by Roxanna Asgarian Nov. 28, 2022

  Former DFPS commissioner Anne Heiligenstein was tapped by Abbott in June to serve as the agency’s executive deputy commissioner. Last month, she was out. Now she’s back. Full Story 

• Houston boil water notice forces schools to shut down

  by Sneha Dey and Alejandra Martinez Updated: Nov. 28, 2022

  Millions of Houston residents are expected to be under a boil water notice until Tuesday after a power outage at a water treatment plant. At least four school districts canceled Monday classes. Full Story 

• Facing possible removal for alleged incompetence, El Paso District Attorney Yvonne Rosales resigns

  by Jolie McCullough Nov. 28, 2022

  The first-term DA was under fire for the office’s mishandling of criminal cases and for potentially jeopardizing the prosecution of the man charged in the 2019 Walmart massacre. Full Story 

• ACLU calls for civil rights investigations into two North Texas school districts over anti-transgender policies

  by Brian Lopez Updated: Nov. 28, 2022

  Frisco ISD’s new bathroom policy and Keller ISD’s ban on books that reference gender fluidity violate federal rules prohibiting sex-based discrimination, the ACLU said. Full Story 

• Jewish Texans see surge in antisemitism as a precursor to fascism

  by Robert Downen Nov. 28, 2022

  Extremism experts and historians sound alarms as politicians, media personalities and celebrities amplify antisemitic conspiracies that have historically led to the killing of Jews. Full Story 

• Some Republicans are optimistic about enacting school choice in next year’s session — but it might not be so easy

  by Brian Lopez Nov. 28, 2022

  Advocates say discontent with public schools’ pandemic rules and teachings on race and gender identity have helped raise support for school choice to an all-time high. Full Story