https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/berenice-garcia/The latest news by Berenice Garcia.enFri, 25 Oct 2024 12:26:51 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/25/texas-mexico-water-rio-grande-valley/Farmers say they want the water, but not if it goes against the allotment they need for the spring planting season.By Berenice GarciaFri, 25 Oct 2024 12:26:51 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/25/texas-mexico-water-rio-grande-valley/The Rio Grande River divides the United States, right, and Mexico at Los Ebanos on Jan. 14, 2022. South Texas farmers are reluctant to take water from Mexico in a new deal.The Rio Grande River divides the United States, right, and Mexico. Los Ebanos on Jan. 14, 2022.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/25/texas-election-2024-early-voting-problems/A Bexar County election worker was assaulted Thursday, officials said. In Tarrant County, officials encouraged voters to review their ballots before voting.By Alejandra Martinez and Berenice GarciaFri, 25 Oct 2024 11:37:22 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/25/texas-election-2024-early-voting-problems/A line to vote wraps around the sidewalk at the Cinco Ranch Branch Library on Oct. 21 in Fort Bend County. Long lines have been reported across the state. So far, few issues have been reported.The line wraps around the sidewalk at the Cinco Ranch Branch Library on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Ft Bend County.Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/24/texas-halloween-denton/Denton has renamed itself Halloween, Texas, and has planned 31 days of events to drive up tourism and family entertainment.By Jayme Lozano Carver and Berenice GarciaThu, 24 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/24/texas-halloween-denton/People go in and out of Discover Denton, enjoying an evening of Halloween and interaction on the square on Oct. 18. The North Texas city, renamed Halloween for the month of October, has been hosting 31 days of Halloween, including multiple activities per day and a town full of Halloween decorations.People go in and out of Discover Denton, enjoying an evening of Halloween and interaction on the square on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 in Denton, Texas. The town has been hosting 31 days of Halloween, including multiple activities per day and a town full of Halloween decorations.Maria Crane for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/23/laredo-boil-water-notice-illegal-connections/The South Texas city has hired a consulting firm for $200,000 to provide an interim director for the utility amid a restructuring of the department.By Berenice GarciaWed, 23 Oct 2024 14:44:53 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/23/laredo-boil-water-notice-illegal-connections/Residents in Laredo are free to use their water after a boil-water warning expired on Monday.A water faucet drips on Feb. 5, 2022.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/21/texas-greg-abbott-robert-roberson/The Texas governor had not publicly shared his thoughts on the actions of a bipartisan group of lawmakers that stopped the scheduled execution of Robert Roberson.By Berenice GarciaMon, 21 Oct 2024 11:26:37 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/21/texas-greg-abbott-robert-roberson/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/18/mayra-flores-passports-id-debate/During a tense debate with U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, Flores attacked Gonzalez for being soft on border security, then suggested requiring residents to prove citizenship in some instances was appropriate.By Berenice GarciaFri, 18 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/18/mayra-flores-passports-id-debate/Former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores speaks during a debate with U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. During the debate, Flores attacked Gonzalez for his stance on immigration and the border.Republican challenger Mayra Flores speaks during a debate with U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Harlingen.Courtesy: CBS4 NBC23/NewsNationhttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/17/vicente-gonzalez-mayra-flores-congress-debate/In their only debate before Election Day, Gonzalez and Flores traded jabs over the economy, immigration and abortion, and regularly spoke over each other.By Berenice GarciaThu, 17 Oct 2024 21:57:10 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/17/vicente-gonzalez-mayra-flores-congress-debate/Democratic U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, left, and former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores, a Republican, take part in a debate for Congressional District 34 hosted by KVEO on Thursday in Harlingen.U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, left, and Republican challenger Mayra Flores, take part in a debate for U.S. House District 34 hosted by KVEO on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Harlingen.Courtesy: CBS4 NBC23/NewsNationhttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/15/laredo-texas-boil-water-notice-e-coli/The South Texas city is the latest to grapple with aging water infrastructure, which officials suggested could have been the cause for the E. coli outbreak.By Berenice GarciaTue, 15 Oct 2024 16:49:52 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/15/laredo-texas-boil-water-notice-e-coli/Residents in Laredo have had to boil their water for six days after E. coli was discovered in its water system.An empty street in historic downtown Laredo, TX on Nov. 7, 2021. Businesses along the border crossing are hoping to see a return in Mexican clientele after the U.S. land borders reopen to vaccinated travelers.Pu Ying Huanghttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/15/texas-election-2024-vincente-gonzalez-mayra-flores-congress/Flores briefly represented the district after winning a 2022 special election. Gonzalez went on to beat her by nearly 9 points in the general.By Berenice GarciaTue, 15 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/15/texas-election-2024-vincente-gonzalez-mayra-flores-congress/From left: U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, is facing a challenge from former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores in Texas' 34th Congressional District. Flores briefly represented the district after winning a special election in July 2022.From left: U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, is facing a challenge from Mayra Flores in Texas' 34th congressional district. Flores briefly represented the district after winning a special election in July 2022.Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/03/texas-pet-population-problems-shelters/One group estimated more than 568,000 cats and dogs entered shelters in 2023. About 82,000 cats and dogs were euthanized.By Berenice GarciaThu, 03 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/03/texas-pet-population-problems-shelters/Christopher Seigler, lead vet technician, sedates a puppy from an animal rescue organization in preparation to be neutered at the Spay Neuter Network clinic in Crandall on Sep. 27.CRANDALL, TX - SEPTEMBER 27, 2024: Christopher Seigler, 45, lead vet technician, sedates a puppy from Saving Hope in preparation to be neutered at the Spay Neuter Network Crandall clinic in Crandall, Texas on Friday, September 27, 2024. CREDIT: Desiree Rios for The Texas TribuneDesiree Rios for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/25/texas-24-hours-border-takeaways/Reporters from both organizations spent a day documenting the reality on the border. Here’s a summary of what they found.By Berenice Garcia, Uriel J. García, Jakob Maurer and Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune, and Juan A. Lozano and Elliot Spagat, Associated PressWed, 25 Sep 2024 11:52:03 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/25/texas-24-hours-border-takeaways/A private border wall that extends nearly three miles stands in Mission, on Friday morning, Aug. 9, 2024.A private border wall that extends nearly three miles is seen in Mission, Texas on Aug. 9, 2024.Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/25/texas-border-24-hours-trump-harris-migrants/The Texas Tribune and The Associated Press visited five locations along the 1,254-mile span to separate the facts from the political narrative during a heated election year.By Berenice Garcia, Uriel J. García, Jakob Maurer and Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune, and Juan A. Lozano and Elliot Spagat, Associated PressWed, 25 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/25/texas-border-24-hours-trump-harris-migrants/Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, clockwise: A Venezuelan migrant family arriving in El Paso; the Rio Grande and Shelby Park in Eagle Pass; Andrés García, Border Patrol agent and public affairs officer at the border wall near Mission; a Customs and Border Protection officer and K-9 inspecting trucks at the Port of Laredo.Christina Smallwood, foreground, and Andrés García, Border Patrol agents and Public Affairs officers look for migrants underneath the vehicular McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge in Hidalgo, Texas, early Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/19/lupe-rio-grande-valley-latino-organizing/Inspired by the work of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the biennial “cumbre” helps South Texans organize for political change.By Berenice GarciaThu, 19 Sep 2024 13:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/19/lupe-rio-grande-valley-latino-organizing/People cast their votes for the topics that they are interested in La Union del Pueblo Entero, or LUPE, focusing on for the next two years during the Cumbre de Miembros 2024 in San Juan on Sept. 14.People cast their votes for the topics that they are interested in LUPE focusing on for the next two years during the Cumbre de Miembros 2024 in San Juan, Texas on Sept. 14, 2024. Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas TribuneVerónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/17/texas-voter-registration-ken-paxton-jane-nelson-lawsuit-travis/Attorney General Ken Paxton and Secretary of State Jane Nelson are targeted in the new suit, escalating a pre-election war over voter registration efforts.By Berenice GarciaTue, 17 Sep 2024 14:51:39 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/17/texas-voter-registration-ken-paxton-jane-nelson-lawsuit-travis/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/17/jonathan-gracia-janie-lopez-private-school-vouchers-texas-elections/The first-term Republican defending her seat said a private school voucher program will help her community, especially students from low-income families.By Berenice GarciaTue, 17 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/17/jonathan-gracia-janie-lopez-private-school-vouchers-texas-elections/From left: Democrat Jonathan Gracia is challenging Republican incumbent Janie Lopez in state House District 37, which covers part of the Rio Grande Valley and includes Harlingen and part of Brownsville.From left: Democrat Jonathan Gracia is challenging Republican incumbent Janie Lopez in state House District 37, which covers part of the Rio Grande Valley, which includes Harlingen and part of Brownsville.Social mediahttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/04/space-x-south-texas-environment/A federal agency has paused some of SpaceX's plans amid concerns over the environment.By Berenice GarciaWed, 04 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/04/space-x-south-texas-environment/Space X rocket launch platforms loom over members of the ENTRE Film Center gathered to celebrate and preserve Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville on Aug. 31.Members of the ENTRE Film Center, a local film center and regional archive, hosted the gathering at Boca Chica to celebrate the beach and motivate people to fight for its preservation, which they view as being in jeopardy since the arrival of Elon Musk's SpaceX. Aug. 8, 2024.Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/28/ken-paxton-south-texas-vote-harvesting-investigation-politiqueras-hist/Since the 2020 election, Texas Republicans have dramatically rewritten the state’s voting laws, which have made some long-standing practices illegal.By Berenice GarciaWed, 28 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/28/ken-paxton-south-texas-vote-harvesting-investigation-politiqueras-hist/A voting feather flag near Firemans Park voting station in McAllen on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022.A voting feather flag outside of Firemans Park voting station in McAllen on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022.Jason Garza for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/26/texas-voter-registration-election-ken-paxton-investigation/The Fox News host who shared the allegation online has previously shared election misinformation.By Berenice GarciaMon, 26 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/26/texas-voter-registration-election-ken-paxton-investigation/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced last week that his office was investigating claims of illegal voter registration. A debunked social media post appears to have sparked the investigation.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fields questions at the Frisco Gun Club during a press conference announcing his intent to sue the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on May 1, 2024. This comes after the Justice Department announced a new rule requiring all gun sellers to conduct federal background checks on buyers, closing what is known as the “gun show loophole”.Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/19/south-texas-book-ban-request-religion/The request came from a local pastor who is part of a group that trains people to “defend their freedom and liberty.” Other faith leaders have pushed back.By Berenice GarciaMon, 19 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/19/south-texas-book-ban-request-religion/The Mission school district in the Rio Grande Valley received a request to remove 676 books from its libraries from a local pastor.Books at Vandegrift High School's library on March 2, 2022.Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/09/rio-grande-valley-gas-exports-projects-federal-ruling/This week’s ruling was the latest twist since cities and groups in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley sued to block the projects.By Dylan Baddour, Inside Climate News, and Berenice Garcia, The Texas TribuneFri, 09 Aug 2024 10:19:18 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/09/rio-grande-valley-gas-exports-projects-federal-ruling/Construction crews work at the 750-acre site of the proposed Rio Grande LNG facility on Feb. 22 in BrownsvilleConstruction crews work at the 750-acre site of the proposed Rio Grande LNG facility Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 in Brownsville.Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News