The Texas Tribune: Eleanor Klibanoffhttps://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/eleanor-klibanoff/The latest news by Eleanor Klibanoff.enFri, 11 Jul 2025 13:58:07 -0500Texas leaders have repeatedly claimed the state’s voting maps are race blind. Until the Trump DOJ disagreed.https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/11/texas-redistricting-racial-gerrymandering-coalition-districts-trump/Gov. Greg Abbott has acknowledged DOJ concerns that some districts were drawn “along strict racial lines.” Critics say it’s a political ploy.By Eleanor Klibanoff and Gabby BirenbaumFri, 11 Jul 2025 13:58:07 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/11/texas-redistricting-racial-gerrymandering-coalition-districts-trump/Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a bill signing creating a Texas DOGE office at the capitol building in Austin on April 23, 2025.Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a bill signing creating a Texas DOGE office at the capitol building in Austin on April 23, 2025.Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas TribuneSen. Angela Paxton files for divorce from Attorney General Ken Paxtonhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/angela-paxton-divorce-texas-attorney-general-ken/In a statement, Angela Paxton said she moved to end her 38-year marriage “on biblical grounds,” citing “recent discoveries.”By Eleanor Klibanoff and Joshua FechterThu, 10 Jul 2025 12:59:29 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/angela-paxton-divorce-texas-attorney-general-ken/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife Senator Angela Paxton wave to conventioneers during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife Senator Angela Paxton wave to conventioneers during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.Eli Hartman/The Texas TribuneGov. Abbott orders special session on Hill Country flooding, redistricting, THC and unfinished GOP prioritieshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/abbott-special-session-texas-redistricting-flooding-thc-abortion-pills/The Republican governor laid out an ambitious agenda that includes an unexpected array of conservative bills that failed during the regular session.By Eleanor Klibanoff and Alejandro SerranoWed, 09 Jul 2025 15:54:39 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/abbott-special-session-texas-redistricting-flooding-thc-abortion-pills/Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at the Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville on Saturday, July 5, 2025.Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at the Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville on Saturday, July 5, 2025.Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas TribuneSirens, gauges and flood prevention: What the Texas Legislature could do in response to Hill Country disasterhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/texas-legislature-hill-country-kerrville-floods-response-sirens/Gov. Greg Abbott has promised to add flood response to the agenda for the July 21 special session, with an expected focus on alert systems and local recovery.By Alejandra Martinez and Eleanor KlibanoffWed, 09 Jul 2025 13:53:19 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/texas-legislature-hill-country-kerrville-floods-response-sirens/Governor Greg Abbott holds an emergecy proclaimation during a press confrence at the Hill Country Youth Event Center on Saturday, June 5, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas.Gov. Greg Abbott holds an emergency proclamation during a press conference at Hill Country Youth Event Center on Saturday July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas TribuneTexas officials say more than 160 people still missing from floods that killed over 100 othershttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/07/texas-hill-country-flooding-camp-mystic/Gov. Greg Abbott vowed Tuesday to continue rescue and recovery efforts in the flood-ravaged Hill Country “until every missing person is accounted for.”By Sneha Dey, Alejandro Serrano, Jayme Lozano Carver, Eleanor Klibanoff, Terri Langford and Colleen DeGuzmanMon, 07 Jul 2025 08:18:12 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/07/texas-hill-country-flooding-camp-mystic/Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt on July 5, 2025.Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt on July 5, 2025.Brenda Bazán for The Texas TribuneAs the floodwaters recede, Kerrville confronts the devastationhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/07/kerrville-hill-country-flood-texas/On Sunday, as Kerrville began the long process of rebuilding after ruin, the unique horrors of what unfolded here Friday night hung thick over the whole town.By Eleanor KlibanoffMon, 07 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/07/kerrville-hill-country-flood-texas/Community members grieve at the Cross Kingdom Church in Kerrville during the first Sunday service after the floods, on July 6, 2025.Community members grieve at the Cross Kingdom Church in Kerrville during the first Sunday service after the floods on July 6, 2025.Brenda Bazán for The Texas TribunePaxton drops appeal: Texas to pay $6.6 million to whistleblowershttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/03/ken-paxton-attorney-general-whistleblowers-appeal/The Legislature will still have to appropriate the funds to pay the judgment, either during the upcoming special session or during the next regular session.By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 03 Jul 2025 17:13:02 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/03/ken-paxton-attorney-general-whistleblowers-appeal/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement to the press May 26, 2023 a day before a scheduled impeachment vote in the Texas House in a long-running ethics complaint.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement to the press May 26, 2023 a day before a scheduled impeachment vote in the Texas House in a long-running ethics complaint.Bob Daemmrich for The Texas TribuneTribCast: A very unusual Supreme Court termhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/01/tribcast-supreme-court/The TribCast gang is finally reunited, just in time to dive into the big cases and unresolved questions from the term.By Eleanor KlibanoffTue, 01 Jul 2025 13:20:29 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/01/tribcast-supreme-court/Eli Hartman for The Texas TribuneTexas can require porn websites to verify users’ ages, Supreme Court ruleshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/texas-porn-websites-age-verification-law-supreme-court/The case involves a 2023 state law requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages, but the ruling is expected to have broader implications for free speech law.By Kayla Guo, Eleanor Klibanoff and Paul CoblerFri, 27 Jun 2025 11:18:26 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/texas-porn-websites-age-verification-law-supreme-court/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court building in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 following arguments in the case “Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al. v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas.”Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court building in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 following arguments in the case “Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al. v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas.”Luke Johnson for The Texas TribuneMore parents sue to stop Texas’ Ten Commandments requirement in public schoolshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/texas-schools-commandments-requirement-lawsuit/The ACLU has filed a new lawsuit on behalf of 16 parents of various religious faiths, the second such suit against the new law.By Eleanor Klibanoff and Alejandro SerranoThu, 26 Jun 2025 18:11:39 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/texas-schools-commandments-requirement-lawsuit/Top Paxton deputy accused of witness tampering during impeachment trialhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/ken-paxton-impeachment-witness-tampering-former-employees/In dueling lawsuits, current and former employees of the attorney general’s office sling allegations that threaten to intrude on Paxton’s U.S. Senate bid.By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 26 Jun 2025 10:53:09 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/ken-paxton-impeachment-witness-tampering-former-employees/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, flanked by aides, speaks about impending impeachment proceedings against him at a press conference in Austin on May 26, 2023.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks about impending impeachment proceedings against him at a press conference in Austin on May 26, 2023. Behind Paxton from left: Tommy Tran, executive assistant; James R. Lloyd, associate deputy attorney general for civil litigation; Austin A. Kinghorn, associate deputy attorney general for legal counsel; Ryan Fisher, director of government relations; Joshua Reno, deputy attorney general for criminal justice; Suzanna Hupp, special adviser; Brent Webster, first assistant attorney general; Lesley French, chief of staff; George Lane, adviser; Paige Willey, deputy communications director; and Ralph M. Molina, deputy attorney general for legal strategy.Bob Daemmrich for The Texas TribuneWhat the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on gender-affirming care ban means for Texashttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/18/us-supreme-court-gender-care-texas-tennessee/The court split 6-3 along ideological lines on a case from Tennessee. About two dozen states have similar bans in place.By Eleanor KlibanoffWed, 18 Jun 2025 10:55:21 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/18/us-supreme-court-gender-care-texas-tennessee/The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Texas' gender-affriming care ban for minors.The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2022.Jason Garza for The Texas TribuneWhat to know about Texas ending in-state tuition for undocumented studentshttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/14/texas-undocumented-students-tuition-explainer/Some implications of the ruling ordering the policy’s end are still unknown. College access experts urged affected students not to withdraw from school while they assess their options.By Eleanor Klibanoff, Jessica Priest and María MéndezSat, 14 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/14/texas-undocumented-students-tuition-explainer/Students head to classes at the University of Texas at El Paso on May 9, 2019.Students head to classes at the University of Texas at El Paso on May 9, 2019.Joel Angel Juárez for The Texas TribuneTexas clarified when abortions are OK and aligned with RFK Jr. on health this legislative sessionhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/13/texas-legislature-health-bills-abortion-vaccines/Amid a quiet legislative session for health, lawmakers’ priority legislation reinforced the U.S. health secretary’s agenda.By Terri Langford, Stephen Simpson and Eleanor KlibanoffFri, 13 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/13/texas-legislature-health-bills-abortion-vaccines/Aaron Reitz, former top DOJ official and Paxton aide, launches bid for Texas attorney generalhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/texas-attorney-general-aaron-reitz-gop-primary-paxton/Reitz, formerly a key cog in Texas’ conservative legal pipeline, once said the AG’s office is at war with “the forces that want to destroy the American order.”By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 12 Jun 2025 08:24:31 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/texas-attorney-general-aaron-reitz-gop-primary-paxton/Then-Texas Deputy Attorney General of Legal Strategy Aaron Reitz speaks during a press conference in the William Clements Building in Austin on June 9, 2022.Then-Texas Deputy Attorney General of Legal Strategy Aaron Reitz speaks during a press conference in the William Clements Building in Austin on June 9, 2022.Kylie Cooper/The Texas TribuneTrans Texans brace for life under strict sex definition lawhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/12/texas-trans-rights-laws-birth-sex-gender-documents/Texas has strictly defined man and woman, leaving trans Texans in legal limbo.By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 12 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/12/texas-trans-rights-laws-birth-sex-gender-documents/Leo Tyler poses for a portrait in downtown San Antonio on May 26, 2025. Behind him is artwork of a woman holding a transgender symbol like a rosary, connecting the city’s predominant Catholic faith with a message of alliance with the transgender community.Leo Tyler Castillo-Anguiano poses for a portrait underneath an overpass in downtown San Antonio on May 26, 2025. Behind him is artwork of a woman holding a transgender symbol like a rosary, connecting the city’s predominant Catholic faith with a message of alliance with the transgender community.Lorianne Willett/The Texas TribuneUndocumented students ask judge to let them challenge sudden loss of in-state tuitionhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/11/texas-in-state-tuition-undocumented-students-lawsuit-paxton-trump/Their filing says the lawsuit that struck down in-state tuition for undocumented students was “contrived” to keep their voices out.By Eleanor KlibanoffWed, 11 Jun 2025 12:58:17 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/11/texas-in-state-tuition-undocumented-students-lawsuit-paxton-trump/Students on the University of Texas at Arlington campus in Arlington on Sept. 10, 2024.Students on the University of Texas at Arlington campus in Arlington on Sept. 10, 2024.Desiree Rios for The Texas TribuneTexas’ abortion bans are here to stay despite narrow clarificationhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/texas-abortion-ban-repeal-exceptions-unlikely/Legal challenges have failed, elections haven’t moved the needle and the fight for a narrow clarification shows how immovable these laws are.By Eleanor KlibanoffTue, 10 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/texas-abortion-ban-repeal-exceptions-unlikely/Protesters chant in front of the Texas State Capitol building at a pro-choice rally on June 24, 2022.Protesters chant on Congress Ave. in front of the Texas State Capitol building at a pro-choice rally Friday, June 24, 2022 in Austin, TX. The Supreme Court overturned Roe V Wade Friday leading to national protests in response from pro abortion advocates. The announcement of the overturning would trigger an immediate ban on abortions in several states, including Texas. Sergio Flores for The Texas TribuneSergio Flores for The Texas TribuneTexas’ swift surrender to DOJ on undocumented student tuition raises questions about state-federal collusionhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/09/texas-doj-undocumented-tuition-courts-friendly-lawsuit-paxton/Experts say Wednesday’s action to eliminate the long-standing policy could be a “collusive lawsuit,” where the state and feds worked the courts to get a desired outcome.By Eleanor KlibanoffMon, 09 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/09/texas-doj-undocumented-tuition-courts-friendly-lawsuit-paxton/The Texas State Capitol on Sept. 24, 2022 in Austin, TX.The Texas State Capitol on Sept. 24, 2022 in Austin, TX.Spencer Selvidge for The Texas TribuneTexas’ undocumented college students no longer qualify for in-state tuitionhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-justice-department-lawsuit-undocumented-in-state-tuition/Within hours of a federal lawsuit targeting Texas’ policy of letting undocumented students qualify for lower public tuition rates, the 24-year-old law was no more.By Eleanor Klibanoff, Jessica Priest, Sneha Dey and Ayden RunnelsWed, 04 Jun 2025 14:45:08 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-justice-department-lawsuit-undocumented-in-state-tuition/Students walk through campus at the University of Texas at Austin on Aug. 25, 2021.Students walk through campus at the University of Texas at Austin on Aug. 25, 2021.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune