One Year Later, a Small Texas Town Reflects on the Pandemic

byBenton Graham

In the spring of 2020, Reporting Texas set out to cover the plight of small towns in a changing Texas by reporting on the town of Eden in Concho County. Then COVID-19 struck. We pivoted to looking at how Eden was dealing with the pandemic. Eight months later, we checked back in with residents.

Black Texans Reflect on Racial Justice after a Singularly Difficult Year

During February, March and April, Reporting Texas correspondents will share interviews with Black Texans from different parts of the state, different professions and different perspectives. Subjects will discuss the state of the fight for racial justice and how they think Texans can best move forward after a trying year. Check back for updates.

COVID’s Challenge for UT Students Cycling to Fight Cancer

bySarah Kate Scribner

Armed with bikes and with helmets in hand, a small troop of students from the University of Texas at Austin greet the morning sun ready to train for yet another arduous battle against cancer to be waged in a 4,000-mile campaign. It was 6:45 a.m. on a recent Saturday and the five UT students showed up in […]

Austin Educators look beyond Texas’ African American studies course

byJennifer Martinez

WATCH: UT students talk about African American History African American heritage runs deep in Texas. From the horror of slavery to the civil rights movement and beyond, Texas’ African American population has played a critical role in the state’s economic and cultural development. Yet Texas’ publication education system has downplayed African American history in its […]

Texas Schools Failing to Teach Sex Ed

byLindsey Logan

Texas students often arrive on college campuses ill equipped to navigate the sexual freedom that comes with their newfound independence. Critics place the blame on inconsistent, confusing and contradictory approaches to sex education in the state’s public schools. Karen Rayne, assistant professor of instruction at the University of Texas at Austin, said she believes because […]

28 Years After a Forgotten Mass Shooting in Texas, a Survivor Looks Back

byJack Keyes

Tommy Vaughn says he’s no hero, but his actions helped save lives.

Texas Legislature Avoids Hot-Button Abortion Bills This Session

byClaire Allbright

Unlike Alabama, which just banned abortion except to save a mother’s life, or Georgia, with its fetal heartbeat bill, Texas anti-abortion forces are pursuing incremental steps this year.

Rodeo Bullfighters Find Fulfillment and Friendship on a Long, Hard Road

byRobert Larkin

In a fast-moving and dangerous sport, the bullfighters develop a bond on and off the dirt.

Civil War Battle Rises Again in East Texas

byAndrea Tinning

The annual Battle of Blackjack Grove, a mock Civil War battle, started in 2017 in the East Texas town of Groveton and has attracted more and more attendees each year.

Journalism Schools Look to Prepare Students to Confront Sexual Harassment

bySahar Chmais

Journalists say schools should prepare students to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace.

UT-Austin, Texas State Train Police, Students and Staff to Handle Active Shooters

byShepard Price

Training at UT-Austin and Texas State takes two tracks: one focusing on quick police response and a second on simple steps everyone else can take to defend themselves.

Estimating Texas Mountain Lion Population Is Like Herding Cats — Literally

byKayla Meyertons

The lions are so stealthy and range so widely, mostly on private land, that scientists have difficulty developing a good estimate of their numbers in Texas.

Fighting Addiction, One Dank Meme at a Time

bySahar Chmais

An addict turned recovery counselor uses dark humor and social media to help users clean up.

Kinder Morgan, the Blind Eyes of Texas Salamanders Are Upon You

byKayla Meyertons

The presence of endangered salamanders in aquifers under the route means an added layer of environmental scrutiny for Kinder Morgan’s proposed natural gas pipeline.

U.S. House Democrats Target Six Texas Districts for 2020, Face Uphill Battle

byKatherine Corley

National Democrats are targeting six congressional districts in Texas in 2020. Despite Democratic gains in the 2018 midterms, some political scientists say the party faces an uphill battle in the Lone Star State.

Central Texas Girls Blaze New Trails in Scouting

bySunny Kim

In February, the Boy Scouts started allowing all-girl troops in the 109-year-old organization.

Advocates Push for Criminal Sentencing Reform

byJack Keyes

Support is growing for legislation that would allow prisoners, even those convicted of violent crimes, to reduce their sentences through good behavior.

A Bumper Crop for Texas Cotton Could Spell Trouble for Farmers

byStephen Cabler

In the boom-bust world of cotton, a couple of big harvests means lower prices and potentially tough times for Texas growers.

Texas Plays Its Role in America’s Board-Game Comeback

byKatherine Corley

A renewed interest in board games has spawned an increase in amateur board game developers, particularly in Lone Star hotspots Dallas and Austin.

Advocates Continue Push to Lessen Importance of Standardized Tests in Texas

byMorgan Kilgo

The debate over the proper role of standard tests in evaluating student performance returns to the Capitol.